Tag: startup advice

10 Motivational Tips to Get What You Want

Have goals of losing weight, building big businesses, and traveling the world? In this article, I will share 10 motivational tips to get what you want in life.

 

Do you have big things you’ve wanted to accomplish? Have you struggled in accomplishing these things because you lacked the motivation necessary to get them done?

 

 

Sometimes, a lack of motivation and a lack of belief can be result in you not getting what you want. Whether you want to lose some weight, build the next million-dollar company, or travel the world…it’s all possible as long as you take the right steps necessary!

 

 

I journeyed into the entrepreneurial world at the age of 17. I had no experience, no degree, and no cash when I got started. The one thing I did have was the motivation and commitment to succeed.

 

 

Using that motivation, I navigated my way through obstacles, mistakes, and failures to find my own successes in the entrepreneurial world. I was 19 years old when I saw my first company get acquired and this was all possible because of my drive.

 

 

In this blog article, I’m going to share with you 10 motivational tips to get what you want.

 

 

Tip #1: Believe to Achieve

 

Knowing what you want is the easy part, but believing that you will have it no matter what is the tough part. A very famous documentary (available on Netflix) known as “The Secret” shares interviews from successful people who illustrate the importance of strong belief.

 

Before you can accomplish anything, you need to believe that you will get the job done no matter what. Having a consistent belief is extremely important to be successful.

 

 

Tip #2: Do What Others Aren’t Willing To Do

 

Earning things in life are not easy. If they were easy, then everyone would achieve those things. Before trying to get what you want, think about if you’re willing to do what most others won’t do.

 

Successful people have often attributed their success to pushing past all known limits. Are you willing to go on a strict diet? Are you willing to work 18 hours a day? Are you willing to stay in the gym even after everyone else leaves? These are all questions you should ask yourself before getting started.

 

 

Tip #3: Failure Isn’t An Option

 

To get what you want in life, you must know that failure isn’t an option. The only way you can fail is if you give up on your goals. Early on, I learned that embracing failure and using it to work harder is the only way to truly achieve success.

 

Failure does not define you or what you’re doing, unless you let it. By giving up, you let failure be the last man standing. To succeed and accomplish anything, you must be willing to get back up and try again no matter what happens.

 

 

Tip #4: Start Starting

 

Many people begin fantasizing about the outcome, but never actually get started. Just thinking about the outcome alone will not help you reach your goals. You have to get started and the sooner you do, the faster you will succeed.

 

 

Tip #5: Go For It All

 

Aim for the moon because even if you fail, you’ll end up in the stars. If you have a goal of losing 25 pounds of weight by the end of the year, push yourself to the limit. Tell yourself that you will lose 30 pounds of weight in 6 months because even if you don’t make your initial goal happen, you will still be way ahead of your original plan.

 

 

Tip #6: Work Smarter, Not Harder

 

When trying to achieve great things, you don’t always need to work harder than the rest of the world. Sometimes, you can just work smarter and achieve just as much or more than others. Always map out your goals and create a plan to see what the most efficient way of achieving it is.

 

 

Tip #7: Surround Yourself With Motivators

 

A popular saying goes that if you can’t change your friends, you should change your friends. In order to be successful at anything, you need a group of people who are willing to support you and motivate you towards your goals. There is no better source of motivation than your friends and family pushing you to success.

 

 

Tip #8: Enjoy The Challenge

 

Life is all about enjoying all the things you do. If you’re not passionate or excited about achieving your goals, it’s going to be a long and treacherous journey. Whether it’s the outcome or the progression that excites you, find some way of making the whole experience fun.

 

 

Tip #9: Find Great Mentors

 

Sometimes you need an extra push from a great mentor. If you have plans of achieving big things, find someone who you wouldn’t mind being. If you’re looking to lose weight, find personal trainers that have accomplished a similar feat. If you want to build a multi-million dollar business, find successful entrepreneurs who have already done that.

 

 

Tip #10: Do It For You

 

Don’t take on a challenge that isn’t for you. When achieving goals, always do things that you want to do. Don’t let a friend who constantly makes fat jokes be the only reason why you want to hit the gym. Be sure that you yourself want to do this.

 

 

Conclusion

 

These 10 tips and strategies should help you get one step closer to your goals. These motivational tips work best when practiced regularly, so be sure to look back to this list as much as possible!

 

 

photo credit: billsoPHOTO via photopin cc

8 Things You Should Know Before Starting A Blog

Starting a blog has been the most popular thing on the internet recently. In this article, I share 8 things you should know before starting a blog that will save you headaches later.

 

With more bloggers than ever producing content on the internet, blogging has become extremely popular. While blogging may seem like an attractive thing to do, there are a lot of things you should know about it before getting started.

 

 

Many bloggers think that success and traffic will come easy, but they’re in for something else. While blogging is easy to set up, it’s extremely difficult to consistently write great content while bringing relevant traffic to your site.

 

 

In this blog article, I will share with you 8 things you should know before starting a blog.

 

 

1. Focus Your Content

 

Before writing your content, you need to focus on one specific topic. Typically, your topic choice should reflect your skills, expertise, and passions.

 

 

Once you have focused in on the type of content you want to write, make sure all your articles somehow revolve around the general topic you choose. The quickest way to lose traffic and readership is to write about things that your audience doesn’t care about.

 

 

2. Consistency Is Key

 

Bloggers rarely know the huge responsibility they’re getting themselves into. By blogging, you vow to write great content on a consistent basis. If you promise your readers that you will post every 3 days, you HAVE to post every 3 days.

 

 

Many blogs disintegrate quickly because the blogger loses interest or cannot keep up with the posting schedule he/she started with. It seems like lots of fun when you get started, but you HAVE to be consistent.

 

 

3. Traffic Has To Come From Somewhere

 

Many bloggers start a blog and get extremely frustrated when they cannot bring in much traffic. On paper, bringing in traffic to a blog seems easy since most people don’t know what struggles bloggers go through.

 

 

Just opening up a blog alone will not get you much (if any) traffic. You need to spend 25% of your time writing great content and the other 75% of your time finding ways to bring free or paid traffic to your website.

 

 

4. Don’t Lie In Your Titles

 

Many people think a great way to promote their articles and get a lot of readers is to write amazing titles. Typically, these amazing titles end up being fake or cannot deliver on the promise.

 

 

When you write a title and someone sees it, they are expecting you to deliver on the title that you have promised them. Always make sure your title backs up the content in your article!

 

 

5. 6 Figure Incomes, 4 Hour Work Days, and Vacations Don’t Come Easy

 

The blogging world has been corrupted by many individuals who have sold people on false hopes and dreams. While it’s definitely possible to live a great life by making passive income from running a blog, the chances of it happening are very low.

 

 

Even more than that, most of the successful bloggers who make 6 figure incomes and take vacations all around the world entered the blogging sphere in the early 2000’s. Don’t start a blog thinking this will happen to you in a few months because it takes years of hard work and great content to be on this path.

 

 

6. Quality Outweighs Quantity

 

Marketing a blog can be very challenging. You can spend $100 on a PPC campaign, bring 500 visitors, and get zero positive value out of it.

 

 

Bringing in a shit ton of traffic to your blog won’t make your website popular. Blogs need to have a community of loyal readers who return to the website on a regular basis. Instead of looking for ways to bring large amounts of visitors, find ways to bring a few visitors who you know will convert to long-term readers.

 

 

7. You’re On Your Own 

 

Unless you have a budget to outsource design, development, or online marketing work to third party companies, you’re truly on your own with your blog.

 

 

You’re in charge of uploading pictures, editing/cleaning up the website, adding new information/content, and running your own marketing campaigns. Blogging isn’t for slackers and you have to be committed to your craft.

 

 

8. Do It For Anything But The Money

 

If you’re starting a blog, do it because you love writing about a specific topic. Don’t start a blog because you see someone living an amazing life as a professional blogger.

 

 

If you do it for the money, your content stinks and your judgment is clouded by your desire to make some cash. It’s great to make money off any website, but it shouldn’t be the main reason why you’re starting.

 

 

Conclusion 

 

Blogging is a very exciting, but challenging thing for people to take on. It’s extremely fun and rewarding, but be sure to know these 8 things before starting a blog.

 

 

photo credit: Telstar Logistics via photopin cc

10 Reasons To Launch A Startup In College

This article will discuss 10 reasons to launch a startup in college. Entrepreneurship is something fun, exciting, and difficult that everyone should experience at some point. See why I think it’s wisest to create a startup during college.

 

I launched my first business at the age of 17 while I was still a senior in high school. It was the final semester of high school and I was extremely motivated to do something big.

 

 

I was lucky to find this motivation at an early age, which is something that other people don’t find till later on in their lives. While most entrepreneurs debate whether a college degree is important or not, I want to discuss 10 reasons why students should build a startup during college.

 

 

1. Professors Are Helpful Resources

 

Many professors or faculty members at colleges can be valuable resources for students who are creating a new startup. I’ve met tons of business professors who have businesses on the side or built successful companies in the past.

 

 

Not only that, but you have access to professors who have expertise in all different fields. It’s an easy, but effective way to reach out to faculty members to get additional help for your startup.

 

 

2. It’s The Easiest Life Will Ever Be 

 

While your college classes may seem hard, life could be a lot tougher. Launching a startup in college is the best timing for many students since it’s the easiest life will ever be.

 

 

As a college student, your expenses are low, frugal living is part of your DNA, and hopefully you don’t have any overwhelming responsibilities. This is the perfect recipe for building a successful startup.

 

 

3. Testers Everywhere

 

One of the greatest parts about starting a business in college is that you have beta testers and potential customers everywhere.

 

 

It’s as easy as reaching out to a professor or a club and asking them if they’d be willing to help you test your product or startup with a large group of students. This gives you a cost-effective way to get feedback and quality output from your classmates.

 

 

4. Endless Energy

 

Your 20’s are generally your prime years for getting things done. Even though most of us spend this time partying and having a blast with friends, it’s the time when you can be the most productive.

 

 

Utilizing your 20’s to build a startup company is great because you have the energy and drive to succeed. When your life has no direction, it’s the best time to create a startup because you can find that direction quickly.

 

 

5. History Repeats Itself

 

Popular startups that went on to become billion dollar companies have often times originated during college. Facebook, Microsoft, Dell, Apple, and many other successful businesses were started by entrepreneurs in college.

 

 

6. You Have A Backup Plan 

 

You’re in college for a reason. You’ve created a plan on what you will do once you graduate from college. If your startup doesn’t go well and fails, nothing changes.

 

 

By creating a startup in college, you literally lose nothing besides some sleep. If everything fails, you get back to the grind in class and start working towards your degree or fall back plan.

 

 

7. Networking For Life

 

In business, it’s all about the people you know more than what you know yourself. Connections can have life-long implications that can be extremely beneficial to your business.

 

 

By starting a business in college, you can have many doors opened to you. Not only that, but you may end up meeting people who may change your life forever.

 

 

8. Get Access To Tools

 

Many colleges provide tools to students to utilize for free at a library or computer science building. Tools like Adobe Master Suite, Prezi, or Dreamspark can be acquired for free simply because you have a .edu email address.

 

 

9. Your Story Sells

 

Students that show a passion for building startups while in college tend to sell a lot more in the media/press. It’s always great to see someone young chasing their dreams and succeeding.

 

 

If all these reasons aren’t enough, just know that your startup will get more media coverage because you’re still in college.

 

 

10. College Is All About The Experiences

 

You attend college because you want to experience new things and moments that will last you a lifetime. What better way to experiment in college than to create a startup to learn more about what it takes to build a successful company.

 

 

Conclusion 

 

Entrepreneurship is something that everyone should try at some point in their life. It’s fun, exciting, and can teach you a lot about business and life. These are 10 reasons why you should launch a startup while you’re in college.

 

 

photo credit: BdwayDiva1 via photopin cc

How To Build A Tech Startup Without Writing Any Code

One of the most common questions I get asked by other aspiring entrepreneur is, “How do I build my tech idea if I don’t know how to code?” As long as you have the ability to hustle, I will share with you how you can successfully build a tech company without writing any code.

 

One of the most common questions I get asked by other aspiring entrepreneurs is, “How do I build my tech idea if I don’t know how to code?”

 

 

When I tell people I have a tech company, they automatically assume I know how to hustle,  design, and code. However, I really only know how to hustle.

 

 

With all my tech startups, I’ve never really written one line of code or done any of the major design work. I’ve been the business side and I’ve used my skills to get ideas put together.

 

 

The crazy thing is, my first company was a web design & web development firm that I ran for 2 years, but I still didn’t do any of the dirty work.

 

 

In this blog article, I’m going to share tips and strategies on how to build a tech startup without writing any code:

 

 

Hustle Hard

 

If you can’t be the technical side of the business, you have to really hustle hard. I know I use the word hustle a lot, but that’s just because there’s no better way to describe this action.

 

 

You have to leverage resources like you have never imagined. If you don’t have money, but you still want to execute your idea you need to get others to believe in your vision. You have to recruit independent developers to join your team for the long haul.

 

 

Go to hackathons, meetups, startup events, computer science classes, and just about anywhere else coders may be at. Once you get the interest of developers, you have to capture their attention.

 

 

Show them what experience you have with startups, where you see your vision in a few years, and how much you expect from them. These are key things any coder, designer, or development team will ever ask for.

 

 

Hire Well

 

If you have some capital or are somehow able to raise money on just a concept, you can always look to development companies. There are many companies out there that have experience working with startups and can really help you put together a killer project.

 

 

Look for small development firms that have experience working with startups. If they know a little bit about startups, they’ll probably understand your financial situation and be willing to give you the best price possible.

 

 

One thing to keep in mind: Never sacrifice quality for affordability when developing your idea. 

 

 

Outsource Strategically

 

Outsourcing is something I have done since I started my first company. I acquired customers here and I had all the design/development work done in countries like India, Philippines, Brazil, and Sweden.

 

 

I learned many lessons from outsourcing hundreds of projects, but the biggest one was that you can’t trust someone right away.

 

 

If you plan to outsource, give them 10% of your project or another small project to test their skills. If they are able to execute a smaller project to your satisfaction, you can begin contracting them for your bigger idea.

 

 

Outsourcing can be very stressful because people begin to trust companies in other countries too quickly. Look through their portfolio, use platforms like Odesk or Elance that protect your interest, and start small.

 

 

The best way to successfully outsource projects and build solid startups is to communicate effectively. When conveying information, specifications, wireframes, and just about anything else pertaining to your project, always remember to explain things as you would to a 5 year old.

 

 

Conclusion

 

If you are really committed to see your idea in fruition, there are many ways to get a tech company started without learning to code. I personally haven’t been a big fan of coding and have leveraged all these strategies to successfully launch numerous tech startups.

 

 

photo credit: plewicki via photopin cc

10 Things Young People Should Know About Life

This article shares 10 things young people should know about life at an early age. Success and living a great life requires work from an early age and this article will help teach you everything you need to know.

 

Our youth is a time of creating experiences, getting an education, and living our lives care-free. Most people think of their lives being this way until they turn 30.

 

 

On their 30th birthday, most people officially change their perspective and begin living quite a different life than they were accustomed to.

 

 

While everyone should enjoy their youth to the fullest, there are a lot of things young people should know about life. Here they are:

 

 

1. Rage Hard But Never Forget Your Responsibilities

 

It’s great to party hard and have a great time when you’re young. However, even party animals have responsibilities.

 

 

Your day-time activities should consist of things that fulfill your day to day responsibilities. Whether you have a job, a business, or a degree to work towards, never let your partying take over your priorities.

 

 

It’s not the most popular kid in high school that goes the farthest in life, but rather the kid who knew their responsibilities and priorities. Popularity and partying only lasts a few years, but a dedication to your career lasts forever.

 

 

2. Credit Cards Kill

 

The first day I stepped foot on a college campus was for my Freshman orientation. After we finished a few lame activities and a tour of the campus, my university tried hard to convince everyone to get a credit card.

 

 

They tried so hard that my ID card also worked as a credit card. Young people often forget how credit cards work and ruin their credit for years to come.

 

 

Be very careful with credit cards. You must have great self-control and you must understand that the money you spend on a credit card has to be paid back eventually.

 

 

3. Health > Wealth

 

As young people, we should be concerned about physical exercise of course, and at the same time, we need to be conscious of the things we are eating. Health is truly extremely crucial to your long-term success and do not let the idea of chasing money turn you away from staying healthy.

 

 

Set aside a few hours a week where you plan to lift some weights, run, play some sports, or do something that will require physical activity. The older you will be happy you took care of yourself.

 

 

4. Education Never Stops

 

If you want to be extremely successful throughout your life, you must understand that your college degree is not the end of your education.

 

 

Education never stops and you must continue learning as you get older to stay on top of things. Develop a healthy reading habit at a young age and it will carry on throughout the future.

 

 

5. Stand On Your Own Feet

 

 

As appealing as it may seem to live off other people, it’s not that great when you get thrown out on your ass. Learn to support yourself and stand on your own feet as soon as you can.

 

 

The feeling of independency is great and people will appreciate you more for that. Don’t take advantage of your family and learn the value of being independent.

 

 

6. Work On Something Bigger Than you

 

When I was growing up, I always wanted to work for a big corporation or be a lawyer, but I quickly realized that I would be selling my soul away to another company.

 

 

I wouldn’t be working for something bigger, I would just be slaving myself away to help someone else work for something bigger.

 

 

Create a goal to achieve something that’s bigger than you, but accomplished by you. For me, my bigger project is working on innovation that solves problems, simplifies lives, and changes the world.

 

 

7. Make Your Money Work For You All The Time

 

Personally, I want to make 5 million dollars by the time I’m 25. Then, I want to make 100 million dollars by the time I’m 30 and 1 billion dollars by the time I’m 40.

 

 

After being around multimillionaires and successful entrepreneurs, I quickly understood that the wealthy don’t usually make their money all from one source. They make their money work for them through careful investments, strategizing, and planning.

 

 

If you plan to create a large fortune for yourself, make sure your money is always working for you at all times. Diversify your investments (don’t put all your eggs in one basket) and be patient.

 

 

8. Learn To Adapt

 

When the world shifts, you’re either with the change or you’re left behind. Many people hold strong values and refuse to shift their business or ideals when they get left behind, but those are the same people who typically file for bankruptcy years later.

 

 

It’s good to learn early on that pivoting, having an open mind, and being willing to adapt to whatever life hands you is extremely important to be successful long-term.

 

 

9. Let Love Find You

 

You aren’t against some clock racing to find the love of your life. Love is something natural and it should come to you on its own. Don’t let society define when or how you should find love because love doesn’t work like that.

 

 

You might be lucky to find love in high school or it may take you till your late 20’s to find love. The key is to stay open-minded and to put yourself out there. From there, love will take its own course on you.

 

 

10. Surround Yourself With Who You Want To Become

 

Being young, it’s easy to get caught up with the wrong crowd. However, as you grow older and start to develop goals, it’s very important to be around people who you want to become.

 

 

There’s a saying that goes: “If you can’t change your friends, change your friends.”

 

 

It’s hard, but sometimes you have to do what is best for you and your future. Don’t change who you want to become, change who your friends are so you can become who you want to be.

 

 

Conclusion

 

The list of 10 things above are just a few of many things younger people should learn at an early age. I’ve been fortunate enough to learn these things from my own experiences, successful mentors, and my careful study of successful people. Share any other things you think are important for young people to know below. 

 

 

 

photo credit: Ed Callow [ torquespeak ] via photopin cc

10 Things Stopping You From Being Successful

Regardless of what your profession or craft is, everyone wants to be successful. If success was easy, then everyone would be at the top 1% of their game. In this blog article, I share the bad habits many people have that stop them from being as successful as they wish they could be.

 

Regardless of what your profession or craft is, everyone wants to be successful. If success was easy, then everyone would be at the top 1% of their game.

 

 

Unfortunately, success doesn’t come easy for anyone. In America, we have something called the 1% which is the epitome of success. 1 percenters are the seen as the most successful individuals in our country, but all of them have had quite a journey to their own success.

 

 

Success isn’t easy and it never will be. In this blog article, I will share 10 things stopping you from being successful and how you can overcome them:

 

 

1. Putting Things Away For Tomorrow

 

Procrastination is what they call this. Successful people never save work for another day. They focus on getting everything done when it needs to be done regardless of how long they may have to stay back at the office.

 

 

If you’re committed to succeeding at your craft, nothing should stop you from putting in the hours necessary to succeed. Some of the best NBA players have been seen coming to the gym first and leaving last.

 

 

2. Friends That Could Care Less About Success

 

Success can often times be limited by the people you spend your time with. Are you spending time with people who are better than you or on a similar path?

 

 

Stop spending time with people who bring you down and don’t add to your success. There’s a saying that goes “If you can’t change your friends, change your friends.”

 

 

3. Lack of Belief

 

If you have ever watched a movie called The Secret, you know how important your inner belief is. Belief is believing that your goals have already been achieved and it’s just a matter of time before you achieve them. The greatest minds in history have been successful through all adversity thanks to their untouchable beliefs.

 

 

Stop doubting you and your goals. If you really believe in something and want to achieve it, develop a strong mindset. Be grateful for your achievements along the way and live your life around those goals. Believe you have achieved it and it is just a matter of when the rewards come to you.

 

 

4. No Motivation

 

Staying motivated around the clock while you stay on the grind is not easy. However, motivation is the driving force for success and it’s crucial to find a way to stay motivated as much as possible.

 

 

If you want to be successful, you need to be motivated to achieve your success goals. Find things, stories, videos, or even people who motivate and inspire you to stay on track.

 

 

5. You Think Failure is Final

 

Failure is something all success stories have had to deal with at some point of time. The attitude with which you tackle failure is extremely crucial to your success. Failure is not final and it’s just an opportunity to learn.

 

 

Learn why you failed and embrace it. Failure doesn’t define you as a person or business, it’s just an event that happened at a time and place.

 

 

 

 

6. Hobbies Don’t Equate to Success

 

Many people think part-time gigs and hobbies can translate into huge successes. Unfortunately, the truth is that you have to work your ass off all day and night to be successful.

 

 

If you have big plans for success, you need to re-strategize your plan of action. Figure out which things you really want to be successful at and see how you can put all your time into it.

 

 

7. Willing to Settle for Anything Less

 

Successful people set goals and refuse to settle for anything but what they wanted initially. Imagine what would have happened to the world if some of the best athletes, musicians, and entrepreneurs were willing to settle for less. What would happen if NFL teams were willing to settle for conference championships instead of Superbowls?

 

 

Do not change your images of success. Change your plan of action if anything. Do not settle for anything less than what you initially planned. No goal is impossible or crazy, it just takes perspiration and serious determination to succeed.

 

 

8. Lack of Persistence

 

Sometimes, it takes numerous tries to get something right. If you’re lucky it make take you 5 or 10 different tries to make something work. If you’re not so lucky, it may take you 200-500 different tries to make something work. Persistence is key and those who give up never realize how close they were.

 

 

Don’t give up. If you have goals in mind, do whatever it takes to succeed. It’s important to stay persistent at your craft. Consistently test, experiment, and try new methods of achieving, but never give up.

 

 

9. You Don’t Educate Yourself

 

A degree from college means nothing. Learning and self-education is one of the most important characteristics for success. The greatest masterminds in the world spend time learning something new about their craft everyday, which helped them become the masters of their destiny.

 

 

Don’t look at your fancy degree or high school classes as the final stop for education. Continue learning and educate yourself on things that can help you master your own goals.

 

 

10. Stop Stressing, Start Having Fun

 

At the end of the day, success is nothing if you aren’t having fun. It’s okay to have stressful moments on your way to success, but you shouldn’t be stressed out all the time. Whatever your craft may be, make sure it’s something that you’re passionate about and enjoy doing.

 

 

Having fun is crucial to success. If you don’t love what you do, you won’t be very good at it. You can try to love something, but it’s just not the same. Find the fun in your craft and leverage that to get to the top.

 

 

Conclusion

 

As I said earlier, success isn’t easy. However, success can be achieved and overcoming these 10 things can greatly attribute to your success.

 

 

photo credit: Ed Callow [ torquespeak ] via photopin cc

Twitter Tactics: How To Get Retweeted

With over 40,000 followers and many of my tweets getting over 100+ retweets, I have learned a lot about Twitter marketing. In this article, I share my best twitter tactics to get more retweets and strategies on how to increase your social influence.

 

Twitter is one of the most active and popular social networks on the internet right now. This social network also holds tremendous value for businesses and bloggers because of how quickly content can spread.

 

 

One of the best ways to acquire followers or spread content is by getting retweeted by others. If you’re not familiar with retweets, it’s just like a “share” button that takes your messages and posts it on someone else’s Twitter page.

 

 

I have over 40,000 followers on Twitter (don’t worry they’re real) and have had many tweets been retweeted by 100 or more people at a time.

 

 

In this blog article, I’m going to share how to get retweeted:

 

 

1. Great Content Goes A Long Ways

 

Whether you’re looking for retweets on your blog articles, quotes, or opinions……great content goes very far. You have 140 characters to be creative.

 

 

Understand who your followers and audience on Twitter are and content that is meaningful to them. If you can appeal to your Twitter audience, you will get more retweets.

 

 

2. Time & Day Matter

 

Are you tweeting in the wee hours of the morning? If you’re sending tweets at 3 or 4 AM tweets, here’s why you aren’t getting retweeted.

 

 

The time and day that you choose to Tweet matters greatly. The charts below will show you the best times to Tweet to get the most retweets from your audience.

 

 

 

 

As you can see from the charts above, certain days & times show the most activity on Twitter. Tweeting your best content during those times can vastly increase your chances of getting retweeted.

 

 

3. Use Link Shorteners

 

If you’re uploading links along with your Twitter posts, that’s great! Content with links posted on Twitter get retweeted more often, but you need to be shrinking your links.

 

 

People tend to retweet content that features shorter links way more than un-shortened links. I personally use https://bitly.com to shorten my Twitter links because of the data and metrics it provides me.

 

 

4. Less is More

 

Believe it or not, your Twitter audience will appreciate you more if you do something known as selective tweeting. Instead of posting every tweet that comes to mind, save the best for Twitter and the rest for your friends.

 

 

Post less on Twitter, but make sure your every post on Twitter is magnificent. Focus on posting the content that’s your best so that you get more retweets from your audience.

 

 

5. Be Quotacious

 

My most popular tweets have been quotes or proverbs that I have shared with my audience. For some reason, users cannot pass up a great quote and always have the urge to retweet it.

 

 

If you’re looking to use retweets to increase your social media influence and build up a larger following, you can start by quoting things your audience will be interested in.

 

 

Conclusion

 

Getting retweeted on Twitter is an art that takes time and experimentation to master. Keep experimenting with different ideas and tweets to create more influence through Twitter.

 

 

 

 

Street Smarts vs Book Smarts, The Epic Debate Continued

Street smarts vs book smarts. This is an epic topic that has been debated for ages, but there is no right answer. In this blog article, I will share my personal bout with both topics and show you the best conclusion that I came to.

 

Growing up, I’ve never really been book smart. Everything about the books we had in school disgusted me.

 

 

The books were dirty, boring, and usually meant homework so I ended up hating books for a greater part of my childhood. However, once people stopped shoving books down my throat and I got to pick my own choices, I began loving them.

 

 

However, street smarts and book smarts completely mean different things. Here’s what they mean:

 

 

The Definition 

 

Here’s how the dictionary defines the two –

 

 

Street Smarts: A shrewd ability to survive in a dangerous urban environment.

 

 

Book Smarts: Someone who is intelligent, learns well, and educated very well academically.

 

 

Most people who are street smart aren’t very book smart and vice versa. Growing up, I was very street smart but not so book smart.

 

 

In any situation, I was capable enough to handle myself or to figure out things on the go. Many of my friends weren’t this way, but they were very book smart.

 

 

I learned from an early age that street smarts and book smarts had great value, but the most successful people had a strong balance of both.

 

 

What It Means Relative To Entrepreneurship

 

“How much can you possibly know about yourself if you’ve never been in a fight?” – Fight Club 

 

 

Read that quote. Stop, take a deep breath and read it one more time. As humans overall, we appreciate and require the formal education we receive through school.

 

 

However, entrepreneurship is something that requires more than an academic lesson. As a college student, I was in the academic setting. Outside of my college classes, I was in the street setting performing those actions.

 

 

Can you really succeed in entrepreneurship by just reading and learning through books? Can you really succeed in entrepreneurship by performing and not gaining anything academically?

 

 

The answer to both questions is simply, NO. It’s extremely tough to succeed without finding a balance between book smarts and street smarts.

 

 

Finding The Balance

 

Finding the balance for me was extremely difficult. I grew up disliking academics very much but didn’t mind the street smarts I had gained.

 

 

When I became an entrepreneur and tried to use my hustle to get me through things which resulted in me falling flat on my face often. Hustle can get you through the door, but education keeps you there.

 

 

It became evident that I had to know my shit in order to succeed in the entrepreneurial environment. I could hustle up to a certain point, but to close deals I had to know what the hell I was talking about.

 

 

That’s when serious academic education kicked in. I was doing everything right, but closing deals since I had a lack of knowledge on the topic I was discussing.

 

 

That’s when I picked up books, articles, blogs, and just about anything with a wealth of knowledge on it. I began learning quickly, but something had changed.

 

 

I was suddenly becoming book smart, just not inside the classroom. I was educating myself on cold calling techniques, marketing strategies, SEO, web design, web development, and so much more.

 

 

These were all things I had never learned in a classroom setting, but I learned outside of school. I became book smart on the things that I was passionate about and cared about.

 

 

Here I was, a 17 year old kid who could barely pass his English class but I was able to master the art of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) spending a few hours a day afterschool.

 

 

Suddenly, it made all the sense in the world to me. School was teaching me all the things I didn’t want to learn.

 

 

How could I be book smart when I could care less how many molecules are in an object? How could I be book smart when I’m forced to read a book because it’s on the state-wide curriculum?

 

 

I had to read and study a bunch of shit that I never got to choose. I couldn’t be book smart growing up.

 

 

As an entrepreneur now, I know exactly the types of things I want to study and read. Not only do I enjoy it, but I dive at the opportunity to learn more.

 

 

Putting It All Together

 

Whether you choose to be an astronaut, magician or successful entrepreneur, you’re going to need a balance of street smarts and book smarts to come out on top.

 

 

I was never book smart, but I had to gain that skill to have a shot at being successful at my craft. As an entrepreneur, it’s important to never stop learning and hustling.

 

 

What are your thoughts on street smarts vs book smarts? Share your thoughts by commenting below.

 

 

photo credit: szeke via photopin cc

What I Learned From Cold Calling 300 People Out of a Directory

Entrepreneurs have to hustle at all costs. Yesterday, the hustle got real. Here’s what I learned from cold calling 300 people out of a directory selling my products and services.

 

Many people think the art of cold calling is dead. I still think cold calling is alive, but there are just a lack of people willing to give it a shot.

 

 

When the hustle gets serious enough in entrepreneurship, you should try cold calling. Cold calling is an easy way to test your market, validate a product, and generate sales for your business.

 

 

Yesterday, I picked up the yellow pages and started calling random individuals who I felt would be prospective customers for my product.

 

 

This was the first time I had really ever cold called a mass group of people, but I learned a lot from the experience. Here’s what I learned from cold calling 300 people out of a directory:

 

 

1. Write Your Pitch Down

 

Before I began pitching, I took some time to craft a well-writen pitch. Every time I picked up the phone, I had my pitch sitting right in front of me to limit any mistakes I could be making.

 

 

If you write your pitch down, you’re much more organized and calm on the phone. Being organized and prepared are extremely important to successfully cold call.

 

 

2. They Just Hang Up…..

 

If people weren’t into my pitch or the product I was selling, they would simply hang up. It’s really not as bad as people think!

 

 

The worst thing someone can do is just hang up on the phone or say a few mean words. Once I realized that, I was far more confident.

 

 

3. Don’t Stop Calling

 

I got a lot of voicemails when I started, but that didn’t stop me from continuing. I left voicemails and kept calling. I spent over 4 hours cold calling person after person through the directory.

 

 

Cold calling is truly a numbers game. The more numbers you call, the higher chances of conversion you have for your product or service. Never stop calling!

 

 

4. Experiment 

 

Test and experiment pitches with different people. See which pitches have the highest success rates and which ones don’t.

 

 

Once you figure that out, you can consistently use one pitch that you know has the best chance of working.

 

 

5. Analyze Your Audience 

 

I quickly found out that a certain ethnic group wasn’t going for the product. I was also able to isolate an ethnic group that was far more interested in the product and decided to focus on them.

 

 

Before cold calling, it’s very important to analyze who you’re calling and how they’re reacting. If you can figure out a more targeted audience to call, your closure rate dramatically increases.

 

 

Conclusion

 

No matter what anyone says, cold calling is not dead! It just takes the right mindset and attitude to successfully cold call individuals. Share your best tips for cold calling success below.

 

 

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My Narrow Escape From a Life of Corporate Hell

Growing up, I had big dreams of what I wanted to be once I had grown up. I wanted to be a professional basketball player, computer engineer, lawyer, and a corporate employee. When it all came down to it, I chose to be a corporate employee. I will share with you how I barely escaped a life of Corporate America.

 

As a little kid, I had big dreams of what I wanted to be once I had grown up. I wanted to be a professional basketball player, computer engineer, lawyer, and a corporate employee.

 

 

Basketball didn’t work out since I was too short and skinny. Computer engineer sounded good on paper, but was way too tedious for me. Law still is one of my passions, but I could never make it out alive through all the school.

 

 

All that was left on the table was a profession as a corporate employee. Funny thing is, even after starting my first company, I was still poised for a path that would see me working for a big corporation.

 

 

Why I Wanted To Be A Corporate Employee

 

After all my other possible career professions seemingly didn’t work out, I decided I would attend business school and do whatever it took to get a high position job in a well-known corporation.

 

 

I wanted to be a corporate employee because business degrees didn’t require much school, corporate employees got flashy titles, and I thought they made decent money.

 

 

It was only after a year of pursuing entrepreneurship that I realized I would be setting myself up for a life of drudgery by pursuing a corporate job.

 

 

Why I Changed My Mind

 

Once I became an entrepreneur, the world around me opened up. I finally understood why people were as wealthy and successful as they were.

 

 

I became an entrepreneur at the age of 17 when I launched my first business. I didn’t know much about entrepreneurship at the time, but I was balancing high school classes and clients.

 

 

I quickly fell in love with creating and operating a business. I was able to grow my business to over 15 virtual employees and did upwards of $80,000 in revenue in my first year. For a high school senior just starting his first business, those numbers were great for me.

 

 

As I was graduating, I quickly began questioning the path I was taking in life. I was attending business school hoping to working at a company like Microsoft or a JP Morgan.

 

 

But why?

 

 

The Mind Shift

 

I began coming across tons of successful individuals. None of these people said they worked for a company or held a small position in a large business.

 

 

They all built fascinating technology, multi-million dollar businesses, top rated mobile apps, and other types of businesses. I quickly began watching this grow into a trend.

 

 

The most talented individuals would never make more than a yearly salary working at a corporate job. Their skills wouldn’t shine bright, they would just be another cog in the system.

 

 

On their own, these individuals were making millions of dollars from their own business. At a corporate job, they would have been lucky to make anything more than $80,000 a year.

 

 

Only the people at the top thrive in corporations. Whether you build your own business or work for one, you will quickly see that only a select few thrive at the top.

 

 

In the entrepreneurial community, there’s a saying that goes a little like, “Always hire people who are better than you.” 

 

 

This is exactly the model the big corporations take. They benefit tremendously by picking up talented individuals and offering them a salary.

 

 

They limit the competition that they could possibly be exposing themselves too and add another piece to their company. That piece can increase their profits or revenue by millions of dollars, but he/she would still get the same salary at the end of the month.

 

 

I quickly realized that corporate jobs have no meaning. What are you really working for in a corporate job? There is no passion, excitement, or reason for you to succeed.

 

 

You’re just another puzzle piece filling the holes necessary. You’re easily replaceable, undervalued, and underpaid. I could have wasted my whole life by accepting a 9 to 5, but I wouldn’t do that job justice.

 

 

I refuse to work for something where my talent and skills aren’t appreciated.

 

 

I refuse to work for just a paycheck.

 

 

I refuse to do work that isn’t passionate or meaningful.

 

 

I refuse to be another piece of the puzzle.

 

 

The Leap To Entrepreneurship

 

Entrepreneurship is truly my savior. I’m glad I found it at a young age so that I didn’t have to suffer through the treachery of a corporate job like many entrepreneurs have.

 

 

I got a job at the age of 15 working at my Dad’s company. I truly understood why working a job can be so bad. My job had decent pay and wasn’t tough, but I just hated everything about the idea of a job.

 

 

It took me 2 years of struggling to finally quit, but quitting was the best decision I have ever made. After I jumped into entrepreneurship, I haven’t looked back.

 

 

When I wake up in the morning, I open my computer up and everything I’m building is mine. I’m not a puzzle piece or some cog in the system.

 

 

Every day I am working on things that I am passionate about. I have a reason to get up early in the morning, work when I’m sick, and not take vacations.

 

 

It’s because everything I do, I do it for my OWN business and for my OWN beliefs. The harder I work, the more I make. The better I use my skills and talents, the more it benefits my business.

 

 

In a corporate job, I would take all my sick days, run at the opportunity of a vacation, and have a tough time waking up each morning. At the end of the day, who wants to be just another robot?

 

 

Conclusion

 

Thankfully, I have been able to escape a life of corporate hell. If you are on the fence about entrepreneurship or a corporate job, I highly recommend reaching out to me. I will be happy to share my thoughts and opinions on this topic even further.

 

 

photo credit: Ciorra Photography via photopin cc