Failing Forward

Failure is something that everyone encounters at some point in their lives.

There are three levels of failing-
Level I: Failure in what we do.
(Our Career)

Level II: Failure in who we are
(Our Morals and Ethics)

Level III: Failure in who we want to be.

Whether you’re a failure in any one or all three levels, it’s your response to your failure and how you move forward that defines who you are.

There are 5 ways people can react to failure:
1. They take their anger out on others
2. They cover up their mistake
3. They speed up – they move past and do not change direction on the bullet train
4. They back up, lie and make excuses
5. They give up.

Failure is often referred to as an inside job, so how do you move forward from failure? The first thing you need to do is take responsibility; own up to your own failure. Then admit your own flaws accurately. This will help you see yourself clearly. Work from your strengths so that you can excel in what you do well and build upon them passionately.

The U.S. Army has a great acronym about moving FORWARD from Failure.

• Finalize your goal
• Order your plan
• Risk failing by taking action
• Welcome mistakes
• Advance based on your character
• Re-evaluate your progress continually
• Develop new strategies to succeed

Think to a time when you have experienced failure and feel free to share your story….how did you move forward?

Dealing With An Overwhelming Workload

• Press the pause button! Yep, that’s right.  Take a moment and breathe.  Stop thinking about the big picture and all the things you have to accomplish today.   If you focus on the list, you’ll continue to feel overwhelmed and unproductive. Pause and regroup.
• Organize & Prioritize It’s time to make a plan and organize your to do list.  Reorder your tasks and plan to complete the most important items first.  When you focus on one task as a time, the overwhelming feeling goes away.
• Hit it & get it Now that you have organized your task list, set forward to tackle and achieve.  You should no longer feel rushed because you are focusing on one task at a time.  You can do this, and not feel fried and overworked in the process.
• Don’t forget to pause for the cause Every hour or so, take a 5 minute break.  Free your mind, and try not to think about the tasks as hand.

The most important thing to remember is that you are in control.  Stop thinking about the big picture and break it down.  When you start to feel the stress creeping back, take a breather.  If you allow yourself to work in “stress mode” it will effect your quality of work and most importantly, your health.

I’ll close with my favorite thought: “Promise only what you can deliver, and deliver more than you promise!”

-Todd Hudak, The EnterTrainer

Six Reasons Why Social Media Marketing Is The Way To Go

By 2012, more than 80% of businesses will use social media marketing. If you don’t believe it, look around you! Social media marketing is everywhere: on commercials, on cereal boxes, on ticket stubs, on the check-out screen at Kohls, on programs, on flyers, on business cards: the virtual age is here ladies and gentleman, and it’s here to stay!

Our question is, are you ready for it? Are you connecting with your customers the right way? Are you even on the social media sphere? If not, are you ready to fight an uphill battle just claim your virtual space and connect with your clients? It’s time to jump on the bus now … otherwise, you’ll be left in the dust with ineffective, old school techniques.

Because so many of us know so little about e-marketing and virtual tends, it isn’t a shock that a pretty large amount of people  need to be convinced that a website is necessary, let alone social media marketing. So, to help make that decision a little easier for some of you, or maybe to settle some of your minds that have jumped the bandwagon, but aren’t completely sure why yet, we compiled a list of 6 reasons why social media marketing, in the right industry, can make your virtual and physical presence in your community soar.

1. It is the quickest growing effetive inbound marketing tool: as we said before, now you either jump on or watch it pass you by
   
2. It’s quick: you can be up and running within hours … that sure beats print!
   
3. It’s instant- feedback & interactivity are literally “the click of a button” away: Connect with your customers instantly- thank them for their business and reply to their comments within minutes
   
4. It improves search results: Simply put, Google, Bing, MSN … all of them give you major props for social media marketing and thus give your website higher rankings
   
5. It allows you to stay ahead of the completition: most businesses have yet to “claim” their virtual space: It’s true!  Though it’s the quickest moving trend in advertising right now, there are still tons of businesses yet to take the leap
   
6. It’s cost effective: Obviously, we recommend that you at least consult someone with training in social media marketing to form a strategy, but other than that, social media accounts are free–impressions are FREE

Motivational Monday: Staying Energized

Planning Is The Key To Success

Planning is the KEY to success. It’s hard for a business to survive with out a plan. Planning is a management tool that produces fundamental decisions and lays out action steps to shape and guide who a firm is, where they want to go, and the resources and steps needed to execute. Of 26,000 start-up companies who failed, 67 % had no written plan.

In today's evolving global market, companies are seeking innovative ways to become more efficient and cost effective. In order to reach these goals, firms must first set aside time to plan, strategize, and execute to see optimal results.
If your business does not have a plan, take some time with your management team to create one.

Here are some quick easy steps to get you started.

1. Determine what your company/organization mission and vision statement are
2. Determine your company/organization vision
3. Set a discussion time with your management team to discuss and record the following questions:
   1. Where are we now?
   2. Where have we been?
   3. Where do we want to go?
   4. Start formulating your Plan!
   5. Execute and see better results!

Job Interview 101: Tips To Rev You Up

As the economy has struck us hard, many of us find ourselves back in the job market again, and for most, it’s a place we never saw ourselves.  Maybe you feel like you’re back at square one and you need a refresher, maybe you find yourself interviewing in a industry you have never worked in before, or maybe it’s your first time around completely. Regardless of your situation, we wanted to offer a few tips to rev you up before your big day!

Attire: Dress confident, yet still professionally.  Think of the industry you’re going into.  Obviously, if you’re interviewing for a clothing store, it may not be necessary to wear a full on suit, however, it’s still important leave the ratty jeans and baseball cap at home.  Dress slacks and a nice button up, or cardigan is always a win/win.  Even if you’re a little overdressed, it will make a much better impression that being underdressed. Make sure your clothes are wrinkle free, well fitted and comfortable. Remember, first impressions are everything.

Be Prepared: Know a little about the place you are interviewing for.  Take an hour or two before the interview and look them up on the internet. Letting the interviewer know that you are educated on the company will earn you bonus points.  Have a few extra copies of your resume (including one for yourself to reference) and keep them crisp and organized in a nice folder or portfolio.

Relax: Nerves are normal, but don’t let them stress you out to the point where they override your confidence.   Be sure to get plenty of rest the night before, and wake up with enough time so that you don’t feel rushed.  Treat yourself to your favorite cup of coffee on the way, and have a healthy breakfast that morning.

Be on time: Look up the location ahead of time and allow ample to get there.  Try to arrive about 15 minutes early.  Early and prepared always makes a great impression.

Leave them with an unforgettable impression (in a good way): It’s important to be honest when answering questions, but be careful not to be too honest.  Don’t bash former employees/employers … in fact, try to steer clear of anything negative.  Instead, focus on the positives and how excited you are to have the opportunity.

Remember that you are a rockstar and you can do this!

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite thoughts: “If it’s gonna be, it’s up to me!”

Good luck!
-The EnterTrainer

Motivation Monday: The Power of TEAM

No one can believe in you more than you, but it’s also important to have a solid team to surround you.

Tips to Selling Yourself

Optimism always wins. What makes pessimists different from optimists like you?  It is most of the time not the way they feel, but rather often the way they think.  Fear is sometimes self-fulfilling when they already see a frightful future ahead– one based on a negative outcome.  And the irony is that when you say, “I’ve blown it,” you’re probably right.

Consider the example of the mispronounced client name: If the pessimist sees this as such a disaster that he or she begins avoiding contact with the client, this action may indeed bring about the feared result – the loss of the account.

Passion fuels performance.  Love what you do, or find a way to make YOU believe it.  Love the feeling is the fruit of love the verb; and sometimes you forget that passion is the fire that fuels our own personal and professional development.

Persistence is above all. This is the most technical tip I have to offer, but develop your skills and use the language of ownership.  In other words, be intentional and eventually you will be more effective in selling (yourself) to clients.

*Sales Tips - Hudak Consulting, LLC

Spring into Action with 3 Easy Ways to Improve Self Motivation!

The good news is that you don’t have to change jobs to improve your motivation! Self Motivation comes from inside you!

Motivation in Latin means, “to move.” Movement is characterized by direction and speed. Whether you realize it or not, your attitude determines the direction of your day. If you’re looking for problems, you will find them!!!!! You can change your attitude by making a decision each day to focus on the positive! You can improve your speed by focusing on goals and deciding what is important and what is not!

Here’s how:
Focus on the positive! Each morning, make a list of what you like about your job. I know it sounds way too simple! The best ideas are! Write down anything and everything! Do you like the hours? The vending machines? Making money??!!! Writing it down makes it easier to remember!

Focus on goals! Write them down! Goals are short and long term, and come in three varieties: what you want to be, do, and have. Make a list of long term goals and how achieving those goals will better your life. Keep it handy, and at the end of each work day, use it to make a list of related short term goals for the following day. Be specific, be realistic and when the next day rolls around…just do it!

Don’t sweat the small stuff! When you are tempted to take your eye off your goal, ask yourself this question: “How important is this?”

A Plan for Personal Success: How to tackle your goals effectively

We all have vices or even general day-to-day tasks that we would like to improve, and there’s no better time to embark on a challenge than the new year!  Sure, by this point most of us have vocalized something we are going to do a little better for 2011, but I’m willing to bet that those of us actually mapping out our strategies are far and few between. So, in light of the new year, new beginnings and the motivation to succeed in the air, here are a few tips to help you reach your goals.

Step 1) Convince yourself that you are worth it.  Your motivation for change may be someone or something else, but that does not mean that you do not deserve the betterment.  You have to be willing and accepting to change for yourself.  If you aren’t, this is never going to work.

Step 2) Find your inner passion. Now that you have decided that you are ready to embark on this great adventure, you should be pumped up and ready to go!  Take a short video of yourself, or write yourself a letter while you are on the high. Explain your motivation for change and express your excitement for the outcome. During the tough days, watch the video or pull the letter out. There is no better medicine than self motivation!

Step 3) Make a list of everything you want to achieve, and set smaller goals within your large goal. BE SPECIFIC.  Sure, you might have a general goal such as weight loss, but think of the smaller feats you want to tackle and list them.  For example:  Lose weight: lose 20 pounds before my friend’s wedding, fit into my favorite black dress by this summer, etc ...  (Make sure you set dates for your small goals and put them on a calendar as a visual reminder.)

Step 4) Track your success. Set benchmarks and know your starting point so you can effectively track your improvement along the way.  Yes, this may require some tough self acceptance, but the process is crucial to your inner motivation along the way.  It will help you to set and achieve your smaller goals which will help you to successfully achieve the big one.

Step 5) Develop a support system.  Be it family, friends or a counselor, find someone to share your goals with.  There are going to be times when you need a little lift, and those who love and care about you are the best sources for encouragement.

Step 6) Reward yourself.  When you reach a smaller goal, do more than pat yourself on the back.  Establish a reward for yourself ahead of time so you are motivated to obtain the reward.

Always reach for the stars guys.  I guarantee that you are capable of a lot more than you think you are!  Don’t be intimidated by the big task at hand, instead, take it one day at a time and reach for one smaller goal at a time.  Before you know it, you’ll be crossing the finish line.

Best of luck, and as always, “Never let your good enough be good enough.”

-The EnterTrainer