Refreshed

At times it's easy for us to get pulled in so many directions, it's easy for us to get worn down. It's also easy for us to forget what is truly important as well. This past weekend as you may have read from my prior blog, I spent it with about 85-100 high school kids at a fall youth retreat with my church. If you think about it, it sounds like a lot of work and always keeping your eyes open since I was serving in a volunteer role. So naturally I would be tired today and dragging. However this is not the case.

Yesterday I tweeted that my batteries were run all the way down but yet I am refreshed. I'm not sure if it was the people I was with, the time spent worshiping, or just laying everything going on at Gods feet, or maybe it was everything above. However, I feel refreshed for the first time in a long while.

"What Inspires Me"

I've thought about the question that Trey(@magnetsfast) posted on twitter the other night. He asked, "What inspires you?". I looked at the question and really thought about it. I know some will answer fame, money, and the other usual answers. Webster's definition of inspire is to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspiration. I think people can be inspired by a number of things, including: nature, great feats of work, and even love. Yes, I did say love. That word is not to often in my vocabulary but there it is.

As I look back over the past few years, I know what inspires me. It's people. Yes, people. I can look back as people have come and gone out of my life and see who pushed me, and I know the ones that also had a negative effect as well. Some may not even know they pushed me or are pushing me now. It just happens. I really don't know how to explain it. But that feeling of when someone inspires you is like none other. I've never done a good job at telling people who inspire they have done so. I'll start working on that. It may surprise you in who it is.

So now I ask you, what inspires you?

It's All About....

For the ones of you who only know me from reading my blog, I want to say that I am a big people watcher. I think this came from one of my favorite music videos, "Meant To Be" by Sammy Kershaw, as I was growing up. Everytime the video was on, I would watch it. Not really sure why, but I think about this video all the time as I people watch.

Anyway, this morning as I was stopped at a red light, I noticed a man walking with his son to school. However, the man was a good fifty feet in front of his son and smoking a cigarette. His son was struggling to keep up, and every now and then run for a few seconds then go back to walking. Now, I don't know the situation, or the relationship between the father and son so I'm not trying to judge.

What I gathered from this and thought about was, it's not all about us. I know we hear that all the time, but it's true. This can apply to business as well as our personal lives. Just a mid week thought...

By the way, here is a link to the video I was talking about. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rzhe0uG6uiQ

The Merge Lane

It's funny where you get your ideas to blog about. Today as I was driving about, a young lady, maybe a college student, in a BMW was in a merge lane. As she was approaching the end of the merge lane she came to a stop. Being in the lane she needed to get in, I slowed down to let her in. She just sat there. So, I just passed her and went on. That little moment led to this blog.

My thoughts as I drove on down the road was how we need to jump in. However we must do our research in order to succeed. Example, say this girl came to the end of the merge lane, never looked, and just pulled out in traffic. I bet most of the time she slams into someone causing a wreck, hurting herself or someone else in the matter. That would be a fail. Now, the proper way would be to keep going at a slower rate, looking around to see when traffic is clear, and merging in slowing then hitting the gas.

Now, where am I going with this. We can look at business the same way. We have to do our research in order to succeed. If we jump in feet first with no research, there is a good chance we are going to fail. However, if we study and do our research about what we are getting into, we are not guarantied to succeed, but our chances are much much better.

How Can You Forget?

Well, as we all know it, today is 9/11. From Facebook to Twitter, I've been reading where everyone was. I was sitting in a college computer class. The class was a 8am class so when it happened I remember a teacher walked in saying a "small" plane had hit the World Trade Center. At that time I tried to log on to any news site I could to figure out what was going on. Then I was able to get some news and it was not a small plane at all. My thoughts went straight toward Osama. I finished my work and headed home to watch all the news coverage.

During that day, my thoughts were scattered. I was thinking about the brave firefighters and police officers heading in to the buildings to help. My thoughts also were thrown back to my memories of my stay in New York in the winter of 1995. We stayed in the World Trade Center Marriott on a school trip. I remember at night running around the World Trade Center with my friends. I remember looking down from my room on the the plaza where that huge globe stood. It was an amazing place.

Now on to the thoughts about what has happened since. I must say, no matter where you stand, it's no coincidence that we have not been attacked on our soil since. From the polices and procedures put in place by our administration, they have worked and protected this country. The fact of the matter is, the terrorist and their group that attacked us then, still hate us now.

So, in remembering 9/11, say a prayer for the families who lost love ones. Say a prayer for the troops defending our freedoms still today. And say a prayer for the freedoms that God has provided us with and blessed us with.

Here is a link to my pictures from my trip to New York in 1995.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=17079&id=502440221&l=bb39c4a7c3

You Want to Be A Blogger?

First off, I really won't call what I do blogging. I have a post every two weeks or so and get a few people looking at my post. Second, if you are reading this thanks! But so often, I hear people saying they should start a blog. Usually somewhere in the conversation it comes up that I manage two blogs. If you didn't know I also manage a blog called "The Batters Eye". It's a blog devoted strictly to baseball.

So when talking to some people, they think you can put up a blog on blogger or wordpress and people will run across it and they will build some large following by hashing out their thoughts. Fact of the matter is, if you are not active in other blogs, your blog will struggle. Reason being, it's great to see what others write about. Some great blogs can come from a follow up off another blog. But, if you do this, make sure to credit the person.

Blogs can be fun but at the same time it's almost a job. Like I said before, you just can't throw a post up every so often and get a large following. I've got about 30 post up now and have 7 followers. I'm thankful for all my followers. It usually means I'm writing about something that is of interest to them. So, if you want to start a blog, don't get caught up with the numbers. Do what you can, when you can. Sometimes it's hard coming up with new topics and then sometimes they flow like a river. Just have fun and the rest will follow.

Let's Talk

Ok, let's sit down and have a little chat on this Monday afternoon. I've talked in blog entries in the past about marketing and networking, but today I want you to think about something. What do I want you to think about you may ask? Your Logo!

Think back to when you started your business. How much time, how much effort, and how much money did you spent on your logo? If you think about it, you probably spent a good amount of each of those either drawing up, looking over proposals, and thinking about how you want your business to be represented, correct?

So after you picked your logo out from the 20 or so drawings you did or proposals from an ad agency, you were pumped! You wanted everyone to see it. Let me take a guess that you e-mailed it out to everyone you know, added it into your signature, made sure it was at the top of your website and maybe even did something special on your website revealing your logo. You might have also printed up some flyers, did promo items so you could have your nice, shiny new logo on something to hand out, correct?

Ok, so now let's fast forward to right now. Where is your logo? Let me take a few guesses...outside your building, on your website, and your business cards more than likely. People pass by your location all the time but is it enough exposure, probably not. It's on your website, but are enough people finding your website? Unless your doing some sort of SEO, more than likely people are not finding your website enough. And last but not least, cards. What really happens to your cards once they leave your hands? Wouldn't you like to know.

So where else should your logo be displayed? Are you doing any promotions? Do your employees wear branded shirts or hats? Do your clients have t-shirts with your company name on them to wear during their casual time? Are you handing out client appreciation gifts? Business card magnets, schedule magnets, and calendar magnets? Are you staying in front of your clients or potential client base?

I'm not trying to preach to you, I've done the same mistakes and hopefully I've learned from them. All I'm trying to say is you have put a lot into your business including designing your logo, so be proud and let everyone you know how proud you are of your logo and your business. I bet it pays off in the long run!

Are You Engaging?

Well it's almost been a month since my last blog entry. I know I'm slacking a bit but I have come up with a few blog ideas that I will work on over the month. What I want to write about to day is being engaging. A few months and post ago, I touched on being social. This could tie in very well to that post.

As I sit here and watch a baseball game on the 4th, I see an over head shot of the field and see three dead spots where the outfielders stand during the game. As I see this it reminds me of a word that I have been hearing a bit lately, engaging. This word applies pretty much every area of your life. Are you engaging?

So why this really means is are you approchable? When people see you, are you someone they want to talk to? How is your demeanor? Are you smiling? How do you carry yourself? Do you look interesting? Or are you a dead spot like those three patches of grass on the baseball field?

So over the next few, I'll see what areas I can work on to be more engaging and I urge you to as well. Like I said, this does not just apply in areas of business but also personal. I know I'm going to have fun working on being more engaging.

Loyal or Not?

I really want to know what you think. Growing up my family always seems to visit the same establishment for a type of service. If it was related to boating it was one place, always. If it was a book store it was the same place, always. My family as always been loyal to a place of business where ever we lived.

When I started working and making money of my own I took these same values. I have a favorite Chinese resturant I always visit, Mr. Wangs in Homewood, Al. I met these guys when I was in fifth grade and have eated at their resturant ever since. I have serveral businesses like this that I always do business with.

My thought is, the only time you should ever change where you are doing business is if you are going to be able to save a good amount of money or there is a change in the service you are getting. Now in saying about the money, often times you get what you pay for so that is a little less in my book. For me Service is the key.

So, do you think there has been a change in the amout of loyalty shown to businesses over the past couple years or do you think this is an out dated way to do business?

Was it worth it?

Over the past few years there have been highlighted cases of people who have taken short cuts whether it be in their business, personal life, ministry, or else where. This opens up the possibilities of so many things when short cuts or even lies take place. Potentially you have the opportunity to destroy years and years of work.

I witnessed something first hand this past weekend. I had heard about some possible goings on but I was able to confirm it for myself over the weekend. When my suspicions were confirmed my thoughts went directly to what could possibly happen if everyone knew what was going on? So first off, any thing this person was saying had no direct effect on me. I knew they had taken the low road, passed something off as their own and pulled the wool over many eyes. And then secondly, I knew this person was a fraud.

So knowing what I knew, I wanted to know just a little bit more. Who else knew? So I found out. My findings were shocking. I found out that a person that is pretty high up you could say, knew about the issue at hand. His solution? Sweep it under the rug and hope no one ever finds out.

So what's at risk? In my eyes everything, absolutely everything. When you are in a very prominent position you have a responsibility. This man is a leader, well you are suppose to call him a leader. People have trusted you with that responsibility and all this person has done is take advantage of those people. If others are to find out it would discredit this man and pretty much anything he has said over the past 10 years while he has held this position.

So what we can learn from this? No matter what you think, a decision to lie or cut corners does not just hurt you, it affects many. It can make people question you and the role you serve. It can make one question his/her beliefs. Be honest, if you need help or are in trouble just ask for help. I know it sounds easy, but it's the truth.

Mentors

In life, I think it is very important to have mentors. Mentors can range from a former school teacher, close friend, family member, or business associate. In my life my father has been a positive role model in my life. My father has taken care of our family probably more than I even know, and plus his is a great man of Christ. As for other parts of my life I have two other gentlemen that I place that mentor tag on.

I think mentors play a important role in ones life. To me, a mentor is someone that one can bounce ideas off of, talk about important decisions that are taking place in ones life, and also get advice from someone who has life experience that can give perspective.

To tell you the truth, I'm not sure either one of these men know how much I value their input. These are both men that I trust and know their intentions when giving advice. They also share the same values as my father as in being family men and also men of Christ.

So you are more than likely asking who these men are by this point. Well one is Bryan Mizzell. Bryan has known me pretty much since the day I was born. Bryan was 13 or so when I was born, and his father and my father were on staff together at a church in Tuscaloosa. Bryan is a military guy who is now a pilot for UPS and lives in Tuscaloosa once again. I usually see Bryan every two or three months. Bryan has worked hard for everything he has but yet kept his family first. I feel that is very important no matter who you are.

The one thing that stands out about Bryan is how he gives. Not only does he give his time to sit down with me from time to time to catch up talk about things going on in my life but he loves opening up his house during the summer for people to visit his lake house. I think Bryan really gets joy in helping and teaching others one of his interest, water sports. I've never once heard him say "man I'm ready for these people to leave." Bryan is truly one of the most genuine people I know.

The other is Jeff Dance. Jeff, like Bryan and my father is also a family man and a man of Christ.I've only known Jeff for about two years. See, Jeff is my Sunday school teacher. Jeff really has a passion for teaching young professionals. I usually see Jeff at least once a week if not more. Jeff is just a great overall resource for me and I'm thankful for it. I really do value our friendship.

If you noticed they all share the same characteristics. To be honest, I think you have to have those characteristics. You have to have your values in place in order to be an influence in someone else's life.

So, how does this relate to business? Are you in a place where you can be an influence on someone? If you are, are you being a positive or negative influence? If you fell like you are being negative, think about ways to change that and become a positive influence, not just for them but for yourself as well. Be giving of your time and resources.

Rush, Rush, Rush.....

Over the past two years I have had the incredible opportunity to work with some great kids through our youth group at my church. I'm not sure if they know it or not but seeing the passion in these kids to serve God inspires me. When I have moments when I may feel down or tried they some how have a way to pick me up. But, over these two years I seem to always hear this phrase, "I can't wait to be out of high school!"

I know when I was in high school I always said the same thing. That's one of those things I think we all said. I think sometimes we get in the mentality where we want to rush things to get to the next part in the day, week, year, or just the next part in life. This morning as I was driving back from Tuscaloosa, Jeffrey Samplaski and I were talking about this subject.

Jeffrey and I were talking about as we get older, more and more stuff seem to get piled on our plates and less and less ever gets taken off. Now it's easy for us to tell these young people to enjoy this time, because you know there is always more positive than negative. The responsibility is less and you have more free time than you think. On that same point, you will never know as many people as you once did in high school.

So what's in it for us, meaning the ones out of high school? The ones that are in college or finishing, or those that have full time jobs with or with out families of their own. It means we need to enjoy today. It's easy to say that today since it is so beautiful outside, but I mean it. Take time for yourself. If you like reading, pick up a good book. If you like to puff on a good cigar, stop the your favorite cigar store and treat yourself, have a nice dinner with your family, or just sit out on your porch/deck and enjoy what God has given you today. What's given to us today is always not promised tomorrow.