The Prosperity Equation

Just finished reading "The Prosperity Equation" by James Ziegler. Well written - "Straight from the heart" book about some of his experiences in starting, building, and rebuilding his businesses and life.

It is easy and quick to read. If you could use some inspiration and motivation to follow your dream of building your own business, then get a copy for your personal library. If you are scared by the stories that James shares, then keep your day job.

If there is one thing lacking in the book, it is some depth about the time that business wasn't booming and his world wasn't working. I would like to know more about the few years that James was working through challenging issues, before business took off. What was the experience and what were the steps that led to solutions?

Either way, I recommend that you read "The Prosperity Equation" to expand your experiences and be aware of possibilities that life has on offer.

Thrive! by Alan Weiss

I received my autographed copy of Thrive! by Alan Weiss yesterday and read it last night. Everything that describes Thrive! on Alan's website is true - I am not going to repeat it here.

Take my word for it - you need a copy of Thrive! for your bookshelf.

The business and practice of coaching

I just finished reading "The business and practice of coaching" by Lynn Grodzki and Wendy Allen. This is the very best book I have encountered so far to study if you are at all interested in starting or growing your professional coaching practice.

The authors are both experienced coaches, and intimately familiar with the challenges of building a coaching business. "The business and practice of coaching" is different from the other books on how to build a coaching practice, because the authors incorporate information from the ICF survey on incomes, as well as consolidate thoughts and information from many other authors. The Appendix of Helpful Information at the end of the book is a treasure trove for every professional coach.

"The business and practise of coaching" is surprisingly well-researched. If find the book to be very informative. It is jam-packed with strategies and tactics from a variety of coaching disciplines. The authors openly address the concerns of most new coaches - how to weather the ups and downs of the business. Even when things go badly, remember these words: "AFGO - Another Freakin Growth Opportunity".

I recommend that you purchase "The business and practice of coaching" for your professional coaching bookshelf - it will save you a lot of time, pain and significantly increase your coaching income.

Demystifying Branding

This morning I finished reading "How to Establish a Unique Brand in the Consulting Profession: Powerful Techniques for the Successful Practitioner" by Alan Weiss, before we left for the airport.

Like the other books in the Ultimate Consultant Series, this is a must-have for your business bookshelf, even if you are not a practicing consultant. Alan takes the mystery out of branding and provides pragmatic steps to build a brand. Alan also discusses tangential aspects of branding that I would never have considered impact a brand, such as the impact of the economy on luxury branded goods. This book is an excellent read for every small business owner, consultant and professional speaker.

Instead of me going on, and on, about the value of this book and why you should have it on your business bookshelf, take my word for it and get your copy today. (Also make sure that you have a good dictionary handy, so that you get the full benefit of a free vocabulary lesson).

The Black Swan

I am currently listening to "The Black Swan" by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

I have it on audio because I am an auditory learner and personal efficiency expert. Listening while walking on my treadmill allows me to exercise my brain and body at the same time. (Both need the exercise).

The Black Swan is a thought provoking book. I recommend that you pick up a copy, and add it to your personal library. It should come with a label "Warning: This book will stretch your mind".

I identify with the discussion about war unfolding in Lebanon, having watched history unfold in South Africa in the 1980's and the so called "free and fair" election in 1994. Writing about war looking back, and documenting history so that it sells books is very different from having lived through it, day by day.

I also identify with the value of having a personal library, including an "anti-library". I can't wait to tell my wife that great people keep unread books in their library.

Never Eat Alone

I have finally made the time to read "never eat alone" by Keith Ferrazzi with Tahl Raz, after having it on my reading list for ages. I wish I had made the time years ago :)

I am impressed - this book is worth studying. The one word that stands out is "Audacity".

It beats out, by far, the "How to work a room by swapping 100 business cards" sea of books on the market. I always wonder how many of such authors have any lasting success from drawers full of business cards - I find card swapping techniques shallow and a waste of time, ranking alongside "elevator pitches" on my slimy-ness scale.

The authors take us through meaningful experiences from Keith's childhood - growing up in a blue-collar community and the benefit of his father's audacity, which resulted in achieving a top notch education.

The authors show the value of building relationships and how networks are instrumental in helping others, which also helps you. I relate to this concept, because much of my success in reaching dreams has been the result of personal relationships.

Up to this point, my relationship building techniques have been uncoordinated and crude. Now, after reading "never eat alone", I can refine my techniques and add more value to my network

This is an awesome book. I recommend that you add it to your "Books to read" list.

SPARK

I am currently reading "SPARK - The revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain" by John J. Ratey, MD with Eric Hagerman.

This book is fascinating. The authors provide scientific evidence of the positive effect of exercise in two school districts - not the phys-ed of old where kids play dodge ball, but a physical exercise program similar to paid gym memberships for adults.

The authors also provide evidence and support for the benefits of exercise to reduce stress, reduce anxiety, increase self-confidence and resilience.

And yes, the "spare tire" around many waists is caused by cortisol from stress. The authors explain the reason for this cortisol and how you can control it.

Definitely, read this book to get a fresh view on exercise to improve your life.

Parenting Children with ADHD

I read "Parenting children with ADHD" by Vincent Monastra last night. I am very impressed with the down-to-earth language and clear ideas that he presents in this book. I am not a medical professional and often get lost in the first paragraph of medical descriptions of ADD, ADHD and Learning Disabilities.

After struggling with a local school system's ignorance and unwillingness to question archaic teaching methods, I appreciate the way that Vincent compares ADHD to other medical impairments.

If a child has a visual impairment, and needs accommodations in the classroom, would you expect a school administrator or teacher to say any of the following?
1. The parents need to go for parent training - the social worker will call you to schedule an appointment.
2. By the end of 5th grade, this child needs to be able to take down notes from the board and must learn to function at the same level as peers, irrespective of the impairment. (Substitute your own "must" here. "Must be able to sit still in class" or "Must be able to write five paragraph essays".)
3. The child just needs to try harder.
4. The impairment will go away as we promote the child through the grades without addressing the situation.

No parent should tolerate these comments if a child has a visual impairment or hearing impairment (although I expect that some school administrators that I have met will offer these comments).

Similarly, a child with ADHD or any other impairment should be accommodated. Vincent does a good job of comparing ADHD to other visual and hearing impairments which gives parent another tool to educate people who are not familiar with the current research on ADHD.

I advise parents who engage the school system for accommodations should start off by getting a child advocate. I will give you the name of a great child advocate in Connecticut, if you ask me. I suggest that you do not try to negotiate with your school district without a child advocate. Your school district has a different agenda to yours, so be warned.

Vincent also does a good job of describing current medication. How it works, the percentage of time that it doesn't work and similar details. I found it very enlightening and helpful.

I recommend this book to all parents who are raising kids with ADHD, ADD or a Learning Disability, especially if you are considering medication.

Strategic reading to increase your expertise

I firmly believe that we get paid in direct proportion to the amount of expertise that we apply to help other people solve their problems.

The more expertise we have, the more we can help people, thus increase our value and income.

Specifically, as presenters, the more we learn and increase our presentation skills and expertise, the better we can communicate our message to better serves our audience.

Therefore, we all need to continually study and increase our expertise. One way to drastically increase your expertise is to strategically select and study commercially books. For under $20 you can study the results of years of an author's experience.

Purchasing a good book is the best investment you can make. I recall when I purchased Think and Grow Rich, I had to take my lunch money that day to purchase the book. My copy of Think and Grow Rich allowed me to live my dream life in the USA and influence my family for generations to come. Not bad for a single missed lunch 15 years ago!!

I urge you to always be looking for skills you would like to acquire, and then strategically select five or more books on this topic for your reading list. Skip an hour of TV and read a book that will improve your expertise from an expert in the field for the rest of your life and watch your income increase. You have my word on this. Don't just read whatever comes your way in the form of newspapers and tabloids - seek out material that helps you and your audiences.

This week I am re-reading Money Talks by Alan Weiss. Every time I re-read Alan's books, I understand more than the previous time - which is just one indicator of an outstanding author.

I want to highlight this point for you, as a presenter. Alan states that we are not on stage to deliver a speech. We are on stage to meet an objective and work towards an outcome.

Think about this in your next presentation. Establish the outcome before you start to develop your speech. What is the desired outcome of your presentation? Then build your presentation around this desired outcome.

And always, continue increasing and improving your expertise by strategically selecting the books for your reading pile. Keep a book with you and in your car. You never know when you will be waiting in a Doctor's room, having a car serviced, or waiting for UFOs to land, and the fifteen minutes invested in your education will provide better dividends than filling out last week's crossword puzzle.

It was YOU all along

I just read a new book by Gary Spinell. The title is "It Was YOU All Along".

Very interesting read. Covers similar ground and includes the Law of Attraction, which I firmly believe in.

Gary starts off a bit slow, with a lot of his life experiences to set the foundation. If you continue past this foundation then you get into very strong truths.

I actually got goosebumps when Gary describes how he was laid off, and then unemployed for 6 months, but he found a job once he changed his beliefs in himself. This personal example illustrates how valid and powerful his message is to all of us today. I have twice gotten hired mainly because I believed I was the best person for the job and the job was perfect for me.

Knowing that we create our own reality has no value, unless we are able to take actions that help us create the reality we desire. Gary details in Chapter 17 how we can work towards creating the reality we desire.

The multitude of personal examples in this book illustrates the points that Gary makes. I would like to have seem other examples as well though, and not just examples from a single perspective.

In summary, if you accept the sameness of the many personal examples then you will enjoy the book. It will generate food for thought and shed new light on things you thought "happen" to all of us.

You will also learn tools to create your own reality, which is the most important reality for all of us. If you want to change your actions and your income, then get Gary's book.

Work Less, Do More

I just finished "Work Less, Do More", by Jan Yager, Ph.D.

Great book. Here is my review. This book will save you time, right off the bat. I answer over 100 emails a day as a Project Manager on multi-million dollar projects.

Page 54 alone is the worth the price of this book. Now I know how to categorize emails and respond appropriately, depending on who sent the email.

I like the structure of this book. One chapter per day is bite sized chunks that readers can absorb and apply, one day at a time. (We are busy people, which is why we are looking to learn how to work less and do more).

Jan has packed the book with logs and worksheets, placed throughout the book to keep it interactive, with permission to photocopy the worksheets for personal use.

I agree that Self-esteem is the key factor in Time Management that is rarely addressed, as Jan quotes on page 38. I would have liked to see more discussion on how to improve self-esteem, or at least a reference to a good book on improving self-esteem, which is a key factor.

I would also like to have seen more focus on how to deal with the volume of meetings that Professionals deal with today. No-one in my office has a paper-based calendar like professionals had ten years ago. We have 6 hours of virtual meetings a day, mostly with team mates in other states and countries. Meetings are scheduled days and hours in advance. As such, it is not possible to see your meetings for the week, when you walk into the office on Monday morning. I would have like to have tips on the best ways to prioritize and attend meetings, beyond the appointment book on Page 76. Today's workplace is far more dynamic than a week-at-a-time calendar.

Page 50 has a nice tip on how to get motivated, that I have not seen before.

Overall, this is a wonderful book, jam-packed with tips and for employees, self-employed professionals and even students. Jan goes far beyond the simple "to-do" lists and her tips help all readers to prioritize better, make better decisions on where to invest time, so that we can have more time to do what is truly important to us.

I highly recommend this book and it has a special place on my bookshelf, so that I can reread it should my time get out of balance again.

The Elements of Style for Presenters

You may have heard of the "The elements of Style" by Strunk and White. I first read about it while reading a book on Freelance Writing success by Bob Bly, and snapped up a copy at Barnes and Noble last week.

This morning I was in a doctor's waiting room and read my new copy of "The elements of style". I have never read it before and like the concepts. The foreword introduces us to Professor William Strunk, the passionate English Professor who self-published the first version of his little book on English usage that was the precursor to "The elements of style".

"The elements of style" requires concentrated reading. It is hard to determine what the rule is, the example, and the annotation. This is not a book to skim through, rather one to study. I found the book to be fun, once I focused all my attention on the message and the book does not take long to read through the first time. I will mark it up with my highlighter for future reference.

Rule 14 is particularly relevant to all presenters: "Use the active voice" For example, "I shall always remember my first trip to Dallas" is much better than "My first trip to Dallas will always be remembered by me".

As presenters, using the active voice to speak is even more important than when we write. Listening to a speaker in passive voice is very tiring. For example, when you follow the line above with "The burgers at McDonalds were enjoyed by the family" and continue in this vein, then I am likely to completely lose interest in the speech.

Therefore, always use the active voice in your presentations. You can google for sites that offer more examples of active and passive voice. Also, purchase a copy of "The Elements of Style". My copy was around $10 and is a fabulous investment to improve my writing.

We communicate with our language, and consequently we must always be improving our communication tools.

Living the Law of Attraction

My copy of "Living the Law of Attraction: Real Stories of People Manifesting Health, Wealth, and Happiness" arrived in the mail today". Disclaimer up front - I don't make any money on this book. Rich German and Robin Hoch have done a nice job of gathering stories and publishing this compilation. You should have a copy for your bookshelf if you want to improve any area of your life and you can purchase your copy here.

I immediately turned to page 145 and read what I had written. That's right. I contributed my story of how I manifested our immigration to the USA using the Law of Attraction. My hope is that readers around the world will vicariously experience our success by Living the Law of Attraction in their lives. Seeing your words in a printed book is an ego enhancing event, no matter how small your contribution. To be honest, I contributed my story to stroke my ego and to give others the opportunity to learn from my experience (in that order).

Now that I have read the final version of my contribution, I will read the other fabulous stories in this book to learn how others benefit from Living the Law of Attraction. I bet each contributing author is feeling good about themselves right about now.

YOU'RE BROKE BECAUSE YOU WANT TO BE

My copy of "YOU'RE BROKE BECAUSE YOU WANT TO BE" by Larry Winget arrived on Friday and I read it cover to cover over the weekend. Larry sure gets in your face. If you are interested in getting ahead financially then this book deserves to be on your desk.

No, let me correct that. You and your family deserve to have this book on your desk. Not on your bookshelf where you will forget it. Put it on your desk so that Larry will be looking at you every time you sit down to work. Believe me, his face doesn't get any prettier if you look at the book on your desk every day. But he does continue to be in your face and motivate you to keep focusing on GETTING AHEAD by becoming amazing at what you do and working hard. His website and videos are referenced in the book support his message and make it real to his readers.

Also, don't do what most of us want to do. Even I was tempted to "do it later". Don't skip the exercises in the book. I found the final exercise on page 198 to be the most powerful. I have not done this exercise before, and encourage you to complete this exercise.

It's called work for a Reason!

Larry Winget's book "It's Called Work for a Reason!" arrived in today's mail. I devoured it. Larry is a unique speaker and all presenters should consider his advice to see if he is doing something that you can learn from.

Go to his website and watch his demo video to get a taste of his presentation style.

p.s. I have no financial interest in promoting these books - I am just passing along information to make you a better presenter, which leads to serving your audience better.

Your audience benefits when you learn from great speakers and be a better speaker for the experience. If you think you cannot learn from the best speakers in the world currently, then where do you think you will learn? From "Smile Sheets"?

I recommend that you read "It's called work for a Reason!". Why would you read this book? Specifically, because it has some nuggets that resonate with me. Like Larry, I have never been willing to "Live within my means". I appreciate the finer things in life and am willing to figure out ways to increase income instead of sacrificing my dreams or denying myself a Caramel Latte.

As you read, you willl be forced to think about some points made in the book. I disagree on assumptions made in the book, and had to think through why I disagreed, which led me to clarify my assumption in my notes about this book. (I always take notes while reading a book so that I can review the gist of the book in the coming years in just a few minutes)

As I discussed in a previous posting, today's best sellers are easy-to-read in an hour or so. We don't have time anymore to invest 3 weeks reading a business book. "It's called work for a Reason!" is another example of "Say what you want to say - get your point across, and I will implement or ignore it, today".

In summary - if you are speaking to a results oriented business, then read "It's called work for a Reason!". You will serve your audience better if you have considered Larry's points of view.