Failure. The word is laced with negative connotations. That's why I think failure gets a bum rap. Failing at something is not necessarily a bad thing. It just means you are trying. And it means you have found a way to not succeed. Thomas Edison went through thousands of experiments before his first lightbulb was illuminated. Ben Franklin is quoted as stating, "I didn't fail the test, I just found one hundred ways to do... Continue Reading

Recently I went to one of my favorite restaurants for a quick lunch. I called in an order of Chicken Tortilla soup to-go and went to pick it up. While I was there I observed that the restaurant was not busy. It SHOULD have been busy, being lunchtime. But it wasn't. It was then I asked to see if the owner was there. I wanted to speak with him for his benefit. He came out... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Ray Edwards) Have you ever noticed that over the years, you tend to do pretty much the same things? If you're a reader, you remain one; if you're a writer, you tend to write; if you're a procrastinator, you tend to keep procrastinating, and so forth. Continue Reading

The business / office environment has come a long way from even ten years ago. Gone are the days when everyone needed their own extension, and soon the office itself just may become obsolete. In the meantime, here are some things that are essential to the efficiency of a modern office, no matter if you employ 100 people or just yourself. Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor Sarah Beek) Sometimes the simplest idea is also the best. The winner of the BetaCup Challenge was announced this week. The BetaCup Challenge was a contest sponsored by Starbucks (along with others) to find a sustainable alternative to the ubiquitous disposable paper (or worse) coffee cup. The winning idea wasn't a coffee cup at all, but rather a very simple tool with the goal of motivating people to bring their own... Continue Reading

(Written by guest contributor David Nour) In my last several prospective client meetings, a consistent conversation has centered on the need for a social media policy. Whether you work for a progressive organization or a conservative, risk-adverse one, it seems that everyone has an opinion on the best approach. Here are some prevailing camps: Continue Reading

WARNING: Today's post is going to rattle cages and put a spotlight on a potentially dark side of Internet marketing. Yeah, I'm probably going to tick some people off. That's life. I'm more concerned with speaking the truth. This is #2 in a series called The Truth About Internet Marketing. Part one was called "The Long Form Sales Letter. For some time it has been suspected that there is a "secret cabal" of Internet marketers... Continue Reading

WARNING: This series of posts may be hazardous to your preconceived notions of how to make money online. Reading it may save you thousands of dollars in pipe dreams and cause you to focus on the single most important aspect of running an Internet business. If you suffer from A.D.S. (Acute Denial Syndrome) or insist on believing that buying another product or service is the magic bullet that will cure all your financial ills, these... Continue Reading

What do people see when they look at you? Initially, they see your physical appearance. However, I believe our bodies are really a small part of who we really are. Man is a three-part being. We are body, soul and spirit. The body is just a casing (or an earthsuit as John Eldredge likes to say) to give our real selves something to walk around in during our brief stay on this planet. And yet... Continue Reading

Today's entry may be one of the most important ones I have ever sent out. Why? Because your response to this newsletter is going to help guide the direction of all future newsletters! This is the day that I am asking for participation from every one of my readers... ... and I am counting on you! Continue Reading

I've got some. In fact, I've got a few. They've helped me get to where I am today, and they keeping me moving forward all the time too. Know what I'm talking about yet? Role-models. Continue Reading

Everything has changed. I remember when I first discovered computers. I was in high school when Radio Shack came out with their TRS-80 Model I personal computer. I remember going to the store and staring at it... ogling it... feeling the power of its keyboard... Hey, I guess I just wasn't into girls yet. That time came along eventually as well. ;-) Oh, those were the days. Continue Reading

I like the food at The Cracker Barrel. It's usually pretty good, whether we go there for breakfast or dinner. They have done a great job of positioning themselves as the "Old Country Store", a combination restaurant/retail shop, where every store is positioned on a major U.S. interstate. And every store looks virtually the same. Continue Reading

I offended Vern Troyer, the actor who played the role of "Mini Me" in the Austin Powers movies. Why would I do such a thing? I didn't mean, to, but it happened anyhow... If you've been following my blog, you would know that I've been in D.C. attending Yanik Silver's Underground Seminar. Yanik was very clever in putting the seminar together. He gave the entire thing an "Austin Powers" secret agent feel, which each attendee... Continue Reading