SEEK SOUND ADVICE FROM CREATIVE PEOPLE

No matter what business you are in seek the experience from creative industries. Look for inspiration within inventive sources such as artists, musicians and painters.. A few weeks ago I did just that. I had the opportunity to chat to legendary songwriter Dana Cooper. I asked Dana about the changing industry, what young musicians dreaming of making it in music need to look at and what these musicians and other people with dreams be  in life or business can do to take the first steps. The great ideas can come from the most unusual places and the music industry is one of those interesting places that has a lot of creative people with inspirational nuggets. Dana is one such person.

Dana has over 40 years of song writing, performing and life experience and is equipped with a wealth of solid practical information about what it takes to be a working songwriter. He has recorded 22 albums, worked with 2 major record labels, several independent labels and discovered how to thrive as an independent artist. After seeing Dana play live more than once and interviewing him I can only say that this musician has great wisdom to share in business and life.

After talking to Dana Cooper the take-homes I received for myself were to set goals, decide if it’s a way of life or a living, and tap into the new worldwide distribution channels  on the internet such as YouTube, FaceBook,  and Twitter. 

Drop the Monkey Business and seek out your creative mentor.

SHARE YOUR SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Today I met with brother/sister team Mark and Claire McCole, world famous Irish dancing sensations who spoke to me about their achievements and why it’s so important to share your skills and pass on your knowledge with others.

If you look at our ancestors, they were experts in this. They’d pass wisdom down from generation to generation. There were no books or computers. All was word of mouth and all was with the intention to improve the skills and knowledge of the next generation. It was a human characteristic to give one’s learning to the person beside you. I believe we lost this to some degree, but it is coming back. People what to learn and as much as they love to learn people want to teach. Like Mark and Claire have done with the Irish dancing ask yourself what learning, teachings, talents or wisdom can you give, be it business tips and techniques, be it a skill or a hobby. There is a student and a teacher in all of us. In many ways this blog is my classroom. I am the student. I am the teacher. What or where is your classroom in this wonderful world?

Drop the Monkey Business and share your skill and knowledge

PUSH THE POSSIBILITIES

I just finished reading Richard Branson’s book called” Screw it, let’s do it”. From the word go Richard really shines with great ingredients that make a good business person. He has a lot of fun. He’s full of enthusiasm. He’s not afraid of failure and he believes in possibilities. The best business people in the world have failed one hundred times before they had their success story. Success can almost always be defined by one’s willingness to fly in the face of fear and take risks that others may see as silly, dangerous, a waste of money or time. People that take risks have belief not only in the person that they are, but in the possibility of their vision or dream becoming a reality. This is where all logic and reasoning goes out the window and so it should. In my world everything is possible. The only thing that limits possibility is the fear of such possibilities manifesting themselves. Stop fearing the outcome that you don’t wish to have so that you can allow the best of you to glow.  Put simply, fear the worst case scenario and you’ll end up with the worst case scenario, so push the possibilities of what you want and not what you don’t want.  Believe in yourself and your ideas. Be more like Richard!

Drop the Monkey Business and push the possibilities.

THINK BIG THINK GLOBAL

Anousheh Ansari built a computer technology firm from the ground up, which eventually realized a net worth of $750 million and ultimately allowed her to achieve her childhood dream of spaceflight. When she was in space looking back at the planet Earth she confirmed what she already knew and applied to her life and business success. She had seen that there were no lines separating the land. There are no borders between countries. To know that you are not cornered into any one spot in the world is a great asset to any person in business. Only fear stops us from moving and growing our business out of the geographical location where we are based.

Today I met with Owen O’Malley, founder and CEO of TICN.  With the same belief as Anousheh Ansari, Owen grew his business idea from a thought to a business now operating in 34 countries and in 12 different languages and all from a remote village in the most north-westerly part  of Ireland.

Owen’s message is simple. Think big and think Global. Through the rapid advances of technology our business products can be seen and bought anywhere in the world no matter where we are based. We no longer have to be with the customer in a shop or an office. All you need is a laptop, a website, a PayPal account and belief in yourself and your business.

Drop the Monkey Business and start thinking big

GET A STEP CLOSER TO YOUR GOAL

Today I spoke with David Keane from New Focus|coaching about setting goals that are aligned with our true desires. We spoke about maintaining focus on the ultimate goal while taking the appropriate measures to get over the finishing line. David spoke about Bob Proctor and the Earl Nightingale quote:

 "Success is the progressive realization of a worthy goal or ideal"

Do something each day that will bring you closer to your goal and you will definitely arrive at the end result that you desire. Imagine in one month having made an average of 31 actions in the direction of your goal. In one year, 365 actions. Everybody has different goals which are unique and personal to them. Maybe your goal is to give up smoking or to start a business. Maybe your goal is to run a marathon, publish a book, write a hit song or simply to be content in your daily activities. One step at a time. Never stop. Keep moving and chipping away at the desires that you're most passionate about. Follow the meaning of success in what you believe it to mean for you. Reach for your goal like you already have it in the palm of your hand.

Drop the Monkey Business and get a step closer to your goal.

GET INTO THE BUSINESS OF DRINKING WATER

If you’re dehydrated chances are that you’re not putting 100% of your energy into your business or life. I spoke to nutritional therapist Chen Saat-Murphy from true food Healing about the benefits of drinking water and the different sources from which we can obtain water. 

Imagine communicating your best ideas without being fueled by coffee, tea or a soda drink. Imagine performing better than your perceived best and surprising your colleagues and yourself. Imagine this happening because you drink water, two to three litres per day. This is exactly what top performing athletes do. This is what the best business people do. Why? Because they know that it gives them the energy that their bodies ask for, an energy that translates into faster and clearer thoughts which in turn results in better action. Check out www.allaboutwater.org for more information.

Drop the monkey business and drink water

DRESS FOR SUCCESS

As you can see from the picture, I’m no expert when it comes to dressing for business. Yes, you could say I am expressive and that I have a fun way of dressing, but when it comes to business will that get you the customer? I’m comfortable in my choice of clothing but are the clients comfortable looking at me? I believe you need a balance when dressing in business. Yes my personality shined through on the day this photo was taken, however I didn't see the miss-match until I seen the photo : red, pink and blue and a purple umbrella thrown in for luck!

I felt I'd be on fire  going into meetings , but really, who’d take me serious (besides myself!) at work?  Today I decided to take a call to action. I went to Born, a local clothing store to meet up with  Delilah, International Fashion Stylist and Personal Shopper for some basic tips in dressing for business.

In business, it’s great to look good. When you look good you feel good. It can give you more confidence when you are interacting with other people, especially at work. I believe it should matter more what we do as oppose to what we wear, but at work, in meetings and when we go for interviews it is important to give attention to our appearance. What you wear can leave a lasting impression on people. 

Drop the monkey business and dress for success