Has a book ever changed the direction of your life? As a self-confessed bibliophile, reading books has brought me to where I am today as a confident entrepreneur. It’s amazing how books can help in so many areas of your life. I contribute much of my success to the books and learning materials I have studied over the years.

The best book I have ever purchased hands down is the Dictionary. I have used the dictionary to expand my vocabulary. Expanding one’s vocabulary builds confidence and deepens conversations. Having a greater vocabulary also enriches my writing by allowing me to be more creative with words.

I used books to reach my goal of becoming an entrepreneur. I was in the employee mindset and learned this mindset as a little girl. You go to school, find a good job and retire happily ever after but deep down I knew I was meant to be an entrepreneur. I hated sitting in the cubical staring at the minute hand on the clock as if it were an inch worm inching a long until five o’clock. I used many self-help books to help pull myself out of this mindset to get me to the place I am today.

One of the first things I learned as an entrepreneur is that to remain successful you must continue to grow and educate yourself. It has been said that those who become voracious readers and continuous learners become and remain successful. Therefore, I always have at least three books a week going ranging from business, self-help and inspirational. Instead of the twenty plus hours of mindless TV I used to watch, I now read and expand my mind.

Books can inspire you to try something new that could evolve into a full-time career. I realized not long ago that I also enjoyed writing and wanted to start doing some freelance writing, so I started reading books on writing. One the most helpful has been The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. The book taught me how to open up the creative right side of my brain, while overcoming limiting fears that caused blocks in the creative process.

Books are also a powerful source at helping you see what’s important in life, then setting a plan to meet those personal goals. One of the best books that I found useful in this journey was Success is a Given – Reading the Signs While Re-Inventing Your Life by Marlene Chism. It also re-confirmed that in order to reach my goals that I would have to move out of my comfort zone, which can be, truly scary.

You can also change the way you think by reading books. A couple of the best books out there on this topic are The Secret by Rhonda Byrne and The Answer by John Assaraf and Murray Smith. Your beliefs change your habits, which change your, actions.

Books can also teach you how keeping a positive attitude when something negative happens or the outcome you wanted to happen did not; how to find the positive spin on it. Some times because of the outcome, which you did not plan on, amazingly, something extraordinary happens that would have never happened if the negative incident had not occurred. A delightful book I have read on this issue is If You Don’t Have Big Breast, Put Ribbons on Your Pigtails by Barbara Corcoran.

You can also read your way to fortune. I read not long ago a quote by Darren Hardy, the publisher and editor of the inspirational magazine SUCCESS. He wrote: “More men and woman have been motivated to achieve success because of reading Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill than by any other book written by a living author. The book teaches techniques that if applied, you will have mastered the secret of true and lasting success. The techniques helped me think differently about success and wealth.

Another great book that has been used by many successful people is The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason. I once attended a seminar where the speaker, a millionaire himself, said as a young man he interviewed fifty millionaires. During the interview he asked what one book they would recommend that he read and they all said The Richest Man in Babylon. The book offers an understanding of and solutions to your personal financial problems that if applied will guide you through a lifetime. He said he had to read the book three times before the light bulb went off.

Books can also give you an insight on the changes that are taking place in the current market place helping you stay ahead of the competition. Author Seth Godin has written many books on how to advertise and market your business in today’s climate. He writes that today consumers are bombarded by marketing messages almost everywhere they go. If you want to grab someone’s attention, you first need to get his or her permission with some kind of bait–a free sample, a big discount, a contest, an 800 number, or even just an opinion survey.

Books can also provide tangible insights into what makes great companies, helping entrepreneurs avoid the dreaded pitfalls during their years in business. Books can provide tried-and-true tactics that show you how to navigate through difficult times in both business and life.

I am now a more organized, streamlined person thanks to books. Reading Getting Things Done by David Allen has had a huge impact on what I do, when and how I do it. It fundamentally affected how I prioritize and how I file information. I now keep everything I can on my Blackberry, and keep computer and printed files with names that coordinate across all platforms.

Stop dreaming of your success and start reading to your success. Visit your library or book store. Peruse the different sections for ideas that spark your passion for change and start your journey today.

…

Julie Barnes is a Freelance Writer focusing on her passion of entrepreneurship. Julie published “So You Want to Start a Business…Now What?” in December 2009. Julie lives and works in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, KS with her husband Ron and lovable dog Hank. You can visit her site at http://www.onewhowrites.com.

On this marvelous Monday we have Clinton Sparks, an extremely busy celebrity who was kind enough to do an interview with us.  A producer who cannot stop working.  The around the clock Clinton Sparks is everywhere, whether he is producing for Akon or working as the DJ at one of the hottest clubs. Learn from one of the top personal branders in this inspiring interview.

In your biography at ClintonSparks.com it reads, “Globally renowned DJ, Producer, Innovator, Hustler, Entrepreneur, Frontrunner”  Can you talk about each of these traits.

Well, I am a workaholic and basically do not know how to say no to more work. Therefore, my nonstop work ethic has garnered me notoriety and popularity in these fields. I am a music producer and writer for people such as Akon, Ludacris, Sean Kingston and Beyonce. I travel the world Smashing down clubs. I work more than most in my field. I strive to be creative, unique and different then others that do what I do and I’m always looking for new businesses to get involved with.

What do you think was your big break? How did you take advantage of your situation to move further.

I still don’t think I’ve had a big break. I think my career is and has been steadily elevating. The more cool things I do, the more it contributes to my success. Everyday I or someone else gets someone new familiar with me and my work. The success I have achieved gives me credibility and leverage to bring my ideas to life and that’s how I take advantage of my situation to continue to move forward. I’m never satisfied with myself.

We talk a lot about branding and marketing on GetYourBizSavvy.  “Get Familiar” is a great example of both of these.  How did you come up with it and how do you feel about branding?

I treat myself as a product or business. I never looked at myself as Clinton Sparks the person therefore I never had an ego or competed with others on a personal level. I am protective and supportive of my brand and do everything to make sure it represents quality. I came up with “Get Familiar” the same way any ad agency would create a tag line for a product. I was the first DJ to have a brand tag along with my name. Its just good business sense. You can’t just say I want to brand myself if there’s nothing of desire or quality about the product “you” that your trying to brand.

We know you started MixUnit.com, which is probably the most popular mixtape site.  Can you talk about that a little bit; how you got the idea, what made you pursue it, and how you got up and did it?

We wanted to create a cool platform for the DJ/mixtapes and the overall culture. We weren’t the first mixtape site but we are the best and took it to an entirely different level by incorporating other items aside from mixtapes and the way we marketed, promoted, etc. We introduced many, now successful DJs to that world of mixtape fans and its culture that were relatively unknown from DJ Drama to DJ Khaled. Mixunit.com was a movement much like the Source was to hip hop. The site played a major role in the mixtape culture.

How does it feel producing and writing songs for big time artisits like Colby O’Donis, Ludacris, Akon and Bun B? How do you pull off doing something like that?

Its a great feeling to do what you’ve always dreamed of doing and know that people accept and respect your vision so much so that they want to work with you. I pull it off by working hard to produce quality music and create relationships.

What advice can you give those who want to become successful entrepreneurs and/or entertainers like yourself?

Be original! Be the first you and not the second someone else. Don’t hate on others success, learn from it.

What are your hobbies? What’s your life like on your free time?

My hobby is what most would consider my job. I pretty much am always doing something work/music related. Listening to it, making it. Actually making people laugh is my hobby. I write a lot of comedy material but that will soon become work too..haha..I don’t know how to not work but technically its not work because I truly love what I do and love my life!

Any last words you would like to add?

I always love when the opportunity arises that allows me to acknowledge those that support me and appreciate the work I put in. So to all of you that read this, I truly appreciate you and am extremely grateful for anyone that ever takes an interest in me & my work. Even if you decide it’s not for you. Thank you for taking a chance. Every time I’m in studio I get excited to hear you guys opinions. Thank you!

Thanks Clinton Sparks!

Hope you all enjoyed that! This is the one and only GetYourBizSavvy bringing you interviews with today’s top entrepreneurs, entertainers and innovators.

Check out more from Clinton Sparks.

ClintonSparks.com
MixUnit.com
SmashTimeRadio.com
Follow Clinton Sparks on Twitter

Listen to one of Clinton Sparks latest productions with Chester French.

A creative entrepreneur who turned his talent into a business.  Learn about the originative Kidlandia.com, how it works and how it all began.  Enjoy the insight and great tips.  Have a great week everyone!

Can you begin by introducing yourself and giving us some background?

Hi, my name is Brian Backus. I live in San Francisco and have twin sons who are four years old.  I’ve always loved children’s animation and illustration, particularly maps and monsters.  I grew up in San Diego, and my aunt lived next to Dr. Seuss.  I was drawing fantasy creatures by four and had a whole bestiary of clay characters by seven.  I also had this obsession with maps, which might have been why I traveled a lot as a young man.

I went to film school at USC, then became a Producer at Disney Interactive.  I’d tried to start the first interactive greeting card company, but failed for lack of business knowledge, so I went to business school and then started a small software company. I continued my art as a hobby though, and in 2004 received a commission to paint a personalized kingdom for a child.  It was fun to do and the child liked it, so word got out and I couldn’t keep up with demand. They were labor intensive and expensive though, up to $2,000, so there was no way to scale it.  Fortunately many of my clients were technology experts, who encouraged me to figure out how to make the maps more widely available.

Kidlandia.com has a very interesting concept.  Can you briefly give us a rundown of what it is all about and how it works?

Thank you!   Kidlandia.com lets you personalize a kingdom for a favorite child in your life. You name the kingdom after the kid, such as Lucyland or Tuckertopia, then name all cities, islands, and mountains after grandparents, siblings, yourself, pets, you name it!  Anyone and anything important to the child. The kingdoms are inhabited by playful fantasy characters, which you can also name. The maps are a festive way to display a family tree and turn it into quality home décor. Making the maps is really fun too, and it’s a great activity to do with a kid if they’re old enough.

When you’re happy with your kingdom, you can order it as a fine art on canvas, to give as a gift and hang in the child’s room. They’re the best quality prints on canvas on the market, called giclée. They’re protected against UV and will last 200 years if you take care of them, so they’re instant heirlooms.

Why do you believe Kidlandia.com is successful and how have you continued to do well during this “economy?”

Kidlandia.com is brand new, so it’s too early to know whether it will truly succeed.   I will say though that the early response has been wonderful.  I think the way we’re standing out in this economy is by having a unique offering that provides real long-term value to families. Also, we have a talented team and several great strategic advisors who are making a big impact.

You’ve been making these interesting drawings since you were a kid.  What inspired you later on in life to use these and form a business around them?

Opportunity came knocking.  I made them as a labor of love and a refuge from business for many years.  At a certain point I realized that my passion could also be a business, and there was an opportunity worth exploring.  A lot of people had to push me first though.

Were you ever worried about people taking your ideas? If so, how did you overcome that?

Absolutely, like anyone doing a startup.  After a few startups though, you realize that turning an idea into a functioning business is such an enormous task that chances are that anyone else working as hard as you is probably working on their own passionate idea. Also, no two executions of the same idea will ever be the same. Finally, competition is a reality in our lives, and fearing it only leads to paralysis – you have more to gain by acting than not – and by sharing your idea judiciously.

In the beginning, how did you go about getting these maps sold to people? Was it difficult at first?

It was all word of mouth. Selling new things is always hard, even when it happens on its own.

Do you have any goals for Kidlandia?

If I said Disney for the 21^st century, I’d be accused of hubris.  So I won’t.

Do you have any future projects planned? Any more exciting art to bring to the world?

I will be focused on Kidlandia until I’m dragged kicking from my kingdom.

What advice can you give to creative individuals like yourself who want to do more with their designs and drawings?

The business models for distributing designs and drawings are undergoing a revolution, especially with print-on-demand.  If you can figure out how your art fits into an emerging pattern of buying, you’ll be in good shape. It’s the old “sell into a growing market.” 

Any last words, insight or tips?

An upside to the downturn for many people is the rare opportunity to deepen their understanding of what drives them and what they can contribute to the world. Take it if you can.

Thank you for doing this wonderful interview Brian!

Kidlandia.com

Thanks for checking out GetYourBizSavvy.com

Come by next Monday for another exciting interview!

On this wonderful Monday Sanjay Sathe shares his experiences, gives advice, talks about investors and the economy.  Sanjay Sathe is the President and CEO of RiseSmart.com.  He saw a problem and found a solution with RiseSmart.com.  Dig in and enjoy the great insight from Sanjay Sathe!

Introduce yourself, Sanjay.  Please give us some background.

Prior to launching RiseSmart, I served as an executive for Sabre Holdings, the $2.5 billion parent company of Travelocity.  As vice president for enterprise data management, I led the company’s efforts to leverage business intelligence to create new revenue streams.  I have also held leadership roles with Brierley & Partners, Lufthansa and HSBC.

I started RiseSmart when I discovered firsthand how cumbersome it is to search for jobs online, particularly for senior managers.  There are a myriad of job boards out there, and trying to find the right job from thousands of listings can seem like trying to find a needle in a haystack.  It’s frustrating.

I created RiseSmart to solve this problem.  We bring together millions of job listings through sophisticated search technology and match them to jobseekers’ preferences. We then present them to skilled HR pros (Job Concierges) who handpick relevant job opportunities and deliver them to the individual jobseekers.  We do the online job search so you don’t have to.

As the founder of RiseSmart, what can you tell us about RiseSmart (concept, how it works, etc.).

RiseSmart is focused on cutting through the weeds to help people find jobs.  We do this in two ways: through our corporate outplacement services, and through our job-search services for individuals.

We offer corporate outplacement services to Fortune 500 companies like ACS, as well as smaller and mid-sized companies.  Our services are really a breath of fresh air for corporate clients, because they are focused on results.  Traditional outplacement consultants provide laid-off employees with office space and seminars and training; they teach people how to find a job.  RiseSmart’s outplacement services are focused on helping people to actually find a job.  And that’s what most employees really want.

To help laid-off employees find new jobs, a dedicated RiseSmart HR professional is assigned to each employee. Utilizing state-of-the-art search technology, the HR professional searches hundreds of thousands of job listings across the Web, returning only the listings that best match the employee’s specific criteria. RiseSmart then listens to employee feedback to continually enhance the results it delivers.  Through our corporate outplacement packages, employees typically receive this service for six months or until they find a new job.

You can learn more about our corporate outplacement services at www.TransitionConcierge.com.

In addition to our corporate outplacement services, we offer a version of the service for individuals who pay a monthly subscription fee.  You can sign up for this service at www.RiseSmart.com.

Did you need to get investors for RiseSmart?  If so, what was that experience like (recommendations)?

We secured $1.5 million in seed funding in 2007, followed by $3 million in venture capital from Norwest Venture Partners that we announced in December 2008.

The experience of raising money is hard work.  You call everyone you know, use every connection you have.  You have to have a compelling story to tell. You just gotta be at it — never saying no. It is a percentage game with a low-percentage penetration, so you’ve got to keep on trying and never get disappointed for more than an hour…then get back up and start all over again.

Raising money is an ongoing part of our business at this stage of our growth.  Selling your company to potential investors, and keeping your investors apprised of your progress, is as important as selling your service to customers.  You can’t do one without the other.

What problems have you faced and how have you gone about solving them?

The biggest challenge you face as an entrepreneur is that there are many choices you can make, many strategic directions you can follow.  You can’t spread yourself too thin. From time to time, when we decide we’ve taken on too much, we look in the mirror and reel it back in.  We focus on the core value we deliver to our customers.

At the same time, you have to be open to opportunities.  Because of the economy and other factors, we’ve seen tremendous demand for our corporate outplacement services, so we’re focusing more of our resources there.

Being an entrepreneur is like being on a roller coaster – without paying for one.  You have to constantly prioritize, and be a quick learner across an array of subjects. I think one of the most important things is getting the right talent into the company. Always aim to get people smarter than you and give them a sand box to play in.

The economy is what everyone is talking about.  How have you been able to succeed?

It obviously helps that our business is countercyclical.  Corporate outplacement services and job-search services are in high demand.  Additionally, our corporate outplacement services are  a far better value than the services offered by traditional transition management consultants – so our corporate clients can deliver a better service to their employees while also saving money.

What inspires you? What advice can you give?

There’s nothing like dreaming up an idea and then making it a reality.  I encourage everyone to try it. Also, persistence pays… be at it, stay focused and healthy as everything depends upon you.

Thanks to Sanjay Sathe for doing this interview!

Be sure to check out more about Sanjay Sathe and RiseSmart.

Have a great week everyone!

Working hard on a resume just does not seem to help you get a job in today’s economy.  How about writing a business plan instead? If you’ve lost your job or simply want to be an entrepreneur take these simple steps to get started.

1.  Brainstorm – What are your expertise? Anything that comes to mind.  Do not put a cap on how many you write down because any talent can lead to a brilliant idea.  Write down expertise that you may not think have meaning because they are also valuable.

2.  Evaluate your expertise

• How savvy are you relative to each skill?
• What is the demand for your skill?
• Are you selling to consumers or businesses?
  

3.  Customers – Who is your target market? Remember to be specific. You may want to sell to the world, but you have to start somewhere specific.

4.  Contact friends and family about your idea.

5.  Seek help from your local SCORE counselor. They are nonprofit and their volunteers are people who have tons of experience and knowledge.  Everything is confidential and FREE!

Example of taking these steps:

1. Fluent in Spanish, Writing, Build Model Cars & Planes
2. Evaluate expertise

Fluent in Spanish

• Obviously good at this because you’re fluent
• Most high school students take Spanish & the Spanish language is very important relative to the growing Hispanic population
• For the consumer

Writing

• Former Editor, Many years of experience, Creative
• High demand for writers – online, in schools, and for businesses.
• For the consumer or business

Build Model Cars & Planes

• Have been building model cars and planes for 20 years
• Not a big demand – but interest in kids
• For the consumer

With only 3 skills you have developed 3 possible ventures

• After evaluating your expertise in Spanish, you can be a Spanish Tutor.
• After evaluating your skills in writing, you can be a Writing Tutor, Creative Writer for businesses, or a Personal Editor.
• After evaluating your talent in building model cars & planes, you can be a Personal Model Kit builder for kids, Model Kit helper, and/or Model Kit Dealer.  You can even be a combination of all three of these.

It’s always better to have some examples to help you get started.  Maybe you fit in one of these.  Use these examples to get your ideas pumping.

There is still a demand for you! Don’t forget that.

————————————————————————————————

We sit around and wonder why we can’t give ourselves an edge, why we can’t create and innovate new things into our business. Maybe that is because we can only do so much. Start thinking about how others can help. Google does this. Their employees are given amazing schedules, a lot of free time, and the freedom to create anything their heart desires. Google has also expanded itself to offer the public an opportunity to give Google feedback on its projects. Essentially, Google lets its most important components work on their future projects. Employees have a greater chance to excel because of the freedom they are given. With that in mind, why not reevaluate your thinking. Like William Edwards Deming said, focus on what the customer needs and eliminate work standards.  Google is the best example of this today because they let the people help make decisions and people like you and me get to create ideas for Google with no limit to their ideas.

Hire people and let them be innovative. Look outside of the box when searching for employees. They do not all have to be management or marketing majors.

Google went from a Search Box to the Web Leader. Their inventive ideas seem infinite.  “Google’s playground,” labs.google.com lists all their current projects and the projects that have passed their tests and graduated into actual services.

Start by gathering your friends and family.  They are free.  Then utilize the internet.  Then look for creative employees.  During this whole process, talk to your customers.  What do they want? Maybe they have some brilliant ideas.  We all have some genius in us.  Open your eyes to new and different opportunity.

“NeedInstructions.com is the world’s most popular place to find clear instructions on how to do just about everything, as well as help you obtain missing instructions and manuals.”  This is how Christopher Evans, the Founder and CEO, breaks down his site.

All of NeedInstructions information has been uploaded by their members.  They have many categories for users to choose from.  You can find anything from a 1999 Ford Explorer Owner’s Guide to a How To on safely bathing a cat!  We highly recommend the business section, which consists of some great How To’s.  One are we look forward to seeing more of is How To’s on web design.  Web Design is definitely a hot topic and individuals are always looking for some helpful How To’s.  NeedInstructions is rapidly growing and has immense potential.  Christopher Evans is on a mission and his experience and persistence is driving him closer each day.

We were fortunate enough to interview Christopher Evans.  He sounds off about his background, motivation, future, the lowdown on NeedInstructions! Thanks for taking the time to do this Christopher.

Can you begin by telling us about your background? Where you are from, age, college education, etc.

Pretty much you can say I am from everywhere. Growing up I was an Army brat and traveled around the world, so I never really had a set to place to call home. Currently, I am 27 years old, holding a MBA in Accounting/Finance from Regis University and a B.S. in Computer Information Systems from SUNY Farmingdale.

I have extensive management, ecommerce, and technical consulting experience. I have held many technical & management responsibilities. I worked for many big firms such as JPMorgan&Chase, Marsh & McLennan, Accenture, and IBM. My experience in ecommerce stems from over two years of strategy consulting in the consultant world. In addition to my ecommerce background, I have 4 years of experience in data warehousing and data modeling.

When did you begin to develop your idea for NeedInstructions.com? What motivated you to pursue making NeedInstructions.com a reality?

I had the idea for NeedInstructions.com in 2006. I got the idea for the site after a particularly frustrating experience when purchasing a large product that had to be assembled. After purchasing the product I found out there where no instructions included. While not finding any instructions on the product I decided to visit the company’s web-site to see if I could find the instruction I needed to assemble the product. After spending an hour searching the company’s web-site and the World Wide Web without finding anything, the idea of NeedInstructions.com came to me.

Did you receive any help in making the site? What steps did you have to take?

Originally when I first started to create NeedInstructions.com, I was trying to do everything myself, such as the coding, design, and business. Whatever it was, you name it, I was doing it myself. After a while I realized I couldn’t do everything on my own, and I needed help. I figured it was in my best interest and NeedInstructions.com’s to hire a development team to create the site for me while I focus on more of the business aspect.

Initially when I decided it was time to hire an outside firm to help with the development of the site, I already had the basic design and usability of the site. So it made my job a lot easier hiring a web development team to help me bring NeedInstructions.com to life.

Where do you want to take NeedInstructions.com? What do you see in its future?

I want NeedInstructions.com to be the number one site for instructions, manuals, and how to’s around the world. I would like to see NeedInstructions.com partner with many big companies such as Sony, GE, Maytag, and Ikea so that NeedInstructions.com can store and offer their instructions, manuals, and user guides to the public, so that these companies can focus more on there products and leave the instructions to NeedInstructions.com.

Are there any ventures you plan on pursuing after Need Instructions LLC?

As of now, my main focus is to continue keep the public aware of NeedInstructions.com.

How has your life changed since you started the site?

I’m working a lot more. Beginning a startup you will come to realize your day starts off at 8 am and doesn’t end till no later then 1 am or in until the job is done.

What inspires you? What do you recommend to fellow entrepreneurs?

I would have to say that my wife inspires me to succeed. Family is very important in any initiative one takes. Without my wife’s support and love, I don’t believe I would be as far as I am today.

My recommendation to any entrepreneur would to be always be humble and never think you’re above anyone. What I mean by this, is just because you’re a CEO or the boss of your own company you should continue to treat people how you would want to be treated. As they say, “Happy employees generate better returns,” I hold that statement to be true. I also recommend entrepreneurs to constantly network with others. Networking is very important to jump starting any business. And lastly, always double and triple check everything. No job is too big or too small for a CEO or business owner to check over.

What are your hobbies and interests outside of your work life?

Besides from creating my own how to’s on NeedInstructions.com, I love to cook and to spend time with my wife.

Do you have any experiences, advice, or anything else that you would like to share?

Whatever you do in life always give it your all. I know so many people that have started their own business or website and wouldn’t put there all into it and then come to find out down the line it failed and they don’t know why. Starting up a business or website is never easy. You should know this will take up a lot of your time. Also know and understand your target base and users. Lastly, it is always important do your research before initiating anything.

Awesome interview Christopher!  We all wish you the best of luck.

This was definitely very inspiring with a lot of great advice.
Enjoy this entrepreneurs and really take it all in.