It came as a recommendation from one of my mentors Chad Wade who is ultra successful in the direct sales industry. "You may be a go-getter but you must read the book the GO G-I-V-E-R." he spoke to me. As a young entrepreneur (23 at the time), one thing I admire about the wealthy is that the amount of books on their shelf is directly proportional to how much is in their bank account. Many successful people may not have gotten the best grades in school, but their education started when they left school. They all are self-educated.

So when I get recommendations on books to read, I immediately hop on Amazon or run to the local bookstore to buy that book. And as soon as it arrived in the mail I started reading it and from the first page, was immediately pulled into the story as my name was "Joe", the main character of the story. My views on success were completely opposite on what it takes to be successful. "You have to give, give, give before you can make money??? What kind of crap is that? I need to pay my bills now!" was my attitude toward business. I was captivated by this simple story of a young go-getter realizing his true intention behind his actions. From cover to cover that book was read in one Sunday afternoon. That is when my new life of abundance and giving started.

First, why is this book so powerful? It is a short read that delivered in the from of a story that many people can relate to. Joe meet his mentor Pinder, who he first sees as a potential client, who ends up teaching him the "5 Laws of Stratospheric Success" with the only exchange being he must apply them that same day in his life. Since 95% of the country thinks with the same thought process as "Joe" when it comes to wealth, we can relate to the breakthroughs he is having. I have been recommending this book as the #1 book for young entrepreneurs, but I believe everyone should read it. This should ABSOLUTELY be a textbook in schools.

When I started my first business I can admit it was all for the money. I can understand all the young entrepreneurs out there that think the same way, growing up in need of money. That may be what gets you into business, but if that is all it is about for you, you wont be in business very long. In 2008, I had some very big months, a few topping multiple 5 figures. I made the money, bought the nice Mercedes and also had the "ego" to go along with it. In fact everything I was doing was ego driven. After coming off a $20,000+ December, I had a huge self realization. I was not just unhappy, I was downright miserable. It felt as everything I was doing in my life was for the money and while focusing on that I let my health, family, and social life slip.

So what is business truly about?

Value and Service. The first question you ask should not be "how much money can I make?", rather "Does it serve and does it add value to others." Then you can start thinking about monetizing it. You want to deliver 10 times of value of what you charge for your product or service. You see...the more valuable you become, the more people will seek you out. Think of why two restaurants can have the same quality food yet one can be always packed out the door. It is for the experience. They make it about the people.

Now I understand that many of you reading this may not have a true love for people. Want to know why? We don't love ourselves. My past reveals me as being very self consicous, big ego and low self esteem. If you do not love yourself, how can you have the true desire to love and help someone else? That is where self-education fits in to the puzzle. You can change very quickly depending on what you are feeding your mind.

What was the turn around for me?

Making it about the people. You don't know half the shit I have been though. And you know what? I don't know half the shit you have been through either. But it took me a while before I started seeing these "problems" in my life as blessings in disguise. How can you take a positive out of death, addictions, health problems when you are going through them? It is hard, I know. Now think of all the other people who are worse off than you that do not know how to cope. Now I am not an expert writer or anything (as you can tell by my horrible punctuation), but I want to let young entrepreneurs know what is possible. YOU ARE POSSIBLE. I don't care if you are "fat", "ugly", "skinny", "a drunk", "a addict", "stupid", "depressed" or whatever. That's all "ego" talk and they are all blessings in disguise. Let's all open the gifts and be "go-givers" and share them with the world.

**I have connected with the author Bob Burg and his partner Thom Scott and I have arranged a National Go-Giver Tour coming up in 7 weeks with my partners here in Chicago. We are driving from Chicago to Orlando in the "Mobile Video marketing Playground" and making several stops along the way to connect with you and pick you up! Stay tuned this week for the event details!

Yesterday I was having some trouble focusing in my business. After coming off the high from accomplishing my first speaking engagement on Tuesday, I have had a tough time regaining momentum. I have been exposing myself to the world through social media and you really learn a lot about yourself in doing so...the good and the bad! So began my pity party. I was having a tough time separating my true self versus my false self, or my "ego". I was getting into deep thinking about what people are thinking about me and who I am truly being and it was consuming me. I could not think about anything else and put all work aside. "What is my purpose?" I was asking myself.

How does one become authentic?

While I was throwing this question around in my mind, I heard a ding on my Macbook which means I had a new message in my inbox. A new message was awaiting for me in Facebook. Now I promised myself earlier not to check my Facebook because I was taking a break from it so I could work on "me". This message was not from the ordinary spammer. It captured my attention because it was from Bob Burg, the author of the "Go-Giver." I remember I had sent him a message earlier about recommendations about authenticity. What he sent back completely changed my day. He wrote,

"The neat thing about authenticity is that - since it is your very essence - it is not something you need to learn...only embrace."

WOW! So instead of worrying how to be authentic, I just have to embrace what I already have? My focus immediately changed. A thought then popped in my head from one of my idols Gary Vanerchuck. "Stop crying and start HUSTLING!" A smile came to my face and I got back to work. It is crazy how we can be our own worst enemy.

It has been one anxious week. I have been invited back to my alumn (Western Illinois University) to speak. This will be my first large speaking engagement, yet that is not why I am anxious. Actually, I am quite comfortable on stage. After graduating in 2006, I declared I would never go back to Macomb. Don't get me wrong, the 4 years spent there were the funnest, wildest, most careless time of my life! I made amazing friends and had memories that I will not forget until the day I die. I actually think it was too much fun (is that possible?). Our reckless behavior led us into all kinds of mischief. So I put those years behind me and decided to spend to rest of my years here on earth becoming a better person and leaving a legacy.

So when I was asked to speak, I wanted to say NO, because I promised myself I would NEVER be back. But, never would I have thought that I would have the chance to impact so many lives. The realization set in that I am living proof that ANYTHING is possible. This event has become more than a message. It is me setting that part of my past free. Once again if a broke, rebellious, alcoholic can have an impact...YOU CAN TOO!!!

http://wiu.edu/newsrelease.sphp?release_id=7039

I felt inspired to write a quick post after watching the film Slumdog Millionaire with my friend and business partner Kyle Griffith. We were talking the previous day about not operating at our full capacity. Letting time slip by interrupted by our fear and ego's. This brilliant movie made me question how much HUSTLE I put forth every day in my life.

These young kids, coming from the slums of India, with no parents, must do what ever is necessary to survive. Picking through landfills, stealing, running from militants. I was in awe because this picture depicted something that is going on every day and many of us are blind to the fact. I thought I had some hard times with some of the battles I fought but, man I got it easy. I am 24 years old and have so much to accomplish. I vow to put my best foot forward every day with no more waste. It's time to HUSTLE. It's time to make a change...

Oh yeah and the movie....Simply put *****'s. Go See It!

The Digital Gangster (Eric Green) Reviews my video "8 Simple Tips in Social Media **SUICIDE** Prevention". This video had a VIRAL EXPLOSION to say the least. Within 48 hours it received 80+ comments on Facebook, dozens of re-posts and comments, led to over 100 new friend requests, and was favorited 7 times on YouTube. Many people have reached out to me asking in they can feature it in their trainings...way cool :) Many thanks to all of you!

Very simple tips to build a great reputation in Social Media. Watch out....IT GET'S A LITTLE INTENSE! (Viewer Discretion Advised)

***BONUS TIP***

VALUE INNOVATION: instead of focusing on beating competition, you focus on making competition irrelevant by creating a leap in value for buyers.


Build Your TWITTER & FACEBOOK Followers Fast:
@billcrosby http://billcrosby.com/?p=76
@gabestrom http://is.gd/iKkz
@briantomkins http://is.gd/iI17

BOOK 2 - Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by: T. Harv Eker

Is you financial thermostat set for generating millions, thousands or zero? If you are looking to attract big money, you must be ready to accept it on the inside. You can do this by changing your financial blueprint that was given to you by understanding the different thinking between the RICH and the POOR.



We all have a personal money blueprint engrained in our subconscious minds, and it is this blueprint, more than anything, that will determine our financial lives. You can know everything about marketing, sales, negotiations, stocks, real estate, and the world of finance. But if your money blueprint is not set for a high level of success, you will never have a lot of money - and if somehow you do, you will most likely lose it! The good news is that now you can actually reset your money blueprint to create natural and automatic success.

This book is an excellent tool for new entrepreneurs as well as ones who have been in the game for a length of time, yet still find trouble in managing their money. It will help you distinguish the way you have been taught to think about money and how to change your thought process. It gets my recommendation.

This book gets 4 out of 5 stars



In progress:
The Power of NOW