On Resources

While not really a rambler, this one is long-ish. This is your long-ishness alert.

It's pretty easy for me to figure out what some of my problems are. It's also relatively easy to write about them. Far more difficult is solving them.

The radio show idea is a good idea. It would be fun, enlightening, good resumé material, and might even turn around some hobby money. It's pretty much a winner however you slice it. However, before such a project gets started, a problem I seem to have is sitting down and thinking, "yeah, that'd be a lot of fun, but I just don't have _______". No microphone, no time to write a story, no big enough pool of vocal talent, no money, whatever. So the idea gets pushed under the rug (I actually have a notebook I call "under the rug") and I think that, perhaps, I'll look at it another day when I actually have _______. Another good idea shrivels in the shadow of un-had resources. I could be a more successful person, if I was just a more successful person already.

But that's really just a convenient lie, isn't it?

Why is it such a challenge to decide I have everything I need and just make the investment that stands between a good idea and a good reality? Take the Timeline project, for example. How much time have I wasted wishing I had some seed capital, or dropping hints around family members hoping they'd just give me some? I went to a meeting of local nerd types last week in which startup funding was discussed. I left frustrated because the investors they discussed want to see significant receipts before investing. "If I already have receipts, what in the world do I need investors for?!" I thought. "The system is stacked against people with ideas and no money."

Another convenient lie.

The system is stacked, sure, but against a totally different kind of person, and if it's stacked against one, it's stacked in favor of another. Funny enough, it doesn't have much to do with ideas, and probably less to do with money. The system is stacked against people without will, or motivation. The converse of which means that driven people are more successful. That makes sense, too, in kind of a "duh" way. It also makes sense that successful people seem more often to be bi-polar or something.

The question, then, is: how do I become bi-polar?

Or more realistically, how do I find my inner Drive? Is there a well of motivation somewhere inside that I can draw from? How do successful people (who aren't crazy to begin with) do it? Is it something that can be acquired? We tend to talk about people as the _are_, like "he is doggedly determined". Can a person _become_ doggedly determined? Have you heard stories of lazy people who figured out how to work, like, hard?

One would think that the thought of the potential rewards, even when a reward is very likely, should be enough to motivate a person to action. Like the radio show. Wouldn't those rewards be worth the doing of the thing?

As I think about all this, something else comes to mind. Anybody even sort of familiar with the Scriptures knows stories of people of old (or maybe people of recently) who saw or received or performed something miraculous. I was reading last night in Acts, and there's this story of Paul preaching in an upper room, and a young man who is listening while sitting in the window falls asleep during the sermon (which I'm sure I never do) and falls out the window, down about 3 floors, hits the ground and dies (I'm even more sure I've never done that). Paul rushes down the stairs and tells everyone, "Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him." (Acts 20:10) Everybody goes back upstairs, eats some more, then Paul goes on his way. Wait -- what? Somebody just arose from the dead! It was significant enough to make it into the record, but from the sound of it, it wasn't a really big deal beyond that. Like they were happy about it, but not surprised.

It seems to me that this kind of miracle has a lot in common with some of the modern miracles we've seen and attributed to smarts or technology. Somebody has an idea of something good he wants. A gap separates this vision and the actual manifestation of the vision. Something has to bridge the gap. In Church, we call it Faith. Everywhere else, we call it Determination. What's the difference?

At first glance, all it looks like Paul "did" was run downstairs and touch the young man. It took us a lot more than running up and down stairs to land people on the Moon. However, I think it may come down to how clearly in your mind you can see the young man standing up again, or a guy standing on the moon with a fishbowl on his head. In the case of the young man, the Priesthood did the Work. In the case of Apollo 11, a lot of hands and brains did the Work (at the expense of a good deal of good health and a good many marriages and families). In both cases, the gap was bridged and the vision was forced into reality.

This makes me think I had it slightly wrong before. There's something that has to happen even before the Determination arrives, indeed the place where the Determination probably comes from. First there is a vision. Then there is Faith, or the ability to see, clearly, the vision as if it were real - taste the victory, smell the success, know the benefits before they happen. From Faith flows the Determination to make the vision real, and that is the fuel for the Work.

I've really never thought of Faith quite in this way, but it makes sense now. Faith seems to be a difficult thing to really nail down. How do you answer when somebody asks you "what is faith?" Think about the scripture you quote when somebody asks that question -- "...if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." (Alma 32:21) If a person has more Faith, he must have more hope. What does hope mean? The more you hope for something, doesn't the picture in your mind become more and more clear? Does stronger hope not drive you more strongly towards your vision? If I want a successful Timeline project, I need to have Faith in it. That sounds like saying "I believe it can work", but it's much more powerful than that. I need to see it before it exists. I need to see it so clearly, with so much detail that it can't help but pop out of my head and into reality.

Back to the question: how do I find my inner Drive? Is the answer really just Faith? How nice would that be? Faith comes with microphones, voice talent, as many lines of Javascript and Python as you need, and the entire Grumman Corporation (if you need to build a LM). Sweet.

Those are my current thoughts, anyway. I'm sure you have some of your own. I'd like to know what they are. Where do you get your motivation?

Non-stop Excitement

I'm so excited, I can't help it. Over the last MONTH, all I've been able to think about is FTR. (It's getting to the point where it interferes with my work. :) ) Anyway, it's interesting how pieces of such a huge puzzle seem to come together on their own without you doing anything other than thinking about it. (Assuming it's something you're excited about.) I actually have to work hard not to think about it, and focus on the moment.

Anyway, I just wanted to share some of that excitement with you today, and show you 1 of 4 sets of Gear we will start working on in January.
We are working on our business plan, and in thinking about what we need to do over these next 4 to 5 months, Funding is a big issue. (We're looking at roughly $500,000 to cover the first two years.) Strangely enough, we don't have any doubts that we'll get the funding necessary, but we want to be smart about it, and avoid as much interest as we can. We also want to avoid turning over a large share of our company's ownership to third parties. ...perhaps we're a little naive, but we don't want to empower others with the opportunity to shut us down.

Well, I'm certainly open to ideas. I will still do my research and due diligence, but I believe that within our group I am less aware of what's out there than some of you may be regarding Start up Capital.

Thanks for being such supportive friends. I was talking with Splashboy the other night, and it was exciting to hear his voice again. I see how privileged we are to have such a good group of sharp minded individuals, who collectively can accomplish much good. "If you're not strong, you can't help the weak." This has been a very motivating thought for me regarding our potential. The days are not far off that we will not only be in a position to provide for ourselves and our families, but to reach out and help countless others to do the same. Good luck, guys. I wish you all an enjoyable week!

FTR Studios

I'm pleased to anounce the beginning stages of what we've all been waiting for since "latex and strings" rolled off of James's lips: I'm finally going to open my Studio. FTR Studios (Fantasy To Reality) will be opened in the early months of 2009, working primerily on 4 major projects to be presented to a major company in the month of October. They will be produced under our sub-company EPIC Gear, providing World of Warcraft gamers with the First, Best and ONLY Licenced Sets of elaborate gear and Costumes. Because of the High quality materials and attention to detail, we will only produce 12 to 20 of these a year. They will be priced anywhere from $9,000 to $15,000 a set depending on the customer's prefereces, size, ego, etc.

We've thought this through... a lot. I've spoken to marketing specialists, business owners, and we have each done a lot of personal investigation and research to ensure we don't flop and die. But even if we do, "We come out with some pretty sweet sets of armor!!" according to Brian James, 1 of 2 current business partners. We all feel the same way about it; this is what we want to do, this is what we are passionate about, and we'd work with all our hearts just for the opportunity to do what we love.

This is just a great start to something bigger down the road. Will this change the world? Not likely, but it will empower us with the experience to recognize greater needs, and allow us to start other ventures as we accumulate capital. This is just a vehicle to greater means, to greater ends. (Like buying up all the land in Jackson county and donating it to the church. ...I'd like to see how far we can go anyway before they stop us.) I've got to run, but things are always looking up, and I'm excited to finally start "It all". Don't ever give up guys, this is going to be a great 5 years in front of us!!!

Ready, Go, SET!

I feel very blessed... now. All through high school, and clear up to about two years ago, I felt miserable about my chances of finding my path to "success". I vividly remember several conversations in the Herd room where I felt like the odd ball; it seemed at times that everyone else in the Herd had a direction they were going except for me. It seemed like everyone was good at something practicle, something marketable, something you could actually build a decent carrer out of... except me. It's weird feeling like now I'm the only one who has found their path, is confident in the direction they're going, and truely feels "set". I'm applying for a patent this week, have already contacted an attorney and set an appointment to sit down and do all the paperwork. My PPL Business is growing exponentially, and I'm getting better at my sales job.

I don't talk much about what's going on, because I feel that soon I'm going to be resented by many people I care about.

Just hang in there, guys. Make a plan with the end in mind, find ONE way that works for you, and stick to it. Just don't give up on your dreams. I love you guys too much to see you give up on your true potential. Stay awake, keep your eyes open, put a pen and pad by your bed, and keep track of those small ideas.

I wish you all the best!

Success Tracking

I've been reading Bach's blog and the comments, and I've been doing something everyday for the last year that I think some of you may find useful. This is my own, personal way of keeping track of every single measurable action I take toward my goals in the growth of my business every single day. I've assigned a point value for each one of these activities to help me gauge my efficiency aswell. The following are the things I track daily:

Personal Development: (Always work on yourself more than your business)
1 pt. - Goals I set (Daily/Weekly)
1 pt. - Each 1/2 hour of Self-Help, Audio Training, etc. (This also includes Scripture Reading)

Personal Activity: (Important things that don't neccessarily move me forward.)
1 pt. - Phone Calls (Simply making the call)
1 pt. - Voice Messages
1 pt. - New Contacts
2 pts. - Place a "Tool" (Paphlet, DVD, CD, or something to inform my Prospect)
3 pts. - Long distance Packages (Info. via Mail to someone >100 miles away.)
1 pt. - On Conference Calls (with business partners and Executives to stay informed)
1 pt. - Contact my "Work-out" partner (to hold each other accountable for our actions and stay motivated)

Personal Productivity: (These are the things that lead to results!)
1 pt. - Phone Contact (Actually being able to reach the person you called)
2 pts.- Set an appointment
2 pts. - 3-way call (for prospect to speak to an expert, or a satisfied customer)
3 pts. - Presentations
4 pts. - Membership Sales
4 pts. - New Associate/Business Partner
5 pts. - Host a Private Business Reception / Attend a Weekly Business Briefing
5 pts. - Plan with new Associate / Help them earn 1st Paycheck.

Now, I obviously don't do all of these things every day, some I only do once or twice a week. Sometimes I only sell one membership a month. It doesn't matter. The thing that matters is that I'm working on my business and setting goals daily. (I normally get 20 points a day. These last couple of days, however, have been in the 50s) I actually graph it out every day in Excel and then depending on my daily total of points I know If I'm just going through the motions of owning a business (staying busy) or if I'm actually getting somewhere. Some think this approach is too complicated and will just use their income as their measuring stick. That's usually what most people do, and that's fine, but with business - like everything in life - you can't expect to harvest in the same season you plant. This is the reason 98% of all businesses shut down in their first 15 years: They aren't persistent, they let their emotions, friends, and family deceive them, and they give up too early. There must be time to cultivate. If you see it, others will too. Some will, some wont, so what. Don't give up on yourself or your ideas.

If you want to actually see how these charts work, get a hold of me personally and I'd be more than happy to show you. I just thought it might help someone the way it's helped me.

Team member survey

While reading the book I'm reading, I came upon an interesting tool for building effective teams: a test that tells you what role you would most efficiently fill in a team. I'm curious to see what the rest of you all rank as so I'll post the link here and await your results:
http://oneminutemillionaire.com/tools/hots.asp

I'm not a huge believer in all of those color personality tests and whatnot, but I thought this one was interesting. Thanks for trying it out!

Professionalism

I've had a lot of people look at some of the projects I've done for people in the past and say "Gee, you really should do something with that!" And ever since the scissorhands costume, I've tried to take pictures along the way to include in a portfolio for future opportunities.

While getting my hair cut recently, the barber advised me "next time you do ANYTHING, take the step as a professional and hire a professional photographer to take those pictures for you. It gives them a sense of surrealism, and will make all the difference." That's true. I see a lot of professional pictures that make some pretty junky stuff look like true works of art. So from now on, whenever I do a project for someone, I'm going to hire Gemini Digital Media to do the photography for me.

Could you work up a couple package options, and price estimates for me. (I'm not going to be pinching pennies here, I plan to pay you like professionals.) I wouldn't be working on anything until September/early October. But if you find something that works well for me, I'll be a loyal costumer for several years to come. How 'bout it?

This battle station is fully operational

I'm announcing that my own blog at benjaminhowe.com is now up and running. The first real post is mostly what I've already posted here, but I invite you all to read up on it and make comments.

On another note, I'm looking for ideas on how to promote Webatography.com. Any input is greatly appreciated. Do any of you know somebody who is big on selling stuff on e-bay? Send 'em over! Real estate agents? People who make and sell crafts and have websites? Underwater basketweavers?

Thanks for your help, and have a happy day.

My philosophy of money

A common thread in all of the personal finance books I've ever read (a list which admittedly includes all of about 3 books) seems to be "All you have to do to be financially independent is _______ and _______ and ________ etc." They make it seem like you can make a to-do list, start checking items off the top and by the time you reach the bottom your net worth will have met or exceeded a million dollars. Can it really be that simple? Isn't a million dollars a lot of money? More than any normal person out to be able to get his hands on?

Think about that point of view though. Do we tell ourselves that we won't ever have much money in our lives because we feel like we don't deserve it or that fate probably won't pick us to be wealthy? Well where's the sense in that? By finding the right investment and putting a mere dollar or two a day into it anybody can retire on a million bucks at 60 or 70. The fact is in our day and age, being a millionaire is easy.

The ease at which a million dollars can be amassed is both exciting and terrifying. In a class system which inevitability forms in a free-market system, the lower ends of the classes seem to look up at the upper ends and, in a form of enmity, tell themselves one of two lies: either that the ones with the money can't be happy for the simple reason that they have money, or "if I only had money I could be happy." To suggest that one's happiness is either conversely or directly related to one's net worth is outrageous. Happiness is absolutely not about money.

What, then, is money about? That depends on the person and his motives. For me it means security and freedom. It's a fact of life that, living in our world, the overwhelming majority of things that sustain life come through the exchange of money (unless you want to completely isolate yourself from the rest of society and farm a few acres of land to keep yourself and your family alive). With that fact in mind, money in the bank to cover your costs is security. During the last 3 weeks or so I got Bell's Palsy, a condition which paralyzes half of the victim's face for at least 2 weeks and Ashley got a throat infection and fever which refused to subside without medical intervention. We did not feel secure knowing that we had no insurance and may not be able to afford a trip to the doctor nor the treatment that might be prescribed. Fortunately, my face came back to life of its own accord and IHC has a financial assistance program which will hopefully cover most of Ashley's treatment.

Also there is the question of freedom: our world is covered from corner to corner, pole to pole with opportunities for growth and education. We all believe that the purpose of life is to learn and progress, so why not seek out these opportunities? Financial resources can provide that freedom. I think of the psychology concept of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (apologies to the theory's author if I've misspelled his name) which says we seek to satisfy our most basic and important needs which all animals have before seeking to satisfy some of the higher needs which define our humanity. Our Pioneer ancestors had to spend most of their time fulfilling the needs of food and shelter, so they didn't have the opportunity to travel the world (not sightseeing anyway), but they did make every effort to refine their humanity when they could by having dances and building opera houses, establishing bands and symphonies, and so on. Think of the sacrifice it would have been for one of them to own a trumpet. Certain of them actually sacrificed the unthinkable amount of weight and space in their wagons to take a piano to the Salt Lake Valley. I think that they would have embraced the opportunities available to us to learn from any avenues possible -- opportunities which we have because of their legacies.

Security and freedom are things I want. A lot. If money is the means by which they come, then I'm going to need some of that, and as long as I'm going to use it to extend freedom and security to people around me, what's wrong with having a lot?

I've finally decided that I'm not afraid of money, that I'm ready to be in control of my life, my security, and my freedom. I'm ready to invest my talents and work to grow them. This week I'm going to be starting a blog at benjaminhowe.com which will serve as my journal on my road to a bountiful life. I'm inviting you all to be part of a "dream team." I believe there is nothing wrong with money and I hope that we can work together to build freedom for us and many others.

Who's game?

A Slight Edge

I must admit that I know how to build an organization, and network properly. I could shed some light on the subject, and I'd be happy to help. However, I'm not the best person to turn to. (After all, I've only been networking for two years now, and still have much to learn.) Ask me all you want, I'll help out all I can. But I've learned something CRUCIAL over the last two years about success and people:

First, a disclaimer: This is a touchy subject. Nothing in this blog is meant to demean, belittle, or ridicule any one's beliefs, opinions, or feelings. I love you guys, and you're my best of friends. We may have differences in opinion and our goals in life will vary, but I KNOW that one thing we all want in this life is to be successful (however you define it) in one or more areas of this wonderful experience called life. Okay, with that said...

There is far too much to talk about, and I'm not going to say it. There are countless books out there written by people who have greater minds and more experience. Unfortunately some will make the mistake of not reading those books because of one discomfort or another. ONE that I recommend (understanding Ben's concern) is "THE SLIGHT EDGE" by Jeff Olson. It is THE book to read before you read any other how-to or wealth book. It is the book you need to read, highlight and reread along with your classes, your career planning, your exercise routine and pursuit of new skills. The book to keep with you as you set out to grow and pursue greater accomplishment, achievement and fulfillment in any area of your life. I've read it a couple times now, and if you don't get it soon you can expect a copy from me under your Christmas tree this year.

The more "success" or "get rich" books you read, the more you'll notice that it points to YOU as the only major variable. The greatest gift you could ever give yourself is also the wisest business investment you could ever make. It is also the most critical step in accomplishing any challenging task, and is the one step without which all other success strategies, no matter how smart or time-tested, are doomed to fail. This gift is your own personal development. Abraham Lincoln said "Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four hours sharpening the axe." Obviously a good philosophy on personal development and preparation. Your success and income can only grow to the extent that you do. If you come into big money (or a big organization) when you're not ready for it on the inside, your success will be short lived and you could lose it. (Just look at the latest lotto winner.) I had to learn this lesson the hard way last year. I was building an organization, things were going great, and I was making money. But I didn't know how to manage my business or lead that organization, or at least I hadn't developed those leadership muscles well enough yet. I didn't fit into those shoes... yet. Most people give up at that point thinking to themselves "I guess I'm just not cut out for this." or "this will never work for me." But the past doesn't have to equal the future! Sure, I wasn't who I needed to be then, but I've sure come a long way, and I know that I'm getting there. We can all get there, wherever that end is for you. Ben was right, accumulating wealth carries responsibilities. It aids good men in blessing those around them, and bad men in cut-throat ambitions for personal gratification. If money is your means to a righteous end, you will be blessed in your efforts to acquire that money.

People everywhere want "the secret", the path, the formula. "Tell me how you did this, so I can do it too." Millions of people keep asking HOW, but how to do it is not the issue. Why? Because the answer is only the answer - it isn't actually doing the thing. It isn't applying the answer and living the answer. Ben obviously pointed this out, as I'm sure Abe knows too. You can only build your dream by building it. Something else I think we all agree to is that your life isn't just about you. It's also about contributing to others. It's about living true to your mission and reasons for being on the Earth at this time. Being rich (in the truest sense of the word) includes adding value to other people's lives. Getting rich (or being successful, if "rich" is another four-letter-word to you) is not easy. Anyone who tells you it is is a little out of integrity. It takes focus, knowledge, courage, expertise, 100% of your effort, a never-give-up attitude, and of course a "rich" mind set. It also requires you forget about results, and put your hand to the plow for a season. It is easy to be seduced by the promise of results. We live in a results-oriented world, but there's a problem: You can't judge the course of action you're taking by its results, when its results com last. Remember: Plant, cultivate, then harvest. We can't plant expecting to harvest in the same season. It takes faith, patience, and the ability to withstand criticism from those we sometimes love most.

I could go on forever, but I know this is getting long. I'm going to post my recommended books later on. Best of success to you in achieving your success, and becoming the men needed to carry out such great work. Thanks for being my friends!

Networking a million dollars

So lately I've been reading a book, one some of you have probably read before, titled "The One Minute Millionaire." This is somewhat significant for me, since in the past I've had my reservations about reading books meant specifically written to show you how to be filthy rich. To be sure, I still have grave reservations about anybody or anything whose singular goal is to put a million bucks in your pocket, because I believe that that much money is very powerful and ought to be earned and the person to whom it belongs ought to know how to use it to the benefit of those around him, lessons he hopefully learned along the way of acquiring said million dollars.

I've always thought that these make-a-pile-of-money books really ought to not be written about money at all, but rather about principles that can be used everywhere in life, including, but not limited to, finances. Take the principle of accountancy for example: you can account for a lot of things -- time, money, physical resources, shelf space, whatever. Wouldn't it be better to teach somebody how to be a good accountant and then have that person extend the principles of accounting to every applicable part of his life instead of stopping at teaching a person to be a good financial accountant only?

Anyway, to get back to the point, this book actually does focus on good principles and habits that improve a person's whole person and emphasizes constructive motives, means, and ends.

About 1/3 the way through the book, when it actually starts getting to talking about how to make a million dollars, they present this analogy of a lever doing the work of moving the million dollar idea where you are the fulcrum and the lever is your resources and the forces pushing down on the lever are things like your network, a mentor, your team, skills & tools, etc.

While talking about networking, they bring out the point that you really only need to find the one "key contact" in your infinite network, or the list of people you know and the people they know, and so on. You don't have to sell a widget to a million people, you just have to sell a million widgets to one person. Or for some other applications, you might just need to find the person that knows a million people who want widgets.

At the moment, I'm working on a photo and album management system called Webatography.com which, like software always is, 80-90% done. I'm looking for ways to promote it and get it in front of people's eyes. What this website does is allow you to organize your photos and build albums out of them that you can post anywhere on the Internet. It has huge application for real estate buyers and sellers as well as eBay sellers and bloggers and such. I'd like to leverage my network to get this thing flying, and that's why I'm writing this post. How can I build a network from the people I know (you guys) which will help me find the people that are going to pay for this service? Word-of-mouth advertising is the best because a) its free and b) it actually works.

I know Nate has quite a pile of expertise in networking, and has a couple of huge networks of his own, so I especially want to hear from you. Abe is bored most of the day, so maybe I'll hire you on (with a salary even?!) as help in this venture. I'm sure my network is full of the skills that will make this succeed, I just have to learn how to find them.

I appreciate your input, and have a nice day.