Life: Health & Wealth

As I pondered the various possibilities for the Subject of this Blog Posting I planned on writing today I received a timely phone call from my Sister.  After my meaningful conversation with her the Subject and Theme that I wanted to write about today became very clear: "Health & Wealth."

Wealth is perceived and defined in a multitude of ways.  The definition is often dependent on each individuals uniqueness and own personal life experience, background, values, character, goals, and priorities.

Wikipedia defines "Wealth" as follows:

Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions. The word wealth is derived from the old English wela, which is from an Indo-European word stem.^[1] An individual, community, region or country that possesses an abundance of such possessions or resources is known as wealthy.
The concept of wealth is of significance in all areas of economics, especially development economics, yet the meaning of wealth is context-dependent and there is no universally agreed upon definition. Generally, economists define wealth as "anything of value" which captures both the subjective nature of the idea and the idea that it is not a fixed or static concept. Various definitions and concepts of wealth have been asserted by various individuals and in different contexts.^[2] Defining wealth can be a normative process with various ethical implications, since often wealth maximization is seen as a goal or is thought to be a normative principle of its own.^[3]

Wikipedia defines "Health" as follows:

Health is the level of functional and (or) metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person in mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to being free from illness, injury or pain (as in “good health” or “healthy”).^[1] The World Health Organization (WHO) defined health in its broader sense in 1946 as "a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."^[2][3] Although this definition has been subject to controversy, in particular as having a lack of operational value and the problem created by use of the word "complete", it remains the most enduring.

Many people spend their entire lives obsessed with and pursuing greater Wealth.  But at what point do we become Wealthy?  I am all for striving to make a good living beyond the basic necessities of daily living and working hard to be able to enjoy the betters things in life. 

But I wonder if sometimes people are not much more "Wealthy" than they appreciate and realize.  Life is not just about the accumulation of money, houses, and boats, etc.  These things are nice, very nice in fact, but, if you were sitting in a Hospital Room with a serious life-threatening disease you would suddenly have gained much greater perspective.  Money, a new house, a new boat, etc., would suddenly have moved down the "Ladder of Priorities" in your Life.   You would be thinking the following simple and clear thought: you would be praying that a miracle would be granted; and that you could go back in time to a point where you were in general, relative, Good Health. 

Consider this question:

• Are you Wealthy if you are Healthy? 

Today my Sister informed me during our telephone conversation that a Cousin of ours has just been just diagnosed with Melanoma; my Sister asked that we say a Prayer for her and keep her in our thoughts.  My Sister is a Nurse.  We do not know all of the details at this time other than the fact it sounds quite serious.  My Sister conveys that this is a serious disease that gives cause for concern and worry. 

My immediate thought upon hanging up: Life is So Short.  We Take Our Health For Granted.  Thank God For My Relative Good Health!  Kind of a selfish thought.

We will as requested Pray for our Cousin and keep her in our thoughts. 

Shortly after the conclusion of the conversation with my Sister I began thinking about and pondering the reality of our daily existence:

• Any one of us could, possibly, and at any time, receive a phone call informing us that one of our Family Members or close Friends has suffered great tragedy or been stricken ill.  Or even died.
• Any one of us could, possibly, and at any time, suffer great tragedy or become suddenly ill.  Seriously ill.  Or even die.

What if you received "the phone call" today about a Family Member or Friend or from a Doctor about your Health that would immediately change your Life forever?

The Prospect and Potential of this phone call for all of us always exists and will never go away.

I ask you and I the following logical questions to ponder in light of the undeniable fact that our continued healthy existence is by no means a guarantee and that life is so short:

Why do we take so much for granted?
Why do we not fully appreciate our relative good health to a much greater extent than we do?
Why do we not sacrifice more of our Time, Energy, and Money to help others - and there are many! - who have already been stricken ill and and really, really suffering and struggling on a daily basis due to poor health?
Why do we all, myself included, so often choose to make the wrong things priorities and focus on or complain about trivial, inconsequential, and in retrospect meaningless, matters on a daily basis?
Why do we sometimes go about our lives in a robotic manner?

Why do we not spend more quality time with our Family and loved ones?


Why do we not exercise more and follow healthier diets that are proven will increase our level of health and reduce the likelihood of suffering poor health and being stricken by disease?

I have known friends who have died young.  I have a friend with two very young children who is courageously battling ALS Disease (and embracing the opportunity to inspire others!)  Today I just learned I have a Cousin who is battling Melanoma. 

If you've been blessed with relative good health and have not thought about and truly appreciated this fact in a long time, I remind you not to take such things for granted.

If you are amongst the many battling a serious health issue: my thoughts and prayers are with you to give you strength and courage to battle on and to fight.

Consider again this question:

• Are you Wealthy if you are Healthy?  

I argue in many ways yes.

Considering the Wikipedia definition noted above would we consider Good Health to be a "Valuable Resource?"  You bet.  Without sufficient energy levels and a general feeling of good health it would be difficult for us to be able to live the life we desire and achieve the goals we set for ourselves. 

Good Health is truly and undoubtedly a Blessing that not everyone is fortunate enough to have. Let's not take relative Good Health for granted and be truly grateful every single day; at the same time let us not turn a blind and selfish eye to those who are suffering and in need.

It could be any one of us any day.  Carry that thought with you.  Every Day.

I Wish You Good Health And The Perspective And Ability To Appreciate It When You Have It!

10 Tips To Help Achieve Your Worthy Goal

Achieving a Worthy Goal is not easy.  We need to consistently set and achieve specific goals if we want to achieve great success and be the very best we can be.  Following are some Tips and Suggestions to help us Successfully Achieve our Goals:

1. Write your Goal down on paper.  Be specific.  Set and write down a Target Date.  Included with this should be the personal reasons why you are setting this Goal, the challenges and obstacles you have identified that you will need to overcome if you are to achieve your Goal, and, in precise detail, all of the Benefits and Advantages to be had when you successfully achieve the Goal.
2. Do not loose #1.  Refer to it often for a refresher and reminder as to why you are expending the great energy that you are (or should be!) on a daily basis to move you toward the successful achievement of the Goal.
3. Adopt and Maintain a Positive Mental Attitude.  This takes work.  Self-doubt, negative thoughts, pessimism; these trouble-makers will undoubtedly hurt you and your Goal-Achieving efforts.
4. Expect the unexpected and expect to overcome the unexpected without ever being thrown off course.  Life is unpredictable.  Sometimes things happen at the worst possible times.  One curve-ball or one set-back will not the not-truly-committed off-course.
5. Be Steadfast.  I've always loved that word!  Maintain a clear focus and keep your eye on the Goal and the Benefits to be had that you memorialized in Step 1 and keep mentally strong; nothing can keep you from achieving your Goal unless you let it happen.  Again: Be Steadfast.
6. Earn and benefit from the support of those around you.  If sacrifice is required that impacts the lives of your Family or your Closest Friends, then you need to educate them and enlist their support.  You will need their support and their motivation when life gets tough, you feel overwhelmed, and achievement of your Goal lay in jeopardy.  Help Family and Friends understand the sacrifices you are making and the commitment you are making by openly sharing with them why you're doing what you're doing and what you are going to gain by achieving your Goal.  Nothing is more important than our Family and our Friends.  We need them and their support.
7. Keep Healthy.  We need Great Energy to be able to pursue our Goals Relentlessly.  Great Energy is a direct result of Living a Healthy Lifestyle: eat well; exercise daily; minimize stress; embrace healthy habits.  The more difficult and challenging a Goal is the more Energy we need.  Continuously educate yourself on how to be as healthy as possible and live according to that knowledge.
8. Make the Process Fun.  Life is Short.  Enjoy and Respect the difficult journey often necessary to achieve a Worthy Goal. 
9. Let each successive successful step that brings you closer to achieving your Goal inspire you and provide you with some positive motivation to help continue to carry you forward, remain committed, stay focused, and ultimately Reach That Goal!
10. Don't give up.  Never give up.  Nothing truly great has never been achieve without great sacrifice, commitment, dedication, and resilience. 

"Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are like a ship that has set sail with no destination." Fitzhugh Dodson
Good Luck! Go grab a pen a paper and get a jump-start on your next Goal?  What will it be?

Entrepreneur? You?

Are you cut out to be an Entrepreneur? 

Am I cut out to be an Entrepreneur?

How do the successful ones succeed while so many....the majority....fail for no lack of effort?

Might you be the next Bill Gates?

Could you succeed and might you be much happier and more fulfilled if you carefully and cautiously started your own Small Business which would enable you to finally focus on simply doing what you love to do and are truly passionate about?

What really is an Entrepreneur?  Why are they collectively considered such a unique and special group of human beings?

Wikipedia defines this so-often used and often-misunderstood term as follows:

An entrepreneur is a person who has possession of a new enterprise, venture or idea and is accountable for the inherent risks and the outcome.^{[note 1]} The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to help launch a new venture or enterprise and accept full responsibility for the outcome. Jean-Baptiste Say, a French economist, is believed to have coined the word "entrepreneur" in the 19th century - he defined an entrepreneur as "one who undertakes an enterprise, especially a contractor, acting as intermediatory between capital and labour".^{[note 2]} A broader definition by Say: "The entrepreneur shifts economic resources out of lower and into higher productivity and greater yield."^{[clarification needed]}

Regardless of how anyone specifically defines an Entrepreneur one thing is for sure: it takes a highly special and creative individual with great drive, perseverance, and passion, to be able to, in the face of all the nay-sayers, many doubters, and willing negative anti-risk advisers, push forward with a dream, a vision, and a plan, and to successfully start their own business.

Whether I will ultimately fail or succeed with my dream and vision (Selling By Building) remains to seen: only time will tell if I will be successful in making the transition to doing what I love to do and am passionate about and be able to make a living.  But I am confident.  I believe.  I am committed.

But, regardless of trying to predict the future, I am absolutely loving and enjoying the entire entrepreneurial process and all of the accompanying challenges inherent with starting a new business.

As a result of my current efforts in starting my own Small Consulting Business I have gained a much greater understanding of and appreciation for Entrepreneurs.  Their chosen path is not easy!  Those without sufficient perseverance, passion, and dedication may give up in the face of the varying challenges that all Entrepreneurs face on a daily basis. 

But......I believe and I think most Entrepreneurs will tell you that it is all worth it! 

To Succeed against great odds an Entrepreneur must be blessed with or committed to continually developing the following success traits and characteristics:

• Strong Work Ethic
• Highly Competitive
• Great Passion
• Great Vision
• Unyielding Drive
• Genuine Empathy
• High Level of Organization (or at least keep striving to improve in this area like me!)
• Uncanny Communication Skills: the ability to easily communicate in a positive manner in any given moment
• Exhibit Strong Leadership Skills
• Strong Presentation Skills
• Highly Developed Listening Skills
• Be Patient When Necessary
• Great Confidence
• Not Be Patient When Necessary To Make Things Happen!
• Want To Genuinely Help Other People and Other Businesses To Succeed and Develop Solutions To Problems
• I could go on.  But for brevity sake and because I know you have other things to do I will stop.

For anyone who is dissatisfied with their current lot and personal situation and who is in the research and personal exploration phase of potentially taking on the biggest and most exciting challenge of their life there is an infinite amount of knowledge and tips available at all times on the Web and many great books on being an Entrepreneur and what it takes.  We must all be committed to continual learning and never, ever giving in to "complacency." 

http://www.entrepreneur.com/ is a great source of knowledge and guidance.

If you are interested in starting a Consulting Business I highly recommend "Getting Started In Consulting" by Alan Weiss, PhD.  This is a fantastic book which has helped me a great deal; I share his Philosophy and like the the way he lays out information in an easy-read manner. 

I have also been learning a great deal from the life experience of several Entrepreneurs and Business Owners that I know and have met during my Journey.  There is no better source of knowledge and help that from those who have already been down the road, survived, and achieved success.  So do not hesitate to reach out; I have found Business Owners are more than willing to share their success and experience and to help teach and coach others.   

"When you reach an obstacle, turn it into an opportunity. You have the choice. You can overcome and be a winner, or you can allow it to overcome you and be a loser. The choice is yours and yours alone. Refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that failures refuse to travel. It is far better to be exhausted from success than to be rested from failure."
- Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics

"If it really was a no-brainer to make it on your own in business there'd be millions of no-brained, harebrained, and otherwise dubiously brained individuals quitting their day jobs and hanging out their own shingles. Nobody would be left to round out the workforce and execute the business plan."
- Bill Rancic, winner on Donald Trump's "The Apprentice"

"The important thing is not being afraid to take a chance. Remember, the greatest failure is to not try. Once you find something you love to do, be the best at doing it."
- Debbi Fields, founder of Mrs. Fields Cookies

Being an eternal optimist and annoyingly positive person who loves to help others I am going to say if we are 100% confident in our ability and passionate our Personal Dream and Vision that we should leave the hesitation behind Get Moving.  Then is it all up to you to make it happen.

Life is Short.  Do Not Settle.  Develop a Plan.  Build a Team of Mentors and Supporters.  Progress Carefully and Thoughtfully.  Never Stop Asking Questions.  Keep on Learning.  Stay Positive.  Remain Flexible.  Follow Your Dreams.  Persevere.  Prioritize.  Focus.  Push Forth.  Help Others.  Do Not Give Up.  Do Not Loose Sight Of What Is Important In Life.  Appreciate Your Health.  Take Nothing For Granted.  Enjoy!

Taking Some Great Personal and Business Advice From Our Dogs!

Our Family has a new addition: a Dog named Red.

He is a Red-Tic English Coon Hound.  (No, I also had never heard of this particular breed!)

We have had him one full week; a small duration of time during which he has already:

• Urinated once on our Bedroom Floor. 
• Busted out of his supposedly solid and full-proof metal crate.  Every single day I should add since we got him.
• Decided to empty every single trash can in our house on several occasions.  Unfortunately because of our young children the contents of most of the trash cans I am referring to included diapers. 
• Helped himself to a big bag of Potato Chips....eating about 50% of the bag and then spreading the remaining chips, very neatly, all around our main living area.

Patience is a Virtue!!

Despite all of this, I have grown to love Red; he is a keeper.  It has been several years since we had a Dog and both my Wife and I love dogs in general.  We are happy to again have a loving and trusting Dog in our lives; and our two little ones are so happy they care barely contain themselves!

This afternoon as I took Red for an hour-long walk and great conversation (mostly one-way) I got to thinking: what exactly is it that so endears us to our Dogs?  Why do we grow to love them so much despite the hard work and sacrifice required to care for them on a daily basis?

After considering this I concluded the secret to their success is: the establishment of Trust and Faith!

We have complete trust and faith in our Dogs. 

I then, shortly thereafter, because I have been thinking so much lately about my new consulting business (Selling By Building) and the many issues and ideas I want to address and share, realized that Business Owners and Entrepreneurs can learn some important lessons from a Dog like Red.

If you (or we I should say) want to be successful and grow your Business you too need to, as a result of how you service and treat your Customers or Clients consistently, successfully establish Trust and Faith.

This is no easy task because indeed there are many dishonest, selfish, unscrupulous, and unethical Business People out there.  Because of this fact Customers or Clients are going to be hesitant, cautious, and resistant to instantly and without good reason, trust us right out of the gate.

But, We can Build Trust and Faith by adhering to the following suggestions and goals:

1. Be honest with your Customers and Clients.  Do not sacrifice honesty and long-term trust and relationships by being dishonest in any way to achieve a short-term benefit.  Nothing helps Built Trust and Faith in the minds of your Customers more than their earned perception that you are honorable and truly operate with their best interest in mind at all times.  (Dogs don't lie!)
2. Listen clearly and intently and sympathetically to concerns and problems expressed to you.  Real and honest empathy both felt and expressed is a tremendous asset.  When something goes wrong with a product or service you have represented and sold very often that is when you can prove what kind of person you are and what kind of Business you are.  If you are resistant to learning about problems being experienced and conveyed to you and not sympathetically passionate about helping service your customer and help find the best solution to the greatest benefit of your customer then you are missing out one the greatest opportunities to lock in a long-term Customer who would have been a willing promoter of you and your Business.  (Dogs are the best listeners!)
3. Do not consistently and automatically judge.  Again, keep the focus on listening openly and sympathetically to your Employees, Customers, Vendors, Management.  Always seek to gain a greater understanding from those you may disagree with or not understand.  Render judgement only when asked or absolutely necessary.  But make sure you are communicating in a positive manner expressing only constructive criticism.  (Dogs don't judge!  They just keep on listening)
4. Be reliable.  I believe to consistently achieve this goal you have to truly care about those you are interacting with and not solely be existing for the benefit of yourself.  If more people would embrace this Philosophy the world would be a better place.  If you are perceived as highly reliable by your customers they will stay with you and keep coming back to you and your Company for help, value, solutions to their problems, etc.  The reason we all turn to our Trusted Dogs at the end of a long, stressful, day is because we know, unquestionably and without reservation, that they will be glad (and excited as only our dogs can get excited!) to see us, listen to us, and help us feel better.  That is why we love them so much.  (Dogs define being reliable!)

So, taking Red's and your Dog's Advice, we can all benefit from focusing on these basics of Communication and Customer Service, to better ourselves and our businesses. 

Now I have to ask Red to proof-read my communication here to see if he approves!  I don't want to misrepresent him in any way.

Business Development: The Role of Customer Service

Business Development: The Role of Customer Service

When I ponder the current state of Business Organization's Customer Service Departments and Employees who choose a career path in Customer Service there are two current realities that come to the forefront of my mind from both my diverse experience within Business Organizations and as a typical Consumer who has to communicate and rely on "Customer Service" Departments for assistance:

1. The Customer Service Function is commonly under appreciated today.
2. Opportunities abound for business development and achieving revenue growth from existing customers.

1. Under appreciated

Customer Service / Customer Care Organizations and Employees should be recognized and appreciated for the vital role they play.  The ability to successfully communicate with and service the needs of customers on a daily basis in an often fast-paced and high-stress environment is not easy.  A combination of procedural understanding, technical know-how, product or service in-depth knowledge, and just as importantly great patience and people-skills are required.  Remaining calm and focused in the face of extremely upset and often irrational customers or clients is not easy.  The ability to express empathy, understanding, concern, and a clear willingness to help and ultimately satisfy the needs of customers can be challenging but is vitally important.

What is at stake is the entire investment that made to acquire that customer: advertising, commissions paid to salespeople, etc. 

The cost of loosing a customer is very high.  The cost of that customer spreading negative word of mouth to other potential customers is very high. 

2. Customer Service Business Development Opportunities

Conversely: the benefit and value of a customer that is not only merely satisfied with the service received but in fact so happy with your Customer Service Department and Company that they become a no-cost marketer and advertiser for you spreading positive word-of-mouth is tremendous.  For a progressive Business Organization whose goal is growth this should be the real goal and objective. 

Sales and Customer Service Departments within Business Organizations should be treated as separate and distinct. 

Businesses should strive to build and achieve a free-flow of communication, information, ideas, and feedback between Sales and Customer Service Departments.  Once a deal is closed and a sale is made Sales should not wash their hands clean of responsibility.  Funneling customer feedback back through all channels will help educate and aid in achieving the goal of continuous improvement.  Sales should be in constant communication with Customer Service to maintain a clear understanding all of all concerns and issues that arise that the customers they brought on board experience so that they can: 1. assist to ensure their customer's satisfaction; and 2. assimilate all knowledge obtained back into the Selling Process with a focus on constant improvement in both Sales and Customer Service.

There is a not entirely recognized and untapped great opportunity for Business Organizations to develop additional business and revenue both directly from servicing existing customers and by doing a much better job leveraging their relationships with existing customers to identify and market to new customers. 

If you value and clearly understand the importance of successfully servicing your existing Customers/Clients and are seeking long-term success and growth, focus on the following within your Strategic Planning Process:

• Clearly understand, appreciate, and make a sufficient investment of time and resources into your Customer Service Department.  Is there room for improvement?  Are you loosing too many customers/clients?  Put in place a Customer Service Improvement Program to better train and equip your Customer Service Employees to be a world-class service organization.
• Creatively turn your Customer Service Department into a low-cost Revenue-Generating Machine by training and teaching Employees to adopt an entrepreneurial spirit that, besides trying to exceed customer expectations while providing service on existing products and services, also seeks to extract and achieve new revenue growth at all times when communicating with customers.

A sea-change mentality as I am suggesting here from merely and minimally servicing existing customer's needs to a new-age, proactive, entrepreneurial service organization will produce great results and increasing revenue. 

Selling By Building: Achieve Long-Term Business Success one step or positive interaction at a time.

http://www.sellingbybuilding.com/

The Importance of Positive Communication

The following YouTube Video is a powerful message that helps to illustrate the importance of how we communicate and the impact of the messages that we construct and deliver when we communicate:

http://youtu.be/Hzgzim5m7oU

How well we communicate on a daily basis has a powerful and direct impact on the levels of success that we achieve.

Do you believe that poor communication amongst your Employees or between your Employees and your Customers, Vendors, and Management, is poor and holding your Organization back from achieving even greater levels of success?  Or are you having to spend a great deal of time addressing situations that result from poor communication that is taking you away from more valuable, revenue-generating tasks that you would much rather be focusing on?

You are not alone. 

In most Organizations today there is a great focus of time, energy, and resources on technology and how to best utilize available technology to be as efficient as possible, as competitive as possible, and and profitable as possible.  Of course these are very worthy goals.  But, I contend that we have unintentially taken our focus off of taking steps to increase positive and effective daily communication in all we do on a daily basis: how we communicate; how effectively we communicate; and on how we communicate is impacting our business's success and profitability.

An operating environment and company culture that espouses and takes proactive steps to ensure Consistently Positive Communication throughout an organization provides a business with a competitive strength that has a positive ripple effect throughout the entire organization.  Employees in these organizations are more likely to be highly motivated and to embrace an entrepreneurial spirit.  Because there is open communication and because employees feel more secure and comfortable in these companies they will be more likely to express ideas, make suggestions, and give 110% to the company.  In addition there is a lesser likelihood that employees will be seeking to leave the company.  The high cost of high Employee Turnover makes this a problem to be addressed.  An employee that is relatively happy, content, and that feels comfortable and empowered where they work will be more likely to stay and be committed to their company on a long-term basis.

Selling By Building (http://www.sellingbybuilding.com/) suggests some Simple Steps to take if you have not done so already to easily improve your Company's Communications and Environment:

1. Have a clear and concise Company Mission Statement that is published and consistently articulated to all Employees that will help keep a daily focus on the overriding single most important Goal the Company seeks to achieve.  When the entire Organization has a clear focus and understanding of your Mission they will be better able to stay on course and contribute.  Employees like to feel that they are a key part of their Companies overall success; if they are just told to focus on their specific daily tasks without an understanding of the bigger picture and what their Company is seeking to achieve they will not feel empowered and will be less likely to think out of the box and to be creative.  A strong and well-articulated Mission Statement brings the Organization together and promotes clear vision and greater Teamwork.
2. Have an official set of Company Core Values that you insist your Organization live by and operate according to on a daily basis.  Incorporate into these Core Values the need to have positive and open communication.  Convey that treating each other with respect and working together as a Team is a must. 
3. Do not ignore the Employee that is consistently negative, no longer makes positive contributions to your success, and that willingly undermines Management and the Organization.  Weeds spread very, very quickly.  When not addressed in a timely fashion, they spread and grow.  The analogy is clear.  Strong and positive leadership in an Organization requires immediately addressing and taking action when needed with difficult Employees who, it has become clear over a period of time, is not only no longer an asset but now a liability. 
4. Embrace and require positive and clear communication in your Organization with a consistent focus of resources on Employee Personal Development.  Utilize Individual Development Plans annually to insist on and keep the focus on continual improvement.  To keep these simple and easy to manage and follow through on agree on only two to three specific goals and objectives for each Employee to make a priority in the coming year.  Do not let complacency take hold in your Company; embrace a culture of continuous improvement and skills development.  Educate all Management and Employees on the need for and benefits of living by open, honest, positive communication. 

For more on the subject of Employee Individual Development visit http://www.goalsguy.com/ and click on the "Knowledge" tab.  This Website is a favorite of mine and is a great resource of knowledge, ideas, and tips on Personal Development and utilizing the Power of Goal-Setting as a tool to help us succeed and achieve happiness personally and professionally.

Achieving an environment with Open and Positive Communication along with a company-wide focus on and investment in Employee Development will help you improve employee morale and satisfaction; increase customer satisfaction and retention; and ultimately help you achieve long-term business success: one positive interaction at a time.

The Journey Begins: Introducing Selling By Building

"The Journey of a Thousand Miles Begins With a Single Step" - Lao Tzo, Chinese Philosopher

I have reached the conclusion that having my own Consulting Business and working as an Independent Contractor will be the ideal and most rewarding career path for me to pursue in light of my unique personality traits and because of my professional long-term goals and objectives:

• To Coach, Motivate, and Assist as many Individuals and Organizations as I can to improve and be the very best they can be and to have fun and enjoy the process. 
• To Love and be Passionate about what I am doing on a daily basis. 
• To not be bound up in one office all day and not be able to fully utilize my creativity and natural people skills to help other people.
• To reject complacency and keep learning and challenging myself for the rest of my life.

Selling By Building is the single most important step I have ever taken; it will also be the greatest challenge of my life to date..........but, if I succeed, it will ultimately be the greatest success of my life!

I have had this unique business name in my head now for several years.  My Wife has been forced to listen to me refer to Selling By Building and my desire to have a Consulting Business for a long time.  The good news is that over time she has realized how very passionate and serious I was about this endeavor and how important it was for me to take this step: she now supports me 100% which is very important to me.  My Family comes first with me: my Wife, Karen; my 6-year-old Daughter, Abigail; and my 4-year-old Son, Teddy.  Family support is a must.  I am a lucky man!  Nothing is more important in life I believe than our Family and Friends. 

But.....I also recognize that we work for close to a third of our lives.  What we do and how fulfilling the work is that we do on a consistent basis has a major impact on the overall quality of our lives.  It is for this reason that I believe Individuals had to take control of and be responsible for managing their careers to ensure they are moving in the right direction and that their work contributes to the happiness and quality of their lives as opposed to a necessary evil that detracts from the quality and happiness of their lives.  I also believe Employers can benefit from helping to create and maintain an atmosphere and environment that is conducive to helping their Employees enjoy their work, to helping their Employees consistently grow and develop professionally, and to feel rewarded and appreciated for their efforts on a daily basis.  When this is accomplished the Employee wins, the Employer wins, and the relationship between the two is strengthened and the likelihood of a long-term mutually beneficial relationship is increased.

The business name "Selling By Building" refects my long-held opinion that the single most important factor in one's attempt to achieve long-term success in Life and in Business (this theory applies to both Individuals and Businesses) is the ability to successfully Build strong, trusting, long-term relationships with all who we interact with on a daily basis: colleagues; customers/clients; vendors; employees; management/ownership; etc. 

I will utilize this Blog to periodically articulate my thoughts, observations, ideas, recommendations, etc., going forward relating to:

Sales / Customer Care / Accounting & Finance / Communications

I welcome your ideas and thoughts and advice to share with all.  Together we can move forward one positive interaction and conversation at a time. 

Life is Short: if we together focus on continuous improvement, one day at a time, and just as importantly on helping others achieve success and happiness, good things will happen and success will follow. 

Selling By Building!  Full Speed Ahead.