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Loral Langemeier explains what it take to be a successful entrepreneur! Join us as Loral shares her Entrepreneurial mindset and an inside glance at her journey to becoming a successful Entrepreneur!
Plus, get details on Loral’s biggest self-proclaimed business challenge thus far in her career – being sued 21 times in 1 year. Yup, 21. She could have given up and collapsed into despair, but instead she persevered and was victorious. Those 21 lawsuits??? You’ll just have to listen to find out what happened…
My dad, Jim, was born in Nebraska. He was a simple man. A farmer. A hard worker.
Before leaving this life, my father taught me one of the main lessons I teach people now: The 3 D’s.
Decisions, Determination and Disqualification.
These 3 D’s were never more important to me than when he was on his death bed.
It was New Year’s Eve 2006 and I got a phone call that my father was going to die. I was in Tahoe and needed to fly to Nebraska ASAP to see him.
My father had never met my daughter (who was 3 months old at the time) and I wasn’t going to let him go without seeing her.
Here’s where the challenge presented itself: There were absolutely NO outgoing flights from Tahoe on New Year’s Eve. None. I literally called everywhere and just kept getting no’s.
No, no, no, no, NO.
But I was going home. No doubt about it.
So I started thinking of who I could call to help…
Luckily, I had a friend in aviation. I dialed him up immediately and asked him to get my family and I to Nebraska.
“Loral…it would be $29,000 to fly out,” he said.
“I don’t care. How quickly can we leave?” I responded.
Before I could blink, my family and I packed up a few essentials, drove to a private airport and were in the air for Nebraska to see my father.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
So we flew out and got to spend my dad’s last days together. He got to meet his granddaughter and we all spent the waning moments of his life as a family.
I couldn’t have asked for more.
This whole story was one of my “Say ‘yes’ and figure out how” moments. I was told ‘no, there is no way we can get you to your dad,’ but I said ‘YES, I am flying home’ and figured out how.
Deciding: When faced with obstacles, many of you have decided you can’t do it. The decision is already made up in your mind. But when it’s really, really, really something that you need to do, I think it’s fascinating to see how creative you can become to get that thing done.
Putting it into action: When the world had told me “no” 100 times, I had already decided to say “yes.” Do the same in your own life and see it transform.
Determination: A lot of you have a lack of determination. You have to be determined enough to say yes. It can’t be feigned. Your “yes” must be genuine and driven. Almost a gut YES!
Putting it into action: There was no way in hell I was not going to see my father during his last days.
Disqualification: A lot of you disqualify yourself based on the fact that you don’t know how to overcome whatever challenged you’re faced with and don’t know anyone to help you do it.
Putting it into action: Yes, I was fortunate enough to have a friend in aviation to fly me out, but even if I didn’t, I would’ve made a friend that day. Never disqualify yourself for anything. It’s the most disempowering thing you could do.
Always clarify your 3 D’s in life and keep them in mind daily. Consider saying “yes” every day and match it against the 3 D’s.
Do this and you’ll truly start to see you can have EVERYTHING you want in life…
Cheers,
One of the easiest and quickest ways to pack your website with relevant information and build your SEO is by writing a blog.
That doesn’t mean supplying regular articles for this blog is actually easy, though. In fact, many companies don’t have one because they can’t handle the effort it demands. Fortunately, there’s a simple way to not only include a blog on your website but to keep it up-to-date: solicit guest posts.
The first reason you should solicit guest posts is also the most obvious: it relieves your company of work. Someone else will handle the writing for you. Depending on the circumstances, they may even supply the topic they’ll be writing about. So long as you compensate them, you get a tailor-made blog post that will benefit your company.
Speaking of compensation, it doesn’t always need to take the form of actual money either, which is another reason to consider guest posting. Sometimes, all it takes is providing a backlink to the blogger’s own page. They get extra page views for their website; you get happier visitors. There are a number of other ways to compensate guest bloggers, too, so be creative and you’ll see your overhead shrink considerably.
Guest blogging won’t just result in happier customers, though. It may also result in new ones.
If you pick a blogger who has a substantial following of their own, you can depend on their market potentially becoming yours. Just as you may compensate some bloggers by linking to their website, more established bloggers can benefit you by doing the same. You may need to compensate them more than the average writer, but if you do your due diligence properly, this may turn out to be a very worthwhile investment.
Also, consider the advantages that can be gained from returning the favor. Something as simple as blog posts could actually turn into the strategic partnership you’ve been looking for (or weren’t looking for, but can still benefit from). If you work with someone in your industry who isn’t a competitor, you or your writer can give their website a blog post for doing the same in return.
With the right article and backlink, you can establish yourself as an authority to a whole new market and potentially attract new customers.
Blogs are so easy to start that many companies take them for granted. Some disregard them because they think they’re too difficult to maintain. Thanks to guest posts, blogs can become an effective—and affordable—marketing tool. Just apply the above advice to ensure you solicit the best writers.
Managerial/Parenting/Leadership Tip: DON’T praise intelligence. DO praise effort.
Why?
When you praise intelligence, you’re giving recognition to an innate characteristic. When you do this, you’re conditioning your employees/children/followers to believe their job well done was a result of their intelligence rather than their effort. Thus, they start to lean on their smarts, as opposed to the actual effort they put in.
As a result, they learn that many of their achievements require little to no effort.
However, when your employees/children/followers encounter obstacles that require lots of effort, they’re so conditioned to flying by on the base of their intelligence that they often give up more easily than someone who relies on their effort. When people praised for their intelligence fail, they get discouraged, depressed, and question if they’re so smart after all … all because they’ve been conditioned to rely on their intelligence, which is a “fixed” characteristic.
Researchers call this “appealing to fixed mindsets.”
When aptitude is believed to be “fixed,” this assumption can cause people to believe that it’s simply not worth trying hard because they’re either naturally smart or naturally not – and there’s little, if anything, anyone can do about it.
However, when praising effort, you’re instilling a “growth mindset.”
People with “growth mindsets” perceive errors as solvable problems, have an excitable attitude toward failure, and tend to spend more time working through challenges. A “growth mindset” fosters lifelong learning and helps people build resilience.
Why?
Because this set of people believes mistakes, failures and shortcomings result from a lack of EFFORT, not a lack of ABILITY. It’s easy to turn up effort … it’s not so easy to turn up intelligence. Get it?
If you want to see this in play, just take a look around you – at work, around your inner circle, around your family … see if you can spot who has a “fixed mindset” and who has a “growth mindset.”
Thoughts?!
Source: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
According to “The Leadership Challenge,” a wonderful book focused on “liberating the leader in everyone,” there are 4 qualities that stand above the rest when people are asked what they value in their leaders … take a look at the list below, and see if these core values are the same you value in yourself as a leader.
*PS: After you read the list, ask yourself if the qualities at the top are the same you’d like to see in a company you do business with … interesting how they align, huh?
88% Honest
71% Forward-looking
66% Competent
65% Inspiring
47% Intelligent
42% Fair-minded
40% Broad-minded
35% Supportive
34% Straightforward
33% Dependable
28% Cooperative
24% Determined
23% Imaginative
21% Ambitious
20% Courageous
20% Caring
17% Mature
14% Loyal
8% Self-controlled
6% Independent
A lot goes into building and running a successful company.
There is startup capital, continued investment, sales, marketing, accounting … you can go crazy thinking about everything that’s involved in a good company. Of course, you also need to have a valuable product or service.
However, NO company can succeed without the right people behind it. You need a GREAT team to run a GREAT business.
While you can do everything to train the right people, starting at the hiring process will make things much easier. Here is how to ensure you hire the right people to begin with.
This might seem like obvious advice, but it all starts with competency. Does a prospective employee come with the ideal skill set? Many of us like to believe that everyone has the same amount of potential and that any trait can be taught. Maybe this is even true. If you hire someone who doesn’t come with the background you desire, though, you’ll only be making more work for yourself.
Part of this means compatibility. There’s a lot to be said for someone’s personality. Sometimes people have the degree and/or background you want, but simply aren’t good at taking direction, working well with others or accepting new challenges. Eventually, these people become more of a burden than a benefit.
You also want to make sure your new employee wholeheartedly accepts the salary and benefits you offer them. In this economy, it can be easy to think that anyone should be happy with what they get. Unfortunately, this attitude can lead to employees who underperform or are constantly on the lookout to jump ship.
Neither is going to help your company in the long run.
Most everyone lists references when they apply for a job, but how many companies actually check up on them? It’s important that you do so. Many times, references sign up for the job because they feel pressured to do so. This might mean they won’t actually endorse the candidate when you call them. Other times, the reference isn’t aware of the types of jobs for which their former employee or acquaintance is applying.
Either way, it’s worth your while to not just check up on references, but also drill them for honest answers. Tell them what your company does and the type of candidate you’re looking to hire. Then spend some time ascertaining whether or not the person you’re inquiring about is a match.
Hiring new people is easy if you don’t keep the above standards. Unfortunately, this is a great way to surround yourself with the wrong type of people. So consider the advice in this article to ensure you hire people who will help your company achieve its goals.
Note: If you truly want to live a happier life in the occupational phase of your life, you NEED to become an entrepreneur! If you don’t know how to get started, this is a good place to start. BUT … if you absolutely have to stay at your W-2 job, here is a good outline of how to go about asking for more money.
No matter how much you’re currently making at your job, chances are you wouldn’t mind making even more.
However, for some of us, a pay raise is a very real need. Perhaps you’ve started a family or have debts you need to pay down. Whatever the reason, asking for a raise is rarely an easy thing. If you do it right, however, it can be an extremely rewarding one.
Before you ask for a raise, get an idea of how much money you’re actually worth. Missing the mark on either side will not end well for you. Ask for too little of a raise and you might actually get it, only to be disappointed later. It will also let your employers know that you are clueless about your actual value. On the other hand, if you ask for too much, you’ll be all but guaranteed a flat “no.”
Keep in mind that just because you’re worth a certain amount doesn’t mean the company will give it to you. They may not be able to afford it, for one. It might also be that what you’re worth on the open market isn’t what you’re worth to them. So be sure a large part of your research is figuring out what you’re actually worth to your current employer.
Once you know how much you’re worth, ask for it.
Don’t ask for less out of some sense of modesty. Just make sure your request includes a rationalization. Explain how you came to the final number. Then confidently seek that amount. If you mince words or otherwise show you’re not sure about your value, don’t expect an employer to do you any favors.
Many people go too far in their attempt at convincing an employer they’re worth extra money. We’ve all heard horror stories about someone threatening to quit. Don’t become one of those yourself. Even if you get the raise you wanted, providing any type of ultimatum will most likely not go over well with your boss. You should fully expect that your new salary, and time with the company, is limited, as they no longer feel they can rely on you.
Lastly, practice making your pitch. Practice it over and over until it sounds natural. Then ask for your raise as soon as possible. The longer you put it off, the harder it will be. Plus, if someone beats you to the chase, your chance at success just dropped.
Requesting a raise can seem difficult, but not if you adhere to the above advice. By dedicating yourself to this goal, you’ll be guaranteed a much better shot at success, which could mean more money in your pocket.
Thought of the day for all of my fellow entrepreneurs out there…
I’ve met with a TON of aspiring & existing entrepreneurs and others seeking financial freedom. People are always excited at the prospect of becoming their own boss, living a life they love, and “never working another day.”
This all sounds great (& is true), but I’ve got a newsflash for you:
ALL successful people have 3 things in common: Motivation, ability and opportunity. So, to succeed, we need hard work, talent & good luck.
Here’s the point of my post: A lot of you are willing to work hard and a lot of you are very bright … but many of you aren’t willing to take new opportunities.
A lot of you aren’t willing to take calculated risks.
A lot of you aren’t willing to put your money where your mouth is to take your business and life to the next level.
A lot of you aren’t willing to take a step into darkness simply because you’re uncomfortable with it …
To that I say, fine. Stay the same. Earn the same check. Live the same life. Stay where you are.
Good luck with that.
But for those of us who have taken the risks (some good, some bad) and seen the life-changing results … can I just say that, MAN, IT FEELS GREAT TO BE ON THE OTHER SIDE!
Trust me, not everything will go your way and not every strategy will result in millions of dollars … but when opportunity knocks at your door, are you going to peek through the window, turn off the lights and stay quiet until it goes away … or are you going to take a deep breath, open the door and say, “I’m ready.”?
…
Take that next step.
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