The key question...

"The key question isn't 'What fosters creativity?' But it is why in God's name isn't everyone creative? Where was the human potential lost? How was it crippled? I think therefore a good question might be not why do people create, but why do people not create." - Abraham Maslow

Master the art of the hustle & your business will grow...

An excerpt from The Rise To The Top... (source)

Here are a few hustles that I’ve encountered and have been repeatedly brought up in conversations with top entrepreneurs, rising entrepreneurs, and budding entrepreneurs. Whether you are extroverted, introverted or mute you can master the art of the hustle and your business will grow. Some are born hustlers and for others it is a learned technique similar to some people are born with a natural ability to do math (not me) while others study hard to become math whizzes.

1. Your horn was built for tooting. It is one thing to be humble and another thing to be a jerk, but if you are afraid to promote you and your business, you are not hustling. This does not mean turning your Twitter into an RSS feed for your blog or telling everyone how awesome you are, but it does mean making a conscious effort to promote, tell people what you are up to, and also have confidence in your accomplishments. Successful entrepreneurs are great self-promoters and believe in both their business and themselves.  Just don’t blow out the horn.

2. Screw Rejection. I remember trying to ask out a girl in 6th grade. I had no idea what I was doing and asked her out in the middle of a class…DURING the class with lots of people watching. Horrible idea. It didn’t work and I was super embarrassed. It is not that dissimilar from starting a business. You are taking a risk and putting yourself out there. Negabots will attack with their haterade. Hustlers don’t get embarrassed or upset,  they answer all emails (even the negative ones), respond to critics, make sales pitches, and make it happen no matter what. If someone told me I shouldn’t start a TV show without going to broadcasting school and having twenty years experience, I just look them in the face and say, “Thank you for your opinion. I respect that and I’m doing things a bit differently.” 

3. Don’t be afraid of saying “No”. If you are hustling, opportunities will come your way. In Gary Vaynerchuk’s case, he gets hundreds of opportunities a week: Business deals, book deals, TV deals, interview requests (Plug: Gary is the MAN for accepting mine because he went with a his gut feeling…thanks Gary). If the opportunity isn’t right for you, say no. Don’t chase all the shiny red balls, just find the ones that work for you and your brand. 

4. Knocking Down Doors. Often times the only way to knock down the door in the entrepreneurial hustling world is to blast it down. Cold-calling, asking friends for help, going to your family. Yes, it takes time but building a business takes hard, sweaty time. Ashley Cook and Danielle Dankner have an incredible story about their clothing line Ash&Dans where they went on a spree of cold calls and even showed up at shops with scarves in hand. And guess what? It worked. Now they are in four plus stores…and I’ll cut the story right there as to not spoil all the great stuff from these ladies coming on a future episode of The Rise To The Top. 

5. Fuel With Small Victories. Building businesses takes patience and hustle. But, I know I have patience problems (Do you?). We all want results NOW which is the selling points of get-rich schemes, MLM’s, and other sketchy stuff. Fuel yourself with small victories: You were complimented on your business, a happy customer sends an email,  you made one website sale. It is easy to bask in the light of BIG victories (million dollar deals, new clients, a gazzilion web hits, whatever), but a series of small victories will give you the attitude burst to keep rolling.

In a nutshell, get out there, ignore the haters, build your business, and adjust your hustling thinking and your success will be limitless (aww warm fuzzy moment right there).

Talib Kweli & Hi-tek talk about Kanye West's vision and the early years...

Hard Knock Tv's Devi Dev and Nick Huff Barili talk to Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek talk about the early years of Kanye West's career. From Kanye opening up for Kweli to labels not wanting to sign him as a rapper. Kweli says that people didn't see Kanye's vision as an artist and just wanted his beats. Kweli says that he knew "College Drop Out" was a classic when he first heard it. Hi-Tek adds that Kanye is a genius in the same way that Dr Dre is.

It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours...

"Do not let your fire go out, spark by irreplaceable spark, in the hopeless swamps of the approximate, the not-quite, the not-yet, the not-at-all.  Do not let the hero in your soul perish, in lonely frustration for the life you deserved, but have never been able to reach. Check your road and the nature of your battle.  The world you desired can be won. It exists, it is real, it is possible, it is yours." - Ayn Rand   
  

 

Bruce Lee on style & creating your own personal way...

On Style...

To reach the masses, some sort of big organization (whether) domestic and foreign branch affiliation, is not necessary. To reach the growing number of students, some sort of pre-conformed set must be established as standards for the branch to follow. As a result all members will be conditioned according to the prescribed system. Many will probably end up as a prisoner of a systematized drill.

Styles tend to not only separate men - because they have their own doctrines and then the doctrine became the gospel truth that you cannot change. But if you do not have a style, if you just say: Well, here I am as a human being, how can I express myself totally and completely? Now, that way you won't create a style, because style is a crystallization. That way, it's a process of continuing growth.

To me totality is very important in sparring. Many styles claim this totality. They say that they can cope with all types of attacks; that their structures cover all the possible lines and angles, and are capable of retaliation from all angles and lines. If this is true, then how did all the different styles come about? If they are in totality, why do some use only the straight lines, others the round lines, some only kicks, and why do still others who want to be different just flap and flick their hands? To me a system that clings to one small aspect of combat is actually in bondage.
This statement expresses my feelings perfectly: 'In memory of a once fluid man, crammed and distorted by the classical mess.'


On Creating Your Own Personal Way...

Learn the principle, abide by the principle, and dissolve the principle. In short, enter a mold without being caged in it. Obey the principle without being bound by it. LEARN, MASTER AND ACHIEVE!!!

Knowledge in martial arts actually means self-knowledge. A martial artist has to take responsibility for himself and accept the consequences of his own doing. The understanding of JKD is through personal feeling from movement to movement in the mirror of the relationship and not through a process of isolation. To be is to be related. To isolate is death. To me, ultimately, martial arts means honestly expressing yourself. Now, it is very difficult to do. It has always been very easy for me to put on a show and be cocky, and be flooded with a cocky feeling and feel pretty cool and all that. I can make all kinds of phoney things. Blinded by it. Or I can show some really fancy movement. But to experience oneself honestly, not lying to oneself, and to express myself honestly, now that is very hard to do.

The 6 Principles of Mental Strength...

An excerpt by Gregg Swanson on the Warrior Mindset...

Mental strength is the ability to overcome and control mental resistance, negative thoughts and emotions to consciously cause things to happen.

Here are 6 Principles on mental strength from philosophers, sages, heroes and thought leaders principles about the mind. I have found these 6 to be common among the great ones.


*Principle Number 1

The Law of Things: Thoughts are things, they are real forces, and they are energy. This has been proven over and over again, to doubt this is to doubt your own existence.

*Principle Number 2

The Law of Bi-direction: The mind is like a two-way radio, it is a sending and receiving station of thoughts. C’mon, you’ve experienced it; you’ve been in a room and "feel" someone looking at you. Well, they’re not just looking at you; they’re thinking about you and sending you a message. Or how about when you’re thinking of someone and they call you.

*Principle Number 3

The law of Magnetism: The Law of magnetism states that, thoughts that are thought with emotional become magnetized and attract similar and like thoughts. Have you ever gotten in a fight with your significant other or boss and then all the thoughts that follow are about how "bad" the other person is?

*Principle Number 4

The law of Management: The Law of Management states that we are perpetually experiencing thoughts and we have the power and the capacity to either entertain those thoughts or release them. Let’s say you’re driving on the freeway and someone cuts you off. At that split instant you can either allow the thought that "whatta jerk!" in your mind or "wow, that person must be having a bad day" You can either hold on and entertain the first thought…or the second thought. It’s all up to you!

*Principle Number 5

The law of Placement: The Law of Placement states that we have the power, ability and capacity to place and insert any thought of any type into mind at anytime. This is sometimes a bit tough to practice, because it feels soooo good sometimes to be mad. But by staying mad we are allowing those thoughts to stay with us. If when you’re mad you see or think of a puppy, kitten or baby you instantly dissolve that emotion. So, by consciously managing your thoughts you are actually managing your mood as well.

*Principle Number 6

The Law of Association: The six and final principle of is the Law of Association. The Law of Association states that the inner and outer worlds are associated and connected. The outer world of our circumstances and situations, the inner world of our thoughts and reactions, are connected. This one is the toughest to discuss without some more background information. And rest assured, your thoughts (inner world) do ignite your actions that create your results (outer world).

You need to see the value in taking risks...

“You need to see the value in taking risks, experimenting and even failing, a hustler is always trying new things. So bring your fearless mindset into the world of corporate America, which is generally governed by cautious and conservative Princes, intellectually tied to the past. What they perceive as chaos, you must see as the normal state of things. Change, turmoil and adversity do not faze you at the least; in fact, they bring out the best in you. This is your strategic advantage.”  - Robert Greene

By now, you have probably come to the conclusion that my mind frame is pretty much composed of 70% Strategy, 20% Tactics, 5% Philosophy, 3% Knowledge, and finally, 2% Business Sense.    Through the years, I have dedicated most of my life towards the study and application of war strategy and tactics.  While in the Marines, I could not help but to notice the fact that life itself, and all its amazing essence, can be mastered.  The key to it all, is understanding the fact that we all know nothing.  Once this little trait can be implemented into your mind, you will then be among the few to walk in its new found path.  

As I transcend from the 2% Philosophical Hugo, I will now base my piece on strategy.  The key to separating yourself from your peers, or your competition, is to train your “MIND” to foresee your actions.   As the famous saying goes, “You reap what you sow”  The same rule applies to strategy.  You must be aware that every choice you make, rational or irrational, has a CONSEQUENCE!   Some good, some bad, but the truth of the matter is, that you must be aware.  With this in mind, I will relate the following sentence to war.   “How would you think....if you knew that if you made the wrong decision, you or your men would die?”  

Therefore, one must have the courage to make calculations, based on strategy, technique, and most importantly faith.  Most of my colleagues will tell you that I’m probably one of the most fearless colleagues that they have ever met.  I guess that’s because I have made the decision early on in my life to accept fear as a way of life.  I only fear one person, and that is “GOD”, and maybe my mother.  But, you can’t count that...  Since both of them are on my side....well I think I might have a chance.

In conclusion, It’s another year, another week, and another day.  As I constantly receive emails and requests from friends and family to forward these little memoirs on to their colleagues. I have decided that I will dedicate the end of this year towards amplifying the material on this blog....   So hustle hard my friends, hustle hard!   Vereour Nasquam