Why Taking A Risk Is The Only Way To True Success

Some words of wisdom By Chad Howse  

What used to be safe, is no longer. What’s “safe” in today’s volatile economy and society, is risk.

Not long ago it was safe to go to college, get a degree, then get a job in the field of your study. That's no longer true.

Today, someone is working the job you want to have. They have experience, you don’t – and no one’s hiring. You have to make your own way. College is no longer your best investment unless you’re going into a field that needs a degree (doctor, dentist etc…); even then, success is far from guaranteed, and paying that investment back is even harder.

And so, you’re left to your own devices. You’re kicked to the curb, forced to see what you can offer the world – and if they’ll accept it. Or, you can go another route: you can find something that excites you, and give it to the world.

The Global Economy

The world is your oyster. The internet has opened borders, broadened your niche, market, and potential client base. You can now reach anyone with a computer – like I do with my business. You don’t even have to learn their language, there are apps that can translate the text for them.

All you need to do is give people something unique, in a unique way, and with passion.

The good news: you can reach far more people than you used to be able to.

The “bad” news: average doesn't cut it any longer.

Doing an average job used to mean security. Today, an average – or even a good job – may mean you’re replaced by someone who does what you do, only they do it exceptionally.

With the expanding of the client base, the broadening of what can be done, and the incredible lack of employment, should you seek a career, or risk it all and create your own path?

What does a “career” offer?

The likely risk of being laid off (seniority is king in the work force).

Low pay – as an entrepreneur you can essentially, determine you own pay by you actions. A workers pay is determined not always based on merit (unless you work in commission, even then you’re getting a small piece of the pie), but on seniority.

It takes the control of your life out of your hands.

What does “risk” offer?

More control over the funds that come in, as well as what’s taken from you in the form of taxes (although the government needs to improve this).

Control over what you do with your life. So many spend their lives doing things they don’t like to do – essentially living a life they don’t want to live; what’s the point?

Risk offers a purpose.

Death is a magnificent thing: It gives your life, and this very moment, a very special and unique meaning. With each day you’re closer to the end. Each moment is one that will never be had again. Death should give you reason to risk, to try, to persist. To live a life spent doing what you hate doing, is a life lived in hell.

To risk nothing is to gain nothing.

In business, the greater the risk, the greater the room for gains. In the stock market that risk isn't always founded on sound principles, but a lot of time when you’re talking about growing a company, or even finding success in life, great risk leads to growth.

Any great accomplishment has been done so in the face of “safe logic”. They've gone with their gut rather than the path walked by those before them. They've forged a new path.

Have the courage to step out from the crowd. Break through the limitations that bind your mind to the life you’re living right now. You deserve something greater.

We Live in Scary Times

They say that the unemployment rate in America is at 8%, but that’s not counting all of the people who have simply given up. Some economists believe that unemployment is actually closer to 15%, and could reach up to 25% in the next decade.

The future isn't uncertain, it’s very certain that the jobs you hold now may not be there in a decade. What will you do then?

The safest thing a person can do is take matters into their own hands.
This may mean joining on with a start up, something that entails a lot more risk, but you typically need less education, you’re working for a company who’s making a difference, whose leaders are leading with passion and have a lot of skin in the game, and you’re innovating.

This may also mean starting your own company. The internet has given you endless possibilities to create what you want to create, to reach who you want to reach, and to help who you want to help.

The world needs new companies, leaders, and entrepreneurs if it’s going to survive this economic collapse. It needs leaders that hire, not drones that follow. The old dinosaurs are beginning to fade away, will you take their place?

Check out Social Media Success FaceBookPage =  https://www.facebook.com/MichaelBev50? 

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http://addicted2success.com/success-advice/why-taking-a-risk-is-the-only-way-to-true-success/

Rudeness on the rise in social media

Have you ever experienced Rudeness or nasty behavior Via your Social Media?

Ever check out your news feed on Facebook and seeing friends behaving badly?

Not surprisingly, what happens offline is happening online — even at an accelerated rate.

And online rudeness is spurring fights in real life.

Rudeness and throwing insults are cutting online friendships short with a survey released April 2013 that reveals people are getting ruder on social media.

The study says two in five social media users have ended contact after a virtual altercation.

As social media usage surges, the survey found incivility also has increased with 78 percent of 2,698 people reporting an increase in rudeness online with people having no qualms about being less polite virtually than in person
.

One in five people have reduced their face-to-face contact with someone they know in real life after an online run-in.

Joseph Grenny, co-chairman of corporate training firm VitalSmarts that conducted the survey, said online rudeness now often spill into real life with 19 percent of people blocking, unsubscribing or “unfriending” someone over a virtual argument.

“The world has changed and a significant proportion of relationships happen online but manners haven’t caught up with technology,” Grenny told Reuters on the release of the online survey conducted over three weeks in February 2013.

“What really is surprising is that so many people disapprove of this behavior but people are still doing it. Why would you name call online but never to that person’s face?”

The Pew Research Center show that 67 percent of online adults in the United States now use social networking sites with Facebook the most popular while the latest figures show over half of the British population has Facebook accounts.

The survey follows a spate of highly publicized run-ins between people who came to virtual blows online.

British football player Joey Barton, who plays for Olympique de Marseille, was summoned by the French soccer federation’s ethics committee after calling Paris St Germain’s defender Thiago Silva an “overweight ladyboy” on Twitter.

Boxer Curtis Woodhouse was widely praised after he tracked down a tweeter who branded him a “complete disgrace” and “joke” after a loss, going to his tormenter’s house for an apology.

Grenny said survey respondents had their own stories such as a family not talking for two years after an online row when one man posted an embarrassing photo of his sister and refused to remove it, instead blasting it to all his contacts.

Workplace tensions are also often tracked back to conversations in chat forums when workers talked negatively about another colleague.

“People seem aware that these kinds of crucial conversations should not take place on social media yet there seems to be a compulsion to resolve emotions right now and via the convenience of these channels,” said Grenny.

Grenny suggested peer-to-peer pressure was needed to enforce appropriate behavior online with people told if out of line.

He said three rules that could improve conversations online were to avoid monologues, replace lazy, judgmental words, and cut personal attacks particularly when emotions were high.

“When reading a response to your post and you feel the conversation is getting too emotional for an online exchange, you’re right! Stop. Take it offline. Or better yet, face-to-face,” he said.

Then how to combat the ill effects of online rudeness?

I advise individuals and professionals think twice about sharing a tweet or a post. If you have one, adhere to your company’s or organization’s social media guidelines.

But the highest standard I have to determine what to share on social media is my grandmother.

I ask myself this important question: What would my grandmother think?

Check out Social Media Success FaceBookPage =  https://www.facebook.com/MichaelBev50? 

 keep in touch & like the page while there! I will always reciprocate

Find me on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/pub/michael-beveridge/23/309/

http://www.tednguyenusa.com/rudeness-on-social-media/

13 Ways To Unlock The Hidden Power Of Your Network To Increase Your Net Worth

Some Great Advice From Porter Gale 

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Ever wondered how you can use transformational marketing in this new digital age to increase your net worth? Well Porter Gale the Former VP of Marketing for Virgin America shows you how.

The following is an excerpt from  Your Network is your Net Worth: Unlock the Hidden Power of Connections for Wealth, Success and Happiness in the Digetal Age. By Porter Gale, former VP of Marketing for Virgin America.

The 13 Steps to Transformational Networking

1 – Assess the barriers that are holding you back

Your first step in transforming your network is to assess and define the barriers that are holding you back. Do you need to break a habit or routine? What is keeping you from connecting or reaching your goals?

Develop a list of your potential barriers. If you have a long list, don’t worry. Just focus on one at a time.  Addressing them will help you experience positive change and make connecting with others an easier and more enjoyable process. Take action, start a conversation when you’re feeling uncomfortable, or ask someone to join an activity: the results may happily surprise you.

2 – Define your core passions and purpose with the Funnel Test

With the Funnel Test you can review your passions and define a purpose to anchor your networking and ultimately help you increase your happiness and prosperity. Start by identifying three of your passions that clearly defines your core interests. The area where your three passions overlap is your sweet spot.

Next, write down how you are cultivating your passions and make a commitment to improve in these areas. Now come up with a with a selected word for your tone. Like a funnel, where the contents flow from top to bottom, envision all of your actions being influenced by your tone. Last, streamline your passions and create a purpose statement of less than twenty words that describes your purpose and use it to guide you down your chosen path.

3 – Create a mind-set of positive productivity

Positive productivity involves developing a mind-set of conscious effort to make the most of your time, connections, and relationships to increase your happiness, success, and true wealth. Try toexpand your circle of friends and professional allies; focus on networking opportunities, and positive productivity will help turn obstacles into growth situations.

Remember: In our global, networked economy, you can’t allow your social capital to lie dormant. Each day, to get more energy, be productive and active, and you’ll be unconsciously taking steps to build your future happiness. You’ll be surprised at how much you can accomplish if you take one step a day toward a personal or networking goal that you are trying to achieve.

4 – Develop a Give Give Get attitude

A key to value-based networking is helping others when you don’t expect anything in return. It’s not as easy as it sounds.

If you put giving back and helping others at the center of your networking and relationship building, you are likely to have more impactful and stronger relationships. By seeing networking as an opportunity to help people, you’ll discover that your actions change you for the better and help to transition out of negative states of emotion. Remember that the idea is “Give Give Get”; that is, put greater energy into giving than receiving. What you will find is that the giving will come back to you tenfold.

5 – Commit to shaking it up

Shaking up your routine and exploring new opportunities can change your life. Sometimes change is by choice and sometimes it is due to external circumstances. Regardless of where it comes from, it always has the potential to bring positive growth and learning.

Sometimes change is self-motivated, and sometimes it is a result of outside influences. It’s not always easy to predict, but when you anchor your core values and practice positive productivity, you will more successfully navigate the highs and lows of your journey. Look at ways you can proactively shake it up by changing your routine, trying events designed to meet new people, embracing unemployment (if it happens), and getting outside of your comfort zone.

6 – Accelerate your connections with technology

Technology has increased virtual intimacy and reduced the degree of separation between connections. New and old networking relationships may be just a tweet, a post, or an email away. Toss out the old ideas: networking is no longer about climbing a ladder to success with a Rolodex stuffed in a leather briefcase. A different networking strategy is paying dividends in our global, mobile economy: one that includes understanding your values, having a positive attitude, and connecting with collaborators for mutual inspiration, innovation, and support.

Embrace rather than shun the new online tools and social sites. If used properly, you can make new connections, improve your happiness, and impact your future prosperity.

7 – Cultivate relationships that support your purpose

As your network builds, the way you interact and treat your professional and personal colleagues, especially in your core circle, will have a dramatic impact on your ability to achieve your purpose and find happiness and success.

Your core circle affects how you spend your time and where you socialize, your networking success, and ultimately your happiness. Outside your core circle is your secondary circles, which have a highly important impact on your networking. Your goals are to build authentic, honest, emotionally based connections and to identify if you need any additional support or resources to help you realize your passions and purpose.

8 – Visit power pockets to accelerate networking

Look at environments, clubs, and events to see how they can accelerate or diminish your efforts and ability to live your passions and purpose. If you think of your network as a web of interconnected relationships, it is important to look at where you could get stuck and where you can accelerate your efforts.

Review the importance of your work space and the benefits of what I call “power pockets”: places and events that accelerate networking and support your passions or purpose. Think about your community or places that you visit for travel, identify two to three power pockets, and make an effort to visit or work out of a location that’s not your office. Remember that under the surface, there is learning to be had from every connection.

9 – Hone your connecting skills and learn from hub players

Create value and opportunity by embracing highly networked individuals who thrive at bringing people together. Hub players are the people at the center of the social or business sphere, and they excel at connecting themselves and others. If you are not a hub player or the idea of making small talk at a party makes your skin crawl, don’t worry; those skills can be learned and practiced over time.

When you reach out to a hub player, you’ll find the same dynamic that occurs when you meet a new friend, but with exponential levels of energy and feedback. If the two of you share professional interests and embark on a collaboration, get ready to discover new areas of learning and change.

10 – Create content, products, or services to share your purpose

Having a mindset of being a producer will help you focus when generating content or developing products or services to increase your visibility, build your network, or increase your reach. The goal of being a producer is to add value to the collective good based on your passions and purpose.

As a producer, you should actively seek to create content, products, or services that support your passions. When you do so, those activities will often result in creative enjoyment, sharable assets, and possibly financial gain. The more you enjoy your producing process, the easier it will be for you to share your output and excitement with others.

11 – Develop partnerships to extend your reach

Reaching critical mass can be accelerated by connecting with core influencers, exploring partnerships, and unleashing the power of groups. Use your passions and purpose as a filter to focus your connecting efforts and achieve your goals.

Building your audience and the reach of your personal brand or message online takes effort, but the returns can be multifold. Classic brand-building techniques such as creating partnerships, identifying key influencers, combining press and social media, among others, can be used to target your message and build a following.

12 – Learn to make successful asks.

Get your foot in the door, secure a meeting, or simply get advice; the Ask is a skill people hone over time. With the support of your network, learn to ask for help, move your projects forward and live your purpose.

Succeeding at the ask requires a blend of courage, passion for your work, preparation, innovation, and resilience. Also, remember that often magic doesn’t happen overnight. “Don’t leave before the miracle” is a phrase to remember as you focus on turning your passions and purpose into reality.

13 – Decide what brings you happiness and success: head, heart, or wallet?

Decide what brings you happiness and success: head, heart, or wallet? If your network is your net worth, what role do the people in your core and secondary circles play in your happiness and success? Do the contents in your wallet make you happy? Is happiness and success driven by what you know? Or who you know? Or both?

Remember to look inside first, outside second. Surround yourself with a values-based team, and creatively focus on living your passions and achieving your purpose. If you’re facing pivot points, get productive and don’t let your social capital lay dormant. Help others, be of service, and, remember, Your Network Is Your Net Worth.

Check out Social Media Success FaceBook Page https://www.facebook.com/MichaelBev50?  keep in touch & like the page while there! I will always reciprocate

 http://addicted2success.com/success-advice/13-ways-to-unlock-the-hidden-power-of-your-network-to-increase-your-net-worth/

Keeping up with the Tools of Your Trade

Check out Social Media Success FaceBook Page https://www.facebook.com/MichaelBev50?  keep in touch & like the page while there! I will always reciprocate

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Keeping up with the latest tools

Keeping yourself updated with all things Social Media can be tricky as new media apps/ideas/things become available almost every day. New strategies proliferate every hour and everyone thinks they hold the next big thing!  No wonder it can be scary. 

Staying current is about three different components: Keeping up with the newest developments, experimenting with digital tools, and learn as much as you can.

Keeping up with the latest tools is about finding tools that will curate information so that you can easily access and process it. You might be surprised, but this tool is the (relatively old) standby, RSS. RSS, or real simple syndication, was developed to deliver information from the web to people who subscribe to that information. For example, most blog sites are equipped with RSS feeds which allow a user to subscribe to the blog and have the blog material delivered in a variety of formats.

 

Use the RSS reader in Google Reader to manage your subscriptions so that you stay up to date with the most current research and trends in digital media. Though there's a catch. I find the process of logging to access the content to be a little clumsy on mobile devices. Two tools that make that simple. Reading blogs on the iPhone, the Feeddler app is a great resource for you to manage the blogs and podcasts that you plan to read or listen to. The app alerts you when there's new posts to read and you can quickly scan through the titles of the posts to see which ones capture your interest. Second, If you prefer to read posts in a more magazine-like style, especially on my iPad. In that case turn to Flipboard.  Flipboard takes the RSS information puts it into a visual display like a magazine that you can scroll through by turning pages and clicking on articles to read the most recent updates.

Both Flipboard and Feeddler use Google Reader as their source of information, so all of the material that you read on any of these three tools syncs with the others. Therefore, when you mark items that you’ve read in Feeddler, they are also marked as "read" inside Google Reader and Flipboard. I also find it valuable to be able to share an article using Feeddler or Flipboard through Twitter, email, or other vehicles that allow me to connect these articles to my followers, customers and colleagues.

Experimenting with digital tools

Try experimenting with all the tools out there! “the ones you think look interesting or can help your business” especially the FREE ones. And through experiment you will find tools out there that will help you and often become valuable time savers. Experimented with Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Pinterest, Storify, MindMeister, Goanimate, Audacity, and a variety of iPad and iPhone apps, to name a few. All will hold invaluable tools, which help and make your work much easier. 

 

Starting off

Most people start with the big three facebook, Twitter & Pinterest with LinkedIn being the professional users choice, which can reach millions of business people across the globe. I would recommend the three above to start off your business and experiment with the tools that they all offer, gain confidence with the sites and navigation systems they have, once you have accomplished these you can go on and add many more to your portfolio, which in turn widens your audience – all good. It can be mind blowing and there will be obstacles to overcome, but believe me it is worth persevering, just work through at your own pace otherwise you can overload! 

These strategies are my ways of keeping current with the changes in digital media technology and the way it affects my business. We are all learners no matter what age you are especially in this digital world of ours, I’d love to hear about the ways that you stay current – all comments welcome after all we all learn from each other. 

Happy tool hunting! 

Mike Beveridge

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