To ignite anything you must first have a spark, and to create a spark (in the more literal sense) you must have flint & steel.  In the world of business, flint & steel are you, and those you network with.  It doesn’t really matter who the flint is, and who the steel is.  What matters is that you come together, and together you can create spark that neither one of you could create on your own.  It’s all about relationships, and in business that means networking.

Step Two: The Spark (Learn)

To create the spark with another person (the business spark that is) you must have some knowledge of business, marketing, sales, relationships, communication, etc.  Networking with others without the knowledge you require is like having the flint & steel, but not knowing you need to strike the steel against the flint.  Take the time to educate yourself in critical areas of business, such as the ones mentioned above.  That way when you bring the flint & steel together (you and someone else) you will have the knowledge you need to create the spark.

Step Three: The Bonfire (Synergize)

There are fires, and then there are Bonfires.  Bonfires are typically much larger, and they are usually associated with celebration.  There is, indeed, much to celebrate when two people come together and as a result they create something that neither of them could have achieved on their own.  Something more than just 1 + 1 = 2, but rather 1 + 1 = 10, or 100, or more.  To synergize means that the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.  It’s all about the bonfires we can create as we synergize with others.

So, go get started!  Gather your flint & steel (network with others), create the spark (learn what you need to learn about business), and build a bonfire of success (synergize with others for maximum results).

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

It is time for the final installment in our series on S.T.O.R.M. – a method of building your own personal Storm of Success by doing the following:

Stop
Take Inventory
Organize
Reflect
Move It

In last week’s post I wrote about the fourth step of S.T.O.R.M. which is to REFLECT.  Today I will address the final step which is to…

MOVE IT!

In the words of the great King Julian from the movie Madagascar, “I LIKE TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT!  I LIKE TO MOVE IT, MOVE IT!”  Excellent advice.  In fact, all storms move!  In order for your STORM to be successful you’ve got take action and Move It!

Ashleigh Brilliant said, “Unless you move, the place where you are is the place where you will always be”.  According to Wayne Gretzky “we miss 100% of the shots we don’t take”.  That is equally true of plans and goals.  We fail on 100% of the goals we don’t take action on.  In other words, we fail when we don’t MOVE IT!

Remember this formula:

Action X Time = Success

Lack of Action X Time = Fossils

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

Once again we continue our series on S.T.O.R.M. – a method of building your own personal Storm of Success by doing the following:

Stop
Take Inventory
Organize
Reflect
Move It

In last week’s post I wrote about the third step of S.T.O.R.M. which is to ORGANIZE.  Today I will address the next step which is to…

REFLECT!

It’s important to reflect on what matters most to you.  What’s your mission in life, and business?  What are your values?  What’s your vision for fulfilling important roles.  Who do you want to be?  It really does matter how you see yourself.

I recommend that you take the time on a weekly basis (at least) to sit down and reflect on your life and your purpose.  If you want to be “on purpose” you have to have a purpose.  Create your vision for who you want to be and how you want to be.  Reflect on the vision often.  Decide just how you want to “see” yourself.  First you have to conceive your vision, then believe your vision, then ultimately you can achieve your vision.  Just like the kitten in the picture, there is a lion inside of you waiting to come out, if you will just let it.

Once again, check in with us next week for the final step of S.T.O.R.M – MOVE IT!

To Your Success!

Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

This week we continue our series on S.T.O.R.M. – a method of building your own personal Storm of Success by doing the following:

Stop
Take Inventory
Organize
Reflect
Move It

In last week’s post I wrote about the second step of S.T.O.R.M. which is to TAKE INVENTORY.  Today I will address the next step which is to…

ORGANIZE!

First, I’d like to share one of my favorite poems on the subject:

If I Could Get Organized by Baidurya Mukherjee

The morning goes, noon is here,
Before I know the night is near,
and all around me, I regret,
are things I haven’t finished yet.

If I could just get organized!
I often times have realized,
not all that matters is the man,
The man must also have a plan.

I do this, I do that,
But never finish what I’m at,
I work as hard as anyone,
And yet, I get so little done,

I’d do so much you’d be surprised,
If I could just get organized!

Being Organized is critical.  An organized environment is the number one catalyst to enhance productivity and creativity, two key components to being personally effective and successful.

Allow me to recommend my favorite book on the topic.  It addresses both Physical, as well as Procedural Organization.  It’s called, “To Do, Doing, Done!” by G. Lynne Snead.  If you’re like our friend in the picture above you may want to jump straight to Chapter 5.  The title of that chapter?  “It’s Hard to Manage Your Project If You Can’t Find Your Desk.”

Once again, check in with us next week for the next step of S.T.O.R.M – REFLECT!

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

As I said last week, few things in this world have the raw power & energy of a storm.  You can create your own personal S.T.O.R.M. of Success by doing the following:

Stop
Take Inventory
Organize
Reflect
Move It

In last week’s post I wrote about the first step of S.T.O.R.M. which is to STOP.  Today I will address the next step which is to…

TAKE INVENTORY!

Take Inventory of where you have been, where you are, and where you want to be – Take Inventory of your resources, talents, abilities, relationships, and all that you have to help you reach your goals.  Know that your ultimate Success Story starts with a Personal Inventory.

You must know yourself and what matters most to you, and it is crucial to Take Inventory of all your resources that can help you get what you want.

I suggest you make it a somewhat formal Inventory, meaning don’t just think about your Inventory, but rather WRITE your Inventory down.  It’s makes the process far more powerful.  If you want to be even more creative with the way you Take Inventory try creating a Mind Map instead of just writing it down in a linear fashion (although this works fine, too).  Mind Maps look kind of like this:

This particular Mind Map was created using Mind Manager 8 from mindjet.com.  They happen to offer a 30-day free trial if you want to give it a go.

So, remember, to build your S.T.O.R.M. of Success, first STOP, then TAKE INVENTORY.  Be sure to tune in next week when I will be writing about the next step of  S.T.O.R.M. - Organize!

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

Few things in this world have the raw power & energy of a storm.  You can take the world by storm if you will focus your power and energy in the direction of your goals and dreams.  For you to take the world, and your goals, by S.T.O.R.M. may I suggest you follow these five simple steps…

• Stop
• Take Inventory
• Organize
• Reflect
• Move It

In today’s post I will address the first step of S.T.O.R.M., which is to STOP.  I will write about the remaining four steps over the course of the next few weeks.

STOP!

We are in such a hurry.  It’s easy to miss things; easy to get stuck in the rut of reactivity, repeating the same old ineffective behaviors over and over again.  So often we confuse activity with accomplishment.  So, the first thing we need to do in creating our own personal and powerful S.T.O.R.M. is to STOP!

Stop what you’re doing.  Stop where you are.

In fact, stop right now (well, not until you finish reading this blog of course).  Stop and be silent for a few moments.  Stop and think.

Listen to your thoughts, without the noise and the clutter created by the world around you.  They say it is quiet and calm in the eye of the storm.  You need to stop and create you own personal “eye of the storm” long enough that you can gain some focus and clarity.

Once you have made this initial STOP, I suggest you schedule other “stops” in the near future.  What are you going to do during these “stops“?  Well, continue to build your S.T.O.R.M., of course.  Tune in next week to learn more about the next step of S.T.O.R.M. – Take Inventory!

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

They both have their place in business to be sure.  But, what is the difference?  In business most Relationship Building starts with Networking.  Networking is certainly critical, as it is the initial contact, the handshake, the exchange of names, business cards, and hopefully enough interaction that the seeds of a possible relationship have been planted.

Relationship Building however goes beyond Networking.  Once the seed is planted it needs to be nourished, taken care of, supported.  Attention needs to be paid to it.  If not, it withers and dies.  Relationship Building requires Follow Up, and a lot of “Just Because” attitude.  If you are building the relationship purely for the purpose of getting business it just won’t be the same, no matter how hard you try.

I love the mantra that I always hear at Corporate Alliance functions such as the recent Reunion Tour held at the Zermatt Resort in Midway, “Every opportunity has it’s root in a relationship!”  Now, break that down a little and you will realize that the relationship comes first, then potentially an opportunity.  It is NOT the manufacture of an opportunity through a contrived relationship.

So, be genuine.  Be sincere.  Network?  Yes, but don’t stop there.  Build relationships, learn about others, seek opportunities to serve them “just because”, and your relationships, both business and personal, will experience significant growth.  As a side benefit to those quality relationships you never know what opportunities may come your way.

To Your Success!

-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

PS: Don’t forget to RSVP for Crunch Lunch, December 4 at Novell. I’ll be one of ten presenters at this fast-paced informational event. It’ll be a great place to build a new relationship, too!

He said to me, “Kip, I know I have some things I need to improve on personally, but for right now I really need to just focus on improving my business.”

What a revelation! In one sentence he revealed a paradigm that more than anything else was holding him back from being as successful as he could be. There is one principle, one natural law, one fundamental truth that he was not recognizing and applying, and that is this:

No Success, including Business Success, can precede Personal Success.

You see this is the deal, the crux of it all really. The fastest car in the world doesn’t win the race without a highly skilled driver; the finest paint and brushes have no meaningful impact on the canvas without the hand of a talented artist; and successful, highly effective businesses are run by people who are successful and highly effective as human beings. It is a prerequisite. Being an effective, successful person does not come after first building a successful business or career. It comes first!

If Business Success is the chicken, and Personal Success is the egg, then the answer to the age-old question is most definitely and emphatically “The Egg!”, and if you will take the time to nurture the egg (your personal effectiveness) you will find it results in a more robust and healthy chicken (in other words, a great business/career).

Deep down you know this is true, we all do. Yet so many would try to convince themselves they can take the shortcut that no one else has been able to take, that somehow they can have the business success they desire without doing the work on themselves first. Why do so many try it? Why do they skip the part where they work on themselves and work on other things first? The answer is fear.

Think of it this way, if I try my hand at creating a successful business and fail I can reason that it was due to any number of reasons and circumstances outside my control. However, if I work on being an effective person and fail… well, you can see how this pill might prove a little harder to swallow if we let such fears get the best of us. As a result, most of us focus our efforts in either the wrong place, or in the right place but prematurely (in other words, without working on personal effectiveness first).

My Challenge to You:

1. Focus your efforts on becoming a highly effective person, one who makes and keeps commitments to yourself and has a high degree of personal integrity and follow through, even when no one else knows of your commitment.
2. Be an excellent manager of your time. It’s not about scheduling every minute of your time, but rather doing the right thing at the right time.
3. Establish habits that will serve you throughout the rest of your life, habits that will lead you to succeed regardless of your chosen business or career endeavors.

If you will do these things I am confident you will enjoy tremendous success in all aspects of your life, including business and career.

To Your Success!
-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition

Nothing will bring greater and more lasting success than to be a responsible person with solid character.

This particular piece comes from Michael Josephson and CharacterCounts.org.  I encourage you to take notes on any insights you may have, and more particularly how you might apply it in your own life.

It’s been said that the line between childhood and adulthood is crossed when we move from saying, “It got lost” to “I lost it.” Indeed, being accountable – and understanding and accepting the role our choices play in the things that happen – are crucial signs of emotional and moral maturity. That’s why responsibility is one of the main pillars of good character.

Many people have been seduced by the Peter Pan philosophy of refusing to grow up and avoiding the burdens implied in being accountable. Yes, responsibility sometimes requires us to do things that are unpleasant or even frightening. It asks us to carry our own weight, prepare and set goals, and exercise the discipline to reach our aspirations.

But the benefits of accepting responsibility far outweigh the short-lived advantages of refusing to do so. No one makes his or her life better by avoiding responsibility. In fact, irresponsibility is a form of self-imposed servitude – to circumstances and to other people.

Responsibility is about our ability to respond to circumstances and to choose the attitudes, actions, and reactions that shape our lives. It is a concept of power that puts us in the driver’s seat. The grand panorama of the potential of our lives can only be appreciated when we begin to be accountable and self-reliant.
Responsible people not only depend on themselves, but show others that they can be depended on. This breeds trust, and trust is a key that opens many doors.

If you want more control over your life and the pleasures, prerogatives, and power of freedom and independence, all you have to do is be responsible.

-Michael Josephson

I also watched this little “poem/movie” from Michael Josephson and found it quite inspirational.  Take a moment and watch it, I think you will find it well worth your time: What Will Matter Movie

To your success!
-Kip Kint, Success Coach & President, Mission Ignition