Success | Urge Marketing

Dump Your Duds

On June 12, 2010, In Critics, Entrepreneurship, Interesting, Success, by admin

If you want to get where you want to go, you have to Dump Your Duds. Your duds are clients, people and friends that are going to hinder your success or keep you from moving forward. They might be close friends, family members or even your old fraternity or sorority members. It’s anyone that does not encourage you to become more. This was something I have had to learn the hard way. I held on to for a long time to my duds thinking they were my friends. Truth be told they really weren’t. They were encouraging me not to do something worthwhile and it took me along time to realize it.

In my opinion, a true friend wants to see you succeed. They encourage you to become great. They want to see you become more. It took me a while to see that my duds didn’t want this for me. They didn’t want to see me succeed. They wanted me to stay the same or worse, fail (some even attempted to sabotage my results). Hugh Macleod puts it this way, “Great ideas alter the power balance in relationships. That’s why great ideas are initially resisted.” You will become like the people you spend the most time with. Do you want what they have? If you don’t, then you need to surround yourself with people that have what you want. Do your friends encourage you to be the best you can be? Or give you permission to stay the same? I don’t spend time with those people anymore. I surround myself with folks that want to see me become great. They encourage me to become more than I am. And I do the same for them. It has made a huge difference in my life and my results. Do this: Write down everyone you spend the most time with. Are they positive towards your goals, or negative? It’s time to dump your duds.

There are two types of people, anchors and motors. You want to lose the anchors and get with the motors because the motors are going somewhere and are having more fun. The anchors just pull you down. – Wyland

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. – Jim Rohn

Time Management Is The Key To Your Success.

On June 10, 2010, In Entrepreneurship, opportunity, Success, by admin

Time is one of our most precious assets. It’s a limited resource that no matter what we do, you can never get lost time back. Once a minute has passed, it’s gone forever. Time is what can determine your success or failure. Just about everyone I know claims they don’t have enough time in the day. Yet how is it that high achievers with ten thousand times more stress and responsibilities are able to get more accomplished in a single hour with the same amount of time as a homeless person with no responsibility? We all have the same amount of time. We each get 24 hours in a day. No more. No less. Your results in life are dependent on what you do with your time. Do you spend your time watching countless hours of television? Or do you read a book that can better yourself? Do you spend all of your time going out on the town and being hungover the next day, or do you put in the time to accomplish a step towards your dreams? One of my mentors, Dan Kennedy has a great quote:

The degree to which you achieve peak productivity – will determine your success.

You can never buy more time. Time is a priceless commodity. You only get 24 hours in a day, but you can reallocate your time. You can change your habits to gain more time for what you need to accomplish. The other day I was talking with a man that claimed he had no time to do anything different. I asked him to walk me through his day. He got up at 5 and watched the news, drank coffee, read the newspaper then went to work until 5ish, then had to eat supper. By then, he was so tired from work from earlier he had to rest a bit and usually watched the news again. Then he would visit with the family, work a little on projects, watch TV and take care of what the kids had going on like sports and homework. By that time the day was gone. He had no free time he claimed. I noticed two problems with his theory. His watching the news and television was sabotaging his results. 3 plus hours a day to be exact. Better yet, he watched the same news broadcast twice in one day! If he only paid attention to the news once a day for no more than one hour, he would free up 2 hours a day. That adds up to 730 hours a year equally a total of 30 full days. A whole month over the course of a year was spent watching the news that he had already seen earlier that morning. Wow. A full month he was missing out on by simply watching less news and reallocating that time towards his goals. If you want to get where you want to go, you have to audit your time. Make a list each day and write down exactly what you did. I’m sure you can find things to cut out or make more productive. If you audit your time and become more productive, you have a much higher chance of success.

Will You Do What It Takes?

On June 8, 2010, In Success, by admin

People do things based on their hierarchy of their values. You never have time/money for things lowest on your values, but you always have them for the things highest on your values. It’s interesting to me that some people will say they want something, but won’t do what it takes to get there. Recently, I spoke with a lady that told me that she wanted to get started in a business for herself to make more money. She was excited about starting, but didn’t have the startup money yet. Week after week she told me she was almost ready but it just kept dragging out longer and longer. It was always something new going on. Every week she would say she would have it by next Saturday, then when Saturday would come, it was back to next Saturday. Before long a few months had passed and she was no better off than she was before. The business really wasn’t on her list of priorities. It wasn’t high on her hierarchy of values. A few days ago she came back to me said, “I’m sorry I really want to get started, but I just don’t have time or the money.” She always seemed to have money to go out on the town, see great movies, buy cool stuff and spend time partying, but never had the time/money to actually do something worthwhile for her future like building a business for herself. Her priorities were screwed up. Here she was telling me how much she needed a change in her life, but she wasn’t willing to do what it took to get there. If you want to do something great, it has to be high on your hierarchy of values and become a priority. Otherwise, you’ll never get there. Found the audio clip below on this subject and thought you might find it interesting. Enjoy!

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

Are You One Of The Unconquered?

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

I read an interesting poem today, thought you all might enjoy it too.

Invictus By William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find, me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

The author, William Ernest Henley contracted tuberculosis of the bone when he was only 12 years of age and had a foot amputated. Despite his illness and disability, he managed to live an active life for over 30 years. This poem entitled Invictus, which means “unconquered” in Latin, was written from a hospital bed during a rough time. I have found that whatever life throws at us, it is us who allows ourselves to accept it and determine how we handle the outcome. We can play victim, blame others all we want or we can choose to move forward and not accept our circumstances. We are either the masters of our environment or the victims. You can be either the lock on or the key to your life.

Which one do you want to be?

Whatever it takes

On May 24, 2010, In Entrepreneurship, Success, by admin

I spoke with an interesting man today on the phone that gave me a powerful lesson. You must do whatever it takes in order to get where you want to go even if it means doing things you don’t want to do. This man wanted to get started with his own business, but didn’t have the start up cost he needed to get it up and running. Now, he could have whined, cried and blamed his situation. He could have asked for a handout. He could have blamed everything else in his world for him not having what he needed. But he didn’t. He wanted it bad enough to find a way. So he decided to go sell blood (among other things) in order to get what he needed to get started. This guy was deathly afraid of needles, yet he still went through with it. Now that is determination. That is the drive you need. I have no doubt that with a fire inside that heavy, he will succeed in life in whatever he does.

People will give you hundreds of excuses for not following their passions. They don’t have the time. They don’t have the money. They can’t sell. They don’t have the education. Their excuses hold them back. Most simply won’t do what it takes to succeed. I am a firm believer that if you have the drive to do what it takes, anything is possible. There is always an option. There is always a way to move forward. You just have to have the drive.

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

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?

You Are The Best There Is

On May 11, 2010, In Critics, Entrepreneurship, Success, by admin

intimidation I will never forget the day I started my first business, Urge Marketing. I was working as a server for a restaurant while finishing college. While my guests were happy and during my breaks, I would read business and success books. One day my boss, Dale came up to me and picked up the book I was reading (Inc and Grow Rich… great book about incorporation by the way), and said “Whose book is this?” I told him it was mine. He laughed at me and said, “You’ll never be a business owner, you are a nothing but a server, you idiot. What makes you think that you can run a business?” Due to this and a few other factors, I never went back there to work. That night with nothing but a whopping $100 in my pocket and a dream I started Urge Marketing and have been doing it ever since.

In your path to success, you must realize that you are just as good, worthy and valuable as anyone else. Never let anyone intimidate you into not going further with your goals. Not the Dales or even the biggest successes out there. No matter what kind of car they drive, what their business card says, how much money they make or how big their house is. No one is better than you. You are the best there is.

You have all the ammunition you need to create something massive right inside that head of yours. You have the potential to do, be, or have anything you desire. No one has more than that. Some may have progressed farther down the path at this moment, but that doesn’t make them any better than you. If you start to take action right now, you will be working your way down that same path to greatness. No matter what anyone says, or does, no  matter what your situation is -personal, financial, social or otherwise- you can create your life in your own way. And there is no greater success than that. But you must be the one to achieve your success. Though no one can hold you back if you’re determined enough, but by the same token no one can do it for you. If you want to build your house of success, you’ll have to pick up the hammer and start swinging. You’ve got to step up to the challenge, believe in yourself, and do what it takes. Right now is a great time to start. You deserve the best that life has to offer. Do whatever needs to be done to make it happen. 

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.