fbpx
Category

Mindset

MarketingMindset

I just needed a kick in the butt

There comes a time in all out lives when we just need a kick in the butt. That' why I have a personal business coach. I have been getting mentored by Sandi Krakowski for the last 3 years. Most of our interaction has been in a group environment. But there are times when I have had the honour of one-on-one attention. Today was one of those times. It's one thing to have a relationship with someone and be open enough with them to admit your successes and failures. When that person is a friend, the boundaries for feedback are very different than what they are for a professional coach. Especially when that person has decades of experience building up the type of business you dream of having. If you've never had a professional coach in business, the only thing I can say is- change that! Having someone who you have empowered to speak into your life because you trust them as a friend is one thing. But as a coach, it is quite another altogether. A friend is concerned about the friendship. A coach is concerned about you achieving all you can. As such, there are things a coach will say to you that a friend (at least a good one), probably never would, because they would be concerned about hurting your feelings with "too much truth". Not a coach :) Such was the case today with my coach. You see, I had the need to have my butt kicked regarding an area in my business that I had let slip. The fact is, a good coach can kick you in the butt with love, while at the same time,…
John
December 18, 2017
Client CommunicationClient CommunicationMarketingMindsetRelationships

You CAN enjoy the entrepreneur roller coaster!

https://vimeo.com/216588462 Being an entrepreneur has it's ups and downs. But, with the proper mindset, you can enjoy the entrepreneur roller coaster! It's not about how tough you are. It simply comes down to how committed you are to serving the needs of others. Once you can get that picture clear in your mind, the stress and anxiety of being an entrepreneur will lift. The problem is usually us. Not our clients. It's how we perceive things as reality that often sets the course for how our journey will turn out. The last thing anyone wants to be around is a negative person. But dealing with the ups and downs of the unknown variables of the entrepreneurial can be overwhelming, even for the most seasoned veterans of us. The fact is, believe it or not, it's the unpredictability to the journey that you love. That's right. The very thing you hate sometimes about the unknown variables of being an entrepreneur are the very things that keep you hooked on the possibility to achieving your dream. Because vision is timeless. And it's yours. Decide who it is you want to serve and "voila", the stress of the unknown will melt away. That's what my good friend discovered when he called me with a cloud over his head. Seems he was experiencing the downward spiral of the roller coaster. When I picked up the phone, I knew something was wrong. Us entrepreneurs have a sense about these things. Anyway, it turned out that my entrepreneur buddy had got sucked into the belief that he may have made a big mistake pursuing this entrepreneur thing. It happens. But when I reminded him of the…
John
May 8, 2017
MindsetRelationships

Freedom is never free

It is a timeless truth that freedom is never free. It always comes at a price greater than we will ever be able to fully grasp. January 27 marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. In 2005, the United Nations General Assembly designated this day as International Holocaust Remembrance Day (IHRD), an annual day of commemoration to honour the victims of the Nazi era. As much as this day marks a day of solemn reflection for my many Jewish friends, it also stands as a stark reminder that we are all in this fight for freedom together. For it was not only the freedom of my Jewish brethren that was destroyed by the murderous hands of the Nazis and their fascist supporters around the world. There were many Christian brothers and sisters who also met a destructive demise, along with many other "minorities" of the time. Many were too young to even experience the joy of freedom before their young lives were stolen. The fact is that remembering such atrocities and loss of freedom is an act of unity. It's a time to stand with those who were effected by the hate and destruction and to assure them that we stand with them. That we will never stand idly by while they are marched helplessly to death camps. We need to do that not only for the obvious humanitarian ideal that such an act deserves. That "love they neighbour as you love yourself" Christian ethos that is the strand of love and freedom that resonates in our society is truly the only hope we have in a world that seems at times to be…
John
January 27, 2017
MindsetRelationships

True friends live the entrepreneur adventure with you

As an entrepreneur, as I get older, I have noticed that true friends live the adventure with you. Living an adventure will obviously mean that there are ups and there are downs. Hence, the adventure part. But many "friends" seem to somehow only want to live the thrill part of the entrepreneurial roller coaster ride, or be there to enjoy the reward of all the work. Many seem to disappear until its time to celebrate another victory. The life of an entrepreneur seems to magnify that effect. Entrepreneurs are, in many ways, different than the herd. We are manic. Simply put, we are passionate creatures that don't fit in with the herd. Not only do we work weird hours, never stop thinking about the "next thing", obsess about execution and in many ways, threaten the lives of those around them by causing them to examine how they are living their career oriented existence. But we also cause many to feel uncomfortable with the whole notion of taking any real chances in life themselves. That threat of holding up the mirror to other's lives is not necessarily intended by any entrepreneur. In fact, I can't blame people for not wanting to take that deep introspective look at the path for making a living they have somehow chosen. The fact is, studies repeatedly show that most people not only don't have a passion for their work, they simply hate it. So how can I fault a friend for not wanting to ask too many questions about how its really going with my entrepreneurial life? The response of almost any entrepreneur would no doubt be full of so much passion (be it positive…
John
January 25, 2017
Client CommunicationMarketingMindset

I Have A Dream

I have a dream. Perhaps one of the most famous quotes in modern history. It also envelopes a hope we all have. Of realizing dreams. Of knowing today could be the day. Dreams give us the ability to hold onto the idea of what is possible. They don't even need to be our own. The hope that someone can provide by simply declaring and sharing their dreams is what separates our existence from all living creatures. We have the ability to communicate truth. Or destruction. Or fear. But the dreams we have for those beyond ourselves are the dreams that have the greatest impact on mankind. Sure we all have dreams that are focused on our goals. On our hopes and how they effect oue lives and those we love. Having dreams is sometimes the only thing that keeps us going through the daily grind of life. In a life that can sometimes seem like its sucking the wind out of us in our daily grind, dreams of what could be for our lives can be the only hope for many of us. But there is something about thinking bigger than ourselves and casting a vision that can effect others that really separates the big dreamers from the little ones. Dr Martin Luther King Jr was one of those big dreamers. He understood the unifying force that having a dream that was bigger than himself would have on the world and those within it. He understood that having big dreams meant believing what seemed impossible and calling it out into being a reality. He also understood that dreaming big could cost him everything he had- even his life. That's how…
John
January 16, 2017
Client CommunicationMarketingMindsetUncategorized

Why Your New Year’s Resolution Won’t Work

https://youtu.be/lQ6-nCLeDsI?t=4s I just love that video. The whole theme is about why your New Year's Resolution won't work. It says a lot about our motivation for change and our inability to do so. The real problem is not in our abilities though. Ironically, it's our desire to change that's part of the problem. It's not that setting goals is wrong in and of itself. The problem is in the way in which we set goals. Most of us can easily see the big picture of what we want to achieve. In the video spoof, its all about losing weight as part of our New Year's resolution. The fact is, many of us set the weight loss goal at a number that requires a long time to get there in a healthy manner. That goal, in essence, becomes too big for our minds to be able to execute in a realistic way. The problem is not in setting the goal in and of itself. Of course we should set goals. Setting goals for attaining healthy objectives is a good thing. The real problem is our inability to break that goal down into manageable, realistic "mini goals" to ensure we are successful. That becomes a real problem in achieving the desired objective, or "New Year's Resolution" and why so many of us fail when we set them. The way our brains are wired causes us to literally freeze up and not follow through on accomplishing the bigger goal when we are confronted with obstacles along the way to achieving the goal we had planned. Just like the video spoof, we get easily deterred by the smell of Mickey Dee fries when we…
John
January 11, 2017
MindsetUncategorized

Trump elected (and the world didn’t end) so let’s make our dreams “great again”!

Isn't it funny how we can get so caught up in the media hype of a pending doom and gloom event- only to discover there was nothing to really worry about after all? The world didn't end. It was still possible to dream. Remember Y2K? The apocalypse was supposed to unleash. Airplanes were going to fall from the sky. Wars were going to start as a result of nuclear missiles taking off on their own. But we're still here (thankfully)! On average, catastrophes usually occur a little closer to home and happen in our own little worlds. When Trump was elected as the new President of the United States, there was an initial outcry from those who were upset. There was also rallies of support from those who supported the decision. Since we are all still here, the bigger question becomes, "now what?". We still have to fight the good fight, get up each day and do the things we need to do to live our dreams. So since the world didn't end, I'm going back to doing the things I need to do to live my dream. All I know is that it takes a lot of work and determination. How determined are you to stay focused on your dream? It gets tougher when the "noise" of the world will do anything it can to drown out the music of your dream. I'm putting on my "dream headphones" and getting back to building my dream and making my life "great again"!
John
November 16, 2016
Mindset

Commitment mindset defines us

Like https://youtu.be/VlDhKqmzSmU?t=16s Commitment in life is often translated by what we do. Not what we say we will do. The only way you are going to do what you say you are going to do, is to start with a mental commitment to do so. In effect, having a commitment mindset defines us. It sounds pretty basic right? But we are so distracted in our society today. Its very hard to stay committed- even though we really want to. It starts with a mindset of committal. That mindset of committal is very different than just saying you are going to do something. That mindset starts with intention. That you are actually committing to something bigger than yourself. Something so much bigger that you may even have an effect on the world around you in a way you never thought possible. My vision is to encourage entrepreneurs to live their dreams. If I can help just one entrepreneur to live their dream, I know the exponential effect that will have on others will change the world, just one dream at a time. You may think that's crazy or even impossible, but 12 disciples changed the course of history! So be encouraged and start with a mindset that you are going to commit to something bigger than yourself today! Next, write it down and watch the process of commitment unfold. Writing down what you are going to do is extremely powerful and will initiate action on a psychological level you never thought possible.
John
November 11, 2016
MarketingMindset

Technology- Friend or Foe?

Like As I write this post at midnight, I have to admit I am blurry eyed, frustrated and to say the least- pissed. At myself, technology and the fact I didn't get to ride my bike when the sun was shining today. I have been working on a project all day today that forced me into the technical aspects of web design and technology, which, I have to admit, doesn't really turn me on. As an entrepreneur who loves to create, today was like being caged. I literally felt myself pacing and my body temperature rising with the internal rage of someone looking to escape. But how? The problem needed to be solved. Welcome to running your own business. I know that technology has it's ability to drive my business to the heights of efficiency and utopian ideals of a cash flow machine that spits out dollar bills into my bank account. But today, my creativity in the process gave way to the absolute horror of what Go Daddy termed a "Permalink Break". If you have ever been involved in website development, to the ears of a marketing guy, it's the equivalent of "which colour wire do I cut" so that the bomb doesn't go off in your face! Not a good moment. But you know what's really cool about this whole thing? I ended up dealing with a really great support person (i.e. had the patience of a saint), who was able to talk me off the ceiling. No easy feat after several mind numbing hours of coding, widgets, menus...blah, blah, blah. The result? Problem fixed. Thanks James from Go Daddy. You rock dude. Not only that, I got…
John
November 3, 2016
Mindset

Thankful Friday

Like Us I hate administrative tasks. But I love being an entrepreneur. This morning I had the wonderful privilege of updating my Mac software and operating systems. It was "supposed to" have been done last night while I was busy snuggling my wife and dreaming of all the great things today holds. But then that darned message popped up- restart now to update (or some such techno gobbledegook). So I hit the restart now button. Thirty minutes later, my world started again. Gave me time to pay some bills, check emails (thank God for iPhones!). But I lost my creative edge. I had been busily doing social media blogs and thinking about what inspirational message to craft here today. I literally felt a slump developing because I hate administrative tasks. But, true to the message I had been pontificating about in my social media up to that point, I decided to take a stand for my dream. I became thankful. Thankful that I had a business. Thankful I had revenue from that business to pay the bill I just paid. Thankful that my message is bringing hope to a hopeless world. Thankful that the entrepreneurs who have come to rely upon me have placed their trust in me. Thankful that I had an amazing time of spiritual connectedness to my God this morning and for that great cup of coffee I had. Thankful simply that today is full of opportunity. What are you thankful for?
John
October 28, 2016