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A Return to Purpose: Five Years in the Making

A Return to Purpose

All we need is a return to our purpose.

Sometimes, God has an uncanny way of sending us signals. A few weeks ago, sitting in a church service, the preacher's words resonated deeply with me.

He spoke of returning to the very space where one had left their path, a spot where detours and distractions had taken them astray. And intriguingly, he mentioned a time frame: five years.

At first, it seemed like just a sermon, a generalization perhaps. But then, as if the universe was conspiring to confirm the message, my social networks began to flood with memories.

Memories from exactly five years ago. Memories of the blog posts I began, the YouTube channels I started, and all the content I was pouring my heart into back then.

It's fascinating how time has a way of bringing things full circle. The very place where I felt I had diverged from my purpose has now become the spot where I find my return.

Today, as I reflect on those memories and the journey I've had over these years, I'm filled with a sense of gratitude. Not just for the lessons learned, but for the clear reminder that our paths, no matter how winding, always lead us back to where we need to be.

Today feels like a new beginning. A rekindling of old passions and dreams, a renewed sense of purpose. To everyone who's ever felt lost or diverted from their true calling, know this: it's never too late to find your way back.

God, in his own mysterious ways, will always guide you home.

Here's to embracing the journey, celebrating the comebacks, and looking forward to what the next chapter brings. 💛 #BackToPurpose #FiveYearsInTheMaking

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Winning with Profit First: Elevate Your Business to New Heights!

As an entrepreneur, maximizing profitability is the cornerstone of achieving long-term success. However, many businesses fall into the trap of prioritizing revenue growth at the expense of their bottom line.

Enter Profit First, a transformative concept developed by Mike Michalowicz, is aimed at reshaping the way entrepreneurs manage their finances. In this article, we'll delve into the concept of Profit First and explore why every entrepreneur should adopt it in their business.

Understanding Profit First: A Paradigm Shift in Financial Management:

The traditional formula of sales - expenses = profit places profit as an afterthought. Profit First, on the other hand, flips this equation on its head, emphasizing profit as a primary consideration in financial decision-making.

By adopting this mindset, entrepreneurs allocate a predetermined percentage of their income to profit before any expenses are taken into account. This method encourages conscious spending, drives efficiency, and fosters sustainable growth.

Benefits of Implementing Profit First:

Enhanced Profitability:

Profit First compels entrepreneurs to prioritize profit, leading to a direct improvement in the bottom line. By setting aside profit first, businesses can ensure healthy margins and a stable financial foundation, even during challenging times.

Clear Financial Visibility:

Profit First employs a series of bank accounts designated for specific purposes, such as profit, owner's pay, taxes, and operating expenses.

This compartmentalization provides a clear and accurate snapshot of the financial health of the business.

In addition, entrepreneurs gain real-time insights into their cash flow, enabling them to make informed decisions and take proactive measures.

Aligned Financial Habits:

Profit First nurtures responsible financial habits among entrepreneurs and their teams. By instilling a profit-centric mindset, it encourages prudent spending, expense reduction, and resource optimization.

This alignment ensures that every financial decision made supports the long-term profitability and sustainability of the business.

Action Steps to Implement Profit First:

Assess Your Current Financial Situation:

Begin by analyzing your business's financial health. Evaluate your revenue streams, expenses, and cash flow patterns.

Understanding your current financial reality will help you determine the appropriate profit allocations and establish realistic goals.

Establish Profit Allocation Percentages:

Based on your analysis, you will determine the percentage of revenue allocated to profit, owner's pay, taxes, and operating expenses.

Use these percentages as a guide to create separate bank accounts for each category, ensuring appropriate allocation and utilization of funds.

Regularly Monitor and Adjust:

Regularly review your financial performance and make necessary adjustments to your allocations. Reassess your profit goals, evaluate your expenses, and refine your financial strategy as your business evolves.

By consistently monitoring and adjusting your profit allocations, you'll maintain financial stability and foster a profit-focused culture.

Profit First introduces a revolutionary approach to financial management, empowering entrepreneurs to prioritize profitability, make informed decisions, and achieve sustainable success.

By adopting Profit First, you'll gain clarity, align your financial habits, and drive your business toward increased profitability.

Embrace the Profit First mindset, take proactive action, and watch as your business flourishes on the foundation of profitability.

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The Linchpin Framework

The Linchpin Framework, developed by Seth Godin, focuses on being indispensable in the workplace. It consists of five key components:

  1. Initiative: Taking the initiative means going beyond your assigned tasks and actively seeking ways to contribute more.It involves identifying problems, proposing solutions, and taking ownership of projects without waiting for permission.
  2. Emotional intelligence: Emotional intelligence is the ability to understand and manage your own emotions and those of others.It involves empathy, effective communication, and building strong relationships with colleagues. Developing emotional intelligence helps create a positive work environment.
  3. Unique expertise: Becoming a linchpin requires developing specialized knowledge and skills that set you apart from others. This expertise can be a combination of technical skills, industry knowledge, creativity, or a unique perspective that brings value to your work.
  4. Creativity: Being creative means thinking outside the box, generating innovative ideas, and solving problems in unconventional ways. Linchpins embrace change, challenge the status quo, and continuously seek new opportunities to improve processes and outcomes.
  5. Reliability: Reliability is crucial for becoming indispensable. It means consistently delivering high-quality work, meeting deadlines, and fulfilling commitments.

    Linchpins are known for their dependability, and their colleagues and managers trust them to get the job done.

By embodying these five components, individuals can position themselves as essential contributors in their organizations, creating more opportunities for growth and success.

Linchpin For Business

While the Linchpin Framework is primarily focused on individual behavior and professional development, businesses can adopt and apply its principles to enhance their overall operations and success. Here's how businesses can use the Linchpin Framework as a business model:

  1. Encourage initiative: Businesses can foster a culture of initiative by empowering employees to take ownership of their work, encouraging them to propose new ideas, and providing a platform for them to contribute beyond their assigned tasks.This can lead to increased innovation, problem-solving, and overall productivity within the organization.
  2. Foster emotional intelligence: Businesses can prioritize emotional intelligence by promoting effective communication, empathy, and teamwork. This can be achieved through training programs, workshops, and by creating an inclusive work environment that values and respects the perspectives and emotions of employees.Enhanced emotional intelligence can improve collaboration, customer relationships, and employee satisfaction.
  3. Cultivate unique expertise: Businesses can invest in developing the specialized knowledge and skills of their employees. This can be done through training programs, mentorship opportunities, and encouraging continuous learning.By nurturing expertise within the organization, businesses can differentiate themselves from competitors and deliver exceptional value to clients or customers.
  4. Embrace creativity: Businesses should foster a culture that encourages creativity and rewards innovative thinking. This can involve creating dedicated spaces for brainstorming and idea generation, organizing cross-functional teams to tackle challenges, and celebrating and implementing successful ideas.Embracing creativity can lead to breakthrough innovations, improved processes, and a competitive edge in the market.
  5. Promote reliability: Businesses can promote reliability by setting clear expectations, providing adequate resources and support, and recognizing and rewarding consistent performance.By creating an environment where reliability is valued and upheld, businesses can build trust with customers, clients, and partners, leading to long-term relationships and a positive reputation.

By integrating the Linchpin Framework into their business model, organizations can cultivate a culture of excellence, foster employee engagement and loyalty, and drive sustainable growth and success in the ever-evolving business landscape.

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Accelerate Your Success: 5 Strategies for Thriving in Today’s Market

Accelerate Your Success

To accelerate your success, entrepreneurs and businesses must embrace speed, innovation, and a customer-centric mindset.

This article outlines five key strategies to help you navigate the ever-evolving market landscape and maximize your chances of success.

  1. Speed is Your Friend — Get to Market as Soon as Possible:

In the dynamic world of business, time is of the essence. It is crucial to launch your product or service as soon as it reaches a minimum viable state.

By doing so, you can gather valuable customer feedback and adapt quickly based on market response. Speed allows you to gain a competitive advantage, test assumptions, and refine your offering while staying ahead of the competition.

  1. Create the Minimum Viable Product, Sell It, and Analyze the Data:

Building a minimum viable product (MVP) enables you to validate your idea and generate early sales. Focus on the core features and functionality that solve your customers' pain points and deliver value.

By selling your MVP, you can collect real-world data and gain insights into customer behavior. This data will guide further product development, ensuring that you align with market demands.

  1. Build Better Teams and Support — Fire Faster:

Building a high-performing team is paramount to your success. Surround yourself with talented individuals who share your vision and have the skills necessary to execute it.

However, don't shy away from making tough decisions when needed. If team members are not a good fit or fail to meet expectations, take action swiftly. A strong team fosters a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

  1. Truly Know Your Market:

To thrive in today's market, it's essential to have a deep understanding of your target audience beyond mere demographic profiles.

Dive into the customer journey, identify pain points, and anticipate their next steps. By comprehending their needs, desires, and aspirations, you can tailor your offerings and messaging accordingly.

Winning in the transitions, such as repeat purchases or upsells, strengthens customer loyalty and drives sustained growth.

  1. Increase the 4 C's in Your Business:

To accelerate your success, focus on increasing the 4 C's: Community, Consistency, Collaboration, and Cashflow.

- Community: Cultivate a strong and engaged community around your brand. Foster meaningful connections with your customers, provide exceptional support, and encourage user-generated content.

A thriving community becomes your brand advocates and amplifies your reach.

- Consistency: Consistency breeds trust and reliability. Deliver a consistent customer experience across all touchpoints, maintain product quality, and communicate your brand message effectively.

By consistently meeting or exceeding customer expectations, you build a solid foundation for long-term success.

- Collaboration: Collaboration opens doors to new opportunities and amplifies your capabilities. Seek partnerships, strategic alliances, and collaborations with complementary businesses.

By leveraging collective strengths, you can access new markets, share resources, and drive mutual growth.

- Cashflow: Cashflow is the lifeblood of any business. Implement effective financial management practices, optimize revenue streams, and manage expenses wisely.

Continuously monitor your financial health and seek opportunities to increase cash inflow while reducing costs.

In today's competitive market, adopting a proactive and customer-centric approach is vital for success.

By embracing speed, building strong teams, truly understanding your market, and focusing on the 4 C's (Community, Consistency, Collaboration, Cashflow), you position yourself for growth and resilience.

Remember, success comes not just from the first purchase but from winning in the transitions, earning customer loyalty, and driving sustainable growth.

Embrace these strategies, and you'll be well-equipped to thrive in the ever-evolving business

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Do What You Hear: The Final Call to Action

After my conversation with Bishop AJ Wright, a new revelation echoed in my spirit, completing the trilogy of my journey.

I had begun with "Write What You Hear," moved to "Trust What You Hear," and now, the final and most crucial step stood before me: "Do What You Hear."

We all have them - those brilliant ideas, those game-changing projects, those transformative visions. They're tucked away on hard drives, scribbled in Evernote, or jotted down on Post-it notes.

They're the dreams we've held onto, the plans we've made, and the promises we've whispered to ourselves. But they remain just that - ideas, plans, promises. It's time to change that.

This is your clarion call. It's time to roll up your sleeves, dive into those forgotten folders, and bring those ideas to life.

It's time to execute. No more waiting for the "perfect" moment, no more second-guessing, no more letting fear hold you back.

Do it scared. Do it even if you don't have all the answers. Do it because it's what you've been called to do.

Failure? It's a possibility. But remember this: if you fail, fail fast. Learn from it, pick yourself up, and get back in the game.

Every setback is a setup for a comeback. Every mistake is a lesson in disguise. But you'll never know if you don't take that first step.

So, to everyone reading this, take a deep breath, reflect on those dreams and ideas you've shelved for far too long, and make a commitment.

A commitment to act, to execute, to bring those dreams to fruition. It's not enough to just write and trust; you have to do.

The world needs what you have to offer. Your ideas, your projects, your visions - they have the power to change lives, communities, even the world. But they can't do that if they remain hidden away.

So, get to work. Dive into those projects, breathe life into those ideas, and let the world see what you're truly capable of.

Remember, it's not just about hearing; it's about doing. And as you do, may you find the fulfillment, success, and impact you've always dreamed of.

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Trust What You Hear: The Next Step in Your Journey

The other day, I was on the phone with Bishop AJ Wright, pouring out my heart about these "crazy" thoughts I was having. Thoughts about business, ministry, and so much more.

Not negative or harmful thoughts, but those that challenge the status quo, that dare to dream bigger and bolder.

As I shared, he paused for a moment and then said to me, "Trust What You Hear." I was taken aback, rendered silent.

He had no idea that a few years ago, I penned an article titled Write What You Hear That article had become my mantra, my guiding light for releasing these "crazy" thoughts from the confines of my mind.

But as I reflected on his words, I realized that writing was just the beginning. It was the first step in a three-part journey.

Writing allowed me to give voice to my innermost thoughts and feelings, to bring them out into the open. But that was just phase one.

Phase two, as Bishop Wright so eloquently put it, is "Trust What You Hear."

We've all been there. That moment when a thought, an idea, or a feeling stirs deep within us. It might seem outlandish, maybe even a little crazy.

But it's there, persistent and undeniable. It's that gut feeling, that inner voice, telling us something important. And it's time we start listening.

"Trust What You Hear." It's more than just a phrase; it's a mantra, a way of life. It's about believing in that inner voice, even when the world tells you otherwise.

It's about pushing past the self-doubt, the second-guessing, and the fear of the unknown.

You see, our gut feelings, those inner nudges, are often our most honest guides. They're raw, unfiltered, and real.

They don't care about societal norms or what's "expected" of us. They just care about the truth. And deep down, we know it. That promise you feel in your heart? It's not a lie. It's as real as the air you breathe.

So, to anyone reading this, take a moment. Reflect. Think about that gut feeling you've been ignoring, that idea you've pushed to the back of your mind.

It's time to bring it to the forefront. Embrace it. Trust it. And then? Go for it. With all you've got.

Remember, life's too short for what-ifs. Trust in yourself, trust in your gut, and watch as the world opens up before you.

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The Importance of Goal Setting for Entrepreneurs

The Importance of Goal Setting for Entrepreneurs

Being an entrepreneur means that you are captain of the ship. There is no one telling you which port you are headed for and how to get there. This means you have to see a clear vision of who you are and what your business needs to accomplish.

Writing a mission statement for your company is essential. With that in hand, you and any employees you may have, fully understand what the purpose of the business is and why hard work is essential to the success of fulfilling that mission statement.

As an entrepreneur you need to have total self-confidence and self-esteem. Setting and achieving goals will help build your overall positive feeling about yourself.

As each year in business goes by and you are creating and achieving goals, your self-growth will skyrocket. This also goes for your employees.

Not every employee will be confident from day one. As you show them the goals and how to reach them, they start to grow more and more self-confidence. Employees with who feel great about themselves and the work that they do, are an amazing asset to your business.

Having clear goals with an end in mind, keeps everyone on track. It is very motivating to see the goals and the progress as they are being worked towards.

This is a main reason why your goals as an entrepreneur need to be measurable. You need to have goals that can be tracked easily.

For instance if you need operating capital, then your goals should state exactly how much you need, when you need it and how it will be obtained.

Just writing out that you need $25,000 to operate your own business for the next six months, will not give you the internal motivation to go get it now. All your numbers should be specific.

Write your goals for how many customers you need per day, week and month. How much income you need per day, to cover costs and employee salaries.

Make sure to cover all financial goals and have rewards for meeting those goals.

Every goal should have a deadline, even the simple ones. It may even be helpful to put the deadlines in a different color to make them stand out.

As goals are reviewed daily, your employees can see the deadlines and know this is super important and must be done with care and quality.

Depending on your schedule, you may want to appoint a reliable person in your company the job of making sure each employee is on schedule with their tasks towards making the goal a reality.

Accountability for entrepreneurs is essential. This is your dream and holding yourself and your employee’s accountable means you won’t give up on your goals.

Reviewing and assessing your goals daily with your team, means that everyone will be ready and willing to go the extra mile to get the job done.

What rewards do you have in place for meeting your goals? Rewarding yourself during the aggressive pursuit of your goals, makes the journey sweeter.

After reaching the milestone goals you should have a big reward planned for yourself. Your employees will also appreciate the reward system.

The days of everyone gets a free turkey for the holidays or a cash bonus are pretty much gone in the business world.

As an entrepreneur you are responsible for keeping moral high. Just don’t overdo the rewards so that it affects your bottom line. Pick rewards that are going to be appreciated as something special and thought out.

Your employees will respond much better to this type of reward, rather than a lump sum of cash.

Think in terms of a special dinner or getting to know your employees so well that you can contribute to their hobbies.

As captain of the ship, you can control the direction and success of your ship by following these guidelines.

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Seven Goal Setting Mistakes You Should Avoid

Seven Goal Setting Mistakes You Should Avoid

As in life, there are some mistakes you should avoid. If over drinking is sometimes an issue for you, then happy hour on Fridays with the gang, would not be for you.

Goal setting is no different. Have your alert function on high when you start out on your goal setting journey. Here are seven common mistakes you can avoid right now.

  1. You are extremely excited about setting goals. In this state, avoid setting too many goals. This can lead to overwhelm and it is easy to lose focus. Remember you have other obligations in your life and staying energized and focused on one thing at time works best.
  2. Make sure the goals you are setting are, “YOUR,” goals. You need to be totally aligned with your goals and the influence of other people will dilute the motivation you have to complete your goals. It is okay to listen to friends and family in terms of their ideas to maintain harmony. You listen and then internally dismiss what they think you should do. After you write your goals, if they begin to complain, just thank them and say that you gave their ideas great consideration but feel you have set the right path for you.
  3. Time has a way of slipping past you. You need to really think on your goal completion time and factor in all the things that may steal some of your time.  Work hard on proper scheduling and get it down on paper.
  4. So called failure is a character builder. It is how you react to not completing a goal that defines you. Understand that it is possible you may not complete a goal.  This is the time to reflect and see what you can learn from that event. Ask yourself questions. Was this the right goal for me? What roadblocks did I hit and how can I avoid them the next time?
  5. One way to avoid failure to complete a goal, is to make sure the goal is realistic for you. You may have gotten over excited about a big goal and not realized that you were missing a vital skill. This is one reason why you need to ask many questions before setting these big goals. For example, you had a goal of meeting a new life partner and took the steps to attract one. It turned out to be a failure because you did not fully analyze what happened in your last relationship. On reflection, you find out that when talking to a partner, you are not really there. You don’t engage the other person with questions that build rapport. Once that comes to light, you know it is time to work on your communication skills before heading out into the dating world again.
  6. Narrowing your focus too much can be a costly mistake. An example would be you have a goal of getting a promotion to assistant manager within the next three months. You identified what was lacking in the last assistant manager who was asked to leave the company and now you are honed in doing everything necessary to stand out in the crowded pool of candidates. You are putting in the 14 hour days and doing all the right things. After two weeks of being a shining star, you start making mistakes. The issue was you forgot about putting some of that focus into your health goals and your healthy eating habits slipped. After a hard 14 hour day, you accepted an invite to go for a night cap with work friends, instead of heading home and getting in a bit of meditation before sleeping. Your goals have to work hand in hand for you to be successful.
  7. You need to review your progress. Failure to do so, will result in your goals not working for you. In example number 6, that was evident. Instead of doing a quick review at the end of each day, you just put a lot of effort into one area. Reflection would have told you, the way to be at work early in the morning full of energy and focus, would be self-care. In self-care, a snack of veggies and some light yoga or meditation before sleeping would set up your next day perfectly. Review your progress daily and weekly to make necessary adjustments and stay on track.

 

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Podcast Episode: Release the Chains with Ari Squires

Ari Squires is joined by J. Richard Byrd, the Expert Your Expert Calls when they have questions.

Pastors, entrepreneurs, and leaders come to him when they are stuck or need to clarify their vision. We discuss healthy self-care for men, relationships, fatherhood, and business growth and development. Men, as well as women, need to tune into this sit-down so that they can start ASKING and ANSWERING the right questions to elevate their self-health and self-wealth.

Topics Discussed:

+ Self-care treatments for men

+ The questions men need to ask other men

+ How to bring a vision to life

+ How not to take advantage of a blessing when it comes to you

You can find more about Ari at arisquires.com

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Top 5 Productivity Hacks for Procrastinators

Jrichardbyrd.com - Top five productivity hacks for procrastinators.

Top five productivity hacks for procrastinators.

No one is immune to falling victim to procrastination. Everyone puts things off from time to time, so there is always room to increase our productivity once we know how to deal with our tendencies to procrastinate properly. To help you combat procrastination and become more productive, here are the top five productivity hacks for procrastinators.

Name It
The first thing that you need to do is notice that you are procrastinating and acknowledge it. It is essential that you do this without judging yourself and without getting overly stressed that you don't have enough time. The next time you notice you're procrastinating, just say to yourself "procrastinating," or "moving on." This allows you to acknowledge your procrastination so you can move on.

Figure Out Where Your Time Goes
When we're procrastinating, we all use different props to fill our time. To improve your productivity, you'll need to identify what these are for you. Digital distractions are extremely powerful procrastination temptations that we need to try to resist consciously. To figure out where your time goes, start to write down exactly where your time goes.

Make Time Your Best Friend
Most procrastinators frequently fool themselves when it comes to the passage of time. You might often get to the end of the day and not understand where the day went. If this is something that happens to you, then you need to shift your relationship with time. You’ll need to become aware of how long each task takes you, rather than making a guess.

Improve Your Time Estimates
Often, as a procrastinator, you may tend to estimate how long a task will take without factoring in any time for your procrastination. This causes you to take much longer than expected to finish a task. If you know that you tend to procrastinate, factor this into your estimation, so you're not always falling behind.

Meet More Deadlines
Often, the only time we manage to get around to focusing properly on your tasks is when you have a looming deadline. So, if you want to improve your focus and increase your productivity, you might want to start giving yourself more deadlines. The best way to do this is to get in the habit of promising to deliver certain things by a specific time/date.

Even self-professed procrastinators can improve their productivity. With these five productivity hacks, you can start to decrease the amount of time you spend procrastinating and get more done.