Entrepreneurial Experience

Trust is key to build a business--how do you build it?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 23:17:00 +0000

Without trust your business cannot succeed. Pure and simple.

How do you build trust?
- You have the best interest of your customers in mind
- You build the business to help your customers, to provide and creates value
- You do what you say, the way you say when and the way it needs to be done
- You take responsibility for your mistakes and you do not make too many mistakes

You have a bonus point when
- You are easy to do business with

How did he go from broke to Twitter king?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:15:00 +0000

I have been following @ev, Evan Williams since I signed up for Twitter earlier this year. I figured that it would be interesting to know what the guy managing this new and intriguing company was doing. I enjoyed the article he wrote for the New York Times talking about his life but I am missing something that I think will make a difference to others...

He talks on his article about how he started in business and how he failed, lost money, had to search pennies to buy coffee so broke he was... I admire he turned his life around and had a number of really interesting projects and work experiences... What became O'Reilly Media!!! Blogger... Twitter... Oh WOW! (and no, this last one is not a company name :-) He went from broke to twitter king...

What I am missing on his interview and when and how he turned his life around... I bet it did not come without some faith, action and a couple of realizations along the way... and I will "tweet" him to ask him to share his secret sauce.

Cold Play just won a bunch of Gramy's... What is their secret?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 02:32:00 +0000

I loved the interview with Chris Martin from Cold Play (the British rock group) at 60 min this weekend.

Despite the recession and a tough music industry, the group has several Grammy's and got its fourth straight multi-platinum album: "Viva La Vida". They have sold seven million copies!!! Even their world tour was virtually sold out...

What amazes is what Chris Martin said...

"We rely more on enthusiasm than actual skill"

"Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically and people will like it more."

"I can't dance like Usher. I can't sing like Beyonce. I can't write songs like Elton. But, we can do the best we can with what we've got. …. And so that's what we do. We just go for it."

So that is beautiful example of being a 10... no wonder I am inspired when I listen to their songs.

This week, I am practicing living in the moment and being a 10!

It is easy to be overwhelmed with all the bad news about the economy and the pressures of day to day work and family obligations. What I get is that it is ok to feel overwhelmed... But when I live in the moment... and focus only on what I need to do right now and I put my heart into whatever I am doing... it is pure joy and fun...

Recipe for the winter blues and the economic upturn

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 22:18:00 +0000

First, you got to acknowledge what is going on. What you see in the news is depressing. Job loss is the worst in decades. Maybe you have debt. Maybe you lost your job. Maybe you are not getting as many customers as you used to. And, if you leave in the Northeast, yes, it is freaking cold and you have cabin fever.

It is what it is. Move on. Dwelling on it is a recipe for being depressed and getting down the road of no return!

Everyone is looking for the answer. Who has the answer? Maybe the economists have the answer? Maybe the government has the answer? Maybe Wall Street has it??? No way. Reality is NOBODY has the answer. The government poured a tone of money in the economy in the 30s and until the 40s the unemployment rate was around 20%!!! It was not until the war that all those people started getting jobs. And God knows we don’t want another war to get the economy going.

All the government dollars spent will not make a difference if nothing gets created.

So here is a quick recipe:

(1) Acknowledge but don’t dwell

(2) Stop generating negative conversations around you. Don’t engage on other people’s negative conversations either.

(3) Stop going around like someone has the answer. Decide what you stand for.

(4) Start creating. Create a goal or two around your commitments.

(5) Get in action.

(6) Get team. Play to give, not to get.

(7) Be a 10.

(8) Take an action a day.

(9) Faith. It will work out. Just keep in action.

(10) Trust yourself. You can do it. You make a difference and it starts with you.

Oh, by the way, for the winter blues: Be a 10. Just get out of the house and put a big smile on your face!

Entrepreneurship: A Valuable Experience for Life (by Barbara Bordow Osach)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 00:58:00 +0000

In these times of great economic uncertainty, when fear and concern pervade the public conversation, many of us are confronted by the need to change the way we operate to preserve the lifestyle we have. Oddly, in our quest for security, our most valuable guidance comes from the operating practices of risk-takers: entrepreneurs.

No matter how you earn a living, having an experience of entrepreneurship, whether for extra spending money or for your bread and butter, teaches you ways to approach goals and obstacles that bring out the skills and attitudes needed to create opportunity and succeed in any venture. What does it take?

What does it take to have an entrepreneurial way of operating?

Uncertainty, risk and the possibility of failure make most people feel uncomfortable, but when old ways of operating no longer suffice, it's nearly impossible to take the actions to produce the results you want to achieve unless you come to grips with operating at risk, with faith and trust. As an entrepreneur, you always deal with uncertainty – the good idea you have may or may not produce the results you need and want. A successful entrepreneur confronts uncertainty and takes action anyway, even when he or she doesn't know how to do what needs to be done.

Regardless of the business you start, as an entrepreneur you quickly realize that you are responsible for everything, even things you delegate to others. You have a stake in the success of the enterprise, and where you engage other people, that means you have a stake in their success as well. Leadership is at the heart of entrepreneurship.

Take this entrepreneurial approach with your group at work, your volunteer committee, or sports teammates, and you'll be amazed at the ideas that start to flow, the work that gets accomplished, and the “can do” attitude that spreads throughout the team. And when you work with others this way, innovation and creativity flourish, and together you can solve problems you didn't know how to solve.

Note: This article is a contribution from Barbara Osach. She is an Author and lives in Connecticut. She has published several books and is an expert in leadership development, education, workforce development and financial literacy. She will be launching a new book shortly "Navigating the Mortgage Minefield : Your Complete Guide to Avoiding Costly Problems and Finding the Right Loan in Today's Market".

Faith - A source of empowerment

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 01:13:00 +0000

For the most part, people think of faith in the religious sense. I am not writing about that... I am writing about the kind of faith we learn and need as an entrepreneur.

Faith is a critical element for entrepreneurial success. It involves believing in something without proof and evidence. Lack of faith in the entrepreneurial world leads to stress and hopelessness. Having faith as an entrepreneur gives you strength when things are tough.

A successful entrepreneur knows that in any endeavor, you will encounter barriers. At times, it feels like these barriers or obstacles will be impossible to overcome. Successful entrepreneurs keep on exploring "how could I/we proceed?", "what could be done", "what would someone else do?"... As they continue to take appropriate action and have faith in the future, we succeed.

It is no different for large projects or projects that have never been done within an existing company or within a community you may work to support. At first, that "thing" you want to accomplish looks impossible. It takes enthusiasm to get started but as a leader, it will take faith to keep going until you accomplish what you intended in the first place.

In the beginning of my career, I started a community project that did not really go anywhere at the time. The project kept changing. I kept changing the project to accommodate the circumstances or what I thought was possible or not possible. Looking back, I can see clearly that I did not confront my lack of faith.

I can see clearly that if I kept taking action towards the target vision or intended outcome, there was no reason not to succeed. It was a bad habit to keep changing the target (modifying the project to fit what I thought was possible). By changing the intended outcome, I could not even know if I succeeded or not. It masked my stops. It will certainly mask yours too. I am glad though I am able to look back and see that the root cause of my changing the target was a result of my lack of faith - my lack of faith that eventually I would succeed.

In my entrepreneurial endeavors, there are times where things seem hopeless. At those moments, I now know, I need to step back and have faith. That renews my enthusiasm and keeps me in the game full power. It is a source of empowerment. It is actually kind of fun to keep looking at a barrier or obstacle and keep asking: how could one do it? How would Mr. or Mrs. Super Successful do it? What would Warren Buffett do here? What would Bill Gates do?

Finally, as entrepreneurs, faith also comes when your venture does not take off and you need to move on. If you read Bill Gates and Paul Allen's biographies, you will see that as did many other successful people, they failed a couple of times. They did however continue to take action in the direction of their vision. The rest is history.

What about you? Are you going to continue to refine your vision, learn from the mistakes and move on with faith?

Decide - Commit - Succeed

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:21:00 +0000

One of the most important aspects to success is our commitment towards it, and more specifically, our decision to be successful. How we operate - how we think as well as the actions we take - is what makes us successful.

To make the difference is starting a business, we need to make a solid commitment to it. It is a choice, and it is a choice totally independent of the circumstances in life. One can decide now, today, that you are taking on a whole new level of success, even with the "recession" glaring out at us.

"Decision" doesn't mean you kind of want to do something, or you're still thinking about it, or one day you would like to. It means you're cutting off every other option. You are burning the bridge. There is no other option. You are deciding now.

"First you have to decide to be successful.
It all starts with the decision."
-Richard Giannamore

"You can't give yourself an option. There is no option. It's either do or die. That is the kind of decision you have to make." – David Neagle

Most of us operate inside of "a hope, a wish, and a dream." We think, "I would like to be start a busines," but many don't really believe they can actually suceed at it, so we don't make a conscious decision to achieve success. This is where we lose out. We typically hear people say "I will try it out"... Sorry... trying will not get anyone there.

When we are operating inside of "hope, wish, and dream," it is easy to let fears and beliefs stop us from taking the actions that would make the difference in achieving success. It is easy to have the circumstances dictate our emotions, and have the emotions dictate our actions. We think we need to wait until we learn more. We try to figure out the right course to take. We get opinions from many people before proceeding. We do not want to take any risks.

Remarkably, once we decide to succeed - while action is required - all the pieces begin to show up as we step into that decision we make. We begin to see opportunities where we did not see before. It doesn't matter what the boundary or obstacles appear to be, we do not get stopped by the circumstances.

But one cannot make the decision with a back door. There are no plans for what you will do "if this doesn't work out." You must be willing to commit 100% and operate in faith, trust and risk. We must be willing to confront the discomfort and keep taking actions consistent with "getting there".

Also, we think that what we can or cannot do is a function of our capabilities. But it is our belief system that keeps dictating what we do or don't do. When we make a serious commitment, we start to take action despite our beliefs and we keep going. When we keep going, we can only succeed. It is being in action that dictates the results.

"Your belief determines your action and your action determines your results." – Jim Rohn

That is the case at first, our beliefs determine our actions. But once we make the commitment and take action anyway, results we never thought possible get produced and all of a sudden our beliefs start to change. So our beliefs tend to shape what we do and don't do, but when you make a commitment, there is that moment of truth that you go against your belief system. Over time, your beliefs will change. Have you noticed that what you believed 10 years ago is no longer what you believe today in many cases?

Decide, commit, succeed. End of story.
So keep going... what is your commitment for 2009?

What would stop you on your path to achieve your goals and dreams?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 01:40:00 +0000

Entrepreneurship is not an easy road, at least not at first. It takes having a vision, trusting yourself and others and having faith in the future. This is particularly important in times like we are living now. There are lots of bad news on the financial crisis. It is easy to get disencouraged. Yet, as an entrepreneur, you have to set a number of goals and continue to go after them.

You may have a sales or a profit figure to achieve by the end of the year. So you close your eyes and you see yourself closing deals with customers, getting financing with bankers or raising capital with investors... Knowing your goal, you determine your actions and what needs to happen between now and then to have that happen. You look at your financial records, you see how much you can you need, you prepare your sales pitch and you keep working on leads and all. You define a plan of action and get started.

As soon as you take action, things don't go exactly like you expected. The market has changed, the opportunities and conversations you see don't seem to fit that mental picture you have and you may need to save some money to be able to sustain your business in a tough market. This is even tougher in the middle of market downturns. You keep speaking with customers, working on your goals but things take longer or don't produce the results you were expecting. It is frustrating...

This is exactly what happens when you start to pursue a big dream. We all like to think that everything will go smooth and things will get done according to plan. Most times, that is not the case. I always will look like "nothing is working", "it is not fair", "this does not make any sense"... and you can go on and on about the thoughts that come to our mind.

What do you do then? Do you get going and take the actions you see you can take? Or do you get stopped?

It is easy to get upset and frustrated. We have all the reasons to do so, but will that make any difference? We need to keep in action despite the circumstances. We need to keep an eye on the ball and keep playing the game. Complaining is a waste of time and drives us nuts. It is important to keep going and it is easier to keep working if we are motivated.

Negative conversations are a killer. You can stop them. You can stop enterteining or starting them yourself. You can choose not to engage in the typical watercooler conversation about how things are hard. Be firm on your commitment and see what appropriate actions you can take and not stop. You are the only one who can stop yourself.

Think about your vision... what are you committed to? What difference does it make to you? To others? Refocusing on your vision will keep you motivated. Staying in action. Do the things you say you will the way they need to be done and when they need to be done. Continue to engage your team. Speak with them. Paint the picture beyond the current crisis. Motivation plus appropriate action will keep your tank full of gas and won't waste your energy on things that are either beyond your control. On things that are under your control, do something about them. You will get a whole new sense of yourself and get excited about being an entrepreneur again!

System of Accountability

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 May 2008 02:36:00 +0000

A system of accountability is a process or a way of operating that has people be fully responsible for certain metrics or activities.

I was very impressed when I learned about FAA requirements in which Pilot and Co-Pilot, each individually have to report on any dangerous issues to the airline and the FAA. The airline has to report it to the FAA and the Pilots Association and manufacturer's when it is a a manufacturer related issue. Each party is accountable for reporting. Airline, FAA and manufacturer are required to address the problem. It is a very powerful system of accountability.

Flying these days is extremely safe. Thanks to technological advancements... and thanks to an incredible system of accountability. For example, recently, two engines failed simultaneously when pilots attempted to land in the far East. This is the kind of problem that was considered impossible... In this particular instance, the engines were restarted pretty quickly and the plane was landed safely. But the system of reporting gives each party a chance to develop the necessary steps to prevent this problem from happening. Thanks to that, flying will be even safer.

One could imagine that in a system where no requirements for reporting were established, there would not be a consistent opportunity to address the issue unless there was an actual accident. The fact that each pilot individually and the airline are responsible for reporting problems is a very powerful system of accountability and makes a tremendous difference to society. Pilots take action immediately and a chain reaction starts such that issues are investigated or studied and appropriate actions are taken to solve the problem or steps are taken to prevent it from happening.

Now, imagine that a business also has a strong system of accountability in place and embedded in its culture. I am not talking about bureaucracy. I am talking about a real culture of accountability. No "making believe we are accountable" but real responsibility.
This can system and culture can only be in place if there is strong enough leadership in the company. One that has each individual being accountable and leader in that given culture. I always find it interesting that, one takes responsibility... responsibility is rarely "given" to someone.

Most entrepreneurs know the hard way that they are fully accountable for their business. Their livelihood depends on it or they are fully vested in the success of the business. In general, in a culture of "employment", employees are not as focused. This is more and more clear the larger is a company. A typical symptom of lack of accountability is the "I'm busy, therefore this is good" culture. People expect a paycheck at the end of the moth because they were busy doing things.
In a start-up environment, management typically tries to foster such a culture by distributing stock options and stocks. That is a starting point in having employees fully vested in their success and the success of the business. I am sorry to say it is not sufficient. It is also not possible for all kinds of business to be giving stock options constantly and to large percentages of the employee population. Establishing a culture of accountability is critical.

Companies that implement a culture or systems of accountability will produce extraordinary results. A classical example is the culture Jack Welsh fostered at GE with its performance evaluation criteria. Similarly, I suspect that this is a critical element of success for entrepreneurs such as Warren Buffett.

It is possible to implement a culture of accountability in any size company. It will take personal commitment from the entrepreneur's or management team's part to create and reinforce it. Implementing it involves defining a company vision with measurable and specific business results for the organization and culture. Each employee will need to define their contribution to it. Each person will need to "take responsibilty" and manage the process and fostering the behaviors that will create a lasting culture of accountability--leadership, teamwork, problem solving among others.

This kind of culture will ensure company performance and foster prosperity in a community or society. Ultimatelly, it can transform how people relate to their jobs and allow people incredible personal development and satisfaction.

When it is worth risking

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 10:57:00 +0000

Alan Greenspan talks about Capitalism and Creative Destruction in his book "The Age of Turbulence". It talks about how people need to be constantly improving and how it can be uncomfortable to feel at risk but how at the end, we all profit as it fosters wealth creation and prosperity.

So risk is an interesting topic... it indeed may not feel good every once in a while but as you keep "risking", it just kind of feels "right" and exciting. Risk is not just financial risk and many times, there is also financial risk. Entrepreneurs are in the game to capture rewards and face many different types of risks.

One of the risks involves looking like an idiot... yes, looking like a fool for believing in something and being willing to go after it with an open heart. Risk taking is at the heart of visionary leadership... When we look back and think about the man going to the moon, if you were too young or not born in 1967, you may think it was a logical thing... It was not. There was no proof and no evidence that the man or woman could go to the moon. As a matter of fact, over 90% of the time the NASA team was working on it, they were off track. Often times, you are developing a new software or researching the cure for a disease and it looks like it is going to be impossible.
It is worth taking the risk when you have a vision that is bigger than yourself.

Entrepreneurship is not just about making money or making it in business... Successful entrepreneurs know that... they contribute to their customers, their teams and communities. They do that day in and day out, sometimes working long hours, working when things look hopeless... risking looking like fools because they are committed to making a difference. They are catalysts for change, wealth and value creation... They try a thousand times, like Thomas Edison did when inventing the light bulb, because they know it is worth it.

Power to create

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 02:26:00 +0000

According to the Entrepreneurial Experience by Richard Giannamore, POWER is the willingness to take action in the face of not wanting to, or being afraid to fail. POWER is the ability to bring your ideas and VISION into reality. honoring your word and doing what you say you are going to do is access to POWER. This may not be what most people think POWER is, and that is fine. POWER to stay in action, on purpose, no matter how you feel, what the weather looks like, or any other circumstance, no matter what. In the book, POWER is shown as a key entrepreneurial and leadership characteristic.

POWER is not something that is granted or awarded to someone. It is not a matter of force, domination or position of authority. It is a way of being that is based in an experience of you by yourself and by others, as a person who can be counted on to do what they say they are going to do, in spite of circumstances that would stop an ordinary person. It is you experiencing yourself as a person with a new level of INTEGRITY.

When you experience yourself as powerful in this way, you are able to speak with authority and confidence, even when you don’t have all the answers. When you honor your word, you get the experience of the POWER of your word to create wealth and prosperity. You can trust yourself to do what needs to be done, and so can others. This is very important in business, especially when things are not going the way we want them to go.

Often times, Entrepreneurs make decisions and define a direction to go without having all the answers. An entrepreneur takes risks and being powerful and confident is key when you serving customers or leading a team.

Freedom in relationship to money

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:12:00 +0000

Money is a tool, yet very often we make up many things about it...
Some people will say "money is dirty", "money does not buy happiness", and the list goes on.

Would we feel the same way about these statements if we were talking about a box?
"Box is dirty"... ok, that does not seem like a big deal.
Or, "box does not buy happiness". This one even sounds a little funny. What does box have anything to do with happiness?

Ok, the point here is that because of how we feel or think about having or not having money, or about when others have it or don't have it... we end up not having much freedom about money.
When we start to think of money as a tool, we can CREATE some freedom around it.

That is a very important concept when you are a manager, an entrepreneur, a philanthropist. It takes money to do good and produce results. If you don't have freedom around it, you are likely to get stopped or stuck in raising, managing or dealing with money in general.

Thinking of money as a tool gives me freedom around it. What gives you freedom around money? What difference does it make for you?

Freedom

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 03:58:00 +0000

Extract from the book "The Entrepreneurial Experience" by Richard Giannamore
Copied with permission.

When you are not stopped or constrained by fears, concerns or circumstances, you have FREEDOM. When you accept everything about you – all of your strengths and foibles – and are not concerned with other people’s assessments, judgments and evaluations, you have FREEDOM. FREEDOM gives you the ability to take action when you are not sure.

Most people are afraid to fail. They will do everything in their power to avoid failing. They are more concerned about how they will look to others if they do not do things right. They do everything they can to think ahead, figure things out and make sure they are not making a mistake before they take action. Sometimes they are so concerned about the "right thing to do" that they don’t ever get into action. They have no FREEDOM.

If you want to be very successful in life, you have to have FREEDOM, and that includes the FREEDOM to fail, to make mistakes, and not be at the effect of what others think of you. If you are protecting your "image" or "reputation" or if you are trying to prove your capabilities, you don’t have the FREEDOM to fail. Without the FREEDOM to fail, you don’t have real FREEDOM. Unless you have the FREEDOM to fail, it is very difficult to take risks. And without RISK, extraordinary results do not get produced. No one wants to fail, but when you are willing to risk failure – practice taking actions that may result in failure – you get access to POWER. "

10.5 Must do things for Business Success!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 07:33:00 +0000

1. Thou shall create a BIG vision
Leaders create big visions. If you are too comfortable, consider that you are playing small and may be afraid of failing. This is not the same as a goal, it is more a direction, a way of being and the difference you intend to make with your business to yourself, your customers, your team and communities.
- Are you focused on surviving day-to-day problems?
- Are you just getting by?
- What are you accomplishing in 10 years?

2. Thou shall set measurable goals in a specific time frame
Business owners who do not set clear and measurable goals for themselves will struggle to grow the business. If you have read "The Entrepreneurial Experience" by Richard Giannamore, this is one of the key things he teaches throughout the book: he calls it "intended outcomes".
- Is your company going to sell $10k or $10 million?
- How many new customers will you get in the next month?
- Are your goals specific? Do you measure them regularly? Do you have clear deadlines? Do you need more than two sentences to express your intended outcome?

3. Thou shall be in action daily
Successful people are in action all the time to achieve the their intended outcomes. If you are not taking action daily, consider that you may be stopped!
- Have you given up?
- Did you stop believing in what turned you on about being in business in the first place?
- Do you put off or avoid the tasks you find unpleasant/uncomfortable, even when those tasks make a difference for your business?

4. Thou shall create a system to keep track of numbers
You cannot manage what you do not measure. Business is about numbers and people.
- Can you easily access your records?
- Are you up to date with your accounting?
- Do you have effective financial and business controls?
- Are you just leaving a mess for your accountant hoping he or she will take care of it for you?
- Do you measure actions that will help you realize your intended outcomes?

5. Thou shall stick to the plan
Changing plans too often is a clear indication that you are not taking actions in alignment with the vision you created. Yes, take advantage of unexpected opportunities, and have room for spontaneity, but most of all, stick with the overall plan.
- Are you reacting to circumstances?
- Are you sticking to your plan?

6. Thou shall engage team

…Or risk burning out fast! You cannot grow your business and continue doing everything.
Business owners usually have a lot of will, are dedicated and work hard. The only way to expand is creating a team... What if working harder is not the answer?
- How many people are engaged in some and supporting the intended outcomes you set for your business?
- What are these people getting out of working with you (other than a salary!)?
People care for people who care!

7. Thou shall not procrastinate doing what needs to be done
Which includes talking to people that may “appear” to be a pain in the neck, or having tough conversations that need to be had to forward the business. Leaders are not out to win popularity contests. Procrastination is a source of customer, employee and partners dissatisfaction... If you procrastinate, face it and change how you operate.
- Have you given up on asking people what you need?
- Do you believe people would do what is needed if you asked?
- Do you ask for the money you deserve?
- What are you accomplishing today, tomorrow?
- Are you having the conversations that will make a difference for your team and your business (even if they are not nice conversations at first?)

8. Thou shall have some fun
Worrying too much will wear you down, and it does not do the business any good. Cut it out.
- Are you worrying too much? Are you sleeping well at night?
- Are you enjoying life?
- Are you generous with yourself and others?

9. Thou shall be have great attitude
Be great with your customers, your team, and yourself. Stop your negative conversations. No one wants to do business with Mr. or Ms. Doom & Gloom. Don’t listen to the negative conversations in your head, from your family, within your industry. They don’t do you any good.
When you are in touch with your vision (your reason to be in business, the value that you will create for yourself and others), you automatically act as what "The Entrepreneurial Experience" calls a 10... In business, you need TO BE A TEN all the time.
- Are you complaining about the economy, the business and the employees?
- What can you do that will make a difference?

10. Thou shall kick thou self in the rear end often
Do what you say you will do. Be tough on yourself. When you don’t do what you say, it costs you. People cannot trust you; people cannot trust your business.
- Are you fulfilling on your promises to your customers?
- Are you honoring your commitments to suppliers?
- Are you honoring your commitments to yourself?
And by the way, if the answer to these questions is YES, tap yourself in the back and acknowledge yourself and others on your team... this is fuel on your tank... keep going!

10.5. Thou shall have Faith and Trust...
Trust yourself, trust others, have faith in the future. As "The Entrepreneurial Experience" says, you need to have the freedom to dream and the freedom to fail and if you have freedom, you will take the risks you need to realize your vision. And if you keep doing what you said you would, you start to have the power to create and bring your vision to fruition. With Faith in the future, you will get there and as a result, the world will be a better place. Thank you for being an ENTREPRENEUR.

Bad News Gets Press

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 06:22:00 +0000

I find it fascinating how fast and often bad news gets press... usually good news and deeds are public service announcements and rarely seen...

Take the news about the Drop Out Factory... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21531704/
People know for a long time that graduation rates are not where they need to be for a long time. We know they are well below where they need to be...

How come the bad news get prime time and we don't see that much what people are doing to resolve that problem? Is it because we don't believe the problem will ever be solved? Is it just human nature? I'd like to see more about what we can do or are doing to solve the problem... I'd like to see more people supporting organizations that are in fact impacting the problem.

Take the Entrepreneurial Course for High School Students from EntrepreneursNOW, a non-profit in CT I've been on the board for a couple of years. The high school graduation rate in the community it is offered is 29%, yes, out 100 kids, only 29 graduate in the capital of one of the richest states in one of the richest countries in the world...

The Entrepreneurial Course is offered to the same population... and the same kids... 50 to 60% complete the 9-week program offered and of the ones completing the program, 100% create and launch a business from scratch. The same kids producing very different results.

Have you ever heard of it? Good news is treated with skepticism....

How can the same students produce such different results?
Do we keep doing research on finding a solution? No.
Do we take action to solve the problem inside of a vision of the future and a way of operating? Yes.

And, yes, we know we cannot solve the whole problem in education alone. But what we found is that we can affect its root cause: Kids are not motivated to learn. They don't see the difference that education will provide them. So we created this course. It puts students at center stage for being successful in school, in business and in life. It is a very rigorous program, open enrollment, and everyone follows the same rules: Students have to attend every session and be on time for all sessions. They learn how to not let life's circumstances (justifiably or not) get in the way of their commitments... The principles are simple but requires students to do things and act in ways that are not easy to do.

Lots of foundations have been doing research on for years on how to solve the education problem... and the problem does not get solved. I wish we wish we have more foundations investing in solving the problem and less in advocacy or research about it. Research and advocacy have their value, but alone will not end the problem.

The Gates Foundation found that most High School kids have no reason in getting into school. Kids do not see how their future will be improved by education. We knew that... that's why we have been using the experience of free enterprise to train students. In the Entrepreneurial Course, kids create a vision for their life and that becomes a context for living that makes getting education worthwhile.

In short 9 weeks, they live inside of that new vision and launch a business, stretching themselves way beyond what they thought they were capable of... in the process they learn that they are responsible for their success and get excited about their future.

Educators and parents see a profound change in attitude and considerable improvement in school work. Once kids are excited about their future, they have a reason to graduate from school. That's the good news...

You can find out more about this revolutionary education at www.entrepreneursNOW.org.