Authenticity – Page 7 – Disney Brand Loyalty Keynote Speaker

An entrepreneur’s three biggest competitors

Apple Watch reminder app — During yesterday’s run, an epiphany. Created a reminder using Siri.

An entrepreneur’s three biggest competitors:

Curators
Copycats
Wannabes

Curators don’t have their own platform, but they are good at telling us what others have done. The downside is they have no context for the full story – they were never on the inside, never on the front line, never behind the scenes, never privy to the secret reality that outsiders will never know. Nothing is ever as it seems.

Copycats are good at studying and mimicking. They appeal to those easily convinced.

Wannabes are former employees who have gone out on their own because they couldn’t stand the glass ceiling. They are not prepared enough (and never will be) to match the world class karma of their former employer.

And then there are the artists, who operate as a category of one. These folks bring something unique, refreshing, compelling, and inspiring.

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If i have to explain it to you

Avant garde mind explosion — Photo: From unknown Facebook contributor.

One of the most under rated benefits of daily journaling is the cathartic effect of being able to say something publicly, and then letting it go, once and for all.

It’s often been said:

If i have to explain it to you, you won’t understand.

But it sure would be cool to blow that up.

Thank you for calling me a zealot and a narcissist. i’ve always valued your feedback.

Walt Disney was a zealot. As are most people with big dreams. The narcissist label has challenged me, in a good way, though. And thankfully, i can see your point.

In my final annual performance appraisal, my leader used those two words to describe my reputation amongst leadership.

And i finally figured out why he felt that way. At least it feels like the only logical explanation. There are times when all we have is our “gut” instinct.

In order to help him see my value, i would, begrudgingly, share things he would never see – an act of desperation really – simply to raise my salary. It was literally impossible for leadership to carve out time to observe the type of work the delivery team does.

How did i come to this realization?

Being on my own for nearly a year now, my salary is not measured by a leader’s opinion, it is measured in revenue – a metric successful companies put on a pedestal.

No one in their right mind would ask for a 30% raise and 50% fewer work hours.

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The harsh reality of crushing it

Screen shot of marketing scam — Yesterday’s screen shot of a marketing scam.

In the screen shot message above, i can tell you as a highly paid motivational speaker, you are not going to be able to do this fast. Anyone promising fast results is someone you should avoid.

Our social media outlets portray a super savvy entrepreneur who is crushing it.

Right?

Behind closed doors it’s more like we are getting crushed.

Shhh, don’t tell anyone.

Here’s the issue. Everyone is trying to follow the recipes and formulas the gurus promise will lead to your quick, amazing results.

For every successful entrepreneur who’s cut the corporate cord and is going after the “work-from-home-Internet-based-startup” business, there are hundreds, maybe more, that live in this “getting crushed”world.

What’s missing from the guru’s advice?

The truth.

And the truth is, there is no special formula. If there was, everyone would become “amazingly successful”. Quickly.

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What makes you qualified?

MacBook 12-inch box — Bought a week ago, opened the box yesterday. Still haven’t turned it on.

What makes you qualified?

For starters, i do all the stuff i preach about.

Self-confidence and arrogance often look like twins.

And so it goes.

Another in a long list of challenges that are ripe with excuses for backing down.

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The slowest in promising

iPhone calculator — 11,640 blog posts plus today’s five equals 11,645 posts since the first day.

The slowest in promising, are the most faithful in delivering.

Do not fear going slow, fear standing still.

Note: Tack on 500 additional posts that have gone live since this post was written 100 days ago…12,140 posts posted…plus another 500 written and scheduled to post for the next 100 days…12,640 posts written. Humbled by the magnitude of “one foot in front of the other.

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