The Concept Chronicles continue…
Justin Brewer, super intern here, with another installment of my blog. I have been travelling the speed of light trying to get everything done that I need to accomplish, however, things are starting to settle down  and a little more sand seems to be occupying my hourglass while a higher percentage of my blood becomes pure coffee. This blog post will be a short one, but, but later on in the week I will blog againand update everyone as to just why I have been so busy.  Also, this week is the beginning of myregular blogging routine.  From now on, I will be blogging at least once every week. Blog.  …Sorry, just wanted to say “blog” one more time.

So, last post I had the pleasure of introducing myself, but this week I have the oppurtunity to introduce someone else.  As you already know, SuperHero Marketing is, just as the title would lead you to believe, a site of experts represented by hero avatars in which the public can, “Hire a Hero”, based on their expertise, to help them with all their business needs.  There are only two Heroes now, Captain Arcimedia (aka Doug Greathouse) and Starlight (aka Charity Akers Durham).  Part of one of my many jobs as the super intern and resident youngblood,
is to create images for these Heroes

I have been working on Adam Moore’s character.  Adam is a Social Media Marketing specialist and Search Engine Optimization. Doug and I threw some ideas together and decided to go with a “wizard” type look to the Hero.  After there was a name coined, I penciled it out, inked it, and then scanned it in to computer color it just the way it is done today in the comic industry. The result?  I am pleased to present to you, Optimystic!

I hope everyone is impressed with my rendering of the character and please, by all means, comment, tweet, critic, I want to hear feedback from anyone who sees this to help me and everyone that I work for.  I still have a lot of characters to draw up including my own, so if you like this one there is much more to come!

Justin C. Brewer

Intern Factoid #2 :  Justin’s favorite comic book is Mike Mignola’s “Hellboy”.

Stay tuned for my next post later in the week!

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Sorry for chopping my head off in this video.
If  you are SERIOUS about creating an online business from your passion get this book.

Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion

http://crushitbook.com/crush-it-the-experience/

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Do you remember when you where a kid and life was full of possibilities? Then it seemed that as you got  older the dreams got smaller and you no longer thought that you could be anyone or do anything you put your mind to. We were all told by someone whether it was a teacher, family member, boss, or someone else that obviously felt the need to “bring you back to earth” that we where being unrealistic. Their prognosis of our worth or ability was more than likely based on where we where in our life at that point. We may have not had great grades, been a good athlete, or not in a good social economic situation.

I bet you can think of a few “Champions” that choose to not believe the limited value others chose to place on them and put complete belief in themselves. Ever hear of Michael Jordan? Someone thought he wasn’t good enough to play varsity basketball as a sophmore in High School. Or Walt Disney? There was a time when no one would hire him as an artist or even an ambulance driver.  Well instead of these individuals accepting “their lot in life” they chose instead to prove to the world their worth. Michael took his “demotion” to the JV squad and became a star in every level that he played at from that point on. As for Walt, well I guess we all know he can draw.

The naysayers tend to grow when we reach adulthood. Life can defeat you if you let it and when we feel defeated we tend to pass that defeat on to others. Remember this No-One is going to believe in you more than you believe in yourself. I urge you to be an inspiration to others and not a dream crasher. If you truly believe that you can accomplish something and are willing to do what it takes to get there, do not let anyone take you off track. Most of the time people extend to others what they believe about themselves, so in essence when someone tells you that you cannot do something, they are saying that they could not see themselves doing anything of the caliber of what you are shooting for. That is more than likely true for them because they allow a limited belief structure to exist in their lives. Do you think Michael Jordan tells his kids to compromise on what they want to be or do?

I hate to say it but a lot of the blame can be placed on some of our parents. Every mother and father say that they think their child can do or be anything, but in their heart of hearts do they really believe it? When that moment comes when your child wants to chase their dream, do you give them all the “sensible” options or do you tell them to go for it. I am not saying that if your child cannot play Mary had a little lamb on the piano that you tell them to go start auditioning at concert halls, but inform them of the hard work and dedication it takes to realize their dreams and then if they understand urge them to follow their passion. Work filled with passion will always lead to great things.  Maybe start with more piano lessons. Success has a price for sure, so for those of us that are willing to pay that price, in the words of Aerosmith “Dream On!”

“Whether You Think You Can or Can’t, You’re Right”–Henry Ford“

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How many times, as a small business owner, have you had to do something you had no idea of how to accomplish? When you’re working to find out how to accomplish these tasks instead of actually completing them you are, in fact, wasting time. Granted, you are learning something new, albeit at  a frustrating pace and still have not finished the task you set out on. This is why building your team is crucial.

Team building as an entrepreneur is sometimes tricky. You usually have a lot of needs and not enough cash flow. This is why working with other entrepreneurs is so important. Using each other as a resource can be your most valuable resource! For example, let’s say there is a GREAT web design company who is overloaded with great ideas but lacks the organization to make them happen. Then there is a terribly organized entrepreneurial minded woman who needs direction in her business creation. A Perfect Match!! The design company uses her organizational skills to implement more of their great ideas and she uses their great ideas to create her business. The key is meeting the right people. Once again I say: Network!

As an entrepreneur there is a lot to be said for self education and doing things for yourself. If your PR skills are awesome–Go for it! If your advertising skills are amazing–Go for it!! If you can design and create your own branding–Go for it!! If you are experienced in accounting–Hit the books! If you are lacking the necessary skills in any of these areas, I highly recommend  seeking professional help. This is a very sensitive area for business owners, because in a way you are letting a piece of yourself go by trusting someone else to market your business or handle your book keeping.  No one knows your business like you do, no one loves your business like you do but if you do not have back ground in marketing, accounting, PR, or advertising, I do not recommending taking on these tasks alone. This is an easy area of your business to loose money in. A marketing professional can better direct you for your best marketing investment. A professional accountant can make sure you have all your ducks in a row and don’t have to deal with Uncle Sam face to face in IRS court. Seriously, are you an entrepreneur who can afford to waste money??

There are three basic things you need when building your team 1) Build a cultural interdependence (see above example). 2) Get your people to think and act like owners. When entrepreneurs work together each is an owner of their business but by being such an awesome resource for each other, a vested interest in each other’s business is created. 3) Focus on each person’s value to the organization, know each team members strengths and allow them to do what they’re good at.

Building a great team is the start of building a successful business. For a great CPA (in South Carolina), check out Nason Way Accounting and of course for marketing assistance I’m partial to Arcimedia’s SuperHero  Marketing.

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There are tons of things in life that can attack our demeanor and effectiveness. One of the worst is worrying to much about the small stuff. Life is much too short to let small events, people, or circumstances get us down. The more you focus on these things that peve you, the more power you give them. That guy that cut you off in traffic, Who’s day did he ruin? not his and he does not have to ruin yours either. There are so many things in life that will happen that are out of our control. So why not worry about the “Big Fish” and throw all those little ones back. Before you know it you have so many of those little fish in your boat you start to sink.

I am sure everyone has heard the old cliche ” It is not what happens to us in life but, how we deal with it” .  As tired as that may seem , to me it is something that I choose to live by. We all know someone that seems to never have a bad day and always seems so chipper with a “carpe diem” attitude and I am willing to bet there are times when  many of you on one of your “bad days” just wanted to punch that person. We also know that person that seems to think it is always raining. You may ask yourself? What is the difference between the glum gus and that happy go lucky person? You may think that that happy go lucky individual  just has an easier life  or they are really good at hiding their anxiety and frustrations. That is not it at all, they just choose to deal differently with the things that happen in life.

I would like to quote the great Jay-Z and say ” Go ahead and brush your shoulder off” . When that person cuts you off what are you going to do about it? Get all riled up , give them the “bird” and stare at them menacingly at the light? What does that accomplish? If you say it makes you feel better, you are lying. The answer is absolutely nothing.

There are plenty of things that warrant us getting upset in life. However, for the most part many of us let everything get to us. This leads to a high level of stress, makes us less effective, and less fun to be around. When your focused on that small problem or incident  it impairs your ability to focus on positive things. The stress can also lead to health problems.

My challenge to anyone that sees “sweating the small stuff”  as something hindering them is to whenever you start to get upset, take a second and really reflect on what you are upset about. Is it really worth the anxiety and stress? If it is a conflict with another person is there a better way to deal with it than projecting your frustration? If you gain nothing from getting upset about it then why get upset?

I am not sure if I believe that anyone is naturally more high- strung  than anyone else. I believe it is mental conditioning that makes us see the world one way or another. So train your mind to stop giving so much power to those “small fish”.

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Does it take you an extended period of time to “get up” in the morning? Wait a minute, I know what your thinking this is not an advertisement for Viagra. The first thing you should do even before grabbing that first cup of java, is workout. Yes this does mean you will have to wake up another 30 minutes earlier, however it is much more beneficial to you than that extra 30 minutes of sleep anyway.

Other than the having to get up earlier I already know a lot of you have other excuses. I am ready to debunk those right now. You may say “I have to go to the gym and I only have time to go after work”. Three solutions for you

• Again, Wake up earlier so that you can go to the gym in the morning
• Purchase a home gym. If you use it it is well worth the investment and you can immediately get some of that back when you stop paying your gym membership
• If the weather is nice go for a jog or a bike ride
• If the weather is not nice do non weight resistant exercises like sit ups and push ups.

Here is another one “I have to many distractions in the morning” ( ie.. family members, pets, need to hear/watch/ or read the news)

• In the case of family members being distractions, get up earlier than they do, or if that is not possible let them know that you need to be uninterrupted during your 20 minute workout.
• With pets, the only pet that could be a distraction is a dog (with their unrelenting need for attention). Dogs are actually the perfect excuse to workout, take the dog for a jog with you. If the weather is still your excuse put them in the garage or another room for 20 minutes while you workout. If you are one of the rare individuals that have a monkey or tiger as a pet, I am at a loss and you would know better than I how to handle them.
• Trust me the news is hardly ever positive and one of the worst ways to start your day. Turning on the television in general is a bad idea most of the time, not just in the morning. I recommend turning on your radio, starting up I-tunes, or listening to your I-pod while you workout. Their is one catch make sure what you are listening to is either inspiring, educational, or music that gets you energized. The combination of the mental boost with the physical boost of the workout is amazing.

Losers make excuses, winners make it happen -Bubba Sparxxx ( Yes, Bubba Sparxx. I am at least 8o% sure he wasn’t the first to say this. That is just what came to mind plus the song it is in is catchy)

Now that I have eliminated your excuses, let me tell you the benefits of a morning workout.

• Recent research shows that you will have a better workout when you are “mentally fresh”. You have not have had a chance to be mentally fatigued first thing in the morning.
• Working out builds your confidence. Would you rather have extra confidence right from the start of your day or somewhere in the middle or end of your day?
• Research has also shown that you are more likely to develop a habit of working out if you do it first thing in the morning “free from all those distractions you will encounter during the rest of your day”
• You have freed up that time later in the day to be more productive or social. For example, if you used to work out on your “lunch break”, now you can actually have lunch and spend time with co-workers ,friends, or clients.
• Working out jump starts your metabolism. Your metabolism stays elevated for hours. By working out in the morning your increased metabolism will be working (and burning more calories) while you are, instead of when your body is at rest. This is even more important if you sit at a desk all day.
• Energy!!! A morning workout will release endorphins and other hormones to give you a much-appreciated boost that often lasts all day.
• Working out puts you in a better mental state and reduces stress. Training before your day officially begins allows you to start each day with a fresh perspective. This will help you reduce the chances of become stressed or upset during the course of your new day.
• Training in the morning will help you regulate your appetite for the day. You will gradually discover that your meal times become like clockwork and you won’t get as many cravings and serious dips in energy levels, which will deter binge eating and overzealous snacking.
• Working out regularly results in better sleeping patterns and better sleep quality. Your body will tell you that it’s time for bed, but knowing that you need to workout in the morning will help get you in bed sooner. It is very important to give your body the time and rest that it needs to recuperate from your training.
• A morning workout will improve your diet . You’ll need the proper nutrients, which will cause you to crave better foods, and you won’t want to waste the hard work that you put in by eating unhealthy foods.

With all those benefits how can you not move your workout to first thing in the morning.

Carpe Diem!!!

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Are You one of those people that attempts to get as much information as possible on a potential opportunity? I do not advocate going into anything blindly. However, there is such thing as information overkill.

Let me pose a scenario for you. Say that one of your goals was to improve your fitness and you wanted to find the best diet plan and gym to use before starting to get fit. How much information do you actually need ? You could spend months researching before you ever begin. That is months you are taking away from your health. The worst case scenario in making a quick somewhat educated chose in this matter is that you don’t like the gym or diet. Then just keep making those quick somewhat educated decisions till you find what works. The worst thing you can do is not take action. You will learn more from taking action than from a mountain of research. Best of all it will be first hand personal knowledge.

The successful businessman and author T Harv Ecker once got a job as a busboy at an all night dessert cafe to learn about that business. He knew that he could learn a lot more on the “inside” than he could have ever learn from regular research. In the end he decided that the dessert cafe business was not for him. If he hadn’t taken action, he may have spent months researching and then possibly starting a business that he really did not like. Had he liked the business and decided to open one of his own, he would already know the “real life” inner workings of the business.

Let me tell you a story from my own personal experience. I had been in the food and beverage industry for the greatest part of my life in many different capacities busboy, waiter, and manager and then one day oppurtunity knocked. My best friend had worked for a brief time at a local web design firm and after being gone from there for a while, he asked me if I wanted to start a Web Design business. My knee jerk reaction was “How are we going to do that?”. It did not seem to make sense because

1) I knew very little about web design.

2) My college education in computer science was ages ago and with the speed of technological advances in that area, It was pretty much null and void.

3) He had only had limited albeit “first hand” exposure to the field.

4) Forget that I did not know web design, more importantly we did not know much about starting or operating a business.

I then thought about it for about 3-4 minutes and said let’s do it.
Why with all the obstacles set in front of us did I agree to move forward?

1) I am a avid reader and have a passion for learning. I knew that I could learn all the skills necessary for a Web Designer.

2) I was a manager for a large casual dining chain for many years. With that knowledge base of running the daily operations of a high volume restaurant in addition to my leadership skills, I would have the foundation of skills needed to run a business of my own.

3) I also spent a short period of time as a insurance salesmen. With that experience, I also had a good sense of the sales process. I am also very good with people in general, so that is a great asset to have out of the gate and something that is hard to teach.

4) I worked very hard and in two years time I accumulated the equivelant of a college education and more in the areas of web design and graphic design, without all the general education classes getting in the way.

5) Probably the most important thing of all is I have a passion for art! Web design even though it is very technical is also a creative process and that is what I love about it most. We added graphic design services to our business soon after startup, so I have yet another outlet for my passion for art.

What is the result of starting this business a little over two years ago?

1) We have been profitable pretty much out of the gate and the business is constantly growing.

2) We expanded from a two person operation to a five person operation and growing.

3) I have not only learned Web Design but also Graphic Design, Internet Marketing, Search Engine Optimization, and several different programming languages. I consider myself a master at some of these skills and and adept at others. I am constantly refining my skills on a daily basis. I also realize even though I want to be a master of all of them and more, it is not necessary because I have a team around me that are masters at their particular area of expertise.

4) I have a challenging and rewarding business that I get to experience or learn something new on an almost daily basis.

5) I Love What I do!!

If I had decided to over research the oppurtunity, it probably would have never came to fruition. I would have let all the obstacles squash my passion. It was not easy and I am sure we will continue to face challenges and oppurtunities as we grow but at least we got started and I am loving it.

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New Year’s resolutions are not for smart entrepreneurs. If you made a New Year’s resolution this year, erase the resolution label and make it just another goal on your long list. Waiting to set a goal until New Year’s Eve or Day is only proving your a procrastinator.
Whether it is a personal goal or a business goal smart entrepreneurs set and work on those goals on a daily basis.
Most people that make New Year’s resolutions are not goal setters normally and do not have the goal setting habits and disciplines that are gained over consistent practice and execution. So is it any wonder why most New Year’s resolutions fail? The only New Year’s resolution you should make is to become a great goal setter and abandon New Year’s resolutions for the rest of your life.

If you don’t want to take my word for it, I will leave you with some quotes from some people that have had a great deal of success in their life.

Mark Twain
New Year’s is a harmless annual institution, of no particular use to anybody save as a scapegoat for promiscuous drunks, and friendly calls and humbug resolutions.

Mark Twain
New Year’s Day… now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions. Next week you can begin paving hell with them as usual.

Jay Leno
Now there are more overweight people in America than average-weight people. So overweight people are now average… which means, you have met your New Year’s resolution.

Oscar Wilde
Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.

Not sure who said this but I like it.
Anonymous
A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one Year and out the other.

Here are some great articles and resources on goal setting.

Articles:
Goal Setting
Personal Goal Setting

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