Teaching is Learning

Right now I'm going through the teaching process, and I can tell you it's definately improving my learning skills! I have two teenage daughters (yes TWO - 16 and nearly 18 years old) who are learning to drive.

In British Columbia, Canada, where I live, we have a graduated license system. This means new drivers first take a written exam. If they pass this, they receive a "Learner's Permit". This is valid for one year, while they practice and learn. The "L" permit allows for one other person in the vehicle with you, PLUS the person who is teaching you to drive. After the one year period, driver's then take an "in car" test to receive their "Novice" or "New" driver test. Once passed they receive a two year permit. They must display the "N" permit in the back window of their vehicle for 2 years. The "N" permit allows you to drive with two people in the car.

As I teach my daughters to drive I am aware that I must remember all the "rules of the road"... all the "little things" that fade as we drive for so many years. I am finding my once rusty skills are coming back though. Teaching is a refresher course for me as well. All the "little things" are coming back to me too. I am getting clearer aboout what I remember, where I first heard it, who told me and why.

I am finding myself learning as I teach - it's an extra bonus for me. See if it works the same way for you.

Creating Opportunities

Last week I had the opportunity to speak to about 450 people at a Chamber of Commerce event in Surrey, British Columbia. I was honored to have in the audience, the Premier (equivalent to a State Govenor) Gordon Campbell. It was a great time to meet business owners - network with them and learn about what is happening in the local community. I also had a chance to come up with some ideas for "joint ventures" or "fusion marketing" partnerships.

Here's one idea: There were a wide range of interesting people sitting at my table. I realized that one of the group had a data base (a LARGE data base) of small business owners that I might be able to access. The next day I prepared a proposal offering to create a training program for those people in the data base. The program consists of a half day "live" training, then a CD to takehome, then a quarterly "web based" training session, plus on-going web based training program. I forwarded my proposal to the person with the large data base. Even if he doesn't accept my proposal I will have still made a valuable contact.

I urge you to start thinking about who you want to connect with. Can you create a proposal that is a win-win idea for both of you? Why not suggest it? You've got nothing to lose - everything to gain!

Talk to the media

Just finished doing an interview with my local paper. It will be a full page article complete with photos! What great publicity for my business. How did I get this publicity for my company "Think Without Boundaries"? How much did it cost me?

Well, if I was to buy that kind of space in the paper I would be looking at several thousands of dollars. Lucky for me I don't have to spend that kind of money. It cost me nothing! Why? I sent a press release and those don't cost a thing!

A press release is basically an article you write ABOUT YOURSELF OR YOUR BUSINESS. I wrote this one about how my business has regained it's competitive edge now that I am a "Certified Guerrilla Marketing Coach" and gave a little more detail about what my company does. That's it!

Could you do the same? Of course! Not sure how? Pretend you're a reporter interviewing yourself. Write some quotes - maybe the top three things you want people to know about you. Here's a step by step guide plus an example.

Be diligent--one press release is not enough - send one every two weeks or at least once a month! Get to know the names of your local media - make friends - take them out for coffee. Let them know you welcome their calls if they are looking for information. You'll help them if you can. By being friendly with the press you become someone they will call when they want a quote when your topic of interest comes up - the moment when you just have to be there!

Getting involved - are you?

Every day the world keeps turning and we keep moving with it. Get up, get the kids ready, make a meal, go to work, make a dollar, go shopping, chat with friends, go to bed, start all over again!

Sound like your life? Ready for a change? Do your circumstances hold you hostage? Does your life keep you prisoner in a merry-go-round? Sure there are things you can't change right now - you need to keep the job that pays the bills - the kids need new shoes. BUT are there things - just little things - that if you changed them - would give you some more joy - a feeling, that you are contributing the world a little more?

Like so many people, my life is often stretched among so many demands - children, clients, home, pets, family, friends, community, my own desire to have a little quietness! But in those quiet moments I want to know that at the end of the day I have done something that "means something". Today I have found a place where I could contribute some little part of me that can make a difference - and it does MEAN something.

The Hunger Site - go here every day (they'll even send you an email to remind you or you can set it as your homepage when your browser opens) and click the GIVE FREE FOOD button and a cup of food is donated by the site sponsors!

In 2004 this meant 39,809,114 clicks, 45,278,373 cups of food, 2,795 metric tonnes of food, 5,589,999 pounds of food!

This one small act EVERY day can mean so much. Tell your friends - your co-workers, your children! Get them to pass the word - we can really make a difference!

The few moments it takes me to go to this one site each day is nothing in terms of my time - but in terms of someone else's life it can be huge. But more importantly for me - it reminds me each day how lucky I am - it raises my awareness and it gets me thinking throughout the rest of the day "what else can I do?"

Think Without Boundaries!

Saturday, January 22, 2005

It's nearly the end of January - have you kept the New Year's resolution you made? Did you make a resolution? Most people don't make resolutions anymore - too hard to keep them. Personally I think it's tough to make them January 1st. I think it's best to set goals when you feel you need to make a change in your life - no matter what the date on the calendar is! So, if you made a resolution and you've broken it - don't be discouraged. Make it again! Make it smaller - break it into smaller pieces. Use the Personal Commitment form to give you a step by step tool.

One of the things that I like to use as a learning tool is smart people! I like to watch what others do and then see if I can use their technique. One smart person I've been watching lately is "The Donald" aka (also known as) Donald Trump on his hit show "The Apprentice". I watch each week to see the challenges his young potential proteges are put through to see how I would stack up. You know what, most weeks I can come up with some pretty good ideas, that would stack up against the 18 or so young people chosen from close to a million people who sent in audition tapes for the show.

BUT - even better, I think, is another reality show, called "The Rebel Billionaire" starring Virgin Airlines CEO Richard Branson. Now this guy is COOL! The challenges he takes his teams on are VERY interesting. No hanging around NYC for these kids! His teams go to Africa, Hong Kong and Richard's own private island! They do everything from crossing a plank between two hot air balloons high in the air, to creating a slogan for Richard's new airline that will go into space!

I encourage you to find your own virtual mentors to observe and learn from. Choose people that are smarter than you - learn from those that travel the roads you want to travel on. Here's a great quote from an amazing man who dreamed a great dream - a dream that no one believed in - a man who was afraid of mice ..... Walt Disney..

“All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them" Walt Disney

Your comments are always welcome.

Tuesday, January 25, 2005

Just added a new workshop to the Events page tonight - "Guerrilla Marketing Mania!" - great title huh? 3 hours of intensive marketing ideas - that are all LOW OR NO COST! If you're looking for some an evening that will FILL your mind full marketing strategies that WORK - you CAN'T MISS THIS EVENT! The cost - ONLY $59.00! To sign up - Click here.

Your comments are always welcome

Thursday, January 27, 2005

People are so often stopped from making changes in their lives by words - just words. If you don't believe me - begin to listen a little more.

"You know I hate this job, but the benefits are too good to leave."
"I'm too old to go back to school. It's too late for me to be anything else. Old people don't get dreams."
"I've never asked if I could get a promotion. No, I don't think I could do that. I think I'll just stay where I am."
"I used to think I could be something else, but that was when I was young, but not anymore. My life is what it is."

Do you HEAR those words - MORE IMPORTANTLY - do you SPEAK them? One of the reasons I chose to become a coach and a speaker was to help people BELIEVE that it IS possible - SO POSSIBLE - to make the changes that THEY WANT - to live the life that they have dreamed in their quietest moments.
Do YOU have those quiet moments? When you think about the dreams - the ideas - the ones you had when you were young? Or maybe the ideas that you've developed as you've seen life evolve around you? Why not let them find the light? They are gifts that you've been given. Don't leave them wrapped up and never used. How sad that what you have to offer - to share - to give - are never seen by the world.

Imagine if great artists like Michelangelo had never picked up a brush, great writers like Shakespeare had never written a word, great thinkers like Da Vinci had never sketched an idea........what would our world look like?

You may not be a famous artist or writer, but you can live OUT LOUD - and WITHOUT (restrictive) BOUNDARIES in your life! Be the BEST at what you do - if you've thought about starting an art program for children in your community - do it! If you've wanted to start a business - do it! If you want to make some changes in your life - do it! Need some help - get it - go online - take a course - read a book - hire a coach!

Your comments are always welcome.