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Write Your Story

November 10, 2011 in Passion, Purpose, Video Blog with 4 Comments

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OK. I get a little worked up in there. Got loud enough to make the speakers pop on the laptop! I don’t think anyone could say I’m not showing you what’s in my heart here!

Here’s a link to Mona Simpson’s eulogy of her brother, Steve Jobs.

This story showed me something. It showed me that Steve Jobs, while having and possessing a remarkable ability to see things in a unique way, was a “normal” man. Not so much different from you or I. Other than he saw the value in living a life of passion, going after his dreams, and writing a story with his actions.

What is holding you back from writing the life story you’ve always dreamed of? Why do you allow the world to dictate your story to you?!

A Better Way of Business will be written into my life’s story. I intend for this to be an integral part. I want my work life and personal life to be so intertwined and mixed that the only way to tell whether I’m “working” or “playing” is whether or not I’m getting paid for the action at that point in time.

That is the story I want to write here.

What about you? Does your business play into your story? Is it dominating your story? Is it something you hope to be edited out later???

If it’s not chapter full of hopes, dreams, and excitement, let’s talk. I’d love to help make it so for you!

~Ivan

You can contact me through email at ivan@abetterwayofbusiness.com

What’s my motivation?

September 19, 2011 in Books, Motivation, Purpose with 8 Comments

After lying in bed for 45 minutes WIDE AWAKE, I finally got up and took a shower. I originally thought I was too tired to take my evening shower, but apparently not.

I’m wide awake due to two things. 1) I had caffeine with dinner (it keeps me up at night if I have it after 2PM). and 2) My mind is racing a million miles an hour with ideas for blog posts. So I need to get some of them out.

One of the thoughts that I keep having lately is, “What’s my motivation?” “Why do I want to start A Better Way of Business?” “Is my reason strong enough to carry me through the difficult times that I know lay ahead?”

I don’t have exact answers for all those questions. At least not the short, sweet, one sentence answers that many experts might say you should be able to give. But I have ideas feelings and beliefs.

Allow me to explain part of what I mean and give you an answer to “What’s my motivation.”

Courtesy of Amazon.com

I read the E-Myth by Michael Gerber probably around six years ago. I was fascinated by his story of how he became involved in helping small businesses. I loved his discussions on the “entrepreneurial seizure”, “the technicians”, and why you need to “work on your business vs in it”. I loved the idea of putting systems in place so your process is repeatable by others so you don’t have to be there every minute of every day.

I remember thinking only a few chapters in, “I WISH I could do this!” I wanted to help small businesses transform from the worst job you’ve ever had (and the lowest paying) to the business you dreamed of when you first started. I wanted to help people start a business in the RIGHT way so they could avoid the pain of mistakes and possible failure down the line.

I dreamed of doing this.

And that’s all I did.

Me, being me, I analyzed the CRAP out of the idea and thought of 100, may several hundred, reasons why I could NEVER do it.

So I talked myself out of it. I crushed my inner spirit and desire to try it.

I put the book with all its highlights, pen marks, and written notes in the margins and at tops and bottoms of pages back on my book shelf and forgot about it.

Then came the pivotal time when Skye told me to put up or shut up with regards to starting a business. I decided I WOULD start a business, but didn’t know what.

I thought long and hard. I asked others what they thought (people who knew a lot about me and how I’m wired).

Professor teaching - Courtsey Inmagine

The spark came when Skye pointed out that the only job I’ve ever enjoyed was teaching. I LOVED helping students learn. I got a THRILL from standing in front of the class talking. I got a RUSH from sharing with others what I had in my head. And I can think of few things as satisfying to me as the point in time when you’re looking into someone’s eyes and you see that they FINALLY GET IT!

So I, or should I say we, decided that teaching should be a part of my business. The only issue is I didn’t and don’t want to teach for a school. There’s numerous reasons for this, but that’s for another discussion.

So how can I take the aspects of teaching that made teaching GREAT to me and apply them to a business?

I could take the aspects of teaching that I loved and combine them with what I saw Michael Gerber do in E-Myth!

A Better Way of Business was born.

I could help people take the idea they have and turn it into a business that functions properly from the get go. I could help the business owner who has created the worst job they’ve ever had, with the longest hours and lowest pay, and show that person how to turn their creation into a successful business. I could share knowledge that I have, with others, to benefit them. I could speak to groups of people who are all wanting to start a business, and thereby get the experience of standing in front of others sharing. I could work one on one with people and witness first hand the spark of recognition when they GOT IT!

It is the best of both worlds.

It is what motivates me to take one step after another in the direction I am sure success lies.

It is why A Better Way of Business exists.

~Ivan

Be you!

September 1, 2011 in Getting Started, Motivation, Passion, Purpose with 0 Comments

As a business owner, how are you presenting yourself to the world?

Speaking in broad terms, I think how you present yourself falls into two broad categories. You can either try and present what the world is wanting from you at that particular moment in time or you can present who you actually are to the world.

I’ve heard educated individuals argue on both sides of this discussion.

I have heard it said that if you want to start a business then you should look at what the market needs most at this point in time and start THAT business. Whatever it is. Regardless of your internal wiring. You see a need. You fill a need. Period.

I have also heard it said:

Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go and do that. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive.” (Howard Thurman).

The way I interpret this, be you and present that to world, because what the world needs is the real you.

In this case you look inside at how you have been made by God and what you have that is unique to offer the world and you do that.

Guess which field of thought I lean toward…

I lean towards being yourself and giving to the world the real you. Only then will you be fully alive.

And I don’t just say this because I like the quote by Howard Thurman, which I really do. I say this from experience. I have gained several positions in the past by being what it was the company hiring was looking for. In other words, I disguised who I was in order to make myself appear what they wanted. And let’s just say NONE of those situations turned out positively.

There have also been instances in the past when I was looking for a job that I decided I would present the “real” me to company doing the hiring and if they did not like what they saw, then we’d both be better off without each other. Some of these instances I got the job. And those jobs went GREAT. Some of those interviews were VERY SHORT and we both departed a little frustrated, but I believe much better off.

Some of you might be thinking, “What is this guy like?” And I’ll tell you.

I’m intense. I’m confident. I’m excitable. I’m full of energy. I tend to see numbers and facts, and ignore emotions and feelings. I go out of my way to help those I care about. I have a hard time getting over past wrongs (but fortunately I’ve learned how). I love my God, my family, and my friends. I’m self motivated and I’m over achieving. I’ve been accused of being a perfectionist in the past, but now I’ve learned not to ruin good with perfect. I’m all this and so, so much more.

Once I learned that trying to be who others wanted me to be didn’t work I would frequently use this line in interviews, “I am who I am, and what you see is what you get.” I always thought I was smart for coming up with that. And then I was told “what you see is what you get” did not originate with me (big let down).

But it’s true. I do my best now to present to the world who I am.

And I hope you’ll do the same.

~Ivan

What do I want to help you accomplish?

August 19, 2011 in Friday Free Form, Purpose with 0 Comments

So I’ll be the first to tell you that A Better Way of Business IS and WILL BE a work in progress. I do NOT have everything figured out. I do not believe that ANYTHING about the business is static (unless you want to consider me to be static, b/c I physically intent on being here for the duration).

And I was thinking today, “What is it that I want to accomplish with this?” I thought this while I was replying to my first client. I was checking in on her progress to see how she’s carrying out the action steps we came up with after our first meeting (A TON of great ideas were generated, enough so she said she’d be busy for SIX MONTHS if she did everything we talked about!).

And as I was wrapping up the email I was thinking to myself, “What is it I’m trying to accomplish by sending this email?” “What do I want to get her to do?” “Am I pushing too hard?”

And probably another 20 questions similar to those ran through my head. And so I typed something. I think it subconsciously came out, because I’m not bright enough to come up with such a cool line.  I typed in the email: “I’m super excited about helping you and your business grow into your dreams.”

And that’s it. THAT is what I want to accomplish with A Better Way of Business! I want to do EVERYTHING I CAN to help you and your business grow into your dreams. I want you to see you can OBTAIN your dreams with your own business. And that business doesn’t have to be done “the same old way”, you can do it a better way.

Thinking about it, it makes so much sense to me. “You” because if you’re running your business YOU are EXTREMELY important to it. And you may need to personally grow in order to fulfill your dreams. Maybe you need to learn a new set of skills. Maybe you need to learn to delegate or outsource some other skills. Maybe you need to realize that your BUSINESS is not the only thing in your life and you need balance in all areas of life.

“Your business” because “business” is what I know. Particularly, I know accounting. I’ve got TONS of education and experience in it. And accounting has exposed me to ALL areas of business, from manufacturing to HR to marketing I’ve dealt with it all. I also have management skills, forecasting and budgeting skills, problem solving skills, trend spotting abilities, and others.

I CAN’T and WON’T tell you how to do the task that you so love and are skilled at that you started a business around it, but I CAN tell you how to take that skill and turn it into a viable BUSINESS that makes you money.

We all have dreams. And if you’re in business for yourself I hope it’s because it’s part of the LIFE you’ve been dreaming about.

I’m here to help you and your business grow into your dreams.

So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started. I want to see you accomplish your dreams!