7 de fevereiro de 2010
Remove ‘No’ from your vocabulary
Remove ‘No’ from your vocabulary
If you want to your business to fail, always say “Yes”.
No matter what the deadline is; no matter what the budget is; no matter what else you have on your plate – always say yes. This will ensure failure. The problem with saying “No” is that you end up being selective with your clients and taking on projects that suit your style and goals. Since we’re talking about failure here, we need to say “Yes” to everything – that $500 logo design job that needs to be done tomorrow, that $2000 web design job proposed by that guy whose belt is made up of the bones of past designers – everything.
So make a rule and hang it in Comic Sans above your workstation: “No is not in our vocabulary”.
Lesson: sometimes it’s tough, but you have to learn to be able to say no in order to succeed. Not every job is ideal, and not every client is a great match. Learn to see the good ones in advance, and know your limits.
29 de janeiro de 2010
The 4 Ds
We are all faced with loads of tasks every day. Endless items to check off a To Do list, calendars full of appointments, meetings, after school activities, events, and parties. This year, when you approach lists and tasks that seem impossible, put "The Four Ds" to work for you. The Four Ds are:
DO
DUMP
DELEGATE
DEFER
Ask yourself, what can you DO now that needs to be done straightaway? What can you DUMP that needs not to be done at all or, by saying no to it, will help free up your schedule. What can you DELEGATE to another person: spouse, babysitter, older child, etc. and what can you DEFER and consider rescheduling or fulfilling at a later date? This system is something that can work in nearly every aspect of your life from schedule organizing to cleaning the house. Little by little, following the Ds will improve everyone's life. And, it's a great thing to teach kids as they get older. It will help them learn how to structure their time and to recognize the important from the unimportant, the time sensitive from the time wasters and how to work together in a group and delegate.
So, start thinking 4-D this year and see how much it will change your life.
DO
DUMP
DELEGATE
DEFER
Ask yourself, what can you DO now that needs to be done straightaway? What can you DUMP that needs not to be done at all or, by saying no to it, will help free up your schedule. What can you DELEGATE to another person: spouse, babysitter, older child, etc. and what can you DEFER and consider rescheduling or fulfilling at a later date? This system is something that can work in nearly every aspect of your life from schedule organizing to cleaning the house. Little by little, following the Ds will improve everyone's life. And, it's a great thing to teach kids as they get older. It will help them learn how to structure their time and to recognize the important from the unimportant, the time sensitive from the time wasters and how to work together in a group and delegate.
So, start thinking 4-D this year and see how much it will change your life.
25 de janeiro de 2010
Self-Confidence
From The Change Blog
http://www.thechangeblog.com/self-confidence/
10 Secrets for Instant Self-Confidence
By Ali Hale
There are lots of ways to improve your self-confidence over the long-term – but sometimes you need an instant boost. You can’t walk into an important work meeting, (or a class at college or a room full of strangers at a party) whilst frantically re-reading a self-help manual, or making a last-minute phone call to your life-coach. So here are ten secrets to boosting your self-confidence in just a few seconds…
10 Secrets for Instant Self-Confidence
1. Smile
The one-second tip for when you’re feeling nervous and unconfident is simply to smile! You don’t just smile because you are happy and confident – you can smile to make yourself feel better. The act of smiling is so strongly associated with positive feelings that it’s almost impossible to feel bad while smiling.
Smiling is much more then just a facial expression. The simple act of smiling releases feel-good endorphins, improves circulation to the face, makes you feel good about yourself in general and can definitely increase your self confidence. … you will also appear more confident to others while you’re smiling.
(5 Easy and Effective Ways to Improve Your Self-Confidence, LovnLivin.com)
2. Make eye contact
As well as smiling, meet the eyes of other people in the room. Give them your smile; you’ll almost certainly get one back, and being smiled at is a great self-confidence boost. Like smiling, eye contact shows people that you’re confident. Staring at your shoes or at the table reinforces your feelings of self-doubt and shyness.
This tip is particularly useful for work-related situations – make eye contact with interviewers, or with the audience for your presentation:
Eye contact helps take the fear away from the speaker by getting the audience closer to him. Stress is mainly a result of being with the unknown and uncontrollable. Eye contact gives the speaker a picture of the reality that is the audience. It also helps in getting the attention of the audience.
(Confident Eye Contact, Unlimited Confidence)
3. Change your inner voice
Most of us have a critical inner voice that tells us we’re stupid, not good enough, that we’re too fat, thin, loud, quiet… Being able to change that inner voice is key to feeling self-confident on the inside, which will help you project your confidence to the world. Make your inner voice a supportive friend who knows you fully but also recognizes your talents and gifts, and wants you to make the best of yourself.
You still want to be able to hear the message, so don’t make it so chilled and laid back that you never take any notice of it. You can even choose 2, 3 or as many voices as you want for different occasions. Your voice should always support you, always be helpful, never aggressive and it never puts you down.
(Shut the Duck Up, Pick the Brain)
4. Forget other people’s standards
Whatever the situation that’s causing you a crisis of self-confidence, you can help yourself immeasurably by holding yourself to your own standards alone. Other people have different values from you, and however hard you try, you’ll never please everyone all of the time. Don’t worry that people will think you’re too overweight, underweight, too feckless, too boring, too frugal, too frivolous … hold yourself to your standards, not some imagined standards belonging to others. And remember that commonly-held values and standards vary from society to society: you don’t have to accept them just because the people around you do.
People’s values define what they want personally, but morals define what the society around those people want for them. Certain behaviors are considered to be desirable by a given society, while others are considered to be undesirable. For the most part, however, morals are not written in stone, or proclaimed by God above, but instead reflect local sensibilities. Different societies have different ideas about what is acceptable and not acceptable.
(Values and Morals Clarification, MentalHealth.net)
5. Make the most of your appearance
Even if you’ve only got a minute or two, duck into the bathroom to make sure you’re looking your best. Brushing your hair, giving your face a good wash, retouching your makeup, straightening your collar, checking you’ve not got a bit of parsley stuck between your teeth … all of these can make the difference between feeling confident in your physical appearance and feeling anxious about an imagined flaw.
Perfect your physical appearance: There’s no denying that one’s grooming plays a crucial role in building confidence. Although we know what’s on the inside is what truly counts, your physical appearance will be the first to create an impression.
(Building Blocks to Self-Confidence, Complete Wellbeing)
6. Pray or meditate briefly
If you believe in a higher power, whether God, or another spiritual force, it can be a real boost to self-confidence to say a silent prayer. (You could also meditate instead of praying.) This helps you to take a step back from your immediate situation, to see the wider picture and to seek help from something or someone greater than yourself. This is a Christian prayer, but you could write something similar that fits your own religious beliefs or spiritual tradition:
Dear God, thank you that you love and accept me as I am … please help me to do the same … and help me to grow to become the person you want me to be so that my God-confidence and self-confidence will increase greatly—all for the glory of your name and not mine. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Amen.
(Daily Encounter, Strengthen Your Self-Confidence, Acts International)
7. Reframe
If something unexpected happens, it’s easy to let it knock your fledgling self-confidence. Perhaps you spill your drink on someone, you arrive late for the big meeting because of traffic problems, or someone who you wanted to speak to gives you a cold brush-off. Try to “reframe” the situation; put it in the best possible light: often, events are only negative because of the meaning we attach to them.
(Tim Brownson, A Daring Adventure)
8. Find the next step
Keep your self-confidence up by taking gradual steps forwards, rather than freezing when faced with what seems like a giant leap. If you’re not sure what to do, look for one simple step that you can take to make progress. That might mean making eye contact at a party, introducing yourself to a stranger, breaking the ice in a meeting, or asking a question of your interviewers that shows your knowledge of their industry and company.
Start taking action even if you don’t have a clear idea of what needs to be done. Start moving towards your goal. Make corrections later.
(6 Keys to Develop the Action Habit, Illuminated Mind)
9. Speak slowly
An easy tip for both seeming and being more self-confidence is to speak slowly. If you gabble, you’ll end up feeling worse as you know you’re being unclear to your audience or to the person you’re in a conversation with. Speaking slowly gives you the chance to think about what you’re going to say next. If you’re giving a talk or presentation, pause at the end of phrases and sentences to help your audience take in what you’ve said.
A person in authority, with authority, speaks slowly. It shows confidence. A person who feels that he isn’t worth listening to will speak quickly, because he doesn’t want to keep others waiting on something not worthy of listening to.
(25 Killer Actions to Boost Self-Confidence, Zen Habits)
10. Contribute something
Have you ever sat through an entire class at college or meeting at work without saying a word? Have you had an evening out where friends chatted happily while you sat and stared silently at your drink? Chances are, you weren’t feeling very self-confident at the time – and you probably felt even worse afterwards. Whatever the situation you’re in, make an effort to contribute. Even if you don’t think you have much to say, your thoughts and perspective are valuable to those around you.
By making an effort to speak up at least once in every group discussion, you’ll become a better public speaker, more confident in your own thoughts, and recognized as a leader by your peers.
(10 Ways to Instantly Build Self Confidence, Pick the Brain)
http://www.thechangeblog.com/self-confidence/
10 Secrets for Instant Self-Confidence
By Ali Hale
There are lots of ways to improve your self-confidence over the long-term – but sometimes you need an instant boost. You can’t walk into an important work meeting, (or a class at college or a room full of strangers at a party) whilst frantically re-reading a self-help manual, or making a last-minute phone call to your life-coach. So here are ten secrets to boosting your self-confidence in just a few seconds…
10 Secrets for Instant Self-Confidence
1. Smile
The one-second tip for when you’re feeling nervous and unconfident is simply to smile! You don’t just smile because you are happy and confident – you can smile to make yourself feel better. The act of smiling is so strongly associated with positive feelings that it’s almost impossible to feel bad while smiling.
Smiling is much more then just a facial expression. The simple act of smiling releases feel-good endorphins, improves circulation to the face, makes you feel good about yourself in general and can definitely increase your self confidence. … you will also appear more confident to others while you’re smiling.
(5 Easy and Effective Ways to Improve Your Self-Confidence, LovnLivin.com)
2. Make eye contact
As well as smiling, meet the eyes of other people in the room. Give them your smile; you’ll almost certainly get one back, and being smiled at is a great self-confidence boost. Like smiling, eye contact shows people that you’re confident. Staring at your shoes or at the table reinforces your feelings of self-doubt and shyness.
This tip is particularly useful for work-related situations – make eye contact with interviewers, or with the audience for your presentation:
Eye contact helps take the fear away from the speaker by getting the audience closer to him. Stress is mainly a result of being with the unknown and uncontrollable. Eye contact gives the speaker a picture of the reality that is the audience. It also helps in getting the attention of the audience.
(Confident Eye Contact, Unlimited Confidence)
3. Change your inner voice
Most of us have a critical inner voice that tells us we’re stupid, not good enough, that we’re too fat, thin, loud, quiet… Being able to change that inner voice is key to feeling self-confident on the inside, which will help you project your confidence to the world. Make your inner voice a supportive friend who knows you fully but also recognizes your talents and gifts, and wants you to make the best of yourself.
You still want to be able to hear the message, so don’t make it so chilled and laid back that you never take any notice of it. You can even choose 2, 3 or as many voices as you want for different occasions. Your voice should always support you, always be helpful, never aggressive and it never puts you down.
(Shut the Duck Up, Pick the Brain)
4. Forget other people’s standards
Whatever the situation that’s causing you a crisis of self-confidence, you can help yourself immeasurably by holding yourself to your own standards alone. Other people have different values from you, and however hard you try, you’ll never please everyone all of the time. Don’t worry that people will think you’re too overweight, underweight, too feckless, too boring, too frugal, too frivolous … hold yourself to your standards, not some imagined standards belonging to others. And remember that commonly-held values and standards vary from society to society: you don’t have to accept them just because the people around you do.
People’s values define what they want personally, but morals define what the society around those people want for them. Certain behaviors are considered to be desirable by a given society, while others are considered to be undesirable. For the most part, however, morals are not written in stone, or proclaimed by God above, but instead reflect local sensibilities. Different societies have different ideas about what is acceptable and not acceptable.
(Values and Morals Clarification, MentalHealth.net)
5. Make the most of your appearance
Even if you’ve only got a minute or two, duck into the bathroom to make sure you’re looking your best. Brushing your hair, giving your face a good wash, retouching your makeup, straightening your collar, checking you’ve not got a bit of parsley stuck between your teeth … all of these can make the difference between feeling confident in your physical appearance and feeling anxious about an imagined flaw.
Perfect your physical appearance: There’s no denying that one’s grooming plays a crucial role in building confidence. Although we know what’s on the inside is what truly counts, your physical appearance will be the first to create an impression.
(Building Blocks to Self-Confidence, Complete Wellbeing)
6. Pray or meditate briefly
If you believe in a higher power, whether God, or another spiritual force, it can be a real boost to self-confidence to say a silent prayer. (You could also meditate instead of praying.) This helps you to take a step back from your immediate situation, to see the wider picture and to seek help from something or someone greater than yourself. This is a Christian prayer, but you could write something similar that fits your own religious beliefs or spiritual tradition:
Dear God, thank you that you love and accept me as I am … please help me to do the same … and help me to grow to become the person you want me to be so that my God-confidence and self-confidence will increase greatly—all for the glory of your name and not mine. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Amen.
(Daily Encounter, Strengthen Your Self-Confidence, Acts International)
7. Reframe
If something unexpected happens, it’s easy to let it knock your fledgling self-confidence. Perhaps you spill your drink on someone, you arrive late for the big meeting because of traffic problems, or someone who you wanted to speak to gives you a cold brush-off. Try to “reframe” the situation; put it in the best possible light: often, events are only negative because of the meaning we attach to them.
(Tim Brownson, A Daring Adventure)
8. Find the next step
Keep your self-confidence up by taking gradual steps forwards, rather than freezing when faced with what seems like a giant leap. If you’re not sure what to do, look for one simple step that you can take to make progress. That might mean making eye contact at a party, introducing yourself to a stranger, breaking the ice in a meeting, or asking a question of your interviewers that shows your knowledge of their industry and company.
Start taking action even if you don’t have a clear idea of what needs to be done. Start moving towards your goal. Make corrections later.
(6 Keys to Develop the Action Habit, Illuminated Mind)
9. Speak slowly
An easy tip for both seeming and being more self-confidence is to speak slowly. If you gabble, you’ll end up feeling worse as you know you’re being unclear to your audience or to the person you’re in a conversation with. Speaking slowly gives you the chance to think about what you’re going to say next. If you’re giving a talk or presentation, pause at the end of phrases and sentences to help your audience take in what you’ve said.
A person in authority, with authority, speaks slowly. It shows confidence. A person who feels that he isn’t worth listening to will speak quickly, because he doesn’t want to keep others waiting on something not worthy of listening to.
(25 Killer Actions to Boost Self-Confidence, Zen Habits)
10. Contribute something
Have you ever sat through an entire class at college or meeting at work without saying a word? Have you had an evening out where friends chatted happily while you sat and stared silently at your drink? Chances are, you weren’t feeling very self-confident at the time – and you probably felt even worse afterwards. Whatever the situation you’re in, make an effort to contribute. Even if you don’t think you have much to say, your thoughts and perspective are valuable to those around you.
By making an effort to speak up at least once in every group discussion, you’ll become a better public speaker, more confident in your own thoughts, and recognized as a leader by your peers.
(10 Ways to Instantly Build Self Confidence, Pick the Brain)
19 de dezembro de 2009
The story of a pencil
source: “Like the Flowing River” by Paulo Coelho
A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point he asked:
‘Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me?’
His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:
I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.’
Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special.
‘But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!’
‘That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.’
‘First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.’
‘Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpner. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.
‘Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.’
‘Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.’
‘Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. in just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action’
A boy was watching his grandmother write a letter. At one point he asked:
‘Are you writing a story about what we’ve done? Is it a story about me?’
His grandmother stopped writing her letter and said to her grandson:
I am writing about you, actually, but more important than the words is the pencil I’m using. I hope you will be like this pencil when you grow up.’
Intrigued, the boy looked at the pencil. It didn’t seem very special.
‘But it’s just like any other pencil I’ve ever seen!’
‘That depends on how you look at things. It has five qualities which, if you manage to hang on them, will make you a person who is always at peace with the world.’
‘First quality: you are capable of great things, but you must never forget that there is a hand guiding your steps. We call that hand God, and He always guides us according to His will.’
‘Second quality: now and then, I have to stop writing and use a sharpner. That makes the pencil suffer a little, but afterwards, he’s much sharper. So you, too, must learn to bear certain pains and sorrows, because they will make you a better person.
‘Third quality: the pencil always allows us to use an eraser to rub out any mistakes. This means that correcting something we did is not necessarily a bad thing; it helps to keep us on the road to justice.’
‘Fourth quality: what really matters in a pencil is not its wooden exterior, but the graphite inside. So always pay attention to what is happening inside you.’
‘Finally, the pencil’s fifth quality: it always leaves a mark. in just the same way, you should know that everything you do in life will leave a mark, so try to be conscious of that in your every action’
23 de outubro de 2009
Who's fooling who?
O mullah Nasrudin ia toda semana esmolar na feira, e era considerado um idiota: sempre que as pessoas lhe mostravam uma moeda grande e uma pequena, Nasrudin pegava a pequena.
Um senhor generoso, cansado de ver as pessoas rirem de Nasrudin, explicou-lhe: “Sempre que lhe oferecerem duas moedas, escolha a maior. Assim terá mais dinheiro, e não será considerado idiota pelos outros”.
“O senhor deve ter razão”, respondeu Nasrudin. “Mas se eu sempre escolher a moeda maior, as pessoas vão deixar de me oferecer dinheiro, para provar que sou mais idiota que elas. E, desta maneira, deixarei de ganhar meu sustento. Não há nada de errado em se passar por tolo, se na verdade o que você está fazendo é inteligente”.
Um senhor generoso, cansado de ver as pessoas rirem de Nasrudin, explicou-lhe: “Sempre que lhe oferecerem duas moedas, escolha a maior. Assim terá mais dinheiro, e não será considerado idiota pelos outros”.
“O senhor deve ter razão”, respondeu Nasrudin. “Mas se eu sempre escolher a moeda maior, as pessoas vão deixar de me oferecer dinheiro, para provar que sou mais idiota que elas. E, desta maneira, deixarei de ganhar meu sustento. Não há nada de errado em se passar por tolo, se na verdade o que você está fazendo é inteligente”.
8 de setembro de 2009
O Samurai e a sombra
Por Paulo Coelho
Myiamoto Musashi, o célebre samurai que escreveu “O livro dos cinco anéis”, fala da estratégia para se compreender o espírito e as qualidades do inimigo.
Segundo ele, quando não conseguimos saber o que nosso adversário pretende, devemos fingir um ataque. Todas as pessoas do mundo estão sempre preparadas para se defender, porque vivem no medo e na paranóia de que os outros não gostam dela.
Desta maneira, também nosso adversário – por mais brilhante que seja – é inseguro e reage com violência exagerada à provocação. Ao fazer isso, mostra todas as armas que tem, e ficamos sabendo onde está forte, e quais são os seus pontos fracos.
Musashi chama esta técnica de “movimentar a sombra”.
Na verdade, o guerreiro da luz não entra no combate, mas provoca um pouco, e a sombra de sua provocação confunde o adversário.
Então, sabendo exatamente que tipo de confronto deve esperar o guerreiro da luz ataca ou recua.
25 de agosto de 2009
O inimigo
Por Paulo Coelho
Nosso inimigo só entra na luta porque sabe que pode nos atingir. Exatamente naquele ponto em que nosso orgulho nos fez crer que éramos invencíveis.
Durante a luta estamos sempre procurando defender nosso lado fraco, enquanto o inimigo golpeia o lado desguarnecido – aquele em que nós temos mais confiança. E terminamos derrotados porque acontece aquilo que não podia nunca acontecer: deixar que o inimigo escolha a maneira de lutar.
O inimigo está ali para testar nossa mão, nossa vontade, o manejo da espada. Foi colocado em nossas vidas – e nós na vida dele – com um propósito. Este propósito tem que ser satisfeito. Por isso, fugir da luta é o pior que pode nos acontecer. É pior do que perder a luta, porque na derrota sempre podemos aprender alguma coisa, mas na fuga, tudo que conseguimos é declarar a vitória de nosso inimigo.
Nosso inimigo só entra na luta porque sabe que pode nos atingir. Exatamente naquele ponto em que nosso orgulho nos fez crer que éramos invencíveis.
Durante a luta estamos sempre procurando defender nosso lado fraco, enquanto o inimigo golpeia o lado desguarnecido – aquele em que nós temos mais confiança. E terminamos derrotados porque acontece aquilo que não podia nunca acontecer: deixar que o inimigo escolha a maneira de lutar.
O inimigo está ali para testar nossa mão, nossa vontade, o manejo da espada. Foi colocado em nossas vidas – e nós na vida dele – com um propósito. Este propósito tem que ser satisfeito. Por isso, fugir da luta é o pior que pode nos acontecer. É pior do que perder a luta, porque na derrota sempre podemos aprender alguma coisa, mas na fuga, tudo que conseguimos é declarar a vitória de nosso inimigo.
18 de agosto de 2009
Como uma pequena agência pode durar
Presidente da pequena Brownstein Group revela os segredos para que uma agência pequena como a dele possam sobreviver ao tempo e às crises
Nossa agência teve um evento na semana passada voltado para a equipe, clientes e amigos da comunidade. A razão: celebrar o 45º aniversário da empresa. Em um ano como este, estamos felizes e celebramos como um marco. E fiz uma pausa em minha agenda frenética para considerar sobre o porquê de termos chegado aqui, a partir de quando meu pai, Berny, abriu a empresa em 1964 em uma sala alugada em um escritório de advocacia.
Qualquer dono de pequena agência sabe que não há caminho fácil para sobreviver ao tempo. Os melhores planos podem ser derrotados diante de mudanças significativas, como a saída de um executivo sênior, a perda de um grande cliente, problemas de fluxo de caixa, falta de foco estratégico, etc.
Há muitos altos e baixos quando se leva uma agência ao longo de décadas. Abaixo, algumas coisas que acreditamos serem as maiores responsáveis pelo nosso sucesso:
Sustente-se em alguma coisa: desde que meu pai abriu a agência, nos fincamos em duas coisas: criatividade e integridade. Parece óbvio, mas nos amarramos às nossas raízes criativas e fizemos delas o nosso leme. E sempre dizemos que isso é como falar a verdade, fazer a coisa cerca, para que nunca precisemos olhar sobre nossos ombros. Por isso, contratamos gente que divida esses valores.
Trate as pessoas que trabalham para você com respeito: temos um ótimo time de gente esperta e talentosa que trabalha incansavelmente pela nossa agência e nossos clientes. Elas merecem respeito. E se você mostrar respeito será recompensado com sinceridade.
Tenha um DNA competitivo: Nós jamais descansamos sobre nossos louros. Nem mesmo após a conquista de um grande cliente, ou de um ano financeiramente bem sucedido, e nem após vencer toneladas de prêmios pelo nosso trabalho.
Devolva: acreditamos que é nossa obrigação devolver algo para valorizar as organizações em nossa comunidade. Meu pai e eu descobrimos que é muito difícil dizer não para entidades com fins não-lucrativos, e sempre nos sentimos bem por causar um impacto positivo na área em que estamos trabalhando. E sabe o que acontece quando você ajuda aos outros? Sim, você sabe.
Crie uma cultura forte: as pessoas dizem sempre que elas sentem nossa cultura assim que saem do elevador. Vivemos nossos valores e isso nos permite criar um ambiente onde ideias e pessoas florescem. Nossa cultura também nos ajuda a eliminar as pessoas erradas quando ocasionalmente fazemos uma contratação ruim.
Evolua: Começamos como uma agência para varejo - televisão, impresso, rádio e outdoor. Conforme crescemos, adicionamos outras disciplinas que estavam à frente de seu tempo. Por exemplo, aderimos ao marketing digital em 1998, bem antes da maioria das shops, mas em tempo de ajudar nossos clientes que já estavam prontos para levar seus negócios por novos caminhos. Evoluir sua agência antes do que você precise assegura um sucesso a longo-prazo e que os clientes fiquem contigo por muito tempo.
Bem, agora vou voltar e servir nossos clientes, para assegurar a celebração dos 50 anos em 2014.
Artigo para o Advertising Age de Marc Browstein, presidente da pequena Brownstein Group, que completou recentemente 45 anos.
Nossa agência teve um evento na semana passada voltado para a equipe, clientes e amigos da comunidade. A razão: celebrar o 45º aniversário da empresa. Em um ano como este, estamos felizes e celebramos como um marco. E fiz uma pausa em minha agenda frenética para considerar sobre o porquê de termos chegado aqui, a partir de quando meu pai, Berny, abriu a empresa em 1964 em uma sala alugada em um escritório de advocacia.
Qualquer dono de pequena agência sabe que não há caminho fácil para sobreviver ao tempo. Os melhores planos podem ser derrotados diante de mudanças significativas, como a saída de um executivo sênior, a perda de um grande cliente, problemas de fluxo de caixa, falta de foco estratégico, etc.
Há muitos altos e baixos quando se leva uma agência ao longo de décadas. Abaixo, algumas coisas que acreditamos serem as maiores responsáveis pelo nosso sucesso:
Sustente-se em alguma coisa: desde que meu pai abriu a agência, nos fincamos em duas coisas: criatividade e integridade. Parece óbvio, mas nos amarramos às nossas raízes criativas e fizemos delas o nosso leme. E sempre dizemos que isso é como falar a verdade, fazer a coisa cerca, para que nunca precisemos olhar sobre nossos ombros. Por isso, contratamos gente que divida esses valores.
Trate as pessoas que trabalham para você com respeito: temos um ótimo time de gente esperta e talentosa que trabalha incansavelmente pela nossa agência e nossos clientes. Elas merecem respeito. E se você mostrar respeito será recompensado com sinceridade.
Tenha um DNA competitivo: Nós jamais descansamos sobre nossos louros. Nem mesmo após a conquista de um grande cliente, ou de um ano financeiramente bem sucedido, e nem após vencer toneladas de prêmios pelo nosso trabalho.
Devolva: acreditamos que é nossa obrigação devolver algo para valorizar as organizações em nossa comunidade. Meu pai e eu descobrimos que é muito difícil dizer não para entidades com fins não-lucrativos, e sempre nos sentimos bem por causar um impacto positivo na área em que estamos trabalhando. E sabe o que acontece quando você ajuda aos outros? Sim, você sabe.
Crie uma cultura forte: as pessoas dizem sempre que elas sentem nossa cultura assim que saem do elevador. Vivemos nossos valores e isso nos permite criar um ambiente onde ideias e pessoas florescem. Nossa cultura também nos ajuda a eliminar as pessoas erradas quando ocasionalmente fazemos uma contratação ruim.
Evolua: Começamos como uma agência para varejo - televisão, impresso, rádio e outdoor. Conforme crescemos, adicionamos outras disciplinas que estavam à frente de seu tempo. Por exemplo, aderimos ao marketing digital em 1998, bem antes da maioria das shops, mas em tempo de ajudar nossos clientes que já estavam prontos para levar seus negócios por novos caminhos. Evoluir sua agência antes do que você precise assegura um sucesso a longo-prazo e que os clientes fiquem contigo por muito tempo.
Bem, agora vou voltar e servir nossos clientes, para assegurar a celebração dos 50 anos em 2014.
Artigo para o Advertising Age de Marc Browstein, presidente da pequena Brownstein Group, que completou recentemente 45 anos.
5 de agosto de 2009
Why the Cheap Will Never Get Rich
By Robert Kiyosaki
The other day a friend of mine approached me excitedly, saying, "I found the house of my dreams. It's in foreclosure and the bank will sell it to me for a great price."
"How good is the price?" I asked.
"Just before the real estate market crashed, the seller was asking $780,000 for the property. Today, I can buy it from the bank for $215,000. What do you think?" she asked.
"How would I know?" I replied. "All you've given me is the price."
"Yes!" she squealed. "Now my husband and I can afford it."
"Only cheap people buy on price," I replied. "Just because something is cheap doesn't mean it's worth the cost."
I then explained to her one of my most basic money principles: I buy value. I will pay more for value. If I don't like the price, I simply pass. If the seller wants to sell, he will come back with a better price. I let him tell me what he will accept. I know some people love to haggle; personally, I don't. If a person wants to sell, they will sell. If I feel what I am buying is of value, I'll pay the price. Value rather than price has made me rich.
Against my advice, my friend sought financing for her "dream" home.
Fortunately, the bank turned her down. The house was on a busy street in a deteriorating neighborhood. The high school four blocks away was one of the most dangerous schools in the city. Her son and daughter would either have to go to private school or take karate lessons. She is now looking for a cheaper house to buy and has asked her father, who is retired, for help with the down payment. If her past is a crystal ball to her future, she will likely always be cheap and poor, even though she is a good, kind, educated, hard-working person.
My Point of View
What follows are some thoughts on why my friend will probably never get ahead financially -- especially in this market.
1. She and her husband have college degrees but zero financial education. Even worse, neither plans to attend any investment classes. Choosing to remain financially uneducated has caused them to miss out on the greatest bull and bear markets in history. As my rich dad often said, "What you don't know keeps you poor."
2. She is too emotional. In the world of money and investing, you must learn to control your emotions. When you think about it, three of our biggest financial decisions in life are made at times of peak emotional excitement: deciding to get married, buying a home, and having kids.
My dad often said, "High emotions, low intelligence." To be rich, you need to see the good and the bad, the short- and long-term consequences of your decisions. Obviously, this is easier said than done, but it's key to building wealth.
3. She doesn't know the difference between advice from rich people and advice from sales people. Most people get their financial advice from the latter -- people who profit even if you lose. One reason why financial education is so important is because it helps you know the difference between good and bad advice.
As the current crisis demonstrates, our schools teach very little about money management. Millions of people are living in fear because they followed conventional wisdom: Go to school, get a job, work hard, save money, buy a house, get out of debt, and invest for the long term in a well-diversified portfolio of mutual funds. Many people who followed this financial prescription are not sleeping at night. They need a new plan. Had they sought out a little financial education, they might not be entangled in this mess.
A Thank You to Jon Stewart
Speaking of finance experts, I personally want to thank Jon Stewart of 'The Daily Show' for taking on Jim Cramer and CNBC. Jon Stewart did an incredible job of representing the millions of people all over the world who have lost their savings in the market. He was right in saying he thought it "disingenuous" to advise people to invest for the long term through their retirement plans while knowing full well that traders could steal Americans' retirement money by trading in and out of the market. Most traders like Cramer realize that investing in mutual funds for the long term is financial suicide. Cramer should have spoken up, but we all know why CNBC won't let him tell the truth. If he did, the station's advertisers would leave.
While I applaud Cramer for going on 'The Daily Show' and facing the music, I'm afraid he was marginalized by Stewart -- certainly outgunned -- and he has lost his credibility. He may pay an even bigger price if the SEC decides to dig deeper.
Jim Cramer is a very smart man. I watch his show. I just do not follow his advice.
In closing, I will say what I have said for years: We need financial education in our schools. Without it, we cannot tell the good advice from the bad.
The other day a friend of mine approached me excitedly, saying, "I found the house of my dreams. It's in foreclosure and the bank will sell it to me for a great price."
"How good is the price?" I asked.
"Just before the real estate market crashed, the seller was asking $780,000 for the property. Today, I can buy it from the bank for $215,000. What do you think?" she asked.
"How would I know?" I replied. "All you've given me is the price."
"Yes!" she squealed. "Now my husband and I can afford it."
"Only cheap people buy on price," I replied. "Just because something is cheap doesn't mean it's worth the cost."
I then explained to her one of my most basic money principles: I buy value. I will pay more for value. If I don't like the price, I simply pass. If the seller wants to sell, he will come back with a better price. I let him tell me what he will accept. I know some people love to haggle; personally, I don't. If a person wants to sell, they will sell. If I feel what I am buying is of value, I'll pay the price. Value rather than price has made me rich.
Against my advice, my friend sought financing for her "dream" home.
Fortunately, the bank turned her down. The house was on a busy street in a deteriorating neighborhood. The high school four blocks away was one of the most dangerous schools in the city. Her son and daughter would either have to go to private school or take karate lessons. She is now looking for a cheaper house to buy and has asked her father, who is retired, for help with the down payment. If her past is a crystal ball to her future, she will likely always be cheap and poor, even though she is a good, kind, educated, hard-working person.
My Point of View
What follows are some thoughts on why my friend will probably never get ahead financially -- especially in this market.
1. She and her husband have college degrees but zero financial education. Even worse, neither plans to attend any investment classes. Choosing to remain financially uneducated has caused them to miss out on the greatest bull and bear markets in history. As my rich dad often said, "What you don't know keeps you poor."
2. She is too emotional. In the world of money and investing, you must learn to control your emotions. When you think about it, three of our biggest financial decisions in life are made at times of peak emotional excitement: deciding to get married, buying a home, and having kids.
My dad often said, "High emotions, low intelligence." To be rich, you need to see the good and the bad, the short- and long-term consequences of your decisions. Obviously, this is easier said than done, but it's key to building wealth.
3. She doesn't know the difference between advice from rich people and advice from sales people. Most people get their financial advice from the latter -- people who profit even if you lose. One reason why financial education is so important is because it helps you know the difference between good and bad advice.
As the current crisis demonstrates, our schools teach very little about money management. Millions of people are living in fear because they followed conventional wisdom: Go to school, get a job, work hard, save money, buy a house, get out of debt, and invest for the long term in a well-diversified portfolio of mutual funds. Many people who followed this financial prescription are not sleeping at night. They need a new plan. Had they sought out a little financial education, they might not be entangled in this mess.
A Thank You to Jon Stewart
Speaking of finance experts, I personally want to thank Jon Stewart of 'The Daily Show' for taking on Jim Cramer and CNBC. Jon Stewart did an incredible job of representing the millions of people all over the world who have lost their savings in the market. He was right in saying he thought it "disingenuous" to advise people to invest for the long term through their retirement plans while knowing full well that traders could steal Americans' retirement money by trading in and out of the market. Most traders like Cramer realize that investing in mutual funds for the long term is financial suicide. Cramer should have spoken up, but we all know why CNBC won't let him tell the truth. If he did, the station's advertisers would leave.
While I applaud Cramer for going on 'The Daily Show' and facing the music, I'm afraid he was marginalized by Stewart -- certainly outgunned -- and he has lost his credibility. He may pay an even bigger price if the SEC decides to dig deeper.
Jim Cramer is a very smart man. I watch his show. I just do not follow his advice.
In closing, I will say what I have said for years: We need financial education in our schools. Without it, we cannot tell the good advice from the bad.
29 de julho de 2009
Funding Options for Technology startups
Check out this SlideShare Presentation:
Funding Options for Technology startups
View more presentations from Amit Ranjan.
25 de julho de 2009
A glimpse ahead
21 de julho de 2009
Foco na solução
"Solutions are inherently positive, whereas problems are inherently negative. The instant that you begin thinking in terms of solutions, you become a positive and constructive human being. Look for the good, assume that something good is hidden within each difficulty or challenge. Whenever God wants to give us a gift, he wraps it up in a problem. The bigger the gift you have coming, the bigger the problem appears."
20 de julho de 2009
Sobre a encruzilhada
Por Paulo Coelho
Do paganismo romano aos cultos afro-brasileiros, da mitologia grega as tradições indígenas americanas, a encruzilhada sempre foi considerada um lugar sagrado. É ali que alguns deuses habitam e observam o viajante tomar uma decisão.
Ali se concentram as duas grandes energias – o caminho que será escolhido, e o caminho que será abandonado. Ambos estão juntos numa encruzilhada. Ambos se transformam em um caminho só – mas por um curto período de tempo apenas. O caminhante pode descansar, dormir um pouco, até mesmo consultar os deuses que habitam as encruzilhadas.
Mas ninguém pode ficar ali para sempre: uma vez tomada a decisão, é preciso seguir adiante, confiar no próprio coração.
E esquecer o caminho que não escolhemos.
16 de julho de 2009
"Inside" planning
by Tom Hopkins
"Every evening, write down the six most important things that you must do the next day. Then while you sleep your subconscious will work on the best ways for you to accomplish them. Your next day will go much more smoothly"
"Every evening, write down the six most important things that you must do the next day. Then while you sleep your subconscious will work on the best ways for you to accomplish them. Your next day will go much more smoothly"
The Entrepreneurial Spirit by Tom Peters
Fred Karl, designer of the Viking Range and owner of the company said, "I was a weird kid. I began designing towns when I was 12." We all know that "weird" can be good, if we don’t judge others through our lens. Being weird increases creativity if we allow it to flourish. Fred Karl let his weirdness flourish abundantly.
Karl’s headquarters for Viking is located in his home town of Greenwood, Mississippi. Karl has restored old buildings to house his operations, so not only does his product, the Viking Range, generate income for the small Mississippi town, Karl is revitalizing the town through his restoration work. He remembered a bustling place in the '60s that had "gone way downhill" by the time he returned there after a tour of duty in Vietnam. The little town of Greenwood, previously sustained by the cotton industry, wasn’t ever going to be the same. But Fred Karl saw the possibilities and brought all his talents to bear to create a new Greenwood.
Fred Karl designed the first Viking Range for his wife and hoped that he would sell 1,000 a year; now he sells that many in a week. Just like most startups today, he had little money. Fred Karl bartered his building design skills to obtain office space to work in. The local people called the new range Fred was designing his "Stove Project." What kept his spirit going was the encouragement from the town—support he knew he wouldn’t get if he moved to a big city. That little "Stove Project" eventually became the big business of Viking Range.
Feeling a little weird lately? Take time to see where your passion and entrepreneurial spirit is calling you. Even in corporate America, the entrepreneurial spirit must remain alive. That spirit can solve the toughest of corporate problems, if only we let it.
Karl’s headquarters for Viking is located in his home town of Greenwood, Mississippi. Karl has restored old buildings to house his operations, so not only does his product, the Viking Range, generate income for the small Mississippi town, Karl is revitalizing the town through his restoration work. He remembered a bustling place in the '60s that had "gone way downhill" by the time he returned there after a tour of duty in Vietnam. The little town of Greenwood, previously sustained by the cotton industry, wasn’t ever going to be the same. But Fred Karl saw the possibilities and brought all his talents to bear to create a new Greenwood.
Fred Karl designed the first Viking Range for his wife and hoped that he would sell 1,000 a year; now he sells that many in a week. Just like most startups today, he had little money. Fred Karl bartered his building design skills to obtain office space to work in. The local people called the new range Fred was designing his "Stove Project." What kept his spirit going was the encouragement from the town—support he knew he wouldn’t get if he moved to a big city. That little "Stove Project" eventually became the big business of Viking Range.
Feeling a little weird lately? Take time to see where your passion and entrepreneurial spirit is calling you. Even in corporate America, the entrepreneurial spirit must remain alive. That spirit can solve the toughest of corporate problems, if only we let it.
14 de julho de 2009
Days of our lives :)
There are two great days in a person's life, the day they are born, and the day they discover why." Chris Widener
7 de julho de 2009
6 de julho de 2009
Success is Easy, But So Is Neglect by Jim Rohn
People often ask me how I became successful in that six-year period of time while many of the people I knew did not. The answer is simple: The things I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. I found it easy to set the goals that could change my life. They found it easy not to. I found it easy to read the books that could affect my thinking and my ideas. They found that easy not to. I found it easy to attend the classes and the seminars, and to get around other successful people. They said it probably really wouldn't matter. If I had to sum it up, I would say what I found to be easy to do, they found to be easy not to do. Six years later, I'm a millionaire and they are all still blaming the economy, the government, and company policies, yet they neglected to do the basic, easy things.
In fact, the primary reason most people are not doing as well as they could and should, can be summed up in a single word: neglect.
It is not the lack of money - banks are full of money. It is not the lack of opportunity - America, and much of the free World, continues to offer the most unprecedented and abundant opportunities in the last six thousand years of recorded history. It is not the lack of books – libraries are full of books – and they are free! It is not the schools – the classrooms are full of good teachers. We have plenty of ministers, leaders, counselors and advisors.
Everything we would ever need to become rich and powerful and sophisticated is within our reach. The major reason that so few take advantage of all that we have is simply neglect.
Neglect is like an infection. Left unchecked it will spread throughout our entire system of disciplines and eventually lead to a complete breakdown of a potentially joy-filled and prosperous human life.
Not doing the things we know we should do causes us to feel guilty and guilt leads to an erosion of self-confidence. As our self-confidence diminishes, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity diminishes, our results inevitably decline. And as our results suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins the slow shift from positive to negative, our self-confidence diminishes even more... and on and on it goes.
So my suggestion is that when giving the choice of "easy to" and "easy not to" that you do not neglect to do the simple, basic, "easy"; but potentially life-changing activities and disciplines.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
In fact, the primary reason most people are not doing as well as they could and should, can be summed up in a single word: neglect.
It is not the lack of money - banks are full of money. It is not the lack of opportunity - America, and much of the free World, continues to offer the most unprecedented and abundant opportunities in the last six thousand years of recorded history. It is not the lack of books – libraries are full of books – and they are free! It is not the schools – the classrooms are full of good teachers. We have plenty of ministers, leaders, counselors and advisors.
Everything we would ever need to become rich and powerful and sophisticated is within our reach. The major reason that so few take advantage of all that we have is simply neglect.
Neglect is like an infection. Left unchecked it will spread throughout our entire system of disciplines and eventually lead to a complete breakdown of a potentially joy-filled and prosperous human life.
Not doing the things we know we should do causes us to feel guilty and guilt leads to an erosion of self-confidence. As our self-confidence diminishes, so does the level of our activity. And as our activity diminishes, our results inevitably decline. And as our results suffer, our attitude begins to weaken. And as our attitude begins the slow shift from positive to negative, our self-confidence diminishes even more... and on and on it goes.
So my suggestion is that when giving the choice of "easy to" and "easy not to" that you do not neglect to do the simple, basic, "easy"; but potentially life-changing activities and disciplines.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
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