Success Newsletters

One of my first mentors taught me to treat life as a theatre; take it all in, observe, be a sponge and listen. Good advice for sure. Recently I was at Toronto International Airport for one of those crazy early morning flights, checking in at 4.30 a.m. Half asleep, I was still alert enough to observe a gentleman with a lot of luggage checking in at the United Airlines counter with me. I was flying to California, he to Somalia.

Unless you have been living in a cave or have been extremely lucky, the recent world wide economic downturn has impacted you in some way. We only have to read the newspaper, turn on the television, and closer to home, look at ourselves or someone close to us to see the impact. I only need to look at my investments in the stock market, and my business is feeling the pinch too. The consensus among my peers is that individuals and organizations are being very cautious and thinking twice before spending money on things that could be seen as luxuries as opposed to necessities. This includes on conventions, events, and speakers.
Consider the following 5 points as you assess something as an investment or a cost.

A homeless man in Manchester, England, has been given an opportunity to turn his life around after a chance meeting with movie casting agents for the upcoming Guy Ritchie production of Sherlock Holmes starring Jude Law and Robert Downey Junior.

In my best selling book, Success is Not a Spectator Sport, I devote a whole chapter to the art of communication. In this newsletter, I would like to discuss a few further points on this, your greatest asset.

Today, in tough economic times around the world, everybody is looking for an edge to stay ahead of the crowd. People are looking for new creative and exciting stuff to blow their competition away. The old saying “necessity is the mother of invention” applies, as organizations look to re-invent the wheel, think outside of the box, and find that competitive edge.

Set the right tone every day. Leaders guide and inspire. To do this you must be consistent and make what you stand for clear. Everybody in your organization should be crystal clear about what is expected of them. There should be no grey areas, mixed messages or doubts coming from your leadership. Lead by example. Live your message, values, principles, and vision yourself every day. This sets the right tone.

My two kids, 6 and 8 recently were asked to help in a fundraiser for their respective schools. It involved selling magazine subscriptions. This project involved going door to door in the neighborhood where they live. This is not an easy gig, even for the most seasoned of sales people. But off they went, knocking on door to door with a big smile on their faces each time eager to share what they were offering and why, regularly facing the “no thank you,” or “not right now.” or “bad timing” Instead of cowering from one rejection after the other, they courageously went on to the next door. In fact, I don’t think the “no’s” fazed them one little bit.

To achieve anything in your life, you first must believe in it totally. This means believing both in your heart and your mind. Belief is the lightening rod for all other essentials of achievement. If you do not believe it, you will not achieve it, and if this sounds so simple, it is..

One of my early mentors in the hair industry, and one of my role models for success, excellence and having fun was John Steinberg. I have a lot of time and respect for John and all he has achieved in the hair industry. This book is a collection of stories written in John’s special style, with wit, an English sense of humor and with the terrific contribution of Alexandra Innes. Do not let the title fool you, this is not just a book for people involved in the hair industry, the stories, analogies and lessons apply to everybody.

I was going through some old notes from my high school days in Manchester, England and came across some historical stories which I thought were as relevant today as they were all those years ago when I learned them. Actually at the time they probably did not mean as much to me as they did when I re-read them recently. I wanted to share them with you below.