Posted by Kathleen | 5 Comments

Want more productivity? Use Sunscreen?

Yesterday, I was out and about meeting new “potential” clients. Let me first preface by saying that potential clients, for me, have a much different look and feel these days. Of course I love doing business with the big boys, playing with the movers and shakers and making money. Who doesn’t? But at the end of the day, how do you know when that client is right for you? And if you’re right for them? Do you try and fit them into the mold you aspire them to be like because you need to make that mortgage payment and so you justify it, all the while knowing that this person does not have integrity? When I meet with a potential client or clients I look into their heart, mind and their attitude about leading others by example and how they treat others when no one is watching. What would others see about you if you knew no one was watching?

Now, having said that, I too, have learned a lot of hard lessons and have been fooled and heartbroken by many who gave their solid word to me and I, in return, honored their simple verbal commitment. I have realized that anyone can give you lip service. But at the end of the day, do you know, without doubt, what you will do to honor your word and hold your agreements with others and yourself?

A ”potential” client sent me Kurt Vonneguts speechthat he addressed to the 1997 class of MIT. I Loved it so much that I thought I would pass it along to my readers because its insightful, fun, hopeful and its Friday. The speech below is Kurt Vonneguts point of view on life and how taking life less seriously can lead to happier and in many instances a more productive life. So, in those instances when you get frustrated or dissapointed that you or your business is not where you want it to be just take this speech out, read it until your heart settles in and you can feel Joy in your bones again. 

“Ladies and gentlemen of the class of ‘97:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts. Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long and, in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting  40-year-olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t. Maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either.

Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else’s.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They’re your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you’ll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair or by the time you’re 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.”

Posted by Kathleen | 8 Comments

Upcoming Free Teleseminar: 5 Ultimate Access Secrets!

I have just announced the date for a free teleseminar she’ll be conducting to help entrepreneurs gain access to the leaders of their respective industries.

The call, entitled “5 Ultimate Access Secrets” is the culmination of years of my own research and access-attaining experience and, for the first time ever, will be made public on this free teleseminar on Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 5pm PST / 8pm EST.  Attendees will learn:

•  How to make the big industry connections so you can start playing bigger and earning bigger
•  How the get next to the decision makers who have the power to double or triple your profits overnight
•  How to make friends with the game-changers in your industry and finally start making what you’re worth
•  How to gain access to the movers and shakers so you can create an avalanche of powerful connections and staggering sales

I want more people to be exposed to this information because it’s one of the core components of business growth that no one is talking about. That silence will end on this call – please plan to join me!

Visit www.getaccesssecrets.com/5secrets to register for this revealing teleseminar.

Posted by Kathleen | 4 Comments

Want more success? Be more like a turtle!

Yup that’s what I said. Be more like a turtle. Let me explain.

Recently, I was rereading this article in one of my favorite magazines, Success Magazine. The interview was written about an Olympic Gold medalist, Nikki Stone..

To briefly explain …..When Nikki Stone was 5, she watched Nadia Comaneci score a perfect 10 in gymnastics at the Olympics. Nikki promptly made a podium out of the furniture in her living room to make the very important announcement that such a win is exactly what she would accomplish. Her mother responded with the wisdom that would carry her daughter through years of training, a devastating spinal injury and on to an Olympic gold medal. She told Nikki she must be like a turtle–soft on the inside, hard on the outside and willing to stick her neck out. The word picture was one that was easy for this determined young girl to remember. “What child doesn’t know what a turtle looks like?,” Stone told SUCCESS. “Mom explained that my soft inside was a passion for what I did, the hard shell represented focus and commitment to my goal, and the willingness to stick my neck out stood for confidence, follow-through and strong teamwork.” Young Nikki went to work immediately to become the best turtle she could be.

The story continues how she found her passion of wanting to become the best inverted aerial skier, the accident that left two of her back discs seriously injured and the months of excruciating pain and depression that followed. Each of the 10 doctors Stone visited told her she would never ski again. She had to train through the pain and to dig deep to build her own confidence again. The months that followed were extremely dark for Stone. “I fell into a deep depression.” she says. She trained through the pain. With less than a year to train for the next Olympic Games, Stone stuck her neck out and pushed toward her goal. She trained with intensity, consistently improving her strength, agility and confidence.

In 1998, Nikki Stone became the first American to win the Olympic gold medal in aerial freestyle skiing. Stone’s career achievements also included 35 World Cup podiums, 11 World Cup titles, four national titles and two Overall World Grand Prix titles. Today, she is a ski host and sports psychology consultant to competitive athletes, and has authored her first book, When Turtles Fly: Secrets of Successful People Who Know How to Stick Their Necks Out.

To your Success!!

Kathleen

Posted by Kathleen | 2 Comments

5 Simple Ways to Prepare for Your Success

Posted by Kathleen | 4 Comments

Success is having a great Mum!

My Mother knew success on every level. She was married to a self made man who lived bigger than life. But she always told us that her success was that each one of us loved her without question and she would always say, “You kids are so good to me”. We always felt her unconditional love. Of course we disagreed at times but I knew she always wanted the best for me and she told me to grab life now and don’t wait for that rainy day. When we lost our father, over 4 years ago, she said, “Your father gave me the world and I gave him a life” and that she did. She was her own woman and for those days that was huge. She was married to a man who built a huge platform to play on and build on and it amazed me how she held her own with him. He was putty in her hands. He loved and adored her because she was “spicy” and always knew who she was and how to tickle his fancy. She just loved us all and wanted us to be happy. I love that. I love her for all that she has taught me and shown me by example of how to stand in your own grace and style. Just some of the things that I adore about her was that she taught me that You can be a strong woman. You can love someone without losing yourself. You can live the life you want and not live in the shadow of someone elses. You can be different. You can live your life and how ever you want to live it because its yours to live.

 

Not only did my Mum give birth to me but she helped me birth new ideas about what I could become and gave me the courage to try.

 

I am one of 7 children but I was told that we were all #1 in her eyes. 

 

 

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Posted by Kathleen | 1 Comment

Is your Sales Success Formula making you a fortune?

If you answered yes to this question then you don’t need to read any more of this post. This is one of my favorite subjects. Sales, success and making a fortune.

HAPPY ST. PATTYS DAY!

Posted by Kathleen | 3 Comments

What path are you on?

So what do you say about someone who has done it all? And the kicker is he’s only 19. Let me tell you about this person because he is a prime example of how you can be, do or have anything in your life that you want. That  person is Kit Karzen who, as I mentioned, is only 19 yrs old. I have known him since he was 10. I happen to be best friends with his Mum, Leslie. He has quite a story for the life that he has led so far and I want to share some of it with you today because his story is so inspiring and we can all use inspiration.

When Kit was young he was diagnosed with ADHD. He really struggled in school, could never concentrate on anything, got into lots of trouble and the list goes on. His parents tried   everything to help him.  As a last resort they (the medical profession) put him on medication thinking this will help with his condition and calm him down and get him on the right path. That was the wrong path for Kit. The drugs made him feel lifeless with little or no energy and he really was unhappy with having to be medicated all the time. He lost his real sense of who he was and really didn’t like how the drugs made him feel. One day, he went to his parents and said, “I have had enough. I don’t like the way I feel. I am going off these drugs and I’ll find a better way to deal with this condition.”  His parents went along with him and they started trying to introduce him to different activities and sports and whatever they could think of to help Kit. One day Kits dad, Marc, said lets go for a bicycle ride and took him to the velodrome. Kit got on that bike and he has never gotten off except to accept the blue ribbons and trophies that would be presented to him for years to follow. I can’t even begin to tell you how accomplished he has become in this sport. He has won National, State and local championships. You  name it he’s done it. He’s gone on to Europe and competed with the finest and best. He’s unstoppable at this sport and creating the life that he wants for himself and others.

But here’s the piece I really want to drive home. Last night I attended the launching of his new Foundation. Yes, that’s right. A foundation. The Kit Karzen Foundation. He had young athletes, olympic gold medalists, heavy weight sponsors, coaches and others who I couldn’t even tell you who they were, in attendance. Even Phil Keoghan who is the star on the  “The Amazing race” show was there but after all their mug shots are proudly displayed together on the healthy Power bar.  This party,that was put together 3 weeks ago, was just a thought by Kit. He said wouldn’t that be great to do this and that? His parents should have known that he was going to do this even if it was a huge undertaking and only 3 weeks away. But they were asking him how he would be pulling this big event off in only 3 weeks and that it might rain and all of the other discouraging thoughts of “what if?”  Kit said, “So what? Iam doing it.”  He pulled it all together and standing there last night listening to him and how humble he is and how much he loves helping others overcome this condition I realized that I have become very used to Kit’s extraordinary accomplishments because he makes them look and seem effortless and he is always doing something Huge. He has always gotten what he has put out there. He thinks bigger. He thinks about making a difference in this world and in other peoples lives. He only knows the words,” why not? and why not me?”  It’s selflessness. It’s not about what’s in it for me? He’s an absolute magnet for all that is good. He has taken what was a very challenging time in his youth and turned it around because he believed that he could make a difference and he believed in his ability to reach higher and dream bigger for himself. He continues to think and reach higher and has faith in what is possible. He believes others can overcome what ever it is that they need to. Whethere its ADHD or drug addiciton or just plain ole setting your mindset on a positive course. When you love what you are doing and you’re doing it for the right reasons look what happens? Anything and everything is possible. We have unlimited possibilities and resources that are available to us every day. The only thing we have to do is to just decide what path we want to ride our bike on and then just start peddling. Just look out for Kit Karzen. You probably won’t see him but you will see his dust.

You can find Kit Karzen everywhere and Kit Karzen Foundation on Face book. www.kitkarzenfoundation.org