Hey! Yeah I know it’s been a while since I have posted and it’s been rather infrequently at that. Tell you the truth I had to stop for a while, because it was time to stop simply dreaming and take action on my ideas to realize those dreams. I would like to say that I have done it! My new business is due to launch August 12, 2010! Yes a real business I am passionate about, good at, and in love with. Book mark it now www.SpiceCrafters.com, when I launch you all will be the 1st to know (discount codes included)! I would not have gotten to this point if had not thrown caution to the wind and took some risk. By all means launching a business is just the beginning, but it feels so good when you take something from concept to a tangible product you can experience.
So here are my Top 3 way to never succeed in Life

• Don’t do anything, just believe the dream and ponder

I believe in The Secret and The Law of Attraction, since watching that documentary over 3 years ago I have been slowly forcing myself to change the way I think and view the world. I can truly say with that knowledge I am happier then I have ever been and accomplishing more then I ever have previously, BUT and a big BUT! I had to start doing something, I got caught up in all the dreaming and neglected the most important part…, being in action! If you never start your dream it will always be a dream.

• Plan it all out, it has to be perfect before you start

Ok, so you know your dream, you know what you want and now you have to plan it all out to smallest detail. WRONG! You get enough in your head to get started,  figure the rest out as you go. That’s where the reinforcement of your positive attitude and resiliency will carry you to the next level. I read so many stories about great entrepreneurs who didn’t know what they were doing when they started, but through faith, perseverance and believing in themselves their ideas grew to be great success stories. I recently watched a Biography of the Gallo bothers (Gallo Wine), when they started in the business they went to a library to learn how to make wine, they are now the Largest Wine Company on the planet. The key is had already started on their dream before the ever stepped foot in that library. They already knew they would, the figured out the how as time passed.

• Try not to fail because you only get one shot

Yeah, if this were true no one would ever be successful. Yes, sometimes you only get one shot at a certain idea, but when you fail it teaches you many lessons while leading you to your true calling, should you choose to press on. If you’re still breathing you can always start over. I have tried many small business ventures and failed. I had to fail, if I hadn’t I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in today. It has taken me a couple failures to figure out what my true talent and calling is. For the longest time I didn’t know. You have to simply set your sites on what you want, go after it and let the chips fall where they may. After you have given your everything, you reflect, learn, and get started on the next goal. Never stop moving forward.

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17 Reasons Why Entrepreneurs Shouldn’t Listen to “Experts”

It was a painful thing to hear. The words coming from his mouth felt like daggers in my chest.

“That will never work!”

In a handful of stages of my life, there has been a snarky, know-it-all who has attempted to shoot me down.

One time he was my basketball coach’s son, who didn’t think I could be a starting player on the team. Another time it was a professor in college who sat behind her desk casually doubting my project idea – little did I know that the reverse psychology would work.

The biggest motivator of all time, however, has been anyone who has attempted to crush a business idea. You know the type. They are the negative bonehead who has never taken a risk in their life. They’re everywhere in life, at school or work. They may even be a close friend or family member.

Protect yourself

“Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain.. and most fools do.” – Dale Carnegie

There will always be naysayers. And some of them may have even been right in the past about an idea, thought or event. In most cases, the saying applies: ‘a broken clock is right twice a day.’ Even if they have been right about something in the past, it doesn’t mean that they’re opinion is always correct. Are you willing to risk your business on someone else’s opinion of it?

Most friends or family are just not informed enough on your idea, industry or entrepreneurship as a whole. Their attempts to ‘protect you’ might be heartfelt, but they are in no position to give advice. Should you really listen to your ‘friend’ who’s never run a business? Do you want advice about your startup from someone who has never set foot outside of their cubicle?

Share your ideas with a select few people who you trust deeply. Make sure you understand their motivations and that they have something of value to contribute to the conversation. Ask yourself if they have any experience or are successful in their own pursuits.

Whose side are they on?

It takes a tremendous amount of resolve to stick to your guns when others don’t see what you see. The risks of pursuing entrepreneurship are big and one has to have a lot of belief not only in the idea, but in their own ability to make it work. Some people simply don’t like to watch others pursue their own dreams. I don’t know why it occurs. Maybe it’s because it’ll make their life seem less interesting.

Like my college professor, many people in our lives can motivate us by doubting our ideas or abilities. Often, these people appear to be full of themselves and even sound like they know what they’re talking about. Don’t listen to them. Instead, use their gum-flapping to fuel your fire.

With that said, here’s a list of “expert” quotes from famous naysayers. What if their advice had been followed?

1. “Children just aren’t interested in Witches and Wizards anymore.”

–Anonymous publishing executive to J.K. Rowling, 1996.

2. “There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.”

–Ken Olson, Founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977.

NOTE: Olson’s business made big business mainframe computers.

3. “We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.”

–Decca Records executives rejecting the Beatles, 1962.

4. “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.”

–Western Union internal memo, 1876

5. “Everyone acquainted with the subject will recognize it as a conspicuous failure.”

–Henry Morton, President of the Stevens Institute of Technology, on Edison’s light bulb, 1880.

6. “You better get secretarial work or get married.”

–Emmeline Snively, Director – Blue Book Modelling Modelling Agency, to Marilyn Monroe in 1944.

7. “The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty, a fad.”

–The President of the Michigan Savings Bank advising Henry Ford’s lawyer not to invest in the Ford Motor Co., 1903.

8. “Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical and insignificant, if not utterly impossible.”

–Simon Newcomb; The Wright Brothers flew at Kittyhawk 18 months later

9. “I would say that this does not belong to the art which I am in the habit of considering music.”

–Alexandre Oulibicheff, reviewing Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony.

Note: He sounds just like Simon from American Idol!

10. “Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You’re crazy.”

–Associates of Edwin L. Drake mocking his idea to drill for oil, 1859.

11. “How, sir, would you make a ship sail against the wind and currents by lighting a bonfire under her deck? I pray you, excuse me, I have not the time to listen to such nonsense.”

–Napoleon Bonaparte, when told of Robert Fulton’s steamboat plans, 1800s.

12. “I’m sorry, Mr. Kipling, but you just don’t know how to use the English language.”

–The San Francisco Examiner, rejecting a submission by Rudyard Kipling in 1889.

13. “Very interesting Whittle, my boy, but it will never work.”

–Cambridge Aeronautics Professor, when shown Frank Whittle’s plan for the jet engine.

14. “The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of messenger boys.”

–Sir William Preece, Chief Engineer, British Post Office, 1878.

15. “A cookie store is a bad idea. Besides, the market research reports say America likes crispy cookies, not soft and chewy cookies like you make.”

–Response to Debbi Fields’ idea of starting Mrs. Fields’ Cookies.

16. “Television won’t last. It’s a flash in the pan.”

–Mary Somerville, pioneer of radio educational broadcasts, 1948.

…and my personal favorite, for it’s elaborate description.

17. “To place a man in a multi-stage rocket and project him into the controlling gravitational field of the moon where the passengers can make scientific observations, perhaps land alive, and then return to earth – all that constitutes a wild dream worthy of Jules Verne. I am bold enough to say that such a man-made voyage will never occur regardless of all future advances.”

–Lee DeForest, Inventor of the vacuum tube, 1926.

Tim Andren is the founder of Guideas, Inc. an innovation and marketing company in Irvine, California. He is also the author of a popular blog. View his full profile here.

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The FaceBook Note I wrote:

I have noticed a new burst of Network Marketers in my circle of friends and new contacts. I know it has a lot to do with the economy, job loss and people wanting to be their own boss. Yes, I know when you are in Network Marketing as soon as you say these phrases to me:

• I found this great new opportunity I want to share with you (not giving any details…)
• I’m building a new team in your area, and this is a ground floor opportunity…
• Would you like to make an extra $1,500 a month working from home…
• What if I told you you could make [insert $ amount] by [insert clever activity from home]
• What if you could make a ton of money just by purchasing the products you already use..
• etc. etc. etc.

Now that I have sort of clarified who’s in network marketing and some of the things I hear when someone is about to approach me, lets talk about why I’m no longer interested. The thing is I have no problems with network marketing or the business model. It’s actually a smart model for “companies who run them”. They build a legion of people who use their products religiously not because they really like them, but in order to stay “active” long enough to land a bunch of people underneath them to make some money, hopefully a lot. The longer you stay “active” the more money “the company” makes. If you are a great salesman or pitch person and know you can get people to join at the drop of a hat GO FOR IT! But don’t ask me and here’s why…

I have done multiple Network Marketing businesses in my early thirst for independence & entrepreneurship. One of which I was growing fast after 2 years in the business when the company (who really owned the business) decided they wanted to embezzle money and go out of business. Where did that leave me and all the people I had recruited, and the people they recruited? No where, no business, no money. I will say it helped my public speaking skills tremendously, so that was a plus i take from it…

Here is my thing, when I do get my business started it has it to belong to me, where I determine my success or failure. Joining Network Marketing only makes me a slave to whatever the parent company is selling. I have learned that if you start a business where you don’t control your product, inventory, service, etc. you can be fired at any time by the company who does (just like a job). In Network Marketing all you can control is how much you buy and nothing else, not the people you recruit, the products/services or anything else. When then parent company decides they want to sell, change their product line, go mainstream and kill the networking model, your in the tank. You will have to start from scratch with another company…

For all these reasons I choose to start a business where I control everything. The product, how it’s made, where it’s sourced, how much it will cost, etc. That’s the business model for me. If you think you want to start a real business you actually “own” you need to start by figuring out what you love and are passionate about and find a way to turn that into money.

Ideas…

• Go to http://success.alibaba.com/ and look for suppliers to help you create a new product or buy things you love wholesale to market online, or sell in a brick and mortar store…
• Start a blog (website) talking about the thing your passionate about and get paid for advertising. http://wordpress.org/ or http://problogger.com/ are great resources for that.
• Think up a good idea and sell it to someone who has the means to bring it to life.
• Keep your day job and stay open minded till you get that great idea, then once you do make it happen

Point is, I WILL NOT GET INTO ANYMORE BUSINESSES WHERE I AM NOT IN CONTROL OF MY DESTINY. If you can make it happen in Network Marketing that is wonderful, go for it. But make you sure you save the money you make to invest in a business you actually “own” after you are done. Better yet, start a business who model is Network Marketing then you’ll have millions of people selling for you…

THAT IS ALL HAVE A BLESSED DAY AND DO WHAT EVER YOU THINK WILL TAKE YOU TO YOUR DREAMS!!!

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“I starting working on an idea and spent months researching, then failed. That failure led me to an even better idea that has more room for growth. The piece I failed on is now Phase II of my master plan. It wasn’t all for nothing…”

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All I can say is 2009 has been a rough one, packed with lesson’s learned and hard times. People learned how to cope, adjust and adapt to change. I personally learned that everything happens for a reason and that if the path was easy it wouldn’t feel as sweet once you’ve made it. In 2009 I lost things as did many, but gained an inner wisdom of what I’m capable of and the obstacles I can over come. This year has taught me how to deal with defeat, and change the strategy when needed. Dreams were tarnished but re-purposed with even more expectation and hope. I hated going through 2009, but am glad it happened. Enough about that.

Happy New Year!!!

Now that a new decade is here, so is a new focus, determination and all out pursuit for your dreams. Throw caution to the wind and go after what it is you dream about. Make your life what you have envisioned!

• Think about what you love and are passionate about
• Make a plan to turn that passion into your livelihood
• Start Executing your plan one piece at a time
• Don’t wait for the plan to be complete (it never will be). Plan enough to get started.
• Last, live the dream, and tell others exactly how you got there, so that you may be an inspiration to others facing the same challenges!

doozieUp your Life, you deserve it!

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I figured it would only be a matter of time before the web fully invaded the rest of our lives besides personal computers and smart phones. Google Services is going to be fully integrated in the new Audi A8 via BornRich. That includes Google Earth, Maps, and Local Search. I already feel like there is nothing I don’t know with the web at my side. Now it will be that much easier to get to that vital info even when on a road trip. I guess I should by an Audi 1st…lol

Next thing someone is gong to tell is that you can stream Netflix Movies to your center console whole driving. Yes, the traffic accident rate will increase.

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This has been an interesting year indeed to say the least. Now as it’s about over I’m not afraid to say get the hell outa here! All life’s challenges provide valuable lessons and this years leaves me feeling like I got a Masters in coping with a Minor perseverance. Well the year is almost out. I say we reflect, think about how blessed we are to make it this far and start looking towards our dreams in 2010.

C’mon baby! When Tiger Woods can’t make it out of a year unscathed you know it’s bad…lol

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I came back to work the following Monday explaining to a co-worker all the things I saw, and how it motivated me to stay focused on my dreams, because that’s how I want to be able to live my life. He quickly stopped my rant saying, “you don’t understand, you can’t live that way! The people that visit Miami with that lifestyle are those 1 in a million success stories from around the world. You can’t just think you can live that life”. I stopped him quickly with my rebuttal.

“You may put limitations on your life and what’s possible for you, but don’t try to share your limits with me.”

I believe you can’t know what you want out of life until you have seen it. Sometimes seeing something and visualizing it leads you to make drastic changes in your life to attain that thing you have set your mind on. If you sit in a Ferrari and set your mind that you will own one one day, even if you never make it, believing and chasing that carrot can pull you to a Mercedes-Benz SL 500. It may not be a Ferrari, but you will have made it much further by shooting at a high goal. Don’t let others determine what you can or can’t have in your life. People don’t realize how often they change lives by killing the dreams of others with their own insecurities about what’s possible. When someone expresses a dream to me, no matter how wild I think it is, I tell them to go for it. You can do anything you believe in and take action to really go after it.  I plan to be one of those 1 in a million travelers who one day cruises the streets of Miami in high style enjoying life without limits….

“A man’s worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions”- Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor

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