Preparing for a far away trip can be challenging. Karen Post and the Oddpodz team learn how to take a stressful situation and turn it into an achievement. If you missed last weeks wrap up, click here.

1 – Sponge Bob would be proud of me. I’m soaking up stuff at a very high speed. Traveling is only part of the adventure.
2 – Ouch! Global travel can hurt. How to manage your health on the road. An education on why to take extra precautions.
3 – Why being in the right state is critical. And I’m not talking about Florida. What happens when goofy thoughts enter your brain.
4 – How to reduce the sting in charging service fees. Being nickel and dimed may turn out to be a valued convenience.
5 – 18 steps toward stress-free, fast-lane, more fun and darn good writing. Tips that will make you want to dump your notes.

Be sure to also check out:
Are you brand battle ready at the frontline?
Top 10 best brand stories
How two websites almost killed a baby

Being introduced to new experiences can change your perspective on life. They can also change your perspective on how to run your business. Karen Post and the Oddpodz team experienced many new things this past week and we’re sure you’ll enjoy the take-away.

1 – Miracle Whip and Cate Blanchett. What do these two have in common? Differentiating you brand will help you succeed in the long run.
2 – Making history in Saudi and 5 lessons from the experience. Being introduced to global challenges can be very rewarding.
3 – Size can matter. 4 ideas to help your brand impact measure up. Increase your brand memory with objects bigger than life.
4 – Waiting patiently. An oxymoron and opportunity. Don’t wait for your competitors to measure up to you, start creating a masterpiece now.
5 – Have an AT&T iphone? Don’t expect service in NYC. You’ll be disappointed. How some technology can’t always keep up to speed.

If you missed last weeks wrap up, click here.

Also, be sure to check out:
What Jimmy Fallon taught me about marketing.
5 promotional ideas to earn serious visibility for your venture.
Facebook, I’m just not that into you.

The importance of branding and the reason it must be done was the focus for this week’s blogs. To view last weeks wrap up, click here.

1 – Is morning marketing more meaningful? Or do night owls rule? Don’t fight your waves of brilliance, do what works for you.
2 – Less stress. More life. Tighter brand. How the small things in life can minimize your travel nightmares.
3 – Nightline, girl power and baba ghanooge. Adventures and inspiration from 8,000 miles away.
4 – Lights, camera, Saudi action countdown. The creation of a lasting customer experience and why brands are critical for success.
5 – Can a strong brand make a visit to the dentist less painful? Why a Nazi commando or a pushy used car salesman never win the fight.

For more branding ideas, view:
The #1 strategy that is giving me more money, influence and balance.
How I earned the #1 spot on Google.
Does your business card scream “I’m broke, clueless or stuck in 1980″?

This week, Oddpodz took advantage of the simpler things in life and learned how fulfilling they really are. Here are some ways you can look at your business half full too:

1 – Fox TV calls for a 30-minute live interview. Will you be ready? Learn how to interview like a pro, here.
2 – How reincarnating an old idea can be a BORN AGAIN HIT. Check out word-smithing at its best.
3 – Birthdays, gifts and marketing – an interesting trio. Do you have a way to remember your customers’ special days?
4 – Can being happier change your entrepreneurial success? It’s true! Identify the small things in life and make them happen.
5 – Don’t forget to Celebrate loving being an entrepreneur everyday. And start making your own life choices.

If you missed last weeks wrap up, click here.

For more ways to fulfill your life, check out these posts:
Why creatures of habit are champions in sports, business and life.
Work less, accomplish more!
Money, money, money!

Every day I hear people complaining about their jobs. They don’t like what they do. They don’t like their boss. They don’t like the hours and schedules required of them and they don’t think they are paid enough.

Sure leaving this faux sense of security of being employed can seem scary. And oh yeah, being responsible and accountable for all your actions is a serious and sometimes not easy commitment.

Most of us live in America. The land of the free. No one has a gun next tot your head, who says you have to be employed. We can all make choices to break away from the employment muck zone to being an enterprising entrepreneur where you control your destiny.

If you hate your job or you know someone who does, there is one person to blame. YOU or THEM!!

Monday is Valentines Day. A holiday of celebrating love, admiration and passion. These are all available when you are an entrepreneur. If you are not entrepreneur yet, join us. If you are, then celebrate everyday the greatest place to be in the world.

21 reasons why I love being an entrepreneur!

1. My actions ans choices decide my paycheck
2. I can play tennis at 2PM
3. Or work until midnight
4. Or start at 9AM
5. I can wear sweats and tennis clothes everyday
6. I can’t get fired
7. I can try crazy ideas
8. I can invest in lifetime learning or anything for that matter
9. I can pick my support team
10. I can fire my support team
11. I can break rules
12. I can make rules
13. I can go to the movies at 4
14. I an eat pizza at 10 AM at my desk
15. I can give my self a raise
16. I can buy a new company car
17. I can change my mind
18. I can pick my clients
19. I can take vacations when I want
20. I can start a new business
21. I can work hard, or I can hardly work

View our set up your new business ta-do list to establish the best business structure for you!

Starting this week, we are providing a weekly wrap up email from Karen Post’s Oddpodz blogs on marketing, branding and entrepreneurial matters. In case your week went flying by, here is what you’ve missed from:

1 – 2nd chance. 2nd book cover. 2nd wind. When something does not work the first time, don’t give up – just give it another shot.

2 – If you have ever tried calling internationally, then you will relate to Global phone mess – a lesson in assumption and learn why you should always plan ahead.

3 – Can a good tease convert, engage and conquer customers? We think so. Learn how to get attention from your market, before you give them all the goods.

4 – In 5 Super Bowlicious marketing practices for any size business, discover the trends and how to apply big game marketing strategies to your own business.

5 – In How to make achievements a national holiday, learn 5 ways to turn your achievements into a holiday and why it’s important to celebrate them.

6 – Don’t even think about calling me a senior or reminding me that I’m over 40 is a reminder that marketing towards the young boomers has changed.

7 – Have you learned How to juggle multiple projects and keep your cool? If not, here are two approaches that can help.

Too much email, but still want easy access to the content for from Oddpodz the place for creative-minded entrepreneurs? Then, sign up for the RSS feed and read via a feeder or in your web browser.

And thanks for your continued interest and support!

Last Oddpodz wrap-up of 2010! The O-Team wishes you happy holidays and hopes 2011 will bring you much joy and success.

1 – In Mind freeze, is there a fast way to thaw your thoughts? , Karen shows us the extent to which procrastination hit her during one weekend. For those who know Karen, this doesn’t sound like her. But hey! We all have our ups and downs and it’s okay. What really matters is our ability to always challenge ourselves to find new efficient ways to beat procrastination. Karen also gives us an insightful source that I advice you to check out. Read Karen’s article here.

2 – Yeah we all have ups and downs, and in Tiger Woods and other Monday morning losers, Karen gives her 7 insights to get through an unsuccessful period for whatever you are doing. Read Karen’s 7 steps to be a winner here.

3 – In Can a monkey make our mail better? , Oddpodz switches email services to Mailchimp from Feedblitz. Is this tool the best solution? Karen talks about why the company changed, new features and challenges. Read email story here.

4 -In Trading your time for money is a mind set you can no longer afford, Thomson Dawson shares his point of view concerning a matter that we all meet in our business: time. He argues the fact that in the society we live in, getting paid on a timely basis is no longer what needs to be done. It is now all about the value you add to your customers’ business and the level of satisfaction they get from it. Read Thomson’s ideas here.

5 – In Do you have what it takes to be an unstoppable entrepreneur?, Karen becomes a box office critique. Her entrepreneurial lifestyle got energized with a movie break. Karen gives us the take-away advices she brought back from the viewing of Unstoppable (With Denzel Washington and Chris Pine) and her thoughts on Love and other Drugs. Check Karen’s few entrepreneurial-minded thoughts here.

7 – In If you are going to tweet, why not make it really sweet, Lauren Angrick lists 5 tools which help your business to manage its twitter account and followers. FriendOrFollow, Twitoria, WeFollow, Twellow and Just Tweet it all get Lauren’s thumbs up. Read Lauren’s reviews here.

6 – In Coupons, Groupon and gambling with a brand, the Diva is back and we love that! Karen hits strongly and tells us why she is not a coupon fan. According to her, if you are peddling a premium product or service, couponing can hurt a brand. However, she also understands that the world is made up of many diverse market segments and a discount play can work for some offerings. Also check out her thoughts on Groupon, this startup which deny Google’s $ 6 billion offer here

8 -In Inspiration and gratitude from 30,000 feet, Karen shares her experiences from a week in the Big Apple. NYC is such a source of inspiration for any entrepreneur and KP filled up the box of ideas and kept us updated on what’s hot in Manhattan! Thanks to Google’s holiday gift, this article was sent from the sky via FREE Internet service to all on her flight, check it out here!

9 – In Hitting the streets in NYC, flavors, history and tired feet, Karen shares her journey from the streets, food tours, dining and marketing. Have a bite of the Big Apple experience here.

10 – In What Jimmy Fallon taught me about marketing, Karen tells us the insight she got from attending NBC’s Late Night with Jimmy Fallon show. From customer service, to enhancing the brand experience to how humor feels good and should be incorporated in business. Great points to read and get inspiration from here.

11 – A weekday radio program geared towards small businesses invited Karen back to their show. View Small Business Advocate radio show to feature Karen Post to learn tips on how to retool, recraft and reinvent your venture and stay tuned for the posted radio segment here.

2010 was great year. We hope you gained as much as we did from our journey together. If there are specific things you’d like to learn about next year, please drop us a note.

I was craving a good escape last night, a movie fix. So I went to two.

Tampa is fortunate to have a fabulous dinner, drinks and movie venue called Cine Bistro. It’s so worth the extra few bucks, no kids, no cramped seats, no kidding. Plus the food ranks up there with any nice, foodie, hip dinning spot. If you live in Tampa, check this place out and support them, so they stick around.

My first flick was Unstoppable with Denzel Washington and Chris Pine. Two fine guys and actors. I loved the movie. Great art directing, awesome sound, good casting and an energizing story line that as an entrepreneur was very inspiring.  The movie had nothing to do with running your own business, but it had everything to do with fundamental principles that are very relevant to being a successful  entrepreneur.

Highlights and my take-aways -
The movie had a simple idea, “a train that could not be stopped”. The simple idea was transformed in a two hour compelling story.
What simple concept do you have in your biz that can be transformed into a masterful story?

The two main characters were regular working class guys both with a skill set, one with limited experience, but had miles of determination.
Sound like someone you admire?

Both characters were dealing with significant personal challenges.
At the moments where stepping up and taking on danger head on, these issues were not present, but the will to succeed was.

Nothing could stop this train.
Does this sound like you? Resilient, tough as steel. If not, make some adjustments.

It was a scary, high risk, against all odds journey.
I know what that feels like. If being in business was easy, every person would be doing it.

Need a little adrenaline rush this week, see this movie.

The second movie I saw was Love and other Drugs
Well for me this flick was not a walk out movie, but, certainly not a must see either, on a 1 to 10, I’d give it a 6. What I would give it is “The trailer was much better than the actual movie award”. Which is always disappointing.

The love story was sappy and predictable. The sex scenes were very present, along with some great camera shots and editing. Ann Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal seem to have good chemistry, even though the story was on the light side. What stuck in my head most about this film was not a dating, love relationship message, but the state of how sometimes creepy and corrupt the pharmaceutical companies and doctors relationships are. See CNN story on branding of conditions,  Kind of made me feel sick.

Anyhow, Movies are good medicine for entrepreneurs. They keep you grounded with moral messages and can expand your mind with some extreme fantasy all in the same day. Movies can teach us, about market segments, typography treatments, promotions, product placement, casting and character creation, creativity, brilliant story telling  and remind us that sometimes even boring and stupid things can make money too.

If your brain needs some feeding today, take a break and go see a movie.

For more on how to be unstoppable, view: 5 things that helped us get our creative mojo back.

Turn water into wine, prepare hot ice cream and tell time with a broken clock, sounds crazy? Not so, if you reinvent the way you look at the problem.

Just remove the IM our of impossible and it’s possible!

Last weekend I read the book, 106 Impossible Things Before Breakfast by Dr. Robert Quine and John Nolan, and surprisingly discovered how one can solve a lot of seemingly difficult tasks before breakfast, if you start early.

Also, check out: Why creatures of habit are champions in sports, business and life.

No magic stuff here, just good, contemporary thinking with simple methods to shake up your challenge at hand.

The book is smaller than an ipad and a lot cooler than most creativity rags, because easy to digest, fast and fun—my kind of book. More than just tips, it gives you 106 before and after exercises to solve and see the process.

For example:
Grow plants without light. Seems like a tough task.

Start with solutions that reinterpret the problem.

• Grow them without light, OK they may die, but you are still growing them.
• Try plastic plants, add to them, that’s growing your crop.
• Redefine what light is, is it natural, in a lab or some other way.

Then look at solutions that go around the problem.
Then look at solutions you had not thought of.
Then look at solutions that are probably impractical.

Suddenly you have a slew of new ideas.

This book taught me how to:
-reinterpret the question
-find a way to change the rules
-develop entirely new solutions
-and eliminate impractical ideas

This book is worth the pick up. Need other ideas on creativity? check out the book I wrote on A to Z, 26 ways to new ideas and more creativity.

If you’re an entrepreneur at the early stages of success, most likely you’ve pondered how best to get your business to the next level of growth. To create high value opportunities to pursue what matters to you, and be massively compensated for doing so, you must increase your value to others first.

To begin, let’s define an “early-stage entrepreneur” as a person whose business currently sustains them at a  “self-employed” job level, but not at the level where their financial flow allows them to be free to do whatever they please in a day. If this describes where you’re at right now in your business, allow me to add value to you!
Without exception, every entrepreneur I’ve worked with has a burning desire to attain a level of financial success that would enable them to spend all their “work time” being creative and innovative, constantly in a “state to play” with ideas that matter to them and bring more value to the marketplace.

Even when your vision about your greater future is clear, you still need an answer you feel confident is the right one to the question of “how do I get there?  Here are three ideas that may help you gain more clarity about how you will go about creating more opportunity by expanding your value to others.

Supply is infinite, time is finite.
There are two variables in life common to all of us– potential and time. We all have the same amount of both in a day.

There is no more time available than what is provided in a day. You choose how you occupy your time across the 24 hours in a single earth rotation. Take 8 hours off for sleep, and the most you have available for creating and experiencing what you want is 16 hours.

On the other hand, within a single earth rotation, there is infinite supply of “potential opportunity” as yet unrealized. To attract this potential opportunity to you, start by shifting your thinking from the world of the finite or competitive plane (current perception of lack and limitation) to the realm of the infinite or creative plane. (creativity and innovation to create more value). It is from the latter that all “value” is created. The source of infinite supply is found within you–always available for your use. The formula is simple: perceived value x leverage = wealth!

Make a big space in your life for big changes.
 Most early-stage entrepreneurs get stuck in the repetitive cycle of creating “survival-based” results. At the early stage of the journey, it can sometimes feel overwhelming just to keep the boat floating!  Many believe outer forces–the state of the economy, not enough capital, influential contacts, or cheaper competitors–determine their results. Over time, many unconsciously set their efforts at the threshold of survival, and believe greater achievements are simply not in the cards.

Start by making a big space in your life for it to happen. Stop what you are doing step back and make an assessment of your scene. Get rid of anything in your business and your life that does not support you. And I mean everything! Making a big space requires making big changes– in your thinking, limiting beliefs, your habits, your relationships, your support and organizational structure. Change whatever it takes to fill the space with higher-value relationships that represent greater financial appreciation for the value you provide.
Then each year, set the bar ever higher. Instead of each client transaction representing $10,000, over time it becomes $100,000. You don’t increase your workload; you increase your perceived value to your clients and customers. Embrace change and experience constant growth. Growth leads to a constant increase in your confidence that ever-greater opportunity will always seek you out.

Be really good and really different.
This idea might seem like an over simplification on the surface, but the effects of this principle will have a profound impact on your ability to create bigger opportunity to experience financial freedom through your business.

In every product or service category there is commodization. We live in a time and society where there is an abundance of everything in the marketplace. Anytime there is an abundant supply, customers have abundant choice. When customers have abundant choice among products or services, they perceive little difference in the value they provide. Consequently, they set the price.

This is what keeps many early-stage entrepreneurs on the short end of the stick when it comes to their power in the buying cycle.  Whatever you provide must be perceived as highly valued by your customers (because your value is unique and in short supply) and highly differentiated (from the slush pile of your competitors in the marketplace).

Never think for a moment that what has made another successful will make you likewise. You have to follow your own unique path and expression in creating value for others. Creating value begins by engaging in what really matters to you! The world is already full of me-too stuff!  Always remember this–value is in the eye of the beholder!  You job is to grow the “quality of your presence” through your unique gifts and strengths.

To experience higher levels of business and life success, you must first understand the difference between meeting demand and creating it.  To get there, you must become a value creator as opposed to an order taker!

Thomson Dawson helps creative entrepreneurs and solo professionals gain more clarity and confidence to pursue their best opportunities for a bigger, better future. Get your FREE Guide to Building a Competition Proof Business: www.whitehotcenter.com

To read more from Thomas Dawson, view: Money, money, money!