Photo by: Emmanuel Rosario

Play Me:

As always, I’m here to write because I’ve been thinking a lot lately. This time around it’s not because I’m stressed out or feeling negative. It’s because I’m inspired, motivated, and ready for a change. A change for the better. I used to see the negative out of a lot of things rather than the positive and those thoughts were poison seeping into my mind. Those no longer exist. For example, my brother and I purchased a tape converter for the car, since we don’t have a CD player, so we could play music off our iPhones/iPods. We’ve had it for well over a year now and something started to go wrong with the chord and we can’t hear music come out of our speakers that well. Rather than saying “oh, what a piece of crap this thing sucks” why not look at it and say “wow, this thing was really worth the $20 we paid for it! It’s allowed us to play countless hours of our music that we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to!” Back to the point.

In this day and age it’s very easy to get down on yourself and feel…hopeless. To feel like the world is against you and that nobody cares when in fact, they really do. It’s hard to really see beyond a person, their intentions, and who they really are. Fortunately, I’d like to give myself the credit for knowing I can easily tell a person’s character after shortly meeting with them and and get a feel for who they really are from the motives behind their drive.

What I’m getting at is that my brother and I have seen much success (not as much as we’d like, but we’re taking baby steps) with our website Drop Beats Not Bombs. Both of us have also seen a lot of success in our careers and from the perspective of growing as an individuals this past year. We’ve been through a lot, trust me. What I’ve realized through the development of my career, ambitions, and experiences is there are genuinely good-hearted individuals out in the world. People who want to help you reach your goals, keep you motivated, and truly see your vision. Though sometimes it may be hard to believe this and look beyond all the bullshit that may have previously occurred, you need find the needle(s) in the haystack. And when you do, it’s well worth it. The friendships and relationships you develop by networking are priceless.

So, when in doubt please know there’s always hope. There’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Keep pushing harder and harder to accomplish what you set out to accomplish and become who you desire to become.

Related posts:

1. A False Sense of Hope
2. Unfaltering Faith and Other Things…
3. Don’t Be An Average Joe, Be A Champion!

Photo by DeviantArt User ~Silvery-Lily

After four months with The Southern California Group I decided to thrown in the towel and call it quits. I could walk door-to-door all day long if I wanted to. I don’t have a problem with that. However, after pondering for about two weeks I came to conclusion that there were too many variables that weren’t within my control. Aside from the variables beyond my control everything else was great. I didn’t know jack diddle squat going into the job and came out with a wealth of knowledge, skills, and experience that I would have found hard to come by at any other job. This was raw get your hands and feet dirty stuff. You grind it out until you make it. What I love about it is that I have the experience and skills to take with me anywhere I go in life. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again that on a daily basis, we as individuals or business owners, are selling our dreams, visions, ideas, products, and services to others. In doing so it’s a transfer of our enthusiasm that makes or breaks a deal. Just like Ted said, if one of your friends called you up and said to get over to the party because no one else is there and bring friends along you probably wouldn’t go. BUT, if a friend called you up and was yelling with excitement to get over to the party as soon as possible that there were a lot of girls, the alcohol was flowing, and it was going off you’d be jumping off the couch in a heartbeat. Sold.

The knowledge, skills, and experience I gained from my time with The Southern California Group was priceless. I learned boatload of stuff in such a short amount of time. I gained knowledge of sales, developed leadership skills that were hiding deep within that I didn’t know I had, and now carry with me a thick skin that’s difficult to penetrate. I built relationships and gained friendships that will last a lifetime.

It’s funny how you can tell your friends and family what you do for a living and everyone can nod or say that they understand. I laugh because I know not everybody in a roomful of friends or family really understands or have experienced working 60-70 hour work weeks going door-to-door. A salesman can look at another salesman in the eye and both knows and understands exactly what each has been through. There’s a common ground that we can all relate to and understand the hardships and difficult times through the highs and lows of our job. One of my favorite quotes, “Never criticize a man until you’ve walked a mile in his shoes.” You don’t know and you probably will never know.

Going in on Monday (November 1, 2010) was more difficult than I could imagine. When I got out of my car and started walking towards the building I had to stop for a little bit to gather myself. I felt anxiety. “Wait, what? Why am I feeling like this right now?” was going through my head as my heart kept beating faster. In a few moments I was going to tell David and Ted, both of whom I look up to, admire, and consider friends, that I was calling it quits. It was hard to go one-on-one with David in his office, look him in the eyes, and let him know of the news. I felt guilty and to some extent like I was letting David down. I felt pain, sadness, and maybe even somewhat a little depressed on the drive home. A million thoughts were running through my head about whether or not I made the right decision. In the end, what I’ve learned, is that you have to look out for yourself. Bottom line. You make a decision and move on or the world is going to pass you by.

Now that my time with The Southern California Group is over I can look back and appreciate everything I learned and experienced first hand. I have the future ahead of me and can only hope for the best. Things always work out. It’s weird how they always do even when you don’t think they will. I guess it’s all about faith. Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to.

Looking back, I have calmed down quite a bit. From that I mean that I am a very optimistic individual, but also a realist when it comes down to it. I used to think that I was going to get rich fast. That all my dreams and fantasies would come true overnight. What I’ve learned the past four months is that nothing comes instantly (success for this post’s sake), without hard work. When reality hits, it hits you hard. The shitty thing is that it keeps hitting you and you have to learn to get back up. Over and over again or you lie on the ground defeated and a failure. Take a moment and think about someone you look up to, see as a model figure, or a mentor. They didn’t get to where they are at by sitting around doing nothing. They were proactive and gave it their all to get where they are today.

Here’s a little rant I hope you don’t mind in the middle of this post. Take a look at star athletes. Many of them never started on their high school teams and were told they weren’t good enough to play. Now, we see many of those athletes and hear about their stories in the media. Many athletes have natural talent. They take that talent for granted and don’t work as hard as other athletes. A naturally gifted athlete misses a shot, strikes out, or fails in some way or another they brush it off and wait for the next game. Many of the star athletes miss a shot, strike out, or fails in some way or another they’re taking shots, hitting balls, or practicing when everybody else has showered and gone home. Why are the misfits usually better? Because they had to work twice as hard to get where they were at. It takes a strong will, strong work ethic, and dedication. You can’t let others pull you down to their level. They wanted to prove the critics wrong. So what did it take? Laser focus on the goal at hand to be the best. An unrelenting work ethic. Their goal had to be higher than any obstacle in their way. In their mind the end picture was 100% clear.

When making a decision you must follow your heart. You can’t let anyone hold you back from your true potential. Remember, you are what you say and believe you are. If your heart is telling you to do something… heck freakin’ go for it. You’ll never know what could have been unless you tried. What you make of life is totally up to you and the decisions you make. Control your destiny by taking action now. You can’t wait for something to happen you have to make something happen.

Cultivate and encompass a mindset that you are what you say you are. That you can become what you say you will become. And lastly, act as if. Act as if you’re anything you say you are. When you believe in something it becomes your perception and what your perception of something is becomes your reality.

In due time success and happiness will cross paths in my life. For now, I understand that it truly is in due time. All the small things I do today, tomorrow, a week from now, will get me to the end result I desire. “Victory is not always winning the race. Sometimes it’s simply beating your best.” (Gloria Plaisted)

Related posts:

1. Become a Quitter at Quitting
2. Don’t Be An Average Joe, Be A Champion!
3. Put Two Feet In…

Photo by Flickr User $ Bill

You can’t play hard unless you work. Bottom line. The purpose of this post is to hopefully pass down some knowledge I have gained through the last 4 years of my life. Mainly, my college days and through my first 10 months as a college graduate in the oh-so-dreaded “real world”. First of all, I can tell why we, as a society, refer to life after college the real world. That’s because, in fact, everything you once knew and grew accustomed to will change. Whether you like it or not. Think back to the days when you were a little kid..there was absolutely NOTHING you had to worry about. Except whose house you and your friends were going to have the next sleepover at and play truth or dare. A few years pass by on you and you finally made it to high school. You went out on Friday nights to the football game with your friends and partied afterwards, but made sure you made it home by curfew (if you had one). Still nothing really to worry about. Some of us had jobs but for the most part that money went into a savings account or towards food and clothing-the material things we want, but not necessarily need. As the years went by you may have heard your parents tell you something about when you’re grown up you’ll have bills to pay and when you graduate you’ll be an adult! In one ear out the other, right? Yeah. Then the day comes when you graduate college and reality hits. Hits you fucking hard. The hours you work increase and the bills pile up. Questions and thoughts start going through your head when times are tough financially. I have $50 in my checking..should I pay for my cable bill (something of which I don’t need to survive) but love to have for leisure time or go to the grocery store and purchase food for the upcoming week. You get the point. You’ll hit rock bottom and have to find a way to get back on both feet. If you haven’t hit rock bottom yet I promise you that you will. And if you don’t you’re one lucky son of a bitch.

So frequently we hear the phrase “work hard play hard”. I love that phrase because we all in some sense work hard and when we do have time off such as the weekends, holidays, or vacation play hard. It’s a rinse and repeat cycle. However, I started to think about work hard play hard…It occurred to me that I work my ass off 60-70 hour weeks and when I have my free time to play hard I usually just sleep in or don’t really have the energy to do anything because I want to relax and re-cooperate. It came to my realization that to work hard in order to play hard makes sense logically, but as young adults why not concentrate on play hard, when the opportunity is there and to work harder in all other aspects of our lives. We’re focused on our careers, setting short-term and long-term goals, and setting ourselves up for the future, whatever that may bring. We played hard the last four years in college. It didn’t matter what day of the week we got “slizzard”. Our play hard days are behind us and the work hard days are here to stay. There’s a fine balance between playing hard and working hard once you’re in the real world. Many of us have aspirations to be successful in one way or another whether it’s successful in finding happiness, in our careers, or having a family. For me personally, it’s to be a successful business owner and entrepreneur. To be retired before I’m 30 so I have the rest of my life to play hard. I want to work hard right now while most of my friends are playing hard so in the long-term I’m playing hard and retired while others are on the 50 year retirement plan.

It’s all about DISCIPLINE and SACRIFICE.

The most successful people have the discipline and will to sacrifice many of the things they enjoy doing in order to get where they’re at today. It’s a trade-off that many people can’t muster the strength to do themselves. I’m a victim of my own habits. I have grand ideas and dreams, but I find myself not willing to sacrifice the time needed to get where I see myself in the future. Something needs to change. My habits, my attitude, my mentality, and my willingness to sacrifice the things I once wouldn’t pass up. Discipline is also an important role that we must instill in ourselves. When you want to do something, but know you shouldn’t the will power to stop yourself will separate you from the rest. You must take control of your own life and lead by example.

I used to think that I was going to get rich quick. I didn’t know how, but I had a misconceived perception of reality and thought that somehow I would be able to live in my mansion and buy my Lamborghini. The real world has taught me, fairly quickly, that no matter what you do you’re going to have to work hard to get what you want in life. To stick with something instead of jumping around from one thing to another. If money is what you’re after there is no secret to getting rich. The only secret is to work hard. We’ve all heard the expression that money will follow. Here’s a quote that I find quite inspiring and let you dwell on as well. “Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.”

Lately, I’ve been trying to balance my life. Since the last writing on my blog I’ve gone camping in La Jolla with everyone from the office and tubed down the river, attended Nocturnal 2010 and saw Kaskade perform at The Hollywood Palladium last night with a few other things inbetween those events. I’ve come to fall in love with music, the beats, and people at these events. We’re all part of a society that we’re trapped in doing the conventional things every-freaking-single-day. At music festivals the atmosphere is euphoric. Walk through the gates and everyone forgets about all the shit and drama going on at home and work and enjoys their time listening to and feeling the music. Tune your ears, close your eyes, and raise your hands in the air; you’re free.

My brother and I, aside from working our jobs, are working on a side project that will hopefully get us back on our feet. Success isn’t always about the money. Success is sometimes just finding something you can have fun with, love doing, and with the people you care about most. I’ll be writing more about this project in the future. Right now everything is baking in the oven.

Related posts:

1. Put Two Feet In…
2. Become a Quitter at Quitting

Photo by Deviant Art User fbuk

I wanted to write something that would motivate those of you who are taking the time to read this post. For many people, the paths we decide to take in life are indirectly dictated by those who surround us. Whether it’s our parents, friends, professors, and co-workers we always think about the consequences and trade-offs in whatever it is we’re trying to decide upon. Most of the time we make a decision, or choose a path, that we know is safe and will be accepted amongst the people in our lives as well as society. That’s why there are more Average Joes in our society than there are champions. People settle for mediocrity, let Average Joes influence their decisions, and being them down to a lower standard of thinking. In my opinion, being a champion doesn’t have to mean you’re great at a sport or on a team that wins championships. Being a champion is someone who is able to take control of their life despite of what may others think and the criticisms that may come along with those actions. The difference between an Average Joe and a champion is that the champion is willing to go the extra mile in whatever it is he is putting his mind to.

So first of all, in order to be a champion, one must create good great habits. Ask yourself, when no one else is looking what are you doing? A Champion is always doing something productive–in a sense always learning. Learning new techniques to become better at whatever it is he’s doing. While he’s going the extra mile the Average Joe is sitting on the couch watching television only wishing he could live the life he visioned 15 years ago. The Average Joe is making excuses to why he can’t get up and go for a run or workout to better his health even though he made a new years resolution to better his health. The Average Joe is saying to himself “I have time to do that tomorrow,” “someone else will do it for me,” and “I don’t want to do that right now.”

Creating great habits is essential to becoming successful. Let’s say, for example, you’re building a team in your business. You hire someone and they’re doing a great job. As the leader that person looks up to you. You’re constantly under a microscope. If that person sees you slacking off, cruising Facebook on the computer, taking 15 minute breaks every hour that person is going to pick up on those habits say to himself, “he’s doing it so I can do it” and those habits will be increased ten fold. When you hire someone else they see that person taking a 15 minute break and start taking a 30 minute break. These bad habits will grow exponentially. Yikes! Everyday that goes by and you tell yourself I’m going to sleep in for ten extra minutes. Have you noticed that after a month goes by you’re still laying in bed and that ten extra minutes has become an extra hour. That’s an hour of your life that you can NEVER get back! You need to hold yourself accountable for your actions and stop blaming everyone else and their mothers for your problems or why something didn’t turn out the way you had hoped for.

The quote above is perfect. I hope you take it to heart. It’s just like the saying you are what you eat. Create good habits in the workplace, being a parent, as a friend, as an athlete, and good things will come from them. Nothing comes easily, only through hard-work, dedication, and time will you see results. Yeah, life blows. It’s hard. Nothing’s easy. Get that through your head. The leaders and Champions that we look up to on a daily basis didn’t get to the top of the pedestal without dedication and hard-work. Get back up on your feet and figure out what you need to differently so you don’t fall down again. If you fall down again get back up. It’s the people that fall down and don’t get back up that become Average Joes. Champions ALWAYS get back up on their feet.

It’s the mindset you take with you wherever you go and with whatever you do that separates you from the Average Joes. Champions and successful people are made. They created the habits necessary to reach the top. They had visions and goals that towered the obstacles that got in their way. When times got tough they didn’t give up when the others around them did. They pushed harder and fought harder until they reached the other side of whatever obstacle that was slowing them down. Once Champions reach the top they don’t slack off. They work harder than everyone else around them because they have to. Making their way to the top was easier because they knew what they had to do in order to become the best. When someone was better than them they did those things and figured out a way to do them better than the person ahead of them. Seeing that other person above them just fueled the fire.

What I’m trying to get at is that Champions don’t have bad habits. When Michael Jordan missed a free throw to win a game what do you think he did while the other athletes showered and went home? He was on the court after everyone else left shooting free throws. When Tiger Woods misses his putts where is he after the day is over? On the putting green tweaking whatever it is he needs to tweak so he makes his putts the next day. When Tony Gwen was in a slump what did he do? Took extra batting practice before a game and after the game. These guys had the desire to become the best. Being just like everyone else and complacent with where they were at wasn’t good enough for them. They wanted more and they did what they had to do to get to where they wanted to be.

Next time you find yourself making excuses or blaming everyone else but yourself pouting because this and that didn’t work out the way you had hoped for. Take a second to step back and re-evaluate yourself. Change your mentality, attitude, and blame no one else but yourself. You’re where you’re at because that’s where you set yourself up to be by the habits you, not anyone else, created.

Related posts:

1. What is the Key to Staying Motivated?
2. Put Two Feet In…

Photo by Flickr User Pixelinthebox

Some of you may recognize this poem, some you may not. I came across this poem in Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, of which I’m currently reading. It was written by Jessie B. Rittenhouse.

In this economy many people have been hit hard. It has forced the masses to think differently and redefine the conventional way of doing things. For some, that may come in the form of inventing products or services that improve our way of life and for others it may be to improve upon what is already existing by effectiveness and efficiency.

Let me tell you something. I’m a dreamer. Not just a dreamer…a BIG dreamer. You’re probably a big dreamer as well. What we all have in common is that we let others tell us something can’t be done and that whatever it is that we’re on a mission to accomplish is impossible. GET THESE PEOPLE OUT OF YOUR LIVES! THEY’RE POISON. The difference between you and those people is that you have not been defeated. “No one ever is defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality” (Napoleon Hill). Dominating thoughts, negative or positive, consume our mind. Our minds are like a magnet and will ultimately believe what we think and what others tell us. If, for some reason, you believe you can’t do something, guess what? Whatever it is that you thought you couldn’t do or accomplish will become a reality. If you believe you can do something you WILL be able to do that something. It’s not that hard of a concept to grasp. Magical isn’t it?

There’s nothing wrong believing in a dream or goal that is not yet tangible; something that’s just a pigment of your imagination. If you believe in a dream or goal so much that you believe it’s really there, actually happening, it will become a reality sooner or later. Assuming that you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get there! To have faith, overcome obstacles, and have courage when it seems like you have nothing more to give. Believe in your dreams and goals and they will eventually come true.

I hope this lesson has helped you in some small way. It may seem like I’m regurgitating what is said in Think and Grow Rich. My word may not seem a lot to you, but take it as you please. I was in a position, we’ll say 3 weeks ago for the sake of this post, where my mind was full of misdirection and doubt. I have finally understood what others have been trying to tell me and the message authors such as Napoleon Hill try to help guide people and understand. To think positively about success and put that energy in my daily life to attract the things I desire. To believe in myself.

Don’t get me wrong either. I still have days of doubt, but I’m working on it. What I’ve realized is that it takes time and that I must have the courage and desire to change. If I don’t have the willingness to change or take risks than the lifestyle I’m living won’t change. If I don’t change my bad habits, thinking process, or take on challenges that seem impossible to overcome then what I want and desire will never become a reality (so help me God if anyone or anything gets in my way!). I’m finding out that I must grasp onto what I desire most and run with my gut feeling, my first instinct, and what I believe in most. I don’t want to get old sitting around regretting decisions I made in the past. We only live once and I want to make the most of it. Personal development is something I must accept. It’s been a rough journey really thinking about why I want to change. I know what I want in life and it’s just a matter of getting there.

All I want for you to get out of this is that you should follow your dreams and believe in yourself. There’s no reason why you should be working for another man’s dreams your whole life. We all have aspirations, dreams, and goals. Too many people have thrown those aspirations, dreams, and goals out the window because they lose faith in themselves. Regain that faith and know that you are capable of doing anything you set your mind to.

I keep hearing successful people say that the journey to the top was the most gratifying thing and what they appreciate most. That the journey was worth it. My journey hasn’t been quite so sunny…pretty gloomy if you ask me, but I know when I finally make it to the top by accomplishing my personal and financial goals. I’ll be able to look back and appreciate everything that I will have learned and the person I became.

Related posts:

1. A Kid’s Mentality…Dream Big or Go Home
2. To Wake Up with a Smile

Photo by Flickr User jtravism

I have really been troubled the last few months. It seems as though the direction my life is headed in is uncertain. I hate not knowing what’s going to happen, where I’m going to to be, and who I’m going to become. Thus far, it seems as though many of the decisions I have made lead me in the wrong direction. That everything I have done has been a waste of time. I want success so badly that I can taste it at the tip of my tongue and I’ll do anything to achieve the level of success I desire. I’m willing to make commitments. To put in the effort. To put in the time. To learn.

Why am I bringing this up? Because I think about my future literally everyday. I realize that the decisions I make today will directly affect the outcome of my life. It seems as though my conscious has placed two miniature Greggs on each of my shoulders telling me to do something completely different. It’s tiresome and, quite frankly, irritating.

I’ve tried so hard to land a job after graduating from a “respectable” university only to be declined time and time again. My moral has reached an all time low. I feel betrayed. Betrayed that the thought and expectations of our society telling us to pursue a higher education beyond high school will, somehow, guarantee a better way of life [and guarantee us entry-level positions in Corporate America]. Oddly enough, statistics show that higher education does, in fact, help one achieve a higher level of income during his/her lifetime. However, I still feel discouraged. Discouraged to the point where I want to give up. I’ve come to conclusion that there really are no guarantees in life. Everything is based on the individual–what that individual is willing to do and what sacrifices that individual is willing to make. “One-half of knowing what you want is knowing what you must give up before you get it” (Sidney Howard).

So here I am today. Stuck with a few more difficult decisions to make. They have required me to dig deeper and think harder than I ever have before. It seems as though I’ve been caught in a web and can’t figure out a way to escape. That the spider (failure) is breathing down my back ready to make me its 6 o’clock meal.

There’s one side of me that wants to be conservative and play it safe because there is no certainty of my success. Then there’s the other side of me that says to take that risk, it’s a great opportunity. Isn’t it weird how all tough decisions come at a time when uncertainty is surrounding your life? When a would be not-so-tough decision at one point of your life is now, all of a sudden, becomes one of the toughest decisions you’ll make because of the current circumstances you’re in (in this case that I’m in). It seems like I’ve been walking around with the weight of the world on my shoulders.

It’s tough to choose and make a decision for the “what will improve my way of life” and “what’s the best for my future” factors. It’s tough to leave a surrounding I’m comfortable in. To leave behind people I truly and dearly care about. Ultimately, I have to look out for myself and answer the question; what is best for me? Sadly, I know the answer to that question but acting upon the answer is a lot harder than I thought it would be. And I have no freakin’ clue as to why.

What are the facts to consider? The fact that I’m young. I really don’t have any commitments or obligations being 23 years old. I don’t have a family with children, a house, or life savings to worry about. I can afford to risk a year, or a couple of years, of my life pursuing and doing something that may or may not work out. If it doesn’t work out hopefully I will have learned something that will help guide me in the right direction for future endeavors. In order to be successful I’m going to have to make decisions that take me out of my comfort zone. I’ve gotta start somewhere, right?

I just hope things turn out the way I hope for them to turn out. Lately, my life has been filled with disappointments and just plain bad luck. People say that the when you’re ready to quit is when you’re closer than you think. I sure hope it’s true…

No related posts.

Photo by Flickr User duncandavidson

For those of you who don’t know what GoDaddy is here’s a little background. GoDaddy is a domain registrar and web hosting company. Today, GoDaddy is the largest ICANN-accredited registrar on the internet.

I stumbled upon Bob Parsons’ blog in 2006 when I was first trying to learn everything there was about the internet. His 16 rules for success in business and life in general not only connect with me on a personal level, but have helped motivate and empower me during the many times I have felt discouraged or giving up on my endeavors and journey to become successful. I hope that you find these 16 rules helpful just as I have.

1. Get and stay out of your comfort zone. I believe that not much happens of any significance when we’re in our comfort zone. I hear people say, “But I’m concerned about security.” My response to that is simple: “Security is for cadavers.”

2. Never give up. Almost nothing works the first time it’s attempted. Just because what you’re doing does not seem to be working, doesn’t mean it won’t work. It just means that it might not work the way you’re doing it. If it was easy, everyone would be doing it, and you wouldn’t have an opportunity.

3. When you’re ready to quit, you’re closer than you think. There’s an old Chinese saying that I just love, and I believe it is so true. It goes like this: “The temptation to quit will be greatest just before you are about to succeed.”

4. With regard to whatever worries you, not only accept the worst thing that could happen, but make it a point to quantify what the worst thing could be. Very seldom will the worst consequence be anywhere near as bad as a cloud of “undefined consequences.” My father would tell me early on, when I was struggling and losing my shirt trying to get Parsons Technology going, “Well, Robert, if it doesn’t work, they can’t eat you.”

5. Focus on what you want to have happen. Remember that old saying, “As you think, so shall you be.”

6. Take things a day at a time. No matter how difficult your situation is, you can get through it if you don’t look too far into the future, and focus on the present moment. You can get through anything one day at a time.

7. Always be moving forward. Never stop investing. Never stop improving. Never stop doing something new. The moment you stop improving your organization, it starts to die. Make it your goal to be better each and every day, in some small way. Remember the Japanese concept of Kaizen. Small daily improvements eventually result in huge advantages.

8. Be quick to decide. Remember what General George S. Patton said: “A good plan violently executed today is far and away better than a perfect plan tomorrow.”

9. Measure everything of significance. I swear this is true. Anything that is measured and watched, improves.

10. Anything that is not managed will deteriorate. If you want to uncover problems you don’t know about, take a few moments and look closely at the areas you haven’t examined for a while. I guarantee you problems will be there.

11. Pay attention to your competitors, but pay more attention to what you’re doing. When you look at your competitors, remember that everything looks perfect at a distance. Even the planet Earth, if you get far enough into space, looks like a peaceful place.

12. Never let anybody push you around. In our society, with our laws and even playing field, you have just as much right to what you’re doing as anyone else, provided that what you’re doing is legal.

13. Never expect life to be fair. Life isn’t fair. You make your own breaks. You’ll be doing good if the only meaning fair has to you, is something that you pay when you get on a bus (i.e., fare).

14. Solve your own problems. You’ll find that by coming up with your own solutions, you’ll develop a competitive edge. Masura Ibuka, the co-founder of SONY, said it best: “You never succeed in technology, business, or anything by following the others.” There’s also an old Asian saying that I remind myself of frequently. It goes like this: “A wise man keeps his own counsel.”

15. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Lighten up. Often, at least half of what we accomplish is due to luck. None of us are in control as much as we like to think we are.

16. There’s always a reason to smile. Find it. After all, you’re really lucky just to be alive. Life is short. More and more, I agree with my little brother. He always reminds me: “We’re not here for a long time; we’re here for a good time.”

The original article can be found here.

The above (or following) article (or rules for survival) is included with the permission of Bob Parsons (http://www.bobparsons.com) and is Copyright © 2004-2006 by Bob Parsons. All rights reserved.

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1. Jamba Juice – A Recipe for Success

Photo by Flickr user TylerKnott

Take a minute to reflect upon the past. Not the recent past, but when you were between the ages of 5 to 10 years old. When you were a little kid not yet a “grown up” you probably had a lot of ideas and dreams. Big, out of the ordinary, what the heck was I thinking sort of ideas and dreams. Your parents, while speaking about you, would say “my kid’s a dreamer.” Everybody thought you were crazy–except you. You believed in every idea and dream that you conceived in your mind. You could and would build a rocket ship, fly to outer space, and land on the moon. You would become an astronaut. You would become a fighter pilot. You would be the pitcher or batter in game 7 of the World Series in the 9th inning with two outs, bases loaded, and a full count. You could be anything. You thought the impossible was possible. ANYTHING you could dream of was a reality. Nothing held you back and nobody told you that it couldn’t be done.

Let’s flash forward 10, 20, 30 years to the present. Where are you now? Did those ideas and dreams become a reality? In most cases, those ideas and dreams were tossed out the window many years ago. Why? Because we were told over and over that it wasn’t possible and that it couldn’t be done. Our optimistic outlook was challenged by pessimists. Eventually, we began to let the negative overcome the positive.

Why is it that we let others and our society dictate our beliefs, the way we think, and what we individually value in life? I just don’t understand. I’m a victim of it all as well. I used to dream big, I’m not afraid to admit it, and I’m not afraid to share my dreams. However, this is going to sound hypocritical to the last sentence, but I still dream big. The problem now is that I sometimes doubt myself, my knowledge, and my ability to become who I want to become. When I was younger I used to never doubt or even question what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be like. I vision my future and let me tell you…it’s pretty extraordinary. Will my dreams come true? I hope so… No. Wait. I know so. I’ll make the assumption that, in my opinion, we were all once big dreamers; gratefully, some of us still are. The problem today is that as we grow up and mature we set boundaries, which limit our success. We put up these invisible and imaginary walls, which stop us from achieving and becoming who we want to become. We set these boundaries and put up these walls that used to never exist when we were younger. Those ideas and dreams we thought were possible are now, for some reason, unreasonable or unrealistic. We lose faith in ourselves.

Many of us have heard or read about O.J. Simpson’s story. For those of you who haven’t here’s the short version of it. In his childhood, O.J. Simpson developed a disease called Rickets in his legs. This left him pigeon towed and bowlegged unable to be a normal kid. He had to wear braces on his legs and was the subject to constant ridicule by his peers. One day he met Jim Brown, a phenomenal running back, and told Jim that someday he would break all of his records. Guess what? Those records were broken.

Just because our society, or friends, or family tell us that something can’t be done doesn’t mean that it can be done. For many of us, life becomes a daily routine. There’s the expected, conventional way to do things and the, what is considered ‘risky’, unconventional way to do things. What we used to believe in is now a distant thought and breaking the boundaries is oddly looked down upon by some. There’s this understanding of how to do things the “right” way and rather than being our own unique individuals we let ourselves be governed by the explicit and implicit rules or social norms.

I think that sometimes people are afraid of what they’re capable of. That they’re afraid of success because they’ve grown away from it for such a long time they have forgotten what success actually feels like. Everyday we see people achieve something that we always dreamed of accomplishing. We see that 10,000 people completed an Ironman event–surely I could do it if they could do it. But now look at it. What if only 1 person EVER, was to complete an Ironman event–it was just THAT difficult. In this situation some people wouldn’t give themselves the light of day and would never try. Some people would say that it’s unreasonable or unrealistic to complete the event themselves or to see 100 people complete an Ironman event. They have the wrong mindset. The perspective you have to look at it from is that if 1 person was able to complete an Ironman event it can be completed by yourself as well as many others. If I was approached by someone and they were to tell me, “Hey Gregg, I have this business opportunity for you. There’s one million people doing this thing, but only 1 person is making millions while the rest of the 999,999 people are only making a couple thousand of dollars.” Some people would run away and never look back. I wouldn’t let that opportunity pass. If 1 person can achieve a level of success it can be achieved by someone else. It may require a lot of time, effort, and work but it isn’t impossible. It shows me that it isn’t unreasonable and that it isn’t unrealistic.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that you should never question your ability to succeed based on how many people have accomplished something before you. If something hasn’t been accomplished yet, then why can’t the first person be you?

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The First Juice Club
After deciding to open the first Juice Club, Kevin Peters and Kirk Perron realized that they needed help planning menus, creating drink recipes, and blending the icy fruit drinks. They ended up hiring Joe Vergara (the 3rd founder), who was then a manger of another local fruit juice store. Kevin Peters helped open and run the first store, eventually documenting the systems and training personnel for future expansion.

What Mattered Most
The first fruit blends were named Banana Berry, Berry Lime Sublime, Peach Pleasure, Razzmatazz, and Strawberries Wild (one of my favorite). Kevin Peters said, “Our visions were pretty grand, but our initial focus was on the first store.” They also say that dedication, attention to detail, and a passion for people were also key factors to their success.

A Legendary Expansion
Once the trio of men considered the thought of expanding, they hung up a map of the United States to plot potential sites. It wasn’t long before customers around the nation were clamoring for more locations. “Tourists began asking for stores in their hometowns. Fast-food executives started arriving in groups, and the competitors started popping up.”

In 1992, still known as the Juice Club, the company began to franchise and the response was phenomenal.

A Fourth Member of the Crew
In 1992 the Juice Club needed more staff members to handle the fast growing business. A lady by the name of Linda Ozawa-Olds was brought on board, who eventually rose as the vice president of marketing. Linda states, “What attracted me to Juice Club was not only the concept, but the people. After a three-hour interview with Kirk, then meeting with Kevin and Joe, I knew this was where I wanted to be!”

A Search For a New Name
In 1994, the franchising stopped when the Juice Club hit the radar screens of venture capitalists including Howard Schultz, chairman of Starbucks, and John Mackey, chairman and CEO of Whole Foods Market. Both of these men were recruited to serve on the board of directors. And soon after, a new name and a new brand had begun. Peters explained, “Although the Juice Club was a trademarked name, it was composed of words that were not totally proprietary. Numerous competitors with the word “juice” in their names were diluting the Juice Club brand.” Everyone agreed that a new name and logo was needed.

The trademark Jamba Juice whirl came first. Linda stated, “During a brainstorming session, we were discussing the actual whirl created inside a blender as a smoothie is being made. If you saw the whirl, you knew the smoothie was just right.” They took their ideas to an agency in Seattle, who developed the recognizable logo.

They all claimed that creating a new name was a lot more complicated. Linda said, “After hiring professionals, hearing rounds of names that didn’t resonate with us, and spending thousands of dollars, we decided to take matters into our own hands.” Kevin, Kirk, and Linda all went to Cal Poly’s Kennedy Library and agreed to meet each other 3 hours later with lists of potential names.

Branding Jamba Juice
They had a big job ahead of them. They wanted to grow Jamba Juice into a brand of many choices: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack. They had to carve a niche in the marketplace and get people to understand that a smoothie is a healthy alternative to fast food. This worked without difficulty.

Jamba Juice Around the Nation
Jamba Juice now has some 600 locations throughout the United States and has future plans to go international. Earlier this year (2007), Jamba Juice went public when it merged with what is called a blank check company according to Peters. He explained: “A group of investors, one of whom started Blockbuster, got together and formed a company, registered it as a public entity with tradable stock, then went looking for a concept to purchase, allowing the blank-check company to use its resources to capitalize on the new concept’s potential. Jamba was that concept and, roughly speaking, it became public upon the successful merger of the two companies.”

What Are the Founders Up to Now?
Perron and Peters now have varying degrees of involvement with the company. Perron, who left a few years ago, acts as a consultant for Jamba Juice and served on its board. He is also spending a lot of his time traveling. Peters left Jamba Juice in 2001 and now runs the business side of one of the West Coast’s largest private residential interior-design firms. Ozawa-Olds and Vergara are both living on the Central Coast, and were partners until recently, in 10 Jamba Juice franchises from Paso Robles to Camarillo.

All four partners still have the same respect and admiration for each other when Juice Club was first starting out.

“Kirk, Kevin, and Joe were my partners in crime. They pushed me, pulled me, appreciated me, and loved me. Together we shared a passion and a vision that had kept us united through good and bad times. It was Kirk’s initial vision, focus and determination that took us beyond one store. Jamba Juice would have never gotten off the ground if it weren’t for Kirk and his ability to build a strong teams.”

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