Are you having fun yet?

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I recently hosted the annual Sunday Times Fast Track 100 event at my Oxfordshire home. It brings together leaders from the 100 fastest-growing private companies in Britain, a number of other leading entrepreneurs and a few aspiring entrepreneurs from the Branson Centre for Entrepreneurship in Johannesburg and from the British government’s Start-Up Loans Scheme, which Virgin administers.

We spent the day listening to each other and sharing stories of achievement and innovation. There was lots of laughter and some great conversations. Looking at the people gathered around our dinner table, I had a wonderful opportunity to reflect on what makes a successful entrepreneur. I found myself going back to basics: the three key attributes that can make a real difference to a person’s career.

While I’ve touched on these points before, some of the entrepreneurs’ stories highlighted them in new ways. If you have these basics down, you can give your risky idea a go with the confidence that you’re prepared to ride out any trying times ahead.

1. Keep it simple

The best and most successful ideas are those that improve people’s lives. Their founders often have a simple plan focused on a single product or service, one that is prompted by frustration.

Paul Lindley, the founder of Ella’s Kitchen, started his business because he could not get his daughter to eat. He wanted to create a convenient product that would make mealtimes fun for babies and young children, along with their parents.

Paul came up with the idea of producing colourful, tactile pouches filled with organic meals. The innovative recipes wowed parents and toddlers alike, and took market leaders such as Heinz and Hipp Organic in Britain by surprise, since their rather stale offerings relied on glass jars and traditional flavours. Ella’s Kitchen has captured 19% of the market in the UK and copycats are packaging their products in pouches.

As he told his story, it was clear that Paul truly loves his work. He turned his momentary frustration about the difficulty of feeding his daughter into something that is making mealtimes more enjoyable for families.

2. If at first you don’t succeed…

Few first ventures work out. It is how a novice entrepreneur deals with failure that sets that person apart. In fact, failure is one of the secrets to success, since some of the best ideas arise from the ashes of a shuttered business.

If you are an entrepreneur and your first venture wasn’t a success, welcome to the club — every successful businessperson has experienced a few failures along the way. In the US, most investors will look at an entrepreneur’s past failures before making a decision, not because they are worried about it but because they want to see that the person can withstand the occasional knock. Resilience is one of the hallmarks of an entrepreneur who stays in business in the long term.

Talking with the team who runs the Branson Centre in Johannesburg, I was heartened by Dylan Jonsson’s story, as it shows that our entrepreneurs are learning from their mistakes and building new ventures. Dylan is a trained chef who started a restaurant, which then failed because of poor planning. However, he has since launched his next venture, A Thyme to Dine, which is a catering business that also sells four types of chocolate balsamic reductions he developed while running the restaurant.

This skill in identifying a winning formula despite his despair at seeing his restaurant close marks Dylan as one to watch. Some of his sauces and drink powders have been picked up by two national chains in South Africa and he is looking to start international sales soon.

3. Are you having fun yet?

If you don’t like being an entrepreneur, you’re doing it wrong. When you can’t wait to get to work in the morning and you are generally having a good time, there is a far greater chance that you’ll create a positive, innovative atmosphere and your business will flourish.

Keith Bete, a Branson Centre entrepreneur, epitomises this attitude perfectly. He founded Ubuntuism, a clothing venture based on Ubuntu, an African humanist philosophy that focuses on building a peaceful, prosperous community where riches are shared and people are treated with respect. His passion and enthusiasm is infectious: everyone he met at the conference wanted to buy a T-shirt and learn more about his company.

How have these three traits helped you in your career? Have you picked yourself up after a failure?

By Richard Branson / Source: Business Day

 

Smile for a While.

 

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Dr. Chen is with the University of La Salle Hospital in Philadelphia and has visited the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, the London Clinic, and the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. His years of common sense health care experience has resulted in his writing three cook books. Q: Doctor, I’ve heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life.  Is this true?   A: Your heart only good for so many beats, and that it… Don’t waste on exercise.  Everything wear out eventually.  Speeding up heart not make you live longer; it like saying you extend life of car by driving faster.  Want to live longer?  Take nap.     Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake? A:  No, not at all.  Wine made from fruit.  Brandy is distilled wine, that mean they take water out of fruity bit so you get even more of goodness that way.  Beer also made of grain.  Bottom up!   Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?   A: Well, if you have body and you have fat, your ratio one to one.  If you have two bodies, your ratio two to one, etc.   Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?   A: Can’t think of single one, sorry.  My philosophy is: No pain…good! Q:  Aren’t fried foods bad for you? A:  YOU NOT LISTENING!  Food are fried these day in vegetable oil.  In fact, they permeated by it.  How could getting more vegetable be bad for you?!?     Q:  Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?   A: Definitely not!  When you exercise muscle, it get bigger.  You should only be doing sit-up if you want bigger stomach.     Q:  Is chocolate bad for me?   A:  Are you crazy?!?  HEL-LO-O!!  Cocoa bean!  Another vegetable!  It best feel-good food around!   Q:  Is swimming good for your figure?    A:  If swimming good for your figure, explain whale to me..   Q:  Is getting in shape important for my lifestyle?   A:  Hey!  ’Round’ is shape!    Well… I hope this has cleared up any misconceptions you may have had about food and diets. And  remember: For  those of you who watch what you eat, here’s the final word on nutrition and health.  It’s a relief to know the truth after all those conflicting nutritional studies. 1. The Japanese eat very little fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 2. The Mexicans eat a lot of fat and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 3. The Chinese drink very little red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. 4. The Italians drink a lot of red wine and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans..   5. The Germans drink a lot of beer and eat lots of sausages and fats and suffer fewer heart attacks than Americans. . CONCLUSION:   Eat and drink what you like. Speaking English is apparently what kills you.

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Tom Campbell: Boston MBT Q & A 1

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SERIES – INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL AT THE LINK BELOW

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Tom Campbell My Big TOE Toronto 2009 – 1

 

YOUR INVISIBLE BOUNDARIES – Are pleasant and easy to be with?

 

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PASSPORT

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I don’t know if you like me sometimes suffer with temporary blindness. When I look back I often fail to understand how I could have ignored the glaring signals that should have warned me that I am about to make a poor choice.

The key to success in any area of your life is locked up in the ability to “read” subliminal messages or signals during work or play. We often are so focused on what a person is saying that we fail to see the pain or loneliness in his or her eyes.

Have we become so self-centred that we find it impossible to detect the silent calls for help from friends, family and even strangers? When you learn to not only hear, but also “feel” what others are saying or hiding from you, you have mastered the art of communication. Many couples claim that they can “feel” when there is something wrong in their relationship even if there are no visible signs of a threat. It is not what their partners say or fail to express that warns them of potential problems, but a subjective feeling that warns them that something is unbecoming.

I have met a large number of people that lived the best part of their lives in a total fog. The fog never lifts from their ability to detect needs of anyone, but their own. If you want to really live and experience life to the full you must develop your ability to feel the pulse of things around you. When you master the art of really listening you are half way there.

Most people love to hear the sound of their own voices. Become really focused, listen with compassion and discover the subliminal signals that that your emotional radios are unable to pick up at this stage. When you “tune in” to others you get to know the real person behind the mask. You discover the person without his facades and games.

 

YOUR INVISIBLE BOUNDARIES

 

 

When you study a map of the world, you soon become very aware of the boundaries that demarcate the various countries. These boundaries have caused some of the bloodiest wars in the short history of man on this planet. You usually need some kind of passport or document to move from one territory to the next. If you do not have the right documents, you can land yourself in serious trouble.

 

What I often find astounding is that most people do not define their boundaries clearly enough. They expect people to guess their way to success. There are certain people that allow friends and strangers to cross their emotional boundaries without too much problems or discomfort. You usually know how they think and feel about things. You can set up relaxed relationships with such people and hardly ever experience any discomfort while you inhabit their territory. They are pleasant and easy to be with. You can develop warm friendships with this type of individual. Their emotional boundaries are usually not posted a million miles from their hearts and minds in an attempt keep potential pain away.

 

On the other hand, you get individuals that post their boundaries a million miles from their hearts and minds. They usually make it as difficult as possible for people to cross over into their emotional territory. If you do not have the right “passport”, you are stopped at their border posts and sent away with empty hands. They guard their territory with suspicion and doubt. They want a clear well defined reason for your visit and will not hesitate to deport you from their emotional territory when they experience the slightest discomfort. They are not easy to be with. They are difficult to communicate with and need constant justification for everything you say and do. They tend to jump to conclusions and make your stay in their territory a taxing experience.

 

Emotional maturity and confidence allows you to throw open your territory to everybody. People will love to visit you in your territory and will in turn invite you to share their territory as well. The key is to become emotionally secure and to make it as easy as possible for people to be with you.

 

Rene

 

ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT YOU WORK WITH VALID/ACCURATE DATA!

 

WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN YOUR LIFE? MOST PEOPLE THINK THAT IT IS THEIR CAREER, MONEY, FAMILY, RELIGION, RELATIONSHIPS OR HEALTH. NO SUCCESS CAN BE ACHIEVED WITH ANY OF THE ABOVE IF YOUR VALUE SYSTEM IS DEFECTIVE!

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When you ask most people what they think is most important in their lives they usually give the following type of answers. “I feel that my children or family is most important to me.” I feel that financial independence is most important to me.” I feel that my faith and religion is most important to me.” Please notice that the word “feel” plays a powerful role in what you deem important in your life.

We need success in selected areas of our lives to feel good about ourselves and worthy as a human being. Most of us feel that we are less worthy if we failed to achieve specific goals or objectives. Your goals in life are closely linked to the values you have. You feel valuable and worthy when you achieve success in what you deem as important in your life.

What people fail to understand is that it is not the respect and compassion that their children show them that make them feel good, but the feelings that these acts generate in them. (“I was a good parent.”) It is also not the lack of compassion, respect or love from their children that make them feel like failures, but the feelings that it leaves them with. (“I was a bad parent.”) It is thus our interpretation of specific events or behaviour that makes us feel good and successful or bad and like failures.

 

Everything we do in life is in pursuit of specific feelings that we crave for. We think that money will bring us happiness, peace of mind, respect or security. We see the money as the vehicle that will generate these feelings that we crave for. We also hope that the money will take away our fears. We hope that it will take away feelings such as uncertainty, unpredictability, anxiety and potential starvation.

Can you see how we strive for objectives that we hope will either generate feelings that we yearn for or remove feelings that we find very uncomfortable? It should be obvious to you that we are “feeling” driven. Most things we do and most things we think of is to either experience certain feelings or remove certain feelings that are causing us pain. When you accept this fact you can actually do something about it.

 

Our subconscious computer thus search for pleasure generating activities all the time and attempt to steer us away from activities that might cause us pain.

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I WILL ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT I WORK WITH VALID AND ACCURATE DATA!

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It is vitally important that you always make sure that the data that you work with is valid and accurate. You cannot let the bad feelings rush in if your child developed an unfair and inaccurate mindset about you as parent.

The moment you judge yourself by using somebody else’s value system, you are setting yourself up for pain. It will be unfair to experience pain, rejection, and feelings of failure if you did the best job possible under circumstances.

Never allow any person to randomly play with how you feel about yourself. Become objective and rational in what and who you allow to activate feelings in your mind. You always have the final say in what you are going to feel.

 

This might be a good time to think of people and situations that you allow to upset you. You might be unfair in expecting someone to provide you with certain feelings that you yearn for. You also make yourself extremely vulnerable if you live your life in a way where certain people or goals must make you feel good. It is possibly time that you take back control and stop allowing external sources or internal thoughts to govern your worthiness.

 

Rene

 

Most people, yes even family are often takers and can be labelled as “something for nothing” players.

 

WE LIVE IN AN INSTANT “SOMETHING FOR NOTHING” SOCIETY TODAY. WHY PAY IF YOU CAN GET IT FOR FREE?

 

When you look around you today after you read this thought you might see things in people that you never detected before. I am going to remove a misconception that has been blinding you for the best part of your life. If you want to remain in your previous hypnotic state I suggest that you stop reading right now.

 

Most people, yes even family are often takers and can be labelled as “something for nothing” players. The next time a person turn on the charm or laughs for an old stale joke told by you, you should ask yourself the following. “What benefit does this person want to extract from me?” Most people today are not really interested in you or your well being. They tolerate you, befriend you, visit you not to enjoy your company, but rather for what they can extract from you.

They often first try to get whatever you have on offer for free. If all the charm, sulking or even faked friendship fail to do the trick they often revert to subtle or not so subtle emotional blackmail. I have seen these rituals many times in my life.

Some people call it a “deal” I simply call it greed. Most people want instant success, wealth, growth and careers today. Very few people are prepared to pay the price in full for their hopes and dreams. They feel they achieved some kind of victory if they can get you to pay for their dreams and aspirations.

Their friendships are often an empty and worthless network of members that parasite on each other. Their fake smiles and role played compassion is just as devoid of true feelings than the hart of a prostitute. Look around you and see if you can detect the good weather friends that sip your whisky and frequent your parties. If you blindly take people at face value you are setting yourself up for failure. See people for what they are and stop hoping for true relationships that are built on trust and integrity.

 

I AM NOT A TAKER AND WILL PAY THE PRICE FOR MY HOPES AND DREAMS IN FULL! I AM A “WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET KIND OF PERSON”

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People that exert a positive influence are usually deeply interested in people. They always strive for a win-win deal with everybody they meet. They do not fake their way to success or manipulate people and set them up for a clever sting operation later. They love it when everybody gets a fair deal and share equally in what is on offer.

They speak their mind. If they feel upset by something you said or did, they tell you and not your neighbour. If they give you their hand in friendship, you can actually bargain on their loyalty. Many people do not like them because they feel threatened by them. They know they can see through their games and tricks. They do not like their direct approach and hate their honesty.

They may not sit in the front row in church on Sundays, but they often have more spirituality in their little finger than the “something for nothing” fakes in their whole body. Simplify your life and play the game of life straight down the line. You might not be selected as “Actor of the year”, but you will at least keep your dignity and self-esteem in tact. People with honest intentions and integrity are as rare as virgins in a brothel.

 

Rene

 

People feed from each other emotionally, physically and socially.

 

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The most powerful way to develop your self-confidence is to stop looking at life through a “pink” filter system. You must see people, family, friends, strangers, business and religion in a realistic and stripped down manner. The first thing you need to do is to answer a very simple question. The question is – what is the real intention (agenda) of this person or institution? You need to dig deeper and uncover the real agendas and intentions, not the often bullshit masks and camouflage presented as bait. They for example might not really care as much as you think they do about saving your soul. Their real intention might be your money or the free hours you will spend “selling” their cause (books or ideologies etc.). That friendly politician might not care a fuck about you, your future or your family, but will tell you whatever you will be prepared to swallow to get your vote. I don’t want you to become paranoid and see a conspiracy in every shadow. All I am suggesting is that you make it your business to find the source reasons why a person, company etc. is attempting to connect with you or sustain their connection with you. You might think that this guy is buying you flowers and sending you romantic message on your phone because of your wonderful personality and blue eye. His only goal might be to get you into bed and chalk up one more victory in the pecker department. Awareness is the key to success. Ask questions and probe until you fully understand what or who you are dealing with. We need to become realistic if we want to uncover why we often end up the victim. The following might sound cynical, but you do not really have a massive supply of true friends that will die for you. Most friendships and for that matter even relationships are built on a parasitic* foundation. People feed from each other emotionally, physically and socially. You will often be dropped like a hot potato once you are depleted of whatever a person was feeding on. Set yourself free by expecting nothing from nobody. Appreciate life and your relationships on a moment to moment basis.

 

Rene

 

parasitic*

 

Usually, although parasites harm their hosts, it is in the parasite’s best interest not to kill the host, because it relies on the host’s body and body functions, such as digestion or blood circulation, to live.

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