thinkBIG magazine - issue 5

thinkBIG Le a d er s , B u s i n ess, Mindset, We a l t h $7.95 inc GST Feb/March 09 Volume 1.5

JOE VITALE Take control of your destiny

DR JOHN DEMARTINI A journey of self-mastery

JUSTIN HERALD Stickability – the real key to success

LORAL LANGEMEIER Characteristics of a successful entrepreneur

PLUS HOW TO:

•Raise capital in a tough market •Brand your company •Profit from the property downturn

CHRIS

•Improve your service through innovation •Improve your goal setting

HOWARD

How to create a ‘thinkBIG’ mindset by modelling success

Free products and offers valued at over $4,000 in this issue!

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CONTENTS REGULARS 6 Editor’s letter 8 Notes to self 12 As You Think 70 Dream Big: Supercar Slayer 72 Think Forever: Books to make you think BIG

section1:business 18 Dr John Demartini: How to live forever 20 Naomi Simson: Finding Your BHAG

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By knowing what your Big Hairy Audacious Goal is, you can create your own destiny.

22 Dale Beaumont: Wear Your Underwear on the Outside

Most business leaders need superhero powers to be successful.

24 Madam X: Head Down, Bum Up Challenge

Challenge yourself to a better life in 2009.

Cover Story: Chris Howard–Life Changing Moments A combination of energy, passion and knowing when to stop and take a look at life’s great challenges has led Chris Howard to an enlightened and successful existence.

section2:mindset 28 Louise Bedford: Sex and Trading

Don’t let your gender get in the way of a good trade.

29 Justin Herald: Stickability – Factor It In

54 Jess Logan: Brand Engagement For the Franchisee

Sticking with your original goal is the real key to success.

32 Kim Fenton: How to ‘Cutback-proof’ Your Career

Career success is directly related to how you manage

professional ups and downs.

42 Warren Black: The 7 Guaranteed Ways to Stay Broke

Too many people believe in status quo.

43 Loral Langemeier: The Characteristics of A Successful

Entrepreneur.

The successful entrepreneur is far from the Lone Ranger.

44 Todd Hutchison: The Right Place at the Right Time

Train your brain for success.

Successful branding is simple, but too many companies fail to recognise why.

56 Aussie Rob: Aussie Rob’s Big Fat Greek Love Affair

Aussie Rob explains that Delta is not just a ‘spunky’ Australian singer.

58 Allan Pease: Powerful Handshakes 61 Warren Stokes: Value in Building and Selling Websites

The growth of internet use is on the increase, so use it wisely!

64 Michelle Murchison: How Your Language Creates Increase

Proper use of language enables a successful life.

65 Carly Crutchfield: Property Crisis, More Like Property Christmas

Now is the perfect time to get into the property market.

section3:wealth 48 Reuben Buchanan: Tips For Raising Capital in a Tough Market

26 Carmen Parnos: Powerful People Take Powerful Action

For those with market education, raising capital in the current financial climate can still be easy.

50 Chris Howard: The Pleasure Principle of Investing

Be careful not to increase your expenses at the same rate as

your spending.

52 Roger la Salle: Service Innovation – The Next Wave

Add value for your clients and see your business grow.

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features Carmen Parnos is a business leader, mum of two and founder of the Australian Coaching Academy.

30 Daniel Gregory and Marty Wilson: The AH HA HA Moment

By making people laugh, you just may be able to make them learn.

34 Rochelle Ward: Design Intervention

Style is a pursuit that sets people apart and gives them an edge.

36 Joe Vitale: Wide Awake & Dreaming

It is only through awakening that we can live a life of real fulfillment.

46 Success Stories with Lincoln Cheng:

What makes Lincoln Cheng one of Singapore’s top businessmen?

62 Peter Wink: TRUST The Most Vital Deal Making Skill

Build trust between you and the ‘other side’.

66 Ian Pignataro: Looking to be the Best

What makes Ivan Pignataro tick?

68 The Language of Style:

Image has a direct correlation to success.

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our team

EDITORIAL

Publisher Graham Maughan graham.maughan@thinkbigmagazine.com Ph: (02) 9925 8016 Managing Editor Jonathan Jackson jonathan.jackson@thinkbigmagazine.com Subscriptions Manager Amanda Peros amanda.peros@thinkbigmagazine.com Ph: (02) 9925 8015 Advertising Ph: (02) 9925 8016 Directors Ken Wood Reuben Buchanan Contributing Editor Chris Howard Contributors Aussie Rob, Dale Beaumont, Louise Bedford, Warren Black, Reuben Buchanan, Dr John Demartini, Kim Fenton, Daniel Gregory, Justin Herald, Loral Langemeier, Roger la Salle, Jess Logan, Michelle Murchison, Terrianne Palmer, Allan Pease, Naomi Simson, Marty Wilson, Peter Wink.

Creative Design Maria Conti – Graphic Designer Website/subscriptions www.thinkbigmagazine.com Enquires info@thinkbigmagazine.com Mindset Media Pty Ltd ACN 129 256 300 ABN 94 129 256 300 GPO Box 519 Sydney Australia 2001 Phone: 61 2 9925 8016 Fax: 61 2 9925 8099 thinkbig Magazine ISSN: 1835 7733 Important Message – Copyright and Disclaimer

thinkbig magazine is owned and published by Mindset Media Pty Ltd (ACN129 256 300).

The publisher, authors and contributors reserve their rights in regards to copyright of their work. No part of this work covered by the copyright may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means without the written consent of the publisher.

No person, organization or party should rely or on any way act upon any part of the contents of this publication whether that information is sourced from a website, magazine or related product without first obtaining the advice of a fully qualified person.

This magazine and its related website and products are sold and distributed on the terms and condition that: •The publisher, contributors, editors and related parties are not responsible in any way for the actions or results taken any person, organization or any party on basis of reading information, stories or contributions in this publication, website or related product.

•The publisher, contributors and related parties are not engaged in providing legal, financial or professional advice or services. The publisher, contributors, editors and consultants disclaim any and all liability and responsibility to any person or party, be they a purchaser, reader, advertiser or consumer of this publication in regards to the consequences and outcomes of anything done or omitted being in reliance whether partly or solely on the contents of this publication and related website and products.

•The publisher, editors, contributors and related parties shall have no responsibility for any action or omission by any other contributor, consultant, editor or related party.

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T

Reuben

Graham

Ken

Jonathan

he core objective behind thinkBIG magazine is simple: to educate people to live the life they deserve. To fulfil this plan, the magazine assembled a range of writers and contributors who would boldly go where no writer had gone before in the education sphere.

This crop of writers straddled the various personal development paths with foresight and aplomb and have contributed immensely to the great success thinkBIG has enjoyed in its first year of existence.

Their contributions do not go unappreciated and we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our writers for their fantastic work in helping thinkBIG become Australia’s number one personal development magazine.

This year, while some writers remain, we will part way with others. The reason is to continue to keep the magazine fresh and up to date; to ensure it has a life beyond its 76 pages.

During the Christmas/new year period, thinkBIG’s owners sat down with each other and mapped a course for the magazine’s future development.

The first major change concerns the simplification of content. That’s not to say the articles will be any less in depth than they currently are, in fact this year we strive for even more in-depth content that will push you further down your path to enlightenment.

The magazine will now be broken up into three sections or inspirations as we like to call them: mindset, business, wealth. Within the confines of these we will cover a range of topics written by local and international experts that require you to think and take action.

In 2009, thinkBIG will be more inspirational, more entertaining and more educational than ever before.

With these changes, also comes a change to staff.

Our new publisher is Graham Maughan. Graham has more than 30 years experience in magazine publishing. Starting as an apprentice and then a tradesman for Fairfax magazines, he has held positions as managing director, publisher and group sales & marketing manager for a couple of leading publishing organisations. He has also owned and published his own titles.

While Graham takes on publishing duties, I will step in and fill the editorial breach. I have been an industry professional for over 12 years starting my career as a freelance sports journalist, before moving into managing editor roles at Blitz Publications, Australia’s largest Sports & Lifestyle publishing company, Wealth Creator Magazine and Ultra-Fit Magazine.

I have also edited three books in the Sports, Business and Lifestyle fields and been a director and managing partner of PR company D-Word Communications.

Reuben Buchanan will step up his duties as director. Reuben has more than seven years experience in the media and finance industries. He successfully founded the Wealth Creator Magazine group and led the company into a television program and custom publishing activities. He sold the Wealth Creator group to focus on venture capital raising.

Rounding out director duties are Ken Wood and his partner Karen Corban, the owners of Universal Events, Australia’s largest personal development company (currently ranked 37th in BRW’s Fast100 list of the fastest growing Australian companies). Originally educated as an engineer, Ken has since become a serial entrepreneur, using his expertise in IT, business strategy and business systems to launch six companies to date.

2009 is the year of personal development and thinkBIG is the only magazine in Australia that has the know-how to capture this market in its entirety.

We hope you enjoy the changes and we welcome all feedback.

So until next time, TBA – thinkBIG Always.

Jonathan TB

www.thinkbigmagazine.com

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Lea de rs, Bus ine ss, Min dse t, We alt h Issue 5

$7.95 inc GST Feb/Apr 09 Volume 1.5

JOE VITALE

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FR ISSU EE ES!

DR JOHN DEMART INI A journey of self-mastery

JUSTIN HERALD

Stickability – the real

key to success

LORAL LANGEMEIER Characteristics of a successful entrepreneur

PLUS HOW TO:

•Raise capital in a tough

market •Brand your company •Profit from the proper ty downturn •Improve your service through innovation •Improve your goal setting

CHRIS HOW

HOWARD

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Notes to self The 61 Secrets of Web Fame

David Seaman was still in college when he staged a faux ‘Free Paris’ rally that garnered international media attention.

Since then, he has been behind some of the most explosive and shocking viral trends on the Internet.

Seaman details in a new book, Dirty Little Secrets of Buzz, how anyone can become the mainstream media’s latest flavour of the month. Now in bookstores nationwide including Barnes & Noble and Borders, the book reveals 61 controversial secrets that ‘inevitably lead to fame’.

These are the tricks regularly used by politicians, celebrities, and powerful businesses to secure media attention.

More info can be found at http:// davidseaman.tumblr.com

18 Up

In their book What I Wish I Knew at Eighteen, stand up comics and authors Daniel Gregory (as seen on the Gruen Transfer) and Marty Wilson (as seen on Jongleurs Live on the Comedy Channel) rounded up over 80 inspirational people and asked them the question: If you could go back in time and give your eighteen-year-old self one piece of advice, what would it be? (Who wouldn’t like the opportunity to go back and say to their younger self: “Eat better, exercise more, invest in Microsoft”?)

They then put down their answers next to a (slightly) geeky photo of each person in their younger days. The result is a book full of powerful advice from an extraordinary group of mentors that is sometimes funny, often moving, and always incredibly valuable.

What I Wish I Knew at Eighteen is also a timely reminder to spend more time communicating on a deeper level with the people around us. Everyday life can be so busy we only skim the surface with those we know and love but this book proves that, if we do take the time to talk and really listen, we can learn so much about life and ourselves.

It’s a book that proves that no one has all the answers, but we’ve all got a few.

DiSC – Dimensions of Behaviour Map

DISC is a group of psychological inventories developed by John Geier and based on the 1928 work of psychologist William Moulton Marston. The Disc Acronym stands for:-

D = Dominance I = Influence S = Steadiness C = Conscientiousness

Which one best describes you? AIM offer many courses using Disc, which will help you identify and discover your unique behavioural strength. This enables you to respond to the communication needs of other people.

Stressed? Drink tea.

Tea preparation and drinking has a history as a calming ritual. The Book of Tea, a classic on the Japanese tea ceremony written in 1906, tells how after first being used as a medicine by the Chinese, tea became a spiritual aid for monks in meditation.

Melbourne naturopath Nicola Graham agrees. “Drinking tea has traditionally been associated with stress relief through the ritual of taking time out. Studies also confirm a scientific basis for this effect. University College London researchers found in 2006 that daily cups of black tea can help one recover more quickly from the stresses of everyday life. People who drank tea were able to de-stress more quickly than those who did not.

The study participants had lower levels of the stress hormone Cortisol in their blood after a stressful event.

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Cost of going green Australians are unwilling to trade their lifestyle for the environment. A 17-country green study conducted by market intelligence group TNS found that cost is one of our greatest barriers to adopting ‘green’ behaviours.

The ‘Our Green World’ study revealed that, when asked to rate the condition of their own natural environment, globally six in ten think their local environment is ‘poor’ or ‘fair’, while only four in ten Australians share the same opinion.

The remaining 58% of Australians rate the condition of our environment as ‘excellent’, ‘very good’ or ‘good’, a level of regard surpassed by only one other country involved in the study – Singapore, where 81% of citizens hold a positive opinion of their local environment.

Only two other countries also recorded a majority with a positive opinion of their own environment – the United States and the United Kingdom both at 51%.

Kate Snow, director with TNS Social Research says that the results show there are high levels of concern for the global environment, as well as for local environments, almost universally worldwide.

“The majority of Australians have positive opinions about our environment at home, but this appears to be resulting in a lower urgency towards adopting ‘green’ behaviour when a lifestyle trade-off is involved.

“We are seeing that Australians are willing to make changes in areas that have little impact on lifestyle but are less willing to make more significant changes for the benefit of the environment.” When asked if they have changed their behaviour to benefit the environment in the recent past, 53% of Australians state they have made changes; however, only 8% have made ‘a great deal’ of change, with the remaining 45% having made ‘a good amount’ of change.

Among the countries surveyed, Australia ranked fifth in terms of the amount of behaviour change made to benefit the environment in the recent past but was above the global average of 40%.

When asked to rate the condition of the natural environment in the world generally, 78% of respondents globally rate it as ‘poor’ or ‘fair’.

Amongst Australians, 71% feel that the natural environment in the world generally is ‘poor’ or ‘fair’.

In five countries – Japan, Brazil, France, Russia and Argentina – 90% or more feel that the world’s natural environment is ‘poor’ or ‘fair’.

When it comes to identifying which countries people feel are to blame, China and the United States are the most frequently mentioned globally.

Other countries named were India, Japan, Indonesia, Russia and Brazil.

Interestingly, the US is the most self-critical with 63% of Americans nominating their home country as the most damaging.

Climate Friendly

Everyone wants to do something about climate change. Now you can reduce your carbon footprint and save money every time you visit the grocery store.

“Less is more,” says Jessica Miller at Climate Friendly. “The less energy and fossil fuels required the better – that means with less packaging or processing and greater efficiency in production, the fewer greenhouse gas emissions are produced.”

‘Food miles’ is a term commonly used to measure the transport distance travelled by food between production and consumption. As one example, oranges grown in Australia are shipped on average 567 kilometers. A similar orange from California is shipped 12,878 kilometers from grove to supermarket.

“Australian shoppers have more choices and need to think twice before buying. It doesn’t make a lot of sense to buy water from France or tomatoes from Italy when local products are among the best in the world – and you reduce your carbon footprint,” says Jessica.

Climate Friendly offers the highest quality carbon credits and makes offsetting carbon quick and easy for all types of emissions, such as energy, flight, car, events and more. Business and individual customers have reduced hundreds of thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gas pollution since the company started in 2003, primarily through purchasing independently verified wind farm offsets that meet either the Voluntary Carbon Standard or the Gold Standard. www.ClimateFriendly.com

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Notes to self 5 tips to pay off your mortgage faster

The need to spend

Movement in Australian companies from December 2007 to December 2008, has generated over 27,000 business-tobusiness sales opportunities, according to Information Resource Development’s (IRD) inaugural ‘Sales Lead Index’.

The IRD Sales Lead Index is an overview of Australian organisations’ intention to spend borne out of reported corporate activities, initiatives or change.

The top three reasons for future spending are general launches (6,092 leads), mergers and acquisitions (2,360 leads) and expansion plans (1,702 leads). Environmental sustainability initiatives are a priority for 575 companies and 151 international companies announced their plans to debut in Australia.

The top five industry prospective spenders identified by IRD are Finance (4,339 leads), Retail (2,490 leads), Travel (2,118 leads), Property & Construction (1,841 leads) and Energy & Resources (1,718 leads) (See Figure 1, page 3, for industry based results).

Matt Skinner, managing director, IRD said: “The IRD Sales Lead Index identified 27,000 reasons for one business to spend money and another to make it. 1,645 companies announced the future opening of stores, interstate offices, hiring of more people. The common thread ­­– they need to spend on infrastructure.

“The besieged finance industry, despite its struggles, has reported the greatest level of activity that will require outsourced support from business partners. Competition to win business this year will be fierce and budgets will be tight. However there will always be sales opportunities for those savvy enough to spot the spenders and chase them. Those that keep their pipeline full of businesses that have a need to spend, will be in a solid position in 2009,” Mr. Skinner concluded.

As the countdown to 2009 begins, specialist lender, RAMS Home Loans revealed five tips to help Australians meet one of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions – paying off your mortgage faster.

RAMS CEO, Melos Sulicich said as the mortgage is often the biggest monthly expense for many families, it’s worth exploring the many options to pay off your mortgage faster.

“Once the New Year celebrations have wound down, traditionally many people turn their attention to their finances and how they can save money on their mortgage,” Mr Sulicich said.

To help get Australians off to a great 2009, RAMS recommends considering the following 5 simple tips to repay your mortgage faster: 1. Make more frequent, regular repayments i.e. make weekly or fortnightly repayments instead of monthly as interest is generally accrued daily and charged on a monthly basis. This could save about $100,000 and six years and four months off the average $300,000 home loan over a 30-year-term.

2. Make extra lump sum repayments. Consider saving loose change and cutting back on buying your lunch or coffees. As little as $25 extra a week to repayments will reduce the average $300,000 home loan over 30 years by four years and nine months, saving $77,000 in repayments.

3. Watch your fees as redraw and account keeping fees will add extra to your loan repayment. Some home loan products, such as the RAMS Rate Relief Home Loan charges no account keeping fees for the life of the loan.

4. Consider refinancing to a more competitive and cheaper interest rate. While most lenders charge break fees and other costs, such as early repayment fees for switching loans, it pays to do your homework as lenders offering cheaper interest rates, reduced and/or no fees and charges may provide greater savings over the life of the loan and outweigh any initial fee.

5. When taking out a new home loan, look out for promotional offers such as no application fees as this can save hundreds of dollars off the application process.

Three Minute Angels

Three Minute Angels is a service specialising in corporate and event massage. Seated massage is provided on-site at your office or workplace, corporate event or conference. www.3minuteangels.com

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As you think “As you think, you travel. As you love, you attract.”

- James Allen “The best cure for a sluggish mind is to disturb its routine.”

- William Danforth “Stop majoring in minor things.”

- Jim Rohn “Find a purpose in life so big that it will challenge every capacity to be at your best.”

- David McKay “Perfection is for the Gods. The most we can hope for is excellence.”

- Carl Jung “Courage is resistance to fear not absence of fear.”

- Mark Twain “Everyone has the obligation to ponder well his own specific traits of character. He must also regulate them adequately and not wonder whether someone else’s traits might suit him better.

The more definitely his own a man’s character is, the better it fits him.”

- Cicero “People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built.”

- Eleanor Roosevelt “Think like a wise man but communicate in the language of the people.”

- William Butler Yeats “Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers.”

- Charles W. Eliot, The Happy Life, 1896

Blooper quote

“Get your feet off my desk, get out of here, you stink, and we’re not going to buy your product.”

- Joe Keenan, President of Atari, in 1976 responding to Steve Jobs’ offer to sell him rights to the new personal computer he and Steve Wozniak developed.

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thinkBIG cover story What personal traits drive men and women to go beyond the average and to succeed where others have failed? Chris Howard explains to thinkBIG’s Jonathan Jackson how a combination of energy and passion results in success.

life

By Jonathan Jackson

I

f someone spends 10 hours a day meditating on a mountain, it’s likely they will be more successful on their path to enlightenment than someone who doesn’t do that at all. The same philosophy can be applied to those who pour their energy into making money. It’s a matter of emotional as well as temporal investment. It is what Chris Howard believes separates the successful from those who struggle.

“Without a doubt, to be successful you have to be passionate,” Chris says. “You have to love to create so that what you do is what you love to do and becomes the most important thing in your life.”

It is widely known that what Chris loves to do, and one of the most important things in his life, is to study successful people. He has spent countless hours reading and learning from many of the world’s great thinkers, philosophers and business owners and it has paid off handsomely from a financial and spiritual perspective.

Unfortunately too many people do things they are dispassionate about.

“A lot of people have ‘just in case’ type plans that they keep open, but it’s not really what they want to do, or it’s not what they want to do in the first place,” Chris says.

Chris believes it takes honesty to find your true calling, but one of the most difficult things in life is to be honest with yourself about what you want to do. This problem is exacerbated by what Chris calls the ‘social psychosis’, which offers a fairly mundane view of how to live your life.

“Social psychosis says that what you should do is find a job and live a mediocre life. Now, I have nothing against jobs, I think jobs are great, but most people do their job for $10 an hour because they bought the social psychosis that that is what you are supposed to do instead of investing your time in a job that is the pathway to an inspired life. If we invest our time in our heart’s desire, we’re using our time more wisely.

“I don’t think the hard part is finding the passion, I think the hard part is to not buy into the social psychosis. Make your life what it is meant to be about.”

For Chris, buying into this behavioural pattern would be more detrimental to who he is and what he does than having a regular nine to five job. This may not be the case in the lives of others, but they are incomplete if they fail to stretch themselves on a continuous basis.

“To me, not stretching yourself is far more difficult than really going for it and making your life what it is meant to be about.

I don’t just mean in terms of career, I think everybody’s life is meant to be something unique. You wouldn’t say the Dalai Lama isn’t successful because he didn’t make a million bucks; he is incredibly successful it’s just different flavours of success.”

changing MOMENTS

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thinkBIG cover story Again this comes down to being honest or truthful with yourself.

“Being truthful takes courage and is one of the most difficult things a person can do, but truthfulness will take you on an enlightened path. When you are truly on the path to doing what you were born to do, that’s when you live a magical life, that’s when you live a rich experience.”

Being rich and successful is not measured solely in monetary terms. Being rich occurs in the moment that you decide to live your life on your own terms. According to Chris it is when you follow your heart that true success occurs; financial success is a by-product of this action. The secret to leading a rich life is to wake up to what your life it is meant to be.

“Donald Trump’s father told him this when he was 16 years old ‘if you’re not passionate about what you do, you won’t stick with it long enough to become truly successful’.”

Meaning in life is the most important thing a person can have.

“I always knew I wanted my life to be meaningful to me,” Chris says.

“I’d love to say there was one point in my life where it turned around and all of a sudden I realised I had to follow my heart. But my entire life I have followed what was true to me and true to my heart. I’ve had many transformational days along the path and woke up to a problem or a solution or a better way of living. I followed my passion when I was young and pursued personal development and loved what I was doing and then I had the wake up calls where my finances hit such a bad point where I had to take action on that aspect of my life.”

In other words, life is an ever-changing journey, made up of perspective-changing moments.

Chris has gone through moments of near bankruptcy, but also moments of financial enlightenment. These moments have been made up of life changing events, large and small, that have allowed him to gain clarity in certain situations, when those situations have necessitated action.

“Sometimes the most challenging moments of our lives can be the greatest gifts because those are the moments that cause us to wake up to a greater meaning to our experience, far beyond anything that we would have experienced otherwise,” Chris says.

He continues, “You can be depressed in dark times and in retrospect these times are easier to recognise, but those times are the greatest gifts we can have. I had an experience last year where I poured so much energy into my career, I was failing to take care of myself and that was a spiritual awakening. Now, while I’m doing well financially, the greatest call from where I am sitting is a spiritual calling. So I spend a lot of time meditating, studying different mind practices that really bring a sense of serenity and peace of mind into my life that then gives me quality in my work life.”

These sorts of breakthroughs usually occur separately from one

another and Chris believes that to have life changing experiences financially and spiritually all at once is often too much change for people to handle in a single session.

However he does believe that having breakthroughs in one area can reflect on other areas of your life.

“I was in a different time zone every week and I had to wake up to the spiritual connection that I’d previously experienced.

Sometimes things get lost along the path, you stray a little bit and then come back and that’s the nature of life. The moment I started tapping back into my spiritual connection, it really caused me to be present to the moment.”

Chris believes that when people tap back into their spiritual connections, they can pinpoint the moments they derailed and recognise the challenges that need to be met.

“I think when people are having challenges, by pinpointing those challenges often one breakthrough leads to another.”

Chris has been on a personal development journey since he was 12 years old and took his first hypnosis class, it was something that would shape his own teachings many years later. His passion for martial arts gleaned early in his life also gave him the discipline he required to continue to improve himself and it is that trait he believes anyone can learn at any age.

“Those attitudes I am infinitely grateful for, but they can be something that people choose to take on at any stage of the game by adopting the right attitudes,” he says.

“I didn’t have financial mentors at an early age, so I could make any excuse if I wasn’t doing well, but buying into those reasons and excuses is just a cop out for making your life the way you want it.

“I was fortunate that I had one aspect of my life given to me (personal development by his stepfather), but my parents were divorced when I was five and my mother and stepfather never made more than $40,000 a year each. So while my story is unique and I am proud of where I came from, I wouldn’t say I was born with a silver spoon, nor was I born with the secret recipe for success. What you are born into is what you build upon and the only thing that determines your success is you and the choices you make.”

Along the journey Chris has had to discover what it means to be successful. He has faced his fears and come to the conclusion that a fear of success is really a fear of failure; of not being good at what you do.

“Those things can cripple you unless you do something about it and they had crippled me but I have made a habit of getting over things. Once I recognise a problem I am then able to do something.

Fortunately, I have the tools coming from a lifetime of study, but the greatest thing somebody can do who has the fear of success or failure is to make the decision to break through those things and recognise them and move beyond.

“A lot of people have fears that they are afraid to recognise, but the only thing worse than having an issue is pretending there is no issue. That prevents you taking the step you need to accomplish what you want.”

There are two schools of thought regarding fear and how to overcome the problem. Chris says there is no right way or wrong way, just the way that works for you.

16 16 thinkBIG

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The action method requires that you recognise the problem, what it is you want and then take clear action. The other method is to recognise the problem, sit with it, stay with it so that you can operate from a clear state of mind and then take appropriate action.

“I think both methods are valid depending on the nature of the person with the problem,” Chris says.

“If I want to be successful – by the definition that I set out for myself – then I have to create those things I want my life to be like in the material world, but also experience my inner world the way I want it to be (inner peace, serenity). So both models are useful, but people think that to have material success, you can’t have inner peace. You can have both.”

This brings us back to passion and fear. Clearly if you are passionate about the things you want in life, whether they be material assets or serenity then you have the tools to overcome your fears. It is just a matter of recognising the problem and taking action in whatever way you see fit.

Be strong of mind and character. Chris says that we should try to emulate the spirit of leaders such as Ghandi and Nelson Mandela.

“They had the ability to stand up and share their dream with the world. They had to stand up in the face of all sorts of oppression for what they believed. If we all develop that character in our heart, the world would be a better place for it.” TB

Five steps to personal development 1. In personal development the first thing to become aware of is what you really want in your heart and what your life is about. That is your contextual framework on which to build everything else.

Simultaneously it’s also to begin expanding your mind in terms of what you are capable of. We’ve grown up with so much social hypnosis … we’ve grown up to think small. So it’s knowing what’s in your heart and what you want your life to be about, but also committing yourself to expand your mind so what you’re capable of is so far ahead of anything you would have dreamed.

2. Committing yourself to expansion.

3. Seeking out with ferocious curiosity all the skills and tools that will enable you to make your life exactly what you want it to be.

4. Develop within yourself resilience, persistence and determination to make it happen. Fall down four times and get up five.

5. Have fun along the way. The most important thing is to live fully in the present while consciously creating a future and celebrating a past.

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thinkBIG 17 thinkbig

thinkBIG business

Journey How to live forever

Discover the Way to Achieve Financial Freedom Today

By Dr John Demartini

Life is not a destination, it’s a journey of understanding, service and self-mastery, and there’s no true end to your growth. Retirement is an illusion of the body, and if you’re fooled by it, your body can decay along with your enthusiasm for life.

W

hen your life is a fulfilling adventure, why would you want it to be over? Are you here simply to have an ending? Or are you here for a magnificent and un-retiring journey? As long as you’re doing what you love to do, you’ll have a desire to live and want to continue doing what you love to do until the day you pass on.

I once met an elderly man at a hotel in Texas who was lecturing in the room next to where I was speaking. I was drawn by the energy of the people attending his seminar, so I dropped in and introduced myself during one of his breaks. We hit it off immediately, traded life stories and talked about what inspired us. He was a philanthropist who had made a later-life career out of going to the business and economic faculties of colleges and universities around the country and asking if he could address their students to offer them an unusual business opportunity when they graduated. Once they’d verified his credentials, which were impressive, the schools were delighted to let him speak.

This philanthropic gentleman stood up in front of lecture halls full of young college seniors across America, told them about his experiences, and inspired them by letting them know about the possibilities available in the world of business. Then he’d offer them a business opportunity: “I’m offering a series of courses. If you attend these courses, study diligently, and fulfil certain requirements, you can receive a reward like nowhere else. The conditions are as follows: You must be in the top 10% of your classes, follow an investment plan that I will lay out for you, attend my courses for one year, and do whatever I tell you financially. If you can meet these criteria, at the end of that year I’ll help you create a business plan and invest however much money you need in the business of your dreams. I’m prepared to invest any amount—thousands of dollars, hundreds of thousands, millions if your plan requires it. But you must guarantee that you’ll follow my instructions to the letter for the first three years. I’ll extract a certain percentage of the profits and in return I’ll guarantee you an extraordinary return and help you make far more money than you could make without my guidance.”

Over and over again, he’d teach young people how to start

18 thinkBIG

businesses and make generous profits. He’d take his royalties, then turn around and do it again with the next generation. He was making untold millions of dollars by using his experience to help other people organise their lives in alignment with universal principles and make their own fortunes.

Young people just out of college couldn’t possibly have had the wisdom it took him a lifetime to amass and the ones who followed his instructions far outstripped their peers. He knew the peaks and pitfalls of the commercial world and shared his knowledge gladly.

But it was no rescue mission or free handout. He made sure they adhered to the contract. Any who didn’t were required to pay him back all his investment money immediately or with interest.

He required their discipline and his percentage in return for his mentorship, which kept the arrangement in fair exchange. It was an inbuilt check-and-balance system, and very few who were selected defaulted, because a deal like that is extremely rare. He showed me his book filled with case after case of large companies that he’d been instrumental in starting up through some of the very principles I teach in my courses today. Do you think that this man thought about retirement?

Work wasn’t a chore to him, it was his life, and there was nothing in the world he’d rather do.

As long as you draw breath and have something meaningful to do, you’ll continue to be a lifelong inspirational force for yourself and anyone fortunate enough to meet you. Heaven on Earth isn’t bounded by time, it’s what you carry in your heart when you live a full life of service and meaning you will have had a glimpse of immortality. TB

Dr. Demartini is a world leading behavioural expert, speaker and author at the forefront of the burgeoning personal and professional development industry. His scope of knowledge and experience is a culmination of 34 years of research and studies of more than 28,000 texts into over 200 different disciplines ranging from psychology, philosophy, metaphysics, theology, neurology and physiology. drdemartini.com

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BHAG Finding your BHAG

By Naomi Simson

Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple once said: “The best way to create the future is to invent it.” I say dare to dream, create your own destiny, know your purpose, assign a number and make sure you share this with others.

Y

our Big Hairy Audacious Goal is “the huge and daunting goal – like a big mountain to climb. It is clear, compelling, and people ‘get it’ right away,” says Jim Collins, co author of Build to Last.

I am the CEO of RedBalloon and we are Australia’s leading online gifting retailer of experiences. We have a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG) that 10% of the Australian population will have had a RedBalloon Day by 2015. We are on target to achieve this but we have bigger purpose, which is to change gifting in Australia forever (so people reduce the clutter in their lives – no more stuff!).

When you start a business – it is all about survival, sharing the story and engaging people in what you are up to. You do a lot of hoping (praying), and there is a lot of hit and miss (trial and error) – two steps forward, one step back. You don’t know where you will end up, if anyone will ever visit your website (we had no customers for two months), or even if you are going to make it as a business. However, once you have your purpose defined and know the numbers you need to meet each month to achieve your BHAG, it is much easier to stay focused. Your people know what they are there to do in the day and they are reminded of the bigger game they are playing.

In his book, Collins talks about having a core ideology behind your BHAG. He also distinguishes what makes a good BHAG and a bad BHAG. “Good BHAGS come from understanding; bad BHAGS flow from bravado,” he says. The trick is to find a statement which covers three elements: What you are deeply passionate about (your core values and purpose), what you can be the best in the world at and what drives your economic engine.

What drives me every day is my passion for changing gifting in Australia and New Zealand forever. Making it easy for people to give something that is truly memorable – something that shows they care. (Especially for corporations – how many businesses give gifts really do not connect in anyway to employees, wine to non -drinkers, etc...?)

RedBalloon has come along way from its very humble beginnings in the front room of my home, with me literally doing everything (except cutting code).

Now we have systems, processes and structures to support 20 thinkBIG

growth and fabulous people who are specialists in their field and committed to what we are up to. A customer base that gives us bucket loads of ideas.

My role now is about providing a guiding hand. I appointed general managers six months ago to run the business on a daily basis. They are highly skilled individuals who are accountable for delivering their plans. As they say ‘a founder needs to know when to get out of the way’.

My job now is to get out of managers’ way so they can get on with achieving our Big Hairy Audacious Goal.

But what I have just finished working on is really fun. I have painted The RedBalloon picture in words.

Let our imaginations run wild. Not limiting ourselves to the ‘how’ we will get there. Just imagining what our world will be like when…

Our painted picture document is only two years out; the end of the decade. It is all about enjoying the journey, every moment of it… But having a clear understanding of what the destination could be like, if we create it. It is a very valuable picture to allow all those in our organisation to share the journey equally. TB

Naomi Simson is the founder and CEO (Chief Experiences Officer) of RedBalloon Days and recently named one of Australia’s best bosses (Australia’s Marketing Employer of Choice), the Entrepreneurs Organisation (Sydney Chapter) President 2007 – 2008. www.redballoondays.com.au

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Danger sense

WEAR YOUR UNDERWEAR ON THE OUTSIDE Dale Beaumont explains that there are some superpowers you need for business success. He lists the most powerful of all. have the ability to utilise their special skills and talent to steer their business in the right direction and away from destruction.

Here are some superhero powers that you can use to prevent disorder and anarchy within your business.

Laser vision Remain focused. Once successful people have defined their aims and outcomes, they zero in on that one thing. Make up your decision and stick to it.

According to property developers, Gary and Jenny Leather, focus is an important element of their success and a piece of advice they offer to others. Stop your mind from wandering by focusing on your goals.

“We’ve also discovered that you need to be very precise about what you want and why you want it.”

Invisibility Business success requires effort, dedication and sacrifice. But let’s face it – you don’t want to be working hard for your entire business career.

Margaret Lomas, founder of Destiny Group, says, “When you start a business of your own, your first goal should be to get out of it.”

The success of your business should not deteriorate when you are not there. This is the difference between being ‘self-employed’ and being ‘in business’. So, your first goal in business should be to make yourself invisible.

P

icture this: an eerie place overwhelmed with blackness where the only source of light is the fiery blazes of upturned cars. And it flickers off the tiny shards of glass that spreads itself over footpaths lined with chalky silhouettes of deceased citizens.

Imagine this. But not for too long, as you know that thieves lurk within every shadow and that chaos should always be expected.

Then spare a thought for those who prevent it. Those dedicated few who we all like to call SUPERHEROES. We have all thought about how life would be as superheroes with superpowers. However, to avoid chaos within a business we must do more than just think. We must act. Successful people

22 thinkBIG

Flight While it is important to pay attention to detail, ensure that you also consider the big picture. This will help you gain perspective and clarity. Do not be afraid to stand back or adopt a bird’s eye view of your business.

Douglas Foo, Singapore-based founder of Apex-Pal International, understands that it is not only important to have a big picture of your company, but also “a good overall picture of the developments and changes in the world and how these changes affect the company.”

Some of the most important lessons he’s learnt in business have to do with clarity. Sometimes in order to gain an overall picture and a sense of clarity, you need to take flight.

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Successful people are able to see danger in advance. Their ability to detect challenges and obstacles before they occur allows them to make decisions and take the necessary action to avoid complications.

Brad Sugars, Action Coach chairman, believes that in today’s business world everything is about handling change – either it will happen to you, or preferably, you will make it happen. He says, “Be proactive and know what’s going to happen because you’re the one making it happen.”

Like most entrepreneurs Brad has made many mistakes, sometimes having to start all over again with nothing. However, you need to develop a sense for danger and minimise these mistakes. Successful people are able to predict events or circumstances that will put their business in danger.

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Incredible strength To operate a business, you will require incredible strength. There will be times when you need to go beyond the call of duty to achieve your goals and overcome the challenges and obstacles that impede your path to success.

In 2001, Cleanevent founder, Craig Lovett, made a mistake that almost resulted in the loss of everything, including his business and house. After growing relaxed with the smooth running of his business, Craig failed to capitalise on this success because there was money around and business was doing great.

“We soon gained a debt base,” says Craig. “However, when our bank pulled out its support and disappeared, the company was left to survive on its own…”

Craig demonstrated extraordinary strength in rebuilding his business and he is now considered one of the most successful event and venue cleaning businesses in the world.

Super stretch Do not be afraid to stretch beyond your comfort zone. When you move outside your comfort zone you will experience fear, but from that fear you will grow and achieve success. “[I] had grown accustomed to the security that a salary provides,” says property investor Peter Comben. “So, I took leave without pay to try something different…”

Peter was employed as a primary school teacher for 16 years before he realised that he was in a comfort zone. In an effort to challenge himself and stretch his abilities, Peter left his job and pursued his passion for property.

In summary If you want to soar over destruction and mayhem to achieve great heights, then perhaps it’s time for you to start using superpowers that will be productive for your business. Determine what you want to achieve then decide what undies go best with your tie or blouse, because when it comes to business there is nothing wrong with wearing your underwear on the outside. TB

Dale Beaumont is a young entrepreneur and the creator of the ‘Secrets Exposed Club’. Having now released over 16 best-selling books, Dale has been featured in all forms of the media and has become a sought-after speaker. To read Dale’s Blog, please visit; http://www.SecretsExposedClub.com/yourgifts

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GOALS Head Down, Bum Up 2009 Challenge

By Madam X

Yesterday is done and dusted; it has been and gone. Its purpose is simply a reminder of lessons learned – your marker of what has worked and what has not. As you charge ahead into 2009, the question is what are you willing to do differently? Own this thought. Decide on what level you want to play. Then act on it right away, head down, bum up without so much as a glance at the recession doomslayers or the tall poppy snippers who can’t wait to whip out their secateurs to behead their victims.

I

n my experience, it’s not gargantuan random leaps that create momentum, focusing your efforts on doing a whole bunch of little things consistently in sequence from beginning to end will deliver the best results and make the biggest impact.

Perfection is an impossible destination to reach and this fact became even more evident when I left the security blanket of my ‘corporate high-flying job’ and started my own coaching business. I learned very quickly that there is in fact a formula for stressing out and ageing faster than the speed of light which I call the ‘Perfect P’s; Perfection equals Procrastination which leads to Poverty.

Industry movers and shakers do three things very well; they know what to do, they know how to do it and they just get it done. In essence they are clear about their destination and they employ a direct response marketing system or business model that reflects their desired lifestyle. And that is the holy grail of moving forward – bigger, better and faster than you ever imagined possible. For instance, consider your lifestyle preferences. If your dream is to

24 thinkBIG

create a self-propelled lifestyle which enables you to work from home, spend more time with your kids, earn an income while you sleep and only work five hours per week on your business it would not make sense to continue a business model that predominantly required you to be out of the country as an international globe trotting speaker who was never at home. Your business or coaching model must support your immediate or long-term aspirations.

I see many business owners and coaches who, with all the best intentions in the world simply end up creating a job they are slaves to because they do not identify their lifestyle business model, they do not follow a system, they are too busy going it alone ‘flying solo’ and of course do little, if any, effective marketing. You have and will invest heavily in any business you undertake so doesn’t it make sense then that you setup your business models or wealth creation vehicles to support your desired lifestyle?

My challenge to you in 2009 is NOT to wait for your ducks to line up – they never will. Grab the bull by the sharpened horns and run with him. Now is the time to act boldly and deliberately tread where many fear to tread in your industry. Be ‘seen’ by your clients and target market, you simply cannot afford to remain the ‘best kept secret’ or to ‘wait and see what happens’. Choose your lifestyle business model, research your options wisely and seek out the right resources and support. We are living in a world bursting at the seams with information and opportunity abounds. 2009 is waiting for you to grab it by the scruff of the neck and shake it up a bit. So SHAKE IT UP and strut your stuff, no holds barred. I dare you! TB

Madam X the “Secret Coach” Madam X is a Best Selling Author, Speaker, Success Coach of the Coaches and Lifestyle Business Strategist. Visit www.secretcoachesbusiness.com

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thinkBIG feature

Powerful people,

powerful action

take

By Jonathan Jackson

Carmen Parnos has a raft of accolades attributed to her: Information technology recruitment expert, single mum of two and founder of the Australian Coaching Academy to name a few. She is an entrepreneur, business woman and leader all rolled into one, but it is her children who take pride of place. Carmen explains what leadership means to her.

T

o some in the business field, 25 years in a corporate environment is a long time. To others, this is the time when you begin to climb the upper echelons of the corporate ladder having established yourself as a person of merit and integrity. Usually along the journey you discover whether you are a leader, follower or suited to middle management for a bet each way. No doubt, however, you come to understand the principles of leadership, and some even discover their entrepreneurial flair.

Eleven years ago when Carmen Parnos decided to start a family and launch her own IT recruitment company, she found her entrepreneurial spirit. Yet she believes it was lying dormant while she built a substantial career working for other organisations.

She says, in spite of her success, building a business is still a matter of trial and error.

“Right idea, wrong people, or vice-versa – still today I am constantly tweaking to keep the business in line with current corporate and economic climates. You have to be prepared to change direction or strategy and just do what it takes to stay at the forefront of business. The other key for me is to utilise my skills and knowledge to branch out and do other things like writing a book, public speaking and networking (which is one of my greatest passions). I love people and I’m always keen to hear ‘their story’.”

In these defining 11 years, Carmen has built a successful recruitment company and the Australian Coaching Academy has become one of the foremost learning vehicles in Australia, with a host of CEOs, MDs and even police commissioner Christine Nixon lining up to impart her thoughts on frontline leadership.

Carmen has also co-authored two books while managing the lives of her children.

“Last year I co-authored a book called Apprentice to Business Ace: your inside out guide to personal branding. This was my first introduction into the world of publishing and I was hooked.

So I used my skills and knowledge from my work in leadership development and created the first volume of Super Leaders of Australia, a book that showcases Australia’s most talented and inspirational leaders, with a percentage of proceeds going to poverty relief in developing countries, in this instance we chose to support World Vision.”

The philosophy behind the Super Leaders business stems from Carmen’s lifelong ambition to learn from the best. Most of us are empowered by the teachings of great leaders and, indeed, those we admire. Carmen was no different.

“Networking into the upper echelons of the business sector is exciting, you can learn so much from the greats and then take some of their wisdom and make it your own,” she says.

“Super Leaders embodies all of that and much more, it gives those that can’t gain access to Australia’s top business leaders a chance to read about them, listen to them and ask them their ‘burning questions’ through the events.”

In essence, Carmen’s desire to discover what makes leaders tick was the catalyst for her own rise and it helps that she loves what she does.

“If I had to look back five years ago I certainly wouldn’t have thought I would have published two books by now. That was never my goal. I just followed my passion and did the things that got me excited about getting out of bed every day. If it didn’t, of course, then I would have changed direction and found something else to work on!”

Through Super Leaders, Carmen is looking to create a hub for future leaders, where they can access the best advice and tips and she wants to take this through the Asia/Pacific and Europe.

However she has a warning for those looking to climb the corporate ladder: always see yourselves as a work in progress.

“Ongoing personal development gives you an opportunity to become more aware of your strengths and weaknesses,” Carmen

26 thinkBIG

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says. “What thoughts and behaviours work for you and which ones don’t? Once you find the answers to these questions, you have an opportunity to make the necessary changes to become the person you want to be. I always ask people, ‘what do you want others to say behind your back?’ When you know, behave accordingly.”

Super Leaders sister company, The Australian Coaching Academy, also provides life coaching, executive coaching, leadership development and team building that focuses on specific developmental areas.

The philosophies of both companies run parallel and push the theory that you need to be present every day.

“Once you master presence then you become very powerful in your thinking, behaviour and decision making. You take in more of what is going on around you in that moment, people around you feel as though they are being heard and that their contribution is being acknowledged. Being a strong role model (personally, professionally or in sport) is the legacy you leave behind in life. So don’t just say you are going to do this that or the other, just do it.

“Powerful people take powerful action - they don’t accept mediocrity.”

Without a doubt Carmen is inspired by strong leadership, but what she is also inspired by is her children.

“Becoming a mother has been the best career move I have ever made as it gave me a strong purpose in life and that was to be the best role model I could be for my daughters; to show them that anything is possible. Even in making decisions I always ask myself ‘what would I tell my daughters if they came to me about a problem. I then make a decision based on those principles. I live the values and beliefs I want them to have. This has in turn brought about my greatest professional achievement which is the Super Leaders of Australia book and more importantly the learning and lessons that came from that journey.”

Carmen says she achieved this goal by facing her fears and surrounding herself with people with dissimilar skills to herself.

She was tenacious and kept her eyes on the prize not matter who was whispering sweet negatives in her ear. This was

the greatest lesson of her life, “Don’t try and live your life to other people’s expectations, be true to yourself and be yourself.”

Carmen’s goals for the next three to five years include contributing further to poverty relief projects (via World Vision) and putting in place community programs for troubled youths. This is currently in progress.

Despite her lifestyle it is still little things that motivate Carmen.

“I appreciate what I have and don’t dwell on what I haven’t. I have always been incredibly self-motivated, if I have just a small win or I get through to a key decision-maker I might squeal and do a little victory dance! I love the thrill of the chase.”

And it is not just the money made by leaders that inspires her either.

“I think true greatness reflects itself not only in dollar terms but what you give back to your community and society, this is what I am working towards and want to do more of.” TB

www.thinkbigmagazine.com

thinkbig thinkBIG 27

thinkBIG mindset

GENDER

fulfillment

Sex and Trading

Stickability – factor it in

By Louise Bedford

By Justin Herald

Well… now that I’ve got your attention! Nothing seems to capture our interest as much as the mention of sex. Let’s have a look at how individuals from each gender are likely to share trade and the challenges they are probably going to face at some stage during their trading careers

Stickabilty, now you won’t find this word in a dictionary, but this is what I believe is one of the biggest factors most people overlook when trying to reach their own goals and dreams. Sticking to what we started all of those years ago is really the key to completing desired outcomes.

I

B

ased on statistical research of over 35,000 households, women make more cautious and conservative traders, yet lack confidence in their own abilities and worry that trading may be a male domain. Men tend to over-trade and display over-confidence; they treat the sharemarket as an opponent they need to conquer. Become aware of your own behaviour and you’re more likely to beat your own biology and become a super-trader!

Much of our behaviour as men and women is derived from the goal to reproduce. It is quite likely that this phenomenon extends to the trading arena.

Women’s ACC (anterior cingulated cortex) is larger than the men’s. This region is primarily responsible for risk evaluation and fretting over choices. In life, it may lead to questions such as: “Is this hunk fatherhood material for my potential children, or is he just spunky eye candy?” In the share trading arena, despite statistically outperforming men, women worry more because this region is more easily activated.

Also, a woman’s prefrontal cortex is larger in comparison to a man’s. This area, among other things, is the part that stops her from making a fool of herself in public. (Yes… I know girls… this explains a lot of things about our spouses, doesn’t it).

In relation to trading, the threat of public ridicule can be a scary prospect, especially if in a trading group or trading with a human broker, so some women drop the whole idea of trading before they commence due to this fear.

A woman’s hippocampus is also highly developed which helps her to retain and replay every detail and humiliating event such as a trade that has ended badly, long after a male’s hippocampus has 28 thinkBIG

managed to forget the names of his own children.

The insula is the area of the brain responsible for processing gut reactions. A man’s insula is smaller than a woman’s and can lead to a disregard for the facts or the chart, which may be suggesting contrary information. These differences in the structure of the brain have meant that it is often the woman who is responsible for putting on the brakes during an intimate encounter. They also help explain why women make more cautious traders.

Effective trading relies on a high level of self-awareness. To know about the strengths and limitations of your gender will stand you in good stead to improve your trading results.

Men, conquer your egos, admit when you’re wrong, apply caution where necessary and realise that to trade well will take a while to master. Women, develop some confidence by pursuing your own trading education, recognise that you can be profitable as a trader, and be prepared to dive into the arena even if you’re feeling a bit scared.

The rewards are worth it. TB

Louise Bedford (www.tradingsecrets.com.au) provides a free trading plan template on her website.

She is a full-time private trader and author of The Secret of Writing Options, The Secret of Candlestick Charting, Charting Secrets and Trading Secrets.

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know you may read this article and at some point say to yourself ‘I know that’, but there so many people today who now realise that they need to get back on track.

I don’t for a minute claim to be teaching you anything new. You can’t re-invent the wheel, but what I am endeavouring to do is to make the wheel roll better by explaining things in a way will make a bit more practical sense.

What goals or dreams did you have that you have just let go?

What would you have been able to achieve if only you stuck it out through the tough times?

Too many times we are guilty of changing our minds and even direction to take a different and less challenging path, because we have failed to stick to our original plan or goal. That is fine if you just want to get by in life, but if you are like me you should want to fulfil those dreams that you have had for a long time and open yourself up to a new part of your life.

It is easy to stick to your direction and path when things are going well; when everything seems to be going in a direction that you are happy with. You know, the times when no matter what you do it all seems to turn to gold. There is nothing wrong with that; in fact that is the place we all need to get to.

It is these times when we think we are bullet proof. Then reality hits. Something deviates a bit left of centre and we occupy panic stations. We start to over-react moving us way off the path we were heading down. Then we seem to want to give up as we think that this is the best course of action.

It is through the hard times, through the periods that things just aren’t working for us that we learn more about ourselves. It is our ‘stickability’ during the hard times that will lead us to our goals.

If only we see past the problems that are staring us in the face and push through the barriers we think are stopping us from reaching the goals and dreams we have set for ourselves, then we will open ourselves up to new and exciting challenges that will take us to where we want to go and potentially even further.

I believe that it is the tough times, the times when things need a lot of work and effort that shape us for life. If you give up on your dreams too early and don’t stick things out, you will develop a defeatist mentality; one that will shape your future actions and reactions in a negative way. TB

In 1995, all Justin had to start his business was $50 and an attitude. With clever marketing campaigns and a strong desire to make something of his life, Justin set out to turn his $50 into a multi-million dollar empire. Justin’s business success has allowed him to retire from Attitude Gear® and turn his passion to helping others achieve their business and personal goals. www.justinherald.com

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thinkBIG feature

THE Ah

Ha Ha

moment.

Make ’em laugh. Make ’em learn.

By Daniel Gregory and Marty Wilson

Is this really just an elaborate attempt by two former class clowns to legitimise their poor behaviour and prove they were right all along?

Well, kinda!

B

ut humour and learning were at odds long before either of us interrupted a maths class with an armpit fart or morphed an English teacher’s name from Mr Seamus to Mister’s Anus.

The problem seems to be that most people just don’t take humour seriously. As legendary stand up comedian George Carlin once said, “This job used to be called ‘Fool’”.

Classroom humour also gets a lot of bad press, so much so that many of us had a negative view of humour drummed into us as an after class punishment: “The classroom is not the place for jokes…

“The classroom is not the place for jokes…

“The classroom is not the place for jokes…”

But despite all this, humour has proven to be not only a powerful tool, with the capacity to render a potentially boring subject palatable, it also aids retention, lowers barriers to new thinking and helps teachers and coaches engage their students’ more fully.

Want to teach men and women how to communicate better?

You’re going to need a healthy helping of humour. Anyone who read John Gray’s Mars and Venus classic and didn’t laugh, didn’t get it.

Training salespeople in building rapport? It helps if you can elicit an empathetic smile and help everyone relax with a shared laugh.

Giving a lesson on indirect taxation and the changes to company reporting with regard to the 2007-2008 tax code? Well, good luck with that!

Learning isn’t just about memorising a series of facts by rote or simply absorbing information, it’s at its most powerful when it creates understanding and shifts perception in such a way that it makes sense not just to your mind, but in your body, heart and soul.

Learning in a peak state Many of our modern teachers and peak performance coaches

will tell you that you learn and retain more in a peak state, that the information isn’t just recorded, it becomes part of your neurology.

We have to agree.

New research also suggests that memory is cellular, that the mind and body are not separate entities operating independently of each other, but that they act in concert.

Laughter is one of those rare moments when body and mind are aligned. It’s an involuntary response where new ideas and information can enter the system while the defences are down.

Watch how quickly kids learn the rules to a game and you’ll get an idea of how learning might be accelerated with laughter.

understanding has been reached, an unspoken truth has been revealed or a common experience has been acknowledged.

Many a true word is spoken in jest.

Make learning from mistakes more enjoyable The old adage has it that “when it happens to me it’s a tragedy, when it happens to you, it’s a comedy”. Being able to greet mistakes and missteps with lightness and humour makes the inherent lesson more apparent... even when it’s happening to you.

Humour can create context for information that makes it more pertinent and more memorable.

Something as simple as falling down could be an error we repeat all our lives if not for laughing at ourselves, and others, and then thinking “Well I won’t do that again”.

Increase retention Almost all of us have forgotten passwords and key codes on our personal bank accounts - important stuff to forget.

But even the least funny of us can recite a knock knock joke or two or tell you why a chicken might want to cross the road or regale a dinner party, in exquisite detail, with the story of what happened to them while they were backpacking in Peru and what they learned as a result.

Humour often builds an analogy, or a consequence or a vivid example into a lesson, making it not just more potent, but more likely to be recalled at a later date. Laughter has the ability to make ideas sticky.

Humour helps you connect When we wrote our book What I wish I knew at Eighteen we interviewed over one hundred people and we were greeted with equal doses of laughter and tears.

People opened up about the most painful experiences of their lives – being interned at a Siberian work camp as a child during World War II, being shot at by pirates (no kidding), being diagnosed breast cancer and kidney disease.

But when these “next-door Socrates’” shared their stories, they instinctively knew to throw in a few gags to make subjects that were often heavy going accessible, inspirational and memorable.

Shared laughter creates an almost instant rapport.

The reason humour is so critical to learning is that it makes you think — a head full of facts does not make you intelligent, it makes you a library. We’ve discovered that humour adds the capacity to imagine, empathise, analyse and apply and is a truer measure of intelligence.

Honest Mr Seamus. TB

Writers, Stand Up Comics and Communications Experts, Daniel Gregory & Marty Wilson are the authors of What I Wish I Knew at Eighteen. www.whatiwishiknew.com

Entertaining new ideas through entertaining new ideas Laughter also has the ability to break down resistance to new thinking, and just as importantly, to challenge old beliefs.

Whether critiquing or simply evaluating current, possibly outdated beliefs or raising potential possibilities with “Imagine if” statements, humour helps the mind stay open. It’s even in our language. How often do we say “Humour me”?

And what seems funny in one time has a habit of proving possible in another.

Creating empathy and understanding When people like John Gray and Allan and Barbara Pease talk about relationships, the lessons, analogies and even the tragic stories they tell are peppered with humour.

It seems both sexes have evolved in precisely the right way to maximise both the opportunity to learn and to laugh as well. You need look no further than the fact that men hit their sexual peak in the late teens and women in their thirties, or watch a woman read a map while a guy refuses to ask for directions. The comedy is exquisite and universal.

Humour is often a sure sign that there is a lesson here to be learned and when a room laughs together, it’s because an

30 thinkBIG

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thinkBIG 31 thinkbig

thinkBIG mindset

BUSINESS How to

‘cutback-proof’ your

career

By Dr Kim Fenton

Life is full of ups and downs.Your success in life is directly related to how you conduct yourself during both the good times and the bad times.

Consequently, your success in your career is directly related to how you manage your professional ups and downs.

P

rosperity in the business world comes in waves. This does not simply refer to dramatic downturns in the global economy. We refer to the familiar cycle of business. Many companies go through growth phases leading to a number of prosperous years. This prosperity can be followed by hard-hitting budgets or challenging competition, leading to a downturn in measured good fortune compared with previous years. This in turn can result in cutbacks to spending or staff. After a few years in cutback mode, the company realises the opportunities they are missing and the growth cycle starts again.

So, how do you ‘cutback-proof’ your professional skills when opportunities appear more scarce?

There are four golden rules for growing your career in the challenging business environment: 1) expect change 2) be prepared for change 3) adjust quickly to change 4) build strong networks in times of corporate stability.

1. Expect change Change can be extremely unsettling. Many people resist change in their workplace. Even something as simple as the introduction of a new computer system can be met with enormous resistance.

Objections can come in form of verbal complaining about how the old system was much better. More extreme reactions can be direct sabotage to hinder the implementation of change, or to remove the person seen to be instigating the change. These reactions can occur because people expect that things will always stay the same. In business, change is inevitable.

Change is actually fundamental to growth and success. If change in the work place is expected as the norm, it is far less 32 thinkBIG

stressful and unsettling when it occurs. Expect change to occur in business and you will be mentally one step ahead of the rest.

2. Be prepared for change In order to fully embrace potential changes in your business environment, you need to prepare for them. Preparing for expected change is two-fold: 1) anticipate the type of change, and 2) keep your skills current and sought-after.

Firstly, in anticipating the type of change your company may experience, you are in a solid position to make the most of your advanced information. Some signs that your company may be headed for cutbacks or major change can include: • rumours of corporate merger or acquisition • corporate profit levels dramatically increasing or decreasing • sudden changes in share prices for public companies • fluctuations in incentive payments or bonus schemes • discussion about needing to curb spending • senior managers or international managers visiting unexpectedly • changes in upper management • your peers moving into other roles or out of the company in larger numbers than usual.

Secondly, ensure that you constantly increase your value to the organisation and the industry, by moving with the times.

• stay up to date with technology trends in your industry • embrace all opportunities to diversity and learn new skills • advance your knowledge through further study • keep your CV current and ready to distribute • be ready to interview for promotion or opportunity at a moment’s notice.

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3. Adjust quickly to change It is thought that coping well with change is a personality trait. This is untrue. Rapid adjustment to change is a skill that can be developed.

Initially, it is important to remember not to over-analyse a situation. You will find that your extended thoughts on the subject will be excessively focused on the past that once was. This is wasted energy and not conducive to a rapid and successful adjustment to change. Let go of the past and embrace the future.

Ensure you don’t take it personally. Even if the change impacts directly on you; taking it personally will ensure your inability to critically appraise the situation and look for the opportunities. In the business world, corporate change is unlikely to be associated with trying to do the wrong thing by one individual.

Be ready to seize the desired opportunity when it arises. This is where it is important to continue to up-skill yourself, and keep your CV current. It is also important to ensure that you have communicated your achievements to those around you.

You may have finished your MBA. You may have enrolled in a leadership course. Share this information with trusted peers and leaders in the organisation. Also, share your goals. If your aim is management, or marketing, o training, let people know.

Just as you need the information and resources at hand to make the quick decisions, so do others in the organisation. If you’ve been communicating your goals and effort towards those goals, then those in decision-making positions will be able to think of you top of mind.

4. Build a strong professional network Modern business works in a very different manner to how it did 50 years ago. We have virtual meetings, inboxes and ergonomic chairs. However, one thing hasn’t changed: the vast majority of internal promotions, and many external appointments, are gained most effectively through networking.

When you are looking for opportunities, your network will be the single most effective and efficient source of any opportunities you uncover.

It is unwise to start networking with previously unfamiliar people during chaos or corporate turmoil. You will likely be viewed as fake and insincere. Networking is most effective in the good times. You

can help them and they can help you. A history can be developed. A reputation can be earned on both sides. Then, when needed, your network will know you, your abilities and your goals well enough to provide you with the information and opportunities you need to make the most of the changes occurring around you.

And you may be able to do the same for those in your network.

View your network as an opportunity to give as well as to receive.

True sincerity will not go unnoticed, and conversely, neither will a one-way relationship.

Ensure your network is wider than just your company. Keep in touch with past employees who did well in the organisation. Keep in touch with impressive people in courses you attend. Make contact with public speakers who have inspired you. Attend education seminars and other functions in your field. Collect information from people who make an impact on you at dinner parties.

Networks can be formed anywhere at any time, provided the subtle social cues are adhered too. Don’t forget the technology networks such as LinkedIn. These networks provide an efficient way of ensuring that you are known in your preferred professional circles.

Ensuring your career thrives during times of corporate turmoil takes some forward thinking and planning, as well as an ability to overcome the fear and anxiety associated with change.

Managing the peaks and troughs of the professional world is a skill that can be mastered, allowing you to embrace every opportunity that comes your way. TB

Dr Kim Fenton completed her PhD in medicine before embarking on a career in the pharmaceutical industry. Over 10 years, Kim worked at two prominent multinational organisations, achieving goals and winning awards in sales, regional management and product management. It was following a very successful professional relationship with her own executive coach that Kim was inspired to guide others towards a more meaningful and fulfiling life. While obtaining formal qualifications in Life Coaching, Kim specialised in Executive and Workplace coaching. Kim is also certified in all other areas of coaching, including business and career coaching. www.successfulminds.com.au

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thinkBIG feature

Design b

b

intervention

According to Rochelle Ward style is an individual pursuit; a reflection of personal taste, influence and vision. It is a pursuit that sets people apart, gives them their edge and in her case propels from one exciting interior design job to the next.

April/MAy issue thinkBIG Magazine is Australia’s number one Personal Development magazine, with an unrivalled distribution representing various sectors in the personal development, education, business, wealth creation and investment fields.

In the current global financial crisis, personal development and self improvement represents one of the most innovative and fastest growing segments of the national economy; millions of people worldwide are discovering new ways to fulfill their life destiny and live the life of their choice.

By Dominque Bambino

thinkBIG investigates the trend toward healthy lifestyles, the products available, what it means to be healthy and how this can improve your performances in business and life.

R

ochelle runs Complete Living, a vibrant Melbourne interior design company dedicated to all that challenges the sense of beauty and space in a living environment.

“Our team collates international movements in the world of design, fashion and art to translate them into a beautiful, fresh, timeless, living space,” says Rochelle. “Our company is focused on furniture and interior design and interior decorating solutions for commercial interiors, investors, owner occupiers, developers and hotel operators. We offer an Interior Design service for any interior requirement and specialize in FF&E consulting for Hotels and Serviced Apartments.”

A self confessed minimalist, (“less is more”), Rochelle cites her influences as many different things: music, nature, fashion, media, travel… “Things that evoke and arouse me.”

These influences are evident in all her work from state of the art furniture packages for urban developments (University Hill in Melbourne) and waterfront living (Hervey Bay in Queensland), to the opulence and elegance of the refurbishment of the iconic Windsor Hotel .

Rochelle has been in the interior design business for eight years.

“It took me a while to get here. I have had careers in many other fields along the way, but when I was young I wanted to be an interior designer. So I’ve come full circle.”

It just goes to show that eventually, if you wish hard enough and believe, you do get what you want. However it wasn’t just wishful thinking that led her down a successful career path. Like her design work, she refers to success as an individual thing.

“Success is really a very personal thing that cannot be measured by anyone else other than oneself. For me it is being involved with life in a way that inspires me and me it. That entails work, family, friends, music, food and not necessarily

thinkBIG HEALTH & WELLBEING As a client of thinkBIG you will be part of a magazine that influences people in the most important areas of their lives. You will gain access to a community of highly discerning buyers and readers who spend generously on lifestyle including Health & Wellbeing products and services.

in that order.”

Life learning and evolution of self are the two main ingredients that brought Rochelle to where she is today.

“I left school at 16 and was a professional model for 15 years.

I traveled the world and experienced many different cultures. My appreciation for aesthetics has always been important.”

And she was encouraged to follow her dreams, which also propelled her.

“My mother told me – from when I can remember – to travel the world. She really inspired me to experience life and from that she instilled confidence in me to believe I could do anything I set my mind to. I was never judged by my parents, only encouraged.”

After she won her first project, work seemed to snowball and she recognized that she had a natural ability, an eye for detail if you will, and she loved what she was doing.

Love for what you do is a key to success. “Never lose sight of why you started,” she says.

She also believes it’s important to develop your own signature, something by which people recognise your work.

“I think that’s part of being successful, having your own signature in whatever you do.”

Rochelle sees everything she does as a natural progression in life and she is excited by the future. You also get the feeling that this very stylish, very determined interior designer’s desire and passion for great aesthetic will take her a long way no matter what she next sets her mind to. TB

34 thinkBIG

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• The constant change and intense competitive nature of the Health & Wellbeing industry in Australia requires companies to be innovative and adaptive in identifying and capturing a discerning group of new clients and customers.

• thinkBIG Magazine is positioned at the forefront of high spending individuals and families who are looking for the best Health & Wellbeing solutions.

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thinkbig 35

thinkBIG feature

&

WidE awake

DREAMING It is only through awakening that we can truly live a life of fulfillment. Joe Vitale discusses the four stages of awakening and what it means to take control of your destiny.

By Jonathan Jackson

36 thinkBIG

M

ost people – with very rare exception – are born into a state of mind, a social psychosis in which they are taught to be victims of their own circumstance. According to bestselling author of The Attractor Factor (Second Edition) and one of the stars of The Secret, Dr. Joe Vitale, this is a necessary state of being, but temporary.

Joe is the architect behind a program called the Awakening Course, a four step program that tackles the psychology behind people’s inability to live the life they truly want and deserve. The course is the culmination of Joe’s journey and subsequent teachings. It is a learning program that is as much about the past and present, as it is the future; for without past glories or mistakes, there is no future.

Joe breaks the course down into four stages: Victimhood, Empowerment, Surrender and Awakening.

“The first stage sees people walking around in quiet desperation, feeling the world is against them,” says Joe. “They have no power, control or influence and only a few moments in their lives where they are happy.”

Joe says it is the culture of desperation that is instilled in us at birth that is responsible for this malaise.

“Religion, family, friends, even community services all train us to feel like we’re a victim, because that is how things are done. The school system doesn’t teach us to be success minded it teaches us to be survival minded. And so the victim mentality is something we are brainwashed into living the moment we are born.”

When Joe first realised he was living the victim mentality, he was around 28 years of age. His first step to awakening was borne of the situation he was in at the time and had lived previously. He had come from an abusive childhood, was estranged from his father, homeless and at times working menial jobs that meant nothing to him but a small paycheck at the end of the week.

Joe found solace in the public library among the inspiring works of some of the world’s greatest self-help authors.

“Thank god for the public library because when I was struggling and homeless and in poverty I could have the treasures of the world at my fingertips for nothing.”

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Joe on relationships “You can have the perfect relationship because the perfect relationship is within yourself. Everything on the outer is a reflection of your inner relationship. And if you have a peaceful inner relationship, then what you have on the outside is reflected in that. Too many people think they will be hurt so they are walking on a minefield.

What you want is to grow from that to a point of unconditional love.

Joe on being open “Sigmund Freud said the number one way to have mental health was to have no secrets. In other words get everything off your chest, out of the closet, confess, reveal and I think more importantly forgive everything because secrets and unforgiveness keep psychic energy locked within you and you don’t have energy going through you to participate in thinking big.”

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thinkBIG feature

Books like The Magic of Thinking Big and Think and Grow Rich and all the self help psychology books the library could hold gave him the awareness that he had more power than he ever credited himself with.

“It started to stir me, if not awaken me. I realised that I had been a victim and if I didn’t wake up and didn’t snap out of it and do something different then I would die a death like everyone else.”

One of Joe’s mantras is that the more education you have, the better prepared you will be for life’s challenges. And this doesn’t necessarily mean institutionalised education, for although Joe went to Kent State University in Ohio and has received two doctorates, he considers himself self-taught.

“The education and wisdom has come from the dedication to growing, stretching and awakening,” Joe says. “I put myself on more of a self-study course than any school system would ever have done.”

Yet he believes the type of education he has dedicated himself to should be taught in schools, particularly in the current global financial climate. What better way to educate children to be successful than by empowering them at an early age in institutions that are traditionally conservative.

“The number one thing to do in schools is to introduce success literature,” Joe iterates. “They need to teach empowerment on thinking big, co creating their own reality even if it’s at kindergarten level. Some of this goes into quantum physics, but for the most part just introducing success literature and that whole body of work that has evolved from the 1800s, from Emerson to Hill and W. Clement Stone and my own work hopefully, that would get people thinking differently.

“People are ready for this,” he continues. “We are stretching because we are open to something new. We’re saying what we have been doing for centuries isn’t working and I think there’s an opening because of that. I think the current chaos has created this

window of opportunity where we can say, ‘hey look, we’ve tried everything else, what about meditating in school, or reading success literature; have we tried ‘consciousness creates reality’ programs in school.

“We have all these tools now to assist this shift. Movies like The Secret, Opus, Leap, Try it on Everything, and The Awakeners, all of these are the visual tools that people need today because they are lazy and for the most part don’t want to read. Now they can just slide in a DVD and get reprogrammed and realise that if they think big and take action they can get results.”

This brings us to the second stage of Awakening: Empowerment.

You can have all the education in the world and all the realisation too, but if you don’t act upon your opportunities, if you don’t take the chances the universe is offering and do something quickly with it, then your realisations mean zip.

“One of the reasons why I’m so prolific is that when an idea comes to me I treat it as a gift and immediately act on it,” Joe says.

“When somebody moves into that stage of empowerment they realise they have control of their future; they participate in the ideas and the energy coming to them. When an idea comes to them and they are still in a victim mentality they talk themselves out of the idea; ‘it’s not going to work’, ‘I don’t have enough money’, ‘I don’t have the education’ ...”

When people reach the empowerment stage they are ready to take action. Even if they don’t know how an idea will work, or what they have to do to fulfill the opportunity presented to them, they will find a way. Once they are able to do this, they are a step closer to being comfortable with themselves and being at one with the universe.

Awakening is about coming to terms with who you are, what you want and realising that you are the universe. This is a difficult concept to grasp, but the last two stages of Joe’s course go a long way to explaining what this means and how to take action to achieve this end.

Once you have learnt to take hold of the opportunities presented to you, the next step is to understand that you are not completely in charge of the events that surround you.

“I can’t make it rain,” Joe explains. “I have more power than I ever expected than when I was in the victim mentality and I can execute more of that power in the empowerment stage, but at a certain stage I can bump up against the reality that I don’t control the universe. I am a participant in it. That is the third stage of awakening – surrender. To me the life energy that we are part of is bigger than all of us. It has an intelligence that has given us a path to follow that is unique to each of us and when we’re on it life has more of a flow to it.”

You can try to shake this path and sometimes our egos dictate that we take a different direction to the one that is being mapped out by the universe, but according to Joe, the journey will be a rough one.

“When you follow your destiny path, however, it seems like all of the big things come to you magically and you don’t have to try as much. You’re still taking action, but you’re not frustrated or angry by it.”

38 thinkBIG

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By helping people get what they want, you will get what you want in abundance. We can’t think of a better way to live a rewarding life.

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thinkBIG feature Yet ego is not a dirty word, it is necessary for the survival of humanity; for the survival of the individual through dark times. “The ego is a wonderful tool that keeps us alive,” Joe says. “However when you reach the fourth stage of awakening which to me is Awakening, your ego has now dissolved and you are simply one with the universe.”

For many people the dissolution of ego is problematic, because it equates with success. Joe says that people have to get past the voices that are playing the part of the ego so they come to situations from a witness standpoint.

“There’s two ways to look at. If you look at it from the victim role, you look at situations from a harmful experience and your ego hurts you, but if you look at it from a stage four perspective, you realise this is a part of a journey and it has served you in getting to a place where you can awaken.

“If I had not had the difficult experiences in my life, I may not have learned what I did and grown and expanded to a place of awareness where I have more control. The idea is to accept those experiences, rather than reject them.

“Thank god for the public library because when I was struggling and homeless and in poverty I could have the treasures of the world at my fingertips for nothing.”

“Awakening is when you look back at your life and your life’s journey and know that it was all good and you have no regrets; you’ve forgiven yourself and everybody else and it’s served its purpose to bring you to where you are now.”

Awakening is about experience, about observing what goes on around you. It is to realise that everything you want is here in this moment.

“My own life has been a process of awakening and that is no different for anybody,” Joe says.

“If anybody reads my books they will be able to map out my journey of consciousness. The first books were about marketing and sales and copywriting and they came from the perspective that you are not a victim and you can make money. When I wrote The Attractor Factor it was representative of me being in stage two, the empowerment stage. Then I wrote Zero Limits because of the therapist I had met who had healed an entire ward of mentally ill criminals without doing anything except surrendering. So I learnt about surrendering just by writing the book. Then I kept working on myself and had satori experiences, which is many moments of awakening which led me to believe in the fourth stage of permanent awakening where the ego dissolves. I’ve discovered this because I’ve been living it.

“For me mapping has made things easier. I believe that the hell I went through in childhood to get to this lifestyle happened because I was going to be the guy to map out the four stages of

Awakening.”

Buddha says the secret to existence is to have no fear. It is fear that holds us back from awakening, but once the realisation occurs that at the heart of awakening is the essence of self and being at peace with yourself and therefore the universe then fear is a past experience.

“Unconditional love is the term that would sum up the awakening and that comes from experiencing love for yourself and everyone around you,” Joe says.

“Awakening is to realise that you are the universe.” hurts you, but if you look at it from a stage four perspective, you realise this is a part of a journey and it has served you in getting to a place where you can awaken.

“If I had not had the difficult experiences in my life, I may not have learned what I did and grown and expanded to a place of awareness where I have more control. The idea is to accept those experiences, rather than reject them.

“Awakening is when you look back at your life and your life’s journey and know that it was all good and you have no regrets; you’ve forgiven yourself and everybody else and it’s served its purpose to bring you to where you are now.”

Awakening is about experience, about observing what goes on around you. It is to realise that everything you want is here in this moment.

“My own life has been a process of awakening and that is no different for anybody,” Joe says.

“If anybody reads my books they will be able to map out my journey of consciousness. The first books were about marketing and sales and copywriting and they came from the perspective that you are not a victim and you can make money. When I wrote The Attractor Factor it was representative of me being in stage two, the empowerment stage. Then I wrote Zero Limits because of the therapist I had met who had healed an entire ward of mentally ill criminals without doing anything except surrendering. So I learnt about surrendering just by writing the book. Then I kept working on myself and had satori experiences, which is many moments of awakening which led me to believe in the fourth stage of permanent awakening where the ego dissolves. I’ve discovered this because I’ve been living it.

“For me mapping has made things easier. I believe that the hell I went through in childhood to get to this lifestyle happened because I was going to be the guy to map out the four stages of Awakening.”

Buddha says the secret to existence is to have no fear. It is fear that holds us back from awakening, but once the realisation occurs that at the heart of awakening is the essence of self and being at peace with yourself and therefore the universe then fear is a past experience.

“Unconditional love is the term that would sum up the awakening and that comes from experiencing love for yourself and everyone around you,” Joe says.

“Awakening is to realise that you are the universe.” TB

www.JoeVitale.com. Awakening Course is available at http://www.awakeningdownload.com

40 thinkBIG

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thinkBIG mindset

thinkventure

statusquo The 7 GUARANTEED Ways to Stay Broke!

The Characteristics of a Successful Entrepreneur

By Warren Black

Warren Black explains why people can’t build wealth and how they maintain the status quo.

I

n this current climate, and time of great financial challenge, having the right mindset to build wealth is absolutely critical. So my tongue firmly in my cheek’, here’s 7 tips that will enable you stay broke (if you follow them!).

1. Always look for something for nothing. Don’t go for excellence and high quality of service. Go for ‘cheap and nasty’.

If you can get something for nothing (free from the internet, or a mate’s rate), always do it. Avoid anything to do with paying top money in exchange for top quality service. Make sure you get the lowest price you possibly can. Look for the cheapest product or service in the market. Ignore quality at all costs. Price is what is important. The ‘feel good’ factor is irrelevant.

2. Always spend more than you earn, and pay your tax without question. This is especially important. Never think about how to increase your income or reduce your tax. Just pay your tax without question. Don’t be creative with your tax planning, no matter what. If you want to buy a new car, and can’t afford it, just get a personal loan.

If you want to buy that new $5,000 super-duper vacuum cleaner and don’t have the money, put it on your AGC credit card.

After all you want it now, you should have it now …

3. Maximise ‘bad debt’ and ignore ‘good debt’.

If you have a mortgage for your family home, and a mortgage for your investment property, don’t pay off the family home. Pay off your investment property loan.

Better still, if you have money sitting in your bank account earning 3% interest, keep it that way. Don’t put it against your home loan to reduce your interest payments by 8%.

If you have personal credit cards, keep building them up. Put your savings into a term deposit. Don’t pay off the credit card. After all, to go broke, you want to ensure that you are paying 18% interest into your credit card, and only getting 6-8% from your savings.

4. Don’t get educated in how to invest your money wisely.

That is the job of the experts ...

Put your total trust in your financial adviser or accountant. Do no research for yourself at all. The fact that the fund managers have all had terrible results in the recent stock market crash, well these things happen. Hopefully it will all come good. Don’t educate 42 thinkBIG

yourself. It is too much hard work.

Don’t get any wealth education. This is dangerous, because once you start understanding how to invest and make money, you might just start doing it.

5. Never ever protect your assets! If you own property or shares, just put them all in your own name. Do not put them in a trust or use any other strategies to protect them.

Live your life on the philosophy of the ostrich, ie. put your head in the ground, ignore the fact that the average person in Australia gets sued three times, and say “it will never happen to me”.

Maybe it will. Maybe it won’t. But it doesn’t matter. After all, it saves you money …

6. Ignore insurance of all kind.

Take the attitude that insurers are rip off merchants and nasty people. Pay them as little money as you can get away with. Ignore insurance on your life, your car, on your income (for sickness and accident), on your health, because it will save you money today.

Keep living your life on the philosophy of the ostrich.

7. Always give back less than you receive.

If you are doing business with someone, make sure that you give them the lowest level of service or quality of product possible, for the highest price.

If you are a car mechanic for example, use the cheapest parts, don’t clean their car, and charge the highest price that you can get away with. This way will you make a profit.

Summary Follow the above rules, and I give you my personal guarantee that you will achieve the desired result of never getting ahead financially. On the other hand, do the opposite if you want to forge ahead financially and build wealth during these challenging economic times. TB

Warren is a motivational speaker, and coach, investment advisor, lawyer and accountant. He has presented in Australia and internationally at many seminars, including investment seminars, tax seminars, and empowerment and transformation seminars, with a particular focus on seeing people have mental, emotional and financial success. www.warrenblackonline.com

www.thinkbigmagazine.com

By Loral Langemeier

What I’m about to tell you will surprise you. You may think that successful entrepreneurs are free-spirits who despise structure and are renegades who would rather work alone, only reluctantly hiring a team because there’s no other choice.

W

hat it takes to break away from the good old W-2 and start your own venture is a curious mix. Forget about the idea that you have to learn how to do everything yourself. The successful entrepreneur is far from this Lone Ranger model of running a business. In my model of entrepreneurialism, what I call a ‘Cash Machine’ business, you get to strengthen your strengths and hire your weaknesses.

Hiring the right people who will do what you can’t or don’t want to do is perhaps the one thing that differentiates a successful entrepreneur from one who simply moves from one job (working for someone else) to another job (working for him or herself). It’s also a key difference between having a hobby and having a real business in which you earn a healthy income – far better than what you’re making at your current W-2 job!

Here are the key characteristics that you’ll want to have or cultivate in yourself: 1. You must be the business owner. There’s a lot of confusion about this characteristic, even among those I’ve coached. Being a business owner means that you take charge of your life. You begin running your life like a business, and run your business like you mean it. You must decide to take charge of every aspect of your life and business, leaving that shy, meek, ‘really nice person’ behind. I don’t mean that you have to become ruthless, but you do have to decide to be responsible and in charge.

2. Courage. It takes a certain amount of courage to get up every day, day after day, and take full responsibility for old problems, new challenges, and the day-to-day struggles that always arise. Some days will be fantastic, and others may feel like the hardest days of your life. Regardless of any existing or new circumstances, you have the heart to stick with it, literally owning your vision, and having faith in your ability to succeed.

3. Resourcefulness. While I recommend modeling your cash machine business after another successful business, not everything will be the same. Times and circumstances change, and you’ve got to change with them. Often this requires a certain resourcefulness

to seek out new opportunities and find innovative solutions to challenges. It also means finding the right people to help you with each unique situation, rather than trying to figure out everything on your own. Resourcefulness really requires you to learn how to work well with others, seeking advice and guidance when necessary.

4. Sequencing. This is often a tough concept for people to grasp.

But it’s really quite simple. The fastest route between two points is a straight line. I’m simply asking you to move in a straight line, taking each step as it comes, sequencing your activities so that you’re doing the right things at the right time. Many entrepreneurs just shoot buckshot at problems, hoping that one will hit the target.

You’ll focus on taking the next right action and following it with the action that’s appropriate at that time.

5. Persistence. Honestly, you have to stick to it. Sometimes you’ll fail – we all have. But when you are persistent, you’ll learn from your experiences and will soon have far more successes than failures.

6. Flexibility. Yes, you must be flexible. Be open to trying new things, but remain decisive. Flexibility isn’t wishy-washy. It’s being able to make a clear decision on a direction, but quickly make a new decision to change course if necessary. Stay in motion, because as soon as you start to fear failure, you’ll lose your flexibility and get stuck in an endless downward spiral.

As you can see, much of being a successful entrepreneur has to do with your psychology – which you are inside. The good news is that everything I’ve mentioned can be developed, regardless of where you are today. But you must start today. Decide to be a millionaire entrepreneur. TB

Loral is a master coach and financial strategist. As founder of Live Out Loud, Loral is the kind of personal entrepreneurial-finance coach that walks the walk and talks the talk. For the last seven years she has helped thousands of people reach their financial goals and over 600 people become millionaires with her 3 to 5 year wealth-building plan. This incredible accomplishment has earned her the title The Millionaire Maker.

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thinkBIG mindset

TIMing Right Place at the Right Time

“Too often opportunity passes us by in life”

By Todd Hutchison

How is it that some people are able to always be in the right place at the right time? These individuals seem to attract new business opportunities, while others miss the boat completely. The answer could be as simple as how they have trained their own brain for success.

H

ave you ever noticed that when you bought or became interested in your current car, that you suddenly noticed how many there were on the street. It was as if everyone had bought the same car on the very same day as you.

Overtime, you seem to develop a knack of spotting this type of vehicle in traffic, even though you would not be aware of the make or model of the cars in front or behind it. Well, it all relates to the fact that the subconscious mind takes instruction from the conscious mind’s dominant thoughts. You effectively train the filters in your mind about what information to let through to your neurology and what to block.

It was hungarian biologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, whose research showed that our five senses (vision, hearing, touch, taste and smell) are being bombarded by approximately 2,000,000 bits of information every second, however our nervous system’s filters decrease this to a manageable size of about 134 bits per second to process the information. This means that the actual amount of information you process is approximately 0.000067% of what you receive through your senses.

So what drives this filtering process? The answer is in what your conscious mind is interested in or focused on most of the time. Now imagine if you consciously took a sudden interest in boats, then your subconscious is on the look out for anything 44 thinkBIG

boat-related. You will start noticing boats in people’s driveways, boat magazines will be the first magazines you see when spotting a magazine rack, or the first advertisements you notice when flicking through the pages of a newspaper. Your interest will cause you to speak about boats and therefore people will start telling you about boat-related opportunities, and when you hear people talking about boats your ears will attentively pick up on the conversation. You start attracting boat opportunities through becoming more consciously aware of them. Success then becomes a matter of taking action on those opportunities.

The old adage, “when the student is ready, the teacher will come”, may not be the whole truth as the teacher may have always been there, just waiting for the moment the student starts desiring a teacher and becomes aware of their presence.

So if you want to become a multi-millionaire real estate investor, make real estate your every day passion and focus, your conscious thoughts will start commanding the subconscious to make you more aware of all the for sale signs, for lease signs, empty shop windows, vacant land, empty car parks, removalist vans and other indicators that tell you what real estate is available.

Your brain becomes wired to support your success, but we still must take action on opportunities to turn awareness into wealth. TB

Todd Hutchison is a dynamic professional speaker and has been formally recognised as a pre-eminent business leader in Western Australia under the age of 40 by WA Business News, and is a graduate and Fellow of the prestigious Leadership Western Australia program.

He is the National Chairman of the Australian Project Management Institute Council, Chairman of the Swan TAFE Audit Committee, and Managing Director of People Rich Pty Ltd – a Western Australian training, coaching and consultancy firm.

www.thinkbigmagazine.com

For your FREE Mark Rolton Property Options DVD Valued at $97 Call: 1300 882 360 Discover the secret tools for Property Options… unlike anything you have ever discovered before.

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An option is a legal document that allows you to control a Property. With the property under control, it allows you to profit firstly from the natural growth of Real Estate, but more importantly it gives you the ability to add massive value to the Property through a Development approval.

You’re getting all the benefits of Real Estate and none of the traditional downsides.

However, you’re entitled to all of the profits as a result of the improved value.

With Property Options, we have all the gains that we love in Real Estate without the capital required. It’s clear profit without the hassles.

Being an option to purchase, you are NOT obliged to settle. So, there’s no funding required for settlement… no credit checks…. no repairs/tenants… no mortgage repayments.

Email: sales@massland.com.au

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“FREE Book Reveals - How To Buy A Great Business With No Money Down”

Success stories

EXCLUSIVE OFFER FOR THINK BIG READERS! story by Mim Carrol 500 exclusive pre release copies of Neil Asher’s latest Business ‘Bible’ to be given away to Think Big readers. (limit 1 per person).

with Lincoln Cheng “When I travel for work, checking out other clubs, people will ask me where I am from. When I say Singapore, they’ll ask, ‘Is that in China?’, but when I tell them that I run Zouk, everyone knows!”

L

incoln Chen built Zouk into a brand name revered by dance institutions far and wide. Touted as one of the best clubs in the world, after 17 years Zouk still sweeps industry awards, the latest one being Best Nightspot Experience 2008 by the Singapore Tourism Awards. So how does Zouk club founder and nightlife maven, Lincoln Cheng have fun and make tons of money at the same time? Below he shares three life lessons that have made him successful.

1. Always be the pioneer in everything that you do Looking back at his career, Lincoln has always believed in being the pioneer – he decided to use steel structures for high-rise buildings in Hong Kong while everyone was still using cement, and introduced the boating lifestyle there by selling luxury yachts.

In fact, he had the foresight to propose building a world-class marina on Marina South in 1983, but it was rejected by the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Linclon was the leading system furniture supplier in Singapore and handled numerous turnkey projects for the government sector. He opened Abraxas, a high-end furniture shop in 1986 to introduce designer furniture.

“I’ve always liked niche markets and I like to be original, doing things that haven’t been done before,” says Lincoln sharing his life philosophy.

In keeping with his innovative style, Zouk was the first club to fly in international DJs and pay them well to play out to clubbers. With major acts flying down and playing, Zouk’s brand name as a dance institution spread far and wide.

2. Do what you love Lincoln was a regular at legendary festivals like Summer of Love and Woodstock and in his younger days, he travelled around the world to party in uber-cool clubs like Studio 54, Paradise Garage and Hacienda. It was during one of his yearly jaunts to party island, Ibiza, where he caught DJ Alfredo, otherwise known as the godfather of Balearic house, a new blend of dance music that was very different from the usual pop tunes played commercially back then. The new sound intrigued Lincoln and he was hooked to this form of underground dance music, desiring to bring it to the masses. His dream came into fruition when he came upon an

“Right Now Is The Best Time I’ve Seen In My Lifetime To Be Buying Undervalued Businesses” – Warren Buffett

abandoned warehouse at Kim Seng Road. It was exactly what he had in mind for a super club. Together with four other investors, whom he eventually bought out after a few years later, Lincoln sank in $10 million dollars – an unheard of sum in 1990, to build his dream vision – Zouk.

3. Be a perfectionist As a perfectionist, Lincoln lovingly restored the façade of the warehouse and gave it a white-washed Moorish design – largely influenced by the clubs in Ibiza. He also had some quirky ideas for the club.

“Design-wise, I wanted clubbers to be able to see the dancefloor everywhere they stood and I installed UV lights that would make white shirts glow so that people didn’t wear their work shirts. I wanted clubbers at Zouk to make an effort to dress up when they came here!”

He also spared no expense when it came to the sound system, installing only the best aural equipment for his club. To test the dance music that he intended to play at Zouk, Lincoln held house parties for his friends who were well-travelled expatriates and fashion industry people, during the one-year that the club was under construction. His parties did very well and he moved them to hotel function rooms, and eventually to Warehouse disco, a newdefunct club in River Valley.

“This group was my target market for Zouk and they really enjoyed the music that I played. When the club opened in 1991, they were there every weekend, dressed up to the nines, ready to party,” says Lincoln.

This group of ‘beautiful people’ made up 40% of his clientele.

But soon everyone caught on and become devout fans, patronising the cutting-edge club every weekend. TB

Interview excerpt from Boss of Me! which profiles 20 outstanding movers and shakers in Singapore find out how they overcame challenges and their secrets of success. Boss of Me! is available on Amazon.com for $15. You can also visit Pearlin’s blog, www.bossofmesingapore.blogspot.com, for more information.

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If I told you that right now there is a great profitable business on the high street in your town or city that you could acquire using none of your own money, if you have no credit, no experience and no idea how to do it yet….. would you say I was crazy?

Well this is the claim of business buying entrepreneur Neil Asher, and to back up his claim he’s going to give 500 people an exclusive pre launch of his new book that will teach you exactly how to buy a business with no money down.

It seems that Neil has found a formula to

Make A Killing From The Recession

Neil say’s that on average 100,000 businesses are for sale at any given time, with many of those businesses perfect candidates for a no money down deal, “I’m looking for business owners who have to sell, it’s a shame but many marriages end in divorce or the baby boomer business owners who are reaching retirement are finding that their kids don’t want to take over their business. These and many other situations like it offer up unique opportunities to the savvy business buyer.”

Neil teaches 21 tried and tested no money down business buying techniques in his new book and says that once you learn the principles you’ll be able to create money literally at will. Neil has personally been responsible for over Buying And Selling $36 Million Of Businesses in the last 4 years so he should know.

But it’s not just for the experts as Neil says; “One of my students recently purchased a printing shop from the bankruptcy courts, for $100, why did it fail? There were 3 partners in the business and their ego’s totally got in the way of running the business and they spent more time squabbling than they did running the business, consequently it failed.

My student picked it up for a song, did a quick 5 month turn around and has just resold it for $280,000, vendor financed over 7 years at 7% interest with a $30,000 down

payment from the buyer… not too shabby for 5 months work. And get this, she does 2-3 of these a year, and she’s gotten so good at it that now people are bringing her deals all the time she doesn’t even have to go find them anymore and now she just picks and chooses the ones she thinks will yield the most money for her in the fastest time.” I checked a little more and found that this particular student was an ex dental assistant with no experience before meeting Neil.

Newcastle Man Makes $3.2 Million In 19 Months With None Of His Own Money A student of Neil’s from Newcastle has just finalized his 4th acquisition today ….

His business empire has gone from ZERO to assets worth $7,000,000.00 that’s seven million dollars in just less than 19 months.

Again this is all using the techniques Neil teaches in his book.

The book however has created quite a controversy with many people deriding Neil for his blunt honest approach to business success “Most books try to teach you that if you stay positive then everything will work out… well that’s just not true, the business world works with money not with affirmations”. In fact the book itself has received some very negative feedback from a leaked copy that fell into the hands of some of Neil’s contemporaries; “Anybody who things that using call girls to do due diligence on potential business purchases is in my opinion devoid of any shred of morality and should not be allowed to own, operate or teach in business” – Business Brokers Society “This guy is a first class a**hole” – International Association of Business Intermediaries If you want a feel good business book don't buy this, if you want to know how the business world actually works then you have to get this” – Mark Anastasi – business multi millionaire “I cannot be the only one that thinks this is the ballsiest book I’ve ever read on this subject” – Finance Director Angel Capital

"Pure Gold!" - Stephen Cooper - UK's No 1 Business Turnaround Expert "This book should be required reading for anyone who is buying a business" - Mike Tilford - British Chambers Of Commerce.

"WOW at last a book that tells it like it is, the style is not for everyone but the information contained within this book will change the way you look at business" Alex Wardle – Inc 500 entrepreneur So it’s no surprise that Neil wants to set the record straight by showing his detractors that the material works. So to prove his point Neil has decided to

Give Away 500 Copies Of His Book That way you can be the judge, jury and if need be executioner. All Neil asks is that you give him some honest feedback… has he gone too far?

You decide.

WARNING, this book is most certainly not for the faint hearted! It’s only fair that I tell you that you’ll learn: - How to use high class escorts to give you an unfair business advantage Page 45 - How to buy a business when you have no credit, no cash and no friends to loan money from Page 92 - How to master the No 1 skill, the dark arts of persuasion Page 82 - Secret techniques you can use to legally steal money from the banks Page 136 - The "3 stooges approach" that is guaranteed to seriously upset the business seller BUT give you secrets he'd never want you to have, without tarnishing your reputation Page 85 You have been warned, so if you’re easily offended don’t read the book, but if you’d like to see what all the fuss is about then Go To www.neilasher.comTo Get Your Book

This book will go on general release on the 23rd of February, but as a special gift to Think Big readers we have 500 exclusive “Morally and ethically abhorrent” – pre release copies to give away, simply NSW chambers of commerce and industry follow this link to request your free copy “Please Neil at least take out the part www.neilasher.com act quickly as Think about the hookers!” – Publisher Big magazine is sent to over 100,000 subscribers and Neil is giving away just 500 books. www.thinkbigmagazine.com thinkbig 47

thinkBIG wealth

capital TIPS FOR RAISING CAPITAL IN A TOUGH MARKET

By Reuben Buchanan

Raising venture capital for private companies in any market is difficult.

Throw in the current global financial crisis and capital raising becomes seemingly impossible, except for those with market education.

F

unding for companies has dried up because in the current economic crisis many investors have lost money and are in a ‘licking their wounds’ phase. Wary of new investments, including small private companies or speculative start-ups, it is these sectors that are suffering the most.

No matter the market, or investor appetite, there is a neverending capital demand for new or expanding companies. And make no mistake – there is money available – it has just become much harder to get your hands on it.

If you are one of the companies seeking investment, here are some tips that will boost your chances of raising funds: Timing The time taken to raise capital has doubled, even tripled. So allow at least six to nine months to complete your capital raising. It can be done quicker, but time is unreliable.

Don’t make the mistake that many others have of waiting until they are 30 days from bankruptcy to start looking for money. You will most certainly fail.

Preparation Make sure your offer is the best it can be. Ensure you have a good advisor assisting you with structuring your capital raising, and a good Information Memorandum that clearly explains your opportunity.

Below is a quick checklist that, if you tick all of the boxes, will put you in the best possible position to raise the capital you need: • a well thought out and completed business plan; • experienced and respectable board and management team, one with a proven track record capable of successfully implementing 48 thinkBIG

the business plan; • sound understanding of your competitors, the industry sector; and how your company is different; • realistic and achievable two-year financial forecasts that have been professionally prepared (most accountants can do this). Projecting too high is detrimental to capital raising. Be conservative; • clear explanation of the valuation of the business, backed up by a valuation model that the potential investor can understand and believe; • an explanation of how investors’ funds will be deployed to grow the value of the business. In other words – a ‘use of funds’ statement; • explanation of when and how the investor will get a return on their investment – an exit strategy! (You wouldn’t believe how many companies seeking capital leave this part out. A key element from the investors perspective don’t you think?); • investor pitch presentation – both verbal and in powerpoint form no longer than 20 minutes total.

Distribution Now that you are prepared, you must get your offer in front of as many potential investors as possible. Raising capital, particularly in the current market, is, to a large extent, a numbers game.

The other reason to show your offer to as many people as possible is because you never know who they know. They could refer your offer to one of their friends who is more suited to invest into your offer.

It is not only a numbers game, it is a people game as well.

IMPORTANT: This information is general and should not be taken as specific advice. Readers should always seek their own professional advice. Send your questions to info@teldar.com.au TB

Reuben Buchanan, Director - Wholesale Investor & Teldar Media founded Wealth Creator magazine in 2001. Today he assists and educates companies on capital raising and exit strategies. www.teldar.com.au

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thinkBIG wealth

selfinvestment The Pleasure Principle of Investing

By Christopher Howard

As you’re out there building wealth, be careful not to increase your expenses at the same rate you increase your income. High-ticket possessions are not a great measure of wealth if they are depreciating in value everyday.

T

oo many people appear wealthy with all their new toys, but are actually in deep debt. Think in terms of investing in assets that accrue value over time, like your biggest asset—you.

Investing in value is a billionaire strategy, but in today’s economy, ‘value’ is relative and dependent on outside variables. The Pleasure Principle of Investing is based on true value—investing in that which you value the most like security, expression, sense of purpose, and personal growth. Warren Buffet gets more pleasure from investing money than spending it. He enjoys watching his investments grow like others enjoy watching their new plasma TV. He doesn’t just consider the purchase price of a steak dinner, for example; he weighs its cost against the amount it could appreciate if he invested it.

But how do you behaviorally shift your money habits from spending to saving? The trick is to stop associating having more possessions with having more pleasure. Begin to associate spending with its consequences: Is that new purchase worth the pain of what I’d give up in the long run? Would I have to work harder at the job I hate just to pay for extravagant purchases I no longer use? Most people think of saving like they do dieting, as depriving themselves of pleasure. That perspective proves ineffective, because if you defer your dreams too long, you lose steam, and start to splurge on instant-gratification items to ‘reward’ yourself. Stay focused on the more rewarding long-term benefits of saving. Like indulging in healthy foods that promote health, this system for saving allows you to invest in your highest values and deepest desires to promote wealth: Start by setting up six different accounts, the first to cover necessities with 60% of your income. With the remaining 40% create four separate automatic deposit accounts that set aside 10% in each. Call one your ’Quality of Life Account’ or ‘Fun Fund’. This one is specifically for activities that inspire you, like world travel, home decorating, starting a side business or racing cars. Letting yourself live some of your dreams now keeps your fulfillment-factor high so you’re compelled to continue building wealth.

Then put aside another 10% for passive income vehicles.

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Depending on your risk-to-comfort-ratio, this 10% could grow in CDs or a sideline, online business, real estate or other potential interest-earning ventures. This ‘Growth Account’ can potentially provide you financial freedom. Be as adventurous as you want.

10% goes toward education. Warren Buffet says that the single most important thing in the world that you can do in order to guarantee your wealth is to invest in your own education.

I continue to attend business seminars because I know it’s an investment in my own success. Every time you take another business training or learn a new skill set within your field, your ROI is in your personal ‘share value’. Consider this your ‘Self-Investment Account’, which appreciates exponentially.

Another 10% is saved for emergencies. All too often people stay in jobs they hate for ‘the security’ they feel it gives them, only to discover too late that there is no such thing as ‘job security’. If you create your own ‘Safety Net Account’, the comfort and security it gives back can allow you to focus on new entrepreneurial ventures.

If you can live comfortably on less than 60% of your income, start a ‘Making a Difference’ account. A growing number of people are looking for ways to make a difference in the world by investing in projects they feel strongly about. Supporting your local or global community not only increases your networking opportunities, it makes you feel rich beyond belief. This can only attract more wealth to you on every level. The sense of purpose you get also provides a deeper incentive for you to go out and make a ton more money.

The bigger your wealth, the bigger contribution you can make in the world. TB

International speaker and coach, Chris Howard, is a best-selling author, prominent speaker and the owner of Christopher Howard Training. Chris has researched the success strategies of the world’s greatest business, philanthropic and spiritual minds.

His extensive knowledge is shared through his books, home study courses and public speaking.seminars. www.chrishoward.com

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If you’re ready for a new journey... we’ll show you how to get there!

value Service Innovation – the Next Wave

By Roger la salle

Simply put, innovation is best defined as “Change that Adds Value”© La Salle 1999.That is, take an existing product, process or service and innovate (or change) it in some way to add value, this is a very low risk way of business building.

A

structured thinking matrix (or rectangular array of ‘Seeds’ and ‘Catalysts’) for services had been developed that provides a rigorous way of innovating services.

What is less understood are the concepts of service efficiency and quality in the service domain?

Efficiency and quality in the world of tangibles In the world of tangibles, one of the best definitions of quality is ‘conformity to design’.

That is, decide what it is you wish to make and do it repeatedly without change to meet an agreed specification; and for many manufactured products there is absolutely no benefit to the customer in exceeding the specification or tightening tolerances.

For example, increasing the tolerance on the diameter of a 75mm long nail from say +/- 0.01mm to +/- 0.001mm would be of little benefit to anybody, but would no doubt cause all sorts of production problems and added costs.

In the manufacturing world, for the purpose of process innovation it is appropriate to define process efficiency as: • Process Efficiency = Output/unit time ÷ Costs • Consistent with the maintenance of quality

Efficiency and quality in the world of services In the services sector things are a little different.

Consider a call centre where the performance specification (or ‘service level’) states that staff shall always answer the phone within three rings.

Suppose somebody then finds a way to answer the phone every time, within two rings. This variance from the specification would be seen as advantageous to everybody, especially the callers. Indeed improving even further and answering after just one ring would be even better.

Unlike the manufacturing sector, in the services sector there is 52 thinkBIG

really no limit to the benefit afforded by improving service level (or quality of service). The important consideration is, at what cost, and what is the benefit to the customer.

Drawing an analogy from process innovation from the manufacturing sector leads to a useful metric for Service Efficiency as: Service Efficiency = ¬ *Service Level ÷ Costs *The secret in the service domain is in properly defining “Service Level” as one of the key performance or quality measures.

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Service metrics are essential It is important to establish typically five metrics or KPIs for key people and deliverables in your services enterprise and to use these as a basis to systematically ’innovate’ your service efficiency.

Without these properly defined and quantifiable metrics there is little point in attempting any sort of innovation at all.

Finally, even though the above metric for service efficiency refers largely to the service sector, remember that even a manufacturing enterprise has a significant element of service fulfilment in the interface with your customers. This too can be measured and innovated in much the same manner. TB

Roger La Salle, is the creator of the ‘Matrix Thinking’™ technique and is a widely sought after international speaker on, Innovation, Opportunity, and business development. He is the author of three books, director of a number of companies both in Australian and overseas and has been responsible for a number of successful technology start-ups. In 2005 Roger was appointed to the Chair of Innovation at the Queens University in Belfast. www.matrixthinking.com

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branding Brand engagement for the franchisee

By Jess Logan

What is the one golden rule critical to the success of a powerful brand?

Jess Logan examines how branding and strong customer relationships interact to create hundreds of local brand leaders within the one business network.

S

uccessful branding is simple, yet so many in the business industry – including those in the advertising sector – fail to understand the significance and power of strong brand recognition.

Marketers, advertisers and business owners continue to question the methodology behind branding. What creates a great brand, why do some brands work when others fail, how much time and money do businesses really need to invest in their brand? Questions such as these create confusion, not least of all when most business owners (including franchisees and franchisors) think they understand the integral nature of promoting their products and services. When it actually comes to putting it into practice and generating solid results through successful brand development strategies, finding true expertise is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack.

The reason for this is a global misconception that the success of a brand is determined by its logo and marketing. Yet, anyone who tries to convince you of this fact has no idea how to brand a company successfully. They need to understand that: A brand IS NOT a logo A brand IS NOT a creative TV commercial A brand IS NOT a fancy billboard A brand IS NOT clever packaging A brand IS NOT a well designed corporate ID A brand IS NOT strategic marketing A brand IS NOT even a fantastic product.

In its essence, branding has more to do with consumer intuition than a corporation’s sense of its own identity. This is why it is so important for franchisors and franchisees to understand what their customers expect of the product and services on offer. For the most part, people act on emotion, and therefore the only way to build strong, long lasting relationships (and indeed loyalty) is by getting to know everything about the customer and learning to trust them over time.

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It is no secret that the ultimate goal of branding is to create loyal customers. Do this and marketing becomes easier, sales increase at a faster rate, premium pricing is the norm not the exception and repeat business is expected, not wished for. There’s also the benefits of positive feedback, which creates new custom.

Remember, however, that loyalty evolves through experience and time, not a hilarious advertisement or colourful logo. Loyalty may also unravel quicker than you can say, ‘Just Do It’.

More often than not I see brands promising one thing and delivering another: a youthful logo on a brand whose product offering is dated and marketing that espouses friendliness when customer service proves otherwise.

Let’s put this into perspective: A brand is the sum of the good, the bad, the ugly and the appalling.

It is defined by your best product as well as your worst.

It is defined by award-winning advertising, as well as the God-awful ads that somehow slipped through the cracks, was approved and cost you a fortune.

It is defined by the accomplishments of your best employees as well as by the mishaps of the worst hire you ever made.

It is defined by the CEO’s public statement.

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It is defined by consumer comments overheard in the hallway and in internet chat rooms.

It is defined by your receptionist.

It is defined by the terrible on hold music you force your customers to listen to.

It is defined by the excessive price tag you put on your products.

It is defined by your service with or without a smile.

It is defined by the hideous hand written signage you put in your windows.

It is even defined by the state of your restroom.

So if a brand’s success is defined by personal experience, then which key element is more likely to help build a successful brand?

A) The look of a logo or television campaign created by

a marketing team to try and convince consumers to like

your business? Or …

B) The 500 staff members across your 100 store network

responsible for building positive relationships and

brand recognition in the individual minds of your 50,000

consumers?

In franchising, brand recognition is hindered by the number of chiefs in decision making positions. When there is more than one director, each with a personal interpretation of what the brand should be delivering to the market, then failure is imminent. Put it this way, it takes great collaboration to build a masterpiece. It takes a village to build a brand.

No matter how successful a franchise brand may appear, there are always a handful of stores who are failing as brand leaders within their local market. These are the franchisees who consistently blame their failure on the poor level of branding and marketing support being supplied by the franchisor. I always challenge these franchisees by asking them to stand back and look at their businesses subjectively through the eyes of their consumers. Better still, I encourage them to engage a third party to run personal interviews with their local consumers to give them an honest understanding of how their business is being perceived by its market.

The truth hurts, but nine times out of ten it allows franchisees to focus on what really makes a difference to their bottom line and that is delivering a positive experience by building strong consumer relationships and loyalty. TB

Jess Logan is the founder and head strategist of Brands R People 2™, a strategic brand development agency founded in 2006. Jess is amongst Australia’s leading brand strategists, and has been responsible for a number of strategic brand development tactics behind some of Australia’s best known entrepreneurial brands, including Hairhouse Warehouse, Boost Juice, Healthy Habits, Mr Rental, Banjo’s Bakehouse, Oriental Teahouse, La Viette Baguette and Matchbox – The Secret Recipe. www.brandsrpeople2.com.au

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trading Aussie Rob’s Big Fat Greek Love Affair

By Rob XXXX

By Aussie Rob

It was a beautiful moonlit evening. I could hear a slight breeze blowing through her jet-black hair and the sea was crashing ever so slightly on the beach…. Ohhh, no it wasn’t, it was Expiration Friday and I was analysing my trades for next month. Gidday, it’s Aussie Rob here and My BIG Fat Love Affair is all about my favourite Greek, ‘Delta’. Well, kinda!

N

o, not Delta Goodrem (the spunky Aussie singer), I am talking about one of the major Greek measurements used in options trading. Delta is the relationship between the movement of the stock and the option price. So do ya think it’s important to know about Delta? Too right it is!

Here’s how it works. If an option has a Delta of 100, then it should move in tandem with the stock. If it has a Delta of .50, then for each dollar the stock moves, the option should move 50c. You can calculate this by dividing the option move by the stock move, but if you’re like me and don’t get too excited about math, your broker’s website or trading platform should list option Deltas. Here are a couple of definitions you should know before we progress:

At The Money (ATM): The option strike price is the same as the stock price.

In the Money (ITM): For Calls: The option strike price is below the stock price.

For Puts: The option strike price is above the stock price.

Out of the Money (OTM): For Calls: The option strike price is above the stock price.

For Puts: The option strike price is below the stock price.

The following chart can help you estimate an option’s Delta in correlation to the movement of the underlying stock.

Option

Delta

ATM

50

ITM 1 Strike

60 to 70

ITM 2 Strikes

70 to 75

OTM 1 Strike

35 to 40

OTM 2 Strikes

25 to 30

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Call options have a +Delta while put options have a –Delta.

These are approximate values but as you can see, ITM strike prices have a higher Delta, therefore, OTM strike prices have a lower Delta. So, you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to realise that new traders should always buy ITM options.

Why? Well, another way of explaining Delta is that it is the percentage probability of the option expiring in the money. For example, if an option has a Delta of 80, then it has an 80% chance of expiring in the money. On the other hand, an option with a Delta of 30 has a 30% chance of expiring in the money.

Options that expire out of the money expire worthless, so the name of the game is to have your option expire in the money so you make money.

ITM options are a lot more expensive than OTM options. Why? Simple, if they have more of a chance of expiring in the money, then ya gotta pay more for them. It’s all about risk – the higher the risk, the higher the return. The lower the risk, the lower the return.

You gotta know what type of trader you are and what your risk tolerance is before you can implement a trading plan. My rule of thumb for new traders who buy options is to buy one strike ITM and to place a stop loss ATM. Now, I’ve still got a few more Greek fillies to tell ya about.

Gamma Gamma measures the rate of change of an options Delta in relationship to the change of the underlying instrument (stock, futures contract, etc.) For example, let’s assume that Fosters is trading at 50 and its 45 call option has a Gamma of 0.05 and a Delta of 70. If Fosters moves to 51, the Delta should move to 75.

Therefore the Delta should move 5.

Clear as mud? Thought so… Doesn’t excite me either!

Vega (V = Volatility) Vega measures the change of an options price based on the

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change in implied volatility. For example, if Fosters has an option with a Vega of 0.50, the option’s price will change by $0.50 for each 1% change in the option’s implied volatility.

Theta (T = Time) Theta measures the daily rate of time decay of an option. In other words, how much an option loses value each day. An option is a depreciating asset so you need to pay attention to time decay. For example, if Fosters has an option with a theta of -0.50, the option will lose $0.50 per day. This is assuming that both the stock price and volatility stay the same.

This reminds me of a story about one of my students. He sent me a sample of some of his trades, as he was flabbergasted that the stock was going up but his calls were going down.

“How can this be, Aussie Rob?” Hmmm, “What do you know about Delta?” I asked him.

Guess what he replied?

“Who’s she?”

One of his trades had a Delta of .09 and if I can remember correctly, I think the Theta was -0.25. Therefore, if the stock didn’t move, the option would lose $0.25 per day. With a delta of .09, the option would increase in value by $0.09 for every dollar increase. Therefore, the stock would have to move close to $3 per day just to cover the Theta.

This guy was like most new options traders; they buy way out of the money options because they are ‘cheap’. To me, a way out of the money option is NOT cheap. Why? Well if it has Buckley’s chance of expiring in the money, then it’s ridiculously expensive. Crikey, ya might as well roll up the greenbacks and smoke ‘em…

A couple of days after I taught him how important Delta was, he was up 100%. That wasn’t an improvement of 100%; his new trade returned 100%.

So, now do you think you should study the Greeks? They really aren’t difficult when you get your head around ‘em. Like I always say, “Everything’s easy when you know how!” It just takes baby steps.

Learn a little every day and you’ll be surprised how quickly it will all come together and start making sense. Learning is like eating an elephant: One bite at a time!

RHO (Pronounced ‘Row’) Measures the change of an options value based on the change of interest rates. Therefore, as interest rates rise, so does the value of call options. Why? Because the holding costs increase.

You see, it costs money to hold something and this is factored into option pricing. If you didn’t hold something, your money would be in a cash account earning interest, so holding something does have a cost because you are missing out on the interest.

Rho is the ugly sister with the personality of a dead fish. She only becomes exciting when interest rates change. She doesn’t excite me too much; I’d rather date Delta any day!

The way you trade options really depends on market conditions.

As they say, ‘the trend is your friend’, so you should always trade with the trend. In a bull market, buy calls. In a bear market, buy puts. Unfortunately, most traders have a tendency of always wanting to go long, so they buy calls. It’s great to be an optimist and hope that something is going to go up but really, as traders,

“Delta is the relationship between the movement of the stock and the option price.” we should be stacking as many odds in our favour, so we have a better chance of making a profit. To me, that’s what trading is all about – making money.

So, if you just have to go long in a bear market, be more cautious and buy options with higher Deltas. When the market conditions change and things become more bullish, adapt your trading to buying options with lower Deltas. That’ll enable you to get a bigger bang for ya buck. Just remember though, “Delta is the percentage chance of an option expiring in the money.”

In conclusion, Greeks really are something that you should have a love affair with. They help you gauge the rate of change in an option based upon a change in one of the known variables used to estimate the fair value of the option. Yeah I know, it all sounds a bit ‘Greek’ but hopefully I’ve triggered a little spark that’ll make ya wanna learn more about them. If ya wanna become a consistently profitable options trader, then ya gotta learn this stuff. Put in the effort and your account balance will thank you for it!

Finally, the particular Greek symbol used bases its valuation subject to all other variables remaining the same. Hmmm… how can that be when change is virtually constant? Well, like everything in this world, nothing is perfect. The Greeks are not perfect, but they’re an option trader’s best friend. I think you’ll agree that it’s time you get intimate with them. TB

One of Aussie Rob’s special qualities is being a natural educator. He has the ability to take a concept, idea or scenario and turn it around to relate to simple real life situations. Aussie Rob’s motto is “Everything’s EASY when you know how”, and he certainly has proven this point again and again. He has ensured his students are well informed, well armed, and in control of their own funds. www.aussierob.biz

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Could These Property Secrets Make You Rich This Year?

By Allan Pease

handshakeS Shaking hands is a relic of the caveman era and has its origins in arm wrestling. Attitudes are transmitted unconsciously and with practice and application, certain handshake techniques can have an immediate effect on face-to-face encounters. Dominance or submissiveness is communicated in a handshake through whose hand is on top of the handshake.

The dominant character will unconsciously take the upper hand.

This dominance is felt the other person because they are forced to have palm facing up by being underneath. Showing your palms when you talk is a signal that a person is being open and non-threatening because they’re not concealing anything in their hands. There are several styles of handshake:

The knuckle grinder: the tough guy who makes a point of enforcing his dominance

The stiff arm thrust or pull: used to keep distance, or to pull the receiver into the initiators personal space.

Hand gestures: If someone has their hands clenched, and resting on the table, or clenched and held upright in front of their face with elbows on desk, or finally clenched and held in front of crotch when standing, this can be interpreted as a negative gesture of frustration. The higher the hands are held is positively correlated with the strength of the person’s negative mood.

Steepling the hands (fingertips together in a steeple type formation) can be both positive and negative. If it follows a cluster of positive gestures, it can show interest in the proposition, and you can expect to close a sale successfully if they are a client. If it follows a cluster of negative gestures, and perhaps are steepled in front of their crotch and they are leaning back somewhat then they are unsure of the proposition at hand. When you grip hands together behind your back, you are exposing your vulnerable stomach, heart and throat regions, and this is an unconscious act to show fearlessness to others. It is a confidence gesture.

If thumbs are exposed in an arms crossed position, the person is displaying a negative defensive position and trying to show superiority in this defensiveness.

Thumbs, when used to point at someone can be a form of ridicule and disrespect.

If you see your co-worker clasping their hands on their desk as you speak to them, you may want to change conversation, perhaps ask their opinion, relieve their frustration so that you don’t allow for built up frustrations in your office. The earlier something is solved, the earlier you can move on from it. If you find that your boss is steepling their hands in a positive manner, you know he is feeling enthused by your ideas, and you are onto a winner. TB 58 thinkBIG

I

f you’re frustrated, disappointed, upset and moody because you’ve missed the greatest real estate boom in history, then this may be the most important letter you ever read...

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Palm down thrust: an aggressive shake style that gives the receiver little chance of establishing an equal relationship.

The glove handshake: the politician’s handshake where the initiator tries to give the receiver the impression that he is trustworthy and honest by placing both hands on the other person’s but it has the reverse effect. Other versions can be where the left hand is used to show extra warmth by grasping the wrist, elbow, arm, or shoulder of the receiver.

The dead fish: a soft, placid shake that communicates lack of confidence, and lack of strength of personality.

Can be especially bad if hand is cold and clammy.

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There’s a window of opportunity for real estate investors unlike most of us have ever seen before. A perfect storm is brewing, yet most investors are afraid, confused and unlikely to take advantage of this new age of profit opportunities that the market is presenting.

Look, let’s face it... I blind man with a walking stick could have made money in real estate over the last 10 years. Despite that, many still missed out on the huge, easy profits. There’s a reason for this which I’ll cover shortly.

The game has changed dramatically. Throw the old rule book out, it’s time for a new, fresh approach.

Real estate is supposed to make you rich, right?

Yet so many people are investing in real estate and don’t even know that their system and methodology is seriously flawed... Most investors end up in handcuffs, straight-jackets and scratching their head as to why after 10 years of investing, it’s still costing them money rather than making them money. (Do you know the feeling?)

Let me ask you, if you’re currently a real estate investor... How’s it going for you? How long have you been investing? ...And how much passive income do you currently have? Are you retired yet?

If not, I’ve got some great news. The next 12 months will present massive future profit opportunities for individuals who are willing to accept that now is the time to get serious. But before we get to that, here’s a sad reality for most investors...

The Shocking Truth: 82.6% Of Property Investors Only Ever Buy ONE Property Let me give you some alarming statistics that the mainstream investment gurus don’t want you to ever find out... 82.6% of investors only ever buy one investment property. Let me ask you a question, how are you supposed to ever get rich with just one property?

Well, the simple answer is... You’re not.

If you’re shocked with that fact, the figures get even worse. A paltry 13% of investors own between 2 and 4 properties. At that rate, it’s going to take 50 years to get rich. So, you’re probably asking yourself a question, and that is... How many properties to you need to make it big in real estate? The smart investors will know that it’s not ultimately about the number of properties, it’s about how much equity and capital you’ve built up. But for the purpose of this conversation, stay with me.

You’ll need at least 10+ properties. Especially if you’re using the traditional investment property system.

So, on that basis, do you know how many property investors ever get to that 10+ level? ...0.9%. Let me

put that in to perspective for you. Out of all the individuals that ever decide to start investing, only 1 in a 100 will ever actually get to the enviable position of having enough properties to live a comfortable retirement.

The rest end up on the real estate investment scrap heap, wondering what went wrong.

Right Now You’ve Got Two Options You’re free to take the 20-year path to real estate success and be the one in a hundred investors who achieve the 10+ property mark with the traditional model, where you virtually have to hand-cuff yourself to you day job that you despise...

Or you make a decision to create your own path and trail-blaze a completely different approach to real estate investment that will get you the desired result to get you out of your normal job and become a full-time investor in possibly 12-24 months.

So which path are you going to take? The long slow wait forever 20 year plan?

Or the accelerated 12-18 month speed real estate wealth model?

I don’t know your level or expertise, your desire and motivation to make things happen fast... But what I do know is that if you’re reading this, then at least you have an opportunity to do as others have done.

Imagine This For A Moment...

You get up in the morning, and stroll from your breakfast table to your study, where you check the Internet to see what’s happening in the property market today.

You see a nice little duplex that you can make a quick capital gain of $25,000 profit and get it to return 9.56% net instantly (with one of your little known secrets). You’re cash flow positive by about $125 per week (you’ve been doing this for years now, buying cash flow positive properties and it annoys the heck out of your friends, mainly because they still don’t understand how you do it.)

You check your messages and a couple of real estate agents have left their number so you can call them back urgently. They’ve got a couple of deals for you that they reckon you’ll love. (With a cute grin on your face you can still remember the days when you would call them and they wouldn’t even return your phone call-and now they’re calling you with hot deals weekly, sometimes daily. Another one of your little secrets.)

Your phone rings and guess what? It’s your accountant ringing you to congratulate on your refund cheque you’ve got from the ATO, (he can’t believe it). The recommendations that you suggested has allowed you to pay on average only 17% tax on your complete earning. You smile and think...”Hum better than the 48.5% I used to pay.” He also wants you to email him the details of that even that you attended where you learnt all these new and exciting strategies.

Oops, there’s another email to check. This one is from your travel agent. Your 10 day cruise through the Caribbean has been booked. And to think it didn’t cost

you a cent out of your own pocket. It was all paid for thanks to your property portfolio, which generates $3,800 profit for you each week (yet, you’ll never ever have to pay capital gain tax, a little secret you learnt at a “certain event” and you think you’ll buy another 5 properties this year). I hear the cocktails are sensational on the cruise.

And All This Is Part of an Average Day in Your Life... Sounds Like a Dream?

Well, it’s not. This is the kind of lifestyle you can enjoy well into your retirement by understanding one thing: PROPERTY MASTERY SECRETS. You don’t have to submit to what most people in Australia believe is their lot in life. You can live the ultimate lifestyle. Reward yourself with life’s little luxuries and be wealthy beyond your wildest dreams.

All this is the exact freedom building, cash generating information you’ll be privileged to hear at the “content and strategy rich” - PROPERTY MASTERY SECRETS” Event. THE MOST COMPLETE WEALTH EDUCATION EVENT EVER HELD IN THE COUNTRY.

Property Mastery Secrets is 3 Seminars Packed In To 1 How is that possible?

Easy! We take out the hype, the dancing, the fluff, the hugging, the feel-good stuff and just give you the in-the-trenches tactics, tips and strategies.

If you want entertainment and a warm fuzzy feeling, I’m sorry, this event is not for you.

However if you are looking for the complete opposite, where we just roll our sleeves up and hammer through the information - then welcome aboard, you’re going to love Property Mastery Secrets.

Here’s how I’ve broken up the seminar.

• SECRET #1: How to Create Positive Cash Flow And Capital Profits through property investing.

• SECRET #2: How to Control Real Estate For Less Than You and I Pay For a Cup of Coffee • SECRET #3: How to Get to the Top of the Food Chain of Real Estate Investing and Make Large Chunks of Profit.

SO WHAT MAKES THIS EVENT SO UNIQUE? You won’t just walk away with the knowledge on one type of investing, YOU’LL WALK AWAY WITH THE INSIDE SECRETS ABOUT THE LOT.

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59 thinkbig Please turn over...

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OK - What makes Property Mastery Secrets a stand-out educational event is the quality and experience of the coaches and mentors

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Our All-Star Lineup Dymphna Boholt is a multimillion-dollar property investor, expert tax minimisation and asset protection strategist. In the last 5 years, Dymphna has been involved in over 10 million dollars of property transactions Dymphna’s system is all about both cashflow and equity.

Dymphna believes cashflow is the lifeblood of real estate and equity is icing on the cake.

Here’s a Snapshot of What You’ll Discover...

• How to Create A Cash-Flow Positive Property Portfolio With Fast Capital Growth Profits • How to set up a sure-fire, step-by-step approach to real estate investing that makes it almost impossible not to succeed.

• How to buy property between 30c to 50c of the dollar - that’s right you can pick up a deal for under 70% of valuation.

• CASE STUDY: How one of Dymphna’s clients bought one property valued at $115,000 for just $52,000.

That is whopping 52% discount, 24 months later, it was valued at $163,000 (That’s $101,000 capital profit in 24 months!)

• Another case study of her students bought 2 $300,000 properties for $152,000 and sold them 3 months later, making $300,000 net capital profit. That’s an insane 200% profit! How long would it take you to earn $300,000 at your job?

• Here’s another; a block of land (not her favourite choice of investment, however...) picked up for $600. NO it’s not a misprint, valuation one month later was $20,000. A great way to get started and use it as a deposit for another purchase. (That’s exactly what this guy did).

• Imagine knowing exactly to the last cent how much to bid on your property. Never waste another dollar over bidding on properties again! This alone will save you thousands of dollars.

• Plus much, much more...

Sean Summerville is going to reveal to you his secrets, strategies and systems that are so radical and so unique that you may have some initial challenges in totally understanding his concept. You see, Sean makes money with little or no risk, and with little or none of his own money.

Here’s a tiny snapshot of what Sean will share with you at this event...

• How you can make money from a buyer whether they buy your property or not. And they will still thank you regardless.

• How to get into the property market without deposit, and how you can contribute your rent (dead money) towards buying your own house with little risk or debt.

• Watch as I demonstrate step-by-step on how

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to cut banks and real estate agents out of the deal, to save you big time on interest rates and commission fees. You will be the one to pocket the difference.

• What the 2 types of sellers are, and it might just surprise you how easy it is to convince them to do a Property Call Option with you • How to create profits from thin air by helping others find investment properties, and own it at the same time • How to generate income from property without owning it, regardless of a down turning market (real estate) or rising interest rates (economy) • 4 proven ways to make money from properties with low risk and high profit returns.

• Plus much, much more...

Mark Rolton went from being a window-washer earning $10 per hour to an instant property millionaire and made $1.066 MILLION in 34 days… and is now Australia’s Leading Property Options Expert...

Mark Rolton is a high energy, dynamic and passionate presenter. Mark personally studied wealth and success strategies under world class experts including Anthony Robbins, Robert Kiyosaki, Dennis Waitley as well as local leaders such as Laurie Lawrence.

Here’s a sneak-peek at what Mark will be sharing at this unique event...

• The basics of property options – what they are and how deals are structured • How to be an Ultra Powerful negotiator and negotiate “win with you” deals • How to add massive value to an owner who doesn’t want to sell through a Joint Venture • The secrets to using no cash to create “Short” Options with massive profits • How to groom deals to provide turn-key Developments to large national organisations • How to use the massive profits from a Development Approval process as a deposit and to create funding for you to be the Developer of the property • How to twist a deal and keep land in a Development for free - Yes, land for free!

PLUS! You Also Qualify For 4 Bonuses (Value: $986) • FREE BONUS #1*: Unedited audio of the complete Property Mastery Secrets event (Value: $495).

• FREE BONUS #2*: How I Went From Virtually Zero to Over $3.5 Million in My First 18 Months DVD by Dymphna Boholt (Value: $197).

• FREE BONUS #3*: The No-Money-Down Secrets Audio by Sean Summerville (Value: $197).

• FREE BONUS #4*: 4 Timeless Investors Classics E-Book Series (Value: $97). * All bonuses are delivered digitally and are conditional on participants attending the event.

Why Is It So Cheap?

You’re probably thinking that, aren’t you? Our star-studded lineup of real property investors don’t need your money - they’re already doing fine, thank you very much.

Each one of them wants to prove to you that they know their stuff, they’re real and they’re making money in today’s market... and then, if you feel that you want to be mentored by them personally, the choice is yours.

Is There a Guarantee? Sure!

You take none of the risk. If you’re not blown away by the advanced level that is covered at this event then you’re entitled to 100% of your money back - no questions asked... Plus! You can keep Free Bonus 2, 3 and 4 (Value: $491) just for giving it a go. I can’t be any fairer than that.

Don’t Miss Out! Take Action NOW! First 150 Readers ONLY: $295

Just...$49

2 Ways To Book: Call The Knowledge Source Booking Hotline NOW!

1800 070 055

Or (Even Faster)

Book Online TODAY at: PropertyMasterySecrets.com/49offer

National Tour Dates SYDNEY

• Plus much, much more...

OK, What’s This Going To Cost?

Normally to attend a content-rich, no B.S, no fluff, no singing-and-dancing event you’d be up for at least $2,000. However at that price, it rules out the individuals who really this information.

So don’t worry, it’s not going to cost you $2,000.

It’s not even going to cost you $1,000. In fact, your investment, believe it or not, will be less than $300.

Property Mastery Secrets is just $295. But wait!

The first 150 who book can attend for just $49 (that’s right, it’s not a misprint).

If you don’t believe me, go to this site www.PropertyMasterySecrets.com ...where this event is being sold at $295. However, as a special offer to readers of this magazine, you pay only $49 to attend... But you must book your seat at the following web address.

Saturday 21st March Bayview Boulevard 90 William St, Sydney

ADELAIDE

Tuesday 24th March Hyatt Regency Nth Terrace, Adelaide

BRISBANE

Saturday 28th March Holiday Inn 159 Roma Street, Brisbane

MELBOURNE

Sunday 22nd march Rydges Melbourne 186 Exhibition St, Melb

PERTH

Thursday 26th March Citigate Perth 707 Wellington St, Perth

GOLD COAST

Sunday 29th March Holiday Inn 22 View Ave, Surfers Paradise

CANBERRA

Tuesday 31st March Rydges Lakeside Canberra London Circuit, Canberra City

Times

8:30am Reg / 9am Start - 6pm Finish

www.propertymasterysecrets.com/49offer Copyright © 2009 Knowledge Source - 43 Lower Heidelberg Rd. Ivanhoe VIC 3079

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thinkBIG feature

Value in Building& & Selling Websites

By Warren Stokes

The growth of Internet users is on the increase. Five years ago, just over half the US population had Internet access. By the second quarter of 2008, the percentage of users in the US has risen to 74% showing a consistent growth rate. That growth is the least in the world with regions such as the Middle East showing 1,177% growth during the same period and still only having a 21% penetration of its population.

Each year the growth in new domain registrations is also increasing with more varied extensions becoming a trend. Country code top level domains (ccTLDs) have seen huge growth with as much as 400% increase witnessed in China.

W

hen one buys a domain name, it is known as a primary registration. After buying the domain, you own that domain for as long as you register it periodically. Registrations can be done annually or for longer if you prefer. As long as the renewals for the domain are performed timely and when required, the domain can be used, owned by an individual and remain active and accessible on the Internet.

So for what reasons are websites bought? There are many personal reasons, however, the logical reasons include the following: 1. Domains are sometimes bought with speculation that their ‘stock’ value will rise. This means that they were bought in recognition of their undervalued price, hoping to resell them at a later date. Often the basis of the profit for these aftermarket sales is dependent on the buyer.

There are valuation methods used to appraise domain names. These are used in conjunction with relative sales history of comparable domains as well as trends in the buyers’ market for similar verticals of domains. The early investors were well aware of the search and Internet trend value of products and services. Thus, there were quite a few pioneers in the domain naming industry who made lots of money speculating trends in web and search activity.

Even though domains are evaluated for worth, they often sell for a large difference to the actual valuation estimates. Timing of the sale has a lot to do with it. For example, UsainBolt.com would probably have been worth nothing before the Beijing Olympics. Now since the Jamaican’s excellent showing in Beijing, there would be countless domains registered in anticipation of a surge in search traffic for Usain Bolt, making them valuable. In other cases, it’s just the opinion of the buyer: JohnMaple.com may get no bids from anyone other than someone called John Maple, who may be willing to pay lots of money for it.

2. There is also an increasing trend in type-ins associated with brands, high volume and sought after search terms. Website traffic is one of the main reasons for the high value of websites. Websites with traffic command big dollars as they have exposure. This exposure is about users coming to a specific website address looking for something, whether that is a product or service or just information to help them make decisions. The more eyes on a website, the more activity and intended audience there will be. Provided the traffic flow is consistent, the users can be served ads or tracked in a way to best serve them the next time they visit. Thus, having a good type-in domain means that the users bypass search results and head straight to the content landing page.

3. In some cases, the domains are bought to be used for a business.

This is a more flexible means of choosing domain names, as no speculation is required, just branding and variations on a theme. If the domain name a business requires is not available as a primary registration, but can be found as a premium name being sold in the domain aftermarket. This could prove even more useful if it is an established domain name and already has unique visitors.

There is huge interest in acquiring, development and selling of domain name properties. This is fuelled more by smart investors following a monetary trend mainstream business recognising that great domain names are valuable, and like prime real estate – scarce.

In summary, it can be stated that there is ample value in building and selling websites. The more planning that is carried out around the strategies for buying and selling, the more overall value that can be derived from developing domains. When you acquire your domain with a plan in place, a short and longer-term strategy – you plan for online success. TB

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TRUST

THE MOST VITAL

DEALMAKING Skill

By Peter Wink

You can read every book, listen to all the CDs, and take any number of classes on how to be a better dealmaker and negotiator and none of it will do you any good unless you know how to build trust between you and the ‘other side’.

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o matter what kind of negotiation you enter into, the ‘other side’ is more than likely going to go into the negotiation with a defensive/guarded attitude, especially when they first meet you.

And for good reason – people aren’t stupid.

They know that first and foremost you’re negotiating on you or your organisation’s behalf and not theirs. Or better put – you’ll be looking out for number one. And in the end, there’s nothing wrong with that, but you have to do it in a way that will open the door for you to do more business together in the future.

Just remember one thing – the other side will also look out for themselves!

Most of the time, the other side will automatically judge you as untrustworthy and remain wisely paranoid throughout the initial deal-making process. This creates a number of challenges for you.

You need to be able to prove what you’re offering is what they need, the price is fair and that you and your organisation will stand by your product after the sale.

So the wall gets built between you and the other side. Just realise the wall between you two may be tall – but with a little common sense, you can easily get over it.

So how do you build trust with the other side?

That’s what we’ll discuss here using my Secrets to Gaining & Fostering Trust with excerpts from my new book Buying Secrets Retailers DON’T Want You To Know About.

So let’s get started!

Here are the secrets for gaining the other sides trust you MUST learn…

1. Be trusting of others – This is very tricky during your By showing you trust the other side, they’re more than likely going to try to not only earn your trust, but also keep it. Most people have good intentions during negotiations.

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At the same time, always be cautiously optimistic during your first negotiation with anyone. There are many people out to rip you off and rob you blind. If you have a gut feeling that you’re making a bad decision, or you have some information showing that someone is not trustworthy, run the other way and don’t look back. Take your business elsewhere. And always remember, no matter what negativity comes from a situation never be insulting to anyone. Show your class!

2. Have a ‘can do’ attitude – Only take on tasks that you’re positive you can handle. People will always want to negotiate and do business with others who believe they can get the job done without reservation. If you take on a task that you’re not sure about, more than likely it will come back to haunt you. Your reputation depends on your ability to get the job done.

3. Be a team player – Approach every negotiation as if you and the other side are on the same team. Keep in mind that the goal of every negotiation is to find a winning solution for everyone. A sense of teamwork builds friendship and camaraderie. When you both win, you both feel better about doing more deals.

4. Be fair with everyone – Being fair means treating people equally. Have a genuine respect for everyone you negotiate with.

Never favour one person over another or talk less than respectful of others. You also should not be giving one person better pricing than another unless they are doing something special to earn it. If you are caught playing favorites, you will likely never get the deal signed.

5. Communicate clearly – To build trust at the negotiating table you must be clear, articulate and precise every time you communicate.

If you’re not clear or seem to be hiding information, the other side will automatically think you have a hidden agenda and start to distrust you and/or your organisation. This can be devastating to the deal and the relationship.

6. Walk your talk – Stand behind what you say, do, buy and sell! If you say something mean it. If you do something, do it with the highest level of integrity. If you buy something, enjoy it. If you sell something, use it. Be genuine about who you are and never misrepresent yourself or your product.

7. Never oversell – Don’t try to get the ‘other side’ to purchase anything that is not right for them just to make a sale. Only sell them what they need/want.

If you’re going to try to up-sell them, make sure the up-sell is a logical choice based on what the other side wants. This shows the other side that you truly have their best interests at heart. This is a major step to breaking down any walls between you.

Also, if the ‘other side’ asks you about a more expensive option that you know is not as good for them as the less expensive option – show them how what you’re proposing is the best option and how they’ll save money. This is a win/win for both of you.

8. Know your stuff – Understand everything you can about what you’re selling. This will make you look credible and will put people at ease. There’s nothing more frustrating than walking into a store and asking a salesperson a question they cannot answer.

To build trust with a prospective customer, you need to know the price, features and benefits of whatever you’re selling. No exceptions.

9. Go the extra mile – I think Harvey McKay, author of Swim with the Sharks without Being Eaten Alive, says it best – ‘Under promise’ and ‘Over deliver’. This means doing more than what’s

expected. Unfortunately, it’s usually the other way around. By doing more, you add more value. It’s more than just delivering quality – it’s delivering a level of quality and integrity that goes above and beyond the initial promise. When you go the extra mile and satisfy the other side, you make yourself indispensable to them. This is the ultimate position to be in.

Sometimes you will run across someone who needs help making a choice. Make sure to take the extra time to educate them on what they’re purchasing.

10. Admit when you’re wrong – If you want to build trust… admit when you’ve made a mistake and then do everything you can to quickly correct it. By admitting you’re wrong, you appear trustworthy. The other side knows that when you admit to being wrong, you’re demonstrating a high level of honesty and integrity.

After all, nobody is perfect.

11. Show empathy – Most people are not just poor decision makers – they’re terrible. Usually it is due to fear. The average businessperson is so afraid of losing their job, they freeze when a major (or even a minor) decision has to be made. Understand this is a weakness and help them. Be willing to assist the other side in making a good decision. Vulnerable people tend to trust people who show them empathy.

“Gaining the trust of the “other side” is vital to your success as a dealmaker! - Peter Wink” 12. Keep in touch – After you make a deal with someone, keep in touch. Call or visit them periodically and find out how they like your product or service. Find out if it’s performing as promised. This allows you to build a long-term bond with the other side. Usually when someone rips someone off or makes a shady deal, they disappear. By staying in touch, you demonstrate a level of integrity that’ll put the other side at ease when they do future deals with you.

13. Follow up – This is similar to keeping in touch. After making a deal, make sure to call the other side within 24 hours and find out if they’re happy with your product or service. People will respect you for following up. This shows the other side you care about them.

And if something is wrong – don’t hide behind your fears or some silly company policy. Offer to take care of the issue right away. This will boost your credibility and trust in the eyes of the other side instantly.

14. Establish a track record – This is the most effective way to build trust. Each time you do business, or make a promise, make sure you do exactly what you say. Over a period of time, the other side will feel comfortable dealing with you on your word. You can literally get to the point where the other side believes everything you say. If you breach this trust or betray the other side it will cost you deals in the long run. Establishing a track record takes time and will pay off exponentially.

By following these secrets for gaining trust, you can close more deals and develop solid long-term relationships with any customer.

Remember, building trust is vital to your success as a negotiator and dealmaker. TB

www.peterwink.com

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thinkBIG wealth

property

finance How your language creates Increase

Property Crisis?

More Like Property Christmas!

Our ability to use our language and vocabulary is integral in our ability to lead a successful life. Michelle Murchison explains.

By Carly Crutchfield

By Michelle Murchison

T

he forefather of personal development, Earl Nightingale released the first non-musical LP about 50 years ago called The Strangest Secret, providing time proven strategies and wisdom of how we can create the prosperity in our lives that we desire. His key message is, ‘We become what we think about’.

Earl proposes that the ability to use our language and extent of our vocabulary will, to a large extent determine our knowledge and therefore the foundation of our earning capacity. To this end, understanding financial vocabulary and terminology will provide us with the greatest opportunities toward the wealth creation we seek.

So while it’s easy to get caught up with thinking that a cheap interest rate is the priority, a greater understanding of your short and longer-term needs is really the foundation towards your financial well-being.

It’s important to realise that the right mortgage for you is not necessarily the one with the lowest interest rate. Over the past couple of years lenders have been competing heavily on interest rates. That would be fine, if all loan products were the same, comparing apples with apples if you like.

The simple fact is that no two loans are the same – even if they are from the same lender. And we are not talking just about the fees.

Your mortgage is the largest financial commitment you are ever likely to make, so the steps should you take to build upon your financial vocabulary, is what will make the difference in understanding how to create your financial future…

1. Write down a list of all the changes to your cash flow you expect over the next five years.

2. Decide if you are planning on making minimum repayments or planning on paying off the mortgage as quickly as possible.

3. Work out how much you have in your bank account month to month.

4. What else are you saving for? A holiday or your children’s education?

5. Seek financial advice. Yes this does cost money, however a small fee when you consider potential tax deductions.

6. Understand how sensitive you will be to upward rate movements.

7. What future borrowing requirements will you have, for example renovations, buying a new car.

8. Understand what level of flexibility you require.

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With this information now laid out you are ready to tackle the advantages and disadvantages of different types of mortgage facilities.

Some generic examples are: • Basic Home Loan: Typically suits someone making minimum repayments with a low bank account balance month to month.

• Fixed Home Loan: Typically suits someone who is working to a tight budget, is sensitive to interest rate movements and is not planning on making large lump sum repayments.

• 100% Offset Account: Typically suits someone who has a high bank account balance month to month, is saving for other purposes and considering future tax consequences.

• Line of Credit: Typically suits someone who is interested in making minimum monthly repayments (such as interest only) or looking for future flexibility and/or the ability to borrow additional funds without reapplying.

• Master Limit or Portfolio Loan: Typically suits those who require maximum flexibility and personal control of their mortgage rather than leaving that to a lender.

The key understanding is that a cheap rate can sometimes prove to be a more costly than a facility that suits you with a slightly higher rate.

It is up to you to realise that your mortgage is about what you need now and in the future not just about the rate. With this information in hand (and a mortgage finance professional by your side to explain how different mortgage products work in more detail) you can select the right product to suit you and still get a competitive rate along the way.

And meanwhile, the questions you’ve asked yourself will expand your vocabulary, understanding and confidence to create the life you want. After all, the secret is, ‘we become what we think about’! TB

Michelle is the owner of Money Advantage, a company that arranges mortgage finance for clients who want to participate in their wealth building through property investment. Through years of experience, the Money Advantage team is teaching people to actively participate in their wealth creation by applying fundamental money strategies toward debt reduction & wealth creation.

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Unless you live in a cave you would be aware that apparently we are in a financial and property crisis. Hmm, I beg to differ.

I

mean, yes, I acknowledge that the current economy is not quite what it used to be; the share market has been shook up and finance doesn’t appear to be as easy to access as it was this time last year. But crisis? I don’t think so…unless they mean the OTHER definition of crisis.

The Chinese say that there are two meanings to the word crisis; 1. Danger 2. Opportunity Well if they mean opportunity, I would have to agree! I have seen all sorts of property opportunities from Darwin to Perth, Sydney to Brisbane and back again. I have negotiated property deals in crash markets, boom markets and emerging markets.

But I have NEVER seen the kinds of opportunities and deals that are landing on my lap right now. This isn’t a property crisis, this is Property Christmas!

So what exactly is going on then? Well this is my view in nutshell…You can’t deny the fact that the American market has crashed. When the superpower of the world starts to buzz this much about a ‘crisis’ the rest of the world listens. So the Australian media start to buzz about the crisis and our masses listen.

Most Aussies are not taught about the property market, financial markets, investment strategies etc. So without a foundation knowledge and with most media outlets spreading the message of the crisis, the feeling of doom and gloom spreads throughout the population.

Feeling uncertain about what to do? Most people freeze up, do nothing and sit on the fence to watch it all play out. They stop spending, they stop investing and suddenly we see a drastic decrease in demand. However the products are still on the market, and still need to sell. So the owners have no choice but to drop their prices to try and appeal to the few people who are still buying. And therein lies the opportunity.

This Property Christmas may never happen again in our lifetime.

Over the next couple of years we will see many millionaires and even some billionaires emerge from this. Don’t be the one sitting on the fence, jump down and come play! TB

At the age of 27, Carly Crutchfield is a self made millionaire, the CEO of several national companies, has been involved in developments throughout Australia, New Zealand and America with a value of more than $200 million dollars and is currently undergoing several projects in NSW and QLD. www.carlycrutchfield.com.au

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Looking TO BE the BEST Ivan Pignataro has always been a man with a plan. His commitment to self and others led to the creation of First Recruitment International, a recruitment firm that was set up to change the face of the industry and leave dated recruitment methods behind.

I

n a short space of time, Ivan has built strong relationships with major global companies and First Recruitment is on its way to becoming a household name, not just in Melbourne, but interstate and overseas as well.

Inspired by?

I tend to gain a great deal of inspiration from young people who do well in their chosen pursuits regardless of whether it is in the corporate world, sporting arena or the arts. I am inspired by people who commit to something and see it through.

Motivated by?

I have always been a self-motivated person. I usually prepare an action plan for the coming week before I leave the office on a Friday and by Sunday night I’m itching to get started. During the week I am motivated by working with my clients and really thrive on the client contact and in helping solve their business problems.

R&R Work keeps me pretty busy so when I’m not working I help raise my two beautiful daughters, Kaitlin and Mia and do my best to catch up with friends and family. I’m an avid (obsessive) collector of classic cars, shoot clay targets when I get the chance and have recently taken up golf.

Future?

Over the coming months we’ll have some impressive consultants coming on board and will be looking to move into bigger offices.

I am keen to further expand our reach with a physical presence interstate and overseas but I want to make sure that the Melbourne office is running as a very tight ship before that happens. TB

Achievement...

My biggest achievement has been making the break from an established firm and starting First Recruitment International. I knew that starting my own company was the next logical step in my career and I was very aware of what I needed to do to take that next step.

Ability...

Leaving any established company to go out on your own can be somewhat daunting but I have always been a bit of a risk taker.

However, I wanted to minimise the risk as much as possible so I didn’t take any shortcuts. I remained patient and did my homework while putting in place clear goals that I wanted achieve during the first 12 months of launching First Recruitment International. Also, my clients have been very supportive and encouraging so that was a great vote of confidence and we’ve been able to secure some great new clients along the way.

Lessons I realised early in life that there was no substitute for knowledge and hard work. The more you know and the harder you work the greater chance you have of achieving what it is you want to achieve.

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thinkBIG feature

The language of

style

In today’s high-tech, fast paced world, instant gratification is not enough. We want everything today, and if not today, yesterday. We have little time to ponder or reflect and are quick to make judgements based on the marketing and branding thrown at us from every angle via any and every media possible writes Terriane Palmer.

T

hose people who are serious about being striving to be the best and exceed expectations, recognise image has a direct correlation to the way a person feels and therefore behaves.

First impressions are just as important as their reputation, their qualifications and their experience. They recognise if they want to be part of a bigger game, they need to be dressed as if they are already on the team.

Some of the perceptions or judgements people can form solely from your appearance are: • Your professionalism • Your level of sophistication • Your intelligence • Your credibility • Your level of success • Your values and morals.

Whether these perceptions are real or imagined, they underpin how your appearance instantly influences the opinions of strangers, peers, and superiors. Being well dressed in a corporate setting can influence not just perceptions, but also promotions.

For men the rules have changed little in the past decade. If anything, they have relaxed allowing more personal expression into the workplace. What was once considered a faux pas (like wearing a black suit in business) is now widely accepted.

For women, it’s not that simple. I remember a time my competitor described me as ‘that tall aggressive woman’. My client found it incredibly amusing, but it got me thinking and after a little research I soon discovered a confident brunette (made even worse by being 5’8” or taller) was considered aggressive. A confident blonde was considered pushy.

So it’s a fine line women have to tread in order to get the right message across about who we are and what we are proposing.

Dress too casually and women won’t be taken seriously. While masculinity is seen as aggressive or pushy. Too much exposed flesh is seen as using our ‘assets’ to get ahead.

Balance is the key. Women must dress for business – business casual and above – every time. If you want to excel, your dress sense must reflect who you are, accentuate your positive features, be appropriate to the occasion and display an element of femininity.

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So where do you start?

First, there is no single set of rules that work for everyone, but there are a handful of characteristics that most successful business communicators share when it comes to dress and grooming.

1. Just as in business communication, business dress requires you to know your audience. You need to gauge what attire will be right for the audience and the circumstance. This all hinges on the culture of the industry, region, company, division, department and function.

While your attire can be a vehicle for personal expression, you can pay a price for violating the written and unwritten codes of your culture. Always know the price before you pay.

2. Business attire is different from social attire and is more subdued in personal expression. If in doubt, stay classic! Dependant on the industry you are working in, just how formal you need to be can be somewhat of an enigma. One person’s floor is another’s ceiling. Tune your business attire to the needs of the business circumstance and if you are in doubt, ask.

3. The small details count! For men, your watch and shoes are the key ingredients for standing out from the millions. Get a watch that is reflective of who you are, or who you aim to be. Polish your shoes!

Let the styles you wear reflect the man inside.

“If you want to know if a fellow is well dressed, look down.”

- Fred Astaire For women, hairstyle and accessories are the key components to manage. Let me ask you a question: If your face was similar to the Mona Lisa, what type of frame would you put around it?

Get the picture? Your hairstyle is the frame for your priceless picture. Choose well and pay attention to maintaining its upkeep.

4. If it wrinkles or clings, wrap your food in it. Enough said?

To play a bigger game, pay attention to the language you use in your dress. It speaks before you do. Communicate what you need to get the results you desire. Remember, your Image is never neutral. It will either be positive toward your goals or negative away from your goals. Love what you wear and become a master of the language of clothes. TB

Written by Terriane Palmer, International Image Consultant & founder of TAP INTO IMAGE PTY LTD. W: www.tapintoimage.com.au P: (+61) 0418-634-852

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Supercar

Slayer

Nissan’s $150k supercar has upset the establishment.

Its performance figures surpass many European supercars costing up to four times as much. Powered by a twin turbocharged 3.8-litre V6, the Nissan GT-R will start occupying Australian roads in April 2009.

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n one hand, $150,000 plus on roads is a lot of money to pay for a Nissan. On the other hand, it’s a bargain for a car that will ‘out accelerate’ a Ferrari F430 ($389,000) from zero to 100km/h.

Its looks are questionable, it possesses distinct hard-edged Japanese styling rather than European rock star chic, but what it lacks in appearance, it makes up for in outright performance.

On the world’s most popular car show, Top Gear, the GTR has lapped their race track faster than Supercar legends including Porsche Carrera GT, Lamborghini Mercelago, Mercedes McLaren SLR, Ford GT and Ferraris flagship the 599GTB. The GTRs history dates back to 1969 when Nissan produced a high performance version of the Skyline called the GTR. The car

achieved much success on the road and track and soon gained a cult following among motoring enthusiasts. Aussie motoring fans will remember that back in 1991 and 1992 the Skyline GTR won both the Bathurst 1000 and the Australian Touring Car Championship. Proving too successful, the rules were changed, effectively barring them from competing and keeping the competition between Falcons and Commodores (yawn).

The latest GTR, nicknamed Godzilla (for chewing up roads and cars), boasts a 3.8lt V6 that pumps out 353kW and 588Nm of torque. It also features a sophisticated 4WD system and a sixspeed dual-clutch automated manual transmission (paddle shift).

All this adds up to rapid acceleration: 0 – 100kmh is achieved in 3.5 sec. Top speed is 310kmh and according to Top Gear’s

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Jeremy Clarkson, “It corners faster than electricity.”

Specs for the car vary from country to country. Australia will receive two versions: The Standard model costing $148,800 and the Premium model for $152,800.

The premium version includes upgraded wheels, special leather trim and 11 speaker Bose stereo. And while high performance manufacturers such as Porsche and BMW are famous for their long list of overpriced optional extras, sometimes boosting the final price buy as much as 20%, each GTR comes fully loaded. The only optional extra being metallic paint.

With Nissan claiming that despite cramming all this Supercar technology into the GTR, that it will still make a healthy profit; it will most certainly force other Supercar manufacturers to review the pricing, especially with the current state of the global economy.

Still, as much as the GTR has set a new benchmark, one cannot help but wondering how long these fossil fuelled performance monsters will survive in the new ‘eco conscious’ world of tomorrow. TB

Awards

Already the GTR has already taken out many of the world’s best motoring awards including: • Car Magazine Performance Car of the Year (UK – beating the new Lamborghni Gallardo LP-540) • 2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year (USA) • Automobile Magazine Car of the Year (USA) • Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Awards 2008 – Design (USA) • Car of the Year Award for Advanced Technology (Japan)

Specs: Nissan GT-R Price: $148,800 (base); $152,800 (premium) Engine: 3.8lt V6; 353 kW; 540Nm torque Transmission: 6-speed dual-clutch automated manual transmission Weight: 1,740kg Performance: 0 – 100 km/h 3.5 sec; top speed 310km/h Available: April 2009 More Info: www.gtrnissan.com or contact local dealer Col Crawford Nissan www.colcrawford.com.au

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Thinkforever

Jack Canfield’s Key to Living the Law of Attraction

Reviews Australia’s Money Secrets of the Rich Those of us who read the first edition of this book will profit from two tools this time around: Support from a website and clear action steps.

This book is a comprehensive guide to the Money Secrets of the Rich that John discovered on his own journey to financial freedom. It is a detailed map that will guide you every step of the way. You’ll learn: • The 7 Money Secrets of the Rich that will lay the foundations for your financial freedom.

• How to reduce your cost of living without reducing your standard of living.

• The investing principles and rules used by the world’s wealthiest people

You will discover that the true Money Secrets of the Rich are not ‘not’ share market tips, but rather the habits and beliefs the rich employ to create an environment in which their money can grow. And best of all, you’ll learn that it does not matter where you are today or how much money you earn; it is what you do with your knowledge and income that will determine your success.

Title: Australia’s Money Secrets of the Rich Author: John Burley ISBN: 9780975742624 RRP: $29.95

100 Ways to Happiness These positive psychology books, 100 Ways to Happiness stand out for their user-friendliness and insight.

100 Ways to Happiness, by Dr Timothy J. Sharp, gives an accessible overview of positive psychology by a renowned Australian psychologist. In 100 bite-sized readings, overwhelmingly practical, this book shows how small changes make big differences.

Dr Sharp draws on the latest research into the science of happiness and presents it here in 100 bite-sized chunks of inspiration and instruction.

Read it from cover to cover, or dip in and out for a regular dose of happiness training. Learn how to increase your happiness levels by: • improving your physical health • counting your blessings • nurturing positive relationships • becoming a giver • better managing your time Accessible, informative and funny, 100 Ways to Happiness encourages us to regard happiness as something that is achievable, manageable and hugely enhancing to the lives we live now.

Title: 100 Ways to Happiness/Happy for No Reason Author: Dr Timothy J. ISBN: 9780143009030/9781847370877 RRP: $22.95/$29.95

Stand and Deliver The subject in this audio presentation is public speaking. More specifically it is about moving from being an average public speaker to mastery of the speaker circuit. The disk cover topics such as stage fright, appropriate use of humour, PowerPoint presentations, question and answer sessions and most importantly the ability to motivate your audiences to take action.

Stand and Deliver is perfectly titled and Dale Carnegie again proves why he is one of the greatest motivators the world has seen.

You will learn...

• How to identify your authentic self so that you project an original and unique style • How to win over any audience in ONE MINUTE

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• A 5-point checklist to run through immediately before a presentation that will make stage fright disappear • A powerful tactic for getting your listeners to act the way you want them to (works equally well with colleagues, children...anyone you talk to!)

• The renowned “Magic Formula” technique -- a no-fail 3-step process that will ensure your listeners not only remember what you say, but make immediate and positive changes based on it • The secrets to handling hostile or potentially embarrassing questions with ease and professionalism Title: Stand and Deliver Author: Dale Carnegie T raining Format: 6 CDs, workbook RRP: $147.00 Available from: www.powwowevent.com.au.

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As The Secret disappears into obscurity, we should not dismiss the philosophy behind it, as this method of thinking still has merit. Canfield’s Key to Living the Law of Attraction, addresses how the law of attraction works, how to identify purpose, passions and goals, and how to use tools such as affirmations, visualisation and meditation.

Canfield explains that there are two types of action we can take: obvious and inspired.

“The basic difference here is that obvious action is pretty much just up to you, and you alone, whereas inspired action is you, using the power of the subconscious mind, believing and co-creating with God and the universe.”

Long before co-creating the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Jack Canfield was already teaching the ancient principles of the Law of Attraction. Canfield has been consciously living in harmony with this universal law for more than thirty years, and his

personal success is a testament to its power. Now, in Jack Canfield’s Key to Living the Law of Attraction, he shares his knowledge and experience with you and offers you his proven tools and techniques for applying the Law of Attraction in your own life.

This book is a simple ‘how to’ guide for using the Law of Attraction to create the life you desire. Within these pages, Canfield clearly explains not only what you need to know, but what you need to do in order to attract what you want in your life. Jack Canfield’s Key to Living the Law of Attraction addresses the important issues of clarity, purpose, and action. This thought-provoking guide will take you step by step through the processes of defining your dreams, goals, and desires. Along the way, you will gain a greater understanding of yourself—a sense of who you really are and why you are here.

Your journey begins right here, right now. You can change your life, increase your awareness, and empower yourself to create an amazing future—one that is filled with love, joy, and abundance.

Author: Jack Canfield Publisher: Health Communications, Inc. ISBN: 9780757306587 RRP: $24.99

Awaken the Giant Within One of Anthony Robbins’s most inspiring bestsellers is Awaken the Giant Within. This is a book considered by another reviewer, Daniel G Taylor to be ‘wisdom literature’. And he is not wrong. Even though Robbins, like many ‘inspiration’ coaches, has come under some considerable scrutiny, there is no denying his ability to motivate. The book teaches the art of creating a consistent state of excitement as well as an attitude of willingness. Rpbbins also discusses the benefits of health, something that we should take heed of in today’s culture of growing bodies and sedentary lifestyles.

Peter Guber, Chairman of the Board and CEO, Sony Pictures called it “Yet another profound and powerful tool in the Robbins arsenal of self-awareness. It has been an enormous source of strength and insight for me both personally and professionally.”

Robbins uses a lot of techniques that are either influenced by or are taken from the pseudoscientific principles of Neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). But Awaken the Giant Within is more than a book derived from NLP, it is a manual for life. If one technique or chapter does not work for you, there are plenty more in the book that can.

For many people this has been a life-changing book, inspiring people to choose their path to enlightenment.

Title: Awaken the Giant Within Author: Anthony Robbins ISBN: 9780743409384 RRP: $24.95

A New Earth Eckhart Tolle has one of those names where you just expect the man to come forth with profundities. And if this is your expectation you wouldn’t be wrong.

Eckhart argues that we all have an inner purpose, to awaken, and an outer purpose, which changes over time. A New Earth focuses on inner purpose.

“Once that foundation [of inner purpose] is there, your external purpose becomes charged with spiritual power because your aims and intentions will be one with the evolutionary impulse of the universe.”

Tolle describes in detail how our current ego-based

state of consciousness operates. Then gently, and in very practical terms, he leads us into this new consciousness. We will come to experience who we truly are—which is something infinitely greater than anything we currently think we are—and learn to live and breathe freely.

Author: Eckhart Tolle Publisher: Penguin ISBN: 9780718148577 RRP: $29.95

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Building Wealth Through Business

thinkBIG business directory

Are you ready to face today’s tough financial conditions?

Would you like to discover a simple step-by-step system that will allow you to control multi-million dollar properties with NO risk, NO banks and LESS money upfront than regular property investing?

Visit our website www.sop.com.au or phone 1300 131 290

Achieve Financial Freedom Today Introducing a Business Opportunity positioned in Personal Development that is structured for Wealth Acceleration and Lifestyle Optimization.

For additional information to assist YOU in evaluating this opportunity contact us today. Ph 1800 1090 585 Email: thinkbig@achievefinancialfreedomtoday.com www.AchieveFinancialFreedomToday.com

Imagine Being Free Change People’s Lives while earning a CEO level income at home. P: Aus 02 4341 1400 P: UK 2030516 322 www.imaginebeingfree.com

WANTED… People to earn $20,000 + A month from home For more information and to receive your free report called the “8 Steps to Unlimited Wealth, Working From Home” go to

www.homebiztopearner.com or call the 24 hour hotline 1800 72 12 51.

It is a little known fact that most of the worlds wealth is created through business. This is how many of the worlds Rich List members have built their wealth. As an example, if you study the worlds wealthiest people, you will discover that: n Over 80% have built their wealth through business n Approximately two thirds are totally self made To learn more about the powerful strategies self made entrepreneurs use to build wealth, attend a Building Wealth Through Business seminar. The seminars are held throughout Australia and are presented by Reuben Buchanan - founder of Wealth Creator magazine. Reuben has interviewed over 200 self made millionaires on how they built their wealth. This two hour event will reveal many of the strategies they use.

Topics include: n Entrepreneurial key learnings from over 200 interviews n How businesses are valued n How to increase business value without increasing profit n How to raise capital n Setting up your business for a sale or exit and achieving the best price n Becoming investor ready n How to start a business with little or no money

Keynote Presenter:

REUBEN BUCHANAN Reuben founded Wealth Creator magazine in 2002. He rapidly grew the business before selling in 2006. He also hosted the Wealth Creator TV Show and has interviewed over 200 entrepreneurs who's combined net worth exceeds $10 billion.

Since then he has launched Think Big magazine and Wholesale Investor magazine. He is also a corporate advisor with Integral Capital Group where he assists companies to raise capital and become investor or sale ready.

This is “must see” information for business owners, entrepreneurs or start-ups.

IC Frith is among the top-10 insurance brokers in Australia and New Zealand. We provide professional insurance advice to associations, companies, partnerships, sole traders and individuals about issues including risk identification and minimisation, policy selection and claims administration.

The number 1 home based business opportunity in Australia. Based in the personal development industry, you can change people’s lives and earn a CEO level income. We’ll show you how. Ph Aus: (02) 4341 1400 Email: ImagineBeingFree@excellerate.com.au Ph UK: 2030516 322 www.imaginebeingfree.com

RE S E RV E Y O U R S E AT T O D AY

Seminars held throughout Australia. Book online at w w w. t e l d a r. c o m . a u o r e m a i l info@teldar.com.au Or phone (02) 8001 6610

Are you seeking to raise investor capital for your business?

Wholesale Investor is the ultimate solution Learn how to generate multiple streams of passive income using low risk, high return proven strategies.

Discover how to protect your money and the secrets that most traders NEVER learn. www.platinumpursuits.com

Learn how to make money while you sleep trading global markets, using proven, little known diverse strategies most traders will never know or understand. www.lifestyletrader.com.au/thinkbig

Wholesale Investor has been created to be the information portal of the private space. Through a high quality magazine, functional website and investor opportunity evenings, private companies are able to showcase their company to potential investors, or companies seeking acquisition targets. Our combined database of investors have access to Billions in investable funds.

If you think you can or think you can’t – you are right

“Successful people know they can” Be part of this “Fresh New-Look” home based business in the booming Personal Development Industry. CEO income potential, live life the way you want to live it. Take action now – JUST DO IT – register today for an interview and

FREE 7 Day ECourse at: www.TheSecret-Steps2Success.com Ph: 0414 543 194 Email: info@thesecret-steps2success.com

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With market turbulence around the world, it has become significantly harder for private or unlisted companies to raise money. One of the biggest challenges for private companies is that they have minimal exposure to potential investors.

Maximise your real estate investment opportunity in Australia today. CALL Peter Comben PH: 03 9893 4757 www.smartpropertydevelopment.com.au

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To see if you qualify to have your company featured in Wholesale Investor Magazine, go to www.wholesaleinvestor.com.au and click on “Capital Raising / Business Solution” and fill out the online enquiry form.

WHOLESALEINVESTOR.COM.AU

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