I’m a Red

I found out that my personality color is red. Basically there are five main things you need to know when communicating with me (according to the 23 page profile):

• Move swiftly from topic to topic
• Be straightforward, fast, efficient and to the point
• Be ready to ignore his seemingly arrogant behavior
• Recognize his personal drive for achievement
• Be enthusiastic and positive

Here are some don’ts:

• Try to hoodwink or mislead
• Be dull, dour or redundant
• Impose a “can’t be done” or defeatist attitude
• Be indecisive or unclear
• Tell him what to do or how to do it

I’ve taken many personality, IQ, Strengths and EQ test over the years. The best thing I’ve learned from them all is that knowing all about your personality is a fun hobby but, it can become a powerful tool if applied properly.

Do you use the information to react differently to those around you? Do you ask more questions to find out about others to see where your personality is compatible and contrary? Have you used it to direct your career or online business towards a future that fits your style?

Solving Me
From my test, I realize that I can come across as a little arrogant when I have set my mind on something. I also know why I get bored during the small-talk sections that happen at the beginning of every meeting. Based on this, I’ve tried to be more understanding of other people’s opinions and take the extra moment to see their point of view. I’ve also decided that if I can’t stop the chatter before each meeting, at least I can focus it once we begin.

Like everything else you do, use the many tests available out there to really transform your life and push it even further forward.

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Never Give Up

It starts small. You have an idea. You develop it, let it grow. It starts to take over your thoughts and you dreams. You move in different directions hoping to get just one step closer to the vision you have created in your mind.

Everything you think about centers around having other people realize your vision and move it into reality.

You start to draw out images, run analysis and picture your brilliant future. Isn’t it great to have a dream?

So what stops you from achieving the future you’ve envisioned?

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Tags: vision, having a dream, business vision, business goals, blogging, never give up, dream big, what is stopping you

Have You Created Your Vision Board Yet?

For any of you out there who have read The Secret, you’ll know what I’m talking about. John Assaraf tells a story about the power of creating an image of the things you want so you you will attract it. He and his son discover a series of Vision Boards in his office and, after opening the box, John realizes that he is actually living in the house that he had added to his vision board years previous.

As you know from my previous post Positive Results From The Secret, I am using the theories from The Secret in my life. What amazed me is how long it took for me to actually act on creating this vision board.

The Results

Here’s what I’ve come up with so far. Not only did I have a good time but it definitely motivates you when it’s up and you see it each morning!

I originally purchased a piece of drawing paper to put the images on. It cost about $2.00 but I was never truly happy with the decision. About 3 months later, I was talking with my wife about creating the vision board. She asked what was holding me back. Could I really say that it was because I didn’t have a good enough piece of paper? We drove straight to Staples and got a 24X36 piece of foam board and I got to work.

I really suggest that everyone make one. When it’s done, link back to this page and let me have a look!

Positive Results From The Secret

The Secret
As I mentioned in a previous posting, I have been reading the secret. Although I found the book to be strange to read at first, after I watched the movie I understood why. The book is almost entirely made up of quotes from the movie! I’m not saying this to disuade you from reading the book.

I believe that The Secret can change the way you think, act and have success. Here are two of my stories.

The Offer
On Monday, the Vice President of my department was in town and he invited a few of us for coffee the next morning. That evening, I watched the secret and learned about visualizing a result.

As I was on my commute the next morning, I put an image of my VP holding a drink and talking with me and my colleagues. I then imagined him looking at me, telling me that I had been doing great work and then made me an offer. I was not specific in my visualization but I did request an offer.

The next morning we all went to get a coffee. After a few mintues of talking we started to discuss some direction for our team, etc. etc. At this point, we were discussing a new potential position for the group. I knew what was coming. He looked at me and said, “I think you would be perfect for the position.”

Was I able to learn The Secret that quickly? Could the Universe provide for me exactly what I requested? That’s for you to decide.

The Doorman
The second story is a similar event. I was travelling down the walkway toward my office when I began to think about what made some people more successful than others. I remembered the rules of The Secret and pictured myself as ultra confident, highly successful and strong (all of which I hope I am but need a little boost once in a while.)

I walked with my head high and I was eminating confidence. As I approached my building, these two guys were walking into the doors before me. As I approached, they both looked back, reached forward and opened the double doors for me. I strode through the doors, said “thanks guys” and went to the elevator.

This one was just as strange because I was actually expecting something different to happen. I changed my mental state and it had an immediate (although possibly coincidental) effect.

I’ve been working with the secret for 2 days. These are two examples of the results.

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The 4-Hour Workweek Just Cost Me $100,000

As I continue to read through the The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss I have found out a lot about my own goals for the future.

The reason Timothy cost me $100,000 is because, since reading this book, my wife and I have decided to spend a full year traveling throughout Europe starting in 2017. As I’ve mentioned before, I hate going into debt for things like vehicles, travel and material goods. That’s why I’ve got a 10 year time-line to generate the cash flow necessary to fund the trip.

I figure that I will need approximately $100,000 to travel for the year. Easy right?.

I break my numbers down like this:
Using today’s dollars, I should be able to live on less than $200 per day. At 3% inflation, that means that the cost in 2017 will be approximately $269 per day. Multiply this out and I get ($269 x 365) $98,106.

There are three main ways to financially prepare for this trip:
1. Save the necessary funds
If I decide to take this route, I have 120 months to accumulate that amount of money. If I start with a fixed monthly deposit today and then increase the savings by 5% each year I will need to start saving $443 per month (with an 8% return) or $529 (with an 4.5% return.)
Pro: I can continue as I am for the next 10 years then have the money available for the trip - after one year the money is gone
Con: If I save this amount of money each month, I will be taking that cash flow from potential investments that will create cash flow for me

2. Borrow from equity
This is a way to take the mini-retirement without saving anything today. If I tap into the equity of a property, I will be able to withdraw the full $100,000 and take the vacation of my dreams. When I return, I will have the additional mortgage balance to pay back adding about $600 per month for another 25 years.
Pro: I can enjoy life today and push all of the expense of the trip into the future - isn’t this how most people think?
Con: Rather than paying $100,000 for the trip, I will end up paying about $189,000 including interest charges!
With this method: Can I push some of the $600 per month mortgage payment onto the kids for the next 20 years? They’re coming too!

3. Create cash flow from businesses and investments
If I am able to save $100,000 over the 10 year period, I should be able to direct that income into investments that eventually achieve my goal of $8,333 per month in positive cash flow.
Pro: If I am able to do this, then I don’t even need to limit my mini-retirement to 1 year. If I have a passive income of $8,333 per month, I can travel or ‘retire’ indefinitely.
Con: if this doesn’t work as I think, then I may not have the money available to pre-fund the trip (see option 2).

What would you do?

The important thing when you set a goal is to determine the best course of action to achieve the desired result. As you can imagine, I’ve looked at my options and have made a final decision. So I ask again, what would you do?

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Tags: business success, travel, goal setting, investing, making money, blog, cash flow

Living Life On Your Own Terms

A few days ago, I was discussing the real estate market, investing and opportunities in the market with some friends. One of the interesting points that came up in the discussion surrounded the ability for some to make money in these areas and the inability for others to do the same.

As we talked about some examples I realized that what we were actually doing was comparing our outcomes to others without knowing the whole story. What I mean by this is that I sometimes compare my success (and failures) to others who may have different skills, resources, goals and abilities than I do.

Keeping up with the Joneses
The old line, Keeping up with the Joneses, has begun to mean very little to me over the last few years because I’ve learned that you need to live life by your own terms. Doing this involves setting your goals based on your abilities and financial resources. This also means that you spend your money with you and your family in mind; not with the interests of your friends, neighbors or colleagues as a focus.

My Future
One of my goals is to create multiple streams of income from real estate, investing and businesses (on and offline) that will generate enough income to cover all of my monthly expenses. Once this is accomplished, I will consider myself retired. To achieve this goal, I’ve decided to set aside money for advertising, website development, sales expenses and other marketing efforts.

Once I set these goals, I set my focus on accomplishing them. Does it make any sense to spend time worrying about how someone else can afford a new car, cabin or boat? Maybe, but it depends on how they got them. If you know that they created a successful business from scratch or made money investing in the market (and that fits your goals) get all the information you can from them. Integrate their approach into your business and push it forward.

To Spend or Not To Spend?
As you can see from the recent credit crunch throughout the United States, most people as spending much more than they make. The ratio of expenses to disposable income went negative for the first time about 2 years ago and we’re feeling the hit today. This means that for every dollar in disposable income a person makes, they are spending about $1.02 – not a good situation. If this is the case, how does it help you to model your life after someone who may be spending all their income on depreciating assets?

If I had been living according to other people’s goals, I may have taken that additional income each month and put it into something important like a larger television, unnecessary computer upgrades and other material things. This is not to say that I do not spend money on things I enjoy; it’s simply that I set aside money within my budget to generate passive income. If I was concerned about fulfilling other people’s goals – impressing neighbors, creating jealousy with colleagues and pronouncing my ‘wealth’ – I wouldn’t be in the position I am today.

Please don’t get me wrong. I am not trying to determine your goals for you. Setting goals will only work if they fit your lifestyle and direct your vision of your own future. My advice is simply that you plan your financial future and don’t let marketing or peer pressures divert you from your path.

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The 4 Natural Elements of a Successful Business

Being successful in a new business is about achieving your goals, not about meeting other people’s expectations of your results.

The naturally successful business person is one who has created a plan for themselves and has continued to focus on their definition of success. To help make that focus easier, these four elements must be addressed before a business is started.

Element # 1: Earth
Having A Plan
The first step to creating any successful business is to lay down a solid foundation. Being represented by earth, the foundation of any business is not just about having the proper products or staff. Having a strong foundation is more about the research, direction, strategy and plans that have been create prior to the business being started.

Build the Skills
The second piece of this element is having the right skills and knowledge to succeed in your chose area. I once heard a line that said, “fake it until you make it.” I don’t agree with this statement. While I understand the need to shape the image you portray, real experts will soon discover your short-comings. Do business in an area that you understand or have a fundamental level of skill. If you need new skills, learn them. If you need to gain experience, use that as an asset and motivate yourself to a new level.

Element # 2: Wind
What’s Around The Corner?
Wind can come as a soft summer breeze or a hurricane force. The same is true of challenges (both good and bad) in your business. The key to understanding this element is to watch for the signs of trouble and be prepared when they arrive. Know your weaknesses (board up your windows) and don’t be scared to take some time to relax when the wind stops. One word of advice: If there’s no wind blowing in your business, just make sure your not about to hit the other side of the hurricane.

Be a Quick Change Artist
Have you ever heard the phrase, “Change is in the wind?” This isn’t just something that people say in old black and white movies; it’s a line that is crucial to understand in today’s economy. With each global technological or social change more dramatic and faster than the previous one, having a change management strategy is paramount for a business. In your venture, it means that you should stay informed on new tactics, techniques or tricks in the industry. Be prepared to change your approach and stay focused on your goals.

Element # 3: Water
Implementing Your Vision
If you release water down a hill, you will see it spread out looking for the path of least resistance – the same is true for most people. As the water moves downward, some will catch in pockets of low lying ground, some will evaporate with the increased surface area and some will simply seep into the ground and disappear. Eventually water will reach the bottom but in a limited and haphazard way.

Is this the way you would want your life and business to be handled? Would it not be smarter to take the time to make a vision then create a path that will bring the most water to the bottom? With your goals set, take the time to use them, talk about them, change them and implement their success. Everyone ends up at the bottom of the hill. The question is: how much water will you have when you arrive?

Keeping a Constant Message
Knowing this element of a successful business will strengthen your image and increase your market share and income. The water element signifies the flow of a business. This means that an owner must craft a public image that is constant and can flow throughout the organization. Develop a brand, unique value proposition, client expectations and goals with a common theme or message in mind.

Element # 4: Fire
Have the Passion
The last element is both the most simple to understand yet the hardest to have or create. The fire of a business comes down to one thing: the passion level of the business owner. Without the passion for what you are doing, it would be very difficult to succeed when there is a slow down or problem within the business.

Focus
Fire has the ability to destroy anything around it; however, when focused properly it also has the ability to create, forge and bind even the hardest steel. Use this element to your advantage. Take your passion and throw it all into your venture. Focus the energy you have to creating value, rather than as a destructive force. Bring people together, bend your environment to shape your needs and keep feeding the fire within you.

Like a good game of rock-paper-scissors, each of the elements are kept in check by the strength of those around it. If you have a balance between all of the elements, your business will stand out, work smart and your goals will be achieved. If you are lacking in any one area, it’s your responsibility to learn more and strengthen the problem.

For the Blogger
A great blog can use each part of the four elements to become stronger, provide better and more energetic information and develop a loyal following of readers. Being a blogger means that you want to share your information (you have the passion). Now you just need to build on your foundation of knowledge and maintain a flow of ideas and common posts throughout your blog. You must also have a strategy for time-management, marketing, goal setting and operations as well as being ready to change your tactics as new developments in your topic industry emerges. With these elements in place, your blog will have a much better chance for success.

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Tags: business success, business elements, goal setting, internet marketing, making money, blog

Take The Challenge And Create Success

Recently, I received a comment from Tavi at www.Loop44.com talking about a potential niche in the market. As my regular readers know, I like to sit back after playing Monday Night Soccer (football for my non-North American readers) and reflect on what could be learned from the game. Tavi wrote:

Wow, this could really be a very original niche right here. Applying what you learn at football (sorry, I’m from Europe ) to business and/or blogging could really add that particular flavor your blog might need to get on the top of the mountain in this domain.

The reason I like this comment so much is because it made me realize how much people let pass them by each day. As a matter of habit, I reflect back on each game to figure out what I learned about playing soccer, life, business, people, personality and competition. Without LewisEmpire to write on, I may not take the time to focus as much and would miss out on a lot of learning. Because of this, I am creating a challenge for myself to spend at least 15 minutes each day reflecting on the lessons that I have learned throughout the day or things I should have learned before!

I think this type of reflection is what is missing from so many people’s lives right now - mine included. I’ve read a number of books about keeping your mind open to opportunity and wealth. Isn’t reflecting on your day or week a perfect example of what people should be doing? Imagine if you spent 15 minutes each day and wrote down all the things that worked, didn’t work or could have been much better during the day. It wouldn’t take long before you would have an entire book of things that would help you better your life.

New Ideas Add Up
An author I’ve read named Vern Harnish wrote a book called Mastering the Rockefeller Habits about organizing a corporation and how to disseminate information and goals throughout the company. One great example of teamwork and success was a manager who implemented a new policy for his team. Each member was required to bring a new idea for making their business better (be it more efficient, successful, cost effective, etc.) to every morning meeting - part of their bonus depended on it. Imagine the success of this place! Even on a team of 5 you end up with about 1,000 new ideas every year to move the company and team closer to their goals.

Success In Your Life
Now take this example one step further and apply it to your own life. What if you identified a new opportunity, cost savings, revenue generating or other success each and every day. It wouldn’t take long before you would be taking your place next to the greatest business/personal development minds in the country!

I’m going to challenge myself to try this tactic for the next 90 days and I invite anyone to join me. I would love to hear about your results and any creative ideas that have helped you!

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Tags: goal setting, motivation, make money online, blogging, blogging challenge, business success, goal setting

Review of Smart Couples Finish Rich by David Bach

I was lucky enough to get this book as a gift from a friend. It’s one of the books I’ve walked by one hundred times but never actually picked up to buy. I’m glad I received it when I did!

David Bach, who invented the Latte Factor is a personal finance guru with a number of different books written. Prior to this one his best selling books include: The Automatic Millionaire: A Powerful One-Step Plan to Live and Finish Rich, Start Late, Finish Rich: A No-Fail Plan for Achieving Financial Freedom at Any Age (Finish Rich Book Series) and of course Smart Couples Finish Rich: 9 Steps to Creating a Rich Future for You and Your Partner.

This is another of those books that I read through the night to finish. By the time I was done I had made 5 or 6 pages of notes and realized that there’s a lot more to personal finance than budgeting!

What I liked the most about this book was that Bach took the focus off the end goal of “having a million dollars” and directed me to focus on my personal and family values rather than the cash. He transforms your thoughts from the normal, “I want a million dollars, in cash, by December 31, 2025″ and makes you look at your financial goals from the Do-Be-Have mentality. Do-Be-Have meaning that you start with who you are and what you like then what you want.

I also really liked the entire section on organizing your life. He helps you create your filing system, organize your financial papers, personal information and prioritize your next steps. This part of the book also really helped me to focus on getting my financial information and accounts in order.

For a quick summary of the book:

• Couple need to BOTH plan their futures together
• Couples need to fully understand the ins/outs of their financial situation
• Base financial goals on Values (Be-Do-Have) rather than just monetary
• Get your insurance and wills in order
• Debunks the Myths and reveals the Facts about Couples and Money
• Determine the true purpose of Wealth and Money in your life (as a couple)
• Focus on planning as a couple - integrating both your goals
• The Couples Latte Factor - little things you buy that put you in debt
• Money Basket # 1 - Retirement
• Money Basket # 2 - Secutiry
• Money Basket # 3 - Dreams (another great one!)
• The ten biggest financial mistakes a couple can make
• How to increase your income by 10% in 9 weeks

The last one is a little out there. Basically he says that you should be getting a 10% increase in your income or either accept your fate (poor and destitute) or find a new job. This chapter is one that I first questioned (and then successfully implemented) so it was definitely worth the read.

I would suggest this book to anyone interested in getting their financial house in order. I really believe that you need to be organized before you can ever hope to achieve great wealth.

More Lessons from Monday Night Soccer

Once again we had a very successful game and, while I will spare you the entire story, took advantage of our great physical stamina (can you tell I’m joking) and pulled another win out of the bag. Throughout the course of the game and at drinks afterwards I learned some more lessons courtesy of my team.

1. 7 people with good skills will beat 12 people with fancy plays
The Stars are a great group of people who truly enjoy playing with each other. Tonight we played against a team who had a lot of skill but tried to make perfect fancy plays rather than the ugly grinder goals that the Stars get. I link this to two different lines: The first is analysis paralysis. Don’t wait until the stars align to launch your plan; ready, shoot, aim. The second example is to spend all your time trying to monetize a site and not add any quality content for people top read.
Lesson Learned: Create a game plan, stick to your game plan until it stops working, then adjust your game plan.

2. Don’t lose your cool when the game is over
In the league that I play in we are ranked based on wins, spirit points then goal differential. Last season it was our spirit points that allowed us team to play for the top six rather than the next group. In tonight’s game the other team played fairly and there were no major incidents. In the last minute of the game, one of the other players (obviously upset about losing) riddled off a string of swears when he thought we made a bad call. The whole game was well played but this guy risked the spirit point value of the whole game just to lose his cool. I’ll still give them full points but probably shouldn’t.
Lesson Learned: If you’re going to lose your cool there had better be a lot to gain and almost nothing to lose!

3. Negotiate when it matters
After the win the team went to a seedy little bar for drinks, nachos and wings. One of the players on our team saw on the menu that wings were on sale for 40 cents each. He felt this was a little steep and proceeded to negotiate a lower price (35 cents each). Based on what I could see, this annoyed the server, our order came out about 15 minutes later than it should have and we all got a little embarrassed. Total savings: $4.20. In the end I think we tipped the server an extra $5 just for the trouble!
Lesson Learned: Use negotiation to get ahead and make sure your position is positive once the negotiation is complete. At the very least, don’t embarrass you friends!

After all of this we actually won the game 5-3 with some stunning team work and about 2 gallons of water each. I’ve never played in that temperature before and I hope I don’t anytime soon!