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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.

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

Every person in the world runs into at least one problem a day. When you are a business owner, it can seem like you run into a problem per minute. Every time you solve one dilemma, an even tougher one seems to pop up out of nowhere. 

Dealing with problems is part of the job description for every entrepreneur. If you are not dealing with them, you are certainly delegating who is. Either way, you are going to set the tone for how problems are handled in your business, and better know the difference between problem solving and problem evolving.

If you tend to get emotional, your staff will do the same. If you tend to ignore the problems, your staff will follow suit. If you are waiting for someone to care more about your business than you, you are simply not cut from entrepreneurial cloth. Your business is your baby. Problems come with the business. Therefore, problems become your baby. The question is, are you a problem evolver, or a problem solver?

Problem Evolvers

Oxford American dictionaries states the definition of evolve is ‘to develop gradually, from a simple to a complex form‘. When a problem arises in a business, a problem evolver takes the initial problem and begins to mold it into something much, much worse. Their focus is solely on the problem, it’s possible consequences, and how they can be affected by it the least.

Problem evolvers tend to constantly bring up the problem, it’s inevitable doom, and who is to blame. They focus on the problem, who is responsible for it, and what consequences that party shall face. Instead of focusing on the solution, they make the person most responsible for the problem the target of their energy.

Problem Solvers

To solve a problem, according to Oxford American, means to ‘find an answer to, explanation for, or means for effectively dealing with (a problem or a mystery).‘ Essentially, problem solvers treat problems like a big game. They turn problems into fun riddles and challenges that drive them to find solutions.

Problem solvers never pinpoint blame, even if it is rightfully deserved. They don’t see an employee or a client as a problem. They see the position that that employee or client was put in as the problem. Problem solvers don’t worry about the potential consequences. They focus on how to surpass those obstacles, even when it seems there is no hope of doing so. Problem solvers remain calm, cool, and collected in order to take a fresh approach to the problem. After all, it is a game, and they want to win as much as possible.

The Unavoidable Truth

Truth be told, if you are in business, you are going to have to learn to deal with problems on a consistent basis. The growth of your business, especially if it’s yours, solely depends on your ability to navigate through the daily, sometimes seemingly insurmountable problems that swoop in like rain clouds on a sunny day.

If you can’t avoid them, you might as well learn to enjoy them. Become a problem solver, make it all a game, and challenge yourself to lead your business through whatever storm might come next. You are ready. You are confident. You are excited, because you are a Problem solver. Problems are what you love. In fact, you look forward to them and revel in setting an example for your staff and clients. Handling them is the daily challenge that gets you out o bed in the morning. What once was a burden, now becomes your fuel. Say it with me…

‘I am a problem solver. Handling problems is what I do. I know a problem without a solution does not exist. In fact, the bigger the problem, the more fun the challenge.‘

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

Inspired recently by Napolean Hill’s classic book ‘Think and Grow Rich‘, my partner and I recently sat down to plan our strategy to make more money than we can count. The following steps are the process we went through over the last year to get to the point where we were able to make this plan. There are six steps in the plan put forth in ‘Think and Grow Rich’. I have included them in this list, and added my interpretation of them. If you have not read ‘Think and Grow Rich’, I certainly suggest it. I can’t say it will make you rich, whatever your definition of that is, but it will certainly open your mind to the fact of just how possible it is to become so.

1. Think about what type of life you would like to live.

Don’t think about money. Money is pointless at this stage. In fact, pretend money does not exist. You simply have to choose what you will spend the majority of your time on. Now, don’t worry about changing your mind. That is okay. The important thing is to be successful in whatever you do, so learning how to succeed on one path will easily translate over to the next. Even if you pick the wrong path, it will not be a waste of time.

2. Write down how much money you would like to make.

As Napolean Hill says, you need to define this number and make a commitment to it. Write it down on a piece of paper right now. Don’t be scared either. I wrote down $200 million. My partner wrote down $333 million. Remember, this is our one life. If we are not going to try and go big, then why try at all? 

3. Write down what you are willing to sacrifice for this financial gain.

Napolean Hill opened my eyes to a very simple concept, that for some reason or other, had eluded me. If you want to make a lot of money, it is going to take sacrifice. It is not simply, think about it, and it will happen. You are going to have to give up family time, weekends, hobbies, television, and all sorts of things. Right now, list all of the things you are willing to give up to reach this goal. Remember, the higher the sum, the more sacrifice it requires.

4. Make a due date.

Another great step from ‘Think and Grow Rich’. Define the time period in which you want to achieve this goal by setting a due date to reach it. Now, don’t be scared to make the commitment. I wrote down 3 years with a due date of 7/4/2012. You can write down anything you like. The important part is to make that date and stand by it no matter what. Write it down right now.

5. Make a plan to acquire those sums.

This step from the book is quite useful. It helped us tremendously. You see, my partner and I had a couple of services that we are releasing this June. Now, originally, we were set on a certain strategy for marketing these services. We were thinking, in a few years, we may be able to collect enough monthly to pay all our bills. However, with this new commitment to a large financial gain, we had to think bigger. So we did, and what we came up with is incredible! I am not able to delve into details at this time, but the idea is probably our best idea yet. I can’t believe we didn’t see it before. We would have never thought of it had we not been forced to plan a way on how to make our fortune.

What I learned while doing this is, if you do not make a plan, how can you hope to achieve that sum? The answer is you can’t. That’s why, right now, you need to take some time and write down exactly how you plan to acquire the sum you desire. Don’t worry about the small details. Just get to thinking how you are going to take your passion, and turn it into gold.

6. Read it 2x a Day

So you now have a list. Napolean Hill, and my partner who had read hundreds of similar books, both say you should write the plan as if it already happened. For example, you may write…

“In the last 3 years, I have acquired $200 million dollars. To get this sum, I have sacrificed time with my family, weekends, television, training, luxuries, expensive dinners, good credit, sweat, blood, and tears. My fortune was acquired by (insert plan here). 3 years ago, I made a deal that by today, I will have acquired $200 million. There is no feeling quite like knowing I achieved my goal. It is too treasured to try and explain with mere words.“

Napolean Hill suggests reading it when you wake up, and before you go to bed. I think, as long as you read it daily, it will have the same effect. The important part is to get a taste of the incredible feeling of reaching that goal every time you read it. That is your daily motivation, Not the money, but that feeling of success. Right now, write down your own tale, as you would be telling it to others, after it is accomplished.

7. Believe in Your Ability

One of the things this book has done for me is it cemented the thought in my head that I really can do anything I want to. I think, along the course of our life, barraged by negativity day after day, we tend to doubt our ability to achieve things. ‘Sure, I’d love to be rich, but I’m just not the rich type.’ If you think like this, unfortunately, you are a 100% right.

To follow your plan, you must believe in it whole heartedly. You must believe that even if you are not ready at this very moment, by following that path, you will become as ready as you will ever be. It is not you that makes the path, but rather the path that makes you. You have made a commitment because you believed in your self. Now you have to do your best to stick to it.

8.  Start Right Now!

This is Napolean Hill’s final step in his book. He points out that, whether you are ready or not, you must start on this plan right now. It reminds me of starting out in Jiu Jitsu. They don’t show you moves, and make sure you know what to do before you start. Instead, they simply throw you right into the fire. To become good at Jiu Jitsu, you must first learn what NOT to do, before you learn what to do. The same goes for your plan. Jump right into the fire, and trust in your ability to adapt. Humans are nature’s greatest example of adaptation, so don’t tell me you don’t adapt well. Tell me you choose not to let yourself adapt well, because you are afraid you might not succeed. That is the truth, and from here on out, as you set out to start on this plan, the truth is all you have left.

9. Be honest with yourself.

Making a commitment to reach a goal is quite scary. It may sound ridiculous to others. It may invoke some teasing from friends and family. People think I am a moron when I tell them I am going to make $200 million in the next three years. However, I don’t care what anyone thinks. I don’t expect them to believe me. If someone told me that, I would not believe them either.

The truth is, you are not telling these people when you speak to them. You are telling yourself. You are being honest with yourself and your intentions. This is an important part of self confidence. Be firm in what you want. Don’t let anyone tell you different. It is your life, and the only thing you can do, is be honest with yourself about how you want to live it.

10. Money is not important.

This may seem ironic. If money is not important, than why the hell did we waste our time on the first 9 steps? The answer is that money is one part of living a stress free life. The feeling of reaching the goal you set out to reach is the true treasure of this journey. Imagine the possibilities that will open if you firmly believed you can achieve anything if you actually committed your mind to it. Think about the smug feeling of confidence you would have the next time somebody laughs at your lofty goals.

This is the feeling you need to have right now. This is the feeling of confidence you need to make your plan a reality. It’s not about the money, even though there will be plenty. It’s about harnessing the power of your mind, and realizing that with the gifts you have right now, anything, anything at all, is possible. It’s just a matter of committing yourself to it. Are you ready?

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

Are you a control freak? I think we all are at times, some more than others. Over the course of the last few years, as my business has slowly grown, I have learned that a big key to success is learning to let go and not freak the hell out about it. If you find yourself freaking out at the thought of letting someone else do work for your business without you looking over their shoulder, then this post is definitely for you.

For those of you who don’t know, I am partners in the media production company Pixel Mobb. Being that we are content creators, as well as web and video guys, it would seem logical for us to design our own website and marketing materials. However, when you are building a business, paying the bills comes first. So creating content for clients has taken priority over our creating content for us.

Not only that, but we also have had quite a hard time branding ourselves, though apparently that is normal. My partner recently read about a famous logo designer that took 12 years to design his own logo. I guess it can be hard when you have to do it for yourself, and not a client. A client gives direction, feedback, and provides work that has no previous emotional attachment. When it’s time for you to give direction and feedback on your own company, many things can cloud the focus you need to have.

That’s why you need to learn about letting go.

Entrepreneurs are hungry, motivated, do-it-yourself type of people. They don’t let obstacles stand in the way of their goals. They do what they have to to get things done. These are excellent traits, and necessary in order to achieve success. However, the one thing entrepreneurs have a tough time with, is letting go of the steering wheel for their business.

For example, I have had many clients who hired us to do a site with this exact problem. They loved our ideas, our portfolio, and our personality. We sign the contract, work out the details, and get to building the site. When they look at the design comps however, they want to make changes. They want to move things around for no particular reason other then that’s where they think it should go. They want to resize things, and use elements in the site they think are cool, or that a friend of a friend gave them.

Now, you may be reading this saying that is their right as a client. Truth be told, you are right. In the end, we will do what the client wants. However, time and time again, that client’s site does not succeed the way they envisioned. Sure, they get what they wanted, but they don’t get the important part: our company’s experience. Each decision we make is based on the tons of experience we have. The funny thing is, our experience is the only reason a client even hires us anyway.

The reason they hired us was because they liked what we have done as professionals. After they hired us, though, these particular clients acted as if they were the professionals. They hired us to do a job, and now they are telling us what to do.

Picture this with another occupation, such as a house builder. Imagine telling the builder what materials to use, where to put the nails, and the order to build the house in. The builder would tell you you’re crazy, and not take the job.

Now, while I complain about my clients like this, as a business owner, I have also been THOSE clients. I have caught myself telling ideas to people with much more experience than me, then thinking to myself, what the hell am I doing? I hired these professionals, let me do what they say. That is when the relief washes over me. It’s not my responsibility. Give them a chance and see if they do well. If not, you will find out that you have not hired the right person, which is my responsibility. Hiring a robot is not good for any business, as what’s the point of hiring a company you have to take time to manage?

There is none, except to ease your fears that it won’t turn out the way you want. However, you need to move past that, and trust in your ability to hire the right people for the job.

This is called letting go.

It can be the single toughest thing for you to possibly do with your business. At the end of the day, most business owners are control freaks in one way or another. In order to learn to let go, and keep your wits about you, I have come up with the following list.

5 Reasons To Let Go & Not Freak the Hell Out

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1. Know your role.

You have hired a person to do a job. There is a reason for that. Either you can not do it yourself, you lack the experience, of you simply lack the time. Whatever the reason, you have hired this person to take their time to complete your objective. If you don’t have the time, experience, or knowledge to do it yourself, then you don’t have the time, experience, or knowledge to tell someone how to do it either. Make sense?

2. Your input has it’s limitations.

Many entrepreneurs are great idea people. It comes with the territory. However, you must know the limitations of your input. It is very cool to give ideas, concepts, examples, and goals to the people you have hired to do a job. It is very important to also understand that these are just ideas. Your ideas are the starting point, not the ending point. You have hired this person to take you from start to finish. Give them the starting point, and then let them lead you to the finish.

3. Encourage, don’t direct

The goal when you hire someone is to get them to do the best job possible. Sometimes, to understand their job, I will put myself in the person’s shoes who I have hired.

• How would I react to the direction I am giving?
• If this was me, what would make me do the best possible job?

I try to answer these questions before I give my direction. A good baseball coach doesn’t tell the pitcher what to throw. Instead he uses motivation to get the pitcher confident enough to have faith in whatever pitch he chooses to throw. The same should go for you.

4. Firm vs. Flexible

I’m sure you all want to know, what happens if you let go, and the person screws it up royally? Well, that is a legitimate fear for concern. In order to avoid this, it is important to understand where to be firm and where to be flexible. The place to put your foot down is in your goals for the project. If I am building you a website, I need to understand what your goal is for the site. It is very important that a client stay firm in what they want to accomplish. This is important, because it is a major part of the starting point.

Where you need to be flexible is in the approach to reach the goal. Let the professional guide you into the right approach. Ask them why this approach is best to meet your goals. Question them on the process, and how that is going to help you reach your goal. However, don’t direct them on how to achieve the goal you want. That is why you hired them. Your job is to provide them what they need to do their job, not on how to do it.

5. Freaking out is a waste of precious time.

You heard it here first. Well, probably not, but it is true. Freaking out, worrying, or any of that emotional stuff is simply a waste of time. Better to spend your day controlling what you can, then worrying about all the things you can’t.

This is not to say anticipating problems is bad. It is quite beneficial to anticipate what could go wrong. However, all you can do is anticipate and prepare for it. Worrying and stressing over it just puts you in a weaker mind state which makes getting imperative work done twice as hard. Be confident in your preparation, and learn to let go.

You may be quite amazed the amount of clarity you have when you learn to let go. It is a scary, but great feeling. Remember, if someone does not do a good job, it’s not because you weren’t telling them how to do it. It’s cause you hired the wrong person for the job. Concentrate on finding the right people, testing them out, and if they are good, you will not have to worry again. That is where you can become more successful as an entrepreneur.

That is why letting go is so important. Don’t think of it as letting go of control. Think of it as letting go of useless fear, worry, and stress, cause in reality, that’s what it really is. The only place these fears, worry, and stress exist is in your head. If it is not in your head, then truth be told, it doesn’t even exist. Imagine that.

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

In New Jersey, USA, it has just reached spring time. The plants are budding, the landscapers are back, and the weather is finely enjoyable (at least for this week). With all of the new developments in nature, spring should be a reminder of the cycle all life follows, and all businesses as well.

Like a new business, there is seasons for each part of the process it takes to build a successful venture. One of the biggest mistakes a new business owner can have is believing that everything is going to run smoothly from the start. It takes time to learn how to become ‘seasoned’ in your business.

Today’s post is all about identifying the four seasons a business year will have, and helping you identify the best way to handle each one.

Spring

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Ah, the beginning of all life. Every new business venture is like the spring. Things look bright as life envelopes the barren landscape that once was. As the ideas start to bud into fruition, the business begins it’s new life.

The most important part of the spring is taking the time to make sure all the seeds are planted with the right amount of care. The same goes for your new business. It is important in this stage of the process to identify your desired outcomes, plant the proper seeds, and take into account that not everything will go smoothly. A lot of things occur between the spring and harvest time that are out of your control. If you lack experience in this new business, definitely prepare to learn some important lessons the hard way.

Once you have properly planted the seeds of your business and prepared for the year, it should be about time for the next season to roll on in.

Summer

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Ah, the heat is on. Summer is the busy time. This is when you put in the sweat and tears, all while rolling with the punches. The summer can either be a scorcher, or a day at the beach. It all depends on how well you prepared in the spring.

It is during the summer time that it’s important to view things objectively. When it’s hot in the kitchen, people want to get out. You must be prepared for things to be rough in the beginning, and for you to be adaptable. Don’t get caught up in playing the blame game with your team. It is important to correct the mistakes that come up during the busy summer season, so that they don’t happen twice. Planning perfectly to avoid any and all mistakes takes years of experience. Don’t expect it the first summer you put your business out there.

Once the business slows down, and the heat subsides, it will be about that time when autumn rolls around.

Fall

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This is the harvest time. Every business creates a plan (spring), puts it into action (summer), and then they see the results of their labor. Busy times are seasonal for almost any business. When things begin to slow down, that is a good time to evaluate the fruits of your labor.

Fall is a time of change. You now have seen the results of your actions. This is the time to implement the changes you need to make. Don’t wait for next summer to roll around and think you will remember all the things you need to do better. Make those decisions in the fall, when the last busy summer is still fresh in your mind.

Fall is also the time when you will see if the harvest will get you through the slow season known as…

Winter

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They can be long and hard, or they can be mild and bearable. Depending on your business, there is always a slow time. For mine, it is in November and December. For other’s, that is the busiest time of year. It all depends on the geography of your business.

Regardless, though, the metaphorical winter time is the slow time for a business. This is when you need to survive off the fruits of your labor from the spring and summer. In the beginning of a business, this can be the hardest time. Money is tight, business is slow, and surviving the financial freeze can be as difficult as trying to steer a car on a sheet of ice during a blizzard. This is where you need to hold down the fort, and concentrate on doing whatever you can to make your business more prepared for the coming spring. Simply take it a day at a time.

As your business grows, eventually, you may have no winter at all. When things go well, these slow months become vacation months. However, you have to get to that point first. You don’t start out at an ideal situation. You simply create one through years of hard work.

It’s a New Year!

When the flowers start to creep out from the dirt, and the leaves begin to bud on their branches, it is time to start the process all over again. Every spring, you will have a renewed vigor to do better than the last year. Every spring you will gain experience through your triumphs and your failures. However, as a ‘seasoned’ veteran of your business, you will become more & more familiar with the ins and outs of navigating your way through each year. It is only a matter of time.

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

The last few weeks have been a bit tough for me. Although it has been quite exciting building my business, and seeing projects coming to fruition, the problem has been in making enough steady money to live comfortably.  The future actually looks bright. It’s just, in the present, it’s still raining. I’m sure every entrepreneur knows the feeling. The money you make goes right back into the business as you keep on molding it to perfection, time and time again.

Yesterday, it just seemed like from the minute I got up, to the minute I went to sleep, the bad news just kept on rolling in. To sum it up briefly, there were credit card problems, client issues, a sick family cat that is not looking good, and my wife quit her job. You could say it was quite a whirlwind day.

In the middle of this nightmare, I went to my partner’s house to work on further branding our business, and finally put up our own website instead of everyone else’s. While he was going through the process, my head was spinning with all sorts of nonsense. I had too many things to worry about. The pressure felt overwhelming. What was I going to do? 

“PETE!”

….my partner yelled. He could tell I was on another planet. I fessed up and tried selling him on my problems, but he wouldn’t bite. Then he said something that took a little while to sink in, but eventually eased my mind. It was one of those things that is so obvious you almost don’t pay attention to the legitimacy of it.

He said, ‘What is worrying going to do about it?’

That had always been my motto on life. When I was sick, I did not worry about getting better. I just focused on getting through each day. The same goes for now. Things are rough out there, and starting a business in these times is very challenging. It is even more challenging when you need to sustain a certain level of living that your family is used to.

However, worrying about things is only wasting time.

In fact, I’ll take it further and say that worrying is actually a cop out to dealing with the problem. Instead of taking proactive steps to sturdy my situation, and fight through the rough spots, I was feeling sorry for myself. I was worrying about what I was going to do instead of actually doing something.

It’s like a fighter standing in the ring worried about getting knocked out. If you are thinking about it, chances are, it will happen. You don’t worry about getting hit when you fight. You expect it. You just focus on your game and trying to set the pace no matter what they throw at you.

If you are worried, you are not focused, and that means you will most likely fail.

I think this is a common trap many entrepreneurs fall into while trying to get their business off the ground. We get tied down with deciding each day whether or not we are going to make it. We worry about the outcome instead of dealing with the now. In the end, though, the ‘now’ is all we can control. We may be able to come up with all sorts of possible outcomes in our head, but none of them matter. The only thing that matters is what you do TODAY.

We must learn to stop worrying about whether or not it’s going to work out. As my partner said, have faith in yourself. It is going to work. It’s just a matter of taking care of the now. After this pep talk, we got down to branding Reimagine, and it went rather well. Instead of wasting time worrying about my situation, we spent it on making my situation easier for the future. I just have to remember that it all happens just one step at a time. Nobody leaps the staircase to success in a single bound. Not even Superman.

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Hey, you want to be successful? You looking to take it to the next level? You ever wonder what is it really going to take to achieve your wildest dreams? Me too. Over the course of the road I have traveled, I have come up with six things every single person must know if they ever dare to dream of success…

1. Shit ain’t easy.

I don’t care what it is, being successful is never, ever, ever, going to be easy. It is going to be a grind regardless. Just think about it, if it were that easy, everyone would be doing it. It takes physical and emotional strength. It takes faith. It takes nerve. Put it this way. Right now, think to yourself how hard you estimate it’s going to be to become a success in whatever you choose. Think about the long road. Okay, now however hard you just thought it was going to be, I would times it by 100. That might even be a little optimistic.  The bottom line is, whatever you want to do, it takes a lot of sweat and tears. If you know that going in, it makes the bumps in the road that much easier to travel. 

2. Don’t just do things, do things right.

We all love the short cuts. I am the king of short cuts. However, I learned time and time again, especially in Jiu jitsu, that you have to do things the right way. You may be able to get over everybody on a daily basis, but you are only fooling yourself. Take the time to do things right. Don’t rush them, or just do things to get them done. Take the time to learn everything you can. Do the research to feel confident in your decisions. You can’t win every battle, but you sure as hell can increase the odds each time. 

3. Even when no one else does, believe in yourself.

Risk is an essential part of becoming successful. A lot of people will warn you of the risks, mostly because they wouldn’t dare to take them themselves. Want to know what I think of this kind of advice? Next time your stomach is not feeling well, turn around after you finish using the toilet. That stuff floating there is just as valuable. I mean actually, it might be worth more. Business is business. No one knows what it’s like in your position except for you. No one has your passion. Don’t let the crowd steer your ship. That’s the captain’s Job, and passion is his steering wheel.

4. Out work your competition

Picture your job field like a huge MMA tournament. Everyone is training hard, but some are pushing the limits. Some are so dedicated to their own success, it consumes them. They become a machine, working every day toward their goal without thought. When it comes time to get in the cage, they look like silent predators stalking through the night, emotionless, till the cage door closes and it’s time to attack. Their belief in their preparation is what carries them through the arduous fight. Apply this same story to your job field. Are you a machine? Are you prepared for the grueling grind to be successful? You better be.

5. Do unto others as you would have done unto yourself.

An oldie, but a goodie. You don’t need to be religious to live by this creed. I have found that Karma is real. It is everywhere. When you do something negative, you send out a negative vibe, which always reverberates back to you in some way. The same goes for when you do something positive as well. Don’t worry about what other people do to you. Just do what you do. If your mind is right, they don’t have a chance anyway. You can overcome everything on the road to success. As I was always told by my family, it just takes patience, persistence, and perseverance to overcome any obstacle life throws your way.

6. Reap the Rewards and Pass them Around

You work your ass off. The first five steps involve taking people’s crap, working when other’s sleep, taking risks most wouldn’t dare, and making sacrifices most couldn’t bare. When you travel this kind of road, you better enjoy all of the success you get. Reward yourself for pushing the limits. Reward those who have helped you push those limits. Give away parts of your rewards to those that deserve them. Remember, whatever good vibes you spread around always reverberate back to you, so spread them while you can. Nothing breeds success, like success…or so I have heard

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