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Keep Bouncing

Did you ever wish that you had more confidence in the decisions that you made, both personally and professionally, in your day to day life? Of course you did, we all do. Well there is a new book from prominent speaker, author, and entrepreneur Barry Moltz, entitled Bounce, that you should check out.

Bounce takes you through stories of failure and success to show you that life is supposed to be made up of ups and downs. It is the low points that make you appreciate the high points, and the high points that keep you pushing forward through the low points. True business confidence is developed through a number of different experiences, all of which lead you to where you are today, and where you will be in the years to come.

Failure is no fun, we all know that. But it happens every day. Do not fear it or run from it, use it to drive you to success. The book uses the metaphor of a rubber band ball to show you that true Bounce, or business confidence, is something that you build up through the years. It is made up of a number of things, such as humility, and continues to grow with experience. 

In the end, you will be left feeling motivated to conquer whatever challenge lay ahead. Whether it is a simple decision you have been putting off for days, or a difficult position you must take on an issue at work, you will be able to see the big picture much clearer, with a newfound confidence and determination.

Entrepreneurship and the Art of Selling

If the movie “The Pursuit of Happiness” teaches us one thing, it is that when a father and son play a father and son in a movie, it is very believable. And if it teaches us another thing, it is that a never say die attitude is necessary to achieve success. As entrepreneurs, the way we present ourselves can be as important as what we actually do in a lot of cases.

In early classes on marketing and selling, you will always learn that professionalism and confidence in yourself can go a long way toward making you successful. You have to present the look of success and people will be much more likely to believe in what you have to say. Not only are you selling the product or the service, whatever it may be, but you are selling yourself.

In Will Smith’s case, he was playing Chris Gardner, a man who went from a struggling medical supplies salesman to a top stock broker. He did this by constantly communicating to people that he was competent, and willing to lay it all on the line to get the job done. He never gave up and it paid off in the end as he went on to open up his own firm.

As an entrepreneur, it is vital to display an attitude and a look of success right from the very beginning. Start with the end in mind and build your business as if it is successful before you ever start “selling”. Find out what people expect from you and then give it to them. This will ultimately instill a confidence in your customer and clients, and keep them coming back for more. In addition, they will relay the message about how great your company is to their friends and colleagues, leading to more business for you. When you present the look of success, you are calling success to you, and you will be much more likely to grow and achieve your goals.

The Life of a Serial Entrepreneur – Wayne Huizenga

Negotiating and deal-making are important skills to have for any entrepreneur looking to grow his business, especially in the early stages. When you look at some of the most successful entrepreneurs, they all seem to have an uncanny knack for getting a deal done. Nobody exemplifies this more than Wayne Huizenga. For those of you who do not know, Wayne Huizenga is the founder of Waste Management Inc., Owner of the Miami Dolphins, former owner of the Florida Panthers and the Florida Marlins, and mastermind behind the growth of Blockbuster.

Wayne came from a modest upbringing and started in the business world with next to nothing. He turned a one truck garbage business into a multi-billion dollar empire with Waste Management Inc. He was able to accomplish this by acquiring local garbage and disposal companies across the country. His ability to work out a deal, scout talent, evaluate business models, and handle people allowed him to successfully build one of the largest waste disposal companies in the world.

He left the company when he decided it had grown too big and the excitement of rapid growth was replaced with the chore of management and maintenance. But Wayne could not stay away from the business world for too long. He started a small company, Huizenga Holdings, and started to buy out many small service businesses in Florida. Operating almost like a venture capitalist, he would buy a controlling interest in the companies and keep the current owner on to manage the day to day operations.

Wayne is probably most famous for his success with Blockbuster. He took the company from a few movie rental stores to a national leader in movie rentals in approximately 7 years. Because of this he was named Financial World Magazine’s “CEO of the Year” five times and Ernst & Young’s “World Entrepreneur of the Year” in 2005.

His story is very inspiring, especially to those of us who have nothing more than an idea and a dream. He turned his dream into a reality, and he did it with hard work and determination. He is proof that when you set your mind to something you can accomplish it. For more detailed information about his life and business successes I would recommend the book, The Making of a Blockbuster, by Gail Degeorge.