It's Offical. I'm Starting Over.
 

Greetings Group,

Today marks a turning point for me. For some time I needed to sit down and make some serious decisions. Decisions that will effect my family and our livilyhood.

Not for the bad, but for the better. I am walking away from a business and industry that I love and have devoted the past 18 years of my life to. It's a hard decision but it has to be made.

Thanks to Dennis Beavers, nearly 3 years ago, I became a promotional products dealer. I started off like gang busters, but my efforts quickly turned downward, due to hurricanes and having to many pokers in the fire.

From here on out, I will devote 100% of myself to my dealership, promotional products and specialty advertising. I will also continue to produce home study courses in the area of promotional advertising and update earlier publications as needed.

To help me stay on track and measure my progress I have setup a blog, "Rebirth of a Salesman" It is more for personal use, but is open to anyone who might be interested.

I will still frequent this forum, but my posts may be few and far between.

From the Trouse
Woody Quiñones

Re: It's Offical. I'm Starting Over.
 

Woody,

I wish you all the best! You deserve the best, and I'm betting that the odds are you're about to become a very happy man. And, as Dennis has shown so many others, when you love what you do you can be a success at it.

You've always had K&B lurking in the background for the past couple of years. Now, you've moved it to the foregroun!d!

Go get 'em, Woody. I know you can do it!

Blessings,

Pete

Re: It's Offical. I'm Starting Over.
 

Hi Woody,

I had a look at your blog and saw the mention of “Secrets of Closing the Sale - Updated” by Zig Ziglar. Years ago I had a copy of the book and it helped me learn to close a lot more sales. (This may not have been the updated version).

Years later I had a young man at our place trying to sell us a vacuum. He was likable enough and did a good demonstration, but he couldn't close. I asked him about training in this matter and he said they didn't really touch on it. I loaned him the book and told him to bring it back when he was done with it.

Three months later he brought the book back, and he couldn't thank me enough. He was closing more sales than anyone else in the office.

Regards,
Steve MacLellan

Re: It's Offical. I'm Starting Over.
 

Hi, Woody,

Sure am gonna miss ya'! Wish you only the best of success in your new direction.

Want you to know you're not alone. I went through the same thing a couple of years ago. Was tough turning my back on people, forums, and products I believed in but it was the best move I could've made for me. Sometimes to move forward one has to let the old go...at least temporarily, if not permanently.

God bless you and yours. Full speed ahead!

Sandi Bowman

Re: It's Offical. I'm Starting Over.
 

Hello SowPubers!

This must be a growing trend to refocus and concentrate on one thing at a time.

I have been advised by my mentor Mr. Patel to do the same thing.

I even wrote about it at the link below:

http://www.vondrelive.com/MrPatel.pdf

So, I am selling off some businesses and concentrating on some core businesses.

I even sold my last newspaper in August of this year.

I will be keeping an eye on your blog, so post away.

Good Success!

Vondre'

Re: It's Offical. I'm Starting Over.
 

This probably makes sense if it takes up your time... That's because - if you're the only one working the business - you only have 24 hours in a day available to you.

However, if you can set things up as a "system" - so you can even remove yourself from the picture (by outsourcing much of the work or automating it some way) - then there's no reason why you can't have many things going on at once.

I think it's the difference between being "self-employed" and "owning a business" (to put it in Robert Kiyosaki's terms)...

I'm in the process of making the transition from one to the other myself... The hard part is it takes a "mental change" in how you think about things. You really have to start seeing your business as a "system", then it's easier to make the required changes in how things are done in your business so you can turn it into a "system" where you don't have to do everything yourself...

There are several Sowpubbers (now and in the past) who already do this, I'm grateful to have learned (and still be learning) from some of them!

Cheers,

Dien

"Systems" Aren't The Be All And End All
 

Dien,

Thanks for bringing up Systemetising.

I think there is something More Important at play than creating Systems. And that is Doing What You Enjoy.

Regardless of how we word it or otherwise, we all exchange our time for money. Some of us get more money for our time than others. That's just the way of things.

That being the case, it is Better to Do Something You Enjoy for money than something that Other People think well of. Even if that means Getting a Job. Your Mental Relief is Paramount. And something we discussed here previously - quitting a job to get a menial not-paid-to-think job instead. People Look Down on such workers. But Mentally, I hazard to say, they are Happier because they are NOT Keeping Up With The Joneses.

This is something (a journey, if you want to call it that) I've been putting into action since February. I had a Goal. Something I Wanted to Achieve. And I LET things happen, followed the Flow, and through a series of coincidences, have arrived where I intended. Enjoying the journey along the way and meeting Interesting People throughout. (I wrote a Journal entry on my computer on a Daily Basis and found it quite enjoyable as well.)

So While Woody COULD create a System and Keep things he previously had, he just might not want to. He may have Outgrown those things. Or just doesn't get the same Kick out of them as he used to. Or whatever Other Reason HE has. Just because you can doesn't mean you should.

When I took my first steps a friend of mine said to me, "I wish I had your courage." Though, I didn't think it took Courage to do it. What it did take was... a lack of concern. To be free of concern of how things will turn out. A "Don't Care Attitude" if you will. A "Come What May" stance. Let the chips fall how they will fall. Take your pick. Then, you are Mentally Free to begin.

Woody, welcome to the Do What You Want club. You'll enjoy the trip. Thoroughly.

Michael Ross

P.S. The "Do What You Enjoy" mantra has More Depth to it than "follow your hobby" or the usual jibble. And is Worthy of more discussion, if anyone's up for it.

Re: It's Offical. I'm Starting Over.
 

Hi Dien,

Your absolutely correct!

I have some profit systems that run on auto pilot and others that are managed by one of my "Profit Team" Members.

But, I have over 149 web-sites and 7 offline businesses.

With all of that, I will drop the projects that are less profitable and stick with core profit centers that bring in the majority of the cash.

Good Success!

Vondre'

No, They're Not...
 

Jim,

Thanks for your comments.


So if understand this correctly, you are Doing What You Enjoy, right? And That is more important to you, yes? So you agree with what I wrote then. Ok.


It is a smart idea - as long as - it remains in the relm of Doing What We Enjoy (I alluded to the "do what you enjoy" thing being Deeper than the usual Hobby jibble. And, unfortunately, it is this Deeper Understanding that could interfer with getting our respective messages across. We shall see.)

If I really enjoy my Work (work defined as "what I do for money"), then Fine Tuning it to increase the income is wise. BUT, if creating a System out of it, takes me Away from my Enjoyment Zone, then I no longer enjoy my work (my work has changed) and is not wise.


Are you disagreeing and therefore saying I Should do something Other People think well of? Doesn't that put me at the Whim of others people? Because I am Always then doing things they think well of?

I am sure you would rather do something With money than For money. But that doesn't negate the Fact we still need to do something For money, does it? Regardless of how Systemized your business is, you are Still doing something For money. - You even agreed to this point further up the message.


Yes, that is YOU and Not Woody. Woody Might need to get a Kick out of something and you might not. If Woody needs that Kick to feel better or more At Ease or Enjoy his life more, then he shouldn't spend his time and effort creatinf and fine tuning systems for something he dislikes. If you don't need to feel that kick, then either you create the system and implement it, or don't, as it takes your fancy. What YOU need and what Woody need are different things.


I'd like to add... as long as it also gels with your self-satisfaction. There are people who Retire, who own their own home, car, and so on, and who don't depend on Hours Worked for income, who are Miserable. And others who found themselves being Miserable who then Take On Work to feel a sense of self-satisfaction action. To bring Enjoyment back into their lives.

If YOU find that self-satisfaction with your systems that is fine. But You are not Everyone. Everyone is Not you. They must do what They find Self-Satisfying and Enjoyable. Surely you aren't disagreeing with that, are you?

Michael Ross

Woody, good luck to you, and here's some advice...
 

you didn't ask for, but that has never stopped me before...HA!

FIRST, let's reframe the Start Over, OK?

You are actually REFOCUSING,

taking your time and energy and in concert with your wife, you have decided it is time to respectfully remember the past and to excitedly behold your magnificient new future...although the excitement might feel like nervousness...like before a football game...

those kids last Friday had butterflies until they went out and HIT someone...then they got down to business...

So come tomorrow, you'll go out and HIT someone, make the calls and your NEW, exciting bright future begins...

A NEW chapter and a great NEW adventure...and you take some very valuable assets with you...first, Dennis.

He's a pro. He knows the ropes and he avails himself to HELP you in any way he can...that is an asset that someone starting out, or someone trying to go it alone doesn't have...make good use of it.

YOU've done this. YOU know you can be great at this...and you live in an area where a whole bunch of people are starting over...and those businesses need to revitalize themselves with YOUR help...

Thank goodness you made that call...cause they NEED you, whether they know it yet or not...you are in the business of helping build businesses.

YOU have spousal support, may I suggest a little magnet on the fridge as a reminder of your Friday night talk...something you both can look at, she when you are out there making those calls, and you when you come home on one of those less than glorious days...to remind yourself of HER sacrifrices and committment too.

YOU have 5 great little motivators...every call you make dedicate it to one of the kids...to the family...and be the best you can be.

You are in a service business, my local ad specialties guy got sloppy the last couple of years, he took some of his customers for granted, made assumptions, showed up late for appointments...and he lost some advertising business to the new, HUNGRIER guy who gave better service, not better prices...the HOW to succeed in the long run, is to do as Dennis has done, and get that REPEAT business next year by giving SUPERIOR CUSTOMER service...before you enter any door, say to yourself, NO ONE gives better service than I do...and then do it...

IT will mean a few hours of sleep lost, and you'll have to put some fires out, but that is all part of the NEW adventure...what a terrific opportunity...and the further you get away from your LOVE (the other biz you've had so much fun with)...and see the results from your new enthusiasm for giving SUPERIOR customer service...it won't hurt so bad.

IT ain't gonna be easy...you're going to face challenges this week, and you'll be tempted 1001 ways from Saturday to rethink, to REdo, to try something else...but...

Woody, you know how important perseverance is...so stay with it and know we're all rooting for you.

A LOT of people here have had to start over, some of us quite a few times, so hopefully, you'll embrace your bright new future, work hard to make it happen and know there are people "out here" who wish you nothing but success and happiness...and just look around your home and see how much you already have to be grateful for...and that will get your motor running bright and early every morning.

NOW go sell Woody, SELL!!!

Respectfully,

Gordon J. Alexander