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What I have learnt from Paddle boarding – my experience so far. An Englishman on an SUP

February 2, 2011 By 1 Comment
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I am now a fully indoctrinated SoCal boy. Well Ok not quite, actually I am far from it but I am having fun pretending to be.

As part of my move to San Diego I have started to do a lot of outside activities. Paddle Boarding is one of them. For those of you not from the sunny climate (Yes my friends in England that is you) Paddle Boarding – SUP Stand Up Paddle Boarding is basically just that. You have a large surf board type thing, stand on it and paddle. Easy right?

Well sort of

It is not as easy as some of those rippled, bronzed muscle guys (and gals) look like on Youtube. Check out some videos here. www.youtube.com

Anyway, the point is it is great exercise and a lot of fun. 2 hours of doing this and you know you have been exercising.

Something really interesting has come from me doing this. I purchased a SUP board from a guy in Solana Beach. This is his website. www.eko13.com Good guy called Dave. He and his wife run the business and if you mentioned that you got the link from my blog he should be very nice to you! www.eko13.com

Now I have my board the other thing I needed to do was get some tape to protect the rails. Basically again for my sun starved friends, the rails are the sides of the board. With SUP you have a paddle and when you are learning you often scrape the rails. So some tape helps to stop that.

I went on the internet and found a company called The House that sell this stuff. Here is the site. LINK I ordered the product and in a few days in came. Great now I could get the tape on the board and start padding without worrying about ruining my cool new toy.

What happened next?

Something I didn’t expect. Sounds exciting doesn’t it? Well it is actually.

In the package that I got there was a letter from the Sales manager of the company. Normally I don’t read things like this. I don’t even read instructions for things so why would I read a letter that is obviously just trying to sell me more stuff and was probably just written by someone else anyway? (Note to author, try not to be so negative about things like this!)

I was wrong, very wrong.

Take a look at the letter. Personally I think this is a great example of a genuine letter that was written by the sales manager. They even have a company motto “Attitude”. Can you imagine that? Well it’s real and here it is.

My guess is that JC has read at least one Personal Development book if not all of them!  “How to Win Friends and Influence People”?


As soon as I saw this letter I showed my father in law who likes to see this kind of thing. He likes traditional personal service and this is exactly what this is. Once he read the letter he actually got a copy of it.

Obviously I liked it as I am now talking to you about.

The message is that something like this has made me feel all warm and fuzzy about this company. I will be buying from them again and I am linking back to their website. JC didn’t write some sales letter he learnt to write at a sales training session.

What do you think? Do you think this makes the difference to a business?

Using Your Dog Poop to power a light!

October 12, 2010 By 51 Comments
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I have been sent this great article by David Rikaln from Selfhelp.com.

This really isn’t about Personal Development but it is about thinking “outside the box” and using what we have.  This guy is not a scientist but an artist.

Essentially you put your dog poop in the system and it powers a light with the gas, methane.  Cool right?  Have a look at the video.  I am sure it is not that efficient yet but you have to try these things.  Imagine if all parks had these?  How much could we power with them?

You are meant to be happy! – Scientists say this works!

October 4, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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Ok, I know I am always being mean to scientists.  I think it it is hilarious when they “discover” stuff that many spiritual sages have talked about for thousands of years.  I have to stop that.  It’s not very Personally Developed of me is it.  What they don’t have is belief….that for a different post!

Well here is a great article from the New Scientist.  They have now proven that you are hardwired for happiness!  Isn’t that great!

The article is here

How to be happy (but not too much)

So if you want to be more happy you just have to realise that you are a happy being.  Being happy is not some great goal that you need to try and achieve.  What is interesting in this article is that they mention a test they did with chocolate.  The more well off people didn’t appreciate the chocolate as much as the less well off.

Interesting.

In life I think we all can have too many things around us.  I love electronics and I think that I “want” this or that.  But actually they just stress me out.  What I really want is a simple life where I feel like I am helping.  Do you know what I mean?

You get the latest phone and that is all you can think of for that week.  I have to have this phone.  Then when you get it the phone just becomes another phone.  One you don’t really care about.  Admit it, how many times have you really wanted something as you knew it would make you feel great then when you got it the novelty wore off?

If you are like me, many!

If you can’t agree with spiritual or “new age thinking” (although it is not new!) then you might need some scientific proof.

Enjoy, be happy be healthy!

Matt

Love animals? Don’t eat them!

August 16, 2010 By 2 Comments
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Hi,

If you have been reading this blog for a couple of years you might know that I have become a Vegan, well Vegetarian.  I am trying to be Vegan but just can’t stop when there is cheese to be had!

(Just to mention – this is not a bash at all you meat lovers out there, I used to be one too)

What this is though is a comment on how I now see eating meat.  This blog is about Personal Development and I see my choice of diet part of that.  Personal Development isn’t just about reading books by the great names, it is about applying the information and changing your life.

So here is the thing.  I am an absolute animal lover.  I mean I really love animals.  I always have even as a kid but didn’t really realise it.  We had pets when I grew up and they were great fun but it never really clicked with me that I was an animal lover.

We had a dog called Esta.  She was a rescue English Bull Terrier.  She was great fun.  Clearly she had been abused but once she got into the house and felt comfortable she was a great dog.  She and I had a really good relationship and she always wanted to be with me.

So why did I also eat meat?

This is what I can’t work out.

If I loved animals so much then why did I eat them?  Weird isn’t it?

I mean I wouldn’t eat Esta.  That would be very weird.  So why did I eat Cows, Chickens and Pigs.  Without even thinking about it?

Obviously I do have an answer for this otherwise I wouldn’t have written this post.  Nothing worse than a blogger posting a post that has no reason to it!

It is absolutely craziness to me now that I used to eat meat.  But I know why I did it.  It is because most of us (and yes I do mean you) have no idea where your meat comes from or what they have to go through to get into your dinner.

I didn’t and a lot of people don’t.  You wouldn’t put your pets through what farm animals have to go through.

Yes yes, I know there is the argument about we have power over animals and we have always eaten them.  That all might be true but if you wouldn’t eat your cat or dog then why would you eat a cow?  A chicken?  Did you know a pig is believed to have more intelligence than a dog?

They feel pain, fear, sadness.  Just like when you shout at your dog.

So what am I really saying here?

Just that once I became a Vegetarian I realised what I had been doing all along.  It was congruent with my core values as a person.  Ahh the real reason for this post!

Yes.

My actions were out of line with my core values and that was affecting me.  Now I feel much better about my diet.  Not just the health benefits but also that I am in line with my values.

That is so important.  Busy lives make us miss our core values.  I am so guilty of this.  That is why i have to make myself work at making sure I am inline.

What about you?  Are you in line?

Speak soon.

M

An easy way to get more customers for your small business

August 16, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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It would be great if all you had to do was open a shop, website or business and new customers would just walk in the door (or website). But alas it doesn’t work like that!

Oh how we wish it would!

Ok, so there are a few times when you just put up a website and someone just happens to see it and buy something from it. But how many times have a I have that happen? None. You might have.

This is one of the biggest challenges any small business owner faces. How to get people in the shop to buy.

If you have opened an actual retail store then this can be an expensive way to go. If you have built a website then at least that is pretty much your only expense. Just having a web business gives you the opportunity to try things out and not spend all your money. That said when I was selling software some of the companies I sold to would spend £Millions getting their websites right.

As a small business owner it is easy to spend £10,000 before you even know where it has gone! The truth is you don’t have to if you know what you are doing.

So let’s just look at the online area of this.

Let’s say you have a website, you have paid a development company and designer to create something fantastic. All your friends and family say it looks nice and you are pretty pleased with yourself. [Read more...]

Should I start a business? It’s a way to go

August 11, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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This is a great question!

I can answer that for you.  No.

If you are unsure about starting a business then I would say don’t.  I know that is a direct way to answer but if you are thinking about starting a business and not sure then you probably don’t want to.

Shock!  Someone speaking their mind and speaking the truth.  Well maybe, or perhaps you think I am wrong?  Either way I knew that when I was working for someone else I wanted to be my own boss.

I didn’t really care what business to get involved in, I just knew I had to be involved in a business where I didn’t have a boss.

For the last 5 years I have worked for myself.  I have lost money and made some money but it has been without a boss telling me what to do.

FREEDOM!

Well not quite, I still have clients and do work when I would rather be cycling but you get message.

The thing is if you don’t already know if you should start a business then really do you want to?  I mean do you really have a reason to start one?

If you are asking that question then I would like to say that you need a reason first.

Starting a business isn’t about getting all the detail things right, it’s about getting the why first.

However, often the WHY isn’t that clear and you have to work it out.  I understand that!  Sometimes I sit here and think “why am I doing this”.  But even if I have had a crap day I know that it is not as bad as having a boss.

Don’t get me wrong!  There are many people who have a boss, make more money than me and are very pleased with this.  They would never want to be their boss.  That is wonderful.  But not for me.

So if you want to know if you should start a business, think hard then make a decision.

Matt

The 7 things you need to do when starting a franchise

August 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment
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I am working with a couple of business owners who are looking to take their businesses to the next step.  They asked me to look at Sales and Marketing but as these things normally go I get involved strategically.

What I noticed is that they hadn’t realised that their business wasn’t systemised.  It isn’t able to scale and will require them to be working it if they wanted it to go bigger.  The challenge is that they are already working as much as they can on it.

Franchise came to mind….

They hadn’t thought about that in terms of using this as a way to get them more time.  They are not alone, many think that doing this creates more work. But, the whole thought process behind setting up a franchise is that you create a business that can work without you!

I thought I would outline the 7 things you need to know before starting a franchise.  If you have a business that you think could be a franchise then you should look at these first: -

  1. Be absolutely clear what your business is about before you even start to do the work.  You should be able to explain this to someone else.
  2. Can your business be franchised?  Is it something that would work?  If you don’t know you can use a company that will be able to give you the advice. www.instant-sales-solutions.com This is my consulting business.
  3. Create a flat packed version of your business that will be the basis of the template
  4. Test these template versions of your franchises.  If these don’t work you need to start again
  5. Know that you are now the owner of a franchise and not a business that you need to be working in
  6. Give the franchisee great help.  Customer support is now your business!
  7. Multiply!  Go for it…if it works don’t be afraid to do it

If you want some help with this and you are in the UK or California you can ask my consulting company to help.  www.instant-sales-solutions.com

Naturnal Instinct – Hypo Birthing St Albans

August 6, 2010 By 1 Comment
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I am almost a little embarrassed that I have not posted this on my blog before.  Why?

Well my best friend and his partner are brilliant people and they have a business called Naturnal Instinct.  They teach Hypobirthing in St Albans and also “Breathing to a better birth”.  I get a lot of people reading this blog so I should have done this before.  Please note neither of them suggested I do this.

Now I have not been pregnant so I can’t say if this feels better but what I do know is that when Gwendoline had Archie (I am his Guardian) she had a completely natural birth.

Oh and before you think it is weird it is more natural than anything else.  This is what I learnt from both of them.  I am not putting down having a birth in a hospital at all.  All I am saying is that whilst Gwendoline was pregnant I learn so much from her in terms of her attitude to being pregnant and her birth.

They had Archie at home in a birthing pool.  Mike was there playing music and doing all the stuff like getting towels etc.

I think Gwendoline even had some Champagne!

The point is she changed the way I think about birth completely.  She made me see that it is natural and not something to be stressed about.  The more calm the birth the more calm the baby.  And believe me!  Archie is cool!

We went camping with them in France and Archie was cool all the time!

Anyway, I wanted to blog about this as they are helping people have better birth’s by learning to breath and relax.  If you are interested to speak with them go to their site Naturnal Instinct

Matt

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