Did you know?

Here is an eye-opening video that was originally created by Karl Fisch, Scott McLeod, and Jeff Bronman. For more information check out

http://shifthappens.wikispaces.com/

Enjoy!

Do It Now!

I just received a copy of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur by Mike Michalowicz and I must say that I quite enjoyed it. I have gone on a bit of a reading bender over the last few months and this book was quite different from any preconceived expectations that I currently had.

Personally, I would call it: Entrepreneurialism from the School of Hard Knocks.

One thing that Mike does very well in this book: tell it how it is. He stresses the importance of being adaptive to your environment as well as your target market. He also very strongly enforces passion. You must be passionate about your product and/or your business. If you lack passion, your competitor that does not see his job as work will blow your ass out of the water!

Mike also stresses the importance of networking. One thing that I really like about Mike’s idea of networking is that it can be done over a beer. Networking does not have to take place at a large conference center with a bunch of old rich people and it is not nearly as difficult as you think.

The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur challenges its readers to start their businesses now (Mike reiterates this point no less then 20 times throughout the book). The book also provides many important and cost effective resources for a new business owner. Some of them are quite interesting (ex: sleeping in conference centers to save money of hotel rooms).

Send me an email message if you need more information or if you are interested in reading The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.

Shit Happens!

Take a look at the best business advice from bathroom graffiti artists – brought to you by Mike Michalowicz. Mike wrote a book called The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur. The book is all about growing a business without money, experience or other necessities because that is how Mike Michalowicz, the author, launched all of his companies (two of which have sold for millions by the way). In the book, Mike shows how, in fact, the lack of these things are your biggest strength.

Check it out at http://www.ToiletPaperEntrepreneur.com or on Amazon.

1. “Join the Air Force. Aim high!”

The Entrepreneurial Lesson – This graffiti is found above many a urinal throughout the country. Piss stains abound. There is a big business lesson here. When you go for it, aim high. Worst case you don’t have enough oomph and you dirty up your pantaloons. Best case, you soak the ceiling.

2. “Is anal retentive hyphenated?”

The Entrepreneurial Lesson – Oh. My. God! If you spend time micro managing like this you will never grow a business, let alone make it out of the shitter. Some things just aren’t worth a second of thought, go with your first reaction and move on. By the way, it isn’t hyphenated, at least that is my sub-one second of thought.

3. “Why do so many people shit with pens?”

The Entrepreneurial Lesson – I have no idea why so many people are shitting with pens. But I sure as hell hope they are bringing a notepad. Don’t leave your good ideas behind. Instead, write them in your notebook (and then leave the really funny ones on the wall, too).

4. “If you sprinkle when you tinkle, please be neat and wipe the seat!”

The Entrepreneurial Lesson – It’s OK to mess up. It is just another part of being an entrepreneur. But don’t be a jackass and leave your messes behind for someone else to clean up. When you make a mistake, fix it yourself. You will be held in higher esteem by your colleagues. Plus, they won’t be worried about sticking to the toilet seat or something gross like that.

For more check out http://www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com/blog/

 

 

A $1540 MBA

A few years ago a friend sent me a document titled The Personal MBA. Cleaning up my computer I came across the document and started surfing.

The Personal MBA is a way of mastering business without business school. The concept of the PMBA outlines 77 books that help with the following: quick start, productivity and effectiveness, psychology and communication, design and production, marketing, sales and negotiation, entrepreneurship, management and leadership, strategy and innovation, finance and analysis, as well as personal finance.

I realize I am not going to have a plaque on my wall after reading these books. However, with the plans of making some money and travelling for the next year, why wouldn’t I invest $1540 on a Personal MBA? It will give me a solid foundation and help create a business mind so that when the time comes, I will be locked and loaded. And where else am I going to get an education with such a collaborative effort from the likes of Guy Kawasaki, Tim Ferriss, Donald Norman, and Garr Reynolds?

And think about the amount of money you waste everyday on useless things. I bet if you wrote down how much money you spent on food and drink for 4 months, you would easily find the funding for your PMBA. Not to mention, you can always hit up the public library and deal with a few late fees.

PS I figured each book would cost approximately $20 each totaling $1540. Thats a pretty cheap MBA if you ask me.

 

Monster.com

The Adventures of Johnny Bunko

Normally I wouldn’t classify myself as a huge comic book reader. However, a friend of mine told me to read “The Last Career Guide You’ll Ever Need” from The Adventures of Johnny Bunko. I have to admit, it was pretty good. The book discusses career secrets that no one ever told you and it does make some sense.

 

Secret #1 – There is no plan

 

During interviews and when discussing life plans, it seems as though the most successful people have their four year plan done with such detail. IT’S NOT TRUE! This strategy may only work for a certain person but if you can travel as the wind takes you and not have a plan or have a flexible plan, life may seem more enjoyable and success may arrive faster as well.

 

Secret #2 – Steer around your weaknesses and focus on your strengths

 

I absolutely love this point. It’s about understanding your strengths and recognizing your weaknesses. Take on the jobs that you love and outsource the rest. This is why we have teams. Being self aware and understanding the strengths around is a quality that is prevalent in all great leaders.

 

Secret #3 – It’s not about you

 

Everyone is replaceable. No one cares about what you want or need, they care about productivity. Bill Gates once said that companies don’t want to have to pay for you to find yourself. They don’t care. Be the best you can be by performing.

 

Secret #4 – Persistence trumps talent

 

If I was hiring for a position and I had the opportunity to hire someone that was persistent as apposed to someone with pure talent I would take the persistent person any day of the week. Be persistent and your talents will flourish. Talented people that are not persistent don’t even get things down on paper. They jump from idea to idea and don’t get things done. This should be a confidence booster for those of us that don’t think we are the most talented. Persistence speeds past talent in time.

 

Secret #5 – Make excellent mistakes

 

If you make a mistake and take a few steps backwards, make sure you learn something from it and take a few more steps forward. Believe it or not, some of the most interesting inventions happened by chance. Dare to try and don’t be afraid to be wrong. Never stop learning.

 

Secret #6 – Leave an imprint

 

One of the best lines I have ever heard about this secret is this: be the type of person you would want to be best friends with. Isn’t that great! Be the change you wish to see in the world. If something doesn’t sit right or something could be done much better, do your best to change it.

 

Beyond these 6 secrets I want to leave you with another great piece of advice. The most successful people improve their own lives by improving the lives of others. Enjoy!

 

www.johnnybunko.com

 

Behind the scenes at The Big Idea

Six Roles That Can Help Promote Spousal Success

Last night I had the opportunity to watch The Big Idea with Donnie Deutsch. The show featured a panel of experts including a very successful divorce lawyer named Vikki Zeigler, psychologist Cooper Lawrence, and success author and entrepreneur Mike Michalowicz. The topic of discussion: “Is Your Spouse Holding You Back?”

 

This particular show pertains to people of all different demographics. The points discussed apply to men and women, young and old, working 15 hours a week or 75 hours a week. Also, I felt these points could be applied to not only married couples but also couples that are dating or thinking about tying the knot.

 

Mike Michalowicz has compiled a list of specific roles that spouses can fill in order to promote their husband or wife’s success. After hearing these points, they really put things in to perspective. If you are currently looking for a life partner that will support your specific lifestyle and entrepreneurial endeavors, or have a life partner but are experiencing some rough waters, read these points, make some notes and never forget them. They just make sense!

 

1. THE WINGMAN – Networking is a key to success, and social events with both spouses are “make or break” situations.  For example, if a guy says “I can’t believe that guys wife, she is a total witch”…his future opportunities will be compromised.  But a successful wingman will make the gossip non-existent and encourage future deals.

 

2. THE INTERROGATOR —Spouse asks questions of their spouse and challenges them to make better decisions. It’s not quantity it’s quality. Ask constructive questions and respect the fact that your spouse may want to unwind.

 

3. THE CHEERLEADER —Opposite of the interrogator.  This person tells the spouse everything they do is right.  It’s actually not good to have unconditional support.  Sometimes you need to have someone ground you in reality.

 

4. THE SECRETARY —When that late night call comes in and serious matters are on the table, the spouse needs to be ready to help.  Possibly navigating calls, and doing the behind the scenes dirty work.

 

5. THE INFLUENCER —The spouse who positions themselves as a know-it-all, influencing business deals (no one wants to do deals, where the spouse is influencing decisions be hind the scene). 

 

6. THE COOK —Whoever is at home, needs to make sure the entrepreneur is getting their meals.  Yes, they should be able to fend for themselves, but it often is junk food. And a bad diet, begets bad performance.  Sounds so simple, but keep healthy food flowing and performance increases.

 

I know these points sound rather simple. However, the question I pose is this: Why are so many people filing for divorce? Why do so many business partnerships fail?

 

They may be simple, but they work. It is imperative to work together with your business partner. Keep the lines of communication honest and open.

KNOW YOUR ROLE!

 

Street Smarts: Get Lost

By: Norm Brodsky

No reader of Inc. needs to be reminded of the challenges of going into business. I wonder, however, how much you have thought about the challenges of getting away from it. I’ve been thinking about them lately, and not just because I sold a majority interest in my company to a private equity firm last December. Long before the sale, I had set a goal for myself of spending 16 weeks annually — yes, that’s almost a third of the year — traveling or skiing or simply taking time off. I reached the goal three years ago, and I have continued the practice ever since. Along the way, I have become increasingly aware of the mistakes other people make when they take a break from their companies.

Those mistakes fall into two broad categories that roughly correspond to the age groups of the people involved. The first group is made up largely of younger people who think they are taking a vacation when in fact they have simply moved their offices outdoors. They spend most of the time doing work. The second group includes all those baby boomers for whom vacations are no longer enough. What they really want is a change in lifestyle. But because they haven’t done the necessary planning, they wind up alienating their customers, undermining their employees, and damaging their businesses.

For the rest of the story check out: http://www.inc.com/magazine/20080601/street-smarts-get-lost.html

I am a Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

 

I stumbled across this guy named Mike Michalowicz. If you have been keeping up with my recent posts you would know that Mike began a company called Obsidian Launch. If you are a young entrepreneur, or have any interest in becoming one, I highly recommend you contact him. The company focuses on helping young entrepreneurs get their business off the ground and it’s a pretty sweet idea.

 

Although I have not quite started a company of my own just yet, I recently wrote to Mike expressing interest in his company as well as in his new book titled The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur and guess what… He wrote back! I was blown away (I know I’m kind of a loser). The only reason I was blown away is because I have written to other authors in the past and it has taken forever to get a response – if at all.

 

So, it turns out Mike is in need of young people to help spread the message about his book. I checked out the group on facebook and did some research. The book looks quite interesting. First, Mike is a young entrepreneur himself. He has a very outgoing element to his presentation style as well as his writing. The best part, he knows how to tailor his presentations to young people. Check out this video that I found outlining the 8 elements of being a Toilet Paper Entrepreneur.

 

http://www.vimeo.com/1269411?pg=embed&sec=1269411 

 

I told Mike that I would do my best to help promote the book so this is where I need your help. Add yourself to the facebook group and check out the website:

 

www.thetoiletpaperentrepreneur.com

 

Also, do yourself a favor and send Mike an email. If he got back to me he will definitely get back to you. It’s time to start networking effectively. Cheers team!