The Blog - Where Business Collides with Human Nature

This one of the offers you might get by phone today.  The FTC says that Phoenix-based telemarketers bilked consumers out of millions with fake promises of free grant money and internet business opportunities.

SCAM:

The caller says he represents Amazon and is offering you a website that will bring you thousands of dollars in commissions when people use it to link to Amazon.com and make purchases. The caller says you need to pay fees — ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars — but that you’ll earn your money back, and more, in 'no time'.

Never stop learning. It is one of the essential needs of people as shared in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. If you are not familiar, the four needs are: Live, Love, Learn, Leave a Legacy. 

To learn more and improve your skills, it is not a matter of working harder... it is about working smarter. It is tempting to cram, study on weekends and optimize caffeine. This is harmful and ineffective.

Here are a few bits of information you might find helpful when trying to conquer new topics:

• The brain finds it difficult to process any new information after 90 minutes of studying. 30 minutes of block study is much more effective.
• A short nap can often refresh and recharge the brain. The recommended time for a good nap is between 20 and 30 minutes.
• Three in every five college students stay up to study all night at some point, but this practice is linked with lower grades.

If you are working a job where a constant learning curve keeps you working overtime, or in school preparing for your masters degree, consider the tips in the infographic below. 

Are you thinking that it would be great to work for yourself?  As an entrepreneur, do you feel that you may have more choices and the opportunity to "get rich"? How many times have you looked in the mirror and said: “It’s time to say goodbye to the boss”?

While you may have a great talent and/or the idea of the century, there is more to being successful as an entrepreneur. There is a mindset, some call it a personality, and I would call it Entrepreneurial Savvy.

Most entrepreneurs have good energy, are persistent and no doubt create resources where there seem to be none available. Creative problem solving is included in their arsenal along with the ability to make decisions. I often refer to them as being “M.A.D.” (M.A.D. = Making A Decision).  Many times you will see entrepreneurs who have a great ability to motivate, persuade and inspire others, which are all aspects of a good leader.

If you are exceptionally brilliant, you probably realize it because unlike others who are working and studying harder, making more errors and sweating with unusual stress, you move forward with ease.

It is however, very easy to get a false sense of reality. It is possible that you are not so smart but instead associate with, work with or hang around less intelligent people. In this case, you could appear to be a genius (and they will tell you so). You will strut a little and believe their truth as your own. Since you are obviously so advanced, you won't work as hard to learn, more acquire more skills and takes risks (Which adds to experience and wisdom).

Joining a membership, club or attending networking events can trap you with a false sense of intelligence.

If you rely on your reputation for being the smartest person in the room (in regards to your industry or field), you can easily assume that all is well.

When someone walks into the room who runs circles around you and asks questions you don't have the answer to, you will sneak away for two minutes to Google the questions so that you can appear to be "in the know". It reminds you that maybe... you might not be quite as intelligent as you thought.

Anyone can be at risk of being removed from the top spot by not only the boss, but also by clients, customers, peers, mentees and those we hope to impress because of pride and social status.

It is sad to know that so many want answers to questions like the ones below simply because they want stay off the bottom - and 'beat' the person next to them.

• How intelligent am I?
• Is there a test? (Like in school)
• How intelligent do others believe me to be?
• How smart to do I have to be?
• Should I consider myself "the expert"?
• What do others believe?
• Which is most important? Intelligence or wisdom?
• Is my I.Q. ?
• How do I improve my intelligence.
• How can I prove to others that I have intelligence and wisdom.

Before you take the test, what about your brain function?

Improving brain function may be more important than studying. If you are having challenges, it may be related to mental health, and for good reason. Conditions such as Alzheimers, anxiety and Schizophrenia are just a few of the mental health disorders to consider.  There are some interesting factoids about improving brain function here. The infographics should give you an 'ah-ha' moment or two.

Get ready to test your intelligence - Here are quizzes and tests to take that will help you dig deeper into who you are, and your personality:

How do you answer to the boss?

• Do you create expectations in advance beyond the the boss's calendar to be ready for answers?
• Do you challenge the boss by asking hard questions?
• Are you someone who does exactly what the boss says?
• Do you anticipate in advance what the boss will ask of you?
• Do you tell the boss what your best choice is among all the available options?
• Do your co-workers and bosses ask you difficult questions?
  • If so, do you give them support or say: "Get lost"?
• Have you created a totally new way to do things, something no one has ever seen or done?
• Do you seek out the boss when you make an error or mistake?
• Do you frequently often do you push, encourage and lead your co-workers to do ever better work?
• Will next month be one the boss will celebrate because you are on the team?
• Do you insist that your co-workers challenge, push and encourage you?
• Do you appreciate the boss when he/she gives feedback which contradicts your opinion?
• Do you thank the boss?

When its a theory, does it matter? The theory of gravity exists and we take the existence of gravity as a fact. If we have enough science and proof behind the theory, it soon becomes a fact. At this point, with a plethora of corroborating evidence, the TEDx talk below by Jesse Henry should in reality be a "Fact". Which might change the title to "The Facts and Reality of Success".

Fair warning, Jesse Henry will begin with a "rope-a-dope". Instead of feeling resentment, you will have an appreciation of his perspective and it will draw you in.

Perspective, Strategy and Execution. 

Easy is the first choice because typically "easy" means less work, less time and less money.  Attempting to achieve success based on "easy" only to fail along the way brings to mind:  "If it was easy, everyone would be doing it".  This quote serves as a reminder that if a task or project is difficult, think of the difficulty in a positive light. 

You woke up this morning with one thought in mind: Transformation!  Why not take advantage of your special skills and talents and use radio or podcasting to pursue your vision and spread the word about your ideas?

– just like a butterfly!  (aka metamorphosis) 

Unfortunately, you know your lizard brain is still working to keep you away from anything that looks even the slightest bit dangerous.   ...even butterflies have lizard brains.

In the process of your metamorphosis, you want to focus on one of your special strengths of thinking+speaking.

That makes sense since you have spoken, talked, chatted, sold, taught, lectured, motivated, inspired and presented to many.

The options for recording a presentation or delivering it via a live radio show are below:

The next big idea will happen at the most inopportune moment and the idea you share will no doubt get immediate resistance. This leads to arguments and potentially the need for pursuasion and selling. (which is time you could be using to take action on your idea).

The most creative ideas can quickly die a quiet death when  "I have a million dollar idea!" turns into squiggles, chicken scratches and unintelligible dribble that only the author can understand.

PowerPoint and other powerful tools can become an arsenal to confuse instead of creating clarity.

With a primary goal of "speed to market and personalization", learning sophisticated software does not always empower an innovator to start NOW.  

If you have a plan to make an  impact, conquer the world or change the community, you will recruit others to join you in your mission:  investors, staff, peers, advocates, potential customers, cheer squads, advisory board members, and more.  They will appreciate your enthusiasm but will need more than a lame squiggle to get it done.

With PowerPoint experience and 200+ tools in my toolchest, it is more difficult to get my attention with new free or low-cost software.  If you can show me a way to help people make more impact by taking action on their ideas without a steep learning curve, you get my attention.

The Best Free SEO Tools for your business success:

With HubSpot's all-in-one-marketing system, there are many SEO tools built-in and already available. As a result, I have not found it as necessary to use as many SEO tools.

Even so, here are many SEO software tools that will compliment any marketing system, including those using HubSpot.

Dopeler  Effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in the near future.

Giraffiti:  Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

Sarchasm:  The gulf  between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.