Cherry Leaf: entrepreneur

Showing posts with label entrepreneur. Show all posts

"I pledge a commitment to My Success, My Family's Success and to the Successful Survival of the company I represent.
Success is not an option for me but something I insist!
Success is not something others can give to me, that the government or the economy can provide me.
Success is not determined by luck, chance, race, creed, color or religion but hard work, creativity, follow through and persistence.
I refuse to not have My Success. I refuse to quit prior to My Success and I will do everything ethical in claiming my right to My Success.

My Success is My Duty, My Obligation and My Responsibility."
- Grant Cardone

I first came across Grant Cardone at the start of my entrepreneurial journey. Sales has always been a natural skill of mine or more so persuasion. From a young age I knew how to create leverage and how to play on peoples emotions. Then couple that with a logical case behind it and there was not many I could not break, given enough time.

So naturally my first taste of the business world came in the form of sales; retail, technology, telephone - most low-end sales roles - I then came to a realization which would motivate me for a long time to come. Why am I selling products ranging from 29.99 - 2999.99 and yet I am only making 5.25 p/hr? I barely make 30.00 a day but I have made this company about 10x that amount.

This is where it all changed, my desire for success had always been there, now it was time to hit the ground running and to not stop. I accepted I would fall over sometimes but I would get back up just as quick as I fell and get back on the track. I wanted freedom and to create a better life for everyone around me.
I began to learn to sell. Myself, my products. I come from a musical background so I was the front man for bands and learnt to manage a team of people, I was taught about public perception, promotion, marketing, brand image, social media marketing. I then moved onto creating a company that could cater to the services of artists & bands (management, photography & design, promotion) It taught me a lot about how to deal with people and how to grow teams and who you can and can't trust.

The main lesson I learnt from 5 years of experience in that industry was this;

You can rely on nobody, but yourself.

I came out of university and jumped back on the entrepreneurial horse. I knew I could talk to people and I knew I had the passion and determination to not quit until I was a success. This is where I came across this quote by Grant Cardone.

Success Is Your Duty, Obligation & Responsibility.

Now, at the time I had no idea of the man's credentials, I didn't even know how much of a big player he was in the marketplace. Just from them simple words I respected the man and they resonated with me in such a way that I didn't even click on to his site/profile to look into him (I normally did at that point, any reason to procrastinate).
I went and bought myself an A4 hardback lined notepad and vowed I wouldn't look up from the pages until I had written every idea I could think of, planned and at a stage where I could start to execute it.

I wake up at 5:30am every morning, I go to the gym, I eat and shower to start working on something at 7:00am, sometimes I would get so excited and be so motivated that I would find myself working at 6:30am - No matter what it is! start the day off productively

Some ideas were bad, in fact some of them were down right terrible. But I filled up that book and it gave me a place to start, it trained me to think differently and view the world in a different way. As I wrote notes that turned into pages and pages turned into full sections, the self realization that you are worth so much more than you are raised to believe was such a strong motivation.

You need to commit to your success. Let is engulf you in its burning desire to be the best, You must hunt it down like an animal. There are people in the world that can happily live their lives working a 9-5, drinking and watching football on the weekends, rinse and repeat process for the next 50 years.

Then there are the people that realize there is more to life and they know they should make a change and start living for today, but still live day to day, 9-5, rinse and repeat.

Then there are the ones who don't take no for an answer, who will not allow someone to tell them how much their time is worth. Who will catch the ball and run for the touchline without ever looking behind them.

If you want it, GO & GET IT!

- Alex Grey

There is only so much planning you can do before you need to just ‘Go For It'

Perfection is just an opinion, not shared by most.

We never know what is around the corner, yesterdays dreams could be today's nightmare. One of the best ways to learn is to submerse yourself completely. You will adapt in real time and remember, until an idea is on paper and a dated goal, it is just a dream in your head. Make it a reality!

Do not raise your voice, improve your argument.

Have your words hold weight so you are not required to speak in volume.

When you raise your voice you are implicitly saying that you cannot make a better argument. If you cannot make a reasoned argument, then you cannot make a convincing point. Never be afraid to admit when you are wrong, it shows strength. If the topic catches you off guard, politely request for some time to gather relevant information so you are able to state your case more effectively.

Gossip is a practice preached by those who have nothing interesting to say about themselves, so must bring down those around them.

He can criticize, He who has a heart to help. - Abraham Lincoln

A person of success never gossips. The easiest way to determine whether you are about to gossip is too ask yourself this; Would you say what you are about to, if that person was in the room. You can openly discuss your opinions and thoughts in a respective manner but he-said, she-said is not good, you are better than that! Next time gossiping starts, politely excuse yourself from the conversation.

The only person you should try to be better than, is the person you were yesterday.

If you dedicate today to being better than you were yesterday, you will wake up tomorrow with more than you could have ever dreamed of.

Why Imitate, if you can create? Create reality in your own image. If you are not happy with something, only you have the ability to change it. Take yourself out of the competition. We are all on our own unique paths.

Hate Mondays? You're not alone. Starting the workweek often triggers sadness or stress and can drain your passion and motivation.
The Monday Blues is a set of negative emotions that people get at the beginning of the work week if they're not happy with their job. It can leave you left tired, depressed and can lead to procrastination.

Its such a common thing that it has become a social norm to hate Mondays. Most of the time it is because people just don't want the weekend to end, it could also be that you just really don't want to work, or it could be part of an even deep rooted problem.

If you love your job and are passionate about what you're doing then going to work on a Monday morning should be exiting, you get another chance to do what you love!

Everyone's productivity is affected by your Monday blues. If you're down and mopey it makes it difficult for others around you to be excited and motivated. It could be a case where one worker with a case of the Mondays could affect the rest of the team.

Lets have a look at a few ways you could make a change and start to love your Monday mornings:

“Mondays are the start of the work week which offer new beginnings 52 times a year!” ~David Dweck

1. Identify the issue - If it looks like you have a case of the Mondays nearly every week then it could be a sign that you're unhappy or unfulfilled at your job. You need to fix this, or find another job. Determine what it is that makes you feel this way and try to find a solution. Is the problem directly related to the job itself or is it more personal? Is it because you have problems waking up early, or do you have too much work to do when you get in?

2. Prepare your Monday before you leave work on Friday - Mondays can be made more stressful from leaving work to pile up from the week before. On Friday evenings its easy just to leave work unfinished thinking that you'll simply pick it up on Monday morning. Think ahead and attempt to make your Monday morning as easy going as you can. If it means staying behind a little bit longer on Friday evening im sure your Monday morning self will be thanking you greatly.

3. Remind yourself of what you're most exited about - Don't look ahead through the week and ponder on all the difficult and demanding tasks you'll have to carry out. Turn it around and look forward to the things that get you motivated. Have a positive outlook, keep your mind focused on the rewards, gratification and outcome from your hard work.

4. Get a good nights sleep and wake up early - If its because you feel tired and drained on Monday, go to bed earlier on Sunday, simple. It may sound counter-intuitive but waking up an extra 15-30 minutes earlier can make going to the office easier. You have more time to yourself rather than feeling trapped in time constraints.

Heres our quick guide to waking up effectively!

“Step aside Monday. This is a job for coffee!”

5. Look good, feel good! - I always like to wear my favorite shirt on a Monday. If I feel that I look good then I generally feel a lot more confident and motivated to carry out my day. This is also why you might want to wake up a little earlier so you can be sure you look your best! You may even get compliments from colleagues which could give you a motivation boost.

6. Make the most of your weekend - Another reason you could feel down on Mondays is because you feel like your weekend was a waste of time. Don't do any work over the weekend. You need to clearly define boundaries between work and personal life. When you leave the desk on Friday evening leave your work problems there and focus on enjoying your weekend. Go and do something you love, don't waste any time on mundane work tasks! Whilst it may be tempting to sleep in on a weekend, you should still wake up early to make the most of the day! If your weekend was fulfilling going back to work on Monday should be easier, and you will have more to talk about with colleagues.

“Don’t watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going.” ~Sam Levenson

What is it that makes you hate Mondays? What do you do to keep yourself going? Let us know in the comments!

Life can get tough, and it can be so easy to get caught up in things that don't take the time to look after yourself. Losing motivation is crippling, and it can take time to get it back. One thing is for sure, if you stay unmotivated to get on and do what is needed of you then it could lead to a downward spiral, affecting your life in all areas.

The simplest thing to remember is that success lies in the mind. You reflect in your physical being, that which is of your mental being. If you continually feed your mind with negative thoughts and information, your physical self will reflect that. If you want success in life, you need to regain control of your mind and see the change you want in your minds eye for it to manifest in real life.

If you are at the end of your tether, stressed, out of creativity or simply searching for self improvement, meditation allows you to stay calm and in control of your mind.

Benefits of Meditation

1. Health - Because meditation promotes calmness and stress management, you are far less likely to be at risk of heart disease. Blood pressure levels drop, and your immune system is boosted. This is because your endocrine system has time to re-balance itself without distorted energies (like stress) getting in the way. It is anti-inflammatory which helps with arthritis, asthma and most skin conditions as researched by Emory University in the US. McGill University in Canada showed that meditation clinically improves the symptoms of the skin condition psoriasis. Stress constitutes 40% of work related illness, and meditation can act as an 'off switch' for this.

2. Mental - A study by University of California in Los Angeles showed MRI evidence of increased gyrification (brain matter folding) in the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain associated with overall cognitive intelligence. Meditation leads to intelligence, it helps with concentration levels and the ability to take in new information.
Anxiety, depression and stress can all be fought with meditation, and this practice is even encouraged in clinics which seek to help those with these struggles.

How Meditation increases Motivation

Calming the mind, observing the thoughts: When meditating, you learn to observe your thoughts and remove the negative ones. It is very refreshing. This discipline allows you to have access to a natural untapped store of energy; imagine how more productive you can be whilst there aren't negative thoughts and mind blocks getting in the way!

Control the intent of your thoughts: If your lack of motivation stems from depression or anxiety then meditation will help change your thought patterns. Often these conditions come from the repetition of thoughts, words, deeds and your mindset. Observing and taking notice of these thought patterns are the first step. Once you have realised them and consciously taken notice that your mind has that thought, attempt to just cut it off. Stop the thought in its tracks. It is possible. This is why in meditation we place our concentration on our breath, this process can replace thoughts!

You are what you think: 90% of the thoughts you had yesterday will make up the thoughts you have today. This is powerful stuff! Once meditation has rooted up the dysfunctional thought processes you can begin to fill your mind with positive thinking. What you think today will affect how you think tomorrow. Don't you want tomorrow to be a good day?

Emotion and Spirituality: Meditation can reconnect you to higher levels of emotion. Being present and aware in the present moment through meditation can spark a new found appreciation for the beauty and gift of life which is powerful enough to inspire you to take advantage of the day.

Regardless of your religion, daily practice or world view, we all have an element of spirituality in our lives, whether you choose to pay attention to it or not. Spirituality can be defined in many ways, one being that it is a process of self transformation in accordance to practices and ideals. It is those who take control of themselves in life who succeed; have you ever met a self made millionaire who's thoughts run amok? Without clear goals and a clear mind it is easy to let too many factors get in the way of what you really want out of life.

We are always looking for ways to improve ourselves via daily habits or making small changes every now and again. To be completely successful, happy and continue motivated, we must align all of our goals toward the same direction.

The problem is that you have filled your days already with your daily tasks. You want to implement changes and know almost which ones you should, but not how to actually implement them in your day, the prerequisites to set yourself up. This is where we would like to be different!

The Early Bird Catches The Worm

Okay, so you have made the choice to be a better you, Well done! The first step of making the conscious decision to change is always the hardest part. Lets start from the beginning

By waking up between 4:30am- 5:30am you are putting yourself in the morning rituals of the elite.
Harvard biologist Christoph Randler discovered in 2008 that early risers are more proactive. They were more likely to agree with statements like "I feel in charge of making things happen."

If you on an average have not been waking up in this optimal time, it will sometimes prove difficult to haul yourself out of bed. This is natural and nothing to get annoyed about, you simply need to train yourself.

Good Nights Sleep - To wake up at 5:00am you will need to hit the hay at 10:00pm. Some say they are more awake on 6 hours of sleep. While some lifestyles may not allow that. In further articles we will talk about how you can optimize your evenings to achieve your goals and spend time with the family.

Do Not Eat After 9:00pm - This will allow your body to properly digest and be ready to go in the morning. Eating late or before you go to sleep, will leave you waking up feeling heavy and bloated. Which does not help when you want to bounce out of bed with a spring in your step.

Sit Up Correctly - Ever heard of 'wrong side of the bed'? Well here it is 'wrong side of you!' Roll onto your side, slowly lift yourself up with your arm, sit up and gently raise your head taking a deep breath. When you get this into habit, getting out of bed will never have been so easy!

Where Is My Phone? : Keep It That Way For 60 Minutes.

We are constantly looking at computer screens throughout the day and reacting to someone else schedule. Not in your mornings you aren't! This is your time, a time to center yourself and work out what is important for you.

Apart from switching off your alarm, all mobile phones, laptops even the TV should not come in to view until you have been awake for 60+ minutes. This allows you to have dedicated time for yourself with no interruptions. Trust us, you will feel so much better for it! You will start to feel like you have control of your days.

Leave your mobile on the bedside table or kitchen counter until you have completed your routine, you will be tempted to check your emails or social media when you first start trying to change your habits, but do resist. You come first, not someone who wants a re-tweet.

You may be tempted to listen to podcast, radio interview or news stations to fill this gap, try not too. The goal here is to have 60 minutes of uninterrupted peace, We don't want to be filling our heads with information until we tell ourselves 'Okay I am ready, lets do this.' Soft music in the background is good if you can't handle the silence, like myself.

This forces you out of bed, If you aren't allowed to check your notifications until you are fed, showered & dressed.. what are you going to go do?

Fill The Tank, Wash The Car

With the proper starting fuel (and regular pit-stops) you will start your day stronger than ever. Drink a glass of luke-warm water with fresh lemon 30 minutes before you eat. The lemon aids your metabolism and opens the stomach, the time gap also allows you to develop an appetite.

Breakfast is the best meal of the day and if done correctly it should be your biggest. You will want to eat either a wholewheat cereal or oats, some fresh fruit (grapefruit or raspberry/blueberries are the best). A cup of coffee or fresh juice is a great addition to the meal.

Once you have eaten and put away the dishes, go wash yourself down. Some people prefer to shower in the evenings, others in the morning. Waking up between 4:00am & 5:00am gives you the ability to fit a shower in the morning. This wakes you up and properly stimulates your senses and gets the blood pumping.

You are not going to be able to eat in the morning as well as you should be if you fill up the night before. DO NOT consumer caffeine 4-6 hours before you go to bed! You don't need it so cut it out.

Never skip breakfast. You will only regret it later on in the day.

Exercising in the morning is a great way to fit in that morning shower ritual

Push, Pull & Lift

Exercise is a great morning motivator. It gets the blood pumping and makes you more present. The ability to work on a project (ie. yourself in the case) consistently allows you to see improvement on a daily basis. This is more motivational juice than anyone can handle.

Showing yourself a progression or results is the best way to get you fired up. We as people like to see that our efforts matter, it makes us feel good about ourselves that we are making an impact. No matter how small it may seem to someone else. If you run an extra 0.5 of a mile instead of yesterday, you have improved! You are better than you were yesterday! Never stop telling yourself you are getting better.

Eat right for breakfast to fuel your morning work-out and you will be feeling great!

45 - 60 Minutes of exercise per day 4/5 days week will keep you in shape and motivated

Daily exercise teaches you traits you can apply to all aspects of your life; patience, hard-work, dedication

Keep Your Head Up.

We sometimes take ourselves for granted, take a step back and appreciate your hard work.

If you are someone who is trying to make a positive change in your life, it could be personal or financial, you will always have someone trying to bring you down. It is your job to know you are worth more than that.

When someone see's you doing something that they don't understand or know they themselves could not do, the first thing they will do is tell you that it is wrong or that you are wasting your time. That is jealousy, they see you going above and beyond the normal conventions of life and trying to be something more and they can't handle it.

If they are trying to pull you down to their level, they must have been below you in the first place. Don't let others negative and uneducated comments deter you from your goals, you are doing great and keep reminding yourself of that fact!

If you have taken the path to self improvement and committed to the idea you have in your head. You are doing great! Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise. Sometimes you will miss that alarm, run past a deadline on a project that is fine. It is all in the name of progress and as long as you are better than you were yesterday, you have accomplished more than most.

We will be writing more of these articles for Daily, Evenings & Weekend routines and how to implement them into your life, if you have any suggestions or would like to get involved in the discussion please comment below, We love to connect with you all!

Social media has progressed from its infancy stage, with most companies realizing that to truly engage with their audience effectively, they need to have a social media strategy.

According to an eMarketer report, Worldwide Social Network Users: 2013 Forecast and Comparative Estimates" that nearly one in four people are using social networks with a predicted 13% rise in 2014. Social Media is an effective way to drive traffic to your business, if done correctly, equally it can hinder your progress and put of your customers if done incorrectly. We hear stories everyday of horrific blunders on companies social media profiles, make sure you are not one of them!

Here are a few tips you can implement right now and change the way you look at your companies social media;

Social Media: Brands Voice

Your social accounts are an extension of your brand, customers no longer pick up the phone or write a strongly worded letter to your head office. Their first port of call is your social media profiles, they are both the bulletin board and your customer feedback sheet.

People engage with a brand that has personality. You need to personify your brand on social media, give yourself a clear voice that your customers can get behind. People are bombarded with offers and products in their face for quite a large portion of the day, they pick up their phones to be entertained, so entertain them. Don't be a faceless company that keeps talking about their "AMAZING DEALS!!!"

What & When?

Timing is everything, if your audience isn't online then you wont get your maximum engagement. Content is the all important factor, your content needs to be relevant, engaging and where applicable it needs to give your customers a call to action. There are many ways to measure when your audience is online and what content they engage with.
Remember people love pictures and videos! tweets and Facebook posts have been reported to receive 70% more engagement when a picture or video is attached.
It is time to expand, with a content strategy plan and the right tools you will be able to spread your message across a variety of platforms to maximize your reaches potential; Instagram, Tumblr, Google+, Pintrest.

Keep It Relevant

We understand this may seem like an obvious one, however with the amount of non-followers to this rule, we feel we should talk about this. Lets get one thing straight, your audience are following your social media profile for a few reasons; They have bought your product/service before, have a desire for your product/service or find your profiles to be engaging & entertaining. Don't ruin that by posting irrelevant 'hot-topic' stories just to try to draw an audience.
Be engaging - people like to know that there are real people behind the curtains. Post exciting photos, funny stories and make your customer feel like they are a part of your company. With consistent content you audience will feel they know you as a personality, that is how you win their loyalty.

Think Before You Post

There have been some quite humorous cases of companies not thinking before they post something, however keeping on top of this can save you a few embarrassments while showing your sensitivity to a situation.
For example if a major event happens, make sure to go and check your schedule and edit any upcoming posts that may conflict with the event. There is nothing worse for a brand than appearing insensitive to a current event, this is where relevancy also comes in. Give your condolences where relevant, but try to stay out of unrelated topics. When unsure of what to say, silence is the best policy.

DiGiorno clearly tried to riff on a Twitter trending topic without taking the extra 30 seconds to research what that trending topic was about: domestic violence. Needless to say, this tweet did not go over well and the brand was forced to apologize.Ref

Honesty

Finally, honesty is the best policy. Privacy is slowly decreasing is this online world of ours and sometimes a digital mistake can be blown out of proportion. If you make a mistake, act human. Apologies and be sincere, if you try to palm off the mistake as 'hacked' or another excuse, there will always be someone there to call you on it. Act with integrity and people will respect your brand.

Your company is nothing without branding. The brand is the image, the first sight and thought a person has when they come across your business and it is your job to make sure their reaction is exactly how you want it. A brand image can be the difference between a businesses' success and failure so it is important to get it right!

Every venture, business or project requires good consistent planning. You need to decide how you want your brand to reflect to your audiences, and come up with a way to maintain that image throughout the businesses' life. It is a seal of approval, a brand image can represent exactly the reasons why customers come to you rather than someone else.

Branding and positioning go hand in hand. You want your brand image to show exactly why your company is different from other competitors. Without a good reputation any business can fail so make sure your organisation stands out in the best way possible and keep track of what works and what doesn't!

A good brand image for your business online also requires the creation and optimisation of relevant, shareable content. A range of mediums should be used for providing content, everyone is different and everyone consumes media in different ways. Websites, blogs, articles, podcasts and videos are but a handful of mediums that can be used. The more ways you can provide consumption of media for your users the more options you will have to expand the reach of content beyond the constraints of your website and social media pages.

Success Is Your Duty, Obligation & Responsibility.

4 Quick Points To Motivate You Today

There is only so much planning you can do before you need to just ‘Go For It'

Do not raise your voice, improve your argument.

Gossip is a practice preached by those who have nothing interesting to say about themselves, so must bring down those around them.

The only person you should try to be better than, is the person you were yesterday.

Motivation Monday - 6 Ways To Beat The Monday Blues