Is your reality real?
The inspiring account of living through a stroke as seen through the eyes of a “brain scientist” as she experiences the stroke first-hand
Jill Bolte Taylor’s first-person telling of awakening and then slowly realizing that she has had and is having a stroke. What makes this telling so unique is that Jill is uniquely qualified to articulate this accidental experiment. It is inspiring and enlightening on so many levels.
Take the time to watch and listen – It may change the way you think about reality – your reality.
Underdogs and entrepreneurs have “great hearts”
We all love stories about underdogs. This is how you can explain why movies like “Rocky”, “Rudy”, and “Hoosiers” do so well at the box office. There is something very inspiring about watching the “little guy” overcome adversity and go on to make a great showing of himself or herself. It is pure motivation!
I am inspired because the underdog has the one trait that cannot be taught – heart! This quality reveals itself in the following ways:
1. Underdogs and entrepreneurs are willing to do whatever is necessary.
Like the underdog, entrepreneurs understand that their success is a directly related to the amount of time they spend learning, training and developing their skills. Entrepreneurs know that in order for them to succeed, they alone are responsible. They do not wish to and cannot “pass the buck”.
- We (entrepreneurs) like to create. But creation is just a small part of the process of becoming successful. Most people can create, but few ever follow through with their ideas. In my experience, almost everyone has had a great idea. However, the comfort of mediocrity, the stability of the status quo or the fear of the unknown keeps so many people in their rut, that most of these great ideas never see the light of day.
- Entrepreneurs are devoted to learning. We do the research. We know that in order to succeed, we must arm ourselves with as much knowledge about our prospective business or idea as possible. This is a necessity because we are likely to have to explain to investors:
- what our idea is
- what the market outlook for our business or idea is
- whether any competitors exist and what their market share is
- why our idea is better than our competitors
- what our competitive advantage is
- If no business model exists for our new idea, we are willing to develop one. I am faced with this quandary right now. I am involved in the development of a great and unique idea. However, because it is unique, we have to develop a plan to implement it. The answers don’t just fall out of the sky. You have to work long hours, but you understand this and this willingness to do whatever is necessary is what coaches like to call having a “great heart”.
2. Underdogs and entrepreneurs don’t quit.
Like the underdog, entrepreneurs refuse to quit before acquiring their goals. Quitting is not in us. I have always been involved in athletics and as a result, I am a highly competitive person. It is part of who I am. In high school, I played football on a team that was not championship quality. Consequently, we lost more games than we won. I could see heads drop and eyes glaze over late it the games when we were behind. That was my first experience with people who did not have the heart of a champion. It was then and is now, an unfathomable idea to me. How do you just quit?
- Quitting becomes habit forming. My parents explained to me at an early age that quitting was not an option. If I signed up to participate in some event or sport then I was expected to fulfill my obligation. This quality was further instilled in me by my father who was a drill instructor in the Army. After I reached the age of about ten, during the summer months when I was out of school, my father would sometimes let me go to work with him. He would let me participate in physical training right beside grown men. I loved every minute of it. It was also the first time that I ever witnessed someone giving up during training. I did not like it then and I don’t like it now!
- Quitting sets a bad example. My daughters watch me. They want to know about Daddy’s “businesses”. They are almost five and seven. If I quit, what does that show my daughters?
- It’s O.K. to quit if things get hard?
- That I am frivolous and don’t take my obligations / commitments seriously?
Underdogs and entrepreneurs know that quitting never leads to winning. Don’t quit.
3. Underdogs and entrepreneurs believe that they can win.
I have a hard time explaining this concept to some people. There is this feeling that overcomes me and lets me know that I will accomplish any goal that I have set for myself. If you have read the book “The Secret”, then you have some kind of idea of what I am trying to say.
- I know that people and events are conspiring to help me reach my goals.
- I know deep inside that I am and I will be successful in all my endeavors. This self knowledge is an inner confidence that is not based on what I can do, but on what I am and that by believing in myself and others, my success is a foregone conclusion.
- I know that I attract to myself the things necessary for my success. If I need something, it will reveal itself to me.
- I know that I am a small part of a greater plan and I am willing to shoulder my part of the load.
- I know that I am successful and I will continue to be successful as long as I keep my priorities on helping others reach their goals.
Underdogs and entrepreneurs have great hearts. They are willing and able to work hard, they never, ever quit, and they know that their efforts will be rewarded. Be an underdog. Overcome your obstacles and reach your successes.
The price of paid endorsement vs. the cost of lost credibility
Does an endorsement motivate you to purchase a product? Does it matter if that endorsement has been purchased?
Endorsements are big business.
Many professional athletes make as much or more money by endorsing products as they do participating in their respective sports. Athletic shoes, sporting goods / equipment and clothing lines are huge money-makers for athletes and celebrities alike who are willing to attach their names to these products.
But:
- does the attachment of a famous name mean that the product does what is claimed?
- does a paid endorsement make the product better?
- does a purchased endorsement increase the likelihood that YOU will buy a product?
My business partner and I have recently brought a unique product to several markets. This process was initiated in response to a motorcycle wreck which resulted in Scott’s (my business partner) third shoulder surgery.
During Scott’s rehabilitation, he became frustrated at the length of time that the rehab process was taking. So, he asked his therapists if there was some product that he could purchase to use at home that would supplement his prescribed physical therapy. Scott was told that nothing existed other than what he already had.
Rejecting “no”
Not one to take “no” for an answer, Scott set out to design a piece of equipment that he could use at home that would produce the same sensations that he felt during his physical therapy visits. His homemade prototype was the original Rotater.
Eureka!
It became apparent to his physical therapists that Scott was making remarkable progress. When they questioned him about what he was doing, Scott produced his homemade Rotater.
After demonstrating the Rotater to his therapists and allowing them to try it for themselves, Scott’s physical therapists encouraged him to get a patent.
Joint Mechanix, LLC
This initial desire to accelerate his rehabilitation has resulted in the formation of our company, Joint Mechanix, LLC. We immediately began promoting the Rotater to physical therapists. This was a no-brainer to us because we already knew that the Rotater would work for this market.
Along the way, we have received a number of testimonials from both physical therapists and physical therapy patients who have used the Rotater and achieved excellent results.
Athletes feel the stretch
Although not our initial market, athletes have discovered the unique self-stretching properties of the Rotater. This has opened a huge market for us. In fact, we went to the PGA expo in Las Vegas, earlier this month for the sole purpose of getting the Rotater into the hands of serious golfers to get their take on it. We were staggered by the number of teaching professionals who wanted to take a Rotater home with them.
As the Law of Attraction would have it, while we were at the PGA show, we were approached by a professional baseball player in the minor leagues. He asked about the Rotater, tried it and promptly purchased one.
Follow up
Usually, a couple of weeks after a show, either Scott or I or both of us try to contact as many people who received the Rotater as possible in order to see how it is working out for them. And this is how the issue of paid endorsements came up.
I spoke with a teaching pro who had purchased a Rotater from us and I inquired as to how he was liking it. Well, he raved about how good it was, about how much shoulder flexibility he had regained and how much better his shoulders felt.
When he stopped speaking, I asked him if he would like to provide us with a testimonial. I could tell that he was immediately uncomfortable and I quickly found out why.
He told me that his agent had advised him not to provide an unpaid testimonial. Now, I do see his point. As a professional athlete, HE is his product and he has every right to expect to be paid to endorse a product.
It’s a credibility issue for us
However, I don’t believe it is in the best interest of Joint Mechanix to pay someone to say that the Rotater is a great product. To me, it seems to be a conflict of interest as well as a sacrifice of credibility for us. It just doesn’t feel right.
So, if you read our testimonials, you may not see any famous names – but you will know that our testimonials were motivated by results and not a byproduct of financial remuneration.
The Law of Attraction and me
“The Secret” is a best-selling book that reveals to the world the Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction is not new. Those who have paid attention throughout history have noticed, studied and applied “The Secret” to their lives. Plainly stated:
- like attracts like
- what you think about, you bring about
- you are a living magnet
- your thoughts create your life
I’m not going to go into a long discourse about “The Secret”, but I am going to give you just one of many examples of how the Law of Attraction has revealed itself to me recently.
The Rotater guys go to Las Vegas
This past week, my partner (Scott Kay) and I were traveling to Las Vegas to promote the Rotater, our revolutionary shoulder rehab and stretching device at the PGA Expo which was being held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and casino.
The Rotater was invented to help post-operative shoulder patients accelerate their recovery process, so we never envisioned ourselves speaking to a bunch of golf professionals and golf buyers about the virtues of having good flexibility in their shoulders. However, after a number of people from the medical world encouraged us to pursue this avenue of promotion, we said, “okay”.
Neither Scott nor I are avid golfers. We both like to play, but we are hacks. Anyway, about halfway through our flight to Vegas, I asked the guy sitting next to us who he was and why he was going to Vegas.
Sitting next to a PGA teaching professional
He told me his name was Derek Highley and that he was going to the PGA show. He went on to reveal that he was a PGA teaching pro and golf marketing specialist. As if that was not enough to make the hair on the back of my neck stand up, he said that he had a degree in Kinesiology (the study of the mechanics of movement of the body) and that he had changed his flight plans the day before.
The Law of Attraction
Some people might think this is a series of freaky coincidental events. Scott and I don’t, because this type of thing happens to us over and over. So, we gave Derek some literature on the Rotater and try to gauge his reaction. He’s sufficiently intrigued and promises to come by our booth with his partner when the PGA Expo opens.
The next day, true to his word, Derek came by our booth and introduced us to Gary Schatz, one of his business partners (they are part of a group that owns Global Golf Marketing). After some small talk, Derek and Gary want a demo of the Rotater and then they each tried it for themselves. They each felt and understood the concept right away. They were sold on the Rotater.
These guys ( Global Golf Marketing ) are the “real” deal
Gary and Derek wanted to buy a Rotater, but we gave them a couple of Rotaters “free of charge”. Little did we realize what a huge investment this would turn out to be for us. Gary and Derek were sending people to our booth all day long. They are definitely “movers and shakers” in the golf community. They know people – people with influence and connections.
If they would go to this much trouble to help a couple of guys that they had just met, how do you think Global Golf Marketing treats their paying clients? With the personalized service they demonstrated to us, it’s no wonder that Global Golf Marketing is growing so fast.
What is the take-home message?
- Learn about the Law of Attraction
- Apply the Law of Attraction to your life
- Live your Dreams
- Global Golf Marketing delivers great, personalized service
The Rotater was a huge success at the PGA show. A large number of the teaching professionals understood that increasing the flexibility of their shoulders was beneficial and could help improve their game. They wanted their own Rotater and said that they would be recommending them to their clients.
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