Insanity for Success?

Hello My Friends!

    I am going to write this today to tell you about my success journey. I have been at the peak of my game, as well as at the bottom of it. I'll start by telling you that, "Success is not the path of least resistance, but it is the path that needs persistence". I have done the right things, as well as the wrong things. I have starved myself to be able to "invest" one more dollar. I have built a business that paid me $5,000/month. I have been homeless. You name it, I've been in that situation. However, I am stuck on my path because I BELIEVE that what's possible IS possible for me.

     There are people who are called, "Dream Stealers"; your family, friends, neighbors, or even people who DON'T know you. They don't think you are incapable of being successful and they simply believe that you can't do it because of their OWN lack of success. Once you recognize this, you WILL do what you have to do as fast as you can so you can do what you want to do as long as you can.

     Basically you will get what you want as long as you don't quit. One of my millionaire mentors told me on Saturday that, "It's ok if you get derailed for a short period of time, as long as you don't stay derailed and get back on the tracks you will be ok". Now, this moved me because I find it to be an extremely true statement. In order to get what you want, you have to do something until you get it; NOT try something out to see if it will work, but to actually DO something UNTIL it works.

     Something that works for me, as someone once asked me, is "How long are you willing to do this until you get the results you want?"

• My answer: I will UNTIL I get the results.

A good friend and I were talking about insanity and faith. This is kind of what we talked about.

     Now, insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. However, you HAVE to be a little insane in order to get what you want. Like Jeff Olson says, "Master the Mundane". 

You have to also realize that there is a fine line between insanity and faith. I BELIEVE that by doing this activity, my life will change; I get better as I do it more. It's like basketball; every NBA player is "Insane" by definition because they played the game for YEARS expecting what? To get better. If they weren't a little insane and had enormous "faith", they wouldn't be where they are today. 

     I'll use another example: If you work your job and expect to move your way up the ladder and one day own the business, you are INSANE. Name someone who has done that..... 

BUT if you start your own business, whether it be traditional, network marketing, or any other kind of business, and you BELIEVE and have FAITH that you can do it since THOUSANDS of people have done it before you, that my friends is not insanity, but faith. If they can do it, YOU can do it. Where as in your job, you can't name 5 people who have started at the bottom and worked their way to the top and now have their name on the building. However, you can probably name dozens of people who have started their own business and now live the lives they choose to live. BELIEVE that you can and you will. Don't believe it? You might as well not try.

To OUR Success,

Corey Otten

http://successwithcorey.com/

100 Day Biz Challenge

100 Day Biz Builder Challenge

If you are ready to EXPLODE your business within the next 100 days go here and lets get started. http://successwithcorey.com

Working From Home? How to keep you family from hating you!!

This is actually a funny post in my opinion but you wouldn't believe the amount of people who work from home but still are disconnected with their family. I'm sure you DON'T want that, that's why you are reading this! There are a number of things that you can do and a number of things you should NOT do. I think we'll start with the do's.

First this is to spend time making sure your family knows your intentions. You can't leave them in the dark about things so be open and make sure they know you are doing what you are doing to better their lives as well as yours! Another thing you should do is make a schedule. I know it may sound silly but of you set appointments and keep them people respect you more. So set times to spend with your family as well as times where you are "off limits" because you have work to do, but remember that the time you spend with your family, you spend with your family and not thinking "I should be in the office". BUT also remember that the time you spend in the office, you spend in the Office NOT hinking "I should be with my family". The best thing I can say is to stay focused on the moment. Don't wander with your mind. This will allow you to enjoy family time while you also get things done. If you mix the two you usually get NOTHING done.

One thing I would recommend NOT doing is ignoring your family. They need time with you as much as you need time with them. Use that time as recreation! Look at that word "recreate". What does it mean to you? To begin fresh, rejuvenated? If you do nothing but work you will burn yourself out faster than you think.

So the bottom line is take the time to recuperate and spend time with your family. There is nothing worse than losing the ones you love because you work too much.  If you work from home take this advice. Try it before you deny it.

To Your Success,
Corey Otten
http://successwithcorey.com/

Branding Yourself? What to do?

What does it take to brand yourself?
What is Branding?
How do I brand myself?
Why is branding important?

http://successwithcorey.com/
These are all questions I have asked myself NUMEROUS times. They are also questions that I am STILL finding the answers to.
The AMA (American Marketing Association defines "branding" as "a name, term, sign, symbol, design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers." For reference go to http://marketing.about.com/cs/brandmktg/a/whatisbranding.htm

When I first read this I thought "WOW, what a mouthful" but as I began to understand it, this became one of the best definitions for branding I could find. Allow me to simplify it. Branding yourself simply means giving yourself a "name" that others will recognize such as Pepsi, Coke, Pizza Hut. All of which are Brands.

So how do we "brand" ourselves? The best answer I have is what I am doing right now. Giving people VALUE for free. Once you give them value they begin to know you, like you, and kind of trust you. As they continue to come to you for answers they will bring more people to you which will essentially "brand" your name, products, and services. You can give FREE info to people in forms of books, knowledge, or anything of value to the other person that they can use to benefit from.
First you must understand what your customer wants or needs. You can't sell ice to an Eskimo but you can sell him a heater.
Once you identify what they want you show them that you have value to give to them for free so they will trust you when you show them you have what they want. You can't just SELL SELL SELL. You have to build a rapport. To find out how you can go here for reference.
Build a Rapport

Once you have a friendship you can then show them you have what they want. But let them sell themselves! This is the most important thing I can think of. When you chase someone they RUN AWAY. But when you let them look for themselves they buy!

Branding is SOO important only if you want to have profit in ANY business you are in. If you don't want to make a significant income then you don't have to worry about branding. BUT if you want more then you have to become more. People have to know, like, and trust you. So start a business NOT by making a fancy site, or by buying A TON of products. Start it by being valuable to the marketplace. Having something that others want. EVEN if it is just your knowledge. After you do that word of mouth advertising is how you get MORE customers and it will spread like wildfire!

If you have ANY questions feel free to contact me through my blog or directly to my email or even skype.
Skype: corey.otten
Email: corey@successwithcorey.com
http://successwithcorey.com/

Giving Advice

http://successwithcorey.com/

Before I start on this topic I just want to say this is an opinionated post. These things I have done and they work well for me. You may or may not disagree with me but thats okay.

Now when you are giving someone advice the NUMBER ONE thing you need to do is.... Listen.
Steven Covey says it in his book 

 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

 "Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood". When you do this it opens up a bond to the other person that will make them listen to you when it is your turn. They feel that since you listen to them they will listen to you.


You also need to relate to a person when giving them advice. If you don't relate they won't see you fit to actually tell them what would be best. You need to be able to understand where they are coming from so you can take them where you want them to go. You give them the advice when they are ready to hear it. When they tell you everything and are more receptive to listen to you.


You may ask "how do I know when they are ready"


My answer, you just know. There is something about talking to hundreds of people that you pick up over time. Give them the best answer. It may not always be what they want to hear but its better that way. 


When you do give someone advice they may or may not take it. But that is life. If they don't listen to you this time they probably won't listen to you next time unless something drastic has happened. Don't worry they will come around eventually. 


Know that giving advice is very rewarding when someone actually listens to you and it worked. The feeling you get from helping someone change their life or, even more simply, help them choose a new outfit, is incredible. The reward is much greater than the pain in most cases. Just do what you can listen then relate to the person, and the rest should be, as they say, HISTORY. 


http://successwithcorey.com/
To Your Success,
Corey Otten

Self Imposed Limits Compared to REALISTIC limits

http://successwithcorey.com/
To Your Success,
Corey Otten

Taking Advice

http://successwithcorey.com/
    Alright, I chose to write about this due to the fact that I have had a lot of people come to me and ask for advice only to tell me what I say wont work, BEFORE they even try it.

     Now I get the impression that most of the time they just want to complain but I will give them the benefit of the doubt. When you ask for advice, TAKE MY ADVICE, when I say listen to the person with an open mind. What they say MAY help you. Ill give you an example that I get a lot from many people. If you ask someone about relationships and they tell you something that you HAVEN'T tried before, try it, THEN if it doesn't work then you can deny it. But if you keep doing the same thing you have always done you will always get what you've always got. You cant expect to get different results from doing the same thing OVER and OVER again.

     Listening to people's opinions can really expand your mind to more possibilities. If you really do want change then try to listen to someone. But if you just want to complain maybe you shouldn't waste peoples' time.

     I may be writing this with a bit of aggravation but I hope I get the message across. My friend Linda said that most people she's dealt with have had a "front" when asking for advice just to make it seem like they truly wanted change but they did absolutely NOTHING. I find this to be the case in a lot of people who truly need to change they just don't. Who am I to say anything tho. If you don't want to change then don't. But also if you want to complain, don't come to me unless you really want to change.

     The whole purpose of this is to help you better take advice so you don't
1) Aggravate the person you are asking for advice.
2) Come off as if you are putting on a "front"
3) Fail at getting the desired results.

     When you ask someone for advice, if they are good at giving advice they will "seek to understand, then seek to be understood". Once you finish they will relate with you somehow. When they do that it opens the door and you should be more receptive to listen. What YOU should do is actually listen and take into consideration everything they are saying. I'm not saying drop everything and change everything you are doing. I'm just saying listen with an open mind because they may tell you something that could possibly change the outcome for the better.

     This post really can't be any more simple than that, but your reason why you are asking advice needs to be strong enough so you will actually WANT to listen to the advice given. If its not then you wont do anything and you will just continue living the life you have lived.

http://successwithcorey.com/
To Your Success,
Corey Otten