What is the Secret to Success?

What does it take to be successful? Does it take natural talent or great intelligence? Those may be important but if you have passion and persistence you can achieve your dreams. You must be willing to take risks and fail before you can succeed.

If you want to write a book but everyone tells you that you won't be successful, will you quit?

Do you quit after one rejection from a publisher or just move on to the next one?

What would happen if you tried again after the first failure?

What would happen if you followed YOUR dream and not someone else’s?

To be successful, you can never give up. Follow your passion. Don’t let others determine your success.

What have you achieved despite someone’s opinion?

Struggling with Writing a Big Book? Find Out Why a Little Book is Better!

Do you want to write a business book but the idea of writing a 300-400 page book seems overwhelming? Yet, you know that writing a book is important to be seen as a business expert and a published author. If that is you, you should seriously consider a little book format for your book.

 While it is important to have a book to promote your business, it will only help promote your business if someone wants to read it. Today, people are so busy that they want fast, easy to read information. What a better way to provide that information while promoting your business in a succinct, little book. Here are some reasons why you may want to consider writing a little book:

 If the book was little, with condensed information, it would be more attractive to a busy reader since it could be read in a shorter period than a big book. After all, if you were trying to understand a business concept, would you want to sit down a read a thick, 300 page book? Just looking at a big book may be so overwhelming that you may decide you don’t have time to read it even before you pick it up. A little book doesn’t project that overwhelming image.

 Typically a book can be easily condensed. Readers Digest understood the busy individual and started condensing books in the 1950’s. They provided the essence of their books. You too, can do that with a little book by providing the essence of your topic, providing enough information that your reader is educated, but also leaving a hunger to want more from you. 

 A little book can be easily carried in a pocket, briefcase or purse and used as a reference. Just think. If you could provide valuable information to you clients that they could carry with them, would that increase your credibility? A mom could carry the parenting book and read it while in the car pool; a health conscious individual may carry eating tips with them to the grocery; a business owner could carry a book on SEO with them when they sit down to blog.

 A real life example: Leticia Dominguez, a life coach and author, wanted a personal development book that could be easily read and start an individual’s life journey without intimidating them with too much information. Her book, The Little book of Luck, Luck is Simply a Choice, inspires the reader to make simple choices that will improve their life. She not only is a published author, uses her book for her clients, but now is building a national following just by having her little book

To find out more about writing a book   FREE REPORT   Discovering How a Book Will Improve Your Credibility and Make You an Expert in Your Field 

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Steps to Find Your Passion and Cash In On It!

Part 2 of 2 In my last post, I talked about struggling with knowing what my passion was and how important it was to actually know your passions. Start by keeping a journal and write down what inspires you and what doesn’t inspire you. Go back and think about what inspired you and what didn’t inspire you in the past. Break it up into past and current jobs, relationships, hobbies, projects, etc. What do/did you love and what do/did you hate about any and all of these subjects. This could take awhile but it is worth it. You will start seeing a pattern. As an example, Mancel Lindsey is keeping an online journal of his exploration of art. He loves art and works with art. But he is not sure what direction he wants to take. This is a great way for him to find out what he likes and doesn’t like. The same will be true for you. As I did this I found out that my passion was still my family. I also learned that I loved to create new projects, manage statistics and help others find their purpose and passion. My business partner has different passions and although our business goals are the same they are driven by different complementary passions. If you find your passion, you will be able to give up almost anything to move closer to it. If not, you will procrastinate and waste your time. I have given up things that I never would have thought of giving up to make my passion evolve into my desired outcome. I have always been rather distractible and disorganized. My passion has forced me to be on task and produce results. It is a wonderful feeling and worth pursuing. If you have a passion you will be able to cash in on it. I never had a vision of being a publisher. My vision was to help others find their purpose and inner happiness, create new and unique projects, connect with people on a personal level and spend as much time as I could with family. Running a publishing company is the vehicle to cash in on my passion. Don’t try to figure out how you will make money on your passion. That will come to you during the journey. It may even change along the way! Enjoy the journey!  Please, we would love to hear how you found your passion and what drives you! What steps did you take to find your passion?

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Steps to Find Your Passion and Cash In On It!

Part 1 of 2

 If you are like I was, until you actually try and find it, you may have no idea what your passion truly is. Several years ago I was listening to CD in my car and they kept talking about finding your heart’s desire or passion. I realized then that I had no idea what my passion or heart’s desire was. It actually saddened me to realize that I had never connected with my passion.

I had always loved my career, was considered an expert in my field, and was very “passionate” about keeping up with changes. However, although I still loved my career, and was very “passionate” about it, I realized that being passionate about something did not necessarily mean that it was my life’s passion. 

In my personal life, I had always been passionate about my children and family and spent a lot of time with them. Was that my passion? But at that time, my children were leaving the nest and I knew my focus was going to change. I needed to find my real passion. I spent nearly a year looking at my interests and trying to find my passion. However, it was only when I quit focusing on the fact I didn’t know what I wanted that I could concentrate on what I wanted and what actually made me excited. It was a process and I will share with you some of the ways you can begin to explore your interests to find your passion.

I recently came across a video by Gary Vaynerchuk that articulates how passion will make you a success. My suggestion to you:  listen to this several times a week to find out about passion. If, after watching his video you don’t think passion is important, then you can stop reading now and go back to your comfortable unfulfilling life! Gary says, “If you do what you love and don’t lie to yourself, you will always win regardless of what you are doing”.

Next post I will make some suggestions on how to start finding your passions. Make sure you check back on Thursday! Sign up for the RSS feed to get an update

How have you found your passion? What did you think about Gary Vaynerchuk's video. Please let us know what you think.

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Discover 8 Keys For Successful Networking at Business Events

 Part 2 of 2

In our last post we discussed how building a relationship is the most important part of networking. Building a relationship is making a foundation for ongoing business over the years. Even if you do not get direct business from a connection at first, by having a relationship with them, it will be you they will refer their friends to when someone needs something. Remember, all your business relationships have many friends and family that may eventually need your services!  Here are a few additional tips for attending a networking event to add to those we gave you last post. 5.  Think of how you can help them before you think about how they can help you. It may sound strange but it is best to build a relationship of trust first before asking for their business. If they know you and like you, they will do business with you as opposed to someone who just handed them a business card, and they will refer their friends.  6. If you already know people at the event, don’t spend all of your time with them. If there is food being served, find a table where you do not know anyone. While you certainly can be social, a networking event is not meant to be a socializing event. It is for meeting new people and building business relationships. 7.  Follow up with all of the people you meet. It is great to send a card in the mail after the event. A card will get their attention more than an e-mail. E-mails are often overlooked and can be disregarded.  Express gratitude for the opportunity to meet them  Be sure to include picture and contact information in the card. 8.  If someone gives you a referral, follow up on them. Your actions are a reflection on the person who gave you the referral and if you are successful in developing a business relationship, you will continue to get referrals. A good book on getting referrals is Endless Referrals, Third Edition, by Bob Burg. What are your suggestions on how to get business at a networking event? We’d love to hear them!

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