The Powerful - October 2019 by Francie Baldwin

Powerful Magazine October 2019

INSIDE 05_

IF IT WAS EASY, WE WOULD ALL SUCCEED WITH CAROLINE SALETTE

26_

FINANCIAL FORECAST

32_

INCURABLE DISEASE DIAGNOSIS CREATES AN ENTREPRENEUR DYNAMO!

45_

INTERVIEW WITH BRUCE ROBERTS

48_

WHAT MAKES THIS REAL ESTATE INVESTOR SO “APP”EALING? WITH LEONARD COLLINS

WITH STEPHAN WEIGELT

12_ INTERVIEW WITH GREG ROKOS

14_ THE BUSINESS YOU HAVE TODAY, ISN’T THE BUSINESS YOU HAVE TOMORROW

18_

GREEN LIGHT FOR MARIJUANA COMPANIES?

54_ 38_

THE SECRETS BEHIND AMERICA’S #1 SHORT-SALE EXPERT

WEALTH AND WELLNESS: SHIFTING THE APPROACH TO WEALTH MANAGEMENT WITH ARMINEH KESHISHIAN

WITH HUNTER PASCHALL

WITH GEORGE NSHANYAN

63_

CHAMPIONS ARE NOT BORN. THEY ARE MADE.

Nothing is more Powerful than the Truth. That is the fundamental idea and basis of The Powerful. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s modern culture, media has become very one-sided, only wanting to discuss whatever side they are in support of. The Powerful is aimed towards giving you the power to make your own decision and formulate your own opinion and view. At The Powerful, we feel there is no right or wrong, only the power of information that you can arm yourself with. You can check out The Powerful online at ThePowerful.com. There, you can find the stories that are featured here in the magazine and can comment and weigh in on what you think. Enjoy the magazine. Sincerely,

Francie Editor

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EDITORâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S NOTE

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If It Was Easy We Would All Succeed... WITH CAROLINE SALETTE

Powerful Magazine October 2019

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Caroline Salette has bought, managed, grown, and sold multi-million-dollar businesses. Wouldn’t you love the opportunity to learn and be coached by someone who has walked the talk and crossed the finish line? Caroline was barely 18 years old when she started in the field of real estate as a property manager of more than 500 units. In 1992, at the age of 21, she joined the ranks of RE/MAX ROYAL (JORDAN) agency where she worked for 15 years as a real estate agent. By the age of 30, she was earning over a million dollars yearly, selling over 225 homes yearly, and by the age of 34, she bought the agency where she was, which is the largest RE/MAX franchise in Quebec with six offices and over 250 real estate agents ranking it for 11 consecutive years the #1 agency in the Province of Quebec. During her career, Caroline earned countless awards including the Hall of Fame, Lifetime Achievement and the High Distinction Awards through RE/MAX International. Betting on her own odds, Caroline successfully sold not only her real estate business, but also her agency and is now an international coach and global top speaker helping other businesses to thrive. She uses her own systems and techniques that she created for her own businesses to empower other business owners and real estate brokers. But how can her experience and success in real estate translate to other businesses?

Because systems, techniques, and mindsets apply to all businesses in the world. It is not all about the products or the services; it is about the challenges faced when being a business owner. Saying that her success is the result of hard work would be an understatement! However, as you know, working hard is not by any means the only reason for success. The foundations of success, according to Caroline, are based on being in sync with your being, saying, and doing. You have to be your true self, say what you are going to do, and do what you said you were going to do. Never compromising these foundations helped her evolve through what she calls the four stages of life that you can apply in all spheres, whether it be personal or professional. She calls them the 4S’s: 1) Struggle 2) Stability 3) Success, and finally 4) Significance. No matter what sphere in your life you are at, you are in one of these 4 stages… Significance is now guiding her life, and in 2015, Caroline established Salette & Associates Coaching & Focus 360, personalized training-coaching services for brokers and property managers as well as business owners. Knowing that there is a void in real estate brokerage training between getting the leads and closing the deals, Caroline Salette created the training program “Survive or Succeed: It’s Up to You!”, transforming career-driven agents into business owners. Using her Salette System, she teaches her knowledge and real estate techniques acquired during her career to be applied to any business. Caroline still has her love for real estate, but through her coaching business, she also discovered a new passion, which is helping entrepreneurs of all fields grow their business to their highest potential.

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Starting a business, and not just keeping it afloat but thriving and growing it, is as hard as you think it would be, but not impossible. According to Forbes, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Out of all small businesses started in 2014, 80% made it to the second year (2015), 70% made it to the third year (2016), 62% made it to the fourth year (2017), and 56% made it to the fifth year (2018).

A bit more than half of all startups actually survive to their fourth year. As of then, the startup failure rate is about 44%.â&#x20AC;? So you have about a 50/50 shot at getting past your 4th year in business. Now, whether or not you are able to consider yourself successful or get past that 5th year is another storyâ&#x20AC;Ś.

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It is said that every business goes through a four-phase life cycle: startup, growth, maturity, and renewal/rebirth or decline. Understanding the phases and where your business stands can help you become successful and stay that way.

Startup

Growth

This is the most exciting time for business, but also

Word of mouth cannot be understated. You only

where businesses fail the most. You are brand new;

have a few clients and you need them to help you

there is a constant flow of new ideas and energy is

promote your business model to other prospects.

high. You don’t have a lot of processes in place and

As you start to see more traffic, you must keep your

are constantly changing your business model. The

price increases modest. Adapting and changing is

few employees you have are probably doing multi-

important; however, if you change too significant-

ple jobs all rolled into one because it’s all hands on

ly, you risk not growing or worst slowing down your

deck at this point. This also means limited cash, so

business’ traffic. It’s a delicate balancing act that

your employees probably aren’t getting paid what

you will need help in figuring out. At this point, you

they are worth, and you are definitely underpaying

must start solidifying your team and finding ways to

yourself, if at all.

keep the momentum going.

Maturity

Renewal/Decline

Feeling more secure now, with a great team in place

At this point, your business is profitable and sellable

and your growth is steady. You have others running

and you must decide if that is an option for you,

day-to-day operations, while you focus on big picture

considering that it is in its most valuable position.

needs and deciding whether to expand and venture

However, if you notice a revenue decline or lack of

out. This is where businesses tend to be depend-

growth for 2-3 consecutive quarters, then you need

able and consistent, but you will need to start making

to start taking action by figuring out new ways to

changes to keep things going and finding investors

revamp your business. You must be able to identify

might become an alternative to expand market shares.

why and know when you are in the decline or you will never recover. This crucial stage is where you need to decide if you should cash out or re-invest.

Caroline Salette is recognized by Continental Who’s Who as a Pinnacle Lifetime Member in the field of Real Estate in recognition of her role as a Real Estate Agent, Broker, and Owner of RE/ MAX ROYAL (JORDAN) INC. She has been published in many magazines such as REM (Canadian Real Estate Magazine), REMAX International “Success Stories book,” “Le Partenaire” local business stories, and various local newspapers. She also appears frequently on Local and National television and radio shows as the competent authority when it comes to real estate.

Be Invested It’s important to not only be invested in your clients and your business, but to also be invested in the industry and in the community in which you want your business to thrive. Consequently, Caroline has not only sat on the board of directors for the Greater Montreal Real Estate Board for many years, and also for Partage-Action West Island Community Shares for over 10 years, helping raise over $1M yearly for 41 local community groups and projects. She also sat during that same period on the board of directors for “la Fondation des Enfants de Vaudreuil-Soulanges” for over 10 years, helping raise money for underprivileged children in her community.

Powerful Magazine October 2019

Start building your business with how you want people to see it and make sure that when they think of your niche, they think of you instantly. It is not only about building a social media following and developing your SEO, but also in doing things like investing in press releases about you and your business. Start booking radio shows to talk about your business and your community.

Build Your Brand

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Better Yourself = Better Business It’s time to see yourself as the entrepreneur you want to become through thoughts and behaviors that will get you closer to achieving your goals. Work hard at bettering your company by bettering yourself. It can only grow as much as you do! Caroline Salette studied Economics and Politics from Université de Montréal. To further enhance her professional development, Salette is a distinguished fellow of several prominent organizations including RBQ/APCHQ (licensed residential/commercial/industrial builder), NAA as a licensed auctioneer, member of the Greater Real Estate Board of Montreal, and of the International Federation of Coaches.

Build a Solid Team Rome wasn’t built in a day…. Or by only one person, so don’t pretend that you can do it on your own. Learn from others and utilize their strengths to make your business stronger. To get to where she is today, Caroline Salette has surrounded herself with other experts in their fields who wanted to be a part of her success and built an amazing team in order to get the best end results for her clients. Find other like-minded people that believe in what you are doing, learn to delegate, and share with others the rays of success.

Be Fearless & Authentic Step out of your comfort zone in all aspects of your business. Get advice and coaching from unexpected places. Try new ideas for products or services. Try new marketing techniques.

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She has always pushed the boundaries of the norm and doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. She has established herself as one of the most renowned brokers and coaches in the field of real estate in Québec. She is now taking her success story internationally to help other entrepreneurs build, grow, mature, and sell their startups for a profit just like she did. Her love started with real estate, but her passion belongs to helping others discover their endless potential.

So, if you had the opportunity to learn from a Canadian real estate broker who grew successful multimillion-dollar businesses, and then turned around and sold them for profits, wouldn’t you take it? It doesn’t matter if you are in real estate, technology, insurance, health, or hospitality; business is business, and with her proven track record, it’s safe to say Caroline Salette knows business.

The Powerful asked Caroline to feature a person of her choosing:

Name: Greg Rokos

Powerful Magazine October 2019

Business: ESI Information Technologies Inc Sector: IT Services

An Interview with Greg Rokos:

Length in this particular field: 35 years

Reason for starting out in this field: exciting opportunities Biggest accomplishment, personal and business related: Build an organization that lasts, pass on experience lessons to kids so they can go their own way A recent goals you set yourself: ESI to become a North American leader in our strategic initiatives Favorite thing about your business: Collaborating with my team to constantly embrace change

Does ESI Technologies have set goals for the current fiscal year? What steps do you take to meet or exceed these goals? We have a 5 year strategic plan with annual set budgets. We have implemented PNR, a strategic alignment process and tool to ensure senior management is aligned to deliver our annual objectives.

Being in the tech industry, is there somebody you try to model your business philosophies after? Why? Andy Grove from Intel developed a management system based on epics and sprints. Google used it to help develop their business.

What are some challenges your company has had to overcome, and how did you lead them to the other side? We are transforming our business from a project based approach to a solutions and recurring revenues approach. We had to change our go-to-market, who we hire, how we on-board, how we retrain.

In January 2018, you launched a new brand image for ESI Technologies due to the market disruption caused by digital transformation. Now more than a year later, have you seen a change in your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance due to this? What is the importance of constantly re-evaluating your brandsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; image to keep up with the changing market? Business transformation is a long process. We are seeing positive signs from clients that invite and accept our new approach.

ESI Technologies and Virtual Guardian, an alarm and surveillance company, went from a collaboration to a formal partnership, to acquiring it in December 2018, just three years after the collaboration started. When looking to collaborate, partner or acquire another company, what should businesses take into consideration? What was the most important thing for ESI Technologies to consider during this process? Virtual Guardian was not an alarm company. It is a security surveillance and monitoring specialist. We look at strategy synergies and quality of people.

In the last few years it seems like more and more data breaches are happening to companies like Facebook, Exactis, Marriott, Google+, Cathay Pacific and more. How is ESI Technologies keeping their clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; information safe and secure? What are ways the average start-up can use your methods to help keep their data secure? We have invested and continue to invest in advanced security solutions and services. Ensuring strong security architecture and protection from internal or external threats is a must. IAs we become more mobile, identity management, access management become critical.

As a president for tech company, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the John Molson School of Business, and a big advocate for Higher Ed in general, what steps are you taking to help push the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) fields to incoming students like women and minority groups? Through JMSB, there are is a series of specific initiatives that support this. Business ownership, CEO shadowing are a couple of initiatives I am involved with.

If you could offer one piece of business advice to any tech entrepreneur or higher ed student, what would it be? Understand your strengths and weaknesses. Surround yourself with people that complement and accelerate these.

Powerful Magazine October 2019

THE BUSINESS YOU HAVE TODAY, ISN’T THE BUSINESS YOU HAVE TOMORROW At what point do you decide to create a new product or just do a reboot 2.0 version of a product that was successful in the past? To keep your target customers and their insufficiently served needs in mind, begin on the “problem” by defining what they seek. We all probably wish we had a magic ball that told us what our customers want, even when they don’t know what they want themselves. Until that exists, the best thing you can do is do market research. Where is the market now, where has it been in the past, and where does history repeat itself? Your guiding star should be achieving that sweet spot where products enable the customer a better way to do something. When a customer uses a product and it enables a better way of doing something, so much that they can’t imagine going back to the old way, that is called disruptive innovation. The key is to leverage market research insights to streamline business strategies and increase revenue.

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Market-driven organizations outperform their rivals. They rely on their ability to sense the market and relate to it. Knowing the market and doing the research gives you the ability to anticipate your competitors moves, meet your customer’s needs before they know them, and sense opportunities. The value you can provide when you know the market is beyond any price point. Market research is the action of gathering information about the consumer’s needs and preferences. Depending on your field, there may be reports generated to see quarterly or yearly statistics to review, or you may need to poll your clients / people independently. Unlike Google and other tech companies, you may not be able to track a customers every move with Artificial Intelligence (AI) to gather client information and think forward. Companies that have been around for years may be able to start analyzing customer data and use basic AI to see customer behavior and buying patterns. A new business with little data gathered, say under 5 years in business, may need to set up data collection processes and start tracking this data with AI systems. Manually tracking customer data has its disadvantages as well. People make bad decisions for reasons that made sense in earlier historic eras. They fail to see the economic and societal changes based on evolution. They make calculated guesses without the outside factors that tie into decision making. But one advantage is, for example, having your clients complete a questionnaire for a free offer. That will give you data that you can use and implement right away. Over time, you can see how behavior will affect change, but initially you can make small steps to create the next product.

To avoid making a bad decision or a poor judgement for the wrong reasons, test anything you do beforehand. Testing a product to your current clients helps you to see the value proposition it offers before you go and market it to new potential clients. Test it for clarity, relevance, and remove any distractions. You could position it as a very discounted price to your current clients so they can see it and review it for feedback before it goes live. Testing a product with your current group of clients can generate great ideas, especially those who are innovators and set on new trends. They also can give feedback to where the market is going. It’s a perspective you can dive into and make the final decision on your own. An often forgotten facet of customer testing is the seeking of continual customer feedback during development. New product development is expensive. It is important to identify and correct any weakness in your business’ marketing resources or message that could have a negative impact with new potential clients upon the product launch. It is also a strong reason why market research is as important as it is. It saves you time and energy that you cannot get back. Having your current clients have a look to help avoid these mistakes is worth it. The downside… be sure this process does not take too long and affect your “go to market” deadline.

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If you are looking to transform your business in the long run, now is the time to create your AI systems. It is not the easiest to integrate, but it will be the transformation you want to see for your business in the years to come. Many businesses are using AI to automate routine tasks, detecting fraud, and developing algorithms for customer expectations. AI simply uses technology to complete tasks that humans can do quickly or compartmentalize large amounts of data to identify patterns. Companies like Google, Amazon, and Apple have been using it for decades. What is great is that small companies can incorporate it to an extent to help understand their market and customer needs / wants. The sooner you start collecting data in your business, the sooner you can get started. The best way is to maybe start within a department and within an internal project.

The pros and cons of this are great, but it’s very beneficial to any business looking to add enormous customer value in the long run. From products and services, most business would be running differently if they had more details of their customers. People learn primarily through time and experience. Technology speeds up that learning process. The definition of knowledge is information put into productive use by people. When you have the knowledge, you can make the best decisions for your business, including new products. About one-third of new product launches fail due to poor market research and deficient product launch efforts. Businesses that are the most likely to succeed in the development and launch of new products are those that are driven by business objectives and strategies empowered by client data. Companies that frequency conduct research have seen revenue increases year over year.

One thing to also remember, the customer won’t always know what they want. A favorite quote of mine comes from Henry Ford when he created the automobile, “If you had asked people what they wanted, they would have said they wanted a faster horse”. Don’t let market research hinder innovation, but let it be one of the tools in your tool box to create it. At the end of the day, a business should not make a decision about new products or any business change without knowing the market in and out. The more knowledge you have, the more power you have to make the best decisions for your business today and for the future.

Powerful Magazine October 2019

WITH GEORGE NSHANYAN

FOR MARIJUANA COMPANIES?

Powerful Magazine October 2019

GREEN LIGHT

Powerful Magazine October 2019

“

I never thought I would ever be involved in this industry. Firstly, I do not use marijuana. In fact, I voted “no” on making it legal for recreational use in CA. So how in the world did I get involved in all of this...

Why wouldn’t it be? In 2017, Legal cannabis sales were over $10 billion and sales are estimated to jump up to $25 billion by 2021. In addition to those sky-high numbers, there is a love-hate relationship that the world shares with cannabis. Avid users have protested for legalization, which has enabled hungry entrepreneurs to get a piece of this booming industry. As we know, the cannabis industry is growing expeditiously with the estimate that it could create 200,000 new jobs by 2020 in the United States alone. 29 states in the US offer some form of cannabis sales within their borders. Millennials make up more than 50% of legal cannabis consumers and account for the bulk of people who are applying for jobs within the industry. It is common amongst millennials to use online platforms to find jobs; Glassdoor is an example, and according to their data, in 2018, the median salary in the marijuana industry salary was $58,000, while the median salary for US workers as a whole was $52,000.

That’s a difference of 10.7%. It’s a no-brainer to opt for the cannabis industry for most. While Millennials are the bulk users, the older generation is more likely to consider “cannabis consumption” to be a form of smoking, but there is a vast market for edibles that is growing rapidly. Gummies, brownies, chocolate, cake mixes, cookie, and all different kinds of treats can be made from cannabis-infused butter or oil. The edibles market is where the cannabis industry could potentially see the most growth over the next few years. With all the different ways to consume cannabis other than smoking, we find that there are more people from the older generation joining in.

DID YOU KNOW? As of February 2019, ten states have legalized the use of recreational marijuana (in addition to medical marijuana) for individuals over age 21: California, Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Maine, Colorado, Nevada, Vermont, Michigan, Massachusetts, and District of Columbia.

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THE LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA IS A HOT TOPIC IN THE UNITED STATES

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As the industry has grown over the past few years, highly successful entrepreneurs and business professionals have gotten involved and created million-dollar cannabis companies. One of these successful entrepreneurs is George Nshanyan; he is someone who does not use cannabis and even voted against making it legal for recreational use in California. How did he get involved? Nshanyan is a founding principal of Green Road Capital LLC, which manages two hedge funds and a venture capital fund. He has consulted companies on going public, and before establishing his independent practice in 2015, he worked for some of the largest financial intuitions in the world, such as J.P. Morgan Chase, where he managed a $100 million book of business. George says â&#x20AC;&#x201C; â&#x20AC;&#x153;Originally, when Green Road Capital was created (despite the coincidentally fitting name), my partners and I had absolutely no intentions of being involved in the cannabis industry.â&#x20AC;?

Today, however, in addition to the original portfolio, Green Road Capital offers two additional portfolios, which both focus on the cannabis industry. One is a venture capital fund that invests in privately held companies, while the other is a hedge fund that invests in public traded companies.

Cannabis companies, who have achieved a considerable level of success and looking for an exit, will understandably find a merger or acquisition by a larger company to be easier than pursuing their own listing on a stock market exchange, even though such a listing may be far more profitable for the founders. “Small business owners are not stock market experts, and the number one thing that’ll prevent them from moving in that direction is the fear of the unknown. Addressing and alleviating the fears and complexities of being a publicly traded company will make for more profitable exits for cannabis founders,” reasons Nshanyan.

“The process of getting a company listed is not complicated,” explains Nshanyan. “What can be problematic, however, is appeasing individuals with limited understanding of how capital markets function. There were nasty negotiations, unreasonable expectations, countless breakdowns for countless reasons, and the deal fell apart several times, and was put back together again, all to no avail! But, I realized that this was a blessing in disguise.” Nshanyan says that during the most frustrating times, he remembers thinking to himself, “I wish I was in charge of this project! I could do a far better job!” It wasn’t long before it hit him, and that is what inspired him to start a consulting practice for taking cannabis companies public.

Nshanyan’s ability to communicate and make complicated financial concepts easy to understand is what he is known for. With over 15 years’ experience as an advisor, a Certified Financial Planner ®, he has helped hundreds of individuals and organizations achieve their financial success. Perhaps these skills have been honed as they have, as it is at the intersection of his two master’s degrees – an MBA in Financial Planning, and an MA in Communications Studies.

Powerful Magazine October 2019

“It all started with an unexpected phone call!” recalls Nshanyan. Because of his securities background, owners of a cannabis company contact him for guidance on whether they should pursue an offer to list their company on a Canadian stock exchange. This initiated an intensive study on various aspects of the industry in general, and of course, all of the pros and cons of taking a cannabis company public in particular. Concluding that it was the right decision to move forward, he was asked to stay on as an advisor and be the liaison between the company and the conglomerate putting the deal together.

How did it start?

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You may ask, how is it that Green Road Capital transitioned into offering cannabis portfolios? Well, while working on the final stages of taking that cannabis company public – to where they were preparing for raising funds from Canadian investment banks, Nshanyan observed that the great majority of listings are done not by IPO (initial public offering) by rather RTO (reverse takeover), which means a company will pursue fundraising sometime after they are publicly traded (not simultaneously as with IPOs).

Successful exits are key for venture capital funds, and naturally synergistic with providing go-public consultation. But more than that, Nshanyan is passionate about helping small business owners maximize their success before it is too late. “The cannabis landscape shifts very quickly,” explains Nshanyan. “One year in this industry is like ten years in other industries. With federal legalization on the horizon, there will be a shift favoring big business over the little guy,” warns Nshanyan. “Small businesses must plan ahead and act fast – their survival depends on it.”

“I saw an opportunity to create a hedge fund that would either participate alongside these institutional investors on secondary offerings or buy-in before funds were raised and used by the companies to boost their businesses. That was the impetus for the hedge fund. The venture capital fund came into being soon after for a variety of reasons,” explains Nshanyan.

Nshanyan and his team have worked tirelessly to turn Green Road Capital into a booming business. It has evolved to become one of the most unique companies serving the cannabis industry. It invests in privately held companies at various stages, helps them transition to being listed on a stock market exchanges, and manages portfolios of public traded securities.

As we conclude, we can say that one thing we know is that the legalization of marijuana will be a hot topic for years to come, but it’s safe to say, when we look at the figures – the cannabis industry does make for a smart investment!

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But it doesn’t stop there, Nshanyan is writing an e-book detailing the investment opportunities in cannabis, and in November 2019, he will be speaking on stage in Los Angeles, California to over 2500 entrepreneurs from over 71 countries around the globe. To keep up with George – visit his LinkedIn.

Powerful Magazine October 2019

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IS YOUR FINANCIAL FORECAST A HEAT WAVE OR AN ICE STORM?

MANAGERS WHO FAIL TO BECOME FINANCIALLY SAVVY NOT ONLY SELF-SABOTAGE THEMSELVES, BUT THEIR BUSINESS TOO. BY THE POWERFUL No matter which department you serve in your company - sales, marketing, IT, customer service - and regardless of your seniority, you are responsible for your companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profitability. There are expectations every company must have. A companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finance department reports progress through the earnings statement, a balance sheet, and a cashflow statement. The earnings statement compares revenue with the costs required to make sales. The balance sheet includes assets, what a company owns, and liabilities, what a company owes. Cashflow statements are often overlooked, which is unfortunate because they are significant, as they show the cash available to pay the bills. Without the numbers, no business can succeed. Managers and employees, who fail to understand the numbers, make inaccurate decisions that further hurt the company. Decisions that may seem accurate to an outsider, but are actually financially wrong. Companies do not necessarily fail because they are not making profits; they fail because they do not have the cash to pay their bills. A profitable company generates cash it can use for the long term. For example, investments in research and development. Granted, there are huge downsides to everyone having access to company numbers, but managed correctly, every employee can use numbers to better themselves and the company.

Powerful Magazine October 2019

The earnings statement, also call a P&L (profit and loss), shows gross profit. It takes the total sales, minus the cost of sales to get a gross profit. All sales are included in this, even if payment has not been received yet. Which is risky because you may be creating a number that won’t ever happen, as sales may never be collected in full. While the earning statement shows financial developments over time, the balance sheet is a snapshot of a company at one point in time. It is usually put together at the end of a quarter or at the end of the year. It is made up of a company’s assets and liabilities. There are two types of assets: current and fixed. Current assets are expected to turn into cash within a year, such as inventory and unpaid invoices. Fixed assets are tangible items such as land and property. Liabilities include loan payments and taxes. Savvy managers realize that even the most profitable companies can fail because they lack the capital or cash to pay their bills. The cashflow statement shows the relationship between profitability and a firm’s ability to generate cash. When you have all the numbers, how do you track them? Your financial team will be able to explain to you the return on capital, your pre-tax profit margin, return on assets, sales per employee, and profit per employee. It gives your employees something to be competitive about. No matter an employee’s position or level, everyone should be responsible for the business’ profitability. Allowing your employees to understand the company’s financial information and knowing how to use the numbers will affect their career and impact your business. Most employees don’t know where a company stands and lack motivation to do better. A manager doesn’t need to disclose all the numbers, of course, but maybe just enough to get a fire in their belly. Both managers and employees can use the numbers to analyze trends and spot patterns in the company’s revenue and costs. Every person in your company should understand the components of, and relationships among, your balance sheet, cash flow statement, and a P&L. They can gather information to forecast sales. Understanding the numbers is a prerequisite for making money and will be important for your whole career. Your knowledge on what to do with these numbers is just as important. You need a good grasp of the numbers if you are creating and defending a budget, forecasting sales, developing strategic plans, deciding on projects, and dealing with accountants. What is great, you don’t need an accounting degree to learn and master the numbers.

When you take on a role with financial responsibility, ask the accountants for a manual specifying your job’s financial. It’s your job to contribute to the bottom line, to ensure that income exceeds expenditures. Beyond generating revenue, one way management can keep a checks and balances system is to check any written rules and have all systems put in writing. One of the most amazing ways to use numbers is to forecast sales. You will have to turn chaos into order, and data into information that can guide your decisions. You will analyze, interpret, review, and criticize any and all expectations of your business’ future track. Use spreadsheets to seek trends that will help you see relationships and patterns.

Forecasting is a bit sophisticated by means of calling out any and all things than could affect future sales growth. The sales projection lets you estimate all aspects of your business. You will want to look within your business, in your industry, and outside to experts to learn about factors that could influence your future revenues.

Always look at numbers with a subjective eye. Question them right and left, and do not assume that just because it’s written in a pretty report, they must be right. Assessing any company’s financial health can be a daunting challenge. It takes education, patience, understanding, forethought, and execution to bring the numbers to live and change your business into a massive success. With the right fundamentals, everyone on your team can chip in. The manager shouldn’t be overwhelmed by the responsibility of financials. Have your employees learn to ask the right questions, at the right time, and see how you and your team can watch your business soar.

It’s about taking the numbers you have and going above and beyond to understand them and predict the future in the best way you can. You will want two different forecasts: one that shows the worst case of what could happen, and one that shows the best that could happen.

Powerful Magazine October 2019

For example, review your sales history for at least five years back. Watch for influences like “seasonality” that can add to or detract from actual sales numbers. Seek relationships amid the numbers, even as little as 2% increase in leads, or a 10% increase in advertising. Use what you learn about your company’s past to attempt to predict the future. The best place to start is with a sales forecast because everything else you create will pivot off of the sale projection.

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INCURABLE DISEASE DIAGNOSIS CREATES AN ENTREPRENEUR DYNAMO! WITH Stephan Weigelt

Powerful Magazine October 2019

After a shocking medical diagnosis at the tender age of 18 years, which forever changed the course of his life, Stephan Weigelt realized that he would have to have a clear-cut plan of action for his life and career. Now knowing that the average lifespan of people suffering from the same disease is only 54 years and life-saving organ donor surgery would be necessary, Stephan was determined to create a legacy and happy life for himself. A life of abundance, significance, and most importantly, having fun whilst doing so. His life goals and plan of action became abundantly clear, so he began an interesting, diverse, and highly successful entrepreneurial journey. From this point onwards, it was totally clear as to what was important in his life – Stephan wanted a family and to spend as much time as possible with his children. He wanted to earn as much as possible, to be able to provide for his family and his children’s education, but he did not want to achieve success by slaving an 80hour workweek, but rather through his position and creative business interests and abilities. Therefore, he began his life plan - to be highly successful only working a maximum of 24 hours per week. A tall order, many said, but Stephan was determined to make it work and achieve his goal. Initially, Stephan worked primarily as a one-on-one business strategist and tax consultant to well over 1,400 companies in his home country of Germany. Today, his business operates internationally and provides “business breakthrough” coaching to his students from all around the world, providing not only online services and support, but also onsite coaching and mentoring at his clients’ and students’ preferred location. He emphasizes and concentrates on the setting up of processes and systems enabling his clients and students to run their businesses automatically. The goal is to be able to remove oneself from the daily running of the business and have that business run smoothly and efficiently, thereby creating a highly effective company.

A lot of business owners – especially small and medium-sized business owners – are well prepared for their job, but have never learned the required business skills like marketing, sales, accounting, or leadership. So it comes to the point where they often feel overwhelmed by their business. They work more than 60 hours per week and 20% of them have not had even so much as one day off in the last five years. As a business owner since the age of 15 years, serial entrepreneur, financial expert, and tax consultant, Stephan Weigelt knows how to restructure a business and what mindset is required. He has helped more than 1,400 clients to launch and build their business and to increase their profits by focusing on the correct aspects. As a professional speaker, author, consultant and coach, his strategies have changed the lives of thousands of business owners.

More than 40,000 people have attended his lectures in the last three years. These are some of the topics which Stephan has shared with audiences across the world: 1. Attention Business World - Why your customer is not the king – Why you should treat you customer like a prince. 2. Don‘t be a leaf blower – be the wood chipper – Don’t keep you and your employees busy with looking busy. 3. How to never feel bogged down in your business again – How to be more efficient with more fun and gain work-life balance. 4. How to have only amazing customers – How you can attract the customers that you want. 5. How to be happy with your business – How to earn more, have more free time, and do the things you like to do! 6. “Amazeland” – How to transform your business into the most amazing company on earth – How you can build a company that attracts more clients and employees. 7. Re-own your business! – Five steps to be happy with your business again.

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8. What will happen to your business in case you have a bad accident? – How you can set up your business in a way that it can run without you and still make a lot of money.

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9. FIVE German business secrets that American business owners need to learn – Most important learnings from a different business culture. 10. How to save 60% of your time – Learn to be more efficient. 11. FIVE fields to prepare your business to be phenomenally successful in the next ten years – How to set up or reorganize your business that you have a massive income. 12. TEN most stupid things business owners do! – Little things that cost you a lot of money and kill your profits. 13. FIVE biggest things that could kill your business – Things you have to avoid to not kill your business.

Stephan believes that his diverse set of skills and expertise is what has fuelled his passion for a more efficient and streamlined business, and importantly, having a business that is also fun whilst at the same time being a successful entrepreneur. When Stephan was a youngster, he fell in love with music after receiving a keyboard for his 8th birthday. This was the beginning of his first business, establishing a musical career playing at weddings, local town festivals, and concerts. Then fast-forward to ten years later, he and a friend founded a sound and lighting business, and all this before he turned 18 years old and the dreaded medical diagnosis. But this did not dampen his ambitions and now, more than ever, he was determined to succeed, and he did succeed! His first business, run only as side line, became a $1,000,000 company. In 2008, he then worked as a lecturer at the University of Bonn, and a year later established his first tax office, which within the first 12 months became hugely successful. He also provided business coaching and accounting for international clients and opened his second tax office in 2010. On top of that, he became Germany’s best-paid lecturer for other tax consultants. Starting in 2012, he decided to create his strategies on “How to run your business in less than 25 hours per week and make it more profitable” and make it available to other companies by launching a coaching and training business.

Within this business, Stephan focuses on practical experience rather than on simply sharing theoretical advice on how to restructure your company. His keynotes are inspiring and motivational combined with straightforward and practical advice on how to put ideas into practice to get results quickly. Stephan has shared these talks to multiple audiences in Germany, America, and South Africa on topics like business, leadership, responsibility, marketing, and life vision. That same year, Stephan also wrote his first book - Business Strategies for Tax-Consultants. One year later, he was invited to give a speech to share his expertise at Germany’s largest strategy-conference and it was this speech that paved the way and opened countless doors to big stages in Europe, USA, and Africa. He also was on the Top-Ten-Speaker list from one of Germany’s largest bank. Over the years, Stephan, now known as the authority in his field, has written many articles about strategy, transformation, vision, business development, leadership, and life goals, which have been published in countless magazines.

Media Credentials: • National radio shows • Regional network television • Numerous articles and publications • Award-winning public speaker • Bestselling author (Book: 93 Ideas that Change You and the World [only available in German])

Stephan’s Most Popular Presentations: • Have a vision! What is my life like and how should my company fit in with that? • Kick ass and go! Give yourself the kick and get started in your new business • You do not want a million! All the things you can achieve with the right goals • The Störtebeker principle build-up companies that can run on their own

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THE SECRETS BEHIND AMERICA’S #1 SHORT-SALE EXPERT HUNTER PASCHALL

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF KEY PRINCIPLES TO KNOW AS A SUCCESSFUL INVESTOR: Customers want to work with an investor who has both deep smarts and street smarts, who really knows the market and where it’s headed, knows how to negotiate, and knows how to manage a transaction. Success isn’t just about winning when the market is good, but also it is measured by how you do when the market is bad and how you maneuver your company to overcome the obstacles. Hunter Paschall is known as America’s #1 Short-Sale Expert because when the market is up or down, Hunter is a winner who is consistent and relentless about helping as many people as he can. His secret to success revolves around negotiation, education, building the brand, and his passion for helping people. Over the years, Hunter has created an exceptional real estate team! Having negotiated over 3,500 short-sale deals, Hunter has negotiated down over $150 million in debt with banks and lenders on behalf of the seller.

A short sale is negotiating with a mortgage holder to accept less than what is owed as payment in full on a property. Some investors, like Hunter, use the short-sale strategy to help distressed homeowners who owe the bank close to or more than what the property is worth. Effective negotiation is a conversation. It is a relationship that takes time to build. As an investor, you are negotiating with the mortgage holder and with the homeowners. Study the other side’s decision makers to understand their fears and desires, and the limits of what they will and will not do. Before you walk up to the table, you must be clear about what your limits are. The homeowners and you need to be clear on expectations, including expenses, timelines, and a clear understanding that if an agreement cannot be made with the bank, they will still be in foreclosure.

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“So how do we get the bank to say yes? My team and I build a great case.” Think of it like an attorney defending a case. The better case you build, the better the chances you have to win. Remember, the bank wants the bad debt off their books as well. Any uncollected debt looks bad on them and hurts their reputation. You just have to get your numbers right, and make the right case. You show as much information to prove why the bank should accept the low offer now instead of waiting months to creep through the foreclosure process to get the house much later.

Clients want to work with an investor and a team they feel they can trust, and that ties into the brand you create. If starting a business is challenging, then creating a brand is more so. Branding is often confused with marketing, advertising, or even logos. But branding isn’t part of a marketing strategy. Your brand is the image of your product or service in the minds of your customers. It is “all the feelings your possible audiences carry around about you in their heads and in their hearts.”

Hunter’s skills have saved thousands of homeowners from losing their homes, including his parents’ home of 20 years. He treats every case as if he is a Doctor of Real Estate. He gets all the symptoms and then he can come up with a viable solution. Many people often say this business is much like a ministry. Investors talk to homeowners about a fresh start and offer sincere encouragement. Homeowners see many short-sale investors, like Hunter, as angels because they offer a solution to a problem that most people never imagined they would encounter. No one grows up intending to be in financial distress someday.

Growing your brand is about growing your relationships. Take the time to build relationships with the banking industry. When you get a short sale accepted, do something nice for the bank representatives. Get involved like Hunter has, teach people what you know so more people can be helped overall. Continue to educate yourself, be bold, and find strategies to help everyone involved fix the problems and the business as a whole. Hunter has found ways to create a brand for himself, a way to stand out. People all over know who he is, and he continues to help people all over the world. The key to successful short sales is to build a great case, great deal structures, and a replicable business.

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Hunter isn’t just an investor, but also he is an educator. Hunter shares his knowledge by teaching and sharing it all over the world. As an international public speaker, he isn’t just teaching the way of the land, but also he is creating the way of the land. He supports people in the trenches working to change the laws and regulations about short sales and the mortgage industry within his local government. He educates other investors on these changes to better the overall industry. Hunter isn’t in the game for himself; he is in the game to help everyone do better. He knows that when others do well, it helps so many more people than he could have reached on his own.

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Unlike the wave of foreclosures during the last recession, which essentially came from high-risk lending and lax underwriting, the new wave of foreclosures are being created by divorces, deaths, natural disasters, 10/20-year arms coming due, and modification payment increases. Your goal should be to become an expert by learning every single detail about how to do your work better and better. Hunter has mastered this. Be like a mountain climber who climbs a peak and must go down into a valley before climbing the next. You will face ups and downs; the secret is to develop a long-term perspective and plan for the tough times. Many of us don’t plan for the tough times until we need it. They will come, so if you have your plan in place, you can continue to thrive in the bad times without skipping a beat.

When you desire something so deeply that you won’t take no for an answer, you’re sure to succeed. The people who are most successful are those who are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. Better yourself, learn different negotiations tactics, get involved in your community, build lasting relationships, and grow your brand. Hunter is a great example of putting these skills to work, and the results do not lie. Try it and see how it’ll do for you.

What do you do? Senior Systems Analyst with The City of Winter Park (Information Technology) 25 years in this field.

Reason for starting out in this field: I worked in the construction industry as a sub-contractor for years only to hurt myself (herniated disk) and realize I would not make the type of living I wanted any longer with my body. I went back to school in 1992 without a clue as to what I would study but there was a buzz about the “Internet” and “PCs” so I looked into the field, the rest is history.

Biggest accomplishment, personal and business related: Changing my whole life from day to day living with alcohol and drug addiction, relationships not working out, changing jobs, being unemployable, and of course, jail time to prospering in society with a 25-year marriage to a wonderful woman and two beautiful, bright, and intelligent daughters.

How did you meet Hunter? After a couple of years in recovery is the time I injured myself and went back to school. My best friend was a counselor at a recover center where Hunter showed up one day. Hunter said he would not leave until he spoke to someone and he got Vince. Vince and I were close and he introduced Hunter to me. The three of us became very good friends and attended support group meetings and many recovery conventions. We were building some strong bonds of support for each other as well as many wonderful memories. I had bought a single wide trailer and Hunter had to move out of his parents’ home, after all he was a grown man, so he rented a room from me. Hunter will say I taught him how to wash dishes, wash cloths, and clean up after himself, and I would agree. We shared our lives with each other during a time when we both were changing our whole outlook on life.

I would say we were vulnerable, open, and honest with each other. That is something you just don’t get with most people. We were and are family. I remember Hunter coming home one day from working with his father in their father and son business where they rebuilt car starters and other machine armatures. I had returned to college at the time and was actually cleaning and filing my fingernails and Hunter’s hands were dirty and cut up from work and he had in his hand a book, “No Money Down” by Robert Allen. A book about real estate investing. Hunter read that book and started attending some seminars then he bought his first investment property. He had owned a home before with his EX and they had to sell it, so this was his first investment. I believe he still owns that house, lots of memories of Super Bowl parties and a tree house for his daughter and an add on apartment so his son could move in. I understand why he still owns that home. There are many stories (stories with life lessons) like this, way too many to get into here. Hunter and I both met the loves of our lives and were each other’s Best Man at our weddings and Hunter accepted my request to be my children’s God Father. We used to vacation and travel together with our families when we would use little walkie talkie radios to talk from our vans on the highway. No cell phones back then but we survived. When I started investing in real estate Hunter was very helpful on many levels and concepts about investing. There is the 10,000-hour rule and Hunter most definitely has Mastered Real Estate Investing in his niche. I know he has invested at least 10,000 hours in his education.

What is a recent goal you set for yourself:

What struck you most about Hunter as a person?

Favorite thing about your business:

His likeability, authenticity, honesty. When I first met Hunter, I felt like I knew him.

If you had to describe Hunter in three words, what would they be? The same three things that struck me about Hunter: likeability, authenticity, honesty.

Retire from my 8 to 5 type of JOB and enjoy some fruits of my labor and this will happen in January 2020. We have purchased a 5 acre “Hobby Ranch” and we do have four horses for pleasure. My wife and I also own a couple of small business that we operate from the ranch; An entertaining / teaching / educational reptile encounter business named “Zoo Mom Science”. An exotic lizard breeding operation named “Your Tegu” These businesses are our labors of love and provide income as well, we live a life that we have designed!

How is what you do important to you? I serve, in my job I fix information issues so the day to day city business and employees can work. I serve, in our educational business so children can have fun learning about the reptile world. I serve, at my support group by showing how I have overcome huge obstacles and live as a responsible member of society sober. I serve my family by being the best husband, father I can be. I serve my friends by being a friend. We all have different qualities and abilities that work with our personalities to be of service and I enjoy being of service.

I love waking up on our property, taking care of the animals, property, and vehicles. Being able to take a day off when I want and being close to water just in case I want to take the boat out. I LOVE MY JOB!!!

Least favorite thing about your business: Working with live animals means sometimes they get sick and pass. We love every one of our pets and “workers” and it hurts when I have to “take care of things”.

The Powerful asked Hunter to feature a person of his choosing:

Powerful Magazine October 2019

An Interview with Bruce Roberts

Powerful Magazine October 2019

WITH LEONARD COLLINS

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WHAT MAKES THIS REAL ESTATE INVESTOR SO “APP”EALING?

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Innovation grows increasingly more important as our society is being reshaped into a knowledge-based economy. However, many people misunderstand what innovation requires. Innovation’s purpose is delivering new value to customers. A type of value only a true expert would be able to create because they have seen, to the fullest extent, what is available and envision what the customer truly wants. The real estate game has changed forever because of a certain visionary who has taken the meaning of “innovator” to a whole different level. Leonard Collins is a respected serial entrepreneur who has been awarded as a real estate leader in his field for the last 15 years. As a serial entrepreneur, Leonard is always asking “what’s next” in how to make the field better for both clients and investors. He has taken what he knows with real estate investing and has partnered with some of the best to develop an application that both investors/ agents can use to generate and retain clients. It has really increased the value of the game and has added yet another title to Leonard’s name beyond being an investor, coach, entrepreneur, franchise developer, and speaker. Leonard is also known as an “Elite App Developer.”

Successful leaders hold countless ideas in their minds simultaneously. To benefit from thinking large, they must focus on what drives their business. Starting in real estate, Leonard aimed, from the very beginning, to be the best. To be the best, you must think clearly about what your business hopes to achieve and be willing to adapt. You must know what you don’t know. You must always create a voice in your head that tells you to believe that you can do extraordinary things, no matter what. After achieving success in real estate as an investor, Leonard decided to expand out to help others in the field. He started to coach others on how to buy and sell real estate and how to understand the simple concept of demand and supply. He carved a niche for himself that broke down how to review listings, create the right property searches, understand a proper home evaluation, offer relocation support, and provide rental assistance. In his coaching, Leonard stresses the clear financial advantages of owning a home, building equity, understanding a tax deduction, and having payment stability. As any leader, Leonard understands you may never underestimate the value of honest and open communication and radical transparency with your clients. The value is immeasurable. When you learn what makes you unique, stay true to your authentic self and adapt to make it better. Nothing and no one can change your fundamental identify, thus no one can truly beat you. Many people feel that once they reach a certain level of performance, they can stop getting better. That’s a self-imposed barrier that Leonard doesn’t allow.

In his research, Leonard came to the conclusion that any business that wants to be successful must have an app. No offense to app developers, but they are not the most marketing savvy bunch. Most businesses don’t even know the benefits of having an app. Building a well-designed app is step one; marketing it is step two. The app world is not a fad; it is an absolute necessity for a business today. Apps can enhance your psychological development if they solve small problems, free you to explore new paths, form deeper relationships, and create a unique and meaningful identify. Apps offer countless new avenues for artistic expression.

However, the downside to creating an app is that it can be extremely expensive. When made right, an app can start as little as $25,000 and go as high as $150,000, if not higher. Majority of those costs are the technology and hiring your app developer to create and manage the app. Leonard took it upon himself to become a developer. He hired some of the best in his team, but he learned the ins and outs of app development to become an Elite App Developer. The sky is truly endless for Leonard. With his extensive knowledge in real estate and app development, there may be some great things yet to come from him and how he plans to innovate the real estate space.

What makes Leonard unstoppable is his ability to see his business and personal failures as opportunities. His confidence in himself allows him to start to do something before he knows exactly how to do it. His “why” is what motivates him and keeps him aligned. He knows the value he wants to bring to the world, and he is just getting started. From speaking and coaching all over the world, he is showing people how they too can be their best. The people who are truly unstoppable, like Leonard, are the ones who can bridge the gap between their conscious and subconscious minds. They live the life they see in their dreams because they never give up, and they work every day to be better than they were yesterday. Leonard is just getting started. Like him, the clients he teaches all over the world are working to become an expert, to create a niche, and then create something so great that it changes the world.

They aid the creation of video, photography, and literature. When you use an app in an enabling way, it can have a freeing effect, stimulating you to experiment, innovate, and depart from the expected route. It allows you to differentiate yourself and be seen different than your competition. Leonard took his education about apps and created a user-friendly app geared towards increasing and retaining customers and making a custom-building process more pleasurable and beneficial for each client and developer. It has allowed him to stand out more than ever.

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There are no limitations to greatness. We are living longer, which means we are staying younger longer. You can always start a new dream or build a new project. Motivation, the foundation of meaning, depends on following the right “whys.” The meaning of doing something depends on your reasons for selecting it. Tied into his ideals of being the best, Leonard saw an opportunity and took it. Being within the real estate world, he saw a need for innovations that could help app investors and agents better manage their clients. The old way just wasn’t efficient, and true to Leonard, he said, “There must be a better way.” Then he started researching applications and development, hired some of the best development teams, and created the app he envisioned.

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WEALTH AND WELLNESS

SHIFTING THE APPROACH TO WEALTH MANAGEMENT

WITH ARMINEH KESHISHIAN

Armineh Keshishian, a financial planner whose journey started off in a predominately male industry, quickly became a leader in her field due to her unique approach to wealth management. Her ability to connect with individuals deeper than just surface level has afforded her a competitive advantage over others in her industry. “I remember when I started in the late 80s, almost everyone I met, especially older clients, would entrust me with investing their life savings in one meeting. Over time, I built on the relationships and increased my knowledge in business, sharpened my entrepreneurial skills, became adaptive to change, and continuously learned new skills to be competitive. When you love your work, your passion, energy, enthusiasm, and integrity come naturally.” Discovering that her passion didn’t just lie solely on helping others financially, but also helping people achieve true happiness and prosperity, Armineh decided to shift her approach. Instead of being like every other financial planner out there, Armineh decided to combine financial planning support with lifestyle and relationship support.

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Introducing the New Wealth & Wellness Consultant As a leading professional in both finance and relationships, one might consider the approach in which Armineh helps her clients as unique. Her clients describe her strong intuition, compassion, and professionalism as a key asset in providing effective personalized service and peace of mind. Armineh’s clients aren’t just going to her with hopes of growing their wealth, but also they are going to her with the confidence that she will help them enjoy more financial security, peace of mind, and happiness - both in their relationships and life. So what exactly led Armineh to use a more wholesome approach to advising? After years of working with established clients, Armineh recognized the true risk to one’s hard-earned money. What risks your hard-earned money, even more than your investment choices, is the friction between family members, but what’s an even bigger cause for concern is the friction within relationships. Ryan Beach, a writer for Think Advisor notes, “Human beings’ emotional connection to personal finances can lead to errors in cognition that are related to individual differences in motivation and personality, and ultimately result in less reliable decision-making strategies.” This is why it’s important for advisors to make their clients feel confident and assured when making these tough financial decisions, because when a couple or a family aren’t seeing eye to eye, it makes the advisor’s job much more difficult.

Being a financial consultant to multimillionaires and high net-worth individuals, these arguments between couples and families are occurrences Armineh has seen time and time again. Luckily for her, she’s wellequipped to handle these situations. With three professional designations of Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Life Underwriter, and Registered Retirement Consultant, plus 30 years’ experience, she does her best to assist her 1,000+ clients over the years in achieving not only a synchronized plan for their finances, but also for their life. “One thing I thoroughly enjoy, even more than speaking on global stages as far away as Dubai, is skillfully helping my clients navigate their relationships and simultaneously advise them on their finances. Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to meet wonderful clients who would share with me not only their financial concerns, but also intimate details about their personal lives and family dynamics.

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But Is There a Fine Line with Advisor-Client Relationships? While Armineh continues to successfully support people in building healthy financial well-being, it’s crucial that advisors know the line when building these relationships. An excerpt from Working with the Emotional Investor: Financial Psychology for Wealth Managers by Chris White and Richard Koonce explains, “The relationships we have with our clients typically are not symmetrical, which simply adds to the challenge. While we’re there to provide financial assistance to people who need it, our clients often are wrestling with a variety of emotional and psychological needs that come to the surface in moments of emotional vulnerability and life transition. Sometimes clients become overly dependent on us emotionally. Sometimes too, advisors get too close to their clients. Armineh’s not your average advisor offering financial planning alone. She goes the extra mile providing her clients complete lifestyle support. Could it be that her sensory abilities and extreme intuition have been the real game-changers in her career that has allowed her to become so successful? It very well could. And while advisors may face client relationship challenges at some points in their careers, Armineh respects her clients and they respect her. Sure, her strategy may be a bit different than others in her industry, but she’s clearly doing something right. To Armineh, Wealth and Wellness are critical elements to enjoying peace of mind and happiness in relationships and life, and it shows in her work.

Armineh’s work is influenced by the context of her upbringing, as she was born Christian and raised in a Muslim country, giving her the unique insight into two completely different worlds. “The stories we tell are influenced by the fact that my mother was an independent woman who encouraged me to have higher education and be financially independent, and yet she herself was a woman of tradition. Because I did not want to follow the traditional rules and regulations as a socially obliging Middle Eastern girl, I went on to find my path as an artist and as a woman who can express herself. I tell Middle Eastern stories that have universal appeal while aiming to bring people and cultures together by focusing on our commonalities vs. our differences.”

Armineh Keshishian is the embodiment of “business and the arts,” a rare combination.

In her parallel life to the world of finance, Armineh is also the founder of Evolution Dance Theatre, a Not-For-Profit dance theatre with the mandate to entertain, educate, and inspire. “We are committed to producing unique, one-of-a-kind performances which are visceral, visually captivating, and have broad universal appeal. We use dance as a canvas to create a spectacle that incorporates music, performance, video, special effects, and other dance genres to create an impactful storytelling experience while celebrating diversity.”

Armineh is truly a free spirit who lives an authentic life that inspires others to follow their dreams. Combing her financial practice and artistic paths into a successful career are testaments to her dedication. She’s fully committed to herself, her clients, and her audience. And with her experiences and knowledge in both the business and artistic arenas, she’s on a path of further enhancing the quality of the messages and of the work she puts out.

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An Entrepreneur to the Arts

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ACHIEVING YOUR BEST SELF DOESNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T REQUIRE PERFECTION, BUT IT DOES REQUIRE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO IMPROVE THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE.

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Constantly learning from your mistakes, seeking advice from others, and building up your confidence are some of the ongoing things you must continue to do. Identify the things that matter most to you, work to be the best at what those are, and you will succeed. You cannot be the best without knowing your target. Some people want to be great, but lack a consistent target for what they are looking to achieve. Everyone defines what matters most differently, so remember to be true to yourself, and run your own race. There are no shortcuts to greatness. To others, someone may seem like an overnight success, but they don’t see the hours and years of hard work and dedication that went into that success. Anyone can be great and you don’t have to be born great. The biggest obstacle people face is knowing what to do, and simply not doing it. To be the best, you must remove the obstacles. Obstacles can be both physical and emotional. The most prevalent hurdles are feeling afraid or not being confident in what you want. Too many times, goals never get off the ground because they are too vague or ill-defined. Knowledge works the best with three essential elements: a belief in your ability, your passion and determination, and a consistent concentration on those goals. Confidence is the reasonable expectation that good things will happen. It is the result of past successes. It gives someone the push to work towards difficult goals, and the resilience to bounce back from failure and adversity.

It is the one factor that keeps people on their path to becoming who they want to be. Take pride in the small successes. Like a grain of sand, one may look insignificant, but added together, it can create a beautiful beach. Each grain of sand counts. Confidence starts to erode when people panic when bad things happen, when they neglect the fundamentals, and when they deny the facts. The way you react to that first loss is what determines if you become a winner or a loser. Mistakes will happen, and you cannot prevent them all. Understanding the “why” behind it all will help avoid the same mistakes and wasted time later on. Continue to put resources into your pipe stream. To be a winner, you must always work to be better. Even when the times are good, you must continue to rebuild your funnels. Understanding your success and knowing what is working right, allows you to build off of that, not to slack off. When you hit a level of success, it isn’t a time to sit back; it’s a time to rebuild your foundation. A solid foundation will prepare you for the bad times, and they will come. Don’t take a moment of success to think the hard work is now done. Most of the times, it’s all just beginning. Get out of the losing streaks by becoming uncomfortable. Become comfortable communicating, taking accountability for yourself, and taking a look at your actions. When you make a mistake, it’s hard to talk about what you did wrong. But without confronting the problem and reaching out to others, you’ll never be able to identify what went wrong. Without knowing the source of a problem, it will repeat itself. Remember to not isolate yourself. Focus on why you got started in the first place and reignite the engine.

Being the best, means surrounding yourself with the best. Garbage in, garbage stays. Who you surround yourself with, are the ones who will be feeding your mind subconsciously, so pick wisely. No one gets to the top on their own; you will need to collaborate with people along the way. You will need to focus on not just how you can become better, but how you can make those around you better as well. What ties people together are the goals they set for themselves. Find people who are driven like you and can hold you accountable to your success. High standards require consistent feedback from yourself and those around you, so pick your team/friends wisely to ensure you stay on track and keep the confidence you need to persevere.

The downside to success; it is lonely at the top. All the hard work, the countless hours, the focus to be the best isn’t in everyone. And the better you get, the more the masses fall away. In these times, it is then where you remind yourself why you started. What was it that you wanted to change in yourself or the world? Push through those lonely times and connect with people who are moving up like you are. Everyone has a piece of gold in them waiting to be discovered. Not everyone works through the good and the bad to uncover it. Also, no one will ever understand what is written in your heart; only you will. So don’t let others talk you out of your dreams. Don’t let the opinions of someone who can’t feel your soul, tell you that you can’t do it. The road never ends; as long as you are breathing, you can be better. Never give up, work through the obstacles, work through the success, and do whatever it takes and you too will become your very best.

There are two types of people in this world: those who fill you up when you are around them and those who make you feel empty like a deflated balloon. Be sure to surround yourself with those who fill you up. The ones who take your energy, your happiness, your focus away do it because misery loves company. They may not even know they are doing it, so it’s your responsibility to identify those people and cut them out.

Powerful Magazine October 2019

Sometimes the challenges of being great are not even in your hands. You may have the drive to fix and work on what is broken, but the situation may be worse than it seems, or denial has hidden the root causes. Change comes with tough decisions, many times unpopular decisions. The road to success is very much like a roller coaster. Find ways to pivot though the down times, and continue to work through the good times that are best for you without jeopardizing your confidence.

Powerful Magazine October 2019