Most of my working career has been spent working in small businesses, either as an employee or as an owner.  The education that I received in the “on the job training” has played a very crucial part in shaping the person that I am today.

The definition of “small business” may vary depending on who you ask.  Whether the business has 5 employees or 50, there are some very valuable lessons that one can take away while working there.  Here are 5 reasons why everyone should work for a small business at some point in their career.

1. Close to top of the ladder.
This may be an obvious one, while at the same time may not seem important.  Most of us don’t get a job hoping to stay at that same level forever.

The smaller the company that you work for, the closer to the top of the ladder you will be from day 1.  This means that it will be much more likely that your hard work and great ideas will be noticed by the real decision makers of the company.

There is less competition to stand out and this could set you up for future advancement and responsibilities.  At the very least, having your ideas heard and also acted upon will build your confidence.

2. Self Discipline.
A smaller company my not have as strict rules or procedures.  This usually comes with a certain amount of flexibility in either hours worked or the amount of work completed.

The flexibility is a perk that must not be taken advantage of.  It takes real discipline to do what’s right for the company when you are responsible for your own time. Continue reading →

Photo: Flickr/ Paxson Woelber

A couple of years ago, I decided that it was time to quit my own company and start a new chapter in my life.  I was burned out from working long stress filled hours, meeting deadlines and putting out fires.
I quit without an exact direction in mind.  All I knew is that I wanted to explore the world of podcasting and online business.
Over the last two years, I ran into a lot of obstacles.  Most of which deal with mental barriers due to shifting my mindset.  Here are 7 of the lessons that I have learned while designing a life outside of the “normal” path.

1. Who you spend your time with is important.
This may be the hardest lesson learned.  I found that certain people in my life only brought me feelings of negativity and doubt.  This was only apparent after a ton of analyzing all of the relationships in my life.

The most difficult part of spotting those negative influencing relationships is the fact that in a lot of cases, the person in question actually means well.

Some people my be jealous of you making an effort to change your life, but others (such as family members) may only be looking to steer you towards the safer path of what they see as the “normal” path.  They may be coming from a good place, but the seeds of negativity and doubt are still going to get into your head.

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with”  -Jim Rohn

I found that I had to be very conscience of who I spend my time with.  It isn’t just about avoiding negative people.  The real wins come from seeking out amazing people to surround yourself with.

If you spend all of your time with millionaires, then you will be more likely to end up being one yourself.  This may be the extreme example, but try replacing the analogy of money with any other trait that you wish to see in yourself.  You will see the same results.

2. What you read and listen to affects your success.
What do you do when you aren’t connected to the type of people that you wish to surround yourself with?

Start by getting rid of those negative people, and then fill your brain with positive and informative influences through books, audiobooks, podcasts, blogs, etc…

I challenge you to stop paying attention to all of the negative news stories and Facebook click bait articles.

Spend that same energy investing in bettering yourself by reading/listening to something on personal development or on a subject that you are passionate about.

3. Give yourself permission to take a different path.
This one held me back for a while, and I still struggle with it from time to time. Continue reading →

I have had the misfortune of most things working out for me.

Sounds like contradictory doesn’t it?  Well, let me explain.

Things don’t always come easy to me.  In fact, sometimes it seems I do everything the hard way.

Even though most days I’m a train wreck, things have a way of always working out.

I have learned that the universe, for what ever reason, always falls into place just enough to give me anything that I set out to get.

This has worked well in the normal life that I am used to.  Coming from a modest background, even the smallest goals seem like big accomplishments.

A year and a half ago I decided that I wanted to create a new life outside of the “normal” path of my world.

I am tired of the big fish in a little pond type of feel in my life.

Now a year and a half later, I am still spinning my wheels showing no progress.

Facing defeat, I have to ask myself why I am not making progress.

It comes down to one main reason, and this was a hard truth for me to learn.

I have heard of fearing failure.   For a time, I even thought this was my problem.

The only thing is Continue reading →

Here’s to those of you who grew up on eating fried bologna sandwiches.

Whether you know it or not, you are blessed with an amazing ability because of it.

Photo courtesy of Flicker and Joel Kramer

Growing up, Papaw Foy (married to my granny), would occasionally have to re-stock his bologna supply.  Apparently he loved fried bologna sandwiches or something.

When he would go to the meat store… or wherever you buy giant logs of pressed together entrails, he would Continue reading →