Category: Psychology of the Deal

  • Fired on Your Birthday

    Fired on Your Birthday

    My daughter heard that a coworker was let go on her 18th birthday.  Her message to me was in ALL CAPS and full of umbrage. The worst was the boss knew it was the kid’s birthday and FIRED HER ANYWAY!!! That reaction was natural and wonderful. I am so proud of her empathy and humility.…

  • Now Posting from the Film Business

    i was shocked that I hadn’t posted to WealthEsteem.org in a couple of years. Mainly because I was subject to several non-discosure agreements as well as I wasn’t doing that many deals. The important news is my new venture DreamSpinner Media is live. I’ll be focusing on the deal side here. The Dreamspinner site is…

  • Entrepreneurship is an Art, Not a Science

    The earliest reference I can find is by Paul Willax from 1 July 1996 Entrepreneurship is an art, not a science. The Greeks recognized that there were techniques (“techne”) that could not be explained in words, but learned only through apprenticeship and experience. My search was not extensive, but I’m happy that the quote has…

  • Why I moved from Anti-NBN to Pro-NBN

    I am now a supporter of the NBN despite the price tag, politically motivated slow rollout, poor ROI and political lies. The National Broadband Network is a hugely expensive ($40B), fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP), wholesale network that will reach 93% of the Australian population over 10 years. Oh! And paid for by the taxpayers. The Gillard Government…

  • Optus Fail on Customer Service

    When my mobile phone service came off contract I wanted to go month to month while I waited for the new iPhone’s to come out this year. Optus at the time were running some compelling prepaid deals. So I signed up. I converted to a post paid accout and accepted a dealer’s offer for a…

  • 30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself

    As I prepare to set goals for 2012, I came across this brilliant post 30 Things to Stop Doing to Yourself. It reminds me to clear the decks mentally, emotionally and spiritually before trying to drive through to new or old goals. Effective planning or goal setting starts with an understanding of where we’re at…

  • How badly do you want success?

    Sports are often a metaphor for success. Often it’s a stretch to make the connection, as sports aren’t about life and death and sports have highly artificial rules to increase the stakes. That said, success in life isn’t always about life and death either. It’s about mediocrity and extraordinary. So often the metaphor is right.…

  • Niche Retailer TrollAndToad.Com Makes Inc. 5000 Again

    Clicks and mortar retailer TrollAndToad.com came in at #1063 in the Inc. 5000  fastest growing private companies in America for the second year with 285% revenue growth over the last three years. TrollAndToad.com is a the world’s largest retailer of collectible games. That is the very definition of niche. So these guys are successful retailers.…

  • Involved or Committed

    I like the following metaphor. In a bacon and eggs breakfast, the chicken is involved while the pig is committed. The normal mode in business is to look for people who are committed. Those that get the company logo tattooed on their bodies. For senior executives, founders and entrepreneurs that is the spirit which drives…

  • Emotional Control for Success When Trading Currencies

    Guest contribution provided by Forex Traders For many investors, learning the intricacies of investing is a continuing effort that focuses on expanding personal knowledge of the principles involved and on gaining experience at the craft. Unfortunately, many of these individuals tend to be unaware or just plain forget that the most important ingredient for success,…