The Gutter Man

nobody@vox.com(Amp It Up!) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 11:05:26 -0700

A gutter installer named Rick came by my house to give me an estimate at 7:30 this morning. He was a pleasant man, and his business was just a few blocks from my house.

The first thing he asked me was, "How did you hear about us?"

(If I could get my all my business coaching clients to do that, I would be so happy!)

I told him that first I'd found him on Google, and then I saw him in the Yellow Pages. On Google there was just a simple listing, and I told him he would be doing his business a favor if he put up a website. That way, he could tell his story to the people who used the Internet to look for services. He agreed that he needed one, but he was just not an Internet person. I told him I could recommend a designer, and then all he would need is the copy and some pictures. He asked me for my card, and read my title.

"Chief Amplifier?" he said. "What's that?"

I said, "I help individuals and businesses discover new possibilities for themselves and amplify those possibilities into reality. For businesses owners, that means I do things like help develop a growth strategy, design new profit centers, open new sales channels, and ultimately, help the owner put together an exit strategy, so he or she can stop working and go on to something else."

He laughed, in an "I wish" sort of way. "I don't think I'm gonna stop working any time soon. I'm raising three kids. I just don't see it."

I smiled, and said, "It could happen. You just need a vision and a plan."

But I could tell he didn't believe me. And I wondered if Rick would ever get his mind out of gutters and set his sights on the stars.

To get free tips on accessing possibility and amplifying it into reality, visit www.KimMarcille.com, and sign up for my newsletter.

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The High Price of Super Bowl Tickets

nobody@vox.com(Amp It Up!) — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 11:16:31 -0800

I came back from Vegas last week, and they were pushing Super Bowl tickets in the baggage claim. It turns out that people just didn't feel like paying those high prices! In the Miami Herald on Thursday, I read about a travel agent who had purchased a large block of rooms from a hotel with plans to sell the rooms at over $400 per night, but then had to give back most of the block because he couldn't sell them. The hotelier then sold them for a little over $200.

So it got me thinking: what things in my life am I paying too high a ticket price for? There are things I'm investing time, money and energy in that I'm never gonna get a payback on. I bet you've got some, too.

A friend of mine once said, "Your strategy should tell you what to do, but it also should tell you what not to do." What is your strategy telling you to stop doing so that you can make room for the life of your dreams?

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