Are You Clear on Your “WHY”?
I constantly read up and learn from various mentors of mine because I know that “success leaves clues”. And one of the things that ALL my mentors as well as other “successful” people that I know of have in common is a clear sense of their life purpose – the reason “WHY”. They all take their time to identify, acknowledge, and honor their “WHY”… what they’re all here to do on earth… and pursue their “WHY” with passion and enthusiasm.
Wherever you are at in your life, I believe revisiting your “WHY” is a great exercise that should be done frequently. Being that it’s the first day of the new decade and all, I decided to do this exercise myself and I suggest you do the same. Here’s why…
Without getting clear on your “WHY”, it’s extremely easy to get sidetracked on your life’s journey… wandering and drifting… without accomplishing much.
What does “being on purpose” mean?
There are different ways of defining the phrase, but here’s the best description I’ve ever heard of:
“To be “on purpose” means you’re doing what you love to do, doing what you’re good at and accomplishing what’s important to you. When you truly are on purpose, the people, resources, and opportunities you need naturally gravitate toward you. The world benefits, too, because when you act in alignment with your true life purpose, all of your actions automatically serve others.”
Isn’t that awesome?
Do you have a clear “WHY” behind everything you do?
Your “WHY” is like a compass that can guide you, your goals and your actions. Without this compass, you may be pursuing goals and diligently following action plans that may not ultimately fulfill you. The last thing you want is to get to the top of the ladder only to find out you had it leaning up against the wrong wall.
Ok. So, here’s the exercise called “The Life Purpose Exercise” that I did for myself. I learned of this exercise from the book, The Success Principles by Jack Canfield (it’s on page 23 of the book). It’s a simple, 4-step exercise but is really powerful. After sharing the steps, I’ll share what I came up with.
The 4 steps goes like this:
- List two of your unique personal qualities.
- List one or two ways you enjoy expressing those qualities when interacting with others.
- Assume the world is perfect right now. What does this world look like? How is everyone interacting with everyone else? What does it feel like? Write your answer as a statement, in the present tense, describing the ultimate condition, the perfect world as you see it and feel it.
- Combine the three prior subdivisions of this paragraph into a single statement.
Pretty simple right?
Ok. Here’s what I got from going through the exercise.
- passion to help others, patience
- to empower, to inspire
- everyone is enjoying abundance; everyone is joyous and having fun; everyone is working in harmony.
- My purpose is to use my passion to help others and patience to empower and inspire them to live their highest self based in abundance, joy and harmony.
So… the end result is what you see on 4) which represents MY life purpose statement that expresses MY “WHY” which will serve as my compass, guiding and directing my behavior going forward.
Now, I’m sure I’ll be tweaking this in the future as I evolve as an individual (and I don’t even know if I did this exercise correctly as intended, but what the hell… it looks pretty good to me for now…).
I hope the above serves as a good reference for you and encourages you to take a stab at the exercise as well. I’m sure it will be worth your while and will help you in your life’s journey.
Wishing you nothing but success,
Hiro
P.S. – love to hear what you’ve got out of this exercise. leave a comment and let me know! 
6 Critical Factors To Consider When Selecting Your Marketing Strategies
If you’re considering OFFLINE marketing methods, you’ve got…
Direct Mails
Postcards
Conference Calls
Teleseminars
Radio
Newspaper and Magazine ads
Television
Press Releases
etc…
Or, if you’re considering ONLINE marketing methods, you’ve got…
Article marketing
Video marketing
Online Press Releases
Blogging
Forum marketing
Ezine advertising
Social Networking
Website marketing
Pay-Per-Click marketing
etc.
As you can see, there are literally dozens and dozens of effective marketing strategies that can be used and implemented to help you get your message out and build your business.
But, with so many marketing strategies to choose from, you’re probably asking yourself,
“How the heck do I decide which ones to focus on?”
It’s a great question, and one that I’ve also encountered when I got started. Do phrases like ‘information overload‘ and ‘lack of focus‘ sound familiar to you?
Well, that’s exactly how I felt when I got started. I was fortunate enough to be able to locate a great training platform that showed me all these options to choose from and I literally dabbled in every single one of them to see how things worked and which ones would give me results.
In a way, it was good to understand the different options out there because I can see the potentials in each and every one of them. But spreading myself too thin and trying to do everything mediocre did not bring in the results I wanted.
So, from personal experience, my suggestion for you is to choose one to three marketing methods and get really good at them, and then and only then look into other options to diversify your marketing.
Here is a list of things I suggest you consider in choosing the marketing strategies you want to focus on:
1) Identify your personal marketing budget.
Basically, figuring out and deciding on how much money you can and are willing to spend on your marketing every month. If you decide that your budget is less than $100 per month, I highly suggest you focus on ONLINE marketing methods because OFFLINE methods generally cost more across the board. I would say a healthy OFFLINE marketing budget to be no less than $300 per moth.
2) Identify how much TIME you have each week to commit to your marketing efforts.
This is another ‘budget’ that you need to figure out and decide. If you have a full-time job and are building your business on a part-time basis, you certainly have less time to build your business compared to someone who’s doing it full-time. You’d also want to make sure you consider setting your ‘personal’ or ‘fun’ time that you may want to spend with your family, friends, on hobbies, rest/relaxing, etc.
I’m a big proponent of work/life balance (I would even go so far as to say I create my business around my life instead of settling for a life around my business). Getting away from business and renewing yourself will also actually make you more productive and creative.
3) Identify your strengths, abilities and passions.
Ask yourself these simple questions:
“What am I good at?”
“What do people around me tell me I’m good at?”
“What do I enjoy doing?”
“How do I best communicate my message with others?”
“What would you consider doing even if it didn’t pay you anything?”
4) Identify which marketing method(s) you feel will BEST attract and get in front of the niche target market?
You should think about who your prospects are, the niche area you are in, which method(s) may be most likely to target/reach them effectively, etc.
5) Consider the amount of leverage you want to work with.
Different methods have varying degrees of leverage built in e.g. content creation (video, articles, etc.) can be done once and can potentially work for you 24/7, 365 for many years to come versus social networking which can be time consuming and requires consistent effort on your part.
6) Consider the marketing trends and the amount of competing marketers using that method.
It’s always good to keep the trends in mind because you want to be identifying where the best results are achieved (and hence the trend).
Another thing to consider is saturation. Is everybody trying to market using the same strategies? Can you realistically stand a chance to stand out from the crowd using the same marketing strategies?
So there you have it. My two cents on what to consider when deciding on which marketing strategies to focus on.
Remember to consider the above factors when deciding on which marketing strategies to focus on and you’ll be well on your way to mastering each marketing strategy, one at a time, and building a profitable business.
Start A Small Business – The Pros and Cons of Being an Entrepreneur
Are you ready to start a small business and taking back control of your life and your family’s future? Starting a small business and being an entrepreneur can be a twenty-four-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week obsession. It can be extremely rewarding or very painful. Being your own boss can be exhilarating one minute and terrifying the next. So can being financially responsible for the success or failure of your enterprise.
As you read the pros and cons listed below, think about what you want out of life. What are your priorities? If being independent, working hard, and building your own fortune are goals of yours, and you aren’t afraid of taking risks and possibly failing, entrepreneurship may be for you. If you value financial security and the support of colleagues, you’ll probably do better as an employee rather than an entrepreneur.
Pros of Starting A Small Business
Independence:
Business owners do not have to follow orders or observe working hours set by someone else. Entrepreneurship can even provide an opportunity for someone to prove to society what he or she can accomplish.
Satisfaction:
Turning a skill, hobby, or other interest into your own small business can be very satisfying.
Financial Reward:
Through hard work, the sky is the limit. Most of the great fortunes in this country were built by entrepreneurs. Countless small businesses have grown in to large companies that have produced fortunes for their owners. Many entrepreneurs also create wealth by building businesses and selling them when they have become profitable. A successful business can sometimes be sold for a tremendous sum.
Self-Esteem:
Knowing you created something valuable can give you a strong sense of accomplishment.
Cons of Starting A Small Business
Business Failure:
Many small businesses fail. You risk losing not only your money but also the money invested in your business by others. Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Company, had several small business failures before making it big. He once said, “Failure is a chance to begin again more intelligently. It is just a resting place.” He also said, “We learn more from our failures than our successes.”
Obstacles:
You will run into problems that you will have to solve by yourself. You may face discouragement from family and friends. Liz Claiborne’s family was dead set against her becoming a fashion designer and starting her own business. Her father was afraid the business world would be too rough on her. Claiborne proved him wrong by building Liz Claiborne, Inc. into a billion-dollar corporation.
Loneliness:
It can be lonely and even a little scary to be completely responsible for the success or failure of your business.
Financial Insecurity:
You are not guaranteed a set salary or any benefits. You may not always have enought money to pay yourself. King C. Gillette invented the disposable razor and started the Gillete Company, which is a billion-dollar business today. In 1901, though, Gillette’s fledgling company was $12,500 in debt – a lot of money back then. As Gillette recalled, “We were backed up to the wall with our creditors lined up in front waiting for the signal to fire.” Gillette managed to secure financing from a Boston millionaire and save the company. An entrepreneur may face equally intense financial challenges many times.
Long Hours/Hard Work:
You will have to work long hours to get your business off the ground. Some entrepreneurs work six or seven days a week. During the early years of establishing McDonald’s restaurants, around the country, Ray Kroc worked about eighty hours a week. His simple motto was, “Press on.”
As you may have realized while reading the above pros and cons of starting a small business and being an entrepreneur, they often represent two sides of the same coin. The hard work of establishing and running your own small business can reap great financial rewards and build your self-esteem.
Although you may face loneliness, financial insecurity, and other setbacks, as you overcome these obstacles you will become a much stronger person. Even if you r business fails, you will have gained valuable business experience. Your next business will be more likely to succeed.
Wishing you nothing but success,
Hiro Kaneko
Internet Marketing Business Coach
How To Get Rid of Procrastination, Now!
Do you put off your work for later, only to find your deadlines steadily creeping in? Then you, my friend, are one of the millions of people afflicted by the procrastination virus. Procrastination is the biggest reason for loss of productivity and late output. Though many would not admit it, they would benefit greatly if they start their work on time.
For many people, putting off their work for later is more habit than desire. It can be so hard to get into a groove where starting your tasks in a timely fashion is a priority, especially if the consequences for being late are things that one can probably bear.
If you are one of these people, yet you desire to shake off your propensity for procrastination, then you have come to the right place. Here are a few tips to help you overcome this dilemma and become a more productive and reliable person.
1. Set schedules - It is very important that you have a list of activities to accomplish per day. This will help you realistically budget your time and resources. One of the cardinal sins people commit in regards to performing their tasks is to put off their work because they feel like there is so much time left. A journal, organizer, or calendar of events will help you plan and schedule your task so that you can start them promptly and finish them on time.
2. Save the Vacation for Later – Many people put their work off for later saying, “I’ll just have a little fun then buckle down to work later.” While it may be true that they may have more than enough time to accomplish their tasks, it would be better if they finished their work first and relax afterwards.
Wouldn’t relaxation be sweeter if it were after a taxing job? If you choose to lay back and relax before doing your tasks, you will be more prone to burnout and will have nothing exciting left to look forward to after accomplishing a task. It is always better to have slack period AFTER a job than before one, especially considering that people are wont to overusing their slack time. This is suicide if you are heading towards a deadline.
3. Never Underestimate Your Tasks – Sometimes procrastination sets in because people underestimate the resources, difficulty, and time spent for a particular task. They will usually say, “It’s just mowing the lawn, its easy; I could do it in a jiffy.” The problem is, no matter how trivial the task, it still takes time and resources to accomplish. If you underestimate a task, you will most likely set too little time to do it and schedule it too close to its deadline.
4. Don’t Allow Yourself to Get Comfortable Doing Nothing - It would definitely help if you kept a subconscious alarm whenever you are doing nothing. Get this alarm to remind you of things that may need to be done. This will help you foster the notion that jobs accomplished now means more time for relaxation later. However, even if this is the case, do not forget to put ample time in for rest and to remove all thoughts of troubles before hitting the sack. The trick here, however, is not to overdo you rest. There is a difference between resting and idling. Always set the right amount of time for rest and stick to that schedule.
Wishing you nothing but success,
Hiro Kaneko
Internet Marketing Business Coach
How To Determine What You Want In Life
What do you really want in life?
Most people don’t discover what they want in life until it’s time to die – and that’s a shame.
Most people spend the best years of their lives watching television or doing things they dislike. An author described humanity by saying, “Most people die at twenty and are buried at eighty.” Are you one of the living zombies?
What do you really want in life?
Some people struggle in answering such question. When asked what they want or what their goals in life are, many are unsure. They dillydally in their decision, hardly giving any thought about what they want in life. People without definite goals are letting time pass them by. Are you one of these people?
If you are undecided about what you want out of life, do not worry. There are many ways of discovering your purpose in life.
To discover what you want in life, try looking deep into your heart. Oftentimes, people are ruled by logic. People live by what they think they should be or by what others like them to be. The discovery process is the perfect time to listen to your heart. What your heart desires comes from the whispers of your authentic self. Your authentic self is the real you.
Listen to your heart to be able to listen to your authentic self. What your heart says usually feels right. What your heart desires is what you usually love to do and this represents your passion. Anything done with passion is like play where the task is accomplished without hesitation. You pour out your very best and feel no pressure or resistance.
You will totally enjoy doing things that are your passion. Setbacks, difficulties, and obstacles will make it more challenging, but should not deter you from pursuing your goals. Naturally, there may be barriers that may prevent you from reaching your goal, but your heart’s desire will find ways to overcome these barriers so that you may ultimately get what you want in life. Remember this: the universe supports people who are pursuing their passion and those who are pursuing their destiny.
However, this does not mean that you don’t use your head. People are born with both the mind and heart. Your duty is to live your best life and be in harmony with your mind and heart. The poet Rumi wisely said, “Live completely in the head and you cannot feel the breath and rhythm of life. Live completely in the heart and you may find yourself acting like a love-struck fool with poor judgment and discipline. It’s all a fine balance – the head and heart must forge a lifetime partnership if one wants to live a beautiful life.”
Listen to your instinct. Part of human nature is the mysterious and spontaneous reaction on things. Often times, these are called instincts. Your authentic self communicates with you and guides you via instincts. Instincts are those gentle nudges that urge you to act and follow a certain path. Your role then is to listen attentively.
Often times, we listen to what others say and allow them to run our lives. Parents often do this to their children. “We come from a family of doctors, so my son must also be a doctor.” How often do we hear this from parents who have good intentions for their children? Parents unconsciously block the true expression of their child’s real self and calling. Friends and critics will discourage you and point out the impossibility of your dream. Before heeding their advice, evaluate the accomplishments of the critics. Did they achieve theirs dreams? Do they dream big at all?
Remember, it is your destiny that is in line, not theirs. It doesn’t mean, though, that you will not listen to what other people say. Hear them out just the same. But the final decision should be yours.
There is only one thing to remember: Every person, to live truly and greatly, must define how he wants to live and what his or her brightest life will look like. Listen to your instincts and follow your heart’s desire. You will never go wrong.
Are you cut out to be an entrepreneur?
You can see yourself as an entrepreneur, setting your own hours, being your own boss, enjoying the freedom of being self employed. And you can just imagine what life will be like once you’re a big success and pulling in all that cash.
But hang on. Before you run to the car showroom and test drive your dream car, let me ask you something: Are you cut out to be an entrepreneur? Do you really have what it takes to get rich?
To answer, let’s see how you rate on these five characteristics. Can you / do you:
Stick with something even when you don’t yet see results? The day you officially start your business will be one of the most exciting days of your life. You’ll probably run on adrenaline for the next several days if not weeks.
But then you come down off your high. And now you’re working the same amount of hours, trying to get your business off the ground, but it’s just not as exciting any more. The worst thing, however, is that you’re not yet seeing results… so you don’t have any tangible rewards to motivate you and keep you moving forward.
Let me ask you this: Can you stick with something even if it doesn’t pay off immediately? If so, this whole entrepreneur thing might be for you.
Let go of a losing idea? Trust me on this: When you spend days and weeks working on an idea, it will feel like your baby. And really it is, because it certainly is your brainchild.
But what happens if your idea doesn’t work out? What if one particular idea is just dragging down your whole business? Can you let go of it, even though you’re attached to it and still love it? If so, you might make a good entrepreneur.
Have confidence in your abilities? People are going to doubt you. Some may even laugh at you. If you listen to them, the chances of you enjoying success are slim to none.
Are you confident in your abilities and your idea? If so, then you might make a good entrepreneur.
Know the value of the products/services you provide? Here’s a big problem: Sometimes beginning entrepreneurs work like dogs for pennies. And a lot of times this happens because they don’t value the solutions they’re offering. The beginning business person thinks, “Gee, I wouldn’t pay that much for this product, so I better keep the price low.”
But you are not your market. You are not your customer. And if you’re providing a good product or service with a high value to your customers, then you should charge them accordingly. If you’re charging too much, they’ll let you know.
But until then, you need to value the solutions you provide. And if you do value your products or services, then you might be a good entrepreneur.
Solve problems? Finally, and this is a big one, are you a problem solver?
Obviously, problem solving comes in handy when you’re an entrepreneur, because the buck stops with you in your business. There’s no boss to solve your problems – you’re the boss. So it’s up to you to uncover and solve problems in your business.
But here’s the bigger reason: You’re in the business of solving your customers’ problems! If you know how to spot and solve other people’s problems, then you might be a good entrepreneur.
Pay It Forward
I happened to find the movie “Pay It Forward” on one of the channels this past weekend and watched it with my wife. I thought it was one of the most inspiring films I’ve ever seen. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who hasn’t seen the movie yet.
The story line goes something like this…
Beginning as a seventh-grade social studies class assignment to put into action an idea that could change the world, young Trevor McKinney (Haley Joel Osment) comes up with a plan to do good deeds for three people who then by way of payment each must do good turns for three other people.
These nine people also must pay it forward and so on… if succussful, the resulting network of good-doers ought to comprise the entire world. Trevor’s attempts to get the ball rolling include befriending a junkie and trying to set up his recovering-alcoholic mother (Helen Hunt) with his burn-victim teacher (Kevin Spacey), who posed the assignment.
I don’t want to spoil it for people who have not seen the movie, so i’ll stop here… but I think this is precisely what we all aspire to do – to change the world for the better.
Here’s the trailer of the movie…
This morning, I was listening to one of my mentors who told me this…
“Do something positive today for someone in the knowing that there’s no way they can ever repay you. The world will be a better place because of it.”
His instruction wasn’t precisely to “pay it forward” but it kind of touches the gist of the concept.
One of the quotes from the movie by Haley Joel Osment (Trevor) that stuck in my mind was this:
“I guess it’s hard for people who are so used to things the way they are – even if they’re bad – to change. ‘Cause they kind of give up. And when they do, everybody kind of loses.”
Enjoy the movie!!
Becoming a Maverick Entrepreneur
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What’s a Maverick Entrepreneur?
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More money, more fun and more impact…
It’s all about the philosophy of making more money, having more fun and giving back more…while writing your own rules for success… It’s a refreshing change from everything else out there.
It was founded by one of the most successful internet marketers today, Yanik Silver. If you haven’t heard of Yanik, he literally started with an idea at 3 o’clock in the morning and built it into a multi-million dollar online business without any staff (aside from a few virtual assistants one and his one part-time employee, namely his wife).
But more than the financial side – I’m really impressed with the way he lives his life. He’s done everything from Running with the Bulls to signing up for one of the first space flights. Now I might want to skip some of adventures he takes part in – but it’s the philosophy of never settling for an ordinary life that really resonates with me.
Plus, his sense of making a difference has been impactful. His companies have donated hundreds of thousands to worthwhile causes and it’s central to his core mission.
It’s all about freedom!
Freedom to write your own ticket regardless of what’s going on with the crazy economy, the person in the White House or any external factor!
It’s not just about making more moolah – but truly leading a balanced life where you make time for what’s really important.
If you’re just getting going in your ventures no matter what industry you’re in – this is a perfect presentation to give you ideas on how to create a feeling of security in a very un-secure world.
If you’re already successful – you’ll want to pay attention to the areas of making the most of your life and experiencing the joy of truly making an impact.
Yanik is out to change the way business is done.
He has some pretty audacious goals (he calls it the “Big Hairy Audacious Goal”) to help ‘Maverick-tize’ 1,000,000 entrepreneurs by the year 2020 and impact 1,000,000 young entrepreneurs. You can watch this video that explains the 3 legs of his ‘Maverick Triangle’. It incorporates his philosophy of making more, having more fun and giving more back.
I was so impressed about his marketing savvy as well as this Maverick Entrepreneur philosophy that I’ve decided to hop on board. I even created a Facebook group to spread this philosophy! I think people do like the philosophy like I do as the group is consistently growing
Click Here if you’re also interested in hopping on board =)
Take a look at the following 34 rules that Yanik came up with. They are very insightful and are filled with golden nuggets that anyone can take away a few lessons from… Enjoy!
34 Rules for Maverick Entrepreneurs
1. It’s got to be a BIG idea that you, your team and your customers can “get” in seconds.
2. Strive to create 10x – 100x in value for any price you charge. Your rewards are always proportionate to the value you provide.
3. You must charge a premium price so you have a large margin to provide an extraordinary value & experience.
4. Provide a ‘Reason Why’ customers should do business with you and pay you a premium.
5. Get paid before you deliver your product or service. And when possible figure out how to create recurring revenue from transactions.
6. You get to make the rules for your business. Don’t let industry norms dictate how you’ll work or who you’ll work with.
7. Create your business around your life instead of settling for your life around your business.
8. Consistently and constantly force yourself to focus on the ‘critically few’ proactive activities that produce exponential results. Don’t get caught up in minutia & bullshit.
9. Seek to minimize start-up risk but have maximum upside potential.
10. Get your idea out there as fast as possible even if it’s not quite ready by setting must-hit deadlines. Let the market tell you if you have a winner or not. If not – move on and fail forward fast! If it’s got potential – then you can make it better.
11. Find partners and team members who are strong where you are weak and appreciate being paid on results.
12. Your reputation always counts. Honor your obligations and agreements.
13. Never, ever get paid based on hours worked.
14. Leverage your marketing activities exponentially by using direct response methods and testing.
15. Measure and track your marketing so you know what’s working and what’s not.
16. Bootstrap. Having too much capital leads to incredible waste and doing things using conventional means.
17. Your partners and employees actions are their true core – not what they tell you.
18. Keep asking the right questions to come up with innovative solutions. “How?”, “What?”, “Where?”, “Who Else?” & “Why?” open up possibilities.
19. You’ll never have a perfect business and you’ll never be totally “done”. Deal with it.
20. Focus most of your time on your core strengths and less time working in areas you suck at.
21. Make it easier for customers to buy by taking away the risk of the transaction by guaranteeing what you do in a meaningful way.
22. Always have something else to sell (via upsell, cross-sell, follow-up offer, etc) whenever a transaction takes place. The hottest buyer in the world is one who just gave you money.
23. Always go back to your existing customers with exceptional offers and reasons they should give you more money. It’s 5x less expensive to sell to happy customers than go find new ones.
24. However the flip side is – fire your most annoying customers. They’ll be replaced with the right ones.
25. The marketplace and competitors are always trying to beat you down to a commodity. Don’t let that happen.
26. Develop and build your business’s personality that stands out. People want to buy from people.
27. Create your own category so you can be first in the consumer’s mind.
28. Go the opposite direction competitors are headed – you’ll stand out.
29. Mastermind and collaborate with other smart entrepreneurs if they have futures that are even bigger than their present.
30. Celebrate your victories. It’s too easy to simply move on to your next goal without acknowledging and appreciating the ‘win’.
31. Make your business AND doing business with you FUN!
32. Do the unexpected before and after anything goes wrong so customers are compelled to ‘share your story’.
33. Get a life! Business and making money are important but your life is the sum total of your experiences. Go out and create experiences & adventures so you can come back renewed and inspired for your next big thing.
34. Give back! Commit to taking a % of your company’s sales and make a difference. It this becomes a habit like brushing your teeth pretty soon the big checks with lots of zeros won’t be scary to write. If you think you can’t donate a percentage of your sales simply raise your price.
Find out for yourself what it means to be part of the Maverick Entrepreneur tribe! Click Here
