My apologies for the shortened post today but, if you've ever read Malcolm Gladwell you may have come across the concept of working 10,000 hours before you become an expert at a field of knowledge.
I was amazed and inspired to come across this video of Zach Galifianakis and Ken Jeong - two of the funniest comedians out there right now. Back from 1998 when they were for lack of better term - "nobodies" and doing comedy for free at this Open mic night in L.A.
Both have been in numerous films, sit-coms and other credits under their belts now but, back in 1998 they were nobodies - thank God they kept working on their craft:
If you haven't heard of them - you should rent a very funy movie called The Hangover - both are in it.
See the original:
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Thank you for the 4,000!
I just recently hit 4,000 views and I couldn't have done it without your help.
Thank you for reading.
P.S. - 5,000 views ...your next.
Thank you for reading.
P.S. - 5,000 views ...your next.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Thought for Thursday - Evolution of the Handshake
The Handshake - It's a custom originally started in the 2nd century B.C. as a way for knights and other strangers to prove they weren't looking to kill someone they did not know.
Eventually up until the mid 1900's it was considered a proof of a bond or an agreement. That kind of went out the window though (in America anyway) as we became more and more litigious.
Now the handshake is a symbolic greeting and sign of respect. For some others it can be considered barometer for self worth.
But at the very least it's proof you're not ready to kill or harm your neighbor.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Book Review: Spark & Hustle - By Tory Johnson
I really enjoyed this book.
Tory Johnson, a name I was unfamiliar with until I came across her book in the library is apparently a phenomenal businesswoman.
She has done PR for both ABC and NBC news and puts on different workshops and conferences across the country catered toward women. Had I known this book was intended for women I would've likely put it down. But, after reading the first few pages - packed with insight and inspiration I figured I had a duty to finish it.
This book is definitely meant for the person looking to start their own business as a bootstrapper. She gives quite a few tips on how to start a new business without going too deeply into debt and then peppers every other page with advice and insight from other entrepreneurs in other fields.
I can't really think of anything the author "needs to work on" in order to make this a better book. I thoroughly enjoyed it and may have to put it on my oft-read book shelf.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
7 Game-changers: don't play the game - just change it.
There is so much to be said of Game-changers - these are people that are admired by millions, including myself, and not always in a state of admiration at the exact time that they are changing the game.
1. Socrates (469 BC – 399 BC) -
He created the Socratic method and basically founded western philosophy. Before Socrates most didn't question authority. After Socrates people began to realize that sometimes those in power don't always have the best answers.
2. Jesus (1 AD - 33 AD) -
Despite your religious tradition. It's hard to argue that an individual by the name of Jesus had some impact on the world we now live in about 2,000 years ago. Rumor has it that his opinions of helping the needy and the downtrodden was not that popular among the Pharisees and Sadducees of his day. I'll leave it open to debate though whether his Gnostic followers, Catholic followers or Protestant followers have the right opinion of him.
3. Alexander Graham Bell (March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) -
Although there's definitely some controversy about whether he really created his most famous invention - the telephone - or stole the idea. Alexander Graham Bell was an inventor at his best, innovator at the very least. In a time where telegraph's were all the rage the telephone came along and did a number on Western Union similar to the number email is doing to the U.S. Postal service today.
4. Ayn Rand - (February 2 1905 – March 6, 1982) -
Q: How you create a super-capitalist , ultra-individualist philosopher?
A: Get a few communists to shut down your father's successful pharmacy at pivotal stage during your early childhood.
If you've never read an Ayn Rand book you are in for a treat and I can guarantee you one thing: you will either love them or hate them. Rand created the 20th century philosophy called Objectivism. More or less it is the philosophy of the self-interest.
I personally love her novels and think her disciple and former lover Nathaniel Branden is by far the best psychotherapist in the world right now. If you're looking for a novel to fire you up and/or piss you off you should read Atlas Shrugged* today. If you're looking for a non-fiction book to "get your mind right" you should read Nathaniel Branden's Six pillars of self-esteem.
5. Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) -
If you've been under a rock for the past decade you might not have heard of a once small company called Apple. The Ipod, Iphone and Ipad would not exist without the prodding and strong driving personality that was Steve Jobs. But before he revolutionized the music and digital publishing industries, He actually helped start the personal computer industry. And if his biography is any indication, he did it mainly to prove to his birth father it was a mistake to give him up for adoption - If you're up there Mr. Jobs - I believe you proved your point with massive success.
6. Todd McFarlane (b. March 16, 1961 - )
This name is likely unfamiliar to you unless you happen to be a geek, nerd, Blerd (like me) and/or enjoy comic books (which some would argue would put you in one of the first three categories but, whose judging right?) . Anyway, Todd McFarlane is the creator of the Spawn comicbook series but he also changed the game was the McFarlane Toys line which came on to the toy scene at a time when cheaply made action figures were quickly spray-painted and sometimes had details like eyes or badges weren't even painted at all.
McFarlane changed the game by creating action figures that are literally pieces of art. The figures were so detailed and so realistic that adults began collecting the figures simply for the quality as opposed to the previous market which was focused strictly on their original use children's playthings. To give you an idea of the difference - here is an example of two Batman figures
Before McFarlane came on the scene:
and After
Notice any difference?
7. Elon Musk: (b. June 28, 1971)
Of all the living entrepreneurs that inspire me to be more creative and innovative each and every day Elon Musk is definitely within the top 3 ( possibly top 2). Not only has he revolutionized the way we pay for things through the company he founded just over a decade ago - you might've heard of it, it's called Paypal - He's also looked to the stars with his Company SpaceX and more recently to the open road with his innovative electric car company Tesla.
Although there's a rumor that he has very little patience for chit chat, he seems to be hell bent on not only changing the world but changing it for the better ...or die trying.
Obviously this list may be leaving out a few of your own personal favorite game changing individuals. (Martin Luther King & Barack Obama come to mind) Feel free to use the comments below to tell me who I missed and why you feel they "changed the game" so to speak.
1. Socrates (469 BC – 399 BC) -
 |
| Socrates bust from - Wikipedia.com |
2. Jesus (1 AD - 33 AD) -
 |
| Jesus - from americanjesus.net |
Despite your religious tradition. It's hard to argue that an individual by the name of Jesus had some impact on the world we now live in about 2,000 years ago. Rumor has it that his opinions of helping the needy and the downtrodden was not that popular among the Pharisees and Sadducees of his day. I'll leave it open to debate though whether his Gnostic followers, Catholic followers or Protestant followers have the right opinion of him.
3. Alexander Graham Bell (March 3, 1847 – August 2, 1922) -
Although there's definitely some controversy about whether he really created his most famous invention - the telephone - or stole the idea. Alexander Graham Bell was an inventor at his best, innovator at the very least. In a time where telegraph's were all the rage the telephone came along and did a number on Western Union similar to the number email is doing to the U.S. Postal service today.
4. Ayn Rand - (February 2 1905 – March 6, 1982) -
 |
| Ayn Rand - wikipedia.com |
Q: How you create a super-capitalist , ultra-individualist philosopher?
A: Get a few communists to shut down your father's successful pharmacy at pivotal stage during your early childhood.
If you've never read an Ayn Rand book you are in for a treat and I can guarantee you one thing: you will either love them or hate them. Rand created the 20th century philosophy called Objectivism. More or less it is the philosophy of the self-interest.
I personally love her novels and think her disciple and former lover Nathaniel Branden is by far the best psychotherapist in the world right now. If you're looking for a novel to fire you up and/or piss you off you should read Atlas Shrugged* today. If you're looking for a non-fiction book to "get your mind right" you should read Nathaniel Branden's Six pillars of self-esteem.
5. Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011) -
 |
| Steve Jobs - Wikipedia.com |
If you've been under a rock for the past decade you might not have heard of a once small company called Apple. The Ipod, Iphone and Ipad would not exist without the prodding and strong driving personality that was Steve Jobs. But before he revolutionized the music and digital publishing industries, He actually helped start the personal computer industry. And if his biography is any indication, he did it mainly to prove to his birth father it was a mistake to give him up for adoption - If you're up there Mr. Jobs - I believe you proved your point with massive success.
6. Todd McFarlane (b. March 16, 1961 - )
 |
| Todd McFarlane - wikipedia.com |
This name is likely unfamiliar to you unless you happen to be a geek, nerd, Blerd (like me) and/or enjoy comic books (which some would argue would put you in one of the first three categories but, whose judging right?) . Anyway, Todd McFarlane is the creator of the Spawn comicbook series but he also changed the game was the McFarlane Toys line which came on to the toy scene at a time when cheaply made action figures were quickly spray-painted and sometimes had details like eyes or badges weren't even painted at all.
McFarlane changed the game by creating action figures that are literally pieces of art. The figures were so detailed and so realistic that adults began collecting the figures simply for the quality as opposed to the previous market which was focused strictly on their original use children's playthings. To give you an idea of the difference - here is an example of two Batman figures
Before McFarlane came on the scene:
and After
Of all the living entrepreneurs that inspire me to be more creative and innovative each and every day Elon Musk is definitely within the top 3 ( possibly top 2). Not only has he revolutionized the way we pay for things through the company he founded just over a decade ago - you might've heard of it, it's called Paypal - He's also looked to the stars with his Company SpaceX and more recently to the open road with his innovative electric car company Tesla.
Although there's a rumor that he has very little patience for chit chat, he seems to be hell bent on not only changing the world but changing it for the better ...or die trying.
Obviously this list may be leaving out a few of your own personal favorite game changing individuals. (Martin Luther King & Barack Obama come to mind) Feel free to use the comments below to tell me who I missed and why you feel they "changed the game" so to speak.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Thought for Thursday: The Underdog that wins
Here in America,
The word "Underdog" has been a celebrated theme since our Nation's birth. We are country that only exists due the fact that a scrappy band of rugged individualists, underdogs (not to mention a few paid and unpaid hands) wanted to break free from the much better funded and better organized British Crown.
When a virtual unknown jumps on to the stage against the world renown...and wins. The world takes notice.
The stories go from biblical times to the story of David and Goliath to more recently when several years back the Harvard women's basketball team became the first #16 seed in NCAA history to topple a #1 seed.
Whatever struggles you're going through right now. If you want to be the person in the number #1 position but you're somewhere near the end of the line, know that the Underdog that wins does not do it by fluke or chance or luck. They do it by determination, belief in themselves and fierce focus to achieve.
As you watch the NCAA tournament this week I'm sure you'll find a few underdog stories and if you're like me - I'll bet you'll be rooting for them just like I will. Who knows there might even be a #16 seed in the men's competition that does the unthinkable - beats a #1 seed today.
How about you? Do you know of good underdog story? Post it in the comments section below.
 |
| Underdog - from the andybarlowblog.com |
The word "Underdog" has been a celebrated theme since our Nation's birth. We are country that only exists due the fact that a scrappy band of rugged individualists, underdogs (not to mention a few paid and unpaid hands) wanted to break free from the much better funded and better organized British Crown.
When a virtual unknown jumps on to the stage against the world renown...and wins. The world takes notice.
The stories go from biblical times to the story of David and Goliath to more recently when several years back the Harvard women's basketball team became the first #16 seed in NCAA history to topple a #1 seed.
Whatever struggles you're going through right now. If you want to be the person in the number #1 position but you're somewhere near the end of the line, know that the Underdog that wins does not do it by fluke or chance or luck. They do it by determination, belief in themselves and fierce focus to achieve.
As you watch the NCAA tournament this week I'm sure you'll find a few underdog stories and if you're like me - I'll bet you'll be rooting for them just like I will. Who knows there might even be a #16 seed in the men's competition that does the unthinkable - beats a #1 seed today.
How about you? Do you know of good underdog story? Post it in the comments section below.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
5 reasons I quit drinking after turning 30
So I realized shortly after turning 30 that drinking every weekend wasn't as productive a lifestyle choice as I had once thought it could be.Graduating from Ohio University - a known party school - didn't really help me brake the habit but after several attempts I finally quit for good (or at least for the past 2 and half years - there's always the potential for a relapse but, I'll hope and pray that never happens).
So as you may be recovering from your St. Patty's day hangover, I'll dare to get a little bit preachy on why you may want to consider cutting out drinking or at least taking an extended brake. And no, this blog post is not sponsored by any major or minor liquor distributor.
Here are five of the reasons I quit drinking once hitting 30 years of age.
1) I realized hangovers are no longer cute - I used to spend every other weekend regretting what I did on Friday or Saturday on Sunday morning. At one point it seemed like I was writing an apology email or in some cases a hand written letter once a month during my stay in Chicago.
Add to that the fact that being hungover when you're in your 20's is completely different from being hungover during your 30's. One of Chris Rock's funniest jokes is about the "old guy in the club"-I don't aspire to be that guy.
2) I learned Billionaires don't really drink - with the exception of maybe Mark Cuban, billionaires like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates don't really imbibe or at least not on a regular basis. Even John D Rockefeller one of the wealthiest people to ever live swore by his teetotaler lifestyle. Now I'm not saying that billionaires are the world's role models by any means but, I will say that a majority of them could be considered smart. Since I aspire to be looked at as at least moderately intelligent one day, I kind of look up to people who are also considered as such.
And even multi-millionaire old guys who do still go to the club like say Russell Simmons don't drink while they're out. They're just there to have a good time.
3) I found courage through more reliable sources - "Liquid courage" is a nickname for alcohol but it's misleading. Courage comes from doing what you know that needs to be done even though you know it's not easy. The only thing that alcohol gives you the courage to say - in my experience - is whatever idea that tumbles into your thought process good or bad because alcohol removes the mental editor that is usually there to stop you from uttering such gems as:
"F**king Jews...the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."
4) I found Meditation:
So about a decade ago I had a major shift in my life and found Eastern Philosophy. I was completely blissed out and didn't need any alcohol for about 6 months and then some major personal issues (let's call it a breakdown) caused me to go back to drinking again and this time a little harder and more pathetic than before.
When about 2.5 years ago I decided to quit cold turkey again I needed something to replace that emptiness that was left from not drinking. I made a commitment to begin meditating more often and found for me that relieved a lot of the stress and anger that I used to relieve with alcohol.
5) I figured out I am in control:
Probably the hardest part for me to continue staying sober was the fact that a majority of my friends still continue to drink. It's hard to hang out with friends when the unspoken idea of hanging out is to grab a beer at the local bar. I conquered this in two ways (so far anyway) one way is by just ordering plain red bull or lemonade or something else - some bartenders snicker a bit but usually they don't give you too much crap. The other way is go out for lunch or brunch with friends and catch up.
By far the most difficult test of my sobriety thus far happened about 2 months after I made the decision to be a teetotaler again. That test was called a very good friend's wedding. There were a lot of friends there, it was in a beautiful location and the bride and grooms goal was to have a big party for all their family and friends. They achieved that with stunning success and an open bar and great music It was so difficult to not just take a sip of beer or a glass of Merlot but, I got through it with water and maybe a lemonade or two.
If you make the decision to be sober after 30 - I can guarantee you, that you will likely have a similar situation where there is so much pressure to drink but if you can find the inner strength to overcome it you'll admire that hot person in the mirror that much more because you'll have proved you're in control.
So as you may be recovering from your St. Patty's day hangover, I'll dare to get a little bit preachy on why you may want to consider cutting out drinking or at least taking an extended brake. And no, this blog post is not sponsored by any major or minor liquor distributor.
Here are five of the reasons I quit drinking once hitting 30 years of age.
1) I realized hangovers are no longer cute - I used to spend every other weekend regretting what I did on Friday or Saturday on Sunday morning. At one point it seemed like I was writing an apology email or in some cases a hand written letter once a month during my stay in Chicago.
Add to that the fact that being hungover when you're in your 20's is completely different from being hungover during your 30's. One of Chris Rock's funniest jokes is about the "old guy in the club"-I don't aspire to be that guy.
2) I learned Billionaires don't really drink - with the exception of maybe Mark Cuban, billionaires like Warren Buffet and Bill Gates don't really imbibe or at least not on a regular basis. Even John D Rockefeller one of the wealthiest people to ever live swore by his teetotaler lifestyle. Now I'm not saying that billionaires are the world's role models by any means but, I will say that a majority of them could be considered smart. Since I aspire to be looked at as at least moderately intelligent one day, I kind of look up to people who are also considered as such.
And even multi-millionaire old guys who do still go to the club like say Russell Simmons don't drink while they're out. They're just there to have a good time.
3) I found courage through more reliable sources - "Liquid courage" is a nickname for alcohol but it's misleading. Courage comes from doing what you know that needs to be done even though you know it's not easy. The only thing that alcohol gives you the courage to say - in my experience - is whatever idea that tumbles into your thought process good or bad because alcohol removes the mental editor that is usually there to stop you from uttering such gems as:
"F**king Jews...the Jews are responsible for all the wars in the world."
 |
| Mel Gibson from Ranker.com |
4) I found Meditation:
So about a decade ago I had a major shift in my life and found Eastern Philosophy. I was completely blissed out and didn't need any alcohol for about 6 months and then some major personal issues (let's call it a breakdown) caused me to go back to drinking again and this time a little harder and more pathetic than before.
When about 2.5 years ago I decided to quit cold turkey again I needed something to replace that emptiness that was left from not drinking. I made a commitment to begin meditating more often and found for me that relieved a lot of the stress and anger that I used to relieve with alcohol.
5) I figured out I am in control:
Probably the hardest part for me to continue staying sober was the fact that a majority of my friends still continue to drink. It's hard to hang out with friends when the unspoken idea of hanging out is to grab a beer at the local bar. I conquered this in two ways (so far anyway) one way is by just ordering plain red bull or lemonade or something else - some bartenders snicker a bit but usually they don't give you too much crap. The other way is go out for lunch or brunch with friends and catch up.
By far the most difficult test of my sobriety thus far happened about 2 months after I made the decision to be a teetotaler again. That test was called a very good friend's wedding. There were a lot of friends there, it was in a beautiful location and the bride and grooms goal was to have a big party for all their family and friends. They achieved that with stunning success and an open bar and great music It was so difficult to not just take a sip of beer or a glass of Merlot but, I got through it with water and maybe a lemonade or two.
If you make the decision to be sober after 30 - I can guarantee you, that you will likely have a similar situation where there is so much pressure to drink but if you can find the inner strength to overcome it you'll admire that hot person in the mirror that much more because you'll have proved you're in control.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Thought for Thursday: Embrace who you are
So many people in the world want everyone to be part of a bigger and bigger bowl of vanilla and sameness. Conform.
"Everyone is doing this so you should do this."
"Everyone believes this so you should believe this."
The problem is - the bowl of vanilla is stale and moldy. Being vanilla is not good for you. There's a reason why Ben & Jerry's is a ice cream company you instantly form an idea about (if you've heard of it). While there are a multitude of other ice cream companies are just commodities. The other companies charge $4 for their gallon of ice cream, Ben & Jerry's charges more than that for a pint.
Large corporations do their best to make everything very vanilla.(I should know I've worked for one.) Small startups though are the ones making the news. Creating headlines. They think different.
If M. Louise Ciccone* or Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta** or even Robyn Fenty*** tried to copy what others singers were doing would their stage names even register with us? Would their real names even matter?
The answer is likely "no".
In a world full of square pegs, be the round one. In a world full of round pegs be the triangle. And if you're an excellent square peg - do what's necessary to become the best square peg there is.
At the very least though embrace who you are, what you're about and what you believe in. The world can get vanilla at any corner grocery store. You however, are a little bit harder to find in a sea of 7 billion people and therefore that much more valuable.
What do you think - are you vanilla or a new flavor?
*(Madonna)
**(Lady Gaga)
***(Rihanna)
"Everyone is doing this so you should do this."
"Everyone believes this so you should believe this."
The problem is - the bowl of vanilla is stale and moldy. Being vanilla is not good for you. There's a reason why Ben & Jerry's is a ice cream company you instantly form an idea about (if you've heard of it). While there are a multitude of other ice cream companies are just commodities. The other companies charge $4 for their gallon of ice cream, Ben & Jerry's charges more than that for a pint.
Large corporations do their best to make everything very vanilla.(I should know I've worked for one.) Small startups though are the ones making the news. Creating headlines. They think different.
If M. Louise Ciccone* or Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta** or even Robyn Fenty*** tried to copy what others singers were doing would their stage names even register with us? Would their real names even matter?
The answer is likely "no".
In a world full of square pegs, be the round one. In a world full of round pegs be the triangle. And if you're an excellent square peg - do what's necessary to become the best square peg there is.
At the very least though embrace who you are, what you're about and what you believe in. The world can get vanilla at any corner grocery store. You however, are a little bit harder to find in a sea of 7 billion people and therefore that much more valuable.
What do you think - are you vanilla or a new flavor?
*(Madonna)
**(Lady Gaga)
***(Rihanna)
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Audio Book Review: Brandwashed - by Martin Lindstrom
Audiobook Review:
This is one of the books I listened to last month but forgot about. It's a great book about all of the marketing that is going on today in order to catch your attention. As told by an international marketer.
I really enjoyed learning just how much we are marketed to from anything from male plastic surgery (your pecs are starting to sag) to various royal families (Q:"What exactly is that you do around here?" - A:"We fulfill the childhood dreams of 90% of the worlds women" )
Mr. Lindstrom does a great job of going into detail of making clear exactly how far marketers go to achieve brand loyalty. From the time we are born till close to our final approach to our deathbed we are marketed to at a ridiculous rate.
Lindstrom attempted to go a year without using,or consuming any brand name services or services (No McDonald's fries or Givenchy cologne or Tommy Hilfiger clothing) but He only made it halfway through the year before giving up and going on a buying spree.
My only gripe is that he didn't make it a full year. I doubt I could either.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Sunday, March 10, 2013
5 examples of How Instant Success can turn into Longterm Failure
Instant Success. How many of us wouldn't mind a bit if we were instantly successful? Had instant fame? Or were showered with millions in a day? But failure is sometimes a decent teacher. Those who have never failed or at least had a setback sometimes fall from great heights to great depths. The following are five stories of how instant success lead to longer term failure.
- Young stars - The Two Corey's:
- If you are old enough to remember movies from the 80's (like I am) you may recall the two Corey's - Corey Feldman and Corey Haim. Both were the biggest stars of their day. They appeared in the equivalent of say The Twilight series or the Hunger Games of their day.
Well in the 90's, with millions of dollars to burn and dwindling acting prospects they both ended up crashing and burning. Haim due to drugs, Feldman due to his fame beginning to wane.
- Overnight success - Milli Vanilli: "Blame it on the rain, yeah, yeah" If you were to turn on a radio just about anywhere in the U.S. or in the western world for that matter in 1989 - it wouldn't be long before you heard this song's chorus echo back at you especially if you were listening to a pop music station at the time.
It would be a matter of months though before Rob & Fab - who had not been really singing the lyrics but instead lip-syncing - would have their names sullied across the globe for simply doing what their manager told them to do in order to achieve success. No matter how fleeting.
- Reality show millionaire- Richard Hatch:
- After much conniving and deception. Richard Hatch - the winner of the first Survivor Reality Show season spent all of his $1 million dollar prize and soon realized (too late) that the IRS gets a cut, even when you win large cash prizes.
Since Hatch had no money available when it was due, he ended up spending a some time in prison to make up for his unpaid tax bill.
Once Great Athletes -William Perry -
Again, I date myself but in the 1980's one of the biggest names out there almost to the magnitude of say Michael Jordan today was William "The Fridge" Perry. He was one of the premier NFL players of his time. He won the Super bowl and was sought out for all types of promotions.
However, like many athletes who make millions in professional leagues it seems that after making millions or even multimillions his money soon ran out and he ended up doing odds jobs in order to get by. Including, but not limited to, a celebrity boxing match.
- The Lottery Millionaire -
According to Statisticbrain 44% of lottery winners have spent their entire winnings by the time 5 years has past. In my opinion, the problem is that those who receive instant riches are never prepared for the amount of requests and added financial complexities that wealth brings. There are lots of friends and family that may suddenly "find" your number after being off the radar for years and years.
Also, a million dollars doesn't go as far as it once did. Many people might want to buy a mansion and an expensive car and clothes but then there is the need to continue supporting the wealthy lifestyle and no real way to support it.
Instant Millionaires also tend to attract some positive but also negative attention. Possibly the most tragic case thus far is the story of Jack Whittaker - a self-made millionaire who had the misfortune of winning even more millions.
- Young stars - The Two Corey's:
 |
| The 2 Corey's - from IMDB |
- If you are old enough to remember movies from the 80's (like I am) you may recall the two Corey's - Corey Feldman and Corey Haim. Both were the biggest stars of their day. They appeared in the equivalent of say The Twilight series or the Hunger Games of their day.
Well in the 90's, with millions of dollars to burn and dwindling acting prospects they both ended up crashing and burning. Haim due to drugs, Feldman due to his fame beginning to wane.
 |
| Milli Vanilli - from Gizmodo |
- Overnight success - Milli Vanilli: "Blame it on the rain, yeah, yeah" If you were to turn on a radio just about anywhere in the U.S. or in the western world for that matter in 1989 - it wouldn't be long before you heard this song's chorus echo back at you especially if you were listening to a pop music station at the time.
It would be a matter of months though before Rob & Fab - who had not been really singing the lyrics but instead lip-syncing - would have their names sullied across the globe for simply doing what their manager told them to do in order to achieve success. No matter how fleeting.
- Reality show millionaire- Richard Hatch:
 |
| Richard Hatch - from People |
- After much conniving and deception. Richard Hatch - the winner of the first Survivor Reality Show season spent all of his $1 million dollar prize and soon realized (too late) that the IRS gets a cut, even when you win large cash prizes.
Since Hatch had no money available when it was due, he ended up spending a some time in prison to make up for his unpaid tax bill.
Once Great Athletes -William Perry -
Again, I date myself but in the 1980's one of the biggest names out there almost to the magnitude of say Michael Jordan today was William "The Fridge" Perry. He was one of the premier NFL players of his time. He won the Super bowl and was sought out for all types of promotions.
However, like many athletes who make millions in professional leagues it seems that after making millions or even multimillions his money soon ran out and he ended up doing odds jobs in order to get by. Including, but not limited to, a celebrity boxing match.
- The Lottery Millionaire -
 |
| Jack Whittaker - from New York Post |
According to Statisticbrain 44% of lottery winners have spent their entire winnings by the time 5 years has past. In my opinion, the problem is that those who receive instant riches are never prepared for the amount of requests and added financial complexities that wealth brings. There are lots of friends and family that may suddenly "find" your number after being off the radar for years and years.
Also, a million dollars doesn't go as far as it once did. Many people might want to buy a mansion and an expensive car and clothes but then there is the need to continue supporting the wealthy lifestyle and no real way to support it.
Instant Millionaires also tend to attract some positive but also negative attention. Possibly the most tragic case thus far is the story of Jack Whittaker - a self-made millionaire who had the misfortune of winning even more millions.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Top 7 things I learned from Startup Weekend
So I had the opportunity to to attend the Columbus Startup Weekend event. It's a weekend event where you get 54 hours to take a business idea from rough idea you just thought up on Friday night of to an actual business plan you're pitching to investors on Sunday night. It was a great experience and I'd like to share a little bit of what I learned.
1. Prepare your pitch and make it unique, funny or be a girl - So I definitely attempted to prepare my pitch ahead of time but when I actually got up and pitched I guess I looked nervous -like a deer caught in the head lights. At least that's the feedback I got from a couple people immediately following. It could have been the fact that it was easily the largest crowd I've ever spoke in front of - 100 to possibly150 people. Needless to say my scaredy-cat pitch did not get chosen on Friday.
Those that did do well had one of the following qualities:
2. Network, Network, Network - I think another reason I didn't really get that far with my pitch is because I thought I had the perfect idea and didn't want to share it with too many people. One thing I learned too late about the voting process is that extroverts rule - immediately after the pitching, pitchers are supposed to go on a campaign of their idea. Now those who tried to meet as many people as they could before pitching got a disproportionate amount of votes. I made the mistake of meeting a couple cool people and then hanging out with one person for about 20 minutes straight before pitching began. When the campaign process started I was immediately at a disadvantage because it looked like I was trying to hard sell people while others were just talking to the new connection they had just made earlier.
3. Form a team of people with deep knowledge in 1-2 different, different areas:
I'll be honest, that first night I was about to go home broken and defeated that my idea was not chosen. I'm glad I stayed around and developed someone else's idea. I followed a guy I met at another networking event and we both joined a team centered on a music app. We had the perfect mix of people too. Here's why.
We had the very analytical guy without the ability to code - Market Research
We had the very analytical guy with the ability to code - Developer
We had the business-focused guy - COO and/or CFO
We had the very artsy yet focused guy - Designer or Creative Director
We had the very artsy, people person - Idea Originator / Founder
Then there was me - Honestly I'm bad at self evaluation so it's hard to say. I felt I was keeping us focused and working on marketing strategy but who knows what my team thought.
4. Sacrifice Perfection - the only time that I started to get annoyed was when I was a little bit low on energy, everybody had just got their food to eat and I was submitting an application on Saturday so we could pitch on Sunday - then I was going to get my food. I read the application off to everyone and everyone was OK with some minor tweaks except one member who kept wanting our tagline to be the PERFECT tagline. We came up with a bunch of good ones and then a GREAT one and the holdout kept hemming and hawing over if the tagline was perfect enough. Don't do this. Don't hem and haw over something so minor. The model's going to change anyway, the markets going to change anyway and something as minor as the tagline can be changed quicker than the speed of thought - maybe even while you're doing your final pitch.
5. Prep, Prep, Prep on Sunday - We didn't really do this. The funny things is that we had a definite idea of what we were going to do on Saturday evening. By about 1:00 on Sunday (2.5 hours before we had to give our presentation in) we determined we had to change a couple things in our presentation. And we kept changing ...and changing things until it was the last minute - mainly due to the next point:
6. There is such a thing as TOO MUCH mentoring - I personally thought the more mentors we'd have the better a presentation we'd have. WRONG! If there is a mentor critical mass - we definitely reached it.. Some said to only go with 2 slides. Others advised us we had to start with 6 slides and possibly add more. Some said we should have one presenter others said we should have multiple people doing the pitch. Some said tell a story others said go straight to Problem/Solution. Although we were fortunate to get feedback from just about every mentor at our event this definitely added to some last minute analysis paralysis.
7. Explaining revenue is important: Since this is a business competition, it kind of helps if you explain where you're going to get your money from. Our presenter was definitely someone who can speak in front of a crowd in fact he does this just about every weekend for fun. Yet we also had a numbers guy backing him up the primary presenter who knew all the facts and figures like the back of his hand.
Although we didn't win overall it was a great experience - well worth the $100 I paid to get in.
How about you? Have you ever been to a Startup Weekend event? What was your experience like? Would you add anything else? I'd love you to share by adding a comment below.
* By girl I mean woman. Hopefully this comment is not offensive to anyone but this is how I saw it.However, I imagine the reverse might happen at a Mary Kay conference.
1. Prepare your pitch and make it unique, funny or be a girl - So I definitely attempted to prepare my pitch ahead of time but when I actually got up and pitched I guess I looked nervous -like a deer caught in the head lights. At least that's the feedback I got from a couple people immediately following. It could have been the fact that it was easily the largest crowd I've ever spoke in front of - 100 to possibly150 people. Needless to say my scaredy-cat pitch did not get chosen on Friday.
Those that did do well had one of the following qualities:
- UNIQUE One of the pitches that didn't win top 10 but that is still sticking with me is the idea of a Tech Haunted house. The guy actually went over on his time but, man, I definitely gave him one of my votes because I'm into art and tech and I would've loved seeing those two areas come together to scare people either on a reactive of subtle (think singularity) way.
- FUNNY: Some of the most memorable pitches were ones that put big jokes or lots of little jokes into the pitch. One of the last pitches was -in my opinion a horrible idea but, the pitcher was completely confident and humorous with his idea and he got votes. Ended up being in the top 10. It turns out when he got around to re-pitching the idea on Sunday it was actually beginning to make sense.
- BE A GIRL*: This may just be a Columbus thing but I think it might be universal - there are a lot of guys there. Some are geeky, some not so much. So when a pretty girl goes up and pitches they gain attention instantly. Of the 5 girls I recall pitching. 4 of them got a ton of votes. 2 -3 of them were in the top 10. This was out of about 40 pitches. Not to say they weren't good ideas. Some of them were. Just to give you an idea of the ratio there though - there were easily 100 people there on the first night, of those 100+ I'd say about 9 were of the female persuasion. Side note to my fellow black people in case you're wondering - yup - our numbers were even (sad but predictably) less.
2. Network, Network, Network - I think another reason I didn't really get that far with my pitch is because I thought I had the perfect idea and didn't want to share it with too many people. One thing I learned too late about the voting process is that extroverts rule - immediately after the pitching, pitchers are supposed to go on a campaign of their idea. Now those who tried to meet as many people as they could before pitching got a disproportionate amount of votes. I made the mistake of meeting a couple cool people and then hanging out with one person for about 20 minutes straight before pitching began. When the campaign process started I was immediately at a disadvantage because it looked like I was trying to hard sell people while others were just talking to the new connection they had just made earlier.
3. Form a team of people with deep knowledge in 1-2 different, different areas:
I'll be honest, that first night I was about to go home broken and defeated that my idea was not chosen. I'm glad I stayed around and developed someone else's idea. I followed a guy I met at another networking event and we both joined a team centered on a music app. We had the perfect mix of people too. Here's why.
We had the very analytical guy without the ability to code - Market Research
We had the very analytical guy with the ability to code - Developer
We had the business-focused guy - COO and/or CFO
We had the very artsy yet focused guy - Designer or Creative Director
We had the very artsy, people person - Idea Originator / Founder
Then there was me - Honestly I'm bad at self evaluation so it's hard to say. I felt I was keeping us focused and working on marketing strategy but who knows what my team thought.
4. Sacrifice Perfection - the only time that I started to get annoyed was when I was a little bit low on energy, everybody had just got their food to eat and I was submitting an application on Saturday so we could pitch on Sunday - then I was going to get my food. I read the application off to everyone and everyone was OK with some minor tweaks except one member who kept wanting our tagline to be the PERFECT tagline. We came up with a bunch of good ones and then a GREAT one and the holdout kept hemming and hawing over if the tagline was perfect enough. Don't do this. Don't hem and haw over something so minor. The model's going to change anyway, the markets going to change anyway and something as minor as the tagline can be changed quicker than the speed of thought - maybe even while you're doing your final pitch.
5. Prep, Prep, Prep on Sunday - We didn't really do this. The funny things is that we had a definite idea of what we were going to do on Saturday evening. By about 1:00 on Sunday (2.5 hours before we had to give our presentation in) we determined we had to change a couple things in our presentation. And we kept changing ...and changing things until it was the last minute - mainly due to the next point:
6. There is such a thing as TOO MUCH mentoring - I personally thought the more mentors we'd have the better a presentation we'd have. WRONG! If there is a mentor critical mass - we definitely reached it.. Some said to only go with 2 slides. Others advised us we had to start with 6 slides and possibly add more. Some said we should have one presenter others said we should have multiple people doing the pitch. Some said tell a story others said go straight to Problem/Solution. Although we were fortunate to get feedback from just about every mentor at our event this definitely added to some last minute analysis paralysis.
7. Explaining revenue is important: Since this is a business competition, it kind of helps if you explain where you're going to get your money from. Our presenter was definitely someone who can speak in front of a crowd in fact he does this just about every weekend for fun. Yet we also had a numbers guy backing him up the primary presenter who knew all the facts and figures like the back of his hand.
Although we didn't win overall it was a great experience - well worth the $100 I paid to get in.
How about you? Have you ever been to a Startup Weekend event? What was your experience like? Would you add anything else? I'd love you to share by adding a comment below.
* By girl I mean woman. Hopefully this comment is not offensive to anyone but this is how I saw it.However, I imagine the reverse might happen at a Mary Kay conference.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Sunday, March 3, 2013
13 Life Lessons from National and International Speakers
For the last few years I've been on a journey to find some of the best mentors in the world. I contacted dozens of great nationally and internationally known speakers from as close to me as my backyard and as far away as Australia. I asked them all one simple question:
"What has been the best advice you’ve received in life and WHY?”
Their answers were overwhelmingly wise and thoughtful. I'm humbled to share such a wealth of knowledge with you today.
1.
VIJAY GOVINDARAJAN
Professor at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College
"Keep your ambition high".
Professor Govindarajan -aka- VG's latest book is called Reverse Innovation
2.
TAMMY ROBERTSON
Professional Speaker, Coach and AuthorWorkHeart Consulting and RealTalk
"Give the best you have to the world, without any concern for how it will be received.”
"From Dewitt Jones, a National Geographic photographer.I remind myself of this often when I fall into worrying about what other people think, or if they will like my message ...or ... or ...or ...I know that I came with a particular passion and purpose, and everyone may not need or want what I have, but that is all I have to give. And it is my responsibility to give it. Thank goodness we are not all alike ... if you need something else, if I need something else, there are other people to provide that insight, wisdom or particular skill.I can only give what I have and it is my responsibility to offer it up.That’s it!"
To find out more about Ms. Robertson - check out her website: www.RealTalk-Now.com
3.
My grandfather said to me,
With that notion I began to Dream and continue to Dream.
KARE ANDERSON
Forbes columnist and Emmy-winning former Wall Street Journal and NBC journalist
Life-changing advice for me:
From my bureau chief in London when I worked for the Wall Street Journal: He saw a talent in me that I did not see and told me in his gruff way:
"You have a way of interviewing, as reporter that is so goddamned persistent yet people keep want to answer you instead of punch your lights out, as they might another person. And when the are telling you, later that the interview clarified their thinking, that's helpful to them and to you. Even if your story is true yet not completely flattering, they trust you and are willing to be interviewed by you in the future. And you get the extra insights about them to know how they could be an unexpected second source to be quoted on a future story."
Recognizing a great strength (and the flip sides of great weakness) enables me to find situations where I can use it. Today, speaking and writing about connective behavior cues and quotability I can befriend many of the best social scientists as I interview them and, in so doing help them hone their messaging. Having gleaned insights from them is like having a virtual Human Behavior Think Tank. As a paid public speaker and a "Quotable and Connected" contributor for Forbes and HuffingtonPost I can translate that research into actionable ways others can use their best talents with others to accomplish greater things together than they can on their own -- and I love my work.
To find out more about Ms. Anderson - please visit her website: Sayitbetter.com
From memory the book was similar title to "A souls journey' and its main theme was 'your thoughts create your reality eternally- ALL thoughts ALL times,' and so I learned my thoughts are powerful and NEVER powerless- revealed to all as my life's circumstances and if I chose using my free will to ignore this blatant reality and be blind to circumstances- then the only one to pay any penalty for this ignorance would be myself and opportunity for improving my life lost. As my life was already very painful I had no desire for more and so became an avid student and paid attention and became a great observer of life's forces. After a combined 16 years in law enforcement and over a decade around the world meeting and sharing my 'Kick But' practices- I tell everyone the same message - get rid of those Bloody Useless Thoughts that hold you back- its your life and you will only ever live it on your terms, your words, your thoughts and your feelings. If you want a better life- get to work here first and you will see the results in your own life as evidence of your own good work!"
Why? Success is about having something of value to offer and finding the right market that recognizes that value; this requires persistence. It takes conscious effort to remind yourself that sooner or later, whether you're selling (leading), someone will say yes to your offer (request).
WHY: This advice was given by a consulting guru at an industry meeting years ago. I took it to heart, because I knew from the start that I did not like to make cold calls. My expertise was communicating a message. So I determined to write books and become a master at communicating a message in that form.
"What has been the best advice you’ve received in life and WHY?”
Their answers were overwhelmingly wise and thoughtful. I'm humbled to share such a wealth of knowledge with you today.
1.
VIJAY GOVINDARAJAN
Professor at Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College
"Keep your ambition high".
Professor Govindarajan -aka- VG's latest book is called Reverse Innovation
2.
TAMMY ROBERTSON
Professional Speaker, Coach and AuthorWorkHeart Consulting and RealTalk
"Give the best you have to the world, without any concern for how it will be received.”
"From Dewitt Jones, a National Geographic photographer.I remind myself of this often when I fall into worrying about what other people think, or if they will like my message ...or ... or ...or ...I know that I came with a particular passion and purpose, and everyone may not need or want what I have, but that is all I have to give. And it is my responsibility to give it. Thank goodness we are not all alike ... if you need something else, if I need something else, there are other people to provide that insight, wisdom or particular skill.I can only give what I have and it is my responsibility to offer it up.That’s it!"
To find out more about Ms. Robertson - check out her website: www.RealTalk-Now.com
3.
JEREMY DONOVAN
Keynote Speaker- Presenter - Didgeridoo Player - Aboriginal ArtistMy grandfather said to me,
"If your locked up then your dreams can only be as big as the room you're in, if your free then so are your dreams!"
To find out more about Mr. Donovan - check out his website: www.jeremydonovan.com.au
4.
KARE ANDERSONLife-changing advice for me:
From my bureau chief in London when I worked for the Wall Street Journal: He saw a talent in me that I did not see and told me in his gruff way:
"You have a way of interviewing, as reporter that is so goddamned persistent yet people keep want to answer you instead of punch your lights out, as they might another person. And when the are telling you, later that the interview clarified their thinking, that's helpful to them and to you. Even if your story is true yet not completely flattering, they trust you and are willing to be interviewed by you in the future. And you get the extra insights about them to know how they could be an unexpected second source to be quoted on a future story."
To find out more about Ms. Anderson - please visit her website: Sayitbetter.com
5.
GLENN LLOPIS
President,Glenn Llopis Group, LLC
“See what others don’t, do what others won’t and keep pushing when prudence says quit.”
Why?: This is the most authentic way to define who you are, live what you stand for and love what you do – while creating and sustaining positive impact in your work and life.
Mr Llopis' latest book is Earning Serendipity
6.
MICHEL CHIKWANINE
Former Child Soldier - Speaker - Non Profit Leader
The best advice I've ever received was from my dad when he told me before he died that,
"Great men and great women have never been described by their money or success but rather by their heart and what they do for other people."
I still live by that advice to this day. It's the best advice because in our world we our told that to be successful we have to have material possessions, we have to make lots of money but those 'successful' people are always forgotten in time, but people like Martin Luther King Jr, Mahatma Ghandi, Mother Theresa, their legacies have lasted a long time because they cared for others.
You can find out more about Mr. Chikwanine at www.metowe.com
7.
ROSIE PEKAR
Motivational Speaker
"Your thoughts create your reality eternally- ALL thoughts ALL times,"
"I would say I was most greatly influenced by an entire book and concept at the age of 8 that shaped my life of self awareness and responsibility that still influences me today. As a child growing up in domestic violence and being very small and female- feeling 'powerless' was a common state I found myself in- and possibly the worst condition any human being can ever find themselves in, ironic that I then became a cop. The concept I learned helped me gradually to deliberately and consciously take control of the only thing I could control and then enable me to inspire others to also find their own personal power amidst life's many turmoils, changes and challenges. It served to remind me constantly that no matter what was occurring, it was only ever a reflection of me and what was going on inside my head, life's circumstances became my personal alert to get my own house, being my own mental state in order first before taking any other actions. As I never had a shortage of life's circumstances, my personal practice is perpetual.
Ms. Pekar has her next book 'Kick But! It's time...' will come out later this month. She is also featured in a film called Whatever it Takes that will be coming out later in 2013. For more about Ms. Pekar's story please visit her website: www.kickbut.com.au
8.
VICTOR ANTONIO
Author, Sales Trainer & Speaker
"Just keep asking until someone says yes."
Why? Success is about having something of value to offer and finding the right market that recognizes that value; this requires persistence. It takes conscious effort to remind yourself that sooner or later, whether you're selling (leading), someone will say yes to your offer (request).
To find out more about Mr. Antonio - please check out his website: Victorantonio.com
9.
DIANNA BOOHER
“Hide, become a master at something, and people will find you.”
Ms. Booher's latest book is called Creating Personal Presence
10.
SAM CAWTHORN
Thought Leader, Speaker and CEO of Empowering Enterprises
"Its your decision NOT your condition that determines who you are!"
Everyone has conditions whether personal professional trauma issues problems crisis tough times, but it's not these conditions that dictate your life but your decision through these times!!
To find out more about Mr. Cawthorn - check out his website: Samcawthorn.com
11.
"Connect to purpose, maintain relationships first and foremost and have fun."
It's important to tie our activities to a deeper purpose otherwise it is easy to get pulled into the slipstream of competitions over ego, money, fame etc. All our success is ultimately tied to maintaining human relationships, both in work and family, and this is ultimately the biggest predictor success and satisfaction in our lives.
To find more about Dr Ahmeed check out his website: Tanveerahmed.com.au/
12.
DAVID WETMORE
Speaker & Life Coach
"Slow down!"
The best advice I've ever received is "Slow down!" Steve Chandler gave me that counsel a few years ago. I find that when I slow down and take care of the one thing that's in front of me right now, and don't think about the yet-to-be-created future or the dead past, I am more productive, kinder to myself and others, and certainly saner.
To find out more about Mr. Wetmore - check out his website: Davidwetmore.com
13.
Dr. ANTOINE MOSS
Professional Speaker & Trainer
The biggest advice I've received in my life was to
"Take control of [your] life and control [your] own destiny."
Here's the story behind that: One of my mentors encouraged me to pursue my doctorate degree. However, initially I was very obstinate as I began to conduct research on the program. After conducting my research on the quality of the program mostly all of the faculty members and professors that I conferred with told me that I had to become a professor if I attained a Ph.D. Consequently, I shared this with my mentor and told him that I would not apply for the doctorate program because I didn't want to become a professor at the age of 28. But mentor said, "Antoine, get the Ph.D. and then after you get it you can do whatever you want to do with it!" This was profound and it reminded me that it's vital that I take control of my life and destiny.
Here's the story behind that: One of my mentors encouraged me to pursue my doctorate degree. However, initially I was very obstinate as I began to conduct research on the program. After conducting my research on the quality of the program mostly all of the faculty members and professors that I conferred with told me that I had to become a professor if I attained a Ph.D. Consequently, I shared this with my mentor and told him that I would not apply for the doctorate program because I didn't want to become a professor at the age of 28. But mentor said, "Antoine, get the Ph.D. and then after you get it you can do whatever you want to do with it!" This was profound and it reminded me that it's vital that I take control of my life and destiny.
To find out more about Dr. Moss please check out his youtube channel:
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