This Blog's Purpose

The purpose of this blog is help people improve their Mind, Body, Soul (relationships) and their Money.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Thought for Thursday (TFT): Red-Letter Days



A “Red-letter Day” is defined by Wikipedia as any day of special significance.  Exactly two weeks ago I had a string of Red-letter days when I attended the B.E. Entrepreneur’s Conference here in Columbus Ohio.  I was brought to a level of inspiration that has not yet subsided. 


On May 15th Magic Johnson was in town and I had the opportunity to see him not only once, at my day job. 


Later on in the day , I saw him again, as Mr. Clark Kellogg from ESPN had the opportunity to interview Mr. Johnson. He talked a lot about business and how to succeed in life. I was blessed to see both interviews. 


On May 16th -  Dr. Dennis Kimbro the author of Think & Grow Rich – a Black Choice,  did a fantastic speech, mainly about the mindset of millionaires. He also talked about his new book – The Wealth Choice. His book is a journey for him interviewing over one thousand black millionaires. 


I got in line to buy his book but, by the time we got to the signing table he had completely run out. I took the moment at the signing table to: 


1) Shake hands with Mr. Earl Graves Sr. – the publisher of Black Enterprise Magazine.  I asked him if I could interview him and he agreed as he took a moment to fix my awkward tie. 


2) I also took the opportunity while standing at the book-less signing table to ask Dr. Kimbro for an interview. 


A little bit later, I actually did interview Dr. Kimbro and got to inform him about a well known admirer of his first book he was unaware of until meeting me. 


At lunch – Sonia Alleyne the online editor for Black Enterprise interviewed Robert Townsend. Mr. Townsend is an actor, comedian and one of the first black directors.  He was both hilarious and inspiring.

One of the most inspiring stories he told was the story of his trip to Africa to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro. He talked about what his mountain guide, a gentleman by the name of Future, who taught him lessons about how to climb the mountain as well as how to get through this journey called life. 


After lunch I went to a session that was focused on internet and startup entrepreneurs. I had the opportunity to meet all 3 of the speakers. One  - Tanisha Robinson – I had already met previously as she is a Columbus native.  However, I had the opportunity to meet Jon Gosier of Metalayer and Frederick Townes of w3-edge. 


After that session, I went home, took a break and prepared for the Elevator Pitch competition later on that evening. 


The pitch competition was hosted by Robert Townsend. He cracked jokes throughout and eventually the winner of the competition was a lingerie product for larger women. To my surprise the founder used to be a larger woman but, after working on her business for a year she lost over a hundred pounds. 


May 17thI arrived early so I could get my interview with Mr. Graves.

To my dismay I was told he would not be arriving until much later that morning. 


So I networked and then watched an excellent presentation by Frans Johannsson. An author who touched briefly on his Swedish and black background and then went on to present the ideas brought forth in his book the Medici Effect. It was a great presentation; he was one of the few presenters I did not have the opportunity to meet. 


After the morning speaker,  I attended a session on alternative, primarily online ways, to finance your business. 


The speakers were very diverse and interesting. 


I then proceeded to look around for Mr. Graves before the next session began. Still no luck. 


I then skipped the next session and took an early lunch with a new connection. 


We took our lunch back to the convention center and when we arrived back. We saw Bob Johnson- the founder of BET – enter the convention center. 



I videotaped a little of it and I wanted desperately to shake his hand. Unfortunately I missed the opportunity as he and his entourage was on power walk mode while I was on Ohio walk mode (a much slower version of walking). 


A few moments later, Bob Johnson came on stage and gave an hour long talk about his entrepreneurial journey. I was elated to be the first to ask him a question. 


That afternoon I went to a session on social media. It was a great session and I got a chance to talk to all of the speakers except one. – The Small Biz lady. 


After the session I spotted Mr. Earl Graves Senior and jumped at the opportunity to interview him. He was extremely candid about his entrepreneurial experience. 


I then went through the Small Business Expo section and learned about a lot of great businesses and opportunities within the community. 


I then went home 


I came back later that evening to attend the awards dinner. 


As dinner was being served, I noticed Mr. Johnson sitting down out of the corner of my eye and pleaded with his people to let me just shake his hand. I shook it!


From that point on, everything that occurred during the evening was bonus.


Sunday, May 26, 2013

10 things I learned at the B.E. Entrepreneur's Conference:





1. Network = Net Worth: Some of the wealthiest people at the conference were also the most connected individuals. One great example is Mr. Earl Graves Sr. who has connections with Magic Johnson, Bob Johnson as Robert Townsend as well as others. It's my hypothesis that more than any speaking fee that might have been offered it was the established network that Mr. Graves has built over the past 40+ years that convinced the great names above to attend and speak at his conference. Mr. Graves is without a doubt the most influential black businessman in the country and it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to meet him.

2. Conferences are completely what you make them: I met 50+ new people. (again) I shook hands with Mr. Earl Graves Sr., Mr. Bob Johnson (first black billionaire and founder of BET) and Dr, Dennis Kimbro - the author of Think and Grow Rich a Black Choice and his new book The Wealth Choice.. Not to mention learned a lot about business throughout the length of the conference.

3. The early bird gets the worm: I missed out on getting a book signed by Dr. Dennis Kimbro - he ran out of books. However, I did get a chance to interview him by being ready when his book signing was over.

4. Conferences take a team to produce:  I had a chance to speak to one of the event organizers - Toni. She gave me an idea about how much the annual event cost. Let's just say it was several multiples of my current annual salary. It took a team of fantastic people and sponsorships to make the event go well.

5. Speak to the speakers - (if you can):  I think read this somewhere - not sure where, but speaking to speakers and/or panelists is something everyone should do or at least attempt to do when at conferences. I did my best to do that at every session I attended. 

6. Treat everyone with respect: I made the mistake of being impatient with a fellow conference attendee during a conversation. It was only later that I learned this attendee was also both a speaker and a multimillionaire.That mistake won't happen again.

7. You never know who's sitting next to you: I was able to sit next to Millionaires, Doctors, Lawyers, Directors and stand up to shake hands with local CEOs form across the country. It was a great experience overall.

8. You pay for access: Some of the people I met this past week are people I would've never crossed paths with in normal life. Paying a fee of $500 was (to me) well worth the price to rub shoulders with greatness. To be honest, I was concerned that I was throwing away $500 of my money as the conference approached by the end of the conference I realized it was an investment - well worth its price.

9. It pays to be in the right place at the right time:  I had the good fortune of being in the right place and the right time to meet Dr. Dennis Kimbro, Mr. Earl Graves and Bob Johnson. It helps that I'm from Columbus and know how to navigate our convention center somewhat.

10. If you make it more about them (than you) you can win: No one cares about you, your business or your body of work until you start to show some level of concern for their issues. I did my best to adhere to this rule and I think I developed some great relationships as a result.


Thursday, May 23, 2013

Thought for Thursday: One of Tim Ferris's favorite authors - Dr Dennis Kimbro - talks about Millionaires, black Millionaires and the path toward wealth.

Before the 4-hour workweek, Tim Ferris read this author's landmark book. Think & Grow Rich a Black Choice. Today, Instead of opining myself - I decided I'd share the thoughts and opinions of one of my living heroes - Dr. Dennis Kimbro.

I had the unique opportunity to interview him during the Black Enterprise Entrepreneur's Conference. 



  You can order Dr. Kimbro's landmark book here:




 You can order "The Wealth Choice" here




What do you think? Does Dr. Kimbro have some valid points? 

Let me know in the comments below: 

Sunday, May 19, 2013

8 Tips to Get Fit For the Summer. from the Nation's Fitness Experts

This week, I reached out to fitness experts. I asked them all "What's one tip to get fit for the summer? I received many great responses from some fitness trainers based around the country and beyond. 

 If you want to lose weight, gain muscle or both, I suggest you take a moment and review these tips the experts offer to get fit this summer. 

1) 

Mike Nicholson - of Phlex Fitness


'

 GET FIT TIP: "Although I'd advise that you make fitness a lifestyle as opposed to a seasonal occurrence. Here [is a tip] to help get you started with getting in shape for the summer and for the rest of your life. 
Figure out what fitness goals you want to achieve. This can be definition of the body or decreased body fat. Notice I didn't mention weight. Reason being is that all too often individuals put emphasis on loss of weight as gauge for their fitness success. When in fact if you are exercising and eat a proper diet you can lose body and thus inches but body weight can increase. Remember that muscle weighs more than fat.


BIO: Several years ago, when a friend was unable to recognize a photo of him due to his weight gain, Nicholson vowed to get back in shape – but was frustrated by the traditional workouts he once enjoyed.On a whim, he took a hip-hop dance class at his local gym and after just a few classes the instructor, impressed by his dancing ability, encouraged Nicholson to try out for an opportunity to teach at the health club. Today, the Columbus dance fitness guru is gaining new students in droves.


   2)  
Jason Maxwell - of JMaxfitness.com

GET FIT TIP:"Start taking fish oil.  Don't even think of it as a supplement.  Think of it as food.  Everyone who takes fish oil will get their money’s worth. Why? Increased fat burning. In 2007, researchers analyzed a total of 324 men and women between the ages of 20 and 40.  When compared to a control group, the groups who supplemented with fish oil (or had an increased diet of fatty fish) lost 1kg more weight in 4 weeks.
Also, the ingestion of fish oil regulates the pathways in the brain that influence our emotions, and most importantly, our motivation. If motivation is optimized, we'll be that much more likely to stick to diet plans (and other goals in life).
Take 1tbsp of liquid fish oil if you are under 20% body fat and 2tbsp if you are over 20%."
BIO: Mr. Maxwell grew up in a small town less with less than 3500 people. He struggled with his weight growing up and while attending Ryerson University in Toronto he learned how to stop being "skinny-fat" by becoming obsessed with fitness and nutrition. More recently he began doing personal training, online coaching, and writing. 


3) 

Shon Grosse - of shongrosse.com
        
GET FIT TIP: Add a program of short sprints to your current program. A few reasons why:Sprinting can control body weight by increasing insulin sensitivity and fat ozidation.Sprinting utilizes and develops your posterior chain musculature (glutes and hamstrings)more effectively than steady state jogging/ running.Sprinting results in increased growth hormone release, which in turn leads to better sleep, decreased body fat, improved lean muscle development and improved energy.Warmer weather during the summer months makes sprinting more comfortable and may decrease the risk of muscle strain. "
BIO:
Mr. Grosse holds a Bachelor’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science, with Athletic Training emphasis from Penn State University and a Master’s degree in Physical Therapy from Hahnemann University. Prior to settling in Southeastern PA, Shon served as student as well as graduate assistant athletic trainer for Penn State University Athletics, working with multiple NCAA champions as well as future professional and Olympic athletes in football, wrestling, as well as track & field and men’s lacrosse. 

Shon has been published in The Physician and Sports Medicine, ADVANCE for Physical Therapists, the EliteFTS website, as well as Men’s Health.

4) 


 Juan Carlos Santana - The Institute of Human Performance
 
GET FIT TIP: "The body you want is at the doorsteps of you mouth.  Diet is the most important  component of body transformation since you can't exercise a bad diet away.  Look at bodybuilders – what are they obsessed with and keep a closer tab on – THEIR DIET.
BIO:
Santana is currently the Founder and Director of IHP, his state-of-the-art training facility in Boca Raton, Florida. IHP provides an unparalleled training environment for elite athletes including World Class Tennis Champions, NFL and MLB players, World Champion Brazilian Jujitsu and mixed Martial Arts Fighters, numerous NCAA Division I teams, and hundreds of nationally ranked teen hopefuls from a broad cross-section of sports disciplines.

A graduate of Florida Atlantic University with Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Exercise Science, JC is involved in several ongoing research studies with several universities and on his Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology.

5)  


Nick Tumminello of NickTumminello.com
 

GET FIT TIP:"...Do "push-aways": Push away the beer, push-away the high-sugar foods, and push away from the table once you've eaten enough to feel satisfied, not so full you have to loosen your belt. 
Put simply, it's no secret that exercise is not only important for improving health, but also for helping to improve the way you look. However, if you're trying to look better for summer, you're not going to be able to out-exercise a poor diet. So, add some extra "push-aways" to your regular routine and it'll help you workout for offense instead of defense."
BIO: Nick Tumminello is a Personal Trainer and Fitness Educator in Fort Lauderdale, FL. He's also the author of the "Strength Training for Fat Loss' DVD.

6)


Mike Geary - from The Truth About Abs
 
GET FIT TIP: "Despite what you'll hear from extreme vegans, extreme raw foodists, and other believers in "extreme" types of diets that eliminate entire portions of the historical human diet, the human digestive system evolved to eat a mixture of plants and animal foods (yes, we evolved as omnivores), as well as a mixture of raw food AND cooked food."

BIO: Mr. Geary is the owner and author of TruthAboutAbs.com and several other popular fitness and health websites.  He's authored the internationally best-selling eBook, The Truth about Six Pack Abs. Currently, The Truth about Six Pack Abs is the #1 ranked Abdominals eBook in the world (as ranked by clickbank.com) with over 539,000 readers in 163 countries to date.


7)

Mandy Ingber - Mandyingber.com

GET FIT TIP: Start wearing clothes that fit, and don't wait to change in order to feel good in your body. You can love your body into shape today. Write 3 things you are grateful for about your body daily. Drink 3 liters of water per day. Move for 30 minutes daily: walk, spin, yoga (any modality will work). Eliminate processed foods and sugars, and opt for fresh, whole foods. When you eat foods that look like what they are, and that are from the earth, you can't go wrong. 

BIO:
Mandy Ingber is a fitness and wellness expert, speaker, producer, instructor, and the author of Yogalosophy: 28 Days to the Ultimate Mind-Body Makeover, which is available online where books are sold. Visit Mandy's website mandyingber.com or follow her on Twitter @msmandyingber or Facebook Mandy Ingber's Yogalosophy.

8) 

Marc Lebert of Lebert Fitness 
 
GET FIT TIP: "My tip would be - Think about the end result- that awesome body, how it looks in a dress, how the legs feel when running strong and how amazed your friends are at your transformation. Think of the things that excite you! Then you will actually want to do the process. And every time a set gets tough or you are too tired to go to the gym after work- remember that amazing, strong and fit you. IMAGINATION is the key- it drives your “willpower”.
BIO: Marc is a Certified Personal Trainer and proprietor of Personal Strength Fitness Inc. training clients in their homes, corporations and at his fitness club, Fitness NATION in Mississauga(Ontario, Canada). Marc has his BA in Psychology and is a Certified Neuro-Linguistic Practitioner. Marc is a published writer and international presenter, running educational courses and motivational seminars around the world and makes regular TV appearances. 



Do you like these tips? Got some of your own? Leave them in the comments below.