Okay, no long platitudes or sermons today about how what the rich know that I don't, or the ins and outs of running a business. Just a few observations from me about what I've learned in the past few months. This is just me commenting on my experiences in the past 8 weeks or so, what I have seen and what really confuses me. I'm sure somebody out there knows the answers I'm looking for, but I sure don't.
People are out there looking for jobs, and there aren't many to be had. I get that. It's a tough situation, and the times right now aren't very good. I get that, too. But I wonder sometimes why people keep looking for relief from somebody other than themselves. See, I understand that not everybody is cut out to run their own business, not everybody has that inner drive to carve out their own slice of the economy...it's hard to do, and on some days it's very hard to do. It's a lot of work, and frankly, not everybody wants to do work that hard. Some people would rather sell their time for $8 or $10 or $20 an hour, if they can find someone to hire them, and let somebody else worry about all the headaches associated with having and running a business. And that's okay; I certainly did it for many years.
But I also meet people who would really like to escape the whole idea of depending on someone else for their livelihood, people who have the savvy and the know-how to run a business for themselves, to take a (small) risk and see what happens. And yet they don't. That's the part I don't get. They spend hours and days and weeks trying to convince somebody else they are worth whatever the employer is willing to spend to buy their time, sometimes finding low-paying jobs, occasionally something pretty good, but most often they find nothing. Yet they still refuse to bet on the only person on whom they can really count: them.
I met somebody recently who said they didn't have time to grow a business, they needed income right now. So I asked them when they were last employed. Answer: more than a year ago. That took me aback a little. They needed income now but they hadn't had a job for a year? What if they had started a business a year ago? I pointed out that had they done that, and if they worked really hard in the meantime, it might be paying off by now. And if it was and they kept working hard, nobody could take that away from them, until one day maybe they wouldn't have to work so hard, but would still have something nobody could take from them. What you do right now, today, will affect what you have a year from now. They looked at me like I was nuts; start a business, they said, if they did that they wouldn't have time to look for a job!
I have no answers here, I'm just wondering out loud. See, I've run my own used and rare book business since 1998, but before that I worked so many hours per week I couldn't count them all, and all for the benefit of somebody else. I was paid for my time and my employer believed every waking moment of my life was their to use as they saw fit. So what that I was paid what some people would call a lot of money? I benefited them far more than I benefited me. It crushed me not only physically, but emotionally, too.
On a weekly basis I meet dozens and hundreds of people running their own small businesses selling whatever they can, wherever they can. Ebay, Bonanza, Etsy, the flea market...these people I admire. They aren't sitting around waiting for somebody to give them a job, they are out trying to scratch out a living on their own. They aren't whining about how badly their employer treats them, or how many hours they have to work to make their paycheck. Most of those who have the guts to open their own business have to keep their jobs, at least in the beginning. Bills are bills, after all. But since they aren't afraid of hard work, they aren't afraid to work now so they can play later. And while Ebay has pretty much run it's course for new entrepreneurs, there are plenty of other newer chances out there.
I guess I'm asking the unanswerable question here. Why won't people help themselves? But occasionally you meet someone who will, someone who doesn't mind betting that they can do it, that they can take the American Spirit and go out and create something for them and their family. And if they fail? So what? Everybody fails sometimes. At least, everybody who tries, sometimes fails. If they never try, they never fail. And maybe that's my answer.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Commentary on THE WEALTH FILES Part Two
Busy, busy, busy. A week between entries is too much, sorry folks.
"Rich people play the game of money to win.
Poor people play the game of money not to lose."
So what's the lesson here? If your goal is simply to be comfortable, then since you will not have much more than necessary to live at your chosen level you will always be vulnerable to some bad fortune or poor decision. You will not have a reserve. If you want to be comfortable, odds are you never will be. Think how many times a team has lost a game in which they had a big lead, simply because they stopped playing to win and started playing not to lose: you see it all the time.
But if your goal is to be rich, whether or not you ever get there, you have a much better chance of winding up comfortable. Once you have achieved a certain level of comfort, you will not be satisfied but will, instead, keep working for more, building a reserve, so that if disaster does strike you will not be wipe out. And if disaster does not strike, then you can live your life doing exactly what you please.
So how do you become rich? By working for someone else? Not usually. I suppose there are those people at the top of the corporate pyramid whom we could call rich,but 99% of the company's employees would not be. So, if you're the CEO of a huge multi-national corporation, you don't need to read this blog, because you already know what I'm saying. For the other 99%, though, slogging up the corporate pyramid and hoping you don't get fired before you get where you want to go, and good luck with that, they have to choose a different path. And that path is being your own boss. But that scares off a lot of people because, you see, that requires investment. Not only money, but emotional, too. You have to invest in yourself.
How many times have I seen people shy away from spending a small amount of money to start their own business because they are scared. And let's be clear: they aren't scared of the amount of money...usually they have spent more than that on their cell phone, or a video game system. No, the money isn't the issue, they are the issue. By spending money to start a business they will actually have to invest in themselves, and for many people, maybe most people, that is simply too frightening to consider.
How many people have gotten rich working for someone else? Not many. How many people a truly comfortable working for someone else? These days, not many. The only way to achieve either goal is to work for yourself.
Or win the lottery.
"Rich people play the game of money to win.
Poor people play the game of money not to lose."
So what's the lesson here? If your goal is simply to be comfortable, then since you will not have much more than necessary to live at your chosen level you will always be vulnerable to some bad fortune or poor decision. You will not have a reserve. If you want to be comfortable, odds are you never will be. Think how many times a team has lost a game in which they had a big lead, simply because they stopped playing to win and started playing not to lose: you see it all the time.
But if your goal is to be rich, whether or not you ever get there, you have a much better chance of winding up comfortable. Once you have achieved a certain level of comfort, you will not be satisfied but will, instead, keep working for more, building a reserve, so that if disaster does strike you will not be wipe out. And if disaster does not strike, then you can live your life doing exactly what you please.
So how do you become rich? By working for someone else? Not usually. I suppose there are those people at the top of the corporate pyramid whom we could call rich,but 99% of the company's employees would not be. So, if you're the CEO of a huge multi-national corporation, you don't need to read this blog, because you already know what I'm saying. For the other 99%, though, slogging up the corporate pyramid and hoping you don't get fired before you get where you want to go, and good luck with that, they have to choose a different path. And that path is being your own boss. But that scares off a lot of people because, you see, that requires investment. Not only money, but emotional, too. You have to invest in yourself.
How many times have I seen people shy away from spending a small amount of money to start their own business because they are scared. And let's be clear: they aren't scared of the amount of money...usually they have spent more than that on their cell phone, or a video game system. No, the money isn't the issue, they are the issue. By spending money to start a business they will actually have to invest in themselves, and for many people, maybe most people, that is simply too frightening to consider.
How many people have gotten rich working for someone else? Not many. How many people a truly comfortable working for someone else? These days, not many. The only way to achieve either goal is to work for yourself.
Or win the lottery.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Commentary on THE WEALTH FILES Part One
We have all been programmed, I am slowly beginning to realize that now. I'm not sure when or how or why we were taught to think backwards, but we were. At least, I was. I had been programmed to believe that you should trust in someone else to employ you, to invest in you and then to demand that investment back in the form of my labor. And that's completely fair, too; if they are the one who invests in and trains me, it's only fair that they get to leverage my efforts for their benefit, right? But when was I taught that's how things should be, instead of me investing in myself?
The truth is that my experiences are no different from most Americans. In The Wealth Files by T. Harv Eker, the author gives 17 ways in which rich people think differently from the non-rich, and every last one of them rings true. The first one, in particular, is something I have been guilty of many times in the past.
Rich people believe "I create my life,"
Poor people believe "life happens to me."
Wow, that's me alright. Is it also you? Have you ever seen a successful person and said, "that kind of stuff never happens to me?" I've done it too many times to count. I would then write their success off to luck, or family wealth or good genes or the phase of the moon, or anything at all other than what it truly was: somewhere along the way, somebody took a chance and worked hard and invested in themselves. They didn't offer excuses why they could not do something, they simply did it. They created their life, instead of waiting for life to happen to them.
But the vast majority of people will never do this. I know, because I see it every day. They will continue doing what they have always done and hoping something will change, because they have been programmed to believe that is what they are supposed to do. Only a very few will ever take control of their own life. I'm glad I'm one of them.
The truth is that my experiences are no different from most Americans. In The Wealth Files by T. Harv Eker, the author gives 17 ways in which rich people think differently from the non-rich, and every last one of them rings true. The first one, in particular, is something I have been guilty of many times in the past.
Rich people believe "I create my life,"
Poor people believe "life happens to me."
Wow, that's me alright. Is it also you? Have you ever seen a successful person and said, "that kind of stuff never happens to me?" I've done it too many times to count. I would then write their success off to luck, or family wealth or good genes or the phase of the moon, or anything at all other than what it truly was: somewhere along the way, somebody took a chance and worked hard and invested in themselves. They didn't offer excuses why they could not do something, they simply did it. They created their life, instead of waiting for life to happen to them.
But the vast majority of people will never do this. I know, because I see it every day. They will continue doing what they have always done and hoping something will change, because they have been programmed to believe that is what they are supposed to do. Only a very few will ever take control of their own life. I'm glad I'm one of them.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Notes from an inspirational weekend - Part Two
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Okay, back to thinking about what we learned in Tupelo on November 12th, digesting some truly inspirational material to brighten what appears to be a cold, gray day; in reality, there is plenty of sunshine outside, you just can't see it because of the clouds.
"Most jobs are designed to buy you at wholesale and to sell you at retail....you should use your job to finance your dream."
Think about that for a minute. If you could have an hour of your life back to do with as you pleased, how much would you pay for that? Would you spend $50 if you could have one more hour at age 18? Or 29? Or 39? Would it be worth $100, or $200? How much is your time worth? If you would buy back an hour of your life for, say, $100, then how much did you sell if for in the first place?
The only real answer, of course, is that time is priceless, yet most people are willing to sell their time, and thus their life, quite cheaply. They accept a given wage from their employer, who then turns around and uses their time to make money selling their services to a client. That's how this works, the employer takes the risk of paying someone to do a job while betting they can then sell that person's efforts to someone else for a profit. There's nothing wrong with this arrangement, per se.
But what if you want more than that? What if you want to be able to make more money than the employer is willing to pay, to make your own schedule, to work when you want to work, not when someone else says that you have to work? Assuming you haven't won the lottery, then is only one legal way to do that: open your own business. A lot of people have the desire to do this, but they are scared of the risk, even if the risk is small. Usually the fear kicks in when they realize they will have to use their own money to get their business started, they have to use their job to finance their dream, but it's not risking the money that scares them: heck, our business was started for virtually no money whatsoever, and the ongoing costs are almost nil. No, what scares them is that they will have to do something new, something they aren't used to doing, they will have to change, and despite all the platitudes and encouraging slogans they may pretend to like, the fact is that most people are afraid of change. Why?
The best answer I have read is that people are really scared of depending on themselves. Instead of wanting to make their own way, to craft their own result, they prefer the (often false) security of selling them time wholesale. That is their Plan A, and if they accept the need for a Plan B, then they are admitting that Plan A might not always work, that they may one day have to fend for themselves. In other words, while everybody needs a Plan B, the very idea that it might be necessary is too fearful to contemplate.
Okay, back to thinking about what we learned in Tupelo on November 12th, digesting some truly inspirational material to brighten what appears to be a cold, gray day; in reality, there is plenty of sunshine outside, you just can't see it because of the clouds.
"Most jobs are designed to buy you at wholesale and to sell you at retail....you should use your job to finance your dream."
Think about that for a minute. If you could have an hour of your life back to do with as you pleased, how much would you pay for that? Would you spend $50 if you could have one more hour at age 18? Or 29? Or 39? Would it be worth $100, or $200? How much is your time worth? If you would buy back an hour of your life for, say, $100, then how much did you sell if for in the first place?
The only real answer, of course, is that time is priceless, yet most people are willing to sell their time, and thus their life, quite cheaply. They accept a given wage from their employer, who then turns around and uses their time to make money selling their services to a client. That's how this works, the employer takes the risk of paying someone to do a job while betting they can then sell that person's efforts to someone else for a profit. There's nothing wrong with this arrangement, per se.
But what if you want more than that? What if you want to be able to make more money than the employer is willing to pay, to make your own schedule, to work when you want to work, not when someone else says that you have to work? Assuming you haven't won the lottery, then is only one legal way to do that: open your own business. A lot of people have the desire to do this, but they are scared of the risk, even if the risk is small. Usually the fear kicks in when they realize they will have to use their own money to get their business started, they have to use their job to finance their dream, but it's not risking the money that scares them: heck, our business was started for virtually no money whatsoever, and the ongoing costs are almost nil. No, what scares them is that they will have to do something new, something they aren't used to doing, they will have to change, and despite all the platitudes and encouraging slogans they may pretend to like, the fact is that most people are afraid of change. Why?
The best answer I have read is that people are really scared of depending on themselves. Instead of wanting to make their own way, to craft their own result, they prefer the (often false) security of selling them time wholesale. That is their Plan A, and if they accept the need for a Plan B, then they are admitting that Plan A might not always work, that they may one day have to fend for themselves. In other words, while everybody needs a Plan B, the very idea that it might be necessary is too fearful to contemplate.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Notes from an inspirational weekend - Part One
Going over some notes from our sojourn to Tupelo and a lot of this is too good not to share. Tupelo was billed as a training event, and it was, but like everything else with this project it is half self-improvement. I have never met a group of people more dedicated to helping the individual find their passion in life and pursue it, while learning to help others. Sometimes, I feel like a missionary.
Anyway, let's start with this one: "Life is short and you can never get your time back, so why settle for doing something that is not your passion?" We all have to make a living, but is earning that paycheck keeping you from pursuing your true passion in life? If it is, what are you doing to change your circumstances? My passion in life is to travel the world, visit historical sites, research and write books, then rest up by laying on the beach for weeks at a time. I don't think Kathy would mind tagging along for the ride, as long as there were equestrian shops along the way like the one we found in Salzburg, and we can proudly say that we have taken the first step to make this a reality. Can you say the same thing? If 'yes', then well done and have at it! If 'no', well, what's holding you back?
For most of us, other people control most of our life. You might not like to admit it, but it's true. How do you feel about that? If you're okay with it, and frankly I think most people are, then you're probably shaking your head while reading this blog, wondering what the heck I'm talking about. But if you're not okay with it, we go back to the same question I just asked: what are you doing about it? What is your plan to change your life a year from now?
If you have a dream and you are not actively fighting to make it a reality, then it is and will remain nothing more than a dream. If you want your dream to become reality, then you're going to have to fight for it, because I can assure you that nobody else will. But if you want help in finding Plan B, let me know, maybe I can help. Didn't I tell you that I felt like a missionary?
Anyway, let's start with this one: "Life is short and you can never get your time back, so why settle for doing something that is not your passion?" We all have to make a living, but is earning that paycheck keeping you from pursuing your true passion in life? If it is, what are you doing to change your circumstances? My passion in life is to travel the world, visit historical sites, research and write books, then rest up by laying on the beach for weeks at a time. I don't think Kathy would mind tagging along for the ride, as long as there were equestrian shops along the way like the one we found in Salzburg, and we can proudly say that we have taken the first step to make this a reality. Can you say the same thing? If 'yes', then well done and have at it! If 'no', well, what's holding you back?
For most of us, other people control most of our life. You might not like to admit it, but it's true. How do you feel about that? If you're okay with it, and frankly I think most people are, then you're probably shaking your head while reading this blog, wondering what the heck I'm talking about. But if you're not okay with it, we go back to the same question I just asked: what are you doing about it? What is your plan to change your life a year from now?
If you have a dream and you are not actively fighting to make it a reality, then it is and will remain nothing more than a dream. If you want your dream to become reality, then you're going to have to fight for it, because I can assure you that nobody else will. But if you want help in finding Plan B, let me know, maybe I can help. Didn't I tell you that I felt like a missionary?
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Help me out here, folks
I'm still trying to understand why so many people, me included, become paralyzed with fear over doing something new. "I'm too busy", "I don't have any money", "I have to research it first"-blah, blah, blah. Excuses, excuses. I know, because I had all of these and a lot more besides when we first got started. Let me be clear about that: I'm talking about me, not you. I hear this a lot from other people, yes, but I recognize these excuses because they are all the ones that I made.
The worst one I had was the "I have to do my research." Oh, really, Bill? You're such an accredited researcher that you can dig up stuff that a company paid millions of dollars to do research for their clients could not? And let's be clear here: I'm a good researcher. I'm a lot better than most, in fact, because as a historian I've done a lot of that. But still, when a company with a worldwide reputation audits another company, what made me think I could dig up something they couldn't? Nothing. I knew I couldn't. It was just an excuse to keep sitting on my duff.
"I have to do my research". Pffftt. When most people say this, they mean they are going to Google whatever it is they are researching. What they don't know is that you can Google anything, anything, and you will find something bad about it. Think I'm kidding? Google 'Wal-Mart sucks'. Or 'we hate puppies.' Or 'Christmas is a scam.' Or almost anything else you can think of. You will find people out their writing bad stuff about everything. So, how do you decide what to believe and what not to believe? You don't, because you don't have the resources to judge that. And if you allow yourself to be influenced by those people writing bad stuff about almost everything, then you have just given away all of your power over your life to some anonymous Dreamstealer who would be thrilled that they made your life worse.
Want to do your research? Research the companies you can depend on to audit other companies, and believe them. That's research that makes sense. As I finally realized.
When I was too busy to try something new, what I did not stop to think about was why I was too busy, and what I intended to do to change that. See, if your life is too busy to enjoy, or you don't have enough money, you should not be ignoring new possibilities, you should be seeking them out. This is something else that I did not understand. If you do nothing to change your circumstances, then how do you expect them to be any different a year from now, two years from now, or three?
We are working hard to change our life from one of work and more work, to one of work and play. It may take a while, winning the lottery not withstanding, but that's the plan. And you know something? While achieving our goal will be delicious, the most valuable thing we have gained is the change in attitude that comes with being pro-active. You are out there fighting the good fight, working for you and not for your employer, trying to carve out your niche in the world...even when success comes that's not your biggest reward. Changing yourself for the better is the reward that comes without you even knowing it.
The worst one I had was the "I have to do my research." Oh, really, Bill? You're such an accredited researcher that you can dig up stuff that a company paid millions of dollars to do research for their clients could not? And let's be clear here: I'm a good researcher. I'm a lot better than most, in fact, because as a historian I've done a lot of that. But still, when a company with a worldwide reputation audits another company, what made me think I could dig up something they couldn't? Nothing. I knew I couldn't. It was just an excuse to keep sitting on my duff.
"I have to do my research". Pffftt. When most people say this, they mean they are going to Google whatever it is they are researching. What they don't know is that you can Google anything, anything, and you will find something bad about it. Think I'm kidding? Google 'Wal-Mart sucks'. Or 'we hate puppies.' Or 'Christmas is a scam.' Or almost anything else you can think of. You will find people out their writing bad stuff about everything. So, how do you decide what to believe and what not to believe? You don't, because you don't have the resources to judge that. And if you allow yourself to be influenced by those people writing bad stuff about almost everything, then you have just given away all of your power over your life to some anonymous Dreamstealer who would be thrilled that they made your life worse.
Want to do your research? Research the companies you can depend on to audit other companies, and believe them. That's research that makes sense. As I finally realized.
When I was too busy to try something new, what I did not stop to think about was why I was too busy, and what I intended to do to change that. See, if your life is too busy to enjoy, or you don't have enough money, you should not be ignoring new possibilities, you should be seeking them out. This is something else that I did not understand. If you do nothing to change your circumstances, then how do you expect them to be any different a year from now, two years from now, or three?
We are working hard to change our life from one of work and more work, to one of work and play. It may take a while, winning the lottery not withstanding, but that's the plan. And you know something? While achieving our goal will be delicious, the most valuable thing we have gained is the change in attitude that comes with being pro-active. You are out there fighting the good fight, working for you and not for your employer, trying to carve out your niche in the world...even when success comes that's not your biggest reward. Changing yourself for the better is the reward that comes without you even knowing it.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
If you don't believe in yourself, why should anybody else?
Since I have run my own business since 1998, I know what it's like not to have to take whatever employers feel is fair in the way of compensation, not to have to dance the corporate dance to make sure your job is secure or that you get a raise. There's nothing inherently wrong with doing this, I've had to do it in the past, many times; we all do what we must to survive.
But there's something in all of this that I do not understand.
But there's something in all of this that I do not understand.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Is it you?
I do not believe in horoscopes: let's make that clear on the front end. But that does not mean they have no value. Sometimes the message is right on point, even if it's not determined by positioning of the celestial bodies. In that spirit, today's 'scope says: "Share some of your good energy with colleagues or friends- they can use some! At least one is consumed with worry or fear, and you can show them there is in fact a bright side."
My energy is going to be good, then, but maybe tinged with a little kick-in-the-buttness. If that's you, if you are eaten up with worry about something, let me tell you that there is a way out. I may not know what that is, but I know there is a way. There is always a way. But as long as you are terrified, you will never find it, even if someone shows it to you.
Honestly, I see this every day. A great many people no longer trust themselves, and that's a shame. See, if you are rely on others for your self-esteem, or your livelihood, then you will always be at their mercy as to whether or not your life is going to go well. The one person in the world you should always be able to count on is yourself, but, sadly, too few people trust themselves any more. And too many make a decision to follow their dream, only to allow others to snatch it away from them, to talk them out of it. I saw this happen just yesterday, and it's not the first time.
So that's my advice: believe in yourself. Find your dream and fight for it, because nobody else is going to. I have found mine and just try to steal it from me! We all fight for something every day, be it a paycheck, our kids, our way of life, whatever, we all get up every day and go scramble to make something happen. But it's a lot more fun when what you are fighting for is something you want to create for yourself.
My energy is going to be good, then, but maybe tinged with a little kick-in-the-buttness. If that's you, if you are eaten up with worry about something, let me tell you that there is a way out. I may not know what that is, but I know there is a way. There is always a way. But as long as you are terrified, you will never find it, even if someone shows it to you.
Honestly, I see this every day. A great many people no longer trust themselves, and that's a shame. See, if you are rely on others for your self-esteem, or your livelihood, then you will always be at their mercy as to whether or not your life is going to go well. The one person in the world you should always be able to count on is yourself, but, sadly, too few people trust themselves any more. And too many make a decision to follow their dream, only to allow others to snatch it away from them, to talk them out of it. I saw this happen just yesterday, and it's not the first time.
So that's my advice: believe in yourself. Find your dream and fight for it, because nobody else is going to. I have found mine and just try to steal it from me! We all fight for something every day, be it a paycheck, our kids, our way of life, whatever, we all get up every day and go scramble to make something happen. But it's a lot more fun when what you are fighting for is something you want to create for yourself.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
What a weekend!
On Saturday we drove to Tupelo for our first regional event, and let me tell you, if we weren't wowed before we sure as heck are now! Literally dozens of people from all over small-town West Tennessee and Mississippi sharing experiences and stories about those they have helped along the way to getting their various businesses off the ground, sharing expertise and talking shop, an incredibly inspirational experience. Being around others who share your goals is always a great experience, but Saturday was a life-changing event. Wow!
On Sunday, I was home most of the day and ran out to run a few errands, maybe an hour or so. Four or five times I ran into people who were miserable at their jobs and were not afraid to say so. I could only shake my head and sympathize. It's tough working at something that is not your passion, for someone who does not respect your work, and for minimal wages. But I did meet one fine lady handing out coffee samples who worked for an independent coffee company, strictly a word of mouth growth campaign, and she seemed to be having fun. Good for her! Working for yourself is hard, but working for others can be harder. And as she said, when someone pays you a wage, they sometimes think that they own you.
There is one lady in particular who I find inspiration from. She is working two jobs, somewhere around 60 hours a week or more, single, with children, and yet keeps chugging away, doing her best. I have not given up on us being able to help her, and I hope it works out that we can. This is about a lot more than having a great time and making money; helping others is equally important.
On Sunday, I was home most of the day and ran out to run a few errands, maybe an hour or so. Four or five times I ran into people who were miserable at their jobs and were not afraid to say so. I could only shake my head and sympathize. It's tough working at something that is not your passion, for someone who does not respect your work, and for minimal wages. But I did meet one fine lady handing out coffee samples who worked for an independent coffee company, strictly a word of mouth growth campaign, and she seemed to be having fun. Good for her! Working for yourself is hard, but working for others can be harder. And as she said, when someone pays you a wage, they sometimes think that they own you.
There is one lady in particular who I find inspiration from. She is working two jobs, somewhere around 60 hours a week or more, single, with children, and yet keeps chugging away, doing her best. I have not given up on us being able to help her, and I hope it works out that we can. This is about a lot more than having a great time and making money; helping others is equally important.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Everything is fun again
It's strange, a few months ago the last thing I wanted to do once the sun set was go anywhere. Dinner, a comfy chair and TV was a good night. But now? Now I look forward to meetings and don't want them to end. Like I said, strange.
I came away from Tuesday night's get together fired up and excited, and that's just a great way to live, isn't it? I came away positive and looking forward to the next day, and I can't remember the last time that happened, if ever. Moreover, I'm getting to do what I love most again, which is to coach. Not sports, but coaching all the same. What a blast!
And the luncheon tomorrow? Man, I can't wait. The reinforcement of positive ideas and thinking, and the promise of learning something new and planning for the future, are making life so much more fun than it used to be. Finding new information and fitting it into my growing knowledge base, then deciding how to relay that to others, is just about the most fun I can think of. Short of a long nap on a warm, sandy beach, that is. And, of course, that's the whole point.
I've said it before but I'll say it again: Kathy and I were just plain lucky.
I came away from Tuesday night's get together fired up and excited, and that's just a great way to live, isn't it? I came away positive and looking forward to the next day, and I can't remember the last time that happened, if ever. Moreover, I'm getting to do what I love most again, which is to coach. Not sports, but coaching all the same. What a blast!
And the luncheon tomorrow? Man, I can't wait. The reinforcement of positive ideas and thinking, and the promise of learning something new and planning for the future, are making life so much more fun than it used to be. Finding new information and fitting it into my growing knowledge base, then deciding how to relay that to others, is just about the most fun I can think of. Short of a long nap on a warm, sandy beach, that is. And, of course, that's the whole point.
I've said it before but I'll say it again: Kathy and I were just plain lucky.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Fighting off the tsunami
Everywhere you turn, it seems people are negative about something these days. I can barely go to a message board or read a story without someone picking a fight with someone else. If you think about what they are saying, or if you allow yourself to dwell in the swamp of badness with them, you'll drown in the same tsunami of negativity that is swallowing them.
Well, I am consciously fighting that back. It's hard, I must admit, to filter out all of the rubbish that's out there. But if I have learned nothing in the 6 weeks or so since my life took a sudden and dramatic turn for the better, it is that you have to find a way to do positive things, to occupy yourself helping others or accomplishing a goal, and you have to be willing to let the negative people fall by the wayside. And that is the hardest part.
See, they could be relatives, friends, co-workers, and you want so much to help them improve their lot in life, to see the sunshine and be glad for it, rather than dwell in the gloom. And you should try to help them, we all should. But at the end of the day you cannot make someone be happy, you cannot force prosperity on them, you have to be willing to ignore the negative influences, whoever they might be. Because achieving your dream is hard enough in life, without trying to do it while someone has you by the ankles and is trying to tackle you.
Eventually, if you achieve your goals, they may want to know how you did it, and that could be the opening you need to help them, too. So, go be positive, be successful, and be the example for others.
Well, I am consciously fighting that back. It's hard, I must admit, to filter out all of the rubbish that's out there. But if I have learned nothing in the 6 weeks or so since my life took a sudden and dramatic turn for the better, it is that you have to find a way to do positive things, to occupy yourself helping others or accomplishing a goal, and you have to be willing to let the negative people fall by the wayside. And that is the hardest part.
See, they could be relatives, friends, co-workers, and you want so much to help them improve their lot in life, to see the sunshine and be glad for it, rather than dwell in the gloom. And you should try to help them, we all should. But at the end of the day you cannot make someone be happy, you cannot force prosperity on them, you have to be willing to ignore the negative influences, whoever they might be. Because achieving your dream is hard enough in life, without trying to do it while someone has you by the ankles and is trying to tackle you.
Eventually, if you achieve your goals, they may want to know how you did it, and that could be the opening you need to help them, too. So, go be positive, be successful, and be the example for others.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
This just keeps getting better
We have never before been involved with something that not only offers more than we bargained for, but keeps adding benefits on top of benefits with no warning. We wake up every morning asking ourselves 'how did we get this lucky?' The hardest part, for us, is learning to tone down our enthusiasm so we don't overwhelm people.
Have you ever felt that way about something? You know it is the most amazing thing you have ever found, bar none, and you just want to share it with everybody, but you are so over-the-top wildly enthusiastic that people think you need professional help, and you wind up chasing off the very people you most wanted to benefit from what you had found. That's us, right now.
A price guarantee! Really? How can we do this? How can anybody do this?
So please excuse us if we're excited these days; it's hard not to be.
Have you ever felt that way about something? You know it is the most amazing thing you have ever found, bar none, and you just want to share it with everybody, but you are so over-the-top wildly enthusiastic that people think you need professional help, and you wind up chasing off the very people you most wanted to benefit from what you had found. That's us, right now.
A price guarantee! Really? How can we do this? How can anybody do this?
So please excuse us if we're excited these days; it's hard not to be.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Slip sliding away
Wow, it's really easy to slip into negativity without knowing it, isn't it? Despite my best efforts I was beginning to dwell on the bad side of life until the positive nature of the new business gave me the proverbial wake-up call that I was unconsciously becoming who I did not want to be. A quick visit to the training videos, which are really more self-improvement guides than anything else, and I feel better already. Why is it that we need to be reminded of what we already know, that life is great and we have the choice as to whether we embrace that greatness, or reject it?
I can't answer that, I just know that I'm a lucky guy! This has made more difference in my life than anything I have ever done before.
I can't answer that, I just know that I'm a lucky guy! This has made more difference in my life than anything I have ever done before.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
All things in their time
So lately things have been really hectic in all phases, and I'm having so much fun it's hard to stop. Last night I found myself watching a video that I really wanted to watch but nodding off while doing so. I was really too tired to absorb what I was seeing. No matter how fast you want the acceleration to be, your engine can only rev at high speed for so long before it needs to idle for a while.
All things in their time. Today is catch-my-breath day, organize, do routine tasks, nothing too over-the-top. Even a refreshed mind needs rest once in a while. Part of living a better life means learning how to live a better life, and that includes rest. You can only burn the candle at both ends for so long before the twin flames meet in the middle.
All things in their time. Today is catch-my-breath day, organize, do routine tasks, nothing too over-the-top. Even a refreshed mind needs rest once in a while. Part of living a better life means learning how to live a better life, and that includes rest. You can only burn the candle at both ends for so long before the twin flames meet in the middle.
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Your point in working, or pointless working?
We all have to work to eat and keep a roof over our heads...well, okay, maybe not all of us, but I do and most of the people I know do. Anyway, I've been thinking lately about why I work. If it's mere subsistence then I don't think I will be as productive as I could be, I want more.
When I attended the Brookhaven Bash here in Memphis this month, there were at least three rescue groups there. I gave each one a few dollars, but I want those few dollars to grow to ten, and later twenty or more. How much could it change the day of an animal rescuer if they found a $100 bill stuffed in their little jar for donations? That's my goal, to be able to afford that.
I want to wake up in the morning and decide to work on my book all day, with no interruptions and no feelings of guilt. Maybe it's selfish, but that's my goal, to lose myself in the minute details of reconciling radically differing accounts of the same historical event, weighing the evidence for both and choosing which one I believe to be true, then supporting that position. Doesn't that sound like fun?
I want to throw a ball around in my yard with my pups, just because they like it. I want to be able to let them run around and play and bark to their little heart's content, because the neighbors aren't close enough to be bothered by all of the commotion; that can't happen now. I want to travel, travel, travel, to see all of the great historical places I haven't seen yet, to sometimes just lay on a beach and read, or swim under the warm Caribbean sun in mid-January. I want to physically see the places I write about.
There's more, of course, but essentially I want to buy back my time and help whoever I want, whenever I want. Two years from now is the timetable for me to be in a position to start doing that. Whether I make it or not, that's the goal.
When I attended the Brookhaven Bash here in Memphis this month, there were at least three rescue groups there. I gave each one a few dollars, but I want those few dollars to grow to ten, and later twenty or more. How much could it change the day of an animal rescuer if they found a $100 bill stuffed in their little jar for donations? That's my goal, to be able to afford that.
I want to wake up in the morning and decide to work on my book all day, with no interruptions and no feelings of guilt. Maybe it's selfish, but that's my goal, to lose myself in the minute details of reconciling radically differing accounts of the same historical event, weighing the evidence for both and choosing which one I believe to be true, then supporting that position. Doesn't that sound like fun?
I want to throw a ball around in my yard with my pups, just because they like it. I want to be able to let them run around and play and bark to their little heart's content, because the neighbors aren't close enough to be bothered by all of the commotion; that can't happen now. I want to travel, travel, travel, to see all of the great historical places I haven't seen yet, to sometimes just lay on a beach and read, or swim under the warm Caribbean sun in mid-January. I want to physically see the places I write about.
There's more, of course, but essentially I want to buy back my time and help whoever I want, whenever I want. Two years from now is the timetable for me to be in a position to start doing that. Whether I make it or not, that's the goal.
Monday, October 24, 2011
The big picture
Isn't it amazing how much effect your mental state has on your physical being? Today is a chilly, foggy morning in Memphis, my neck hurts from the old wound and a very busy Sunday has left me tired, yet today is a glorious Monday filled with promise and opportunity.
When you work for yourself there are always those moments of worry about this or that decision, or fretting when business isn't what you expect or a customer is not happy. These things happen and when you're the boss, it's up to you to take care of the problem, whatever it might be. And this is when the lure of working for someone else is strongest, the comfort of knowing that your paycheck is coming, that as long as you do X amount of work you will receive X amount of pay, that all of the problems fall on someone else.
This attitude, of course, is illusory. Because if there are problems at a job where you work for someone else there is a feeling of helplessness and inevitability to them, because only the boss of bosses can do anything about correcting things. Decisions are out of your hands. Your fate is not your own.
So give me independence every time. Let me look on a foggy, chilly morning and see the successes yet to come, not the failures I have always dreaded. Let me be glad that my commute to work is up 13 steps, that my biggest fear on the way is spilling my coffee. I'm not sure why I resisted this outlook on life for so long, but there's no point wallowing in regret. I found it now and that's enough.
Yowzer, let's get this week going!
When you work for yourself there are always those moments of worry about this or that decision, or fretting when business isn't what you expect or a customer is not happy. These things happen and when you're the boss, it's up to you to take care of the problem, whatever it might be. And this is when the lure of working for someone else is strongest, the comfort of knowing that your paycheck is coming, that as long as you do X amount of work you will receive X amount of pay, that all of the problems fall on someone else.
This attitude, of course, is illusory. Because if there are problems at a job where you work for someone else there is a feeling of helplessness and inevitability to them, because only the boss of bosses can do anything about correcting things. Decisions are out of your hands. Your fate is not your own.
So give me independence every time. Let me look on a foggy, chilly morning and see the successes yet to come, not the failures I have always dreaded. Let me be glad that my commute to work is up 13 steps, that my biggest fear on the way is spilling my coffee. I'm not sure why I resisted this outlook on life for so long, but there's no point wallowing in regret. I found it now and that's enough.
Yowzer, let's get this week going!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
I love the internet
So, we are almost out of dog chew toys and that is a crisis around here. When Kona wants to chew, you'd better find her something or you might be minus one table by morning. Just ask our kitchen floor. And if Sadie, Gracie, and Kona don't have toys to occupy them, they become bored. Boredom leads to furniture loss, never a good thing. So, today I went online to look for discounted dog toys.
I found a 65% off sale at PetMountain.com. Wow, terrific. The same toys bought locally would have topped $100, since I've bought them all before, and I paid about half that. And to make it better, free shipping over $49! I loaded up the cart but then, before checking out, I looked to see if maybe I could get a rebate on top of this. After all, I got a hefty chunk back on my new laptop, so why not check. And guess what? PetMountain.com was there, so I got up to 7% back.
Man, do I love the internet.
I found a 65% off sale at PetMountain.com. Wow, terrific. The same toys bought locally would have topped $100, since I've bought them all before, and I paid about half that. And to make it better, free shipping over $49! I loaded up the cart but then, before checking out, I looked to see if maybe I could get a rebate on top of this. After all, I got a hefty chunk back on my new laptop, so why not check. And guess what? PetMountain.com was there, so I got up to 7% back.
Man, do I love the internet.
Expectations
I have just read Marc Accetta's Tip #2 of Guaranteed Ways to Improve Whatever You're Doing, and boy, is it true. Essentially, his advice is simple: expect success. See, we've all had our self-confidence beaten down over the years by negativity, by people giving us 'constructive criticism', by those who tell you that you can't do something, by those with low expectations who criticize your new adventure by saying stuff like "it's a scam", or "nobody ever wins those" or "you'll never get that book published. Whatever it is you are doing, there will be people to tell you why it will not work. As for me, how many times have I seen a successful person off on a trip somewhere or driving a new car and said "man, that never happens to me."
Well, that stuff happens to everybody. The difference is that successful people see opportunity where those less successful see potential failure. I have always been the second person, expecting mediocrity and achieving it, but no more. Now, I expect success. And the best part is that I'll be finding it with friends.
Well, that stuff happens to everybody. The difference is that successful people see opportunity where those less successful see potential failure. I have always been the second person, expecting mediocrity and achieving it, but no more. Now, I expect success. And the best part is that I'll be finding it with friends.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Focus
I've never been big on motivational type stuff, although Kathy has, so I think this may be the big change in me that everybody keeps mentioning. I had gotten pretty comfortable in my curmudgeonly status of being the gruff and cynical, but ultimately lovable (ha!) guy that everybody can always count of to rip something without thinking about it. And we all know someone like that, right? Not the mean sort, who say hurtful things to be hurtful, just the wink-and-a-nod type cynic. That was me.
Well, now it's not. And the operative word for me to concentrate on above is 'comfortable'. A synonym for comfortable is also 'stale'. I had done what I now see so many other people have done, they put life on auto-pilot and reclined for a nap. But rather than bemoan the years I could have been actively living, I choose to be thankful that I have finally snapped out of the sleep-walking through life that I had been doing and have re-engaged the gears, rusty though they might be.
Now the big question is: how do I take care of these dogs so I can head to Cozumel for a break?
Well, now it's not. And the operative word for me to concentrate on above is 'comfortable'. A synonym for comfortable is also 'stale'. I had done what I now see so many other people have done, they put life on auto-pilot and reclined for a nap. But rather than bemoan the years I could have been actively living, I choose to be thankful that I have finally snapped out of the sleep-walking through life that I had been doing and have re-engaged the gears, rusty though they might be.
Now the big question is: how do I take care of these dogs so I can head to Cozumel for a break?
Thursday, October 20, 2011
When your instincts are right
Sometimes you do things that just feel right, but they turn out to be dead wrong. I found that out with my best friend, when I let my enthusiasm drown out my message. Listen more, talk less! But other times you react to something the way you think is best, and you find out that you were right. Speaking of boosting your self-confidence! So how do you know the difference?
Instinct is a reflex of the mind, and just like a reflex that is formed through the repetition known as muscle memory, the mind has to be exercised and trained until instinct is formed. That's the best thing about this new venture, the new outlook that has come about from exercising my brain in a new way. It's like dusting a stuffy old house after a long winter, only you don't sneeze as much.
Instinct is a reflex of the mind, and just like a reflex that is formed through the repetition known as muscle memory, the mind has to be exercised and trained until instinct is formed. That's the best thing about this new venture, the new outlook that has come about from exercising my brain in a new way. It's like dusting a stuffy old house after a long winter, only you don't sneeze as much.
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Plowing ahead
As with any human endeavor, this one has its share of frustrations, but I think my personal growth is greatest in learning how to deal with these frustrations in a more positive way. Mostly they stem from disappointments, which is why they can be so hard. You want to do something fun for a change, you want your friends to join you, but they decline. Why? What are people so afraid of? You ask a long-time friend to come and out play and they all but slam the door in your face. I don't get it. But you cannot dwell on it, because that makes you wonder whether you were ever actually their friend or not, and that is a dark path that leads to many negative thoughts.
So I choose to be sad for them and continue to hope that one day they will reach the stage that I have reached, where new things are not frightening but are exciting. See, I remember living that way, and looking back my biggest regret is that I didn't wake up sooner.
So I choose to be sad for them and continue to hope that one day they will reach the stage that I have reached, where new things are not frightening but are exciting. See, I remember living that way, and looking back my biggest regret is that I didn't wake up sooner.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
The Chicken List
You know what that is, the list of things you are afraid to do, or people you are afraid to call or tasks you are afraid to begin...we all have a Chicken List, and the only way to overcome the fear that sometimes paralyzes us is to confront it head on and just get it done. Whatever it is, embrace the Nike slogan and 'just do it.'
Sure, it might not turn out well. But so what? Is failure by action really worse than failure by inaction? Are you really better off by not trying something that might not work than by just saying the heck with it and seeing what happens?
Of course nobody wants to go off unprepared for something, or to do something irrational, but that's not what we're talking about here. The Chicken List refers to that thing for which you are ready, willing and able to undertake, but you don't because you're afraid. If you're going to crash, I'd rather flame out trying to make a landing than circle until I run out of gas.
Sure, it might not turn out well. But so what? Is failure by action really worse than failure by inaction? Are you really better off by not trying something that might not work than by just saying the heck with it and seeing what happens?
Of course nobody wants to go off unprepared for something, or to do something irrational, but that's not what we're talking about here. The Chicken List refers to that thing for which you are ready, willing and able to undertake, but you don't because you're afraid. If you're going to crash, I'd rather flame out trying to make a landing than circle until I run out of gas.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
I was too smart to learn
It's a terrible realization, a hard thing to admit. You live most of your life thinking that you have achieved a place of wisdom and sound judgment, only to realize that what you perceived as wisdom was, in fact, mental laziness. Essentially, you, who value academic truth and perpetual questioning in search of that truth, have been fooling yourself into believing that you were being objective and rational, when the opposite was the truth. At some point you stopped listening because you already knew what the person was going to tell you, or what you were going to read, and you already had your opinion formed, even if that opinion were based on little or no first-hand knowledge. Frankly, I'm not sure that many people ever actually reach this point of realization. Maybe most people my age have stopped the process of self-evaluation that leads to such breakthroughs in enlightenment.
Thank God I haven't. Or, to be more accurate, I have pushed beyond that barrier. As our faithful readers know we have started a new business, one that I questioned for months. Somehow, though, God granted me just enough new-found insight to lead me into the process of exploration and discovery. In turn, that had made me realize just how completely wrong I had been. Where I saw inequity, there was equality. What I thought was real was actually a mirage, and the mirage was reality. How did I fall so far as to dismiss truth in favor of chimera?
It's hard to say, now. But it no longer really matters, as long as I don't fall into that same trap ever again. The road is new and straight for the first time in ages, and all I have to do is follow it wherever it may lead.
Thank God I haven't. Or, to be more accurate, I have pushed beyond that barrier. As our faithful readers know we have started a new business, one that I questioned for months. Somehow, though, God granted me just enough new-found insight to lead me into the process of exploration and discovery. In turn, that had made me realize just how completely wrong I had been. Where I saw inequity, there was equality. What I thought was real was actually a mirage, and the mirage was reality. How did I fall so far as to dismiss truth in favor of chimera?
It's hard to say, now. But it no longer really matters, as long as I don't fall into that same trap ever again. The road is new and straight for the first time in ages, and all I have to do is follow it wherever it may lead.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
No moment is wasted if you are learning something new
I've been on this philosophical bent of late, but I suppose that's what happens when you re-engage your brain after being on cruise control for a few decades. I was on the phone last night until about ten o'clock discussing business, ate a late dinner and then tried to do a little more work before going to bed. I was pretty tired after a long day.
But, lo and behold, some compartment of my mind opened and instead of writing book descriptions or something similar, I worked on the book I'm writing, which I had not done for weeks. That long business discussion apparently weakened the wall of writer's block that was holding me back, although I have no idea how or why. There was one particular passage that was giving me trouble. When you write non-fiction, and you have multiple sources relating the same incident but with differing details, it's often hard to reconcile them. Then, when you have different incidents happening in the same area on the same day, but unrelated to each other, it's very hard to construct a whole that makes any sense.
And yet there it was, the whole story just flowing out the way that it should and coming together to form a cohesive picture. It was great. So, why did the long conversation about something totally unrelated break down whatever barrier my mind had erected? I have no idea. But it did, and I'm grateful. No matter what you may be doing, no moment is wasted if you are learning something.
But, lo and behold, some compartment of my mind opened and instead of writing book descriptions or something similar, I worked on the book I'm writing, which I had not done for weeks. That long business discussion apparently weakened the wall of writer's block that was holding me back, although I have no idea how or why. There was one particular passage that was giving me trouble. When you write non-fiction, and you have multiple sources relating the same incident but with differing details, it's often hard to reconcile them. Then, when you have different incidents happening in the same area on the same day, but unrelated to each other, it's very hard to construct a whole that makes any sense.
And yet there it was, the whole story just flowing out the way that it should and coming together to form a cohesive picture. It was great. So, why did the long conversation about something totally unrelated break down whatever barrier my mind had erected? I have no idea. But it did, and I'm grateful. No matter what you may be doing, no moment is wasted if you are learning something.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Dream Stealers
Monday night I was glancing at AOL and saw a story about college graduates holding up pieces of paper stating they had spent all of this money on college and can not find jobs. Who told them they couldn't find a job? How hard did they try? I know things are tough out there, but commerce is continuing and it's time to be creative. This is not to downplay the obstacles facing people these days, but honestly, what good does complaining do?
But maybe that's just me. I'm glad now that I don't have a job and that I'm not looking for one right now. I would if I had to, but at the moment I do not have to. I work for myself.
Twice.
Things being what they are these days it would be easy to complain and fret and over-analyze and remain frozen in place because of fear. Inertia can easily set in and make you feel helpless and hopeless. And this becomes doubly discouraging when people share their misery with you. These are called Dream Stealers. We all know them.
It's not that such people mean to cause pain or depression, although I suppose they could be doing it intentionally, but they are unmotivated and negative and cannot believe that anybody else could possibly find things to be positive about these days. When you mention a dream to them, such as starting a new business, they come up with every reason you can imagine why this is a terrible idea: the economy is bad, money is tight, global warming, cloning, stray comets striking Earth and wiping out Mankind...their list of reasons you will fail is endless. And if these are the people you listen to, they will steal your dream and convince you that you will fail.
So this is fair warning to Dream Stealers: I'm not listening to you anymore. I don't have time. I'm going to be too busy succeeding to listen to all of your reasons why I'm going to fail.
But maybe that's just me. I'm glad now that I don't have a job and that I'm not looking for one right now. I would if I had to, but at the moment I do not have to. I work for myself.
Twice.
Things being what they are these days it would be easy to complain and fret and over-analyze and remain frozen in place because of fear. Inertia can easily set in and make you feel helpless and hopeless. And this becomes doubly discouraging when people share their misery with you. These are called Dream Stealers. We all know them.
It's not that such people mean to cause pain or depression, although I suppose they could be doing it intentionally, but they are unmotivated and negative and cannot believe that anybody else could possibly find things to be positive about these days. When you mention a dream to them, such as starting a new business, they come up with every reason you can imagine why this is a terrible idea: the economy is bad, money is tight, global warming, cloning, stray comets striking Earth and wiping out Mankind...their list of reasons you will fail is endless. And if these are the people you listen to, they will steal your dream and convince you that you will fail.
So this is fair warning to Dream Stealers: I'm not listening to you anymore. I don't have time. I'm going to be too busy succeeding to listen to all of your reasons why I'm going to fail.
Some Days You Get the Bear
For me, there is something immensely satisfying about waking up on a cool, sunny fall morning with a brand new week to look forward to. Our dogs all get excited and begin play-fighting to see who gets close enough for an ear scratch or a belly rub, a morning ritual that takes place daily even though every one of them will get their fair share of attention without scrambling for it, or having to nip their sister's hind leg. The coffee is brewed and ready for pouring, since having a coffee-maker with a timer is a must around our homestead, and then it's time to get ready for the long commute to work. For me, Bill, that consists of not spilling the coffee as I make may way upstairs to the office where I run both businesses.
This is perhaps the most exciting moment of the day, checking email to see if new opportunities have filled my inbox while I slept. (And no, I don't mean million-dollar fortunes left to me in the will of a Nigerian uncle I never knew that I had) And today, there was. What a great feeling, to know the moment when the hard work of running this or that business pays off. How many people want to run a company from their office?
Probably a lot. And here I am running two of them. No doubt the week will bring its fair share of challenges...in fact, it already has. I have already spent 20 minutes on the phone clearing up an issue with a website. No doubt there will be more setbacks and frustrations and irritations. But so what? That's all part of life, and whatever the way in which you earn your living, you're going to deal with problems at some point. But as I deal with them I will always remember that the business decisions I make are affecting my businesses, not somebody else's. For good or ill, this is my own personal little business empire, and I've got to tell you there's no feeling in the world like being your own boss.
Some days that feels like you are at a county fair, walking the midway with noise and people and barking carnies all swirling through your brain and demanding your attention. You stop at one of those booths where you throw softballs at some stone bottles to win a prize. Sometimes, you throw the softballs at the stacked milk bottles and miss, or just graze the bottom-heavy bottles that tilt and almost fall over, but don't quite. But some days your aim is true, you smack them dead on with a perfect throw, and it's you who knock down the bottles and get to pick your prize. And you want the big prize, the one directly overhead and placed so everybody who walks up can see it.
Some days, you get the bear.
This is perhaps the most exciting moment of the day, checking email to see if new opportunities have filled my inbox while I slept. (And no, I don't mean million-dollar fortunes left to me in the will of a Nigerian uncle I never knew that I had) And today, there was. What a great feeling, to know the moment when the hard work of running this or that business pays off. How many people want to run a company from their office?
Probably a lot. And here I am running two of them. No doubt the week will bring its fair share of challenges...in fact, it already has. I have already spent 20 minutes on the phone clearing up an issue with a website. No doubt there will be more setbacks and frustrations and irritations. But so what? That's all part of life, and whatever the way in which you earn your living, you're going to deal with problems at some point. But as I deal with them I will always remember that the business decisions I make are affecting my businesses, not somebody else's. For good or ill, this is my own personal little business empire, and I've got to tell you there's no feeling in the world like being your own boss.
Some days that feels like you are at a county fair, walking the midway with noise and people and barking carnies all swirling through your brain and demanding your attention. You stop at one of those booths where you throw softballs at some stone bottles to win a prize. Sometimes, you throw the softballs at the stacked milk bottles and miss, or just graze the bottom-heavy bottles that tilt and almost fall over, but don't quite. But some days your aim is true, you smack them dead on with a perfect throw, and it's you who knock down the bottles and get to pick your prize. And you want the big prize, the one directly overhead and placed so everybody who walks up can see it.
Some days, you get the bear.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
ITCTBR
Two months ago this described me. ITCTBR.
I'm Too Cool To Be Rich.
At its core, this was where my so-called skepticism came from. I was too cool to open a new business, I was too cool to try and help other people better themselves, I was too cool to listen to new ideas or any other that motivational and self-improvement stuff. Why did I need to improve myself, I was pretty terrific the way I was. Wasn't I?
And I was certainly too cool to be rich, because becoming rich meant having to be uncool, and we can't have that, can we?
Fortunately, I'm not cool anymore. My mind is working again, the sun is shining brighter than ever before and I have learned more new things in the past two weeks than in the previous two decades.
It's cool being uncool.
I'm Too Cool To Be Rich.
At its core, this was where my so-called skepticism came from. I was too cool to open a new business, I was too cool to try and help other people better themselves, I was too cool to listen to new ideas or any other that motivational and self-improvement stuff. Why did I need to improve myself, I was pretty terrific the way I was. Wasn't I?
And I was certainly too cool to be rich, because becoming rich meant having to be uncool, and we can't have that, can we?
Fortunately, I'm not cool anymore. My mind is working again, the sun is shining brighter than ever before and I have learned more new things in the past two weeks than in the previous two decades.
It's cool being uncool.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Rewiring the brain
Are some of us born to be successful and destined for greatness, while others are pre-destined to toil away in obscurity, making others wealthy? Or are we free to be as successful as we wish to be? And if it's the latter, as I believe, what are the biggest obstacles we have to overcome on our road to success?
When faced with something new that I do not fully understand, I immediately throw up obstacles to avoid making a decision, or to block the decision altogether. Why, I have been asking myself lately? Why do I do this? What exactly is is that I'm afraid of?
Because if you make a decision then you could be wrong. That's the crux of the issue, isn't it? It takes tremendous self-confidence to make a decision on something that you do not entirely understand, and how many of us fully understand the things on which we must decide? How many times have I avoided trying some new food with which I am unfamiliar, because there is a chance I might not like it? Often, that's how many. Perhaps the majority of times that I eat in a restaurant. Why? What is it that I fear? That I might find something new?
As I wonder why it took me so long to see the light with our new business, these thoughts have been on my mind lately. Is it failure that I fear, then? If I fail, then I am in the vast majority. So what is there to worry about?
I think the answer is that I am not worried about failure so much as it is that I am worried about how that failure would affect my ego, my view of my self, my self-worth. And yet throughout my life I have known very little failure, but in the end, I think that very fact is what sometimes holds me back. I do not want to risk the string of success with new ventures that might, or might not, succeed. I want to keep my record intact. Which I must say is stupid; nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
It doesn't matter how wonderful the company we have partnered with might be, or what a great investment or how ridiculously low the capital risk...those are all true factors, but what I really have to overcome is me. Do I want to be a success again or not? Do I believe in myself or don't I?
I am consciously choosing to be successful. It's just that complex, and just that simple. It won't be easy, as rewiring my brain will likely take a while. But at least I have finally started.
When faced with something new that I do not fully understand, I immediately throw up obstacles to avoid making a decision, or to block the decision altogether. Why, I have been asking myself lately? Why do I do this? What exactly is is that I'm afraid of?
Because if you make a decision then you could be wrong. That's the crux of the issue, isn't it? It takes tremendous self-confidence to make a decision on something that you do not entirely understand, and how many of us fully understand the things on which we must decide? How many times have I avoided trying some new food with which I am unfamiliar, because there is a chance I might not like it? Often, that's how many. Perhaps the majority of times that I eat in a restaurant. Why? What is it that I fear? That I might find something new?
As I wonder why it took me so long to see the light with our new business, these thoughts have been on my mind lately. Is it failure that I fear, then? If I fail, then I am in the vast majority. So what is there to worry about?
I think the answer is that I am not worried about failure so much as it is that I am worried about how that failure would affect my ego, my view of my self, my self-worth. And yet throughout my life I have known very little failure, but in the end, I think that very fact is what sometimes holds me back. I do not want to risk the string of success with new ventures that might, or might not, succeed. I want to keep my record intact. Which I must say is stupid; nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
It doesn't matter how wonderful the company we have partnered with might be, or what a great investment or how ridiculously low the capital risk...those are all true factors, but what I really have to overcome is me. Do I want to be a success again or not? Do I believe in myself or don't I?
I am consciously choosing to be successful. It's just that complex, and just that simple. It won't be easy, as rewiring my brain will likely take a while. But at least I have finally started.
Monday, September 26, 2011
There's nothing better than a fresh week
After a stormy Sunday the weather is bright and sunny and warm, with the grass and shrubs having that deep green hue you only see after a soaking rain. The morning coffee tastes especially good days like this, with a full calendar and the excitement of being busy because you are your boss. Lots to do today, too much, in fact, which means that life is giving you new opportunities and all you have to do is recognize them.
While finally having time to dig into the underlying structures of this new business venture, it dawned on me that the people we partner with will have to be terrific as people, not simply have a talent for business. Quality counts. That sounds like a cheesy advertising slogan, except that when you think about it, it really is true. If you're going to spend time with people making money, shouldn't you also have fun doing it? At least, that's my plan. To find people who are smart and funny and with whom we would enjoy spending time, and from whom we may learn new and wonderful things.
While finally having time to dig into the underlying structures of this new business venture, it dawned on me that the people we partner with will have to be terrific as people, not simply have a talent for business. Quality counts. That sounds like a cheesy advertising slogan, except that when you think about it, it really is true. If you're going to spend time with people making money, shouldn't you also have fun doing it? At least, that's my plan. To find people who are smart and funny and with whom we would enjoy spending time, and from whom we may learn new and wonderful things.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
New insights
The other day I wrote about my friend, code-named 'Raoul' because I both like Hunter S. Thompson and because it sounds vaguely mysterious. (Kathy wondered what the heck 'Raoul' had to do with anything, to which I might ruefully agree) Anyway, I wrote about how Raoul is stuck in the old ways of doing business and refuses to change, and how he was becoming increasingly discourages as the world conspired against his methods. But as we struggled through this weekend's two-day garage sale (never again!), I came to realize that I was more like Raoul than I had thought. I was not embracing new things, either, I was stuck in the past, and that needed to change.
One of the most surprising aspects of opening our new business has been the necessity for re-evaluating the priorities of how to actually conduct that business. Kathy and I both have other revenue streams, which means we have other jobs, but what has struck me the most is how different the personality traits are for this new business than what is needed for my other business, selling books.
You would think booksellers are a fiercely independent group of people who want to do things their way, and you would be right. At least, the old school booksellers are. But there is also a new breed of book people who use electronic devices to help them find inventory. I have always made fun of them, because these reliance on these devices often leads them to miss some terrific books. What I did not realize, until today that is, is that used properly these devices can be wonderful tools.
What does this have to do with our new business? Simply this: the people in the book business using these new devices want to make money, they don't want to fail, they are go-getters and forward-thinkers, and that is exactly who we need to partner with now. If they rely solely on those devices, however, and do not do the training necessary to learn their craft, then they will eventually fail. The last people we need on our team are the old-school types who are married to process and precedent, or those who do not want to put in the time and effort to make money while having fun. Neither are not the sort to 'make a living...living,' but the person who is always willing to learn most certainly is that sort of partner. I have been what I made fun of, but this new venture has forced an introspection that has lead me to understand this. If I achieve nothing else, this has made the whole experience worthwhile.
One of the most surprising aspects of opening our new business has been the necessity for re-evaluating the priorities of how to actually conduct that business. Kathy and I both have other revenue streams, which means we have other jobs, but what has struck me the most is how different the personality traits are for this new business than what is needed for my other business, selling books.
You would think booksellers are a fiercely independent group of people who want to do things their way, and you would be right. At least, the old school booksellers are. But there is also a new breed of book people who use electronic devices to help them find inventory. I have always made fun of them, because these reliance on these devices often leads them to miss some terrific books. What I did not realize, until today that is, is that used properly these devices can be wonderful tools.
What does this have to do with our new business? Simply this: the people in the book business using these new devices want to make money, they don't want to fail, they are go-getters and forward-thinkers, and that is exactly who we need to partner with now. If they rely solely on those devices, however, and do not do the training necessary to learn their craft, then they will eventually fail. The last people we need on our team are the old-school types who are married to process and precedent, or those who do not want to put in the time and effort to make money while having fun. Neither are not the sort to 'make a living...living,' but the person who is always willing to learn most certainly is that sort of partner. I have been what I made fun of, but this new venture has forced an introspection that has lead me to understand this. If I achieve nothing else, this has made the whole experience worthwhile.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
I prefer to be happy
Before I forget, happy birthday to Bilbo and Frodo Baggins! Yep, born on the same day. I'll bet Hobbit parties are something to remember.
Before I begin today's entry, let me ask a favor: if you read and like my blog, please subscribe. It does not mean much except to me. Thanks!
I was thinking today about a friend of mine who is also a bookseller. Let's call him...Raoul. (Any other Hunter S. Thompson fans out there?) A few weeks ago I was at a book sale, not so much because I needed inventory, but more because it's one I attend every year. I had been there about forty-five minutes or so, pushing my shopping cart and perusing the books, when Raoul kind of shambled over holding four books.
Raoul is a great bookseller, from the old school. He knows his stuff inside and out, he can tell printing editions on books I have never heard of from across the room. The guy is good. But since I have known him, which is about 15 years, Raoul has been growing increasingly morose. If I didn't know him so well I would fear that he might harm himself. How come he's like this? Because Raoul wants to sell books like he did in 1990, and that world is gone forever. He does not like the new world of technology and he does not understand it. Nor does he want to.
For more than a decade I have been offering to school my friend on the latest techniques in selling via the internet, how to set up a web-site, which database to use, which sites produce the best results for what stock...in short, I was going to give him all of the tools and skills which I had to learn completely on my own when I started billthebookguy.com in 1998. But Raoul consistently has declined. I offered again at that sale a few weeks ago, and once again he declined. Yet Raoul is utterly miserable, because he isn't selling anything and he isn't making the money he needs to make.
Raoul has seven storage lockers filled with books he has bought that he has not yet priced or processed. According to him, he has not laid eyes on some of them for more than 15 years. In all of that time he has been paying storage for them, but they are nothing more than dead weight on his business. And when he told me what he thought they might be worth I almost fainted...I won't reveal that here, but suffice to say it is well into six and possibly even seven figures, he has no idea.
If I had inventory in the six figure range sitting around doing nothing, I would work until I dropped marketing it, making a profit and re-investing the money so that I could retire early and be happy doing things I want to do now. Like travel! (Nice how I worked that in, wasn't it?) For most booksellers, the hard part is finding grade-A inventory. We wait outside houses early on Friday and Saturday mornings for estate sales to open, we get to book sales early so we can have first pick, we pay extra to get in early, we do all sorts of things to find good inventory. Raoul does not have that problem, he already has the inventory. Raoul just doesn't want to market it.
His one and only source of selling on the internet is Amazon.com. There is no reason to go into the various venues available to booksellers, there are many, but of all of them Amazon is the worst for the seller. They take the most commission and keep the most shipping allowance. They are, in short, the least profitable. But they ARE the easiest. They are the easy way out.
Raoul could have been rich by now. He could still earn a very good living, even at this late date. He has done the hardest work by learning his craft and amassing his inventory. But years and years of beating his head against the wall with poor business practices has left him drained and defeated. He would rather work for someone else for a pittance, that someone else being Amazon, than invest a minuscule bit of time and capital to do something different.
As for me, I would rather try something new, even if I fail. Because maybe I won't fail. Maybe I will succeed. Or maybe, I just prefer to be happy.
Before I begin today's entry, let me ask a favor: if you read and like my blog, please subscribe. It does not mean much except to me. Thanks!
I was thinking today about a friend of mine who is also a bookseller. Let's call him...Raoul. (Any other Hunter S. Thompson fans out there?) A few weeks ago I was at a book sale, not so much because I needed inventory, but more because it's one I attend every year. I had been there about forty-five minutes or so, pushing my shopping cart and perusing the books, when Raoul kind of shambled over holding four books.
Raoul is a great bookseller, from the old school. He knows his stuff inside and out, he can tell printing editions on books I have never heard of from across the room. The guy is good. But since I have known him, which is about 15 years, Raoul has been growing increasingly morose. If I didn't know him so well I would fear that he might harm himself. How come he's like this? Because Raoul wants to sell books like he did in 1990, and that world is gone forever. He does not like the new world of technology and he does not understand it. Nor does he want to.
For more than a decade I have been offering to school my friend on the latest techniques in selling via the internet, how to set up a web-site, which database to use, which sites produce the best results for what stock...in short, I was going to give him all of the tools and skills which I had to learn completely on my own when I started billthebookguy.com in 1998. But Raoul consistently has declined. I offered again at that sale a few weeks ago, and once again he declined. Yet Raoul is utterly miserable, because he isn't selling anything and he isn't making the money he needs to make.
Raoul has seven storage lockers filled with books he has bought that he has not yet priced or processed. According to him, he has not laid eyes on some of them for more than 15 years. In all of that time he has been paying storage for them, but they are nothing more than dead weight on his business. And when he told me what he thought they might be worth I almost fainted...I won't reveal that here, but suffice to say it is well into six and possibly even seven figures, he has no idea.
If I had inventory in the six figure range sitting around doing nothing, I would work until I dropped marketing it, making a profit and re-investing the money so that I could retire early and be happy doing things I want to do now. Like travel! (Nice how I worked that in, wasn't it?) For most booksellers, the hard part is finding grade-A inventory. We wait outside houses early on Friday and Saturday mornings for estate sales to open, we get to book sales early so we can have first pick, we pay extra to get in early, we do all sorts of things to find good inventory. Raoul does not have that problem, he already has the inventory. Raoul just doesn't want to market it.
His one and only source of selling on the internet is Amazon.com. There is no reason to go into the various venues available to booksellers, there are many, but of all of them Amazon is the worst for the seller. They take the most commission and keep the most shipping allowance. They are, in short, the least profitable. But they ARE the easiest. They are the easy way out.
Raoul could have been rich by now. He could still earn a very good living, even at this late date. He has done the hardest work by learning his craft and amassing his inventory. But years and years of beating his head against the wall with poor business practices has left him drained and defeated. He would rather work for someone else for a pittance, that someone else being Amazon, than invest a minuscule bit of time and capital to do something different.
As for me, I would rather try something new, even if I fail. Because maybe I won't fail. Maybe I will succeed. Or maybe, I just prefer to be happy.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Business Basics
I get it. Finally. Now I know what people mean when they say they want to earn some extra money from home.
I can't count how many times someone has asked me if I know of any jobs that can be done from home to earn a few extra bucks, usually by a spouse who works outside the home. In my experience, the economy has either blocked that spouse's promotion and flat-lined their pay scale, actually reduced their salary or, God forbid, threatened their job entirely. Not to mention those who are laid off and remain unemployed. Naturally these folks want their household to be as financially secure as possible, and on at least a dozen occasions I have tried to help people start their own home-based business. And none, not one of them, has ever taken me up on my offer to help. Not one.
I realize I'm not a financial genius, but I have run my own home-based business since 1998 and I offered my assistance to all of these people for free. FREE. My time, your potential earnings. Mr. Nice Guy just likes to see his friends succeed and wanted to helped them just to be a good friend. Yet none of those people ever took me up on my offer. Not one. And today I finally realized why.
See, those people did not actually want to start their own business. What they wanted was a home-based job built with somebody else's money, where they could earn a lot of money without taking too much time or effort, and preferably one that was easy. They did not want to build their own business, they wanted somebody to hire them to do simple tasks at high wages that took little time.
Sounds good, right? Except, such jobs don't actually exist. They just don't. If you want to work from home, with a few exceptions, you are going to need to start some sort of business. But if I brought this up to these people and even mentioned spending a few bucks, such as the $700-plus to build a decent website, with associated fees (like hosting and domain names), and on-going expenses, they looked at me like I was nuts. What? Spend money to make money? Are you crazy?
If you want to make money from home, you can. It's going to be hard and it's going to require effort and you're going to have to invest some capital, although probably a lot less than you think. But the point is, you are going to have to invest in yourself, because nobody else is going to. I think the reason it took me so long to figure this out is because, for me, this has always been so obvious. I have lots and lots of capital at risk in my book business, far more than I do in The VTL Team, so for me this was just Life 101.
The folks who turned down my offer are all good people, they all have much to offer and most of them would probably be great business owners, if they would only trust the one person that matters most: themselves.
I can't count how many times someone has asked me if I know of any jobs that can be done from home to earn a few extra bucks, usually by a spouse who works outside the home. In my experience, the economy has either blocked that spouse's promotion and flat-lined their pay scale, actually reduced their salary or, God forbid, threatened their job entirely. Not to mention those who are laid off and remain unemployed. Naturally these folks want their household to be as financially secure as possible, and on at least a dozen occasions I have tried to help people start their own home-based business. And none, not one of them, has ever taken me up on my offer to help. Not one.
I realize I'm not a financial genius, but I have run my own home-based business since 1998 and I offered my assistance to all of these people for free. FREE. My time, your potential earnings. Mr. Nice Guy just likes to see his friends succeed and wanted to helped them just to be a good friend. Yet none of those people ever took me up on my offer. Not one. And today I finally realized why.
See, those people did not actually want to start their own business. What they wanted was a home-based job built with somebody else's money, where they could earn a lot of money without taking too much time or effort, and preferably one that was easy. They did not want to build their own business, they wanted somebody to hire them to do simple tasks at high wages that took little time.
Sounds good, right? Except, such jobs don't actually exist. They just don't. If you want to work from home, with a few exceptions, you are going to need to start some sort of business. But if I brought this up to these people and even mentioned spending a few bucks, such as the $700-plus to build a decent website, with associated fees (like hosting and domain names), and on-going expenses, they looked at me like I was nuts. What? Spend money to make money? Are you crazy?
If you want to make money from home, you can. It's going to be hard and it's going to require effort and you're going to have to invest some capital, although probably a lot less than you think. But the point is, you are going to have to invest in yourself, because nobody else is going to. I think the reason it took me so long to figure this out is because, for me, this has always been so obvious. I have lots and lots of capital at risk in my book business, far more than I do in The VTL Team, so for me this was just Life 101.
The folks who turned down my offer are all good people, they all have much to offer and most of them would probably be great business owners, if they would only trust the one person that matters most: themselves.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Thinking things through
I wonder if Thomas is getting tired of hearing from me yet; I know that I would be. Anyway, I called him this morning with my latest brilliant revelation, namely that all businesses put some amount of capital at risk and have ongoing expenses, that all businesses have a break-even point and a profitable point, and that our newest webbventure is no different. Thomas had a great response to my deep thinking: well, duh!
Okay, he didn't say that, but I could hear it in his voice. I guess I'm slow, but business is business and this is no different, except that this one is fun, and the capital outlay is extremely small. Much smaller than that of my book business, for sure. So chalk up yet another light-bulb moment for yours truly, who catches on slower than most folks, but can see through a wall in time.
Bill
Okay, he didn't say that, but I could hear it in his voice. I guess I'm slow, but business is business and this is no different, except that this one is fun, and the capital outlay is extremely small. Much smaller than that of my book business, for sure. So chalk up yet another light-bulb moment for yours truly, who catches on slower than most folks, but can see through a wall in time.
Bill
Monday, September 19, 2011
VTLing
Good morning fellow VTLs. For those who don't know, which is everybody, that means 'Venturers Through Life'. I thought about 'adVenturers Through Life', but that seemed clumsy. Or maybe we'll ignore the 'ad' until it's written out. Yeah, I know, I really ponder the big ideas.
Yesterday I shocked my neighbors by doing something I don't do nearly often enough: I cut my grass. (In my defense, my life seems to come with more than its share of 'gotcha' moments.) It was not actually two-feet high, either, that was just a rumor. At its worst it couldn't have been more than a foot and a half. So as I was hacking my way through the dense undergrowth using a machete, I had plenty of time to think about the new business. (Usually I'm wondering what to make for dinner, or who thought putting Ted Danson on CSI was a good idea.) In these early stages I am doing what I always do with such a project, I nitpick it to death. Is this really a good deal, or isn't it? Before I go all in, I wanna know it's worth it.
My brother had some pointed questions, but I was able to answer them, which was good, but I can come up with plenty of objections of my own. And I do. I find a slightly better price here, or something similar there, and I question. But then I find out that there is more to this that I don't understand, and a light bulb goes off. For example, the trip to St. Maarten turns out to be real. The condo complex is, in reality, a 5 star luxury resort, and Tripadvisor reviews rate it 4.6 out of 5.0, which is astronomically high for them. The rate is less than you could stay at a dump in Memphis. Wowzer.
It started raining but I finished the front yard. My neighbors were thrilled. Dinner was barbeque pizza. I answered the latest questions about the business, but I still have no idea why Ted Danson is joining CSI.
Yesterday I shocked my neighbors by doing something I don't do nearly often enough: I cut my grass. (In my defense, my life seems to come with more than its share of 'gotcha' moments.) It was not actually two-feet high, either, that was just a rumor. At its worst it couldn't have been more than a foot and a half. So as I was hacking my way through the dense undergrowth using a machete, I had plenty of time to think about the new business. (Usually I'm wondering what to make for dinner, or who thought putting Ted Danson on CSI was a good idea.) In these early stages I am doing what I always do with such a project, I nitpick it to death. Is this really a good deal, or isn't it? Before I go all in, I wanna know it's worth it.
My brother had some pointed questions, but I was able to answer them, which was good, but I can come up with plenty of objections of my own. And I do. I find a slightly better price here, or something similar there, and I question. But then I find out that there is more to this that I don't understand, and a light bulb goes off. For example, the trip to St. Maarten turns out to be real. The condo complex is, in reality, a 5 star luxury resort, and Tripadvisor reviews rate it 4.6 out of 5.0, which is astronomically high for them. The rate is less than you could stay at a dump in Memphis. Wowzer.
It started raining but I finished the front yard. My neighbors were thrilled. Dinner was barbeque pizza. I answered the latest questions about the business, but I still have no idea why Ted Danson is joining CSI.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Hey, I've stayed there!
I know this second post is close to the first, but there may be times when there are long gaps in entries. I send my brother, Master Skeptic that he is, the video to watch, but he won't have a chance until later. In the meantime, he beat me up with every conceivable objection and, much to my surprise, I was able to answer. Wowzer!
Then, just playing around, I did some searching in Vienna and found the hotel we stayed at when were visited there in 2006. Strange, I never even knew its name. The Hotel Embassy. It was great, too. Anyway, I found the listed room rate and compared it to others. They were all about the same, which I thought was terrific, since ours has a concierge that can deal with any problems that might arise, thus providing more value. Okay then, so far, so good.
Then, just playing around, I did some searching in Vienna and found the hotel we stayed at when were visited there in 2006. Strange, I never even knew its name. The Hotel Embassy. It was great, too. Anyway, I found the listed room rate and compared it to others. They were all about the same, which I thought was terrific, since ours has a concierge that can deal with any problems that might arise, thus providing more value. Okay then, so far, so good.
In the beginning, there was skepticism.
According to the experts at the new company with which we are dealing, I should not be writing this blog. What we are doing is too complicated for a lot of people to understand without a formal presentation, and I have to admit there is something to this line of thinking. It's easy to describe in a soundbite, but not to describe accurately. There's a lot to it. But I'm writing the blog anyway, as that's what I do: I write. And when I write, I call it like I see it. No snow jobs, no BS, just what I perceive as the truth.
Having said all that, are you ready to rock?
Around the end of July Kathy called and said she was meeting with Thomas about a new business venture. Oh great, I said. Just what we need, something else to spend our time on. What was it this time?
As things turned out it was a business venture centered on travel. It took us a little while to clear enough time to really start looking into this, and that time for me started last Thursday when I finally found time to see the presentation. Then I followed that up with a meeting later that night. It was all very interesting and I was becoming convinced. The worst part was that if this did not turn out to be a bad idea, or a scam, then I would have to admit Kathy was right. After 33 years of marriage, that's not always easy.
But this was just the start of things. This blog is the next step. See, I'm a natural skeptic, some might even say cynic, but certainly a skeptic. I was up until midnight just last night trying to shoot holes in this new business of ours, trying to find legitimate criticisms on the net; I found criticisms, but very few of them sounded legitimate. Being a skeptic is a two-way street, and a lot of these sounded like competitors trying to run down the competition. You see this on Amazon.com all the time, where the author may ghost-write a favorable review of his book, but a rival may ghost-write a negative one. So, if I'm going to be skeptical of the company, I'm also going to be skeptical of the critics. I have seen this before, you see, people bashing something they don't like, and without a lot of merit. While researching an online school for a Master's Degree I read posts that were virtually identical to those I saw last night, making me wonder if there is a professional class of bashers out there who earn their living trashing new ideas and companies.
But I digress.
I found some critics, but I found a lot more accolades. So then I searched for price comparisons with the usual travel sites: Orbitz, hotels.com, expedia, etc. And I was surprised again. Sometimes they were cheaper, but sometimes we were cheaper. So now I'm ready to move on and find out whether this whole thing was the best idea we've had in decades, or the worst. Stay tuned.
Bill
PS: We're still designing the blog so if anyone has any comments about the layout, or the colors, like the color the text being easy or hard to read, please let us know. Thanks!
Having said all that, are you ready to rock?
Around the end of July Kathy called and said she was meeting with Thomas about a new business venture. Oh great, I said. Just what we need, something else to spend our time on. What was it this time?
As things turned out it was a business venture centered on travel. It took us a little while to clear enough time to really start looking into this, and that time for me started last Thursday when I finally found time to see the presentation. Then I followed that up with a meeting later that night. It was all very interesting and I was becoming convinced. The worst part was that if this did not turn out to be a bad idea, or a scam, then I would have to admit Kathy was right. After 33 years of marriage, that's not always easy.
But this was just the start of things. This blog is the next step. See, I'm a natural skeptic, some might even say cynic, but certainly a skeptic. I was up until midnight just last night trying to shoot holes in this new business of ours, trying to find legitimate criticisms on the net; I found criticisms, but very few of them sounded legitimate. Being a skeptic is a two-way street, and a lot of these sounded like competitors trying to run down the competition. You see this on Amazon.com all the time, where the author may ghost-write a favorable review of his book, but a rival may ghost-write a negative one. So, if I'm going to be skeptical of the company, I'm also going to be skeptical of the critics. I have seen this before, you see, people bashing something they don't like, and without a lot of merit. While researching an online school for a Master's Degree I read posts that were virtually identical to those I saw last night, making me wonder if there is a professional class of bashers out there who earn their living trashing new ideas and companies.
But I digress.
I found some critics, but I found a lot more accolades. So then I searched for price comparisons with the usual travel sites: Orbitz, hotels.com, expedia, etc. And I was surprised again. Sometimes they were cheaper, but sometimes we were cheaper. So now I'm ready to move on and find out whether this whole thing was the best idea we've had in decades, or the worst. Stay tuned.
Bill
PS: We're still designing the blog so if anyone has any comments about the layout, or the colors, like the color the text being easy or hard to read, please let us know. Thanks!
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