The Success Center

Last week, I explored the concept of how fear can hinder your success. Because of fear, we limit God in moving on our behalf which limits our success. Sometimes we don’t believe in the vision He’s given us and we place a cap on what can or can not happen in our lives. Well, today, I want to present proof that there really is NO excuse for any of us to NOT become successful in the thing God has called us to do.

Watch the video below and tell me if you’re not inspired!

If Ephren can make a million dollars at age 16 there really is no excuse for any of us to not make our own dreams come true. So, are you limiting your success? What’s holding you back from achieving all that God placed on your heart to accomplish? Sound off in the comments below.

About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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Once upon a time I had plenty of time to update my blog 5 days a week, interview guests for my podcast twice a month, shoot an episode for my video podcast once a month, work a full-time job as a flight attendant, and live a [somewhat] regular life. Now-a-days, I can barely spend time with myself or afford to keep in touch with close friends.

My Secret Weapon to Being an Over-achiever

People asked me all the time, “Rod, where do you find the time to do all that you do?!” My reply would be, “you just gotta make time and go with what you’re passionate about.” However, I had a secret weapon that allowed me to eat, sleep, and work every waking moment on my business. . . I was single.

No kids, no girlfriend, no wife, no family to tend to . . . totally free to give all my time to being an entrepreneur.

Now?

Not so much.

A Snap Shot of the Real World

Presently, I’m in a relationship with someone pretty awesome, I’m flying more than I’ve ever been, and I still have a blog/business to run. When I’m with my girlfriend I don’t handle business, get online, or anything. I give her my undivided attention and at work I haven’t had much downtime. Lately, I feel as if I’ve been neglecting my entrepreneurial duties.

I asked God, “How do I find the right balance of time to spend in my relationship, with family, friends, and business?” I’m going to share exactly what He told me in Wednesday’s post, but for now, here are a few things that work for me and will help you maximize your time.

Become an Early Riser

I didn’t become an early bird until I became a flight attendant. When I’m off I’m usually up by 8 in the morning and earlier than that when I’m on duty. Working in the morning time is a great strategy to deploy since you don’t have as many distractions and you’ll have the rest of the day to relax. Just get ready for early bedtimes!

Become a Night Owl

Some people prefer the night-time to get things done. You’re more awake, alert, and active at night than early risers. The still, peace, and quiet of the night makes it ideal for people who stay up late and enjoy burning the midnight oil. The only down thing is, if you’re not used to staying up late, prepare to get really sleepy really fast!

Unplug from the Matrix

When I had the time I would spend hours on end online checking news, reading blogs, on Facebook, Twitter, etc. It’s still important that you engage wherever your market is online, however, it’s not important to do it at all times. Instead, choose strategic times to work offline and engage online. If you know you’ll be distracted at night with Twitter and Facebook then get off early and get some work done. Be smart and play your cards right.

Check Email Once a Day

I used to be email crazy, checking it more than a few times a day. And then things got really “convenient” with my Blackberry delivering emails to my phone. However, stopping to check it from the phone or even a computer only wastes time you could be using for something else. Instead, check all your mail at the beginning or end of your day. Sure, they’ll be waiting for you in a big stinking pile, but you’ll be focused and ready for it.

Note: Gmail is my webmail client of choice. I love the ability to “star” messages which saves important emails for later. You can do the same by setting up special filters and folders for important emails. Sort them in the morning time and respond to them at night.

Get ahead of Your Work Days

I would consider this to be a power tip so pay attention! I’ve started to write blog posts a day or two before my due dates [I used to write each on the day it was meant to be published]. Not only does this save time, but it frees time up for me to focus on other things. Beyond time, it’s a great feeling to know that you accomplished something off your to-do list a day early.

Work out of the Office

Many entrepreneurs and small business owners work out of a home office. Unfortunately, many times you can’t get any work done because of family needs, lack of quiet, or other unique home distractions. Pack up the office [aka, your laptop] and head to your nearest coffee shop, library, or bookstore. You’ll find the atmosphere more tranquil, peaceful, and enables you to concentrate more.

No matter where you are in your life you’ll have to find that perfect balance between business and other obligations. I hope I’ve shared a few useful tips to make it a little bit easier for you. Of course, I don’t have all the answers. How do you maximize your time and get more done when working on your business? Share your best tips, practices, and advice in the comments below.

About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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Watch this video and I promise to share something powerful with you after the jump!

Question: If God placed a dream in your heart and He promised it to you, does that mean that it will come to pass automatically? Survey says,

“Nope!” <add buzzer sound here>

The truth is, God will give us the tools we need to succeed, but we’re still obligated with working the dream and protecting it. “From what?” You ask. We have to protect it from the destruction of our circumstances, nay-sayers, debt, jealous family members, even our own disbelief. In short, anyone or anything that would come against you and your destiny.

Like a new mother you’re going to have to protect your baby from the harsh elements of the world. How do you protect your dream? Here’s a hint, control your senses and control your destiny!

1. Close your Eyes – You can’t dwell and meditate on the reports of the economy, crime, rampant disease, and other distractions that bombard your eyes on the evening news. Look past your current economic circumstances and peer into the future! Keep your focus on the dream and have the courage to continue pressing toward it. The clip above is from one of my most favorite movies, The Pursuit of Happyness which illustrates the amazing success story of Chris Gardner. If you haven’t seen it yet, you owe it to yourself to have it in your DVD collection. Close your eyes to ill reports and watch something that will truly inspire you!

Final Thought: The things you see determines what you want, so if you see nothing but the economic recession then you want to participate in it. (Yes . . . you have a choice!)

2. Tune-out what you Hear – Have you ever been told that you couldn’t do something or “that’ll never work.”? In the clip above, Chris Gardner (Played by Will Smith) said to his son, “Don’t ever let somebody tell you, you can’t do something . . . ” You have to have such a passion for your dream that you won’t allow people to tell you it won’t be successful. Your mind is a radio station playing all kinds of music. You’re the DJ, so it’s your job to keep the positive tunes pumping. One way of doing that is by reading books that will inspire, empower, and equip you for success. I highly recommend Chris Gardner’s new book,

Final Thought: The things you hear prompt your actions so make sure that you’re only listening to people who will give you good feedback, strengthen, and empower your ideas.

3. Watch what you Say – Did you know that the power of life and death are in the tongue? I believe that what we say forms the atmosphere around us. If you say, “My business will never take off because I just don’t have any funding,” then it won’t because you’ve created an atmosphere of failure. As an entrepreneur I have good months financially and I have not so good months, but I thank God in advance for them all. Why? I want to be set-up for success! It’s that simple.

Final Thought: The things you say affects your attitude which ultimately will determine if you’ll even take a step on the road to success. Watch over your words and make sure you’re always speaking life and never death for your dreams.

Let me hear from you! What dreams and aspirations do you have? Are you “working” them or letting the dreams sit on the back burner? Are you protecting your dreams? Login using your Facebook or Twitter accounts and sound off below!

This article was originally written for my “Success Tips!” newsletter subscribers, but I really wanted to share this with the entire community. Please subscribe to “Success Tips!” here if you don’t already. Also, if you receive my newsletter and this is your first time visiting the Success Center, subscribe and receive blog updates, news, and more!

Don’t forget to purchase your copies of my highly recommended books and DVDs below;

About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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This is the age of amplification–where news, opinions, and reviews go further and faster than ever before. This is both good and bad for the Christian Entrepreneur.

It’s good because if what you’re selling is great, with just a little bit of communication, you can get it in to the hands of people quicker. But, if what you’re selling sucks [1], there isn’t enough PR out there to change the opinions of people. Because people are quicker to believe their friends than your ads.

And with all the changing marketing techniques there’s a need for changeless marketing principles that work regardless of product or service. And there’s one Person that’s been using these strategies for years–the greatest marketing phenom the world has ever seen:the Master Marketer Himself, Jesus.

Jesus was a Master Marketer!

He had no marketing budget and still gained such a following that most Chief Marketing Officer’s would’ve passed out from disbelief; He used no ads and still thousands showed up to hear Him speak!

In only three and a half years He preached a Message that still continues on to this day!

So its safe to say we could probably learn a few things from Him. So, here they are… some tips from the Master Marketer Himself:

Have a great product

Not a good product, not an ok product, not a status quo product…but a great product!

When the people of  Samaria heard a woman raving about Jesus–they ran to see for themselves. When they saw what He was offering themselves, they were impressed:

“Then they said to the woman, ‘Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard Him ourselves. Now we know that He is indeed the Savior of the world.’” [2]

I warn you: don’t make a big hype if what you’re offering doesn’t match the hype! You will regret it.

Let people try it for free

When getting His Message out there Jesus didn’t charge people.

He didn’t say,

“Ok, if you want Me to heal your eye that’s $50. What that’s a withered hand? Yeah that goes for $45. Raise your daughter from the dead? Whew…that ’s our special of the week…its gonna cost ya!”

If you want to get the word out about your great product, let people who need it try it.

• That’s what William P.Young did to get the word out about his book The Shack. He and two freelance editors–Wayne Jacobsen and Brad Cummings–were rejected by traditional publishers and decided to publish it themselves. They introduced it to the the Christian Community through a series of podcasts–described as “an ever expanding conversation among those thinking outside the box of organized religion.” With only $250 spent on marketing these unknowns, with no national platform,  had a book that has sold into the millions, and the rest is history (Faith Based Marketing, pgs 87 and 89)
• That’s what Rick Warren did for Purpose-Driven Life. Years before he wrote his first book, Purpose Driven Church and followed it up with a website: Pastors.Com. The membership of the website grew to 85,000 pastors who saw Warren as trusted advisor. He enlisted their help with the PDL book–asking them to conduct the “40 day campaign” in their churches. He gave away 400,000 copies of  the $20 book for $7 to churches and congregations that agreed. Within two months, those 400,000 spokespeople pushed sales to two million, and  the rest is history (Faith Based Marketing, pgs 85-86)
• That’s what Mel Gibson did to market The Passion of the Christ. When he approached movie executives about producing the movie nobody wanted to go near it. So Gibson decided to fund it himself using $30 million of his own money. Not having much money left to marketing (it usually costs $40 million for marketing, he only had $15 million) he tried an unconventional approach: letting pastors see it for free.  They started small–showing only a few pastors, but it grew exponentially. One of the final screenings was at Willow Creek Church. After the showing, Bill Hybels took the stage and spoke for the 5,000 pastors in attendance: “All right, what do you need us to do?” (Faith Based Marketing, pgs 87, 89) And with $611,899,420 in gross sales the rest is history.
• That’s what Timothy Ferriss did to promote his book The Four Hour Work Week. He called successful authors and asked them how they promoted their books. They gave him two answers: radios and bloggers. Since radio was losing its influence he decided to rely on bloggers. He went to a blogger event, met the ones he wanted to meet, established relationships, and then asked them to do a review. They did. And with the book becoming the #1 New Times, the #1 Wall Street Journal, and the #1 Businessweek bestseller the rest is history.
• That’s what Seth Godin did to promote his first best seller. He built a website, sent out an email asking people if they wanted to read 1/4 of his book for free, some did and some didn’t (most of the one’s that didn’t just plopped down money to buy the whole book!). And with multiple bestsellers under his belt, the rest is history!
• That’s what Rod Kirby did to promote his new E-book. And with hundreds of visits to the site, tons of downloads, and plenty of good reviews the rest is history!

The Bible says Jesus went all over Galilee, using synagogues for meeting places, teaching  people the truth of God.

And…

“He healed people of their diseases and of the bad effects of their bad lives.”

What happened next?

“Word got around the entire Roman province of Syria. People brought anybody with an ailment, whether mental, emotional, or physical. Jesus healed them, one and all. More and more people came, the momentum gathering. Besides those from Galilee, crowds came from the ‘Ten Towns’ across the lake, others up from Jerusalem and Judea, still others from across the Jordan.” [3]

In other words, word about this Guy spread near and far!

Give it to people who want it…not to everybody.

In the middle of His ministry Jesus decided to stop by His hometown.

And “on the Sabbath, He gave a lecture in the meeting place. He made a real hit, impressing everyone. ‘We had no idea He was this good!’ they said. ‘How did He get so wise all of a sudden, get such ability?’ But in the next breath they were cutting Him down: ‘He’s just a carpenter—Mary’s Boy. We’ve known Him since He was a kid. We know His brothers, James, Justus, Jude, and Simon, and His sisters. Who does He think He is?’ They tripped over what little they knew about Him and fell, sprawling. And they never got any further.” [4]

So because of their unbelief He didn’t do much miracles.

What He was selling was good, but they didn’t buy into Him and therefore couldn’t buy into His product (or Message).

So what did He do? Fight with them? Beg them to believe Him? Do more miracles in spite of their unbelief? Nope! He just left. Went somewhere else. He went other places where He’d be more receptive.

Stop fighting people who don’t believe you (or in you)…especially when there  are others that do. Stop wasting your time and go find those people. Rick Warren didn’t market to atheists, William P. Young didn’t market to people comfortable with religion, Gibson only showed screenings to conservative Christian and religious groups (even refusing to include those that initially criticized the film), Timothy Ferriss didn’t go after those interested in a 9-5 lifestyle, and Seth Godin gave books to those that wanted it!

Service Your  Best Customers

Not all customers are created equal. Remember: 20% of your customers will buy your stuff. That 20% will market you the best, talk about you the most, and defend you with all their strength.

Jesus spent time with thousands of people but He revealed Himself the most to the 12 disciples. When He left it was the 12 (Matthias replacing Judas) who spread the Gospel and turned the world upside down! Jesus spent His time with His best customers and as a result got His product into the hands (and hearts) of millions. Would He have received the same return spreading Himself to the masses?? Probably not.

Do whatever you have to do to keep in contact with your best customers!

Now do you see what I mean? Jesus was a Master Marketer. And if You follow Him, have a great product, and use His examples you’ll be one too…even in a market like this.

What are you thoughts?

1. By “sucks” I mean the dictionary definition: “To be objectionable or inadequate.”
2. John 4:42 (New Living Translation)
3. Matthew 4: 23-25 (The Message)
4. Mark 6: 2-3 (The Message)

Mike Holmes is the author of I Shall Raise Thee Up: Ancient Principles for Lasting Greatness. He’s also a blogger that writes on business and leadership development from a Biblical perspective. When he’s not writing blogs or speaking he can be found writing bios in the third person. Check out his website/blog here.

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When it comes to principles of entrepreneurial success nothing is more proven than sowing and reaping. It’s more effective than any business, marketing, or social media plan you’ll ever come up with. Why? Take a look at this short verse from Genesis 26:12 (amplified);

“Then Isaac sowed seed in that land and received in the same year a hundred times as much as he had planted, and the Lord favored him with blessings.”

This scripture is pretty self-explanatory, Isaac sowed a seed and received a great harvest. However, to understand why Isaac received a harvest we have to take a step back to verses 2 & 3.

²And the Lord appeared to him and said, Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I will tell you.

³Dwell temporarily in this land, and I will be with you and will favor you with blessings; for to you and to your descendants I will give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father.

You see, anyone can sow a seed but there are certain variables that must align before you see a harvest. It all comes down to being in the right season to plant seed, giving it time to grow, and reaping your harvest. Isaac was in the right season to be blessed, he obeyed the voice of the Lord, planted his seed, and reaped a great harvest.

What does this have to do with your business? Everything! When you sow a seed you exercise your faith that the seed will grow. You anticipate growth without knowing what the full harvest will be. This is where favor sends you a harvest a hundred times more than you planted.

To get a full grasp of this principle let’s first define what sowing and reaping does for you and your business.

• It blesses you by taking care of present and future needs (God’s obligation for your sacrifice).
• It blesses others because your business was destined to be a blessing and not just make money.
• It gives freedom for God’s will being done through you and your business (our obligation to God for giving us the vision).

Now that you understand what it is and how it benefits you, let’s talk about “what to sow.”

• Tithes & offering – The Bible says to give a 10th of your income. I’ve always been taught to give a 10th plus a little extra. Why? If you give God your best you’ll receive the best from Him. Giving a 10th is your obligation as a Christian entrepreneur and giving an offering is your sacrifice. Combined, God is obligated to do exceedingly and abundantly more than you can ask or think.
• Time & effort – In order to receive a harvest a hundred times as much as you planted you have to do your part. Meaning, you have to be willing to put your hands to the plow and work the land (or vision) God has given you. That means not giving up, staying persistent with the dream, and sticking with it when times get tough.
• Products & Services – Sometimes it’s strategic to sow products and services to organizations, people, or businesses that need them. This is a  great way to build credibility, relationships, and generate buzz for your business. God honors your sacrifice and will definitely make it worth your while.

A Short Story

I haven’t always been a faithful tither but when I give I never worry about needing anything for my life or business. It’s interesting how God honors the financial sacrifice and gives us back more than just money. Ideas seem to flow freely, favor from others enters my life, and I lack nothing to accomplish my goals.

It’s really awesome how it all works in the supernatural to enhance our natural lives.

I remember needing a place to host my monthly seminars on business leadership and I couldn’t stand to pay my local library anymore (non-profits could host events free but for-profit organizations couldn’t). I remember challenging God to make something happen and He challenged me to sow a seed. I started bringing my tithes and offering on a consistent basis to church. Before the end of the month I got an offer from a pastor, who’s church I didn’t belong to, to host my seminar series – free of charge – at his church!

That’s how I know it really works. If you don’t believe me, then challenge God for yourself and watch Him work on your behalf. If you need financing to start or grow a business, need new equipment, investors, etc. – this is how you get it. Try it . . . I dare you!

Has anyone else experienced this level of success from sowing and reaping?

Further Reading

Does God Want You to Succeed?

Are Christian Entrepreneurs Supposed to be Wealthy?

About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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When I started this poll I was really in a transition period in my thinking on social media marketing.

How so?

For one, I don’t feel like I need to be present on every platform, social network, or social site. Why spread myself, my message, and my brand so thin? That only dilutes it all and doesn’t leave any real value for the people I want to attract.

So, for me, I’m focusing on Twitter, Facebook, and Linkedin. I know that I can actively engage there and make genuine connections. I was really kind of shocked by the results of this poll. Not because Twitter came in as number one, but because Linkedin didn’t get any votes.

Maybe there’s an opportunity to explore why no one [at least, no one who voted] makes it an important marketing platform when it’s clearly built that way. I’ll have to think of something . . . What do you think? If you didn’t vote in the poll, what’s your social media marketing platform of choice? If you did vote, why did you choose your answer?

About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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Image by Joe Cannibal

There’s an organization out to stop your progress. It performs acts of sabotage covertly on your path to success to stop you from ever making it to your promised land. This group is called, FEAR.They are the reason you find it so hard to start a business, plan an event, write a book, or start the thing God has put in your heart to create. My friend and author, Paul Wilson, Jr., defines fear as thoughts or feelings that create a mental prison of anxiety & apprehension, preventing positive forward progress.

In order to combat this worthy opponent you first have to understand how FEAR operates. The group infiltrates your thoughts and tells you you’re too busy, you don’t have the right equipment, or it’s too hard to accomplish. Then they take over your eyes and when you look into the vision God wants to give you all you see are giants in the land. Lastly they monitor your hands and they make sure that you never reach or grasp the tools God already has for you to keep you idle.

But, there is a secret to defeating this black ops organization. It’s rooted in American’s favorite past-time, the game of baseball. What FEAR would have you to do is not even step up to the plate and take a swing at bat. FEAR wants to make sure that you forfeit the game even before the game starts. FEAR will put so much pressure on you to make a home-run that you’ll stare at the bat long before you even pick it up. What you have to realize is that the game is not won with one swing and one swing only . . . it’s won in innings!

Here are 5 sure fire ways to defeat FEAR, inning by inning, score home-runs, and win the big game;

1. Get to know your Umpire – God is the umpire of every game. He officiates the game, He calls the fouls, He’ll make sure you’ll have everything you need to win the game. I say it all the time, but it’s true, if God gave you the vision then He’ll provide you with everything you need to build it. Get to know Him and He’ll make sure you understand how to use the tools He provides.

2. Break the Game Down – Of course you want to win the game, but what’s your strategy for the 3rd, 4th, and 5th innings? If you’re going to start consulting, what’s your strategy for marketing, what’s your process for turning prospects into clients, and how are you going to generate leads? Don’t get so overwhelmed with the idea that you never start to work it. Take it a step at a time and break it down into “bite-sized” pieces instead of trying to swallow chunks at a time.

3. Create a Game Plan – no one ever went to war without a plan. Period. You don’t have to create the world’s most thorough and in-depth business plan; but you need to have an idea of where you want to go and how to get there.

4. Ask your teammates for help – Baseball isn’t won by the hands of one person, it’s a team sport so get together a team of advisers and ask for feedback on your business plan. When I started my first business which was a video game tournament company, I had just graduated high school. So, I went back to my favorite teachers and asked them to be on my advisers board and they gave me a wealth of advice and support for my business.

5. Hit the Ball! – You have to start somewhere, just hit the ball already. Don’t worry about making a home-run on your first hit. Let’s get to first base, make adjustments once we’re there, and figure out how to make it to second after that. It doesn’t matter if you go to the library to research whatever it is that you want to start, read up on blogs that pertain to your industry, or go to seminars and learn something new. Do something! Remember, fouling out is better than striking out!

Bonus: Write down 2 Timothy 1:7 – “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

So, the next time you start thinking that your dream is to big to accomplish, remember the game of baseball. Don’t just stare at the bat . . . pick it up and do something with it! So, what are you afraid of? What part of your business appears to big to make it a reality? I’ll tell you mine: I want to make big budget Christian movies (rivaling Hollywood!). For the longest time I thought it was impossible, but now I find myself networking with producers, starting scripts, and other things to make this dream a reality. I’m not there yet, but at least I’ve stepped up to the plate.

About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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With no venture capital, no cost projections, no business plan, no spreadsheets, no ads, and no sophisticated office space the early church turned the world upside down!

And yet when we look for lessons on what makes a start up successful we look to a Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Zappos, and Amazon–not realizing that the greatest start up and some of the greatest lessons for start-ups are found right in the Book of Acts!

And without further ado…here they are…some of the lessons we can learn from the early church:

• They had purpose–They had one purpose and one aim: tell people about Jesus and make disciples. That simple laser focus marshalled their energies, occupied their thoughts, and allowed them to complete lofty goals.  Purpose is a trademark of great organizations. Those companies with a purpose that exceeds any one person seem to trounce all purposeless counterparts. Do you have a purpose that is greater than you?

• They were committed–“They agreed they were in this for good.” (Acts 1:14 The Message) This wasn’t a “fly by night” operation–they found their life’s work. They faced jail, persecution, death and still were committed to the cause. Paul summed up his commitment: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 New King James Version) In other words, “He gave His all for me so I’m willing to give my all for Him.” Are you willing to give your all for what you’re trying to do? Not some of you, but all of you.

• They were apprentices first–Many of them were disciples (followers) before they were apostles (leaders). Although there are exceptions, most entrepreneurs had experience in their respective field first. Warren Buffet worked in his father’s brokerage house and under Benjamin Graham before he built Berkshire, Donald Trump apprenticed under his father before he built Trump Organizations, Mark Kay Ash worked in direct sales before she founded Mary Kay, and etc. The best way to train for leadership is through servitude. Do you REALLY understand what you’re getting yourself into?

• They had one message communicated through different mediums-On the day of Pentecost, they were filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak in other tongues (or languages). They spoke in over a dozen dialects all telling the wonderful works of God. The nations present “were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, ‘Whatever could this mean?’” (Acts 2:12 New King James Version) Your message needs to reach your marketing target through any and all means…but it must be ONE MESSAGE. Not different messages, through different mediums, at different times–that’s just confusing. But one message, through many means, to one group (your target audience). Do you know your core message?

• Peter knew how to sell (or persuade)– In the middle of the amazement, confusion, and ridicule Peter used the opportunity to give one of the best sales presentations the world had ever seen. He spoke with authority, urgency, and conviction.  He used supporting Scriptures (or references)…and…he closed the deal!! 3,000 people signed the order and were baptized into the family of God! One of the greatest abilities you as a business owner must have, besides leadership, is sales ability. It’s vital! Why? Because nothing happens without a sale. Absolutely nothing! When Peter preached he preached with the intent of closing: “Turn back to God! Be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven! Then you will be given the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children. It is for everyone our Lord God will choose, no matter where they live.” (Acts 2:38-39 Contemporary English Version) Do you know how to sell?

• They created a leadership culture–After a while the church had grown exponentially; and with growth came problems. The Greek speaking believers were complaining about the Aramaic speaking believers. So they had a meeting and the Twelve told the multitude: “It is not desirable that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables.” (Acts 6:2 New King James Version) In other words, “We can’t leave what we’re doing to handle that.” So they appointed seven leaders to handle that situation while they continued doing what they were doing. Most leaders would do the opposite and take on the extra responsibility needlessly–but in order for your company to grow there has to be a culture of leadership. John Maxwell calls this the Law of Explosive Growth:”To Add Growth, Lead Followers–To Multiply Lead Leaders.” (The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, p.205) You can’t just be preoccupied with developing you, you have to develop those around you. There’s a saying: “Good leadership works itself out of a job.” In other words, a good leader develops other leaders around him or her so well that he or she almost doesn’t have to be there. When you develop other leaders you can work less and still get more done! Do you create leaders or followers?

These lessons simply validate the point that business is God’s idea. But what do you think: do you agree? Disagree? Do you see any more lessons? What are your thoughts?

Mike Holmes is the author of I Shall Raise Thee Up: Ancient Principles for Lasting Greatness. He’s also a blogger that writes on business and leadership development from a Biblical perspective. When he’s not writing blogs or speaking he can be found writing bios in the third person. Check out his website/blog here.

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Last week I launched my highly anticipated e-book, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Twitter Success. Not to brag or anything, but I knew that it would be an extremely successful launch. Was it because I had some secret weapon in getting people to download it? No, not really. I believe my confidence rested in my preparation for launch day.

How can you garner the same kind of confidence in launching an e-book, product, or service online? Let me share with you a few things I did  to make it a successful launch.

Plan for Success

It’s so critical that you have a plan before you start working on anything. A plan gives you a general direction in which to walk. Without it you’ll be lost before you ever find the success you’re looking for. Here are a few tips to help you plan out your next e-book:

• Create an Outline – I noticed that my process for putting together the book was the same I use for my blogging; I outline my main points and flesh them out from there. This was extremely helpful in organizing my thoughts and making the book flow the way I wanted it to.
• Plan an Adventure Not Just a “How to” – As I organized my thoughts I wanted the reader to start from a certain point and end up at another. I didn’t want to just explain what Twitter was and how to maximize it for business. I envisioned them reading it as a beginner and ending up as an expert in Twitter engagement. To help them along the journey, I answered questions that someone in their position would ask.

Make Time to Make it Happen

This goes without saying, but I think it’s important to note that if you want your e-book to be successful you have to make time to make it happen. That means, despite the distractions, your busy work schedule, or whatever else you’ve got going on in your life, you have to knuckle down and work it out. Here are a few things I did:

• Make a Public Deadline – Nothing will motivate you more than putting pressure on yourself to perform. I announced the e-book on Twitter and Facebook almost a week before I had a single page written. With the amount of replies I got from interested souls, I knew I had to knock this out or be proven a liar.
• Find Your Happy Place – For me, this is where the least amount of distractions exist, where it’s quiet, and where I can do my best work. When I’m at the airport, my happy place is away from the flight crew lounge and as far away as possible from passengers. For you, it may be your basement, the library, or even the bathroom (fellas, you know what I’m talking about).
• Don’t Write it All at Once – It’s very important not put too much pressure on yourself to have it all done in one night. Trust me, it leaves you frustrated, tired, and ready to move on to other things. Give yourself time to express your thoughts fully, make your main ideas clear, and create your best work. I wrote my e-book over the course of 3 days and edited it for 2.

Re-Purpose Your Best Content

The entire idea of the e-book came from the wild success I experienced from the original article, The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Twitter Success. That served as the middle of the book and I took elements from, Are you a Twitter Newbie or Power User? to serve as the beginning. I knew I had something special from the original article and I needed to follow it up in a special way. A follow-up blog post would not have done it or those that took the time to comment justice. Here are some ways you can get the most out of your best content:

• Dig Through Your Archives – You’re probably richer than you know it, if you would only dig through your archives. Take a look at your most popular articles and see which ones can be expanded on in a book format.
• Don’t Forget Offline Content – Did you speak at an event or make a presentation that got you a lot of praise? Your speech or PowerPoint files could be the basis for an e-book that’s worth paying for.
• Ask Your Readers – Remember the people who are going to download your e-book in the first place and see what topics they want you to go more in-depth on. You can easily do this through polls or surveys. I use Constant Contact as my go to service for email and survey marketing (affiliate link).

Resource: Chris Brogan touches on the concept of re-purposing your content in his article, Build Ecosystems for Your Content

Have a Marketing Plan Before, the Day of, and After Launch

When a major corporation plans on launching a product or service they have a plan in place to make sure that the world knows about it. Adopt the same mentality when launching your e-book and you’ll get the results you want. Here are a few ideas on how I did it:

Generating Buzz Before Its Release

• Send Twitter Reminders – I use Hootsuite to schedule certain tweets at high usage times during the day on Twitter. The key is to engage in-between those tweets to stay consistent with your Twitter community. Also, I sent tweets announcing what part of the book I was working on. This kept people up-to-date with the progress of the book and built anticipation for its eventual completion.
• Chat on Facebook – By chatting with fellow bloggers on Facebook I planted seeds of anticipation and got a lot of solid feedback that helped me to complete the book.
• Guest Blogging – Maximize your network and write a couple of articles that relate to your e-book. In your “about the author” section include a link to your email newsletter sign-up so people will be the first to know about the book launch. Last month I completed 3 out of 4 guest blogging assignments which generated new traffic, followers, and readers to this blog. This boost in traffic contributed to the success of the e-book.
• Write a Preview Blog Post – I don’t typically blog on Sunday but I knew I needed to keep traffic up through the weekend for launch day. I took a section of the e-book and turned it into a blog post which generated some traffic and continued to build anticipation for the book’s release.

Getting People to Download on Launch Day

• Make Your E-Book Re-Tweetable – Big shout out to Naomi Trower for sharing this article from the Social Media Examiner blog on How to Add Retweet Buttons in Your PDF Documents. By adding the hashtag, #successguide, I was able to keep track of downloads of the book on Twitter.
• Get Your E-Book Reviewed – My good friend, Brooks Young, wrote a full review of the e-book on her blog which was great PR and allowed me to share it with my network. Which I link to from the e-book’s download page to give her a little bit of traffic as well.
• Capture Comments – On the download page for the e-book I added a few comments that were made only hours after the launch of the book. This added to the “social proof” of the book’s success. Social proof is showing how others enjoy the product you launch which makes it easier for others to download it.
• Send Out an Announcement Email – If you have an email list then be sure to make a formal announcement to your subscribers. Make sure you send the email to subscribers only and don’t make the same mistake I made by sending spam. If you really want to get people to download your e-book from your email then make it worth reading instead of the typical announcement message. I wrote, 10 Steps to Success with E-Book Publishing which had the highest “open rate” of any email I’ve ever sent.
• Engage, Engage, and Engage Some More! – On launch day you couldn’t keep me off Twitter and Facebook! I didn’t overly announce the launch of the book but I did overly share and ease people into announcement messages. I also tracked, replied, and re-tweeted comments to keep my “social proof” of the success of the e-book high.

Marketing After Launch

• Write a Follow-Up Blog Post – This is essentially what I’m doing in this blog post. The idea is to make sure that you keep the success of the e-book at the forefront of everyone’s mind. And those that did not get a chance to download it can do so from the follow-up post.
• Announce the Results after Launch – Ever see a commercial for a movie with reviews attached to it after the movie is released? You can exercise the same strategy in an email, press release, or thank those that downloaded in a short video. This only keeps the buzz of your book in the atmosphere long after it’s launch.
• Create Advertising Space on Your Blog - Maximize your most strategic spaces on your blog to advertise the release of the e-book. This means, creating a unique download page and sidebar widget. Wordpress let’s you use standard HTML in it’s sidebar by using the “Text” widget. This is how I created a quick download space for the book in the siderbar to the right. Here’s a pretty good explanation on maximizing this widget for your blog.

Bonus Tips

• Have a Draft Version Reviewed – I chose 3 people from my Twitter network to review a draft of my e-book and their feedback was invaluable. They helped me decide what was missing, whether or not to sell the book, and pointed out grammatical errors.
• Track the Downloads - I unfortunately, didn’t capitalize on this, but it’s definitely worth mentioning. There’s a plug-in called, Download Manager, for Wordpress that let’s you track how many downloads you accumulate from a dedicated download page. It’s great for keeping tabs on how well your e-book or any kind of download-able content is doing.
• Explore Distribution Options – Don’t just settle for one version of your e-book, get it into the hands of your readers by any means possible. I’m working on a Kindle version and figuring out options for enhanced mobile versions as well. Here’s the site you need to submit a Kindle version of your book.

Like I said at the beginning, I knew it was going to be a successful launch, but only because I planned on it that way. What lessons have you learned from launching an e-book, product, or service? Was it successful like you envisioned it to be? If you have any questions or comments on how I launched my e-book feel free to share them in the comments section below.

Note: I’m keeping my actual download and site stats mum for the moment because I don’t want anyone to compare the success I’ve found to anyone else. I don’t want anyone to be discouraged because they haven’t achieved it and I certainly don’t want anyone with a big head to step on my toes either. Just know that the launch of my e-book resulted in the biggest single day of traffic for this site and has been downloaded a “bunch” of times.

About the Author Rod is the editor-in-chief of The Success Center, Producer of "Inside the Success," and a Success Coach. For more information, tips, and advice on being a successful Christian-preneur subscribe to Rod's "Success Tips!" weekly newsletter.

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photo credit: Ratatosk at Flickr

I grew up as the son of parents who were missionaries, dedicated to living at low wages and giving much of themselves in return. My father and mother were born during the Great Depression, and they never forgot the lessons that their parents impressed upon them regarding saving money, and the dangers of going broke. I was never taught much about money, except for the fact that we needed to scrimp and save as much as possible, and that wanting money was wrong. Furthermore, there were some unwritten expectations (my own) that true service really was best rendered in full-time Christian ministry.

As a result, as a young adult I was somewhat confused about my desires to be involved in business, building wealth, and being prosperous. I had learned, somehow, to be suspicious of preachers and teachers who stated that Christianity=making lots of money and being happy. On the other hand, I did not entirely agree that a vow of poverty was the only way to make an impact in life.

So, how can a Christian who is committed to following Jesus, the Word, keep her/his integrity while engaging in successful business practices?

The answer is found in Scripture and in the lives of those whose legacies are recorded therein, particularly a young Jewish man who was, in effect, the Vice President of all of Babylon. He had been promoted over all of the rulers of the empire. Therefore, we can assume he was a very successful executive.

Daniel’s underlings were jealous of his success and prosperity, so they first looked for any areas of his conduct of business that could disqualify him before the king. They were unable to do so. Then, they figured it out: he prayed three times a day facing Jerusalem. They would use his devotion to God to get him disqualified from his job. It came down to an edict from the king that anyone who prayed to a God other than the King himself would be put to death. Check out Daniel’s courage and tenacity in the face of death: he continued to pray openly three times a day. In the end, we know he was thrown to the lions, but God shut their mouths, turned the situation around, and promoted Daniel to an even higher position than before. You can read the whole Biblical story here.

Daniel’s life was an example of keeping the main thing the main thing through his motives and his mindset. And it is out of those that his legacy setting actions flowed.

Motive:

Jesus teaches us that we are to put Him and His purposes first and foremost. In Matthew 6.33, he tells us to seek first His priorities in our lives. In other words, “It’s not about me.” This is, perhaps, one of the most subtle temptations when we engage in business. An immature perspective is one that is all about my agenda, versus all about His agenda.

How can we make sure that our motives are pure? By spending time in His Word, in prayer, and in fellowship with other believers. And by deciding that we will conduct our business by the Book.

Mindset:

As Christian entrepreneurs we can be focused on many things in our minds. We can be focused on our circumstances, on our customers’ and employees’ demands, on our families, on ourselves. We can be focused on building wealth, being able to tell others about our achievements, and on our egos. But Scripture commands against letting our hearts get focused on these mindsets.

So what is the solution for attaining the correct mindset? The answer is found in Romans 12:1-2.

“1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

We are to totally surrender, on a daily, moment-by-moment basis, our agendas and our businesses to God. We ought to be praying over every business relationship and business decision. And, we need to make sure that our business decisions are aligned with the Word of God.

Do a gut check: Is Your Motive and Mindset conducive to Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing?

About the Author

Stephen Borgman’s mission is to help others reach their full potential through weekly success tips and strategies. He grew up in Brazil, South America, to parents whose legacy of serving and helping others he hopes to carry on. You can find out more about him at his Success Factors blog or his Personal Growth Development website.

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