THE SKILLS THAT MAKE AN ENTREPRENEUR
by Bill J. Bonnstetter
Harvard Business Review
Entrepreneurial-minded people (and the ideas they generate) are extremely valuable to an organization. At our research firm, we recently conducted a multi-variable analysis of a group of serial entrepreneurs and identified five personal skills that clearly make them unique. “Personal skills” — often classified as “soft skills” — develop slowly over time, and we used them to help identify what job-related activities a person has developed. We primarily looked at people who started multiple businesses and experienced both success and failure. More »
DO YOU HAVE A FUTURE OR A JOB?
I was reading something yesterday and I came across the word possibility. The person who was writing it said “we shouldn’t ever lose our sense of possibility … because that’s all we have.” That made me think.
When I was thinking of making a change in my career, mainly because I felt I had a good job but I didn’t have a future. It was a job. A good job, but for me it was just a job. I started to get serious about making a change and one thing I discovered once I got lucky and found Shaklee, it wasn’t just about me making a change, it was that I had to change.
Once I saw the Shaklee opportunity it literally captured my thinking. What if … ?
What if it’s true about what is possible with this company?
What if it’s true about the products?
What if it’s true that a person could actually have their own business without knowing squat about business?
It was very exciting to say the least.
The opportunity was exciting … but I had zero experience doing what they seemed to say had to be done. I didn’t have many options and as I think back I believe it was because of all the possibilities Shaklee offered that I stuck with it to learn what was true. I wondered many times if I could really have a large Shaklee business. What stuck with me were the possibilities. That was the attraction for me. The future. To build not just sell or make transactions. The idea of building stuck with me as I evaluated.
I had a lot to learn. I had to develop new skills … prospecting – Yikes! Give presentations. Yikes! Eventually conduct meetings. Ditto! The personal development side of the business was huge for me as I reflect back. Obviously I did make the right decision and that was to learn what had to be learned, then to do it and grow a future. Bottom line it was still the possibilities that pulled me into the business.
What’s possible for you? Are you accepting the challenge? Go for it! Make things happen!
Enthusiastically,
Gary Burke
Note: The photo at the top of this post is Gary & Faye Burke’s Presidential Master Mercedes. It’s FREE. Nice huh?
The Strangest Secret
An excerpt from
The Strangest Secret
by Earl Nightingale
George Bernard Shaw said,
“People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can’t find them, make them.”
Well, it’s pretty apparent, isn’t it? And every person who discovered this believed (for a while) that he was the first one to work it out. We become what we think about. More »
Are You Prepared for Success?
Your success in Shaklee is virtually guaranteed… if you believe in the law of averages, stay consistent, and continue to get better through preparation.
Apollo astronauts practiced every second of their mission, even planting the flag (above), many times, indoors, outdoors, in space suits, underwater, in planes, in centrifuges, in pools, in the ocean and anywhere else NASA saw fit. They were prepared for every contingency and trained for water planned landings as well as desert and jungle survival in case their capsule missed the ocean and hit land. They learned geology, how to withstand g-forces, maneuver in low- and zero-gravity conditions, and how to drive electric rovers and land the lunar module.
Think to Win
This past April, 21-year-old Rory Mcllroy held the lead Saturday night at the prestigious Master’s Golf Tournament. Remember, entire careers are built by winning the Masters. Unfortunately, intense pressure rocked Rory’s world. He choked and lost the tournament by 10 shots. More »
When Did You Get Old?
At some point, most brands, organizations, countries and yes, people, start talking about themselves like they’re old.
“We can’t stretch in that direction,” or “Not bad for a 60 year old!” or “I’m just not going to be able to learn this new technology.” Even countries make decisions like this, often by default. Governments decide it’s just too late to change.
The incredible truth is this: it never happens at the same time for everyone. It’s not biologically ordained. It’s a choice. It’s possible to put out a hit record at 40, run a marathon at 60 and have your 80 year old non-profit change its business model. It’s not as easy as it used to be, but that’s why it’s worth doing.
- Seth Godin
Another of the many reasons I love our Shaklee business. Age is not a factor — and it keeps you young and engaged. You aren’t forced to retire… ever… and you really can get better with age.
I think the fact that it’s generational. Building a legacy keeps people involved far longer than they might otherwise be.
I love watching people in their 80′s taking notes in Shaklee meetings.
Naomi Cranney who earned over $300 k in her Shaklee business when she was 102… and Dr. Shaklee didn’t start this great company until he had reached retirement age.
There are thousands of stories we could tell about people who would have been put out to pasture years ago in traditional business… but they still active in their Shaklee business. Love it!
The product makes a difference, but it just may be that being happily and fully engaged matters even more!
What You Think About – You Bring About
ONE EVENING IN 1987 – young comedian, Jim Carrey, drove his beater Toyota up Mulholland Drive and stopped to overlook the Los Angeles skyline.
Things weren’t going as he hoped — but he still dreamed of real success.[...] More »
Make Big Plans
THAT’S THE BEST way to make big things happen.
Write down your plans. Share them with trusted colleagues. Seek out team members and accomplices.
Shun the non-believers. They won’t be easily convinced, but they can be ignored.
Is there any doubt that making big plans increases the chances that something great will happen?
Is there any doubt that we need your art and your contribution?
Why then, are you hesitating to make big plans?
- Seth Godin
Are You an Optimist?
THE NUMBER OF years longer you may live if you are an optimist!
The Strangest Secret!
When I was 19, a friend of mine introduced me to the Dale Carnegie Course. That led me to the book Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill, and began my search for every self-help book and tape I could find.
One of my all-time favorites was by Earl Nightingale. It was called — The Strangest Secret.
This morning, I ran across this Video with an excerpt from The Strangest Secret with Mr. Nightingale's original narration. I couldn't help but think what a blessing it would have been to have all of Earl Nightingale's great work on streaming video.
Enjoy!
