Eliminating “Bad Days” and the Bubble that Will Never Burst!

Posted in: Blog by admin on August 31, 2011

Recently I stayed at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville…which happens to be very similar to one big giant bubble, all-encompassing with everything you need to enjoy a full experience under one roof, or in this case, under 3 greenhouse style atriums.

Simply driving into the Gaylord you immediately feel moved to a place separate from everywhere else. And inside, you enter a refreshing natural environment in their amazing atriums that captivates you and removes you from the “outside” that you came in from.

I just love “destination” locations, especially when they get it right.

While at the Gaylord the service was incredible, more than adequate staff, always helpful, and taking great pride in their work. In the resort everything is self-contained inside of the “bubble”.

You can take leisurely walks, float down their river in a little boat, take in the waterfalls and enjoy many more relaxing things. One of my favorites was watching the “dancing fountain” that put on an incredible display themed to different music and it was fun.

Of course, we ate at their top of the line restaurant, which was magnificent and an investment valued more than the one night stay…I’m happy to report we filled every corner of the table with different desserts, (my idea) and yes, it was just enough for the two of us to enjoy!
(we are both still skinny – Maddy made me insert this)

The waiter was superb, and in less than 3 minutes at the table, I’d already decided that this will be one of the locations for our Traveling National Mastermind Group next year…and an experience it will be. Same waiter will be essential.

Anyhow, a couple quick things, every word out of every employees’ mouth was scripted, no time to explain, or go through details, but believe me, I ask questions, I push them, I see what they’re made of and reward them for the show.

From the hostess to the valet to the maids and maintenance, it was all planned out and executed beautifully.

We ate breakfast the next morning at the waterfalls and just to sum it up, I ordered (didn’t eat, but ordered) the $23 pastry basket simply to set on the table and look at – everything was THAT good.

Another thing I’ll point out, and then I will tell you why it’s so important for you…
I asked many employees how long they had been there and what position they started in, 4 out of 5 were more than 5 years, one just over a year, even that one, started somewhere simple and moved up.

They have a delicate and deliberate process for grooming people and giving them room to grow.

Finally, when I asked the waiter of 9 years, the one a handful of you will meet in 2012, my treat (if you’ve not put yourself on the Scott Manning Mastermind Experience List for next year, you’d better hurry, we’ve got more than I can let in already; they won’t all shake out but you’ve got to be on the list to get the notification).

Back to the waiter, who also had a little side business of playing Jazz at some local clubs downtown, when I asked him, why 9 years, here…what’s the big deal about the Gaylord.

He responded immediately, stepped back from the table looked up at the ‘artificial’ stars and the real moonlight through the atrium glass, he gazed around, he looked back and said, “what’s better than the Gaylord…you can’t have bad days inside here!”

“WOW!” I said to Maddy, “this is the shit!”
Or something like that…

Now, let’s be clear, it really is comparable to Disney, to Vegas, just not as grand a scale; it’s for different people. I love them all, same concepts apply to all three…this just a DIFFERENT experience, different ENVIRONMENT.

And that, my friends is my message to you today.

What is YOUR Environment?

I could write about the lessons from the Gaylord all day long.
What’s important is what you take away from MY experience here.

The one bubble that will never burst is the one you live in.
Real Estate, Stock Market, Economy, whatever -

All under other peoples control…well actually, realistically probably not under much of anyone’s control, maybe that’s the problem.

None the less – YOUR BUBBLE is in your control.

The Gaylord controls everything, the people, the guests, the environment, the food, the music, the mood, the weather! Everything.

Literally, no joke, we woke up the next morning to puddles everywhere, obvious remains of a heavy thunderstorm, and we never noticed it, not for a single moment, and you can look up at the sky and see through the atrium and yet, nothing.

Inside that Bubble, you can create exactly what you expect because you are the master in control.

I’ve got to tell you, I detest the question “how was your day?”
I ask people the same question, and I’m guilty of not being more demanding and resentful about it. But it’s just a dumb question.

What do you mean, how was my day? Well, how was it supposed to be…it was exactly the way I wanted it to be; because I am in control of my days.

Oh, I know, it’s polite, and I do appreciate it, it’s nothing against others, I was raised with that type of family friendly questions and stuff…but, the reality is, asking the question IMPLIES that it could have been good or bad -

NO SIR, not for me, not good, not bad, just a day with a purpose.
I enjoy every minute of every day, some more than others, but enjoy I do, because I live in a bubble, I create my own environment, and I decide who gets in, who stays out, what’s thought about, dealt with, and everything in between.

You have the same power.

As Nido Quebein says, “you can create your own theme park!”
Whether the Gaylord, Vegas, or Disney, you really do get to decide the environment you live in, the environment you create success in, the environment you get to enjoy.

Perhaps the most provocative thing, (that most people intentionally ignore and make excuses for) is regarding people who create more success in their lives than others. Truth is, those people simply exert more control on and have more clarity in their bubble.

You have to set yourself up for success. It is NOT just going to happen.

Oh don’t misunderstand, we’re not talking about perfection here, we’re talking about your ability to control what you can control and by doing so, give yourself a fighting chance at overcoming everything else around you.

I’ve said this before and I know you’ve heard it -
Success does not happen by accident.

My question for you right now, today, is: What is your Bubble like?
What type of environment are you attempting to be successful in?
Who needs to be pushed out of the bubble?
What needs to be eliminated from your environment?
Are you dictating exactly what happens inside your world?

Hey, we teach you to put a fence around your herd…
First, you gotta be putting a bubble around yourself…

Are you training the people in your life the way the Gaylord trains theirs?
Certainly, your friends, family, and employees…

Are you managing every detail and mitigating possibilities of distraction, discomfort, and failure?

You choose where, how, why, when, what, and with whom you do business with!
You choose where, how, why when, what, and with whom you live your life with!

You either create the environment you want or others create it for you.
Variables are for the meek, weak, and helpless…

The bold, brash, and rich get a bad rap for being demanding and dictating of how things should be…there is a closed loop there.

If you think they can have exceptional experiences at places like the Gaylord by ALLOWING exceptions, people to have anything but GREAT DAYS and PERFECT ATTITUDES, you’ve got another ‘think’ coming, and it’s probably a mirror image of what you accept and allow in your life and business.

No, there is no room for error, sloppiness, others to be in control.
Not for you, not if those goals you tout are sincere.
Not if your ambitions are genuine.

Here’s the ultimate challenge of the most successful, and for you, if you want to be one of us, fight, scrap, demand, things to be as you need them to be in order for you to achieve your goals. Stop accepting, settling, making excuses, letting your environment get in the way of your progress.

Stop taking NO for an answer, primarily from yourself! Because it begins and ends with You.

One of the “ah-ha’s” from my friends that joined me last month at our Chapter Event from around the country was the extreme control I take over every detail of the Event, and I don’t stop there. It is in every aspect and area of my life…such as the thought put into this little weekly email newsletter.

Of course, it’s not enough to control your customers; you must first control yourself, and YOUR environment.

We all must set out to design and create an Experience in your own life, in the way you work, in what you do, in the way you live. Give up “bad days”.

I’m almost done…I want to prove to you that I’m stone cold serious about this, I’m on the verge of bringing on someone to fill a very critical role for me in my life and in our business…I stated in the “description of the position, roles and responsibilities” that there could be NO PERSONAL PROBLEMS. Some thought it harsh, and I said “good!”

Life’s going to throw you enough problems as it is, surely you can do without your own set of problems to throw fuel on the fire. My family isn’t perfect, but we don’t end a day with an existing problem, everything, no matter what it is, has some resolution at days end. It may be that we need to schedule time to address it more in depth, or whatever…but it doesn’t go beyond the day…because tomorrow’s going to have a whole new set of things to deal with.

Let me ask you something, if you’re driving down the road and have a flat tire, or wake up in the morning and you’ve got to be somewhere and your tire is flat…what do you do?

If driving, do you keep driving…uh, NO.
If at home, do you cancel everything and go sit in the house and say “oh, well, such is life, bad luck for me.”

No dammit. You fix the tire. Well there are NO FLAT TIRES at the Gaylord and there can be no flat tires in your life. Not because you don’t have them, but because you don’t tolerate them when they occur.

You may think me overboard about this; we can compare incomes if you wish… I just know how serious YOUR ENVIRONMENT is, and I know that within it IS EVERYTHING and I mean EVERYTHING holding you back…including yourself.

Believe me, I make changes daily, moment by moment to upgrade my environment, because I’m trying to catch the next person and leap up to the next rung on the success ladder, I know the only thing standing in my way, is figuring out what’s their doing with their environment and control that I’m not…

What about you?

Scott Manning

P.S. This week I really hit a nerve with people, driving in more registrations for our chapter event in the first two days than ever before.

The reason – speaking the truth, saying what everybody else is thinking, that’s why.
I shared about all the things that we entrepreneurs are facing that continue to mount and the struggles that we must overcome.

The attack on the small business and capitalism in general in nothing new, yet, today we face a challenge more fierce, a battle more bloody, and an enemy with far greater arsenal than ever before.

At our Indianapolis Chapter event next week I’ll layout the specific and proactive counter attack necessary to ensure that your business succeeds, today, right now in this economy, during the 2nd coming of the Recession.

I’ve said you must OUT EARN the problems around you, because there will always be PROBLEMS around you. I’ve given you the foundational and most fundamental principles in todays’ message, if you’re local to Indy, you’ll get the blow by blow battle plan of how to make this come to life in your business next week.

This is the way to make that happen.
http://www.NoBSIndy.com/chaptermeeting

Creating Customers for Life and selling more, TODAY

Posted in: Blog by admin on August 24, 2011

Welcome back to another edition of the wild and crazy ride into the life and mind of Scott Manning…not sure how wild it is, but it’s definitely crazy. I’ve told you the joke about the medication, right. Yeah everybody says they know I need some, but I want nothing to do with it…one simple reason, I’m afraid it’ll fix me.

Ha. I was never very good at jokes…better at marketing and making money, thank goodness.

Well today, I’ve decided to get back to work, so to speak, and tell you about one of the single biggest and most significant sabotaging-your-sales mistakes you can possibly make in your business and your interaction/communication with your Customers.

And, in that, you will find exactly how to fix it and dramatically enhance your ability to CONNECT with your customers and appear and present yourself, product or service, as exactly what they should buy, do, believe in – right now.

To begin, I share with you the old cliché of being at the “right place at the right time”.
That is the battle you face with marketing.

No – not ACTUALLY being in the place. Although that is possible.

The battle to get your customer to PERCEIVE that your paths are crossing at the right time and right place in their life and that they must take advantage of whatever it is you offer – today.

This perception is where we begin to go wrong.
And it always starts on the marketers side of the table.

I often listen to people complain about their results in selling and it almost always boils down to a misunderstanding of PERCEPTION.

Here’s what I mean:

You cannot get caught up in what YOU want to sell…you must align with what your customer WANTS to buy.

Read that again, because it’s a big deal.
It’s the difference between pushing stuff on people versus attracting them to you.
It’s the difference between resistance and acceptance.
Price being the only thing and being irrelevant.

Oh sure, ‘savvy’ salesmen (or women) can sell just about anything, but that doesn’t get you quality, long-term customer relationships.

You’re initial interaction with your customers and their buying experience has a lot more to do with the long term relationship, whether they buy again, and/or refer other to you – than you probably think.

So, what’s the secret…
What’s the one thing that you can change in your approach, your marketing, the way you sell?

It’s this -

It comes down to the difference between these 2 words.

NEEDS
And
WANTS

Too many people try shoving stuff down the throats of their customers based on
What they THINK they NEED…

Instead of what the customer actually wants.

Here’s some enlightening news for you…
If the customer was going to be motivated by need, and they actually do need something, then why on earth haven’t they already bought it???

It’s because they buy what they WANT.

When you step to the other side of the table, put yourself directly into the customers situation and perspective you can easily see the difference.

The good news is that your job and purpose of marketing is to manipulate their perception into what is actually best for them, ie buying your stuff.

This requires you to UNDERSTAND (which my grandmaster in the martial arts carefully explained to his instructors underneath him that the word describe itself when you separate the two)

You must STAND / UNDER your customer…meaning see it the way they do, in order to connect with them genuinely, sincerely, and emotionally.

This is why Dan Kennedy always asks his clients if they are going where their customers go, to shop, to sleep, to eat…are you watching what your customers are watching, listening to their music, reading their books, publications, etc.

You must.

The difference between quality relationships begins at the first engagement, with first marketing piece, first ‘selling experience’. Without understanding your customers you are at a disadvantage.

Since you are hanging around here, you know and respect the fact that this is really your mission, the craft you must master…it’s the reason you are reading this right now.

The reality is you can sell anything, just about to anybody, as long as you convince them that they WANT what you have to offer.

Oh, you can easily show them that they NEED something, but that’s only enough to get their interest, not their money – you must bridge the gap and truly entice your customer enough so that they want something so bad there is no way to say no, no way to refuse.

So that moving on without you leaves a void in their life, an uneasy feeling in their stomach, a vision in their mind that they just can’t get rid of…

It’s why I preach, teach, and follow the five rules of making customers want what you sell:

I’ve just given you some very powerful stuff here. In the wrong hands, dangerous.

This is and should be your complete selling process, from lead generation to new customer experience after they give you money.

This is the process for creating customer for life.

Check all of your marketing, review your selling approach.

No doubt you are chasing sales instead of creating customers. If you fix this, if you better align with your customers, focus on what they really want…you will possess the most valuable skill for marketing and making money.

Can $20 Dollars Change a Life?

Posted in: Blog by admin on August 17, 2011

These days I’ve got so much to write about, lots going on, that I try to keep a list so I don’t forget the really good stuff that I want to share with you. Last couple weeks some heavy stuff, so today I thought I’d tell you a story. A true story that happened to me a couple weeks ago.

Hope it’ll have the impact on you that it did on me.

I often use Sunday’s as my catch-all writing day. I take a giant stack of project work (I keep every client and/or project in a separate file folder, often more than one, sometimes in big envelopes) so when I go to write, wherever I go, take what I need to work on with me.

I’ve prepared in advanced, have a list in priority order, and I start typing.

In most cases, my mind has long been thinking about the projects in advance so when I sit down the magic just happens. It’s just plain silly to sit down and “try” to write, if you haven’t conditioned yourself to be able to get the job done on-demand, then do not sit down until you’ve mentally prepared yourself and given your subconscious the opportunity to do the heavy lifting for you in advance.

That’s a big lesson by the way, but time to get back to my story.

Normally I start out a bit leisurely in the morning, maybe run, fix the kids some breakfast, relax, and then hit the ground running. It’s worth the drive time to a destination of my preference because gives me a chance to play out the day in my mind, project by project. And also, having the ability to do what I want, pretty much when I want, I go wherever I feel like going when I schedule a day like that day.

So this particular Sunday I went to one of my favorite Starbucks and a long 10 hours later I finally finished up, well sort of, I never ever actually finish… no such thing in this line of work.

None the less, I had a deadline of 9:00pm because I wanted to go to The Bone Fish Grill that I like to frequent every once in a while. It’s not downtown Charleston but a good quality restaurant none the less.

But, like so many other days, I missed the deadline, skipped dinner, and kept right on working…
The list, after all, was more important than dinner. Should’ve typed faster, worked harder, been even better prepared.

So round about 10:20pm Maddy and I headed over to the Denny’s where we’d planned to stop for a milkshake on the way home, instead, dinner and a milkshake.

The young waitress was nice, attentive, and well mannered, amongst the probably, less-than-high-school graduate English. As Ryan will tell you, eating with me is as he puts it “an experience”, regardless of whether or not it’s the upscale places I frequent, never-been-before restaurants, or the local Denny’s.

Details for another time.

The girl did great, and took care of us, which is no easy undertaking, especially after a hard days work churning out copy and printing money on my computer.

As we finally got around to the Milkshake part, she informed us that she was going to be leaving soon and wanted to make sure we were doing okay and if we needed anything. Turns out she had already stayed about 20 minutes past her clock-out time to take care of us and one other lady in the restaurant that were “her customers”.

We told her we were good and said to bring the check. I absolutely hate restaurants that don’t take money at the table, thus having to wait in line, so I usually politely refuse and ask them to take care of it.

She did and I told her to put $20 on the tip. Because at Denny’s they ring it up with the receipt.

She stopped, laughed, and said, how much…I said $20, and she responded “are you serious?”

And I said, “no, I’m Scott, but yes, I said $20 for the tip.”

She then went on to tell us that she was just getting ready to leave to get home to her daughter so her mom could go home or whatever. A story you hear all too often these days. The girl, I’d be shocked if she was more than 19…maybe, but that’s not the point.

She was going home for the evening, and we made her day.

She said to me that she was going to cry and she just couldn’t believe that I was giving her $20 and that it would make her and her baby who she was going home to see so very happy.

She said it then, and again, with more emotion when she came back to the table.
And I said to Maddy, if I would have known how much she would appreciate it, I would have left $100. And, I’m planning to go back in a couple weeks, and do just that.

My story has a couple points, first some commentary.

You do realize the 100,000s, probably millions, I just don’t pay attention, people who are sitting on their ass, at home, wasting away their life, do nothing, instead of feeding the kids they brought into the world.

Collecting checks, cashing food stamps. NOT working.

I’m not a fan of the girl I met at Denny’s specific situation, and I’m not judging people, believe me. But, life is harsh enough, so I just let it do its deal, and I keep my opinions to myself. I also believe it’s what you do with life and with happens, that matters.

I don’t want to make excuses for her, but, she was working, at night, while others are doing a lot of other stuff. None of us want to be judged by our past, but by our present. She deserved the tip. Deserves more. Deserves a chance at something better.

Of course it’s debatable whether or not she’ll catch a break or make one for herself.
But at that moment, in that restaurant, she felt like a million bucks, because someone stopped, paid attention, and treated her like a human being.

Can $20 dollars change a life?
Maybe that $20 didn’t change her, but it sure made her day.

$20, for the right person can change a life.
My Dan Kennedy book, all 3 combined costs me just over $30 and they did change my life.

Our chapter events are free, I’m not bashful about the fact that I change lives every single month. In fact, that’s the business I’m in, really.

No, not the life changing business, the belief business.
The beliefs come first, before the changes.

And people don’t wake up with them, they find them, first in other people, then in themselves.

To wrap this up today, my little story should be valuable lesson for you and for how seriously you take your life as an influencer. Because you are, to everyone around you, whether you want to be or not.

Personally, I’m able to use money to change lives now, but not before.
I was the one needing the money…

I start my month with an extra $1,000 (keyword is extra) in my pocket and I give it away in $20, $50, $100 chunks to people who deserve it by earning it.

You can build up to it, or do a lot more.
And just so we are clear, I’m not talking about “tips” like at Restaurants and stuff, that’s normal and customary, I’m talking about “rewarding” people.

I’m talking about MAKING DAYS for people who are long due one.

Oh, I’m not here to talk about giving away money, and my philosophy on that, already written about, you surely know, and hopefully do.

What I’m talking about is the power of making people cry, of extracting positive emotions, of showing belief, of giving of yourself to others.

I’m talking about MAKING DAYS and changing lives.

See, it just happened to be the waitress in the restaurant that day.
But, right now, reading this, I’m influencing you.
For some, maybe one, maybe two, maybe more…
What I’m writing is hitting you just right, between the eyes, it’s either a wake-up call, or affirmation.

Tomorrow, I’m going to change people’s lives.
Because that’s what I set-out to do, I’m very clear on the tools I have and the impact I want to make. It’s not just me, you too have the same power, first you have to realize and accept it, second you have to harness it and allow it to expand and be used.

That night, I turned to Maddy and said something to the effect of how easy it is to make a difference. Holding a door, giving a compliment, being genuinely nice, respectful, courteous.

Giving a gift, showing appreciation.
The list goes on.

That night the price was $20, for a meal that might have been $16 or $17. I spent more than that when I first sat down at Starbucks earlier that day. But the $20 made her day and who knows, whether she’s working there a year from now, isn’t, or perhaps has found an upgrade.

None of that matters.
What mattered was that moment.
What’s significant is how little it took.

Hey, here’s a question for you…

Are you striving to change lives in your life every day.
Are you doing ‘stuff’ to MAKE your customers’ days.

So many people get caught up in holding on, holding out, and holding up
People
Information
Opportunity
Money
Success
You name it.

“Holding” much of anything other than your kids or spouse is rarely a good thing.

Let go my friends.

Want more
Expect more
Do more

…FOR OTHERS

You can damn sure be certain it’ll almost always mean more to them than you think it will, and always be more significant of a gain to them than a ‘material’ loss to you.

It’s really about your human nature, your behavior, what you condition yourself to do.
You too can change.
And it’s starts with you.
Heck, you are going to affect many people if you are affecting yourself too.

I was touched that day and since then I always got an extra $20 handy, because, you just never know who you’re going to run into that day.

Remember, this goes beyond the random act, into your relationship with your customers, your staff, your family, people around you. It’s more than ‘doing business’, it’s really about a philosophy, a way of living.

August 2011 Marketer of the Month

Posted in: Blog by admin on August 15, 2011

Are you taking enough of THIS?

Posted in: Blog by admin on August 10, 2011

Oh, without question, the answer is no.
You aren’t
I’m not
No one is, really.

Of course you are wondering what is *THIS*.
And I’m going to tell you.
First, let me lay some groundwork.

If there were to be one secret above all other secrets,
One thing that is the single most fundamental requirement of success.

It would be *THIS*.

If you were to carefully examine and study the most successful people in the world.
The people with the most control, most money, most opportunity…

They all have more than just about anyone else of *THIS*.

Okay, enough playing games, its just that after I tell you what *THIS* is, there’s a chance you’ll want to stop reading, which is actually my entire point for writing this message today.

I am certain, 100%, for sure that when a person fully embraces what I’m about to say in their business and life, EVERYTHING else begins to fall into place, at least, doors begin to open, people begin to take notice…and actually, you simply (and very importantly) feel differently, better, about yourself.

*THIS*
Is
*RESPONSIBILITY*

Yeah, I know, but before you discount it.
Think about it
Let it soak in

The more *RESPONSIBILITY* you have, get, accept
The more you are in control…

The secret is to TAKE, not just have, get, accept, but TAKE as much *RESPONSIBILITY* as you possibly can.

As fast as I can, I’m going to give you some examples.

There’s one man in front of the media right now along with a whole “house” full of others who continually pass off *RESPONSIBILITY* on the next guy, the next term, the next party, the next generation…and on and on and on.

Problems occur when *RESPONSIBILITY* is not taken.
You are seeing an example of that right now.

More importantly, since you’ve got no control over what they do, let’s talk about what you can control…YOURSELF, as example.

Your business
Your prices
Your marketing
Your customers
Your employees
The achievement of your goals
The balance in your bank account

Oh, here’s a good one, YOUR DAILY BEHAVIORS and productivity.

Some of this I mentioned last week and because a whole lot of stuff happens in my life in a week, I got no idea what I said…pardon any repeat, although, it just means it’s important.

If you want to make more money – take more responsibility.

I always remembered the funny Zig Ziglar quote where someone would say in response to
“how ya doin?”
And he said they’d start by saying “under the circumstances”
And Zig would say, “I always wondered what they were doing under there in the first place”

Look, $hi! Happens to everybody – that’s not the difference between the rich and the poor, only the responsibility they take when it does.

I know people who literally get mad or frustrated that their customers don’t respond to an offer or give them money, as if it’s their customers fault. Perhaps sending emails like this religiously, showing that you care about your customers even when you are NOT asking them for money would help. Then again, you could ask them what they actually want. You could take responsibility for the type of customers on your list…perhaps you settled for cheapest and easiest therefore not best buyers to begin with.

To me, people sitting down in their business expecting money, customers, opportunity, ANYTHING to happen FOR them, is no different than the person sitting around collecting unemployment just waiting around for something better to happen AS IF it’s going to without them actually DOING something first.

So many entrepreneurs and business people simply lack responsibility.  Without a doubt, we all should TAKE more.

So many entrepreneurs and business people pretend to be independent, goal-striving, serious about success individuals, yet they live, breath, and operate their businesses with an ENTITLEMENT philosophy.

The only thing you are entitled to is RESPONSIBILTY over your own results.

Hey, no sense me wasting your time telling you anything but the truth…it doesn’t build a good customer…and eventually you’d see through it and I’d be letting you down. A lot say they want one thing but acting in total contradiction to that want…you can fool yourself into believing it for only so long, eventually your conscious mind catches up with what your subconscious already knew, eventually your friends find out, and your bank account will always be a reflection of it.

Okay, rather than just beat you up over this, how about some RESPONSIBILTY Muscle Building Exercises…which IS the way to do it.

1. Set yourself up for success. If you are trying to lose weight you can’t keep the donuts on the counter and look at them to try to build self-discipline, if only you were that strong…you have to eliminate them. Same with excuses. No more. Honest assessment.
2. Start by getting clear on ONE goal that you want to achieve
3. And then determine the first and most important action that you should take
4. Have a team of people to share that goal with – like, say, a Mastermind Group
5. Put yourself in an environment that will remind you of success, arm you with tools, and make you feel silly if you don’t keep your commitments because everyone else around you is…such as our monthly Chapter Events (like this Friday, http://www.NoBSIndy.com/chaptermeeting)
6. Wake up every day and know what the ONE key responsibility you have made to yourself that you must get done

Okay, a few different ones that will really help you out -

1. Avoid unnecessary responsibilities, those that don’t relate to your goals and agenda.
2. STOP taking on others responsibilities so you have more time/room for your own.
3. Reward yourself when you keep your commitments
4. STOP being negative, you should be too busy working on all the stuff that’s going well, all the things moving forward, slowing down to dwell on the other stuff only sabotages the positive.
5. If you don’t have enough things moving forward, do more things.
6. Step up to challenges, make swift decisions, be confident, and deal with problems don’t ignore them, pretend they aren’t there, or anything else…responsible people DO SOMETHING.

My favorite illustration of this is the star athlete who makes it big time.
Now there are a lot of not so great things about a lot of people in the lime light.
But, the one thing they’ve all got right, and have to, in order to make it to the top of their field, just like the person at the top of their industry…

They’ve got to take control over EVERYTHING they can get their hands on.
It’s why Michael Jordan ALWAYS wanted the Ball.
It’s why Peyton Manning runs the team.
You can insert other examples here…

These people WANT the responsibility of victory.
They believe that the best way to have a shot at the results they want is by taking control and doing everything in their power to MAKE THINGS HAPPEN.

I’m here to tell you, whatever the situation you are in right now, where ever you want to go, the vehicle of success is guided by responsibility.

You will get where you want to be by DOING EVERYTHING IN YOUR POWER TO GET THERE.
Excuses won’t do it.
Waiting won’t do it.
Only DOING IT will make it happen.

I found this insightful, a definition of responsibility:
The obligation to carry forward an assigned task to a successful conclusion.   With responsibility goes authority to direct and take the necessary action to ensure success.

You get that – “successful conclusion”, “ensure success”

When you set a goal, run a business, say you want to make money, you should write these down and carry them with you, because you are under obligation and you have the authority.

You now must succeed.

If you are not happy with your income, with your business, with your goals, or whatever else…

I give you the same advice I gave the people at my Private Retreat -

You’ve gotta WANT more
You’ve gotta EXPECT more
You’ve gotta DO more

And ultimately you’ve gotta take MORE responsibility

Random Thoughts About Life and Success

Posted in: Blog by admin on August 3, 2011

Every year we take time out and host a private retreat for my top level coaching members and clients, people who I work with closely and we’ve been together for a certain period of time.

I do this more as an appreciation event than anything else. Still, it is designed to be a “working weekend” with business transformation at its core.

My goal is to make it an experience that justifies peoples entire investment and relationship with me by itself. Feedback from this year, from someone who attended last year said,

“…after last year, I really didn’t think you could possibly top it, you did, without a doubt, taking nothing away from last year, this year was even better…”

I appreciate that and all the other incredible feedback and comments.

Since this is more of a private thing, I’ve got nothing else to say.

One of the activities that we did were to meet 3 different entrepreneurs and business owners each with a different business and interview them, get to know their story, what makes them unique, then makeover their business.

Among other things, one of the real lessons of this that I hoped everyone got (and they did) was how quickly and easily they could see opportunities for improvement in their business, yet in many cases these entrepreneurs where as or more (in terms of revenue) successful than some of the participants.

The lesson obvious… DOING always out performs THINKING.

These people didn’t know what they didn’t know yet they found ways to get buy and build their businesses, by working. Often, because people get caught up in “information” and ideas, ideas, ideas, they forget the WORKING part and are stymied on their path to riches.

One of my favorite sayings is:

“Ideas will make you feel good, but actions will make you money”

And I’d challenge you to not be that person who’s trying to “think” your way to money and opportunity, you must “do” or better said, WORK your way to money and opportunity.

Hey that brings me to another point that I often see people fall entrepreneurial victims too.

Being easily offended.

Ha, there is no profit in offense, I assure you.

A person who is a close friend of mine years ago used to say to me, “I have never seen anyone who I couldn’t learn from and wouldn’t listen to, the beggar on the street, the banker in the suit and tie…”

I always wanted to be that person because you just never know. Period.

Our Celebrity Entrepreneur for the weekend was Mr. Mike Veeck, no time to tell his story but he was amazing, phenomenal, and a perfect set-up for the weekend. His family, famous in baseball, and he himself THE outrageous out-of-the-box marketer who owns seven minor league teams and fills thousands upon thousands of seats in games each and every week.

A person who thinks they know too much, or is too ‘stuck up’ to listen to people, will miss out on more opportunity than they garner.

Same with criticism, you must be immune to it, but you cannot get offended by it, or anything else. People who go around looking to be offended, looking to be negative, looking for excuses…two things about them:

One – they are all one in the same, not able to be separated

Two – they have no money, and hope no one else does too

Last point that I’d like to share with you, I often say that Success is not an a la carte menu. And it isn’t. Things required to be successful are required.

Over the weekend, my friends were taken through experiences that used up every minute that they were not sleeping.

The lesson I kept referring back to them was this:

We do not give ourselves enough time to accomplish anything of great significance in our business. We try to rush the stuff that makes the money and play around with the stuff that lets us pretend being busy.

You must always have deadlines and you must always give the most important tasks the proper amount of time to get them accomplished, executed, and maximized.

That’s why this retreat is a few days not a few hours. It’s why I meet with my clients for an hour or more not 15 minutes. It’s why I do consulting DAYs not consulting minutes.

Time is all you’ve got, better use it, not waste it.

Speaking of waste…and I know I’m giving you a bunch of sayings this week and random thoughts, next week back to business, but I’ve got a very important point for you…

Rich people become spontaneous AFTER they make money, not before.

So, please, get the illusion of doing what you want, whenever you want, wake up in the morning and see how you feel…kind of lifestyle for AFTER you deserve it.

As I wrap this up I want to say that I try to choose very carefully the people who are in my life. I am glad you are one of them, and I’m very thankful for all of those who follow me closely and who trust in me to impact and make a difference in their life.

If there is one thing that all of our clients and members have in common…it’s loyalty.

Life’s too short to keep starting over…and since at the end of the day it’s all about relationships, seems you ought to have ones with people who you like, who match up with your beliefs, objectives, and principles.

Those who lacks loyalty are a diminishing proposition with unreliable EVERYTHING.

So, a big shout out and public thank you to everyone in my life and to those people who we just spent a few days together, I can’t wait until next year, your support, loyalty, and dedication to success, I’m forever thankful for and I’m excited for the great things to come for You.

Remember, I’ve got your back and I take my responsibility more seriously than anything else. As I wrote to you in my letter, and as one of my coaching members said to me…

“I think you want for me as much or more than I want for myself”

That’s the compliment of all compliments and to me, the true sign of a leader you want to follow and stand by and that’s loyalty explained.

I’m proud to be that person, for you.

I’m going to give you the single most success-money-happiness determining secret next week.

Truly it’s THE SECRET of life. I promise, so stay tuned.

Scott