Opportunity Is A Head Game

by THOMSON DAWSON

If you perceive “opportunity” as something in limited supply, or in inexhaustible supply, the perception is all in your head. You choose your own point of view about the availability of opportunity.

I’d like to suggest that the quantity and quality of your opportunities is directly proportional to your faith and belief that opportunity is abundantly available for you at all times. As an entrepreneur, you know your only power to create anything valuable begins in the formless realm (the land of creativity, imagination and intuition) right inside your head.

Lately I have been thinking a lot about “opportunity”.

Where does opportunity come from?  Where are the best opportunities now? How to attract opportunity? Are there a limited number of opportunities available only to a select few?

I’ve always been fascinated with the idea that “being more of yourself” in the world forms the basis for creating more opportunity. Like you, I am a seeker. I’m always tuned to my inner radar… paying attention to what shows up, connecting dots, following my intuition more than facts.  And like you, I sometimes fear opportunity is in limited supply.

My own life-long desire for personnel success and achievement has led me to wonder how some entrepreneurs magically create great value from thin air at just the perfect time.

In studying the traits common in entrepreneurs who build amazingly successful enterprises, one in particular seems to determine how well their opportunities will exceed their current capacity– a core belief that opportunity is in endless supply and begins as a creative thought in the marvelous mind.

The tide of opportunity

Like the ocean, opportunity is like the tide–always moving in different directions according to the needs of the marketplace. Customers needs and desires are always changing, lifestyle trends in the culture come and go, technology is forever in hyper evolution– all contribute to the dynamic tides of opportunity in the marketplace.

As you begin building your business, it’s important to remember opportunity favors those who “swim with the tide” as opposed to against it.

The tide of opportunity always flows in the direction of growth and advancement never toward lack or limitation. Opportunity is about adding new value rather than compete for the value others have already created.  Opportunity favors those who bring greater value (innovation) to the marketplace first–never because they need business now.

The only way to grow your business is to tap your own flow of opportunity from within your creative mind.

The science of opportunity.

In the early 20th century New Thought philosophy, (which has become the foundation on which all modern day human potential gurus base their philosophy of success), is based on the premise that the universe (both formless and formed) operates by exact law.  These laws are always on and inescapable–like gravity.

One of the first principles of this philosophy (now confirmed by quantum science) suggests everything we see in form is really made up of one original substance–commonly known as vibrating energy–out of which all matter precedes. Likewise, opportunity is energy. Energy is the goo of potential as yet unformed.

Here’s the kicker and the key to the whole mental puzzle of creating opportunity:

“The original material is a thinking substance responsive to the needs of humans and will not let humanity be without any good thing”.

Wallace Wattles

New Thought Philosopher

The Science of Getting Rich

1911

Opportunity is alive and found everywhere and in everything– the higher expression of a benevolent natural force in the universe responsive to our desires and always available.

Only thinking in “a certain way” taps us into this powerful, limitless creative force. That’s how all the stuff ever created in the world shows up. That’s how we humans have evolved over the ages to create the wild and unbelievable world we now live in today!  Like the cliché says “thoughts are things”.

Is positive thinking enough?

What if you just happen to really need business now and opportunities are nowhere to be found in the visible supply? What then?  Do you still believe opportunity is everywhere always? Do you believe without doubt opportunity will respond to your need and desire? What will keep your faith that you are always surrounded by opportunity for greater growth and expansion in your business and in your whole life experience?

Turning formless ideas into molecules takes much more than simple positive thinking.

Other Jedi Master level mental faculties are required to work in harmony with your imagination and intuition–faith, belief, passion, love, commitment, disciplined action, patience, persistence and perseverance–actions that form the currency that challenge requires to pay for the reward of endless opportunity.

Without acting in a certain way, the magic of bringing limitless opportunities from your creative mind into the formed will never work.

Why Entrepreneurs Hate Marketing.

by THOMSON DAWSON

Compared to the creative energy of innovating new products and services, it’s frustrating for early-stage entrepreneurs to invest in an abstract activity that’s difficult to measure effectiveness.

In a recent post, I shared the results of a survey I conducted asking entrepreneurs what mattered most to them in growing their business. Granted, the results were not a rigorous quantitative analysis, rather a quick snapshot of what is on the minds of entrepreneurs and solo professionals when thinking about how to grow their business to the next level.

In thinking more about the results of the survey, I was fascinated with one particular result–the majority of entrepreneurs stated they don’t like marketing. In fact, over 80% said it was their least favored activity. Do entrepreneurs hate marketing?

I’m thinking they do!

Compared to the creative energy of innovating new products and services, I imagine it’s very difficult for early-stage entrepreneurs to spend time and money on an abstract activity that is difficult to measure its effectiveness. Marketing activities, for the most part, can seem like a big waste of time. So much energy goes in and little return comes back.

A glut of marketing gurus.

With so much frustration over marketing efforts and effectiveness, it’s easy to see why there is an abundance of online marketing gurus out there hawking their magical training formulas claiming “crushing it” sales results if you’ll willing to cough up a few grand for their program. True enough, PT Barnum is still right– there’s a sucker born every minute. If only it were that easy.

The web has evolved into the premiere marketing channel for enterprises large and small. Social media platforms for building an audience of buyers are now ubiquitous.

Of course the downside of all this is more noise and clutter!

The biggest competition to your business is noise and clutter. Customers simply are bombarded with unending marketing messages of all types. Attention spans are growing shorter, audiences are fragmented and making any sort of impression on them is ever more difficult.  Little wonder there is a plethora of marketing and sales advice online for entrepreneurs who seek an easy button for their marketing. Truth is there is no such thing.

It reminds of the California Gold Rush, where most of the people who got rich were the ones selling shovels to the miners.

There is no easy button.

Marketing is work! To be an effective marketer requires sustained effort. Most entrepreneurs think marketing is what you do when business is slow. This is a fatal mistake. Marketing must be an everyday priority if you are to have and maintain a steady stream of prospects eager to do business with you.

Marketing tactics and channels in our digital world has never been more diverse, cheap and easy to implement. But with cheap and easy comes more  complexity and commoditization–email, direct mail, earned media, paid media, blogging, social media–all form a tactical hairball that simply overwhelms most early-stage entrepreneurs.  Little wonder entrepreneurs hate marketing. It’s hard work that requires a big financial investment with little evidence any of it will pay off.

Regardless, if you are to grow your business to the next level, marketing (and sales) is important work that needs doing everyday. Your results will proportionate to your level of enjoyment.

To push or to pull that is the question.

Surprisingly many entrepreneurs still think marketing is about promotion and selling–pushing a steady stream of outbound promotional messages to customers who could care less hoping something will stick.  More surprising, many entrepreneurs find selling to be an equally distasteful activity and many are loathe to spend time and energy there. Most still believe marketing and sales is an obnoxious pushy activity.

Modern marketing is no longer about demand generation and sales, it’s about community and shared values.

To make even the slightest dent in the mind of a prospective customer, your marketing activities must have a perceived intrinsic value to the customer. In other words, your marketing becomes a valuable product in and of itself. When this happens, you’ll notice a gravitational force pulling prospects to you in droves.

Why? Because birds of a feather will always flock together. Your marketing resonates with shared values. Customers identify you (your business) as one of them. Prospects quickly recognize that your very presence in the marketplace is valuable and useful to them–even if they don’t buy.

The cart before the horse.

One of the key attributes all entrepreneurs have is a gift for taking decisive action.

Most entrepreneurs are willing to try just about anything if they believe it will grow their business.  However, when it comes to marketing their business (especially when they need business), many entrepreneurs will resist taking action. Many do not realize that to have the insight to take the right action at the right time requires a strategy.

The familiar expression “ready, fire, aim” applies here.

The truth is most early stage entrepreneurs do not have a sound strategy in place to guide and inform their marketing tactics. Strategy is a head game. Strategy is about creative thinking not random action. Strategy comes before tactics. This is a critical truth in modern marketing.

The core elements of a modern marketing strategy.

If you’re an early stage entrepreneur or solo professional struggling with sustained energy for marketing your business, you might appreciate what exactly forms the raw material of marketing strategy. If you are to ever enjoy the process of marketing your business effectively, you’re going to need solid answers to these questions:

Why does your business exist beyond moneymaking?

What greater and uncommon value do you bring to the marketplace through your products and services?

Who represents the best customer who will pay a premium price to use the value you bring to them?

What drives these higher value customers to buy products or services in your category?

What makes your business distinctive and remarkable from your competitors?

What proof do you have that your value proposition resonates, differentiates and substantiates with your target customers and clients?

When you have more clarity to answer these fundamental questions, you’ll automatically have more confidence in your specific actions and tactics. And when you feel more confident, you will naturally enjoy the process of marketing your business significantly and your results will be self-fulfilling.

Top 10 Tips for New Entrepreneurs

By Anne Day

Over the years I have worked with hundreds of new entrepreneurs. I often compare starting a business to motherhood -- both involve excitement, joy and complete fear and self doubt as to whether you are up for the job -- be it as a business owner or parent. Here are some pointers for new entrepreneurs.

1. If you build it they will come
While we are scared, because let's face it, your business could bomb, there is also that enthusiasm and passion about your new venture that can foster what I call the "if you build it, they will come" mentality. Oh that it worked that way, but having a website and business cards, usually doesn't quite do it.

2. It takes longer than you think
In fact, it frequently takes much longer than you think for your business to take off and be financially viable. Doing anything for the first time is a learning experience and there are often delays and pitfalls along the way.

3. Make sure you have enough savings 
Because it takes longer than you think to get a paid customer through the door, folks often don't set aside enough funds to cover their day-to-day costs for several months. I usually recommend at least six months operating funds just to carry you through.

4. Your estimations may not always be accurate
Frequently the new entrepreneur overestimates the revenue coming in, but underestimates the money going out to start the business. Having a realistic budget helps keep you on track.

5. Who's your tribe? 
At the beginning a warm body that can afford to pay for what you offer will do, but in reality, you really need to drill down and be very clear on who your target audience is, because when you do, your marketing (and time) are better spent trying to reach that customer.

6. You don't know, what you don't know
Everything is so new and at times it can be hard to know just what you should be doing next. I remember one newbie confessing that she gets up and hasn't a clue what she should be doing to move her business along. Getting together with other new entrepreneurs helps you feel less alone and you will likely find you are all experiencing that same sense of overwhelm.

7. The buck stops here
If you have started a business after working in say the corporate sector, no doubt you were used to having someone else around to do the photocopying, etc... But when you are a solopreneur and until you can afford to outsource work -- you are it.

8. It can be isolating
If you are used to working with other people, and now find yourself working alone at home, it can be isolating. Look to joining some networks so you get out and meet like-minded people who are on a similar path to you and who can help you find customers.

9. Managing relationships
Your family and friends may be supportive of your new venture (but not always). Spouses, for example, may be wondering just how long it is going to take you to make some real money and may put on pressure for you to go back to a day job. Friends also don't always understand that just because you are at home, you can't drop things to have coffee when it suits them.

10. Believe in yourself
It can be all too easy to get discouraged when the business isn't flowing in the way you expected. My advice is to surround yourself with people who believe in you and encourage you to stay the course. Having an accountability buddy can help you stay focused and on track.

Maximize the Impact of Handwritten Notes With These 6 Tips

July 10, 2014

I still remember my first time.

I was in college, and when it happened, all of the giddy rumors that led to my passionate curiosity and anticipation were not a let down. I even remember where I was when it happened -- hunched over a worn-out PC, late at night, deep in the bowels of the ASU computer lab.

My first email.

There was something glorious and magical about that first electronic message, even in all the awkwardness of Windows 3.1. I was so excited, I printed it, as well as the next 10 or so I received. I thought email was awesome (please do not judge), and even then, as a young college student, I could see the potential it presented.

No more hand-writing letters.

Fast-forward to today. My email inbox fills with dozens of emails -- every hour. They are completely unmemorable, and I shuffle through and delete them with the speed and fluency of a late-night gambler on an electronic poker game. I almost always forget them all.

Instead, what I remember these days are the occassional and rare handwritten notes I receive via “snail mail,” such as the "Thank You" cards I received a few weeks ago from a group of university students who visited our warehouse for a tour and chat. I was pleasantly pleased, though somewhat surprised, that I did not receive the thank you messages via email, LinkedIn or Twitter.

Heck, I would not have been shocked to receive them by text message.

These days, I find that a gesture as simple as a handwritten note has a much greater and memorable impact than any electronic message I send. Though the task of hand-writing cards may seem time consuming and hardly worth the effort, it does not need to be. 

Here are a few tips and resources to help you become more fluent at delivering an impactful handwritten message.

1. Keep it simple. You do not need to get overly aggressive with stationery. Opt instead for simple "Thank You" or blank cards, which provide you room to leave your message. You can find any number of cards in the clearance area of an office supply store, or you could opt to really make an impact with your stationery through companies such as Sweet Jane Paperie, a high-end stationery manufacturer that hand-stiches fabric cards. 

Sweet Jane’s founder, Janine Durso, points out that creating an emotional connection by going the extra mile with your notes demonstrates that you are attempting to create long-lasting relationships with its recipient.

2. Make it memorable. While the simple gesture of sending a handwritten card to a customer or partner can make an impact, put forth the extra effort to make it absolutely memorable. Consider sending small gifts, such as product samples or coupons. 

If your gift is larger than an envelope, consider using a company that specializes in “greeting boxes,” such as Greetabl. Greetabl’s co-founder, Joe Fischer, suggests including something from your meeting to remind the recipient of how and where you met.

3. Be personable. As much as you’d like to make a sales pitch, it is best to take a personal approach and allow yourself to add character to your message, suggests Matt Richardson, co-founder of Gramr Gratitude Co., a subscription-based service that sends you highly unique greeting cards each month from a variety of artists and photographers. 

Richardson also suggests using a favorite pen (he uses a purple one) with each note to add an additional level of differentiation to each card.

4. Include a business card. To keep your note personable and simple, do not waste valuable real estate describing again who you are and what you do. Instead, simply include a business card (or two) as a subtle reminder. Make certain, however, that you have a business card that is equally as memorable and useful. 

You can make yours stand out with companies such as Moo, which creates high-end, beautifully-crafted business cards (and other stationary). You can and should also use the back to add a note about your meeting, since the business card is what will be kept and filed.

5. Prepare ahead of time. Keep a set of cards and pre-stamped envelopes (use real stamps) with you at all times. After a meeting, do not create an electronic reminder to send a follow up note, which inevitably will be postponed so many times as to become late and ultimately obsolete. Instead, at the very moment you think of it, reach in your bag, grab a ready-to-mail card and complete it. The details of your message will be fresh in your mind.

6. Go online. If you are still intimidated by the effort required to send a simple handwritten message, or you have just forgotten how to write after years of email, you can use services such as Handiemail to hand-write your messages for you.

Handiemail's founder, Kyle Eertmoed, describes his staff as "talented, meticulous, self-motivated individuals who love to write things by hand." Your typed message will be transcribed by hand into an elegant letter on your behalf -- confidentially, of course. 

You can also use the iPad app Felt, which allows you to hand-write your message directly on your mobile device and have it sent immediately. You can even hand-write your envelope.

Using handwritten notes to make an impression with customers, partners or even friends and colleagues has become a lost art. With these tips and resources, there is every reason you should start leveraging them to differentiate yourself and your business.

And, if you want to try one -- thank you cards can be addressed to Peter Gasca, c/o Entrepreneur.com. Cheers!

I Admit It. I Have No Idea What I'm Doing. (And That's a Good Thing.)

22/07/2014

During the journey of building Buffer, I’ve had some truly fantastic moments. I’ve reached some defining milestones. New doors have opened for me, and it has been great.

Looking back to when I started Buffer, even though I had learned a lot from my past startup experiences, I truly didn’t know what I was doing and I approached everything with that mindset. I was out there to learn and I knew that the only way I was going to progress was to adopt a very open mind.

I’m writing this post because when I stray away from this mindset, I lose out as a result.

When success can lead you down the wrong path

I’ve been lucky enough to receive some great press and praise for Buffer. In addition to this, I’ve had some of my blog posts featured in great newsletters and some blogs I truly admire, and I’ve also had the opportunity to speak a few times about how I’ve achieved some success with Buffer.

This form of others directly or indirectly appreciating what I was doing, and a few reaching out to ask me for advice, set me off on a path which I can now say in hindsight is not where I want to be. I love to help others, and I will always do my best to share my own experience, but as soon as I took appreciation as a signal that I knew what I was doing, I had taken a wrong step.

Believing that I knew what I was doing

The key turning point was when I started to believe that I knew what I was doing. I let the comments, the kind congratulations and the small successes affect my mind. I actually thought I knew what I was doing.

As soon as I believed that I knew what I was doing, without realising it, the style of my writing and communication in general started to change slightly. I became naturally drawn to instructive comments and advice where I would have previously communicated simply based on my own experiences.

The biggest mistake: I became less open-minded

It was with this new instructive style that made me realise I had lost my open-mindedness. After a few people asked for my advice, I was starting to treat everything in a way in which I needed to have a definite answer.

That’s when I looked back to the early days of Buffer. At that time, the only way I was going to get somewhere was to be completely open-minded, take every opportunity to learn and make the most of every conversation. This was how I progressed, and it really worked. It felt amazing.

A new start: a beginner’s mind

So the truth is: I have no idea what I am doing. I am taking a leaf from Mary Jaksch of Goodlife Zen. I am going to let go of being an expert:

We are all experts. Experts in our job, in raising children, in crossing the road, in signing our name. It’s difficult to let go of being an expert. Because it means confessing that we really know nothing. What we know belongs to the past. Whereas this moment now is new and offers its unique challenges. If I let go of being an expert, I can listen to others with an open mind. Then I can find that even a beginner has something to teach me.”

The counter point

This is a challenging subject, because I think it is just as easy to be stalled by “I don’t know” as it is to let “I know” cause you to become less open-minded. I now think there is a middle ground I want to strive for, which is having a curious and inquisitive mind whilst still acting when I don’t know what the outcome will be.

Want to Impress? Don't Do This.

BY STEVE TOBAK, CONTRIBUTOR, Managing Partner, Invisor Consulting

Woke up with poison oak rashes all over today. Guess the dog got into a patch and transferred it to me while we were watching TV last night. What, doesn’t everyone cuddle with his dog in front of the tube? Where was my wife? Cuddling with our other dog.

Anyway, if you’ve never had the distinct pleasure of encountering urushiol (the oily resin that causes the rash), the itchiness is incredibly irritating. So if I'm a little more derisive than usual today blame the poison oak, not me. Now that I have an excuse for being snarky, this is probably as good a time as any for some tough love.

Whether you’re new to the business world or just misguided, let me fill you in on a little secret. It’s a common pitfall to think that everyone you meet or connect with thinks the way you do. This may come as a shock but, in all likelihood, most don’t, especially not the important ones.

Take those in a position to hire you or fund your business, for example. There’s a very good chance they are more experienced and accomplished, perhaps even more conservative and discerning than you are. They may not have even read “Me 2.0” or a Tim Ferriss book, if you can believe that.

And since people that are different than you have a direct impact on your success in the business world, it’s a good idea to put yourself in their shoes and consider how you come across. In other words, whether it’s your resume, a VC pitch, or your profile on a social network, if you want to impress, don’t do this:

List every academic degree and obscure certification after your name. Whoever coaches people to write MBA, BS, MA, PE, PMP, CPCC, MPS, or HCS after their name on LinkedIn should stop. It’s pretentious, pompous, arcane and inane. Your name represents you, who you are and what you do. Don’t dilute your brand with all that nonsense. Yes, it belongs on your resume … at the bottom.

Write as if English is your third language. A typo or two is forgivable but if your writing projects an image of a third grader, nobody is going to take you seriously. And yes, I see emails, documents, websites, profiles and posts that fit that description every day. People even misspell their own name. I kid you not.

Call yourself a CEO, VC or serial entrepreneur when you’re really not. These days if you have a blog and a Twitter account, you’re a CEO. If you also sell baseball cards on eBay, you’re a serial entrepreneur. And if you pledged $25 to that potato salad campaign on Kickstarter, you’re a VC. Want to know how that comes across to those who actually earned and deserve those titles? Lots of ways. None of them good.

Use industry-specific jargon. Unlike some people, I have no problem with the occasional “core competency” or “at the end of the day.” Jargon becomes popular for a good reason, but that’s neither here nor there. The real problem is all the technical speak. VCs are generalists who cover a lot of ground. So are many people in a position to help or do business with you. And they won’t consider those they can’t communicate with.

Provide way too much information. Nobody wants to hear about your religious beliefs, political leanings, obsession with positivity, relationships, loony causes or 17 slash jobs. It’s off-putting, and serious business people will rarely get past it. I know what you’re thinking: then you don’t want to do business with them. Fair enough. But that’s a great way to eliminate 95 percent of your real opportunities.

Write the way I do. Impudent sarcasm may work for some writers and comedians but it does not come across well when you’re starting out, building a career or trying to grow a business. Instead try to be genuine, direct, professional, credible and self-confident in your communication, both online and in person. A genuine sense of humor and humility also goes a long way.

Look, I know you’ve heard it a thousand times, but I’m just going to keep repeating it until people get it. These days, your entire online presence is your resume and the Internet is forever. If you don’t want everyone you might someday count on to hire you or help you grow your business to see it, don’t post it.

Incidentally, there is a remedy for the dreaded poison oak rash. You have to run extremely hot water over the affected area for a minute or so or as long as you can stand it. Don’t ask me why but it provides a few hours of relief. I just did that. I’m feeling much better now, thank you very much.

5 Things to Consider When Hiring Friends

BY STEVE TOBAK, CONTRIBUTOR, Managing Partner, Invisor Consulting

We’ve all seen the boundaries between our personal and business lives all but disintegrate. More and more, we’re becoming friends with coworkers. But what about employees and bosses? Should they be friends?

Over the years I’ve had loads of friends that were also employees. I’ve even called a few CEOs friends. While I’m still on good terms with many of them, there are only a few I would still enjoy hanging out with, and vice versa. And I’m definitely not alone in that regard.

There’s no single reason for the phenomenon, but if I had to boil it down to one sound bite, I’d call it drama. When you work closely with someone there’s always going to be some drama. In time, that adds up to a lot of water under the bridge. And when it’s over, you’d both just as soon put it behind you and move on.

It’s a lot like marriage and divorce. You might stay on good terms for practical reasons. You might even stay friends. But you’re not likely to spend a lot of time together once the dust settles.

Related: Why Financial Security Ruins People

Taking the marriage analogy a little further, I think we’d all agree that it’s better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. By that logic, I certainly wouldn’t dissuade anyone from being friends with employees. But in hindsight, there are some tough situations I might have handled differently if I knew then what I know now.

It’s all fun and games until someone gets fired. It’s hard to sit a friend down and tell him he’s screwing up. And it is downright gut-wrenching to have to fire him when he’s not cutting it and really should move on. But when someone you used to call buddy is vindictive and tries to get back at you, that’s when your skin starts to thicken up. It’s happened to me more than once. Be prepared.

When disruption becomes toxic. I cut my teeth in an industry that places enormous value on constructive confrontation. Healthy conflict is critical to making smart business decisions and sometimes it gets heated. But when an employee is consistently disruptive or acts out because he thinks he’s in with the boss – to the point where the team can’t function effectively – he’s got to go.  

When work is like The Real Housewives. I don’t know about you, but my friendships tend to be fun but boring. In other words, there isn’t much drama – certainly not like what you see on your average reality TV show. But work is another story. There are all sorts of pressures, politics and controversies. There’s even the occasional envy and resentment. It can get pretty dramatic and there’s only so much a friendship can take.

Related: Why Things Always Go Wrong

Conflicts of interest. If you’ve never been a corporate officer, let me introduce you to a concept called fiduciary duty. It means you have to act in the best interest of the company. Believe me, there are plenty of situations (compensation and promotions, for example) where personal bias represents a serious conflict of interest. Yes, cronyism is rampant in bureaucracies, but I don’t buy into it and neither should you. 

Boundary issues. A friendship is a partnership. Granted, one often has the upper hand, but that’s behavioral, not organizational. Companies, on the other hand, have hierarchies and there are very good reasons for that. Most of the time, that’s not an issue. But there will always be times – challenging times – when professional boundaries and personal relationships are tested.

If you’re looking for a formula for dealing with this sort of thing, don’t waste your time. While it’s nice to have a little foresight into situations that may very well come to pass, that doesn’t mean you can prevent them from happening. Just be forewarned and prepare as best you can.

One thing’s for sure. Personal relationships are unpredictable. So are business relationships. When you combine the two, you get unpredictable squared. 

How Successful People Make Their Own Luck

BY STEVE TOBAK, CONTRIBUTOR, Managing Partner, Invisor Consulting

I’m usually sort of a forward-looking guy – always in search of the next great adventure or big opportunity. But I do occasionally look back at how I got here. And when I do, it’s hard to believe things turned out so well … in spite of how hard I worked to screw things up.

There have been many times when things went horribly wrong. And I mean horribly, horribly wrong. I’ve lost ridiculously high-paying jobs, my money in the stock market, even my wife. If there’s something really good to have, you name it, I’ve lost it. And yet, somehow, things always worked out in the end.

There is a very good reason for that. Luck. Not the roll-of-the-dice kind of luck, but the make-your-own kind of luck. That’s how successful people always seem to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. They take big risks and, when everything goes to hell, somehow manage to recover … by making their own luck.  

It’s often said that luck is when opportunity meets preparation. Maybe that’s true for some people, but not for me. All the great opportunities that came to me – every single one – happened after I had royally screwed up and things couldn’t get any worse. That’s when I always rise to the occasion. And I’m certainly not alone.

That’s because, for many people, luck is when opportunity meets desperation.  

Think about it. How open are you to taking big risks when you’re on top of the world? How willing are you to pull the plug when things are going gangbusters? How receptive are you to doing something crazy and scary when you have everything to lose?

The answer is: Not very.

On the contrary, if you feel that your very survival is at stake, that’s when you’re most open to new ideas. When defeat is staring you so straight in the face and you simply can’t deny it, that’s when you’re most receptive to change. When you feel hopeless, that’s when you get into the “I’ll try anything, I’ve got nothing to lose” mindset.

That’s why addicts usually have to bottom out before they can recover. It’s why necessity is the mother of invention. It’s also why, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. It’s all the same thing.

For example, we usually associate the start of the new millennium with the end of the dot-com era – when the biggest stock-market bubble in history burst, wiping out trillions of dollars in investor wealth. But what rose from the rubble of Silicon Valley’s defeat was a series of innovations that led to nothing short of a technology and cultural revolution:

- Web 2.0: the Internet as a platform for user-generated content and applications.

- Social networks and social media: LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.

- Smartphones, tablets and the mobile Web: Apple’s iconic iDevices, Google search and Android platform.

While these social connectivity platforms certainly enabled the modern entrepreneurial revolution, it was undoubtedly the financial crisis of 2007, the subsequent Great Recession and the jobless recovery that kicked the movement into high gear. Again, desperation meets opportunity.       

What got me thinking about this in the first place is Independence Day. It was England’s tyranny and a group of men – America’s founding fathers – that so desperately sought a better life for themselves and their children that ultimately gave rise to the greatest nation on Earth.

Life offers two distinct paths for each of us. The first is the path of least resistance: Get a job, show up, collect your paycheck, rinse and repeat. The second path is the risky one: Take chances, face enormous challenges, suffer terrible defeat, rise up even stronger than before, and someday, make it big.

If you choose the latter path, I can say one thing for sure: there will be desperate times. But contrary to what you might think, those are the most precious times. When you’re desperate, when you feel you have nothing to lose, when you’re most open to opportunity and change, that’s when great ventures are born.

Why Your Startup Will Fail: You.

BY STEVE TOBAK, CONTRIBUTOR, Managing Partner, Invisor Consulting

As a veteran of Silicon Valley, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of working with more than my fair share of talented and innovative entrepreneurs. Sadly, some of their behavior was just dysfunctional enough to royally screw things up for themselves and their companies.

That’s not meant to be as irreverent as it sounds. I have always felt empathy for founders and their stakeholders. After all, it’s not as if I were some paragon of virtuous behavior when I was an executive, either. Nobody’s perfect.

Nevertheless, you can’t fix a problem until you face the truth. So whenever I have an opportunity to help a promising startup that can’t find its way or a mature company in need of a turnaround, it is difficult to watch them fail simply because those in charge aren’t willing to deal with their limitations.

Of course, we’re all human. But the beauty of an organization is that the head honcho does not have to go it alone. They have senior staff, boards of directors and outside advisors to help them deal with big issues and make tough executive decisions.

And yet, in all the years I’ve been doing this, the most common preventable failure mode by far is when CEOs are simply not willing to put their own narrow beliefs, myopic views, Utopian ideals, selfish greed and fragile egos aside, face reality and do what’s right for the company.

I say “not willing” because it is a choice. Denial is a choice. Failing to challenge your own comfort zone is a choice. Maintaining the status quo is a choice. Listening to groupthink is a choice. Lacking the courage to face your fears is a choice. And putting your own self-interest ahead of those of your stakeholders and your business is a choice.

Any decent psychiatrist will tell you that on some level smart people do understand what’s really going on. They do have common sense. They hear what others are telling them. They know what they’re doing. So when they suppress it, bury it in their subconscious, hear what they want to hear – call it what you want -- that, my friends, is a choice.    

I bet I know what you’re thinking. There are lots of reasons why startups fail. Yes, there are. I’m sure I’ve seen them all. But if you dig down a bit, the root cause of most of them is that their leaders choose not to see what’s staring them right in the face. Think about it. You find a reason and I’ll show you an entrepreneur in denial. Want some examples?

Lots of companies run out of cash. But while some can’t raise capital, you would not believe how many can and simply don’t. Oftentimes, their founders aren’t willing to give up a piece of the pie. They try to bootstrap a promising venture and end up starving it to death. Or they have too high a burn rate, aren’t willing to invest the time it takes to raise a round of funding, wait too long and run out of time.

It’s hard to imagine how many beneficial ideas, inventions and innovations never see the light of day because they offer solutions that don’t actually solve any real problems. Or they’ve come up with concepts, not products.

Lots of entrepreneurs are not in it for the long haul or for the right reasons; they think they can make a quick million or feed their egos. Some don’t think they need a unique value proposition or competitive differentiation. Others have holes in their strategy so big it would take a miracle to fill them.

I see this stuff every day. And none of it is rocket science, folks. It’s Startup 101. You should all know better. In all likelihood, you probably do. But you do it anyway. And fail. That’s what I’m talking about.

Look, it’s not easy starting and growing a business. If it were, every startup would succeed. The problem is they can’t. Don’t kid yourself. Markets are zero-sum games. They are elastic but they are also competitive. People and companies have limited budgets. Ad dollars are finite. We are all after the same number of eyeballs and page views.

Just so this isn’t misunderstood or misinterpreted, let me make an important distinction. You should take risks. You should do what you love. You should take the plunge if it is in you to do it. You will never know how things would have turned out if you don’t. All I’m saying is do it with your eyes open.

I don’t care how inspired or passionate you are. Like it or not, there are laws of physics, finance, and human nature your ego simply cannot overcome. By all means, reach for the stars. But if you don’t keep your feet planted firmly on the ground, you’re just going to end up floating away. And trust me when I tell you, there are no customers up there.

How to Win the Game of Life

If you flip a coin 20 times and it comes up ‘heads’ each time, the odds of getting another ‘heads’ on the 21st flip is still 50-50. In a pure game of chance, past results have no effect on future outcomes. There is simply no way to change that.

But when a game includes strategy and you’re competing against others – as in poker – that’s an entirely different story. Chance or luck still plays a role, but better players who consistently make the right bets on the right cards do win over the long haul.

It’s the same in business … and in life. Success and happiness are both about making the right moves, making the right decisions, over and over again. That’s all there is to it, like it or not.

Look, we all need a little inspiration sometimes. And I know how easy it is to become addicted to all the feel-good fluff that’s plastered all over the Internet. But the implication that any of that stuff helps to make you successful – or happy, for that matter – is simply untrue.

Over the long haul, winning in business – and in life – is exactly the same as winning in poker. There are no differences. The rules of the game may be simple, but winning is by no means a slam-dunk. This is how you do it.

You can’t win if you don’t play the game. And by “play,” I don’t mean a game or two, here or there. You have to be in the game consistently for a long, long time to win. There’s no quick fix and no shortcuts. If you try to win big with a few quick high-risk bets, there’s a very good chance you’ll lose your shirt and everything else.

It’s a game of attrition and you have to persevere. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and that’s how you have to play it if you want to win.

Learn how the game is played. In poker as in business, there are rules, strategies, nuances and lessons to learn. The thing is, everyone knows the rules. Reading will only get you so far. The only way to outperform your competitors is from real-world experience. Pay attention. That’s how you figure out what works and what doesn’t. That’s how you develop your own skills, strategies and tactics.

There simply is no substitute for the lessons you learn the hard way. You gain confidence from winning and wisdom from losing. And over time, you develop your own unique way of playing the game. 

It is a zero-sum game. Every poker match has winners and losers, but the game always nets out to zero because you’re playing against others. Granted, markets are elastic. They can grow over time. But every sale, every transaction has one winner and a bunch of losers. Competitive markets are essentially zero-sum games.

You have to win if you want to be successful, and the only way to do that is to be consistently better – to make better decisions and have a better product or service – than your competitors.

Blow your reputation and you’re out of the game. Get caught cheating in poker and you’re done. Word gets around and you’re out of the game. That goes for anything.

Your work ethic is your reputation. If you’re known for playing clean, for being a good sport, for showing up and meeting your commitments, you get asked to play again and again. Opportunity comes your way. If not, you’ve got to find another line of work. End of story.

Never bluff yourself. Short-term success can be a dangerous thing. When you start to think the deck is stacked in your favor, that you’re lucky, that you can’t lose, that’s when you make risky bets you shouldn’t make. That’s when your ego writes checks that the laws of probability can’t cash.

You can sometimes bluff others, but never bluff yourself. No matter how successful you are, never forget the odds. Never forget your limitations. Keep your feet planted firmly on the ground. Keep it real.  

The most important thing to remember is this: To win at poker, make the right bets on the right cards over and over. Winning in business and in life is exactly the same: consistently make good decisions. Simple as that.

Confidence, Excellence and Independence: Business Lessons From 4 Great Leaders

BY LEWIS HOWES, CONTRIBUTOR, Creator of the LinkedInfluence training program.

Great leaders often have great lessons to share. Their stories remind us -- in business especially -- that failure is not avoidable and that success in any endeavor is a choice.

While we cannot control all our circumstances, what we can control is our response. And that's what makes a leader great: his or her decision to take responsibility in the midst of chaos.

The following quotes are from four of the most influential people from the past and present. Below each quote is my feedback on how I've learned from these quotes in my own business, and how they can help you with yours.

1. Be confident in who you are.

"If money is your hope for independence you will never have it. The only real security that a man will have in this world is a reserve of knowledge, experience and ability."

-- Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company

It can be easy to look at a successful entrepreneur and think to yourself, "I bet things come easy to them" or "They were just lucky." But after spending time with successful men and women I've learned that many of them were once broke, bankrupt and on the edge at one point in their life -- myself included.

What separates these people is their decision to not allow their financial situations to dictate their emotions, define their worth or give them a sense of superiority over others. These people know that money can be easily lost and easily made. The only thing that really matters is learning how to create and offer value.

Once you learn how to create value in your market, you can shift your feelings of security from what you have to who you are.

2. Think independently.

"If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel worn paths of accepted success."

-- John D. Rockefeller, founder of Standard Oil Company

Read that quote again. It's the secret behind the biggest breakthroughs in innovation.

Innovation is not achieved by imitating the success of others. It's achieved by great leaders who choose to risk failure and ridicule in order to create something completely new.

The biggest turning point in my life happened when I declined the security of a 9 to 5 job and decided to build a digital business on the simple principal of adding value to the lives of others. I was scared, broke and alone, but the opportunity I saw drove me to push through all that.

Creating value is the driving force behind everything I do.

3. Know when to move on.

"Part of being a winner is knowing when enough is enough. Sometimes you have to give up the fight and walk away, and move on to something that's more productive."

-- Donald Trump, entrepreneur, television personality and author.

As entrepreneurs we've learned to fight for what we want, and hate losing. But not every fight is worth your time. The trick is to always remember the big picture and to not allow your ego to get in the way of being productive.

I've learned that there's a big difference between perseverance and stubbornness. Stubbornness involves me forcing things to work, while perseverance requires me to work consistently with what's already working. Some of the best decisions I've made involved saying no to a potential partnership or pulling the plug on a product that wasn't working.

4. Pursue excellence, not fame.

"Having success for a year or two, that's called being hot. Being in demand. Excellence is being able to perform at a high level for a long period of time."

-- Jay Z, music artist and entrepreneur

I know a number of people who have experienced overnight success with a product or startup, but allowed their success to fool them into thinking they were special. They neglected the critical business feedback they received from their partners and clients.

Once an entrepreneur stops growing, learning and being open to feedback, it can spell the end of his or her business. 

Unfortunately, some entrepreneurs need to "lose it all" before they learn this lesson. My recent podcast with entrepreneur, hedge fund manager and author James Altucher illustrates this point.

So make it a point to pursue excellence, not fame. Excellence is who you are. Fame is who you once were.

Talk Is Cheap: Why Great Leaders Inspire By Example

BY LEWIS HOWES, CONTRIBUTOR, Creator of the LinkedInfluence training program.

When you think of the most inspiring leaders, what are the common characteristics they share? Most likely they are known for being honest, kind and delivering their promised result. If you try to connect the dots between the shared attributes of these leaders, one clear theme reveals itself: They inspire their followers by doing, not talking.  

Let’s look at some examples. There are the commonly referenced leaders like Steve Jobs, Winston Churchill and Martin Luther King Jr. We also find the same trait in the figures Henry David Thoreau, Richard Branson and Mother Theresa. Each of these leaders caused -- is causing in Branson’s case -- massive impact by working hard to create the change they wanted to see in the world. And by working hard I don’t mean talking a lot.

Being a powerful speaker and creating a vision are important qualities of great leadership but they have to be backed by the authenticity of actually having done what you’re preaching. If Martin Luther King Jr. hadn’t been walking in the streets, peacefully protesting injustice before he gave his best speeches, his following wouldn’t have resonated so deeply. Mother Theresa is about as perfect of an example as there is.

Related: Confidence, Excellence and Independence: Business Lessons From 4 Great Leaders

How does this apply to your business and leadership? If you’re requiring yourself to be as brilliant and successful as Richard Branson before you inspire people, think again. While your sphere of influence may not be as broad as his, your interactions with everyone you come in contact with do have the power to inspire.

Networking is a perfect opportunity to show that you mean what you say. One of the seven key habits of the best networkers is to add value to everyone you meet by connecting them with someone you know who can help them. That is leading by example, not just talking.  

Giving away valuable free content is also something any aspiring leader can do to build a reputation of greatness. Think of the best leaders in online business. They all give away a lot of useful tips, insights and feedback to their followers, which come from their own hard-earned experiences.  That not only builds credibility but creates a loyal following of devoted supporters who respect and promote them.

Related: Signs You Might Be a Terrible Leader (Yes, You)

This is especially important when creating and building your brand. Being relatable and authentic are two vital parts of creating an inspiring brand and identity as a leader in your field. There’s no way to fake authenticity. You have to have experienced what you’re representing, and that means you have to show some vulnerability. This kind of openness is key to inspiring a following. People will follow who they can trust and relate to.

Make it your goal to take action first, then talk about it. You’ll find that the following you attract will be the best kind. No matter how small or big your platform is, your actions will always speak louder than your words. Remember: Talk is cheap, so back it up with real life examples, and use what you do -- not say -- as a starting point to inspire others.