Success Is Not About Talent As Much As It Is A State Of Mind

Have you ever noticed how some people who are extremely intelligent and talented struggle through life while others that pale in comparison to them become extremely successful?  The myth that the smarter and more talented you are, the more success will come into your life is simply not true.  But why?  Well, there are many answers, so lets examine a few of them.

I have found that success is a result of expectation:   Without question, the people I have seen become successful almost always expected to become successful.  It was only a function of time until their success lined up with what they thought would happen.  They made a decision to succeed, and once that decision is absolute in their mind, it happened.
Smarts are not all it takes to succeed.   In fact, I believe it is only a very small part of it.  I have found many smart people to take too much time thinking about things and they never get around to doing anything.  Smart people like trying to find shortcuts and be creative instead of simply putting in the time and making the sacrifices it takes to succeed
People who have struggled in their life many times have created a subconscious expectation of failure, and although they may be very intelligent and talented, they will subconsciously sabotage something that would ultimately create their success.  I work with a gentlemen in my business that has incredible talent, charisma, and intelligence at such a level that it is scary.  I expected him to set records in the business after the first conversation I had with him.  However, any significant success has not come his way yet.  The reason simply put is that every time he gets going and success is on the horizon, obstacles and distraction find their way into his life and a monkey wrench appears which haults progress because he allows it to take him away from the project at hand.  The truth is he has every tool in the book to succeed but lacks the one thing that will take him to the top; the mindset of success.  The State of mind that expects and actually demands success.  Rather he subconsciously expects to struggle so when things are going good, his mind finds something to change the pattern.  Basically it is a self sabotage.  It is the exact reason a large majority of people who win a lottery are broke within a short period of time.  Their mindset is as a person who is broke, and their mind doesn’t know how to deal with having money so it self sabotages by gambling, wasteful spending, and the like.  Same with many athletes who have made Millions and are now completely broke.
So, Here is my formula for success.

Set expectations of your life to be successful and focus on them daily.  Michael Jordan said “Your expectations of yourself shape your life”  So expect to become successful.  Think big!  Never say “you can’t” do anything.    Spend time with people who encourage you and are positive influences.  I was blessed to parents that never told me “I couldn’t do something”.  I was always told I could do whatever I put my mind to my whole life.  And although I have had my fair share of challenges in business, I have always ended up succeeding because it was an expectation.  Create a dream board with all of your lifes dreams and goals depicted in the collage of your creating and lose yourself in it for just 5 minutes a day.  Imagine what it is going to feel like when you achieve those goals.  Picture it. And tell yourself everyday that you deserve it because you are willing to make the sacrifices necessary and the commitment necessary to do what it takes to make it happen. Write out your goals as if they already happened.  Finally, become a competitor.  Challenge yourself to be the absolute best at what you do.   I will never settle for being second best and that is a driving force for me.  Make it a driving force for you too.

I leave you with this thought Your mind is like a garden, you grow what you plant. Think, feel and visualize your dreams and they will come your way.


Debbie Hancock

The Athlete – Entrepreneur connection : 
Why Athletes Often Become Incredible Business People

      When I began my entrepreneurial journey, I always had an inner fire that was driving me.  There was nothing in the world that could stop me and I have made a nice mark thus far in my endeavors as a result.  Prior to my introduction into the business world, I was a successful athlete. In fact, as far back as I remember, I was always in athletics and was very successful in every sport I ever participated and won many championships.  Ever to this day, I participate on occasion in a sport and have a drive to win.  I became a competitor in sports over my life, and that competitiveness has stayed with me into the business world.


                                                                                                                                                                                               




Being in the position to now recruit and train other entrepreneurs into
business with me, I consistently gather information to decide who my best candidates could be.  Although there is no rule or test to measure the heart of a person (which is the ultimate key to success) I did notice a great correlation between successful athletes and successful entrepreneurs over the years.   Here are 6 reasons I love working with former or current  athletes as partners in the business world.

They are Competitive-  Athletes, especially those who are or were successful have a common denominator that they all share.  THEY ARE COMPETITORS.  Athletes love a challenge, and they are driven to accomplish the goals that are set before them.  Success in the business world is very similar.  In fact, in my 16+ years as an entrepreneur, I have seen a strong competitive nature in the successful entrepreneurs I have met and worked with.  Most often, this competitiveness came from an experience in sports at an earlier time in life.

They have a Will to Win-  Athletes and Entrepreneurs both have a strong will to win.  In fact, losing to successful athletes and entrepreneurs is for many of them, unacceptable.  This becomes one of the best assets of a person that drives them to become a creative problem solver.  Simply put, they don’t accept anything other than a victory.  That doesn’t mean they never lose.  It simply means they never quit because of a loss, but they work harder, and strive to put themselves in a position to not lose from the same type of defeat again.

They have Dedication-  Successful athletes very seldom win by accident.  It came from consistent preparation, practice, and studying their sport to do whatever it takes to get better and better.  They are dedicated.  To be a successful entrepreneur, one must be dedicated to their mission as well.

They Persevere-   Question: What is the price of success for an athlete?  Answer: Blood, Sweat and Tears!  Through the early morning practices, the injuries, and the coaches pushing you to uncomfortable limits, successful athletes persevere through it all.  In fact, those who do not persevere do not succeed in sports.  Entrepreneurs must persevere as well.  More times than not, your project, product, or service will be rejected by a potential buyer or investor.  It may not pass regulatory requirements.  It may take years to even bring it to market from unforeseen issues.  Entrepreneurs must continue on and stay focused and excited about their mission regardless of these encounters, no matter how numerous or often they might show their ugly face.

They play a role -   Athletes play certain roles depending on their strengths especially in team sports.  For example, in baseball, hockey, football, basketball and other sports, athletes play particular positions based upon their strengths.  They also learn how to work with others as a team to leverage each others skills to make the team the strongest possible.  Although many entrepreneurs are self employed or own their company, they also must know how to play a role and surround themselves with others who have skills beyond theirs in certain categories.   Although the term “self made” is throw around a lot in books and magazines, the truth is that business is truly a team sport and seldom is their ever purely a “self made” success in business.

They are leaders-  This is, to me, what really separates a great athlete as well as a great entrepreneur from the rest of the pack.  Leadership, which simply put is the ability to influence others and inspire them to perform, is the most important attribute of an athlete I would want on my team or a partner to work with in business.  Leaders take responsibility for  losses, and they do not blame anyone else for them.  However, when they win, although they may big the biggest contributor to the victory, the give credit to their team members and remain humble.  They strive to better not only themselves, but those around them.  The lead by example and only request of others what they are willing to do themselves.  Many times, they do not say what should be done, they simply show people what should be done by just doing it.

So I commend the athletes of yesterday to become the business leaders of tomorrow.  The strengths they will bring to the table in the business world will be hard to find anywhere else.

By: Don Martin

DMJ International

Great Quotes to Inspire Success

 Whether it’s personal or professional  we are all looking for some inspiration from time to time. I wanted to share some of my favorites.

“If you don’t build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs.”

Dhirubhai Ambani

I came across these and felt inclined to share them.  The first one is one i will use as affirmation daily!  Have a great day!

“The number of times I succeed is in direct proportion to the number of times I can fail and keep on trying.”

Tom Hopkins

“You have everything you need to build something far bigger than yourself.”
Seth Godin

“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.”
Zig Ziglar

“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.”
Jim Rohn

“Freedom, privileges, options, must constantly be exercised, even at the risk of inconvenience.”
Jack Vance

A mediocre person tells. A good person explains. A superior person demonstrates. A great person inspires others to see for themselves.”
Harvey Mackay

“If you can’t control your anger, you are as helpless as a city without walls waiting to be attacked.”
The Book of Proverbs

“A real decision is measured by the fact that you’ve taken a new action. If there’s no action, you haven’t truly decided.”
Tony Robbins

“Obstacles are necessary for success because in selling, as in all careers of importance, victory comes only after many struggles and countless defeats.”
Og Mandino

“Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.”
Dale Carnegie

“Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements.”
Napoleon Hill

“The key to success is to focus our conscious mind on things we desire not things we fear.”
Brian Tracy

Debbie Hancock

6 Things to Do with Dad on Father’s Day





Father’s Day is this weekend and if you haven’t planned something special to celebrate, here are a few ideas that are sure to make Dad smile! There’s nothing like the gift of spending quality time with family.

• Have a BBQ and grill out
• Catch a game or better yet, organize one to play!
• Go out for a meal at his favorite restaurant
• Play his favorite board game or trivia
• See some live music 
• Plan a day on the the lake/beach if you leave near the water

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You had me at 'Hello': How to introduce yourself at a networking event

By Shana Montesol Johnson on 19 March 2013

“It’s great to meet you,” says the stranger at a networking event, smiling broadly as she shakes your hand. “Tell me about what you do.”

Uh oh. Now what?

Do you:

a) Launch into a five-minute monologue in which you rattle off your entire CV in reverse chronological order?

b) Mumble something vague and self-effacing, check your watch, and flee to the drinks table?

c) Smile back at your new contact and share your one-sentence networking introduction?

If you want to network more effectively, with less apprehension, and more ease, go for answer “c.” Take some time to craft a one-sentence networking introduction, and try it out at your next networking event.

It’s sometimes called an elevator pitch or an elevator speech, although I prefer the term “networking introduction” because it feels less “sales-y” and more genuine. Networking events — such as career fairs, alumni dinners or work-related receptions — are anxiety-inducing enough without feeling like you have to “pitch” to everyone you meet. The point of a networking introduction is not to “sell yourself” but to spark a conversation with a brand-new contact.

So how do you come up with a clear, compelling and concise introduction? Start by asking yourself three questions:

1. “Who am I?”

How would you like to describe yourself to a new contact? Here is where self-awareness and clarity about the strengths and skills you most enjoy using is so important. In your introduction, you can mention a profession, a role, a skill. Here are three examples:

• I’m a monitoring & evaluation specialist.
• I’m a project manager.
• I’m a writer.

2. “Who do I work with, or want to work with?”

What kinds of organizations or people do you help or work with? For example:

• Maternal health projects.
• Cross-cultural project teams.
• Microfinance organizations.

3. “What do I help these organizations or people to do?”

You can also look at it as, “What problem do I help them solve? What solution do I offer?” For example:

• I use data to improve outcomes for women.
• I work effectively with others to complete projects on time and budget.
• I tell the story of how an organization’s work impacts the wellbeing of families in developing countries.

Once you’ve answered these three questions, pull your response together into one sentence. For example:

• I’m a monitoring and evaluation specialist who helps maternal health projects use data to improve outcomes for women.
• I’m a project manager who helps cross-cultural project teams complete projects on time and budget.
• I’m a strong communicator who helps microfinance organizations tell the story of how their work impacts the well-being of families in developing countries.

As another example, here’s the networking introduction of Laos-based Devex member Mike Wolfe: “I’m a strategic-thinking WASH engineer who leads teams to make organizational improvements and achieve results in challenging contexts.”

A few tips

1. Some people find it helpful to brainstorm many potential introductions rather than fixating on getting one perfect. Once you’ve come up with several options, see which one(s) resonate the most.

2. Much like a CV or cover letter, your networking introduction should be tailored to the situation. You might use a slightly different introduction when meeting a recruiter at a career fair than when connecting with a fellow development practitioner at a conference.

3. If you are a job seeker and don’t feel comfortable saying “I do X work” when you aren’t currently employed in that area, you can adapt your language accordingly. For example: “I’m a monitoring and  evaluation specialist looking to help a maternal health project use data to improve outcomes for women.”

Remember that the aim of a networking introduction is to lead to further conversation. After you share your introduction, your new contact may make a comment or ask you a followup question about part of what you have said. Be prepared to listen for what they are interested in so that you’ll know how to continue the conversation with examples and anecdotes from your work and experience, tailored to your conversation partner’s interests. A networking conversation is not about “selling” yourself as the best candidate. It’s about getting to know each other, exploring common ground and seeing if there are ways you can help each other. And it all starts with a brief and clear networking introduction.

Simply taking a few minutes to develop — or refine — a networking introduction prior to a networking opportunity can help you feel more prepared, communicate more clearly, and network more effectively.

BLOG: CAREER MATTERS

 Shana Montesol Johnson 

A Cool Way To Give Your Business Card

 Author: Leil Lowndes

Trading business cards? Don’t just hand yours to the recipient like a worthless piece of cardboard stock. I’ve seen people swap cards as though they were dirty Kleenexes.

Don’t demean yourself like that! You are giving someone a representation of yourself. When you handle your card with reverence, it shows you take pride in your profession. Here's how: Take your card out of an attractive carrying case and present it HORIZONTALLY, WITH THE SCRIPT FACING THE RECIPIENT. Hold it just a bit HIGHER than usual—not in his face—but at a height where he could almost read it in your hands. If you show respect your work, others will, too.

Now she’s giving you her card? Do not just glance at it and quickly stash it in your pocket or purse. First, hold the card with BOTH HANDS and gaze at it as though it were a small piece of art she had hand-painted on rice paper especially for you. Then switch it to one hand, but continue holding it at waist level or just below. Give her card a RESPECTFUL GLANCE FROM TIME TO TIME. You are now making her feel especially esteemed and valued.

Are you ready to spring ahead with SMART goals?

The promise of warmer weather coincides with the reality of the first quarter coming to a close. It is often time to review sales reports and evaluate actual revenues against budget.  Year-end forecasts will be revised and questions about profitability will arise.  You may find yourself asking: If the right people appear to be doing all the right things, then why aren’t sales revenue growing?

 The answer to this question is not as perplexing as one might think.   The response to this question will become clear with the setting of SMART goals.  “Proper activity and result goal planning is the foundation of a successful sales person.” (BDU Sales Workshop Manual)

• Specific
• Measurable
• Aligned with Company Goals
• Realistic
• Timed

When listing your  Specific goals, it is important to categorize them by how relevant (Essential, Important, Desirable)  they are to your business success.  Have you looked at your past business to identify the source of business  and clients?  This will help you identify activity goals for you and your company and where your time should be spent.

Is there a system in place to Measure or evaluate if the goal has been met or accomplished?   Determine if the goal will be set with quantitative or qualitative measures.   Examples of tracking activities are face to face meetings, new prospect appointments, follow up appointments, strategic referral meetings, networking events, LinkedIn, agreements/proposals.

In reviewing each person’s activity goals/objectives, be sure that they Align with the company goals for the same time period.

The goals that are set need to be Realistic.   What are your strengths, motivation , experience and resources?   If you set unrealistic goals, then the process will be compromised, interrupted and delivery of targeted numbers will be impossible.

After the list of goals has been set, you are ready for the last step which is Timed.   All types of internal and external variables will impact the timing of your goals and likelihood that you will accomplish the goals.   Starting points to assist you may include the following:  knowing the historical performance at your organization, seasonal fluctuations in the product and service,  and a strong understanding and appreciation of how long it will take you to accomplish each goal.

BDU can help you identify your SMART goals and  roadmap to create the process that will yield profitability for you and your organization.  If you are interested in learning more about SMART, then check out Business Development University’s Classes:

Brynne Tillman, COO Business Development University

http://bit.ly/163DKuS