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Order Now — Anything You Put Your Mind To by Liz Strauss

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Liz Strauss
Liz Strauss, Author – Anything You Put Your Mind To

In Anything You Put Your Mind To, master storyteller Liz Strauss hooks us into an adventure of remembering that we decide our future. We discover that by deciding the stories we believe about ourselves we decide our lives. Strauss offers a fresh energy and approach, bringing something new to the topic and keeping us engaged. Along the way, she offers snippets of insight and wisdom on the human condition that take us beyond the theme, helping us find “our own normal,” and making the experience memorable worth returning to again and again.

Alice, a quirky, intelligent, and outright funny book editor, who is on quest because her job isn’t working for her and she has “edited out” the rest of her life. She’s seeking out a new purpose by going “running” through her mind, revisiting stories she believes about herself to get her back to a life she wants to live. While running through her mind, she meets two strangers — a guy and his dog — who already seem to know exactly who she is. Who are they? How did they get in her mind? They join Alice’s quest, asking questions, lending support and compassion. Will these two, seemingly invented, characters give her the clarity she needs to find her way or send her on a trip through Wonderland? And where does the Lone Ranger fit in all of this?

What People Are Saying . . .

Anything You Put Your Mind To will benefit anyone who wants to tell themselves better stories; that is, anyone who wants to change their life. Knowing which of our narratives to discard, which to alter, which to champion—this is the road to so much of what we call prosperity. This book is rich with the hard-won wisdom of one who has walked this road, and returned to tell the tale. Start reading. Now.
— AJ Leon, Founder of Misfit and author of The Life and Times of a Remarkable Misfit
Liz Strauss shares stories that illuminate who she is and at the same time will help you understand who you can become. This book will twist, bend, and batter your reality and that’s a good thing. All of us need to make great leaps in our mind, and yours will start when you read the first chapter.
— Tim Sanders, Author of Love Is the Killer App: How To Win Business and Influence Friends
There is no one like Liz Strauss. Liz is living insight, jumping over boundaries. Conversations with Liz are legendary for dizzying changes in perspective, unexpected connections, and bright ideas. This book is like a conversation with Liz, only portable. And more intense.
— Becky McCray, Entrepreneur and author of Small Town Rules
Liz Strauss is a world-renowned storyteller, so it is only fitting that she would use stories as both the framework and roadmap to help you to achieve success and everything that you want out of life. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a busy professional, or someone who’s just asking, “what’s next,” Liz’s unique, humorous, and insightful parable provides the perfect inspiration.
— Carol Roth, Billion-dollar dealmaker, Judge on TBS’s America’s Greatest Makers, and author of the New York Times bestseller The Entrepreneur Equation

Your Business Can’t Afford a Tax Disaster

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Behind On Your BillsDo you ever stop to think about how many hours you truly put into running your business? In the event you do, the numbers could possibly be mind-blowing.

As most business owners, overseeing a business oftentimes means working more than the typical 9 to 5 routine. In fact, it can mean long hours and the feeling at times like you will never quite get ahead.

Now, imagine what your business life would be like if you throw a tax problem into the mix. Think it can’t happen to you?

For too many business owners, issues with the Internal Revenue Service can prove both financially and mentally taxing.

That said how will you make sure that your business avoids disaster when it comes to your taxes?

Tax Attorney Can Mean All the Difference

For those business owners running into taxing issues, it is crucial that they try and not go it alone.

When hiring the right tax attorney to stand up and fight for you, you improve your odds of having any potential financial losses go against you and your company.

So, how do you go about hiring the best tax attorney out there?

Remember, you need someone skilled enough to know the various tax codes, rules, and regulations on the book.

You also require someone willing to take your case because they want to assist you; simply not get a payment due to your misfortunes.

When it comes to finding the best and brightest tax attorneys out there, be it MCC4Tax or another such business, keep these tips in mind:

  • Selection process – The key is always to weed out those tax attorneys best not suited to meet your needs. How much experience do they have? Are they experts at predicting what the government will try and prove when going after business owners? In such efforts, can they shoot down any arguments by the other side, allowing their clients (possibly you) to come out a winner? Do they come highly recommended from other business owners (see more below), owners that relied on their legal expertise to win their cases? Those are but a few of the questions you should expect to have answers for before you choose your legal representation;
  • Client testimonials – As a business owner yourself, do you at times rely on client testimonials to enhance your business reputation? If the answer is yes, then apply that same line of thinking in searching for a tax attorney. He or she should be someone who comes highly recommended by others. If you view and/or listen to client testimonials, make sure you clearly hear what others are saying about your prospective tax attorney. What sets him or her apart from the others in this profession? While you likely will have to pay a little more for better legal representation, it may be the best spent money you will discover over time;
  • After the selection is made – Once you have your tax attorney working for you, make sure he or she is totally up to speed on your case. You may have made a simple error on your taxes, an error that can be easily corrected. On the other hand, a more notable mistake or mistakes can involve much more work by your attorney. Be sure to provide them with all pertinent details about your business, your tax filings etc. The ultimate goal is to have any and all charges during an audit reversed to go in your favor. If they are not changed, your business can take a hit on several fronts. First, the financial hit alone can prove quite damaging. Secondly, word oftentimes spreads quickly in the business community. Consumers hearing about your “questionable” business practices may be deterred from wanting to do business with you the next time around or even the first time around.

Knowing your business simply can’t afford a tax disaster, it is important that you carefully select your tax attorney.

Remember, he or she will try their best to save you a financial headache, a headache that can have implications beyond just finances.

When you are in need of a tax attorney, vet them properly, choosing the one best suited to get you a victory at the end of the day.

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.

#GetMomentum – Interview with Jason and Jodi Womack

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Everyone has felt it at some point in their lives. You have the desire, but can’t seem to start moving in the right direction. Maybe you haven’t even figured out what the right direction is, yet.

With Get Momentum, the new book from Jason and Jodi Womack, you’ll be able to work through a series of exercises and guided thought processes and come out the other side with a clear set of actions. I enjoyed having a paper copy of the book, so I could write in the margins and create my own roadmap along with the activities provided. There’s also a wealth of additional information on the GetMomentum.com website.

Jason and Jodi were gracious enough to answer some of my questions.

What inspired you to write your new book Get Momentum: How To Start When You’re Stuck?

We’ve been working together for more than 20 years, and over the past 9 years we’ve served as leadership and executive coaches helping busy professionals improve their productivity – and their lives. We wrote this book to share the secrets to success that we know will help people achieve more, work smarter, and be happier.

 

What are the key themes of the book?

When you know what you want to be known for, it’s easier to decide what to do and what not to do. As you read through each of the 5 stages of momentum that we describe, you will begin to understand the approach you can take to Get Momentum on projects you want to start or changes you want to make.

There are 5 distinct stages you’ll pass through; they are:

  1. Motivation: Here, you decide what you want to be known for so that you can more easily decide what to take on and what to let go of.
  2. Mentors: At this stage, you identify the people you can learn from, the ones willing to help you by sharing what they have learned (often, the hard way) so you don’t make so many mistakes.
  3. Milestones: By choosing 3 subprojects (milestones) you can complete over the next 90 days, you are spreading the work out. Even a project that will take you a year or more NEEDS to be divided into chunks that you can work on.
  4. Monitor: At the end of the day, you must reflect on success. You have to look back and recognize that you “moved the mission forward”. Identify what you want to watch for, what you’ll want to have completed, and celebrate what you accomplish.
  5. Modify: Along the way, you’ll make small changes, consistently, that act as guard rails that pull you back on track as you continue moving toward the goals you’ve set. As you become what you want to be known for, you’ll be ready to take on new goals.

What is the most important thing you want readers to learn from the book?

Ask for help. So much time is lost and so much hardship is endured because we wait too long before we ask for the assistance we COULD have used to achieve success. Once you know what you want to be known for, and as you surround yourself by people willing to help you, it’s easier and easier to make progress on those subprojects you’ve set for yourself.

 

Why do you think it’s so hard for people to get and keep momentum?

Many leaders subconsciously believe that they should already know everything there is to know about how to work, manage teams and projects, and make progress on their goals. When people lose momentum it is usually because they’re comparing themselves to someone who has it different than they do. There’s only one person to compare yourself to, and that is you!

Reflect back on what you DID get done today and think about what you can do tomorrow. Create a plan, ask for the help you need, and honor the process as you move from where you are to where you want to be.

 

How did the two of you meet?

We met in the front row of a history class at the University of California. Jodi asked Jason if she could borrow his notes. He said, “No”, and that was the beginning of what has become a beautiful relationship.

After spending time as school friends, the “No” turned into many “Yeses” and 23 years later we are still sharing our notes and editing each other’s writing. We’ve grown up together as we worked in our local, small town high school where Jason taught history and Jodi worked in the Counseling office. We moved on to found our own consulting firm, The Womack Company. We help busy professionals be more productive through coaching, consulting, our Get Momentum Leadership Academy, and now the book… Get Momentum: How To Start When You’re Stuck (Wiley, May 2016).

 

What is your favorite thing to do together?

Our version of nothing… That’s going for a hike in the hills of Ojai, California or Costa Rica… a long road trip, singing (badly!) to the 80’s tunes we both grew up with…dreaming of the next article or book we could write that would help the people we love working with and serving all over the world. Basically, we love doing life together!

 

How do you balance being partners in both work and in life? How does that play out in a practical way for each of you?

We are different. Sure, some days it’s tough because we both can see the very same problem from two different perspectives, or with one perspective we see two very different problems. However, what our Get Momentum Leadership Academy members tell us is that the “she said / he said” approach is a healthy way to recognize the many ways they can address the projects they are working on and the problems they are solving. In a practical way, we work very well together when we recognize the strengths each of bring to the work we do.

 

What was it like writing your first book together?

Oh, it was easy! Jason wrote the book. Jodi deleted it! Seriously, we played to our strengths. Jason is prolific. He can write hundreds and even thousands of words in a sitting. Jodi can read through all that “raw material” and choose the best lines and paragraphs that are going to help readers Get Momentum!

 

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

 

I was given a free copy of this book for review purposes. Opinions expressed are my own. ~Rosemary

Nurturing Business Relationships: Interview with Tej Kohli

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Business relationship building is art, one you cannot really do without if you are interested in career building, building an effective team, managing your brand, and discovering new growth opportunities for your business.

Blogging is all about relation building too: In fact, it’s more about being social than about creating content, so mastering digital business relationship building is the key to blogging success.

Tej KohliI was lucky enough to catch up with one of the best-known global entrepreneurs Tej Kohli, Chairman of Kohli Ventures, and ask him a few questions about relationship building. I have also added my own tips on how to apply this advice to blogging and the digital world:

Why are good relationships important in business?

Without a good relationship between trading partners, the business will not prosper.

Just like a strong  marriage , integrity and expectations of the other party in business are key to a successful and long lasting relationship.

How to develop business relationships? What are the basic principles?

In business, it is important to build up a relationship over time and not  jumping straight into the deep end.

Basic principles are to agree on each others expectations and a code of conduct and communication between the parties. Be clear on the financial terms between the parties from the very start, to avoid confusion later.

This is very important in the digital world too: Relationship building should not be measured in numbers and months. It’s a long-term process where, obviously, the rich gets richer. It’s hard to start but it’s well worth it!

How and why to develop global business relationships?

Any start up businesses always has the potential to grow globally whatever the product. If it is run with financial discipline, entrepreneurial flair and vision and a strong work ethic is how to make it globally.

Global growth can give the business a stronger back bone in terms of negotiation power.

Should the team be involved in developing off-company business relationships. If so, how?

For sure, as these relationships lead to creating new business contacts.

The best way of building a strong business is through referrals coming from satisfied customers and partnerships.

There’s has been a lot of debate about intra-company social media policies and I am always saying: If you want your employees or team members to be your company ambassadors, allow them to be on social media!

How can Internet technologies improve business relationships?

With dematrialisation, demorcitaisation and digitilisation we are now able to reach the masses with a click of a button.

Social media, business reputation profiling and marketing with a targeted approach to selected audiences, can all be done through the Internet – it saves time, money and manpower.

We live in the exciting times: We can build global business and international partnerships and events from home. Not leveraging those opportunities means missing out! I want to thank Mr Kohli for setting such a great role model for us all. I hope you are inspired!

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How to buy technology without going crazy

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Q: How many technology vendors does it take to screw in a lightbulb?

A: Depends, what’s your budget?

Technology buyers have changed, and so has the buying process. According to recent research, if you’re a baby boomer, you’re likely to rely heavily on industry analysts for advice in the early stages of the decision. If you’re a Gen X decision-maker who’s about to pull the trigger, you prefer live or in-person demos.

But you may not even realize the generational or experiential biases you are bringing to your purchase decision. You’ve probably formed habits that may or may not be helping you make an effective technology choice.

And you have a LOT of choices. Not to freak you out, but this graphic is just for marketing technology.

ChiefMarTec Technology Landscape 2016

 

Become a better technology buyer

Over the last 20 years, I have talked with hundreds of technology buyers in various stages of the decision process.

One scenario that comes up often is the disconnect between the person who will ultimately use the technology and the person who is procuring it. The most effective organizations put those two people (or teams) in the same room and lock the door, not letting them out until they understand thoroughly what will be purchased.

Another frequent issue is “champagne dreams on a beer budget.” If you’re a buyer on a strict budget, assume that you’re going to need to triage the feature set you’re getting. Figure out what’s a must-have and what’s a nice-to-have, so you can live without paying for expensive customizations.

Don’t start Googling technology vendors until you know your business goals, your budget, and your timeline.

 

How to buy technology efficiently

  1. Start at the beginning. What business challenge are you trying to solve, what business goal are you looking to achieve? How is your own success measured? If you have answers to those questions, it will be pretty obvious whether a particular technology can help you or not.
  2. Nail down your budget and resources. If you don’t have either of those things, you shouldn’t waste time getting software demos. (Dude, that’s boring anyway.) Knowing how much you can spend, over what period of time, will help you know if you should visit the Ferrari dealership or look at the used cars on Craigs List.
  3. Let the mission drive your feature set, not the other way around. Design mockups and super-detailed feature requirements are fun to brainstorm, but don’t let them drive the whole process. You may discover new ways of achieving your goals if you allow the technology vendor to share their expertise. They are probably talking to others in your niche all day long, trying to solve the same problems, and they may have a fresh take on things. There may be features you didn’t even dream up. If you need to provide a pixel-detailed mockup, expect to make a significant investment.
  4. Know the process. For larger technology purchases, you may need to have legal resources to review the agreement you’ll be signing (particularly if it’s software-as-a-service, where you’re accessing a platform from your browser). Make sure that you have buy-in and participation from anyone on your team who needs to sign off on the purchase.
  5. Establish a timeline. When do you want to start actually using the technology? Will it be available? Do you need training before it’s released into the wild?

It’s easy to see technology vendors as adversaries in the sales process…after all, they want your money, right? However, the good vendors also want to build a strong partnership with you so that you can work together over the long haul. Look for sales teams who treat the purchasing process as a partnership and give you sound advice along the way. That’s probably a good clue as to how you’ll be treated as a customer, too.

What are your lessons-learned for buying technology?

 

Author’s Bio: Rosemary O’Neill is an insightful spirit who works for Social Strata — makers of the Hoop.la community platform. Check out the Social Strata blog. You can find Rosemary on Google+ and on Twitter as @rhogroupee

Make Your Case of Being Innocent

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Take Action direction sign with sky backgroundHaving an allegation levied against you can mean a number of different things.

For the business owner, he or she can see their business dealings take a significant hit when someone has accused them of a serious crime.

One such crime is sexual assault.

Even when the allegations prove false, a man (sometimes the same charge could be tied to a woman) and his business can take years or maybe never to recover from the suspicions.

Was he really guilty and just got away with it? Could he be brought up on a similar charge down the road?

If you’ve been charged with such a serious crime, how will you go about making your case that you are truly innocent?

Stating the Facts to Clear Your Name

When a charge as serious as sexual assault is thrown at an individual, he must do all possible to fight it, especially if he runs a business and risks losing a solid business reputation in the process.

For starters, trying to clear your name begins with providing as much evidence as possible to what the prosecution is alleging.

If you can prove without a shadow of a doubt you were not where the alleged victim claims you were, use any and all evidence (witness statements, video surveillance, receipts from a business etc.).

The goal as in any case of this magnitude is to plant seeds of doubt on the story the prosecution is putting forth. If you can do that, there may not be enough evidence for your case to even go to trial.

The Business of Staying in Business

While your personal reputation is undoubtedly on the line, business owners charged with such crimes must also think about their brands, along with how the public relations fallout from such charges could hurt their companies.

The first thing you want to do is be as sure as possible that your brand remains viable and does not suffer in the public eye.

While competitors should always take the high ground in such cases, you might find one or more that will try and exploit your situation, seeking to take some sales away from you.

For those business owners who do not have a public relations firm either representing them or an in-house team or person dedicated to the company’s PR, it is imperative that the business be presented in the best possible light.

Secondly, assure customers that the business will continue functioning normally, even if you are away from running things for the time being. Nervous customers are never a good matter for a business, so do your best to promise them that things will be alright, with the brand continuing to operate as it has before.

Another area of concern is how your employees will take the news of such charges.

Given how serious allegations of sexual assault are, you may have some workers with questions, concerns etc. Those concerns and questions can be about you personally, but also how this matter may or may not impact their jobs with your business.

Whether you do it in-person or have your second in command speak to them, do your best to assure all of the staff that this matter will be resolved, along with the fact that no one is being let go at this time. While that could change down the road depending on whether or not there is a guilty plea or verdict, your staff wants to know now how the case could have a positive or negative impact on their professional lives.

Lastly, never paint the alleged victim in a bad light.

Even if you are 100 percent innocent (hopefully this is the case), sexual assault in and of itself is a serious charge to throw at someone.

It is important that the victim or victims are not shamed or verbally abused by you or anyone representing you, including your employees.

Take the high road as much as possible, all the while still vigorously defending yourself and proclaiming your innocence.

Avoiding a sexual assault charge can be done, especially when you demonstrate that you are innocent and have nothing to hide.

When all is said and done, will you make your case of being innocent?

Photo credit: BigStockPhoto.com

About the Author: Dave Thomas covers business topics on the web.