While most people spend most of their lives struggling to earn a living, a much smaller number seem to have everything going their way. Instead of just earning a living, the smaller group is busily working at building and enjoying a fortune. Everything just seems to work out for them. And here sits the much larger group, wondering how life can be so unfair, so complicated and unjust. What's the major difference between the little group with so much and the larger group with so little?
Despite all of the factors that affect our lives - like the kind of parents we have, the schools we attended, the part of the country we grew up in - none has as much potential power for affecting our futures as our ability to dream.
Dreams are a projection of the kind of life you want to lead. Dreams can drive you. Dreams can make you skip over obstacles. When you allow your dreams to pull you, they unleash a creative force that can overpower any obstacle in your path. To unleash this power, though, your dreams must be well defined. A fuzzy future has little pulling power. Well-defined dreams are not fuzzy. Wishes are fuzzy. To really achieve your dreams, to really have your future plans pull you forward, your dreams must be vivid.
If you've ever hiked a fourteen thousand-foot peak in the Rocky Mountains, one thought has surely come to mind "How did the settlers of this country do it?" How did they get from the East Coast to the West Coast? Carrying one day's supply of food and water is hard enough. Can you imagine hauling all of your worldly goods with you... mile after mile, day after day, month after month? These people had big dreams. They had ambition. They didn't focus on the hardship of getting up the mountain.
In their minds, they were already on the other side – their bodies just hadn't gotten them there yet! Despite all of their pains and struggles, all of the births and deaths along the way, those who made it to the other side had a single vision: to reach the land of continuous sunshine and extraordinary wealth. To start over where anything and everything was possible. Their dreams were stronger than the obstacles in their way.
You've got to be a dreamer. You've got to envision the future. You've got to see California while you're climbing fourteen thousand-foot peaks. You've got to see the finish line while you're running the race. You've got to hear the cheers when you're in the middle of a monster project. And you've got to be willing to put yourself through the paces of doing the uncomfortable until it becomes comfortable and until you realize your dreams.
To Your Success,
Jim Rohn
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Monday, July 21, 2008
InBev CEO Brito: Brazil to Belgium to Bud
BRUSSELS, Belgium - The man who would be King of Beers is a no-frills leader without a company car or even his own desk.
Carlos Brito, chief executive of brewer InBev SA, says he doesn't care for perks _ and neither should the people who work for him.
"I don't want the company to give me free beer; I can buy my own beer," he told Stanford MBA students earlier this year.
Brito, who will be leading Anheuser-Busch after the company agreed to InBev's $52 billion takeover offer, has been described as "an American-style" manager who is fiercely private and admits himself that he did not always get "the people thing," when he started off in sales.
Anheuser-Busch is a perked-up company with corporate jets for executives and free beer for the workers _ as well as generous donations to local communities and politicians. Similar employee extras at Belgium's Interbrew vanished when it merged with Brito's Brazil-based AmBev in 2004.
"His reputation precedes him as a no-frills, no-thrills severe cost-cutter," says Eric Shepard, editor of beer industry newsletter Beer Marketer's Insights.
Brito rarely grants interviews and is reticent with the press, sticking to a few standard lines when he must face the camera for InBev's annual results or shareholders' meetings. The company refused to even confirm whether he was married with four children, saying "We don't give details on his private life."
Alberto Cerqueira Lima, a former colleague of Brito's at Brazilian brewer Brahma and now head of a Massachusetts-based market research firm, says "if he could, he would remain anonymous," describing Brito as a "workaholic and a methodical and pragmatic executive."
He showed himself to be a careful businessman who kept his cool during a difficult monthlong courtship of Anheuser-Busch when both companies threatened to start a hostile battle.
"He says the right things," says Shepard. "He knew the kind of backlash that he was going to get and I don't think he ever betrayed any sort of hostility even as they were making hostile moves."
"Publicly, he maintained that he wanted a friendly combination and ultimately that's what he got," he said.
The new company will create the world's largest beer company, turning out major brands such as Budweiser and Stella Artois. InBev's focus on carving costs made it the world's most profitable brewer, wringing profit from stagnant markets and winning admiration from shareholders and the rest of the industry _ but angering workers.
"It's quite an American style compared to the Western European standard," said Kris Kippers, an analyst at Belgian investment firm Petercam. "He's really an American-style manager; those who deliver, who do good work, are rewarded."
Born in 1960, Brito studied mechanical engineering in Rio de Janeiro and applied to several U.S. universities for a master's in business administration. He was accepted by several _ but could not pay his way.
A family friend put him in touch with Brazilian investment banker and billionaire Jorge Paulo Lemann, who told Brito he would pay for his graduate studies at Stanford.
"All he wanted in return were periodic reports and clippings from the United States to keep him up to date with what was going on there," said Cerqueira Lima. "Brito insisted on knowing how he would pay Lemann back and Lemann said, 'I do not want to be paid back. One day you will do for others what I am doing for you.'"
Lemann put Brito to work at Brahma when he bought it in 1989, later merging it with another beer company, Antarctica, to form AmBev.
Brito acknowledges that he didn't always get "the people thing," when he started off in sales, seeing that as the only truly important part of a business.
He first saw a promotion from head of sales to head of operations _ in charge of workers and manufacturing _ as a step down. But he says he surprised himself by enjoying managing people and coming to understand how they were at the heart of the business.
Brito had been head of InBev's North American business for just over a year when he became CEO in August 2005, as the Brazilian management team firmly took the reins of the company and rolled out zero-based budgeting that forces managers to justify every expense.
He doesn't have his own personal assistant or company car and shares a desk with top finance, marketing and human resources executives in an open office that he says allows dozens of two-minute meetings to discuss the business throughout the day. Hiding behind an office door is for the mediocre, he claims.
Brito admits that InBev's Spartan style can make it difficult to attract experienced staff because few enjoy its "more risk, more reward-type environment."
"It is very hard to find people that will be excited about the way we are trying to build the business, but once you find them they get really connected to the company, they cannot work anywhere else because they love this kind of openness and candor," he told the Stanford students.
InBev prefers to hire young graduates and promote from within on merit instead of seniority. Brito says he believes it is important to focus on the 250 people _ out of 85,000 workers _ who make a difference to the company.
"These people, they are managed in a different way, because we want to make sure they are excited, they're not going to leave the company," he said at Stanford. "We've got to make sure these people are engaged and getting everything they have to grow our business."
Talented people want to work for successful companies that are growing and generating new career opportunities, he says: "You want to build something that's better than you."
Carlos Brito, chief executive of brewer InBev SA, says he doesn't care for perks _ and neither should the people who work for him.
"I don't want the company to give me free beer; I can buy my own beer," he told Stanford MBA students earlier this year.
Brito, who will be leading Anheuser-Busch after the company agreed to InBev's $52 billion takeover offer, has been described as "an American-style" manager who is fiercely private and admits himself that he did not always get "the people thing," when he started off in sales.
Anheuser-Busch is a perked-up company with corporate jets for executives and free beer for the workers _ as well as generous donations to local communities and politicians. Similar employee extras at Belgium's Interbrew vanished when it merged with Brito's Brazil-based AmBev in 2004.
"His reputation precedes him as a no-frills, no-thrills severe cost-cutter," says Eric Shepard, editor of beer industry newsletter Beer Marketer's Insights.
Brito rarely grants interviews and is reticent with the press, sticking to a few standard lines when he must face the camera for InBev's annual results or shareholders' meetings. The company refused to even confirm whether he was married with four children, saying "We don't give details on his private life."
Alberto Cerqueira Lima, a former colleague of Brito's at Brazilian brewer Brahma and now head of a Massachusetts-based market research firm, says "if he could, he would remain anonymous," describing Brito as a "workaholic and a methodical and pragmatic executive."
He showed himself to be a careful businessman who kept his cool during a difficult monthlong courtship of Anheuser-Busch when both companies threatened to start a hostile battle.
"He says the right things," says Shepard. "He knew the kind of backlash that he was going to get and I don't think he ever betrayed any sort of hostility even as they were making hostile moves."
"Publicly, he maintained that he wanted a friendly combination and ultimately that's what he got," he said.
The new company will create the world's largest beer company, turning out major brands such as Budweiser and Stella Artois. InBev's focus on carving costs made it the world's most profitable brewer, wringing profit from stagnant markets and winning admiration from shareholders and the rest of the industry _ but angering workers.
"It's quite an American style compared to the Western European standard," said Kris Kippers, an analyst at Belgian investment firm Petercam. "He's really an American-style manager; those who deliver, who do good work, are rewarded."
Born in 1960, Brito studied mechanical engineering in Rio de Janeiro and applied to several U.S. universities for a master's in business administration. He was accepted by several _ but could not pay his way.
A family friend put him in touch with Brazilian investment banker and billionaire Jorge Paulo Lemann, who told Brito he would pay for his graduate studies at Stanford.
"All he wanted in return were periodic reports and clippings from the United States to keep him up to date with what was going on there," said Cerqueira Lima. "Brito insisted on knowing how he would pay Lemann back and Lemann said, 'I do not want to be paid back. One day you will do for others what I am doing for you.'"
Lemann put Brito to work at Brahma when he bought it in 1989, later merging it with another beer company, Antarctica, to form AmBev.
Brito acknowledges that he didn't always get "the people thing," when he started off in sales, seeing that as the only truly important part of a business.
He first saw a promotion from head of sales to head of operations _ in charge of workers and manufacturing _ as a step down. But he says he surprised himself by enjoying managing people and coming to understand how they were at the heart of the business.
Brito had been head of InBev's North American business for just over a year when he became CEO in August 2005, as the Brazilian management team firmly took the reins of the company and rolled out zero-based budgeting that forces managers to justify every expense.
He doesn't have his own personal assistant or company car and shares a desk with top finance, marketing and human resources executives in an open office that he says allows dozens of two-minute meetings to discuss the business throughout the day. Hiding behind an office door is for the mediocre, he claims.
Brito admits that InBev's Spartan style can make it difficult to attract experienced staff because few enjoy its "more risk, more reward-type environment."
"It is very hard to find people that will be excited about the way we are trying to build the business, but once you find them they get really connected to the company, they cannot work anywhere else because they love this kind of openness and candor," he told the Stanford students.
InBev prefers to hire young graduates and promote from within on merit instead of seniority. Brito says he believes it is important to focus on the 250 people _ out of 85,000 workers _ who make a difference to the company.
"These people, they are managed in a different way, because we want to make sure they are excited, they're not going to leave the company," he said at Stanford. "We've got to make sure these people are engaged and getting everything they have to grow our business."
Talented people want to work for successful companies that are growing and generating new career opportunities, he says: "You want to build something that's better than you."
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Getting Started in Personal Development- Growing the Self-Improvement Muscles! by Zig Ziglar
One of my favorite quotes from Dad is, “You can make radical changes in minute steps.” I love it because it is so pure and so simple, and it works! Many times people make the right decision to improve themselves and then go about it the wrong way, and this leads to disappointment and the wrong belief that their decision was flawed.
If you are just now making the decision to consciously improve your life, or if you are looking for a fresh start, here is a simple way to get started. The key is to START and then stay consistent.
Do you have five minutes a day you can set aside for your quest? It doesn’t sound like much, and it really isn’t much, but since it is more than you are doing right now you need to get the self-improvement muscles active.
Now that you have planned the five minutes, use the five minutes to put the good stuff in your mind. Read a great book or listen to audio. Do this every day. It’s ok if you go over the five minutes, but make sure you do it every day.
Do this for a week.
In your second week build up to ten minutes a day.
In your third week keep doing your 10 minutes, but figure out ways to get a two-for-one. Can you listen in the car or while you work out?
In your fourth week look for material that fits into three different categories – Physical, Mental, and Spiritual. People are tri-dimensional, so you need to develop all of these areas.
In your fifth week, get serious about setting goals for yourself. In fact, you could do this step anytime during the first four weeks, but sometimes it’s good to get the mind focusing on the good stuff first before you jump into goal setting.
Once you get your goals set you will realize that you will want to work on financial goals, health goals, relationship goals, etc. Continue to put the good stuff into your mind every day for at least 10 minutes, and pick the information based on your goals.
This is a very simple plan that anybody can do, and it’s a great place to start. In fact, you will most likely do better than this, and that’s awesome! So, do you
have five minutes?
If you are just now making the decision to consciously improve your life, or if you are looking for a fresh start, here is a simple way to get started. The key is to START and then stay consistent.
Do you have five minutes a day you can set aside for your quest? It doesn’t sound like much, and it really isn’t much, but since it is more than you are doing right now you need to get the self-improvement muscles active.
Now that you have planned the five minutes, use the five minutes to put the good stuff in your mind. Read a great book or listen to audio. Do this every day. It’s ok if you go over the five minutes, but make sure you do it every day.
Do this for a week.
In your second week build up to ten minutes a day.
In your third week keep doing your 10 minutes, but figure out ways to get a two-for-one. Can you listen in the car or while you work out?
In your fourth week look for material that fits into three different categories – Physical, Mental, and Spiritual. People are tri-dimensional, so you need to develop all of these areas.
In your fifth week, get serious about setting goals for yourself. In fact, you could do this step anytime during the first four weeks, but sometimes it’s good to get the mind focusing on the good stuff first before you jump into goal setting.
Once you get your goals set you will realize that you will want to work on financial goals, health goals, relationship goals, etc. Continue to put the good stuff into your mind every day for at least 10 minutes, and pick the information based on your goals.
This is a very simple plan that anybody can do, and it’s a great place to start. In fact, you will most likely do better than this, and that’s awesome! So, do you
have five minutes?
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Anything Worth Doing Is Worth Doing Poorly by Zig Ziglar
Chances are superb that when you saw the heading of this article you did a double-take and thought to yourself, "That is ridiculous!" But, let us think together and I believe you will agree that the observation is correct. Look at it this way: If you were to quit any endeavor because you did miserably on the first try, your life would be infinitely poorer. Think of it this way: When you watch sports professionals, whether golf, tennis or any other sport, play near-perfect games, you probably stand in amazement. What you're watching is an individual who has literally hit thousands of golf balls, or tennis balls, many of them poorly, and has taken hundreds of lessons from teaching pros to improve his or her game. They understood from the beginning that if they were going to play good golf or tennis, they would play a lot of poor games along the way.
The same applies in every area of life. Most sales professionals probably blew many sales before they became consummate professionals. They understood that every call, whether they made or missed the sale, was a marvelous learning experience. They understood that if it was worth doing, it was worth doing poorly - until they learned to do it well.
The same can be said of the exceptional teacher or the master chef. Each undoubtedly made many mistakes along the way, but they considered those "mistakes" learning experiences. So, whatever your endeavor, just remember that if it's worth doing, it's worth doing poorly until you can learn to do it well. Buy that idea and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!
The same applies in every area of life. Most sales professionals probably blew many sales before they became consummate professionals. They understood that every call, whether they made or missed the sale, was a marvelous learning experience. They understood that if it was worth doing, it was worth doing poorly - until they learned to do it well.
The same can be said of the exceptional teacher or the master chef. Each undoubtedly made many mistakes along the way, but they considered those "mistakes" learning experiences. So, whatever your endeavor, just remember that if it's worth doing, it's worth doing poorly until you can learn to do it well. Buy that idea and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!
Friday, July 04, 2008
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Found this from a blogger JMOT:
To search for E-books (eg. investing):
Type:
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