Toby Martini

What would you do if you had no limits?

Take the time to think about it. What if, in your business and in your life, you had nothing to stop you, nothing to limit you??

What could you do? What could you do?

If you’re bold and audacious and want to change your life, play along now.

Take out a piece of paper and write it down. “What if I had No Limits?

Be colorful, be detailed, use action words, how would you Feel??

Who would you be with? Where would you be?
Describe everything and walk around inside your picture, feel it, be there.

Now, how would you BE in that situation? What words describe how you feel, who you are?

At the heart of what I talk about and teach is this:

Everything is made up.

All rules were simply created by someone and someone else agreed. Over time some of these rules became Laws. We’ve agreed to follow those laws and we have people that interpret and enforce those laws.

When people create businesses, they look at what people (especially in their industry) have done before them. “Looks like everyone gets paid Net 30. We’ll get paid Net 30.”

My point is this: Since it’s all made up, you don’t Have to do what others have done. Well, you might want to follow the laws of the land. People are pretty attached to them.

But in your business, so what if people invoice out Net 30? Go ahead and  create your own payment plans and structures. “19% down and 6 monthly payments?” Whatever!

We’re all improvising all the time. Your daily conversations are mostly unplanned. let’s broaden that out and start playing with new rules for business and new ways to engage with people.

Make stuff up! If you’re not, then you’re just playing in the world that others have created for you to play in. Break out and create soemthing!

This is what I’m out to cause in the world:
People that are empowered and exhilarated in the creation of their lives.

What some of us miss is that you are creating your own life all of the time. Every choice you make determines your future.

The life you have now has been completely caused by the choices you’ve made in the past.

Create your own life… intentionally! 

Entrepreneurs are making the difference!

Check out this article in USA Today giving kudos to those that are actually out there creating jobs and getting the money moving around.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2009/11/column-give-thanks-for-job-creators-.html

Want to end the “recession”? Start a business and employ some people!

And please remember: There is no recession. It’s all made up. You can’t point at a thing called a recession. It’s just an agreement.

One day, someone woke up and said, “Things aren’t going well.” He told some folks and they told some folks. Sooner or later, one of the folks was a journalist and it got spread like crazy. Then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. People start fearing that it will be bad and so they stop spending and stop creating. And now, the economy slows down. And THAT provides evidence to the naysayers and they yell louder. Sheesh!

People, please… enjoy life. Go on vacation. Buy the car because you need one. Take your family out to dinner and really enjoy their company. Your life is going on while you are fretting about how it “should be” better and how you are playing small “because the economy is bad right now.”

There are a LOT of people out there right now, making a LOT of money.

Go create something that people want or need and, most importantly, get some people to Agree with you that it’s needed and you’ll be set!

image by nicolasconnault

I had a conversation with someone about expressing themselves. She said she thought she was very self expressive. My question was, “All the time?”

She said that sometimes, like with her parents for example, she acted a little different. Perhaps she would stifle a funny comment she thought of and she knows that some subjects are just not allowed to be discussed.

That isn’t being fully self expressed. If you alter your way of being, stifle yourself, hold it in, or don’t speak because you fear how someone will react, then you’re not being your most authentic you. And, you’re choosing their reaction for them.

Be you and let them be themselves in their reactions. Life gets juicy this way!

Now, nothing’s wrong. People do what people do and if it works for you, great. BUT, we’re talking about something that perhaps you do so often that it’s unconcsious. And it is having more of an effect on you than you think. It probably isn’t doing you any good.

Perhaps, when you were young you learned to be good, to not cause waves, or to “hide your light under a bushel” as the old saying goes. Maybe that’s good advice for a child of ten years. Parents don’t want their kids to grow up to be boastful braggarts. But as adults, being more free and honest with what’s going on inside allows for deeper connections, more intimacy, and more creativity.

It’s good to notice because now you can see that it’s been having an effect on you and you’ve just not been too aware of it. I’m asking you to now be aware of it. Now you can  decide if it really does serve you to play a role, act a part, or shut yourself down instead of being the vivid, interesting, fun, or colorful character that you know, in your heart of hearts, that you really are.

Be bold and audacious. Have fun. Laugh and love people. Be YOU as richly and authentically as you can. The world loves people like that and needs more of them!

My entire career has been made up of two service offerings, neither of which actually required being credentialed in order to be successful: Web Design and Coaching.

Now, of course, there are credentials that exist in both of those. You can become certified by various large, widely recognized groups.

BUT, you don’t HAVE to play their game. Turns out that you can be a succesful life or business coach (or web designer) without submitting the required documentation and doing the hours of training.

Life experience and training in other areas may be fine to get you going. And then a good resume or testimonials and referrals may be all you need to keep going and become amazingly successful.

So, you COULD be a great, famous, and wealthy coach just be getting out there and coaching people. How is Tony Robbins doing?

I know, trust me I know, that sometimes when speaking to a potential client, or your friends, or someone at a networking meeting, the little voice in your head is calling you out as a fraud. “You’re not REALLY a coach, yet!”

Just say, “Thanks for your input. Now watch me coach!”

You are a coach because you know yourself to be. You’ve made a difference and you have a burning desire to do it more.

You know that you have something valuable to offer to people. You’ve helped someone get past something difficult or helped another reach unexpected heights. Good on ya!

The credentials will come later… or not. Start working with people now. Give them your best to make them their best!

And thank you for making the world a better place!
I love ya!

Ivy Lee gave Charles Schwab a blank sheet of paper and told him…

1. List the six most important things you have to do tomorrow.
2. Number them in order of importance
3. Tomorrow morning – start with 1 and stay with it until completed
4. Only then go to 2 and repeat until the end of day.

If you don’t finish you probably wouldn’t have finished anyway – when you realize this you know when to say, “No” to a new task or give it to someone else.

That is the simple time management system Lee gave to Schwab for his managers to use. After a 90-day test period in which Every Single One of the managers had massively increased productivity, Schwab voluntarily paid Lee $25,000 (over $200,000 in today’s adjusted dollars)!

It boils down the most important items that you can find in entire chapters of time management books. It’s actually quite simple:

1) Prioritize. 2) Do the work!

Reading that makes me want to go back and change it because it seems so god-awful DUH! But, it’s true. I don’t think I’m alone in having thought that things will just work out, or perhaps something great will just happen, or someone will swoop in and help. After a few conversations this week with friends from various countries, I thnk that it may be an American thing.

(If you have thoughts about this, please comment below.)

As I’ve said a few times here before, it’s important and more fun to have a great perspective on your work; be inspired to keep working.

But, no matter what game you create for yourself to do it, what matters is that you actually get things done!

You may be amazed at how much you get done this week.
I’d love to hear about your 6ccess!

Do you need to learn how to market yourself and your site better?
Are you concerned thaat nobody is coming to look at your site?
Do people come to your site, but not buy your coaching or your products?

I’ve been a member of this group since it started and it’s amazing! You can get your questions answered there and some really great support in getting it done.

There are so many helpful, giving, and Smart people in this group, I am constantly impressed!

It consists of people at all levels; brand new folks can ask questions that will be answered by people 1 or 2 steps ahead of them in the game AND top level professional bloggers.

Chris Brogan, Darren Rowse, Sonia Simone , Brian Clark, Johnny B. Truant and many others are on all the time asking provocative questions, answering requests for help, and creating a great welcoming atmosphere.

You’ll learn about marketing, blogging and business, copywriting and you can join  some great brainstorming sessions.

If you are looking to have a better online presence and get visible, then you should definitely check it out!

It’s one of only 2 membership sites that I am in and recommend. I’ll write about Dave Navarro’s program once he opens it up again for new folks.

Check out the Third Tribe!
 (Yes. I am an affiliate. If you purchase, I can buy a lunch. Yeah!)

I get a daily newsletter from gaping void that shows Hugh Macleod’s cartoons. I think that they’re fun and often thought-provoking.

Today’s cartoon, entitled Successful grabbed me enough to go to the site and peak around. (Further testament that email marketing and sending newsletters works!)

While I was there I ran across this article: random thoughts on being an entrepreneur

I think everyone starting a business should print this out and refer to it at least once a week. It can help you get through the rough times and inspire you to keep going.

Some of these may not apply to you, but I would bet that at least half will. Perhaps you don’t have a product yet, you just coach one-on-one. You need a product, too! Find a way to make money while you’re not working directly with a client.

Follow this instruction! 15. Write the following on a piece of paper, have it framed, and stick it on your office wall: “Have you hugged your customer today?”

Be in contact with your clients outside of your normal schedule. Send a hand-written note for a birthday or holiday. Make a drop-in call that they didn’t request and create a deeper connection, or maybe send them a resource for something other than what you’re working on. (You know them enough to know what’s valuable to them.)

22. One successful entrepreneur I know well has a wonderful quality, namely that he never, ever compares himself to other people. He just does his own thing, which actually serves him rather well.

Sure, there are others with more clients, making more money, working from the beach… So what? You do the best you can for the people that you work with. That is all.

I’ve talked to many business folks that seem to understand this principle in many areas of their lives. They don’t compare themselves to their friends, to their own past career, or their contacts in other businesses. But in their business, somehow it sneaks in!

We surf the net and talk to others and that insidious little voice points out how much better those others  are doing. How much money they’re making, how many products they’re selling, and look at all those nice testimonials!

They’re not better than you and it doesn’t matter anyway. Be great with the people that you serve and you will be as successful as anyone.

You are an entrepreneur and you’re running a business. If you’re not running it like a business, then you won’t be one of those “golden” 6&7-figure entrepreneurs. Get contracts, a business plan, marketing and financial plans. Get a coach!

I know you just want to get to the good stuff; working with people. But, if you skip the business parts, then you’ll have less opportunity to do so.

Read Hugh’s article and get back to me and tell me what the impact is on you. Thanks!