Al Bagocius' Blog

Getting “hosed” at the pump

albagocius — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:15:23 +0000

In a few weeks…Will these gas prices look cheap?

Gasoline Prices Are Not Rising, the Dollar Is Falling

http://www.forbes.com/sites/louiswoodhill/2012/02/22/gasoline-prices-are-not-rising-the-dollar-is-falling/

Either way…

Al Bagocius
The A & I Consulting Group
Creative Packaging Solutions
9838 Old Baymeadows Road # 387
Jacksonville, FL 32256
Voice Mail: 904.553.9539
www.aicreativepackaging.com
e-mail @ bagociusar@aol.com
LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/albagocius
blog @ http://albagocius.wordpress.com
“We Package Your Message!”

Wish List for Jacksonville

albagocius — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 11:04:01 +0000

David Long @ http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidwlong

Recently, I asked my associates in my Jax LinkedIn Groups this question, “What are the top 3 issues Jax businesses, city council and our citizenry need to address this year?” Many of us would agree that jobs, crime and education are high contenders.

Among all of the great comments I received over the past month, David Long has done a magnificent job explaining what Jacksonville really needs to become a world-class city. Each statement is filled with a “To Do” list for all of us to consider…

For years Jacksonville has been in a position to become the nation’s next Silicon Valley with the advantages of road, shipping, air, and communications infrastructure…So what’s holding us back?

According to a number of companies who have surveyed the Jacksonville area as potential headquarters, a lack of an employment base with adequate technical skills is holding us back.

Even in my own recent search for a position in the IT field, I was witness to a number of employers and recruiters bemoaning the difficulty they are having with finding workers with sufficient abilities to fill their open positions.

As a product of the Duval County School System, I can tell you that the machine has been broken for a long while and has not improved if the abysmal assessments made by my nieces and nephew are any indication.

I was one of the blessed few with a parent who was willing and able to at least attempt to take control of matters despite the resistance of school personnel and officials.

What about crime? Components of crime are discontentment and unfulfilled needs. With the dropout rate in Duval County at its current rate, there a lot of discontented folks out there who can’t find employment which they find fulfilling, if they can find any at all. Without work, it can be difficult to fulfill even the most basic of needs, especially self-respect.

A lack of education is a real limitation in a job market, but I state the obvious…

What’s the answer?

Accountability and genuine interest in the state of affairs in the community on the part of the entire citizenry is at least one answer. Momentum keeps an object moving in the same direction unless sufficient force is applied.

Where should this force be applied? I point out that matters have been deteriorating for a couple of generations at least, but they accelerated dramatically since the elimination of the Biblical World View (upon which our nation was founded) from our educational system.

Morality is no longer allowed into the arena until after one is incarcerated for crimes. I realize that I am beating what is perceived to be an unpopular and quite a dead horse, but one should never apologize for facts or truth.

With that said, force should be applied at the point of the persons elected to govern the function of the machine. By making ourselves heard above the static of a limited number of groups, the desire of the citizenry for accountability to their best interests by the elected and appointed officials may yet be fulfilled.

On a personal note…thanks to all those in the Jax LinkedIn Groups that added their comments to this all-imortant discussion on the future of Jacksonville.

Are you smarter than a Sixty Year Old?

albagocius — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:48:19 +0000

…THIS WAS HARDER THAN I THOUGHT…THE ANSWERS WERE ON THE TIP OF MY TONGUE…I REMEMBERED, BUT…

01.After the Lone Ranger saved the day and rode off into the sunset, the grateful citizens would ask, Who was that masked man? Invariably, someone would answer, I don’t know, but he left this behind. What did he leave behind?________________.

02.When the Beatles first came to the U.S. .In early 1964, we all watched them on The _______________ Show.

03′Get your kicks, __________________.’

04.’The story you are about to see is true. The names have been changed to ___________________.’

05.’In the jungle, the mighty jungle, ________________.’

06. After the Twist, The Mashed Potato, and the Watusi, we ‘danced’ under a stick that was lowered as low as we could go in a dance called the ‘_____________.’

07.Nestle’s makes the very best . .. . . _________ ______.’

08..Satchmo was America ‘s ‘Ambassador of Goodwill.’ Our parents shared this great jazz trumpet player with us. His name was _________________.

09.What takes a licking and keeps on ticking? _______________.

10. Red Skeleton’s hobo character was named __________________ and Red always ended his television show by saying, ‘Good Night, and ‘________ ________.. ‘

11.Some Americans who protested the Vietnam War did so by burning their______________.

12. The cute little car with the engine in the back and the trunk in the front was called the VW. What other names did it go by? ____________ &_______________.

13.In 1971, singer Don MacLean sang a song about, ‘the day the music died.’ This was a tribute to ___________________.

14..We can remember the first satellite placed into orbit. The Russians did it. It was called ___________________.

15. One of the big fads of the late 50′s and 60′s was a large plastic ring that we twirled around our waist. It was called the __ ______________.

ANSWERS :
01..The Lone Ranger left behind a silver bullet.
02.The Ed Sullivan Show
03..On Route 66
04..To protect the innocent.
05.The Lion Sleeps Tonight
06.The limbo
07.Chocolate
08..Louis Armstrong
09.The Timex watch
10..Freddy, The Freeloader and ‘Good Night and God Bless.’
11.Draft cards (Bras were also burned. Not flags, as some have guessed)
12.Beetle or Bug
13.Buddy Holly
14.Sputnik
15.Hoola-hoop

One picture is worth a thousand words

albagocius — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 12:35:25 +0000

What statement or short paragraph comes to mind when you look at the above picture for the first time?

Share your thoughts and interpretations

One Angry Black Man

albagocius — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:51:07 +0000

Dr. Thomas Sowell @ http://jpetrie.myweb.uga.edu/sowell.html

The current Occupy Wall Street movement is the best illustration to date of what President Barack Obama’s America looks like. It is an America where the lawless, unaccomplished, ignorant and incompetent rule. It is an America where those who have sacrificed nothing pillage and destroy the lives of those who have sacrificed greatly.

It is an America where history is rewritten to honor dictators, murderers and thieves. It is an America where violence, racism, hatred, class warfare and of murder are all promoted as acceptable means of overturning the American civil society.

It is an America where humans have been degraded to the level of animals: of defecating in public, having sex in public, devoid of basic hygiene. It is an America where the basic tenets of a civil society, including faith, family, a free press and individual rights, have been always rejected. It is an America where our founding documents have been now shredded and, with them, every person’s guaranteed liberties.

It is an America where, ultimately, great suffering will come to the American people, but the rulers like Obama, Michelle Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, Joe Biden, Jesse Jackson, Louis Farrakhan, liberal college professors, union bosses and all other loyal liberal/Communist Party members will live in opulent splendor.

It is the America that Obama and the Democrat Party have now created with all the willing assistance of the American media, Hollywood, unions, universities, the Communist Party of America, the Black Panthers and numerous anti-American foreign entities.Barack Obama has brought more destruction upon this country in three years than any other event in the history of our nation, but it is just the beginning of what he and his comrades are capable of.

The Occupy Wall Street movement is just another step in their plan for the annihilation of America.

“Socialism, in general, has a record of failure that’s so blatant that only an intellectual could ignore or evade it.”

10 Women…10 Strategies on Staying Positive

albagocius — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:55:42 +0000

I recently asked professionals in the Learning, Education, and Training fields to respond to this question, “What are your strategies for staying positive even when you are surrounded by a sea of negativity?”

Here are perspectives from ten accomplished professional women…

Add your success story to the mix, too!

Marj Hammon • I have often found the simple advice of Don Miguel Ruiz in his strange but (in parts ) insightful little book: The Four Agreements, massively helpful in dealing with this and other dilemmas. The 4 agreements with yourself are fundamental and so applicable to all sorts of negative situations:
1: Be Impeccable with your word
2: Don’t take anything personally
3: Don’t make assumptions
4: Always do your best
It’s even possible to remember these simple promises to oneself in the thick of it!

Kim Perkins• I have gotten a lot of traction from being relentlessly positive, therefore outlasting and wearing down the negative people. A quick story: I was an elite athlete in a small individual sport. My first year competing in the elite class, the other athletes were absolutely horrible to me. The mocked, insulted, or snubbed me at every opportunity, and went out of their way to demonstrate how unwelcome I was. I kept a smile on my face – not engaging directly, but treating them with friendly respect, as though they were already my friends and were just having a bad day. The first meet of the next season, they welcomed me with hugs.It was not the easiest path in the moment, but it kept MY head focused where it needed to be for me to compete at my best. And it became very motivating to notice that by doing this for myself, I was really bugging my opponents! We never got to be best buddies, but I got to make my contribution to the sport I loved. And win a lot.

Angela Buick • I have faced and I am facing some challenging times which could very easily turn into a black, negative state but I won’t allow that to happen. Using my life experiences I can tolerate amazingly stressful and negative states. My method, I have named the aquarius factor is to think about one your best days or successes, go into detail remembering how good it was, make the colours brighter, the sounds louder and embelish it in every sense then think about the worst moment of your life, make it smaller give it respect and go back to the best moment. I have been surrounded be negativity in life and in business but I amaze myself with my resolve, facing family illness head on, very sick children and real poverty believe I don’t jest. However, every day there is positivity and negativity just depends which one you give your attention to. The strongest people I know deal with negativity daily!!

Terri DeNinno • Have you read Donald Clifton’s “How Full is Your Bucket”? We have the gift of choice. We can engage in negativity, or assertively choose to keep a better attitude. We can be compassionate and protect the relationship, but not get sucked in. Boundaries, honesty, positiveness, altruism, and mature all are skills and values that allow you to choose a more positive environment for yourself and others. And a great list of coping skills is really beneficial as well! I would be happy to send you a list I compiled via email if you send me a note at tdeninno@msn.com!

Rebecca Ulyatt • It is important to understand the source of the negativity and try not to make it personal. By understanding the person, their past, their thoughts then it is easier to rationalise and disassociate that negativity from yourself. As in coaching, it is important not to transfer the monkey from their shoulder to yours. At best you remain positive and put alternatives out there for others to join in if they wish. I found “Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most” by Stone, Patton and Heen invaluable. It truly highlights that at the end of the day the only thing we can control is ourselves.

Patricia Browne • For many years I tried to deal with negative people by trying to change them, help them see the light. I now appreciate that we all see and do things in our own way in our own time. We have no control on how others feel or behave. Once I let that go I was able to appreciate my own positivity and with that came confidence and further appreciation for my life and all the good things in it.

Joanne McAlpine • Although I’d like to change what is happening around me, that is not always possible. I can change the sad feelings within myself.Exercise and eating healthy. I also like to follow positive pages on facebook – runners particularly have a can-do attitude. (Workout Girl on fb is great), I’m so proud of her. You don’t have to be a runner to be inspired. Biggest Loser is a very inspirational show to me.Here are some other ideas: Going outside, even if it is just for a short walk, the vitamin D from sunshine helps, this is hard to get in the winter months. Remember even when it is overcast out – the sun is 100 times brighter then inside.Standing on your head has been thought to help with mild depression. Remember if you cannot stand on your head try hanging your head off the side of the bed.Changing your language, for instance from “I should” to “I need to” and reading positive books.And lastly, this one I cannot prove and have never seen as research (I just stumbled across the idea when I was working on meal plans for my family) but for some reason when I lay off the saturated fats (just sticking to the RDA) I am less moody and aggravated.

Katherine Shepherd • What really works for me, is taking time to step away from the situation. Working through it in my head and/or discussing with a colleague or friend acts like a form of supervision. Training can be quite lonely, particularly when faced with a barraged of negative people so it’s important to establish and make use of supportive networks (like this one!!). Usually, when I have had a chance to reflect I can understand the reasons for the negativity, and it always tells me much more about the person who demonstrated the behaviour, than my failings as a trainer.

Ana Rodrigues• I just joined this group and I’m already learning so much!!If in a training situation, I could share a story of mine where I started with 25 participants and I ended with 12. After doing so many trainings, this was the very first time it happened. The country where this happened has also a closed politic environment and things from outside are not so welcomed.What I did: After the first day realising the negativity in the group and identifiying some trouble makers, I asked them what was the problem.
I revised the agenda and tried toi incorporate some of their needs. They were happy about it, because they didn’t want only a hands-on training, but they really wanted a theoretical explanation, so I brought it!Some of the trouble makers stayed, some participants used that excuse to not return to the training the next day, and in the end, some of the trouble-makers even said sorry for all the bad energy they brought to the training. The ones that stayed, are the ones that will really implement the project with motivation which is great!So my tip would be, even in a training where you just feel like running out of the door, stay positive that the training is worth it, try to address their needs, if it doesn’t work at least you tried, if it works then it was worth it trying!!Good luck,
Ana

Stacey Olson• Address the negative or it takes root in your shadow.Negativity means something is not right somewhere. Negativity is an opportunity to learn, grow and evolve. Of course not everyone sees it that way. Not everyone is ready to see it that way.If it’s a negative reaction inside yourself, assess your feelings and your ego. Is a red flag being waived about potential danger or fear ahead? Evaluate: Is it REALLY a fearful or dangerous situation?If it’s another negative person, assess the situation from their point of view. What might they be afraid of or unhappy about? Is there any action you can take to help to restore the balance and regain their respect and trust? If there’s no external solution – no way to repare the deeper issue, the problem then lays within them so try instead to negotiate some boundaries with the individual and express your needs (privately and with reverence) for more positive relationship/environment.Everyone has the right to a respectful (ie positive) work environment. Everyone also has the responsibility to support and model a respectful work environment. (A note to optimists trying to eradicate pessimism with heavy doses of positivity – avoiding or ignoring the issues is perceived as disrespectful.)If your approach to Be the Change does not have the desired effect, then yes, respect your own boundaries by accepting the things you cannot change and move on.

There’s no Tebow in golf

albagocius — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:37:03 +0000

I recently posted this question in my LinkedIn groups…”The “Tebow” effect in sports…Tim for football, Jeremy Lin for basketball…Who now has the “Tebow” effect for golf… now that Tiger Woods has long since fell from grace?”

Matthew Tham’s response was a great read for me and I’m sure it will be for you, too!

Matthew Tham

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/matthew-tham/22/8aa/990

I think it’s hard for golf to have it’s own Tebow. In basketball and football we are accustomed to athletes playing themselves up in the media, showboating and sporting massive egos. This is what make humble and religious guys like Tebow and Lin stand out and become media darlings. Not only can they compete, but they can be marketed to the masses more easily than someone like Carmelo.

In golf, the perception of the athletes is much different. Almost all players are humble and down to earth and most are religious to boot. It’s not an entertaining story to focus out a clean cut spiritual player because their a dime a dozen. However, in golf, there is the opportunity for the opposite of the Tebow effect. In a world of well dressed, well mannered athletes who would rather talk about how well their opponent played than themselves, a flashy golfer with some swagger who is willing to go against the grain can truly stand out from the pack. I believe this effect is the main reason for the popularity of guys like Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, Anthony Kim and several others others. The best example of this “Anti-Tebow” effect has to be golf’s original bad boy himself, John Daly. I can’t remember off the top of my head the last time he won a tournament, let alone mattered on the weekend, but he can still sell tickets and create a story.

“The fans have been through thick and thin with me, and it’s nice to play decent golf for them,”

http://www.johndaly.com/

Are you hip on history?

albagocius — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:08:43 +0000

BABY BOOMER GAME

MEMORY TEST!

(Have a paper and pencil handy to record your answers.. Your mind isn’t
as sharp as it once was!)

This is NOT a pushover test. It’s a Baby Boomer era test!

There are 20 questions.

Average score is 12.

This one will be difficult for the younger set. (DUDE!)

1. What builds strong bodies 12 ways?
A. Flintstones vitamins
B. The Buttmaster
C. Spaghetti
D. Wonder Bread
E. Orange Juice
F. Milk
G. Cod Liver Oil

2. Before he was Muhammed Ali, he was…
A. Sugar Ray Robinson.
B. Roy Orbison..
C. Gene Autry.
D. Rudolph Valentino.
E. Fabian.
F. Mickey Mantle.
G. Cassius Clay.

3. Pogo, the comic strip character said, ‘We have met the enemy and….
A. It’s you.
B. He is us.
C. It’s the Grinch.
D. He wasn’t home.
E. He’s really me and you.
F. We quit.
G. He surrendered.

4. Good night, David.
A.. Good night, Chet
B. Sleep well.
C. Good night, Irene.
D.. Good night, Gracie.
E. See you later, alligator.
F. Until tomorrow.
G. Good night, Steve..

5. You’ll wonder where the yellow went…
A. When you use Tide
B. When you lose your crayons.
C. When you clean your tub.
D. If you paint the room blue.
E. If you buy a soft water tank.
F. When you use Lady Clairol.
G. When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent.

6. Before he was the Skipper’s Little Buddy, Bob Denver was Dobie’s
friend…
A. Stuart Whitman.
B Randolph Scott.
C. Steve Reeves..
D. Maynard G. Krebs.
E. Corky B. Dork.
F. Dave the Whale.
G. Zippy Zoo

7. Liar, liar…
A. You’re a liar.
B. Your nose is growing.
C. Pants on fire.
D. Join the choir
E. Jump up higher.
F. On the wire.
G. I’m telling Mom

8. Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Superman fights a never ending battle
for truth, justice and…..
A. Wheaties.
B. Lois Lane ..
C. TV ratings.
D. World peace.
E. Red tights.
F. The American way.
G. News headlines

9. Hey kids! What time is it?
A. It’s time for Yogi Bear.
B It’s time to do your homework.
C. It’s Howdy Doody Time.
D. It’s time for Romper Room.
E. It’s bedtime.
F… The Mighty Mouse Hour..
G. Scoopy Doo Time..

10. Lions and tigers and bears..! …
A. Yikes.
B. Oh, no..
C. Gee whiz.
D. I’m scared…
E. Oh my.
F. Help! Help!
G. Let’s run.

11. Bob Dylan advised us never to trust anyone….
A. Over 40.
B. Wearing a uniform.
C.. Carrying a briefcase.
D. Over 30.
E You don’t know.
F. Who says, ‘Trust me’..
G. Who eats tofu.

12. NFL quarterback who appeared in a television commercial wearing women’s
stockings…
A. Troy Aikman
B. Kenny Stabler
C. Joe Namath
D. Roger Staubach
E. Joe Montana
F. Steve Young
G. John Elway

13. Brylcream…
A. Smear it on.
B. You’ll smell great.
C. Tame that cowlick.
D. Grease ball heaven.
E. It’s a dream.
F. We’re your team.
G. A little dab’ll do ya.

14. I found my thrill…
A. In Blueberry muffins.
B. With my man, Bill.
C. Down at the mill.
D. Over the windowsill.
E. With thyme and dill.
F. Too late to enjoy.
G. On Blueberry Hill.

15.. Before Robin Williams, Peter Pan was played by…
A. Clark Gable.
B. Mary Martin.
C. Doris Day.
D. Errol Flynn.
E. Sally Fields.
F. Jim Carrey.
G. Jay Leno.

16. Name the Beatles…
A. John, Steve, George, Ringo
B. John, Paul, George, Roscoe
C. John, Paul, Stacey, Ringo
D. Jay, Paul, George, Ringo
E. Lewis, Peter, George, Ringo
F. Jason, Betty, Skipper, Hazel
G. John, Paul, George, Ringo

17. I wonder, wonder, who.
A. Who ate the leftovers?
B. Who did the laundry?
C. Was it you?
D. Who wrote the book of love?
E. Who I am?
F. Passed the test?
G. Knocked on the door?

18. I’m strong to the finish…
A. Cause I eats my broccoli.
B. Cause I eats me spinach.
C. Cause I lift weights.
D. Cause I’m the hero.
E. And don’t you for get it.
F. Cause Olive Oyl loves me.
G. To outlast Bruto.

19. When it’s least expected, you’re elected, you’re the star today.
A. Smile, you’re on Candid Camera.
B. Smile, you’re on Star Search.
C. Smile, you won the lottery.
D. Smile, we’re watching you.
E. Smile, the world sees you.
F. Smile, you’re a hit.
G. Smile, you’re on TV.

20. What do M & M’s do?
A. Make your tummy happy.!
B. Melt in your mouth, not in your pocket.
C Make you fat.
D.. Melt your heart.
E… Make you popular.
F. Melt in your mouth, not in your hand.

Below are the right answers:
1. D – Wonder Bread
2. G – Cassius Clay
3. B – He Is us
4. A – Good night, Chet
5. G – When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent
6. D – Maynard G. Krebs
7. C – Pants on fire
8. F – The American Way
9. C – It’s Howdy Doody Time
10. E – Oh my
11. D – Over 30
12. C – Joe Namath
13. G – A little dab’ll do ya
14. G – On Blueberry Hill
15. B – Mary Martin
16. G – John, Paul, George, Ringo
17. D – Who wrote the book of Love
18. B – Cause I eats me spinach
19. A – Smile, you’re on Candid Camera
20.. F – Melt in your mouth not in your hand

Thanks to my Buddy Bob Schultz for passing this along!

Al Bagocius
The A & I Consulting Group
Creative Packaging Solutions
9838 Old Baymeadows Road # 387
Jacksonville, FL 32256
Voice Mail: 904.553.9539
www.aicreativepackaging.com
e-mail @ bagociusar@aol.com
LinkedIn @ www.linkedin.com/in/albagocius
blog @ http://albagocius.wordpress.com
“We Package Your Message!”

Could you become an “Edisonial Genius?”

albagocius — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:16:23 +0000

Today, February 11th, is Thomas Edison’s birthday, one of the greatest inventors of all time.

Become a genius, just like Thomas Edison by following these 11 steps that Edison took…

Edison believed in hard work and determination.
Work habits. Edison sometimes worked twenty hours a day.
He was very good at bringing people together to make an inventing team.
He was able to reason with many different people.
He encouraged creativity in his employees.
He knew a lot about what his competitors were working on.
He almost never worked on any invention that wasn’t already being worked on by several other people.
One of his biggest strengths – Perseverance. He never gave up. This idea is captured in his famous statement, “Invention is ninety-nine percent perspiration, and one percent inspiration.”
Failure did not stop him. Edison rarely got discouraged when experiments didn’t work out. A failed experiment shifted his thinking in different directions.
He was able to solve problems and learn from failure.
Attitude. He saw every failure as a success. The story goes that he failed 10,000 times in his storage battery experiments. But Edison said, “Why, I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”Edison was a home-schooled, self-educated person. He learned education was his own responsibility. He learned to be persistent. He learned reading was very important. He learned from watching others. He learned that science is fun. He learned that education is something that lasts your whole life.

Start Today!

What’s your success principle?

albagocius — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 08:52:07 +0000

Recently, I asked members of my LinkedIn Groups to comment on what is the most important principle a successful business needs to have…Here are their comments from around the world…

I learned some new ideas I can apply…I hope you will too!

Why not add your’s too…share your knowledge and skill on success!

Jay Block• A WORKING MODEL THAT ATTRACTS PAYING CUSTOMERS This may sound a little too obvious and overly elementary, but when you think about it, it is rather profound. The most important principle business owners should adhere to if they want to become successful is to identify and optimize “a working model” that attracts paying customers.Profits, new hires (employment), growth, and happiness all stem from what most entrepreneurs struggle with… finding customers that fuel all other activities and emotions.

Tara Orchard• A working business model can be overlooked by some business owners who have great ideas and passion but are not always focussed on both the big picture and the execution – so it is important and not always obvious.I think that leads me to another important principle – knowing your own strengths and weaknesses and finding ways to fill the gap and keep checking yourself on both.Surrounding yourself with people who support your ideas, but not only those who blindly follow you. While you may benefit from having disciples who believe your vision or believe you and therefore accept your vision and while you do not want to surround yourself with negative naysayers – you do need to have some people who you can trust to disagree with you for the reason they want to help you.It looks like we can build a nice list of key principles with this question

Natashia Jefferies • Successful in Business = Seeing clients as people, and treating them with respect, appreciation and kindness, instead of seeing them as a dollar value.

Mark McClelland • Be consistent.
Make more good decisions than bad ones.
Feel which way the wind is blowing and respond quickly.
(I think that last one is sometimes called luck).

Ricardo Ciciliani • Never stop creating work (jobs), all the way …

Barry Bainton • Keep your eye on the prize, your mind on the customer’s needs, and your body agile for the long journey toward success.

Yeshua Adonai • Integrity. Dream. Inspired Action.

Sancta Watley • Under promise and OVER deliver. This is not to be viewed negatively as in substandard. Integrity is about keeping your word and over promising and under delivering undermines a business success.

THOMAS AW • Persistency to Move forward continuously, SELF Motivation and the WILL to Succeed.

Natasha Fowler • Hi Al – love the question, sorry going to be naughty and give a two-part answer as these two elements make up the whole IME = listen, listen, listen + then act wisely using the learning from all they’ve heard. Cheers.

Frank DePalma • 1) Stay High
2) Keep Moving
3) Give It Away

Peg Doyle • Remember what your gifts are and genuinely share them. Work hard. When times are tough, work harder and remind yourself why you do what you do.

Alex James • The tendency in discussions like these to ask “What is the one ___?” seems to lack practical value.

Marie-Ange Masson • Understand your customers needs and yours, so that you can adjust them.

Greg Spence – Internet Marketing Specialist • Every day just provide the answer to one question “How can I help my customers and prospects today?”

Lisa Peacock • Communication. I have seen it make or break everything!

Victoria Prestia • Follow up with clients, have a website, use social media, time management, attend social networking functions, and monitor social media sites.

Tom Deans Ph.D. • Never confuse good luck with talent. You’ll need both to start, grow and ultimately exit your business.

Jeff Vankooten • First a foremost it is determining your “Big Why”, the underlying purpose for what you do beyond the less inspiring goal of just making money. Determine what gets you out of the morning to make a significant “dent” in the world. jeffvankooten.com

Arsen S. Marsoobian, CLU • Show up on time, Over Deliver, Have integrity, Dress for the occasion.
PAPA SOOB

Bonnie Cranmer • Agree with Lisa and Victoria, communications, follow-up and attending networking functions (online and offline) are keys to success! If people can’t see you, how will they understand the type of representation they will receive from your services?!?

Dianne Sikel• Follow up with clients and customers and continual communications key to success and future business. Ask if you are meeting their needs, doing a good job, and if they feel you are easy to work with. During and after the transaction- I ask for any advice and feedback or ways they think could use improvement.My Coaching clients are taught to ‘check in’ with their clients often. Ask THEM if there’s anything that they feel isn’t being handled or addressed, etc.When you are easy to work with, easy to get a hold of, respond quickly and ask them how THEY feel about your services… you will become The Obvious Choice” to do future business with and refer to other people

CB Jackson• In a word (or two): Constant Quality!Your customers should have full confidence that your product and/or service is the best each and every time they buy it, no matter what!

Sandi Capra • Stay organized, if you fail to plan you plan to fail. Every business owner needs a solid financial plan & a solid marketing plan and both should be reviewed regularly.

Eddie Rodriguez • I have to agree with Sandi. As someone who sometime struggles with this, I find that the more organized I am the more everything else flows smoothly.

TJ Jones • CB & Sandi are right on, and another is when you say you are going to do a certain thing make sure you do it in the time stated or advise why there is a delay. Your word is your bond.

David Kordek, NADA, ATD 20Group, NACRP, NAAP • Also, hire the right people. Be up front with employees as to what they can “honestly” expect in the beginning and what could be in the future. A company is only as good and successful as its employees make it!

Sandi Capra • @TJ, That is one of my Dad’s favorite sayings, your word is your bond! He always said there is no need to make a promise ever if your word is your bond.
@David, we are hiring so if you know any “right” people send them my way!Thanks

Simran Soni • Perseverance…always remember it takes 100 calls to get your first client on board..
Honesty – don’t lie about clients you don’t have! It shows lack of integrity

Jack Lane • Never forget that out of 100 happy clients, one of them may tell someone else about their satisfaction with your company, but each unhappy client will tell 100 others to avoid you like a plague! Treat each client like your success depends solely on them… because it does.

Margaret Rekers • Start with the WHY of their business and then tell their Why-story to as many people as they can.

pradeep sharma • its up to you . ..
what is right for you could be wrong for me ….in other words what is suitable to you couldn’t to me ..

Deidre Tretsven • Do not let yourself get sidetracked with non income producing activities, sales and quality customer service first

THOMAS AW • Service commitment – Persistency – Honesty – Vision – ACTION !

My final thought…Treat your employees as well as you treat your customers…you’ll have a passionate advocate to grow your business within every employee!