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  #1  
Old July 31, 2018, 12:39 PM
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GordonJ GordonJ is offline
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Default Wishy-washy me. Or get off the pot Gordon.

Opportunity knocks, but am I home?

The sorrowful state of an overloaded mind, but, such is our lives, for many of us.

Trying to do too many things, I'm as guilty as the next guy.

I do have priorities, and work is done in an order of importance, top of list is prep for our Hollywood trek to pitch the TV show, and maybe a couple of movie/limited series shows. Lots of hard work in this direction.

But beneath that, is a decades old idea, and a chance to bring it to fruition, and probably can do both, but Hollywood is a for sure, this one, a SQ1 idea, not certain, and posting as much to see my own thinking as anything.

It begins with SPACE, and location. There are several in the area, these two are at the top of the list:

https://bit.ly/2KeuOIF

https://bit.ly/2LOluzN

These are only two blocks apart, both about the same size, basically a big room. The first one has two rooms and is closer to downtown, actually is downtown.

I am debating opening up, finally, my SQ1 Prototype. What would it be?

A library. Unusual collections. Business mixed with self-improvement.
A training center. Tables and chairs. Wi-Fi.
Meeting place.
Multi-purpose center.
A mini-co-op workspace.

So I lease a space. Put in some books, chairs, tables, Wi-Fi router. And open for business.

Let me share a few of the OLD concepts, nothing new here, just haven't given it any attention for a long time.

I like the 2 room space, has a shared lobby and bathroom. Just two rooms.

The back room would be used for ON DEMAND training.

One scenario, person needs to learn MS EXCEL, at least a working knowledge, a beginner's course. If the company is paying for it, or they buy the training themselves; a major problem is getting it when needed. A company can pay a high premium to have someone come on-site and train, but they usually will send people to the University or local training center, when it is scheduled.

Not good for when you need it now.

I can offer that training cheaper, and on demand, for just one person if need be. This is due to a glut of educated trainers, who don't have enough work and are available to teach on short notice.

So that is ONE of the profit centers of the SQ1 locations. I would also have Saturday morning WORKSHOPS, could do two at the same tme, these low cost, few attendees can generate a couple of hundred bux a week profit, probably more than enough to cover the cost of the lease/utilities.

I'm thinking of a private library memberships. Not sure yet. Although I've sold off almost my complete library it would not be hard, albeit more than I would have liked to get the good stuff back and working.

Now, how do I get customers?

I would run ads. I would do an EDDM mailing to the zip code.

Well, anyhow, I'm thinking of running a contest. It hasn't worked very well in the past, but I have given away a few nice prizes, like a new kindle fire.

But, undaunted, I'll try again.

Will give away something. To those who participate, the more, the bigger the prize. One guy---probably gets my used fidget spinner.

So, what types of classes or workshops do you think you would pay for if they were available locally?

These are just some topic stimulators:

How to start a semi-absentee owned business.
How to blog.
How to find gold from other's trash.

Which software would you like to learn?

How to write a TV script.

How about this, what have you paid for, ONline or off, in the way of training, education, self-improvement, books, courses, classes, etc.?

What have you bought online and watched a video at youtube about?

I'm trying to assess a starting point, where I might attract the largest numbers of repeat users of the center, and maybe with enough feed back, I'll make a decision.

Thanks,

Gordon

PS Both these and several other locations are occupied ready, so, it could be open for business the first month. And with tons of vacancies in everywhere USA, I would think this basic big room layout could be adapted to anyone who would want to open up a SQ1 center, for a minimum investment.

Last edited by GordonJ : July 31, 2018 at 12:55 PM.
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  #2  
Old July 31, 2018, 01:25 PM
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GordonJ GordonJ is offline
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Default The original idea and plan.

OK, the original plan had 12 REGIONAL centers, each center would have 12 satellites. The satellites, are basically people, who can work out of their homes.

The Regional Center operator would be a SQ1 certified instructor and coordinator. The 12 people would serve as distributors. They would also be qualified to teach the SQ1.

The product? THE PROSPECT.

Self-improvement, personal development, continuing education.

All ideas and big markets at that to help people along their life lines.

Self improvement has made people like Tony Robbins, Eckhart Tolle and Richard Allen tons of moolah. And hundreds of other people too.

Old friends Jim Straw and Melvin Powers sold self improvement, with Jim having a focus on business and money making.

In addition to regular universities, millions are spent with online colleges, schools, Masterclasses, etc. etc.

When I originally came up with the SQ1, and the whole PROSPECT AS PRODUCT idea, I was looking for lifetime value.

Areas where people would spend money and invest in themselves.

Jim Straw called his works, like Peanuts on a Bar. And his repeat customers accounted for huge sums of money. Same with Melvin Powers, who twice told me (a decade and a half apart) that if he had to start from scratch he'd begin with one self-improvement book.

The Square One Workshops were the foundation of our Seeds Of Wisdom web site and forum, where we wanted to plant seeds of knowledge for harvests of happiness.

The SQ1 were cobbled together from several real life experiences, including my time in the Navy (maps and setting goals), qualifying on a submarine (the qual card process) and from my 20 years of social work, using Individual Habilitation Plans, IEducationP's, PPP, IRP, PLANS, whatever they were called.

And from Golf. Training and keeping score. All of these elements went into the Square One Workshops. I left out religion, belief, dogma, and focused on what would work anywhere, on REALITY. Like the fact you are going to die.

And KNOWING that fact, doesn't it only stand to reason, you might as well LIVE while you can? Live the way YOU want to, live where and do what you want. Yet so many people can't, won't and don't live where and how they want.

Maybe because they weren't taught otherwise. I don't know.

I do know that AWARENESS plays a big role and living in reality beats a fantasy world hands down, and that people can and in fact DO CHOOSE their lives, even if that is a life of misery and self inflicted suffering.

The SQ1 are the instruction book no one ever gave you on how life works.

Not in theory or based on a given belief, but, how as an adult if you don't have control of your life, you have WILLINGLY SURRENDERED that control, a truth many don't like to hear.

Anyhow, the SQ1 center would be a place to continuously learn, grow and develop self while interacting with like minded people.

When I was doing social work, many of my peers thought business was somehow evil, and that making money was a crime...truly, many social workers still feel this way.

Making money is only an EFFECT. Plenty of good people doing good for others and making more than average wages to do it.

I've never had a line in the sand separating the social work from the for profit guys. In fact, I worked for more than one NOT for profit organizations which were run by jerks and a-holes, and more ego than a celebrity President to boot.

I've studied a lot of different things, from learning Astrology with the late great Annie Hershey, to metaphysics with Russel Thomas, to living off the land if need be. Practical things like skinning and cooking rabbits and squirrels (catching the latter with dental floss even) to very impractical things like NLP (or BS).

It is a big world out there, but the one thing I've seen since childhood is WAY TOOO MANY people living less than happy, fulfilled and satisfying lives.

And all too often because no one gave them a realistic way to make lasting changes. As the Eagles sang; " ...every form of refuge has its price".

Which includes those unhappy souls who find peace in drugs, alcohol and cults.

The SQ1 begins with a PERSONAL Lifeline, you have to draw your own. I've had several people over the years try to create a nice looking SQ1, all filled out...but they don't get it.

You have to write your own out, in your own hand. It isn't a fill in the blanks form, it is created from your memories and your experience, and no two are ever alike, how could they be? (Twins maybe come close).

So at the centers we'd begin there, and THEN address the current desire, be it for more money, a better job, a relationship, all of which can be answered by the SQ1 but you have to have one first.

All the training, reading, workshops, study groups serve one purpose, to make the INDIVIDUAL the result. YOU get what you want. Once you know what and why.

Been pretty much my mantra for 25 years.

Maybe, maybe not. I'll get around to it and actually open the first SQ1 center.

A question.

If I could prove a center leader could EASILY make $100,000.00 the first year, would any of you have any interest in knowing how?

Thanks,

Gordon

Last edited by GordonJ : July 31, 2018 at 02:39 PM.
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  #3  
Old August 1, 2018, 08:38 AM
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Ankesh Ankesh is offline
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Default Re: Wishy-washy me. Or get off the pot Gordon.

Thanks Gordon for wanting to help people change their lives.

Do you have the energy and the time to manage both - building a new SQ1 centre and doing your Hollywood thing - together?
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Old August 1, 2018, 11:11 AM
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Default Re: Wishy-washy me. Or get off the pot Gordon.

You're a wealth of knowledge, Gordon! Keep being awesome. What percentage of people actually succeed to implement concepts like that in your experience?
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Old August 1, 2018, 12:19 PM
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GordonJ GordonJ is offline
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Default Thanks Ankesh, by the way, GREAT newsletter.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ankesh View Post
Thanks Gordon for wanting to help people change their lives.

Do you have the energy and the time to manage both - building a new SQ1 centre and doing your Hollywood thing - together?

Always look forward to your stories, keep em coming.

To answer your question, yes or no. If we don't connect with HOLLYWOOD, plenty of time and energy to do many other things. That is the fork in the road, if the scarecrow says come on in, then we'll follow the yellow brick road to Sunset Blvd. IF, we don't get the kind of feedback we need to pursue it, then we do have time for other things.

Especially me.

Also, I hope a one year cycle will be enough for the SQ1 place, with me being very NON present, I may lay down the initial video, but then anyone will be able to teach it...what we need to learn is which tracks will be profitable, what information, courses, workshops or stand alone classes or training will
be recurring and on going.

When I worked at New Horizons computer training center, we dealt with mostly corporate training, some in-house, mostly at our site. Something like MS Office is an ongoing thing, with a focus on any given parts of the suite.

So, I imagine being up to date on current software and Internet Marketing will be a big part of what we do.

You make a great point, and NO, not time for both...but both are speculative, albeit the biz plan for the SQ1 has been on the books a decade or more, the
"plan" for Hollywood calls for a lot of things out of our hands; timing, the right people, unless we really want to do the Spike Lee route, (not at this time) and produce the content on our own.

For me, either creative road would be just fine, but since I have other family to consider, we want to give all the creativity a best possible shot.

One thing, you might find interesting, and we somewhat tested this...we'd run HELP WANTED ads as our first "advertising/awareness", with an emphasis on 1099ers and Independent Contractors, needing a bare bones office staff, maybe ONE good assistant to do the office work.

Thanks Ankesh, your input is not only appreciated but also given the gravitas it deserves too!

Gordon

PS. I really think there are a few people with enough SQ1 under their belt that I don't think I'd have to dedicate my every awake hour to it, and that is kind of the goal, set it up so I'm quickly eliminated, because it isn't about me, but about THEIR results.

Last edited by GordonJ : August 1, 2018 at 12:59 PM.
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Old August 1, 2018, 12:25 PM
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GordonJ GordonJ is offline
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Default A very, very good question.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Farrell View Post
You're a wealth of knowledge, Gordon! Keep being awesome. What percentage of people actually succeed to implement concepts like that in your experience?

Thanks Farrell, GREAT question. And I've gotten myself in hot water before, because I actually did a very unscientific, informal but revealing research project.

I chose Tony Robbins. Why? I featured him in the 1997 NPGS UPDATE HOTLINE when I was with SCI. And even then he had over a decade of followers to tap into.

I contend, MOST people never implement the concepts their, or any guru or teacher gives them. MOST people. I will fall back on the Pareto idea, the so-called 80-20 rule, but my gut says it is more like 95-5.

If you had the ability to survey Tony's attendees over the last 20 years, and they would number into the tens, if not the hundreds of thousands of people...

I believe we would find the majority right where they started, albeit, they may THINK they have changed and will credit Tony with whatever change took place. There is a principle of FIRST GURU encountered, which can be seen very clearly in the copywriting crowd.

Which ever GURU one comes in contact with first, and resonates, will be the guy (or gal) at the top of the mountain. If that is Halbert, Kennedy, Abraham, or any of 101 other teachers, a person will often defend and standby THEIR choice, and we learn from Cialdini the idea of commitment and consistency.

If someone has committed 10k bux to Tony Robbins, I'd bet the farm they are now secure members of his 'cult'. You wouldn't be able to persuade them anything negative about Tony.

Now he is easy to pick on, but he also probably has the largest army of followers of any of the self help gurus.

It is a lot like golfers. Although I proved beyond the shadow of anyone's doubt that my golf instruction led to faster results than the PGA model, and even including those who have had a PGA golf coach for years,

they tend to plateau. They know the concepts well.

A PGA taught golfer knows the statics; grip, stance, swing. Yet overall golf statistics indicate the handicap of today's golfer is about the same as it was 25 years ago, and this in spite of better balls, clubs, friendlier courses...

and you rightly said IMPLEMENT. I think a million people know the concept of the Law of Attraction, and Tony Robbins teaches his own brand of it...

they know goal setting, dream boards, visualization, believing as it already exists; yada, yada, yada.

Yet from those millions, how many do you think have successfully implemented what they have learned?

I think, very darn few.

Now, that being said...

What is different about the SQ1, say from some generic Law Of Attraction guy with his 12 must do thingys., The SQ1 is personal. No two can be alike, and so instead of having to follow someone's mantras, rules, laws of success, the "do it my way, you'll get my results" (bullshizen) of the gurus,

The SQ1 will tell you why, your personality, your background, your experience may be the block which prevents you for doing it their way.

See, I have long fought the one size fits all crowd. The do what I did, get what I have LIE, is the biggest myth in all of self improvement. Imagine, the thousands of guys who bought Jack Nicklaus tapes, books and tried to do what Jack did...how many got his results? HA!

That may be an extreme example, but Tony Robbins said that exact thing decades ago, when he was teaching everyone to stay in love...by recalling those wonderful moments, and putting yourself in a state of mind...and you too, could stay in love, just like Tony did...

and that was, what? How may girlfriends/wives ago?

So sorry to be so long winded, you hit a nerve, I'm very skeptical, I think very little is applied.

VERY few succeed and fewer still actually stay with any implementation.

Now, if you do the SQ1, and you see yourself on various loops, that is, if you keep doing some of the same things over and over, then you stand a chance to uncover the blocks which may be preventing you from fully implementing the concepts.

I do know people who have spent thousands of dollars with Tony, and others, and are basically running on the same treadmill they were on when they discovered the Master.

Results come from continuous, ADJUSTED efforts within your highway (or 5 ring circus).

I am of the opinion, most self-help, self-improvement courses never address the reasons why people don't get the results they were promised...

and the guru would say (after spending your thousands of dollars).."YOU didn't follow my directions, YOU didn't DO what I did."

And there you have the universal weasel cop-out why so many systems, concepts don't work; not because they weren't attempted...

but because they didn't fit.

Very few people understand that, and thus; down another rabbit hole they go.

Gordon

Last edited by GordonJ : August 30, 2018 at 10:37 AM.
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  #7  
Old August 2, 2018, 12:55 PM
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GordonJ GordonJ is offline
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Default Some of the more arcane classes.

How about a class on TOLL BOOTHS?

Or How to Form Strategic Alliances?

Heck, there is enough talent and experience right here, I could easily design a dozen classes, some webinars live, others on video...for hard to find information and direct from DOERS.

I am pretty sure I could fill up a class for Pet Photography, or Fantasy Photos, got THAT expert here.

No doubt we could offer EXPERIENCE on starting small businesses, from headlight cleaning to band management.

These are the types of classes which get overlooked in mainstream, and are found in NICHE videos, at YouTube, but one of the problems with learning from remote sources is, some people, maybe most...

prefer a real live instructor to answer questions and SQ1 Center for Billionaire development, I'll keep my random thoughts on a tight leash this month, too much to do to get ready for Hollywood baby.

Thanks to all who responded, here and via PM, email.

Gordon
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