Our daily lives tend to repeat themselves, day in and day out, playing out the same formulaic patterns.  The more comfortable we get, the more we loathe change.  If we are to grow, change is inevitable.  Every choice we make come with an opportunity cost. In choosing a new direction, we are selecting growth over repetition. By opening a new door, we are closing an old one.

We all get stuck in patterns  that keep us where we are, often without even realizing it. The challenge is to recognize what is going on in our lives, so we can assess the situation and make decisions based on that information.  

 Are you happy and satisfied with your career?  Are you involved with sports, activities, and hobbies that you love being part of?  How are you spending your time?  Do you love the relationships you have built with friends, family, and colleagues?  Stuck in any bad habits or lack motivation?

Taking action to change any of the above takes a firm commitment on your behalf, and the desire to live a more fulfilling life.  Begin by listening to your inner voice, the one that talks to you all the time.  Those gut feelings or intuition you have are useless if you do not make use of them.  Have a hunch about something?  Act upon it!   Want to finish(or start) that degree you need to advance your job or make that career change?  Do it!

Stand up tall, looking at yourself in the mirror, and say, I can do this.  Stop talking.  Start walking the walk.  Step by step, creating change, growing, and moving towards a future filled with promise, you will march.

 Every single success story begins much the same way, with an idea, with risk, and with the potential of failure.   It is scary but you can do it.  The cost of doing nothing is your future.   The rewards of taking risks, pushing out, and living the life you deserve to its fullest, is success.  And success is priceless!

“Perceive, believe, persist, achieve”

What are you waiting for?

Empower yourself now!!!

With so many people out of work, high unemployment, and the reality of a less than healthy economy, where is the workforce to turn to in hopes of finding employment?  Look no further than your mirror. 

You need a job and have had no luck finding a new one.  You have been out-sourced.  You have been squeezed out by corporate downsizing.  There seems to be nowhere for you to put your skills, expertise, and experience to good use…

Why not hire yourself?  You will work harder than you ever have for anyone else.  It will be challenging, but can be extremely liberating.   You will need to commit to keeping a regular schedule like you would do, if you were working for an employer.  The days of work will be long.  And the night time hours may be longer.  You will need to arrange how to be with your family, children, and other loved ones for all the important meals and regular daily happenings, in advance.

Armed with all your skills, experience, and enthusiasm, prepare for battle.  This will not happen if you are not prepared to leave your personal comfort zone and grow in new ways.   In addition, sharpen your communication skills, as they will be a key component of growing the relationships that will lead to your future work.  Business is about people.  People do business with other people.  And 90% of all people do business with who they know, who they like, and who they trust.

Your time needs to be spent on building relationships, engaging in groups, sharing ideas with potential strategic business partners, volunteering your skills to non-profit organizations, attending professional networking events, and developing an online social media profile and community of like minded enthusiasts.

Remember, you are looking for the needles in the haystack, which takes time, patience, and perseverance.  Work is a four letter word that should, and needs to become, your favorite word.  Nothing trumps a strong work ethic, and nothing ever will. 

It is time to do something about it!

It’s time to stop looking around out there for what you want and need.  Start looking at yourself.  Because your new employer is staring you right in the face.  Just look in the mirror.  No one can help you more than the person looking back at you.

So, I say, if you need a job, hire yourself!

And get busy!!

As an owner and founder of 3 companies, I spend most of my time managing what I call my children.  I have 17 year old, Skaters Landing, who was born in my parents basement in 1993.  Skaters Landing is a retailer and e-retailer of all things figure skating.  With a tag line….”everything for skaters, just add ice,”   Skaters Landing has had the joy of working with all kinds of passionate skaters, from the true beginners to many many Olympians, Disney on Ice, Stars On ice cast members, etc.  Being 17, Skaters Landing, is mature, most of the time, and is preparing for new growth, just like any kid getting ready to leave the home for college.  During the past 17 years Skaters Landing has had the opportunity to plant locations in Boston, MA; West Hartford, CT; North Haven, CT; and Greenwich, CT.

My 6 year old, Rink Management Solutions, is a partnership.  It is a strong partnership, where together we manage to run entire ice rinks.  We cover everything from building maintenance to complete operations and administration.  RMS is just old enough to learn how to really “play well with others.”  A management consulting business like this takes greater planning, with more risks, but is such a smooth machine when the right pieces are in place.   Although my first grader brings a sense of “always having to be ready for the unexpected,” RMS is such a rewarding business.  We get the opportunity to touch an entire community and provide them with unique programming developed with them in mind.  RMS also has the joy of a manager who could not be a better friend to both the company and to me.

Global Entertainment & Media(GEM), is my 2 year old!  Never sleeps, which means I never get any sleep!  GEM rocks my world…with possibility!  The potential for GEM is so tall…filled with amazing ideas, energy, and storytelling capabilities.  We have already, in 2 short years, pitched several TV shows, both in LA & NYC; made great branding commercials for companies; launched many successful websites; and  taken on clients to represent and produce.  The partnerships with other talented team players, who each bring their own skill set to our baby,  is so humbling and fascinating.  I am so thankful for my 2 year old, who of course brings the greatest challenges.  GEM, in many ways was the most painful and unplanned birth originally.  Yet GEM shines with promise like an amazing jewel.  The biggest and best projects are still ahead for GEM, but at this moment he is a bright 2 year old basking in the sun…