Start with an Idea that WON'T Make You Money

Pierre Omidyar wanted to trade Pez dispensers not create a business for himself.

He started with an idea which later became e-commerce Bay area, or eBay for short.

Pierre is now the 120th richest person in the world and to date has committed over $270 million to economic advancement throughout the world.

I see far too many people try to build their idea into the next "big" thing and not focus on the passion that brought it to their imagination in the first place. That's like an NFL player catching a ball just for the money. I guarantee he didn't start out with that mindset when he first picked one up at 6 years old.

Instead of getting trapped in the "how" (not enough money, time or resources), focus your idea on the "what" (what do you want to accomplish?). Your idea could quickly (or slowly) bring you the financial outcome you're dreaming about right now.

Like Cheese, You Become Worth MORE with Age

Many people mistakenly believe they become worth less as they age. I hear it every day with statements like "I've climbed as high as I can on the career ladder" (actually heard from a receptionist), "I'm so old, why would anyone hire me?" (stated by a 49 year-old client) and my personal favorite "my company is firing all the older employees so they can hire kids fresh from school at a fraction of the pay" (from a client with 30 years of knowledge and experience in his field).

Ubriaco is one of the most expensive types of cheese in the world. It is aged nearly 12 months before going to market and usually commands over $30 per pound. Unprocessed cheese (i.e., those with hard to pronounce names like Ubriaco) technically don’t ever spoil. After all, cheese is nothing more than spoiled milk. Can you really spoil, spoiled milk?

Cheese does however grow mold. Just leave it wrapped in a plastic bag in your refrigerator for about six months. I just found one in my mom’s fridge and it wasn’t pretty.

This may have happened with your career. Have you stopped growing and learning and now you find yourself stuck as a receptionist with no where else to go?

If your refrigerator houses moldy cheese your situation is not hopeless. Technically you can cut off the mold and not be harmed in the least by what was formerly growing. You may find that you need to do this with your career. You can attend a few night classes, check out some free tele-seminars online or visit your local library. I’ve posted my favorite reads online if you need a kick-start.

If nothing changed in your life over the next five years would that be OK? If it’s time to dust off the mold, identify where you want to be and then develop a plan to get there.