Plant a Seed...and Watch It Grow...

A few weeks ago I planted a seed...a sunflower seed to be specific. Below is a picture of the newly sprouted sunflower.

In this picture the plant is about ONE INCH tall. If it survives the elements of nature and nature takes its course, this small plant will grow to be TWELVE FEET tall. Quite amazing, don't you think?

Months ago, Gordon planted a "seed" in my "garden".

I sort of let it grow a little, watered it now and then, pulled up a few weeds that were choking it out, tangled with a giant who kicked me in the teeth...

Gordon would stop by now and then...pull a few weeds, add a little fertilizer, and water once in awhile.

But, you see, it was MY garden, not his. I was responsible for tending to the plant, not Gordon.

Well, somehow that seed survived and sprouted and has grown. The harvest is yet to come...

Thank you, Gordon--the gifted gardener.

Have a blessed day!

JDB


"Online Auction Basics"

Hi JDB!

Wow, great post.... Gordon has helped many of us to plant various seeds in the fertile soil -- myself included....

Now, many of these seeds are now sprouting into plants and even starting to bear fruit!

It's great to see that the seed which you planted has now started to grow, Congratulations!

Looks like a great site, product, and forum.... I'm looking forward to some great discussions there.... :)

- Dien

Hi JDB!

Wow! I am thrilled for your new venture...and I have often wondered/inquired within/sought an answer to HOW to best utilize online auctions to bring me more business....more money in the bank is ALWAYS a good thing!

And I am delighted to see a PICTURE of you there on the site. Since we can't all go to Akron and visit Gordon and Rick (or maybe we should all just pick a date and show up? I am laughing at that thought!! Wouldn't that be a hoot?!?!?!) it is great to connect a picture to the words.

Congratulations again! Continue to til the soil and the result will be a plentiful harvest!

With Purpose and Passion,

JULIE JORDAN SCOTT

> A few weeks ago I planted a seed...a
> sunflower seed to be specific. Below is a
> picture of the newly sprouted sunflower.

> In this picture the plant is about ONE INCH
> tall. If it survives the elements of nature
> and nature takes its course, this small
> plant will grow to be TWELVE FEET tall.
> Quite amazing, don't you think?

> Months ago, Gordon planted a
> "seed" in my "garden".

> I sort of let it grow a little, watered it
> now and then, pulled up a few weeds that
> were choking it out, tangled with a giant
> who kicked me in the teeth...

> Gordon would stop by now and then...pull a
> few weeds, add a little fertilizer, and
> water once in awhile.

> But, you see, it was MY garden, not his. I
> was responsible for tending to the plant,
> not Gordon.

> Well, somehow that seed survived and
> sprouted and has grown. The harvest is yet
> to come...

> Thank you, Gordon--the gifted gardener.

> Have a blessed day!

> JDB




Dare....................

Hi John,

Very inspiring message -- thanks for sharing! I'm sure that with your evolving online auction empire, you've got your own 'seed-planting' incidents to point back to, which make the harvest that much sweeter.

For me, the seed planting is hands-down the most rewarding part of any business venture. In today's age of hyper-technology and instant gratification, the spawning of ideas in their most primitive form seems to have become a lost art.

For example, in the past few months, we've created extraordinary growth for one of our clients, to the tune of a $1.6 Million annual revenue stream -- all created from scratch.

But it was not the escalating sales reports that were the most rewarding part for me (though those were pretty sweet :). Nor was it the completion of the web site...nor the implementation of automated sales systems.

The times I will always remember were taking pen to paper and mapping out the initial model while sitting at the end of the Santa Monica pier overlooking the ocean. And writing the copy over more Mocha Frappucinos at Starbucks than I care to admit :) And perhaps most of all, furiously typing away on my laptop at 3am in my hotel room in Spokane, Washington, because I had a breakthrough idea and wanted to run with it.

It's remembering those times, when there was nothing but a seed, that makes the current harvest that much more fulfilling.

I did promise a quick tip, so let's go from theory to application for a moment.

One of the most challenging concepts when 'planting a seed' is having the vision and persistence to see your idea through. Sometimes that harvest can seem a million miles away, and it becomes very tempting to divert your attention or focus.

Should this ever occur, I've found that the following thought-process can be VERY helpful:

First, set goals for your project, and be extremely specific. I know this is very basic...but stick with me. For example, let's say you're aiming to net $100,000 per year when your seed comes to fruition. And let's further assume it'll take you a full 100 hours to go from concept to implementation. Finally, let's say that once the project is up and running, and mostly automated, you'll work 2 hours per day to monitor and tweak as necessary.

So we've got a total of approximately 600 hours that you'll work on this project throughout the year.

$100,000/600 = $167 per hour! (You'll actually earn much *more* than $167 for the lifetime of the project, but you get the idea...)

So the key is to have the conviction from the beginning that you're being paid $167 per hour even in the idea stage. I'll tell you...earning $167 per hour while sitting on the beach can be quite a rush!

Anyway, I hope this illustration has helped some of you crystallize and focus your thoughts in the beginning stages of your empire creations!

Thanks for reading, and for being part of such a positive board full of enlightening discussions.

Best regards,

Jesse

> A few weeks ago I planted a seed...a
> sunflower seed to be specific. Below is a
> picture of the newly sprouted sunflower.

> In this picture the plant is about ONE INCH
> tall. If it survives the elements of nature
> and nature takes its course, this small
> plant will grow to be TWELVE FEET tall.
> Quite amazing, don't you think?

> Months ago, Gordon planted a
> "seed" in my "garden".

> I sort of let it grow a little, watered it
> now and then, pulled up a few weeds that
> were choking it out, tangled with a giant
> who kicked me in the teeth...

> Gordon would stop by now and then...pull a
> few weeds, add a little fertilizer, and
> water once in awhile.

> But, you see, it was MY garden, not his. I
> was responsible for tending to the plant,
> not Gordon.

> Well, somehow that seed survived and
> sprouted and has grown. The harvest is yet
> to come...

> Thank you, Gordon--the gifted gardener.

> Have a blessed day!

> JDB

Thanks Jesse,

Here is a pictogrigm from the Square One Workshops:



It is a visual representation of what you described, setting goals and staying with them till they manifest for all to see on the lifeline.

Thanks for sharing your story of success with us, that is how we learn.

Gordon Alexander

Thank YOU, Gordon. This is absolutely fantastic. And as the saying goes, this picture was certainly worth my 1,000 or so words :)

I will definitely save this image and refer to it many times. In fact, I may even use it in my own teachings. Who is the creator of it, so I can be sure to give proper credit?

Thanks again...and may all of your seeds be manifesting magnificence.

Best,

Jesse

> Thanks Jesse,

> Here is a pictogrigm from the Square One
> Workshops:

> It is a visual representation of what you
> described, setting goals and staying with
> them till they manifest for all to see on
> the lifeline.

> Thanks for sharing your story of success
> with us, that is how we learn.

> Gordon Alexander