Yin vs YangThe Battle for Success in Life

René Magritte’s The False Mirror

In the last 5 or so years, the world has undergone a mini revolution, one able to fly under the radar due to it’s nonviolent nature. This revolution is the information age, taking over by storm. The days of controlling information have become obsolete, and the way we live our lives has transformed.

Large or small, companies, criminals, business owners, politicians, and anyone else who’s central purpose has been the control and dissemination of information, now find their business models obsolete.

Musicians no longer need labels to be discovered by the world. Filmmakers have the means and resources to make a Jurassic Park size movie in their bedroom and can distribute the final result on the web. Entrepreneurs no longer need outside resources to start their dream business. All they need is and idea and the motivation to see it through. This revolution is going on right now, everywhere around the world.

Growing up, it was always about who you know. Now, it is just about who you are.

There are no more excuses. You can’t say, ‘I didn’t know how to do that,’ when all the answers are a Google search away. You can’t say, ‘I didn’t know anyone’, when every person and business is accessible in some shape and form on the net. You can’t even say, ‘well I didn’t have the money,’ when nowadays you rarely need it to get started.

In reality, it just comes down to us, staring into the mirror and realizing, there are no more excuses except the ones we create. There is nothing ‘we have to do’ that we are not passionate about. The only thing stopping you is the excuses you accept, and the only person in your way is staring right back at you.

Forget the limitations you think your body has.

Forget the fears of failure your mind projects.

All that matters is your spirit and your desire.

Let desire be your guide, and spirit be your strength. You always knew you could do it, you just needed a little time to accept the task at hand. Remember, success is getting up every day doing what you love. The rest just takes some time to fall into place.

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Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on twitter.

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Recently, I have been training Jiu Jitsu only once or twice a week. The reasons are many, but the truth is, it has been time to focus more on my business and family. My son Benjamin was born less than 3 months ago, and my business needed to go to the next level.

The funny thing about trying to get to the next level is that, just like Jiu Jitsu, it is impossible to control. It always seems the more effort you put to get to the next level, the harder you get pushed back. If you have ever felt like this, you know what I am saying. It’s like the more you want something, the harder it is to get it.

Then, recently, an opportunity presented itself for our business that was better than anything we could ever imagine. In fact, it was not just one, it was a multitude of them. Luckily, all that getting pushed back had prepared us to capitalize on these opportunities.

As I have always said, when things are not going like you want, it is easy to lose focus on your goal. There are litany of questions, both from outside sources such as family and friends, as well as right inside our own head. It can be tough to stay on course, especially with no idea how, or if, you are going to get where you want to go. But I promise, if you make it through that, there is a light at the end of the tunnel brighter and warmer then anything you can imagine.

To help you succeed at your goals, I have come up with the Jiu Jitsu method for achieving success in anything you choose.

The Tale of a White Belt and a Black Belt

In Jiu Jitsu, there is no linear course to achieving your goals. I don’t care what rank you are, there is always challenges out there. Even the best in the world go through their ups and downs. There is an old parable in Jiu Jitsu about the difference between a white belt and a black belt. The parable is about a student asking a teacher what is the difference between someone who only achieves a white belt, and someone who goes on to become a black belt. The teachers answer is, the black belt kept coming.

In life, achieving your goals can be tough. It is not like every day gets better then the last. Some days, the world is your oyster, and other days, it is like living in a dark abyss. Sometimes, that dark abyss can last for months, even years.

There have been many times in the past 3 years that I was ready to give up. I’m sure the same goes for my partner. We have spent countless time and effort to try and pursue our passions, only to be knocked down every time we seemed to get up. We would just continue to do our best, learn from our mistakes, and trudge on. Then something funny happened. Great opportunities we were seeking started to present themselves and suddenly, all of that seemingly wasted time and energy became worth every ounce of effort.

The Jiu Jitsu Method

• Step 1: Set a goal.
• Step 2: Get on the mat. This literally means set out in any way at all to try and accomplish your goal.
• Step 3: Fail. Failure is the 1st step to success. Every up and down is an equally valuable part of your journey.
• Step 4: Keep going. Have faith and remain patient no matter how long it takes. Only giving up is considered failure.
• Step 5: Succeed. Enjoy the fruits of your labor, and relive the journey by telling incredulous tales of overcoming adversity.

As a white belt in Jiu Jitsu, you learn quickly that it is a long road to the top, and you have two choices: Either keep going, or give up.

There is no set time table to achieve your goals. In most Jiu Jitsu schools, there is not even a time table to test for your next level. You simply get on the mat as often as you can and battle it out. These tough battles define the type of Jiu Jitsu player you become. At some point, your instructor awards you your next rank because they see your evolution through these battles, even if you do not. The only ‘test’ was to see if the battles, which get tougher as you get closer to your goal, cause you to give up. Everyone has a breaking point, and Jiu Jitsu constantly tests where yours is.

The same goes for achieving our goals in life. The only way to lose is to give up. We have to understand that there is no time table for our success, even though we wish there was. There is no set amount of time to achieve a goal, even if we try to set it. It simply happens when it does. Just like in Jiu Jitsu, it is extremely rare, if ever, that someone achieves great success right away. If you need a reminder of this, simply walk into any reputable Jiu Jitsu school and tell the highest ranking member you will kick his ass. The next 30 seconds should remind you that becoming great takes time & patience.

All we can do, is keep getting on the mat we call life, battling our way through adversity, and wait for the opportunity to present itself. It takes a lot of losing, failing, and effort to get where we want to go. It is during these times that life can seem like an eternity. But one day, when it finally clicks, and we suddenly start to achieve our goals, all of that effort is validated. All of the sweat, tears, and blood becomes a battle scar to be proud of. The dark days become stories we reflect on with great admiration because we survived. We made it through, and the tougher it was, the better it feels.

So the next time those dark times cloud your day like a rainstorm, remember how good it will feel to make it through. Try to visualize telling those stories as battle scars and use that as your umbrella. The Jiu Jitsu method for achieving success is fail proof. It is not possible to fail. It is only possible to give up.

The choice is ours.

Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on twitter.

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I recently was lucky enough to get to meet world renowned Brazilian Jiu Jitsu master, Jeff Glover. For those that don’t know, Jeff Glover is one of the best in the world, having won the No Gi Championship in 2007. Here is a great rundown on Jeff from the ADCC website…

This 145 pound black belt is a product of Ricardo “Franjinha” Miller. Now a days Jeff Glover is a teacher in a huge gym called Paragon Jiu-Jitsu, with four training centers in California. He was recently quoted in Gracie Mag to have “the most respected guard in the United States”. In 2007 Glover won gold in the no-gi World Championship.

Now, I have met and trained with, or taken seminars from, many world renowned Martial Artists. However, Jeff is the youngest I have ever encountered and what struck me was his personality. He is funny, over the top, and down right a joy to be around. Now, in a sport where you need to be tougher and smarter then your opponent, this may seem like a strange trait. However, to me, this is exactly why Jeff is a champion. He is himself at all times, and simply enjoys every minute of his day doing what he loves.

Jeff, himself is quoted on the ADCC website as saying…

I’ve been involved in jiu-jitsu for over ten years now, and my love for the art continues to be the driving force in my life.

That is something we at Yin vs Yang have been preaching forever. With the economy in ragged shape, housing at an all time low, and the majority of the world struggling to stay afloat, Jeff is a constant reminder that if you do what you love, none of that matters. He didn’t set out to make money by becoming a Jiu Jitsu champion. He simply started out wanting to train and get better. He told our school that he would get tapped over and over and over again, continually just trying to find his game. Eventually, his persistence paid off, and he even became known as having one of the best guards around. He mastered the deep half guard game, becoming an expert and revolutionizing its use. He did all this because he loves to.

Sometimes in life, we set goals for ourself that are far away. In Jiu Jitsu, you don’t set out to be a world champion. That is a great accomplishment. Truth is, you set out to train every day. Eventually, the opportunity presents itself because of the hard work you put in. Then, when you enter the tournament, that is when the goal of being a world champion sets in.

To be happy in life, we must set out with one goal: find what we love to do, and do it every day no matter what. In another words, “When the Passion is There, Success is Easy”

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For more incredible videos on Jeff Glover, check out Grappler’s Quest ‘Best of Jeff “The Pipelayer” Glover’ video list.

Photo Credit

Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on twitter.

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Colin, a talented friend of mine recently was inspired by the BP Oil incident and made the gut wrenching video below from all of the photos released about the spill. The visuals really hit home for me, choked me up, and inspired me to write some feelings I have had for a long time…

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The BP Oil Spill in the Gulf has really started to highlight a point I think the world has been missing for a long, long time. The truth is, WE are all connected. Yes, we meaning the Earth, all of its inhabitants, and humanity itself. Every creature plays a part in making this world what it is: but a small part of an expanding universe.

Yet for some reason, some time ago, the idea that animals, the Earth itself, or any other living organisms have the equal right to life as humans was discarded as hogwash. Humans are much more important, with a greater right to life, because we have a brain. That incredible brain that separates us as the cream of the animal crop is what allows us, and gives us the right, to F up the world when we want to. Right?

So what if we slaughter species after species of animals or no reason, or we ruin the one planet we have ever found that supports life. As long as someone somewhere is able to make large sums of money, who really cares about the ecosystem and the environment? I mean, if we screw up the earth, we can just move to…um….we can go live on….um…, yeah, exactly.

This is why, I just don’t get it anymore. I am fed up with humanity. On a smaller level, I simply drive down the road (an environmental issue onto itself), and I see animal after animal dead in the street. People don’t care. It’s cool, as long as they get where they are going. Then, on a major disaster level, we see something like the BP oil spill. Everyone is up in arms like this is first time, or unfortunately the last, an oil company has F’ed up an ecosystem. People will hoot and holler, but at the end of the day, it will just continue on, as long as we are able to live comfortably. Some politician(s) will use this to try and drum up votes at the next election. Some entrepreneur will find a way to profit, and the rest of us will simply move on to the next catastrophe.

However, this perspective needs to change, or it will be humanity’s downfall. A friend of mine recently mentioned something he heard and it completely blew my mind. Basically, he put it like this…

When the human body gets a virus, it lives and grows until it becomes a threat. Then the body naturally fights it with everything it has until the virus is dead, or the human is. Right now, we (humanity) are the virus. The Earth is the body, and it is fighting back against us. Volcano after volcano, earthquake after earthquake, tsunamis, etc. The Earth is tired of humanity and is doing its best to save itself and rid its body of the threat that humanity has become. And even if humanity survives, will the Earth?

I just don’t understand the universal logic that humans have a greater right to life than anything else on this planet. I mean we all live here, we all contribute, and we are all part of this once beautiful, sacred planet we call the Earth.

The government will do what they can to help, as long as it helps their supporter’s pocketbooks, or contributes to more votes for them. The majority of humans, probably including myself, will get over this at some point, and move on. This circle of life will continue until at some point, it will come to a crashing halt that will make this nightmare of a recession we are in look like heaven on Earth.

All I can say to everyone is please wake up.

The only way to change our perspective is through one person at a time. So the next time you pass a dead animal in the road, and swerve your car annoyed that it might get some blood on your tires, think of the animal itself. Think of that on a mass level happening everyday. Humanity is slowly biting the hand that feeds it. What started as a few nibbles, has snowballed into a voracious appetite for total destruction of the beautiful planet we live on, and everything that gets in our way.

Unfortunately for us, there is no check anyone can write to buy another Earth. So once again, please remind me, who are the animals with the advanced brains?

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Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on twitter.

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Recently, a friend of mine reached out to me about his problems. What transpired from our chat really opened up both of our minds. It’s quite amazing how trying to help people who no one else is willing to, can really help yourself.

My friend has currently lost his way in the world. His addictions have left him with no home, no family, no respect, and worse of all, a boatload of guilt. However, every chance my friend was ever given was never enough. Every hand that reached out to him was eventually bitten with regret for doing so. When everyone else said ‘no’, and someone believed in my friend, he would let them down every time.

People will say people like this are losers, addicts, weak, etc., and would probably be justified in doing so for the most part. I feel like even if they are all of these things, they are still a person who has accepted being so, something I find quite interesting. How does that happen? How does one settle to such a life?

As my friend and I were talking, he said something subtly that I couldn’t let go. He was speaking about his recent home in an island paradise, and how when he first went there, ‘I expected to find a wife, a new life, and happiness.’

At first, it was great. He was clean, had a job, a nice place, and some hope. But then life caught up when he lost his job after an argument with a co worker. He was denied unemployment, kicked out of his place, and had to live in a hostel because no one will lend an ex-addict money, not even family.

My friend confided how each experience like this digs a deeper whole in his soul. He is conflicted. On one hand, he says and believes he wants to be this ‘normal’ person with his own family, a job, and a small house somewhere. On the other hand, his actions show he chases every trail of debauchery he can find. This dual persona causes a deep depression and guilt for his choices in life.

As he was confiding this to me, I could not get over what he first said.

…I expected to find a wife, a job, a new life, and happiness.

…I expected….

That’s when it hit me. That was my friend’s entire problem. From day one, I realized he had this same reoccurring problem and it ruined his outlook. I also realized that is the same problem we all have. We all suffer from this, to one degree or another.

The problem is simply our expectations. Expectations play a huge part in our outlook on life. Think of it this way. If someone from meager beginnings grows up to get a small job, a wife, and enough money for his family to just live comfortably, they will feel great about their success.

If the same life was lived by someone from a wealthy background, they would probably feel like they were a failure. This is because, in their wealthy young life, they grew up expecting to live a certain way, at a certain standard. We all have these expectations, even now. We all picture where we ‘should be’ in life.

However, what if these seemingly motivating pictures (or goals as some may say) are the essence of our problems? What if when these pictures do not come true, we miss out on life’s true happiness simply because it is not as we pictured?

I think that is a major part of humanity’s issues. We all have these grand expectations for everything as human beings. We all do our best to live up to them. Some of us are even willing to die, or kill, to meet those expectations. Some of us are having a hard time dealing with not meeting those expectations, and are racked with self loathing guilt over it.

Life for me has changed as I have tried recently to forego all my expectations. Maybe it’s not so important where we are supposed to be. Maybe all that is important is where we really are, and what action we can take from there. Maybe we need to not only watch our own expectations, but also the expectations we place on others.

Think of all the times you expected someone to do something, or act a certain way, or do as you would have done in a situation. Think of all the times you were disappointed when people did not do as you thought. Then think about this.

If you never had those expectations, would you feel differently about those people? What if you just learned from those let downs? For example, if somebody blurted out a secret you confided in them, you would probably be livid. You expected they would keep it a secret. However, once they do not, isn’t easier to just understand that person can not keep a secret?

Instead, most of us, or at least me, tend to focus our energies on getting even, or getting back at this person for not meeting OUR expectations. I mean, who are we that we think we know the right way for everyone else to act?

Yet we all tend to think we do. We were each raised with these expectations for ourselves. They are not only self created. Our environments and life experience have played a major role in our expectations. Typically, these expectations define who we are, and our level of happiness in life.

Is it possible to forego all expectation in life. I actually think it is quite fun. It really opens up new doors you never imagined. While I spent most of my life closing all of these doors to people who did not live up to one expectation or another, I now try not to close any doors. Every person’s life experience can be useful in this world. Even people you loathe.

It may sound crazy, but try dropping your expectations for everything. Try not expecting the movie you go see to be great, or the dinner at the restaurant to be perfect, or the traffic on the way to work to be suddenly gone. Try just to take life as it comes, and roll with the punches. It has really helped me deal with many of my personal issues in life.

My friend was also taken back by this. For at least one night, his mind was opened, and there was a sense of relief. He wondered if maybe I was right. Is it possible the whole time he was just angry and could not deal with people living up to his expectations, including himself? Is it possible everything in his life would be different if he didn’t harbor these heavy expectations on his shoulders?

I don’t know. It’s just a thought….

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Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on twitter!

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For anyone new here, the goal of this blog is to motivate you in the daily battle for success in life. Sometimes that battle is financial, sometimes personal, sometimes internal, and sometimes out of your control. However, the important part about any battle, is understanding you are in one.

If you are not literally ‘battling’ for success, then chances are, success is not going to find you. Even someone I grew up with, now known worldwide as ‘the situation’, battled through a lot just to make it on to that reality show that made him famous. I’m not going to go into details, but trust me, the kid could not get someone to get a slice of pizza with him 2 weeks after the show stopped filming. Now, everyone I know talks about him and how ‘lucky’ he is.

I’m not a big believer in luck. I kind of think, bad or good, everyone has luck. It’s how you deal with everything else that matters. Battling for success is about understanding first & foremost that it is going to be a battle. A tough one at that. It is going to take everything you have to win this battle. There will be many ups and downs that cloud your confidence. Staying focused is the key.

Understanding how to battle your way to success is going to come from inside you. Only you know about the ‘voices’ or ‘intuition’ you get when you know you should do something, but you don’t want to. That is part of the battle. In fact, as I said before, you should try to look forward to the things you don’t want to do, cause each one brings you closer to your goal.

Reaching that goal is what this site is dedicated to helping you with. So, with that in mind, I have put together a few lessons I have learned about battling toward my goal of success, which is to make a living doing what I love.

Enjoy the Storm

As I write this there is a Winter Storm blaring on par with a level 2 Hurricane out my window. It’s a perfect analogy for the battle to success. Success is like a far destination you have to get to in this kind of weather. At first the road may seem easy to navigate, but as the weather worsens, and the storm picks, up, things will get extremely difficult to manage.

The way you react to these obstacles is what defines your success. Think of it this way. If you are driving in a snowstorm, what’s the best way to drive?

If you step on the gas, rev your engine, and peel out down the snow-covered block, chances are you will not get too far before the sound of metal crunching is heard.

If you put on your emergency lights, and drive 2 miles per hour, stopping every time the car seems to slip the slightest bit, as your two ghost-white sweaty palms grip the steering wheel like life depended on it, chances are you should not even bother getting on the road. Ever notice, car accidents happen a lot to people who seem solely focused only on avoiding them?

The best approach to driving in a snow storm is to take your time, not overreact, and calmly assess each situation on the road as it comes up. You have to come to a calm understanding that, even though things are really bad outside, you can handle it. In fact, you live to handle it.

There’s Only One Way to Get a Black Belt

Once you understand you are in a battle, you will realize you have to take your lumps too. Can’t become a great fighter without getting beat up. It’s just not possible. Same goes for success. You are going to make mistake after mistake. Some people call this failure. I call it learning. In fact, I have yet to meet a success that had not lived through some sort of failure.

There is a saying in Jiu Jitsu that there is only one difference between someone who gets a black belt, and someone who does not. It is not their athleticism, or their physique. It is not their genetics, their technique, or their personality. It is only one simple thing that separates every white belt who ever got on the mat and the people who eventually succeeded in getting black belts. Do you know what that difference is?

The black belts kept coming. That’s it. If any of those white belts would have done the same, eventually, they would have became black belts themselves. Maybe not as fast, or at the same pace, but they would have eventually reached their goal.

The point of the story for you is, what ever your goal, you must get on the mat. If you want to win the lottery, you must first play a ticket. If you want to hit a home run, you must first strike out (or get really lucky). If you want to be successful, you must first….TRY! Then you must try, try, try again, until you get there. No matter how long it takes, you will not give up.

Success is a mindset!

Being successful at anything is all about your mindset, not your finances, or your clothing brand, or your material things. Take all of that away from a successful person, and chances are they will get it right back. That’s because they believe they are successful.

If you can’t picture yourself successful, or you judge every detail of your journey as a make or break moment, then you will not be successful. Successful people are like black belts. They know, whatever challenges they face, they will be successful. They know if they fail a challenge, they will just come right back and try again. However, this time, they will be even stronger from their previous defeat.

It is this mindset that lead successful people to their goals. They are not just lucky, or born more fortunate. They simply have taken the hand life dealt them and rolled with it. If someone’s got a better hand, so be it. If someone’s hand is worse, so be it too. After all, it’s not the cards, but how you play them.

In life, it’s not the battles that matter, it’s simply how you choose to fight them.

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Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on twitter.

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For the last three plus years, I have been engrossed with the web, social media, and its effect on the way businesses market their products and services. My company, Pixel Mobb is an elite unit of versatile talent producing high end new media. We specialize in building brands.

Based on this experience, I thought it would be a great value to list the top ten lessons I have learned on the web as a business, blogger, and every day web surfer.

1. Information is Today’s Money Maker

Welcome to the information age. On the web, people, businesses, and anyone in between are all after one thing: Information. They will stop at nothing to get it, mercilessly entering phrases into their favorite search engine until they find what they seek. You do it, I do it, we all do it. Now that we know what everyone is after, we can move on.

2. Branding is Everything

Branding your business, or self, is the key to success on the web. Remember, people are looking for information. Once you figure out what information you are going to provide, the next step is to build a ‘brand’ around it. You don’t have to be Nike to take branding your business serious. Know what value your information holds, who is after it, and then brand yourself as that answer. Branding encompasses your web design, brand message, and defines who you are in the minds of your target market.

3. The Value of Your Information or Service = Your ROI

We understand that everyone is after information. However, a key to success on the web is using web analytics (tracking) to help determine exactly how many people are actually searching for that information daily. You may be the foremost expert on how to build doghouses from snow, but if no one is looking for that information, it is useless to start a blog or business about it.

I am not going to get into the depths of analytics, and how to use the information. There are endless resources on the web that can explain it much better than me. In fact, that’s how I learned. Just be sure you understand the value of being able to see how much of a market there is for your idea, before you dive into it.

4. The Web is the Central Hub for any Business

Years ago, if people wanted information, they had to find it. If a business created a brochure, commercial, or even a website, they focused their efforts on giving as much information as possible all at once, for fear of the client not getting more than one impression.

Well obviously, the web has changed everything. Now businesses know, whatever marketing they do, the target market is most likely to check the website before contacting the business. It’s just easier for them. Why go to the hassle of calling someone, and speaking to them, when the information is only a few clicks away?

Businesses know this, and the trend has been toward more enticing marketing pieces with less information. In fact, the less, the better. Put the relevant information on your site, and let that be the ‘central hub’ of information for your business. That means, if anyone wants to know anything about your blog, or business, they have to go to the site to find out. The marketing pieces simply concentrate on spreading your brand’s message, not necessarily the info about it.

5. Social Media takes time for any ROI

So you opened up a twitter account, and now what? You have been tweeting away, even on Facebook, and trying all sorts of things to gain traffic. After a few months of effort, it is getting kind of redundant. What can you do?

You may not want to hear this, but just keep going. Social Media can take time, and a little luck, to really work for you. The basic idea is to keep plugging away until you get what you are looking for. Do not pay much attention to the ‘subscriber number flexing’ of other sites. Simply put, concentrate on putting out the best information you can, and tough it out. Eventually, if your information is valuable enough, the fruits of your labor will begin to blossom.

6. Every Social Media weapon has its Uses

Okay, so I signed up for twitter, facebook, linkedin, myspace, digg, reddit, stumbleupon, and every forum I could find, but I have not had much success. What’s the deal?

If this sounds like you, let me help you out. Social Media tools, like the above sites, are like Martial Arts weapons. You don’t have to master every weapon to become an effective Martial Artist. You start off mastering one, and when you are done with that, then you move on. The same goes for the web. Try out one Social Media weapon at a time, and see how it truly works. If you just jump all over everything, you may never see which one truly should be your brand’s weapon of choice.

7. Practice makes Permanent

Like anything else in life, practicing using the web to your advantage is the only way to learn. You can read up on methods, ideas, and strategies all day, but the truth is, until you try them for yourself, you never know how they will work. Every blog, business, and entity is slightly different from the rest. What works for one, may not work for the other. That’s okay. Just put the time in, and everything else will follow.

8. Your Competition is Your Friend

Growing up in the real world, I learned all about the sometimes cutthroat competition between similar businesses. Well, the web has changed that too. Now, your biggest competition is also your biggest asset.

Remember, we spoke about the value of information for a target market. This blog is all about the daily battle for success in life. It is a personal development (PD) blog, which means, that other PD blogs are my FRIEND.

How can that be? Well remember, people who read PD blogs are my target market. On the web, it is quite easy to surf from one blog to another. So chances are, if they like my competition’s blog, they will probably enjoy mine as well, and vice versa. That is why if you link up with the competition, both of you can benefit from each other’s traffic.

9. Building a Web Presence is Hard G** Damn Work

Sounds so easy, right? Well don’t get too excited. Building a web presence takes relentless effort and dedication to be successful. It rarely happens overnight, and if it does, there was probably a lot of work prior to getting to that point. So tuck your chin, and get on the virtual mat to take your lumps. Think of it this way. If you are not working on getting that traffic, that traffic isn’t stopping. It’s going somewhere else.

10. Can it Be That it is All So Simple?

Love ending with a Wu-Tang classic! The truth is, using the web to your advantage is really simple. It takes a plan, execution, and then you make adjustments, and start again. Simply put, you have to put in the work to learn how business works. However, be warned, there is no excuse. Every piece of information you desire is located somewhere on this world wide wondrous web, which means success is only fingertips away.

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Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on twitter.

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Building a business can be quite a journey. Everyone knows the road is rough in the beginning, and each day is one fight after another to become, and ultimately stay, successful. I have been busy navigating my own path as of late, and I thought I would share all we have learned.

Like anything else in life, the key to success is all how you battle through the storm.

The Passion Mobb

Pixel Mobb was created as a unity between multi-talented creatives in the media field. Basically, that means a video guy and businessman, partnered with a graphic designer/web guy, and working with two music producers and a cinematographer, combined all their incredible individual talents into one company, kind of like the cartoon Voltron.

It was a novel idea, and I was excited to be a part of it. Everyone involved is ultra talented, friendly, and most important of all, passionate about what they do. We were bucking the system, sacrificing everything to do what we love. In the beginning, the sun was bright, and possibilities for the future were as endless as time itself.

The Clouds Form

When a business starts out, it is an exciting time. Every business lasts this way for a certain amount of time. Some are successful off the bat, but most hit their first patch of gray sky sooner than later.

Everyone has a different viewpoint on a storm. Some will say it’s the worst storm they ever saw, while their neighbor is outside walking a dog with a cigarette. It’s all in the eye of the beholder. In business, it’s exactly the same.

How you handle that first storm, an each one after that, is what defines you as a business. Whether an internet, service, or a product based business, you will be tested at every turn keep your cool, and stay on your path.

The Settlers

It can be easy to settle for less when you first start out. Money is money, and clients are clients. Every business has to sacrifice in the beginning. However, sacrificing does not mean settling.

Settlers will adjust their plan to every storm, trying to avoid each one. They will let their competition & clients define who they are. They will continue to settle for mediocre results in the chase for money.

It can be easy sometimes for a Settler to tell them self they are trying, when all they are doing is trying to float by like a high school delinquent, hoping no one notices. Shit, if they are earning a buck or two, who is to complain, right?

Wrong. I used to be a settler because I didn’t know any better. In fact, I think I always was a settler until I got into my business, and learned that settling now means never being ‘settled’ later on.

The Rain Begins to Fall

All businesses take time to find their place. It’s like getting on the mat in Jiu Jitsu for the first time. Sure, you know how to fight for your life, and maybe even have some wrestling training or other strategic advantage. Truth be told though, your first time on the mat is going to be rough. It is a new world, no matter how familiar it may seem at first. Eventually, after much effort, you will realize, ‘damn, i have a long way to go.’

Businesses are quite similar. You may know the terrain, what you have to do, and how to do it, but there will always be obstacles in the way, the biggest of which is usually MONEY.

When things get rough for a business, Money is always at the heart of the argument. The bottom line, is even when it rains, a business needs to pay the principals involved. If it doesn’t, then what is the point? Well, for a business to grow, and make it through the initial storm, the key is to concentrate on Profit margin, not money.

Is that a Hurricane?

When money is tight, things can seem rough. I had the same issue, especially in this economy, time and time again. No matter what business we got, or how well we performed, the storm just seemed to be getting worse and worse.

The ultimate purpose of any business is to make money. However, successful businesses know it is actually quite a different purpose. The real purpose for any business is first, to provide value. Value is what you are giving in exchange for your client’s money. For Pixel Mobb, we essentially build effective media pieces that grab attention. The value is in the effectiveness of the media we create.

Clients come to us, because they see what we can do and they want to know how we can do it for them. This was our initial business plan. We do websites and videos and we can do them really well which is a big value to any business, small or large.

So why does there seem to be a hurricane forming in the horizon in your business? It could be because, like us, the price your are accepting in exchange for your ‘value’ is not inclusive of enough profit margin, the true value of success for any business.

The Eye of the Storm

When the wind is blowing all around, and rain is pelting you in the eye, it can be difficult to charge forward as a business. The goal, though, is to keep moving toward your goal no matter what.

The virtual swirling winds and rain represent all of the obstacles in your way. They may not ever completely disappear, but that does not mean you can not find balance.

For a business to properly balance itself, it must first understand what it is worth. Many new businesses think like I did. You need a website, then my business can help. You need a video, then we can do it. As long as we make a little money, what is the harm?

The harm is in setting the line too low. In order for a business to survive, it must…

• give the proper service to match its value
• have room for error and the unknown
• do the work professionally, dotting every i and crossing every t.
• ultimately provide the maximum value for its clients

In order for a business to do all of these things, they must make money doing it. That means setting the right price for your product or services, and sticking to it. If value is what you provide, don’t be afraid to charge for it. When you set the budget line low, you set the expectations for your services low as well.

A client does not think they spent $500, and you worked 80 hours. They simply think, I spent $500 and I want the most value I can get for that investment. Once the client is yours, and you settled for less, then the problem is unfixable. Once you set that profit margin low, it can be near impossible to ever get it back.

The First Sign of Light

Sticking to a higher profit margin for your business is not easy at first. There will be many times when you may have to turn down work, even though you need the money. Truth is, even though you may make a few hundred dollars, the time it will take to do so can be used to make much more money if you do not settle for less. Instead of settling for less, why not spend that time to do that project on doing what you have to to find the proper clients?

Think of it this way. What do you want from your business?

• To make enough money to live comfortably?
• To provide value to the industry?
• To have good clients that appreciate your service/product?

If you answered ‘Yes’ to all 3, then in order to do that, you may have to raise your price, not lower it. Lowering your price is really conveying to clients that you are lowering the value of what you do. You are willing to accept less, in order to survive. It is like settling for a newspaper to cover yourself in a hurricane. Sure, it may work a little, but what is the end result really going to be? Get another newspaper?

The Beauty after the Storm

For our company, settling for any clients just to pay our bills actually hurt us. In order to do the job right, we needed to do the whole job. The minute we lowered our price, we expected the client to understand that we gave them a break, so they need to give us a break. That never happens though. Clients are clients, no matter what price they pay.

Protect yourself by setting the price that is going to make you happy in your business. Think of it this way:

“If you can’t get paid what you need to make a living, then you are not really making a living.”

The problem may not be your high price, but rather the low value you are providing. Charge right, and provide that value to the utmost of your business’s ability. Creating that value is the only way to get through the rough patches. It may be tough at first, but nothing is more beautiful then the wondrous light after a terrible storm.

photo credit

What is money? I mean, really, what is this paper that everyone including myself obsesses their life over to the point that it controls the outcome of everything we do?

“Money is anything that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts. The main functions of money are distinguished as: a medium of exchange, a unit of account, a store of value, and occasionally, a standard of deferred payment” -source

So basically, money is what we need to live, or else we will not be able to survive comfortably. This includes shelter, food, clothing, and maybe even more important today, technology too.  The more we chase money, the more security we will have in life.

Well, I am not so sure this is the proper way to think about money anymore.

In fact, thinking about money at all is probably the single biggest thing holding all of us back.

It certainly has held me back for years. I went to film school, graduated with a nomination as best director for my thesis film, and then went on to chase money for years. I did not know how to make money with my video skills. I refused to do weddings, sweet sixteens, and bar/bat mitzvahs as that really did not interest me. Instead, I fell into an easy job selling mortgages through my connections in Jiu Jitsu.

Mortgages were not my passion, but I needed money. I told myself that if I got enough money, I would be able to live out my passion. Let me repeat that.

I rationalized that if I got enough money doing mortgages, then I would be able to do what I love and make videos.

Now, I realize this is backwards logic. Not only did I fail doing mortgages, but I hated every minute of it. I would cringe when people would ask what I did. Not that there is anything wrong with doing mortgages, it’s just everyone knew I loved to do film. So inevitably, the next question after I responded ‘mortgages’ was, ‘what happened to film?’

What happened to it was I had the wrong logic. I could not make enough money doing mortgages because I did not love doing it. It was not for me. I was a creative video guy. I love movies, art, music, jiu jitsu, mma, and writing. I don’t love financial indexes, treasuries, and interest rates.

In order to be successful in life, we must do what we love.

There is no other option, no matter what we rationalize in our head. It is inevitable, otherwise we will be miserable. You do not start out chasing money to do what you love. You do what you love, and watch the money chase you.

Let me re-write the second paragraph in this post, from right under the quote from wikipedia, replacing the word ‘money’ with ‘our passion’.

‘So basically, our passion is what we need to live, or else we will not be able to survive comfortably. This includes shelter, food, clothing, and maybe even more important today, technology too.  The more we chase our passion, the more security we will have in life.’

Now that makes more sense.

Money only exists in our minds. It is easy to see the relationship between having a lot of money and getting the things you desire. However, you are not visualizing the road to get a lot of money if this is the case.

Navigating down the road to get a lot of money takes hard work, dedication, persistence, perseverance, and passion to be able to overcome the many, many, many obstacles you will encounter. Without a love for what you do, you will not survive. You see, in order to get to the end of this road, you must travel a long time without the security of a good financial situation. And since money will not be there with you, there must be something else motivating you to reach your goal. That motivation is your passion, or doing what you love.

For me, the plan for my life has become quite simple:

1. Do what I love & Build My Reputation.
2. Survive.
3. Succeed.

Don’t let money cloud your mind like I did. Don’t let money be a deciding factor in how you spend your life. There is no security in money. It does not really exist, and therefore, can disappear at anytime. Security comes from doing what you love, and learning how to make that work for you.

(taken from my iphone)

Article by Peter J. Normandia. Follow me on Twitter.

I have been quite busy lately, and not able to write as often as I like. Actually, I probably could if I wanted to, but I honestly have been focused elsewhere.

One of the great things this break has given me is a chance to really re-evaluate some of the things I wanted to write. Well, I was lucky enough to see an example of this in the flesh when Robert Drysdale gave a seminar at my Jiu Jitsu school.

For those that don’t know, Robert Drysdale is one of the top Jiu Jitsu guys in the world. He was Randy Couture’s Jiu Jitsu coach on season 1 of the Ultimate Fighter, and he most recently was Frank Mir’s coach against Brock Lesnar at UFC 100.

I have been to many Martial Arts seminars by greats such as Royler Gracie, David Adiv, Joel Brutus, and Rodrigo Pinheiro. All of their seminars were filled with excellent technique demonstrations, powerful lessons, and incredible learning experiences. However, there is one way that Robert Drysdale’s seminar differed from all the rest.

He incorporated more than just the technique, he included lessons on attitude as well.

When he would show a move, he would talk about two parts. First, he spoke of how & when to perform the technique he was teaching. Secondly, he spoke about the state of mind needed to pull off the move. So for example, when facing a larger opponent, he spoke of completing 3 moves to every one that the larger guy does. This is how you use your speed to an advantage as a smaller individual.

It was very interesting to hear what I have been privately learning since I started Jiu Jitsu. The techniques are all teachable and easy to learn. However, in the state of mind you have during battle that determines how successful you are.

It is amazing how much an effect your state of mind has on your performance!

In life and in business, it is much the same. The art of making money, building a business, and doing the work is rather simple when you think about it. It is the state of mind you take into work everyday that makes all the difference. It is the vigor you attack the obstacles in the way of achieving your goals that matters most.

And, most importantly, as Robert Drysdale mentioned, it is the attitude of a winner that allows you to overcome any challenge. Being afraid of losing is the same as being afraid of winning.

What matters is building the confidence in yourself that you can solve and meet any challenges you face.

Then, when you wind up in a tough predicament, you will be confident you can overcome that too, b/c you have done it before, and can do it again.

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