Innovation | Urge Marketing

It Takes More Than A Dream

On June 4, 2010, In Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Success, by admin

If you want to achieve something great, it is going to take a whole lot more than just a dream. It takes hard work. It takes an unshakable determination to succeed. I believe you must start with a dream, but most importantly, you must have action to move towards your dream. You cannot wait around for your dreams to somehow materialize. Hate to break it to you, but they never will without action from you. Without it, they are simply thoughts and pipe dreams. You must be willing to step up and put in the work that it is going to take to actually get there. I think that is why so few actually get where they want to go. They wait around for something to happen to them as if someone is just going to one day pop out of nowhere by and say: “Here you go!” then hand them their dream on a silver platter. It doesn’t work that way, yet that is the plan of so many. Average people dream of great accomplishments. Extraordinary people stay awake and do them. Dreams of bettering your world are just the beginning to your adventure. You have to learn to make progress and TAKE ACTION to accomplish your dreams.

“The critical ingredient is getting off your butt and doing something. It’s as simple as that. A lot of people have ideas, but there are few who decide to do something about them NOW. Not tomorrow. Not Next week. But today. The true entrepreneur is a doer, not a dreamer.” – Nolan Bushnell (founder of Atari and Chuck E. Cheese’s

Opportunity Is Everywhere

On May 17, 2010, In Innovation, Interesting, Success, by admin

Opportunity is all around us just waiting to be found. In order to find it, you must open your eyes and be ready for it to appear. You have to be willing to walk away from what you already know and are comfortable with in order to pursue and see it. If you won’t allow yourself to be ready then it will never come knocking on your door. You will be blinded to it and stay the same. I think a lot of people are so stuck in the past or with what they already know, that they won’t allow themselves to see anything new. They dispel opportunity from themselves. Finding opportunity means you must be willing to seek it out and ready to act fast when it comes to you. You can’t just wait for opportunity to find you. You must make your own opportunity.

One of my favorite authors, Orison Swett Marden, once said: Our thoughts and imagination are the only real limits to our possibilities. If you won’t allow yourself to see great possibility in our world, then how will you ever find it? Open your eyes and be ready. It’s right before you waiting on you to see it in a new light.

“Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing that we see too late the one that is open.” Alexander Bell

“The freedom to move forward to new opportunities and to produce results comes from living in the present not the past” -Brian Koslow

Are You Denying Your Inner Giant?

On May 14, 2010, In Innovation, Success, by admin

Denial of yourself is one of the saddest tragedies of our world today. We have millions of people out there that are holding themselves back by denying their extraordinary ability to accomplish something.

They deny who they are.
They deny who they could become.
They deny their future success.

Right now, there is someone somewhere holding a new invention, a new symphony, a new cure, a new book or a new business idea inside themselves that could revolutionize their industry. We have assistants that should be running companies. There are back up singers that should taking the front stage. However, their self doubt has held them back. They sabotage their success with internal statements like: “I couldn’t do that. I don’t have the education.” Or “I’m not good enough. There are thousands better than me.”

They have denied their inner giant. They have denied their ability. They have told themselves that success is for other people and not them.

You have untold talent right before you. It’s lingering inside of you. Right within your grasp. If you continue to think small, you will remain small. You are capable of doing great things. You have talent inside of you waiting to burst out and carry yourself into greatness. I truly believe that you can do something incredible, if you dedicate yourself to your success. Stop holding yourself back. Stop limiting your own supply.

You have the talent.
You have the knowledge.
You have the ability.

SO USE IT.

Are you denying your inner giant?

Do You Appreciate Technology?

On May 14, 2010, In Innovation, by admin

Thought this video was funny and had some good points. Enjoy!

Thought this was funny, and had some great points! Enjoy!

The Hunger Inside

On April 28, 2010, In Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Interesting, Success, by admin

I read a great quote today by Hugh Macloed, my favorite artist on Gaping Void.
“The hunger will give from you everything, and it will take from you everything. It will cost you your life, and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it. But knowing this of course is what sets you free.”

That quote stayed with me today and wouldn’t let go. I believe we all have this hunger inside of us. The hunger to create, build and aspire to. The hunger to do something impossible and defeat incredible odds. It’s this innate force inside of us that wants to stake claim to our own Mount Everest, start that business venture, write that book and follow our passions. I think it is what makes us tick. This hunger is something that will eat at us until we reach or even fail at our goals. We can’t stop it. It’s impossible. No matter how hard we try, we can’t run from it. It will keep us awake at night dreaming grandiose dreams of bettering our world and fulfilling our dreams. The hunger is what drives us. It’s the fire inside that keeps us going despite what the world throws. The hunger is what built the world we know today. It fueled the great ones and forced them to create, build and explore. It wouldn’t let go of them and it won’t let go of you. It makes you who you are.

You have the hunger inside. And you have two choices: attempt to put out the fire or unleash it. The truth however, is that you won’t be able to put it out. You may be able to minimize the blaze for now, but it will always be there, waiting. It’s going to eat at you until you unleash it to go towards your goals.

Fighting For Creativity

On April 26, 2010, In Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Success, by admin

Last post, I talked at the suppression of genius. There were some really interesting studies that showed that as people get older, they get less creative. Why does this happen? In my opinion, it happens becuase we live in a sea of “No’s.” As we grow up, the pressure is on to become “normal.” We are taught the notion of boundaries. We are taught the meaning of the word “no” all to well. At some point, we are told that we have to hang up superman’s cape and trade it for normalcy. We are told we can’t make a living following our dreams. It seems to me that all over society discourages us to stand up and be creative.

I think it’s time for a creative revolution in our world. We need more folks that aren’t afraid to raise their hands because they are too embarrassed at what others will say. We need to step up and take charge. We need to put a bullet through the forehead of mediocrity. We must teach our kids that it’s ok to follow our passions. That it is ok to be different. Creativity and passions should be celebrated, not discouraged.

If you look at our great leaders of today, just about every single one of them has the story where they came from an environment of people telling them they shouldn’t do what they were trying to do. Rarely do you ever hear of them having cheerleaders on the side saying, you can do it! Their creativity and passions were discouraged at just about every turn. If they had listened, we wouldn’t have the music, art, businesses, concepts and ideas of today. No innovation would occur. If you look at progression in our world, it comes from folks that dare to be different. That stand up and aren’t afraid to raise their hands. They come from people that push limits and follow what they think is right. They close their minds to the rest of the herd out there that discourage them.

Imagine for a moment if people’s passions were encouraged. If our artists, businesses, leaders, achievers and doers were celebrated for their efforts from the beginning, rather than after or if they made it? What great advancements could happen to our world? What new products would be created? Imagine the advancements in all of the various fields out there. I think we need to stop this suppression of creativity. We live in a sea of “No’s.” We must build up those who dare to fight for their passions. It’s time we encourage each other to be great and do great work.

Everyone is born creative; everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten. Then when you hit puberty, they take the crayons away and replace them with dry, uninspiring books on algebra, history, etc. Being suddenly hit years later with the “creative bug” is just a wee voice telling you, ” I’d like my crayons back please.” – Hugh Macleod

“To be nobody but yourself in a world that’s doing its best to make you somebody else, is to fight the hardest battle you are ever going to fight. Never stop fighting.” – E.E. Cummings

The Suppression Of Genius

On April 26, 2010, In Innovation, by admin

I recently read an incredible study that focused on divergent thinking as we progress through life. Divergent thinking is original and creative thinking. It’s thinking outside the box. The study found:

98 percent of children between the ages of three and five scored in the genius category for divergent thinking. Between the ages of two and ten, that number drops to 32 percent. By the time the kids become teenagers, it drops to 10 percent. And only 2 percent of those by the age of 25 scored in the genius category for divergent thinking.

WOW. Pretty interesting results. Gordon Mackenzie, in his book, Orbiting the Giant Hairball, talks about a situation he faced when speaking at schools. He would ask various age groups a question, “How many of you are artists?” In first grade, all of the kids would jump from their seats and wave their arms wildly with excitement. Every child was an artist. Second grade: half the kids would raise their hands, but would do so calmly. Third: only one third of them. And so on through the grades. By sixth grade, only one or two kids would raise their hands. Their eyes would glance side to side uneasily worried about being identified as a closet artist and what others would think.

What happened? Where did our creativity go? And further, why? When we were kids, the world was open and anything was possible. We all wanted to become astronauts, artists, superheroes and start businesses doing what we loved. Somewhere along the way, something changed. When did our great dreams change to sitting behind a desk in a cubicle doing work we hated, with people we hated, for people we hated?

What is happening here? What sinister forces are suppressing the creative genius inside each of us? Do you think that this might have something to do with why people don’t follow their dreams? I would love to know your thoughts on this! Please comment. I’ll be posting my thoughts in my next post!

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Go Ahead… Call Me Crazy

On April 20, 2010, In Critics, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Interesting, Success, by admin

I think there is a desire inside all of us to be accepted. We try to look, talk and think like everyone else. What happens? We become like everyone else. We hide who we are inside, in order to fit in with the herd. We lose what makes us great. Our personality, ambitions and style. We give up our originality so that we can become a carbon copy of what “we are supposed to be” in everyone else’s eyes. Frankly, we do this because we fear others will think we’re nuts. We worry that others will call us crazy.

Me, I refuse to be like everyone else. So go ahead and call me crazy.

In my opinion, if you are afraid of what others will think than you are the crazy one. No one that ever accomplished anything great or worth mentioning, cared what others would think of them. They didn’t wait for society to approve of their cause. They went against the grain. They stood up when no one else would. They risked looking foolish in order to follow their passion. If you look at what society wants you to be, you will never get very far. You have to step outside the box and follow your heart.

Why lose what makes you special? Why give up the things that make you great?

I can tell you why people don’t accomplish great things. It’s because they fear what others will think. That fear rules them and won’t allow them to step up and follow their heart. Too many people look just alike. Societies goal is to make us less crazy and conform us into their little ball. It doesn’t like it when you go outside the lines.

When I look back at my life, those crazy moments when I stood up for what I believed were the great ones. I don’t regret them even If I failed at what I was trying to accomplish.

If you are out there being called crazy, you just might be on the right track.

Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.

I’d rather be disliked for who I am than liked for I am not. – Mark Batterson.

Business Card Help

On April 14, 2010, In Innovation, Success, by admin

The business card is one of your most important tools for marketing your business. I am shocked at the amount of people that do not carry a business card. I don’t care what business you are in, what your job is, no matter what, you need a business card. Your business card is like a mini-brochure for your services. If you do not carry one at all times, you will appear unprofessional and the person you meet may not buy simply for the fact that you don’t have one. It is absolutely essential to carry them to establish credibility. Now, you don’t just need a business card. You need an Urge Marketing style business card. Most businesses have the standard:

Name, Address, Fax, Cell, Logo, Name, Email, Tag-line, Website

Now, this is the basics that you need. I want to add another concept that I have found to be incredibly useful in your marketing arsenal. It will seem so obvious, simple and easy, you will probably wonder why you have never taken advantage of it. You will most likely kick yourself for never trying it out. It may very well be the most important piece that you have never tried. Want to know what it is? Use the backside of your card to offer something of value. Bam! Have you ever thought to take advantage of the back of the card? In my business, I get hundreds and hundreds of business cards. 99.9% of them don’t take advantage of this space.

Great idea, now what do I put there? Well, as I stated earlier, your business card is a marketing tool. Why not put a drive to your website, or online newsletter promotion? How about give them access to a free report or information from your business via the internet or pre-recorded conference call? Make an offer. Put a coupon for buy one get one. Offer a free trial. Don’t let your business card be worthless like 99% of everyone else out there.

Living An Unfulfilled Life

On April 8, 2010, In Innovation, Success, by admin

You can always stop and take the easy route! You can not speak up, color within the lines and sit back follow the rules. That’s what is great about our world, you always have a choice. You have two paths right in front of you. To follow your passion or not. To live a life satisfied, or a life yearning to be fulfilled.

It’s simple to not follow your passion. Our society makes it that way. They discourage you at every front whether you realize it or not. They label you as taboo and you are outcast among friends (Until of course you make it, then everyone and their mother wants to get involved… where were they from the beginning?!?!). If you want the easy route, you don’t have to change much. You just follow that road that was laid out for you. Go to school, get a “good” education, find a safe and secure job. It’s the easy path! Your friends won’t laugh and joke about you when you aren’t around. You won’t have to work harder, you can literally just stay on the course. You won’t have that fear of standing up for something you believe in and how others will respond, you can just sit back and follow the course laid out for you.

However, if you take the easy route you wont be able to make a dent in your world. You won’t have the fulfillment of living your dreams and the adventure that comes along with it. You will always have that feeling inside that yearns for something more and begs to be fed in this endless stage of hunger. It will haunt you at night showing you images and dreams of what could have been. If you take the easy route one day you will wake up and realize you have lived a life of regrets.

Why is it that it takes someone a near death experience to wake up and try to fulfill their life dreams? They go out and try to see places they have never seen, do things they have never done and actually live for once. Why not start living from the beginning? Do you really want to wake up one day with your dreams unfulfilled? Do you really want to be laying on your deathbed to realize your life has been full of regrets and unmet passions?

“Most of us have two lives. The life you live, and the unlived life inside of you.” – Steven Pressfield

Get out there and live your life. Follow your passion. Stay hungry.

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