People also think it’s their website, their looks, if they are gay or straight, etc. that is determining their success.

You can be very overweight or a lesbian and be successful. I know one and she’s doing extremely well and is an inspiration to watch. What you look like doesn’t matter.

Life attracts life. You attract people like you. There is always an audience. If you are not making money off your audience it’s because you’re not marketable. You don’t have anything that your audience wants.

It’s not you.

It’s not what you are thinking. It’s how you are thinking. How you think determines your experience.

Focus on being yourself.

Focus on your personal growth and your income, your vision, your marketability with increase as your personal growth increases.

Because if you think you have to get then you are not thinking what you have. The idea of getting is against the nature law of life. Grass doesn’t struggle to grow, nor should you.

The real reason you’re not successful is because you don’t want it bad enough.

I see it all the time, people make some effort and then quit. They don’t like the results they are getting so they quit. They really don’t want it bad enough. If you did you wouldn’t quit. You would change tactics but you wouldn’t quit. You would get help, but you would never ever quit.

Remember, you’re supposed to work for expression, because it is who you are, not for money. Never for money.

Put yourself first, then marketing. Never reverse that and you’ll see success as long as you don’t quit. Never ever quit.

Becoming Marketable is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

• are a CEO of your own company and you have two contractors having a dispute and you tell you staff that you don’t want to hear about it and you’re the only one that can resolve the issue. Leaders are not afraid of confrontation.
• avoid renegotating a contract with a contractor in order to solely drive the price down
• avoid answering questions with dead silence
• avoid eye contact while obviously telling a lie
• are in a network marketing company and take the training funds your group paid you to take winners of a contest out for dinner and let them believe it’s a gift from you
• are in a networking marketing company and you criticize your team for not getting people to an opportunity meeting and you haven’t as well
• avoid negotiating at all
• forcibly legally bring in a third party to take your side
• blackmail people

Years ago I worked with a group of people and after their business failed I moved on. A friend of mine John continued doing business with one person out of that group. This person (don’t remember his name, let’s call him Frank) was a big wig in the community and had connections. He would hear of opportunities and tell John. John would work on a deal for months without Frank. If the deal worked out and was about to make money Frank would show up and assume leadership. He used NLP reframing techniques and would convince John that he deserved a vast majority of the money. No written contract, no verbal contract. Just sheer con-man.

You’re not a leader if you just have connections. You have to have leadership skills.

When John told me this story I told him we call those type of people leaches. He laughed. I had seen Frank do this before which is why I don’t do business with him. John instantly saw that Frank was just taking advantage of him. John looked up to Frank, he thought he was a leader. But Frank wasn’t a leader. He didn’t do anything but tell John of an opportunity. That deserves a referral fee. It doesn’t deserve being manipulated and convinced that you’re stealing from Frank.

Be you’re own leader. Be the person that would inspire you.

If you are mentoring someone giving constructive criticism is appropriate, but what is inappropriate, make that just plain wrong, is blame.

Inspire people by doing what you say. If you are teaching a sales technique and you don’t use it yourself and then blame people for sucking at it, it’s your fault. You have to be a leader by doing not just talking. And if they try to convince you that no it’s really just your fault, that you suck and they aren’t being a leader and showing people how it is done then rethink them being a leader for you.

People look up to leaders that are DOING. Not just talking. Leadership is active not passive.

Find someone else. If you’re in network marketing connect with your upline. If you’re a small business look for another mentor or another mastermind group. Don’t put up with “negative leaders”.  Those two words shouldn’t be side by side. A leader can’t be negative. If your energy is low after talking to your mentor, leader, or mastermind group rethink talking to them at all, ever.

Losing energy with leaches will eventually destroy your business, yourself, your family, your entire life.

Leaches need you, you don’t need them.

You deserve better and you are the only one that can make that decision.

Leaders and Leaches Which are you? is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

Then you have the group that is told they just need _____ to start a business.  Fill in the blank with lawyer, assistant, business plan or lawyer (again) any other obstruction between you and your business.  Why do you think someone else can run your business better than you can?  Look for support not layers that stop you from getting your product or service out there.

These obstructions are excuses from starting.  Start, tweak as you go.  A vast majority of your decisions are going to be made from actually running your business anyways.  You learn by doing.

Get rid of the excuses about starting and just start.  Get a website from us and start blogging.  Start networking, start learning about your niche.  Ask for advice and learn from other people’s experiences.  But start today.  Right now.

Anyways the people that try to scare you into putting these layers in are the people that sell the layers.  Publishers and authors of books and magazines, lawyers and the million other people that make money selling you the “correct” way to success.  They have have their place but you don’t need them to start.  You can add as you go.

The only things you really need (not required) is a business card and a website.  You really don’t even need those to start but you’ll want them pretty quickly.  Everything else you can add as you go.  If you can get by without it right now then you don’t need it right now.  Only add items when you really need it.

Number 1 Excuse For Failure By Far is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

Bale didn’t wait to see the dailies before getting upset. He knew that the scene was ruined and he wanted to fix it right then and there.

He follows what I now call the “Christian Bale model;” the product itself is the goal, not the profit from the product. Making money is not a job; it’s a result of one.

If bank executives followed the Bale model, home loans would have been given out to the people who could actually afford homes. Foreclosure rates would be lower, and they would still be making enough money to buy expensive furnishings.

Are you passionate enough to tell people what you want?

via Christian Bale is a corporate hero

Christian Bale is a corporate hero is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

People think entrepreneurs are risk-loving. Really what you find is successful entrepreneurs hate risk, because the founding of the enterprise is already so risky that what they do is take their early resources, the small amounts of capital that they have, whatever assets they have, and they deploy those resources systematically, eliminating the largest risk first, the second-largest risk, and so on, and so on.

Entrepreneurship is really more about a state of mind than it is about working for yourself. It’s about being resourceful, it’s about problem solving. If you meet people who seem like really good problem solvers, step back, and you’ll see that they are self-reliant.

Jeff Bezos

Entrepreneurs love risk? is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

People with a lot of money to get started in business scare me.  I’ve just seen it too many times.  They buy every single course they see and never actually read them all.  They get coaching from everyone offering it.  They buy it all.  But they don’t focus on learning a little and then applying.  They learn for months (years) before every applying.  I like to learn something and apply it the same day.

If you are having to quit your job then you really don’t want to do anything with a large capital outlay. Find money streams that will start making you money right away. Like starting a service where you trade money for time and then move into products as you make money.

Find some that can give you money immediately for what you are selling.  Don’t waste any time planning endlessly.  Find a problem and solve it.  Rinse and repeat.

Do Not Spend Until You Earn is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

Small business will save America and the world is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

Many people used to love to work for the government or the post office.  Now that dream isn’t worth so much.    When people think of their dream job it isn’t working for the government.  The dream job is about gaining insight and sharing it with the world.  A job where you have control over your own destiny.

If the recession has changed your life look at it as not a negative but a positive.  A positive move to what you really want.

Good job isn’t so good is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

The best product never goes bankrupt.  Be the best.

“It’s not the creative entrepreneurs but it’s the large companies that are being challenged. Creative companies can survive any condition,” Larréché said at the recent World Knowledge Forum in Seoul, South Korea.

Virgin Atlantic, which was founded by British entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson in 1984, survived and came out stronger after the airline crisis of the early 1990s when many established airlines went bankrupt, notes Larréché.

Speaking via satellite, Branson said a lot of opportunities will emerge as a result of the current global economic slowdown but companies

need to be nimble to move quickly and decisively to realise these opportunities.

“There are enormous opportunities when there is a crisis. In a situation like this, it’s absolutely essential to conserve cash. I think companies that do have cash owe it to their country and the people in the company to actually invest that cash in order to grow out of the crisis,” Branson says.

Watch the video at this link.  Very good advice from several people.

Creative entrepreneurs can survive the crisis.

Creative entrepreneurs can survive the crisis is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

It is not only photographers but every business that has some people doing this.  You’re doomed if a vast majority of cases if you quit your old job and buy a bunch of gear/gadgets/equipment and then start your business.

It’s not the gear, it’s you.  There are highly paid fashion photographers that use a very inexpensive cameras.  One even uses throwaway cameras.  It’s how you use it that counts.  Start with the basics for your industry and move forward with that.  Then get your business to buy only the necessary upgrades or stuff that you need to do a project.  As you learn you may find out that some items are simply not needed or you clients don’t care about it.  Follow the money.

Check out all the comics at What The Duck.

How to start doomed is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

First off, excellent book, really excellent.  What I love about the book is that the stories are positive and negative and from someone that actually goes business.  It’s amazing how many business books are written by authors, professional authors who do not run a business.  It’s hard to take any advice from someone that has never run a business.  Richard Branson talks about that in the beginning of his book.  He sees the business books in the airport newstands and find most of them are rubbish.  I’ve noticed that too.  So a book from an actually entrepreneur is refreshing. And Richard Branson I believe is the ultimate entrepreneur.

I learned a lot from his stories of his failures.  How many times do people write about their failures?  Not much if at all.  So Richard’s stories about “Northern Rock” bank in the UK and his unsuccessful bid to buy it was enlightening.  You can learn so much from failure but people don’t want to admit their have ever failed.  I have in the past and it has been so helpful.  Strange but so true.

One of the big points that is sticking with me from the book is what Richard thinks should be written into every business plan.  It’s so important that it should be required by all businesses.  I know when I started reading that I was thinking “Wow, I wonder what is so important?”  And then he says celebrating your wins.  And proceeds to tell a story about the launch of Virgin Direct a UK insurance company.  Richard shows up at the office and see everyone working making sure the launch goes smoothly.  He gets up on the nearest desk with champagne and pops it open yelling and celebrating and getting everyone in the party mood.  Of course he proceeds to short out four of the computers in the process but he gets the celebration started.  The launch parties are so important as it gives the team a chance to stop and see what they have accomplished.  They get recognitionfor their good work.  They also get to see The Richard Branson.  When the big guy is partying with you, you are bound to feel good about the company you work for.  Nobody wants a grumpy boss.  And Richard Branson is definitely not grumpy.

I got a big kick out of that idea that I will implement on my next launch.

His definition of success I think is wonderful and I’m going to end on that.

I think that the more you’re actively and practically engaged, the more successful you will feel.  Actually, that might even be my definition of success.  Right now, I find myself doing more and more to safeguard our future on this planet.  Does that make me successful?  It certainly makes me happy

…

Success for me is whether you have created something that you can be really proud of.  Profits are necessary to invest in the next project – and pay the bills, repay investors and reward all the hard work – but that’s all.  Nobody should be remembered for how much money they have made in life.  Whether you die with a billion dollars in your bank account or $20 under your pillow is actually not that interesting.  That’s not what you’re achieved in life.  What matters is whether you’re created something special – and whether you’ve made a real difference to other people’s lives.

“Business Stripped Bare” best business book of the year is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

I love this quote.

There are many ways to run a successful company. What works once may never work again. What everyone tells you never to do may just work, once. There are no rules. You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over, and it’s because you fall over that you learn to save yourself from falling over. It’s the greatest thrill in the world and it runs away screaming at the first sight of bullet points….So all I can do for you now is map the territory I’ve seen. The good news is, I’ve covered a lot of territory.

Leading Blog: A Leadership Blog @ LeadershipNow: Richard Branson: There Is No Reverse Gear On This Thing

There Is No Reverse Gear On This Thing is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

I learned never do anything that means you can’t sleep at night.

That incident was, as I’ve said, the biggest mistake in my life. But it’s through mistakes that we learn. One thing is certain in business. You and everyone around you will make mistakes. When you are pushing the boundaries, this is inevitable.

Even when things are running well, there is always the prospect of a new reality around the corner – as bankers around the world have been discovering to their horror. Suddenly, all the good decisions you made last week are doing you untold damage. Where on earth did you go wrong?

My philosophy has always been to face the facts, however unpalatable they might be. Failure usually occurs when leaders avoid the reality of business.

In business, as in life, there will always be external risk factors that are beyond your control. Oil prices triple. Hurricanes level entire cities. Currency fluctuations leave behind trails of bankruptcies. But you can take measures to mitigate and manage business risks.

Then, if disaster strikes, at least your attention won’t be split every which way by other worries.

In defence of capitalism: Richard Branson argues that free markets enrich us all and gives his tips on how YOU can be a success | Mail Online.

In defence of capitalism is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

Whether you are starting out in business or running the biggest multinational in the universe, there are some common themes that can be applied. There is a plethora of business books out there on the shelves. I see them in the airports and some look rather tedious and dreary. To be perfectly honest, I seldom read any of them. Life is too short to read tomes written by passive observers. Business is about taking action.

I’ve stripped Virgin’s businesses bare. Rather than banging on about how successful they are, I’ve written about what my companies are actually about. What were our intentions? How well, or how badly, did we realise our early hopes? I’ve gone through my notebooks and diaries, hunting for common themes and ideas, and I’ve divided what I’ve found into seven sections. I’ll be looking at:

• People

• The brand

• Why delivery is vital

• What we learn from our mistakes and setbacks

• Innovation as a driver for business

• The value of entrepreneurship and leadership

• The wider responsibility of business

I just ordered the book.  Looking forward to it.

Richard Branson ~ Business Stripped Bare | Richard Branson’s Official Website & Blog.

Richard Branson’s Official Website & Blog is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

Successful business people think they are successful.  That’s it.  Pretty simple.  You can quit reading and go forth and be successful.  So why are there so many how to be successful books/seminars/conferences/ebooks/audio program…etc?  Because a great many people don’t believe they are successful or can be.  They think they have to learn a new technique or some hidden secret.

The secret is you.  The secret is that you think you are successful.

I believe in you.  I believe you are successful.

Now go out there and do it.

I Think I Can is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

My conversation with one of my mastermind members got me thinking why he and other think I’m a guru of Internet Marketing.  I simply think it is because I actually create products.  So many people simply don’t do anything at all.  Period.  I think I can be successful so I do something and make corrections as I go.  Ready, Fire, Aim.  Some people are scared of failing.  Do it a few times and you get over it.  I did.

Then I thought of a recent email my girlfriend Nan forwarded to me from Marlon, a successful Internet Marketer.  I think it clearly reflects why some people are failing.

But dominantly, I’m a producer and a promoter of products.
My job in life is to come up with new products that create
value for my customers and to promote them to the best of
my ability within the time and money constraints I decide
on.

“Marlon, I have SPENT a small fortune.  I have BEEN in
coaching programs. I have BOUGHT the course.  How come I’m
NOT making any dough?”

Answer:  You’re consuming.  But are you PRODUCING and PROMOTING?
And are you doing it more than ONCE?  Are you out there playing
the Game every day?

Let me explain…

The problem I see a lot of people have is they consume,
consume, consume. But NEVER cross the bridge to creating,
producing and promoting.

Go out and fail a lot.  It’s the best thing you can do.  Start creating now.  If you need some ideas check out my book Prosperity Games where you can create new business ideas based on what you love.

Why you are failing is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

British carrier Virgin Atlantic Airways is looking to dispose of its equity stake in loss making Virgin Nigeria.

The Sir Richard Branson- founded carrier owns 49 per cent of Virgin Nigeria together with Nigerian institutional investors who hold 51 per cent.

The domestic carrier has recently been in dispute with the government over whether its operations should be based at the domestic or international terminal.

Another reason to try often and cut the losers quickly.  When government changes it minds then the whole country is off.  Move on and wait until they country settles down again.

Business Daily Africa – the international window into East African business opportunities – Nigeria tiff sends Branson packing

Nigeria tiff sends Branson packing is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

Virgin Comics, the joint venture between Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and the Indian comics publisher Gotham Entertainment Group, has been shut down

Try often and cut the ideas that don’t work.  That is what Richard Branson is good at.  Virgin Comics was shut down because it wasn’t making enough or any money.

I learned this myself again a few months ago. I came out with a product that didn’t do well.  My next product was a big hit.  Sometimes you never know so it’s just best to plan your best and go for it.  Ready, Fire and Aim mentality.  It works.

Arts, Briefly – Virgin Comics Venture Is Shut Down – Brief – NYTimes.com

Virgin Comics Venture Is Shut Down is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

A lot of the MLMers I’ve meet do have that gambler attitude.  Money lust and will do anything to get more.

A business is a money making machine but more importantly it is to be successful a contributor to client.  It provides a good service and/or product that the client wants.  It must make money in order to help clients.  MLM can do this however their success rates are extremely low.

Read the full article and learn about MLM before you get into one.

Simpleology Blog: Is Gambling More Profitable Than MLM?

Is Gambling More Profitable Than MLM? is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.

I get criticized and laughed at when I say you can be successful and not be a workaholic.  Many people like that is a big big lie.  Their mentors are major workaholics.  So they think I’m nuts.

These suggestions from Alexandria are helpful when you get critics.  Hopefully soon if not already because it is a sign of success.

What I HAVE learned is that if any of these critics get nasty with you, don’t sink to their level. Remember that as a publisher you’re also in the business of customer service. I typically handle it via one of these three methods:

a) respond calmly and acknowledge their point (some people just want to be heard)
b) disregard or delete their message (if their comments are so inappropriate or hurtful that I can’t answer back calmly)
c) remove them from my list (if they are obviously just trying to make me feel bad)

Even better: Have someone else screen your email, like I do now. My assistants protect me in a wonderful way, and only pass on to me what I need to see. This does wonders for my mood and keeps me in a positive place and in good energy!

Through these petty annoyances, remember the big picture of why you started your e-zine or your current venture. It was likely to gain credibility and “expert” status while increasing your marketing reach and revenues. Your professional reputation is always on the line.

You may want to lash back, but in the long run, it ALWAYS pays to take the high road.

Got Critics? Yeah, Me Too…

Got Critics? is a post from: Abundance Unlimited
Check out Christopher's book Play Prosperity Games. Learn how to create new business ideas based on what you love.