Marines

Watching the Chicago White Sox win the World Series for the first time since 1917, I was struck again how wondrous this beautiful sport still can be. The purest American game, baseball teaches so many of the values we appreciate in all areas of life. Hard work, doing the little things, hustle, overcoming adversity and never quitting are lessons we learn playing Little League baseball. My firm specializes in small business development and boot strapping entrepreneurs. The virtues we see in every baseball game are directly applicable to success or failure for inventors and companies. The Chicago White Sox, and one player in particular, are wonderful endorsements for the baseball/success ethos. Scott...

Many sterling companies have attained great heights in the last 100 years, only to plateau, decline and disappear. Bethlehem Steel, American Motors, Montgomery Ward, PanAm, TWA, Faberge and Marshall Field are prime examples of famous companies that no longer exist after enjoying generations of success. There are hundreds of other examples. Why do organizations expire after gathering such power?  Currently the three American automobile giants are staring at an agonizing death by a thousand cuts. Ford, General Motors and Chrysler are case studies in how to lose direction and implode. They have not responded to changing market conditions, agreed to unrealistic and unfavorable labor and dealer...

"Bag check!" When you're waiting in the screening line at the airport, silently admonishing yourself for not giving yourself more time to get to the plane, those may be the worst words you can hear. Oh, it's a simple enough process on paper. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screener operating the X-ray equipment yells it, and as the line comes to a dead stop a supervisor comes over to look at the screen. If he or she agrees that there's a problem, the offending bag is pulled out to be opened and visually inspected, and the line resumes movement at the normal glacial pace. But wait. That's your bag. Don't panic. There's still... no, your watch is metal so it's in the bin. You have no...

The Navy selection process mainly comprises of five stages. The selection process in navy is very competitive and you should clear every stage to proceed to the next stage. However, clearing the selection process will not always guarantee an offer letter or employment as the selection board will analyze all the aspects of a candidate's application. To apply for a position within the Navy the candidates will ideally be over 18 years of age. If they are not, then consent of the parents is necessary and it will be asked for on the application form. The selection process begins with the submission of the application form and candidates should fill it and submit all the necessary documents as directed...

Jobs have declined significantly and the number of viable options you can consider in choosing a career was reduced. In this situation it is appropriate to find the ideal compromise between personal desires and pressure to recruit quickly up from the clear set of criteria. When it comes to career choice that fits the most important is that the multitude of criteria you can use to choose those that matter most. Further you will find three criteria that are universally relevant. 1) What the job entails in the real. There are many jobs with brilliant titles on the market. But what is hiding behind the name often not shining as much. Most young people do not really know what a particular job or field...

Communication is one of the most important qualities for success. To communicate is not simple. We think that to speak and to hear is communication. But it is much more than that. When you listen to somebody, ask yourself these questions - are you totally attentive to him/her? Are you attentive to the tone of voice? Are you keeping eye contact? Do you observe the body language? Are you giving responses in between so that the speaker knows that you rare listening? Are you getting the hidden meaning behind the communication? In brief, are you getting precisely what the other person is saying? What about your speech? What kind of tone do you adopt? What is the speed of your speech? Are you using the...

The human is a social creature and as such in the company he will establish working relationships (sympathy, antipathy or ignorance) with others. In any organization, over time, will form different groups of individuals, each of them with personality, temperament, education, psychology, the scale of values, behaviors and expectations that are different. In this context, communication between employees becomes necessary to establish an optimal number of relationships. In the case of poor communication may appear misunderstanding that ultimately will lead to conflicts. Many relationships are established between those employees who need to work together. To build teams within the organization...

As a female entrepreneur and retired United States Marine, I know what is needed to succeed in a man's world. Women business owners must stop thinking like a girl. Women are raised to be kind, giving, and modest. Women are pulled in a million directions and often put themselves last. These traits work well when you are a mother and you are attempting to raise children that will become model citizens. However, in the business world women must stop thinking like a girl and adopt a man's mindset. My ten tips will help you begin thinking like a man and start running a profitable business. 1. Make decisions based on facts not emotion. Stop feeling guilty. If a business you associate with or supplier is...

I recently had a conversation with several business owners on the purpose of a networking event. We all know that networking events have several purposes. But we came to the conclusion that many people attend networking events with the intent to snatch and grab free information from the other attendees. Now, don't get me wrong. We all love to share our expertise. But most people are at networking events with the high hopes they will meet prospective clients, people who can refer clients, or meet joint venture partners. We even go hoping to make new friends. We don't go to networking events to be accosted or raped of our intellectual property. If you are a snatch and grabber you are being rude; so...

You can ask ten different people what their definition of leadership is and you will probably get ten different answers. Leadership doesn't have a specific definition. By giving it a definition, you are putting restrictions and limitations on the word and the true value of leadership. Leadership is something that is complicated to explain and understand. It is formless; it doesn't take on a particular shape or form, nor does it go in one particular direction. A great leader can adjust to liany situation at any given time, under any circumstance, and still come out successful. Leadership is something that can't be measured or tested by science or technology. Leadership theories are based on an...

Have you noticed you are getting less emails today than you were a year ago? This is because business owners have begun using social networking to promote their business. However, they are forgetting that Social networking is about being social or they were never taught the correct way to use social networking for growing and promoting their business. One of the many tools I teach business owners to use correctly to promote their business for free is social networking. Facebook allows you to have a personal page, group and a fan page. Many business owners use the personal page for personal use and the fan page to promote their business by SPAMMING their fans. This is a very big NO NO. Facebook will...

As we begin a new year, it is time to refresh your business brand and present a new you to your target niche. Using my seven tips, you will present a new you to prospective customers and clients while increasing your credibility and developing your expertise. 1. Toss the t-shirts. This is the year you upgrade your business appearance for you and your employees. This is the year you toss the t-shirts and start wearing a polo shirt with your logo on it or adopt your industry uniform. T-shirts are cheap, comfortable and unstructured. As a business owner, you want to present a polished and professional appearance. Bakers and restaurant cooks may want to adopt the professional chef or bakers' appearance...

I was shocked to hear that the Saturday night, August 15th, preseason game between my local San Diego Chargers and the visiting Seattle Seahawks had become a victim of the National Football League's 'blackout policy'. It did not sell out is the given reason. There will be more to come from all indications due to the economic hard times we are in. The NFL cites its policy as providing better games for television with large crowds in attendance. Hogwash! The real reason is plain old greed. The NFL's object is to punish the home crowd if they do not show enough loyalty to buy all tickets to an NFL game, exhibition season or not! (The NFL has put out guidance that these games are to be referred to by...

class="googleright"> Let's look at a very simple strategy to understand. It’s quite difficult for most of us to accomplish; it's called compartmentalization. I think that it's safe to say that we all face tough times in today's financial market place. Personally and professionally, we are all faced with certain decisions that we simply just don’t want to deal with each and every day. So what do you do? I got nothing, right? Wrong! We have to act. We have to make something happen or the problem will never go away. So how do you do that? How do you deal with something that you can't do anything about? I bet that some of you out there right now reading this have faced certain depression...

26th January in India Dalip Singh Wasan, Advocate. It is on record that on 26th January, 1950 the people of India adopted the Constitution of India and declared themselves as a democracy and since then they have been electing the people to man their houses at the centre and at the states. That is the reason, the people of India are claiming that they are the largest democracy in the world. They are also great that they could maintain their democracy except some period when one of the Prime Ministers declared 'Emergency' and during that period the people got a break in democracy and they call this period as 'the blackest period' in Indian democracy. The people of India have spent six decades in...

Uniforms of the Singapore Police Force are a Dark blue (or more accurately Dacron blue), and have remained so continuously since 1969, although the first police uniforms introduced in 1856 were also in the same colour. The earliest law enforcement officers in the fledgling colony of Singapore wore no uniforms, until in 1856, when the Police Force Act was passed and vested full police powers upon the security forces then in existence, paving the way for uniforms to be introduced. The first uniforms were dark blue-coloured serge coats, trousers, cap and black shoes. White trousers are used for ceremonial parades and special duty. This proved unpopular as the thick material was deemed too uncomfortable...

Tuesday, Americans chose their next President with a convincing declaration that they were unhappy with the status quo and wanted dramatic change! They rejected experienced John McCain selecting an untested Barack Obama. There were seven reasons for this: Foremost was the 'Bush Factor'. However much he disavowed it, McCain was tagged as a Bush loyalist by the Democrats and could never quite disassociate himself. Obama's argument that McCain's election would be a third George Bush term was one to which the voters could - and did - relate. Second was McCain's irascible personality. He appeared 'the grouchy old man' to many Americans tired of partisan bickering in our nation's capital. "That one...

An armistice is an agreement to stop fighting in a war. It may apply to the whole war, or just to part of it. Sometimes opposing commanders agree to an armistice for a short period of time, to take care of their dead and wounded. After this type of armistice, the fighting begins again. A general armistice stops the fighting in an entire war. This armistice continues until a peace treaty is signed. When people speak of "the Armistice," they usually mean the one that ended the fighting in World War I. The World War I armistice was signed in a railroad car near Compiegne, a town in northern France. Generals of the Allied and German armies met there. They agreed to stop fighting at 11 o'clock in the...

I have recently been studying the power of long tail keywords and how they can be used to improve the optimization of our websites so we can be found more easily by the people that we want to find us. I am a novice SEO person, so this article is intended to share some basic information about how to find long tail keywords and what they can mean to your search results. There are numerous services available that can provide help with keywords and SEO. For simplicity, I will stick with Google AdWords; the tool is free, and provides some nice information regarding the number of searches that are done for any particular word, and also provides information regarding how much competition there is for...

How many times everyday are you asked, how is the organization doing? Corporate level managers are looking at numbers typically which is one source but numbers don't tell the entire story. There is a tool you can use yourself to evaluate the Leadership being provided to your team. The first area is Morale, at which level is overall morale of your team. If it's high that is great but if it is medium to low then you need to start digging and find out why. Is there a leader that s dragging morale down, it can be caused by rumors that haven't been addressed and dissolved to name a few. You have to be open minded enough to accept that it may be you and your actions Proficiency will be next, just how...

Common Leadership Mistakes Made at All Leadership Levels     People are placed in leadership positions typically because they have displayed outstanding leadership skills. There are some that feel once they are placed in a position of leadership that they have to make major changes.   What do you look for in a leader? There are multitudes of answers to this question but there are a few that are consistently mentioned in seminars. Personal skills, compassion, decision maker, courage, integrity, teacher and a person they trust. This is the most common expectation but they only touch the subject of being a successful leader.   You aren’t expected to change your style or personality when you are...

How long has it been since your organization held refresher or updated training? If your answer is over 90 days then you should initiate some form of training yourself. Think about the magnitude of information you have to retain on a weekly basis. Your associates should be knowledgeable concerning sales ads, promotional seasonal strategies, updated constantly on policies and procedures to name a few. Let's use TV sales as an example. There are so many types of televisions on the market that it requires a vast amount of knowledge to understand the benefits of one over the other. If you don't have training to ensure your associates are up to date on the various TV's then how can they make logical...

Oak trees in the back country of eastern San Diego County are under attack by a beetle presumed to be relatively new to California and not previously connected to the deaths of these types of trees in this area. Only very recently has the connection to the dying trees and the rare shiny green oak borer been made. It is difficult to determine at this time the exact number of trees affected and killed by this pest, but it is thought to be a spreading problem affecting perhaps hundreds of square miles. The connection was discovered somewhat inadvertently by United States Forest Service entomologist Tom Coleman while investigating widespread damage to oaks in the Cleveland National Forest where many...

Every organization has numerous sections that support each other to ensure a smooth efficient and proud team. Each of these sections has a leadership team responsible for developing a team atmosphere. Unfortunately at times there are people in leadership positions that fail to train their section as a team, their interest being for personal gains vice teamwork. I have worked with a few people like that and they are extremely detrimental to the success and pride of the people entrusted to them. The senior leader or manager has to be engaged and involved in the development of every section in their organization ensuring everyone is receiving proper training concerning teamwork. This doesn't require...

You submitted an application and received a phone call for an interview, what do I do now? You have made it through the first obstacle by receiving the interview now you have to prepare for it. It's time to become very organized, do you need a haircut, clothes, shoes or transportation? You cannot be late, leave in plenty of time taking traffic and a possible obstruction on the road to slow you down. Once you have your plan together take some time and think about what are your proudest accomplishments so far, graduation from High School, Captain of Cheerleading, Lettering in sports or Charity work are a few possibilities. It is important for you to feel good about yourself and be prepared to discuss...

Leadership comes in many different shapes and forms. As leadership comes in different shapes and forms, so does leadership philosophies. There are people from all walks of life who have their own philosophy on leadership. Who's to say which is right and which is wrong? But if you expand your mind and allow your leadership to grow, you will benefit any organization. Followers expect leaders to show them the standard and train them to reach it. They expect leaders to lead by example. Additionally, they expect leaders to keep them informed and take care of them. Being a leader will require you to ask others to make extraordinary sacrifices to achieve goals. Leaders may have to call on them to do things...

Discipline is required to be successful in anything in life whether it's Leading, losing weight or following rules and regulations to name a few. So how do we develop discipline? It's a daily practice of consistency and absolutely refusing to look the other way for any reason or excuse that you may consider. Is it possible for one leader to enforce discipline and another's failure to without confusing your team? Yes, the leader that is consistent with expectations can make it work regardless of what others do. If you have read any of my articles then you know I am big on offering examples and this article will be the same. People that work with you understand the expectations and habits of their...

The last time you went to make a major purchase you probably had some idea of what you wanted. The internet provides us with loads of information on everything imaginable. So if you have the time to research everything then you really don't need any sales assistance. I hope you don't believe in that theory as it has disaster written all over it. Time is so valuable to many of us that we still desire someone to explain the options and features so we can make a wise decision that fits our needs. The last thing on my list after a long day is to research a product on line. Let's use an example; Bill read on line about computers as he needed one for his business. He went to a local store and after ten...

How to Instill Discipline As A Leader       Discipline is required to be successful in anything in life whether it’s Leading, losing weight or following rules and regulations to name a few. So how do we develop discipline? It’s a daily practice of consistency and absolutely refusing to look the other way for any reason or excuse that you may consider. Is it possible for one leader to enforce discipline and another’s failure to without confusing your team? Yes, the leader that is consistent with expectations can make it work regardless of what others do. If you have read any of my articles then you know I am big on offering examples and this article will be the same.  People that work with...

Why You Should Attend All Company Social Events     You are recognized in your store as the top manager and when you are on duty the store consistently obtains outstanding results. Is this enough for you to be recognized and considered for promotion?    The first thing you have to consider is how many managers are there in your district? Is it realistic to think that the District GM and HR Manager realize that you are outstanding just by numbers alone? Absolutely not, they have tons of issues and expectations from their boss. To think your results alone will spotlight you as a candidate for promotion is a mistake. Unless the Store GM is giving you credit, the District GM thinks that the store is...

The Leadership Trait Dependability   Dependability encompasses more than being at your job on time as it has a wide range of expectations.   How many times have you made the comment “If I only had someone I could depend on my job would be so much easier.” We have all made that comment,” why can’t I depend on anyone.” There are loads of people that are extremely dependable and it doesn’t take long to realize who they are. The mistake that we often make is that we take them for granted forgetting to show our appreciation.   Dependability isn’t just showing up on time it’s also decision making, trust and total commitment to your position. Let’s use an example; Joe is an excellent...

People often ask me why anyone would seek professional help with writing his or her resume. The great part about resume writing is that I often work with educated professionals who have years of great experience. Unfortunately, they just don't know how to get their resumes in front of people with the power to give them a job. Generally, they're too busy being a great nurse, project manager, executive, or whatever else to understand one important thing: how recruiters think. 1) They have very little time While recruiters and hiring managers have many different philosophies and approaches, one thing is certain: they all review scores of resumes. Rejection letters often inform candidates that more than...

There are several very important skills a good buyer will necessarily possess. It's completely true to say there's a large element of the role which requires savvy, instinct and creativity. It's also true to say that there is also a strong component of the job which involved relying on good data with a firm grip of statistics and gathered data. Expertise of the industry is essential. Whether 'buying' is an art or a science is an area of debate between buyers. There are a number of different ways to measure the quality of a 'buyer' within a company, but most of them are measurable after a success/failure - so how do you know you're recruiting a good buyer? Depending on the industry, the amount of...

You may already have heard about free career tests, but you might be wondering whether they are actually useful. Like many other people, it is quite possible that you started on your career path with a lot of enthusiasm and that, some point later, you start to feel lost, confused or even ready to give up on your chosen career. One good way to help you decide on which direction to go with your career is to take career tests. There are free and paid career tests, and you can take them either in a career testing center or online. There are no right or wrong answers, but the answers you give can tell a lot about whether you should move on to a different career or simply strive harder in your present one...

Most people have had to deal with a stressful exam or test at some point in their lives. As a student in high school, college or university, an individual is constantly required to deal with the stress and the pressure of important tests and exams. Here are some techniques to help dealing with a stressful test: 1. Study, study, study. Sounds pretty simple? Well, most of the stress is coming from the uncertainty of your knowledge or skill. For example professional boxers train very hard before every fight. So they are not stressed on the day of the fight. They simply know that they did whatever was possible to prepare for the fight. Study before the exam and make sure that you did whatever was...

When screening applicants for a position, recruitment agencies and companies will often submit the applicants to a battery of tests designed to determine what their capabilities are and whether or not they would be suitable for the position. These assessments can take many forms, a few of which will be discussed in this article. A common form of assessment is a test to determine whether you have the necessary skills to fulfill the job requirements. The test will comprise of numerous items which target specific work areas. Administrative personnel will often be tested on their computer abilities on programs like Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook. Researchers may be tested on their knowledge of ethics...

One day, my grandson arrived home from school. As we met, he was already anticipating my standard greeting to him, "What three good things happened to you today?" He said that for today, they were studying about some cool matters regarding the Hubble Shuttle. But then, he was confused with the fact that they have to study astrology as part of it. He then asked me, "Isn't that evil? You know like from the Bible? We aren't supposed to use fortune tellers, right?" I think that there was a misunderstanding in this situation. I analyzed it and ask him if they were looking at star pictures with the Hubble and if it's really astrology or astronomy. Astrology- the divination of the supposed influences of...

As a recruitment consultant, one sees many different people for many different positions. Each one has their own way of trying to impress you. This article covers some of the things that have made the best impression on me. 1. Be on time. There is nothing more frustrating than scheduling an appointment with a candidate who seems to be the right person for the job, and they arrive late, or do not even bother to show up. Should you end up running late, call and let the person you are meeting know! It only takes a few minutes, but it makes a huge difference to them. Now, they will not be irritated with you for being late because they knew it was going to happen and they did not sit around waiting for...

Preparing for Marine Corps bootcamp mentally is not that complicated. The main thing in here is knowing what you really want and going for it. If you want to be a successful Marine, let nothing stop you. The 13-week training won't be easy for you as a recruit but you can make it less painful. You have to prepare yourself not only physically but mentally as well. If you are mentally weak then I'm sorry to break the news, you'll never make it. The drill instructor will intentionally weaken you and try to break you. They will humiliate you and single you out purposely. They want to see you on your knees. It's up to you if you're going to fail. One way in preparing for Marine Corps bootcamp mentally is...

As a former Army Drill Sergeant, the sit-up event always seemed to be a problem for many new recruits. One thing about sit-ups is that it doesn't matter if you are a male or female Soldier, you need do to the same amount. With that being said, a good goal to be at before you arrive at Basic Training is 55. If you can get to that number, you will already be ahead of the Army standard. Since everyone is at different fitness levels, I will assume that you currently have not been working out at all. That is ok, just start 8 to 10 weeks before you leave and you should be all set. In the Army, you will start on your back with your feet flat on the ground with your legs at a 90 degree angle. Someone will...

I will explain the top tip for you for surviving Marine Corps basic training. One thing that you have to understand is why you have to go through basic training to begin with. Basic training is set up so that you will be broken down into a formidable opponent for the enemies in a wartime situation. In essence, you will be transformed into a powerful fighting robot. You will no longer be an individual, you will become part of a very powerful and strong unit that will be perfectly trained to fight and to survive. Here is the best tip that I can provide you with for preparing yourself for boot camp. Mental Preparation Is Necessary: Understand that you have an internal ability to deal with things that...

As a former Army Drill Sergeant I am often asked what to expect for a new recruit during basic training. While it has been 10 years since I was a Drill Sergeant, I think that most of my advice is still relevant. The first thing you need to realize is that it is ok to be scared, anxious, and nervous. Believe me, everyone feels this way before departing for basic training. So the sooner you understand that, the sooner you can move on. You will more then likely end up at a reception station first. This is where you get all of your paperwork completed, uniforms issued and just get accustomed to Army life. This is usually a very low stress environment so don't get used to it. You will end up at the...

Not everyone makes it through basic training. You have to have the right personality and mindset to deal with your drill instructors and other recruits. Here are the top 5 personality traits you should exhibit at boot camp to make sure you can mentally handle the pressure. 1. Patience - This personality trait is an obvious one. At boot camp you will feel pressured by not only Drill Sergeants, but other recruits. Make sure you keep your cool. If you are prone to losing your temper or being impatient, you have to constantly remind yourself that the other recruits around you have been taken out of their normal daily environment. More than likely, you will never see these recruits again, so be extra...

When you hear the word body building there is only one other word that probably pops into your mind, muscle! There are many aspects that make up the sport and hobby of bodybuilding but the main component is definitely muscle. Bodybuilding has never been easy, it's a long and difficult process to some - but if it's your passion and something you enjoy, then you'll do well! And be careful, there are many unhealthy products on the market that advertise fast results, even highly illegal drugs, but you don't need any of that to excel at bodybuilding. Avoid illegal substances and stick to products recommended by professionals, rather work hard, stay honest and earn the muscle gain! You'll have to start by...

The popular reality show "Lost", which may have fantastical elements, still is an accurate example of the kind of troubles faced when stranded on a deserted island. Though the chances of you ever crash landing or getting marooned on a deserted island are slim, they are still there. Here are a few things you can do, should you get stranded on an island. Stay in groups and stay close If you're not alone and are stranded with a group of people, then your first task is to make sure everybody stays together and don't wander off. Islands are ripe with not only vegetation, but also dangers. These can take the form of predators or even poisonous vegetation. Hence, try not to spread out across the island on...

When you're a small to medium size business, you can't assume that your company will be noticed by sheer knowledge and service alone. There are tens, hundreds, maybe thousands of companies offering exactly whatever it is you are providing. The main difference between you and them is your brand. Here I will discuss various cost-effective traditional and modern methods of brand deployment that can be scaled from the smalltime entrepreneur up to your fully established company. First and foremost we should cover a couple checkpoints for branding before we begin. Get back to basics. Oftentimes branding becomes so overwhelming for a company it becomes less and less apparent what the focus of their brand...

Ecommerce has become one of the mainstays for online players and the double digit growth figures tell a good story. Year-on-Year growth in global ecommerce has been growing at more than 40% per annum.  Though the data provided above is a bit dated, the growth has slowed down only by a few points and that does not really matter as the absolute figure now runs into '00s of billion dollars. Some of the encouraging signs for this growth stem from the fact that: 1)      Many brick and mortar services such as financial services have moved on to the internet in a big way in the last few years. Banking, trading and a whole gamut of online financial services have helped increase the growth of online...

It seems daily there are job satisfaction statistics plastered all over the internet, 70% of employees dislike their job and are looking for another employer. The majority of employees are disgruntled with their current job! Why are there so many people unhappy with their job? I have worked with two organizations that held their leadership team accountable for the development and retention of their teams and both of their results were worthy of emulation. I have also worked for a company that was totally consumed with how much money they could profit and the leadership was non existent. The retention rate for that company was miserable and the ones that did stay were only there because they couldn't...