Vision Of Success

Have you ever gone into a bookstore, looking for a book that isn’t on their shelves? You inquire at the information desk, and they say they can order it for you.

At that point you have two choices: order from the bookstore and come back in a week to pick it up; or head home and order it online and wait for it to arrive in your mail.

What if you could have it on the spot? I found an article about a bookseller that’s doing just that. Blackwell’s is offering print-on-demand books while customers wait with their newest innovation - the Espresso Book Machine (EBM).

The machine currently prints 40 pages per minute, but this is expected to double  later this year. Which means you can have an average business title in under five minutes.

How cool is that?

This isn’t meant to take over what a bookstore is currently offering - it will merely complement it by offering more titles than a bookstore can offer.

I can’t wait until we see this technology here…

Two things have caught my interest over the past week.

The first was a book by Harlan Coben, “Hold Tight”. Though I don’t usually read a lot of fiction (mostly non-fiction business books are on my nightstand), I read a review recently that made me want to give this book a try. I’m doing a lot of research/writing on social media and Internet security, which are two of the main topics in this book. The story is about a teenager who commits suicide, and it all leads to different clues using today’s social media tools and email. It also asks the question that many parents today are facing: is spying on your kids’ online habits a good thing?

I enjoyed read ing about a family’s challenges when facing their teenager’s choices, and the author’s take on keeping your kids safe. Because many parents today simply don’t understand things like Facebook and MySpace, keeping their kids safe is a difficult task. With a book like this, it’s opening up topics that before were simply unknown. If it can get parents to start thinking and to start learning a bit more about today’s tools, it’s a definite step in the right direction.

The second was a movie, Untraceable. This action thriller is about an FBI agent who tracks people online, and traces them to different crimes. The storyline revolves around how you catch a killer who broadcasts online, but programs his site in such a way that he is untraceable.

There are lots of turns and twists that keep you on the edge of your seat. Once again I enjoyed having today’s technology featured in such a dramatic way. Is all of it believable and plausible? Probably not. But it’s a great two hour look at what today’s technology can do.

In both cases the author/director shares a modern look at technology, and the impact it can have on our lives. In both cases it’s not based on common every day occurrences, but it still is enough to share possibilities with readers/viewers. Things have definitely made mainstream when best selling novels and action movies are centered around it.

If you’ve read the book or watched the movie, I’d be interested in hearing your comments.

How many of you are fans of Seth Godin, raise your hand?

I’ve read a ton of his books, and love following his blog. I finally got a chance to read his newest book, Meatball Sundae.

If you haven’t heard of Godin, or his book, the name may throw you a bit. After all, what does a Meatball Sundae have to do with marketing?

First you have to think about what a meatball sundae actually is. It’s the result of combining two perfectly good items that don’t go together at all. You don’t end up with something new and fresh; you actually end up with a big, sloppy mess that has zero attraction to the general public.

In this case a meatball would be the basic staples - the things that traditional marketing could sell quite well. The topping would be the new marketing - MySpace, websites, blogs - all of the magic that makes the sundae irresistible.

Unfortunately, most businesses still live with the idea of producing the meatball. They produce a product and continue to market it in traditional ways, usually because they don’t understand New Marketing.

To succeed in today’s world, you have to break away from the traditional marketing, and learn to play in the brave, new marketplace.

Take for instance Godin’s Trend 14 - New Gatekeepers, No Gatekeepers. With old marketing, the only way to get “big” was to get in with the big guys. You did everything you could to be noticed by one of the biggest companies in the marketplace. Once you were found, your business was on easy street. Not so today. The big actually tend to struggle as they apply all of their big, corporate rules to the new marketplace.

Where else can a tiny company produce a short video with no ad budget, place it on YouTube, be found, and within  a few short months have the video viewed millions of times? Only in times of new marketing. Again, this is with zero ad budget - YouTube is free, and shooting an in-house video can cost next to nothing.

But with new marketing, you have to step outside of the traditional box, and be willing to try a few things. And if they don’t work, try a few more. Then keep what does work, and try some more.

New Marketing is changing all the time. The important thing is to learn what you can, give it a try, follow the advice of others, text, and start all over again.

If you’re looking for something to read on your next flight, or even to take to the beach (can you tell it’s almost spring break, and I’m ready for vacation?) give Meatball Sundae a try. It’s a quick read, and really can put some new ideas into place.

I’ve always been a little shocked at the statistics that suggest people aren’t reading books anymore.

According to statistics on Parapublishing.com:

Only 38% of adults in 2006 said they had spent time reading a book for pleasure the previous day.

65% of college freshmen in 2005 said they read little or nothing for pleasure.

30% of 13 year olds in 2004 said they read for fun "almost every day," down from 35% in 1984.

So what is this really saying about our society? Are people reading less because they are simply too busy to read? Or is there another reason?

I found an interesting article on Publishing 2.0 on the change to Networked Thoughts. Like the writer, do people not read because of lack of time, or because they are moving into a different type of reading habit? Is the online world changing the way we absorb our information?

I read constantly. I have 5 books started on my nightstand. I subscribe to many magazines - all niched by nature. And I read constantly online. But I read each of these types of media in very different ways.

In his article, Scott mentions what the future beholds for readers. It’s interesting to note that all of today’s top players (Google, Facebook, etc) were started by obsessive computer programmers. They may not read the typical novel, but you can better believe they are getting tremendous information from the online world. Through forums, blogs, news sites, and many other formats, they are getting an education every day in an easy way. When you find great sources, you don’t have to hunt for the information - you simply subscribe to the newsfeed and read what pertains to you.

So is "not reading books" a bad thing? Not when you look at reading in a whole new way. With today’s technology, staying on top can be gained in many ways.

Along with the New Year brings many resolutions. This year my top goal is to become more efficient in my work day, leverage myself more, rely on others to get more done, and spend more time doing things I enjoy - not have to do.

Are you like me? Juggling many different things each day, often leaving more on your list than you eliminate? I’ve been doing that for years. But I’m also getting better at creating lists that Iknow are important, and that I can get through in  a day.

So I thought I’d share with you my perfect work day. Keep in mind that this is my perfect work day - not something I actually do every day, though it is something I’m working towards.

6:00am meditate, read, clean up email, and set up my goals for the day

7:00am wake up my daughter, have breakfast with her and get her to school

8:30am - 12:00pm I have three areas of concentration: client work, production work, and self work. I work in each area every day. Mornings are my most productive time - I get as much done as possible.

12:00 - 2:00pm Have lunch, network with a group or a friend, get in a walk or exercise.

2:00 - 4:00pm Work through emails, phone messages, and any other customer contact, as needed. Finish up projects, and begin planning for tomorrow.

4:00 - 8:00pm Family time

8:00 - 10:00pm Writing time, and time to research and surf online. This is my dreaming and discovery time - time to plan for future projects and ideas.

I love reading books on this area as well. Some of my favorites are:

7 Spiritual Steps to Success - Deepak Chopra

The Power Of Focus - Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Les Hewitt

The Success Principles - Jack Canfield

I just finished a book up yesterday called Things I Want My Daughters To Know by Alexandra Stoddard. I’ve read a few of her books, and this book’s title called to me while sitting on the shelf. What would a successful mother want to tell her daughters?

The book offers a wealth of advice. Each chapter is just a few pages long, but gives one important tip to living a better life. Her ideas range from “find your passion” to “live life your way”.

I try to read at least one book a week, so I vary the type of book. While I’ve read this type of book before, I like the approach Alexandra took with her writing. Instead of talking directly to her audience, she made her audience her daughters. And as such, she added the warmth and caring that comes when you speak to your own children.

This type of book is one you can buy and have sit on your nightstand. Pick it up and randomly choose a chapter each night before you go to bed. The insight will make you think about your own life, and how to be more on track every day.

Lori

After one week, I finally finished Harry Potter.

I find J K Rowling to be an amazing writer. Not too many writers could spend thousands of pages of text developing characters and taking them from year to year - and hold the attention of millions of readers. The fact that she’s gotten so many people to read that haven’t picked up a book in ages is brilliant.

I won’t reveal any of the details here - in case you haven’t finished the book yourself. But instead, let me list 5 things you can take from J K Rowling, and use in building your own business.

1. Stay true to your passion. No matter how many people told her to give up, she kept writing.

2. Never let “no” get to you. When book publishers told her no, she moved to the next one.

3. Set your goals before you begin. She knew her book would be a best seller long before she wrote it. She set her goals, and she achieved them along the way.

4. Adjust your goals as you achieve them, and establish new ones. Did Rowling ever expect her book to be this big? Maybe not at the beginning. But as she sold her first million, I’m sure she adjusted it to a much bigger goal. You can’t achieve if you don’t set it in your sights.

5.  Enjoy the rewards. Never get too busy that you can’t take time out to enjoy what you’ve achieved. Strive to move onto bigger and better things, and take a few moments to enjoy the road.

Time to head off and discuss the magic with my daughter…

Lori

Over the weekend, I spent a lot of time sitting outside enjoying the weather (thanks to an injury to my foot, I couldn’t spend the weekend in my garden). I picked up a book that I’m really enjoying.

The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama is a book in which Obama shares personal views on a variety of subjects. I like how he leads you through his life, his opinions, and how he relates it back to his commitment to politics.

Because Obama is in the race to potentially be our next president, I feel it’s important to learn a little about him before I start forming opinions. I didn’t know much about him up until now, but find his ideas very refreshing. It’s fun to get to know someone on a personal level by reading about him through his own writings, as opposed to the media information.

The one thing I will take away from this book is to move forward in one area of your life you are passionate about, and share everything you have with the world. Ive been following that advice for a number of years with my own writings and my business. And it’s nice to see that in other people as well. Obama seems to be doing that well - I look forward to seeing more of him in the future.

Lori

I’m a big fan of Jeffrey Gitomer, (maybe because we both write for the Business Journals ) and love reading his ezine every week. I think the one thing I’ve always noticed about his writing is how upbeat he is. He’s always motivating you to take action - to take the next step towards success.

I finally had a chance to read his “Little Gold Book of Yes! Attitude” and once again, it’s a great read.

His “little book” series aren’t meant to sit down and digest in one sitting. Instead, read a few pages a day, and digest what he has to say. Use his books to motivate you to change the way you are currently doing things, and make your day more successful.

For example, in one section he speaks of Brain-Ups.

When you wake up in the morning, do you do push-ups to get your body muscles moving? Well a Brain-Up is a similar task for you brain. Flex your thinking muscle - your attitude muscle.

1. Create positive thoughts.

2. Read positive thoughts.

3. Write positive thoughts.

4. Think and plan positive actions for the day.

5. Speak positive words to yourself and others.

5.5 Ignore all bullshit.

Taking the right actions first thing in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day!

So like many things, I’ve added Jeffrey’s 5.5 tasks to my list - and I love how much more energy I have.

Give it a try.

Lori

I just finished The Automatic Millionaire by David Bach. I’ve read several of his other books, and decided it was time to read this one when I found it on the shelves of my local library.

The thing I enjoy about David’s writing style is how simple he makes things. He has a unique perspective of looking at finances, and relaying them in an easy to use fashion.

One of the biggest things I walked away with from this book is how to think rich, and how to share that knowledge with your children. He tells a story about a couple in their early 50’s ready to retire because of what their parents had taught them about money.

We Inherited Knowledge

is what the couple told David.

Basically, to retire rich at an early age, you need to:

1. Pay yourself first. Always put money away for yourself first before you pay the bills. Automate the process if possible.
2. Save a few dollars a day. They called it the cigarette factor - basically the latte factor - and you should eliminate one habit from your system, and use the money to pay yourself.
3. Buy a house and make two 1/2 payments every month instead of one big one. You pay off the house much quicker this way.
4. Don’t buy things on credit, minus your house. If you can’t pay for it, don’t buy it.

Pretty simple rules, and they make a lot of sense to me.

It’s a great book if your new to the whole finance/savings idea, or if you want a refresher on great ideas. (I never get bored reading simliar items - I alway pick up one or two new nuggets along the way!)

Lori