my top 5 from Luciano’s list writing project - soupornuts’ reasons to click - #8
I was thrilled to be asked in Luciano’s list writing project. In lieu of my normal “reasons to click” article, I have chosen to list my top five choices from the list. There were lots of great articles, but these were my favorites.
- 100 Sites I Seek Inspiration From
- What you think is what you see: 4 Ways to stop negativity
- 5 Things That I Believe To Be Lies
- 7 Powerful Tips to Overcome Failure
- 21 Punching Tips On Social Media Marketing and Social Media Optimization
I hope that you enjoy these as much as I did.
The joys and frustrations of being an entrepreneur
JOY #1 – Its an adrenaline rush
Being an entrepreneur is like careening down a mountain road at ninety miles per hour with one headlight out. Its both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. You react to circumstances as quickly as you can but still you wonder if your last decision:
- will throw you off the mountain
- will cause you to run headlong into some obstacle
- will allow you to gain even more speed and momentum
It can be a true adrenaline-laced thrill ride. But like an amusement park roller coaster, every peak is followed by a valley. These peaks and valleys represent the joys and frustrations of entrepreneurship.
FRUSTRATION #1 – Not everyone shares your enthusiasm
When you are “moving and shaking”, you tend to assume that everyone around you is interested in your success. They are not. In fact, some are secretly hoping that you fail. Why?
- If you are successful, then others are forced to examine why you achieved your success while they have not.
- If you are successful, then you may move beyond your current environment leaving some friends behind.
JOY #2 – Press Coverage
The Montgomery Advertiser ran an article yesterday about the Rotater and noted that it had been recognized as the “GOLF PRODUCT OF THE MONTH” by 1StopForGolf.com.
JOY #3 – A large spike in traffic to therotater.com
One of the benefits of press coverage is that it creates a natural curiosity in people. They want to see what all the fuss is about, so they travel to our web site to watch the Rotater video and read the testimonials.
This press coverage has increased the awareness of the Rotater and has created a viral “buzz”. More and more people are learning of the benefits that the Rotater provides for post-operative shoulder patients, athletes and breast cancer survivors.
JOY #4 – Increased sales
Increased sales are the quest of every entrepreneur! When you get more eyeballs looking at your product or service plus an unsolicited and unpaid endorsement from a fair and unbiased third party, the result is an increase in the volume of sales.
So, we had a nice increase in sales yesterday.
FRUSTRATION #2 – Learning how to maintain momentum
While I am thrilled by the attention the the Rotater received yesterday, I realize that today means going back to the drawing board.
- Today, we will have to call or email contacts to increase an awareness of the benefits of the Rotater.
- Today, we will have to follow through on our commitment to excellent customer service.
JOY #5 – A powerful telephone call
In the midst of all the excitement yesterday, I received a phone call from a renowned golfer who has been using the Rotater for a couple of months. He told me that he loves his Rotater, keeps it in the trunk of his car and uses it nearly everyday.
That’s a powerful endorsement!
FRUSTRATION #3 – No testimonial
I asked this championship golfer if he would give me a testimonial. He said that he couldn’t give me a testimonial for fear that it would endanger his amateur status with the U.S.G.A.
Even though his testimonial would go a long way toward establishing some verifiable credibility for the Rotater, I completely understand this golfers predicament and I don’t want him to do anything that might lead to eligibility issues.
He believes in the Rotater and has offered to help us in other ways. I believe him.
SUMMARY: JOYS = 5 AND FRUSTRATIONS = 3
All in all, it’s all good! Valleys follow peaks. That’s just the way it is. Just don’t allow yourself to stay in the valley. Start climbing to the top of the mountain and get ready for the next thrill ride down.
26 ways to change the world
This article is my contribution to a writing project that is being sponsored by Luciano Passuello at Litemind.
Because we live in a fast-paced, technologically advanced society, 
I have chosen to write “26 ways to change the world”, in the hopes that I can encourage people to slow down and become involved in creating a better place for our children to live, grow and prosper.
- Count your blessings – there is no other activity that will put your life in perspective as fast. We have so much to be thankful for, regardless of our worldly possessions.
- Express your love – let the ones that you love know that you love them. They’ll be glad to hear it and you’ll be glad you said it.
- Live in the moment – don’t allow the weights of yesterday push you down and don’t encourage the “what ifs” of tomorrow steal the true gem of time, NOW.
- Spread decency – take the high road when dealing with others and their oddities. Live and let live.
- Open your mind – always remember that your perspective is unique to you. Others have their own view of things. Unless it’s a life or death matter, don’t waste time worrying about it.
- Open your heart – let someone in. You are worth loving.
- Sing - I make up songs for my daughters. They think I’m goofy, but they laugh and it really helps me enjoy the moment.
- Dance - I don’t know how many people have had to have knee surgery as a result of a dancing injury, but I’m one of them. Yes, it was worth it.
- Give guidance – others need and want your help.
- Listen to your mother – she’s been through just about everything you’ll ever face and more.
- Give compliments – it really brightens a person’s day.
- Show mercy and compassion
- Hug someone – you really can’t beat it for that all over warm feeling.
- Be honest – lies help no one.
- Lend a hand – need lies within your circle of life.
- Lend an ear – take the time to listen so that you can hear the needs of another.
- Smile – you can change someone’s day with your smile. Share it.
- Share your dreams – inspire, motivate and educate.
- Laugh
- Share your opinion – but realize that it is only your opinion and everybody is entitled to their’s as well.
- Respect others – we are all connected. Once you realize this, most petty stuff will go away.
- Be the first to say hello
- Be passionate – it gives your life zest.
- Write a letter – it means more to the recipient to know that you took the time to go to the trouble.
- Stretch your imagination – everything begins with a thought. Imagine great ones.
- Show affection now – you don’t get any do-overs at the end.
Hints and help for the would-be entrepreneur
O.K. You’ve finally have a big idea but you don’t know what to do or where to start. Don’t panic yet. Attempt to corral all your energy, get a pen and paper or find a computer terminal with internet access. Soupornuts is here to offer his help.
- The first thing you have to realize is that everything you need or want to know is available.
- The second thing is that you have to actively search for it.
The following is a list of web sites that offer a tremendous amount of information. Some better than others. Visit them and glean from them the information that you find helpful. If I feel very strongly about a site, I will offer a note or two. You will also find intermingled with these web resources a number of hints that I feel will help you.
- SCORE – one of the best business information sites available – free, no agenda and lots of info. There is a reason that I have it listed first - it’s the best!
- Helpful Hint – when you visit a site, look for a links page or a resources page – this info can take you to sites (and info) you may have never considered
- Inc – great site and lots of info – take notes
- Helpful Hint – search the web for any and everything you can think of related to your “big” idea – potential customers, potential competitors, suppliers, etc.
- Helpful Hint – get the Firefox browser if you don’t have it. With this browser, you can add-on a bunch of search engines and cut down on your search time. The Firefox down load is quick, simple and easy. You’ll thank me a million times.
- Allbusiness – advice, business blogs, online videos and forms and agreements ( I purchased a package of forms and was well pleased)
- Inc – online version of Inc. magazine – wealth of info - somehow it made the list twice – must be really good!
- Get Motivation – inspiration and motivation – articles and quotes
- Entrepreneur – business tools, resources, online videos and more
- Helpful Hint – Down load the Web2.0 tool bar today – with this tool bar installed you can search the social book marking sites (del.icio.us, Digg, Technorati and more) as well as a host of blog directories. Easy down load and install plus it is a mega feed aggregator – you’ll appreciate this
- Small Business Administration – your government at work providing you with (free?) business startup info and more
- Hot Points – blog authored by Bob Parson’s, owner of Godaddy.com – unique perspective, motivational and helpful – search the archives
- Helpful Hint – if you go to a site, look for the articles section, these are usually free, but sometimes you have to search for them
- Helpful Hint – when you finish reading an article, look at the author’s info ( usually in a box at the bottom ), there will be a link to their site or more info, if you are so inclined
- My Own Business – free online course
- Better Business Bureau – educating online business
- SuccessMethods – inspiration and motivation, but you’ve got to do a little searching – hint scroll down the pages
- Startup Journal – a Wall Street Journal source produced for entrepreneurs
- Goals Guy – this link will take you to his articles, but explore the rest of the site
- Harvey Mackay – this is a direct link to his best of columns – great writer and motivator
- My New Company – startup info and help
- Visit soupornuts.com often or get the rss feed.
All right, this will help you get started. Just remember, it’s all about being passionate – but passion without knowledge creates a zealot.
- have a goal
- get some knowledge
- develop your idea
- formulate a plan
- make adjustments
- stay focused
- become an entrepreneur
Do your part - share
Happy Thanksgiving. As a parent, I think it is important for each of my girls to have their own possessions. Things they can care for and call their own. I think it is equally important for them to learn to share – first with their family and then with other children.
As the role models that have will have the most influence on our children’s lives, we have the responsibility to teach the concept of sharing by being a living example.
1. Share your love
You cannot over-do this. No matter how much you give, you can always give more.
- Teach your children how to express their love.
- Show your children how much you love them. Here’s a hint – you are not demonstrating their importance to you when you can’t find the time to spend with them.
- Constantly tell your children that you love them and that they are important to you.
- Be involved in their lives – who are their friends? what are your children’s dreams? how are they planning on achieving their dreams? what is your role and involvement in their future?
- Be affectionate with your spouse/partner – this shows your children that they are in a loving and therefore safe family environment and goes a long way to establishing their self esteem.
2. Share your time
When you say that you love someone, you are telling them verbally that they are important to you. You spend time enjoying/doing the things that you believe are important. What you do says so much more that what you say.
- Read to your children – if you begin this when they are newborns, your child will have a huge head start in their education. Statistics have shown that children who are read to do better in school than their contemporaries who were not read to.
- Play with your children – they grow way too fast so give them every reason to want to spend time with you as they mature and become adults.
3. Share your experience
You have faced some unique experiences, but the principles that they teach are universal. Mentor someone. Simply making yourself available to a young person can result in a wide range of questions about your life and experiences.
- Explain your successes and failures – What were your good decisions?
- What would you do differently? - Where did you miss an opportunity? Why did you miss an opportunity?
- Do you know someone who would be valuable for this person?
- Share the secrets of your success – What did you do that was unique and played a role in your success?
4. Share your dreams
People like to know what inspires and motivates you.
- Why did you do this or that?
- Were you scared? excited? hesitant?
- What do you visualize?
- Why are you so confident?
5. Share your ideas
This is hard for the majority of people because they refuse to believe that we live in a world of abundance. They think that everything is a “zero sum” game, meaning that in order for them to win then someone else must lose. This is a fallacy. There is plenty for everyone.
- You will have more ideas than you can ever hope to exploit – tell someone what they are, maybe they can start on one of them now. Besides that, you have just endeared yourself to someone and created the need for them to reciprocate. They will do their best to repay you, somehow.
- Be a part of a “master mind”. This is a group of like-minded people who meet for the purpose of growing. The individuals that make up this group can be as varied as you like, but they must share a similar need to succeed. Share your ideas with them and watch how they morph into “great” dreams.
Sharing is not about letting someone use your stuff. It’s about being involved in the lives of others – developing relationships, partnerships and friendships. Share your life.
Learn from your child - fear of failure results in lack of success
Ask any person who is still in the consideration phase of becoming an entrepreneur, why they have yet to launch their business enterprise and you will hear a litany of excuses. When boiled down to the basics, the majority will admit that it is due to a fear of some sort:
- fear of ridicule
- fear of what others may think or say
- fear of success
- fear of the unknown
- fear of failure
The flaw in the fear of failure – it is learned, not inherent
The list of fears can be endless, but the overwhelming majority will say that the number one reason for their inhibition is the fear of failure.
Have you ever stopped to consider where your fears originated? Were you born with them? The answer is no, with the exceptions being; the fear of falling, the fear of loud noises and in some people, the fear of snakes. All of our other fears are learned, ingrained and habitual.
Children are fearless
My daughter fell twelve feet out of our loft and onto a hardwood floor when she was only five. Fortunatley, she was only bruised badly. When things had settled, I asked her what had happened. She replied that she had been watching the “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” and had climbed on top of the railing that surrounds our loft/tv area, to sit like the hunchback was doing on tv.
As a child, we had no fears of failure. We tried to walk, we fell, made adjustments and then tried again and again and again. We kept trying and making adjustments until we found we could take one step and then two steps, all the while adapting and honing our technique.
This trial and error process allowed us to become proficient and we used the same techniques when we learned to ride a bike, swim, play sports or accomplish other feats both as a child and as an adult.
Those important to us supported our efforts
Our parents never shook their heads and said, “Poor Johnny, he’ll never walk”. They picked us up, dusted us off, gave us some encouragement and told us to give it another try. Failure is nothing to be ashamed of. We’ve all failed (no one ever learned to walk, swim and so forth, on the first try ).
As children, we never worried about failure until we reached an age when we became concerned that others would think we were inferior if we failed in our current quest. The truth is that everyone must first fail in order to learn how to succeed.
The point is to let you inner child run free. Think like a child. Experiment. Attempt new things. Spend less time occupied with what others think and more time on freeing your spirit and expanding your mind. Try. Fail. Learn. Try again. Succeed.
It’s not like I’m asking you to hold a snake.
Where do ideas come from?
I was recently discussing one of my web site ventures with a close friend when he commented that “he wouldn’t know where to start”. I don’t think that anyone knows where to start, but I did know that if I didn’t do something about my idea, it would “die on the vine”.
I consider this friend to be well above average in both aptitude and attitude, so I knew that intellect and motivation were not the reasons for his lack of ideas. The problem, I think is that most people don’t invest enough time in the planting, growing and harvesting of their ideas.
Where do ideas come from?
1. There is the “find a need and fill it” idea.
This is the concept that we most often envision when we think of “coming up” with an idea. How many times have you seen a new product or service and asked yourself, “that’s obvious, why didn’t I see it before?” Probably because you never took the time to seriously examine your needs. We just tend to blow them off and assume there’s nothing we can do about it or assume that somebody else could do it better or quicker than we can. All of these are false, defeatist attitudes that discount our value.
In reality, ideas are not pursued to fruition due to:
-
fear of failure
-
fear of success
-
fear of what friends and family will think
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lack of dedication to the time or effort needed or both
-
poor self image
-
lack of education (where do I start?)
2. New ideas are provided by new technologies.
As new technologies emerge and reach the marketplace, they often arrive before a market has been created for their use. Think of the personal computer circa 1982. Everybody thought they were great, but didn’t have the faintest idea how to put them to productive use.
Thankfully, some visionaries did see the potential and they got busy creating products and services that could and would exploit the advantages of the computer.
Have an open mind and try to think in ways that are beyond or outside the norm. Read Seth Godin’s book, “Free Prize Inside” and create a “purple cow”.
3. Use an old technology in new way.
Items that have become obsolete and disposable to us, may have or may be able to be put to an alternative use for someone else. We don’t use phonographic turntables anymore, but DJ’s mix albums with them. This is putting an old technology to a new use.
The idea is to use our imaginations and give ourselves time, so we can create and develop new business ideas. What’s your big idea?
Adversity reveals greatness
As a proponent of personal development, I read as much as possible. My reading content can be books, magazines, newspapers or blogs. While on vacation at Disney World last month, I had the good fortune to pick up one of the best books that I’ve ever read on personal marketing.
The book is titled You, Inc – The Art of Selling Yourself. and is co-authored by Harry Beckwith and Christine Clifford Beckwith. I had picked this book up on a number of previous occasions, but did not purchase it. Somehow, I kept gravitating back to it, so I finally bought it. I wish that I had gotten it earlier.
Christine Clifford Beckwith is a fantastic writer, but more than that, she is a fighter and breast cancer survivor. In You, Inc. she reveals that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1994. Christine didn’t let breast cancer stop her. To the contrary, she was able to view her experiences as somewhat comedic and then create a variety of cartoons that illustrated how humor helped her to deal with this disease.
When I returned from Disney World, I felt compelled to contact Christine and tell her how much I had enjoyed her writing. I visited her web site, www.cancerclub.com, found her contact information and wrote her an email. To be honest, I was quite surprised when she responded. We have traded e-mails a number of times and she has been quite helpful to me.
Cancerclub.com is an excellent source of inspiration, articles, cartoons, gifts and support for breast cancer survivors. Christine has a wonderful sense of humor, which she uses to create her hilarious cartoons. She was kind enough to allow me to publish the one that you see here, but there are plenty more on her web site.
Christine is one of those rare people who has used the adversity in her life as a stepping stone to help and inspire others. My hat is off to you, Christine. You are one in a million.
“Cartoon printed with permission from Christine K. Clifford from Not Now…I’m Having a No Hair Day! (University of Minnesota Press, 1996)
soupornuts’ reasons to click - #7
Today I am writing the seventh installment of ‘reasons to click’. Let start with a couple of articles/posts guaranteed to get you in the right mood.
1. The Gratitude Dance – visit Debra Estep at Deb_Inside and watch the video. It’s guaranteed to put a smile on your lips and keep it there all day. I was so inspired by it that I did the Gratitude dance for my wife right in the middle of a crowded restaurant parking lot yesterday. Needless to say, she sped off pretending not to know me, but she was smiling.
2. The Art of Smiling – now that you’ve got all your smiling muscles warmed up, take a look at this great post by Tina Su on the pleasures and benefits of smiling. You can change or make someone’s day with a your smile. Unleash the power!
3. A brain-injury success story – my wife is a speech pathologist who often treats patients who have lost or have limited swallowing capabilities due to traumatic head injuries. So, when I stumbled across this story about Ryan Reitmeyer and his parent’s determination to help their son recover from a devastating boating injury, I stopped to watch the video and read the article.
It is truly amazing and encouraging to see the progress that he has made and continues to make. Never give up.
4. Click for free mamograms – regular readers know of my involvement to help breast cancer survivors, so when I learned about this site I just had to see for myself. The breast cancer site provides visitors with a big pink button to click on. By clicking on this button, you provide free mamograms for women in need. Sponsors pick up the tab.
I can’t think of any better reason to click.
5. Be productive – you know the drill, make a to-do list and then get busy doing the things on the list. Right? Scott Young posted an article on Lifehack.org that lists 15 Tips to Make Today the Day That You Finish Your To-Do List. Check it out, we can all be more productive.
soupornuts.com answers questions about the Rotater
I am an entrepreneur involved in several business ventures. One of these projects involves the marketing and development of the Rotater, which I have mentioned several times.
Answering e-mail
After receiving a number of e-mails with questions about the Rotater, I thought it might be beneficial to post the questions and my answers here rather than continuing to answer each query individually.
1. Did I invent the Rotater?
No. The Rotater was invented by my business partner and friend, Scott Kay.
2. Why did Scott invent the Rotater?
Scott is a flat-track motorcycle racer. He’s a no-holds-barred, balls-to-the-wall, wide-open kind of guy. His competitive nature causes him to push himself and his motorcycle to the edge and has resulted in several physically damaging crashes.
His latest crash resulted in his third shoulder surgery. Physicians say that it is extremely difficult to break your shoulder blade (scapula). Scott has managed to break each of his on separate occasions.
Facing another long rehabilitation process, Scott started questioning his physical therapists about obtaining some shoulder equipment that he could use at home to supplement his prescribed physical therapy. They repeatedly told him that he already had everything that was available. This answer did not satisfy Scott, so he designed the Rotater.
3. When did he decide to patent and market the Rotater?
Initially, Scott had no intention of pursuing the opportunity. He had simply done what he needed to do in order to speed up his rehab process.
It was only after continued urging by his physical therapists that Scott decided to share his Rotater with the world.
4. What is the Rotater?
The Rotater can best be described as a personal stretching device for the shoulder.
5. How does the Rotater work?
This simple-looking device positions the arm while at the same time it allows you to control the degree of stretch. It is almost like having a trainer or therapist with you. In fact, it was Scott who said, “I knew it was a good shoulder device when I could feel the same sensations that I felt during my shoulder therapy sessions.” You can see a video demonstration here.
6. Who uses the Rotater?
The Rotater is being used by:
- physical therapists
- occupational therapists
- physicians
- orthopedic surgeons
- athletic trainers
- nurses
- strength and conditioning specialists
- golfers – see what 1StopForGolf.com says about the Rotater
- long drive champion
- pga teaching professionals
- professional baseball player
- volleyball players
- softball players
- swimmers
- competition rodeo roper (header)
- post-operative patients
- former NCAA cyclist
- breast cancer survivors
7. What is “Stretching Shoulders to Stretch Lives”? 
“Stretching Shoulders to Stretch Lives” is the tag line that marks our commitment to help breast cancer survivors by donating ten percent of the revenue of all “Pink Rotater” sales to help fund breast cancer research.
Essentially, when you buy a “Pink Rotater” to “Stretch your Shoulder”, we donate ten percent of the selling price for research “to Stretch Lives”.
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External Rotation with The Rotater
"Thanks to the rotater I was able to get back to work and not lose the use of my shoulder in this demanding profession."
- Officer D. Pesko
Internal Rotation withThe Rotater
"...The Rotater has become as much a part of my morning as my cup of coffee...Thanks for a great product!!"
Perry R. Green
Director of Instruction
The Golf Club at Wescott Plantation
Rotator Cuff Strengthening & Stabilization
"I just received the Rotater today and I am instantly convinced that every baseball player needs to have this tool in their arsenal! Not only is it simple to use, it does exactly what you expect it to do with no learning curve."
Coach Dan Huff, CSCS
www.baseballstrength.com
