This is an interesting question.

The answer all depends on who you ask.

Let me clarify this for you by means of three examples.

1. For most people, a 'normal' garage is large enough to accomodate 2 cars. For others, it's 4 cars. For even less people, it's a man cave that counts 8 collectors items and they are beautifully displayed.
2. Equally, for most people, a 'normal' house counts 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and 2 living areas on an overall footprint of 240 square meters with a comfortable garden. In contrast, for other people, a 'normal' house is the size of a mansion with a nice long drive way, a maze to get lost in, beautifully landscaped gardens and of course a swimming pool and tennis court.
3. And finally, most people think about 'normal' traveling as doing so in economy to save money. However, there are people that consider business or first class as the new normal. Even less people travel in any other way than by private jet.

It all depends on your vision, mindset, beliefs and...

Okay. We're back from "The Edge" retreat for entrepreneurs which we hosted in sunny Cairns in Queensland, Australia . 

Earlier this year, we surveyed our network of business owners and it was evident that people were yearning for immersive networking and learning while enjoying a 'work-holiday' somewhere else.

We made it happen and took a calculated risk with a new event that brought fresh content as a conversation starter centred around a bold topic such as exponential growth.

"What will it take for your business to grow exponentially in the months and years ahead?"

"Who do you have to become as a leader?"

Questions like these kept us busy...

Instead of the retreat being set up as a seminar or conference, we learned that people value peer-to-peer learning and a safe environment with robust debates in which fellow entrepreneurs challenge each other and bounce ideas of each other.

So my role became that of facilitator and fellow participant. (thank you, guys!)

I have to confess...

Without inspiration, people perish.

The same applies to business: without people experiencing personal growth, business contracts. 

It's clear that life wants expansion. It's our job to set our mind on a specific outcome and do everything we can to make it happen.

However, sometimes people work against the flow. They suffer from "psycho-sclerosis", which is a hardening of the mind.

They have become "set" in their ways and no matter the feedback they are getting, they stick to old (unproductive) ways in an attempt to move forward. 

But things aren't working out as planned.

Then they get frustrated, angry and upset. 

They wonder why things didn't turn out the way they imagined. 

The inspired ones, though, understand in their mind and appreciate in their heart that EVERYTHING pans out exactly the way it is supposed to be.

As long as we tune in with positive sentiment and count our blessings daily, we move forward easily.

Life and business then aren't a...

What a great cause!

Quick summary:

• "Homelessness" applies when people coach surf or sleep in a car, tent or under the stars every night.
   
• Domestic violence is the #1 reason why women (and their kids) seek out emergency shelter.
   
• Between 20,000 and 25,000 children in Australia haven't got a safe place to call home.
   
• Trauma, emergencies and mental illness go hand in hand with homelessness.
   
• Ultimately, it is HOPE that charities like Vinnies provide to people in need.
   
• Many people that seek emergency support are well educated. They could be anyone going through a rough time.
   
• Affordability of housing is a big contributor. Vinnies aims at identifying people earlier in the cycle (when they are couch surfing) and provide support then to prevent them from falling deeper.
   
• A lack of support network estranges people in need, making it harder for them to find jobs, secure independent living and get on with their lives.
  Stigma and judgment are working...

With financial markets down, inflation on the rise, interest rates about to go up, the war in Ukraine and the cost of living rising, people understandably worry.

Fluctuations cause uncertainty, which leads many to irrational decision making based on fear. But we know that fear rarely is a good advisor.

While you and I don't control the fiscal, political and economical landscape, what we DO control is the actions we take in it.

Like in any situation, there are opportunities.

I was recently listening to a very successful investor. When referencing the big losses in financial markets, he said there is "blood in the streets" which opens up big opportunities for "the happy few". 

Who are they? People like you and me who stay grounded, focused and move forward.

They tune in with the market, keep up with customer demand, and find ways to impact more people with timely solutions.

With 'blood in the streets', people are looking for safety that savvy products, services and...

There are 2 different types of people and businesses:

The ones that WAIT and the ones that CREATE.

When a business has no system to generate optimal demand for its products or services, by default, it is at the mercy of random "acts of grace". 

Low hanging fruit falling in their lap, a casual referral coming their way, a less than desirable client knocking their door, a government grant, etc. 

Not that there is anything bad with an "act of grace". The problem is that they are odd, random, unpredictable. 

They are out of your control as a business owner, BDM, consultant or self-employed person. 

Without a system that generates new business to maximise capacity, you are effectively wasting precious resources and losing money.

This is what I call a "flow" problem...

It's like having the best built factory in the world, only to have an empty conveyor belt... With little input, there is little output. 

Smart business people create systems to generate new...

We're going to sunny Cairns (Queensland) near the Great Barrier Reef in July 2022.

The Edge is a 4-day exclusive retreat for 14 entrepreneurs only.

Find out more and apply here

Last week we said that communication makes or breaks relationships.

Communication is the glue between people and the better we get at it, the more happy and successful we become.

Another aspect that is easily overlooked is the way we think about it.

As a psychologist working with people all around the world, I have come across 5 misconceptions that undermine people's performance as a leader, a team member, an influencer, or a business person.

Misconceptions stand in the way of positive outcomes.

Misconceptions sabotage people's future.

Misconceptions take away from happiness and create more disconnect, misunderstandings, disagreements and fallouts.

In some extreme cases, I have seen how misconceptions and poor communication led to severe physical illness because the person wasn't enjoying wellness in their relationships.

Let's summarize the top 5 misconceptions:

1. "Treat people they way you want to be treated." It means that you think there is a "one size fits all" approach. The...

I did consulting for 9 years.

The money was great. The projects were interesting. The people I met were amazing. The brands I worked for were world class. The travel kept me up my toes and so did client expectations.

I loved it but I also knew that I could do things smarter.

The bottom line: trading time for money whether as an employee or a consultant doesn’t have leverage. Once your time is up, you’re done. You hit the ceiling.

One thing you can do then is increase your hourly rate. I did exactly that and succeeded. But then again, your hourly rate is also capped. There is only so much that people are ready to pay for any given expertise.

You can of course hire more people like you and become a body shop. You then continue trading their time for money. Lots of overheads guaranteed and you got to find them enough work.

There are plenty of body shops out there that make less profit with lots of consultants compared to a better organised business that banks more profit...

Good news: the free workshop series "Business 2 Lifestyle" is kicking off tomorrow as promised! Very excited to share this valuable information with you.

I’d like to ask you a small favour…

Lately, I’ve been getting tons of questions from around the world about how to convert more business so that people can grow and scale TODAY. 

Even though lots of people have asked me to teach my success system and provide education, I have hesitated since I felt like I had to reinvent it due to recent developments. It just wasn’t the right time.

But now, because I received so many requests, and because I absolutely love the topic, I’ve finally decided to spill the beans on my new business development success system.

After literally 17 years of working in BD and coaching people in it, I’m now putting the finishing touches on my long-awaited “Business Development Accelerator” program. I love educating client-facing business owners, BDMs ,...