Rich,

You have incredible timing - because I had one of “those days” today where I’m just feeling totally lost … which is really, really flippin’ rare for me - and this post was just what I needed.

I’m good at the action piece. I really am. I’m a nose-to-the-grindstone, get it done, and do it right, type of young entrepreneur … and in general I live my dreams every day … and I’m not being soppy … I’m under 30, have already exited a multi-million dollar business, and in the past year was brought on as the right-hand of one of the world’s top success coaches within 5 months of ever meeting him.

But today I realized that a lot of what I’ve been “doing” and working so hard on, for my current project just isn’t pulling. The results are just not there, and I need to switch gears, and fast.

So now I’m a deer in the headlights … and what’s holding me back from taking my next “first step” is shear “unknowing” - I’m starring down the barrel of an enormous question mark.

And hypnosis would probably be really helpful for me right now!!! Hypnosis … and a new, well-cared-for, targeted, responsive list … which I’m thinking I now need to build from scratch, in just a few short weeks.

What’s holding me back from my dreams and aspirations is the realization that “mindset” and “personal development” is completely different to market than any other “product” I’ve come across … or maybe it isn’t … maybe it’s the “but my business is different” thinking that’s holding me back from seeing the results that I’m convinced I should be getting.

I need leverage … ding, ding, ding … there’s my answer.

Hmmm, it could really be that easy … so now all I need is a plan!

With gratitude,
Erin.

Hey Rich,

You are so right on about the colours.

Years ago, I invested around $500 on a colour consultation for myself personally and the colours to go on the front of my new book. It made such a difference!

Best of all… it prevents me from looking like a knob to my wife if I ever buy my own clothes.

It’s amazing how the shirt and tie colour can make the man.

A good site with a color game is at www.paintcafe.com

Thanks for all your input Rich - pass on our best to the new Governor.

Cheers

Scott

Reply to this comment

Thanks for the fun post. I believe our greatest asset is the vision of who we want to be - physical and talent success.

Good insights Rich

It’s interesting that business people spend so much time fussing over the products they hope to sell to cutomers, but they fail to pay enough attention to their most important and profitable product - themselves

Many who try to build successful online businesses probably don’t think they need to refine what they are presenting of themselves, because they are hiding what they’re selling, but to truly build your business, you need to be projecting confidence so that your customers will follow, and that confidence comes from you, not the widget that you’re trying to sell

One part of my business is acting as a personal agent to senior corporate executives and representing their interests in the job market. I tell them all the time that I define myself as a “high level product manager” and that they are the product. They and I share the responsibility to present them as a high value product that successful companies can’t afford to be without. I also tell them that whilst I am their product manager, they are their own brand manager, and once they understand the concept and follow the principles of brand management, they do very well with their careers

Be your best and love your life
Brian

http://www.career-management-toolkit.com

Thanks for confirming what I instinctively knew about the colors, though the deep green is a bit of a surprise to me.

Action plays such an important role — even just visualizing is taking action.
Since I was a kid I’ve used visualization to tackle tough tasks. Sometimes, I had to visualize quite a while. Rehearsing the steps in my mind until I felt ready to go. I used to think I might be procrastinating but turns out I was visualizing the action before physically taking action.
Lyle
Business-System-Organizer.com

Just what I need ! Thank you so much for sharing! Back on track now..

Respect
Cha

Rich,
You’re truly the best.
I’ve been paying attention to your emails with whatever time I can. Your messages have been filtering in. Tonight was the very best yet. I’ve locked into the reality of my people skills and charisma being what it takes to launch myself yet another time into successful sales. I had a wholesale clothing co for 24 years…built it from scratch.
Partner and husband ended marriage and business ended at the same time.

I’m good looking, smart, outgoing, enthusiastic and on my own for a long time, I’ve not had the confidence to succeed at business by myself. I feel the strength now. The only way for me is self employment. It’s my comfort zone yet I cling to being an employee and it wastes my precious time.

Thank you so much for inspiring!
Jenny

So true and in an easily understandable format, Thanks so much, Rich! In the past few months, I’ve stumbled by rethinking decisions I had already made. Even though I told myself it was for the greater good, for other people’s best interests, it wasn’t. It was easier than following through on my own plans.

In the past 2 weeks, I’ve taken corrective action. I’m now leaving a business that wasn’t working, have taken action on projects I had put on the back burner, and have met new people who are providing services I needed, but didn’t seek, and life is moving forward fast!

This is a post I can include in my action book and refer clients to as we work together on projects. I’m visualizing meeting you later this year, and thanking you personally for your contribution to my success.

Be blessed,
Bonnie

Hi Rich,
Very interesting post indeed, as it shines a light on you as well as your subject. But could you just check the percentages you gave in the basketball example? I have a feeling your 23% should read 93% or something like that. The visualisation thin is obviously incredibly important, but it is maybe hard sometimes to separate a fantasy visualisation from one that starts at the core of our being? So many things in the internet world trying to persuade us that we can do anything, keeping us on a rollercoaster surface, instead of helping us concentrate on using our imagination around our own core values and skills. Obviously your maven ideas are an attempt to counteract that tendency and develop more concentration, but where it gets interesting for me (living in a country where social connection seems more important than information) is when information interacts directly with the social, physical level. Does that make any sense? Thanks for all your care and input.
Nicholas

The New Governor Mr Paterson is perhaps just as morally bankrupt as his predecessor the Ex-Governor Mr Spitzer.
It has been revealed in many newspapers,The “NY Post” for one , that Mr Paterson has engaged in some nefarious sexual activites , one of which includes, ‘BANGING” his friends wife when she worked in his office,taking her and several other women to Hotels, and may be even some at public expense.
Ah yes…… a fine moral character he is. Perhaps you should have used your hypnotic powers on Mr Paterson so that he would remain faithful to his wife , and render public service which is free of all these scandals.

I have got a good product and cannot sell it easily. I would like to get a good marketing plan to get going. But for the time being I am broke

Hi Rich,

Excellent article, well written.
I spent $276,000 buying marketing, self development,hypnosis courses to improve my business, but nothing worked.
I am at a point now where I want to give up.
May God pour down His bountiful blessings upon you.

John

Rich,

You’re right on the ball. It’s been some years now since Roger Ailes wrote “You Are The Message”, but today, perhaps even more than in 1996 when the book came out, what he wrote, and you affirm holds true.

If the 1980s and 90s were the times of corporate brands today we are immersed in personal branding. We can’t help this. Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Stumble Upon, make our identities transparent, even when we don’t write blogs.

The problem with these web 2.0 technologies is that sometimes they leave an untidy trail of dead, or half used applications and interests in their wake. These may make us seem disorganized.

For example my Facebook account is a mess of crazy applications that I don’t use and really should be weeded out. My Twitter page, however, like Gary Vaynerchuk’s is branded wheras you’ve chosen to stick with the Twitter defaults.

The worst kind of identity confusion, I think comes, for many via e-mail marketing. It’s one thing to be known as an affiliate marketer and to direct people to good offers but quite another to be a high profile personality, or Maven if you will, and then direct people to some offer that looks as if it’s been put together in Front Page in less than half an hour.

Your recent New Beginnings Conference at Disney was, I think, exceptionally well made and has set a high benchmark by which to measure current and future products and services.

BRAY

Hi Rich,
Your ideas are re-inforcing,nice, good and thought provoking. It serves as a good performance indices for present and future evaluation. Pls keep up the good job. How do you plan to affect people from the developing nations especially we from Africa?

Rich,

Hope your hypnosis stuff didn’t include the cocaine and marijuana Paterson admitted to using today in the news.

Rudi yes you are a trusting soul……but perhaps Mr Paterson should hire your wife to work in his office ……assuming that she does not wear a burka …….she may be in serious danger LOL .
Wake up and smell the coffee, Mr Paterson ,as his predecessor is no paragon of virtue, and definitely as his former boss…… a C-Hound !

Rich,

Great post - I think that attention to small details (and being incredibly attractive ) have helped me a lot in my young career.

As everyone else uses these comments to further their self interests, I’ll guiltlessly do the same.

In one of my lives, I’m starting the long uphill battle of offering the most fun “free DJ mixes” online — and as you like blaring techno, you may enjoy my blend. I call it Big Beat Bastard Pop.

Go here and download a mix or two for free:

Free DJ Mixes - http://GrandmasterDJRoyal.com

If you like it, there’s a registration form on the right you can use to be updated when new mixes are available.

Roy

I have authored a book; WHAT WILL HAPPEN DURING THE END TIMES? It is selling well in the book stores. I have built a web site: www.publishedauthors.net/talmadgeparris12/index.html
I need to advertised my web site but don’t know where to start. I want to sell the book on the net.
I have had several good write ups from several local newspaper and have sold many book by mail as a result of these write ups.
But I need to get my web site before the public. How do I start???
I appreciate you looking at the web site (5 pages) and giving me your comments.
Sinncerely.
Talmadge Parris
th.parris@hotmail.com

This reminds of the famous statement of Buddha, “what your mind thinks, you’ll become that”.

Hi Rich,

Your experience extends beyond your years. I wish people starting out see what you already do.

Let me explain. I sometimes use examples of where we were and how quickly we get there as a comparison of a performance improvement effectiveness.

You see, I sometimes give seminars and mentor some young would-be entrepreneurs in a special program at one of the YMCA’s Business Centers.

When I first see them, these are what I always find:

1) Nearly all of them will hide behind the “wrong” colours for themselves so that they are unnoticed.

2) They hide behind their product or intended product - they apply an arms-length approach to their businesses (none of them ever sell anything at this stage, except for a kindly aunt or uncle).

3) Their addage is the often misguided business start of “the product will sell itself” or “build it and they will come”; so they do not even present themselves to anyone.

4) They have very low self esteem; some have ADHD and are very inattentive; they hardly speak to anyone.

5) Their world revolves around the high school, home, the bank and the local shopping mall for their entire business model.

After the coaches and all of us business people are done with the participants, these are what I see:

a) They look so sharp in their new colour presentation schemes - they become very spiffy dressers.

b) They flog their products or services to their target markets. Many start filing out their order books. They are now the main product or its representative.

c) They have the begginings of a marketing/promotion plan and activity - they become forward looking and develop towards it.

d) Shyness, ADHD, low self esteem? You wouldn’t even know they had all that. These guys will now talk to anyone with their new found tools and with practice, they simply take off on their own even in front of a business event or crowd.

e) All of them will expand their target markets; some will actually go all the way to China to get their deals done.

The programs at the YMCA are not the regular school system methods but are delivered by people in successful businesses and incorporate much of what you’ve described above.

The results are simply impressive. Many of these graduates are actually doing very well for themselves.

This response ia a little lengthy but I thought you’d like to know what successes can be achived with the right mentors, tools, techniques, mental attitudes, and well, the guts to go ahead and just do it. Until the next time we meet.

Great Wealth and Happiness,
Stephen Chua.

http://www.ancientworld secrets.com

Interesting post, sort of like a variation of

Brand yourself,
establish your self as authority or maven….

And be known for something, at least one thing at least.

I’ll have to bookmark this post since it’s a little too “deep” to give a once-over, and I suggest others who read this post to read it again, then bookmark it, then read it again…

Thanks,

Dan

http://danielmcgonagle.name

what the ! ! my RSS readers went from 21 to 1225 overnite ,

http://ArtByLetters.flixya.com

What is it with people who post their website in their comment?

Do you think it’s funny?

I don’t find the funny side - and I dont see it either.

Stop it you silly monkeys!

NOT A LINK TO MY SILLY SITE

Many of these posts include very valid thoughts.
Along with wearing the correct color to make ourselves shine, folks should send out their writings with correct spelling and grammer. When I read an item which is not well written, it loses value in my eye.
I learned how to spell and write correctly when I was in grammer school (good place for that!!). My ESL parents made sure that I always handed in school work which contained very very few errors, if any. Perhaps that is why they earned MS andPhD degrees and are successful in the US.
And even if you do not type well and make mistakes, you can reread what you have written and correct it.
Thank you to everyone who contributes to Rich’s pages and blogs, I do learn a lot of information from you.

Hi
I am very glad you have written about colours.It is very important in my everyday life.Every Morning i get up first thing i think about is wear-most important is choosing right colour.
White,black or red,they are my favorite ones.
There is something i am interested in :What do you think about Reincarnation and links between past life and colours as simbol our life ago?
Thanks

Excellent post, Rich.

Most of what I would say has already been said. So to avoid redundancy, here are just a couple of observations:

(1) Want to learn about COLOR? I was analyzed by the premier business color analyst in Atlanta around 1981 - Carole Jackson. Don’t spend a fortune - Get her book on Amazon: “Color Me Beautiful.” You will discover a full spectrum of colors that are right for you - and which to avoid like the plague.

(2) Focus and visualization are key, indeed. Yes, “As a man thinketh in his heart…” So consider what gets down into your heart and spirit.

It’s those things to which you expose yourself. We are instructed to guard our eye gate and ear gate - what you read, the images that get imprinted on your brain, what you hear (music, lyrics, cursing, blessing?)…

You know, the pretty woman whose picture you keep seeing or that incredible sunset.

How about the tune that pops up in your head as you are driving down the road?

Doesn’t that also tie in with surrounding yourself with positive, encouraging people, not the toxic ones?

The Word of God instructs us to meditate on those things which are beautiful, pure, good… Meditate on those things toward which you would have your life gravitate… Which ties in with your highest goals and aspirations. (Look upward, not down. See the half full and rising glass with an attitude of gratitude, not grumbling at the half empty one.)

SEE those things that you would achieve … Be specific, such as visualizing the very motions as you shoot a perfect basket and follow through, how it feels … and believe that you receive, that you achieve.

POWERFUL!

The checklist you gave, Rich? That’s powerful, too, and will help me refocus my own life at this critical juncture.

Thank you!
Margaret

Smelling good also changes confidence levels!
(and your income and your relationships)

Highly suggest ‘jitterbug perfume’ from tom robbins.
but that is another story.

Visualization first came into my life years ago, and has brought me many ‘things’ and magical moments alike. Some things to remember about this:

.everything we do begins somewhere sometime in our mind, with the vision of doing it, regardless of if we visualize intentionally or unconsciously.
.our brains release the same chemicals and fire the same neurons during visualizations, dreams, and imaginations as they do during the ‘real’ experience. therefor visualization puts us in the habit of activating the parts of our brains which are associated with the actions required to make things happen.

I’ve attained cars, money, skills, etc. etc. with the power of visualization. The science of why it works makes perfect sense, and proof is in pudding.

Notes about the color selection: pay close attention to the compliments you get from others when you’re wearing this or that colored shirt. feedback. also, i know that i am more confident in certain parts of my wardrobe, and i know it has to do with both the color and the style.

It is interesting to see the governor topic turned into a color scheme topic turned into a hypnosis and visualization topic. very creative Rich, applying your own maven lessons in your publishings. teaching by example. kudos.

Visualizing in the Gulf of Mexico
With my mind focused fully on being the guy behind the largest barter network in the world ever i dove into the waves, each crest over my head being another oath and contract with myself that with time and hard work i would attain. Since that day i have progressed quite well with the development of the system for that barter network, far surpassing my competition in many ways. One thing though, now that the foundation is in place, the marketing is in need of some visualization and action. That is what i get from todays post, Rich, is that it’s high time to jump into some waves again, with the visualization of rapid growth. thank you.

Oh yes, and there is the third eye
Regardless of the third eye being ‘real’ or not, it has proven itself repeatedly to me to be a mega-amplifier to the power of visualizations. maybe it’s because when using the third eye technique, all other thoughts and distractions loose their power. I don’t know why this is so, but it is so. Try it out and you’ll probably see right away what i mean. Trance yourself out a bit with some breathing meditations or whatever you do to prep yourself for inner work, then visualize your desired state of being or doing and bring that vision to the spot between your eyes just in front of your forehead. The results are pudding.

Rich, I have much respect for you and your knowledge and insights and abilities. You do a lot of good for a lot of people, myself included. Many Thanks.. so Rich, here’s a Open Window.. - If you’d consider helping to bring Barterfest into it’s fullest potential (huge and rapidly growing market) we would consider some generous profit sharing. know what i mean? let me know if you’re curious/interested.

Blessings to all.
Joe at Barterfest

Hey Rich

Thanks for those words of insight. I’m a newbie to internet marketing but I’ve done a fair amount research so far. This post was really encouraging. I have always believed that the key to success lies within. I’m definitely motivated to keep moving forward with my business and get it to where I need it to be.

If anyone else has any great ideas and words of wisdom, I’m all hears!

Thanks