The Events Question
If you had your choice of events to attend, even a webinar online, what would you want to learn about? What would the event topic have to be to ensure your attendance? Most events cost money, to attend, and to coordinate, setup, and manage, but this event I’m talking about would be FREE!
Most of us buy books hoping to learn the secret ingredient, so we can be a leg up on our competitors. What kinds of books have you been buying, what are the topics that interest you most, and more importantly….where have you invested the most recently to learn something about what you do, or want to do.
We are willing to go to great extremes to learn how to do something, to learn that one thing that will give us permission to move forward, why do we do that, put all that pressure on ourselves? Is it because we want to be with like-minded people, belong to a mastermind group or be in a private membership so no one could figure what you’re doing. If so, stop it, now! The best thing anyone could do, is do the thing you don’t know how to do…why, to learn what works and what doesn’t. You don’t need permission, just do it! Of course you’ll fail, maybe alot, but you’ll do one thing for sure, LEARN.
But if you must attend an event, a seminar, or a webinar, do it, but make sure you put the action in after you have gotten what you went for, or paid for. I love going to events, I love being around people, but I don’t go to events that are merely giving me a warm fuzzy, that’s not good use of time. And you shouldn’t either.
The events question should always be, if I’m being honest with myself, will this event move my business forward, or is it merely a cocktail party? Don’t get me wrong, the cocktail party may give that movement forward, but only you can discern whether it’s the right event to attend.
Back to my opening question, I would like to know what type of event interests you, and what would the topic be to guarantee your attendance? Let me know by filling out the form below:
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Something Fell Off The Wagon
Have you ever wondered what happens to things that find their way into the lost & found? What happens to great ideas when they fail to produce desired results? What do you do when what you’ve learned no longer works? Why don’t people start a business? Why do people wish, or hope something better will come along? Why don’t people know what they want? The real question is, what are you looking for, what are you hoping for, and most importantly, what are you waiting for?
There has never been a better time in history for anyone to make the world a better place, to start a business, to make something great happen, to truly see your purpose in life, and yet, we keep holding back. What is it, did you lose something, was it taken from you (most likely yes), or were you told you couldn’t? I’m going to tell you something. Those individuals in your life that tell you it’ll fail, it won’t work, and you can’t do it. They don’t have power over your desire to do something, today….you can just do it, you don’t need permission, you don’t need to ask anyone, you can just do it!
Somewhere along the way we lost sight of our future’s, our desire to do things. I can remember being in high school talking about all the great things I was gonna do after I got out, all the places I was going to go, and how I was going to life out the rest of my life. But somewhere on that journey, that confidence, that desire, that passion, and that drive, was driven out of me. Why? Because I allowed it, not because I didn’t have a choice. But today, that is all in the past, its history, today I can choose, I don’t have to conform to the powers that be, they actually have to keep an eye on me. The tables have turned, and now, you & I have the power to shape our future, to leverage each day, the choice is…more than ever, yours. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, I’m not very good, I did however, choose to start this blog a number of years ago, and I’m writing to you right now!
You might be all fired up and ready to go, but let’s not lose sight of what you already have, and what you must look after, more importantly, making sure you’re being a good citizen that pays their bills, and shows up for work, life doesn’t stop because you’re all excited, and want to focus on your dream. I share this with you because I found myself looking back, wondering what happened, wondering…..something fell off the wagon. What was it, today it’s clear, at the time I was left wondering what was wrong, what was missing.
Many people don’t know what they want to do, many don’t want to leave the comfort of their careers, their jobs, because they are overcome by fear. Fear is powerful, you can’t ignore it, but most of the time, you can over-come it, you might even master it. Fear prevents you from living the abundant life, you never really live until you can move beyond those fears that are strongholds in your life.
What was that something that fell off the wagon? It was my power to choose, I gave up my power to the Industrial Age way of life. I gave my power away so I could feel secure, so I could keep the peace with my family and friends, so I could fit in. That system, that way of life works for some, but it squashes the will of many. If it works for you, then do it well, if it doesn’t….you have a hope and a decision to make, but make smart calculated decisions. Today you have choices most of us didn’t have 20 years ago, today you can do things at much lower levels of risk than 30 years ago. It’s an exciting time to be alive, don’t let your power to choose become something you lost, don’t let it fall off the wagon.
The Open & Free Business Model, It Will Set You Free!
I was once asked what do I get if I use the Open & Free Business Model, it’s simple really, it sets you free. We are so afraid to change the way we think about business, how it really is, we forgot what it was like when we first started, the energy, nervous fear that it might not work, but we kept on going anyway. There is only one thing you really need to master, your fear. If you could identify it, you would probably be able to nail it down to one or two things.
I can only really speak from my experiences, my fears, they still live in me, but they don’t keep me from doing what I so desperately want to do. It doesn’t stop me from doing the thing, it may continue to haunt me from going bigger, growing my art to something far bigger than myself. The truth is, I actually care more about you than I do myself, I write, I share, I speak in public, I do workshops, all for you. But sometimes, all those exercises don’t work, sometimes you want my work the old fashion way. I can assure you, you probably won’t find it in the traditional format, it’s not who I am, and it doesn’t support my message.
Choosing to execute the Open & Free Business Model takes guts, courage, and persistence, it’s not easy to stay the course. It has the same slow growth as the stock market, it takes time to master the model, it takes time to figure out what part of your business can leverage the model. But once you’ve figured out it’s power, you’ll never go back, you’ll never stop giving your customers what they really want from you and your business.
What they want is freedom, freedom to choose, freedom to tell you how they would like to be served, how they would like to use your product or service. If you’re listening, and your practicing the Open & Free Business Model, your world will change, and your business will look different to you, and to your community. But first you must admit your business needs to change, it needs something different, it needs to attract attention in a non-traditional way. Otherwise, you’ll keep getting what you’ve always got. That may be OK for you, but it also may be the very thing that causes your business to struggle, and maybe even go out of business.
Set you and your business free, learn the Open & Free Business Model, follow the three-step process, Create. Differentiate. Deliver.
Because You Valued Your Customers First
It amazes me how afraid business owners are of giving something of value away, that fear of loss prevents them from learning something special about themselves and their customers. Typically, if they aren’t afraid, they are trying to dump a loss leader item that is costing them money, not because it adds value to their customer base. It’s a way of justifying a bad buying decision, let’s just get rid of it, rather than invest in it and do something special for our customers. If that’s you, why not rethink how you can bundle that bad buying decision and turn it into something customers could use and actually want.
Maybe you’re not one of those businesses trying to dump a product that didn’t sell like you thought it would, maybe you’re just trying to figure out how to bring up the bottom line during a down cycle in sales. It doesn’t really matter what or when, it does matter how view and think about incorporating FREE into your business. The benefits of free are mind-boggling sometimes, there are examples of business, large and small, that took the risk and came out looking like the most amazing company ever!
From very large organizations, to individuals, people who saw the value in their customers, not their wallets. The by-product of the interaction and free, was in the end, customers opening their wallets…or they became your largest PR & Marketing machine. You know, the kind of advertising you could never buy or afford.
Most of you know who Gary Vaynerchuck is, he gave away his Wine Library TV content, most of you know who Seth Godin is, he opened up Squidoo, and you get to use it for free, they both practice the Open & Free Business Model, in their own unique way, but that’s the they’re selling advantage. They gave content away, good content, and or provided a service that didn’t force you to open your wallet. They also did it for a considerable length of time, they built credibility. WestJet over Christmas used FREE as a way to not only show they value customers, but they did something no one saw coming. The setup a kiosk where you scanned your boarding pass and Santa appeared asking what you wanted for Christmas, hours later when those who participated landed, Westjet presented each of them with the gift they asked for by sliding it down the baggage carousel for them to pickup. It was brilliant, it was dubbed a #WestjetChristmas, and it was risky too. It doesn’t matter how much they spent on the gifts, they got it back and then some with the PR that came from it.
Watch the video:
No, not everyone can do what WestJet did, but you can do something. And no, not everyone needs your product or service, but someone does, and they’re looking for you, online and off. Keep in mind, what you think should be given away for free, may not be of value to your customer base, it’s a double-edged sword if you get it wrong. You must know your client base, understand some of their basic needs. You must have some data to work with to get the strategy right, to make sure it succeeds. Don’t just give something away for the sake of giving it away, make sure you think it through, and build something around it that makes it engaging, people want to be a part of it. Hire the right people to help you, don’t rely on your own brain power, get outside help, they will see your business from a different paradigm.
The Future of Business is leading people on a journey, giving them something they didn’t really need but wanted, to be a part of what you are doing anyway. Plus, your product or service actually solved a problem, or helped them get to the next level. You provided value because you valued them first. The Open & Free Business Model is a way to make a difference in your business, to make a difference in your customers view of you and your business. Use your business to make the world a better place.
Christmas 2013
Merry Christmas everyone, and Happy New Year! This time of year is hard, stressful, and down right difficult, while others find great celebration and fun, which camp do you fall in? I fall into both, I’m sad because I lost my father December 11th, 1998, he wanted to stay alive long enough to celebrate one more Christmas, he just couldn’t hang in there, Cancer took him quickly. Christmas was his favorite time of year, he would decorate the house, and I mean you could see the house, it was all streamers, and lights, you name it….he would go over the top every year. My Dad made Christmas supper special. So sadness enters my heart at this time of year.
On the other side, I get pretty giddy at Christmas Time, it’s a time to celebrate a great many things. This year, we are doing a traditional Ukrainian meal, no meat….ya I know : ) I’m a meat-a-tarian! I don’t think that’s a word, but it’s mine. I eat meat, it’s what I do!
I decorate the house every year, but not like my Father did, I’m more on the conservative side, but each year I like to add something new to the mix. Most importantly, this is when my kids come home to visit, there is nothing else like it, I love my boys. I hope you get to be with those that matter most to you, in the end, they are the difference makers in your life.
This time of year we celebrate the birth of Jesus, although it’s meaning has changed, the world has moved away from the significance of the scriptures. But let me share some thoughts on a few verses that share a message of hope.
Taken from the NIV version of the Bible, appropriate for this time called Christmas.
Luke 2:8-15
This passage and all like them, is always about Jesus, it always was, it was never about us. Everything is about Jesus. The hope of Jesus, the hope of freedom, the hope that he will change the world and lead us to a better place.
Imagine an Angel coming before you, a lowly person in stature, one of the lowest in your day, a Sheppard, that you would be chosen to learn of what was about to happen before anyone else. Imagine your confusion, imagine your fear, can you imagine what it means to have the glory of the Lord shining around you, and then to be told not to be afraid. How would such an event test your faith, to me, this moment in time, shows us what faith looks like. The shepherds didn’t run, they didn’t say we don’t believe you, they said, ” let us go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened”, not knowing the significance of what was about to happen. The coming of Jesus, God’s only begotten son came to be with us, imagine.
These verses revealed a number of things to me, here are a couple:
1.) God uses us all (even the lowly shepherds of our world), regardless of stature and what others think about us.
2. This is an example of how we should live in fear of God, how we should respond when the Lord sends his messengers, and when the Lord shines on us, as he does each and every day we draw breath.
These verses are about the celebration of Jesus, and the hope he brought (brings) to his people.
We aren’t ready for his birth, we aren’t ready for his return, but we should be prepared to do as he commands, without faith you have nothing.
I hope this message brings some hope at this time of year, I know I am encouraged, and can’t wait for 2014, so Merry Christmas to you!
