State is a place you choose to be. This past week my state was questionable. I let a few goofy thoughts enter my brain and they had a direct impact on my output.

I chatted with my Tony Robins coach, Jayne, about this situation and she reminded me of the time I walked on fire and I didn’t burn one toe. I pulled that off because I was in a very intense state of mind – like a soldier on the front lines, an Olympic athlete in the game of their life. That night I was 500% focused on my mission. I could see the end of hot coals before I took one step forward. I was rock solid with confidence and felt there was nothing I could not do. I chanted. I talked to myself more than normal.

I can’t officially tell you this next part, because by doing so, it cracks the state I am in now until I finish my book. So I will only elude to this historic thing.  Ah, better idea, I will speak about a person I once knew.

There was a great writer who was awarded a plum assignment, because she knew her stuff inside and out. Instead of cranking out the goods, she surrendered her mental state to thoughts of question and doubt. She pondered way too long trying to write the perfect sentence, instead of pouring out what she knew, like her name. She wasted precious time and invited stress and all its kids to move in. Summary – big freaking waste of everything. Life, time and brain cells.

Today, a new writer showed up.
She was militant. She broke down big scary goals into small pieces of cupcake bites. She felt like Iron woman, Super diva and Queen of everything. She got back into exactly how she felt walking on that fire that night in Chicago and felt a powerful new strength. Within 60 minutes, she was in the flow zone and writing like a machine.

Every human has the ability to get into this state, if you want it bad enough. It is a mental drill. It is a dominating, dictator mindset, a take no prisoners attitude. Wussies not apply.

If distractions show up in your head, shrink them all down to small little crumbs, so you can’t even see them.
If voices start babbling, turn the volume button completely off, so you can’t hear them at all.
If you see something that looks bold, bright and scary, make it black and white, so it fades into nothing.

Getting into full State works with anything you want to accomplish, sales, writing, performing and sports.

Look out Saturday morning tennis opponent,  I am Venus William’s alter ego and I am here to win!

Also, be sure to check out: Trading your time for money is a mind-set you can no longer afford.

Many small businesses, including mine, have opted for Internet phone service. It’s cost effective and works fine for local calls and if you enjoy chatting online to solve your issue.

Today, I had a conference with a UK company and assumed I just dial em up. Well after that did not work and after trying 4 times, my wonderful assistant reached out to customer service, which went round and round with an associate who must have skipped some of the training classes. Come to find out you must set this international feature up in advance. It took over 50 minutes to learn this, another 20 to set this up but then we needed to answer security questions that our phone guy set up and we didn’t know. Very frustrating !!

As I become more tardy to the call, I resorted to True Blue AT&T (my iphone service) hoping they have an operator I can actually speak with. Normally this would be correct, but today the 20 inches of snow everywhere had systems down. This took another 30 minutes. But alas, I can now call Paul McCartney or Bono anytime without any distress and pay only .28 cents a minute. I’m sure the Internet provider is cheaper, but I find value in live operators. Thank you AT&T.

So if you’ve got an international call on your schedule, plan ahead.

Don’t forget to check out: I’m going to Saudi, join me!

Running shoe is by Newton.

I’m still in Houston and today is the Chevron Marathon. Thousands of ambitious runners are headed for the finish line as they run, walk or crawl 26 long miles. Achieving this goal after months of training and preparation is huge.

The day will be painful, challenging, rewarding, joyous and emotional for most. Sounds like a day at the office when you are entrepreneur. I’ve recapped 26 steps that these runners have taken and you can apply to reach your goals.

1.) Start. Set your goals.

2.) Create a simple, doable plan – how will you get to your goal?

3.) Develop a working schedule that covers: research, training, execution and anything else that needs to be done.

4.) List out all your smaller milestones that are needed to meet your big goal. Make sure you set accountable measures and deadlines.

5.) Design a wellness plan that includes diet, exercise, supplements and stretching rituals.

6.) Re-think your sleeping zone, your bed, the noise and the lighting so you can sleep for 7-8 hours every night.

7.) Relearn the importance and practice of breathing often and in a full cycles.

8.) Research and buy the best equipment you need to achieve the ultimate performance.

9.) Decide who your positive support network will be including business associates, friends and vendors.

10.) Kindly lose any negative, non-achieving friends, business associates and vendors from your world.

11.) Exercise your mind by using both sides daily. From crossword puzzles to something creative like doodling.

12.) Hydrate daily with water, not wine. Wine can be consumed in moderation, but water needs to be drank at least 6 times a day.

13.) Establish daily learning rituals from reading the WJS, to listening to podcasts and watching webinars and practice what you’ve learned.

14.) Work on improving mental toughness every hour. Shake off mistakes and disappointments. Believe in the power of your mind.

15.) Push yourself beyond what you think you can do.

16.) Identify a handful of people that inspire you, follow them and learn from them. Whether you know them or not.

17.) Carefully assess your competition, their strengths, and weaknesses.

18.) Seek out legal advantages that will accelerate your journey to the finish line.

19.) Keep your eyes and ears wide open for potholes and flying objects.

20.) Practice, train and be disciplined everyday.

21.) Recover, refresh and revitalize often.

22.) Show gratitude and appreciation to people you know and people you don’t know.

23.) Visit, read and recite your goals every day.

24.) Affirm in writing what you believe and can achieve. This is your story that you own, read it out loud everyday.

25.)  Stay laser focused on your goals and dreams.

26.) Don’t waste emotions on feeling guilt, worrying, dwelling on the past or things you can’t control.

Bonus step

27.) Be proud everyday of every little step you’ve taken.

For more on entrepreneur list-styles, view:
Celebrate loving being an entrepreneur everyday.
Can being happier change your entrepreneur results?

Being a high performing entrepreneur means producing a massive volume of work and for most of you and me this involves computer work.

Last week I freaked out. My eyes were so strained and hurt so much, I could not work after a couple hours on my computer. This was happening every day. I could not figure out what was going on.

Was I going blind? Was my vision radically changing? Was I over using my eyes? (I had just finished a very intense 30 page book proposal) or was I stressing and holding the tension in eyes? I was clueless, but very concerned, because my livelihood is dependent on working on the a computer.

I had to find a solution. So I did some research. Apparently this is a growing problem among professionals as we now live on monitors large and very small, from our computers to our smart phones, the average professional person is starring at a digital screen 8 plus hours a day, 7 days a week.

All of these things have helped, but the last one was the big game changer for me.

1) Too much light will mess you up and fluorescent lights are killers. Try working in a darker space with less bright light.

2) Get your eyes checked – as you age they will change. Some people are even getting special computer glasses with corrective lens. Your driving or reading glasses are both different distances and will not help you.

3) Don’t work more than 2 hours at time, then take a  5 minute break. Shut your eyes, throw some cucumbers on them, chill and then get back at it.

4) Consider buying a larger monitor. I bought a refurbished HP on line for $400 and it’s 40 big inches!

HERE’S THE BIG DISCOVERY!
I figured it out in the steam room at the gym. When I was in a totally steamy, moist place, including my eyes, there was no pain. My eyes were too dry. I was so focused on the screen, not blinking and not producing enough tears. I raced to the drug store and bought some artificial tears, threw in some drops, OMG! What a difference.

I’m doing all the stuff above and the fake tears. I feel a lot better and can work again.

Here’s to seeing and producing GRT work!!

For more productivity tips, view: Time vanished? 4 free productivity tools to not loose it again.

2010 was an amazing year for me. I had a killer year – revenues rocked, I grew my mental capacity, along with my waistline, and I learned a bunch of new skills.

All were positive as they added and challenged my adventure, bottom line and awareness journey. Here’s my recap and what I took away.

Most meaningful moments
1) When I witnessed the BP explosion flying to Baton Rouge, LA for a meeting.
Takeaway-Life is short and at any given moment it can change.

2) When my mom watched me play tennis for the first time and I won. I’ve been playing for ten years.
Takeaway-Even when you are 50, parent’s involvement still matter.

Proudest moments
1) When I discovered I was the #1 Google search for branding speaker.
Takeaway- Content writing has value.

2) When I lead the launch of a global green brand called Earthwise.
Takeaway-Branding, Twitter and hard work payoff.

3) The progress we made on Oddpodz.
Takeaway-If something is a long tail venture, do the best you can, keep pushing, keep learning and don’t give up.

4) I scored over 25 major media new stories (FOX over 10 times, NY Times, Forbes, Miami Herald).
Takeaway-You must be assertive, reach out to the media often, with newsworthy ideas, and then do an awesome job adding to their show, whether it’s print, TV, radio or online.

Best business changes
1) Hired my sister to manage my books.
Takeaway- How did I ever do it without her? This business relationship has strengthened our bond and drastically reduced my tax challenges.

2) Invested in expert coaching.
Takeaway-When you fly a company with a small, virtual team, you need professional, high-level paid sounding boards. Asking friends and business colleagues who like you will slow down your progress.

3) Getting rid of my big office.
Takeaway-I’m not an office girl. I’m most productive when I work in my cave, on the street and by my rules.

Biggest lessons
1) Email is not the best way to communicate.
Takeaway- If you put it in writing it can live on and bit you back.

2) Hiring great people takes time, testing and more testing.
Takeaway-Hiring great people takes time, testing and more testing.

Things I still don’t understand
1) How the Gap could have launched such as ugly, new logo.
Takeaway- Even big companies do really stupid things.

2) Why Brett Farve took so long to retire and is such a public cry baby.
Takeaway-There’s a lot I don’t know, especially about guys.

2) Why Tony Robbin’s Show got canceled and The Jersey Shore is breaking rating records.
Takeaway-A lot of people will buy things I would not.

Coolest things
1) Toking oxygen and drinking champagne at the St Regis Spa in Aspen.
Takeaway- Money is not the end all, but sure pays for some crazy fun.

2) Going to see Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in NYC and Second City in Chicago.
Takeaway-Comedy is as important as food, my bed and black shoes.

3)  Hanging out with a hot former Russian hockey player & slamming shots of horseradish-infused vodka  while enjoying crepes and caviar was quite the fun night. And best part of it is – I’m here and he’s way over there.
Takeaway-Simple, random and kind of crazy encounters with no expectations are pretty amazing moments in life. I’m keeping my eyes open for more.

NEXT YEAR I’ve got my eyes on a few new adventures too.

I’d like to attend the American Music Awards, Saturday Night Live or Fashion Week in NY.

I like to have a major new book under my belt.

And meet any of these inspiring folks and have a coffee, like Lady GaGA, Tony Robbins, Michael Phelps or Richard Branson.

I’d also like to be featured in the Wall Street Journal.

How was your year? And what’s next for you to step up your success?!

Don’t forget to check out: Leadership = the quality of your presence.

…then fix it

Recently, my colleagues and I have found ourselves discussing some of our favorite start-up success stories. One of mine is SeamlessWeb. I got to meet co-founder, Jason Finger and hear the story first hand back in 2003. The company was founded roughly ten years ago by Jason and a small team. At the time, he was a newly minted attorney working in a law firm in New York City. He saw an inefficiency in a widely accepted and adopted business process, created a new solution and built a company with enviable stats and accolades such as: 40 consecutive quarters of growth, named as one of America’s 500 fastest growing companies by Inc. in 2004,  the top of Deloitte’s New York Technology Fast 50 in 2004 with 25,855% (yes, that’s the right number) over five years, and one of Time Magazines 50 Coolest Web sites of 2006.

For young attorneys, investment bankers, consultants and the like, a late night dinner allowance is a job perk. When I was working as a corporate finance analyst on Wall Street, we had a cumbersome process of ordering food, submitting expenses and being reimbursed.

At our firm, an employee would order dinner and pay for it with a corporate credit card the balance of which was to be paid by the employee each month. After submitting expenses, the employee would be reimbursed. However, the timing was not always exact and one was usually reimbursed after paying the credit card bill.

The process began with the first challenge, digging through a pile of paper menus in one’s desk to find out which restaurants were open and would deliver food. On the administrative side, once every two weeks, the employee would have to collect all of his or her receipts, write a client number on each receipt so that the expenses could be billed appropriately, create an expense report, deliver the pile of receipts and reports by hand to the accounting department and wait for the funds to be reimbursed and direct deposited into his or her checking account. This process was inefficient and subject to mistakes and delays. Sometimes, receipts would get lost or the wrong client number would be used. It could take weeks to get everything sorted out and, in the meantime, the employee had to pay that credit card bill and could be walking financial tightrope.

Jason took a look at the established and never improved process within his firm and thought that there had to be a simpler way to find restaurants that would deliver, access menus, pay for the meals and manage the expense reports. He and his team devised a process, and then found tech savvy people who could translate his idea into a technology based solution. SeamlessWeb did not tweak the old way of doing things, it created an entirely new process flow. Now, all the late night workers would log on to a web based platform, order their food, input client information, eat dinner and keep working. The SeamlessWeb platform captured the data that the accounting departments needed and created monthly invoices that showed who ordered food, when they ordered it, how much it cost and to which client account it should be billed. Brilliant. Many of my coworkers and I were frustrated by this process, but none of us did anything about it. After learning about SeamlessWeb, I certainly wished I’d thought of it. Nonetheless, there are a few important lessons to be learned from this success story.

7 lessons you can use while brainstorming about a start-up or improving your operations

1. Low start up capital requirements. This ideas got off the ground with minimal capital investment. There may have been some friends and family dollars contributed, but for the most part, the idea was solid and had a short time frame to revenue generation followed by positive cash flow. Sweat equity was a big ingredient provided by founders with relevant experience
2. Find a way to simplify a process. Look at how a process works, zero in on inefficiencies and find a way to streamline it and remove wasted time and energy. Even if everyone is content to keep doing things the way they have always been done, doesn’t mean the status quo has to stay. It might not be broken, but you should “break it” by uncovering its shortcomings, then “fix it” by providing a better way of doing things.
3. Pre-sell. In the early days of SeamlessWeb, they approached potential clients as if they already had the product build. They did not. When they were asked about functions and features of the product, they took careful notes and incorporated those into their development process.
4. Know your customer segments and craft a unique communications strategy for each. SeamlessWeb sells to two very different customer bases. They have different value propositions for each one. To service companies with employees that order food, the value proposition is saving time and money. To restaurants, the value prop is new business and access to a lucrative, repeat customer base.
5. Make sure there is a crystal clear revenue stream. In this case, there are two. The firms pay a transaction fee for each order and the restaurants pay a marketing fee based on business referred to them.
6. Listen to your customers and keep innovating. Be obsessive about gathering customer data. Listen carefully to any negative feedback and be nimble enough to keep providing solutions to new problems. Don’t think you are finished after your initial product roll out. If you do, someone will find the inefficiencies in your operation and innovate right past you. Strive to keep improving your product or service and to amaze your customers.
7. Just do it. It’s one thing to have a great idea. We all have them all the time, right? If you think you have a winning idea, take the risk and execute.

When you are ready to make the leap, check out Shifting Gears from Employee to Entrepreneur.

To read more from Jocelyn, view: 12 questions to ask yourself while planning your 2011 marketing strategies.

For all the workaholics who believe the only way to create success is to work really hard for it, this may be a challenging idea for you. It simply goes against the grain of conventional wisdom – people who don’t work hard will achieve very little in life.

Record high unemployment not only impacts those who have lost their jobs, but it presents some new challenges for entrepreneurs and small businesses looking for reliable human resources. This past year I learned a few lessons on this subject. Hopefully this insight can prevent you from experiencing similar situations.

The Internet offers a vast pool of talent when you are looking for perm or contract help. From Linkedin to Twitter, you can have access to thousands of people within minutes. You post your needs, the assignment description and in no time you can connect with a perfect resource, or someone selling you their qualifications,  but they are not sharing all the facts for you to know, they are not the one.

As an entrepreneur, we don’t always have the luxury of time, no HR department to conduct deep background checks and so we make quick decisions. So how does this translate into the ugly twists with sour results?

Here are my stories and what I will do next time.

1. Make time to test contract talent and employees. There are more people than ever really strapped for a cash, swimming in debt and some are extremely desperate for a job. Many will over sell you. I experienced this scenario. And don’t be fooled by three degrees either. I honestly believe there are many smart folks out there who have earned multitudes of degrees and there are equally as many who are not prepared to contribute to an entrepreneurial enterprise and have so many degrees because they are putting off getting anything done. Give them assignments in a controlled placed and with a defined time frame.
2. Ask them if they are a full fledged business service provider or are they just picking up projects until they find a full time gig. This situation has cost me money and time. I posted a clearly contract assignment on Linkedin. Received many qualified resumes. I narrowed it down to a couple of people. At that point, started investing serious time in educating the candidates with details on the project, signed NDAs and exchanged lots of documents. After a week of this, I get a call from one of the candidates, “I have been offered a job and sorry but can’t help you on your project”. You mean the one we spent 40 hours on?
3. Don’t prepay until you are 190% convinced they are a superstar and reliable. I engaged a social media person to help me with traffic building. We signed a contract detailing the project, I paid him upfront for a portion of the project. A month ago, he tells me he got a full time job and is to swamped. He can’t do the work and he also will not return the money I advanced him. And now he does not even return my phone calls or emails.
4. Clearly provide paperwork to talent stating their contract status and that you are not an employer, now or ever in the past. I was not dinged on this one, but I did have to waste an hour and send a registered letter to a state unemployment office. I hired a contract PR person, had her sign a 1099 and provided her a purchase order, all clearly communicating she was contract. Apparently, she was collecting unemployment and as she was updating her case, she gave my company name to the state of NY as a part-time job provider and they attempted to suck me for confirmation and likely an unemployment contribution. Which would have notched up the tax rate I pay for for me and my other employees.

Finding the right people is already a tough task when you are a small business. Be extra aware and cautious in these recession recovery times, because unemployment is a real factor in human pool of talent.

Welcome our new guest blogger AmyK Hutchens. AmyK is an intelligence activist and will be contributing insight a variety of topics.

For every six minutes you experience a high state of negative stress it takes your immune system six hours to recover. That doesn’t stress you out does it?!

Experiencing a rotten, lousy, no good, stressful day creates a chronic cycle that wears your immune system down, leaving you exhausted, sick and feeling even more stressed. The goal, however, isn’t to get rid of stress…our brains are hard-wired for it, and we actually need some stress (called
eustress) in order to function. The goal is to short-circuit the negative cycle.

Stress has been around since the first human tried to light a fire and failed, only to have his girlfriend show him how it’s done. Telling your brain that “not having enough time in the day” does not equate to “being eaten by a sabre-tooth tiger” doesn’t work. Attempting to convince your brain that the wooly mammoth in front of you is really just your boss or your mother-in-law is next to impossible. Your brain doesn’t distinguish the difference. You’ve got better odds teaching your brain that the saber-tooth tiger is actually a house cat and that your mother-in-law really doesn’t
care that you can’t cook.

Seems simple. It is simple, it’s just not easy, especially when your mother-in-law sighs every time you look at your cookbook.

Stress starts in the brain and then spreads throughout your body. The part of the brain that processes your emotions also controls your immune system. Ever experience a stressful week and then get a chance to take a few days off only to find yourself nursing a cold while on vacation?  Within
seventy-two hours of a significantly stressful event your body manifests some type of physiological symptom. It’s as if you internally vent on your way home, your brain hears you and empathizes with you, and then gives you a migraine, or acne, or both! Really, your brain was just trying to prove you
right, you are stressed, so voila, your body now proves it too!

Twenty percent of the oxygen of every breath you take goes straight to your brain. When we’re stressed, one of the first things that changes in our bodies is our breathing – it gets shallower and we take in less oxygen…so right now just breathe. Take a deep breath …inhale slowly, exhale slowly
and repeat. Your brain thanks you, and, it will think more clearly for you, more rationally, thus preventing you from throwing that cookbook at a certain someone.

The mere thought of the holidays sends some people straight into stressed-out orbit. The ubiquitous themes of time, not enough of it; money, not enough of that; food, way too much of that; and relationships, pleasing everybody, can cause extra anxiety.

This year, give yourself a present first: the ability to stop the stress cycle early, before it sends you to bed. And while it may seem like a great place to escape your boss and mother-in-law, there are better ways to spend the holidays.

Short Circuit the Stress Cycle
1. Prioritize & Simplify
Reducing stress is not about creating balance it’s about getting focused. Balance is a myth. Let’s get real – when it comes to life activities there is no such thing as balance, only priorities. If you strive for balance you’ll only add to your stress levels, not reduce them, but if you change your priorities, your focus, you will immediately start reducing your stress and feel more in control of how you utilize your time.

Successfully dealing with life’s pressures, demands, and hassles means you need to appropriately respond and manage the tasks at hand in order of priority. Create a list of what you value and need to accomplish over the next two days. (Don’t forget that YOU should and need to be on that list.)
Assign each priority a chunk of time and then live within the parameters of that scheduled list. Follow up that time-framed list with another list of new priorities or re-prioritized activities. Every two days (or week) you can create a new list that outlines and accounts for all your responsibilities.

Simplify 1 thing each day. It may be a priority that you serve your family dinner tonight. It’s not a priority that you cook it. You can pick up take-out, or pull something out of the freezer. Choose 1 activity each day and find a way to reduce the time it takes, or the energy it requires of you
to complete it.

2. Place yourself in time-out.
The purpose of putting a toddler in time-out is to re-set her attitude and improve her behavior. (If only we could use that with our colleagues.) Take some time to be silent and reflective, even if it’s just 3-5 minutes. There is scientific proof that doing so can decrease blood pressure, pulse rate,
and improve blood circulation.  By removing yourself from a stressful environment or giving yourself a moment to biologically shift, you aid your immune system in getting back to healthy. A few deep breaths while you’re in time-out is an added bonus.

3. Get a giggle.
Laughter reduces your stress hormones and literally changes your body chemistry. Humor releases endorphins and antibody enhancers which aid your immune system. Schedule 30 minutes to watch a funny sitcom or read a humorous book. If 30 minutes just doesn’t exist today, then give yourself a
five minute giggle and watch a youtube video. There are many short clips of truly funny comedians and silly people who will definitely give you a smile that will last awhile.

4. Put it in perspective.
Changing your perspective, your thoughts, is the most effective tool we have for reducing our stress and it’s the least used tool by people when they’re experiencing stress. When stressed out individuals scream, “I don’t have five bleep-ity-bleep minutes to watch a YouTube video!” there is one
thought, one shift in perspective that helps a lot. “It’s only five minutes. Big bleep-ity-bleep deal.” There are 10,080 minutes in a week. Take 5 of them, so the other 10,075 minutes are more peaceful, more positive, more meaningful. Typically, upon hearing this news, these frenetic, time-obsessed
totally stressed out individuals stop holding their breath and suck in a large volume of oxygen. It’s a great start!

The objective isn’t to fight circumstances. You’re not insane, just stressed. Sane people know that arguing with reality only creates more stress because reality always wins.  Let it win, and let it go. The goal is to change your perspective to less painful thoughts. Your boss may still growl and snarl, your mother-in-law may still sigh, but wouldn’t it be wonderful if you handed her the spatula and said, “I’m so glad you’re great at cooking. Please, by all means, my kitchen is su kitchen.” And with that,
you have not only changed your perspective, you’ve simplified your life, and given yourself a thirty minute time-out to go watch that sitcom you’ve been wanting to watch all week. Life is good.

AmyK Hutchens, Founder and Intelligence Activist, AmyK Inc., is a speaker, business strategist and executive coach. She is best known for helping business leaders capitalize on how the brain and human perception filters work to help them be more effective in business and their personal lives.

OK, now that I have your attention, let me clarify my message. I’m not suggesting anyone break the law, take what is not yours or do drugs. I am though highly recommending that you start embracing these 3 moves to accelerate your business achievement.

1) Cheat time.

We all have 86,400 seconds or 24 hours in day, so how come some people get so much more done?

People that work from a plan, instead of on the fly, overwhelmingly accomplish more. If you are not a big planner, just start by setting small goals for the week a head of you. Write down your three top goals by Sunday, before your week starts. Or at least start using lists to become more productive. I’m a list junkie and share some of my best lists in our learning estore.

Don’t check your email every 2 minutes. This is a monumental, modern-day time sucker. Turn off the auto send and receive too. You will be amazed by how this one simple action can add 2 more hours to your day, every day.

Eliminate time-wasting people from your life. Don’t kill them off, just learn to say no and don’t hang out with them. If they are not adding value to your world, adios amigos! If these folks are clients, work on better qualifying them before start sharing your time and energy.

2) Steal from history.

Pay attention to patterns of other highly successful people and companies. What do they do? How do they think? What do they not do? This is one of the cheapest, most honest ways anyone can speed up their success. Read biographies about other super star entrepreneurs, listen to them being interviewed and observe their actions. Write the evidence down and apply what works to your situation. Don’t forget annual reports too. Publicly traded companies spill a lot of their beans of success, go pick them up!

3) Be an obsessive crack head.

Push one additional ounce, go the extra degree or ramp it up one tiny crack more. A hair, a second and crack is the difference between a Olympic gold metal winner and 2^nd place. Become an obsessed, addict to raising the bar by a sliver more. This small distinction between mediocre and masterful is huge. Practice this discipline on everything you do, from customer service, your product quality, to a kind gesture you deliver to an employee or business relationship and also amp up own personal standards too. Be a proud crack head.

Is there anything surprising or unexpected that you’ve done to score more success recently. If so, please share.