by Howard Partridge.

Employees can be your biggest nightmare, or your biggest asset. It depends mostly on your leadership skills. Here are a couple of tips on leadership.

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by Howard Partridge.

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by Howard Partridge.

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by Howard Partridge.

While many people are making New Year’s “resolutions” to get fit physically, business owners and professionals are resolving to get their business fit.

Here’s a video message on how to avoid the number one reason small businesses don’t grow.

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by Howard Partridge.

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by Howard Partridge.

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by Howard Partridge.

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by Howard Partridge.

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by Howard Partridge.

I just got back from a GREAT trip to Austin. My wife and I attended the “Get Motivated” Event that is put on by Peter and Tamara Lowe. This is an incredible event drawing thousands of people. This one had about 12,000 in attendance. I have been to some that were over 20,000 people.

I was invited backstage to be with the Ziglars (thanks Julie!) and I got to meet “The Redhead” (Jean) for the first time.

I also got to meet Chris Howard from Howard Publishing who is publishing Zig’s newest book “Embrace the Struggle” that tells about the aftermath of his fall.

And finally, I met Peter and Tamara Lowe. My hat is off to them for putting on such a great show AND sharing the Gospel of Christ in a seminar setting! I love it!

Other speakers included Rudy Guiliani and Colin Powell.

But the BEST part was spending two days with my wife. We spent some time at the San Marcos Outlet Mall which is one of the nicest and largest in the country. My brother lives in Austin so we were able to stay with him and have a wonderful dinner with him and his family.

Here’s some pics..

Backstage with Zig, Jean, my wife Denise and her friend Debbie

The Ziglar’s and Tamara Lowe

“Front row seats with my good friend Luis Hernandez, his lovely wife Carla and their grand baby Carly”

My lovely bride Denise

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by Howard Partridge.

One of my favorite magazines (for business) is “Success” Magazine.

This month’s issue had a great article by Jim Cathcart who I have talked about a lot. He is the author of “Relationship Selling”. Here are 5 Tips form his article called “Relationship Intelligence - Value People, Boost Your Sales”

1. Approach each contact as the beginning of a long-term High-Value Relationship. Expect great things over the long run., and do your part to help both of you achieve your desired outcomes.

2. Plan to be loyal to your customers whether they are loyal to you or not. And be trustworthy so they will want to be loyal in turn.

3. Continually ask yourself, “What else could I do for them without asking for something else?”

4. Give them the option to occasionally “have a bad day” without becoming upset or judgemental toward them. Nobody is always at their best.

5. Don’t always ask for something, occasionally just give them something or just listen to them without trying to “fix” them or sell to them.

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by Howard Partridge.

Someone once said “you will be changed most in life by the people you meet”. The people that are in your life (or that could be) can have a dramatic impact on your success.

I don’t mean that they influence you or change you because they have to have your permission to do that. But people who encourage you give you confidence and courage. When you are discouraged, they lift you up. I was talking to my friend John Browning the other day, and we discussed a few things - just life stuff - and at the end of the call he said “you’re awesome!”. Many times we might close the phone call with “I love you” because we are that close.

 The point is that we need to have people on our dream team. We need to have people in our lives that care about us and our success.

 It is up to us to foster those relationships. One of the simple ways to do that has gone by the wayside with e-mail and texting. An art that the “old timers” such as Mary Kay Ash and Dale Carnegie used.

 The same technique that was such a great relationship builder that it turned auto salesman Joe Girard into the “world’s greatest salesman” according to the Guiness Book of World Records.

 What is that simple technique? Writing personal notes and sending personal heartfelt greeting cards.

Send one card a day and you will bless 365 people a year and your life will be changed. Guaranteed.

 To make your card sending easier than ever, use Send Out Cards. Go to www.SendOutCards.com/7162 and try it for free.

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by Howard Partridge.

I just cracked open last month’s issue of Success Magazine which is one of my favorite magazines. The reason I am just now getting to last month’s issue is that I am “behind” on my reading!  It seems that so many things… presentations, meetings, projects, webinars, HURRICAINES! etc. are taking precedence.

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by Howard Partridge.

 I am completely overwhelmed that the one and only, world famous Zig Ziglar appeared at my Round Table. I want to give a big thank you to Margaret Garrett, Tom Ziglar and Julie Ziglar for making it a huge success.

 For a solid 45 minutes, wisdom flowed from Zig. It was electric! The audience loved him and it was a real treat.

To find out more about the event and to see videos of what attendees had to say, visit www.HowardPartridgeRoundTable.com

 See ya!

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by Howard Partridge.

I am so overwhelmed to have none other than Zig Ziglar himself speaking at my Round Table! For all the details, go to www.HowardPartridgeRoundTable.com

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by Howard Partridge.

Last month I had the great pleasure of meeting Dr. Ivan Misner who is someone I have wanted to meet for years. Dr. Misner is the founder of BNI (Business Networks International) which is the largest business networking organization in the world.  Not only did I get to meet him, I will be interviewing him Tuesday night! And since you were nice enough to visit my blog, you can listen in for free. Just see the link at the bottom of this post.  

The reason I wanted to meet Dr. Misner is because he wrote a book called Business by Referral that I believe is one of the best if not THE best book ever written on referral marketing. The reason is that most books focus on how to get referrals rather than building a Referral Marketing SYSTEM.  After Ivan’s outstanding presentation at the Send Out Cards Convention last month, I realized he had a number of other books including his latest one called “The 29% Solution” which outlines 52 Weekly Networking Strategies.  

Anyone who knows me understands how much I value networking. Building your network and learning how to master the art of networking will literally change your life. Business is about relationships.  The reason Zig Ziglar is appearing at my Round Table is because of a RELATIONSHIP. And that goes for all of the other speakers as well.So I look forward to a long lasting relationship with Dr. Misner and BNI. I have recommended BNI for many years and am now very excited to interview him.  

If you would like to join Ivan and myself on the call Tuesday September 16^th at 6:00pm , just click this link: www.instanttelesminar.com/?preview=1&previewbar=1&eventid=4182537  P.S. Zig Ziglar and I look forward to seeing you (and yes, we really do mean YOU) at the top and at my Round Table! www.HowardPartridgeRoundTable.com  

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by Howard Partridge.

I am in Costa Rica right now putting the final touches on my next Round Table featuring Zig Ziglar live and in-person. The event will be held October 8^th, 9^th, and 10^th. Registration details will be available soon.   I can’t help but be so grateful for the amazing friends I have. I arrived in San Jose and was picked up by my buddy Carlos Avendano, who graciously brought me to where I needed to be (about 3 hours away).  

Carlos has been a family friend for many years and used to work as a technician at my cleaning company and eventually went on to open his own in Costa Rica. He is doing an OUTSTANDING job building his business! Great job Carlos!!!  My friend David Frey, who is an AMAZING marketer arranged a rental house for me right next to his (he took the summer off with his family and took them to Costa Rica). His family has treated me like a king and we have been on ATVs, Horseback Riding and the whole bit. At night he pours out his marketing wisdom to me.  

I have learned so MUCH about marketing. But more than that, I am reminded of how great it is to have great friends.  By the way, Dave will be speaking at my next Round Table. If you want to learn how to get all the referrals you can handle, be there.  

Dave’s website is www.MarketingBestPractices.com  Check out my Costa Rica Videos at http://www.viddler.com/explore/HowardPartridge/videos 

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by Howard Partridge.

Hello from Paradise!  I am in Destin (again!) with my wife Denise and my son Christian. While down here on the beach, I have been doing my Referral Marketing from my desktop using “The Greatest Marketing Tool EVER Created!”  

What is that tool?  

Send Out Cards 

From the Send Out Cards website and choose from over 13,000 cards and they will PRINT the card and MAIL it for you! (this is NOT an e-mail card). Imagine being able to send a personalized greeting card for less than a dollar! When you go to the store, you wait in line to pay 3 bucks.  

Personalized, heart felt greeting cards are a wonderful way to stay in touch with friends, family, clients, and prospects.  

Send Out Cards has several hand writing fonts that look real. Plus, you can even upload your own hand writing!  

Use your OWN picture…  

You can upload ANY picture from your computer and put it inside the card. Not only that, you can even make your own card from your picture!  

How ‘bout a Starbucks Card?  You can even insert a gift card…

Choose from American Express, Starbucks, Home Depot, Restaurants and more.

Now you can send a personalized greeting card and a gift card for a birthday or occasion.  

If that isn’t enough, you can include chocolates, brownies, cookies, even books with your order!  

Imagine sending one of your important clients a personalized greeting card and some brownies right from your computer!  Post Cards too.

Want to test some post cards without investing in printing the “minimum” quantity? No problem. For as low as 31 cents plus postage, you can send a full color post card. Just one if you like.  

It gets even better…  You can upload an entire list of contacts, and you can do “funnels” or “campaigns”. Say you want each of your new clients to get a sequence of pre-planned cards – maybe a Thank You Card first, then a Referral Card, then a Mini-Newsletter.  Just drop a contact in that Campaign and the system will do the rest!  

Here’s the best part… Send Out Cards can be a powerful way to generate another stream of income. When others use Send Out Cards because of you, you make MONEY!  

Your referral contacts and business associates will LOVE Send Out Cards!  Try Send Out Cards for FREE! I have set aside a few Gift Accounts for those who read my Blog.

To send a couple of cards for FREE, follow this link:  www.SendOutCards.com/7162  

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by Howard Partridge.

Memorial Day 2008.  I am in Destin sitting on the beach re-reading Zig Ziglar’s “Over the Top”. Chapter 10 starts with an extension of one of my favorite quotes.  The quote by Thoreau: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.” The rest of it continues… “If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. If you build castles in the air, your work will not be lost. That is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them.”  As I reflected on the freedom we have this Memorial Day, it occurred to me that we have the “Freedom to Dream”, but we don’t take advantage of it. We wake up every day in the “freest” country in the world – where anything is possible. Yet we don’t have dreams.  

As I dug my toes in the sand, enjoying the serenity of the deep blue sky and cool Emerald waters, the silence was broken by two military jets from nearby Eglin A.F.B.  They took my breath away.  Not because they were loud, but because of the awesome power they possess and the authority they represent – the authority to defend the greatest nation on planet earth. Now we know that all power and authority comes from God and that that freedom comes with responsibility and the power we have been given must not be taken lightly.  But we should remember our military every day. We should remember that their sacrifice is what has given us the “freedom to dream”.  

If you are as sentimental about our military as I am, please help encourage them by supporting Zig Ziglar’s “Encourage Our Military” Program. Your subscription to the Ziglar Vault gets 15 active military personnel access to Ziglar’s best work. Plus, for a limited time, you can get Ziglar products at MY COST to support the cause. I don’t make a penny. Please help.  Click this link to help out: http://www.howardpartridge.com/Zig_Ziglar_Howard_Partridge/index.html Back to the “castles in the sky”. I hope you have dreams and I hope you have a wonderful place you can go to dream. Yesterday I rode my bike to my favorite beach. 3 miles of unspoiled paradise. There I can think and grow, I can dream, and be inspired. I can even use the large white beach as a “white board”. I love it!  Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you have always imagined. And if you haven’t imagined it, start dreaming today!

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by Howard Partridge.

The Spring 2008 Howard Partridge Round Table is Now Over and YOU MISSED IT! Get the Event Package for ONLY $74.75 Per Month and Help World Famous Zig Ziglar Encourage Our Troops!

121 carpet cleaners from as far away as New Zealand and Canada assembled in Houston, Texas and experienced 3 days of the most advanced, cutting edge business building information for carpet cleaners ever offered. The speakers were amazing and everyone there was completely blown away with how much valuable information they got.

*** Order the Round Table Package and Get an Entire Year in the Ziglar Vault and You Will Sponsor 15 Military Personnel! ***

Zig Ziglar is the world’s TOP sales trainer and “motivational” speaker. He commands a staggering $100,000.00 for a single speech! I met Zig Ziglar a few years ago, but never pursued the relationship further. A few weeks ago, I decided to pay him a visit. Zig was all set to show up at my Round Table, but had an urgent medical procedure that took precedence. So we decided to do a video interview instead. I showed the video at the Round Table last week which was VERY emotional. I will have that video on my site soon, so stay tuned! Click Here to Learn All About the Best Round Table Event EVER! >> http://www.howardpartridgeroundtable.com

*** Zig’s Passion ***

Zig is 82 and still “has it”. He was witty, funny, and most importantly, his message touched the heart and inspired the crowd to “pursue a life of goodness and success”. While visiting Zig Ziglar, I discovered that he has a passion for helping our troops - and he has created a way to do that. Last night, you and I slept safe and sound. Why? Because our soldiers are putting their lives on the line. It doesn’t matter what your view of the war is, we need to encourage our military.

Click Here to See What Attendees Had to Say About the Round Table >> http://www.howardpartridgeroundtable.com

*** Here’s how you can help Zig help our troops… ***

When you subscribe to the Ziglar Vault, you get to download any one of Ziglar’s video or audio that you like each and every month. The vault contains almost everything Zig has done in his lifetime! For EVERY SINGLE person who subscribes, they DONATE 15 Ziglar Vault Subscriptions to active military personnel! You will personally sponsor 15 of our soldiers!!

Here’s how it works: The Ziglar Corporation is actively reaching out to military personnel to let them know about this program. So, if you know someone personally who is in the military, you will be able to refer them directly to Ziglar! Otherwise, you simply open 15 new slots with your subscription!

Imagine this: You get 12 downloads, and 15 military personnel get 12 downloads too! Talk about a bunch of motivated people! Get an ENTIRE YEAR in the Ziglar Vault When You Get the Round Table Package! $179.00 Value FREE! (and YOU support 15 U.S. Soldiers!)

NOTICE: This offer EXPIRES at 5:00pm CENTRAL on Friday May 30th! After that, the package will cost more and may not be available at all, so HURRY!

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by Howard Partridge.

Last night’s Speaker Preview Call was… well… PHENOMENAL! I had four of the speakers that will be presenting at the upcoming Round Table on the line.  They were all awesome. In fact, several “tips” were shared. Clark Lovrien (general manager of the LARGEST independent carpet cleaning company in America) shared one simple strategy that could easily be worth in excess of $100k!!

Chuck Coonradt (author of  Game of Work) shed some light on “how toyou’re your employees to do WHAT you want WHEN you want it… Ellen Rohr shared some great wisdom gleaned from taking a service company much like yours from zero to over $40 million per year (in less than 2 years) 

And my best friend Dave DeBlander offered a “sneak peek” at what he will be sharing at the upcoming Round Table  To listen to the call online right now, click this link or copy it into your browser http://instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=2367696 

The Spring 2008 Howard Partridge Round Table and Tour of my $2.6 Million Carpet Cleaning Company is almost 75% full, and the special offers EXPIRE SOON, so register online RIGHT NOW! http://www.HowardPartridgeRoundTable.com I am looking forward to meeting YOU in person!

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by Howard Partridge.

Find out what the speakers will be talking about at the upcoming Spring 2008 Howard Partridge Round Table and Tour of My $2.6 Million Carpet Cleaning Company!  Plus, find out about the NEW, LATEST, and GREATEST programs that I will be rolling out at this special event! 

The call will be held tonight, April 3^rd at 7:00pm Central (do the math for your zip code).  Here are the PHENOMENAL people you will meet tonight…   

• Ellen Rohr who led a service company much like yours from zero to over $40 million in less than 2 years!

• Chuck Coonradt, author of the best selling GAME of WORK (the best management book ever written in my opinion).

• Dave DeBlander who built his carpet cleaning business from one struggling truck to over $58k per month AVERAGE (his highest month was $84k!)

• Clark Lovrien, General Manager of the LARGEST independent carpet cleaning company in America!

Plus, I will share a little about what I will be presenting AND a little bit more about the programs I will be rolling out at this event.  

Just one thing that you can learn from these amazing speakers on this call can dramatically improve your business, and the call is FREE!  The call will be held at 7:00pm Central Time and you can call in or listen over the web. To join the call, simply click this link:  

http://instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=2367696

If you have not registered for the Round Table yet, we have EXTENDED the special offers until Tuesday April 15th, but it will most likely be FULL before that!

To find out more about the Round Table, visit http://www.HowardPartridgeRoundTable.com

See you on the call!

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by Howard Partridge.

Ellen Rohr who led a service company much like yours from zero to OVER $40 MILLION · Mike Guasch, ex-carpet cleaner who built Stone Tech Pro® and sold it for MILLIONS! · Owner and Manager of the LARGEST independent carpet cleaning company in U.S. · Chuck Coonradt, author of the Game of Work –get your employees to PLAY the GAME! · Dave DeBlander from 1 low priced, struggling truck to over $58k PER MONTH! · John Braun reveals the secrets of writing advertising copy that MAKES YOU MONEY! · The Knights of the Round Table reveal how they added over $100k per year to their businesses! · Jerry Wiles, human development expert and host of worldwide syndicated radio show · Doyle Bloss, Bridgepoint Systems – strategies to take your business to the NEXT LEVEL!

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by Howard Partridge.

The Game of Work is the best “management” book I have ever read, and I have read a LOT of books on leadership, management and personal development. What I like about Game of Work is that it gives you a real system that you can use to measure performance in your company.

Your employees can you be your greatest asset or your biggest nightmare and it mostly depends on the skill you have as a manager and leader. And it also depends on the “management system” you have set up.

Unfortunately, most small business owners fail miserably in this area. Failure is usually NOT because of the common misconception that you can’t find “good people”. Given them the right game to play and they will approach work with the same enthusiasm as they do sports.

Check out this interview with Chuck Coonradt , author of Game of Work.

Chuck will be speaking LIVE at my next Round Table set for April 24^th – 26^th in Houston. For more details, visit www.HowardPartridgeRoundTable.com

To view the video of Chuck, click http://www.podtech.net/home/3903/the-game-of-work

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by Howard Partridge.

I just got back from speaking at SURFACES which is the largest floor covering show in the World. I have been to Surfaces many times, but this is the first time I actually presented. The presentation got very high marks (of course!).

I enjoyed visiting with a number of floor covering professionals, and I got to see a lot of old friends in the carpet cleaning industry, including spending time with some of my Knights Members. Pictured from left to right: Annette and Bart Gines (who used my system to DOUBLE their business in 30 days and they have maintained that level for 4 months through the “slow” (I mean “opportunity” season). Ralph Greco who added over $100k to his business with my system in just one year. I also ran into my good friend “Dusty” Stephen Roberts, creator of the RugBadger. Dusty was in my very FIRST seminar way back in 1999.

Although I am not a fan of “sin” city and I fall asleep at “shows”, it is always great to see industry friends.

Looking forward to seeing everyone at the next Howard Partridge Round Table and Knights Mastermind.

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by Howard Partridge.

Driving to Destin I noticed a large motor home with a huge silver panel that simply said “FREEDOM”.

I’m sure that “freedom” means different things to different people, just like “success” does.

Yet, as Americans, we open our eyes each day with a FREEDOM that no other country enjoys.

Yet most Americans are SLAVES.

Slaves to work, slaves to debt, slaves to lust, slaves of our own negative thoughts, slaves to dysfunctional relationships.
We live in a PRISON of our own making.
Why do we do that? In a place where we can wake up and be whoever we want to be, and do whatever we want to do, we put ourselves in these incredible prisons and we feel like there is no way out.
But the fact is that we are already FREE.

One of the elders of my church spoke about his late father who was a prisoner in a Nazi camp. One morning they woke up to find that all of the guards were gone and the gates were wide open. They were free. But what did they do? They sat down. “Is it a trick?” they thought? “Will the townspeople ambush us?”

Because of the FEAR of the unknown, they just sat there until the U.S. rescued them.
What about you? Are you accepting your freedom? Are you taking action, or are you waiting for someone familiar to rescue you? Are you afraid of the unknown?
On July 4^th, I walked outside to the beach. I spent the entire week re-reading Napolean Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” word for word.  (Just for the record, I think the steps in that book are powerful – except some of the later chapters that get a little weird).
On that day, July 4^th – “Independence Day” – “Freedom Day”, I opened the book and to my surprise, there was a story about that day and how the Declaration of Independence came about.
The chapter was on DECISION. In that chapter, Hill told the amazing and inspirational story of a DECISION that two men made. John Hancock and Samuel Adams (if I recall correctly) made a DECISION to form a MASTERMIND with the colonies. Specifically to discuss the treatment of the colonies by the British.
It was because of that DECISION that 2 men made that paved the way for the FREEDOM you enjoy TODAY. The DECISION those two men made that day changed the history of the entire world.
Will you DECIDE for FREEDOM today?
You are FREE. Accept it.
Sure, everyone has problems and challenges, but that is what makes us grow. It gives up “perseverance” and “proven character” and “hope”. And “hope” doesn’t disappoint.
Perhaps you have some real challenges. My friend Ray Davis who died of MS this year, laid in a bed for years. Every time I went to see him, instead of complaining, he lifted me up. He wanted to know about my life. He encouraged everyone around him.
I have a picture in my study of an American slave that I took out of LIFE magazine. Judging by the picture, the man was about 80, and was most likely snatched out of his everyday life in Africa. Put on a slave ship and separated from his family. Sold to the highest bidder.
And do you know, that no matter what happened to him, that there were two places in him that NO ONE could touch… His heart and his mind. They belong to him and God alone.
So, I have that picture to remind me of two things: One, no one can get to my heart or mind without my permission. And second, no matter how I may be tempted to view my life, I will most likely never experience anything as horrible as some.
We should all be grateful for what we have. We should be grateful for the sacrifice that our armed forces are making at this very moment.
I work with lots of small business owners and the challenges that they face put them in an imaginary prison. So each day, you have a choice:
“Will I live in a PRISON?” or “Will I DECIDE that I AM already FREE?”
Every day when I wake up, I don’t feel too good until I get a little Starbuck’s in me. So, I’m thinking about the things I need to do, the things I don’t want to do, and so on. Of course there are those times when something amazing just happened or is about to happen and you spring out of bed full of inspiration, but most often it is a CHOICE. It is a DECISION.

So, I remind myself of the FREEDOM I have.
I remind myself that life is about L.I.F.E. (Living In Freedom Everyday) and every moment. So, I DECIDE that I will set my MIND on things above – things that are pure, things that are lovely, things that are holy. I will focus on the POSSIBILITIES instead of the PROBLEMS.
Sure, problems have to be solved, but it is a choice to THINK about the solution rather than just wallow in the problem.
So wake up Living In Freedom Every day

Bring LIFE to everyone you meet
And you will find that you can Live In Freedom Everyday
Yes, bad things happen. But good things happen too. You cannot live your life by CIRCUMSTANCE. If you do, your life will be a roller coaster , and depending on how you look at things, you may be “down” more than you are “up”.
So, take on the FREEDOM that you have and don’t turn that FREEDOM into a PRISON of your own making.
Live LIFE by making a DECISION
Special Note: I am a believer in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. I don’t believe that you can live in TOTAL freedom without the Holy Spirit guiding you each day and every moment. I am not here to preach, but just for the record, so you know where my inspiration comes from. So, just another suggestion: If you don’t know Christ, He is ready to unlock the gates of the Spiritual Prison.
We can have the Freedom we have as Americans, but there is only one way to Spiritual Freedom. Jesus said “I AM the Truth, I AM the Way, and I AM the LIFE”.
Are you I AM?
 

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by Howard Partridge.

I just got back from a 10 day vacation in my favorite place in the entire world. Destin, Florida. I have a little condo near the beach in Seagrove Beach just a mile and a half from Seaside, the location of the Truman Show, a film starring Jim Carey.

If you saw the movie, you remember the quaint little pastel colored town with paver brick roads and picture perfect Victorian style. As this was a “working vacation” I was leading one of my Inner Circle Small Group Calls.

I looked up and saw the teeny tiny post office in Seaside. I realized at that moment that that little post office office had been my “dream board” for the past ten years. You see, although I have been there many, many times, about 10 years ago, I had taken a week off in Destin to make a decision.

I was a slave to my business. I had slugged it out night and day for 13 long years. Although we had great customer service and marketing, I had no systems. Everything revolved around me.

Just before that, I read Dr. Michael Gerber’s Book “The E-Myth Revisited”. Every small business owner in the world should read. Except maybe the Italians and those who who open their business at 10am, close for siesta from 1:30 til 3:30, close again at 7:00pm and take the ENTIRE month of August off! (Maybe someone needs to write a book about how THAT works! LOL!).

Anyway, I got a vision and more importantly a dream on that vacation to Destin, FL. The dream of having a business that was a turn-key “system” that did not rely on me “being there” to make it work. That was March of 1997.

Since that time, I have had a poster of the Seaside Post Office in my office. When I looked up and saw that little post office, I realized that my dream had come true.

Everytime I looked at that picture in my office, I asked myself “Why aren’t you there right now?” Don’t get me wrong. I love my employees. In fact, my purpose is to have a positive impact on as many people as I can. Especially my employees. And I couldn’t really do that by being a frustrated, beat down slave to the business. Sure, we enjoyed many “community” moments and our hearts drew together, but when you are not doing what you love - when you are not doing what you were born to do - you won’t be truly happy.

So, what does all this have to do with dreams? Your vision of your life - your life dream - should be in front of you all the time. One of the most powerful things we did this year was to find out what our employees dreams are. By connecting them to their dreams and goals and showing them that the relationship we have exists so that each of us can help the other one reach his or her goals and dreams has given us record sales and record production.

To build community, you must have a collective, powerful dream that everyone benefits from. In addition to personal dreams, the company should have a dream.

Personal dreams can’t come at the expense of the company and the company dream can’t come at the expense of the employees. Instead, if we set up a win-win situation where the better our employees do, the better our company does, we all win. And of course, your customers MUST win. If they don’t get what they want, we won’t get what we want.

In closing, remember what Zig Ziglar says “You can have anything you want in life, if you help enough other people get what they want”. Also remember, that he borrowed that from Jesus who said it a little differently: “Give, and it will be given back to you - pressed down and shaken together”.

If you give time, you will get time.

If you give money, you will get money.

If you give love, you will get love.

If you give things, you will get things.

If you give encouragement, you will get encouragement.

If you hurt people, you will get hurt.

If you take from people, you will get taken.

If you are a fake, people will be a fake to you.

The list goes on. “But Howard, I don’t believe that” you say. I give of myself and people still take advantage of me.”

Aha! This principle does not say that you will get it from the person or the place where you make your investment. Also, keep in mind that if you give expecting something in return, you make the principle null and void because that’s not really giving.

So Have a Dream of Helping Others find their Dream and You Will Live the Life You Have Always Imagined.

(c) 2007 Howard Partridge

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by Howard Partridge.

Last year I began working on a book that I feel is the missing link to small business and really the world in general. This is just the first part - The Introduction you might say. I hope you like it…

Across America small businesses and large corporations alike struggle with the same issues. Cut throat competition that is selling “below invoice”, customers that don’t want to pay the advertised price, employees that don’t want to do what management wants them to do, customer service is non-existent and management is frustrated because it doesn’t have the resources needed due to a tight budget. Employees don’t care about the company and they don’t care about the customer because they don’t feel anyone cares about them. Companies don’t feel they can afford the “luxury” of recruiting and training the right people, so mediocrity reigns. Many companies that fit this profile struggle to make a profit. The result is a frustrated management team, resentful workers, and disappointed customers.

The vicious cycle continues.

While the typical business is warring over price, cutting budgets, and desperately trying to find “good” people, Starbucks has loyal customers standing in line happily paying $4.00 for a cup of coffee – a commodity that has been around for thousands of years. Employees over at Southwest airlines are on a fervent mission to make sure the company achieves it’s vision. They love the company so much they seem like multi-level evangelists. And Nordstrom continues to build upon their legendary customer service.

How have companies like this managed to rise above the mediocrity that rules in the typical company? Why is it that both their employees and their customers love the company? What do these companies have in common (other than being extremely profitable). Do they have something unique? Is it just great marketing? Is it just great management? Is there one simple concept that can bring all of the proven strategies of building a phenomenally successful business together?

The Answer is Found in a Word Called “Community”.

What truly sets these companies apart is they have created “community” in their businesses. Community is a word that has many meanings for many people. We often refer to community in the context of our neighborhoods or our local area. We sometimes refer to groups of people as community “The Hispanic Community”, for example. We talk about the “global community” and even a “virtual community” as it relates to the internet.

My definition of Community goes much deeper than just a group of people or a neighborhood. Community is the sense of belonging that all humans hunger for. Every human being has a “longing for belonging”. We are created that way. We have a need to be connected to other people. We have a deep desire to be a part of something meaningful – something that makes a difference. The longing for community is the reason people join clubs. It also happens to be the reason people join gangs. Humans have the need to identify with a group of people that have the same ideals. A group of people that belong to each other and walk through life with one another through victory and defeat.

The family is the first community that one belongs to, but community as it once existed in America has all but vanished. The idea of having dinner as a family and being deeply involved in one another’s lives. Truly enjoying one another’s successes and enduring one another’s failures is a challenge. The idea of giving up our own rights to serve others. We have lost this essence of community in family and therefore it does not exist in our businesses, churches, and institutions for the most part. Our organizations today mirror the way we live our independent lives.

Yet as we pursue our rugged independence and our individual rights, deep down we all long to experience community as we once did. The scarier part is that many of our younger people today (your new workforce), doesn’t even know what community feels like! Single parent, latch key kids who are now adults. They have not felt true community. They have not felt the love and encouragement that true community can bring. But they long for it. They may not even know what to call it or even how to explain it, but the feeling is definitely there. They need to be loved. They need to be accepted. They need to be recognized. They need to be a part of something that means something. They have a longing for belonging.

How Building Community in Your Business will Wow Your Customers, Inspire Your Workforce and Make You Big Profits

If you understand and implement the principles of building community in your business, you will be able to do something for others that you may have never done before… help them experience the very thing they long for. The very thing every one of your employees desperately want and need – and will do almost anything to get. Your business can be the first place they ever truly feel connected and needed. You have the unique opportunity to give them the feeling of being part of something bigger than themselves. Your reward for that is your employees will begin to love your company for it. They will become your biggest evangelists which in turn creates loyal, high paying clients which makes you bigger profits.

Keep in mind that your employees may not even know what they are looking for, but be assured they will know it when they feel it. When they experience community that you foster in your company, they will respond. There will be a few that won’t, but if you do it right, it will be only a few, and that handful will quickly move on.

Finally, chances are you may not have experienced true community yourself. Chances are you are longing for true community and trying to fill that void with hobbies and business deals. If you do not understand and operate in community yourself, I can promise you that your people won’t either. If you are not open and honest, they won’t be either. If you are not committed to the vision and mission, they won’t be either. If you talk badly about customers, they will too. As the owner or manager, you will have to participate in community just as you expect your employees to.

Living in community and doing what is required won’t be easy. If it was easy everyone would do it. The very reason that most companies are ordinary – just mediocre – just getting by and complaining the whole way – is because they first don’t understand what community is and they won’t commit to community values even when they think they understand them. To hard. Too difficult. Too much work for an intangible result.

But you on the other hand, can rise above the mediocrity. You can experience the exhilarating feeling of not only belonging to an extraordinary movement, but you will be at the helm. You will be recognized as the one who led the charge. The one who changes your business and changes your industry and has a profound and positive impact on many, many lives.

Why People Need Community

As I have mentioned twice so far, every person on the planet has a “longing for belonging”. All people have a deep need to connect. They have a deep need to have significant relationships. They long to be loved and accepted. They long to be recognized. They hunger for relationships that are meaningful. Deep down they want to feel like they are contributing to a cause. They want to know that their life makes a difference. This is not immediately obvious when you observe today’s society. In fact, what you see is pure selfishness. People who only care about themselves. People who will lie, steal, and kill if necessary to get what they want. So, how can I say that type of person has a longing to belong? Can it be that the murderers of Columbine longed for community? Could it be true that even the worst of humankind want to contribute?

This longing for belonging that every person has, is a desperate need. It is a hungry monster that must be fed. Otherwise, it will destroy everything in it’s path to get what it needs. The longing for community is something that drives us all. The problem is that we don’t often find the love and acceptance that we were made to feel, so we create “pseudo” communities. We create fantasy communities. We create false communities. We set up “kingdoms” where we can feel significant. We learn ways to get attention and manipulate others from the time we are toddlers. Unfortunately, many people in our society continue to battle these strongholds for their entire lives.

We marvel at how the Amish live. How they nurture one another. How they are so committed to one another and their culture. We muse as animals care for their young. How they protect and nurture their babies. We are so impressed at the natives that teach their young “the ways of the village”, and celebrate milestones and maturity. Observing community in action warms our hearts. Yet, our television screen (possibly the biggest anti-community tool ever created) brings the story of a dead baby found in a garbage can. Thrown away by the mother.

What Happened to Community in America?

I recognize that murder and selfishness is not something new. I understand that selfishness was not invented by Western culture, and I can assure you that this message is not promoting communism, that’s for sure!!! But there has been a definite shift in America. Mostly over the past 100 years. Your child can no longer walk safely to the corner store. You can no longer rely on the “community” to care for you. In fact, we don’t even know our next door neighbor. What’s worse is we don’t want to know them in many cases.

I am going to suggest that the struggle began with the industrial revolution. With the dawn of the industrial age, instead of running a family business (or working for one) such as a local market, or a family farm, men went to work in the factory. Now, you have a large number of people from various backgrounds and cultures converging on one location. Spending 10 hours together (away from their families). Father is not around to mentor the children and to nurture his wife.

The industrial age brought faster transportation and therefore a faster pace.
Things got faster and faster. The Wright Brothers realize flight. Then comes air conditioning and the telephone. Today, 70 miles an hour is not fast enough, we tap our foot in front of a microwave, and a man proved that he could live on the internet without any human interaction for a whole year. The human interactions we have are not fulfilling. Instead they are draining, so we retreat to safety behind our voice mail and e-mail.

How People Are Made

Most people believe that a human has a spirit, soul, and body. The spirit is the intangible “heart” that cannot be fully understood. The soul is made up of the mind, will, and emotion. Obviously, the body is our physical being. Our flesh that has needs as well.

As we live each moment, we have thoughts and feelings that if dwelt on for a period of time, become actions. Many times our mind and emotion is in conflict. For example, at 10:30pm, my flesh may say “I want ice cream”. My emotions (that have taken a beating all day long) say “Yeah, we want ice cream!”. The mind says “No! Ice cream is not good for you. You are already overweight.” As this battle rages between Mind and Emotion, big Will is sitting back enjoying the entertainment. When a victor emerges, Will takes over.

Let’s look at another situation: Your employee knows they should do a certain thing at work. It won’t be immediately evident whether this task has been done or not. In fact, once it is discovered that the task has not been done, there will be ample room to blame someone or something else. Mind and Emotion are at it again…

Mind: “You know you should take care of that.”

Emotion: “I know, but I don’t feel like it.”