Category: Uncategorized

5 Tips For More Productive Mornings

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 days. Unfortunately, many individuals are far less successful because of their morning routines.

 

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

5 Things They Won’t Teach You In Business School

Meet my 7 year old brother, Justin. He’s accomplished quite a bit in his young career. 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. Here are 5 big business lessons I’ve learned from Justin.

 

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

2012 Wrap Up – Highlights & Lessons Learned

2012 is just hours away from ending. This years been unbelievable for me! I wanted to take some time out and right a post showing people where I was a year ago today and how far I’ve came. Along with that, I’ve learned a lot of lessons this year that has truly changed my life forever. Without further ado, I’m going to start by sharing the highlights of my year in a timeline format.

 

2012 is just hours away from ending. This years been unbelievable for me! I wanted to take some time out and write a post showing people where I was a year ago today and how far I’ve came.

 

 

Along with that, I’ve learned a lot of lessons this year that has truly changed my life forever. Without further ado, I’m going to start by sharing the highlights of my year in a time line format.

 

 

Highlights

 

1 year ago from today, I was working day and night with my partner to get ready for the launch of StatFuse. We didn’t end up launching until February 1st, 2012 but it was months of hard work and anticipation almost coming to a close. It’s unbelievable to look back how far I’ve grown as an entrepreneur and human being since that time.

 

 

Below are some of my basic highlights throughout 2012 in a highlight format:

 

January 2012 – Made my first business trip with my partner to Las Vegas.

 

February 2012 – Launched StatFuse and learned about the true power of the press.

 

March 2012 – Saw StatFuse grow in beta faster than any of us imagined.

 

April 2012 – Began working on my second startup company, Vintelli.

 

May 2012 – The first online article featuring me was posted, was a great experience.

 

June, July, August 2012 – I launched my personal website and blog. I got unbelievable exposure for myself through the media and was able to start a successful consulting business.

 

September 2012 – Launched Vintelli and got great feedback from businesses.

 

October 2012 – Joined a few startups as a consultant (launching in 2013). Wrote and published my second book, The Pursuit of Passion.

 

November 2012 – Made a trip to Chicago to speak (for the first time) at the CEO conference. Had an amazing time speaking and sharing my internet marketing strategies with college students around the world.

 

December 2012 – Did my first two radio shows and was featured in print on a local newspaper in my area. Made immense progress in my next project that plans to revolutionize the coupon industry.

 

 

Lessons Learned

 

They say it’s great to learn something new everyday, but this year I’ve truly felt like I learned 10 new things a day. Out of everything I learned, here are my top 10 lessons learned about entrepreneurship and life this year.

 

 

1. Build Products For Customers, Not Yourself

 

I read a book called Customer Development, which essentially tells you to build products that your customers are willing to pay for. As easy as that sounds, I really neglected the people paying me money and wanted to do it my way. However, that’s very wrong. Survey your customers and GIVE them what they want!

 

 

2. Stay Simple

 

When launching StatFuse, my partner & I wanted to make sure we gave students every single feature in the world. However, we lost focus on what our vision and goal was. Some of the most successful businesses such as DropBox, FourSquare, Twitter, etc had razor-sharp focuses and kept things VERY simple, which has led to their success.

 

 

3. Never Stop Branding You

 

As important as your businesses brand may be, I truly believe your brand is even more important. Businesses usually don’t last for more than 3-5 years, but individuals last much longer. This year, I learned how important your own brand is and that people buy from you.

 

 

4. Give Without Asking In Return

 

When I first started my company at the age of 17, people had convinced me that you had to charge for everything you did. If someone came and asked me a question, I put a price tag on it. This year, I learned that I loved helping people for free (up to a certain point, ofcourse) and this was one of the main reasons I started my blog!

 

 

5. Be Passionate About Everything

 

I have a lot of businesses that have shown interest in using me for my consulting services. However, I usually work with less than 15% of the individuals that reach out to me. Why? I don’t believe that I can do a good job helping someone unless I’m truly passionate about their business and goals. Thus, I’ve decided to never work for someone or something unless I’m all-in.

 

 

6. Make Money, Grow Money

 

As a young kid, I’ve always loved fast cars. Once I became an entrepreneur at the age of 17, I couldn’t wait to make money and buy fast cars. Thankfully, I didn’t make enough money to buy a fast car because that would have been a HUGE mistake. I learned that the only way to truly become wealthy is to grow money when you make it!

 

 

7. Have A Plan

 

As crazy as it sounds, I didn’t really have a plan or roadmap until this year. I had startups and I loved entrepreneurship, but I didn’t really know where I was going. It was great to sit down and spend time mapping out a long-term plan.

 

 

8. Have Time For The Important People In Your Life

 

No matter how much you work or how busy you may get, never forget the important people in your life. Family, friends, and loved ones should always be at the top of your priority list. Always make time for them!

 

 

9. Ideas Don’t Mean Shit

 

Seriously, I used to be extremely fixated on ideas. I would have great ideas and think I was already rich without taking any action on it! Not only that, but I was scared to tell anyone because I thought people were going to ‘steal it’. Fast-forward to this year, I really learned that the greatest ideas fail because the execution sucks.

 

 

10. Never Stop Meeting People

 

This year, I went all out networking. I went to mixers, conferences, and events all over the place to meet new people. Each event I went to, I developed new connections that really benefited me. I developed new friendships, partnerships, and clients by just putting myself out there!

 

 

Conclusion

 

2012 has been a great year, I really grew and progressed further than I had imagined. However, 2013 is going to be much crazier than this year. In my next blog post, I will share my BIG plans for 2013.

 

 

photo credit: Philipp Lücke via photopin cc

The Corey Wadden Interview – Man Who Plans To Become Millionaire By 25

I had the pleasure of interviewing another young, aspiring entrepreneur named Corey Wadden. I heard about him and his journey about 4-5 months ago on Twitter and have been following him closely ever since. In short, Corey Wadden created a challenge to earn 1 Million Dollars in 2 years. Currently, he’s just completing his first year. I was able to grab him for an interview to talk about this challenge and more.

I had the pleasure of interviewing another young, aspiring entrepreneur named Corey Wadden. I heard about him and his journey about 4-5 months ago on Twitter and have been following him closely ever since.

 

 

In short, Corey Wadden created a challenge to earn 1 Million Dollars in 2 years. Currently, he’s just completing his first year. I was able to grab him for an interview to talk about this challenge and more.

 

 

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself, your age, your goals, and what you’ve done in the past and what you’re doing now.

 

I’m 24 years old. Family is from Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Canada. I was raised by a single mom, grew up below the poverty line. We weren’t pushed to do formal education, just more about making to the next day.

 

 

I took work at door to door sales and skipped college to help out. It got to a point where I wasn’t getting anywhere fast enough and then this challenge came to be. Once and for all, a way to retire my mom so I can go pursue acting with a clear conscience and some passive income to live off.

 

 

I’ve done acting on stage, every job you can think of including Pizza Hut, Mcdonalds, factories, sales (door to door), sales coaching, etc. I’m now working with my partner, Saba Mirzaagha on our mobile applicationscompanies and an eBook business.

 

 

2. So I heard about this Millionaire by 25 project and thought it was the greatest idea ever! Tell us a bit about that.

 

Thanks, man! Yeah, it was the straw that broke the camel’s back. It was something that came out of desperation and inspiration. As mentioned above, I needed a way to retire my mom so I could pursue my passion of acting without stress and so I set a two year challenge to do it.

 

 

I decided to self-document the whole thing and turn it into a documentary. A lot of people will watch it for entertainment value, and maybe a little inspiration, but I’m making it for the kids (and adults) who didn’t have access to a lot of opportunities, or positive influences. I want to show them that they can do anything they set their minds to with the right tool-set and mindset.

 

 

It’s turned into something that I didn’t anticipate. It’s become this movement of young and inspired people who want to tackle a large goal – even if it’s not monetary. It’s a satisfying feeling to know that something you create is inspiring change within people. It’s important to me that young people in particular take notice, because it’s the youth that have the power to change the lives of themselves, their families and eventually the world.

 

 

3. How do you plan to achieve $1 Million Dollars+ in less than 2 years?

 

At the beginning, I had no idea. I set off on a country wide journey to interview entrepreneurs and get guidance on how to do it. I only knew one millionaire – my former sales boss. I went to Ottawa to meet with him and asked for a referral after it was over. It’s been connecting those dots and finding my own way within their advice.

 

 

I started off with Network Marketing, and then a fashion line and website and eventually settled into what I’m doing now, and what I will continue doing until the end of the challenge (and beyond). Apps for smartphones and eBooks for the Kindle device.

 

 

4. How close to your goal are you now?

 

I’ve earned $67,000 and change. I’m halfway through. It’s exactly where I expected to be. Now it’s about massive action and growing this app business and eBook business beyond any competition in the market.

 

 

5. What are some things you’re mainly focusing on and doing right now?

 

As of now, there are three things I’m focusing on. I’m heading to San Francisco for three months to tackle the first, which is connecting with media influencers, bloggers and mainstream press. I want to set up large exposure for my challenge and our app/eBook business. After meeting Tim Ferris and Noah Kagan, they suggested I establish connections months in advance. The success of our app/ebook business largely depends on exposure.

 

 

Second, we’re working all hours of the day/night to build a massive volume of apps/eBooks for the last 12 months. It’s a two man operation and we work from everywhere we can. It’s not uncommon to find me sleeping in a car, or working out of cafe’s. The goal is 100 apps and 100 eBooks over the next 12 months. Anyone who’s in the industry knows how ridiculous that sounds.

 

 

Last, absorbing as much knowledge as I can. I read one book per week and listen to one eBook per week. That equals 5 books per month. After realizing what I’m building, I want to be prepared for when this is over. I have a lot planned over the next 5 years. I want to create a paradigm shift in societies perception of the youth and their potential. I won’t disclose too much this early on, but if you thought this challenge was a big goal, you’ll be surprised at what’s coming after.

 

 

6. What inspired you to set off on such a unique journey?

 

The inspiration was being poor. That’s the biggest inspiration. I’ve always marched to the beat of my own drum, and one day, I knew there had to be a more effective and efficient way of getting out of it. I felt a responsibility to retire my family, because if I didn’t and didn’t soon, they would be in trouble.

 

 

7. What have you learned so far?

 

1. Think bigger. The biggest limiting factor is thinking too small. Take your goals and apply the 10x principle to them – set your goal 10x higher than your original goal and take 10x the action to achieve it.

 

 

2.. Have a definiteness of purpose. If you don’t know your purpose, your passions, your ‘why’, stop everything you’re doing and take as long as it takes to figure that out. You have to be working towards something that’s in line with those things, otherwise you are drifting.

 

 

3. You are better than you could ever imagine – You may look up to people, or idolize them, but you could be friends with them in a year with massive action. You can be on a comparable level, or even surpass them. Once you figure out what you’re working towards, and it’s a big enough goal, and you take massive action towards it – you will transform yourself and soon become the person that other people look up to. There is little to no difference in ability between you and the person you want to become. I say that with 100% certainty. It’s about taking lessons 1 and 2 and implementing them consistently and you will be amazed.

 

8. What has been your proudest accomplishment to date or most memorable thing that has taken place?

 

My proudest accomplishment was meeting Tim Ferris, without a doubt. His first book, The 4 Hour Work Week was one of the two original books recommended to me by my first entrepreneur interview with my former boss, Ben Stewart. I read it straight away and knew that he was someone I wanted guidance from on my journey. I put pen to paper in June and in November, I won a contest and made it a reality.

 

 

9. How many hours a day do you work currently?

 

12-18 hours

 

 

10. What is one ‘unique’ or ‘crazy’ thing about you that many other people don’t know about?

I fully believe I will change the world, and I’m giving myself until age 40 to do it.

 

 

11. Why do you think more people aren’t aiming for large goals like yours?

We are in an information age, and every answer we desire is at our fingertips here in North America. We grow up being taught things by our parent(s) and then from our schools and we rarely seek out information on our own accord. This is both a huge opportunity and set back at the same time. Opportunity, because very few realize the potential that being one of the few possesses. Set back, because all of the answers one needs come through self-education. It’s a serious shame that we are not breeding young, critical thinkers and problem solvers who actively seek out information beyond what is taught to them. Our school systems are too outdated.

 

 

12. Any last words for the aspiring entrepreneur?

 

You are the change in the world. Without you, there is no progression. You are the quintessential ingredient to change. Value your potential, but more importantly, use it.

 

 

Conclusion

 

As you can see, Corey is on a journey unlike any other. As an aspiring young entrepreneur myself, I really connected with Corey and understand the hardships he is going through trying to earn 1 Million Dollars in such a short span.

 

 

If you want to connect with Corey or follow his challenge, here’s how you can do it:

 

 

Website – www.MillionaireBy25.com

Facebook – www.Facebook.com/MillionaireBy25

Twitter – www.Twitter.com/MillionaireBy25

Youtube – www.Youtube.com/MrMillby25

8 Secrets Self-Made Millionaires Know That You Don’t

Want a million dollars but just can’t get it? Well, that’s how everyone feels until they know the secrets of millionaires. Becoming a self-made millionaire is NOT easy, but these secrets can put you on the right track. Here are 5 secrets self-made millionaires know that you don’t.

 

So you want to be a self-made millionaire? Yeah, you and almost every other person in the world want the same thing. However, only a tiny percentage of people are actually able to accomplish this feat.

 

 

Luckily, someone was kind enough to share some secrets of self-made millionaires to me at a young age. Around the age of 15, I met a guy who had all the luxuries of life and was still in his early 30’s. I envied everything about him and wanted to live his life.

 

 

I told him this and he gave me some advice, which at the time didn’t make much sense. However, the advice now makes all the sense in the world. It’s been validated and verified by other self-made millionaires I’ve came in contact with as well.

 

 

Becoming a self-made millionaire is NOT easy, but these secrets can put you on the right track. Here are 5 secrets self-made millionaires know that you don’t.

 

 

1. You Are Who Your Friends Are

 

How many self-made millionaires do you hang out with? If that number is close to zero, change is necessary. I don’t know what the exact formula is, but it’s been proven that your friends decipher your net worth.

 

 

Self-made millionaires learned early on that they need to hang with the people they want to become. Hanging with other self-made millionaires gives you constant motivation, knowledge, and many opportunities others don’t get.

 

 

2. Stop Spending, Start Investing

 

If your goal is to make a million dollars and buy a Ferrari, you won’t be wealthy for very long. Millionaires understand how important it is to invest instead of spend.

 

 

I’ve met people who took their high school graduation money and made strings of great investments that enabled them to make millions of dollars. When you make money, your first thought should be, “How can I invest this money to make more?” instead of “What fancy thing should I buy today?”

 

 

3. Change Your Mindset

 

Before you can become a millionaire, you must believe it. Set a target, how you plan to achieve this goal, and then do everything in your power to accomplish it. Millionaires know what they want before they go and get it.

 

 

There is no shortage of money in the world for those willing to earn it. Stop thinking negatively and start thinking about how you will be a millionaire regardless of the obstacles you may face.

 

 

4. Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Basket

 

Millionaires make money from a variety of different income streams. You should do the same. Making millions of dollars from one thing is very hard, but it’s much easier to make a million from many different channels.

 

 

As a serial entrepreneur, I know how important it is to create multiple streams of revenue. I understand that my basket can be crushed at any time so I’ve created multiple baskets for insurance. You should do the same!

 

 

5. Chase Anything But The Money

 

The idea of being a millionaire is great, I fell in love with it at 15. However, I knew that chasing money doesn’t get you anywhere. My wealthy friend told me, “Never chase the money son, chase something else and the money will come.”

 

 

That’s when I knew that the concept of being a self-made millionaire was amazing, but money couldn’t be my motivation. My motivation was found years later, which was creating innovations that solve problems. Now that I have a purpose, money just comes to me.

 

 

6. Work Harder Than Everyone Else

 

For some reason, everybody assumes that self-made millionaires don’t work very hard. People want to attribute their success to luck or scams, but it’s really not that. Millionaires worked harder than everyone else to get where they are today.

 

 

It’s all about work ethic. I’ve talked to millionaires who shared their work ethics with me and made mine look like shit. Not to mention, I work 16 hour days while attending school. Nevertheless, if you want to be a millionaire, work harder at it than everyone else!

 

 

7. Make A Plan

 

Before you can become a self-made millionaire, you really need a strong plan on how you’re going to make that happen. What’s my plan?

 

 

Well, I want to create a passive income stream that makes me a couple thousand dollars a month (so that I can stay afloat). From there, I want to build a variety of different tech companies. Once I find success in my tech companies, I want to invest in other startups, funds, and start my own restaurant. I’ve had this plan since I was about 17 years old and have begun executing it ever since!

 

 

8. No Guts, No Glory

 

Self-made millionaires take big boy risks. They probably don’t tell everyone what their big risk was, but almost all of them do it. At some point, you have to take a risk to reap the rewards.

 

 

Self-made millionaires don’t just take any risks though. They take calculated risks, which usually end up having larger upside than downsides. Nevertheless, you must take some chances and roll the dice to be successful.

 

 

Conclusion

 

As you can see from the list above, just wanting a million dollars isn’t enough. Self-made millionaires almost live a special lifestyle long before they make all their money. By doing some of the things listed above, you can put yourself on the right path to achieve more!

 

 

10 Personal Branding Tips for Entrepreneurs

As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to forget the true value of our own brands. We are so immersed in our businesses that we can’t really find time to brand ourselves. I love to tell people that you build businesses around products, but you build careers around yourself. Here are 10 personal branding tips for entrepreneurs that you can carry with you for the rest of your life.

 

As an entrepreneur, it’s easy to forget the true value of our own brands. We are so immersed in our businesses that we don’t really find time for ourselves.

 

 

It’s we, the entrepreneurs, who are the ones that our customers buy into. People buy into you more than your products or services. If you are good with people, you will always find success selling.

 

 

However, business owners quite often forget how important their personal brand really is. They focus on developing a razor-sharp brand for their business, which is good, but that doesn’t necessarily get the job done.

 

 

The brand of a business is only valuable as long as the business is yours. What happens to you if your business goes under, gets bought out, or even takes a big hit? You’re left in the cold streets left with nothing.

 

 

We, the individual, are the greatest investment. I choose to brand my name first and then my businesses second. Why? No matter where I go, what I do or, how I do it……my brand will carry on with me forever, whereas my businesses may not do the same.

 

 

Here are 10 personal branding tips for entrepreneurs:

 

 

1. Define Who You Are

 

Before we can build a personal brand, we really need to know who we are. We need to know what our goals, vision, and dreams are. When you leave a room, what do you want people to remember about you?

 

 

Whatever it is that you want them to remember about you is your personal brand. You must understand who you are and what it is that you want others to know before you can brand yourself.

 

 

2. What Makes You, You

 

There are millions of business owners and tons of entrepreneurs out there. What is it that separates you from the crowd? This is a very important question to answer before you can build a strong personal brand.

 

 

You have to bring something unique to the table so that people can easily identify who you are. Whether it’s a weird oddity about you, an inspirational story, or just an amazing accomplishment, find something that people will remember about you.

 

 

3. Get Big Testimonials

 

People want to know who you have worked with. There is no bigger boost to someones credibility than a testimonial from a hotshot.

 

 

Find influential people that you have worked with and ask them to provide insight on their working experiences with you. This is a great way to get people to remember you and your brand.

 

 

4. Get Your Own Name Out There

 

When you’re the brand, you’re in charge of getting your own name out there. The best way to get your name out to a large audience is through publicity/PR.

 

 

Share your accomplishments, experiences, stories, and big news with the press. Not only is it great to say you’ve been featured on numerous different high-caliber programs, but it also boosts your credibility.

 

 

5. Teach Others

 

Whether you hold workshops, give keynotes, or deliver great speeches……find a way to help others. There is no better way to build a personal brand than to help others for FREE.

 

 

Share your experiences, failures, mistakes, and give people an authentic learning experience. They’ll come to you with questions and you may be able to develop great relationships with other. Best of all, they’ll always remember you and thank you!

 

 

6. Develop A Website Under Your Own Name

 

Create a website, similar to mine (www.yourname.com) that people can easily find. Use this website to blog, talk about yourself, and brand your image even further. Personal websites are great because it really lets other people get to know the real you.

 

 

Not only that, but if you do happen to go a separate way from your business, your personal website will never go away. It’s also a great tool to have when people search your name online.

 

 

7. Don’t Hide Behind Your Business

 

Be proud of your business and what you do! Add your personal face to everything involved within your business, something the Kardashian’s are great at.

 

 

Tell everyone you are the CEO or Founder of the company and be proud of it! Everyone likes to know the face behind a company, just think of Steve Jobs and Apple or Bill Gates and Microsoft.

 

 

8. Be Involved In Your Industry

 

As entrepreneurs, we need to be involved in our industries and the entrepreneurial world. Whether it’s commenting on the latest happenings or sharing specific news, do something to position yourself as an expert.

 

 

When I say ‘position yourself as an expert’, I’m telling you to give your opinion on things that are going on in your industry. Provide opinion-based comments and thoughts, which others may find interesting.

 

 

9. Network Like Hell

 

Networking is very tiring, it’s almost like a sport. However, networking really gives you the ability to brand yourself with others.

 

 

Whether it’s establishing business contacts or spreading your name, it’s a great way to let others know about you. Networking can lead to great opportunities and it’s something I highly recommend everyone does!

 

 

10. Be Personal

 

It’s hard to really believe someone is always serious. Show people your fun and personal side. Whether it’s posting pictures outside of your work life or simply sharing things ‘behind the scenes’, do something to get personal with people.

 

 

People love to relate with others. Whether it’s on the business side or the personal side, people want to see the human side of you. Be personal, share stories from your life, and have some fun!

 

 

Conclusion

 

Branding yourself is an extremely important part of building a career. You build businesses around products, but you build careers around yourself. These 10 tips will help you develop a stronger personal brand in no time!

 

 

photo credit: Daviel Stosca via photopin cc

7 Creative Ways I Made Money Online

I’ve always been a stay-at-home and make money kind of guy. I’ve done numerous different things online to make some money. Ever since the age of 9, I’ve had to make money quick and have come up with many creative ideas. I’m going to share with you 7 creative ways I have made money online.

 

I’ve always been a stay-at-home and make money kind of guy. For a long time, I really hated the idea of going out of my comfort zone to make a buck. Turns out, I always had a little buy cheapest Viagra entrepreneurial hustle in me since I have been young.

 

 

In fact, I’ve done numerous different things online to make some money. My first attempt, which was very pathetic, started at the age of 9. I made a website around basketball, but never made a dollar on it.

 

 

However, that was my first spark of innovation. Ever since then, I’ve had to make money quick and have came up with many creative ideas. I’m going to share with you 7 creative ways I have made money online.

 

 

1. Flipping Domain Names

 

Around the age of 14, I heard about the story of Cars.com from someone I knew. I don’t remember what the exact amount was, but I know the original owner made a ton of money flipping that domain. I took $115 I had saved up from my birthday and began purchasing all kinds of domains.

 

 

I strategically bought various domains and ended up purchasing 12 domains in all. From there, I began contacting everyone possible letting them know of the domains I had for sale. After a few months, 11 of my domains were left unsold.

 

 

Fortunately, I was able to find someone to buy 1 of my 12 domains and he paid me a whopping $1,500 for it! Even though my other 11 domains essentially failed, I did find 1 great niche domain. Making money flipping domains is difficult, but all you need is a good name and some luck to be successful.

 

 

2. Playing Computer Games

 

Ever since I turned 12, I’ve been playing video games on my computer. I’ve been obsessed with games like Counterstrike, Puzzle Pirates, Team Fortress, and many others. While most of these games cost me a lot of time, one of these games actually made me some money.

 

 

I was really good at different things on Puzzle Pirates and there was a high demand for the currency used in that game. While everyone else used their currency to buy fancy houses, clothes, and boats……I actually sold the currency to others on the game for real money.

 

 

The game charged about $100 for 1 Million Poe (currency in the game) and I sold the same thing for only $50. Can you imagine how many customers I had knocking on my door? I did this for a few years and made some good money before the game shut me down and banned my accounts.

 

 

3. Online Poker

 

Yes, I’ve played a lot of online poker. There was even a time I wanted to become a professional online poker because I loved the game so much. While it’s definitely a challenge to win at the higher stakes, the small tables are fairly easy.

 

 

I learned the game of Poker at an early age and have relied on it often to make a quick buck. I’ve played online Poker on many different occasions and it has helped me make some fast cash.

 

 

I read tons of articles online and watched YouTube videos before I was able to dominate the smaller tables. The blinds were only 2 cents to 5 cents, but I played on 7-10 different tables. This was a quick, fun, and easy way for me to make some cash sitting in my pajamas.

 

 

4. Write Articles/Blog Posts

 

When I was 16 years old, I actually found numerous gigs on Craigslist where people paid me to write articles. They didn’t know I was 16, but they did appreciate my writing. I wrote about all kinds of different things because other people didn’t have time for it.

 

 

You have to create a portfolio of your best pieces of writing to get started. Once you have that, you contact the many different gigs available on Craigslist and begin pitching yourself. I only pitched myself on topics that I felt well-versed in such as sports, internet marketing, etc.

 

 

While it wasn’t a lot of money, I got paid anywhere from $25-$50 for each article/blog post I wrote. It took me anywhere from 1-2 hours to craft a strong article, but it was good money considering I never left the comfort of my home.

 

 

5. Post Ads For Other People

 

One of the guys I had written an article for loved me a lot. I don’t know why, but he thought I was amazing and wanted to work with me in every way possible. He opened up a computer service company, where he would virtually remove viruses, speed up computers, and fix them up on TeamViewer.

 

 

He wanted to go big and decided to hire me for an online gig. At this time, I was also working at my Dad’s software development company so I was doing this as a side job. He would have me post ads promoting his business on Craigslist throughout all the cities in the United States.

 

 

I spent less than 1 hour a day doing this, but was compensated very well. He paid me $50 a day and gave me 10% commission on every client that came his way. I did this gig for about 4 months and ended up making around $3,200 out of it. It’s not always a bad idea to rely on commission!

 

 

6. Type For Other People

 

For some reason, I’m really good at typing. I don’t know why but everyone I meet is immediately surprised by how quickly I can type. I decided to turn my skills into some quick cash when I was 15.

 

 

I happened to find gigs online where people were looking to turn clips, videos, and recordings into text. Many people came to me saying they struggled to type it all up because they just could not keep up with the voice and had to pause and go back.

 

 

Lucky for me, I was fast enough to keep up with the recording and it didn’t take me very long. I literally would finish a 1 hour recording in 1 hour and have it ready for my clients. My clients thought these tasks were an impossible challenge and they ended up paying me really well.

 

 

7. Flip Things Online

 

Another way I made some quick cash was by flipping various things online. I would look for things people were selling on Craigslist (mainly electronics) and tried to hustle for the best deal. Once I got a deal I loved, I bought that item.

 

 

After buying that item, I would go and repost that same item for a higher amount. I have bought iPhones in the past for $100 and been able to resell them hours later for $250-$300. It was all about finding a deal quickly and jumping on it right away.

 

 

Unfortunately, this gig did cause some problems for me. People on Craigslist did end up ripping me off and even though I made good money, a lot of it was lost from the bad deals I made. Nevertheless, if you know what you’re doing, this is another great way to make a quick buck online.

 

 

Conclusion

 

As you can see, I’ve always had that hustle and drive in me to make a quick buck. However, I attribute this skill to my parents. They were cheap and made me earn everything I wanted.

 

 

I hated them for it then, but now I love them for it. If they hadn’t pushed me to go get what I want, who knows when I would have got started. Have you made money online in any creative ways? Feel free to share below!

 

 

A Life Lesson Mike From Suits Taught Me

One of the most popular shows this year has been the action-packed legal show, Suits. One of the main characters from the show, Mike Ross, managed to teach me a very valuable life lesson. It was something that really represented my life very well, but I never knew it. I want to share with you my opinion on a highly debated topic, the value of college education.

 

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.

 

 

Huge Honor – Front Page of Local Newspaper

To my surprise, I was featured on the front page of a local newspaper today! It’s an unbelievable honor and absolutely surreal. I just wanted to share this with everyone as I’m completely blown away by this!

 

Today has been an unbelievable day for me! Not only is it my birthday, but my third patent is now officially patent-pending. Okay, you got me….that’s not what the huge honor is about!

 

 

To my surprise, I was featured on the front page of a local newspaper today! It’s an unbelievable honor and absolutely surreal. I just wanted to share this with everyone as I’m completely blown away by this. Click here to view the article.

 

 

A big thank you to Randy Economy for this great article! I also want to thank all my family, friends, and team for believing in me and making this all possible.

 

 

 

10 Things I Wish I Knew Before Launching My First Business

As a business owner not knowing that I was an entrepreneur, I made a lot of mistakes. If I had gone through a crash course on entrepreneurship before starting, I would have probably been a lot more successful in my past ventures. Even though I cannot change my past, I can help others on a similar journey avoid some of the mistakes I made as a new entrepreneur. Here are 10 things I wish I knew before launching my first business:

 

I didn’t always want to be an entrepreneur. In fact, all the way until my 18th birthday, I was really unsure of what career path was right for me. I started off wanting to be a NBA player, then moved to engineering, and finally ended up th

inking I wanted to be a lawyer.

 

 

Well, as it turns out, I was wrong with every single selection I made. The funny thing was, I created my first business at the age of 17. However, I never looked at it as my career path, but rather a cash cow.

 

 

I didn’t want to leave my house, I wanted to make some money, and that’s exactly what my first business enabled me to do. It was only on my 18th birthday that I realized entrepreneurship was really my thing.

 

 

As a business owner not knowing that I was an entrepreneur, I made a lot of mistakes. If I had gone through a crash course on entrepreneurship before starting, I would have probably been a lot more successful.

 

 

Even though I cannot change my past, I can help others on a similar journey avoid some of the mistakes I made as a new entrepreneur. Here are 10 things I wish I knew before launching my first business:

 

 

1. Grow A Pair

 

You seriously cannot create a successful business unless you take some chances. As a new entrepreneur, I was only 17 years old. I was scared shitless of what people would say and how they would perceive me because of my young age.

 

 

I did everything possible to avoid human contact and attempted to lure customers in (without meeting them) by offering them dirt-cheap prices. I could have made 2 to 3 times as much as I did on each client, but I was scared of what others would think. As an entrepreneur, you have to put yourself out there and take some risks.

 

 

2. Simplicity Sells

 

I’ve always been one to complicate things. It isn’t because I like to work more, but instead I felt like I wasn’t offering enough. When I was creating products/websites, I tried to fill the box up to the top hoping to please customers.

 

 

It took me 3 startups before I realized that simplicity really sells. Not only that, but it’s so much easier to explain to people what exactly I am trying to achieve. As entrepreneurs, we want to put everything together at once, but that’s a HUGE mistake. Stay simple and try to solve one problem to the best of your abilities.

 

 

3. Making A Million Dollars Is A Lot Harder Than It Seems

 

Before starting my first company, I disrespected every single business owner out there by thinking how easy running a business was. This was simply because I was arrogant, clueless, and really thought I could make a million dollars from my first business in no time.

 

 

Instead of understanding how much hard work and struggle goes into a business, I felt like any business owner could make a million almost overnight. Boy was I wrong! Forget making a million, try making a dollar. While it’s great to aim high, you must know how much hard work and determination it takes to create a successful business.

 

 

4. Sell Or Die

 

This literally means exactly what it says. If you don’t sell, you die. When I first started my business, I was scared to sell. A magical genie is not going to drop off clients at your doorstep. You have to spend every free minute you have selling your product, services, or ideas!

 

 

You have to constantly sell at every opportunity available. If you’re scared to sell, you will not have a successful business. If I had spent more of my time selling, I would have definitely been far more successful than I was.

 

5. Do What You Love

 

Money is great, but it isn’t always enough to keep you happy. I was making good money every month from my first business, but it wasn’t my passion. Even though I have no regrets, I could have enjoyed my life a lot more had I run a business built around my passions.

 

 

All entrepreneurs should work in a field or industry that they love. If you look at your business as ‘work’, you’re not doing what you love. Find a niche that truly excites you and you will have no problem working late nights.

 

 

6. You Should Never Be Satisfied

 

With my first company, I was satisfied with the income I was making every month. I didn’t care if I made more money each month and was happy with where my business was. If you do something, do it to be the best, not mediocre.

 

 

I was happy with the type of customers I was acquiring and the amount of money I was making.That’s crazy! I should have been swinging for the fences and aiming to be the best in my industry.

 

 

7. Brand Yourself

 

People buy into you, not the company. As a new entrepreneur, I was all about branding my business. While that’s great, I never understood the fact that people were really trusting me with their business.

 

 

Focus on branding yourself and your business will instantly reap the benefits. Your customers develop a positive relationship with you before putting their needs in your hands. Your personal brand stays with you for your whole life, whereas your businesses brand leaves when the business does.

 

 

8. Help Others For Free

 

When I started as an entrepreneur, I really didn’t care about others. If someone even asked me a simple question, I tried to find a way to put a price tag on it. Why? Well, someone had convinced me that I should be charging everyone for everything.

 

 

That was horrible advice. Help others and they will help you. I no longer care about receiving X amount of dollars for offering my insight or help to someone. I do it because I genuinely care about others and want to help them. Whether or not they use me for my services in the future or not really does NOT concern me.

 

 

9. Stick With What Works

 

As a business owner, I was itching to offer more services. Instead of trying to capture a larger market share in one specific aspect of the business, I wanted to do a little bit of everything. I was making a killing selling websites, but I wanted to offer mobile applications, graphic design, and video production.

 

 

That was a horrible idea. I was venturing into something completely new without very much experience in those fields. My website services started faltering while I landed very few clients for my newer services. It’s crucial to stay focused on what’s working. Grow as much as you can in one area before venturing on to newer things.

 

 

10. Customer Development

 

Before implementing an idea, pricing a product, or even changing the design of your website, ask your customers what they think. At the end of the day, your customers are the lifeline of your business.

 

 

There is nothing more valuable then the feedback others can give you. Keep track of the challenges, comments, and questions others show about your survey. This will save you tons of time in the future and your product will be far more solid.

 

 

Conclusion

 

As an entrepreneur, you’re going to make a lot of mistakes. I was no exception to that rule. I screwed up a lot and learned a lot, but I was always quick to correct problem areas. This was just 10 things I wish I had known before launching my first business.

 

 

photo credit: Ian Sane via photopin cc