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What was your biggest business and life lesson in 2014?
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Business: Even offering just a little bit extra, goes a long way. You know how people will wait in line for hours for a free sub? Just offer a little bit extra time, service, upgrade in a sincere manner, and your customer will be totally floored - people don't expect companies to "take care of them" anymore.
Business/Life: "Success isn't owned, it is leased. And rent is due everyday" - JJ Watt. Bring action and value every day!
Life: Stay Humble. Be grateful for what you have. Say no to things that are not bringing you closer to your goals. And... don't worry about what other's think - it will only slow you down.
A bad day as an entrepreneur is better than a good day as an employee! (even though it sometimes won't feel like it).
Business/Life: "Success isn't owned, it is leased. And rent is due everyday" - JJ Watt. Bring action and value every day!
Life: Stay Humble. Be grateful for what you have. Say no to things that are not bringing you closer to your goals. And... don't worry about what other's think - it will only slow you down.
A bad day as an entrepreneur is better than a good day as an employee! (even though it sometimes won't feel like it).
wow!
2014 was a GREAT Year Indeed.
I learned so MUCH, basically mindset stuffs but here are a few "personal" lessons...
BUSINESS:
1. Never go into business for yourself (Go into business for others by helping them save more money, time etc.)
2. Answer the golden question "What's in for me" (in their shoes) before engaging with others
3. Give more value than you receive (The power of scale with multiply your returns for you).
4. You are not measured by what you know but by what you do with the knowledge
5. Doing get things done not reading 100books (This will cut down the learning curve)
6. Entrepreneurship isn't a "get-money-only" path(if you're not growing psychologically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally, you're basically getting it all wrong).
7. Entrepreneurship is the same everywhere
LIFE:
1. Less is MORE
2. Your mind is just a tool. Never listen when it tries to stop you. (Let no one stop you too)
3. A man is NOT measured by what he materially consumes but by the value he creates
4. Stay in the present (this is counter intuitive- You only exist here and now not the future or the past)
5. Going from "consumer" to "producer" is a HUGE Leap!
6. Love is the key to abundance
7. You got one shot at life. Do it BIG mate!
8. The greatest power on earth is the power to choose and to say "No". (You're always choosing!)
#KEY-POINT: Everything worth having in life takes a PROCESS (TIME+FOCUS+CONSTANT EFFORT) to happen!
No a$$ kissing - The forum, the book and the people here has helped changed the course of my life!
God bless y'all.
Hello 2015😀
2014 was a GREAT Year Indeed.
I learned so MUCH, basically mindset stuffs but here are a few "personal" lessons...
BUSINESS:
1. Never go into business for yourself (Go into business for others by helping them save more money, time etc.)
2. Answer the golden question "What's in for me" (in their shoes) before engaging with others
3. Give more value than you receive (The power of scale with multiply your returns for you).
4. You are not measured by what you know but by what you do with the knowledge
5. Doing get things done not reading 100books (This will cut down the learning curve)
6. Entrepreneurship isn't a "get-money-only" path(if you're not growing psychologically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally, you're basically getting it all wrong).
7. Entrepreneurship is the same everywhere
LIFE:
1. Less is MORE
2. Your mind is just a tool. Never listen when it tries to stop you. (Let no one stop you too)
3. A man is NOT measured by what he materially consumes but by the value he creates
4. Stay in the present (this is counter intuitive- You only exist here and now not the future or the past)
5. Going from "consumer" to "producer" is a HUGE Leap!
6. Love is the key to abundance
7. You got one shot at life. Do it BIG mate!
8. The greatest power on earth is the power to choose and to say "No". (You're always choosing!)
#KEY-POINT: Everything worth having in life takes a PROCESS (TIME+FOCUS+CONSTANT EFFORT) to happen!
No a$$ kissing - The forum, the book and the people here has helped changed the course of my life!
God bless y'all.
Hello 2015😀
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Business: Building the right team of people matters. Reward valuable employees, hire the people who you'd want in your life. The value you can derive from it in return is often something that's very difficult to put a price tag on, and your business will grow.
Personal: Breathe, be in control of my reaction towards situations. Then own up to my all of my decisions, choices and actions. In either ways, it'll be worth it cause then I'll be human.
Personal: Breathe, be in control of my reaction towards situations. Then own up to my all of my decisions, choices and actions. In either ways, it'll be worth it cause then I'll be human.
Business: dont trust everything you hear or see. Even if its coming from a "friend." Be commited and thorough. Always look for growth. With inflation comes depreciation. Build value. Dont be afraid of the competition unless you absolutely know they can crush you. Learn from the best. Network.
Personal: give back. Dont be such a matcher. Always be willing to learn new things. Dont be too hard on yourself. Be patient.
Personal: give back. Dont be such a matcher. Always be willing to learn new things. Dont be too hard on yourself. Be patient.
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1) A market is only "saturated" if you have no USP. Don't be afraid of big markets, but make sure your product is WAY better than what is out there.
2) You may have a USP and don't realize it. Make sure you study your potential competitors. How are you better?
3) Who else is making money solving the same problem? If you can't find anyone, the problem may not be painful enough.
4) Not everything can be validated with a simple landing page. If your idea is something completely new, maybe, but if it's a better way to do something, you may need to build a basic version of the product to demonstrate (but don't take too long).
5) Be a user, if you can. Creating something to solve your own problem is extremely helpful when it comes to staying motivated and really believing in your product.
6) You may not realize it, but you may have a skill that you take for granted, that could be turned into a product for those who lack it.
7) Honestly ask yourself if you believe in your product. Do you believe your product can actually help people in a way that no other existing product can? Is the world missing out because you haven't launched your product yet? If existing products are good enough, you may want to re-think the idea.
8) Can you build something so valuable that people will be willing to pay for it even if it's ugly and buggy? This is a good way to filter out ideas that don't have a good enough USP.
9) Focus on helping! Don't sell a product. Help people improve their lives in some way.
2) You may have a USP and don't realize it. Make sure you study your potential competitors. How are you better?
3) Who else is making money solving the same problem? If you can't find anyone, the problem may not be painful enough.
4) Not everything can be validated with a simple landing page. If your idea is something completely new, maybe, but if it's a better way to do something, you may need to build a basic version of the product to demonstrate (but don't take too long).
5) Be a user, if you can. Creating something to solve your own problem is extremely helpful when it comes to staying motivated and really believing in your product.
6) You may not realize it, but you may have a skill that you take for granted, that could be turned into a product for those who lack it.
7) Honestly ask yourself if you believe in your product. Do you believe your product can actually help people in a way that no other existing product can? Is the world missing out because you haven't launched your product yet? If existing products are good enough, you may want to re-think the idea.
8) Can you build something so valuable that people will be willing to pay for it even if it's ugly and buggy? This is a good way to filter out ideas that don't have a good enough USP.
9) Focus on helping! Don't sell a product. Help people improve their lives in some way.
I read a good chunk of this thread when I got Home from work. There's some great insight into peoples battles in this thread. I kept thinking about it for a couple hours. Trying to trigger my biggest Business and personal goals over the last year........... Nothing, Big Blanko. I've accomplished a lot this year don't get me wrong. I played a pretty major roll in building well over 200 Homes in 2014. Mostly Town homes. Probably around 1000 front doors and families dreams I created. I have JACK to show for it. I'm hoping to return to this thread in 2016 with something better. Here's the best I can come up with.
Business: Wasting my time dreaming about Lambo's on you tube And stumbling Across Some random Guy Named MJ DeMarco. I'm sure some people here already know I don't Kiss to much A$$. So That's genuine.
Personal: This year My Instincts,patience and health grew in leaps and bounds.
Business: Wasting my time dreaming about Lambo's on you tube And stumbling Across Some random Guy Named MJ DeMarco. I'm sure some people here already know I don't Kiss to much A$$. So That's genuine.
Personal: This year My Instincts,patience and health grew in leaps and bounds.
This X10,000,000 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
I learned this the HARD way this year.
Please don't take this lesson lightly. I trust first until proven wrong, but it's extremely important to verify as the relationship grows. You don't want to find out 1 year from now that someone you are in business/friends with (or is your mentor), wasn't who they said they were.
You want to find out NOW. I now still trust, but I choose who I allow into my life and where I spend my energy very, very wisely.
I learned this the HARD way this year.
Please don't take this lesson lightly. I trust first until proven wrong, but it's extremely important to verify as the relationship grows. You don't want to find out 1 year from now that someone you are in business/friends with (or is your mentor), wasn't who they said they were.
You want to find out NOW. I now still trust, but I choose who I allow into my life and where I spend my energy very, very wisely.
IceCreamKid
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Business:
The ability to ask good questions is one of the most underrated skills EVER. Imagine how much faster you can propel your biz by asking for help from someone who has 10 years experience in the trenches versus you trying to learn everything on your own. The lone wolf dies when there is a famine.
Personal:
1. He who angers you, controls you. Forgiving someone is quite possibly one of the best gifts you could ever give to yourself.
2. If I could put a theme on 2014 for me, it was health. I discovered 2 awesome health hacks for more mental clarity and energy throughout the day.
Wheatgrass. @MJ DeMarco you're going to like this one. Your brain needs approximately 70Mhz of energy to operate at optimum levels. To put things in perspective, a Big Mac has about 5Mhz of energy. A shot of wheatgrass has about 70Mhz of energy. On top of that, its molecular structure looks VERY similar to our blood under a microscope which causes our body to absorb its nutrients quickly upon consumption. You'll feel almost instant energy after drinking the stuff. The only downside is the taste is kinda meh.
Chia seeds. It's a complete protein. It's low glycemix index(this means a slow and steady release of energy in your bloodstream versus an initial burst then crash). It's hydrophilic(it expands 10x its own weight when coming into contact with water inside your body, making you feel full). More omega-3's than salmon. Great for stabilizing your mood and focus.
The ability to ask good questions is one of the most underrated skills EVER. Imagine how much faster you can propel your biz by asking for help from someone who has 10 years experience in the trenches versus you trying to learn everything on your own. The lone wolf dies when there is a famine.
Personal:
1. He who angers you, controls you. Forgiving someone is quite possibly one of the best gifts you could ever give to yourself.
2. If I could put a theme on 2014 for me, it was health. I discovered 2 awesome health hacks for more mental clarity and energy throughout the day.
Wheatgrass. @MJ DeMarco you're going to like this one. Your brain needs approximately 70Mhz of energy to operate at optimum levels. To put things in perspective, a Big Mac has about 5Mhz of energy. A shot of wheatgrass has about 70Mhz of energy. On top of that, its molecular structure looks VERY similar to our blood under a microscope which causes our body to absorb its nutrients quickly upon consumption. You'll feel almost instant energy after drinking the stuff. The only downside is the taste is kinda meh.
Chia seeds. It's a complete protein. It's low glycemix index(this means a slow and steady release of energy in your bloodstream versus an initial burst then crash). It's hydrophilic(it expands 10x its own weight when coming into contact with water inside your body, making you feel full). More omega-3's than salmon. Great for stabilizing your mood and focus.
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Working smarter is 10x better than working harder.
Wasted time in 2014 on small tasks.
Wasted time in 2014 on small tasks.
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When you find a process that works well enough, scale it.
I can get an Amazon product up to 80% in no time flat. I spent MOST of my time in 2014 trying to get from 80% to 100% on a few products.
I should have been spending much more time getting brand new products from 0% to 80%.
I can get an Amazon product up to 80% in no time flat. I spent MOST of my time in 2014 trying to get from 80% to 100% on a few products.
I should have been spending much more time getting brand new products from 0% to 80%.
Business: Don't try to do everything myself. Learn the things I enjoy, hire for things I have little or no interest in.
Personal: Drop/get rid of negative and bad relationships ASAP. Don't waste so much time on these people (easier said than done).
Personal: Drop/get rid of negative and bad relationships ASAP. Don't waste so much time on these people (easier said than done).
Great post. Reading through these post gave me some additional ideas of what I need to do in 2015.
In simple terms...
Business: Go hardcore on one of my business ideas and stop drooling over my friends. That's what I did in 2014. Enough is enough.
Life: In 2014 I learned that I vicariously lived it through my friend in Miami. In 2015 I am changing my quality of life. That is my motto for 2015. Change My Quality of Life. Vicariously is banned!
In simple terms...
Business: Go hardcore on one of my business ideas and stop drooling over my friends. That's what I did in 2014. Enough is enough.
Life: In 2014 I learned that I vicariously lived it through my friend in Miami. In 2015 I am changing my quality of life. That is my motto for 2015. Change My Quality of Life. Vicariously is banned!
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Business: Uncertainty of going into business brings opportunities which you could never see if you were afraid to even start it... The answer is commitment.
Some times what you planned and thought can take a 180 degree turn to an opportunity completely different. The condition is that you have to dive into ONE thing and commit to it... Commitment is key if you want to succeed.
Life: Anger, hatred, resentment, and getting stuck in the past will keep you "stuck"... You have to make a choice of who you choose to be in relation to your struggles to become free. Freedom isn't found, it's created by our choices.
Some times what you planned and thought can take a 180 degree turn to an opportunity completely different. The condition is that you have to dive into ONE thing and commit to it... Commitment is key if you want to succeed.
Life: Anger, hatred, resentment, and getting stuck in the past will keep you "stuck"... You have to make a choice of who you choose to be in relation to your struggles to become free. Freedom isn't found, it's created by our choices.
G
GuestUser156
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Business: Don't kill days. Move faster. If you can do it today, get it done.
Don't be so scared, most of your fears in business are stupid.
Yesterday I had a meeting with a local cleaning company run by a big russian guy. I kept thinking to myself they wouldn't take me seriously, when they realised I was a 20-year-old kid, but I just walked in and made a deal in less than fifteen minutes. They were really nice and wanted me to help them. That's $1000 passive income per year.
Sometimes it's so easy, once you decide to just do it.
And momentum is everything. Once the ball starts rolling, you become unstoppable.
I'm off to another meeting with a bigger prospect on Thursday
.
Life: Develop good habits. They'll benefit you down the road x100.
Be nice to everyone and help out when you can, without always expecting something in return.
Make people around you feel special. It takes so little.
Be grateful for everything, that you have in this world.
Don't be so scared, most of your fears in business are stupid.
Yesterday I had a meeting with a local cleaning company run by a big russian guy. I kept thinking to myself they wouldn't take me seriously, when they realised I was a 20-year-old kid, but I just walked in and made a deal in less than fifteen minutes. They were really nice and wanted me to help them. That's $1000 passive income per year.
Sometimes it's so easy, once you decide to just do it.
And momentum is everything. Once the ball starts rolling, you become unstoppable.
I'm off to another meeting with a bigger prospect on Thursday
.Life: Develop good habits. They'll benefit you down the road x100.
Be nice to everyone and help out when you can, without always expecting something in return.
Make people around you feel special. It takes so little.
Be grateful for everything, that you have in this world.
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Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
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Need, Entry, Control, Scalability, Time. I can't begin to describe how this changed my approach to everything. I also had a few hard-learned lessons before I read it spelled out in this way.
Lex DeVille
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Business:
Value creation isn't just about having a better product/service. We're dealing with real live human beings with real problems and feelings. Communicate with others on a personal level, give their problems real attention and consideration, and go above and beyond in your solutions and they will become more loyal than your oldest friend.
Life:
Don't waste energy on insignificant problems. Nothing is as bad as it may appear.
Value creation isn't just about having a better product/service. We're dealing with real live human beings with real problems and feelings. Communicate with others on a personal level, give their problems real attention and consideration, and go above and beyond in your solutions and they will become more loyal than your oldest friend.
Life:
Don't waste energy on insignificant problems. Nothing is as bad as it may appear.
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What's the most you can do? This is my philosophy from now on, something to live by every day. I heard someone say this quote, but I forgot who it was. This applies to a lot of things, such as: What's the best quality work you can do? What's the most work you can get done in a day? What's the most products you can put up for sale? What's the most marketing you can do? What are the most insanely great products you can make? What are the most stores you can have? It's all about unleashing all of your greatness, holding nothing back, and going as big as you can in the business world. If you can do this, I think you'll be a world-beater, because I think almost no one does this. I think most people make a weak effort in the things they do. A small percentage of people make a strong effort. And almost no one makes an all-out effort. I'm already seeing a big difference in the quality of work I'm doing. From now on I won't accept from myself anything less than tackling the most challenging projects and doing the most brilliant, outstanding work that i can possibly do. I'm finding a lot of gaps in the market now, because now I'm willing to do things that pretty much no one else is willing to do, because of their high difficulty level. Other people are not willing to put themselves out that much. I don't think it's really that hard. I think it's just a matter of ceasing to hold back what you can do, and forgetting any fears or reluctance. Just get in there and do it. Do the great things that up until now, you've been hesitant to do.
Every year around my late Fathers birthday I think about his words of advice he gave me:
“Son, I gave the best years of my life to some bugger else, don’t make the same mistake”.
That gave me a mindset to run my own businesses, not others. I’m starting over this year so this is my phones wallpaper:
No Action = No Results
Little Action = Little Results
Massive Action = Massive Results
“Son, I gave the best years of my life to some bugger else, don’t make the same mistake”.
That gave me a mindset to run my own businesses, not others. I’m starting over this year so this is my phones wallpaper:
No Action = No Results
Little Action = Little Results
Massive Action = Massive Results
In a nutshell:
Respect the process; stay the course. Pick a direction you want to go and move that way, applying consistent action toward that ideal while shifting your circle of influence in the process.
Respect the process; stay the course. Pick a direction you want to go and move that way, applying consistent action toward that ideal while shifting your circle of influence in the process.
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Business lesson: no matter what your doing, enjoy the journey
Life lesson: I always think I'm smarter than I really am. Never stop learning
Life lesson: I always think I'm smarter than I really am. Never stop learning
Awesome!
I learned specially: Dont rely on Freelancers, do what you can understand..
Did you get the bags from Amazon?
Djs87
New Contributor
Business: Sometimes things get overwhelming from a technical standpoint. I can do WordPress with the best of them. I can optimize for SEO like a champ. Social Media? In my sleep. I'm smart but I'm not mastering Linux in one week's time. So I hired someone. It took me two weeks and hours of questioning and I found someone who knows exactly what they're doing. Moral of the story... Don't be afraid to hire someone for the technical side of things. And take a little more time to make the right hire. Because I've made bad ones too, and let me tell you... not a fun time.
Life: Believe that you're rich and successful even if you aren't. Eventually you'll genuinely believe it and start acting like you're in command of your own future... Just don't spend money like you are!
Life: Believe that you're rich and successful even if you aren't. Eventually you'll genuinely believe it and start acting like you're in command of your own future... Just don't spend money like you are!
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Your business is a reflection of yourself. Your personal growth is a direct link to the growth of your business. You can't have one without the other.
Business: Always do due diligence and have everything in writing! I also made sure I over delivered on my business deals which resulted in more happy clients and consequently more business! (and more CA$h in the bank). The recurring theme in the forums of solve a problem / need first then the money will come, cannot be emphasised enough.
Personal: I trimmed the fat of the wrong people I hung out with and started spending my time with people on the same road as me or who I looked up to, made a few good mentor friends this way and we chat once a week. I also almost lost my Mom and this spurred me on to make sure financially that in the future I can always take care of myself and my loved ones. That was probably the strongest motivating factor all year. I also limited my tv to 1 hour a day, sold the ps3 and read at least 2 books a week. I upped my gym (3 times a week) and walk along the beach every morning at sunrise. All of this has resulted in a huge surge in productivity and focus.
Thanks MJ for this fantastic forum, there are so many pearls of wisdom and business gold nuggets lying around, you just have to read and apply. My life definitely changed for the better after following and applying / tweaking the golden nuggets I picked up from the forum.
Wishing you all a safe and prosperous and FASTLANE 2015!
Personal: I trimmed the fat of the wrong people I hung out with and started spending my time with people on the same road as me or who I looked up to, made a few good mentor friends this way and we chat once a week. I also almost lost my Mom and this spurred me on to make sure financially that in the future I can always take care of myself and my loved ones. That was probably the strongest motivating factor all year. I also limited my tv to 1 hour a day, sold the ps3 and read at least 2 books a week. I upped my gym (3 times a week) and walk along the beach every morning at sunrise. All of this has resulted in a huge surge in productivity and focus.
Thanks MJ for this fantastic forum, there are so many pearls of wisdom and business gold nuggets lying around, you just have to read and apply. My life definitely changed for the better after following and applying / tweaking the golden nuggets I picked up from the forum.
Wishing you all a safe and prosperous and FASTLANE 2015!
Business Lesson: A good plan executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next year.
Life Lessons:
1. Don't worry about low self esteem and how to develop more confidence. If you have become successful then you will be confident automatically.
2. Don't speak to losers about your plans before you have acomplished them. The losers will call you crazy for quitting your job and trying to build your own business. Better surround yourself with successful people and avoid losers.
3. Learn to say "No" to requests that are stealing your time. Be greedy with your time. Don't waste it.
Life Lessons:
1. Don't worry about low self esteem and how to develop more confidence. If you have become successful then you will be confident automatically.
2. Don't speak to losers about your plans before you have acomplished them. The losers will call you crazy for quitting your job and trying to build your own business. Better surround yourself with successful people and avoid losers.
3. Learn to say "No" to requests that are stealing your time. Be greedy with your time. Don't waste it.
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