Having your anti-siphon valve replaced by a professional could allow you to make a ton of money also.

Recently we ordered a new softwater system and reverse osmosis system.

The water in Las Vegas is about as hard as there is anywhere.  It is like bathing in the river with all the sand and sediment rushing through your shorts.  Drinking the water is like drinking out of the stream and I haven’t done that since fishing in Montana as a little kid.

It cost us a chunk of change for the new system but hey, it is our health. 

Two days later our anti-siphon valve busted…purely coincidence.  The point is, we just spent quite a bit of money on the soft water system and now I need to replace the anti-siphon valve. 

I could do it and it would not cost much because there would be no labor charge or premium on the parts.  Just go down to the store and buy it along with the fittings and do it myself. 

I’ve done many things around our house just like this and it saved me hard earned cash.  If I didn’t do it myself my dad would probably give me a hard time since he taught me how to do everything around the house.  He has been a carpenter for 35 years and he is a big advocate of, Do it yourself and save the money.

I have subscribed to this theory for many years and previously I even bought my own bug sprayer to save on pest control service, wash my own car, etc.  Heck, I even built a wood deck in the backyard. 

NO MORE.

If you enjoy doing something…enjoy.  But if you are doing it to save money, you may want to subscribe to a new theory. 

Do only the high value tasks.

If you are in business for yourself you know that you can’t do everything and sometimes you hire others to do what you can’t or won’t do.  But so many people I talk to forget to do the same thing around the house and in their every day life. 

While the plumber fixed my valve and charged me $325 I was in a meeting with a business partner working on a major project that may pay us more in a month than we used to make in one year.

So does it make sense to do it myself to SAVE $325 or pay the $325 and go make one hundred times more?

If you didn’t own your own business you might not get this.  If you are not making more than the $90 per hour plumber you may still be struggling with this but let me ask you…

“At what point are you going to value your time at the rate at which you want to be paid.”

For all the naysayers that will respond by saying something like, “Don’t waste money when you can do it yourself” or “the economy is tough, you should save money and don’t be wasteful”…I have a response for you-

I can hire the plumber and make more than it costs me to hire him.  It gives him a job and I get to make more so we both WIN.

The same thing is true for everything else I pay to have done versus doing it myself. 

You have heard people talk about outsourcing.  They may even mention outsourcing certain marketing tasks to India or the Philippines because it is cheap…and that is true…but outsourcing can start right at home. 

–>Next steps:

• Calculate how much you want your time to be worth.
•  Write down everything you do on a daily basis and figure out what you can hire someone else to do it if it is below your time value.
• Perform high value tasks while that person you hired is doing something else.  This is the key.  If you watch TV while someone mows your lawn, it costs you money. 

Not to be contradictory but if something is below your paygrade BUT you enjoy it that is different.  Spend time with your kids instead of hiring a Nanny…yeah I agree with that one. 

What do you want to outsource first?  Tell me below.

Once I learned this equation…

Success Came to ME!

Now before you go thinking this is just another example of someone saying if you find 4 people that find 4 people that find…

That is not what this article is about…promise.

Think back to elementary school when you were learning your multiplication tables:

2 x 2 = 4

3 x 3 = 9

4 x 4 = 17

5 x 5 = 25

At this point are you trying to figure out the significance of each equation?  Are you trying to figure out how simple math can make such a difference?

When you looked at those numbers and answers above did you notice the

4 x4 =17

Most people notice right away that this is wrong.  Some may even skip the rest of the article or jump to conclusions.  Noticing that it is incorrect is one thing but some people will FOCUS on it.

The point is, in your life do you focus on the things that are right or do you focus on the things that are wrong? 

Did you know that whatever you focus on…EXPANDS

Hard to believe right? 

Lets do this the way so many people do…unfortunately.  Thing about the worst part of your year this year.  Just the one part that you would like to have over and make it better.  What was it that could have ruined your year?

If you focus on it too long you will start to think of other parts of your year you would like to have back or change…then more and more.  Pretty soon you start to actually feel physiological affects of the negative thoughts.  You get tired and drained as you concentrate on all the negative things from the last year. 

Negative thoughts attract more negative thoughts which in turn attract…you get the point.

NOW for the great news…

It works the other way too!

• Focus on what you have.
• Focus on what you love about your life
• Focus on what makes your life great
• Focus on things that make you happy
• Focus on the people that make you happy

It is amazing how life-changing this can be for some people. 

The fact that you are hear means you can read.

     774 million people in the world can’t read

The fact you are reading this means you have electricity.

     1.5 Billion people do not have access to electricity

Do you have clean water?

     884 million people lack access to safe water supplies

Wow!  What an incredible life you have.

Please share one thing you are thankful for below.

All statistics were verified by what I believe to be credible sources at the time.  However, God did not drop out of the sky and tell me for sure so I don’t know…the point is…

Your life is pretty GREAT. 

Tell us what you are thankful for below.

The link between wealth and college – those on the Forbes 400 list in 2006 with a college degree were worth less on average than those without a college degree.

$3.1 Billion vs. $5.9 Billion

Just say NO to college!  Is that the new mantra?

For some people, taking them by the hand through college will stunt their growth.  It will hold them back.  

It reminds me of the book I read, “How to Develop the Mind of Einstein.”

In the book you learn that Einstein’s parents let him roam as a young child.  They let him explore.  He had to learn how to learn on his own.  Sure he was probably genetically gifted but at least they didn’t hold him back.

How many businesses do you go to that have college graduates managing the place?

Gotcha!

When I ask most people this question…they say, “most of them“. 

I reply, “you are right.  I did say manage…not own.”

The owner was learning how to run a business while the manager was in college.

I can sense parents with their hand on their cell phones getting ready to curse me out right now…so lets get it out in the open.

I have a college degree.  I have a Bachelor of Science in Business.  I didn’t bother to go back for the Masters or Doctorate because the company I work for does not require a Masters or Doctorate.  That will always be the case because I am the owner. 

I have nothing against college.  I am all for learning and reading.  This year I have taken 11 courses on business, marketing, and wealth.  This year I will read 50 books and write a book.

I read the Bible every day and learn something every time. 

Learning is great.  Learning is fun.  Learning is the only way to improve.

Not everyone has to go to college to learn.  If you feel your kid does, that is fine but some people treat it like the service.  Your child has a problem respecting authority and no discipline…send him into the Army! 

Quick Interruption—>I fully respect our service men and women.  If not for them we would not live in such a great country…Thank You.

This has more to to with beliefs and attitudes of the parents that push their kids into the service or college.

Some people should have a college degree.  If my Doctor does not have a degree…there is a problem.

For others it may or may not be the answer.  Don’t assume college is the answer to everything.

So what is the answer to all this?

I believe colleges should:

• Offer more classes on running a business.
• Offer classes on how to be an entrepreneur.
• Offer classes teaching a success mindset.
• Offer classes on organizational skills.
• Offer classes on time management.
• Offer classes on sales training.
• Offer classes on marketing that is up to date.

I am happy to say that Bethany College is now offering a course that may have some answers.

Unfortunately when the colleges start recruiting for professors to teach entrepreneur classes the professor will probably be required to have a college degree…Ha.

If you have your own business and had to choose one or the other…would you prefer to have someone running your business that does not have a degree but has experience running a business or someone that has a degree with no experience?  Tell me below.

Three things I find interesting about Bethany College offering a Network Marketing degree that I will cover in this article: 

1. Network Marketers are celebrating everywhere.  Why does an entire industry have to celebrate because a college is validating the legitimacy of their industry?  More on that in a moment.
2. Who is going to teach the classes?  Is someone qualified to teach it that has had success in home business industry?  Highly successful Network Marketers make a lot more than a college professor without set hours and a time clock…time will tell. 
3. Why aren’t more colleges offering these courses and why has it taken so long?

1 – Why are Network Marketers celebrating and why do they have to?

This industry is consistently trying to prove that it is a legitimate industry and I think that is a shame.  Skeptics will always point to the Ponzi and Pyramid schemes and they have no idea of the difference.  I won’t go into that here because the definitions can easily be found on Google.

It is one thing not to like it…just like you may not enjoy being a tax collector…but it is pure ignorance to act as though it is illegal or a scam.

Some of the smartest business minds in the world have endorsed it in some way or another including Donald Trump, Warren Buffet, Robert Kiyosaki, and Richard Branson. 

If your skeptical friends and family are smarter than those 4 guys then listen to them…if not…ignore their ignorance.  Move on! 

How do you prove to skeptics that it is legitimate? 

If you feel the need to be the defense attorney for the entire industry, create an email that you save and keep handy or a PDF or Word document that has links to articles like this one and Bethany College and let them read and learn.  If they refuse to do so, you don’t want them near your team anyway because you want people that are ready and willing to learn.

2 – Who is teaching the classes? 

I doubt if they will find an active Network Marketer with any success to teach because they are too busy making a fortune building teams, prospecting, and training. 

Unless…this could be a good place to prospect…hmmm. 

Maybe one of the retired masterminds will do it as a way to give back.  Or maybe it is possible to have a professor without experience teach the history and legitimacy of the industry without getting into the “How To Succeed in Network Marketing.”

Charles King does a great job of this in his book The New Professionals. (A must read by the way.)  Some of the stats are outdated but the concepts are great. 

3 – Why aren’t more colleges offering these courses and why did it take so long?

 The media has played a big role in giving the entire industry a big and continuous black eye.  All they ever talk about are the scandals.  Unfortunately this gives people that have yet to investigate the industry a reason to NOT do so.  The truth is, the stories you hear are usually NOT Network Marketing.  They are an illegal Ponzi, Pyramid, or scam POSING as Network Marketing. 

So why the black eye that never heals and how have people in the industry played a role in this?

I believe there is one giant reason…it is too inexpensive to get started.  It is so inexpensive that the barrier to entry is low and any ignoramous can get started.  It allows the “get rich quick” dillusional dreamers to get in for a month, quit, then tell everyone its a scam and doesn’t work. 

Let your voice be heard on this subject below.  This is a passionate subject for some so please keep it clean.  What do you have to say?

The homeless man with the radio voice is being flooded with job offers after this Youtube video goes viral. 

Ted Williams is the homeless man with a unique voice that is deep, silkly, and powerful, yet he may have continued to live on the streets if not for Youtube. 

…and some people say there is no opportunity out there.  Sure Ted was pretty lucky since he probably doesn’t keep a video camera in his grociery cart and probably doesn’t have an internet connection under the freeway or at a shelter. 

But that’s not the point.

The homeless man with the Darth Vader like voice has become famous overnight.  He is being flooded with job offers and you can expect to see him next on David Letterman, Jay Leno, and any other talk show that wants to share a feel good story with their viewers.

So back to the point…

Ted Williams (no not the baseball player) the man with the voice is famous because we have avenues like Youtube to share content that would never have been shared outside of living rooms and dorm rooms. 

We have article directories, blogs, and social networks that allow us to share user generated content. 

Just last month Justin Bieber won the AMA Entertainer of the Year award.  Guess how he was discovered?

Youtube

It’s a great story but the question now is…

What talent do you have to share with the world?  Whatever it is, put it on Youtube and either you will be discovered or you will build a fanbase, following, or customer base if you have something to share or sell.

Ted Williams-Radio Voice, Justin Bieber and who else?  Help me out and give me some other examples in the comments below.  What is your favorite amazing discovery story?  Let everyone know below. 

Thanks.

Kenny Atcheson

Accelerate Your Growth When You Start With the Blueprint.  Hear What Others Have to Say About the Blueprint—–>

• That’s bad news for people that need jobs.
• That’s average news for people that are entrepreneurial.
• It’s great news for the industry of Network Marketing.

• Network Marketing is still inexpensive upfront.
• It is still low cost monthly.
• Join a good team and get training you might pay thousands to learn elsewhere.
• Get free products that you can use anyway.
• Be part of something special.
• Make new friends.
• Join the right company and be part of history.

You can do it.

 You can just be you and work hard. 

At a small gathering in Las Vegas I had the opportunity to meet John Maxwell to learn more about leadership and achieving your dreams.

It was morning on a Tuesday and I was in my truck on the way to this event and I thought, “What could he say that he hasn’t said already?  What am I going to hear that I haven’t already heard?”

Afterall he has written several books including:

• Put Your Dream To The Test
• Everyone Communicates, Few Connect
• Leadership Gold
• Go For Gold
• The 360 Degree Leader
• and more

This was a particularly exciting day because John Maxwell was one of the few that I hadn’t witnessed in person yet.  Previously I saw Anthony Robbins, Les Brown, Dennis Waitley, Brian Tracy, Chris Widener, and others.

I missed out on seeing Jim Rohn in person and I’ve regretted it since his passing so I vowed not to let it happen again.

When I walked into the room right away I noticed that Mr. Maxwell had a presence.  Sure we were all their to see and listen to him but he would have stood out anyway.  He stood tall and spoke boldly and clearly with that Darth Vader type voice of his. 

Watch the video to find out the 2 compelling things he said that stood out along with the 3 actions he took that everyone should hear about.

There were 3 ideas Maxwell shared about achieving your dreams.

1. Ask yourself, “Do I clearly see my dream“.  Act on what you see and not on what you would like to see.  Just start walking forward and the dream will become more clear.
2. Passion creates energy.  It creates direct energy so be passionate about your purpose and your dreams.  It will give you the energy you need to achieve.
3. If you looked John Maxwell in the eye and shared your dream his first question would be, “Who is on your team?”  A nightmare is a big dream with a bad team.  Teamwork makes the dream work.

At the Magnetic Sponsoring office in Austin, Texas recently I attended a workshop with Mike Dillard.  It was a revealing day as I sat with ten other entrepreneurs that were looking to take their marketing to a higher level. 

The day was full of surprises including the fact that there were two people there that were not in Network Marketing or affiliate marketing.  It just goes to show that attraction marketing and inbound marketing are strategies that work for all business.

There were 7 critical things I took from this meeting that may affect you. 

1. Everyone should have a “Nerve Center.”  That is what Mike calls it.  That is what I have here for my blog.  Your blog should be your central hub that you have total control over.  Your blog is the center of your marketing and networking universe.  Your social networking and advertising should all give people the opportunity to get back to your blog.  If you don’t have one yet my favorite training is of course… Fast Track Blog Blueprint
2. Your blog should be self-hosted and it should look professional.  Some people go cheap on their blog and load it up with great content but fail to add any cool design to it. 
3. A clear picture.  This was a big one.  Many of the attendees were told to work on this one.  When someone visits your blog they should know what they can expect within the first few seconds.  For example, when someone visits this blog they can expect a mix of creative marketing ideas along with personal development that empowers them to take charge of all aspects of their life and home business.
4. Focus.  All successful entrepreneurs have the ability to focus on the task at hand, be productive, and avoid distractions.  They manage their time well.  This is one that I struggled with in years past.  That changed and now I even have a series for Productivity.
5. Outsource.  Do the things you are good at and that are critical to your business.  Pay others to do the rest. 
6. Being cheap is costly.  This was not said outright but I picked up on it when listening to Mike Dillard.  He utilizes his strenghts and pays others to do the other stuff.  I learned this one the hard way myself when I used to try and get everything free or for a discount.  Now when a new training or product comes out that I want…I just buy it rather than take months to learn it and waste time.  Time is money.
7. There are two skills everyone can improve on.  Copyrighting and the ability to effectively communicate with prospects.  Both are sorta tied together.  Both are forms of communication.  One is in print or even video and the other is in person or by phone.

Watch this 3-part interview and learn the answer to the secret question I asked in private while everyone else was eating.

In the interview you heard Mike talk about online versus offline marketing and how they both work.  It’s just a matter of what works for you. 

The important note to make is that whether online or offline there is one thing you need to be good at to succeed in this business…

You need to be able to effectively communicate with people:

• What do you say?  How do you say it?
• How do you answer questions effectively?
• Do you handle objections?
• What should you avoid saying?

This is the skill you need or your other efforts go to waste.  Don’t think because you learn how to master internet marketing that you can create some videos, blog posts, and write a couple emails…then cash checks. 

Most smart marketers realize this and that’s why I was not surprised when the product manager answered a question that I asked in private.  I asked him,  ”what is your number one selling product right now.”

I had to corner the project manager and secretly pry this information from him.  It’s valuable information to have.  This is the kind of thing you want everyone on your team to have but NONE of your competitors.

His answer was BlackBelt Recruiting

In this course Mike reveals how he went from certified sponsoring wussy to sponsoring 10-20 reps per month without fear. 

When the top person in your industry has several products that have
helped thousands of people and you know the number one selling
product…you should get it.

Check it out.  Sign up for the email series and you will know why.

In the video below you can get a better understanding of my views on the topic of blogs and Google Caffeine. 

Google has made another major change in their alogrithm and it affects everyone, including bloggers. 

Some people believe this change takes into consideration:

• Fresh content
• Rich Media
• Site loading speed
• Social Networks
• Local search
• Higher quality content(measured by a number of things)

The WordPress platform is the favorite of most bloggers using a self-hosted service like myself.  This platform is easy to use and it allows you to post content regularly (fresh) and with the new algorithm an individual post may get indexed (recognized) faster in the search engines. 

If this is all techie talk for you think of this. 

What do humans like?  They watch and read about today’s news.  Not 6 months ago.  Humans like video and pictures. 

Since the end user is Google’s target market, they also like today’s news, video, and pictures. 

Watch the video and share your thoughts below.  Does this excite you?  Do you post regularly?  Are you going to post more regularly now?