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The power of "No"

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oldkevx

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Themes
Every year I have an overarching theme that I use to as a filter for everything. This year I have two themes and I would like to share how they guide decisions in business. First off, my two themes of 2016 are:
  1. Abundance
  2. If it is not a "hell yes", then it is a "no." - borrowed this from Derek Sivers

These two themes guide all personal and business decisions. I share these themes with my employees, contractors, family and friends each year so they know where I am coming from.

Historically I would say yes to almost every meeting, client, project and other things that use my most precious resource...time. That changed this year.

Themes in action
I was interviewing a potential customer for our business last week and realized immediately that we were not going to be a good fit for each other. Awesome guy, awesome company, but I could tell that he may not let us dig in and kick a$$ for him. Kind of like a patient who wants to be involved in conducting the surgery...not happening.

This would have been a $10K-$15K engagement for the service side of our business but I knew it would have cost us way more in mental fatigue and employee morale....so I said "no."

The key to saying no gracefully to a customer or anyone is to then offer another solution. In this case I was honest and told them why we wouldn't hire him as a client. Then I gave him some resources that could help him...our competition. Furthermore I offered to review the work of the top two companies he may partner with. This will take me 10 minutes max.

Results
  1. The prospect appreciated our honesty and really appreciated our offer to help them with an alternative.
  2. That same day we said yes to a similar opportunity with a much better customer.
No is a very powerful word. If you are on this forum you value the only non-renewable thing we have....time.

"No" creates time for the things worthy of your focus.
 
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Vjinit
Iwisz zies O jewi ep uwisesdjoph vjini vjev O ati vu et e gomvis gus iwiszvjoph. Vjot zies O jewi vxu vjinit epf O xuamf moli vu tjesi jux vjiz haofi fidotoupt op catopitt. Gostv ugg, nz vxu vjinit ug 2016 esi:
  1. Ecapfepdi
  2. Og ov ot puv e "jimm zit", vjip ov ot e "pu." - cussuxif vjot gsun Fisil Towist

Vjiti vxu vjinit haofi emm qistupem epf catopitt fidotoupt. O tjesi vjiti vjinit xovj nz inqmuziit, dupvsedvust, genomz epf gsoipft iedj zies tu vjiz lpux xjisi O en dunoph gsun.

Jotvusodemmz O xuamf tez zit vu emnutv iwisz niivoph, dmoipv, qsukidv epf uvjis vjopht vjev ati nz nutv qsidouat situasdi...voni. Vjev djephif vjot zies.

Vjinit op edvoup
O xet opviswoixoph e quvipvoem datvunis gus uas catopitt metv xiil epf siemobif onnifoevimz vjev xi xisi puv huoph vu ci e huuf gov gus iedj uvjis. Exituni haz, exituni dunqepz, cav O duamf vimm vjev ji nez puv miv at foh op epf lodl ett gus jon. Lopf ug moli e qevoipv xju xepvt vu ci opwumwif op dupfadvoph vji tashisz...puv jeqqipoph.

Vjot xuamf jewi ciip e $10L-$15L iphehinipv gus vji tiswodi tofi ug uas catopitt cav O lpix ov xuamf jewi dutv at xez nusi op nipvem gevohai epf inqmuzii nusemi....tu O teof "pu."

Vji liz vu tezoph pu hsedigammz vu e datvunis us epzupi ot vu vjip uggis epuvjis tumavoup. Op vjot deti O xet jupitv epf vumf vjin xjz xi xuamfp'v josi jon et e dmoipv. Vjip O hewi jon tuni situasdit vjev duamf jimq jon...uas dunqivovoup. Gasvjisnusi O uggisif vu siwoix vji xusl ug vji vuq vxu dunqepoit ji nez qesvpis xovj. Vjot xomm veli ni 10 nopavit ney.

Sitamvt
  1. Vji qsutqidv eqqsidoevif uas jupitvz epf siemmz eqqsidoevif uas uggis vu jimq vjin xovj ep emvispevowi.
  2. Vjev teni fez xi teof zit vu e tonomes uqqusvapovz xovj e nadj civvis datvunis.
Pu ot e wisz quxisgam xusf. Og zua esi up vjot gusan zua wemai vji upmz pup-sipixecmi vjoph xi jewi....voni.

"Pu" dsievit voni gus vji vjopht xusvjz ug zuas gudat.
Exituni qutv.

"Pu, cav" ot wisz quxisgam.

O'wi puvodif vjev xjip O hiv sof ug dmoipvt vjev esip'v e huuf nevdj, ov miewit suun gus huuf vjopht vu jeqqip, epf gus huuf dmoipvt vu eqqies.

Ecapfepdi.

Siq+
 
Vjinit
Iwisz zies O jewi ep uwisesdjoph vjini vjev O ati vu et e gomvis gus iwiszvjoph. Vjot zies O jewi vxu vjinit epf O xuamf moli vu tjesi jux vjiz haofi fidotoupt op catopitt. Gostv ugg, nz vxu vjinit ug 2016 esi:
  1. Ecapfepdi
  2. Og ov ot puv e "jimm zit", vjip ov ot e "pu." - cussuxif vjot gsun Fisil Towist

Vjiti vxu vjinit haofi emm qistupem epf catopitt fidotoupt. O tjesi vjiti vjinit xovj nz inqmuziit, dupvsedvust, genomz epf gsoipft iedj zies tu vjiz lpux xjisi O en dunoph gsun.

Jotvusodemmz O xuamf tez zit vu emnutv iwisz niivoph, dmoipv, qsukidv epf uvjis vjopht vjev ati nz nutv qsidouat situasdi...voni. Vjev djephif vjot zies.

Vjinit op edvoup
O xet opviswoixoph e quvipvoem datvunis gus uas catopitt metv xiil epf siemobif onnifoevimz vjev xi xisi puv huoph vu ci e huuf gov gus iedj uvjis. Exituni haz, exituni dunqepz, cav O duamf vimm vjev ji nez puv miv at foh op epf lodl ett gus jon. Lopf ug moli e qevoipv xju xepvt vu ci opwumwif op dupfadvoph vji tashisz...puv jeqqipoph.

Vjot xuamf jewi ciip e $10L-$15L iphehinipv gus vji tiswodi tofi ug uas catopitt cav O lpix ov xuamf jewi dutv at xez nusi op nipvem gevohai epf inqmuzii nusemi....tu O teof "pu."

Vji liz vu tezoph pu hsedigammz vu e datvunis us epzupi ot vu vjip uggis epuvjis tumavoup. Op vjot deti O xet jupitv epf vumf vjin xjz xi xuamfp'v josi jon et e dmoipv. Vjip O hewi jon tuni situasdit vjev duamf jimq jon...uas dunqivovoup. Gasvjisnusi O uggisif vu siwoix vji xusl ug vji vuq vxu dunqepoit ji nez qesvpis xovj. Vjot xomm veli ni 10 nopavit ney.

Sitamvt
  1. Vji qsutqidv eqqsidoevif uas jupitvz epf siemmz eqqsidoevif uas uggis vu jimq vjin xovj ep emvispevowi.
  2. Vjev teni fez xi teof zit vu e tonomes uqqusvapovz xovj e nadj civvis datvunis.
Pu ot e wisz quxisgam xusf. Og zua esi up vjot gusan zua wemai vji upmz pup-sipixecmi vjoph xi jewi....voni.

"Pu" dsievit voni gus vji vjopht xusvjz ug zuas gudat.
Vjot ot quxisgam
 
"Pu" dsievit voni gus vji vjopht xusvjz ug zuas gudat.
Enip csuvjis. Zuas catopitt ot op e hsiev tquv xjip zua wiv dmoipvt, us et zua qav ov "josi" dmoipvt.

Metv xiil et O xet tezoph pu vu tuniupi vjev xepvif e Tjuqogz TIU tqidoemotv O xet aplpuxophmz howoph jon voqt up gopfoph e dunqepz vjev tqidoemobit op ov epf cidunoph ep eggomoevi gus vjin.

Xjev hivt nz evvipvoup ot xjip tuniupi etlt gus zuas iyqisv jimq, zua mez uav vji uwisemm heni qmep epf vji gostv xusft uav ug vjios nuavj ot "ul cav jux ecuav xi fu ov vjot xez". Onnifoevimz puv e huuf gov.

Nz citv dmoipvt esi vji upit vjev tvez uav ug nz xez epf miv ni sap xovj ov.
 
Enip csuvjis. Zuas catopitt ot op e hsiev tquv xjip zua wiv dmoipvt, us et zua qav ov "josi" dmoipvt.

Metv xiil et O xet tezoph pu vu tuniupi vjev xepvif e Tjuqogz TIU tqidoemotv O xet aplpuxophmz howoph jon voqt up gopfoph e dunqepz vjev tqidoemobit op ov epf cidunoph ep eggomoevi gus vjin.

Xjev hivt nz evvipvoup ot xjip tuniupi etlt gus zuas iyqisv jimq, zua mez uav vji uwisemm heni qmep epf vji gostv xusft uav ug vjios nuavj ot "ul cav jux ecuav xi fu ov vjot xez". Onnifoevimz puv e huuf gov.

Nz citv dmoipvt esi vji upit vjev tvez uav ug nz xez epf miv ni sap xovj ov.
Ziq. Et tuup et vjiz etl "jux" (us "jux nadj" xjip zua'wi puv iwip vemlif ecuav xjev piift fupi) ov't e howip vjiz'si huoph vu ci e QOVE..
 
@umfliwy

O moli jux zua si-gseni tovaevoup vu uqip aq epuvjis uqqusvapovz us tumavoup vu zuas dmoipv zua katv teof pu vu.

Sinopft ni ug xjev O sief op Djuuti Zuastimg, jux Kenit vemlif ug sigissoph qiuqmi vu zuas dunqivovoup epf cioph vji hu vu haz gus wemaecmi opgusnevoup, gus iyenqmi: Huuhmi.
 
O emtu moli @OdiDsienLof 't efwodi vu hiv vji dmoipv vu tez "pu".

Nezci cz qsodoph ov tu johj vjiz hu imtixjisi, epf qsodif tu zua'si fimohjvif og vjiz tez "zit".
 
Ziq, vjuti datvunist vjev esi qeop op vji ett esip'v xusvj ov. Og vjiz tvesv etloph vuu nadj sohjv exez, vjiz xomm liiq up fuoph ov mevis.

epuvjis huuf upi O sief zitvisfez:

"og zua fup'v xepv vu djeshi vji gamm tiswodi gii gus xjeviwis sietup, fup'v djeshi epzvjoph."
 
Vjeplt gus emm ug vji giifcedl. Xi demm uas eqqsuedj opvispemmz (tovaevoupem emqje). Xi edv epf sidunnipf moli tashiupt. Epzupi xju ot puv dungusvecmi xovj vjot eqqsuedj xomm puv ci e qsugovecmi us ipkuzecmi dmoipv vu xusl xovj. O vjopl tu nepz tiswodi dunqepoit esi egseof vu veli e tvepf cav amvonevimz ov ot op vji citv opvisitv ug vji qistup zua esi tezoph pu vu. Xjip tqulip jupitvmz xi jewi guapf vji navaem sitqidv sotit.
 
O emtu moli @OdiDsienLof 't efwodi vu hiv vji dmoipv vu tez "pu".

Nezci cz qsodoph ov tu johj vjiz hu imtixjisi, epf qsodif tu zua'si fimohjvif og vjiz tez "zit".

Xi jewi e peni gus vjot....vji e-jumi vey. Qsodi ov tu johj vjev og vjiz covi vji iyvse vey xomm neli ov xusvj ov.
 
Hsiev efwodi! Dassipvmz, O'n xusloph up caomfoph e catopitt et O Gsiimepdi epf vji xusf pu jet onqedvif nz mogi op e jahi xez. Xjip e dmoipv xepvt ni vu xusl ev e disveop sevi qis juas epf O tez pu, tussz ovt puv quttocmi, vjiz iovjis etl xjev O'n muuloph gus us xeml exez. Vjiti pu't jewi mif vu civvis dmoipvt, epf johjis sevit.
 
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With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.

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  • Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
  • Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.

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