Saturday, December 26, 2015

7 Sure Fire Ways to get More Twitter Followers

I have been on Twitter for over 7 yars and at the height of my involvement I had 124k followers. I now have a touch more than 99k... and the stats say I am lsoing 4 followers a day. So, I thought I should stop the rot, and find out the best way, short of going to fiverr.com and buying them, how I could change the numbers to a positive gain per day.

Here are the 7 best ways to naturally grow your following.

1. Reply to others publicly. [ Idea from Michael Hyatt @MichaelHyatt } Rather than reply via DM, reply publically which allows others to join in and follow the conversation. This means to start with ".." or a word before the reply and all can see the conversation. Others who find the subject of interest will be tempted to follow and join on in. Michael says he nearly always replies  in public. This way both your followers and the other persons followers can see the conversation.

2. Many people use something called an "@message" to top Twitter users. Here's how it works. If you and your friend both have Twitter accounts and you both follow each other, you can send direct messages to each other that aren't for public consumption. But you can also send "@messages" to anyone you want, whether you follow them or not, or they follow you or not. Got that? Here's where it gets good -- an "@message" is posted on your profile page for all to see. So if you wanted to send an "@message" to top Twitter user actor Ashton Kutcher, anybody visiting your profile would see it. Good luck getting Mr. Kutcher to send a tweet back to you, but that's not the point. But if he does feel the urge to re-tweet your message -- or broadcast it to all his followers -- 17.3 million people will see it (as of December 26, 2015) [ How Stuff Works ]

3. Tweet often—but leave space for engagement.  Watch who retweets your updates—and which updates they’re sharing—to get a sense of your strongest advocates. And be sure to engage with those who share your updates and those who respond to you. Thank them, answer their questions, and ask them why they likes that tweet or this post. [ Prologger ]

4. Retweet relevant content so as to capitalize on ongoing conversations.You do this by retweeting relevant content. I use TweetDeck to identify thought-leaders in my areas of interest, and retweet meaningful content they’re sharing. Their voice is amplified, and yours legitimized. Your brand stands to benefit from associating with reputable commentators, and often you get reciprocal sharing. [ TNW News ]

5. Twitter true engagement can be effectively stimulated by asking questions. This will create interaction as your followers try to respond to your questions. You should treat your twitter home feed like a chat room. People like Tim Ferriss, James Altucher and Yoko Ono regularly have sessions where they ask questions or do a Q & A session.Twitter group chats are an excellent way of connecting with people and building more meaningful and deeper connections.  [ Twitter Tools Book ]

6. Ask Your Followers to Retweet You - research shows that a ppolite ask gets more RT's and the more RT's you get, the more followers come on board. Saying please has been proven to get better results.  If every retweet usually leads to a few new followers, depending on how many followers the person who retweets you has. [ I asks for RT's about every 5 ot 6 tweets ]

7. Use a service like Triberr. This system auromatically allows your blog posts to be promoted by tweets to fello Triberr members. My blog posts are seen by 10 million [ or have the possibility of being seen by 10 million ] and each post attarcts new followers.

So there you go - 7 ways to get more twitter followers. Be sure to follow me on twitter I am @WayneMansfield






Wednesday, December 23, 2015

In the spirit of welcoming people

MAYOR REFUSES TO REMOVE PORK FROM SCHOOL CANTEEN MENU... EXPLAINS WHY
Muslim parents demanded the abolition of pork in all the school canteens of a Montreal suburb.
The mayor of the Montreal suburb of Dorval, has refused, and the town clerk sent a note to all parents to explain why...
“Muslims must understand that they have to adapt to Canada and Quebec, its customs, its traditions, its way of life, because that's where they chose to immigrate."
“They must understand that they have to integrate and learn to live in Quebec."
“They must understand that it is for them to change their lifestyle, not
the Canadians who so generously welcomed them."
“They must understand that Canadians are neither racist nor xenophobic, they accepted many immigrants before Muslims (whereas the reverse is not true, in that Muslim states do not accept non-Muslim immigrants)."
“That no more than other nations, Canadians are not willing to give up
their identity, their culture."
“And if Canada is a land of welcome, it's not the Mayor of Dorval who
welcomes foreigners, but the Canadian-Quebecois people as a whole."
“Finally, they must understand that in Canada (Quebec) with its
Judeo-Christian roots, Christmas trees, churches and religious festivals, religion must remain in the private domain."
The municipality of Dorval was right to refuse any concessions to Islam and Sharia.
“For Muslims who disagree with secularism and do not feel comfortable in Canada, there are 57 beautiful Muslim countries in the world, most of them under-populated and ready to receive them with open halal arms in accordance with Sharia."
“If you left your country for Canada, and not for other Muslim countries, it is because you have considered that life is better in Canada than elsewhere."
“Ask yourself the question, just once, “Why is it better here in Canada
than where you come from?”
“A canteen with pork is part of the answer.”

Replace Canada with Australia

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Wisdom from wine

I just love this quote from Benjamin Franklin

“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is Freedom, in water there is bacteria.”

I am taking a break from working at my emailing project and enjoying a glass of killed chardonnay.. hopefully from Margaret River but it tastes great and will surely wash down my fish and chips.

What is your favourite wine?



Wayne's Law Number 1. Always break for lunch and have a glass of wine

Monday, December 21, 2015

Not to decide is to decide

Not to decide is to decide


is often credited to Harvey Cox








I found this explanation today:
Many times we have a decision to be make that we don’t want to make. It’s a difficult decision because someone might get their feelings hurt, you might get hurt, it will cost you money, it will cost you time or you’ll have to step out of your comfort zone.  No one wants to feel uncomfortable. Ugh! I know I don’t. So, what do we do? We put off making the decision or we say, “I’m just not going to do anything and see what happens.” And, just so you know, that is not not making a decision, that is actually a decision.  But we say we won’t decide so we can release ourselves from the outcome in the event things don’t go favorably.
Sometimes, you really can’t decide what to do. Your brain freezes and there are just too many options and you haven’t the slightest idea of which road you should take. Just realize that you always have a choice and if you decide to let the pieces lay where they may, that is your decision. So, the next time you have a tough decision to make, ask yourself if by not doing anything are you going to be happy with the result.

7 Secrets of the the Top 1% of the Billionaires on Forbes.


Apparently becoming a Billionaire is easier if you live in an emerging economy - read India, Russia, China, Mexico... so says author Sam Wilkin in his great expose book "Wealth Secrets of the 1%"

He goes back to ancient times of Greeks and Romans, through to Silicon Valley mega rich like Gates and Zuckerberg and identifies at least 7 Secrets that helped these titans of wealth get the way.

The book is sometimes hard going but worth the effort if you want to get seriously rich or succeed in business. I wish I had read it 40 years ago when I was starting out... instead I read Napoleon Hill's classic Think and Grow Rich on November 11th, 1975. That lead me to a life of positive thinking and masterminds... and I did reasonably well but not on a scale of the "1%'ers"

So I have taken notes and here are Wilkin's 7 Secrets... [ he identifies more Secrets but these 7 recur most in his research.

1. Don't be the best - be the ONLY


2. BIGGER is still BETTER

3. The Worst Place to do business is REALLY the BEst

4. When Lenders can't lose, YOU WIN

5. You have GOT TO OWN IT, Baby, OWN IT!

6. Spin Laws into GOLD

7. To Succeed, NETWORK< NETWORK, NETWORK

Sunday, December 20, 2015

Starwars....

What is all the fuss about??

I didn't see the first one until 10 years after its release and was underwhelmed. Already two of our family have been but I am not yet inspired to want to go.

Please check back in 2025.

Saturday, December 19, 2015

Live like today is your last day!

Last Saturday someone I know, lets call him Jack, died, aged 68, of cancer, that was first diagnosed 30 years previously with the profound words of the Doctor, "you maybe have three months to live."

In my home town Jack become well known because he held cancer at bay for 30 years, being the human guinea pig for bone marrow transplants, plus any hair brained scheme to defeat cancer. I remember seeing articles where he was featured as a glowing testimonial to the possibilities of modern science in the war against cancer.

When I was much younger, 68 was OLD... so I think he lived a long and fruitful life. But now when 80 is the new 60, the common sentiment among his tribe is that he died too young.

I have a much different view of this man. All those years ago we went on family holidays as a group, my family and maybe another 5 families... a huge tribe. And when I was looking for a holiday where everything was sedate, Jack and the other men in the group, lived as if it were their last days.

I remember being so scared during a hell raising trip in a four wheel drive vehicle through bush at break neck speed, and seeing another vehicle coming in the opposite direction at a similar speed, that I was sure my days were over.

Also I remember going fishing at night, catching a huge fish moments into the trip but waiting another 8 hours to catch another. The result was being stranded until midday, because the tide went out and the boat was miles up a coastal river that was too shallow to allow the boat to float back to the mouth of the river.

Apart from  myself, everyone though these moments were part of an amazing adventure lead by Jack, their spiritual leader who was living as if it were his last day on earth, after all, he had terminal cancer.

My choice was that this need to experience near death on a regular basis wasn't my ideal way of how to spend holidays, and I stopped going on this annual pilgrimage of hedonistic pleasure.

Observing from afar, Jack indulged his fantasies with a bright yellow Ferrari, skiing holidays in Japan, trips to F1 with his followers and I am sure other hell rising adventures because he had been dealt his "I am out of here" card by the doctor.

All of this came flooding back when I was reading the memorial notices in the local paper and one included the line: "I will always remember our holidays... they were just amazing."

And reflecting on how I now feel, I was brave enough to say to my wife, "I never liked him" and now I realise that life should be lived as if it will go on forever, and every moment deserves to be savoured not remembered in terror. I am looking forward to the next 20 years with eyes open in expectation of being amazed.

Sunday, December 06, 2015

Request: Permission to marry

I young man asked his father for advice about getting married and his father said:

The post important things is to say you are "sorry."

The young man was  confused and asked his father: "Why Dad?"

His father said: "Son, just say sorry...." to which the young man said "Why?"

Growing frustrated that the boy wasn't listening to his advice, the father said: " son, just say you are sorry!" Feeling he wasn't progressing towards the advice he required, the son gave in and say "Sorry!" and his elated father said... "You are ready for marriage my boy.... just say Sorry whenever anything is mentioned and you will lead a long and happy life with the wife."

Real advice:

Automatic apologies, however abject, are usually intended to deflect the other person's anger: they have little to do with genuine assumption of responsibility or sincere regret. They are made to "keep the peace".

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Australia Post Massive #FAIL

All Talk - no Action
Have you noticed that Australia Post is advertising that it will assist web based businesses with their delivery options?? I have been using the Express Post service but it has progressively become more expensive, and less flexible.

For example, the 3 kilo bag is now $15 and the "larger" size bag was been withdrawn from the 3 kilo range and put up to 5 kg for $25... even if the contents are just 2 kilos.

I have just got off the phone and been told they can't help wit their better cheaper service if I didn't send 1,000 items in the last 12 months.  They are NOT interested in projections just previous 12 months trading... mmmm maybe the mailman at OfficeWorks is the go??

Questions for the boffins at Australia Post: How can I order a book from book depository [ in the UK ] and have it delivered all for a cost of $17 AUS... and by Australia Post in the last leg of its international journey. I they gouging their Australian customers to make up for having to deliver International parcels for overseas companies??

Monday, September 28, 2015

Now that is a Greeting...

Fast Eddys Morley
It is a public holiday in Perth today... so my favourite week time coffee haunt for the 6am coffee, Redman Cucina is closed and I visit the local FastEddys.

On Saturday I discussed with the lovely young lady her progress on doing her "10,000 steps " The health of Australia is better for those on wrist counters. She told me that she was pulling a double shift today, and to check in with her on Sunday to see how she went.

Well, I have another "she who must be obeyed" and my Sunday coffee was at another place and I didn't get to check in.

When I asked her today how she was going... she said the most amazing thing.

"I am used to hearing people have stopped coming in because they have died. So that is what I thought when you weren't here yesterday"

Who believes in the 60 is the new 40... I have some work to do!!

[ With penalty rates for a pubic holiday my flat white was $4.60 - phew... ]

Nothing Stays the Same - 60 is the new 40

A friend of mine just shared with me:

Not sure if you know but Australia currently has the 3rd highest life expectancy behind Iceland and Japan. The first 2 because if the fish they eat. Because of this, Aussies have a lot more time in their hands


So, when I was much younger, my grandmother deied at 63... and what I can remember she died of old age. My mother passed at 56 from hard work, kidney problems from using too much Bex powder [remember - "have a bex and a lie down..." ]

And I know many people who have pushed passed 80 and enjoy radiant health and engaging lifestyles... Charlie next door, into his late 70's has just "bought a Jeep"

So my challenge to you is to put some time into 
Understanding the demographic changes that are changing the world.

Specifically, where are marketing dollars flowing and can you be in the middle. What services do aging baby boomers need? Is the world running out of clean water? Are newspapers going to survive? Etc. Etc. 


Read every day to understand what is going on. I am starting the #just17 movement to identify these changes and help the new wealthy group enjoy life to the full..

Sunday, September 27, 2015

Perfect Coffee - Australia's gift to the World The Flat White

A good coffee has several components... the coffee, the milk, the barista and how hot it is...

Currently I am on a search for #theworldsbestcoffee and it is a near dead heat between Vivki at Jamocca, Noranda, Richard at Redman Cucina in Inglewood and Nespresso's Apreggio Purple, Bannister Milk and my delonghi machine.

If you have other suggestions let me know. [ Costas, the English coffee chain serves passable Flat White and through Hugh Jackman's advocacy, Starbucks have added flat white to their menus in the USA and UK.


Thursday, September 17, 2015

Dr Wayne Dyer RIP



Dr Wayne Dyer RIP
I am not sure why I found the article this morning but I read that on August 29th 2015 Wayne Dyer "left his body". It was a great surprise as I had just listened to James Altucher interview Dr Dyer about his new book... I can see clearly now.
Along with Zig Ziglar, Denis Waitley and Napoleon Hill, the writings of Wayne Dyer played an important part of my life's journey.
If you haven't read Dr Dyer's work, books are available on Kindle for less than $2 a time... well worth the effort of visiting Amazon and grabbing a few.

Monday, August 17, 2015

Email, Phone or SnapChat???

Communication 101

As more and more tools become available, we seem to have accepted the notion that communication is "contextual": LinkedIn is for work.Facebook is for friends. Snapchat is for close friends. Texting is for something immediate, if not urgent. Slack is for your team. Twitter is for public broadcast. Skype is for long distance. Phone calls are for intimacy or something really important

Thanks for this great summary to Peter Diamandis

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

It started so well

It started so well

I lament the lack of good OLD fashioned Italian restaurants in Perth… in the style of Harry Ferrante and Umberto Tinnelli… and John Salotti from La Casetta in Wembley, where you could get great antipasto and risotto that “sticks to the inside of your stomach.” La Casetta sadly doesn't open for lunch any more.


When you are hungry you eat MOST of it!!
We have tried Three Coins in Beaufort Street Mount Lawley but it wasn’t up to scratch. So, today we tried Maurizio’s at Italian Club in Fitzgerald Street, North Perth.

It started well with a 2 hour parking place immediately beside the front door… but we never imagined that we would need the 2 hours for lunch… but that is another story.

The restaurant has ambiance… very nicely set up with great table settings and a general feeling of “class.” But it was downhill from there.

The “Lunch Menu” was two courses for $45 but each dish on the menu required the server to explain what it was. Although I should recognise an Italian accent being married to an Italian for the last 40years, I struggled to understand anything our young server said. Thinking $45 was a bit steep for one dish I would have preferred [ my risotto ] 

I asked to see the Ala Carte Menu… which went from $25 a entrée BOLDLY STATING ENTRÉE’s were ENTRÉE SIZE and main courses were $45 to $70 a pop.

So I reverted to the 2 course set menu and chose a tasting plate and a Crisp pork belly. The food was average at best and the service was non-existence… and I worried that the 2 hours wasn’t enough to be served and eat my meal. Brilliant Italian bread saved me from starvation but required 4 servings as the meal took so long.

My dining partner had the fish which was dry and his vegetables, although well cooked, were COLD. And in a cost conscious lunch environment, with the addition of a couple of local reds and a bottle of sparkling water, the meal cost $140 which was about a 2 out 5 for value.

So, the search must go on for a decent old style Italian restaurant because since Harry has retired they are as scarce as hens teeth.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

when to rob a bank

"when to rob a bank" the new book by Levitt and Dubner is a MUST read.

Taken from 8000 blog posts, the book is full of previously shared ideas... and Dubner worries about charging for stuff that we readers had access to for free. That is until they drive passed a water bottling plant... where FREE water is bottled and we pay more per litre than we pay for petrol... and he agrees that a curated collection is probably worth reading.

And I agree... "when to rob a bank" is a must read.

Kindle or paperback [ me!! this time ]

Tuesday, May 05, 2015

Hilton Fail Customer Service basics

I wonder if anyone has had the experience of being treated as a second class guest... right from checking in??

I booked a night [ Tuesday May 5th 2015 ] through the Qantas site... an offer that came with the confirmation of my flight booking.

On arriving at the reception I was asked for photo ID... and the young check in person disappeared behind the wall. When she returned she disguised the fact she had photocopied my drivers licence.

I challenged her about it and she said because Qantas was a 4th party booking agent - apparently they use Expedia - it was company policy to photocopy the Drivers Licence... I complained again saying that didn't happen on my previous visit and that I was a Hilton Honors member and they had all my details on file... "Please get me a manager" was my request.

Stewart arrived and he was less than pleasant.... I asked to talk to the manager of the hotel and he informed me he was as far as I could get.

Asked for an appointment to personally chat with the General Manager so I could record my displeasure... after asking for the booking to be cancelled and being gleefully informed that it was a non refundable booking!!

I said I would continue with my booking, reluctantly, but I would like to talk with the general manager... he assured me that when the GM's PA returned he would arrange this.

Well a Morgan rang. I presumed she was the GM's PA but no she was someone else... telling me that I had agreed to the terms of them photocopying my ID in case of card fraud. However if I booked direct they would not have that requirement. "Oh you aren't the GM's PA then"  Morgan told me " He is VERY busy and I can't get to talk to his PA and I can't get you a meeting the the GM."

And in the Press announcement of his appointment to GM of Hilton Sydney it says: Ronald Van Weezel said: “It’s a wonderful opportunity to work with a dynamic team and represent a market leading hotel in such a vibrant city. I am looking forward to continuing to enhance this flagship hotel and consistently delighting our guests.”

Well it isn't going so well mate!! I will have left before anyone actually here about my side of the story... that is someone in a position that isn't "covering their arse"

https://www.facebook.com/HiltonSydney

Ronald van Weezel
@Hilton
#Fail
#Klout70
#Klout80

Saturday, May 02, 2015

1000 Raving Fans

The Start of your 1000 Raving Fans
1000 Raving Fans

There are many articles and thoughts about the value for 1000 raving fans.

The logic is that with this fan base, any idea or business will be a success. The proposition is that any idea you have will have enough support from your 1000 raving fans that it will become viral because your “1000 raving fans” will share it with 3 or 4 people and they will share it with 3 or 4 more… and before long, 10's of 1,000's of people know and support what you are trying to do.

Where could you start and build a “1000 Raving Fan Base?”

The best place to start would be any "entrepreneurial" group of you are associated with like Paul Dunn’s B1G1, Roger Hamilton’s Wealth Dynamics, or a local Chamber of Commerce. If you have started travelling then your fellow travelers to exotic places.

And another good source would be your client base from any business you are involved with or had a previous association.

And now some practical advice!! From my own experience but more importantly from recently becoming a fan of all things Amanda Palmer, you must start building an email database of your 1000 raving fans and also start sharing with them. You need to involve your raving fans in everything you do and have them champion your cause.

So, who are your first 100 Raving fans... start today.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Getting Wealthy - Know the Rules according to Buffett


The truth according to Homer 
When the Old Age Pension was introduced, the government boffins picked an age for you to reach, 65 years old, that was after most people would have died. In this cunning ploy, they promised the masses a life after work that in reality was after nearly everyone had died. I am less than 18 months from that mythical age and I can see myself lasting to 90!!

So, I am looking at advice to help me earn more, keep more, and gain from my investments. Our number one investment, the family home is fully paid for and is appreciating nicely because we live in Perth... one of the worlds most expensive cities... I just heard the Real Estate Institutes Vice President say Perth's median house prices is $550,000 and our humble abode is worth considerably more than that. Perth has grown my 750,000 people in the last 10 years and new house continue to be built at an amazing pace... each seemingly smaller than our house and certainly further from the central business district.

It is said that if you life in Perth and own your own home you are by definition a millionaire.

Today's' rule on investment comes from the book "The Tao of Warren Buffett" written by the ex wife of a Buffett son, Mary Buffett.

Aphorism number 1:

"Rule 1: Never lose money.
Rule 2: Never forget rule No 1"

[An aphorism is a short, pithy statement containing a truth of general importor a statement of self-evident truth.]

Sunday, April 26, 2015

LinkedIn change takes fun out of building networks!!

Every month I search for the stats that show how big my internet network is and for years LinkedIn's network size has been an important part of that. Probably more for my ego than anything else!!

My network stretched, by LinkedIn's calculations to over 25 million.

Tonight that statistic is nowhere to be found. The LinkedIn blog says they no longer provide it... so BS about it being replaced with a more meaningful item...

I am devastated... but I imagine it is much like the famous Facebook changes... they know best and unless the change effects ad revenue, they won't change back... pity I say!

Friday, April 24, 2015

Come back Harry



Spatchcock
Come back Harry!!

One of my favourite things to do is to lunch. And back 15 years ago Perth had a number of amazing Italian families as torchbearers for fine Italian food [ and good wholesome foods ] There was the Silver Dollar in Aberdeen, Simons for Seafood in Lake and Muma Marias. The doyen was Harry Ferrante… and his show piece was Harrys Bar and Grill.

Oh how I miss that scene. Great food, good fine and fantastic people.

A friend from my first days in Perth was the Sunday Times food writer and now writes for the PerthNow website. Gail Williams is considered a great judge of what is good in the food and hospitality scene in Perth.

I heard Gail on Peter Bell’s afternoon 6PR Radio show giving a review of the Three Coins Italian Trattoria. She was scathing about the service BUT said the food was so good that it made up for it.

So, I thought I should try the Three Coins for lunch… it sits at 776 Beaufort Street Mount Lawley, and is close by to where I work so it was with anticipation of a fine Italian meal that I visited recently.

Well I was underwhelmed. The actual restaurant presented well but it was all downhill from there. I ordered spatchcock and was immediately told the wait would be 30 to 40 minutes because “everything was cooked individually” as if that was an acceptable reason to make lunch in an hour a near impossibility. Prices by Perth standards were reasonable but portions sizes were small. My dinner guest had gnocchi in a serving that would better suit a 7 year old… and the bill was close to $100 when a glass of red and a sparkling mineral water were added in.

But what really annoyed me was the chef, leaving the open kitchen area, and going outside the door and having a cigarette in a clearly no smoking area. And to really rub salt into the wound, he dropped the cigarette to the ground, but picked it up again, and then took a couple more puffs before again tossing the but away. He returned to the kitchen and continued with food preparation without either washing his hands or putting on latex gloves…

So, I won’t be back anytime soon, and I long for those long gone days of Harry Ferrante and his band of many, and their passion and commitment to making food and service a pleasure. Where are you Harry.



Friday, April 17, 2015

Book in a weekend... accepting the challenge

I am going to research, write and publish a new book Meerkat - The Scaredy Cats Complete Guide starting from now... Friday 9.20 am Perth Western Australia time and publish by midnight Monday April 20th, 2015... and by blogging about it I will share with you the progress.

Why Meerkat?? Well it is the new buzz app for Social Media with apparently only 300,000 users so far. Facebook has 1.3 billion so there is some upside.

Why Scaredy Cats Complete Guide?? I am developing a range of guides, after successfully doing Cold Calling for Scaredy Cats - seminars, videos and audio programs, to be a Guide a month for people who would rally like to try something new but feel like they are "scaredy cats" when it comes to the risk of learning something new. so I had an outline to follow

Why share the process with you? Accountability in one word. I purchased AppSumo's manual... Finish Your Damn Book so I had an outline to follow. And now I have started.

I will report back when I have registered the domain
name and started the research project.

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

What was Dr Karl thinking…

Dr Karl Kruszelnicki
What was Dr Karl thinking…

First a disclosure: I approached Dr Karl Kruszelnicki on my travels a few years ago when I spied him in the Qantas Club and I asked for and receive an autograph on a yellow post it note… I am a FAN!!

I wondered, sometimes aloud, when I saw what he was doing… although he was talking about Aussie inventions, the number of people working in IT, and also the number of young people working to support old farts like me… I was wondering if Dr Karl was endorsing the full report.

Obviously not, as reports are now surfacing that he hadn't even read it before gushingly telling everybody that we should read it.
Dr Karl fronting the TV ads for the Inter Generation Report,


I thought about destroying my autograph but I can’t find it!!

Then I thought... everyone can make a mistake... Dr Karl that's yours for 2015

Sunday, April 05, 2015

9 Insider tricks Cruising… the ULTIMATE HOLIDAY

9 Insider tricks…

A favourite mode of voyage for a long time, here are some fun facts you might not have heard of before about cruising.
1. Take your Best Friend – no not him… your DOG!

Some cruise liners have kennels on board. That’s right — you can ship your pets over the high seas with you.

2.  The Locals LOVE Cruise ships because they Bring $$$$$

A single day visit by a major ship can pump up to $1 million into a port city as thousands of passengers and crew take tours, eat and buy souvenirs.

3. Cupid on the High Seas

Cruise lines like Azamara, Crystal, Oceania and Silversea, are bringing back the “Love Boat”. Aboard all four of these cruise lines, gentlemen hosts are ready to sweep women cruising solo off their feet during an elegant evening of drinks, dining and dancing. The Gentleman Host program pairs independent female travelers with dashing companions who can take the lead on the Foxtrot and carry on witty, charming conversation.

4.  12 Step Programs have a place

Alcoholics Anonymous holds meetings on board under the title “Friends of Bill W” meeting. Initially concerned with how other passengers would feel about AA meetings taking place on board, cruise ships announced the meetings as Friends of Bill W.

5.  You can even stroll in the park

Some of the most decadent ships are decked out with parks. The Celebrity Solstice, based in Australia during the summer cruise season, has a rooftop deck featuring more than half an acre of live lawn. Fun fact: there is so much lawn that it requires permission from quarantine officials to dock in Australia.

6.  Ladies Pilot Jets and CRUISE LINERS

No woman had captained a major cruise ship until 2007, when Karin Stahre Janson from Sweden took charge of the Monarch of the Seas.

7.  Strange things happen in LOCKS

River cruise ships on busy waterways, like the Nile, often have to tie up abreast of each other, giving guests a sticky beak into other ships as they walk through adjoining ships to reach the dock.

8.  Can’t sleep?? Well just grab some cookies and milk

To the delight of many, Princess ships serve cookies and milk at around 3 or 3.30am on the pool deck and in the Piazza.

9.  The Local Tours are Often better buying than those arranged by the crew

If you book your shore tours privately, as opposed to through the cruise line, you can save money. While many cruisers worry that if they book excursions on their own they lose the guarantee that the cruise line offers for returning to the ship on time, some private booking companies actually make the same guarantee too.



Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Wayne's Laws [1 to 6]

Inspired by Peter Diamandis, here are the Laws according to Wayne

1. Activity gets results, but not necessarily from the activity.

2. Measure activity and the results will take care of themselves.

3. Stop for lunch every day and treat yourself to a glass of merlot.

4. It doesn't have to be perfect... at first.

5. How bad does it have to get before you do something about it?

6. What we measure gets better!

@2015 Wayne Mansfield

How bad does it have to get before you do something about it

How bad does it have to get before you do something about it??

That is a saying I remember from one of the 1970’s self help gurus… Colin Hayes was his name and I recall visiting his office which was a rotunda shaped thatched room with a dirt floor, in the hills of Kalamunda where some delightful “mixed up” beauties hung on his every word. If he wasn’t so screwed up I could have wanted to be him.

He was a chain smoking foul mouthed egomaniac who had a cult like following and he was asking me for marketing advice.

His favourite saying was:

How bad does it have to get before you do something about it, and how good does it get before you stuff it up.

I think he was somewhere in the middle at the time.

Well mid December 2014 was a low point for me… everything I had been doing had stopped working… where I would get 400 people a month to my seminars, I was getting 20 bookings and therefore having to cancel, refunding and actually losing money.

The social media consulting business also ground to a halt… a six figure income evaporated overnight - one client said it wasn’t working, one said it was working too well and they needed a rest and for a third client, i quit as we weren’t happy with the results we were getting for them.

The low point was when, because of the lack of cashflow, I had to ask for a small loan to get me through… and I hadn’t done that for 20 years!

So, I decided to try everything at once and see what worked… and a couple of our seminars gained immediate traction, numbers shot back to 400 a month “for some titles”, some didn’t work and I refunded the fees, and basically I was “back in the game.”

It is the end of my first 90 segment of my 100 “90 day plan” plan for the next 25 years… and I can share with you that much progress has been made, many debts paid, and a few $$$’s are in the bank account to pave the way for my second “90 day plan” of the 100 90 day journey to 88.

So, I know tomorrow is April 1st, 2015 but it doesn’t seem like it will be April’s Fool.

Thursday, March 05, 2015

Guests get in the way at the Rendezvous Hotel Anzac Park Brisbane

Rendezvous Brisbane
One of the problems of travelling from Perth is that you arrive early… in Brisbane at 5.30 am and if you want to access the hotel, check in starts at 2 pm. Well, after 15 years of travelling, no hotel really wants to go out of their way to accommodate a traveller from Perth. If I pay for the night BEFORE they will let me in… yet we check out the next morning at at 6am… doesn’t make sense to me… how about you.

Knowing this, I went in reception at Rendezvous Anzac Park Brisbane and asked to be checked in as early as possible as I would be presenting until 5 pm but my travelling companion, in this case my travelling companion my son Matthew, wanted to access the room before I finished my session.

A very helpful receptionist said it would be OK… as soon as a room was available she would ring matthew and he could access the room.

Remembering the 2pm “start” for registration was the absolute minimum level of service promised, by 1.45pm no call had been received so Matt checked. The response…. yes you guessed it…. our check in time is 2pm!!! Why oh why promise some accommodation for a request?? I am sure that no change over update was given when the morning receptionist went home. Sorry guys that is a FAIL

Tuesday, March 03, 2015

Stunned... amazing service at Coles Noranda Wedstern Australia

The other day I made a rush visit to my local Coles supermarket in Noranda.

I had run out of my milk of choice for my flat white coffee - Bannister Full cream = and the IGA in my street doesn't stock it.

So I went to Coles, grabbed a litre of milk and some chewing game - a total of $5.10 and proceeded through the self service check out.

After scanning the items noting happened so I did it again... thinking that somehow I had messed up. I had similar luck the second time so I asked for assistance.

The young lady retrieved a receipt for me from my second attempt at the self service check out. I asked her to confirm that the first one didn't work. Unfortunately she only could check the last transaction. I asked if she could make a note so that if I was charged twice I could get a refund.

What happened next stunned me. Thinking she was going to record the situation, she went to the service area, entered so details in the computer system, return to me and gave me $5.10 and said

"If there are two charges on your statement, here is your money. If there is only one, you have got a bonus from Coles... thanks for shopping with us..."


Saturday, January 31, 2015

You deserve to go broke…

You deserve to go broke…

I am always depressed to see the newspaper article about another long term retail organisation succumbing to high rents and the intrusion of the internet and going broke. The property soon joins our biggest retail chain… FOR LEASE and posts zero sales for the next 18 months until some other hopeful braves the wild world and starts a new venture.

I reckon lots of these retailers DESERVE TO GO BROKE!

I ventured into Perth city this week which is reputed to be more expensive than London for parking and retail rents, and walked past a number of FOR LEASE signs to go to my optometrist of 20 years to make a simple enquiry…
“How much will you charge me for similar multi focal glasses to those I have had for 2 years?”

Before you venture an opinion of what the front desk lady told me consider that this is a fearlessly competitive retail segment with many new players who offer “2 pairs of glasses for $199” and “No Gap” for members of major health funds.” And to put my position clearly, my preferred optometrist isn’t “cheap” and has no cheap price signalling… so I KNEW they would be more than “2 pairs for $199” but expected them to be better priced than last time.

Well this is what I was told:

“Last time you paid $650 and it will be more this time….”

I was incensed… no attempt to match my Private Health cover to my lenses or frames, and show me the after refund cost, no attempt to explain my choices, just “… it will be more this time…”

So I asked “What do I need to do to have my records transferred to a new provider?”
The answer just about floored me: “The records belong to the practice and you can’t have them…”
Well… that was like waving a red flag to a very angry bull… I asked that they send me by email that answer which they did… but further enraged me by saying they would charge me for a summary of my eye health history which wouldn’t be covered by either Medicare or private health insurance.

I also ventured to Perth’s largest city bookshops to buy Amanda Palmers book “The Art of Asking”. And you can imagine what happened…


Boffins… “That was VERY popular at Christmas, it is on order, we will have some in 6 to 8 weeks… should I hold one for you??”

Dymocks… “We are sold out; it is on back order and will be in 6 to 8 weeks. If you give me 50% deposit I will hold one for you…”

Now, I know for a fact that both these retailers have online bookshop divisions where the book is currently available for immediate shipping… was I offered the simple choice of “We don’t have it in stock at this shop but we can have it delivered in 3 to 4 working days from our online store with FREE delivery…”

Gee, I wondered reflectively, would that be so hard??

Side note: I actually picked up a copy in Perth at Planet Books Mount Lawley branch that day. Apparently online book sellers have killed retail books… I beg to differ on that. Retail book sellers have killed themselves.

Back to my optometrist.  I did get my email reply which reaffirmed everything that happened in person so I was compelled to reply that

1. My records are my records and as is my legal right, I wanted them and

2. I was resentful of being treated as a schumk and the three family members previously customers would be seeking a different provider for our eyewear…

The next day, I received a phone call from the owner of the business, who has 5 outlets.

He thanked me for my feedback.

He said of course I could have my eye health records. Then he explained that whilst we had always chosen high value “fashion” frames, as you do, and that they hadn’t changed much in price the last 2 years, cheaper frame options were available, but the manufacture of multi focal lens had progressed greatly and options were available MUCH CHEAPER than 2 years ago. Further he said they were able to match “like for like” offers such as the “2 pairs for $199” if that was what we wanted.

My suggestion was that he should invest in sales training for his front line staff and have them drilled on that story as well. I promised to give the situation another try when I get back from my current 2 weeks seminar tour.

I think the bookshops are doomed… although Planet Books in Mount Lawley is a niche seller, it opens when people are walking the streets of Mount Lawley at night and because of very astute targeting, has recently increased the range of books and consequently increased their floor space… how niche??  I noticed a Star Wars cookbook range… and of course everything about House of Thrones.

Tuesday, January 20, 2015

7 Pitfalls to avoid when Learning Speed Reading

7 Pitfalls to avoid when Learning Speed Reading
PowerReading Feb 2015

Pitfall 1 - Buying a Book on Speed Reading

Trying to learn to speed read from a book has these challenges:

1.  Most often the reader is not even an “average” reader, and thus struggles.
2.   Reading something does not mean you understand it.
3.   Reading does not change behavior or performance.
4.   Most people struggle toggling between the book about speed reading, and then trying to apply it in another book.

So you can read a book, but it probably won’t change your performance.

Pitfall 2 - Researching the Web for FREE Information on Speed Reading

Speed Reading draws over 1 million searches per month and there are over 11 million listings in Google.

So, the term, “let the buyer beware” is a useful mantra when looking for free stuff over the web. What is the source? How can they be trusted? What is fact? What is conjecture? How much is simply wrong?

With so much “free” stuff on the web for speed reading, there is no wonder why the topic has become so maligned. Speed reading still draws over 1 million searches per month and 11 million listings in Google.

Pitfall 3 - There must be an app for that!

The mistake with buying a software program or a smartphone app is that all of them focus almost exclusively on the speed of the words on the screen, and do not go into comprehension approaches.

These methods have been proven to be harmful to the eyes as well as ineffectual for changing reading speeds long term. Other problems are that the programs don’t work with all  reading situations.

Some mechanical training is necessary for you master to get your eyes moving more fluidly and efficiently, but the tool must be transportable to all reading environments.

Also with this “Words on Screen Faster” approach is that you to move your eyes through text at 10,000, 20,000, or even 30,000 words per minute, but if you don’t understand it and can not recall anything, is that reading?


Pitfall 4 - Learning JUST the Mechanics of Speed Reading

Reading is the act of seeing visual stimuli, printed letters and word, and deriving meaning from those symbols.

Reading is a visual neural process where the reader’s brain interprets (comprehends) the symbols, and that Reading is a thinking process

All speed reading programs will focus on the mechanics of moving the eyes more fluidly over the print. It is an essential part of creating faster reading. But there is another component.

Comprehension is understanding what you read while you are reading.

Many learners get stuck on the mechanics only. When the learner gets hung up analyzing what the eyes are supposed to be doing, and not what the mind is supposed to be doing, the speed is meaningless.

So warn yourself about stopping your learning too early. If you find a program that teaches comprehension in-depth as well, be sure to study and apply it in a variety of types of reading. The mechanics need to be adjusted to the type of reading material.

Pitfall 5 - Listening to Naysayers

There are 2 different categories of Naysayers - Personal and Professional.

Personal naysayers are the people you know. There are the ones who will give you an opinion on anything, even if their opinion is based on nothing other than their instant judgment that you want to do something different for yourself.

Some of these personal naysayers are quite difficult to spot. They may actually sound like they may even about the subject. It might go something like this, “oh yeah, I researched speed reading online and found some interesting stuff.. From everything I read, it’s nothing but a scam.”

 The second type of naysayer  may be credentialed with a degree or two. They are trained to be analytic, and skeptical. But that same training leads them to a similar conclusion as the personal naysayer. Academicians are quite often biased setting out to prove the negative premise from the beginning.

So, what do you want to believe? Do you believe you can, with proper training, read 2 - 10 times faster with even better comprehension?  As Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t, you’re right!” Your brain/mind searches for evidence of what it believes. Your belief set will drive your behavior.

Pitfall 6
– Expecting Instant Success

The electronic age has brought on the era of instant everything. There is  instant coffee, instant breakfasts, instant dinners, instant downloads, etc.  Generalizing this to learning to speed read is a sure-fire road to failure.

It has taken you a lifetime to get your brain to function the way it does now. If it is not functioning at peak performance levels, it won’t change overnight.

But you can change your brain. With consistent effort over time, you can achieve much higher levels of performance that will last you a lifetime. Once accomplished, you will also enjoy a much more fulfilling cognitive life.

Learning behaviorists know well that behavior needs to be reinforced and rewarded over time to truly take hold long term. The neuro pathways need continuous building to build stronger lasting networks. Yes, you can “learn” a lot in just 3 hours. But will it take hold?

Pitfall 7 – Believing No Consistent Effort is required

Tacit learning is in the doing. Speed reading needs to be learned tacitly. That means hands on - literally! There are many emerging studies showing that kinesthetic learning, through a multi-sensory approach is hands down the longest lasting and heaviest neural-network builder there is.

Have I mentioned all our programs are quite multi-sensory? Sight, sound, and movement.

All researched methodologies for learning a complex set of skills such as speed reading, show that the best, easiest way is by taking small chunks consistently over time. No matter what skill you want to learn, success comes easier with consistent effort.


No matter what you choose to do, give it consistent effort.