Small Business Leadership and Sales Blog

The (REAL) Idiot's Guide to Social Media Marketing

Hello Marvelous Peeps!

Boy do we have a special guest writer for you today. His name is David Newman, Founder of Do It! Marketing. David knows more about marketing and Social Media than we will learn in a lifetime. This high-energy, Philadelphia native is an international speaker, writer, blogger, marketing consultant and Past President of his Philadelphia National Speakers Association Chapter.

If you only read one article about Social Media this year, then you should only read this one.
Until next time, I wish you Peace, Love and Gumbo!

As always, if you are “stuck” and need some direction, you know how to contact me. Be Marvelous! This life of ours isn't a dress rehearsal.

As a speaker marketing expert and head honcho of an inbound marketing agency serving speakers, consultants, and thought-leading professionals, I often find myself with prospects who want to get involved in social media but - sadly - do not understand the intent, ideas, or influence factors that make social media an effective tactic in their overall marketing arsenal.

The (REAL) Idiot's Guide to Social Media Marketing

How can I put this? Ummm... well, they're idiots.

Relax... IDIOT is an acronym that stands for the 5 key misconceptions, faulty assumptions, and pillars of goofy thinking that prevent most thought-leading professionals (YOU perhaps??) from generating maximum results from your social media efforts.

Namely...

I: I, Me, My syndrome

D: Dumb it down

I: Information without invitation

O: Over-selling

T: Today vs. tomorrow focus

Let's take a look at each of these in a bit more detail:

I- I, Me, My syndrome. No, your social media postings do NOT need to be all about YOU. In fact, if all you talk about is YOU - your company, your book, your blog, your brand, your articles, your resources, your tools, your programs, your products, your services... people will ignore you, tune you out, and dismiss you for the self-centered idiot that you are. (Please remember - idiot is an acronym used throughout this post.)

Experts promote other experts. Experts are not insecure about shining the spotlight on others. Experts are curators and pointers-out-of-cool-things. Experts post book reviews BY other experts FOR yet other experts' books.

As long as YOU can be counted on to share interesting, relevant, valuable, sometimes even edgy content, guide your followers to the "good stuff" online, and position yourself as a reliable sherpa in your expertise, you'll get PLENTY of attention, love, and respect. Even MORE SO if you're not a mental weakling who is focused only on hyping your own crap.

Grow up. Step up. Be a real expert and learn once and for all - it's not about YOU.

D- Dumb it down: This mistake comes from the fear that if you give away your VERY BEST ideas, strategies, tools, tactics, insights and other secret sauce (yes, the stuff you get paid BIG BUCKS for with your paying clients!) that you will somehow diminish the demand for your paid products and services.

So you "dumb it down." You post that second-rate article. You remove some detail from that tip sheet because you want people to buy your consulting services and not do it themselves. You post the video that only has 3 of your 10 key ideas because heck, if you gave all 10 ideas, they'd never hire you to keynote at the big industry conference - you've already "spilled the candy in the lobby."

Yep - you guessed it: You're an idiot.

The reality is - it works 180 degrees the other way. The ONLY way folks are going to pay you the big bucks is if they have a FIRSTHAND experience of your genius - if they feel it, taste it, touch it, and fully experience it. ONLY THEN will they want more. ONLY THEN will they share it with their colleagues. ONLY THEN will they call their boss over to look at your website or email them your link.

Do you want to be SHARED - or do you want to be SCARED? Your call - but you already know which answer will make you more money. Unless you're an idiot.

I- Information without invitation: Social media sites are not a dumping ground for your old, outdated, crappy content from books you wrote in the 1980s or articles that you could never get published.

Even rock-solid, current, highly relevant information is NECESSARY but NOT SUFFICIENT to fuel your thought leadership platform and build your empire as an expert.

Here's a secret - the internet actually does NOT need more information posted on it. Not from you. Not from me. Not from anyone.

An effective social media campaign will share information of standalone value and then INVITE a two-way (or 5-way or 17-way) conversation around that information.

Ask questions, seek engagement, invite involvement.

Offer value, seek opinions, spark conversation - and ask the most powerful question in sales AND leadership AND relationships: "What do you think?"

O- Over-selling: One particularly idiotic individual told me that he wanted ALL his Facebook posts to have a hyperlink. Every. Single. One.

Hyperlink to where, you ask?

To HIS online store, HIS products, HIS books on amazon, HIS speaking page, HIS consulting page, HIS services overview. He said, "If you're not linking every Facebook post to a selling opportunity, you're just putting a lot of dead-end junk on Facebook and you'll never make any money."

Wow - this guy is a WORLD-CLASS idiot.

Social media is not about posting "here's how to buy my crap" - it's not about creating an extra dozen or so sales pages for your products, services or programs.

If your goals are: Sell on Twitter. Sell on Facebook. Sell on LinkedIn. Sell on YouTube...

Your results will be: Unfollow. Unfriend. Unlink. Unsubscribe. You're done. Buh-bye. Idiot.

Lesson 1 for you to share with your idiots: Content comes before commerce.

Lesson 2 for you to share with your idiots: First you earn their attention. THEN you earn their money.

T- Today vs. tomorrow: focus The final mistake is to think of social media in the same way that you might think of outbound sales activity.

Think about it: Cold calls. Email blasts. Direct mail. Do those things and the natural question to ask is - OK, how much did we sell?

You made 100 dials, you connected with 20 humans, you had 14 conversations, you qualified 5 serious prospects and then how much did you SELL TODAY?

You sent 10,000 postcards. Requests came back for 300 quotes. So how many widgets did you SELL TODAY?

Social media doesn't work that way. Social media is... well, social. It's about relationships and trust. Relationships and trust don't have an ON/OFF switch - they develop over time.

Transactions happen today from relationships you built last week, last month, and last year. The benefit of that - and the reason it's worth the "wait" is that social media gives you a permanent asset - TRUST.

Blog entries are forever. They continue to sell your expertise, your company, and your value day after day, week after week, year after year. LinkedIn recommendations are forever. People that wrote glowingly of you in 2002 are still "selling" for you and your reputation TODAY.

A voice mail? BEEP - gone. An email? ZAP - gone. A face to face meeting? DONE - bye. Those happen today and they're gone today.

Sure, you have to sell today. You have to make your quota today. You have to feed your family today. But social media marketing helps you ensure that what you create ONCE today works and lasts and brings customers and clients to you for many years to come...

Not because you SOLD them like an IDIOT -- but because you built the trust and relationships that HELPED THEM BUY today, tomorrow and beyond!

If you want to see the original article and comments please click here.

"Do You Make a Difference?" was sent to me awhile back by a colleague of mine that I've known for 20 years.

Might I suggest you SLOW DOWN and really read this great piece of advice. As always, Marvelous Performance Systems is interested in your opinions, reflections and feedback. Be sure to use the reply and feedback feature at the end of the article.

Subject: Do You Make A Difference?

Friendship Quiz

You don't actually have to take the quiz. Just read straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the top five news stories five years ago.
3. Name ten presidents or leaders of the biggest countries in the world.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor or actress.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headlines of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel, appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

The people who make a difference in your life are not the most powerful ones,
nor have the most money or awards. They are the ones that care.

If you are in need of some good ol' motivation to kick off 2014 get in touch!  Email me at marvin@marvinleblanc.com We can set up some one on one time or a group event.  I am here to help you be more successful! 

As a leader, you are given a formidable yet inspiring task. In any setting, you are the personal, walking, talking representation of the spirit and direction of your group. Those who follow you must do so with trust and willingness.

We all have weaknesses. As a strong leader, you must do the work early and often to identify what yours are. Admit to them. Ask your team for support. Hire others with complementary skills and strengths.

A good leader knows this advice all too well, but doesn’t always translate knowing into doing. This is often why a large ego displaces smart leadership. One of the most important attributes of a strong leader is the ability to be humble. Don't let your ego run wild. Remain humbled by those who support you and your organization.

Outstanding leadership is about being self-aware. It is about being aware of your surroundings, but also internally, the attributes that make you YOU. Discover your weaknesses as a person, and admit them. The greatest leaders in the world knew that they were flawed to some degree, and either recognized and honed their flaws into strengths or worked around them.

You probably don’t like to acknowledge your weaknesses. Welcome to the club! The best and most successful leaders not only recognize where their areas of weakness are, they surround themselves with people who shore up those weaknesses. Those who follow you will realize your sincerity and appreciate the way you recognize their gifts as a vital component of team success.

Your team needs and wants recognition. They are hungry for it. So whenever you can, turn to your team for support. Realize that you don’t have all the answers, and it may very well be the people surrounding you who can contribute the most to solve key problems and accelerate your success as a group. Ask your team for the support they genuinely want to give you, and you’ll become recognized for the collaborative and effective leader that you are.

Of course, you must gather a team that is, in fact, smart. But beyond that, it is about finding a team whose traits complement your own traits. Focus on developing a team that not only fills vital gaps, but also magnifies your strengths.

Ultimately, your job as a leader is to increase the collective value of your team. Use your strengths to succeed and flourish. Develop others. Raise the bar together. Marvelous leaders focus on these tasks so that marvelous performance will take care of itself.

Make sure to stay connected!  Click below to register to receive our monthly newsletter! 

"The Hungriest Bear Always Eats First."

This country saying holds a lot of meaning in life as well as for business success. The hungrier you are, the more willing you are to take the necessary steps to victory. The drive and desire that inspires you must be ignited to reveal the hunger and lead you to success.

Victory does not come all at once. Victory is achieved through a series of small successful experiences that culminate in winning or achieving your goals and objectives. This is often nicely illustrated during football season. Sometimes in a game, one turnover at a time gives a team momentum and eventually it leads them to victory.

Look for small achievements and successes that can lead you towards your ultimate goal. Each small success will feed the hunger and generate momentum for your business and for your team. Consider your definition of victory. Then, list some small steps that you can take to achieve that victory.

Will these steps feed your hunger and drive you onward to your goals?

What will motivate you to continue forward?

How strategic are these steps?

Are you taking the time to think about them and plan accordingly? Or are you randomly choosing a path that may or may not lead you astray.

What should be done if there is a failure? Do you stop? Do you start over? Do you try a different approach? A failure should never deter you from your victory. Instead a failure should give you pause to think, refocus, and keep your eye on your prize.

How focused is your intensity when taking each step? Do the steps provide momentum?

For business success, your entire group must understand the meaning of victory. Be sure define victory so that everyone will understand what it will mean for them and for your business. Also have a brainstorming session where you discuss the small successes that will lead the team to victory. Use the questions above to help your team stay focused on their planning and get involved in their respective areas to help the team achieve success.

Perhaps it is time to rekindle your group's hunger for victory. Look for ways to feed the intensity and get your team pointed in the right direction. If so, let's talk and get you more information about becoming the hungriest bear in your company and leading your team to victory and business success!

Call me at 225-938-4177 or connect with me on social media! 

To properly execute superior leadership in small business, it is important to know certain steps to winning in the workplace. One of those very important steps is raising employee productivity. The more productive your team is, the better your business will be in the short term as well as in the long term.

Productivity triggers sales, customer satisfaction, and improves return on investment. Any manager seeking superior leadership in small business needs to look closely at productivity.

A key component of productivity is the hours spent actually working. A recent survey of 10,000 employees asked how much time is wasted during a regular workday. The results of the survey found that TWO HOURS NINE MINUTES are wasted every day at work. With the right leadership in small business, what could you do with two hours each day if your employees were doing something productive during that time?

Some of the reasons cited for wasting time at work include:

• Procrastination and delaying real work
• Non-work related activities including personal calls, texts, or using the internet for personal reasons
• Gossip, telling stories, or talking about the big game from the night before
• Complaining about fellow co-workers
• Complaining about the boss or the company as a whole

Notice that a significant amount of these reasons involve negative activities. Not only is productivity reduced from complaining, gossiping or procrastinating - your workplace morale is slowly eroding and will suffer greatly as others in the workplace get dragged into the negative activities.

For superior leadership in small business, your teams of employees need to know how negative actions can affect them personally as well as the entire business. Unfortunately as a leader, you cannot be there all the time and monitor every conversation. You do want to empower your employees, but in a positive way that motivates them to adopt more positive activities.

One solution that has worked well in many places is encouraging your employees to have an "accountability partner." This person would be a co-worker that would be asked by the employee on an informal level to give them a nudge or a signal when a negative activity is witnessed. The employee can then take corrective action without feeling embarrassed or humiliated. By pointing out the action in a respectful way to the offender, everyone will benefit. Negative activity will diminish, productivity will rise, and morale will climb.

As the manager, you can encourage this type of positive behavior on a casual level without turning it into a counter-productive move on the part of management. Remember the most important part of a business team:

"Let's build each other up, let's not tear each other down."

Marvin Leblanc (N’awlins)

If you are interested in having me speak on one of your teleseminars or at one of your live conferences, workshops, meetings, boot camps or other event - please email me at: MarvinLeblanc@aol.com

Let's Connect!

Linkedin: www.Linkedin.com/in/marvinleblanc

Twitter: www.twitter.com/marvinleblanc

Facebook: www.facebook.com/marvinleblanc

Last week, we covered the first two major thought questions pertaining to finding your hidden money. The core subject we are covering is internal marketing. Internal marketing is the process of finding your future hidden money inside your existing business.

Here are two additional thought questions around internal marketing:

In your business, are you primarily grabbing just the low-hanging fruit?

Close your eyes and think with me for a moment. If you were hungry and standing at the bottom of an apple tree right now, are you immediately going to leave the apple tree to go look for a ladder? Of course not. You would simply and conveniently grab the low-hanging fruit -- the apples that are hanging the lowest to the ground and the easiest to grab.

Be careful with overusing this approach in your business. We might be spending so much time picking low-hanging fruit in our business that we no longer focus on the high-level, more profitable fruit. Why do we do this? Because it's easier; it's comfortable.

Many producers (and companies, too) stay in a certain market because they don't feel they're worth more. But take courage and stretch! Upwards! Higher!

Don't get confused. I am not saying that you shouldn't pick any of the low-hanging fruit.

I am saying pick the low hanging fruit and keep the ladder handy for other opportunities. Don't get lazy. Remember that picking low-hanging fruit is a complacent, low-energy, passive activity. Picking high-ladder fruit is a strategic, high-energy proactive activity.

The low-hanging fruit will not always be readily available. To prevent large slumps, another diversified strategy must be implemented that will allow you to bring in revenue and use sales volume from a different source.

- Consider identifying a niche market in your area, one that is either not being served by you at all or that's currently being served by a competitor and you know you can do better than that competitor.

- Consider assigning some of your team members to picking the low-hanging fruit. Others may be specialized and held accountable to focus on harvesting "high fruit." If I spoke to all your team members separately, would they all clearly know who is responsible for what? That kind of clarity is a big part of gaining team focus. To sustain growth, your business model will need to have that type of balance and agility.

- Remember the Titanic. You remember that huge boat that no one ever thought would sink. Well it sunk. What sank the Titanic was not the ice they could see. It was the ice that they could not see, the ice they didn't anticipate or plan for. So many people died that day because they did not have enough ladders to get into the rescue boats. Plan to have your ladder with you and available at all times in your business. Because you and your company will die if you do not have other sustainable alternatives.

What are you doing to build quality relationships with every customer?

I hear people say all the time, "Well, Marvin, we treat everybody special." Okay. I hope that's working for you. Everybody does want to feel special. Can we focus on something even more special?

Customers want individual attention, and they want to feel significant. They want you to know the details of their life. James Dobson, who has a program called Focus on the Family, once said, "The more you know the details of a child's life, the more the child feels significant." Well it's the same with your customers.

Do you know the deeper details of your clients' lives? Past that first sale, folks. Deeper than that.

Those deep details are the fiber of quality relationships. And quality relationships are where trackable referrals come from.

There was a special man I met in 1988. His name was Dr. Ralph Dauterive. Dauterive is now a retired dentist and was one of the most influential community leaders that St. Bernard Parish ever had in its entire history. When he would embrace me, he would look deep into my eyes. He would hold my hand with both of his hands. He always made me feel so special.

Obviously, it was Dauterive who got me heavily involved in the St. Bernard Kiwanis Club back in the late '80s. When he would walk into a restaurant, he would shake every table's hand. Not just one person. He was an amazing individual. He still is an amazing individual. He is a giver. He is not a taker.

Your clients will renew and refer other business because they have a good perception of you as being significant in their lives. And because they have a good perception of your team. The customer's perception of good or bad service is the measure of your success or failure. In the end, customer perception, not your perception of what the customer thinks, is all that matters.

I would strongly encourage you to really explore how well you and your team are currently responding to customers' expectations. When was the last time you probed your clients on how they felt about you and your team? You can get some amazing feedback if you have the courage to ask.

Until next time, stay committed to making marvelous happen!

Hello marvelous people!

In my next two blog posts, I'll be covering the specific questions we need to think through in order to find our hidden money. Yep, there's hidden money, so be sure to stay current with the blog. 

The two major thought questions we'll talk about involve internal marketing -- the process of finding your future hidden money inside your existing business.

When we talk about internal marketing, what we are talking about is internally marketing to your existing business. I'm not talking in this segment about external marketing, which has to do with advertising and marketing to people who are not currently your clients. Internal marketing involves marketing to your existing clients, who are already your raving fans.

So our first major thought question is this:

What percentage of your business comes from trackable referrals?

Don't guess because your guess isn't correct. Trackable referrals from where? These are referrals from friends, neighbors, co-workers and relatives. That is where your next business is coming from. Did you notice? I didn't say Internet leads! I didn't say social marketing! Although these are very important, we get so hyped on the new things, we forget what brought us to the dance for years and years prior.

If you are guessing what percentage of your business comes from referrals, then you don't know where your trackable referrals are coming from.

So let's keep in mind the wisdom of William Edwards Deming, the famous statistician and the important American who improved Japan's quality processes: "What gets measured gets done!"

You must implement a simple tracking system within your company to make sure that every single time your team is involved in a conversation discussing potential new business, they start with the question, "Where did you hear about us?" (No, you don't need a computer or a spreadsheet for a simple tracking system.)

As a business leader, you really need to know the source of your new business. Why? So that your future allocation of advertising and marketing dollars will be spent on the highest yielding target audience.

That takes us to our second major thought question:

What percentage of each sale made is set aside for traditional advertising and social media marketing?

We've talked about asking for the referral and tracking the referral. Now we want to find out what percentage of each sale is set aside for traditional advertising and social media marketing.

As a practitioner, I suggest that you set aside a certain percentage of your gross compensation right off the top. When you need to take advantage of an advertising opportunity, the funds will be available. So plan it.

The discipline of planning may initially hurt, but your lifestyle won't even feel a sting if you commit -- right this second -- to set aside 5%, 10% or 15% of your gross compensation specifically for this purpose. Whatever you commit to, keep that commitment. Monthly. Yes, even if it hurts.

There's something interesting that I have found in my travels across America as I talk to insurance business leaders: The larger producers also spend a higher percentage of their gross compensation on advertising efforts.

That's probably not just coincidental, marvelous people.

Try this exercise:

Pull open your QuickBooks or whatever accounting program you use, and find out exactly what percentage you're actually spending now on advertising. (Hint: The first time you look, you'll be shocked. Unless you track it monthly already, you will amaze yourself. Drop me a line and tell me what you discover.)

Decide now what you will be setting aside for future advertising efforts.

One last thought for this month: remember the example of Shamu at Sea World. Shamu will not continue to perform without being fed. So, too, must you feed your business with properly allocated advertising and marketing dollars.

Put your mind to work on the two questions above. Complete the exercise. Set your decided plan into motion. And let us know how you progress.  Stay tuned next week for Part II of Find Your Hidden Money

WANT TO USE ONE OF THESE TIPS IN YOUR EZINE, BLOG OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

"Marvin LUTCF, CNP, is a performance strategist and author of the number one Amazon Best Seller (Come Hell or High Water) Life Lessons from Hurricane Katrina. For a totally different experience at your next workshop, conference, or convention, contact him today at marvin@marvinleblanc.com"

I've read for over 25 years and in that time read many articles and books about the sales conversation. My conclusion is that you as the sales person should listen 70% of the time. It has been noted that most people are not only doing most of the taking but also are not skilled listeners.

In your own experience, if it's part of your job to present, how often are you listening 70% of the time? We'd like to hear your thoughts and feelings on this.

Recently, my team and I were conducting a tandem appointment with an individual that has lost their spouse unexpectedly. We were totally committed to really listening well and totally focusing in on how this spouse was transitioning through the ordeal. But our early questions, which were not met with any resistance, did not jumpstart the individual into deep dialogue.

So what do you do at this point? I am sure you been in conversations, (business or personal) that you're not quite sure of the direction of the conversation. It happens all the time.

So in this case, we were prepared with meaningful questions that would help the bereaved spouse get to a better place. The conversation then began to flow and gain momentum once we (took the lead).

We asked many probing questions that the spouse had never considered, and there was no resistance to the probing questions because we were patient, because we had prepared our thoughts and because we had established trust.

Consider These Questions:

1. What is my (talk/listen) ratio when I'm in a one to one conversation?

2. What is my talk/listen ratio when I'm in a small group conversation? (Say, five people or less)

3. What is my talk/listen ratio if I'm in a classroom setting and I'm mostly teaching and training?

After working through these three questions, did your ratio stay relatively the same or did they change? The purpose of this was to assist you with gaining better clarity and awareness of your own talk/listen ratio.

I suggest that if your conversations are not yielding the results you desire, spend extra time on these three items. Be more patient with the other party, spend more time on preparing your thoughts prior to the conversation, stay obsessed with finding better ways to connect and establish real, authentic trust.

Marvin LUTCF, CNP, is a performance strategist and author of the number one Amazon Best Seller (Come Hell or High Water) Life Lessons from Hurricane Katrina. For a totally different experience for your next workshop, conference, or convention, visit with him today.

A disaster can bring new focus to your company. 

Every June, I get scared. As a survivor of Hurricane Katrina I still shiver when hurricane season begins. During this week I often reflect on the events of that storm from 8 years ago.
Each year when hurricane season hits, the level of fear from my client base really goes up, and anytime you see a hurricane icon on the Weather Channel move into the Gulf of Mexico, you can bet my phone is ringing more.

As you may know, I was on a spiritual retreat when Katrina hit my office (and home) in August 2005. The office was flooded with 12 feet of water and had "tornado activity" on the roof. On top of that, my house shared the adjacent property line with a broken levy.
Needless to say, my home and office were destroyed. My wife and I evacuated north to a relative's home (which was not much better; they were cut off from electricity and, more importantly, air conditioning).

My employees and clients were displaced as well. Cellphones weren't working very well, but clients were able to send text messages many of them frantic pleas for help. After the storm we realized it was going to be a long road back. As the cleanup began, I found myself working 20-hour days, six days a week for 18 months.  You may wonder why I had to do this. 

Sixty-eight percent of my income was lost in the first 100 days after the storm. The insurance department in the state of Louisiana mandated all insurance companies not send out premium notices. Premiums were waived.

If you're a full-commission salesperson and people are not paying their bills, you're 

not getting income.

In addition to the decrease in income I also had lost nearly all of my employees. I had to figure out how to serve my customers with limited information and no staff. We were not prepared for this disaster and that ma

de the aftermath even more difficult.

I sure did learn the hard way about how to be prepared for a disaster: Backing up records, keeping bottled water and nonperishable food in the office and keeping a working generator on site is critical, for instance.

As time went on and I rebuilt my business I was asked to speak about my experience -- first at local groups, conferences and nonprofits, but the speaking events always led to another larger event, and now I have the privilege to speak all over the country.

Back then I didn't have a fee; I was just telling my story.

Friends and acquaintances were also encouraging me to write a book, a process that was so emotional that I didn't start until two years later. My book Come Hell or High Water (Life Lessons from Hurricane Katrina) was published in 2011 and became an Amazon Best Seller.

I learned countless lessons from Katrina. In addition to realizing I could create an entire second stream of income for myself through speaking engagements and writing, I am now a better prepared as a business owner for disasters. 

In 2004, before Katrina, I was feeling insurance business burnout and becoming disengaged from my practice. I no longer felt needed. I no longer felt like I could make a difference. When the storm hit, my customers needed me like never before. I made a decision to re-engage even while dealing with my own hardships.

Seven years later, I am still running my insurance agency (albeit from another office), as well as getting more speaking engagements than ever.

Do you have a story about a disaster?  Please share your thoughts in the comments below.  If you are looking to motivate your group please contact me to see how I can help.  

Peace, Love and Gumbo, 

Marvin LeBlanc, LUTCF,CNP

Soccer moms and dads, employees, middle managers, laborers, corporate executives and entrepreneurs: The time to unite is now! It’s time to embrace the concept that, regardless of what activities you’re juggling, you can control what you do and when you do it.

Here are a few general time-management tips that will help you maintain your sanity and balance:

• Do specific projects, activities and tasks at the appointed time.
• Routines and habits are vital if you desire to get more done in less time.
• Focus on accomplishing what you truly desire and what's most important to you.
• Don't focus on how difficult it is to stay disciplined. It's not discipline that you are lacking. It's that you have not truly decided what you want out of life.
• If you only listen to others tell you what your direction should be, you will only end up in the place that they envision. That is NOT your life. That is their life, which they are living vicariously through you.

Now that you’ve examined your perspective, consider these appointment possibilities as you design a better, more structured and more fulfilling life:
Plan a regular date night with your partner.

Do the same with your kids. In my travels with our Marvelous Performance Schools, all too often parents tell me they have no life because they are "taxi drivers" for their kids. Guess what, lots of kids don't want to be in all those activities either. Hello! Would you please communicate with the stakeholders? Could you simplify and increase your quality of life by dropping one or two activities that you really don't care about anymore? Would this help inspire you to do something different? You really can get off the Hamster Treadmill of life. Did I mention, doing something different? Yep, I did. Twice.

Schedule regular alone time. In The Power of Pause, Terry Hershey discusses how essential it is to get quiet and get alone. Discover new possibilities with this read. I did.

Allow for free-wheeling web surfing. Get new experiences added to your subconscious mind. Go get an iPad and lose the TV. Your way of living is not the only way to live. Nothing can take you around the world faster than a 25-minute Google session.
Make space for spiritual time. There is an infinite creator and our spirit and soul life is everlasting. Carve out time just to listen and to be.

Keep a resting appointment – and not just at night. Rest throughout the day. Thomas Edison would often work 40 hours without sleeping. However, he routinely practiced the habit of resting in 15- and 30-minute intervals. How can you plan your day around a few resting intervals?

In my experience, the irony is that when I create the boundaries of set appointments, I am able to serve more people and live a fuller, more meaningful life. Add a few more purposeful appointments to your life, and you too will see your life become richer, more peace-filled and more productive. 

Tell us what other things you do to lead a happier life? 

WANT TO USE ONE OF THESE TIPS IN YOUR EZINE, BLOG OR WEBSITE? You can, as long as you include this complete blurb with it:

"Marvin LUTCF, CNP, is a performance strategist and author of the number one Amazon Best Seller (Come Hell or High Water) Life Lessons from Hurricane Katrina. For a totally different experience at your next workshop, conference, or convention, contact him today at marvin@marvinleblanc.com"