Many conversations lately have seemed to be more coaching than consultation based. 

I’m seeing a lot of fear in Michigan.  The worst part of fear is that 98% of it is just simply not real.  It is a bunch of crap that is floating around your head because of something your mother told you 10 years ago, or your lawyer told you last week, or whatever. 

There are MILLIONS of reasons to not try something new…just ask any lawyer!  I wonder how many great business ideas have been squashed by lawyers?  I would bet the number is staggering!  To talk to a lawyer, it is ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to get ANYTHING done as thoroughly as it SHOULD BE DONE!  No one should every try ANYTHING NEW…THERE IS JUST TOO MUCH LIABILITY IN EVERYTHING! 

This would make business impossible, wouldn’t it!

BUT,we all know that great ideas to sproat into successful businesses.  Risk is real, no doubt…but it is often rewarded richly here in the real world. 

So I tip my hat to all of you out there who are blazing your own trail, in spite of the fear and negative talk!  Remember why you pay a lawyer, for advice on the law…not to tell you about all the millions of things that can (and will) go wrong in every business deal.  Move forward, and work hard.  You can deal with the inevitable when the inevitable shows up at your doorstep.  If you try to deal with EVERY POSSIBLE future scenario here in the present, you will NEVER get anything done, and your goals and dreams will die with the “negative possibilities” you are trying to avoid. 

Be street smart and stick with your gut!  This has never let me down!

Jackson, MI is the hometown that I LOVE!  It was a hit to hear that Forbes.com has ranked my town as the #1 worst small city in the U.S. for Job Opportunities.  The following is from the wilx.com Fox News web site…

“It’s all subjective information,” says Jackson city councilman Dan Greer of the Forbes.com report.Yes, unemployment in Jackson is at 13.4 percent, but Greer says Jackson is adding jobs, from Brownfield projects to Smartzone facilities.

Many of you may be wondering why the heck I’m laying down roots and opening new businesses here in Jackson, MI?  Good question for sure!  I CHOOSE TO SNUB MY NOSE AT REPORTS LIKE THIS!  Jackson is a great city filled with hardworking and dedicated people.  My thought is that if we are laking job opportunities, we need to dig deep into the entrepreneurial spirit that built our country in the first place…and start creating OUR OWN NEW OPPORTUNITIES! 

I’m soon launching a private equity and capital services firm here in Jackson.  I’m bullish on Jackson Michigan!  We have got SO much good going for us.  We have a deep history of superior manufacturing and distribution.  With the right focus and smart local leadership, we will be able to parlay these skills to develop, assemble, and ship the technologies of tomorrow!  People will always have wants and needs!  We need to focus on serving those wants and needs, period!  That is what is going to put Jackson, and Michigan in general, back on the economic map! 

I’m making it my personal mission to bring Forbes.com to Jackson, MI in five years.  I want my town to be #1 on the Forbes list of Small American Towns with the Strongest Entrepreneurial Spirit!  Now that would be news worth reporting!

I traveled to Charleston, South Carolina for an extended weekend of vision casting for the University in co-operation with a handful of the schools most generous and supportive benefactors.  I engaged in very meaningful conversation with a diverse group of individuals…folks with highly successful ministries, multi-million dollar companies, family medical practices, etc.  EACH HAD A UNIQUE STORY of how success manifested in their lives…and each had a varied definition of success (as we have discussed in past posts). 

But there was a common thread in each story that, when combined with eachother, created a strong rope of truth with which I was able to tug on.  Tugging on this rope literally lead me to The Secret of Success on my plane ride home. 

Some of my most meaningful conversations were with the beautiful staff members of Charleston Place.  These folks radiated a spirit of joy and humble service as they catered to every aspect of our South Carolina experience.  Everyone that I encountered seemed to take deep pride in the important work that they were doing to make Charleston Place the most hospitable and inviting destination in the southern part of the U.S.

I don’t know if these people just REALLY loved their jobs…but what I believe IS THAT THEY LOVED WHAT THEY WERE DOING!  It seemed to be a part of them at their very core.  It was really quite amazing to experience!  I felt like I was in a time warp or something…I’ve had good service, but these folks were on another level!

WHICH BRINGS ME BACK TO “The Secret of Success”  The Millionaire business people and the amazing staff at Charleston Place, at their core, I believe lived by this principle.  DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND LOVE WHAT YOU DO! 

You have heard this before, I know.  Here is the difference though…LOVE IS A CHOICE, AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT FOR YOURSELF!  This is the only way to have PEACE and JOY right in the middle of each and every stage of life that you find yourself.  WE ALL HAVE STRUGGLES, but we have the God given power to CHOOSE LOVE, PEACE, and JOY in each moment…no matter what. 

And I believe in doing this, you will find success now…and even more in the future!

Another amazingly funny thing that I’m hearing is…”We elected Barack…why don’t I have a job yet?” 

Well here is the deal, things are likely to get worse before they get better!  Americans are shouldering massive amounts of personal debt, more than any other time in history, and getting this debt burden down to manageable levels is going to take a significant amount of time.  That being said, encouraging banks to lend and citizens to borrow more is not the answer.  For what it worth, I believe any government stimulus package should focus on helping small business owners (like me) get going or expand.  I also believe that our leaders should focus ALMOST ALL of their attention of stabilizing the value of our assets…our homes, investments, etc.  It is almost impossible to think about starting or expanding a business when your biggest investment, your home, is falling significantly in value each month. 

My rant is over now…here is my advice on the job front.

#1  If you have a job…protect it!  In times like these, you need to be the best and hardest working you that you can be!

#2  Don’t rely on Job Websites…everyone is doing that.  I would be personally hand delivering my resume to every great business within 75 miles of my home. 

#3  Don’t waste your time.  If you find yourself with time on your hands, use it wisely!  Learn a new skill, take a class, read important industry journals, volunteer for good causes, take part time work where networking opportunities may exist, exercise and take care of your body, etc.

#4  Network.  Don’t let a temporary setback kill your confidence.  You are unique and special, and it is important that you continue to get out there and let people know that you are an individual with drive and passion.

#5 Be patient…but don’t miss an opportunity.  If you lost a six figure job, don’t be surprised if you are getting offers in the 60K range.  That is just how things are now a days.  Weigh your options wisely, and don’t necessarily bite the first little worm that you see.  BUT, know that sometimes in life you have to take two steps back to then take 3 steps forward.

These are actually the 7 habits of a marginally successful entrepreneur…me.  And as a disclaimer, I have not read the book of a similar title, though I hope to some day.  But as of right now, I am darn proud of the marginal financial successes that I have enjoyed in my 6 or so years of career/entrepreneurship…and I believe I’m on the path of becoming highly financially successful.  I define this by having the freedom to choose how me and my family spend each day of our lives.

I also want to note that I consider myself HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL in other areas of my life.  I am truly thankful for almost 10 years of marriage to the sexiest woman I’ve ever met.  I swear she is the best mom I have ever observed to our three little girls…who also make me the most blessed and happy daddy alive.  These little chicks think that I am just the coolest thing since sliced bread!  Feast of famine, life is truly good and I’m utterly thankful for the gift!   On to the list.

1.  Successful people are not afraid to work.  I’ve had a full time job almost since I was 14, but for sure since age 18.  Even through college I didn’t let up.  And even as I was growing and grooming several businesses and entrepreneurial endeavors, I’m committed to the work of hard work…and it slowly but surely seems to be paying off.  In the worst economy I’ve ever seen, I’m still work diversified and chugging along.

2.  Successful people love to learn.  Turn off the TV and read a book.  Learn a new skill.  My goal is to learn a cool new thing each year.  This seems to keep the old mind sharp…which is extremely important as I am approaching 30!  This year I’m going to learn how to ride a motorcycle!

3.  Successful people take risk.  I hear all the time about people who want to better their lives by starting a weekend business.  They get fired up about their good idea, but they scare themselves out of the deal because every new project involves risk.  You have to get over this if you ever want to be successful.  My Aunt invested several thousand dollars into gourmet chocolate fountain equipment as a weekend business.  Sure, she could have never got a chocolate fountain job, never rented her equipment out, lost most all of her investment and had to sell her supplies on EBay…all sorts of bad things can happen…that’s life, there is no guarantees.  BUT THEY DIDN’T…she took the risk, and is enjoying financial success one chocolate filled weekend at a time.

4.  Successful people think about other people’s needs FRIST.  The smartest and most successful people that I know seem to always be trying to help other people, not themselves.  I’ve observed that by helping other people achieve their goals and dreams, something magical happens, and your own personal goals and dreams start coming into place.  Try it, be authentic about it, and you will see the results!

5.  Successful people are not afraid to failure, and will not let it define them.  I’ve heard it said that an expert at something is simply a person who has exhausted every possible way to fail at that particular thing.  This is a powerful statement.  Most highly successful people that I know have had to endure HUGE failures along their journey.  These things don’t get you down though, they are building blocks if you choose to use them for that purpose.

6.  Successful people love to network.  If you don’t love to meet new people and learn about their personal journey and stories, you are going to have a tough time in business and in life.  Relationships are truly what matter in our interconnected world.  Everything else is just background noise in my humble opinion.

7.  Successful people embrace joy!  The journey of life is often called a short one.  That being said, I want to surround myself and do business with people who radiate joy in their everyday existence.  You know who these people are, and they are like a light bulb in a dark room.  I want to be a person who brings a spark of love and joy to every situation that I find myself in, and I hope to share that joy with other people.  Joy and beauty is all around you, just open your eyes, and look past yourself or your current situation for a little bit, and you will see it.

So anyways, why don’t you put all that into your old tobacco pipe and smoke it!

I’m privileged in my career to meet some highly successful people.  The common theme of these seemingly ordinary people is their unyielding commitment to their personal dream…whatever that may be. 

I’ve been talking to my young daughters lately about the power of dreaming big in life.  I feel strongly that every day is a gift and we are CRAZY if we don’t do our best to try to live out our dreams on a daily basis.  I have business dreams…so I pursue them!  I have family dreams…so I invest heavily in my family.  I have spiritual goals…so I try to keep my life centered as best as I can. 

I say all this because life is short, and I’m amazed at how quickly the past 29 years have flown by.  I count it a blessing that every day I wake up in pursuit of big dreams.  And when you ask me how I’m doing and I tell you that I’m “Livin on a dream!” I REALLY MEAN IT!  Those of you who have seen the way my little girls love me know that it is true!

Amen…goodnight!

This stuff made me smile!  Hope you enjoy it.  I found it at http://www.notrly.com

Winston Churchill led Great Britain through what could easily be viewed as their most difficult hour in recorded history. It is said that Churchill lived and led with a “NEVER THE LESS” attitude. Even when Germany was closing in tightly on his country and dropping bombs daily, he led with an attitude that provided intense confidence to those around him.

Even though things look grim, and times are scary, and people are trying to destroy us…NEVER THE LESS, we must work hard and live on with an attitude and a confidence that we will prevail in our endeavors!

Great leaders seem to have a way of crafting the future with their words and beliefs. I am amazed to hear stories, and watch in my own life, beliefs become reality…this often happens when a strong dose of hard work and faithful dedication is added to the mix!