Zig Ziglar’s “Consistently Persistent” Mentality

I have not been very “Consistently Persistent” lately.  In fact I have fallen off the wagon over the past couple of months.  I was so inspired when I started this blog and I was even more inspired when I built and started pitching my website (www.OurHealthyVillage.com …Check it out! 😉 ) back in March.  I thought I would be an automatic success and I would be able to blog about it, maybe write a book and do some talks and help others achieve their goals… And then I realized delays and set backs.  I basically ran out of money to live off of while I was getting my website out there.  As a result I have had to put things on the back burner and work towards other aims just to get by….

But “this morning I woke up feeling brand new, I jumped up, feeling my highs and my lows, in my soul and my goals…”  I love Talib Kweli!

I started the day off with a quick meditation and took a walk.  While I walked I was listening to a Seth Godin podcast and Tom Ziglar, Zig Ziglar’s son, was being interviewed.  If you have never heard any of Zig Ziglar’s talks, I highly recommend that you check him out, especially if you are a fellow entrepreneur.  Very motivational.  Anyhow, so Tom Ziglar mentioned an idea of his dad’s which was the idea of being consistently persistent.  I looked inward and asked myself if I was truly being consistently persistent.  Just the fact that I haven’t written a blog in months answers that question.  So here I am, giving it another shot.

The best part of where I am sitting right now is the fact that I have experienced a great set back and a huge disappointment after spending so much time talking myself and my ideas for the website up to where I thought it was going to be too easy.  It has been a good reality check, but at the same time, to tell myself that I won’t back down, that I want to make this work, that I AM going to make this work… I am going to work towards being consistently persistent and success will just follow!

Thanks for reading and have a great day! 🙂

Building A Business From the Ground Up – Video Blog #1

The Magic of Twitter!

Throughout my journey into the wide open spaces of social media I have read and learned first hand that it is a daunting task to jump into the sea of comments, likes, and shares!  So many posts, articles and studies to read!  And how exactly am I suppose to acquire followers?  How am I suppose to be heard?  I also heard that successful entrepreneurs started with a mentor early on.  How do I find a mentor?

It seemed to me that anyone who has enjoyed any substantial level of success more than likely has so many people pining for their time and attention.  The idea of simply hitting up a grand and powerful CEO to ask for some golden nugget of advice would be virtually impossible.  But I kept plugging away.  Reading through tweets, marking favorite, and occasionally making a comment or two.

One night I caught a new tweet from a TED_ED Brain Trust educator/entrepreneur, who tweeted about listening to Carlos Santana while battling jet lag…Wait! So successful, jet setting entrepreneurs are people too?…So I commented on his music selection, not even thinking that this person would have the time or the interest in replying…But he did!  Norris Krueger, a scholar, replied to my comment!  Now for those of you savvy in the social media Universe, this may not be a big deal to you, but to me, this was the jump off!  This was the moment that I realized I can connect with anyone, anywhere in the world!  I can learn from and network along side major players in the game!  Twitter is the even playing ground!  Then it dawned on me that Mr. Krueger has damn near 150,000 followers, the likes of Brian Tracy and Guy Kawasaki!  Oh, all the potential friends and connections to be made!

This gave me an extra boost, extra motivation to really get to know the twitter community!  I have only been really working on building a network on Twitter for about a month or so and I already have about 200 followers (insert plug…Follow me @tolbert_martyne) ;).  May not be much but I feel it is a good start!  Plus, I am following over 600 of the most interesting people and trying to gain as much knowledge and wisdom as I possibly can.  I see the advantages in connecting on Twitter.  Give it a shot, if you haven’t already.  It’s a magical thing!  And I’ll see you out in the ether!

The Psychological Shift From Employee to Entrepreneur

I had heard that so long as you could spell entrepreneur, then you’re in!  Oh, all the lovely fantasies about being your own boss, making your own schedule, creating something, impacting other people’s lives, starting a movement, AND the vacations you will take!  I have already purchased my dream home…in my mind!  The idea of financial freedom is so incredible!  E-N-T-R-E-P-R-E-N-E-U-R!!!!!  Sign me up!

So I went ahead and made the decision and completely abandoned the idea of ever getting a real job again.  I have read countless books, articles, and magazines!  I have subscribed to countless podcasts and newsletter!  I’ve got my dream board up on my wall and I stare at it in a meditative state as I channel all my energy into manifesting my dream life.  I can see it so clearly I can almost touch it!  And of course I’ve read Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich”…THREE times now!  So as far as I know, I have completely prepped my psyche for being an innovative entrepreneur that is really going to make a difference in this world!  At this point I am ready to get to it!  I’ve been studying and planning…now it’s time to start DOING!

Now there is no turning back!  I’m making that leap!… So now what do I do?  All that research…surely I would know what to do first!  And then it struck me!  I am my own boss, I make my own schedule and what that means is I do not have anyone to tell me what my deadline is and I do not have anyone to answer to.  I have no one else’s expectations to meet but my own.  I have to keep myself motivated, and inspired and constantly remind myself of my purpose and that everything will be ok!

We go our entire lives being told what to do and when to do it.  Suddenly entrepreneurship became a little frightening!  Like being thrown out in the deep end of the pool, not knowing how to swim and having to just figure it out as you go.  And what happens when the inevitable big mistake or failure rears it’s ugly head?  A moment that most all successful entrepreneurs say is important to embrace, by the way…Fantastic!  It is up to you to pick yourself up and dust yourself off and keep it movin’!

I took a deep breath and told myself I am just going to take it one day at a time.  I’m going to keep my eye on the prize and continue to research my questions and concerns as they come up, after all Google does know everything!

When I start to get overwhelmed or discouraged I think about the Napoleon Hills, the Henry Fords, the Thomas Edisons, the Soichiro Hondas and the some 85% of successful entrepreneurs who started from the bottom.  I also think about all the resources available to me today.  There is absolutely no reason to not, at very least, give it a shot!  And one last thought…

“Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.”

–     Alfred Lord Tennyson

I do not want to wonder what could’ve been.  So here I go!  I’m going to take the plunge!  I’m all in!

Entrepreneurship…I do!

My Attempt at Grabbing My 15 Minutes of Fame!

So my good friend, Shalene, came across a contest through a talk show that she follows and told me about it.  The contest was to pitch a great business idea and win a $20,000 prize!  She suggested I give it a shot.  To begin with, it was such a great feeling knowing that one of my dear friends had such faith in me and my business venture.  So I was on my way, seeking out my 15 minutes of fame!

The contest was sponsored by Skype and the idea was to use Skype to send a quick video message explaining my business idea.  I was so inspired!  I wrote out a script, rehearsed it about 50 times, I set up a lovely backdrop behind me, and logged onto Skype.  It was so great because it gave me an opportunity to really get my message direct, precise and to the point in less than two minutes…Click Send!  And wait…and wait…and wait some more!

I meditated on it for days!  I visualized what it will be like to sit on the couch and be interviewed by the show’s host.  I had read somewhere that to really program your thoughts and subconscious chatter, it is a good trick to write down what your burning desire is.  Everyday, I wrote “I won $20,000” about thirty times in my journal and then read it back.  I was in the zone!  Like an Olympic athlete, I visualized exactly how it was all going to go down!  Then I started thinking to myself, if I only have fifteen minutes of fame, what could I say to fully utilize my short time and truly impact my life, impact others lives, impact the world?!  I mean, in my mind, I was absolutely going to be placed in front of a million+ viewers!  How incredible it would be to be on that platform and not to mention how $20,000 would catapult my health and wellness internet company to the next level!  I was really pumping myself up!  My heart and mind was spinning!  My daily attitude was so positive, people noticed the extra pep in my step!  I was planning on hanging on to this feeling for the rest of my life, it felt so good…And I hadn’t even won yet!…

SO, the waiting was over, and the results were in.  I was not one of the three finalists.  My business involves connecting local businesses that offer health and wellness solutions with the community, all with the hopes to raise up the local economy collectively.  My plan is to increase social awareness and health consciousness.  Really make an honest and sincere difference in this world!  What I did not consider was the premise of the talk show and the audience.

This talk show focused more on finding the best fashion trends, the best wrinkle cream and the how-to’s such as how-to please your husband, how-to get your kids to school on time and still look good doing it!  All important subjects to many people, but may not be quite the audience or more importantly the atmosphere conducive for my particular genre.  Regardless, this was a great, eye-opening experience for me as a budding entrepreneur!

I learned many things!  For one, it is all about the market segment, the audience.  I know now that I need to be very aware as to who I am speaking to and at what time of the day it is.  Certain times of the day we may be a fashionista, car-pooling mothers and at other times we are health nuts looking to find a great yoga instructor.  So yes, market awareness is crucial!

The other lesson I learned is that a good positive attitude and a definite purpose does wonders!  Visualizing the end result and being at that peak energetic level makes the creation of any project or business venture that much more exciting and invigorating!  So many business gurus and motivational writers and speakers such as Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy, Les Brown, Earl Nightingale, Jim Rohn, Napoleon Hill (and the list goes on) all send out a similar messages.  Develop a burning, undeniable desire and visualize the desired results until you accomplish your goals.  I vow to myself that I will not stop and I will continue to be excited and preserver and know that my success is inevitable!

 Know that your success is inevitable as well!  Go out there and achieve your dreams and goals!  In the words of one of the greatest bands of all time, Journey, “Don’t Stop Believing!”