My Top 5 Business Books For The Brave New Entrepreneur…

 

A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for. ~John A. Shedd

The Quest for Entrepreneurship has risen to new heights. 101+ Quotes For New Entrepreneurs contends that with over 25 Million Americans starting or running new businesses, entrepreneurship has become incredibly attractive, yet extremely difficult to sustain. Adding to the excitement, the Gig Economy’s Freelancers comprise over 35 percent of the U.S. Workforce. Even with the traits of fearlessness, risk-taking, passion, resilience, and creativity, difficulties arise, and Entrepreneurs need to keep going.

Keep The Dream Alive

Here I share my 5 top books that can help New Entrepreneurs keep the dream alive.

Good To Great By Jim Collins shares the result of a study about businesses that were not born with great DNA. Can good companies, mediocre companies, even bad companies achieve enduring greatness? My own research on Success Strategies of Caribbean American Leaders In The United States was influenced by Jim Collins study when I sought to answer Why Some Individuals Succeed While others don’t.

 

Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson argues that your message has the ability to change someone’s life. The impact that the right message can have on someone at the right time in their life is immeasurable. It could help to save marriages, repair families, change someone’s health, grow a company or more… But only if you know how to get it into the hands of the people whose lives you have been called to change. Expert Secrets will put your message into the hands of people who need it.

 

The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses is a book by Eric Ries describing his proposed lean startup strategy for startup companies.

 

 

 

Think and Grow Rich was written in 1937 by Napoleon Hill, promoted as a personal development and self-improvement book. Hill writes that he was inspired by a suggestion from business magnate and later-philanthropist Andrew Carnegie

 

 

 

 

 

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business is a book by Charles Duhigg, a New York Times reporter, published in February 2012 by Random House. It explores the science behind habit creation and reformation. The book has reached the best seller list for The New York Times,

Amazon.com, and USA Today.

 

 

 

 

So those are my top 5 Books for those new to entrepreneurship. Did any of these books resonate for you as a new entrepreneur, or if you are a brave soul thinking to take the leap? If you have already taken the leap and have a favorite book, do share! We would love to hear!

Cheers!

Perfection Is The Killer Of Dreams…

Perfection is the killer of dreams

Perfection is the killer of dreams. Curious, one reader questioned it. I replied….

Perfection is a common factor with high performers. We try to make our tasks as ‘perfect’ as possible much to the demise of getting goals done. We do get them done but (like an Allergic reaction), after doing them over, and over, and over again; double checking and triple checking to ensure everything is in place. Our desire is to avoid a Cacophony of our work.

Meanwhile our competitors who do not care as much, often complete their tasks even with errors. The challenge is they sometimes are accepted giving excuses for ‘errors’.
My suggestion to high performers is to double-check and get it done especially when it’s an application or something where there are others vying for the same contract or position.

So stop triple-checking. Make it Viable…just get it done.

Cheers!

Who Runs Your World? Goals…

If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there. ~Lewis Carroll

So you’ve got goals! Yea! That’s just great! Like I have always said, if you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up some place else. So what runs your world? Goals… of course. But be flexible.

I was reflecting on HGTV’s Joanne Gaines and hubby Chip. Joanne shared in her year in review that they had planned on going in a different direction at the beginning of 2018. Then suddenly they discovered they were pregnant! If you are a parent you know how much pregnancy changes things. You have to think about preparing for the little one coming who (though so tiny), totally changes things! Although you and I may be excellent planners, things happen. Some things throw us off course.

Similarly, my friend’s dad went to the hospital to do surgery on his foot, only to be told that he would be losing his foot! Aging parents need help. So she gave up her job and plans and went home to care for her dad. He had to learn a new way of living.

Life does throw us curved balls. So what do we do when that happens? We must catch it and adapt. That’s the only way to survive, Oh yes… cry if you must but react quickly and move on. That’s the way with our goals. We know where we are going but getting there may be different. Sometimes things go totally awry as it did for HGTV’s Joanna Gaines and my friend. But both survived.

So as you commence working on those delightful goals, I wish you the best. But make certain that you build in flexibility. It’s the only way to react quickly whether good or bad.

Need help? Let’s connect.

Cheers!

And So I Write…

 

And the idea of just wandering off to a cafe with a notebook and writing and seeing where that takes me for a while is just bliss. J. K. Rowling

Am I alone? Am I the only one obsessed with writing? I can’t seem to get enough of it. I eat, sleep, dream, and I  write.

Can the doctor help? Noooo…don’t need it. I write because I’m compelled to release, to ease, to let loose what’s inside… what drives my heart to peace.

I care about you. I respect you. But please talk to me when I’m done. For me to be more impacting to you, I must write. The thoughts, stories, insights yearn to be set free.

And so I write…..

There Are No Mistakes…

 

Sometimes it seems life throws us a curved ball. We go off course, get depressed, sad and down. But it’s at those times that we need to get back up. Step forward with confidence knowing as Oprah reminds ….There are No Mistakes. Everything is setting us up to achieve what’s rightfully destined for each of us. So Move forward. Stay strong. Go do you.

Cheers!

5 Points To Consider When Transitioning Into A New Career…

img_5415

It’s the New Year and often it comes with a time of reflection. Several calls came from individuals who hold senior positions in their organizations enquiring how they could transition from one career to the next especially at their level. A few wanted to maintain the same salary level due to financial obligations. Others had children who already finished college and was therefore more flexible and willing to take a pay cut and sacrifice to make the change.

Neither is wrong. Life involves change, and change comes with things we have to give up or shift to achieve our desired goals. So here are 5 points to get you going into that transition if you too are experiencing a desire for change.

Steps To Progress

1. Carefully Consider the Reasons You want to Change Career

Making a serious decision based on a temporary situation is never good. For example… is it that you are working for a team that you are unhappy with? Is it because you are tired of what you’re doing? Or is it because you are faced with a personal situation that is affecting your job? Think seriously. Look before you leap.

2. Consider your Transferable Skills

What skills do you have that can be transferred into another occupation? Have you been in business long? Are you in an area that involves people skills such as banking, healthcare, other? Perhaps you have been in technology? Sales?  Journalism? Such skills can be applied to other evolving jobs.

Are your skills outdated? You may need to upgrade. Consider getting a certification in your area of your interest.

3. Research Changes in The Wider Market

If you have been too busy with your head engrossed in your job, chances are there are tons of changes in the market. Explore. One nurse shared that she never had to search for a job before. Now it seems she has to be begging recruiters to see her. She feels useless and unworthy because no one wanted to hire her after a sickness that took her out of the industry for a while. Things happen. Chin up and keep going.

4. Update Your Profile

When was the last time you looked at your Resume? LinkedIn? Do a personal name search and see what comes up? Do you like it or do you need to make changes? Search job boards to see what new opportunites exist on for example Indeed.com, LinkedIn and more.

5. Network

Last but not least, network. You May be changing industries. If so, it might be wise to start networking with others in your intended industry. Join an associations. Groups. Attend meetings. Get to know others who eventually will be able to recommend you because they are aligned with your network.

So there you have it. Here’s hoping these five points will make a difference as you or a friend contemplate a life or career change.  Need further help? Learn more in Success Strategies Book

Cheers!

13 Things Will Happen When You Decide To Live Your Dream…

img_7454

Once you make a decision, the universe conspires to make it happen. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

When you decide to live your dream things will happen! You will start seeing the things everywhere! Notice when you decide to lose weight, you start seeing gyms, healthy food, people jogging etc., etc.? If you have decided to extend your family and become pregnant you start seeing a mother or a father holding a child? It just happens!  Benjamin Hardy shared the 31 things that happen when you decide to live your dreams . Of the 31, I liked 13. Here I share:

  1. You will see it everywhere
  2. You will have boundless energy fueled by purpose
  3. You will realize all your previous fears were unfounded allowing you to embrace future fears
  4. You will stop worrying about and anticipate the future
  5. You will progress quickly at anything you undertake
  6. People will enter your life to help you
  7. You will be inclined to do things you never considered before
  8. Nothing will seem impossible to you
  9. You will be questioned and criticized for what you’re doing
  10. You will be misunderstood
  11. You will put yourself out there more
  12. You will be genuinely happy for others
  13. You will need more alone time for the deep work

Did any of the above resonate with you? Do share! We would love to hear!

Cheers!

South Florida Writers Of Color Literary Magazine…

img_0086

 “Captivated and inspired by the enduring power, creative joy and beauty of words, they are the South Florida writers of novels, short stories, poems, plays, memoirs, essays, autobiographies, science fiction, biographies, anthologies, children books and more.”

      — Ralph Hogges

 

The Ralph Hogges and Benjamin Cowins, South Florida Writers of Color Literary Magazine. An Online Literary Magazine. Read the 1st Edition here South florida writers of color magazine

Hope you are inspired to write.

Cheers!