7 Minutes In The Morning

Why do you work? Can you clearly articulate the end-state you are striving to achieve? It's a simple enough question but one that will probably stump you. I've asked this question to hundreds, maybe thousands of people and the most common answers they have given fall into one of two categories: 1) to pay bills, or 2) um, because I'm supposed to. It is exactly this lack of goals, absence of vision, that lead over 70% of employees to be mentally and emotionally disengaged AT WORK! They just don't care. Among business owners it's slightly better...but not much. In a recent Reddit thread the question was posed, "Why did you start your business?" and the majority of answers centered around what the job allowed them to escape, not what it was providing for them. So whether you are an employee or a business owner, it's really easy to get trapped in the "it's what I'm supposed to do" way of thinking. That's not intentional thinking and will NOT produce the results you're looking for! The reality is, if you don't have

Have you ever felt like giving up, but decided to stick with it just a little while longer...and longer turns out to be a really long time? That's how you can mess around and instead of starting that new adventure, you're blowing out candles at your retirement party! Sometimes you have to quit one thing to gain another! Out quote of the day today comes from Christopher Columbus and is a great example of this principle at work. It's easy and safe to keep the shore in sight, but what greatness lays ahead if we just let go of 'safe'? Too often we are willing to cling doggedly to the known, even when it is uncomfortable or painful, just to avoid the unknown! Many second-career entrepreneurs deal with this very fear every day! They are comfortable with the clarity and confidence that comes from a job, even when it lacks the control and lifestyle freedom they crave! Don't be like them. Whether this is your first or second career, take back control of your life...for better or worse you will revel in the freedom! En

I have a simple question today...who runs your life? You? Are you sure...? Browsing through my feed this morning I saw an article about a new court ruling that would pave the way for blind people to sue businesses that didn't provide accessible websites. At first blush, this doesn't sound so bad...but at what point does personal responsibility kick in? I'm curious why a blind person who is motivated enough to sue a business owner for not having an accessible website would want to do business with a company that doesn't cater to blind people? It reminds me of the warning on the hairdryer that remind us not to use the product in the shower! Or just yesterday I found out that if your real estate closing agent doesn't WARN you that there are fraudsters out there that might try to steal your money, that the closing agent can be held liable for your loss! How insane is that! These are all examples of yielding control to someone else cleverly disguised as assigning blame! Here's how this works! If someone else can b

Are your choices bold? Do they align with what you SAY you want? So if the pursuit of success exposes freedom, the truest exercise of freedom requires boldness...you must assert and defend your freedom by consistently making choices that move you toward your goals, even when...especially when...those choices are difficult! Are you choosing to win...or not lose? Enjoy! Thom, THE Unashamed Non-Conformist =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Thom Rigsby is a lifestyle & business strategy expert. Drawing on his experience as a small business owner and entrepreneur launching almost a dozen startups and more than 25 years of business experience, Thom brings his creativity and "Non-Conformist" approach to entrepreneurship and getting results for you and your small business! So, whether you are looking for answers to your small business questions, time management tips, need a comprehensive business strategy or just craving some work-life balance, following Thom's exclusive personal development plan you can letti

What does success mean to you? School teaches us that success comes by following the rules, getting the right answers, and working hard. But is that success? Think of the person you admire the most. They broke the rules. Jesus, Gandhi, Einstein, Bezos, Rigsby...all non-conformists! Because if you keep doing (and believing) what you've always done, you will keep getting what you've always gotten. If you want something else, something more or different, you MUST do things differently! If you are closing in on the end of your first career, or maybe you're just ready to do something different...carefully consider how you will measure success. One question I like to ask my private advisory clients is, "If we met for coffee in a year and I asked if you've succeeded...what elements would you consider in order to answer the question?" And never forget...success is a state that you can move into...and out of...quickly and easily. Sometimes even multiple times within the same day! If something isn't working...change it

Confidence comes from experience and experience from execution. You have to do something to get a result and in stacking result after result you get experience. And from that experience, you can have confidence. When you are confident that what you are doing is right (not that it will produce a winning outcome) you can have as much fun as you want. The uncertainty of winning or losing is part of what makes playing the game so much fun. You don't want to take that away. But you when you can proceed confidently knowing that you are putting forth your best and highest effort and that in doing so you are creating the best opportunity to win...then fun ensues. Enjoy! Thom, THE Unashamed Non-Conformist =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Thom Rigsby is a lifestyle & business strategy expert. Drawing on his experience as a small business owner and entrepreneur launching almost a dozen startups and more than 25 years of business experience, Thom brings his creativity and "Non-Conformist" approach to entrepreneu

Question of the day: What do you want to do but believe you are unqualified or unable to do? Have you ever known someone who constantly believed they were falling prey to the latest malady in the news? Cancer from styrofoam cups? Yep! Flesh-eating bacteria? You know...my arm has been itching a lot...! There is a medical condition known as hypochondria where your mind convinces you that you have a condition...so your body begins to act like you have that condition! It becomes a self-reinforcing condition! So here's my thought...if you mind is powerful enough to make you sick...why can't you mind be powerful enough to make you well? Or in the context of your work or business...if your mind can prevent you from being successful, why can't your mind assist you in being successful!?!? You've probably heard the old axiom "fake it till you make it," right? Well, there's definitely a bit of truth in that. In EVERY successful endeavor, the first person you have to convince that it's going to work...is YOU! How many ti

Did you share your dream with the world yesterday (see yesterday's podcast)? If you did I have one question for you...is it big enough? Let's just say I've been coaching and helping people unleash their pent up potential for well over a decade and in that time I've learned many truths about coaching and getting the best out of people. Here's one of them...if you shared your big, hairy, audacious goal with the world yesterday...there's a VERY GOOD chance that you held back! Yep, I said it...you held back! Here's why! Even if you feel like you put it all out on the table...walked through the food court at the mall in your underwear (sorry for that visual but it works!), fearful as you may have been...there's still more. See even if you laid it all out on the table yesterday for the first time, you've had that dream stored up for so long that you're just not used to talking about it! And if you did share it all, your dream bucket is exposed to the world, what kind of coach would I be if I didn't challenge you to

Are you living at your full potential? Is your business, your work, and your life as good as it could be? Even if the answer is "almost" then you still have work to do! Read on... When energy is stored (like in a spring or a battery) and not used it is called POTENTIAL energy...potential because it is not being realized. You have the potential within you and it is stored in the form of a big, hairy, audacious goal...a BHAG...a dream that is so big and crazy that, until today, you have resisted even telling anyone else about it! Well, today is the day you are going to share your big dream with the world. Here's why... Potential does nothing for anyone until it is released...but it can degrade. Over time an unused battery will lose its charge. A spring will be sprung (yep, that's really what it's called!) If you don't begin releasing your potential TODAY you will begin losing it TODAY! If you've been tracking with us all week, you know that Monday I challenged you to refine your BGAG into a clear concise senten

What is the one thing that you keep coming back to, time and time again? It keeps calling to you and you just can't get it out of your head? Have you ever wondered why that is? Because you are uniquely gifted, talented and placed to have an abundant life and do work that matters, you are like a puzzle piece, uniquely shaped to fill a given spot in the masterpiece. That means you have at least one matching piece out there somewhere...and it is calling to you! Unless you answer that call and do you part, there will always be a gap, a hole, an unfinished piece! You don't want that do you? Someone needs to benefit from your contribution. They need the product you offer, the service you provide, they need to hear what YOU have to say! But answering that call will lead you into the unknown, the unfamiliar, and therefore will be at least a little bit scary! But hey, what great accomplishment comes without risk! Indeed, as Emerson said, everything you want is out there and it also wants you. Like two magnets you will

What dream do you have that is so big, so crazy, so ridiculous that you hesitate to share it with anyone else...but you just can't let it go? Last week we talked about fear and the role it plays in reaching your dreams, this week we're talking about boldly pursuing your dreams. This week, we're gonna jump start your journey to reaching that dream by creating some clarity around what you want and building some confidence behind your ability to do it! Lately, the word desire seems to have taken on a negative connotation. The reality is that the desire of your heart is there for a reason. You are uniquely gifted, talented and placed to have an abundant life and play your part in the bigger picture. Desire is that calling...that aching that continuously draws you into the role you are uniquely qualified and able to fulfill. As we make our way through this week, I want you to focus on the big dream, that BHAG (big, hairy, audacious goal)...today, work to define it, refine it, and put it into one powerful sentence.

Yesterday we talked about how your dreams should scare you, at least a little. Just don't allow that fear to paralyze you and keep you firmly planted where you are! Thom, THE Unashamed Non-Conformist =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Thom Rigsby is a lifestyle & business strategy expert. Drawing on his experience as a small business owner and entrepreneur launching almost a dozen startups and more than 25 years of business experience, Thom brings his creativity and "Non-Conformist" approach to entrepreneurship and getting results for you and your small business! So, whether you are looking for answers to your small business questions, time management tips, need a comprehensive business strategy or just craving some work-life balance, following Thom's exclusive personal development plan you can letting life happen to you and begin to create the life you crave with your very own small business. Be sure to connect with Thom... ...on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/thomrigsbycoaching ...on YouTube http:/

How comfortable is your office chair? I was walking through the office supply store the other day and saw these big, fancy office chairs and thought to myself, "Office chair or TV recliner?" Now, don't get me wrong...of course you should be comfortable when you're working. But your desk is a great metaphor for your business. Make the desk comfortable for working but not so comfortable that you never want to leave! The whole purpose of having a business is to be a creative outlet and a financial source for the life of your dreams! It is NOT the desired endpoint! Real progress in building and enjoying the life you crave happens outside your office and definitely with your backside outside of your chair! (in fact, as I write this...I'm sitting in the floor leaning back against my chair!) So get your art done, get out of the office, and enjoy the life you are working so hard to build! Enjoy! Thom, THE Unashamed Non-Conformist =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Thom Rigsby is a lifestyle & business strategy

Before you knew how to ride a bike (and maybe while you were learning) you may have thought it was impossible. For thousands of years, people believed it was impossible for mankind to take to the skies. You are looking at some limitation, constraint, or obstacle today and thinking it is impossible to overcome, yet, all your limitations live only in your mind. Everything is possible. It may require sacrifice or difficult choices...but Everything is on the table for you today! Enjoy! Thom, THE Unashamed Non-Conformist =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Thom Rigsby is a lifestyle & business strategy expert. Drawing on his experience as a small business owner and entrepreneur launching almost a dozen startups and more than 25 years of business experience, Thom brings his creativity and "Non-Conformist" approach to entrepreneurship and getting results for you and your small business! So, whether you are looking for answers to your small business questions, time management tips, need a comprehensive business

What are you not trying because you don't feel qualified or ready? I love this quote from Bruce Lee because it calls it perfectly...greatness is present in everyone, even the average person, but it requires effort to achieve. With all the opportunity for distraction available to us...literally in the palm of your hand...we often fall prey to Distraction Over Action. We know that the next task or project is going to be taxing, stressful, or lengthy so we opt for a "quick" distraction. That quick distraction turns into a long one, the BAM...off your game. One of the best ways I've found to defeat DOA is with block scheduling. Schedule a block of time, say 20 minutes, to focus on one task. Turn off all your notifications, don't check email or answer the phone...just focus. You will be amazed at what you can accomplish in a short period of time. How do you avoid DOA and get that To Do list knocked out? Leave your best tip in the comments! Enjoy! Thom, THE Unashamed Non-Conformist =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

You've probably heard the old saying that Cash Is King...right? What if it's not? As business owners and leaders, the odds can feel like they're stacked against us. With more than 90% of new businesses not making it through the first five years, and their demise often attributed to inadequate funding (wrong, but that's for another day) it's easy to understand why so many businesses chase the money. But there's another currency you should be chasing instead. Harold Geneen once said, "In business, everyone is paid in two coins: cash and experience. Take the experience first; the cash will come later." Chasing the cash turns every customer interaction into a transaction. The truth is, this is very transparent to the customer, and many times they are fine with that. But there it also prevents the development of a relationship and any semblance of customer loyalty. Now, I'm not saying you should do the work for free, but do consider what you are gaining from every interaction. There is something you can learn...an

So, how have you been? How's the business? I find myself asking this question a lot at networking or other meetings where I'm running into people I know. It's a pretty common greeting. Do you know what answer I get frequently? "Well, I've been pretty busy!" (or some variant of that) While we're taking a little break from the daily grind this week at the beach, I wanted to remind you that busy does not equal effective. In fact, it is a terrible measure of how things are going. The hamster is busy, and not moving an inch. In my live workshop Making Time for Success, one of the key concepts addresses the mistaken idea that time management is about efficiency. The efficient use of time is to get more done is the same amount of time. This is wrong. What you really want is the more effective use of your time...getting the right things done in the allotted time. This requires some hard decisions! Right now, how many items are on your to-do list? I want you to take an honest inventory and identify everything on that

Do you have fun while you're working? Building a business or expanding your career is hard work...and serious business. But that doesn't mean you can't have fun while you're doing it! In fact, you SHOULD have fun...it will make it a lot more enjoyable while you're doing the hard stuff! Now I'm not saying that if you don't have a ping-pong table or foosball table you're doing it wrong. You can have fun without all the toys or games...in fact, it may even be better that way. When you lean on the games to bring the fun, then you're not really putting in the effort to find the fun in the business. I really love this quote from Einstein, "Creativity is intelligence having fun." It really emphasizes that it's the process we should focus on and not rely on making it to the "finish line" before we get to enjoy ourself. If you're not having fun with the work you're doing, take a quick time out and think about ways you can make it more fun and enjoyable. Can you make a game out of the work, maybe even pull your whole t

Are you the best at what you do? Are you willing to say so? I will frequently talk with business owners and leaders and have fantastic products or services but downplay their own effectiveness or impact! Heck, I'm even guilty of this (and my grandmother would be proud!). The problem is that if you don't express the confidence you have in your product or service...who will? Exactly nobody! We think that we're being humble or avoiding speaking ill of others...but the reality is that people, including your customers, want to know that you are confident in your capabilities! Would you rather want the brain surgeon who was "pretty sure he could do it" or the one that "knows what to do"? Take a few minutes right now and think about the leader in your market. Do THEY say they're the best? Then you DEFINITELY should! Enjoy! Thom, THE Unashamed Non-Conformist =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Thom Rigsby is a lifestyle & business strategy expert. Drawing on his experience as a small business owner and entrepre