Archive for the “Motivation & Inspiration” Category

In light of the Christmas season, I thought I would write a post that was more upbeat and positive than commenting on the depressing national economy that we are all going through.

I have always been a fan of Christmas music but I prefer contemporary versions of the traditional favorites.  In that spirit, I am listing my favorite Christmas albums that I think best represent the best of contemporary versions of traditional Christmas songs.

• Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas
• Faith Hill: Joy to the World
• Amy Grant: Home for Christmas
• Martina McBride: White Christmas
• Jessica Simpson: Rejoyce the Christmas Album
• Ally McBeal: A Very Ally Christmas Featuring Vonda Shepard
• Gloria Estefan: Christmas Through Your Eyes
• Vanessa Williams: Star Bright
• Peter Cetera: You Just Gotta Love Christmas
• Chicago: What’s It Gonna Be Santa
• Josh Groban: Noel

Surprisingly, used copies are available at relatively inexpensive prices at half.com and amazon.com.

Last week, I had the great pleasure to attend the 3rd annual Jim Blanchard Leadership Forum here in Columbus, GA.  It isn’t often there is a collection of high-profile speakers and authors that come into the local area.  When I found out about it the Friday before the Monday-Tuesday event, I jumped on it.

The speakers were:  Dr. & Congressman Newt Gingrich, General Russel Honore, Daniel Pink, Thomas Friedman, John Maxwell, and GA Chief Justice Leah Sears.

I have to say each person made an impact on me in their own special way.  On Day One, I was impressed by how knowledgeable Newt Gingrich was in his presentation.  He went past political arguments to present his case on improving the health care system.

General Russel Honore of Hurricane Katrina fame gave a funny, entertaining but also very serious speech on preparedness.  I felt that more government officials should have heard his speech.  He gave me a perspective of public service that was inspiring.

On Day Two, GA Chief Justice Leah Sears gave a short speech on familes and education.  Her speech was much shorter than anticipated which led to an extended break.

Daniel Pink of “A Whole New Mind” was dynamic and brought a youthful energy into the presentations.  I loved his book which continues to resonate and impact me as I do business.

John Maxwell who has written many titles on Leadership (of which I have several in my bookshelf) gave his view of the 5-levels of leadership.  Those 5-levels made me reflect where I stood in my leadership abilities.

Finally, Thomas Friedman of “The World is Flat” and “The Lexus & Olive Tree” fame presented material from his new book “Hot, Flat, and Crowded”.  His talk was sweepingly huge and had global proportions.  He talked about “global weirding”, a flat world, that is growing in population exponentially.  I enjoyed his thoughtful and low-key approach.

The event was a success with around 800 people in attendance.  They provided two hot lunches and a hot breakfast as part of the event.  The part I did not like was that neither day were full days.  They were only partial days.  However, the 2-day event was only $299 which was a bargain for me especially since I did not have to travel as I normally do.

As the Leadership Forum ended, an announcement was made that Colin Powell would head next year’s line-up.  Colin Powell is an amazing role model, a tremendous thinker, and diplomat.  I will definitely be there for next year’s event.

This is a quickie post.  I am in Seattle attending the Independent Online Sellers Conference.  I almost didn’t come because this event is largely a grassroots effort.  There are about 200 Amazon resellers here.  Interestingly, this event is acknowledged by Amazon.com.  I am looking forward to visiting Amazon HQ on Monday.

I also learned about micro-blogging today.  So, I set up a Twitter account.  My account is mattchan66.  The link to my Twitter site is http://twitter.com/mattchan66 It is too early to tell how or what I will be using it for.  If it is anything like having a Facebook or MySpace account, I will probably not do too much.

This was first posted on The TurnKey Investor’s Blog.

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After several requests from the last few years for a real estate investor coaching, consulting, and mentoring program, I have decided to create and develop “The TurnKey Investor’s Consulting Program“.

I have been resistant to doing this program because I have been very guarded with my time and personal schedule.  Even with this announcement, I still am.  However, I believe I have created a way to comfortably coach, consult, and mentor others in a way that is effective and reasonably priced.

What sent me over the edge was a customer seeking a coaching, consulting, and mentoring program was actually considering an offer of $10,000 upfront and a monthly fee of $1,000/month from someone who had less real estate and credentials than my real estate partner, Wes and I did!  I told my customer I thought that it was ridiculously priced.  Shortly after that conversation, I decided to develop a program that was reasonable and effective, not this overpriced B.S. program.

For many beginning students, their toughest time is the first 30-days.  That is often their make or break period.  Because of this very formative period, it will be the most intensive period for both my students and myself.  I have to shake them out of their comfort zone and push them out to make things happen both effectively and intelligently.

To maintain good quality control, I will accept students into this program only by a written application and telephone interview process.  I only want to work with students who have a good shot at success.  Having coached, mentored, and instructed many students over the years, I have a good sense of who is committed and who is simply all-talk.

I have committed myself to those individuals that are optimistic, mature, confident, independent, flexible, creative, can listen, and accept constructive criticism and direct feedback.  These types of people have the innate personality traits to succeed at nearly anything they set their minds to.

And while my Consulting Program is considerably less expensive than most real estate investor seminars, it carries a strong enough of a financial weight for the students paying to take this seriously.  It can be afforded but I would not say it is affordable.

Additionally, because the program is on strict time schedules, the student ultimately loses if they get lazy and don’t do their assignments or stick to their 120-day plan.  I also reserve the right at any time to let go of any student who isn’t being accountable to me and to themselves.  I don’t have the patience and stomach for it.

Like my time during the Investors Roundtable, everyone will be put on notice that they must perform.  And after 4-6 months of consulting, I will likely give them notice that their time with me will come to an end.  Basically, if there is no results or success, the consulting must end.

The rules are set.  I am excited by this program.  I have set a high standard for the students to meet.  Only the most confident and capable will want to take this program with me as their coach and mentor.  I openly tell the people I coach and mentor, I cannot be their friend and effectively help them.  Friendship has to be secondary and only after the consulting process has concluded.

I have known for many years that in order for new beginnings to open up, endings must happen.  Whether this is in personal or business life, this axiom is generally true.  The problem with most people, including myself, is that we dislike and fear change and taking risks.

There is a common saying that people should not burn bridges.  The problem with that is that sometimes that is the only way to let go and ultimately move forward.  Of course, there are upsides and downsides.  One has to focus on the positives and upsides or the negatives and downsides can be overwhelming.

I have had some practice on “burning bridges” and making endings and new beginnings.  And I am happy to say, as a whole, my decisions have been pretty good.  Short term, they were inconvenient and sometimes painful, but ultimately a greater good and opportunity opened.

Without getting into specifics, there are some things happening in my life that are simultaneously ending and beginning.  I am happy some of the circumstances and relationship are approaching their endings.  It is a welcome relief.  In fact, I have been looking for other things to end and leave behind.  I want to “lighten the load”, if you will.

The people I want to “keep” are people who have been “of service” to me.  They are solid people who are honest and stick to commitments they keep.  Their “flake factor” is very low.  The others are simply “needy and takers”.  In other words, they only come around when they need something.  Or there are other people who are simply lazy, unmotivated, and basically stuck in a rut.  They are in a situation of their own creation and like pigs in a pile, they continue to wallow in the mud.  You offer and try to give a helping hand out of the mud but ultimately they want you to do all the work to lift them out.  That won’t happen here.

On the opposite end of the spectrum are people who are inspired, ambitious, go-getters, risk-takers, enlightened, and action-takers.  I love and respect these types of people.  And when these people run into each other, they tend to get along quite well.  And the synergy they create is far greater than what the individuals can do.

I am not waiting until 2009 to prepare for it.  I am in process of “cleaning house” both literally and figuratively.  I am paring down the people I associate and correspond with.  I am leaving and abandoning those projects that don’t work anymore.  The unhealthy, fearful, lazy, unambitious, immature, and losers are left behind.  Life moves a lot faster when you stick with other winners.

It feels really good to make the endings happen.  It is amazing how quick, new people and opportunities open up.  It is easy to fall into a rut especially when you have a lifestyle like mine.  And so, I have to make a conscious effort to purge every so often.  I have a great feeling that come the end of summer, most of the purging I have to do will be done which will open up the rest of 2009 for interesting and great new people and opportunities.

Having planned a couple of extra days to enjoy Los Angeles, I booked a ticket to visit Sony Pictures Studios Tours.  Like most of the movie studio tours, they are not well advertised or marketed.  Most people find out about movie studio tours from word-of-mouth or by seeking it out.

Being a big movie fan myself, it was a high priority for me to check out all the movie studio tours.  (I scheduled the Paramount Movie Studio Tour for the morning but goofed up my schedule and arriving too late.)

The Sony Pictures Studios Tour located in Culver City, CA costs $28.00.  You can purchase tickets online in advance (with a $2.00 fee) or simply make reservations.  I did not know I could make reservations until AFTER I had bought tickets online.  Because I also wanted to attend the Warner Brothers VIP Studio Tour, it was a bit of a trick to schedule 3 studio tours within a 2-day period.  Because of limited availability of the Warner Brothers Deluxe Studio Tour (a 5-hour version of the WB VIP Studio Tour), I was forced to reschedule my tickets with Sony Pictures Studio Tour.  Fortunately, the folks at Sony were accommodating.  They were able to simply use my same ticket but schedule it for another day.

The Sony Pictures Studios Tour is a 2-hour walking tour of the old MGM Studios that Sony Pictures bought out.  Underground parking is free in the visitor section of the Sony Pictures office building.  One of the things you learn early in the tour is how MGM sold off so much of their backlots over the years that what they have left is much smaller than how they started.

Even with that, there is still plenty of walking to do.  I recommend some comfortable walking shoes.  They say that no two tours are exactly alike.  They attribute this to the fact that every tour guide has a different style and the daily circumstances are such that the tour is designed to be flexible just in case the tour encounters an actual TV or movie production.  If that happens, the tour obviously work around these important and well-controlled events.

On my tour, sound stages had been set on the upcoming movie “Angels & Demons” which is a prequel to the movie and book of the same name “Da Vinci Code”.  We also passed by Beyonce Knowle’s trailer and the sound stages for her upcoming movie “Obsessed”.

I made my first visit to a Foley studio which is where many sound effects are created.  We also visited the set and green room of “Jeopardy”.  I have to say that Green Room was a bit nasty but the tour guide said it was because a party was thrown a couple of nights earlier and it had not yet been clean.  The Green Room is really a green room.  Apparently, green is supposed to help calm the nerves of people who will eventually go out on stage.

We walked through many interesting exterior sets that had real-life workers within the building!  Apparently, the designers and architects make the insides of the buildings functional but decorate the outside in such a way to create the illusion you are in a different city or locale.

I don’t want to give the entire tour away but those were the highlights.  My tour guide, Tony, is an aspiring screenwriter and seems to enjoy giving movie studio tours as he looks for his big break.

Overall, anyone who loves movies and wants to learn more about the behind-the-scenes of movie-making should check out Sony Pictures Studios Tour.

I just returned from over a week-long adventure in Los Angeles that included the huge 2008 Book Expo America in Los Angeles.  This event followed the 3-day IBPA’s Publishing University also in the same city.

The last time I attended Book Expo America was in 2002 in NYC.  It was before I started my publishing firm, Ascend Beyond Publishing.  I definitely feel like I waited too long to go back but I did try to make up for lost time soaking it all up and managed to get some nice advance copies of upcoming books.

I am a book lover myself which is one reason I got into the publishing business.  I can honestly say my legs hurt every night from all the walking on the convention floor during the day.  The are so many exhibitors to visit and products to check out.

I had not planned on attending another Book Expo America for another 2 years but now I feel somewhat compelled to go back next year.  I have put it on my calendar.

It has been an exhausting 4-days since my arrival into Los Angeles to attend the IBPA’s (Independent Book Publishers Association) 2008 Publishing University Conference.  It was a great 3-day experience taking in the variety of experiences and information shared.  I think there must have been nearly 300 people including staff, speakers, attendees, and guests.  The one thing that persistently shows up is how little business sensibilities most wannabe authors have.  Most are so desperate to become authors, they throw their promotional stuff to everyone and anyone.

I have to admit even I was overwhelmed with some of the new information and distinctions that were presented especially in the area of media and public relations. I met some important people and contacts that might be instrumental to some changes I plan on making to my publishing business in the months to come.

The full impact of what I got out of IBPA’s Publishing University will linger until after I get back.  Fresh off of that 3-day conference, I have just begun my next 3-day run at the 2008 Book Expo America.  It has been 6 years since I attended this huge industry event.  I think I waited 2 years too long to come back.  I won’t make that mistake again.

My feet is sore.  I have had three 11-hour days.  Today, I put in a light 9-hours and so I have a chance to update this blog.  I can do some reading and catch up on some work in my hotel room.