tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-99156512024-03-08T18:47:22.801-05:00Abundant Success!<b><i>a·bun·dant</i></b><br>
Abounding with; rich<br>
<b><i>su·ccess</i></b><br>
The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted: attributed their success in business to hard work.<br>
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This is a log of my experience and learning of creating abundance, wealth, and success in my life.
It's intention is to assist others in making their transition to Sucess & Wealth.DWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15239070439537544985noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-75321013043754271862009-06-01T12:45:00.002-04:002009-06-01T12:48:02.512-04:00Entrepreneurs can change the worldGreat video by Grasshopper which handles telecommunications for small businesses :) Enjoy!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6MhAwQ64c0" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6MhAwQ64c0</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-23249237567248788992009-04-10T08:50:00.001-04:002009-04-10T08:51:51.363-04:00Seth Godin: Sliced bread and other marketing delightsWorld renowned marketer Seth Gordin shares another tip about being a great marketer:<br /><br />In a world of too many options and too little time, our obvious choice is to just ignore the ordinary stuff. Marketing guru Seth Godin spells out why, when it comes to getting our attention, bad or bizarre ideas are more successful than boring ones.<br /><br />http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/seth_godin_on_sliced_bread.htmlUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-74055472390814253932009-03-29T22:53:00.003-04:002009-03-29T23:10:27.937-04:00Analyze Business<a href="http://www.analyzebusiness.com/">www.analyzebusiness.com</a><br /><br />These days I have been consistently learning as I realize that constant openness and learning is one of the keys to growth in business and investing (yes I know EVERYONE knows that). One of the keys to this is having a team (yes EVERYONE knows that also).<br /><br />However this past year as well as 2008, I have been building my knowledge through one of my teachers / mentors Mr. Adal. I met him 2 years ago from another budding entrepreneur who spoke highly of how this teacher's instruction was precise, accurate, and the real deal. In this world of business and investing there are MANY who don't want you to succeed because they haven't or they don't want competition.<br /><br />After going to the first few classes, I thought, "I am a real estate investor and I want to learn how to flip, rehab, buy notes, etc...." So I left the class and never looked back until last year in 2008. Going through the industry I realized I needed to learn not only through books and doing deals but actually from others. While many have learned the path to success without a teacher, I realized I deserved the best by learning from a success to accelerate my path to my goals.<br /><br />Going into the classes. I am armed with many past experiences that makes me a doer (though I learned from the School of Hard Knocks and it is not pleasant many times). Mr. Adal is knowledgeable, patient, and giving in his instruction. He focuses on a very conservative, common sense, comprehensive approach to the money game as he focuses on INVESTING $$$ (the other parts such as SAVING, BUDGETING, etc... he doesn't handle). He doesn't focus on flipping or trading which is a short term approach but using technical analysis to combine with fundamental analysis he sees what is a real investment and what is just speculation.<br /><br />Unlike many gurus who espouse the get rich quick and leverage your credit card to buy education valued thousands of dollars (but priced more than double the college education of a #1 tiered business school like Harvard when the information is general and can be bought in a book store), his instruction be sensible and make informed decisions on whatever is done -> lower the liability and risk to make things happen. He even requires us to have tests (which guru has done that?).<br /><br />The results? A greater awareness of what is a good deal and what is a bad deal. His predictions on the market are accurate and common sense. While the market is going down and people have lost $$$ (including myself), he continues to preserve his wealth and building it.<br /><br />While I don't agree with all that is said, he assists in sharpening my "game" so I can play in this downturn economy and still succeed! I deserved a successful teacher and got not only one but others this year. Do you have one that really is interested in you? and willing to grow you also?<br /><br />PS His website www.analyzebusiness.com has the latest class schedules.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-15288816527719016662009-03-02T12:24:00.000-05:002009-03-02T12:28:14.001-05:00Warren Buffet's advice for 2009We begin this New Year with dampened enthusiasm and dented optimism. Our happiness is diluted and our peace is threatened by the financial illness that has infected our families, organizations and nations. Everyone is desperate to find a remedy that will cure their financial illness and help them recover their financial health. They expect the financial experts to provide them with remedies, forgetting the fact that it is these experts who created this financial mess.<br /><br />Every new year, I adopt a couple of old maxims as my beacons to guide my future. This self-prescribed therapy has ensured that with each passing year, I grow wiser and not older. This year, I invite you to tap into the financial wisdom of our elders along with me, and become financially wiser.<br /><br />Ø Hard work: All hard work bring a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.<br /><br />Ø Laziness: A sleeping lobster is carried away by the water current.<br /><br />Ø Earnings: Never depend on a single source of income.. [At least make your Investments get you second earning]<br /><br />Ø Spending: If you buy things you don't need, you'll soon sell things you need.<br /><br />Ø Savings: Don't save what is left after spending; Spend what is left after saving.<br /><br />Ø Borrowings: The borrower becomes the lender's slave..<br /><br />Ø Accounting: It's no use carrying an umbrella, if your shoes are leaking.<br /><br />Ø Auditing: Beware of little expenses; A small leak can sink a large ship.<br /><br />Ø Risk-taking: Never test the depth of the river with both feet. [Have an alternate plan ready]<br /><br />Ø Investment: Don't put all your eggs in one basket.<br /><br />I'm certain that those who have already been practicing these principles remain financially healthy. I'm equally confident that those who resolve to start practicing these principles will quickly regain their financial health.<br /><br />With Best Regards,<br /><br />Warren BuffetUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-79018768051014736192009-02-10T12:21:00.002-05:002009-02-10T12:30:18.580-05:008 SECRETS of SUCCESS in 3 MINUTES!Great slideshow by Richard St. John in TED (TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from those three worlds. Since then its scope has become ever broader).<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/richard_st_john_s_8_secrets_of_success.html" target="_blank">http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/richard_st_john_s_8_secrets_of_success.html</a><br /><br />The 8 Secrets of Success:<br /><br />* PASSION<br /><br />* WORK<br /><br />* GOOD<br /><br />* FOCUS<br /><br />* PUSH<br /><br />* SERVE<br /><br />* IDEAS<br /><br />* PERSISTUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-91130632699428120762009-01-16T16:57:00.002-05:002009-01-16T17:00:37.089-05:00100 of America's Most Successful Asian American Entepreneurs!This is an impressive list of the most successful Asian American entrepreneurs. Success does not have any boundaries and it is really amazing some of their stories. What is your "story" for not being successful?<br /><br />URL:<br /><a href="http://www.goldsea.com/Profiles/100/100.html" target="_blank">http://www.goldsea.com/Profiles/100/100.html<br /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-55000573373463804512008-10-29T04:18:00.004-04:002008-10-29T10:18:24.529-04:00Movie - The Money Masters<span style="font-weight:bold;">HOW INTERNATIONAL BANKERS GAINED CONTROL OF AMERICA</span><br /><br />This 3.5 hr documentary details the history of how money is being controlled in the last 100+ years in the world. While it can be considered conspiratorial, its depth and detail is worth study and understanding.<br /><br />------------------------<br /><br />From the producer:<br /><br />"The powers of financial capitalism had a far-reaching plan, nothing less than to create a world system of financial control in private hands able to dominate the political system of each country and the economy of the world as a whole...Their secret is that they have annexed from governments, monarchies, and republics the power to create the world's money..." THE MONEY MASTERS is a 3 1/2 hour non-fiction, historical documentary that traces the origins of the political power structure that rules our nation and the world today. The modern political power structure has its roots in the hidden manipulation and accumulation of gold and other forms of money. The development of fractional reserve banking practices in the 17th century brought to a cunning sophistication the secret techniques initially used by goldsmiths fraudulently to accumulate wealth. With the formation of the privately-owned Bank of England in 1694, the yoke of economic slavery to a privately-owned "central" bank was first forced upon the backs of an entire nation, not removed but only made heavier with the passing of the three centuries to our day. Nation after nation, including America, has fallen prey to this cabal of international central bankers."<br /><br /><embed id="VideoPlayback" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=-515319560256183936&hl=en&fs=true" style="width:400px;height:326px" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"> </embed>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-58559064840056155322008-10-23T10:07:00.010-04:002008-10-29T04:31:44.094-04:00Movie - The Zeitgeist: AddendumThis thought provoking film is not kid's stuff. Dwells into who, what, and how economic power is exercised on people in the world. Do your research.<br /><p><br /><embed id="VideoPlayback" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=7065205277695921912&hl=en&fs=true" style="width:400px;height:326px" allowFullScreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"> </embed><br /></p><br /><br />Interview by Radio TV Personality <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Jones_(radio)" target=_blank> Alex Jones (click on name for Wikipedia entry)</a> with movie maker Peter Joseph<br />Part 1<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XVnhh6Yqec" target=_blank>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XVnhh6Yqec</a><br /><br />Part 2<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oTDXXh463g" target=blank>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oTDXXh463g</a><br /><br />Part 3<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FBnuXl4GSQ" target=_blank>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FBnuXl4GSQ</a><br /><br />Part 4<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDK75i9dp94" target=_blank>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDK75i9dp94</a><br /><br />Part 5<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phiQhoEh8ew" target=_blank>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phiQhoEh8ew</a><br /><br />Part 6<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDDT7jPX840" target=_blank>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDDT7jPX840</a><br /><br />Part 7<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMnVzfjOZO8" target=_blank>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMnVzfjOZO8</a><br /><br />Part 8<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eey3EppZX0Q" target=_blank>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eey3EppZX0Q</a><br /><br />Part 9<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ7LN5KgRtg" target=_blank>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ7LN5KgRtg</a><br /><br />Part 10<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzzsQcTDdcU" target=_blank>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzzsQcTDdcU</a><br /><br />Part 11<br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_eQ7TKZ-_E" target=_blank>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_eQ7TKZ-_E</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-34114343184320516552008-08-27T01:37:00.000-04:002008-08-27T01:39:58.444-04:00Article - "10 Things Millionaires Won't Tell You"http://www.smartmoney.com/10things/index.cfm?story=september2008-10-things-millionaires-will-not-tell-you<br /><br />1. "You may think I'm rich, but I don't."<br /><br />A million dollars may sound like a fortune to most people, and folks with that much cash can't complain — they're richer than 90 percent of U.S. households and earn $366,000 a year, on average, putting them in the top 1 percent of taxpayers. But the club isn't so exclusive anymore. Some 10 million households have a net worth above $1 million, excluding home equity, almost double the number in 2002. Moreover, a recent survey by Fidelity found just 8 percent of millionaires think they're "very" or "extremely" wealthy, while 19 percent don't feel rich at all. "They're worried about health care, retirement and how they'll sustain their lifestyle," says Gail Graham, a wealth-management executive at Fidelity.<br /><br />Indeed, many millionaires still don't have enough for exclusive luxuries, like membership at an elite golf club, which can top $300,000 a year. While $1 million was a tidy sum three decades ago, you'd need $3.6 million for the same purchasing power today. And half of all millionaires have a net worth of $2.5 million or less, according to research firm TNS. So what does it take to feel truly rich? The magic number is $23 million, according to Fidelity.<br /><br />2. "I shop at Wal-Mart..."<br /><br />They may not buy the 99-cent paper towels, but millionaires know what it is to be frugal. About 80 percent say they spend with a middle-class mind-set, according to a 2007 survey of high-net-worth individuals, published by American Express and the Harrison Group. That means buying luxury items on sale, hunting for bargains — even clipping coupons.<br /><br />Don Crane, a small-business owner in Santa Rosa, Calif., certainly sees the value of everyday saving. "We can afford just about anything," he says, adding that his net worth is over $1 million. But he and his wife both grew up on farms in the Midwest — where nothing was wasted — and his wife clips coupons to this day. In fact, most millionaires come from middle-class households, and roughly 70 percent have been wealthy for less than 15 years, according to the AmEx/Harrison survey. That said, there are plenty of millionaires who never check a price tag. "I've always wanted to live above my means because it inspired me to work harder," says Robert Kiyosaki, author of the 1997 best seller Rich Dad, Poor Dad. An entrepreneur worth millions, Kiyosaki says he doesn't even know what his house would go for today.<br /><br />3. "...but I didn't get rich by skimping on lattes."<br /><br />So how do you join the millionaires' club? You could buy stocks or real estate, play the slots in Vegas — or take the most common path: running your own business. That's how half of all millionaires made their money, according to the AmEx/Harrison survey. About a third had a professional practice or worked in the corporate world; only 3 percent inherited their wealth.<br /><br />Regardless of how they built their nest egg, virtually all millionaires "make judicious use of debt," says Russ Alan Prince, coauthor of "The Middle-Class Millionaire." They'll take out loans to build their business, avoid high-interest credit card debt and leverage their home equity to finance purchases if their cash flow doesn't cut it. Nor is their wealth tied up in their homes. Home equity represents just 11 percent of millionaires' total assets, according to TNS. "People who are serious about building wealth always want to have a mortgage," says Jim Bell, president of Bell Investment Advisors. His home is probably worth $1.5 million, he adds, but he owes $900,000 on it. "I'm in no hurry to pay it off," he says. "It's one of the few tax deductions I get."<br /><br />4. "I have a concierge for everything."<br /><br />That hot restaurant may be booked for months — at least when Joe Nobody calls to make reservations. But many top eateries set aside tables for celebrities and A-list clientele, and that's where the personal concierge comes in. Working for retainers that range anywhere from $25 an hour to six figures a year, these modern-day butlers have the inside track on chic restaurants, spa reservations, even an early tee time at the golf club. And good concierges will scour the planet for whatever their clients want — whether it's holy water blessed personally by the Pope, rare Mexican tequila or artisanal sausages found only in northern Spain. "For some people, the cost doesn't matter," says Yamileth Delgado, who runs Marquise Concierge and who once found those sausages for a client — 40 pounds of chorizo that went for $1,000.<br /><br />Concierge services now extend to medical attention as well. At the high end: For roughly $2,000 to $4,000 a month, clients can get 24-hour access to a primary-care physician who makes house calls and can facilitate admission to a hospital "without long waits in the emergency room," as one New York City service puts it.<br /><br />5. "You don't get rich by being nice."<br /><br />John D. Rockefeller threatened rivals with bankruptcy if they didn't sell out to his company, Standard Oil. Bill Gates was ruthless in building Microsoft into the world's largest software firm (remember Netscape?). Indeed, many millionaires privately admit they're "bastards in business," says Prince. "They aren't nice guys." Of course, the wealthy don't exactly look in the mirror and see Gordon Gekko either. Most millionaires share the values of their moderate-income parents, says Lewis Schiff, a private wealth consultant and Prince's coauthor: "Spending time with family really matters to them." Just 12 percent say that what they want most to be remembered for is their legacy in business, according to the AmEx/Harrison study.<br /><br />Millionaires are also seemingly undaunted by failure. Crane, for example, now runs a successful company that screens tenants for landlords. But his first business venture, a real estate partnership, went bankrupt, costing him $20,000 — more than his house was worth at the time. "It was the most depressing time in my life, but it was the best lesson I ever learned," he says.<br /><br />6. "Taxes are for little people."<br /><br />Most millionaires do pay taxes. In fact, the top 1 percent of earners paid nearly 40 percent of federal income taxes in 2005 — a whopping $368 billion — according to the Internal Revenue Service. That said, the wealthy tend to derive a higher portion of their income from dividends and capital gains, which are taxed at lower rates than wages (15 percent for long-term capital gains versus 25 percent for middle-class wages). Also, high-income earners pay Social Security tax only on their first $97,500 of income.<br /><br />But the big savings come from owning a business and deducting everything related to it. Landlords can also depreciate their commercial properties and expenses like mortgage interest. And that's without doing any creative accounting. Then there are the tax shelters, trusts and other mechanisms the superrich use to shield their wealth. An estimated 2 million Americans have unreported accounts offshore, and income from foreign tax shelters costs the U.S. $20 billion to$40 billion a year, according to the IRS. Indeed, "an increasing number of people want to establish an offshore fund," says Vernon Jacobs, a certified public accountant in Kansas who specializes in legal foreign accounts.<br /><br />7. "I was a B student."<br /><br />Mom was right when she said good grades were the key to success — just not necessarily a big bank account. According to the book "The Millionaire Mind," the median college grade point average for millionaires is 2.9, and the average SAT score is 1190 — hardly Harvard material. In fact, 59 percent of millionaires attended a state college or university, according to AmEx/Harrison.<br /><br />When asked to list the keys to their success, millionaires rank hard work first, followed by education, determination and "treating others with respect." They also say that what they absorbed in class was less important than learning how to study and stay disciplined, says Jim Taylor, vice chairman of the Harrison Group. Granted, 48 percent of millionaires hold an advanced degree, and elite colleges do open doors to careers on Wall Street and in Silicon Valley (not to mention social connections that grease the wheels). But for every Ph.D. millionaire, there are many more who squeaked through school. Kiyosaki, for one, says the only way he survived college calculus was by "sitting near" the smart kids in class — "we cheated like crazy," he says.<br /><br />8. "Like my Ferrari? It's a rental."<br /><br />Why spend $3,000 on a Versace bag that'll be out of style as soon as next season when you can rent it for $175 a month? For that matter, why blow $250,000 on a Ferrari when for $25,000 it can be yours for a few weekends a year? Clubs that offer "fractional ownership" of jets have been popular for some time, and now the concept has extended to other high-end luxuries like exotic cars and fine art. How hot is the trend? More than 50 percent of millionaires say they plan to rent luxury goods within the next 12 months, according to a survey by Prince & Associates. Handbags topped the list, followed by cars, jewelry, watches and art. Online companies like Bag Borrow or Steal, for example, cater to customers who always want new designer accessories and jewelry, for prices starting at $15 a week.<br /><br />For Suzanne Garner, a millionaire software engineer in Santa Clara, Calif., owning a $100,000 car didn't make financial sense (she drives a Mazda Miata). Instead, Garner pays up to $30,000 in annual membership fees to Club Sportiva, a fractional-ownership car club in San Francisco that lets her take out Ferraris, Lamborghinis and other exotic vehicles on weekends. "I'm all about the car," she says. And so are other people, it seems. While stopped at a light in a Ferrari recently, Garner received a marriage proposal from a guy in a pickup truck. (She declined the offer.)<br /><br />9. "Turns out money can buy happiness."<br /><br />It may not be comforting to folks who aren't minting cash, but the rich really are different. "There's no group in America that's happier than the wealthy," says Taylor, of the Harrison Group. Roughly 70 percent of millionaires say that money"created" more happiness for them,he notes. Higher income also correlates with higher ratings in life satisfaction, according to a new study by economists at the Wharton School of Business. But it's not necessarily the Bentley or Manolo Blahniks that lead to bliss. "It's the freedom that money buys," says Betsey Stevenson, coauthor of the Wharton study.<br /><br />Concomitantly, rates of depression are lower among the wealthy, according to the Wharton study, and the rich tend to have better health than the rest of the population, says James Smith, senior labor economist at the Rand Corporation. (In fact, health and happiness are as closely correlated as wealth and happiness, Smith says.) The wealthy even seem to smile and laugh more often, according to the Wharton study, to say nothing of getting treated with more respect and eating better food. "People experience their day very differently when they have a lot of money," Stevenson says.<br /><br />10. "You worry about the Joneses — I worry about keeping up with the Trumps."<br /><br />Wealth may go a long way toward creating happiness, but the middle-class rich still can't afford the life of the billionaire next door — the guy who writes charity checks for $100,000 and retreats to his own private island. "What makes people happy isn't how much they're making," says Glenn Firebaugh, a sociologist at Pennsylvania State University. "It's how much they're making relative to their peers."<br /><br />Indeed, for all their riches, some 40 percent of millionaires fear that their standard of living will decline in retirement and that their money will run out before they die, according to Fidelity. Of course, it may not help if their lifestyle is so lavish that they're barely squeaking by on $400,000 a year. "You can always be happier with more money," says Stevenson. "There's no satiation point." But that's the trouble with keeping up with the Trumps. "Millionaires are always looking up," says Schiff, "and think it's better up there."<br /><br />Copyrighted, SmartMoney.com. All Rights Reserved.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-5793809153536361292008-04-02T05:11:00.000-04:002008-04-02T05:13:33.178-04:00Home improvements on the cheapYes I know. Why post a blog on home improvements? If you are doing rehabs then there are ways to save on higher end finishes that makes your renovation top notch. It is an interesting article for those shopping fiends :)<br /><br /><a href="http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/real_estate/0803/gallery.cheap_renovations.toh/index.html" target=_blank>http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/real_estate/0803/gallery.cheap_renovations.toh/index.html</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-81971562043052730252008-02-12T10:40:00.000-05:002008-02-12T10:41:41.720-05:00I Will Not Die an Unlived Life<p>By Dawna Markova</p> <p>I will not die an unlived life<br />I will not live in fear<br />of falling or catching fire.<br />I choose to inhabit my days,<br />to allow my living to <a style="background: transparent url(http://files.adbrite.com/mb/images/green-double-underline-006600.gif) repeat-x scroll center bottom; cursor: pointer; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); text-decoration: none; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; margin-bottom: -2px; padding-bottom: 2px;" name="AdBriteInlineAd_open" id="AdBriteInlineAd_open" target="_top">open</a> me,<br />to <a style="background: transparent url(http://files.adbrite.com/mb/images/green-double-underline-006600.gif) repeat-x scroll center bottom; cursor: pointer; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); text-decoration: none; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; margin-bottom: -2px; padding-bottom: 2px;" name="AdBriteInlineAd_make" id="AdBriteInlineAd_make" target="_top">make</a> me less afraid,<br />more accessible,<br />to loosen my heart<br />until it becomes a wing,<br />a torch, a promise.<br />I choose to <a style="background: transparent url(http://files.adbrite.com/mb/images/green-double-underline-006600.gif) repeat-x scroll center bottom; cursor: pointer; color: rgb(0, 102, 0); text-decoration: none; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; margin-bottom: -2px; padding-bottom: 2px;" name="AdBriteInlineAd_risk" id="AdBriteInlineAd_risk" target="_top">risk</a> my significance;<br />to live so that which came to me as seed<br />goes to the next as blossom<br />and that which came to me as blossom,<br />goes on as fruit.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-46755002673477565712008-01-13T11:08:00.000-05:002008-01-13T11:25:55.304-05:00Happiness<p></p>“The great blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach; but we shut our eyes, and, like people in the dark, we fall foul upon the very thing we search for, without finding it.” –Seneca<br /><br />“The best way to pay for a lovely moment is to enjoy it.” –Richard Bach “Happiness is a conscious choice, not an automatic response.” –Mildred Barthel<br /><br />“If you want happiness for an hour — take a nap.<br />If you want happiness for a day — go fishing.<br />If you want happiness for a month — get married.<br />If you want happiness for a year — inherit a fortune.<br />If you want happiness for a lifetime — help someone else.<br />–Chinese proverb<br /><br />Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.<br />- Albert Schweitzer<br /><br />When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.<br />- Helen Keller<br /><br />Happiness is the meaning and the purpose of life, the whole aim and end of human existence<br />- Aristotle<br /><br />“The reason people find it so hard to be happy is that they always see the past better than it was, the present worse than it is, and the future less resolved than it will be”<br />- Marcel Pagnol<br /><br />“Don't rely on someone else for your happiness and self worth. Only you can be responsible for that. If you can't love and respect yourself - no one else will be able to make that happen. Accept who you are - completely; the good and the bad - and make changes as YOU see fit - not because you think someone else wants you to be different.”<br />- Stacey Charter<span class="sqq"></span><span class="sqc" style="float: right;"></span><a class="sqa" href="http://thinkexist.com/quotes/stacey_charter/"></a><a class="sqa" href="http://thinkexist.com/quotes/marcel_pagnol/"></a><br /><a class="sqa" href="http://thinkexist.com/quotes/marcel_pagnol/"></a><p style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><a class="sqa" href="http://thinkexist.com/quotes/aristotle/"></a></p>“Happiness is not the absence of problems but the ability to deal with them.”<br /><br /><span class="sqq"></span>“Nothing can bring you happiness but yourself.”<br />- Ralph Waldo Emerson<a class="sqa" href="http://thinkexist.com/quotes/ralph_waldo_emerson/"></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-48904389170190857632008-01-02T17:18:00.000-05:002008-01-13T11:27:11.116-05:00Article - Retire Rich: Learn from someone who didRetire Rich: Learn from someone who did (<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2008/01/02/pf/retirement/retirerich_janlongview.moneymag/index.htm?postversion=2008010210" target="_blank">click here for original article</a>)<br />By Walter Updegrave, Money Magazine senior editor<div class="storytimestamp">January 2 2008: 10:02 AM EST</div><p>NEW YORK (Money Magazine) -- When Henry "Bud" Hebeler was winding down his career at Boeing nearly 20 years ago, he was appalled at the advice he got from retirement planning software. </p><p>"The assumptions about returns, inflation, longevity and expenses were highly simplistic," says the 74-year-old Hebeler. With his engineering degrees from MIT and his experience - first as Boeing's chief forecaster and planner and later as president of Boeing Aerospace - Hebeler figured he could do better. </p><p>He has. His Web site, AnalyzeNow.com, is a compendium of advice and tools (mostly free) that can help you tackle topics ranging from how to create a retirement budget to whether to buy an annuity. </p><p>What distinguishes Hebeler from the typical retirement "expert" is that he combines a strong quantitative background with real-life retirement experience - his own and that of fellow retirees. </p><p>Hebeler took time out from his hectic schedule of skiing, golf, travel and running a site to share his thoughts. </p><p><b>Q. What's the most popular misconception about retirement planning? </b></p><p>A. That your spending will drop as you age and you become less active. My father played golf until he was 95. My wife and I are in our seventies and we ski the expert slopes at Park City, Utah. </p><p>My friends who have reduced their spending didn't do so because of lack of energy or physical ability. It doesn't take much effort to get into a taxi and go to the theater. They're cutting back because they know they're going to live longer than they thought they would. They spent too much too early and now they're worried about running out. </p><p><b>Q. So what can you do to assure that your money will last? </b></p><p>A. If you have enough savings to live on, consider delaying taking Social Security until full retirement age or even later. Holding off can be especially worthwhile if you have a spouse who didn't work or had a low income, since the higher payment you get by waiting can be passed on to your spouse when you die. </p><p>I also think retirees should consider putting some, but not all, of their money in an immediate annuity. Look at inflation-adjusted immediate annuities, since they provide a lifetime income that, like Social Security, goes up with inflation. </p><p><b>Q. How did your work at Boeing influence the advice you give? </b></p><p>A. It made me more conservative. In business you see how often things don't work out as you planned. Projects cost more to complete than you estimated. </p><p>The same is true of retirement, but retirement plans seldom call for setting aside reserves for unforeseen events. There are a lot of surprises, usually more bad ones than good. </p><p><b>Q. What kinds of surprises? </b></p><p>A. For one thing, your expenses are likely to be very different in retirement than during your career. Things that were probably covered by your company insurance - dental work, vision care, a variety of medical tests - typically aren't paid for by Medicare. My hearing aids alone cost $6,000, which wasn't covered at all. </p><p>People also don't anticipate the impact of inflation. In the first 10 years of my retirement, the purchasing power of my company pension declined by 30%. And then there are obligations people rarely plan for, such as having to help parents or adult children who are struggling financially. </p><p><b>Q. If you could advise people to do just one thing to improve their retirement prospects, what would it be?</b> </p><p>A. People who aren't retired need to know how much to save. My father used to tell me that you should always save at least 10% of your income. </p><p>That's more like 15% to 20% today because you're less likely to have a pension. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></p><div style="font-weight: bold;" class="sidebarHeadingS">The Best of Bud</div><!-- PURGE: --> <!-- KEEP --><div class="element"> <div class="sidebarBlurb"><ol><li>Don't assume all will go as expected. Build a safety margin into your planning.</li><li>Enjoy yourself but don't overspend early in retirement. You may especially want to scale back spending during market downturns so your nest egg has a chance to rebound.</li><li>Consider delaying Social Security until you reach at least full retirement age. The higher payment will be a good inflation hedge later in retirement.</li><li>Think about putting some money into an annuity, particularly if you think you'll live longer than the average person.</li></ol></div> </div> <!-- /PURGE: --><!-- PURGE: --> <!-- KEEP --><div class="element"> </div> <!-- /PURGE: --><!-- PURGE: --> <!-- KEEP --><div class="element"> </div> <!-- /PURGE: --><!-- PURGE: --> <!-- KEEP --><div class="element"> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-28623043120497882302008-01-01T21:04:00.000-05:002008-01-13T11:28:18.593-05:00Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA" target="_blank"><span>Youtube Link</span></a><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br />This is the text of the Commencement address by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and of Pixar Animation Studios, delivered on June 12, 2005.</span><br /><br />I am honored to be with you today at your commencement from one of the finest universities in the world. I never graduated from college. Truth be told, this is the closest I've ever gotten to a college graduation. Today I want to tell you three stories from my life. That's it. No big deal. Just three stories.<br /><br />The first story is about connecting the dots.<br /><br />I dropped out of Reed College after the first 6 months, but then stayed around as a drop-in for another 18 months or so before I really quit. So why did I drop out?<br />It started before I was born. My biological mother was a young, unwed college graduate student, and she decided to put me up for adoption. She felt very strongly that I should be adopted by college graduates, so everything was all set for me to be adopted at birth by a lawyer and his wife. Except that when I popped out they decided at the last minute that they really wanted a girl. So my parents, who were on a waiting list, got a call in the middle of the night asking: "We have an unexpected baby boy; do you want him?" They said: "Of course." My biological mother later found out that my mother had never graduated from college and that my father had never graduated from high school. She refused to sign the final adoption papers. She only relented a few months later when my parents promised that I would someday go to college.<br /><br />And 17 years later I did go to college. But I naively chose a college that was almost as expensive as Stanford, and all of my working-class parents' savings were being spent on my college tuition. After six months, I couldn't see the value in it. I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and no idea how college was going to help me figure it out. And here I was spending all of the money my parents had saved their entire life. So I decided to drop out and trust that it would all work out OK. It was pretty scary at the time, but looking back it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The minute I dropped out I could stop taking the required classes that didn't interest me, and begin dropping in on the ones that looked interesting.<br /><br />It wasn't all romantic. I didn't have a dorm room, so I slept on the floor in friends' rooms, I returned coke bottles for the 5¢ deposits to buy food with, and I would walk the 7 miles across town every Sunday night to get one good meal a week at the Hare Krishna temple. I loved it. And much of what I stumbled into by following my curiosity and intuition turned out to be priceless later on. Let me give you one example:<br />Reed College at that time offered perhaps the best calligraphy instruction in the country. Throughout the campus every poster, every label on every drawer, was beautifully hand calligraphed. Because I had dropped out and didn't have to take the normal classes, I decided to take a calligraphy class to learn how to do this. I learned about serif and san serif typefaces, about varying the amount of space between different letter combinations, about what makes great typography great. It was beautiful, historical, artistically subtle in a way that science can't capture, and I found it fascinating.<br /><br />None of this had even a hope of any practical application in my life. But ten years later, when we were designing the first Macintosh computer, it all came back to me. And we designed it all into the Mac. It was the first computer with beautiful typography. If I had never dropped in on that single course in college, the Mac would have never had multiple typefaces or proportionally spaced fonts. And since Windows just copied the Mac, its likely that no personal computer would have them. If I had never dropped out, I would have never dropped in on this calligraphy class, and personal computers might not have the wonderful typography that they do. Of course it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards ten years later.<br /><br />Again, you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.<br /><br />My second story is about love and loss.<br /><br />I was lucky — I found what I loved to do early in life. Woz and I started Apple in my parents garage when I was 20. We worked hard, and in 10 years Apple had grown from just the two of us in a garage into a $2 billion company with over 4000 employees. We had just released our finest creation — the Macintosh — a year earlier, and I had just turned 30. And then I got fired. How can you get fired from a company you started? Well, as Apple grew we hired someone who I thought was very talented to run the company with me, and for the first year or so things went well. But then our visions of the future began to diverge and eventually we had a falling out. When we did, our Board of Directors sided with him. So at 30 I was out. And very publicly out. What had been the focus of my entire adult life was gone, and it was devastating.<br /><br />I really didn't know what to do for a few months. I felt that I had let the previous generation of entrepreneurs down - that I had dropped the baton as it was being passed to me. I met with David Packard and Bob Noyce and tried to apologize for screwing up so badly. I was a very public failure, and I even thought about running away from the valley. But something slowly began to dawn on me — I still loved what I did. The turn of events at Apple had not changed that one bit. I had been rejected, but I was still in love. And so I decided to start over.<br />I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.<br /><br />During the next five years, I started a company named NeXT, another company named Pixar, and fell in love with an amazing woman who would become my wife. Pixar went on to create the worlds first computer animated feature film, Toy Story, and is now the most successful animation studio in the world. In a remarkable turn of events, Apple bought NeXT, I retuned to Apple, and the technology we developed at NeXT is at the heart of Apple's current renaissance. And Laurene and I have a wonderful family together.<br /><br />I'm pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn't been fired from Apple. It was awful tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle.<br /><br />My third story is about death.<br /><br />When I was 17, I read a quote that went something like: "If you live each day as if it was your last, someday you'll most certainly be right." It made an impression on me, and since then, for the past 33 years, I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself: "If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" And whenever the answer has been "No" for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.<br />Remembering that I'll be dead soon is the most important tool I've ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life. Because almost everything — all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - these things just fall away in the face of death, leaving only what is truly important. Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.<br /><br />About a year ago I was diagnosed with cancer. I had a scan at 7:30 in the morning, and it clearly showed a tumor on my pancreas. I didn't even know what a pancreas was. The doctors told me this was almost certainly a type of cancer that is incurable, and that I should expect to live no longer than three to six months. My doctor advised me to go home and get my affairs in order, which is doctor's code for prepare to die. It means to try to tell your kids everything you thought you'd have the next 10 years to tell them in just a few months. It means to make sure everything is buttoned up so that it will be as easy as possible for your family. It means to say your goodbyes.<br /><br />I lived with that diagnosis all day. Later that evening I had a biopsy, where they stuck an endoscope down my throat, through my stomach and into my intestines, put a needle into my pancreas and got a few cells from the tumor. I was sedated, but my wife, who was there, told me that when they viewed the cells under a microscope the doctors started crying because it turned out to be a very rare form of pancreatic cancer that is curable with surgery. I had the surgery and I'm fine now.<br /><br />This was the closest I've been to facing death, and I hope its the closest I get for a few more decades. Having lived through it, I can now say this to you with a bit more certainty than when death was a useful but purely intellectual concept:<br /><br />No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.<br /><br />Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma — which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.<br /><br />When I was young, there was an amazing publication called The Whole Earth Catalog, which was one of the bibles of my generation. It was created by a fellow named Stewart Brand not far from here in Menlo Park, and he brought it to life with his poetic touch. This was in the late 1960's, before personal computers and desktop publishing, so it was all made with typewriters, scissors, and polaroid cameras. It was sort of like Google in paperback form, 35 years before Google came along: it was idealistic, and overflowing with neat tools and great notions.<br />Stewart and his team put out several issues of The Whole Earth Catalog, and then when it had run its course, they put out a final issue. It was the mid-1970s, and I was your age. On the back cover of their final issue was a photograph of an early morning country road, the kind you might find yourself hitchhiking on if you were so adventurous. Beneath it were the words: "Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish." It was their farewell message as they signed off. Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. </span><br /><br />Thank you all very much.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-2460094039115796312007-11-24T22:56:00.000-05:002008-01-13T11:27:44.957-05:00Who in the world is entrepreneurial?Good article from CNN. Basically there are many barriers for entrepreneurs in the world market from taxes, bureaucracy, perception on failing (which is part of success), to peer or family stigmas attached to starting and operating a business. Many entrepreneurs are coming from China especially with focus on materialism.<br /><br />Read:<br /><br /><a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2007/06/01/100049637/index.htm?postversion=2007060109" target="_blank">http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2007/06/01/100049637/index.htm?postversion=2007060109</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-90355108663158782732007-09-26T13:18:00.000-04:002007-09-26T13:27:39.773-04:00ACCEPTED - Project REAP 2007 !!!!YAHOO! I am accepted into Project REAP 2007!<br /><br />What is REAP?<br />It's a 6 month career / business development course for minorities to be exposed and trained to create value in the commerical real estate field especially with regards to international shopping centers. Afterwards for those qualified, the candidates are offered various internship positions in the top real estate companies such as <a href="http://www.walmart.com/" target=_blank>Wal-Mart</a>, <a href="http://www.mcdonalds.com/corp.html" target=_blank>McDonalds</a>, <a href="http://www.cushwake.com/cwglobal/jsp/globalHomeSSO.jsp" target=_blank>Cushman & Wakefield</a>, <a href="http://www.cbre.com/EN/" target=_blank>CB Richard Ellis</a>, <a href="http://www.citibank.com/privatebank/real_estate.htm" target=_blank>Citigroup Realty Services</a>, <a href="http://westfield.com/uscentres/" target=_blank>Westfield Corporation</a>, and the list goes on and on.<br /><br />It is an exciting opportunities and many of the candidates are diverse, dynamic and successful. It is going to be a great year!<br /><br />For more info:<br /><a href="http://www.projectreap.org" target=_blank><br />PROJECT REAP</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-50025026838446716582007-09-12T17:10:00.000-04:002008-01-13T11:28:41.822-05:006 Secrets of Successful Immigrants<h1>6 Secrets of Successful Immigrants</h1><br />by <cite></cite><a href="http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Common/Contributors.aspx#Lewis">Marilyn Lewis</a> (reposted from http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/6SecretsOfSuccessfulImmigrants.aspx)<br /><br /><p>Ever wonder how some immigrants who arrive in this country with nothing can work their way into the middle class in one generation? </p><p>Immigrant entrepreneurs are the fastest-growing segment of small-business owners today, says a <a onclick="return Msn.Navigation.OpenNew(this)" href="http://web.intuit.com/about_intuit/press_releases/2007/01-24.html">report</a> on the future of small business by Intuit and the Palo Alto, Calif., Institute for the Future. That's partly because immigrants have few options: U.S. jobs usually go to those fluent in the English language and American culture. </p><p>Yet immigrants also have gifts that prime them for success:</p><ul style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;" type="disc"><li style="padding-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt;">They see this country with fresh eyes, spotting chances others miss. Many find that though the U.S. playing field is not entirely level, it still is possible to start from scratch and wind up owning a home and sending children to college. </li><li style="padding-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt;">Many possess excellent free university educations from countries where they could not put their training to use because of high unemployment, corruption or class or ethnic barriers.</li><li style="padding-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt;">They rely on family and on huge amounts of hard work, are averse to debt and use informal networks of relatives and acquaintances over banks and lawyers to help them exploit opportunities.</li><li style="padding-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; padding-left: 0in; margin-bottom: 12pt;">Some credit poverty with training them in frugality and freeing them from aspirations for an expensive home, car and lifestyle. </li></ul><p>Every month in 2005, about 350 of every 100,000 immigrants started businesses -- compared with 280 native-born Americans, according to the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation <a onclick="return Msn.Navigation.OpenNew(this)" href="http://www.kauffman.org/items.cfm?itemID=704">Index of Entrepreneurial Activity</a>. Many fail, but others hang on or try again, eventually launching a better life.<br /></p>Here are six lessons gleaned from the lives of three immigrant entrepreneurs:<h2>Lesson 1: Reinvent yourself </h2>Kamal Dergham, 47, arrived in the U.S. in 1979 to study mechanical engineering and eventually trained to trouble-shoot commercial air-conditioning systems. Through seven years of study he worked long hours for low wages at a Lebanese fast-food restaurant. He held every job, from cook to dishwasher to cashier, learning the business inside and out.<p>In 1989, after many difficulties, his big break came, not in his field but when a relative abandoned a failing restaurant, turning over the keys to Dergham at no cost.</p><div class="imgframe left" style="width: 212px;"><img src="http://moneycentral.msn.com/content/data/images/Charts/PITA_DELITE_200x170.jpg" alt="Pita Delite (c) Lynn Hey" /><p>Kamal Dergham arrived in the U.S. in 1979 and trained as a mechanical engineer until he saw an opportunity in a relative's failed restaurant.</p></div>For six months, Dergham made no money, only friends. Standing outside the restaurant, he chatted with merchants, strangers and passing children, a few of whom eventually ventured inside to try "American food with a Lebanese humbleness." <p>Today his Pita Delite restaurant chain, based in Greensboro, N.C., has six locations, three of them franchises.</p><p>Dergham's refusal to be defined by training or tradition is typical of successful immigrant entrepreneurs, says Carolyn Ockels, a partner in Bay Area market research company Emergent Research. "Don't define yourself narrowly," advises Ockels, pointing to her manicurist, a lawyer in Vietnam who launched a successful chain of nail salons when thwarted by a lack of credentials and language skills.</p><h2>Lesson 2: Take a chance </h2>Immigrants are risk-takers by definition. Like Dergham, "people who immigrate generally are more achievement-oriented," says Abdul Rasheed, professor of strategic management and international business at the University of Texas at Arlington. "That's why they are here in the first place."<p>Without money for restaurant food supplies, Dergham, his wife, mother, father and younger brother cooked each day's menu from supplies on hand, using the day's meager receipts to buy for the next day. They shared a two-bedroom apartment, crowded by American standards but roomy to Dergham, in whose childhood home in Lebanon six children had slept "head to tail" in three beds. </p>He worked 13-hour days and six-day weeks: "Pita Delite was my boss. I did not feel like I owned the business. I feel like I'm working for it," he says. <p>Summoning strength for sacrifices typifies self-made millionaires, says Alan Lavine. He and Gail Liberman wrote "<a href="http://shopping.msn.com/prodlink.aspx?ptnrid=18&ptnrdata=24001&AltType=ISBN&AltValue=9780793133925">Rags to Riches: Motivating Stories of How Ordinary People Achieved Extraordinary Wealth!</a>" He tells of Lisa Renshaw, who founded her multimillion-dollar Penn Parking at age 21 by buying a parking garage and living in it for three years while growing the business. </p><p>"In developing economies, you try things because you don't have a choice," says Ockels. "The failure rate might be higher in those economies, but there is more small-business generation."</p><br /><h2>Lesson 3: Work, work, work </h2>Sheela Murthy heads a 60-person law firm near Baltimore and grosses millions of dollars a year, enabling her to indulge her greatest pleasure, charitable giving. She arrived from India in 1985, dead broke and 24. She had, however, a secret weapon: her willingness to work long hours.<p> "I can work 18 hours a day and really turn it out," she says. "I am very ambitious." </p><p>In the U.S., hard work produces "immediate results," unlike back home in her day where, she says, no one -- least of all a woman -- could get established without connections. (Intuit's study finds immigrant women start businesses at a rate almost twice that of native-born American women.) </p><p>Murthy came from a middle-class family, but there was no money for indulgences. She worked full time while attending a free government university and law school. Stellar performance in an international competition propelled her into a Harvard Law School graduate program. She worked full time as a campus security guard while studying and saving.<br /></p><h2>Lesson 4: Fill a void </h2>Murthy's rise exemplifies the tendency of immigrants to spot and fill unmet needs, particularly in their own communities. Murthy's Harvard degree immediately gained her a $70,000 job as a corporate lawyer, but she hated the atmosphere. She needed to know she was helping people. Searching for a specialty, she recalled the poor job her own immigration lawyer had done. Other newcomers, she realized, needed trustworthy help with complex American immigration laws. <p>Nine years after arriving, she went solo. The pool of clients in Baltimore was limited, but her volunteer column on immigration law for a nonprofit newsletter generated a huge response, telling her that the Internet might reach new clients everywhere.<br /></p><p>Today Murthy, 45, serves corporations, nonprofits, small businesses and individuals all over the world and continues volunteering advice through her popular <a onclick="return Msn.Navigation.OpenNew(this)" href="http://www.murthy.com/">Web site</a>, <a onclick="return Msn.Navigation.OpenNew(this)" href="http://www.murthy.com/bulletin.html">newsletter</a> and <a onclick="return Msn.Navigation.OpenNew(this)" href="http://www.murthy.com/chat.html">online chats</a>. She says her foundation gave $600,000 last year and $800,000 this year to charity.</p><h2>Lesson 5: Network with others like yourself </h2>Anatoly was 21 in 1995 when he left Russia for business school in America. It was a big leap: He had no money, and his student visa's terms forbade him from taking a job. But, in the post-perestroika turmoil, Russians were desperate for Western cars and tools. Before he left he distributed his e-mail address and cell-phone number far and wide, telling people, "Make sure you guys call me first if you need anything, if you need nice SUVs -- <em>anything</em>." <p>He financed two MBAs -- in international business and information technology -- by filling orders from friends, acquaintances and strangers, marking up cars $1,500 or $2,000. (Lest his exports get him into immigration trouble, he agreed to be interviewed using only his first name.) Like Murthy and Dergham, he spotted a void and filled it. </p><p>Immigrants without access to local language, capital or cultural acumen turn to networks of their countrymen for training, financing, advice and customers. Surprising trust develops. Anatoly once received a phone call from a Russian businessman living in Turkey whose friend in Russia had purchased a car from Anatoly. The stranger ordered a white Chrysler Town & Country minivan and immediately wired $32,000 in cash to Anatoly's bank account.</p><h2>Lesson 6: Despise debt, scrimp and save </h2>People who have witnessed economic catastrophe firsthand tend to squirrel away money. "When the rainy day comes, which happens more often overseas than here, you have only yourself to rely on," says Anatoly. Like Dergham and Murthy, he is a fanatical saver. <p>Now 32, Anatoly has finished school, gotten a green card and married a Russian engineer. Recently, they became parents. He works at a nonprofit, designing complex accounting and administration systems. He makes $51,000 a year, yet he estimates he saves at least 40% before taxes. His wife can't yet work -- she's waiting impatiently for a green card. Still, they bought a house last year, just five years after he began his job, using a down payment earned partly from reselling garage-sale finds on eBay.<br /></p>"I am fortunate to have a wife who is very disciplined," he says. "She . . . is even more than me into being debt-free." Their new goal: a duplex rental property.<p>Dergham says he has capable American friends whose success is undermined by spending habits: "They make half of what I make but live 10 times better than I do." </p><p>Starting from scratch is tough anywhere, yet it can be done. "You must be your own boss to make money," Dergham says, "and this country gives a great opportunity. There is no country in the world like that."</p><p><strong><em>Published Sept. 11, 2007</em></strong></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-74976706413006408692007-07-31T06:12:00.000-04:002008-01-13T11:29:14.891-05:00I PAID $24,000 to be a REAL ESTATE INVESTOR !No not me. A bunch of people I have met from my REIA new orientation (yes I finally joined a REIA after years of struggling in this business). Several of them mentioned that they joined the Rich Dad Robert Kiyosaki Real Estate School and they are learning alot from it.<br /><br />Currently Rich Dad is undergoing an marketing blitz on sharing to others how to become financially free by offering FREE TRAINING in various cities across the country. I am sure this is a good marketing for upselling to their various higher priced courses. While I am not against selling or marketing as I am an entrepreneur myself, I prefer to give abundant value to those who are my clients. In the case of these real estate institutes, schools, and bootcamps it seems like I am paying $10 for a can of soda that I can get for $.50. While I am sure that people are getting something of these educational organizations I question the pricing of these compared to the various alternatives.<br /><br />Recently one of my family members friend called me to tell me that he is in the business of real estate. I was surprised and wanted to know more. He explained that he was retired and now entering into 2 new business ventures - real estate and travel. I wanted to know what made him jump into them. He told me after retiring from civil service he was bored and attended a Robert Allen FREE TRAINING on becoming a millionaire. IMMEDIATELY a red flag in my head rose and I asked.... "how much"? He blurted out "$15,000" and he is looking to do deals in order to pay for that education back quickly. I was shocked but not surprised by his comment as I have heard this story many times. In fact I was like that. I watched all these late informericals about how to become rich in my sleep buying property NO MONEY DOWN and attending some of these FREE WORKSHOPS and SEMINARS. Going there and finding people selling their wares. Not all are bad as I have met Vena Jones Cox (<a href="http://www.regoddess.com/" target="_blank">www.regoddess.com</a>) who was once the President of the Cincinnati Ohio REIA through a Wright Thurston bootcamp.<br /><br />I do see some value in some of these bootcamps who also offer mentorship. It is surprising to me how people are willing to pay so much and they can easily get education from more accredited educational sources from REIAs or even universities such as <a href="http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/" target="_blank">Baruch College CUNY</a> or <a href="http://www.nyu.edu/" target="_blank">NYU</a> for much lower costs.<br /><br />For example, I just joined a REIA in my local area for a whopping price of ...............<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">$125 / year!</span><br />Yes I know that there will be materials sold however for the information and networking offered in a major metropolitan area that is incredible value. You can find partners to do deals with or even a course that is 1/4 of what the gurus are pricing for their wares. This month I have some masterminds appearing in order to see what deals are out there.<br /><br />Another example, I looked into my alma mater to see what classes they are offering in the real estate industry. Here it goes:<br /><br />----<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Real Estate Finance</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Law of Real Estate Transactions and Land Use Regulations </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Real Estate Valuation and Market Analysis </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Real Estate Capital Markets </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Advanced Real Estate Investment Analysis </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Economics of Urban Areas </span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Urban Economic Development</span><br />* Each course is 3 credits and each credit is $400 for this MBA degree.<br />-----<br /><br />So each course for over 3 hrs a week for a school semester which is about 15 weeks is less than $80 / credit. Now if you join full time it is $4400 for at least 12 credits a semester.<br /><br />Now you will say, "hey but these don't teach you to flip deals, lease option a house, or even short sale a note!". WAIT! This give you SOLID information and tools on real estate valuation and also understanding how real estate works. In addition, there are more reasonably priced entrepreneurial courses on real estate that don't cost as much. For example:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Ohio Professional Housing Provider's Program</span><br /><a href="http://www.cincinnatireia.com/ClubPortal/ClubStatic.cfm?clubID=882&pubmenuoptID=9971" target="_blank">http://www.cincinnatireia.com/ClubPortal/ClubStatic.cfm?clubID=882&pubmenuoptID=9971</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Course of study</span><br />The course of study will be divided into 42 clock hours of core courses and 18 hours of elective topics for a total of 60 hours of formal education. The core topics are as follows:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Appraisal - 2 hours</span><br />Including formal appraisal methods (cost, income, and replacement methods), PACE instruction, how to compare properties, etc.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Rehab - 4 hours</span><br />Classroom - 2 hours (including estimation, which projects will pay for themselves, etc.). Hands-on - 2 hours (including actual hands-on opportunities and demonstrations)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fair housing law - 3 hours</span><br />Federal, state, and local fair housing regulations<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Negotiation - 3 hours</span><br />Negotiating with sellers, buyers, renters, contractors and vendors, banks, etc.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Finance - 6 hours</span><br />Conventional financing, FHA/VA financing, owner financing of all types, comparing financing, offering financing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tenant-Landlord law - 2 hours</span><br />Landlord's and tenants responsibilities, evictions, etc.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Contract Law - 3 hours</span><br />Basic contract law, using contracts and clauses to protect yourself, developing contracts such as leases, options, purchase contracts etc., that are for the real estate investment business.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Local regulations - 2 hours</span><br />Zoning and building codes<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Federal regulations - 1 hour</span><br />Regulations affecting real estate investment OTHER THAN tax laws, fair housing laws, and EPA regulations.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EPA regulations - 1 hour</span><br />Regulations affecting real estate investment such as: lead paint regulations, wetlands regulations, underground storage tank regulations, environmental quality zone regulations, etc.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Management - 4 hours</span><br />Record keeping; dealing with tenants; maximizing cash flow; and others<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Purchasing - 2 hours</span><br />Finding deals and calculating profitability<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Inspections - 2 hours</span><br />Pre and post purchase inspections, and pre and post move-out inspections of properties held<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tax law (income) - 1 hour</span><br />Calculating and minimizing taxes, and tax laws as they affect the real estate investor<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Tax law (other) - 1 hour</span><br />Property taxes, 1031 tax deferred trades, etc.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Insurance-property - 1 hour</span><br />Including what type of property insurance is appropriate for investment property; negotiating for the best rates and renter's insurance<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Insurance-worker's compensation - 1 hour</span><br />When, why, and for whom to carry worker's compensation insurance<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Insurance-liability - 1 hour</span><br />Including why and how much<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Marketing - 2 hours</span><br />How to market properties for sale and for rent; how to market buying services<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ethics - 2 hours</span><br />Including enacting and actual use of, national, state, local and personal buisiness ethics statements, policies and practices.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Electives - 18 hours</span><br />The remaining 18 hours may include education in any or all of the above topics, as selected by the OPHP candidate.<br /><br />This is a program that is released in Ohio as a response to the various investors who have taken advantage of homeowners in distress. This course is designed not only to instruct people on the HOW TO STEPS of becoming an real estate entrepreneur but it also gives you legal, taxes, and other supporting information on how to comply with the law. Yes it is in Ohio however consider how many people are flying to LV, Cali, or even NYC to take a real estate guru's course that costs 5x as much and more?<br /><br /><br />Lastly we have knowledge that you learn through books, CDs, and life experience. There are many books out there so I use AMAZON (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/" target="_blank">www.amazon.com</a>) to shift through them. Home study courses I search through websites like <a href="http://realestatecoursereviews.com/" target="_blank">http://realestatecoursereviews.com</a> which does a peer to peer review on various courses that I can purchase from the vendor / guru or on ebay (<a href="http://www.ebay.com/" target="_blank">www.ebay.com</a>). The life experience comes from possibly becoming a realtor, appraiser, loan officer, contractor, etc... as it affords real life practice and experience into a transaction to know how real estate transactions are performed in real life.<br /><br />If you found this of value, please post your comment and experience. Thanks!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-40690128658356522552007-07-03T17:32:00.000-04:002008-01-13T11:29:53.880-05:00Learning to Rehab ... THE RIGHT WAY !This past weekend went to the REHABBING RIGHT bootcamp offered in Cincinnati Ohio by Vena Jones Cox (<a href="http://www.regoddess.com/" target="_blank">www.regoddess.com</a>) and Jerry Fink (<a href="http://cj-phoenix.com/" targe="_blank">http://cj-phoenix.com/</a>) who at this time of writing is the President of the Cincinnati REIA. It was a 2 day bootcamp however it was tough to cover in depth and do justice the whole field of rehab.<br /><br />Day 1 - drove around to look at 3 properties and also the Home Depot to see how to look for various items<br /><br />Day 2 - went through various topics including - how to find a deal, what is a deal and the various MAO (maximum allowable offers) on each exit strategy, how to make an offer and fund the deal, making up a statement of work, finding a contractor, managing a contractor, paperwork required to make sure you limit liability, preparing the property for sale or rental, finding renters or buyers, etc..., making it a business, diagnosing the health of the business, how to use his purchasing software to buy items from Home Depot and other vendors<br /><br />Overall Jerry did a good job and getting the material going through and offering best tips. I have various projects going on that I want to use this system. For the price given it is a nice package.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-79062572750167688952007-04-24T14:51:00.000-04:002008-01-13T11:29:32.904-05:00Congrats to Runner Up JAMES SUN on his place in Apprentice 6James Sun is the runner up to Stefani Schaeffer from season 6 the Apprentice. It was amazing throughout the whole finale that James was the heads on favorite due to his strong performance as Project Manager of Arrow Corporation throughout the 14 week reality tv interview process. The winner gets to be an apprentice of real estate mogul Donald Trump with a paid salary of $250K. Throughout the whole interview process, James was top notch in his sales ability, leadership, energy, and focus. You can view the whole interview process at:<br /><br /><a href="http://apprentice.tv.yahoo.com/trump/06/" target="_blank">http://apprentice.tv.yahoo.com/trump/06/</a><br /><br />What was baffling was the finale in which Stefani Schaeffer, a 32 yr old defense attorney, won the Apprentice even though she never was the project manager. Trump fires James with the <span lang="EN-US">enigmatic</span> words:<br /><br />"I didn't like some of the dialogue……you know what I mean."<br /><br />It was baffling to me as a viewer as it seemed that James was fit in the mold of previous apprentice winners - entrepreneurial, high energy, intelligent, aggressive, risk taker, etc.. among other things.<br /><br />With that Stephani Schaeffer became the winner for this season's Apprentice. She is deserving however throughout the whole interview process she didn't risk or even put herself on the hot seat like the others in the Project Manager position. However she did contribute greatly to the success of her teams.<br /><br />To James - BRAVO for representing the asian american community and much continued success at your business and personal endeavors!<br /><br />Additional Links:<br /><br />James Sun Blog on Zoodango:<br /><a href="http://zoodango.com/f2f/article/z3c4c5a84s92dh/my_apprentice_finale_thoughts" target="_blank">http://zoodango.com/f2f/article/z3c4c5a84s92dh/my_apprentice_finale_thoughts</a><br /><br />Stephani Schaeffer's interview on RealityTVWorld.com:<br /><a href="http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/stefanie-schaeffer-shocked-win-the-apprentice-los-angeles-5059.php" target="_blank">http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/stefanie-schaeffer-shocked-win-the-apprentice-los-angeles-5059.php</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-87016224967953843882007-04-18T22:10:00.000-04:002008-01-13T11:30:58.246-05:00There are 3 Types of People in the World - Which one are YOU?This is sent to me by a friend who is readying, firing, and aiming :) This was made for someone who is into bodybuilding.<br /><br />---------------------------------------------------------------------<br /><br /> <div><span style="font-weight: bold;">1) The ones who say they're going to accomplish </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">something yet they never even attempt it. </span><br /><br />They talk the talk and never walk the walk. They spend their lives making excuses for their problems and never actually getting off of their asses to do something about it.<br /><br />They will waste their years wishing but never having. They will resent and criticize those who succeed because they know that they will never succeed themselves.<br /><br />They lack willpower and discipline. They are doomed to a life of mediocrity but will never accept responsibility for this.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2) The ones who say they're going to accomplish something, attempt it, and quit soon thereafter.</span><br /><br />They talk the talk, begin to walk the walk, but fall down in exhaustion, never reaching their goals or enjoying the fruits of their labour on any kind of long term basis.<br /><br />They lack patience. They lack perseverance. They too will never stand among the elite and will struggle time and time again but continually fall short.<br /><br />They deserve some credit for their attempts at success, but simply do not possess the tools needed to follow through.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3) The ones who say they're going to accomplish something, form a blueprint for how they will get there, and then, quite simply, they get there.</span><br /><br />They make firm decisions that contain no hints of "maybe" or "try". They understand that there are 2 possible outcomes in any decision: success or failure. They crave success, and they will do anything they have to do to achieve it.<br /><br />When they make a decision to accomplish something, they already know that they will succeed. They don't question their ability to achieve a goal, they only question the time that it will take to get there.<br /><br />They understand that within their minds lies all of the tools necessary to accomplish anything in the external world. They have faith in their talents and beliefs and truly feel that they can accomplish anything they want.<br /><br />They make no excuses. They understand that they are in complete and total control of their destiny, and that every man and woman is responsible for their own lives.<br /><br />They are ready and willing to battle through setbacks, physical and mental pain, discomfort and exhaustion. They know that anything worth having does not come easy, and that no man or woman ever achieved anything great without a struggle.<br /><br />They are willing to struggle to be great.<br /><br />They never fail in the long run. They only experience momentary setbacks and bumps in the road. When a setback or bump in the road presents itself, they form a plan for how they will get past it.<br /><br />They don't stop, stare and question whether to quit or keep going. Quitting is not an option in their minds, and they thrive on the battle and understand that setbacks and mistakes serve no other purpose than to make their inevitable victory that much sweeter.<br /><br />They see the big picture.<br /><br />And when the smoke clears and dust settles, they stand among the elite. They soak up the satisfaction of their victories and look back on their accomplishments with a feeling of pride and fulfillment. They gain the respect and envy of others and know that they deserve it.<br /><br />Which category do you fall under?<br /><br />True success is only reserved for category 3.<br /><br />It is an ongoing battle that does not lend itself to those who seek instant gratification. It will not be had by those who are unwilling to dedicate themselves to a goal and work hard to achieve it.<br /><br />If you have any doubts about your ability to succeed, eliminate them.<br /><br />Dissolve your questioning, your fears and your wondering.<br /><br />Make firm decisions for what you want to achieve, create a map for how to get there, and then... quite simply, get there.<br /><br />Only when your decisions contain questions of "when can I reach this goal" rather than "will I reach this goal" will you ever truly succeed both in bodybuilding and in life.<br /><br />I can't make the decision for you, I can only teach you how to get there. Your choice comes from within, and not a single person in this world can make those choices but you.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:Verdana;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;">Written by Sean Nalewanyj</span> </span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-9979302877015698472007-03-09T23:39:00.000-05:002008-01-13T11:31:17.689-05:00Facing Foreclosure: Casey Serin's Story on Making Mistakes in the REI GameHere is a story I caught on <a href="http://wikipedia.org/">wikipedia.org</a>:<br /><a href="http://iamfacingforeclosure.com/" target="_blank"><br />http://iamfacingforeclosure.com</a><br /><br />Casey Serin: I'm a 24 yr old "would-be real estate mogul" from Sacramento CA. After going to a few seminars I bought 8 houses in 8 months in 4 states with no money down looking to fix 'n flip. I made some mistakes and am now millions in debt, trying to avoid foreclosure, sell quickly, repay everyone, and share my lessons to help others in trouble.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-88189189508150093172007-02-12T23:59:00.000-05:002008-01-13T11:31:40.729-05:00World's Greatest Real Estate Investor - Tom Barrack !Why the World's Best Real Estate Investor is Cashing Out?<br /><br />Good article<br /><a href="http://http//money.cnn.com/2005/10/21/news/newsmakers/barrack/index.htm" target="_blank">http://money.cnn.com/2005/10/21/news/newsmakers/barrack/index.htm </a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-19998332695421275292007-02-08T03:10:00.000-05:002008-01-13T11:32:45.814-05:00Happy New Year 2007! - Starting a new leafYes it is now February and many things have been happening from the New Year to now. For the most part I have made quite a few new initiatives like most people which include:<br /><br />* new body - losing 20 lbs this year<br />* new mind - working on being a better entrepreneur<br />* new spirit - having a happier attitude and focusing more on the good in life<br /><br />among other things...<br /><br />One of the main things that seems evident however something I am learning is letting go of old habits in order to make way for the new. It seems so easy to fall back on old comfortable habits and forging way into new ones does takes time and energy and focus.<br /><br />I have a list of over 40 goals that I want to achieve and realize before I pass away. Alot of these are not outrageous however instead in order to create them it does take risk, smarts, and work. Ah the dreaded "W-O-R-K" word! It is something that I am also learning that it is not bad however it is the vehicle to success in life. Doesn't it seem natural to want to do nothing and get something in life? I know for myself I am spoiled by my family who seem to do things the "hard" way and share in the spoils of it while I work at things and don't like to "work hard". I realize that while work seems mundane it is only a perception. These days I am looking to change my ideas of work in order to achieve some of the things that I am envisioning for myself such as the new BODY, new MIND, and new SPIRIT.<br /><br />So this is what I am doing this year:<br />* reading and repeating my personal affirmations to ready my spirit<br />* centering myself with support aides such as visual collages<br />* work a plan to go from 10 minutes daily to studying more on any topics I have<br />* make minor changes and repeating them for at least 30 days to create new positive habits<br /><br />By the end of the year, I have more successes to share in my life!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9915651.post-68449912905265360932006-12-31T00:03:00.000-05:002008-01-13T11:33:29.126-05:00Success Key # 1: Persistence<pre>In your business, there are going to be times that you simply don't feel like getting up and doing<br />real estate... PERIOD.<br /><br />Then, there are going to be other times that you have a heart to heart conversation with the person<br />staring back at you in the mirror. It might go something like this:<br /><br />"What are you doing? Did you REALLY think you could do this? Maybe you should cut your losses<br />and try something else..."<br /><br />This conversation could go on for minutes, hours or even days at a time. And trust me, these<br />conversations WILL HAPPEN from time to time if you're in the business long enough (in any<br />business for that matter).<br /><br />I remember back about 4 years ago... I was sitting on my couch perched under my front window. I had<br />just discovered that I'd had 5 break ins in 3 days on 2 out my 3 properties. Yep... that's right.<br /><br />I felt like laughing and crying all at the same time. I looked out the window, up and down the<br />street and thought to myself, "What the heck have you gotten yourself into?" I just wanted a way out.<br />I wanted to quit and go get a job waiting tables.<br /><br />But, what made the difference? How did I get past that point and ultimately skyrocket from it?<br /><br />It was 3 fold: Decision, Persistence, and Planning.<br /><br />I'll talk to you a little more about decision and planning in the next couple days (it'll all make<br />sense in a couple of days, trust me :-))<br /><br />But for now... let's talk about how we can persist when things get tough. Here are 5 Tips to get you<br />started:<br /><br />TIP #1<br />First, you need to close all doors behind you. There is no longer any back door; any "way out".<br />Commit to this business and commit to giving it everything that you have. You see, if you give it<br />every effort - every REAL effort.<br /><br />So many times, we stick our big toe in the water and decide it's not for us or it doesn't work.<br />Jump in as if you're out in the middle of the ocean and you need to get yourself back to the<br />shore... no life rope... no floatation device...<br /><br />Your only option is to learn to swim - and do it fast. Now, I'm not suggestion quit your job if you<br />are using it to pay your bills, but I a suggesting that you STOP looking for the new magic pill.<br /><br />That is committment and it's going all in. It is no longer a matter of "if I can do real estate".<br />It becomes a matter of "when" and "how". (The good news is this... with a short time of hard work,<br />you'll be free to go and explore new opportunities with the confidence that you CAN do it)<br /><br />A good friend of mine, Armand Morin, says that "success leaves traces". I believe failure does too!<br />So why not become successful rather than fail!<br /><br />TIP#2<br />Next, you need to plaster your "WHY" all over the place. I know you've heard it 1000 times before,<br />but have you done it? Can you see, touch, taste, hear and smell the reasons that you are doing<br />this? If not, when the going gets tough, you'll quit going!<br /><br />Start living the life you want to have on a small scale. If your dream is more time with your kids,<br />build in an extra hour each week NOW and start experiencing it. It will keep you going. If your<br />why is to travel, start taking one day trips once a month. They don't have to cost a lot, but<br />they let you experience what it's like to start living the way you want to.<br /><br />TIP #3<br />Stop what you are doing and WRITE OUT YOUR GOALS. Do this before January 1st. Do it now! You need<br />to know where you're going if you're going to get there. Now, don't sit here at your computer and<br />jot them down in notepad.<br /><br />Get a real notebook out. Grab your favorite pen and go to a quiet area and WRITE. Something happens<br />when you take the time to write out your goals. Then, make a dozen copies of your goals and keep<br />them with you. Maybe even make your goals your screensaver on your computer. Never let them leave<br />your side and read them every day.<br /><br />TIP #4<br />Set your "real estate" hours. It doesn't matter what you have on your plate (job, family, other<br />businesses,etc.). You need to block time out for your real estate business. It may be 10-12 every<br />day or it may be 6pm-8pm every night. But it is important you do it consistently.<br /><br />Use this time to write your marketing letters, to call potential sellers, to follow up on deals, to<br />do what it takes to get the leads coming in. This eliminates excuses. You have it set on your<br />schedule. You don't think about it. Nothing gets in the way to allow you to make your excuses. And<br />let's face it, 99% of the reason you're not where you want to be is an excuse. Sure, it may be<br />disguised as a valid reason, but rest assured there are only a few things that are REAL reasons you're<br />not as successful as you could be.<br /><br />Think about it...<br /><br />Money?<br />You haven't taken the time to learn how to do the business WITHOUT your own money. I didn't have two<br />nickels to rub together when I got started<br /><br />Time?<br />Make it. If you can tell me that you don't have 2 hours/day (12 hours/week that you can dig up), you<br />don't want to. If you're letting your kids be your excuse for not having time, you're looking at it<br />the wrong way! Teach your kids the entreprenuerial mindset. Involve them and build it together.<br /><br />See... it's all how you look at it and if you really want it bad enough.<br /><br />The list can go on and on, but 99% of the time, there is a solution. For that 1% of the time that<br />there is not, I understand. And you need to take the time to deal with those life challenges. And<br />in my opinion, even those life challenges can be excuses sometimes.<br /><br />TIP#5<br />Build your support team. I am NOT suggesting to call all your friends and family here. These may NOT be<br />the right people. In fact, when I was starting, I had a partner and we had our best friend over the<br />house. She literally looked us square in the eye and asked, "Do you REALLY think anyone's going to take<br />YOU TWO seriously?"<br /><br />The sad thing is that she thought she was HELPING us and keeping us from getting crushed.<br /><br />So, sometimes, you need to step outside of your sphere and find new people that share the same ideas,<br />values and enthusiasm that you have.<br /><br />I look back to my everyday circle of influence when I started and compare it to my circle of influence<br />now and it's not made up of one single person that was there back then. This is possibly the hardest<br />part of the business! Letting go of the old to make room for the new.<br /><br />The good news is that the people I made room for are like an extended family that spans all over the<br />United States and beyond. I couldn't hand pick better people. These are people that I met by<br />going to seminars, workshops, and events and networking with people all over. From these groups,<br />we've build mastermind teams that get together once a week.<br /><br />This keeps you going... it keeps you upbeat and motivated to press on. It keeps you focused. Here's<br />what you do:<br /><br />- What have you done in the last 7 days for your business?<br />- What is holding you back or what do you need help on to take the next steps?<br />- What are you going to do between now and the next time you get together?<br /><br />This works the very best if you have a coach facilitating the process with your mastermind team,<br />but can be done with just a group of people as well.<br /><br />It holds you accountable to someone other than yourself and forces you to stick with it.<br /><br />So, take today and focus yourself. Write down your goals, make a committment to your business in the<br />new year, and start looking for a coach and a mastermind team to get you to the next level.<br /><br />I've had many mentors in my businesses and have paid 10s of 1000s of dollars (no exaggeration) to<br />build relationships. In fact, several years ago, I spent $16,000 without even knowing what all was<br />involved, but I knew I wanted the relationship and the team that was being developed. I committed to<br />that aspect of my business and have seen my return 10 fold and it's still growing.<br /><br />In fact, some of the people I met as a result of that investment are now partners of mine in<br />6-figure companies with huge potential.<br /><br />Tomorrow, I want to discuss "planning" with you.We're at the end of a year, just days away from the<br />new year and if you've not gotten your plan set up, what are you waiting for?<br /><br />So again, take today and get the big rocks planned so that tomorrow we can start planning!<br /><br />Yours in Success,<br />Heather Seitz<br />www.InterviewsWithTheExperts.com<br />www.FixingAndFlipping.com<br />www.MotivatedSellerMarketing.com<br />www.RehabProfitSystem.com<br />www.Yamon.net<br />www.NextLevelPromoters.com<br />www.BigSeminar.net<br /><br />Heather Seitz is a licensed Realtor® in the state of Florida. Heather<br />specializes in working with investors, golf communities and old Spanish<br />homes.<span style="font-family:Georgia,serif;"><br /><br />Reproduced with permission.<br /></span></pre>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1