Archive for January, 2012
Upping Your Game
Jan 12th
In Chapter 11 of my book, I talk about how important it is to Make Improvements – Before and After.
Remember to never stop assessing, enhancing, and learning all you can about your creations. My grandfather used to say, “You learn, and you learn, and you learn, and then you die…and when you stop learning, you die.
My friend Mitch Modell of Modell’s Sporting Goods is a great example of a businessman who never stops learning and improving. He oversees the nation’s oldest family-owned and operated retailer of sports goods, sports apparel and athletic footwear, a near 150 store chain.
Even after he recently spent a fortune revamping his flagship store in Times Square, Manhattan, New York, he asked me what changes I would make. Putting his ego aside, he not only listened to my recommendations but immediately implemented them. He has been rewarded with a major improvement in sales.
View the Stores article about the improvements to Modell Sporting Goods and also a letter from Mitch Modell about the results.
Importance of Entrepreneurial Philanthropy and the Health Benefits
Jan 4th
I wish everyone Health, Wealth, and Happiness in 2012.
Recently, I was honored to be a part of Dr. Bob Goldman’s 19th Annual World Congress on Anti-Aging and Aesthetic Medicine on December 10 in Las Vegas at the Venetian and Palazzo Resorts as a keynote speaker on Innovation. Dr. Bob has been a childhood friend since we were 9 years old and I am proud of his A4M’s conference with leading anti-aging experts where you learn about cutting edge technology and discover new products and services. The attendees included physicians, medical professionals, scientists, educators, journalists and investors from all over the country and the world.
There was so much to learn from the A4M conferences about a healthy mind and body. I was touched by the genuine caring and giving of all the attendees about the health and welfare of others.
Bob Hope said, “If you haven’t got any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble.”
I read a book by Peter McWilliams who wrote, “You Can’t Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought”. According to him, doing good for others enhances the immune system, lowers cholesterol, strengthens the heart, decreases chest pains and reduces stress. A study at Harvard showed that even thinking about doing service produced positive psychological results.
The joy of giving your time, service or money to others is more than a noble calling, it is a pleasurable one. It is uplifting, a high without the need for drugs or alcohol. Kindness can become its own motive. We are made kind by being kind.
In 2012, as all of us strive to meet our goals, please remember the old adage: “You can’t help someone uphill without getting closer to the top yourself.”
