Pants on the ground… pants on the ground….

Unless you have been living in a cave for the last few weeks, you have heard this saying over and over…. and if you are like me, you can’t get rid of it from ringing inbetween my ears. Yes, Pants on the ground was the brilliant-stupid-moment of the year and has taken on a life of it’s own.

So what can I learn from this? That your message needs to be something  simple and easy to remember, presented with passion.It will leave a lasting impression…. like the video above has with you.

So what are you saying to people? Do you speak with passion? Do you keep it simple? Do you have energy? Just a quick tip, record yourself (most computers have built in audio recorders, as do some cell phones).

Remember, people will ask themselves “Can I do what they do?” Show them they can.

Now, go watch the video and learn from the General. You can thank me later.

Donna

How many sardines can you squish together?

I was having drinks the other night with a friend at her house on the beach.  A few weeks earlier she hosted a party to announce she was running for a political office. We were recapping the success of the party. The room was packed, I mean sardine squished, and the room itself was rather large. She was overwhelmed that night with the outpouring of love and support; it was a very humbling experience for her.  She had so many people there, that we barely had time to say hi to each other as droves of people were wanting to wish her well and shake her hand. It was electric. Trish is going to make a fine Judge and I’m so excited for her!

Back on the sofa are her place,  I said something  that has stuck with me since…. I said “That room was a direct reflection of the relationships you have made with those people”.

It was apparent that those people took her seriously, they were there for no other reason that to show their support. Of course it is overwhelming.It caused me to think of our business and how I refer to it as a “people” business. People join you in your home business as a result of YOU. Not your product or service, they could call anyone in your company for that matter.

So it poses the question, “How is the health of your relationships with your people?”

If you invited them to a party, would they show up?
If you called them on the phone, would they answer or let it ring to voicemail?
If you asked for their help, would they offer it?

I believe if you answer honestly, you will see a direct coralation between the health of your business and the health of your relationships…. if you business is growing, you have great relationships with your leadership, your new distributors, and your support team. If your business is stagnant, you probably have medium or o.k. relationships with your leadership, support team and distributors. If your business is going backwards, my guess is you have some work to do with those relationships; they are probably strained, perhaps some trust and respect has been lost between you and whomever.

But the good news is….your relationship with someone is a moving energy.

The bad news is…. your relationship with someone is a moving energy.

Whatever the health is TODAY, will change tomorrow. It could get better or worse. This is when I look at the Slight Edge Philosophy. Doing something positive every day, something small even, consistently over time, will make a huge positive impact.

So, call your leadership, one at  a time, tell them how much you appreciate them.
Take responsibility if you have failed at maintaining the relationship.

Most importantly, just make the call.  Become a champion of your people and watch the overall health of those relationships grow stronger and stronger.

What are some other ways you maintain or make better your relationships? Leave a comment, love to hear about it!

Until next time,
Donna

Danggone it… he was right.

So my life has been quite hectic lately.  The holidays were a blur, I was really sick for a few days, and then the kids were out of school… to top it all off, my mother broke her arm and is staying with us. I haven’t had much time for myself, let alone my businesses. I would be lying if I said it was all ok. I’m stressed and overwhelmed. I’m sure you have no idea what being overwhelmed is like…. (that was my poor attempt at sarcasm)

I started to think today why my life seems so insane and busy and why I don’t have much peace. As I was finally putting away my Christmas gifts, I came across a book my husband bought me, Joel Osteen’s “It’s Your Time”…. ha! what time?! I thought.

I took the book and opened it up and two hours later I put it down. I felt calm and happy. Because I took the time from my crazy schedule to do something that used to be important to me. Personal Development. THAT was what was missing from my life during the holidays. I used to make it a priority to read at least 15 pages every day. I felt that was my way of putting me first, doing that little thing, enlightening myself through the wisdom of others… would make me a better person. And it did. Why did I stop? Because I read the books, and heard the tapes, watched the videos… and thought I knew it all? Maybe, but I think a better and more honest answer was personal development just wasn’t important to me anymore (at least it was a priority to me anymore).

A few days ago I was cleaning out my junk inbox and found an invitation to do Jim Rohn’s One Year Challenge. I get those quite often and usually just delete them. I love Jim Rohn and subscribe to Success Magazine already… like I said, I read the books, watched the videos, heck I teach and mentor others. Those invites must not be meant for me. But with the passing of Jim a few weeks ago, seems obligatory to read an email from his office.

The last thing I wanted to do is add another task to my life. I didn’t want to do add anything else to my plate, in fact, I was trying to find ways to clear some things off.  But I read that email a few times. Slowly I realized that this one year plan would help keep me focused and motivated and encourage me to bring back the one principal that I had been missing; discipline.

I signed up. And the homework started and I found the time, even in my crazy schedule, to do it. And you know what? It felt fantastic! Even if I heard the material a hundred times, the act of doing it, of making it important again felt wonderful.

Personal development is a journey, it is a ride and a destination. It isn’t a skill you learn and just check off your list of acquired abilities. That was my “a-ha” moment!  I remember Jim Rohn saying things like “work on yourself more than your job” and “the more you work on yourself the more money you will make” and yes, he also said “personal development is a journey”.

The world lost Mr. Rohn a few weeks ago, and I consider program a wonderful gift he left to me. I can only grow from it. Imagine a program that only had positive benefits.

So here is the link. I don’t make any money from this link, it is straight to his website. Join me. Let’s work it together. Discipline is something I’m constantly working on when it comes to myself.

Todd Smith, one of my earliest mentors, used to say “Discipline is doing what you need to do when you don’t want to do it”. And in my insane life, I realized he was right. I’m glad I didn’t delete that email from Jim Rohn.

3 Simple Steps To Land on Common Ground

My background is as a Paralegal. I stumbled into that profession when I was 20 years old and I have to admit, I loved it. My dream growing up was that I wanted to be an attorney and heck, during my career as a Paralegal, I knew more than many attorneys.  At one point, even though I loved being a Paralegal, I became bored. I wasn’t challenged anymore. Financially, I was capped in my field. My head smashed that glass ceiling so hard I got a concussion. I remember that I was faced with the literal fork in the road; mortgage everything and go to law school, or start my own business where I could make as much money as I wanted. So I thought it over, prayed over my choice, and talked to my family. The rest is history and I believe I made the right choice.

So what is the point? I remember when I thought I ran out of people to prospect and approach about my business, I panicked. Until my husband said something to me that changed my thinking…. “Donna, I’m sure you are not the only Paralegal that was frustrated with their career. You need to find them.”

And there is was. The answer.

The “Common Market”.  The common market is found somewhere between the icy cold market, and the warm market of family and friends.  These are the niche group of people that you already have a common bond with, something that ties you together. You may not know them yet, you haven’t met. But when you talk to them, doors will open slightly based on the common principles you both share.

So when you say you don’t have anyone to talk too… dig deep and step back to see what is right in front of you.

1. Decide what your common market target will be. Make a list of your interests, your hobbies, your past and current affiliations; your schools and employers.  Start with the niche that made you the happiest, where you found the most satisfaction. Maybe you were a nurse? Maybe you belonged to a knitting club?

2. Do some easy research. Get creative and start brainstorming.

• Check for local directories or membership associations in that common market. Most careers have membership associations. Most clubs have membership directories. Order the directory which contains all the names, phone numbers and addresses of their members.
• Check for industry trade magazines.
• Conduct a google business search, or local yahoo search for that field of interest. Search GTE online as well, using the business directory.
• Grab your local yellow pages and see what is in your target section.
• Do a quick search on social communities like FaceBook, MySpace and even Twitter. Find others than share your common interest or belonged to your professional or club.

3. Once you get your list together, you have to do some kind of sorting. You can email, use direct mail or if appropriate give them a quick call. Remember your goal is to introduce yourself and CONNECT with them, NOT to vomit all over them with information they didn’t ask for.

Have fun exploring the common market. Be the inspiration to those that are interested. Share with them your story and watch your business grow.

Until later,
Donna

Happy New Year Everyone…

It is that time of year, when we can’t wait to clean up after the holidays and with much anticipation we can’t wait to get the new year started.  If you are like me, you have spent the last few days pondering 2009… what was great and what, well, sucked about it. Thinking about what you could have, should have or would have done. Then you swear you won’t have any of those regrets in the new year.

It is like we get a magical clean slate at midnight on Jan 1st isn’t it? I would like to think so. Not a do-over, but a new-do. You get another blessed opportunity to do it again.

So, what would you like to have a new-do in 2010? May I suggest you DON”T make any of those stupid new year resolutions…. have you ever kept a single one? Well, that may be a clue about why they don’t work. Instead, write out a vision for 2010.  Put some serious thought into this. Then when your vision is clear, write out goals to help you achieve your vision.

Happy New Year everyone, 2010 looks bright and shiny… but every new slate does