Category: Uncategorized

Why Location Isn’t As Important As Entrepreneurs Think

In this article, I tackle the subject of why location isn’t as important as entrepreneurs think. Check out what I have to say about this highly debated topic.

 

I often get asked the question, “Is my location important to my success as an entrepreneur?” I can’t blame the entrepreneurs that ask me this question because it’s something that has been highlighted quite a bit in the media.

 

 

Every entrepreneur knows about Silicon Valley. We hear the amazing stories of entrepreneurs with big dreams who get funded massive amounts of money in that area. I for one started my business and stayed in Orange County, California.

 

 

Silicon Valley is in Northern California while Orange County is in Southern California. The difference from my location to Silicon Valley is approximately 400 miles. Even though both locations are in California, Orange County isn’t quite as entrepreneur concentrated as Silicon Valley is.

 

 

The question I get asked often is, “Why don’t you move to Silicon Valley?” Well, I personally love Orange County and I don’t feel the necessity to move 400 miles. House prices in Silicon Valley are also incredibly expensive whereas other locations can give you much more house for your money. For example, the median house price for Silicon Valley is $935,00 as of 2018. Glendale real estate, located in Los Angeles County, shows a median home price of around $100,000 less than that. You can find many other cities with much lower prices than in Silicon Valley.

 

 

In this article, I discuss why location isn’t as important as entrepreneurs think.

 

 

Talent Shines From Anywhere

 

Are the chances of you landing an investment or developing that huge connection higher in Silicon Valley compared to other places? I’d be lying to you if I said it wasn’t. However, that does not mean that you will be successful.

 

 

If you start a business, you can shine from anywhere. If a company like DropBox or Groupon was located out in the midwest somewhere, they would still get the investors and the success they have today.

 

 

In the world of investing, if your business is truly exceptional, people will find you trying to invest in your company. However, if you’re business isn’t so hot, you are forced to go door to door looking for capital.

 

 

The Internet

 

We have this little thing nowadays called the internet, which provides us with various tools that substitute the activities we must do in person. Have you heard of Skype, Google Hangouts, Facebook, Twitter, etc?

 

 

The amazing thing about the world we live in today is that you can literally be involved in entrepreneurial communities or mastermind groups from anywhere in the world. I for one am in a mastermind group with members from all over the country.

 

 

You don’t have to be sitting in Palo Alto to network with people. The internet provides us with a prominent set of resources that we can use to find others to connect with. I sit in Orange County connecting with various influencers from all over the world on a regular basis.

 

 

Smaller Areas Can Draw Larger Publicity

 

Imagine seeing these two headlines on a newspaper. “New Tech Company Grosses $1 Million in Revenue in Silicon Valley” versus “New Tech Company Grosses $1 Million in Revenue In Toledo”.

 

 

Nothing against Toledo, but we all know that stories like this are happening far more often in Silicon Valley than they are in Toledo. By staying in the city where you reside at, you give the town an underdog to root for. This in turn helps you generate a lot more publicity and PR coverage for your startup.

 

 

A month ago, we were featured on the front page of the OC Register. It was an article about my startup company StatFuse and how we were helping students hack the college admissions space through technology. I never say never, but this opportunity would have been a lot harder to come across if I was working out of Northern California.

 

 

Product/Service Value Matters

 

At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter where you’re operating from. A customer will buy your product or service if you are providing them with the value they are looking for. If you have market fit, good leadership and a solid product, then you will be successful from anywhere.

 

 

You can make progress with your business from anywhere in the world. Ultimately, businesses are successful not because of their address but because of the team and value they create in a market.

 

 

Conclusion

 

In this article, I shared my opinion as to why location isn’t as important as entrepreneurs think. Do you agree or disagree? Share your comments below.

 

 

photo credit: Stuck in Customs via photopin cc

 

What It Really Means To Be Extraordinary

I was always worried about being classified as extraordinary because I didn’t understand the meaning behind it. In this article, I share what it really means to be extraordinary.

 

Growing up, my third grade teacher would always repeat the same thing in class. She would say, “Be extraordinary.” I had no clue what she meant and I thought it was better to be normal so I wouldn’t be singled out by my classmates.

 

 

Turns out, being extraordinary makes all the sense in the world today. Everyone has the ability to be extraordinary but so many people think just like I did a long time ago. It’s too scary to do that so lets do what everyone else is doing.

 

 

In this article, I share what it really means to be extraordinary:

 

 

What Does It Mean?

 

Google says being extraordinary is when you are very unusual or remarkable. That’s a confusing definition because many people interpret this as a negative thing while others think it’s a good thing.

 

 

When I was in the third grade, I thought it was horrible. “Very unusual” meant freak in my mind. In reality, being extraordinary is actually an amazing thing. It means being unusually great or astounding.

 

 

It’s a no-brainer that we all want to be extraordinary. The question now is, how do we become extraordinary? Well, here are a few characteristics that extraordinary people share.

 

 

Value Creator

 

Extraordinary people are value creators in society. They don’t chase the paper, but rather the purpose. They discover their passions and what their reason for being on planet Earth is. You cannot be extraordinary unless you are doing something positive.

 

 

They have big dreams, which they plan and execute upon. Instead of waiting for things to fall into their lap, they take matters into their own hands.

 

 

Brave

 

Nothing worth having in life comes easy. On the other side of risk, there is often a big reward. To be extraordinary, you cannot expect to play it safe for the rest of your life.

 

 

Some of the most amazing luxuries we have today are thanks to someone who took a risk a long time ago. Martin Luther King Jr, Nelson Mandela and Steve Jobs are just a few examples of these risk-takers.

 

 

Abundant Mindset

 

Extraordinary people do NOT believe in limits. In fact, they know the world is filled with an abundance of anything as long as you are focused and committed towards getting it.

 

 

Do not stop because you have achieved a little progress. Extraordinary people carry their vision out until the very end. If you have big dreams of impacting the world, keep going until you are completely finished.

 

 

Self-Reliant

 

Extraordinary people don’t rely on others to get things done. They have a plan and are prepared to carry it out with massive action.

 

 

Self-reliant individuals have the ability to be extraordinary because they hold themselves accountable and take matters into their own hands.

 

 

Conclusion

 

I challenge you to leave a legacy and to be extraordinary. Everyone has it inside them, it just takes a little push to get it out. In this article, I shared what it really means to be extraordinary.

 

 

photo credit: Xurble via photopin cc

 

5 Signs You Might Just Be A Serial Entrepreneur

In this article, I share 5 signs you might just be a serial entrepreneur. I quickly dived into numerous businesses of my own and realized that I these signs for quite a while now.

 

I proudly wear the tag of a serial entrepreneur. For those of you who don’t know what that means, it’s fairly simple. Serial entrepreneurs are individuals that start a series of different businesses.

 

 

When I first jumped into entrepreneurship at the age of 17, I had no intentions of being a serial entrepreneur. In fact, it was something that just happened as I fell more in love with entrepreneurship.

 

 

Today, I am the co-founder of StatFuse.com, Visionary Media Group, Vintelli, and work on a few other projects as well. I’m exactly what the definition of a serial entrepreneur describes and extremely proud of it.

 

 

Even though I didn’t know I would end up being a serial entrepreneur, I had a lot of hints. Here are 5 signs you might just be a serial entrepreneur:

 

 

1. You’ve had that drive since you were young.

 

An amazing thing I’ve noticed between serial entrepreneurs is that most of them had the drive to make money and be successful from a young age. At the age of 9, I was sitting on my computer building out my first website because I thought it would be fun.

 

 

At 13, I was playing videos games to make money while my friends were playing for pure enjoyment. If you’ve had an itch to make money or build really cool stuff from a young age, there’s a good chance you may want to become a serial entrepreneur.

 

 

2. You’re very restless.

 

I have a major problem. I cannot sit still and being patient isn’t one of my better qualities. As you may know, businesses can often have downtime. During my downtime, I simply can’t manage sitting still so I look for something new to do.

 

 

While other people mostly enjoy the downtime to catch up or take some time off, you’ll find me looking for the next thing. If you’re extremely restless and love having multiple things going on at the same time, being a serial entrepreneur can be a good option for you.

 

 

It is important to note that you need to create a system where you can balance all your projects at the same time. It took me some time to figure out the proper balance, but once I did get it down, it has been amazing.

 

 

3. You fear regret more than failure.

 

I know a few buddies of mine that are serial entrepreneurs who jump in on opportunities just because they fear regret so much. They would try and fail rather than pass up on something wondering if they would have been successful.

 

 

If you’re all about taking risks and giving things a shot, chances are you’re a serial entrepreneur. Failure doesn’t phase me, but you can bet not trying does.

 

 

4. You have dropped out of school or dislike it very much.

 

Another common sign of serial entrepreneurs is their dislike of the school system. I personally am one of those individuals who strongly disagrees and dislikes the school system. When I talk to other serial entrepreneurs, schooling becomes a common discussion point almost always.

 

 

Serial entrepreneurs love having control of their own ideas, visions and achievements. School systems limit that because of the curriculums and rules they make students to adhere to.

 

 

5. You have tons and tons of ideas.

 

I have a secret folder on my phone filled with ideas. It’s amazing because it seems like I come up with a new business idea almost every single day. I go through life and run into problems, which I feel that I can solve. I write these problems down and keep them handy.

 

 

A big sign of serial entrepreneurs is that they’re constantly looking for the next big opportunity in business. They have tons of other ideas they want to execute and are always open to something new.

 

 

Conclusion

 

If you have the signs of a serial entrepreneur, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. Not everybody has the mental and physical skills necessary to pursue numerous businesses at once. In this article, I shared 5 signs you might just be a serial entrepreneur.

 

 

photo credit: HamburgerJung via photopin cc

The Dark Untold Side of Entrepreneurship

Most people see the glorified images of entrepreneurs in the media, but never hear about the dark side. In this article, I highlight the dark untold side of entrepreneurship.

 

Entrepreneurship is glorified by the media on a daily basis. We see millionaires with hot babes, fast cars and beachfront homes. Upon seeing these things, people become envious of the life entrepreneurs have.

 

 

Everyone automatically thinks that entrepreneurship is an easy ticket to money and fame, but they’re quite wrong. There is a dark side to entrepreneurship that many don’t realize until way later.

 

 

In this article, I’m going to share the dark untold side of entrepreneurship:

 

 

The Broke Period

 

Here’s what really sucks about entrepreneurship. You either make no money in the beginning or the money you do make has to be put back into the business. Instead of actually making more money than a job, you end up making less while putting in more effort.

 

 

Passion should be guiding you, but paychecks do pay the bills. Many people don’t realize that they won’t have the comfort of receiving a paycheck at the end of each month and may go months or years without ever getting paid.

 

 

You are the sole provider for your business and for yourself as an entrepreneur. It looks pretty on paper, but be prepared to really hustle if you want to survive the long haul. Comfort, monthly paychecks and short days are a thing of the past if you choose to become an entrepreneur.

 

 

The Stress

 

Entrepreneurs deal with a LOT of stress. It’s not necessarily bad stress, but you need to have a strong mind to survive as an entrepreneur. Most people think being successful just requires you to go in a straight line, but it’s really a giant crooked line of twists and turns before you ever find success.

 

 

You need to be able to deal with rejection, failure, competition, and a bunch of other stuff if you really want to be successful. Entrepreneurs are mentally tough people who get through rough times regardless of what the situation is.

 

 

The Lifestyle Change

 

We constantly hear about the idea that we must change our lives completely to become an entrepreneur. Most people love this idea, but don’t really know what it means. Entrepreneurship is truly a lifestyle, not a career or position.

 

 

Changing your lifestyle literally means living and breathing around your business. Life may have revolved around you or your family, but now it must revolve around your business. The more effort you put in, the better the results are.

 

 

If you aren’t willing to make an adjustment or give up a life of partying, entrepreneurship is not for you. People realize too far in their journey that they aren’t willing to give up the life they have to make their business successful.

 

 

The Risk

 

Everything looks glorious about entrepreneurship on paper. You quit your job or drop out of school, build a multimillion dollar business and get on the cover of Forbes. This is the same dream I had like many others.

 

 

Most people don’t think of the risks that are involved with this dangerous endeavor. Yes, you can be successful and get on the cover of Forbes but only a few select people make it to the end of their journey. Why?

 

 

The answer is simple. Entrepreneurship isn’t necessarily for everyone. Some people excel at it because of their characteristics and mindset while others fail for those same reasons. When you dive into entrepreneurship, nothing is guaranteed. There is a VERY high risk involved and you must be prepared for it.

 

 

The Struggle

 

The one thing almost every entrepreneur will tell you is that things never work out as you plan them. You really wish that they would, but that’s just not how life is. When things go differently than you planned, a sense of frustration develops.

 

 

This is something I myself have dealt with a lot. It’s truly a struggle when months of efforts result in nothing but failure. You have to sit down, reflect on the experience and think about what you learned from the experience.

 

 

It’s a struggle because you immediately fail once you give up. You have to constantly get back up and give it your all again. Many people struggle with failure, which can deter them from achieving success as an entrepreneur.

 

 

Conclusion

 

I’m a die hard entrepreneur no matter what happens. I’m tired of the media spotlighting entrepreneurship to be as this glorious lifestyle without showcasing the negatives of it too. I hope this post helps you realize that entrepreneurship isn’t just all about fast cars and big houses.

 

 

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5 Harsh Truths About Raising Money

More and more entrepreneurs seek investor funding today than any other time in history. Why? Shows like Shark Tank have popularized the idea of seeking money to grow your business. In this article, I share 5 harsh truths about raising money.

 

In the last few years, I’ve had the amazing opportunity to sit on both sides of the investor table. I’ve made pitches trying to raise money and I’ve sat on the other end listening into the pitches of entrepreneurs who are trying to raise funding.

 

 

From these experiences and chatting with tons of angel investors who are close friends of mine, I have learned a lot about raising money. I’ve learned an array of different things about the art of raising money, which can help other entrepreneurs in that position.

 

 

In this article, I’m going to discuss 5 harsh truths about raising money:

 

 

1. Credibility Trumps All

 

I have seen entrepreneurs who hold a lot of credibility come into a room with a shitty idea who manage to walk away with a deal. It blows my mind to this date, but investors really care about credibility.

 

 

Think about it. You’re basically trusting someone with your money and hoping that they don’t lose it. Would you trust the guy with no experience who talks the talk? Probably not. You’re probably more keen on trusting the guy with credibility who has proven he can not only talk the talk, but walk the walk.

 

 

2. Everyone Has The Next Million Dollar Idea

 

One sentence turns off more investors than any other. The sentence is, “I’ve got the next million dollar idea or opportunity and I’m sure it’s a winner.” Take a ticket and wait because your person #480484093 to say that.

 

 

Investors don’t want to hear about the next million dollar opportunity, they want to see it. You need to have validation (proof of concept) that shows them you know what you’re talking about. I constantly get emails from people pitching me their next big idea, but it’s just a thought until you prove it.

 

 

3. The Investor’s Money Is Better Than You

 

Almost every single investor I have ever met always truly believes their money is better than you. It’s tough walking into a room where you know a group of people have an advantage over you.

 

 

See, if you end up making waves – investors will come to your door. That’s when you become better than their money. However, anytime an entrepreneur goes door to door looking for an investment, the investors automatically value their money above you.

 

 

4. No Amount of Cash is Worth Losing Control

 

It’s really frustrating pitching to tons of investors and leaving without a deal. When desperation and frustration kicks in, entrepreneurs make poor decisions. Some of these decisions include losing control of their business or giving up too much equity.

 

 

I have learned that raising money isn’t the most important thing of all in a business. I’ve bootstrapped all my businesses and found that to be a far better choice. Money looks really appealing, but comes with a lot of headaches most people would probably want to avoid.

 

 

5. Going to Silicon Valley Doesn’t Guarantee an Investment

 

I spent this weekend in Northern California when one of my friends said, “I’m going to go to Silicon Valley in the next few weeks because I’m sure to get funded down there.” I laughed.

 

 

It was a really funny statement because he’s not the only person that thinks like that. Some people think that if you go where the sharks are everywhere, you’re bound to get funded. I won’t deny that you probably have a higher chance, but nothing is guaranteed in the world of startups.

 

 

Conclusion

 

In this article, I shared 5 harsh truths about raising money I have learned over the past few years. Have any tips of your own? Feel free to share them in the comments below.

 

 

Note: For those of you looking to create a business or are working on one, you should check out my course. It’s all about building a successful business and navigates you through the various aspects of doing so.

Why The Idea of A 4 Hour Work Week Is Bullsh*t

Before I start this article, I want you to know that I do not hate Tim Ferris and actually think many of the ideas in his books are very good. However, I heavily disagree with the idea of a 4 hour work week. Here’s why I think the 4 hour work week is bullsh*t.

 

I recently read the book 4 Hour Work Week after hearing numerous entrepreneurs talk about. I had a basic idea about what the book was before reading it, but I decided to give it a read anyway.

 

 

After reading the book, I heavily agreed with some ideas in the book while heavily disagreeing with the idea that a 4 hour work week was so appealing. The book promotes finding ways to build passive income and outsourcing work that isn’t complicated, which was one of the things I really did agree with.

 

 

Before I start, I want you to know that I do not hate Tim Ferris or his book. I think this book and his principles can be helpful for many people, I just simply don’t agree with making the 4 hour work week look so appealing to others.

 

 

Here’s why the idea of a 4 hour work week is bullsh*t:

 

 

What Happened To Loving Your Job?

 

If you’re trying to spend 4 hours at anything each week, you probably don’t love what you’re doing. 4 hour work weeks don’t promote you to work on something that aligns with your passions or purpose, it’s all about making money with the least amount of effort.

 

 

As an entrepreneur myself, I love the idea of creating value. I can work 100 hours in a week without any problems because I love what I do. People chasing a 4 hour work week aren’t looking to do something they love, they’re looking for money.

 

 

I think the greatest legacies and projects are built on people who are truly passionate about serving a purpose or fulfilling a need. There is NO way in hell you can build an amazing project by dedicating only 4 hours a week.

 

 

If it’s that easy, wouldn’t everyone do it?

 

The 4 hour work week looks so appealing on paper. You do some crap on the computer for 4 hours a week and then enjoy whatever beach you’re vacationing at this week.

 

 

If it was really that easy, don’t you think everyone would do it? Why the hell would we have employees working at McDonalds or Taco Bell? It makes absolutely no sense. Here’s a key fact that people don’t realize when learning about the idea of a 4 hour work week.

 

 

Tim Ferris didn’t start his online stuff in 2013. He started his online businesses in the early 2000’s and now has focused on building a career around media, selling books, etc. It’s a lot harder to be successful online today by only working 4 hours a week.

 

 

Successful People Don’t Quit While They’re Ahead

 

What’s funny is that by encountering tons of self-made millionaires, I’ve never once heard them say that they only work 4 hours. In fact, I hear quite the opposite. People share their ridiculous work ethics, which often includes all-nighters and having absolutely no social life.

 

 

If you’re able to achieve massive success in 4 hours a week, why would you stop there? Most people like me aren’t looking to settle for mediocrity. You want to be the best at what you do.

 

 

Well, if you really want to build that empire or take over your industry, 4 hours a week isn’t going to cut it. I’m sorry, but your competitors are putting in more work each day. Wake up and smell the roses, successful people aren’t working 4 hours a week – at least not until decades after starting.

 

 

It’s Giving People The Wrong Idea

 

Steve Jobs famously told John Scully, “Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?”

 

 

If you’re a believer of the 4 hour work week, you don’t want a chance to change the world. You can’t possibly do something of that magnitude in 4 hours a week, which is why you end up being the person selling sugared water for your whole life.

 

 

There are so many great people out there that motivate you to find your big dream and pursue them. Instead, many people are killing those dreams and creating some crapshoot of a business they think will make the most money without requiring much work. By feeding these ideas to our future, we not only hurt their ambitions but our society as a whole takes a hit because of it.

 

 

Conclusion

 

In this article, I shared why the idea of a 4 hour work week is bullsh*t to me. If you think differently, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

 

 

photo credit: Lost In The RP via photopin cc

 

Why Your Goals Need To Become An Agenda If You Want To Achieve Them

After chatting with many people about how goal-setting just wasn’t working, I decided to take it upon myself to figure out a better way to achieve your goals. I came up with a simple answer, which I discuss in this article.

 

Over the last few years, I’ve come across more and more people who set goals but rarely ever end up fulfilling them. In the last few weeks, I finally decided to ask them why they set a goal if they don’t plan to fulfill it.

 

 

The answers were all over the place, but one common theme kept repeating itself. People said they would love to achieve their goals, but not doing so wasn’t the end of the world. Could it be that the word ‘goal’ had now become a hope or wish for many people?

 

 

That’s what the case seemed to be. The scary part was that many of these individuals were completely comfortable not achieving their goals. For me, goals are something that can make or break me. I push myself to go above and beyond to achieve everything I put on my white board.

 

 

This got me thinking that the word goal might just be the problem. We do things no matter what if it’s on our schedule, but we almost always put things off that aren’t necessary. This habit carries over from our professional lives to our personal lives.

 

 

Instead of calling your objectives goals, a better word is an agenda. These are the things you plan to get done throughout the next quarter, months or year. They used to say a goal is a wish with a deadline, but it seems as if too many people are just hoping for the best anyway.

 

 

Here are some reasons why your goals need to become an agenda if you want to achieve them and here’s how you can do it:

 

 

Put Them In Your Schedule

 

People who set goals often have trouble consistently carrying them out over a longer period of time. By creating an agenda of things that need to get done, there’s a higher chance it’ll actually end up in your schedule.

 

 

Goals aren’t attainable on their own, it requires work or effort from your part to achieve them. The first step is planning out a list of things you will do to get to the finish line.

 

 

Create Desperation 

 

By creating an agenda for your goals, you put yourself in a mode of desperation. If I told you that you had no money in your wallet, how hard would you work today? Probably a lot harder than if you had $500 in your wallet.

 

 

Why? Because you are desperate. You know that without money you cannot pay for gas, eat or do some of the bare necessities in everyday life. If your goals don’t have a sense of desperation behind them, you’ll be in trouble!

 

 

Hold Yourself Accountable

 

Another thing I quickly learned from talking to different people was that they didn’t have any pressure to complete their goals. Many people even admitted setting goals just because it seemed like the right thing to do.

 

 

If you cannot hold yourself accountable to your agenda, find someone who can. Share your agenda with family and friends that truly care about you and your success. In school, you do your homework because your teacher is constantly holding you accountable. If your teacher didn’t check your homework, how many kids would really do it? 

 

 

Break It Up Into Pieces

 

You don’t have to achieve your agenda all at once. You can create a bi-weekly agenda of things you plan to accomplish that will eventually help you complete your whole agenda. Write out the things you wish to get done and plan for it.

 

 

By breaking it up into smaller chunks, you’re going to be far more successful. Not only that, but you won’t feel as overwhelmed as you initially did. I’ve found a lot of success achieving my goals just by breaking them up into more manageable pieces.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Goals are an extremely important part of being successful in life. From seeing numerous people fail, I learned that creating an agenda works far better than setting goals do. Have you tried a similar technique? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

 

 

photo credit: `James Wheeler via photopin cc

 

What It Takes To Be Successful in Life

In this article, I share the various characteristics and tips for what it takes to be successful in life. Everyone has their own definition of success, but you need to have some fundamental elements to guide yourself to a successful life.

 

Everyone wants to achieve success, but what does it really mean to be successful? Everybody has their own definition of what success means to them.

 

 

Regardless of what success is to you, there are a set of actions and results that must take place in order to attain it. Success is measured differently by each individual, but all successes require some sort of action to get there.

 

 

I am quite often asked the question, “What is your greatest success….” or “Do you consider yourself successful?”

 

 

At this point in my life, I hope that the successes that haven’t taken place to date do not end up being considered my ‘greatest success’. Not only that, but I truly do not feel I am successful as of today.

 

 

Many people are surprised by my answer, but my level of success is very different from others. From pursuing my own dreams, studying other successful individuals and networking with brilliant people, I have learned what it takes to be successful in life.

 

 

Successful People Don’t Quit

 

Do you remember that guy who chased their dreams and quit? Neither do I. Quitters cannot succeed and that’s the brutal truth. If you want to be successful, you have to get back up every time you fall without losing any enthusiasm. Remember things that come easy aren’t worth having.

 

 

Successful People Don’t Shy Away From The Big Moments

 

There are moments in life that define who we are and who we become. Some of us shy away from these moments because of fear and doubt. Successful people embrace these moments and conquer it. Fear and doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. When those defining moments come, rise up!

 

 

Successful People Adapt

 

Charles Darwin famously said, “It’s not the strongest of the species that survives nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.” The road to success is usually filled with a bunch of twists and turns. If you’re close-minded and unwilling to adapt to your surroundings, you will struggle to achieve success.

 

 

Successful People Work Hard 

 

Early mornings, long nights and a dedication to your craft is crucial to be successful. The harder you work, the luckier you get. Just because you have a vision of what success is does NOT mean you will be successful. It requires massive action and tons of hard work before you will ever become successful.

 

 

Successful People Surround Themselves With Winners

 

The people around us have a HUGE influence on the things we do and the person we become. If you want to be a winner, you need to surround yourself with people who share a similar mindset as you. My circle has grown to feature tons of entrepreneurs, which as a result has helped me get closer to my success.

 

 

Successful People Never Stop Learning

 

Education, whether formal or informal is a vital part of being successful. If you think getting a college degree is the end of your education, you’re in for a huge nightmare. With a wealth of resources available such as books, articles, videos, courses, and more, it has never been easier to educate yourself. Make sure you’re constantly learning to fuel your growth.

 

 

Successful People Embrace Failure

 

Most people look as failure as a negative thing while most successful people look at it as a positive. Life is all about perspectives. Personally, I look at failure as a learning opportunity. Failure doesn’t define me or my businesses, it’s just an event – something that takes place at a certain time. That event is meaningful because it gives me a chance to reflect at the mistakes that were made so I can come back better.

 

 

Successful People Are Brave

 

In life, you always have options. You can choose to go to bed or stay up late working. You can eat that extra burger or stop yourself after one. You can take a big risk or play it safe. Successful people are filled with courage and let their bravery guide their decisions. When most people shy away from risks, successful people weigh the risks and rewards. If an opportunity is on the table, never overlook it even if it’s really scary.

 

 

Successful People Have Vision

 

You don’t need to have the right answer at every turn to be successful in life. However, you need to have the vision necessary to guide yourself to success. Don’t just think for today but also focus on tomorrow. It’s important to live in the present, but it’s crucial to prepare for the future as well.

 

 

Successful People Take Control

 

If you want to lead a successful life, it all starts with taking control. At 17, I realized the source of my unhappiness. It was because I was working jobs that felt like chores where I had no freedom or control. If I had stayed at those jobs, I would have never been able to come where I am today. If you do not have the freedom or control to make your own choices in life, it will be very hard to find success.

 

 

Conclusion

 

In this article, I shared a variety of different characteristics and tips for what it takes to be successful in life. Feel free to share your thoughts and comments below.

 

How To Keep Your Resolutions in 2014

With the calendar moving ahead one more year, it’s time to share some tips on how to keep your resolutions in 2014. It’s a battle everyone faces and my guide can help you!

 

With the new year just beginning, more resolutions and goals are set during this time period than any other. The toughest part of any ‘goal’ is making sure it doesn’t fall into the category of a ‘wish’.

 

 

Goals are dreams with a deadline while wishes are just dreams without any intent of actually getting them done. As an entrepreneur who has his hand in many different things, goals make or break me on a regular basis.

 

 

Not only do I set goals every day, but I try to set bigger goals each quarter that will be achieved through my daily actions. In this article, I’m going to share some of the strategies I have used to successfully my see goals and resolutions out.

 

 

Here’s how to keep your resolutions in 2014:

 

 

Make A Plan

 

Resolutions fail because you set a goal without creating any plan of how you want to make that dream a reality. Before I set my goals, I create a plan of exactly what needs to be done on my end to accomplish my goals.

 

 

If you’re able to create a series of smaller steps that you need to take in order to achieve your goals, your resolution seems a lot more possible. Break them down into monthly or weekly chunks so it’s a lot more manageable.

 

 

Hold Yourself Accountable

 

Many goals go untouched because we do not have someone holding us accountable. As an entrepreneur, my partners and mentors are constantly there to hold me accountable if I don’t reach my goals.

 

 

Find friends, family, co-workers, or anyone who cares about your success and get them to help you. Tell them to motivate you throughout the year and have various consequences if you’re unable to achieve your goal. It’s hard to be successful in life all by yourself, create a support system.

 

 

Visualize It

 

Every morning when I wake up, the first thing I see is a list of my quarterly goals on a white board. No matter what I try to do, I cannot avoid those goals and it’s a really good thing. I’m motivated from the minute I wake up to start conquering my goals.

 

 

Depending on what your resolutions are, write them down so you can visualize them. Keep them in front of your desk, bedroom, car, or any other place you’ll be motivated.

 

 

Set Time Aside For It

 

This goes back to the planning section of things. If you don’t set aside time for your  resolutions, how do you plan to achieve them? You need to do something different in 2014 than you did in 2013 if you’re looking for a change.

 

 

Create a schedule where you can incorporate time to achieve your new years resolutions. If you have the time for it, you need to follow it up by putting the work in. Remember, the harder you work, the luckier you get!

 

 

Make It Public

 

Another way to hold yourself accountable to your new years resolutions is to put everything in the public. Each quarter, I share my goals for that specific quarter publicly through my Facebook page.

 

 

By potentially facing heaps of embarrassment if you don’t even try to shoot for your goals, making your resolutions public is a great idea. Not only that, but you can reflect back to see where you started and how far you got at the end of it.

 

 

Reward Progress

 

When I was a kid, the best part of getting good grades was that I got rewarded. I didn’t really care that I was doing good in school, I just couldn’t wait to get my hands on a reward from my parents.

 

 

Setting goals for yourself is much of the same. If you go to the gym that extra day or put in that extra time at the office, reward yourself for it. Progress and small achievements deserve to be rewarded and you shouldn’t hesitate to do so.

 

 

Conclusion

 

I hope 2014 is a prosperous and great year for everyone. In this article, I shared some tips on how to keep your resolutions in 2014. Are there any other tips you have for others? Feel free to share them in the comments below.

 

 

Limitless Thinking: My Book Is Now Live!

This post shares the latest achievement in my career. My book Limitless Thinking is now officially live. Check it out and get a copy while you can!

 

If you haven’t heard, my book Limitless Thinking: How One Young Entrepreneur Found Success With No Degree, Experience or Money just went live. I wanted to share a short post about this huge accomplishment in my life.

 

 

2013 has been an absolutely surreal year for me. From becoming a serial entrepreneur to delivering a TEDx speaker, the accomplishments have been piling up. It’s a great feeling to be doing so many amazing things.

 

 

I found out earlier that my book hit the best-sellers list on Amazon and was continuing to be hailed as one of the most purchased books of this weekend. That was an amazing honor.

 

 

If you haven’t gotten my book yet, I suggest you do. My story, experiences and lessons are sure to shape your life for the better. My book is available on many different platforms, feel free to check it out here.