You are invited to register FREE to attend Transformation 2012 on Saturday, Feb 18.
I will be teaching a break-out session on The Call to Entrepreneurship: How Do I Birth the Dream?

I am  honored to be in the company of Lance Wallnau, Os Hillman, Johnny Enlow and a host of leaders I admire for this Virtual Conference.
You will leave this jam-packed day with fresh vision, clarity of purpose and a revelation of your destiny. Registration for one-day attendance is FREE. Premium tickets for 90 day access to all material are only $30. Register Here 

See you there!

I may have owned my first business for 5 years before I learned to spell my name. Entrepreneur. It’s a little hard to even pronounce since it was first coined by the French economist, Jean-Baptiste, in the early 19th century defining  “one who undertakes an enterprise, especially a contractor, acting as intermediatory between capital and labour”.

I’ve sometimes jokingly referred to myself as a “serial entreprenuer”, seeing as I have had ownership in multiple businesses for years and am not averse to new ideas. (My latest launch is a niche market that combines my business consulting with my internet marketing background, VirtualLawConsulting.com.)

I came across some awesome descriptions of entrepreneurship, posted by students and friends of the #1 college in entrepreneurship education as rated by U.S. News & World Report for the past 18 years, Babson College.

 Entrepreneurship is…

The process of managing and leading change.

Entrepreneurship is spontaneus creativity in the form of passionate pursuit for a unique purpose without any concern of resources that you currently have.

A student from Mexico says, “It’s a way of life where you drive your own future and the future of our world.”

Entrepreneurship is character to innovate what exists and create what does not.

Entrepreneurship is having a relentless passion and the guts to pursue it.

Entrepreneurship is a pursuit of opportunity and exploration of the unknown to create value.

An entrepreneur is a business designer who sees what there is and what could be.

Entrepreneurship is a combination of risk taking and inventive capabilities, while constantly producing and inspiring.

Entrepreneurship is the act of aspiring, perspiring and inspiring!

“Entrepreneurship is an art of identifying opportunities and steering them to your advantage by employing creative, innovative and practical approach in your businesses”, offered by a graduate student from Pakistan.

My favorite definition comes from an entreprenuer in India:

Entrepreneurship means creating value. Value to customers, value to employees, value to stake-holders and finally value to yourself. The day you believe you can create value, become an entrepreneur.

This year’s digital distraction snuck in over the holidays. Online Scrabble – Words with Friends.  Aye yi  yi, I love scrabble and this is pretty addictive. (Don’t say I didn’t warn you and I beg you – do NOT send me an invitation to play.)

My justification in continuing to play is that leaders are readers and that vocabulary-building is a valuable exercise. Are you buying it?

I’ve also been reminded of my competitive streak. I’ve been known to say I’m not competitive but I’m not sure that’s true. I really like to win. (Don’t we all? I mean who LIKES to lose?!)   I have one competitor (my son-in-law) that has beaten me soundly in every game.  But there’s something predictable that happens when you don’t give up – I’m learning from his strategies and he’s pushing me to become a better player.

Hanging around people that are more skilled than you are is a good thing.  If you choose to hang around people who aren’t at the level you want to be, it could possibly make you look a little better. (But to whom, I might ask!)  Rubbing shoulders with people who challenge you and call you up to a higher level has a pain of its own,  but the result is growth. I’d rather struggle, lose and get up to try again than settle for the status quo.

You’re move.

The key to winning and getting progressively better faster was investing time, learning from others and strategizing. There were numerous opponents whose sole purpose was to block your advancement. And so it is with life.

Have you taken the time to really understand the strategies of your adversaries? Or to back it up to basics, are you aware of who your adversaries are?

In the world of business, challenges can take many forms, but my observation is the two main deterrents to success are not obvious. Typically, they are not tangible things like lack of capital or competition. For most, the biggest obstacles are within us and are embedded in our thoughts.

Evil twins that make great men stumble bear the names Pride and Greed. The forms they come in sometimes appear innocuous, but they have deep roots that have cracked many foundations, causing individuals as well as large organizations to fail.

Recognizing, identifying and routing destructive mindsets is mandatory to building sustainable success yet most dismiss the thought of strategically guarding and strengthening the most important asset in your organization – the hearts and minds of people.

What have you done today to strengthen your heart? I daresay that scheduling such an exercise is just as necessary as a cardio workout is for physical vitality.

I’m on a mission to show you what that looks like. Stay tuned.

As we venture into the second week of a new year, I challenge you to be acutely aware of the power of your words. It costs nothing to speak encouragement to those in your life.

“A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold, in settings of silver.” -Proverbs 25:11

You become a philanthropist as you give out of the abundance of your heart.  Attitude is an aroma; you can be a pleasant fragrance everywhere you go.  And it beats Dolce and Gabanna Light Blue. : )

It better be someone who has what you want. In fact, you need to identify those who have what you want and seek them out.  Go where they are, hang out where they hang out – listen and take notes!

Who is speaking into your life?

We hear a constant barrage everyday from within and without. I laughed the other day when a friend described his internal dialogue as drunken monkey chatter. Oh my. Then there’s the incessant sounds around us. We hear from many – but who do you really listen to? As in, weigh their words, maybe even write them down and give them thoughtful consideration.

Mentoring relationships rarely just happen.  Intentionality pays off.

By the way, free advice (espeically that which is unsolicited) is typically worth exactly what you pay for it. Almost anyone is willing to give you an opinion, but I’ve learned to look into their life and see if they have what I want in the area they are advising me on. Fact is, if you think like they think, you’ll get what they’ve got.

You can set goals all day (and I’m a huge advocate of goal setting) but there’s a time – and it’s NOW – to get up out of your chair and go where the action is. You are changed by the people you surround yourself with, for better or for worse, so choose wisely.

Now here’s a thought; if you could get sound advice from someone who knows the future, is powerful, well-connected,  100% invested in your success and loves you without measure, wouldn’t you want to listen to them? Yea, me too. That would be God Himself. And He wants to talk to you and give you downloads that will make you shine. Sometimes we just don’t take time to listen. Or build the right relationships.

I’m listening. I’m building.

P.S. Clay Shiver is one of the people that I listen to. He drips wisdom when he talks (seasoned with hilarity if you’re around him long enough) and he’s going to be sharing ” 7 Steps to Growing the Anointing on Your Life”. Tuesday, January 10th – This will be an hour you want to hear.

The Float Approach to Stress Management…. Life Saving 101 from BeverlySpeaks.com

Overwhelmed people stop. Your team deserves encouragement and strength training so they can stay paced and on purpose. Let’s make it happen.

Rip currents are deadly because people panic and often drown from the exhaustion of fighting the current. As a Florida native, I’ve been schooled from an early age about what to do if you get caught in a rip current. The key is to go with the flow. If possible, floating on top of the water is the best action to take.

Some wonder about that logic, since the current is a fast flow to deep waters. But the key is, once you are out of the current, you can swim horizontally to avoid the current and get back to shore. The sad thing about fear and panic is they typically override logic.

The connection is clear when this concept is applied to stress management, so I teach a program called the “FLOAT” Approach to Stress. The principles are timeless, yet they bear repeating since stress still kills – deceptive bugger that it is. I’ll be back Thursday with a video and 5 strategies that will sail your boat. Even if you’re not a strong swimmer, I’ll teach you how to FLOAT!

Yes, it’s true that you have the power to fire employees. (And then there’s always the volunteers you only WISH you could fire!)

The reality is that if you’ve resorted to threats and punitive measures to “motivate” your team, you’re not a leader, you’re a dictator. History tells us dictators don’t build productive, happy teams that are sustainable.

I have a two word assessment for you. Provoke or Rebuke. What’s it going to be?

In the original meaning of these words, provoke means to ” call forth, challenge”. Rebuke means to “repel, beat back”. It’s pretty clear that to provoke creates a forward motion and stirs people to action. A rebuke does quite the opposite.

The etymology lesson is over and I’ll tell you the story behind this post. I was rebuked last week by someone who “had my best interests in mind.” This person was trying to motivate me to do something by being critical. You can guess what my reaction was. No action. Instead of going forward, I pulled back.

So, next time you’re tempted to pull rank as a way to get people moving in the right direction, consider the fact that you’re leading an army of volunteers. Motivating the team is one of the virtues of a good leader. And when it comes to followers, they’re all volunteers.

But more important is the wisdom she shares.  I listened to my grandmother…she died 2 years ago at 103. So it’s with Lou Lou in mind that I pass along this advice.

1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone.

8. It’s OK to get angry.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time some time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.

35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

So now I’m in Regina’s 7%. Pass it on.