Archive - Video Blog RSS Feed

90 Days to a SMASHING Success! Day 17 Video 2 and Day 18 Video 1

October 25, 2011 in 90 Days, Video Blog with 0 Comments

I know I said I would have my 90 days videos up by 9am, but when it takes more than 30 minutes to load 2 short videos on Youtube… I just can’t meet my deadlines. And 3 hours on trying to get my internet and computer to go faster yesterday were for naught… because everything is still slow as molasses.

Anyway…

Here’s the two latest videos in the series. Check them out!

_______________

Day 17: Video 2

YouTube Preview Image

It was a great morning. I sent out 6 requests for guest posts. I addressed various emails I needed to for one of my groups. I emailed a client. I made 2 videos for Be Remarkable! Got my allergy shots, went to Walmart, and had lunch with my beautiful wife! Got back, made a blog post, and then spent THREE HOURS trying to get my internet to work right. STUPID INTERNET AND STUPID COMPUTER. Finished up the day with a great accountability group meeting.

_______________

Day 18: Video 1

YouTube Preview Image

This morning I’ll be working on Quickbooks followed by my Tuesday group meeting. Looking forward to a great meeting there. I’ll probably come back after lunch and let you know what’s planned for this afternoon.

My Story

October 25, 2011 in Video Blog, website with 14 Comments

Here’s the YouTube version of my story (they’ll let you have 15 minute videos now, this one is 14:57) that I recorded when I reworked my About page:

YouTube Preview Image

We all have a story to tell. As Donald Miller puts it in his book “A Million Miles in a Thousand Years”, we have all be given skills and abilities by God. He then gives us a pen and a blank piece of paper and tells us, “Go and write a story worth of what you’ve been given.”

When I read that book I knew, absolutely knew, that I was not living a life worthy of what I have been given by God. While Skye and Alexander are more and better than I could have ever dreamed, so much more of my life was lacking. I honestly believe God would look down and weep at the story I was allowing, not writing but allowing others to dictate, to be written.

That made a huge impact on my life. I decided it was time to start living a life worthy of what God provided me. Skye and I talked and we decided some major changes were needed.

One of those major changes was my job. Hence A Better Way of Business was started.

But today is not just about me. It’s about you. And your story. I’d love, Love, LOVE for all readers of this to either link to their about page in the comment section below or if you don’t have an about page, please tell us about yourself. I’m watching. I’m reading. I’m waiting to know your story.

~Ivan

90 Days to a SMASHING Success! Day 17 Video 1

October 24, 2011 in 90 Days, Video Blog with 5 Comments

I’m going to try something new for a week or two with the 90 Days to a SMASHING Success! series. I’m going to continue to post everything on the 90 Days page, however, I’m also going to post the videos in their own individual posts on the blog. This way, you’ll be notified about new posts when they happen (assuming you’ve subscribed, which you should, do so to the right). Also, for those of you that don’t want to have to click through multiple pages, you won’t have to. Everything will be posted right here on the home page.

So do me a favor. Let me know if you like this new idea or if you’d prefer that I leave the 90 days series on its own page. I’m thinking this is going to help build awareness and make it easier for everyone to check out what’s going on at A Better Way of Business.

Here’s the post for the day:

Day 17: Video 1

YouTube Preview Image

A lot to do today. I need to A) record two episodes of be remarkable b) send out emails asking for guests post for the One Thing series c) setup Quickbooks for A Better Way of Business c) send an email to a client d) read through a lot of blog posts I subscribe to. It’s going to be a great day!

~Ivan

Mini-Podcast: Questions stemming from Who You Surround Yourself with Matters

October 24, 2011 in Community, Questions, Video Blog with 6 Comments

On October 11th I put out this post: Who You Surround Yourself with Matters and received a good bit of feed back from it.

In the comment section of that post my friend, Curtis Hollembeak, left the following questions:

How did you find your advisers?

How do you communicate with them? Phone, in person, email, Skype?

How often do you communicate with them?

What is your relationship with them? Do you pay them? Barter with them?

Here’s my answers (this video is a little long at 9:33, hence the name mini-podcast, but I jump on answering these questions with both feet):

YouTube Preview Image

In a nutshell, find people doing what you want to do or going in the same direction and ask if they’d be interested in helping you get there, where ever your there might be.

~Ivan

One Thing – Work from Your Strengths by Joshua Gordon

October 19, 2011 in Guest Post, One Thing, Video Blog with 11 Comments

Here’s today’s episode of the One Thing Series. Where I have asked successful entrepreneurs and those doggedly pursuing their goal of self employment one question: “What is the one piece of advice you would give someone if they told you they were starting a business and you could only tell them one thing to help them out?” Today’s guest vlog is brought to you by Joshua Gordon, founder of The Nonconformist Family. Here is Joshua’s One Thing:

YouTube Preview Image

“Work from an area of your strengths!” ~Joshua Gordon

I couldn’t agree with him more!

Joshua and his wife, Sarah, live with their two precious little girls in Canada. They started The Nonconformist Family because they were tired of being “normal”. I am honored to call Joshua my friend.

“It’s time to get back to the basics!”

October 17, 2011 in Video Blog with 5 Comments

I was driving home the other day and a football coach kept making this statement, “It’s time to get back to the basics.”

Here’s my take on it:

YouTube Preview Image

To me, that statement implies that you stopped doing what was successful in the first place and started doing what was “new”, “different”, “fancy”, or “high tech”.

I want to ask you, if you follow a certain set of rules or guidelines and they get you to a point of success, then why would you stop applying those very same rules that made you successful in the first place?!?!?!

I believe a better way to do things is to not discard what got you where you’re at in the first place, but to add to those rules and guidelines going forward to take you to an even higher level.

What’s it going to be for you? Will you one day be happy to say, “It’s time to get back to the basics.” or will you stick to the method that has proven to be successful in the past, yet add to it when possible?

~Ivan

012 – Who You Surround Yourself with Matters

October 11, 2011 in Advisers, Video Blog with 12 Comments

Being self employed doesn’t mean you should do EVERYTHING by yourself. Yes, it DOES mean that you are responsible for the ultimate decisions that must be made, but you DON’T have to make those decisions in a vacuum that only includes YOU!

Today I make the case that Who You Surround Yourself with Matters. I make the case that you NEED to seek out and find TRUSTED advisers who you can bounce ideas off of and get honest feed back from.

Here’s the video:

YouTube Preview Image

So as I said in the video, my friend ran his own business and he acknowledges that his business SUFFERED because he DID NOT have trusted advisers he could bounce ideas off of and get feedback from.

Don’t make the same mistake! Search out and find trusted advisers NOW! It could mean the difference between a struggling business and a THRIVING business!

And let me know if I can help!

~Ivan

011 – Goals and Plans – A Discussion

October 10, 2011 in Goals, Video Blog with 4 Comments

Here’s a quick video regarding Goals and Plans.

YouTube Preview Image

Goals – finite targets that you’re aiming for. They need to be 1) Concrete / clearly defined. 2) Have a time frame in which they should be accomplished.

Plans – The actions to be taken in order to accomplish your goals.

Many businesses have neither goals nor plans. They are simply wandering forward hoping they “succeed”, but with no definition of what that really means and no idea how to achieve it.

By having goals and plans on how to achieve them you are placing yourself ahead of your competition.

~Ivan

009 – Be Remarkable – Mammaw’s Daycare

September 30, 2011 in Be Remarkable, Passion, Video Blog with 7 Comments

Today’s episode of Be Remarkable is brought to you from the front porch of Mammaw’s (Skye’s Grandma) house where she has run a daycare for 38 years! She’s currently 82 years old and is STILL keeping kids!

YouTube Preview Image

Because Mammaw has found what her heart’s desire is, watching kids, she has had more demand for her services for 38 YEARS then she has been able to supply.

When’s the last time you have had more people asking to work with you or buy your product than you could supply FOR 38 YEARS?!?!

The take away from this is simple, go after what you LOVE and the business and money will follow!

~Ivan

008 – Forget Benchmarks, Do Your Best!

September 29, 2011 in Be Remarkable, Motivation, Video Blog with 1 Comment

I’m obsessed with stats. Especially stats for this site.

I’ve referenced this before in Quantity vs Quality. If left to myself I will try to analyze any and all numbers available to me from 360 degrees. I enjoy it. It tells me things people won’t always say to me. I kind of obsess over them.

So last week I went into Free Agent Academy and posted about the success I’ve been having here at A Better Way of Business’s site (more on this in a future post). I was hoping to receive some comparison data to see if I am doing as well as I think I am when compared to others.

Instead of getting comparison data I received one of the best compliments I’ve gotten to date regarding my business.

Check out this video where I talk about it:

YouTube Preview Image

Victoria Jone said, “You don’t need a benchmark, you just need to rock – and you do!”

HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!?!

I think it’s REALLY awesome! Made my day.

And a VERY valid point for us all. Are you comparing yourself to a benchmark, that may not be on the same plane as you, or are you simply trying to do your best?

I learned a long time ago that I will tend to do WORSE than I’m capable of if I compare my results to the results of others. I guarantee that if you perform the same analysis you’ll find that you’re doing WORSE than you’re capable as well.

Remember, forget the benchmarks, DO YOUR BEST!

Or as I’m fond of saying now, BE REMARKABLE!

~Ivan

Page 2 of 3«123»