Carpe Diem

Leuconoe, don't ask — it's dangerous to know — what end the gods will give me or you. Don't play with Babylonian fortune-telling either. Better just deal with whatever comes your way. Whether you'll see several more winters or whether the last one Jupiter gives you is the one even now pelting the rocks on the shore with the waves of the Tyrrhenian sea--be smart, drink your wine. Scale back your long hopes to a short period. Even as we speak, envious time is running away from us. Seize the day, trusting little in the future. - Horace Odes

Many people are familiar with the phrase but really have no idea where it came from. I mean it's everywhere, on tatoos, in commercials, on billboards even. Really, how many times a day do you hear the phrase, Carpe Diem? It has become such a common statement that it almost looses its value to both inspire and challenge. It need not be that way though. Let's think about the requirements of Carpe Diem.

• Wake Up
• Choose to truly do all you can that day to live abundantly.
• Hope that you are blessed enough to do it all over again the next day.

It's that simple! Carpe Diem! Seize the Day! Is that really all there is to it? YEP, and stop trying to complicate Life!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

How Are You Today?

Business is no walk in the park, high sells leads to success and low sells lead to....., well you can finish the rest by now. All day I dream of winning, I dream of success, I dream of being the best. What about you?

How are you today?

The standard answer to someone asking you how you are doing is, "I can't complain". It really is a reactive answer rather then true sentiments most of the times. If you would take a moment to look inside and give a true assessment, your answer may be a little different.

Well, what should be your answer? It depends on how you want to feel. If you say, nothing is going right and I feel overwhelmed by everything, I Wish I Were Dead! Then guess how you are going to feel? If on the other hand you say, I know where I am going, I know how to get there and I feel great because I made progress today, how will you feel?

How am I today? I FEEL GREAT and You Can Too!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

A Book is Always Judged by its Cover!

For as long as I can remember, I have heard people say different cliches like, "You can't get blood from a turnip", "You never miss your water til your well runs dry", and one of my favorites "You can't judge a book by its cover". While all of these may be somewhat true, reality is a little different, especially when it comes to judging that book.

You see it is human nature to judge a book by its cover and that's why we spend so much time and effort on first impressions. I read a book not long ago by Malcolm Gladwell titled "Blink". This book went into great detail about how quick we are to have snap judgments about people and statistically, how reliable those judgements are.

Judging a book by its cover is actually more necessary today then ever before. Just think how much you are bombarded by on a daily basis. If you decided to give everything equal amounts of time you would never sleep and never finish your work. Snap judgements or judging a book by its cover is our natural filtering process. It is quite imperfect but it is what we have been given.

The more you embrace this concept the better you will get at using it. Your process of elimination will be so good that others will see it as a sixth sense some what. You must remember that your process can be wrong but really if that book really is a diamond in the rough then somebody needs to create a better cover for it, Dammit!

Have a great week!
Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Maestro's Favorites

It's the weekend, Finally! If your week was anything like mine you are looking forward to some rest and relaxation. So, it's time to pull out the sweatpants and t-shirt and just chill. When I am in this mode there are a few things I like to do, read, write, browse the web and sleep. The following is a list of ways I like to accomplish a stress free relaxed weekend. Enjoy yours!


Reading Material
Dwell Magazine
E-Myth Revisited by Micheal Gerber
The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown
Do You! by Russell Simmons

Writing Opportunities
Start A Blog
Buy A Journal
Write A Song or Poem
Begin That Book

Cool Sites
www.theonion.com
www.uncrate.com (Men) www.outblush.com (Ladies)
www.allposters.com
www.charlesandmarie.com

Great Slumber
Cut off Computer, Mobile Phone, TV and Radio!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Don't Give It Away!

Many times in my career, I have been guilty of giving away what I should rightfully be paid for. In my haste to get the deal, I present to much, I show the big picture, I lead myself right out the door by providing solutions before anyone cuts a check.

For years I felt the only way to get the business was to show you were qualified to do the work. Often that meant you could leave nothing or very little to the imagination. Oh, how wrong I have been and continue to be from time to time.

It's very simple, no one is going to pay you for what they can get for free! Implementing your ideas are not the hard part, they can get anyone to do that, but coming up with the idea is not that easy to come by for plenty of people. So what is the solution?

First you must clearly identify the problem that someone is looking for a solution to. Next, you must be clear as to whether or not they are looking for a solution from you. "Are you engaging my services or asking me to bid on the work?", should be the next question. Next, you must create the solution that addresses all angles of the problem. Now you are ready to present and this is where you have to be much like a, Vegas Show Girl inside the Champagne Room. Not to fast, it's just a metaphor, keep those things tucked away!

When you present you must be deliberate, methodical, exciting and vague. For instance, you can say something like this. I know you all were really looking to solve this problem with this budget but what would you do if I were able to not only solve that problem but also this other one and do it for half your budgeted amount. Next, tell them you have the solution but instead of giving it to them proceed to explain what you will need from them to make it a reality. Then Shut Up!

That's right Shut Up, you have given them as much as they need to make a decision. If they want more information, so do you. Is there a problem that I didn't address? Is there a new problem? Only speak about problems and what it will take to implement a solution but never talk about the solution itself until a check has been cut!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

No, Seriously We Want Some Business!

You ever feel like people don't believe you when you say you want to do business with them. It's as if you are speaking another language, which you may be able to do but that's beside the point. It seems that there are more obstacles to doing business for minorities then non-minorities. Ok, it doesn't just seem that way it is that way!

Every program that is put in place to so called help, does just the opposite. More paper work, more certifications, more proof, more blood(to make sure your parents were minorities of course). All I want to do is install the wood floors in the new city owned art gallery, Dammit!

So, I called my good friend, Khalilah LeGrand, Eastern Virginia Director with the Virginia Minority Supplier Development Council, also known as "That Certification Place" or "VMSDC". I wanted to hear from the horses mouth what the deal was with all this Red Tape, minorities have to cut through to get a piece of the pie.

"The Red Tape can be a hindrance to getting business especially for technicians but it's in place to protect the interest of minority businesses", said LeGrand. Khalilah feels that without the certification process many initiatives that are in place for minorities might otherwise be taken advantage of by non minorities. "I know it is quite the double edge sword but have you ever seen a sword without two edges in our communities, we have to adapt and make the process work and that's why the VMSDC is here to help", explains LeGrand.

Well, if there is a maze to navigate I am at least glad there are organizations that can help. My only question is, why can't we just get some business? No wait, that was my first question. All I can say is keep plugging away at it and maybe we will be able to celebrate your big contract for landscaping (cutting grass) for one of the fine cities in Hampton Roads, but only if you have more paper work, more certifications, more proof, more blood(to make sure your parents were minorities of course).

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

For All Your Minority Business Enterprise Certification (MBE) Needs
Contact Khalilah LeGrand with VMSDC
Just Click Her Picture

Where's the Beef?

Many years ago there was a Wendy's commercial where three ladies are at a counter with a huge bun on a plate. One lady picks up the bun top and history was made. Why was that commercial so magical? How do you break that formula down and apply it to your business or career? Well let's take a look at marketing basics.

Marketing is the science of exposing your product or service to potential buyers. How do you decide to buy what you buy? Nine times out of ten it's because you have been marketed to. At this point in our world there is so much marketing going on that companies will do just about anything to get you to remember there product or service.

Talking lizards that sell insurance, cookies that sing as they roll down the street in their convertible, and even a gang of nerds that sell mobile phone plans. Does any of this work anymore? Did it work years ago? What should you do moving forward?

Yes it still works as it worked years ago and you need to jump on the band wagon! As I always say, business succeed because of high sells and they fail because of low sells. People buy what they want, need and can afford. It's your job to show them that your product or service is that. You have to show them, Where the Beef is!

Do they want it?
Do they need it?
Can they afford it?
Spend all your time letting them know. Keep your product or service on their mind and you will enjoy years of success.

Make Money, Have Fun and Be A Blessing,
Maestro

May I Have This Dance?

Do you remember the first dance/party you ever went to? You laid out that perfect outfit a week in advance, scheduled that tight haircut with your barber. You washed the family car even though you didn't have a license yet. You took two showers that day sprayed on the best cologne/perfume you could find (Faberge' for me). Not a whole in your socks or underwear and your breath was taken care of with ,what else but, Big Red chewing gum! You were straight! Everything was perfect down to your mom pumping Guy's "Groove Me" in the car, on the way to the dance, because she liked that jam too!

All this preparation was for a reason. It was to build your confidence. To make sure you could handle any situation the party might throw your way but most of all it was so you felt strong enough to ask that special girl for the couples slow dance to R. Kelly's new song. With all that work you knew you were going to get that dance, right, but right as the DJ says it's time to slow it down you freeze up. You go through your mental checklist, everything is straight, you glide over to the spot where the fly girl crew is hanging out and you look her dead in the eye and ask "May I Have This Dance?". She smiles and said she thought you would never ask. Victory! you said and all the hard work was worth it.

Alright, Maestro what is this all about? Well, all the things I just described above we seem to forget to do when it comes to attracting new customers and clients. Everyone of those details described before were absolutely necessary not because the fly girl might have said No had you not washed your mom's car but because washing your mom's car added to the confidence it took to Make the Ask! Never let anything you have control over stop you from making the ask.

Take two showers, wash your car and your mom's too. Put on the latest and greatest cologne (not Faberge' I hope), get that fresh cut and spend some time on putting that perfect outfit together. It will all be well worth it when your client looks over the Starbucks bistro table and says those magic words, "I thought you would never ask"!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

One Can Make a Difference!

I often ask myself, can one make a difference? Not in the Your Vote Counts kind of way but more so in the business realm. If you have something to offer, can one person wanting it make a difference? I mean really what can one person do for your business. Well, you are one person and your business begins with you, right? So let's take a short look at this Power of One concept and what it can do for your business or career.

Let's say I want to start a business selling salt. I mean you sold every kind of salt there was to sell, sea salt, kosher salt, table salt, industrial salt, winter ice melting salt, Epsom salt, bath salt, etc. Who is your customer? Well that is the problem you don't have any yet. You are ready for business but you don't know where to find your pipeline of customers. Common problem, uncommon solution.

Let's pick one kind of salt to focus on, Sea Salt. You have the finest gourmet sea salt that money can buy and now you need to find a buyer. Well, don't waste your time at Golden Corral trying to convince them that they can get 2 bucks more on the buffet with your salts added to there recipes! Instead find the closes Culinary School and meet everyone who is someone and even the ones who aren't anyone yet. Offer free samples to the professors for recipes and become very good friends with the purchasing agent.

Find internships for some of the promising students. Conduct workshops, introduce the professors to restaurant owners who can feature their culinary skills in special visiting chef offers. Join the culinary associations and become entrenched in the industry that will serve as your client base. After all this has been done you are ready for your one to make a difference. You ask the purchasing agent at the school to place an order with you for your gourmet sea salt, the answer will no doubt be, of course, I thought you would never ask. Your work is done right, wrong.

Let's activate that power of one now. Ask the agent to introduce you to his fellow purchasing agents at other schools and institutions. Get a testimonial from that agent and show it to all the restaurant owners you created relationships with, ask them to purchase from you also, don't forget to get testimonials from them too. Do you see what's happening with this scenario? You have made yourself a valuable resource to an industry and you do it all for the sell of salt and it begins with that first customer.

In the above example one can make a difference on many levels, one product or service, one industry, one client and one ambassador (You). Get it going, whatever your one is but exercise the power of one! Good luck!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

What Do You Do?

If someone were to ask you what you did for a living what would you tell them? I am a doctor, lawyer, janitor or liar(I meant politician), is the typical answers. We have been trained to offer these types of answers to the age old question, What do you do? The question is not what is your title but what do you do?

A doctor may heal the body, a lawyer may fight for justice, a janitor may create pleasant environments to work, live & play in, and a politician lies (three out of four isn't bad). Those are descriptions of what you spend your valuable time everyday doing and that is how you should answer the question, what do you do?

People need to understand that you are unique and dynamic. The answer real estate agent is boring, but I help families find the home of their dreams, is SEXY! I'm a Rapper will get you no respect but I help people identify with their inner emotions while entertaining them musically, is intriguing. Ok, maybe that last one is a stretch but you get where I am coming from, right?

The word Do implies action and you should respond with action. Take sometime to figure out your own professional actions, so when you are asked the question you won't waste the opportunity to tell someone how SEXY your profession or business is!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Having It All!

Life begins and ends with choices. While this may seem very basic, it amazes me how many people are afraid of making a choice. This causes a very stagnant life and is even more damaging to your business or career. The reason people choose not to choose is because they don't want to eliminate their choices, Huh?

The bottom line is that a full life is really the process of elimination rather then being well rounded so to speak. I am not suggesting that you have to be narrow minded by any means, in actuality you will be much better off if you take the time to understand all your options a make a decision.

Prevention Magazine offers the following about having it all:

"One of the most destructive myths of the past few decades has been this one: You can have it all. You can't. Sorry. If you choose a beach house, you don't get snow-capped mountains. You can't spend eight hours a day of quality time with your infant and be on the fast track to make partner in a law firm that requires 100 hour weeks.

You can't have an intimate monogamous relationship and still date five people a week. But that's not bad news. When any road is possible, we often take none, or if we do take one, we worry constantly that it was the wrong choice. Relax. Wisdom and happiness begin when you make a commitment, even if it means there are some things you won't do.

Choose, choose wisely, and enjoy the process and the journey. You don't actually have to "have it all" to be happy. True happiness is possible when you're content with what you've chosen."

In everything you do decide and decide often so you can get on with living!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Sell or Die!

I spend a lot of time on this blog writing about simplicity and how important it is to focus your attention on your product or service. You have taken my advice and now you are asking "What do I do now?". Now you are ready to attract buyers! It's no secret that businesses succeed because of high sales and they fail because of low sales. So how do you go from 0 to 100 in a short amount of time? Make a list but don't check it twice.

Yeah, I know you aren't Santa Clause but you say show me the money, I say bring your wheel barrel. You have designed your product and service with someone in mind, right? How many of those people did you contact last week, today or better yet will you contact tomorrow? Well, if that number has yielded less than perfect results then you need to put some time into developing your list of potential buyers.

Make the list first then make your way to the list to offer what you are selling. This is the part that normally causes the problems for most people. For some reason we spend a great deal of time on development of the products and services we offer but shy away from telling the world we are open for business. I have heard every excuse in the book, I don't have enough money to market, I don't have enough time to market, I don't know how to talk to people about buying from me, I don't sell.

If you have used any of those excuses above, I have one suggestion, STOP! Either you stop making excuses or you stop doing business because if you are unwilling to talk to people about buying from you, there is no way I can help you. For all those who are ready though, I say make your list, contact your list and offer your product or service. It doesn't get anymore grass roots then that.

You can do this tomorrow. Sell the insurance, the jewelry, the cars or the taco but for all of our sake, SELL!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Are You A Producer?

Work, work and more work. It seems that the running theme in American culture is "Work your ass off or you get nothing". The funny thing about that theme though is that I personally know people who live like that and still have nothing or even worse have plenty but no time to enjoy it. So, some smart person many years ago came up with an alternate to this theme that went like this "Work Smarter, Not Harder". Ok great, now I have to be smarter, but smarter then who? Man this work stuff is getting really confusing!

As if those themes weren't confusing enough, some other smart person said if you are amongst the minority cultural you have to be able to work twice as hard as your non minority counterparts, for the same result! My goodness is there any end to this stuff? Yes there is!

We should stop thinking in terms of work and think more in terms of production! Production is about results, where as work is about time spent. Meaning you can work for 8 hours and have nothing to show for it but you can not be productive for 8 hours and have nothing to show for it. 8 hours of true production always yields 8 hours worth of product.

So what should you produce? I can't answer that question for you but I can talk about a couple of products that are in high demand. Content products fit the description of high demand. In this age of information glutting, the appetite for multimedia products seems to only grow. So if you produce movies, music, books, articles, websites or copy, you are barking up the right tree. Secondly, products that are clear representations or celebrations of culture are and have always been in high demand. This ranges from cooking to clothing to decorations, all great products for success.

Your creativity should be used daily to produce the things that people want. You can do this on your job or in your business. Don't go to work one more day, just go be productive! It will change your life and when it is all said and done you will have plenty to be proud of and hopefully the world would have rewarded you with wealth, happiness and success!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Simple Life?

It's been a longtime, I shouldn't have left you, without a dope blog to step to. Ok, I am no Rakim by any means but the sentiments are the same. I have been on a mission to find the simple life. You know the life where the grass is greener, the air is cleaner and the Kool-Aid is sweeter, but I ended up right back here! Go figure.

The ever so elusive Simple Life, is so attractive. Everyone has seen it including you! It is that life that as a spectator makes you feel all warm inside. It's the warm apple pie on the stove, the changing leaves on the trees, the smell of pipe tobacco as you pass the gentleman on the park bench reading the newspaper.

Why then is it so difficult to recreate these elements in ones own life. I tend to believe it is because as a business leader in minority cultures you are often looked at as the go to person for everything and once that happens and you allow it to continue to happen your life no longer is your own. Not only is your life not your own but you end up being responsible for the lives and success of others.

How can you create the simple life for yourself when the the lives of others all around you are so complicated? A good friend of mine told me you can't until you learn to say the magic word, No! Yes, it is that easy. Say no, to others and say yes to you. It's not a sin to do this, it's not selfish either, it's self preservation and no one who loves you can look down on you for that. If they do they really don't love you, they loved what you were doing for them and there is a difference.

Love yourself and the world will look at you and wonder, what must they do to enjoy that Sweeter Kool-Aid! Glad to be back with you all!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Strive!

Strive means to exert oneself vigorously; try hard:

This word truly should be synonymous with entrepreneurship. Although, the road often seems rough and you can't clearly see your way all the time, you must hold on! Never, ever, ever give up on something you believe in. If you dream it, it can be accomplished!

We feel we must put up a facade of success and happiness in order to accomplish our goals and to some degree this is true but to what end? I often hear businessmen and women describe themselves as ducks in a pond. You know above water they look so graceful and at peace but just below the surface those legs are Striving to keep them afloat.

Not every business will succeed but some will, right? Why not yours? Don't throw in the towel yet, there is more work to be done and if you are truly passionate about your endeavor you won't stop even after they pull you away kicking and screaming. I like Diddy's Bad Boy Label tagline, "Can't Stop, Cause We Won't Stop". If you won't take the advice from me at least listen to a "Self Made" Hip Hop Mogul.

Just a little bit more, just a little bit further but if it that doesn't get you there keep going because you have gone to far to turn back now! Change the world your way and I will change the world mine! See you at the top!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro

Study Your Points of Contact!

Each and every time you interact with the public is an opportunity to make an impression, make the most out of it! When was the last time you took a long hard look at your marketing pieces. How about recorded yourself to hear how you sound on the phone. Updated that business picture lately, if you clearly no longer have hair but your business card picture does, it's time to update!

Every so often I will study the material that I give to people when I interact with them. Just think about it, after you have left a persons presence all that is left is your business card or brochure, it better say success and professional. When people receive your printed information they should think, " Wow".

A lot of times in this age of desktop publishing people will design their own materials with templates, which to be honest is always a little cheesy for my taste, but much cheaper than a graphic artist. If you must use templates make sure you change the stock artwork and colors so they at least match your companies brand.

The business card and brochure is only one point of contact. You also have telephone interactions, face to face meetings, and random at Home Depot looking for grass seed in your sweatpants from high school meetings, or is that only me? Here are a couple of suggestions for these interactions as well.

First your message must be clear, concise and short. Frame your message or offering but not so it sounds canned but more like a story. Call your own voice mail and leave yourself a message as if you were calling a client/customer or associate. Listen to that message over and over and make appropriate changes, then call your boss or wife (often one in the same) and ask them to critique your message.

Also, practice delivering your face to face contact with a friend in front of a video camera, study it and make changes accordingly. As far as, the random Home Depot meeting, throw those damn sweatpants away! Seriously though, every point of contact is extremely important don't waste it and better yet always make the most of it. Study your points of contact and be sure they represent you properly! Be prosperous!

Make Money, Have Fun & Be A Blessing,
Maestro