books

books

10 Books Every Entrepreneur Should Read

Published by Kenneth

When I went to college I hated to read. In fact, I always challenged myself to read as little as possible and still get good grades; thankfully it worked! When my wife and I got into our Network Marketing business, our mentor suggested that we get on a recommended reading program. My initial response was that I didn’t like to read, to which he responded, “You need to change your thought process in order to be successful.” Well, since I wanted to be successful and live how I saw my mentors living, I humbled myself and began the reading program. I have listed 10 books that have greatly impacted my life and feel that every entrepreneur should read. In fact, these books will benefit anyone who wants to be more, do more, and make a positive impact beyond just making money. Don’t get me wrong, if you follow the principles in each of these books, the money will come! All of the books will help anyone including the new graduate, seasoned CEO, and everyone else in between. 

1. The Magic of Thinking Big, David J Schwartz, PhD

In this book, Dr. Schwartz advises us to set our goals high and have a positive thought pattern in order to achieve them. His book is basically a step-by-step guide on how to achieve what you want by changing your thought patterns and thought habits. I learned in one chapter why people fail and why people succeed! 

2. Think & Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill

What can I say? This is a classic! A compilation of Napoleon’s diligent research on some of the most successful individuals in the 1930’s who achieved great financial wealth. He breaks down common characteristics and thought processes that all of the individuals had.

3. Bringing Out the Best in People, Alan Loy McGinnis

In his book, Alan breaks down 12 rules that a leader should follow to motivate team members around him. In addition, it also teaches the reader how to lead and bring out the best in others, hence the title!

4. The Master Key to Riches, Napoleon Hill

Another classic! Napoleon provides a blueprint of a success formula for anyone desiring great success and wealth.

5. How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie

This book is full of golden nuggets. Among them, the reader will learn how to: make friends easily, increase their earning power, make them a better salesman, avoid conflicts and arguments, get them out of mental ruts, and much, much more!

6. How I Raised Myself From Failure to Success in Selling, Frank Bettger

Frank breaks down his personal success methods and principles that helped him become a leading salesman. Ironically, this book is not all about selling. You will have to read it to find out!

7. The Slight Edge, Jeff Olson

I really enjoyed this book. Jeff explains to the reader how the difference between winning and losing, success and no success is a very slight edge. His simple explanation, that it is just as easy to do the things that you should do in order to succeed as it is not to, really impacted me. I think it will impact you as well.

8. The Greatest Miracle in the World, Og Mandino

Written in story form about a publisher who befriends a wise old man and, as a result of their mysterious relationship, receives from him his laws for finding happiness and success.

9. Go For No!, Richard Fenton & Andrea Waltz

A fictional story where a salesman learns how to break through the single most common barrier to all success! A very simple and entertaining read that will have you excited to hear NO!

10. Hung By the Tongue, Francis P. Martin

This small book packs a lot of punch. What I learned in this book is how powerful my words and thoughts are. That what I say is exactly what I get! This book literally helped me change the way that I speak.

In my opinion, these are must read books for anyone who wants to impact others, be successful both financally and in life, become a leader, or just improve themselves overall. Please comment on how these books have impacted you if you have read them or when you finish.

To your success!

Ken Cloutier

wealth

5 things wealthy people do that most others do not

Published by Kenneth

In the world, 2% of the population makes an enormous amount of money. In addition to the 2%, there is also a large percentage of the population that is very wealthy and, in many cases, financially independent. In this article I will reveal some of the things that separate the 2%’s from the rest of the population and how they are able to enjoy the kind of lifestyle and success that most people only wish they could live. My wife and I have been blessed to learn these principles from some of our own mentors who have used them to develop great wealth and lifestyle and I am excited to pass them on to you.

Here are the 5 things…

1. They educate themselves: The 2%’s continue to learn and work on their craft. The education that I am referring to is not going to a college campus to learn from a professor that has never done what they are teaching, but instead reading success self-help books and learning from other successful individuals through association. They learn how to work with people and develop great people skills. Many successful people will point to the fact that they learned how to lead people from books, audios, and seminars. They understand that they must continue to grow and learn. After all, you are either growing or dying; but never stagnant. Continued education is a key for these people.

2. They take risks: They are willing to take chances even when others think that their ideas or dreams are crazy. They observe the masses and do the opposite. 2%’s understand that in order to achieve great things, they have to be willing to go against the grain and not simply follow everybody else because it is the safe and popular thing to do. They move from failure to failure in order to help realize their goals and dreams; never quitting. They know that with each failure they will learn something that they needed to in order to move on towards their ultimate destination of success. These individuals literally fail their way to success!

3. They have clear and defined goals: If you don’t have a goal written down, you are like a rudderless ship being tossed about by the waves of the ocean. These folks know where they want to go and have a clear and concise way to get there. Once they have their goals written down, they then come up with a game plan and execute it.

4. They take action: Probably one of the most telling things that the 2%’s do is take action. This is vital as nothing is ever accomplished without taking action. You can have the best people skills, read thousands of books, have goals written down, but if you don’t take action nothing will happen. These people do not wait for everything to be perfect before they take action because there is never a perfect time to do anything. They boldly step out on faith and begin the journey. That is when things start to happen.

5. They believe in themselves: 2%’s believe in themselves and have a great, positive attitude. They see themselves having already accomplished their goals and visions before they actually do! They know that the only thing that can stop them from achieving is themselves. These individuals understand that they are far from perfect and they focus instead on their strengths and skills rather than just on their weaknesses. Because they believe in themselves so much, it is only a matter of time before they succeed!

If you begin to utilize some of these principles, you too can join the 2%’s or live the life that you desire.

To learn more about the business team that my wife and I are being mentored by click here to see how you can join a winning team and we will be in contact with you!

To Your Success,

Ken Cloutier

 

photocredit

 

Ditch Digger or Multi-Millionaire…What’s the Difference?

Published by Kenneth

“The difference between a ditch digger and a multi-millionaire is the way that they think.” That is what several of my mentors have taught me since I was 23 years old! They always say that success is an attitude, not a destination.

So what is your thought process? Do you have a thought process for your success? Changing your thought process for success is not easy but it is possible with the right effort and dedication. Most of our thought process has been directed to think mediocre and average. We get our thought processes from family, school, co-workers, bosses, and friends. If you are looking to step out of mediocrity and into success, it will take changing your thought process to make that happen.

How do you change your thought process? For starters, it helps to associate with other successful individuals so that you can learn what they know and understand what they think so you too can adapt their thought process. Another way to change your success thinking is to invest in yourself through books and audios where you can learn from multi-millionaires while you are driving your car to work, etc.

When you start thinking differently and your thinking is geared toward success, you will take action toward your goals and not waste time. For example, if you know that you need to make some calls or meet people to expand your business prospecting, you will want to take those actions instead of wasting time doing things that don’t matter and procrastinate. It is simply a matter of discipline; doing what you know you should do even if you don’t feel like doing it.

Are you ready to climb out of the ditch or rut of your day to day corporate life? Do you want to learn how you can actually make money from home and be able to pay your bills, travel, and have plenty of money and peace of mind? If this sounds like you, then click here to find out how you can begin to take charge of your life NOW!

To your great thought process!

Ken Cloutier

 

 

photocredit

Look good and feel confident

How to Have the Self-Image of a Rockstar

Published by Kenneth

Self-Image is the single most important aspect of our lives. The best analogy for this is that our Self-Image is like our central nervous system to our body. It controls everything about us. To know the importance of this is critical because your business, career, relationships, and anything else in your life will never outgrow your Self-Image!  I am going to outline 12 different points on how you can have the Self-Image of a Rockstar!

1. Appearance: When you look good, you feel good! Put on that sharp shirt with dress pants and look in the mirror and you feel like a million bucks don’t you? We have all done that before. When you feel good about how you look, your Self-Image will go up and you will walk and talk with greater confidence.

This can also translate over to your vehicle or home. Keeping a dirty car where you have old french fries from two months ago or a messy house is a very good indicator on how you perceive yourself. Don’t you get a great feeling when you get into your clean car regardless of  how old it is or walk into your clean fresh smelling house? Clean up and feel good!

2. Posture: You can increase your Self-Image simply by how you carry yourself. Walk with your chest out and your chin up; like you own the room. Sit upright and uncross your arms. These are all ways in which you can not only raise your Self-Image, but also show others and attract people to you because you have that air of confidence. Study the way successful people you know carry themselves. When was the last time you saw a successful person walking with their shoulders slumped and looking down at their shoes? They all have a posture about them; usually a brisk walk like they are going somewhere- which they are!

Another key aspect of posture is looking people in their eyes. I don’t mean the type of stare where you don’t blink, but looking at people in the eyes when you are talking to them or listening. It amazes me how many people that do not look me in the eyes when I speak with them. Instantly I know that they have a bit of a Self-Image issue.

Speak with confidence. Doesn’t it drive you nuts when you are trying to converse with somebody who has no confidence and they are speaking with little more than a slight mumble? You have to keep asking them to re-state what they just said until you get so sick of it you start nodding your head as if you actually are hearing them. Speak loud and bold so that others can hear you. You may ask “What if I say something wrong?” Who cares!! At least you said it with confidence!

3. Be on time: Nothing shows more disrespect for somebody’s time than showing up late. It also has a negative impact on your Self-Image. It may not seem like a big deal, but you know the feeling that I am talking about; you arrive at a meeting late and open the door and all of the heads turn to you and you reply- “I’m sorry that I am late.” Your Self-Image just took a hit. Be accountable. Leave for your appointment a few minutes early and arrive 5-10 minutes before- even family events. By your actions you are saying “I feel good about myself and care about our appointment.”

4. Manage your money well: This can be tied back into #3 about being accountable. Make sure you are aware of your money and paying your bills, etc. on time. When all of your bills are paid for and you are accountable, you will feel better about yourself. I can remember getting call after call from bill collectors about money that I owed. Needless to say when I got off the phone I didn’t exactly feel good. I felt lower than a pregnant ant! If you have made a commitment to pay for something or give money to someone for an event or tickets, etc- pay them. Guilt will lower your Self-Image.

5. Do what you are supposed to do consistently: We all have responsibilities in our lives and are being pulled in a thousand different directions from our family to careers to friends. Many times we do not want to do what we know we should or have to do. Resisting the temptation to put these things off and doing them even when we don’t feel like it will enhance your Self-Image. Have you started a work out regimen or gone on a diet recently? The first couple of weeks when you work out you feel tired and sore; not really the combination that screams to go to the gym! After a couple of weeks of consistently going to the gym, you actually change your perspective on working out. You feel as though you can’t go a day without working out! The same is true with dieting or cutting out sugar. The first few days/weeks are miserable but then you get to the point where you don’t even crave or want sugar. If you don’t do the things you should do or are not overcoming obstacles, your Self-Image will go backward. Remember, Success = Right Habits!

6. Progressive Goals: Another way to increase your Self-Image is to have progressive goals. These are goals that you increase every month. For example, if you are in sales your progressive goals may be to increase your monthly sales by X%. It may be that you are able to run for 2 miles before you get tired and your goal for next month would be to run 4 miles. These continual goals helps you to move forward and develop the habit of winning which will raise your Self-Image!

7. Pay the full price not the minimum price: Paying a price and overcoming obstacles will raise your Self-Image. Going through struggles will help you to see what you are made of. Too many people look to take the short cut or the paved road of simplicity only to find out that the reward was little to nothing. See how productive you can be- test yourself and you will be surprised how far you can go. Keep in mind that your reward is directly proportioned to the price you pay. The bigger the price, the bigger the reward. Increase your price and you will increase your Self-Image!

8. Don’t speak negative about yourself: Do you cringe like me whenever you hear someone say I can’t do this or I’m not good at that? I hate it! Never speak negative about yourself. Our brains are the greatest computer ever created. It can formulate ideas and solve problems in fractions of a second. However, it is easily programmed to listen to and accept any negative things we say about ourself. Our brain can not decipher whether or not you mean what you say but it takes everything we say to it literally. When you say things like “I am not good with people” or “I can’t remember names” you are programming yourself to do just that. It is just as easy to say that you are good with people or you are good at remembering names. Take the lid off of your capabilities and believe in yourself; this will raise your Self-Image. Speak positive about yourself and your brain will have nothing else to do but have you feeling good about you.

9. Spend time with people that have better Self-Images than you: Get around other individuals who have a high Self-Image. It may be a little bit intimidating at first, but the results will be well worth it. By getting around confident people, you can study how they dress, walk, speak, carry themselves, hear what they talk about, and most importantly, see what they don’t talk about. If you model people with a higher Self-Image than you, your Self-Image will go up as you start adopting their habits and attitudes.

10. Realize that action is the only thing that cures fear: Do what you fear a lot and you will get good at it. You may say that “I can’t talk in front of people.” Well for starters, refer back to topic #8, but how do you know you can’t unless you try it and work at it. Many people were raised to think that if it hurts or feels uncomfortable, stop doing it. My mentor has always said that pain is weakness leaving the body. If you start taking action on what you fear, your Self-Image will rise.Change is taking deliberate, proactive action outside of your comfort zone. Make the changes today and watch your Self-Image soar!

11.  Self-education: Self improvement education goes a long way to increasing and maintaining your Self-Image. I recommend reading positive books and listening to positive audios. Books change you from the inside out. It is like having a personal conversation with the author on how great you are and how you can improve yourself. Audios on the other hand, can help to program your thoughts and attitudes. Be careful what you allow into your mind. Lyrics to songs can be a hindrance to your Self-Image. The beat may be good, but if the song is speaking of negative things or when you sing along with the song, you are putting yourself down, your Self-Image will go down as well. Remember, your brain can not tell the difference- it only acts on the words that you tell it.

12. Build other people’s Self-Image: Build the Self-Image of others around your daily. Notice the little things about someone such as a nice shirt that they are wearing, or maybe they spoke up and made a good point in a meeting that you admired. Your Self-Image will go up when you look for positive qualities in others because you will work to look for the positive in yourself; it becomes a habit! When you serve others, your Self-Image goes up. So take your eyes off of yourself and put it on others.

It is with sincere hope that this article has helped you in some way. Whether you had a very low Self-Image before you read this post, or you were just trying to see how you can improve the good Self-Image you currently have, you must continue to work on yourself on a daily basis.

You may be overwhelmed and thinking how can I possibly do all 12 of these things to improve my Self-Image. My recommendation to you is to start with 1 or 2 topics at a time and work on them for several days until you feel that you have made progress. Then move on to another set. Your Self-Image did not form over night and therefore, will not change over night either. Take it a day at a time and bit by bit you will feel better about yourself.

I do not claim to be the Self-Image guru and, like everyone else, I battle and have to continually work on my Self-Image. When you understand and implement the tools and strategies that I have spelled out above, it is a battle you can be confident of winning!

Please share with me strategies and/or stories of how you have raised your Self-Image! I would love your feedback.

To your Success!

Kenneth Cloutier

The biggest investment ever- yourself

Published by Kenneth

Go to school, get good grades and then get a good job. That is what you have most likely heard all of your life. But is that the only way to invest in yourself-through school?

The answer is no. People invest in lots of different material things such as cars, homes, electronics, etc. However the average person does not invest in the most important thing; themselves.

There are several ways to invest in yourself: You can invest in time, books, audios, conferences, and other materials. Take for instance time and books. Does it really take a lot of time to turn off the television for a half hour and read a good book that will help you to communicate better with people enabling you to grow in your career or business?  Of course not. It is just a decision.

By simply reading for a half an hour per day, you will automatically put your self in the 20% versus the 80%. Most people don’t even read a book after they finish school let alone one that can help them.

Attend a conference on subjects that interest you or that you would like to improve on. Learn from proven leaders in your field and find out what you can do to duplicate their success.

If you want to get ahead in life, it will take effort and an investment in yourself. Make the decision to begin an investment portfolio on yourself. It will payoff more than you can imagine.

Here’s to your success!

Ken Cloutier

Photo Credit