This is actually the image of The Ouroboros. A mythical, symbolic creature, used throughout antiquity by various philosophers, religions and psychologists as a representation of entirely too many things to list here!

But I do prefer one of the oldest interpretations, by our dear old buddy Plato. For Plato, the Ouroboros represents the ultimate manifestation of “self-reliance.”
An entity that he describes as: “…(for) the Creator conceived that a being which was self-sufficient would be far more excellent than one which lacked anything.”

Now, this mean looking thing is certainly not going to be voted the official mascot of entrepreneurs, but it could certainly make a darn good case. The beast is seen to feed on itself, as the entrepreneur must look inward for the fuel of motivation. It’s cyclical nature is not unlike an entrepreneurs need to be flexible, and continue to refurbish their methods, strategies and efforts.

Bottom line, as entrepreneurs we are both friend and foe to ourselves. One hour we can be our greatest asset, the next our worst enemy. It is only the belief we hold in OURSELVES, that decides which side of the fence we fall on.

Believe.

All the best,

Jay Kubassek

There’s EXITS behind you. High School. First Job. First Girlfriend. First Boyfriend.

You can see all of those pretty clear in the rear view mirror.

Despite the fact you’re driving in the opposite direction, they all seem to be right… there…. Strangely still crystal clear.

Right behind you, when you look in your Rear View mirror.

But… you can’t really make out the EXITS ahead. They’re not foggy, but blurry. Threes look like Eights, Eights look like Threes. You flash the brights in hope of a little help. Doesn’t get any better.

It seems that you just have to keep moving forward, and trust that You’re road…is well You’re road. I guess you have to Believe in Yourself, right?

But every once in a while, on you’re road, there not just an exit, but an Intersection. New ROADS appear.

Right banks, hard lefts, sharp rights…..There are EXITS along these roads too.

You can’t really make those out any better than the one’s in front of you now, but then again, you can clearly see what’s behind you on the road you’re currently on.

Do you want more EXITS like the one’s in your past? Or are you willing to take a hard right onto a NEW ROAD. And see if you can’t leave something better in your rear view.

After all it is YOUR Road, remember?

———————————————-

Every day entrepreneurs around the world, take new roads to higher places. I look for my next intersection everyday. A chance to improve, to perform, to create, to assist, to grow.

Stay positive, keep the rear view where it belongs, behind you.

All my best,

Jay Kubassek

Despite what seems like a rather dark undertone (after all it’s demons we’re talking about here), Lewis spurs great heights of humor with each page, and presents some incredibly enduring and poignant insights about human life.

In one of the latter letters, Screwtape describes to Wormwood the inner workings of man very interestingly. Says Screwtape: “Think of your man as a series of concentric circles, his will being the innermost, his intellect coming next, and finally his fantasy….(what) you must (do) is keep on shoving all the virtues outward, till they are finally located in the circle of fantasy.”

Will. Intellect. Fantasy.

I should say it’s not my intention now, nor in the future, to lecture about what is or isn’t virtuous. That is obviously and absolutely not my place.

However, I do think this passage spotlights an important point for entrepreneurs, or anyone for that matter, which is: whatever we want to achieve, whether that’s a more virtuous existence, business or individual goals, the PURSUIT MUST BEGIN INTERNALLY, WITH OUR WILL.

• Will: We already know we are more likely to achieve something we are passionate about. We have a different level of energy and motivation. We CARE more. This is the station we should be pulling our 18 wheelers full of goals into for fueling. This is where our goals become habits.
• Intellect: Almost inevitably, when we are confronted with a situation that is difficult, frightening or uncomfortable, we begin to over-analyze the issue. We intellectualize the situation into the ground and only end up sort of mentally chasing our own tail into exhaustion. Now, this is not to say our intellect isn’t a big part of our problem solving strategy, because it is. But…we have to know when call on our intuition and trust ourselves for that last bit of guidance.
• Fantasy: The final frontier. We all know too many people who perpetually live in this space. This place is littered with sentences that begin with stuff like: “I hope to one day-”…” It would be nice if-”… “If only I could (blank)”… The challenge for entrepreneurs is to keep our goals out of this realm. This is a realm of INACTION. Where “hoping” and “wishing” instead of DOING reign supreme.

Nevertheless, we live in a world where there’s always someone trying to tell us or sell us, usually both, that their way is the right way, the only way, the best way, the fastest way.

Advice is a wonderful thing, and the most successful people I know are always the most willing students, but at the end of the day, I think it’s important to remember that any real growth, any lasting sustainable change, always comes from within.

All my best,

Jay Kubassek

Pronunciation: \ˈlək\ Function: noun
1. a: a force that brings good fortune or adversity b: the events or circumstances that operate for or against an individual
2 : favoring chance; also: success
3: to prosper or succeed especially through chance or good fortune—usually used with out
4 : to come upon something desirable by chance —usually used with out, on, onto, or into

Lady Luck. We all know her. Celebrated in song, and in film. Wished upon us at the start of a journey or challenge. Prayed for, when we think we need it most. But seriously, what exactly is “Luck?” Beyond that, how does one become “Lucky?”

I’ve been called lucky more times than I could count, or ever want to for that matter. At a marketing event a couple of weeks ago I was asked: “But really man…mufflers in Topeka Kansas 6 years ago…to this? No way! You’ve got to be the luckiest guys ever! I need to take you to Vegas!” Charming fellow, but I couldn’t help but laugh at this guys’ enthusiasm. It was like he found a gold-plated rabbit’s foot wrapped in 20’s or something.

I told him: “First off I don’t gamble. I only bet on myself, that I can control! And second…you make your own luck, you’re not born with it. If that was the case I would’ve been successful a lot sooner than 6 years ago!” I knew he had probably heard that before; it’s not uncommon to hear people say that we make our own “luck.” But for some reason he actually paused, and seemed to think about the actual words. Maybe it was the sincerity with which he heard it, or maybe how I said it (since I really did mean it), but something dawned in him. He looked at me blankly for a second, then he simply responded: “You’re right. I guess I just haven’t been looking.”

“Luck”, at its base, is the essence of opportunity. Circumstances, decisions or relationships that present opportunities for our benefit. So how does one go about recognizing these things? My Vegas (almost) road-buddy hit it right on the head. We have to open our eyes, and Look.

“Lucky” people don’t have any mysterious or magical skills; they are simply adept at noticing, creating and most importantly, ACTING upon chance opportunities. They act on Intuition and are Optimists. They remain Open-Minded in times of struggle or uncertainty, and they maintain this Mindset constantly. If you think about it, simple reason would say: the more opportunities a person encounters (or creates) the more likely one is get favorable results. Right?

Everyday, it becomes easier for us to interact with one another. Ideas, energy and passions are exchanged and discussed. Ideas become reality. And People are actively creating the lives they wanted, helping those in need, inspiring those who are lost. Now, are all these people just “lucky”, or is something else in play? You tell me.

All my best,

Jay Kubassek

Every four years, the eyes, ears and hearts of billions turn to soccer. It’s not simply a tournament. I think it’s sort of a like a pageant of humanity. A global display where passion illuminates more of what we have in common, that what we don’t.

One cannot really speak about this World Cup without acknowledging the significance of it’s location, South Africa. The first cup on African soil. A place where they say the earth has turned red from bloodshed and tears, in an effort to UNITE.

South Africa, as the host nation, has chosen to underscore these games with the classical concept UBUNTU. Ubuntu (who’s origins are the Bantu languages of southern Africa) is a humanist philosophy that focuses on people’s allegiances and relations with each other. It is called the essence of being human.

Ubuntu is about our interconnectedness; how we can’t live in isolation. Yes, Facebook and Twitter have done great things to bring us closer together, but at the end of the day it’s not how we get to each other, but how we treat each other once we get there. The technology of our age now asks that we extend those principles to the Internet. Our communication, our leadership and our commerce. The trust necessary for a collective prosperity. There’s a cool Zulu maxim which I will probably never be able to pronounce that goes: “umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu.” It means a person is, who they are, through others.

“A person is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.”
-Rev. Desmond Tutu

Open to others. Available to others. Affirming of others. Words to live by. Could we? For perhaps just one week? A day? An hour perhaps?

As the FIFA World Cup continues to capture the imagination of billions across the globe, we can’t help but beg the question: “if something as small a soccer ball can unite the world in celebration and peace, what else can we do?”

Hmmm…..

All my best,

Jay Kubassek

The digitization of modern communication has put the written word front and center in our everyday lives. We are constantly texting, tweeting, emailing, bbm’ng, g-chatting and the like. I swear we probably write more with our thumbs than the rest of our hands! We all understand that our ability to effectively articulate our thoughts, solutions, expertise and sentiments are cardinal elements of any entrepreneurial business. Everyday we’ve got to create blog posts, ad copy, auto-responders, headlines, sub-headlines. All of which are crucial elements contributing to our success.

The process of improving how we communicate is invariably different for each person. But regardless of how it happens, it’s really just about doing it. You can’t work on your swing if you don’t go to the cages right? I was given a cool little book this past Christmas called The Elements of Style that has helped a ton with those annoying little grammar principles we often forget. Things like: its vs. it’s, when to use among vs. between, and all the dreaded rules about punctuation.

So… since I missed out on having a tweed-laden professor in corduroys with a constellation of crumbs in his beard teach me all these golden nuggets of grammar, I have this handy little text which I recommend.

It’s funny when you become a parent, and it’s time to help with homework, you realize school’s never really out. Keep improving everyone.

All my best,

Jay Kubassek

p.s.  I found it online here: http://www.crockford.com/wrrrld/style.html. But I would say grab it on Amazon so you can refer to it more readily when you have questions.

Here’s a couple of tax exemptions to keep in mind for the coming year. Obviously, doing something for a tax deduction isn’t good business sense, but it seems smart to add to your action items if you’re just getting started.

PLEASE NOTE: Obviously I cannot give you tax advice but I can tell you some of the things that I personally do:) Please consult a CPA before making any tax decisions! I always like to know what the parameters are and usually err on the conservative side. The last thing you want to do is attract the ire of the IRS by setting off their pretty little red flags.

Home Office: If it’s a room for storing the rusty Bowflex you can’t seem to get rid of, and the kids softball gear, that would be a “no.” But if it isn’t, glory be! I personally write of a portion of my mortgage, utilities, rent, insurance, etc. Talk to your CPA about this one… it’s a biggie.

Gifts: Sending your sponsor a nice bottle of scotch? (hint) This can be included up to $25 bucks per gift. (It adds up.) Again, check with your CPA to see how laws in your state, province, or country rule on this.

Legal and Business Expenses: Setting up your LLC, filing with the state etc. I write it all off.

Travel and Meal Expenses: I save all receipts from meals that are business related. My accountant like me to write the name of the client and nature of the meeting on the top… I stuff these in my wallet and collect in a shoe box in my office in case the tax man wants to see them. I also deduct mileage, tolls & parking fees. (Track the odometer start and finish for each trip) where your going and why. I always err on the low side and never try to push the limits with travel deductions. This is one thing the IRS looks at closely as there are a lot of people working the loop-holes.

Philanthropy: Goodwill. Red Cross. I always save the receipts and hand over to my CPA at the end of the year. With the tax bracket I am in (close to 50% all included) a $1000 donation to the Red Cross is really only costing me $500! Give away, and give often! Here are some of my favorites: http://www.jaykubassek.com/causes

Software: Adobe, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, Mac software, whatever. Save your receipts… Even magazines (online or otherwise) can be included.

Cell Phone, Internet service, Land Line (Skype): If it’s used for your business, it’s PARTIALLY deductible. (Only the portion used for business purposes.)

Loan Interest: If it’s from a relative, well I can’t help you with that one:) you’ll have to make sure it conforms to IRS (or your local governments) rules.

I find that if I do the little things throughout the year, it saves me a heck of a lot of time at the end. Not to mention the bill from my accountant is less painful. Needless to say, I rest assured that I am not OVER paying as a result of laziness on my part.

Again, please be sure to get yourself a good CPA to consult you on this stuff. As an entrepreneur, this is just one of the many little annoyances you will have to tolerate.

All the best,

Jay Kubassek

Great people, give even greater sacrifices for the betterment of others. Some are remembered with parades and street signs, others holidays and stamps. But today we remember those that gave, whatever the cost, without the need or promise of applause. The GIVERS in our lives whose names aren’t bronzed, but whose deeds remain living through our memories.

Today let’s remember those who gave of their present so that we may have a better future.

Whoever it may be, wherever they are… remember them today.

All my best,

Jay Kubassek

You’re probably wondering, just what the heck this “Lizard Brain” has to do with the life of an entrepreneur? Well, just about everything! I was introduced to it in this great book Making Ideas Happen by Scott Belsky, the founder and CEO of Behance (a leading platform for creative professionals). Belsky describes a lecture Seth Godin (yes that one) gave discussing how this tiny little organ keeps 97% of the population from the completion of projects and the realization of our goals. Our amygdala (don’t ask me to pronounce this by the way) is what keeps us fearful. Fearful of the acceptance of our ideas, change and new challenges. It sabotages our confidence and compels us to play it safe. Then what do we do? We end up perpetually second guessing ourselves and remain stagnant in the pursuit of our ambitions.

“what creative people need, is to quiet down that lizard brain.”- Seth Godin

Biological tendencies are tough to conquer sometimes. We all probably have one or two things we just can’t seem to stop doing. However, being fearful is not one of them. Fear is invariably conquerable. The truth of the situation is; most of the obstacles to our success are self-inflicted. We worry about acceptance, looming failure or public ridicule. Let me tell you, as a person who definitely has experienced my fair share of disappointment, the last thing that matters is what other people think! Sure we all have occasional missteps, but it is the very acceptance of risk, and failure for that matter, that empowers us to achieve.

The next time you’re feeling your confidence shaken, or that annoying tinge of fear; embrace your intellect, your creativity and your passion. Shut that lizard up. After all you can’t hit a homerun if you don’t swing.

“the motivation for me, was them telling me what I could not be” -Pharrell Williams

All my best,

Jay Kubassek

At first perception, most would think a conference such as this would be filled with new, grand sweeping concepts, and secret formulas for success. While numerable progressive strategies and innovative principles of business are discussed and taught, the most prevalent aspect of the training lies in the perfection of details. The details, often thought to be mundane in their nature, which make up the truly essential elements of success. The proverbial “little things” that we hope to ignore, but come to find are those elemental aspects that separate the good from the great. The fledgling from the prosperous.

We all know life in it’s totality is comprised of these little things. The things that don’t garner applause or promise reward. The sacrifices we make in silence. It is these things that are the bedrock of our best selves. There is a wonderful quote by the author James Allen I always keep handy: “He who masters the small become the rightful possessor of the great.”

Whether it’s your business, familial duties, or friendships; embrace an honest commitment to the perfection of the unceremonious. These “little things” will never cease to separate those who strive for betterment, and those that make it a daily activity.

Have a great weekend everyone.

All my best,

Jay Kubassek