Category: Debate

 

Meet my 7 year old brother, Justin. He’s accomplished quite a bit in his young career. He reads at the 3rd grade level (only in 1st grade), is the reigning student of the year, and managed to beat Halo 3 all by himself.

 

 

Since I live with him, I naturally hear him ramble about random stuff and observe his activities from time to time. Surprisingly, he’s taught me some really BIG lessons about business that I want to share with you.

 

 

Even though he’s only 7 years old, he still has his own goals and achievements. Here are 5 big business lessons I’ve learned from Justin:

 

 

1. Don’t Ever Take No For An Answer

 

When my brother was younger, he would ask for things and my parents would say ‘No’. He would ask each of us, then cry, and finally throw a tantrum. He quickly realized that no matter how bad he wanted it, he wasn’t going to get it.

 

 

Suddenly one day, I saw a change in his demeanor. He asked for cookies and my mom said ‘No’. Typically, he would come and ask me if I would give him cookies, but this time he did something very different.

 

 

Instead of asking me, he began climbing the dishwasher. From there, he climbed the kitchen counter and slowly balanced all the way to the cupboards. He got on his tippy toes and reached to the top shelf until he got the cookies.

 

 

There were a lot of things that could have happened in that sequence, but he didn’t let anything stop him. He wanted cookies and that’s all he would settle for.

 

 

Lesson: Whether you’re an entrepreneur looking for funding or an employee trying to get a raise, don’t take NO for an answer. If you don’t get funding from someone, go find it from some other source. If you don’t get that big promotion at one company, find another company who values you.

 

 

2. Have An Annoying Thirst For Knowledge

 

Little kids are great until they learn to talk. When Justin learned to talk, he drove me insane. It wasn’t that he was trying to be annoying, but he would ask questions about everything.

 

 

I was often busy or had other things to do, so I would brush him off. However, the times when I did give him an answer, he never forgot what I told him. He understood that I didn’t answer very many of his questions so he MADE sure to remember the answers I did give him.

 

 

He sucked up information like a sponge and he continued to want more. He’s a huge basketball fan, but he knew nothing about the game, players, teams, or sport. Fast-forward 8 months and he can tell you how many points Kobe Bryant has had in career as of yesterday.

 

 

How did he learn all this information? It wasn’t me handing him out facts, because I don’t even know as much as he does. He spent time reading ESPN box scores, watching YouTube videos, and looking at pictures. He was hungry to learn!

 

 

Lesson: No matter how old or young you may be, you need to find your passions and be hungry to learn all about it. Whether it’s getting 5 minutes with your mentor or a chance to listen to a keynote, suck up as much knowledge as you can.

 

 

3. Keep Trying Until You Succeed

 

Growing up, I was a video game nerd. I dominated all the sports and action games. Recently, my brother has become the video game nerd I once used to be. For some reason, he thinks he can beat me at NBA 2k13.

 

 

He knocks on my door everyday begging to play me. I’ve probably played him over 100 times in the last 1 year and beaten him every single time. What amazes me is that he never gives up.

 

 

In fact, he tells me that he will continue playing against me until HE BEATS ME. While I laugh it off because it’s really not going to happen, I do admire his persistence. Most people would try 5-10 times before giving up.

 

 

The thing that’s even better is that he changes his formula each time. He’ll pick a new team, get a new player, or even try a new approach to beat me. He understands that he can’t beat me playing the same way, so he continues improving himself.

 

 

Lesson: In business, failure is far more prominent than success. Failure is an event and nothing more. It doesn’t define your company or you. If you fail, come back with a new plan and be better than the last time.

 

 

4. Don’t Lose Your Imagination

 

My brother is the most imaginative person in the world. He comes up with insane stories and has a very open mind. Many people I meet in the business world have put their creative intuition aside.

 

 

Justin is passionate, creative, and uses his imagination. Whether it’s a story for a project or just something to do out of boredom, his imagination is unbelievable. Staying imaginative can never harm you!

 

 

Lesson: Never let your creative drive be put to rest. Creativity is something that is a crucial aspect of every business and often times imagination is what sets a company apart from the others.

 

 

5. People Want To Be Led, Not Controlled

 

When my parents ‘force’ my brother to do something, he gets upset and resists. You tell him to brush his teeth or to take a shower, he runs away and tries to delay it as much as possible.

 

 

However, if you tell him to brush his teeth with you, he’s far more open to it. He loves being led and even joining in with you, but he doesn’t like to be forced into doing things alone. Naturally, this is how everyone feels!

 

 

Lesson: The biggest part of a business is the way you manage other people. Nobody wants to be the employee that takes orders constantly. People love to work together with bosses and colleagues to reach a common goal. It’s not always the action that needs to change, but rather the perspective.

 

 

Conclusion

 

As you can see, my 7 year old brother has taught me a lot. I didn’t realize this until very recently when I put the pieces together. Do you have a younger sibling or child that has taught you some business lessons?

 

 

Whether you’re an entrepreneur or an employee, mornings are usually the most important parts of your day. Why?

 

 

This is typically when you should be beginning your day. Unfortunately, many individuals are far less successful because of their morning routines (or lack thereof).

 

 

As any teenager can tell you, waking up in the middle of the afternoon and long nights are lots of fun. In business, they are dangerous. The early bird gets the worm and I’ve learned that lesson the hard way many times.

 

 

It’s essential for everyone to make their mornings productive. Here are 5 tips for more productive mornings:

 

 

1. Wake Up Early

 

Before you can have a productive morning, you MUST be awake first. Wake up as early as you can so that you have a large window of opportunity to be productive. I personally try to wake up anywhere from 5:30 AM to 6:00 AM everyday.

 

 

Sounds crazy, but it’s made my work ethic 10x better. When the clock hits noon, I’ve accomplished a LOT. It gives me time to answer emails, make early sales calls, and free my day up for the important stuff.

 

 

2. Save The Errands For Later

 

Even entrepreneurs have to run errands! Surprising, but everyone has to run errands and take care of things from their personal life. That’s perfectly fine to do, but it shouldn’t be done during the mornings.

 

 

The morning is when your brain works most effectively and it’s your best opportunity to accomplish things. Work first, run errands later. If you utilize your mornings in such a manner, you will see your productivity level increase dramatically.

 

 

3. Set Daily Goals

 

Whether it’s closing 5 deals or motivating your team, always make daily goals for yourself. Before you begin working or checking your emails, tell yourself exactly what you plan to accomplish.

 

 

Once you have done that, you have a clear plan for the day. Many people are less productive just because they are unorganized and unsure of what to do next. Make a list and keep it right in front of you so you know exactly what you plan to do each day.

 

 

4. Limit Distractions

 

Try to avoid working from your bed at all costs! It may be early and cold, but you will not be productive in your bed. Get out of bed, get some breakfast and work out of a desk.
The environment of your work-place has a dramatic effect on your productivity level. You know you’re supposed to work when you are in your desk surrounded by papers. Create an environment that amplifies what you’re trying to achieve.

 

 

5. Work Towards Your Mission

 

Everyone should have a white board or message board that shows them exactly what they want to achieve. Write down your goals, missions, or an inspiring quote that will motivate you every morning.

 

 

The first thing you should see every morning is something that will inspire you to take action. You cannot make someone do something, unless they really want it. Wake up every morning inspired and ready to take what’s yours.

 

 

Conclusion

 

It doesn’t take much to increase your productivity level. Scientific studies have shown clear evidence that many of the greatest minds in history were most successful during the morning hours. Share some tips you use to stay productive every morning.

 

 

photo credit: Βethan via photopin cc

 

Meet my 7 year old brother, Justin. He’s accomplished quite a bit in his young career. He reads at the 3rd grade level (only in 1st grade), is the reigning student of the year, and managed to beat Halo 3 all by himself.

 

 

Since I live with him, I naturally hear him ramble about random stuff and observe his activities from time to time. Surprisingly, he’s taught me some really BIG lessons about business that I want to share with you.

 

 

Even though he’s only 7 years old, he still has his own goals and achievements. Here are 5 big business lessons I’ve learned from Justin:

 

 

1. Don’t Ever Take No For An Answer

 

When my brother was younger, he would ask for things and my parents would say ‘No’. He would ask each of us, then cry, and finally throw a tantrum. He quickly realized that no matter how bad he wanted it, he wasn’t going to get it.

 

 

Suddenly one day, I saw a change in his demeanor. He asked for cookies and my mom said ‘No’. Typically, he would come and ask me if I would give him cookies, but this time he did something very different.

 

 

Instead of asking me, he began climbing the dishwasher. From there, he climbed the kitchen counter and slowly balanced all the way to the cupboards. He got on his tippy toes and reached to the top shelf until he got the cookies.

 

 

There were a lot of things that could have happened in that sequence, but he didn’t let anything stop him. He wanted cookies and that’s all he would settle for.

 

 

Lesson: Whether you’re an entrepreneur looking for funding or an employee trying to get a raise, don’t take NO for an answer. If you don’t get funding from someone, go find it from some other source. If you don’t get that big promotion at one company, find another company who values you.

 

 

2. Have An Annoying Thirst For Knowledge

 

Little kids are great until they learn to talk. When Justin learned to talk, he drove me insane. It wasn’t that he was trying to be annoying, but he would ask questions about everything.

 

 

I was often busy or had other things to do, so I would brush him off. However, the times when I did give him an answer, he never forgot what I told him. He understood that I didn’t answer very many of his questions so he MADE sure to remember the answers I did give him.

 

 

He sucked up information like a sponge and he continued to want more. He’s a huge basketball fan, but he knew nothing about the game, players, teams, or sport. Fast-forward 8 months and he can tell you how many points Kobe Bryant has had in career as of yesterday.

 

 

How did he learn all this information? It wasn’t me handing him out facts, because I don’t even know as much as he does. He spent time reading ESPN box scores, watching YouTube videos, and looking at pictures. He was hungry to learn!

 

 

Lesson: No matter how old or young you may be, you need to find your passions and be hungry to learn all about it. Whether it’s getting 5 minutes with your mentor or a chance to listen to a keynote, suck up as much knowledge as you can.

 

 

3. Keep Trying Until You Succeed

 

Growing up, I was a video game nerd. I dominated all the sports and action games. Recently, my brother has become the video game nerd I once used to be. For some reason, he thinks he can beat me at NBA 2k13.

 

 

He knocks on my door everyday begging to play me. I’ve probably played him over 100 times in the last 1 year and beaten him every single time. What amazes me is that he never gives up.

 

 

In fact, he tells me that he will continue playing against me until HE BEATS ME. While I laugh it off because it’s really not going to happen, I do admire his persistence. Most people would try 5-10 times before giving up.

 

 

The thing that’s even better is that he changes his formula each time. He’ll pick a new team, get a new player, or even try a new approach to beat me. He understands that he can’t beat me playing the same way, so he continues improving himself.

 

 

Lesson: In business, failure is far more prominent than success. Failure is an event and nothing more. It doesn’t define your company or you. If you fail, come back with a new plan and be better than the last time.

 

 

4. Don’t Lose Your Imagination

 

My brother is the most imaginative person in the world. He comes up with insane stories and has a very open mind. Many people I meet in the business world have put their creative intuition aside.

 

 

Justin is passionate, creative, and uses his imagination. Whether it’s a story for a project or just something to do out of boredom, his imagination is unbelievable. Staying imaginative can never harm you!

 

 

Lesson: Never let your creative drive be put to rest. Creativity is something that is a crucial aspect of every business and often times imagination is what sets a company apart from the others.

 

 

5. People Want To Be Led, Not Controlled

 

When my parents ‘force’ my brother to do something, he gets upset and resists. You tell him to brush his teeth or to take a shower, he runs away and tries to delay it as much as possible.

 

 

However, if you tell him to brush his teeth with you, he’s far more open to it. He loves being led and even joining in with you, but he doesn’t like to be forced into doing things alone. Naturally, this is how everyone feels!

 

 

Lesson: The biggest part of a business is the way you manage other people. Nobody wants to be the employee that takes orders constantly. People love to work together with bosses and colleagues to reach a common goal. It’s not always the action that needs to change, but rather the perspective.

 

 

Conclusion

 

As you can see, my 7 year old brother has taught me a lot. I didn’t realize this until very recently when I put the pieces together. Do you have a younger sibling or child that has taught you some business lessons?

 

 

photo credit: scottwills via photopin cc

 

For those of you who have never seen the show Suits on USA, you need to watch it! The show is absolutely great. It literally has me hooked and they haven’t even aired new episodes for months.

 

 

Before I can give you the life lesson I learned from Mike Ross on Suits, I have to give you some background on him and the show. This show has been airing on USA for a while now and they recently finished their second season. I found out about this show only a few months ago and literally completed 2 seasons of episodes in less than a week.

 

 

The Background

 

Mike Ross has an eidetic memory, which basically means he can remember everything. During some point of his life, he meets a guy named Trevor Evans and gets into some bad stuff with him. He begins smoking pot, selling it, and almost getting caught.

 

 

Through a dramatic chase, he ends up in an area filled with lawyers interviewing for a position. Desperate to escape the perpetrators chasing him, Mike decides to ‘pretend’ like he’s applying for this job. He makes a clever remark and is able to make it into Harvey Spector’s office.

 

 

Harvey Spector is a badass. That’s really the best way to put it. He’s one of the best closers and attorney’s in New York and works for Pearson Hardman. He wins every case, he plays by his own rules, and he really doesn’t answer to anyone.

 

 

Not only that, but he has one of the most brilliant minds and is only looking to hire someone as good as him. As you can imagine, Harvey does not take well to Mr. Ross who is completely befuddled. As the interview comes along, Mike Ross shows just how valuable he can be by outsmarting Harvey.

 

 

Long story short, Harvey has a dilemma on his hands. He knows that Mike is the perfect hire, but Pearson Hardman only hires the top Harvard grads. Being the rule-breaker he is, Harvey hires Mike Ross by creating him a fake diploma.

 

 

Mike Ross has a huge secret to hide, but brings unbelievable value to Harvey and the firm. There are many times when his secret is close to being exposed to the wrong people, but it never happens. So how does this crazy weed-smoking memory freak teach me a life lesson?

 

 

The Reality

 

Well it’s actually really simple. I not only loved the show, but I really admired Mike Ross. Here he is going toe to toe with some of the greatest legal minds who have accredited degrees and further education. However, Mike quite often dominated them.

 

 

Yeah this is a television show, but I have met many people who are better than the ‘more formally educated’ counterpart. Do you really need a formal education? Is there really any value in it?

 

 

I honestly started seeing lower and lower value in a formal education after experiencing the business world first hand. School didn’t teach me how to market my business, close deals, or build a successful business. I had to learn that all myself.

 

 

This education was very informal. My main source of education was experimentation. I made mistakes, failed, and did things wrong many times, but I eventually found the right way to do it.

 

 

I know people who graduated college with business degrees from top schools, but have found no value in their degree. They graduated, couldn’t find a job, and decided to create a business. This is a typical story, which also has a very typical result.

 

 

They struggle and they cannot implement much of their college education into their business. What do you really learn at college? As a college student, 90% of my education involves memorizing definitions or policies.

 

 

What can a policy really teach you? If an optometrist knows the definition of a cornea, will he really be successful with a cornea transplant? Hell no!

 

 

The truth is, you learn by performance, not by memorizing. I can memorize a 100 definitions and get an A on my next test, but I really did NOT learn anything. You learn when you get a hands on experience.

 

 

That’s what entrepreneurship is. Entrepreneurs will very rarely ever find value in a degree. Mike Ross taught me that no matter how highly people value a college degree, it still won’t make you skilled in a specific field or sector.

 

 

The Lesson

 

You don’t need a big education, tons of experience, or anything else to be successful. I believe going to college is about finding yourself, what you enjoy, and how you want to spend the rest of your life.

 

 

If you know what you want before going to college, why go? My good friend Spencer Costanzo knew what he was going to do by the age of 18 and he skipped college. What was the result? Over $500,000 in revenue in less than a few years.

 

 

Mike Ross taught me a very important life lesson that really fits my story well. I learned how important it really is to put your career into action. Not only do you really find out how much you like it, but that’s the only real way to be successful at it.

 

 

I haven’t heard of anyone come out of college and be a complete genius in an industry without ever applying what they learned. Application and engagement are the only real ways to learn, improve, and become the best at something.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Mike Ross’s example should be a good one for many people out there. In my opinion, college is more about finding what interests you than it is about coming out ready to be successful. Success cannot be taught, it is achieved through application.

 

 

 

More and more young entrepreneurs are employing people older than them. While this is a great phenomenon, many young entrepreneurs have a hard time handling the situation properly.

 

 

When I created my first company at the age of 17, my team at one point had over 15 employees. Can you imagine a 17 year old bossing around 15 others, all of whom were older than me?

 

 

While it did help that most of my developers and designers were virtually being bossed around, I saw a lot of employees come and go. Even though the employees said they found a better job or were looking for something else, my insiders told me they couldn’t handle being bossed around by a 17 year old kid.

 

 

Many of the same things happened when I put together my first sales team for JB Media Force. People were shocked, confused, and really didn’t know how to handle the situation well. Instead of expecting others to adapt, I decided to adapt.

 

 

Here are a few things I did to significantly drop the attrition rate, build long-term relationships with my employees, and make the workplace better.

 

 

Have Fun

 

I hear from a lot of my friends that their bosses (who are older) are always yelling and are no fun. I didn’t want to be the 17 year old kid constantly raging at my employees, so I decided to have more fun.

 

 

Whether it was going out with my team for lunch or cracking jokes, I did whatever possible to make them feel comfortable. Humor is the best tool to bring people closer together and that’s exactly what it did. I made the workplace more fun.

 

 

Just Talk

 

I would be all about work when I first started working with my employees. Instead, I decided to spend some time everyday talking about stuff that would build a friendship.

 

 

Whether it was the sports, the weather, current events, or what they were doing that night……people really opened up to me. Best of all, they realized that I was very similar to them and relationships began to develop.

 

 

I learned very early on that a strong relationship is the most important part of a strong team. You cannot expect efficient and pro-active employees from day one. Teams are about finding the right pieces that gel together.

 

 

Stop Enforcing “I’m The Boss” Mentality

 

Many bosses love to constantly stress their dominance and authority in the workplace. I was 17 and I really didn’t care too much about that. As long as we were able to get things done right, I was a happy boss.

 

 

Instead of going around with a ‘boss’ mentality, I asked everyone to treat me like a colleague. No more calling me ‘Sir’ or ‘Boss’ or ‘Mr. Banerjee’. I asked them to simply call me Jeet and that made a big difference.

 

 

People knew I was their boss, but it just didn’t feel like it. Now employees were comfortable cracking jokes, working the way they like too, and best of all…..we were more productive than ever.

 

 

Know What You’re Doing

 

Many employees become very nervous when they enter a workplace run by individuals younger than them. They worry about job security, the maturity of the owners, and what the companies goals are.

 

 

Being young, many people indirectly questioned my ‘know-how’. Instead of answering them, I showed them I knew what I was doing. Anytime an employee had given me the opportunity to work with them for a few months, they immediately began to realize I knew what I was doing.

 

 

As an employer, you need to make your employees feel comfortable. Bringing peoples comfort levels to sync took time, but it was well-worth it. When people began to trust me and the organization, things went very smoothly.

 

 

You Can’t Please Everyone

 

I quickly learned that it was impossible to please everyone. Instead of trying to please others, I chose to please the company. Decisions were based around what would benefit the company instead of what John wanted.

 

 

As a business owner, sometimes you have to make the right decision for your company. You can try to please everyone, but it’s not always possible. If an employer didn’t believe in the same vision as me, I wasn’t going to change my vision just for him/her.

 

 

If you know what you want out of your company, stick to it and make the employer adapt or move on. You cannot please everyone and sometimes it’s better to let go of those who do not comply with the vision to find someone who will.

 

 

Value Their Opinions

 

I never pretended to know everything about business, the internet, or even managing others. I let others have a voice in the company, which was very important.

 

 

Every week, I would ask employers to give me feedback on what we can do to become a better business and if they had any general suggestions or comments. Many bosses believe that nobody is right besides them.

 

 

That’s a horrible mentality to have. It will just leave your employees resenting you and your business stuck in a rut. By keeping an open mind and letting others voice their opinions, I got some great advice that really propelled the success of my business.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Managing a team of employees who are all older than you can definitely be a challenge. It’s not about enforcing your dominance or showing others how smart you are.

 

 

You hired employees because you need help. Value their skills, talents, and work. Creating a strong relationship with your team will not happen overnight. It takes months to build a positive rapport with your team.

 

More and more young entrepreneurs are employing people older than them. While this is a great phenomenon, many young entrepreneurs have a hard time handling the situation properly.

When I created my first company at the age of 17, my team at one point had over 15 employees. Can you imagine a 17 year old bossing around 15 others, all of whom were older than me?

While it did help that most of my developers and designers were virtually being bossed around, I saw a lot of employees come and go. Even though the employees said they found a better job or were looking for something else, my insiders told me they couldn’t handle being bossed around by a 17 year old kid.

Many of the same things happened when I put together my first sales team for JB Media Force. People were shocked, confused, and really didn’t know how to handle the situation well. Instead of expecting others to adapt, I decided to adapt.

Here are a few things I did to significantly drop the attrition rate, build long-term relationships with my employees, and make the workplace better.

Have Fun

I hear from a lot of my friends that their bosses (who are older) are always yelling and are no fun. I didn’t want to be the 17 year old kid constantly raging at my employees, so I decided to have more fun.

Whether it was going out with my team for lunch or cracking jokes, I did whatever possible to make them feel comfortable. Humor is the best tool to bring people closer together and that’s exactly what it did. I made the workplace more fun.

Just Talk

I would be all about work when I first started working with my employees. Instead, I decided to spend some time everyday talking about stuff that would build a friendship.

Whether it was the sports, the weather, current events, or what they were doing that night……people really opened up to me. Best of all, they realized that I was very similar to them and relationships began to develop.

I learned very early on that a strong relationship is the most important part of a strong team. You cannot expect efficient and pro-active employees from day one. Teams are about finding the right pieces that gel together.

Stop Enforcing “I’m The Boss” Mentality

Many bosses love to constantly stress their dominance and authority in the workplace. I was 17 and I really didn’t care too much about that. As long as we were able to get things done right, I was a happy boss.

Instead of going around with a ‘boss’ mentality, I asked everyone to treat me like a colleague. No more calling me ‘Sir’ or ‘Boss’ or ‘Mr. Banerjee’. I asked them to simply call me Jeet and that made a big difference.

People knew I was their boss, but it just didn’t feel like it. Now employees were comfortable cracking jokes, working the way they like too, and best of all…..we were more productive than ever.

Know What You’re Doing

Many employees become very nervous when they enter a workplace run by individuals younger than them. They worry about job security, the maturity of the owners, and what the companies goals are.

Being young, many people indirectly questioned my ‘know-how’. Instead of answering them, I showed them I knew what I was doing. Anytime an employee had given me the opportunity to work with them for a few months, they immediately began to realize I knew what I was doing.

As an employer, you need to make your employees feel comfortable. Bringing peoples comfort levels to sync took time, but it was well-worth it. When people began to trust me and the organization, things went very smoothly.

You Can’t Please Everyone

I quickly learned that it was impossible to please everyone. Instead of trying to please others, I chose to please the company. Decisions were based around what would benefit the company instead of what John wanted.

As a business owner, sometimes you have to make the right decision for your company. You can try to please everyone, but it’s not always possible. If an employer didn’t believe in the same vision as me, I wasn’t going to change my vision just for him/her.

If you know what you want out of your company, stick to it and make the employer adapt or move on. You cannot please everyone and sometimes it’s better to let go of those who do not comply with the vision to find someone who will.

Value Their Opinions

I never pretended to know everything about business, the internet, or even managing others. I let others have a voice in the company, which was very important.

Every week, I would ask employers to give me feedback on what we can do to become a better business and if they had any general suggestions or comments. Many bosses believe that nobody is right besides them.

That’s a horrible mentality to have. It will just leave your employees resenting you and your business stuck in a rut. By keeping an open mind and letting others voice their opinions, I got some great advice that really propelled the success of my business.

Conclusion

Managing a team of employees who are all older than you can definitely be a challenge. It’s not about enforcing your dominance or showing others how smart you are.

You hired employees because you need help. Value their skills, talents, and work. Creating a strong relationship with your team will not happen overnight. It takes months to build a positive rapport with your team.

Path:

 

 

photo credit: plewicki via photopin cc