Going Out on a Limb...

"Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is." -Mark Twain


The above quote, although written long ago, is just as true today.  Most people like to imagine obtaining the sweet fruits of life, yet very few are willing to take a risk and move beyond their safe zones in order to obtain what they want.  


This makes sense of course.  There are risks involved with going out on a limb to get what you want.  The limb might not be steady, the fruit might not be what you had hoped for, and you could always fall a long ways down.  However, if you truly want something and think it is worth reaching for, doesn't it make sense to not let your fears and doubts hold you back?  Fear is learned, and many people have learned to fear taking risks, being taught instead that they should stay in their comfort zones and just wait for fruit to fall into their lap.  However, anything that falls will only be what remains after those who were willing to go out on a limb have left behind, or missed only by chance.


Is this really what you want for your life?  Do you really want to wait and hope that something will fall into your lap, or do you want to make things happen for yourself?  Do you want to sit on the ground and know that you never took a risk, or would you rather live your life knowing that you were willing to go after what you wanted.


Above I said that fear is learned, but remember that success is learned as well.  You can choose to become a student of success, learn to control your fear, and put yourself on a path towards accomplishing your goals.  Do not just sit there gazing longingly up at the fruit that you crave.  Stand up, climb that tree, and go out on that limb to get what you seek.  The fruit will taste even sweeter because you will bite into it with the knowledge that you were not one of those people who waited for something good to fall into your lap.

I Read Another Great Quote Today

I seem to keep coming across great quotes on a daily basis, and I really enjoy sharing them with this blog as they are both informative and inspirational.  Today's quote was in regards to what people do when they need more money: "Poor people are willing to do anything to get money.  Rich people are willing to think of ideas on how to make money."

Now, to be honest, the quote does not flow as well as some of the ones that I normally put up, but there is some definitely truth in the words.  I have expressed my view on this before, but never quite seen it put so starkly in terms of economic class.  When poor people without the proper education needs money, they are often prone to say things such as "I would do anything for..."  When a person with the proper education needs money, they are instead prone to say something along the lines of "How can I make money?"  Instead of limiting themselves to self-action which will obviously be of limited use in obtaining money, those with the right mindset instead ponder how they can get more money.  The distinction is subtle, but very telling.  You only have so many hours in a day in which you can do stuff, but coming up with ideas that can generate passive income or something that does not require your direct attention is a long term solution that will provide more money.

In essence, the difference is between short-term small-time thinking, and long-term big picture thinking.  One allows you to eat for a day, and the other allows you to potentially eat for a lifetime (referencing the old "teach a man to fish" axiom.  Dream big, accomplish big.

Knowing When To Let Go

"The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good men to do what he wants done, and self-restraint to keep from meddling with them while they do it." ~ Theodore Roosevelt

I think one of the hardest things about doing something entrepreneurial is actually dealing with the success, whether that means hiring on employees, franchising out your business, hiring a manager and moving onto other possibilities, or any number of actions that will require you to take your hands off the reins and let someone else drive the cart.

It is hard to take a step back and let someone else care for something that has been your passion and received so much of your perspiration over such a long period of time, but this is a necessary step if you really want to be successful in life.  Just as important as hiring the right people is restraining yourself enough to let them know what you have hired them to do.

Strictly in terms of numbers, this is how it has to be.  You have a limited amount of hours a day in which you can devote yourself to a business.  If nothing else, you must eat and sleep, so we will say that you have 18 hours a day to devote to business (if you are comfortable sleeping only 6 hours a night).   If you are at the point in business where you feel the need to hire someone else on, then you have realized that you simply do not have enough hours in a day that needs to be done, and that your time can likely be spent better elsewhere doing other things.  

However, if you attempt to micromanage the person/people that you hire, then you run into a time problem.  You won't have time to do all that you were doing before, and all that you brought the new people on to handle.  Instead of saving your time or being able to direct your energies in a positive direction, you'll be doing your old job, their job, participating in your new activities, and you will burn yourself out.  There is no quicker road to failure, and you have to recognize that you only have so much time in the day.

Also, in terms of personnel, if you don't trust your employees, you will not build long term quality relationships and staff.  You will also hurt their development, as your lack of trust will hinder their own personal growth.  Trust yourself to be a good teacher, and trust them to be good learners, and things will work out if you let them.

Hire quality people, trust your judgments, and enjoy success.  Think of it like teaching a child to ride a bike - at some point, you have to let go, and trust them to keep on pedaling.  It is likely that they will have a few mishaps, but imagine the price you will feel when they are going full steam ahead all by themselves.  Your business is the same way - learn to let go.

My Quote of the Day

Most of the time, I like to share inspirational quotes from various people throughout history, but every now and then I think of something that I think is worth sharing.  It is not that my ego makes me think that the quote is going to be all that special, just something that I think might resonate with others who might read it.

My quote for the day is simply this: "It wasn't until people taught me the meaning of the word can't that I realized all of the things that I couldn't do.  It wasn't until I became deaf to the word that I accomplished all of my dreams."

If you have been paying attention this week, you know that this is one of the things I have really been thinking about lately.  How is it that we iconify success and hold successful people in such high regard, yet when our young people express their hopes and dreams we take the time to explain all of the reasons why they cannot and will not succeed?  It just does not make any sense.

If we truly want our children to succeed, and if we truly believe that the children are the future, then it is time to stop explaining to them why they won't make their dreams a reality - instead, we should be encouraging them to chase their dreams, make their hopes a reality, and to believe in themselves.

It is time to encourage success.  It is time to teach children to believe that they can accomplish great things.

A Look Back

Today I was thinking about all of the times when I was growing up that someone told me what I couldn't do, and then also explained to me all of the reasons that I couldn't do it.  This kind of behavior seemed to occur across a wide range of things, from school clubs, to scoring well on the SAT, to attending college, or any number of things.  It really didn't matter what it was that I wanted to do, someone always found a reason to tell me that I couldn't do it.  The sad part is that all of these people did not have the time or inclination to encourage me, but nearly all of them always had the time and inclination to put me down and crush my hopes and dreams.

Now, it is a different story.  Instead of telling me all the things that I cannot do, people ask me how I am able to do all of the things that I do.  Instead of telling me the reasons why I cannot succeed, people ask me to explain the reasons why I succeed.  Instead of looking down upon me, people look up to me.

This realization is not me going on an ego trip, but rather it is me again pondering all that I might have done if people had encouraged me way back then.  If I hadn't had to work so hard to overcome all of the negativity around me, would I be doing even better?  If I hadn't had to spend so much time teaching myself to ignore anyone who wasn't on my side, would inspirational words have lifted me higher?  If I hadn't had to live with the mentality that if someone wasn't with me, they were against me, would I have been happier growing up and struggling to make it?

Probably not.  The truth of the matter is that I took those words and used them as inspiration every single day.  Any time that I felt like quitting, any time that my belief in myself started to falter, or whenever I started to lose my drive, I used those words to inspire me to accomplish greatness.

Now, I have surpassed all of those childhood dreams, and the best part is that I have realized that the sky is the limit.  I was never deaf to negativity, but I always heard it as inspiration.

What Could You Do?

Today I found myself pondering all that I could have accomplished if no one had ever introduced me to the word "can't".

Think about it.  As children, we are taught a lot about all of the things that we cannot do.  One can't chew with their mouth open, cross the street without looking, stick a coat hanger in an electrical socket, or any one of a laundry list of things.  Admittedly, a lot of these restrictions probably save a lot of lives, and are a good thing to teach children about, but what about the other instances where we teach children what they can't do.

How many times have you ever heard a child say the phrase, "When I grow up, I want to..." only to immediately be told by some slightly condescending adult the variety of reasons why they shouldn't say that, why they can't be that, or how they should know better?  What if instead of telling children all of the reasons why they cannot do something, we instead told them all of the possibilities and helped them figure out a way to accomplish their dreams.

Many people may see this as silly, saying that children will outgrow most of these childhood fancies, and that they will likely forget all about ever saying them.  Granted, this might be true, but if even one child could live out a childhood dream, why wouldn't you encourage them on the path of happiness.  Plus, think of the learning that would occur if we encouraged children to think and plan about how to achieve the realization of these dreams.  Children would become better planners, more critical thinkers, and generally have a better sense of self esteem and self-worth.

Think about it a bit.  Think about a childhood dream, and then think about why you never went after it.  I bet that you will realize that it was because at some point some adult convinced you that it wasn't rational, possible, or for someone like you.  Wouldn't you like to help a child avoid ever being able to look back and remember a moment like that?

New Paths Lead to Success

“If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.” ~John D. Rockefeller


I came across this quote today and it made me think again about how many people are afraid to venture out and try new things, preferring to dream about success, complain about the present, yet continue living in the same rut that got them to the place that they are not happy to be in.


Even if a path has been successful before, it is very similar to the stock market in that by the time the idea, path, etc, is getting to you, it has likely already been trod upon by many before you.  After all success garners attention, and you can be certain that people are always paying attention to figure out how people are doing things that make money.  Unless you come up with an idea, or a vast improvement on an existing idea, you are just recreating the wheel in a needless manner.


What people should be doing, what they need to do, is learning and dedicating themselves to thinking outside of the box.  Instead of following in footsteps, they should be veering off into unknown territory and seeking new opportunities.  I mean, consider if people when first coming to America had decided to never venture beyond the site of their ship or the vast ocean.  How much land and opportunity would have been lost due to fear and uncertainty?


My friends, if you truly seek success, you must be prepared to be just like those initial explorers.  Wade into the underbrush where there is no path, and let your own sweat and fortitude carve a new path for you.  It is when making your own path that you will realize something special.  Even though no one has walked the path you are on, it is exactly the path that was meant for your feet, and it will lead you to accomplish great things.

College Degrees: Not All They Are Cracked Up To Be?

Disclaimer before I begin this post:  I have a post-graduate education and am glad I do.

Einstein once said: "One had to cram all this stuff into one's mind for the examinations, whether one liked it or not. This coercion had such a deterring effect on me that, after I had passed the final examination, I found the consideration of any scientific problems distasteful to me for an entire year."

I have often wondered about several things regarding college.  First and foremost, a lot of people seem to think that going to college is a ticket to success and safety.  It is not.  A college degree is a symbol of educational achievement, but it is not a representation of creativity, work ethic, diligence, or any other indicators of true success.  It is just that, an education.

Now don't get me wrong, I think that having a degree opens a lot of doors, but it should never be construed as the end of a journey.  It is merely a stepping stone.  Also, depending on what you major in, you may find that it really isn't that much of a stepping stone either.  Still, traditional wisdom says go to college and you will be fine.  Traditional wisdom, sadly, is wrong.  Just look at the unemployment rate.

However, the other thing that I think college does is burn people out.  People focus so hard on grades, studying, and all of the life lessons that most learn as they get on their own for their first time.  People push so hard to get past the hurdle of obtaining a degree that they lost a lot of their creativity and drive, and settle into getting the job that they have worked so hard to have the opportunity for.

This is all fine, but it results in the delay (or complete loss) of a lot of the entrepreneurial energy and ideas that people have before they ever even get to school, and instead of thinking of how they can start their own business or develop their own ideas, graduates grab onto the job safety net.

I always wonder what would happen if we didn't teach that college was the goal, but instead taught that obtaining as many tools as possible was the goal.  Instead of graduating, where most people seem to think they will stop learning, what if education was pushed as a lifelong process.  It isn't about graduating with a degree, but accomplishing dreams.

Nora Roberts Quote

Whenever I come across a quote that I think should be applicable to making moves and making things happen, I always try to share it.  Today, I stumbled across the following quote from Nora Roberts:


"If you don't go after what you want, you'll never have it. If you don't ask, the answer is always no. If you don't step forward, you're always in the same place."


I think this quote is a perfect example of what I often say about doing well in business and in life.  If you do not go after what you want, how can you ever expect to have it?  If you want a yes answer, but never ask a question that can lead you to hearing it, how can you expect anything but a no.  If you are not moving forward, you will never reach your destination.


This quote should be read to inspire you to act.  You cannot simply sit still in life and expect that things are going to happen for you.  You have to be inspired, you have to be motivated, and you must go after what you want.  The great things in life do not fall into your lap - you have to go after them.  If you want to accomplish great things, you must be willing to perspire and labor to make your dreams a reality.


Take this quote, and go forward tomorrow with your eyes on the prize.  Dream big, work hard, and you will accomplish great things.

Quote of the Day

When it comes to business motivation and entrepreneurship, we always keep our eyes open for quotes that really fit our perspective on life.  Today, we stumbled across this one:

"The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer." – Nolan Bushnell


If you have read other posts by us, then you know that this goes along with exactly our mentality when it comes to ideas and business.  Dreaming up big dreams is great, and interesting ideas are important, but if you never do anything with your dreams and ideas, then you will never accomplish anything.  After all, the goal is to do something, not sit around and daydream.


This quote exemplifies what it is that separates success from the pack.  It is the ability to work hard and do something to accomplish your desires, versus sitting around and hoping that somehow things are just going to work out for you.


So what are you waiting for?  Get off your butt, and go make it happen!

Negotiations: When Do You Walk Away?

One of the things that I have noticed over the years is that sometimes the best people with the best ideas are absolutely terrified that they are wrong and that their business idea will be a flop.  This can be dangerous for a variety of reasons, but from an entrepreneurial perspective it often leads to them getting less than the value of their idea when entering negotiations to sell their product or business (although to be fair, I do run into the people that wildly overvalue their idea to the point where it is impossible to negotiate, but that is a whole other problem).

The first piece of advice that I give people who are feeling that they aren't getting fair value in negotiations is to stop and consider how much of their personal stake in the business is driving their thinking.  If it is the sweat and tears that you have put into something that is motivating you, understand that it is possible that a potential buyer won't see or understand that investment.  They may only be seeing profits and potential, and may not understand where you are coming from.  Think about this, and decide if the offer is fair.  If it still isn't, be prepared to walk.

The second piece of advice that I give people is to listen to their intuition.  If something feels wrong, it could be that it actually is.  If you find yourself lying in bed at night and thinking about the numbers, or find yourself getting angry and irritable about the offer when you aren't in the negotiation process, ask yourself if the offer is actually unfair.  Think about the profits and the product, and if it doesn't make sense, then perhaps it is time to walk away.  If the numbers are close, it may just be the stress, so really check your emotional state.

My last piece of advice is to consult a lawyer.  I do not care how small the deal is, it is worth the investment.  If the lawyer warns you or tells you that the deal isn't in your best interest, heed the advice and be prepared to walk away.

It is okay to walk away from a deal, and if the business or product is truly a good one, you can be assured that someone out there will be interested.  Don't take the first nibble as a sign that there is only one fish - if you want to land the whopper, you have to be prepared to cast more than once.

What Do We Teach Children In School?

Today I found myself wondering if the education system in the United States truly prepares children to accomplish their adult dreams, or if instead it merely prompts them to follow in the footsteps of whatever it is that they saw their parents do.

I will give you a prime example.  If you think about any millionaire that did not inherit their money, you will likely find that the person had an idea, concept, or dream that they put into action in some way.  They decided to accomplish, and they worked hard to make something of themselves.

However, if you stop and think about it, your average American is never exposed to the kind of education that will allow them to become a millionaire.  If you think about high school, you took the basics, but you probably did not take a class on entrepreneurship, idea development, business finance, the stock market, mortgages, deals, or even personal finance.  Physical education and art might be traditional, but they are not going to help you become successful in life.

It seems to me that if we truly want to teach Americans to be successful, we have to teach them more than the rudimentary basics.  We have to provide them the tools to learn on their own, in order to allow them to educate themselves to succeed.  After all, it isn't what they learn in high school, but what they learn in the real world that will make them a success.

New Halloween Website

So, in line with our plans for 2011, we launched a new NYC Halloween website this week.  It wasn't exactly what we wanted to do, and we have bigger plans in the future, but this is a nice stopgap to take care of 2011 and also to use as a platform to springboard some ideas off of for 2012.

This got me to thinking about what it means to accomplish.  Sometimes, people think that if they do not do exactly what they want, or achieve a goal exactly has they dreamed, that in the end what they really have done is fail.  However, that kind of thinking and attitude is what psychologist refer to as "all-or-nothing" or "black-and-white" thinking, and it can be quite dangerous and really hold you back in life.  If you only see things as success or failure, you will miss out on all of the little accomplishments and success that you achieve, and you will also fail to learn from your "mistakes" or missteps when you fall short of achieving your goals.

For example, even though this website is not exactly what we had in mind, it is a positive step in the right direction, and it will definitely help us in many ways as we work towards a better future.  That, I think, is the secret of life - always strive to move forward, and even if you stumble, are forced to take a sidestep, or get pushed back a few, if you keep on attempting to reach your goals you will get there.  And, surprisingly, you may also encounter some surprising success and milestones along the way.

Work hard, and you will accomplish.

Dare you Dream?

It is amazing how the power of your expectations and imagination can actually influence the type of success that you achieve.  Most people never even think, "What if?" and thus they never take the time to consider what it would take to change their circumstances.  If they did, they would likely be surprised by what is actually available for them in their lives, and how easily some of their goals and dreams would be to accomplish.

This especially comes to mind during this time of "The 99%" who are protesting all around New York City.  All of these people want someone to do something to help them, for some external agent to make a change that will lead to a change in their circumstances, and are protesting those who have already achieved so much.  This is all well and good, and certainly their right, but I cannot help thinking about all that these people could do if they put the same kind of energy into their daily lives.  What if instead of asking for something to be given to them, they actually spent time attempting to accomplish their goals and achieve their desires?

In the end, even if they got everything that they wanted, most of them would be right back in trouble or complaining again in the very near future.  It reminds me of a game of monopoly - you can sit there and complain about what the other person has, but it doesn't really do you any good.  Instead, you have to roll the dice and try to make things happen for yourself.  The best part of it all is, life is not a game of Monopoly, so even if you don't have "Boardwalk" there are a lot of opportunities for your to take a "Chance."  Don't ask for handouts from the "community chest", and you'll be better off in the end.  Dream and accomplish.

What Keeps You From Accomplishing Your Goals?

Have you ever thought about what holds you back from your achieving your goals?  I have the answer, and it might surprise you.

Go look in the mirror, and you will see the only thing that stands in your way - you.

What you accomplish is only limited by your imagination and your commitment to accomplishing your dreams.  Nothing else stands in your way.  If you think that other things are holding you back, then you are absolutely wrong.  It doesn't matter how old you are, where you live, how much money you have, or where you are starting - it only matters where you want to be and how hard you are willing to work to get there.

Try this - write down what your heart's desire.  Think about what it is that you want, and just write it down.  Now, I want you to take a piece of paper and write down everything that stands between you and what it is that you want.  Look at that list when you are finished. Now, realize that everything you wrote down came from within.  There is nothing on that list that you cannot overcome and do something about - but you have to be willing accept responsibility for the things that hold you back.  You wrote them down, you created them, and that means that they all come from inside you.

Stop holding yourself back, and get ready to accomplish.

Quote of the Day

Francis Bacon once said, "A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds."  These words, although spoken long ago, still hold very true today.

In these uncertain economic times, it seems that many people want to wait for an opportunity to come to them.  If you think about it, I am sure that you can easily think of several people that you have heard complain about their financial woes.  However, how many of those people have followed up that complaint with a plan of action for change, versus going back to doing the same old thing that had put them in the place to make those complaints to start with?  If you are not happy with where you are in life, do not wait for opportunity to come to you!  Instead, go out and create your own opportunities, and make your own luck.

Although I do not know who to attribute this quote to, I think Francis Bacon would agree that it goes right along with his: "If you aren't the lead dog, the scenery never changes."  My friends, if you are not happy with where you are in life, and do not like what you are seeing around you, create opportunities for yourself and take some initiative.  If you are not happy with the current scenery, do not just sit there and complain about it, but instead get out and make something happen for yourself.  If you want to accomplish, you can!

Courageous Acts Come From Fearful Places

One of the biggest problems that people have with taking action is overcoming fear.  There are always reasons to not make an attempt, to never take that first step, and one of these reasons is the fear of failure.  However, it is this fear of failure that actually leads to something wonderful -- courage.

It is the fear that leads to inaction for so many that allows us to recognize the courage that taking action requires.  If things were easy, everyone would do them, and there would be nothing magical about someone choosing to take a risk.  Greatness does not lie in taking the easy path, but rather in facing your fears and choosing to move forward in spite of them.

Courage could not exist without fear.  Accepting fear, embracing it, and acting with the knowledge that failure is indeed possible, exhibits the character that will lead great accomplishments.

What Do You Want to Accomplish?

Every person in the world wants to do something big with there life, but most people never seem to accomplish their goal, or worse, even attempt to accomplish it.  Why is this?

I think that the problem has a wide variety of variables that play a role, but the three most prevalent are planning, education, and expectations.  In terms of planning, it is very difficult for most people who are struggling to make it from paycheck to paycheck to look beyond their circumstances in the present, and to make a solid plan for the future.  It is hard when you are struggling each day to make ends meet to save to open that new business or to run with an idea.  In the age of the internet, where the costs of starting a business is lower than ever, this helps to explain why more people aren't pursuing their dreams.

Education also plays a huge roll in holding the common person back from achieving big things.  Sometimes people have an idea that would be phenomenal, yet feel that there is no way they can handle such things as filing, taxes, insurance, etc, so they let fear and ignorance box them in.  Instead of reaching high for success, they keep their hands inside the card, going wherever the ride takes them.  It is like they are on this roller-coaster with the inability to get off.  Their hope is that at some point the ride will stop and they will arrive at safety, but instead the ride just continues up and down, up and down, and they are trapped in their lives.  The lack of education also keeps people from thinking of possibilities, which leads to the next problem.

Expectations can lead to great things, or they can keep a person in the same spot forever.  If you expect to achieve, if you expect to do great things, the fact is that you will find a way to do so.  If one door slams in your face, you will look for the next one to try and open.  If you stumble, you will pick yourself back up, all because you expect to succeed.  The opposite also holds true. If you do not expect success, and you expect to work your 9-to-5 and never get out of the so-called rat race, then that is exactly what you will do.  If you cannot see yourself in a different place, how will you ever get there?

Plan to succeed, education yourself for success, and expect success, and you can accomplish anything.

Innovation Versus Perspiration

Most people think that in order to be successful you need a new idea that is a game changer.  They think that innovation is the key to success, and that if your idea isn't completely different than everything else that has already been done, then the idea is bad.

This couldn't be further from the truth.  In fact, coming up with a truly innovative idea is a very rare thing.  If you study the course of human history, it is seldom the person that thought of something entirely unique and different that realized success.  Instead, it is the person who exhibited dedication and put forth perspiration that climbed to the top.

Don't get us wrong, new ideas are great, and should be appreciated.  However, you can take an old idea that suffers from poor execution, and turn it into something amazing.  By focusing on the shortcomings of a current product, service, or idea, you can turn mediocre into success.

Remember: Perspiration + Dedication = Success

The most genius idea, without proper planning and effort, is only that - just a genius idea.