Life is not
easy. The world is a vicious, brutal place. It’s a place where people are
looking to knock you. If not physically, then mentally. In the world that
we live in every day it is usually the mental challenge. People are looking to
put you down, especially if you are on top.
It is
important to think positively. Negative thinking, especially about yourself and
about your prospects for success, will kill your focus and destroy any chance
you have of being successful.
Do not let a
situation lure you into thinking negatively, sometimes you will fails, but you
will learn for the next time. Every time a negative thought comes at you, zap
it. Replace it with a positive thought. That takes energy, but the result will
be stamina, positive stamina, a necessary ingredient for success.
When I was a
kid, I noticed that the weakest were always trying knocking the fastest. As a
kid, I never understood it. Why would anyone to go after the fastest? That
is the way it is in real life. You have to know how to defend yourself. People
will be nasty and try to take you down just for fun. There are many bad
people out there who want to take you for every penny you have. If you are
stupid and gullible it is only a matter of time before someone takes your
money. So watch your step and pay attention.
Build a team
immersed in your vision
"For
me, it's more than just hiring experienced people. It's important to
demonstrate the type of organization we want to be," says Mike Mondello,
president of SeaBear, which supplies fresh and smoked wild salmon directly to
consumers. To bring to life the vision of building a seafood brand based on
world-class, sustainable wild salmon, Mondello used a team meeting to showcase
a fisherman whose way of catching fish resulted in a better end product.
Come up with
innovative ways to solve problems
Necessity
really is the mother of invention. Just ask Robin Brocklesby of Creative
Coverings, which rents specialty linens for formal events. When customers were
having difficulty returning the linens they had rented, Brocklesby turned to
UPS for a creative solution. The result was out-of-the box innovation: Return
the linens in specially designed bags (with an estimated life span of 300 uses)
rather than larger boxes.
Expect the
best from people. Very often they will rise to the challenge, and it is
important to instill in their confidence to go along with the challenge. Give
people the opportunity to excel.
Without that
opportunity, how will they shine? Also, do not limit their abilities according
to their positions or titles. People should not be underestimated. Give
them a chance, be the catalyst for their success. That way, everyone wins.
Remember, you are not living in an ideal world. People are not perfect and some
of them are outright vicious. Hire the best people you can find, but do not
trust them. Create a work environment where you reward good people for doing
good work and for being loyal to you and your company. Be demanding of people
and they will rise to the occasion. Do not be too hard when they make mistakes,
everyone makes mistakes. Always be willing to give someone who wants to do
better a second chance.
Did you know
that, according to the Small Business Administration, only a third of new
businesses survive 10 years or more? What can you do to make your small
business one of the thrives? To find out, we asked entrepreneurs who have
succeeded.
Love what
you do
The road to
success is a hard one. But, according to Lisa King, owner of Brownie Points
Inc., which sells gourmet brownies and holiday gift baskets, it's a lot easier
if you're passionate about your business's purpose. "If you don't [love
what you do], it's hard to be successful," she says. She adds that this
helps you stay positive: "You need to maintain your optimism. Once it's
gone, you're done."
Create a
delightful customer experience
Several
components come together to win customers, and everyone at the company needs to
know their own role in retaining customers. "It's mission critical that
everyone on our team understands how they fit into the brand and what they
bring to the value chain that delivers a successful customer experience,"
Mondello says.
King notes
that shipping plays a vital role in her customers' experience, particularly
since Brownie Points provides a perishable product. "You need to know that
you're partnering with someone who can manage your shipments and make sure your
packages arrive on time," she says.
Quickly
learn from your mistakes
Mistakes are
inevitable. The key is to learn from them - fast. A decade ago during the
holidays, SeaBear outsourced its call center. Customer orders were soon riddled
with errors. "When a customer had a need outside the norm, the call center
couldn't handle it with the customer care our own professionals could,"
Mondello recalls. The solution? SeaBear immediately stopped outsourcing and
personally contacted all the customers who were negatively affected. Also, the
company has learned to test any new process during a quiet time of the year.
Rely on
people smarter than you
You can't
know and do everything. You must rely on others. "Surround yourself with
people who know more than you do," King advises. "I was a
schoolteacher [prior to going into business] and there were a lot of things I
had to learn," she recalls. To fill in the gap, King selected vendors or
has hired people who had the knowledge or skills she lacked.
Never
sacrifice quality
"The
key to the success of any business is to establish a philosophy and have
everyone in the business buy into it," says Larry Sweet, founder and
president of Save-A-Load Inc. The company manufacturers load bars for truckers
and delivery companies for the cargo area to hold items in place during
transport. Sweet's philosophy of putting quality first has resulted in
double-digit revenue growth since the company's founding in 1993. The
manufacturer stands behind its product quality by providing a lifetime warranty
and relying on UPS to deliver its best-in-class product to customers worldwide.
“Don't cry
because it's over, smile because it happened.”- Dr. Seuss
“I'm
selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control
and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you
sure as hell don't deserve me at my best.”- Marilyn Monroe
“In three
words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.”- Robert
Frost
“It does not
do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”- J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer's Stone
“This life
is what you make it. No matter what, you're going to mess up sometimes, it's a
universal truth. But the good part is you get to decide how you're going to
mess it up. Girls will be your friends - they'll act like it anyway. But just
remember, some come, some go. The ones that stay with you through everything -
they're your true best friends. Don't let go of them. Also remember, sisters
make the best friends in the world. As for lovers, well, they'll come and go
too. And baby, I hate to say it, most of them - actually pretty much all of
them are going to break your heart, but you can't give up because if you give
up, you'll never find your soulmate. You'll never find that half who makes you
whole and that goes for everything. Just because you fail once, doesn't mean
you're gonna fail at everything. Keep trying, hold on, and always, always,
always believe in yourself, because if you don't, then who will, sweetie? So
keep your head high, keep your chin up, and most importantly, keep smiling,
because life's a beautiful thing and there's so much to smile about.”- Marilyn
Monroe
Find Your
Passion
You have to
love what you do or you are never going to be successful no matter what you do
in life. If you love what you do, you are going to work harder, you are going
to try harder, you are going to be better at it, and you are going to enjoy
your life more.
Rich people
are rich because they solve difficult problems. Some are good at what they do
and some are terrible and overpaid.
The key
points are pride yourself on your ability to find creative solutions to tough
problems. Be friend with the best people, and do not trust them.
Think about
what you can produce or what service you can offer that is valuable and useful
to people and to your community. What needs to be improved? What can be done in
a better or more efficient way? What problem can you solve? What needs can you
fulfill? Most importantly, what will you have fun doing?
If you want
to do a thing in life, then you need monumental enthusiasm and passion. To be
done right, every job requires passion.
"Donald Trump".
"Donald Trump".