Leadership

What it takes to be an Entrepreneur of the Year:

The willingness to stand alone

The confidence to challenge the conventional

The commitment to a vision

The passion for being on top

An ability to believe what we want is possible.

The Mind Masters Entrepreneur of the Year person had a good year! I have observed him willing to push himself into uncharted waters during tough times. Working on his vision for the future and transforming his business to grow has been his biggest challenge, but he has never let up and is always willing to learn. While handling clients, he has developed systems and procedures so he can raise the bar for himself and his staff. He shares his talents with the community and looks for new ventures for him to have fun. The Mind Masters 2010/11 Entrepreneur of the Year is Michael Mance, of Mance Creative.

How many books, e-books, programs, workshops etc. have you bought into lately looking for that “silver bullet” for success? The “silver bullet” of success means different things to different people. During time of economic change I have found business owners questioning what success really means to them. It was not too long ago that many thought go back and getting a “job” was that silver bullet. Funny how things change.

Success is very personal, and it is up to each of us to discover it for ourselves. It requires a vast reserve of inner strength which is based on your personal purpose, a direction that guides the choices you make at any given moment. People often confuse purpose with goals. When you discover purpose then the goals you achieve bring a rich sense of fulfillment.

As business owners, grabbing this “silver bullet” does several things:

1. Your decision making is congruent with the core of your being AND moves you closer to your ultimate vision of success.

2. It helps you define what constitutes a successful business and life for yourself.

3. It enhances your personal motivation, inner strength, determination and desire.

4. It strengthens the courage to overcome any adversity that interferes with the vision you have for your business.

Your personal purpose “silver bullet” is not discovered overnight. Take time to list the achievements in your life that have given you the most sense of fulfillment. Look at the people you admire, what are the qualities in them that stand out for you. Do some self assessment about your own strengths and qualities. When you look within, you will find your “silver bullet” of success.

There was a saying I learned many years ago about the sales process that said “selling ain’t telling, it’s asking questions”. I think we can all agree that we don’t want to be told about a product or service, but respond well when someone spends the time to really understand what we want and why it is important to us. The key here is good listening skills. Do you understand the difference talking, telling and communicating? Effective, Successful, result-oriented, persuasive communication is far different from the day to day version – it takes Knowledge, thought, planning and execution.

• How would you describe communication?
• We watch TV for hours –does TV communicate?
• When people argue – are they communicating?
• In any discussion – who determines what is being communicated?

True communication is not what the sender intends to communicate; it is what the receiver understands. Whatever the other person thinks he heard and what he thinks you meant, that is what is communicated. What YOU intended has little relevancy to the real world of communication.

“All business communication aims to achieve a result. When successful, it moves its audience to do something – to buy a product, change a behavior, support a plan or adopt a point of view”, wrote Michael Hattersley, a professor at the Harvard Business School.

We all want our communications to produce results, even if it is just to be “heard”. In a slower economy, the quality of our internal and external communication needs to be at an all time high. Where can you strengthen your communication skills? With customers/clients it can mean more consistent, loyal business interactions. Harvard Business School research found that a 5% increase in customer loyalty can lead to 40%-90% increases in the lifetime value of customer relationships. With employees it can mean higher productivity and a true by-in to the companies’ vision and mission

As you look to this year you must positively expect good things to happen. Your belief and attitude about business, money, relationships, education, IQ, the government, what you’re capable of, how deserving you are and more will be the seeds that determine your success.

Your beliefs or what I call the 900 Pound Gorilla—are what hold you back. What it will take to set your plans in action is learning how to install new beliefs, and attitudes.

Defining your business Vision is one of your most important exercises to support and create on going success. Without the Vision, nothing you do in your business will make much of a difference. You may make some small changes, and you may even see some good results of those changes. You might even get lucky, once in a while. But without the Vision, your business will never truly become a great business.

Vision is what calls you and sustains you and gives you sufficient energy to keep going. When you find meaning (why) in what you do, you bring more value to what you do.

When you start looking at this, realize that the results you get (or do not get) are an accurate reflection of what you deeply think, believe and feel. You will not feel much motivation for your dreams that are incongruent with your profound beliefs and thoughts. Having a clear Vision is what continually engages your imagination and keeps you out of fear to continually build what you’re committed to creating.

What you put your attention on grows in you! Emerson said “Thoughts rule the world”. They are the basis of all action. Action is the basis of achievement. Your success achievement is based on the power of your mind, those beliefs and attitudes.

The Challenge: Take some time to review your vision and make sure your belief in its attainment is in alignment with it. Awaken your power in 2010!

Mind Masters Entrepreneur Association wanted to share a set of keys that when committed to and practiced consistently produce success in any economy.

A special Mind Masters award was created this year. To run a successful business, you must be able to plan ahead and also be able to manage the many parts the business and understand how they relate to each other, while still meeting the challenges of a changing marketplace. Last year’s Entrepreneur of the Year has been able to stay on top in an economic environment that has been hard on his construction industry. Putting his house in order with new accounting methods, formalizing his corporation and his continual pursuit of customer satisfaction, he has continued to expand his network of referrals and opportunities. He has also been influential in introducing several new members to Mind Masters. It was my pleasure to present the 1st Founders Award to Mark Visocky, of Mark Visocky General Contractor, Inc.

Now for the 2009-10 Mind Masters Entrepreneur of the Year Award! Achieving success depends upon our ability to believe what we want is possible. The Mind Masters Entrepreneur of the Year is a person had a terrific year! Her 2009 started on a low, but a true achiever overcomes all adversity. Staying focused to daily, and weekly sales activity put her ahead of the pack, ending the year 200% up over last year. Recognized by her company as a member of the special Million Dollar Roundtable and Agent of the Year in the San Diego New York Life office – Mary Stockton of Stockton Financial & Insurance Services is an achiever extraordinaire and the Mind Masters 2009-2010 Entrepreneur of the Year.

Bruno Bosardi, The Body Alchemist

Leadership requires the ability to control what is in your power to control, to give people clarity, direction, and a sense of security, to chart a course and set goals your employees believe are attainable. The Mind Masters Gold Award Achiever stands out this year for taking charge of his business. After years of working with independent contractors the realization that in order to grow, the business needed policies and procedures. Not always easy to reign in people who have been doing it their way, our achiever stepped up to the plate and moved from technician to manager and is on his way to being the entrepreneur. A great contributor to Mind Masters members, Bruno Bosardi of The Body Alchemist stands out as a leader and the Mind Masters Gold Achiever for 2009-2010.

Kim Espinoza, Espinoza Webworks

One of the 5 Entrepreneurs recognized for their persistence and focus to the goals they set last year is a true achiever. In these challenging times there is security in being a subcontractor and it is risky to step out on your own, but our Mind Masters Silver Achiever was willing to give up that security and learn what it takes market herself. I have seen her take on new projects that meant learning new technology to stay up in her field.

With guidance from Mind Masters she recognized the importance of tracking and planning her prospecting to achieve her first year goals. She is customer focused and delivers excellent customer

Mike Mance, Mind Masters Award Winner

At the end of each year I like to recognize Mind Masters members for their accomplishments. I have selected 5 Entrepreneurs to recognize for their persistence and focus to the goals they have set.

Our Bronze Achiever for 2009/10 is a person who hasn’t been in Mind Masters all that long, but has been in business for about 10 years. Recognizing that something needed to change as business was getting stagnant, it meant stepping out of the shadows –taking some risks, beginning to network, and showing up in a redesigned website. Of course he joined Mind Masters to get it all started and allow new business to come in the door. Mike Mance of Mance Creative is an outstanding graphic designer, open to ideas that he has incorporated for outstanding new results. Mike Mance is the Mind Masters Bronze Achiever.