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The week in reflection October 27th 2018

Good Morning

Just a short note of explanation. This was written 1 week ago - Saturday October 27th, 2018

After 43 years of Business Seminars Australia and various other projects to do with Business Education here, in the Middle East [ Qatar ] and the UK, it is time for a pivot... so effective immediately I am developing the consulting side of my business and I am looking for referrals in 4 distinct areas:

Area 1: The Modern Elder
Area 2: The Reboot Advice and re-education
Area 3: Contract Chief Marketing Officer for new or ASX listed companies
Area 4. Wisdom / Knowledge Rolodex

Obviously there will be many areas where I do not have the expertise to offer advice and I am inviting you to be part of the Diamond Referal Roldex... the expert I refer people to when the request is outside my area of expertise or there is a conflict of interest. Do you want to be in the Roladex?

Here is a summary of what came over my desk last week... and it is/was not an unusual week.

"It is Saturday afternoon here in Perth and I am feeling a little whimsy and after reading lots of blogs, books and articles I got to wondering what happened in the week that had just finished.

Personally

My favourite non-thinking work is to mow my front lawn [ remember what lawn was - green stuff that grows when you water it ] which usually requires about 20 minutes of pushing the trusty rotary mower... which I did early Sunday morning... and whilst doing that was struck by how green the lawn was and noticed that was due in the main to lots of non lawn stuff - you know, weeds!

But the trusty Round Up stayed in the shed... I was thinking, does using it really cause health problems... obviously needing a rest I concluded that theret was doubt enough for the weeds to survive another day.

A cousin rang to catch up - yes a phone call but it was modern in that it came on Joanne's iPhone and we listened on the speaker so very 21st cetury but like a party line from the'50's. Our traditional phone hardly ever rings, we don't use it for out bound calls and besides, it always causes the internet to "go off."

I have been recovering from a bruised chest suffered on October 10th when I tripped and fell in a car park after catching my foot on a speed hump and because of my nature of not seeking medical advice [ it is my firm belief the Doctor would have just said I have a nasty bruise and there is nothing that can be done but you better have an Xray to be sure ] Joanne hasn't been the least bit sympathetic.

On the other foot, I admit to being a little concerned when she [Joanne ] injured her knee in a work related misadventure on Wednesday... and she must of hurt it because she did go to her Doctor, who ordered an Xray and said "You did a good job of trying to break your knee cap - we had better check you didn't do any more than bruise it " I could have save her the time - the Doctor reached for the Workers Compensation forms... lots of forms but no bills.

Fast Forward a Few Days: I got myself into some deep water this morning at the Supermarket by saying "We are starting to appear our age"  Joanne not walking straight and me still grimacing when I had to lift a heavy item into the shopping trolley.

And just to fill the week out, on the health front, one of our wounded warriors isn't recovering as fast as he should be [ a brother in law ] and another actually is sicker than we had all hoped he would be... [ another brother in law ]

Advice Junction...

On the selling techniques side, an old friend Pat who I met 15 years ago in New Zealand introduced me to Jean a South African who is till in Auckland, New Zealand, and we chatted via Skype for an hour and discussed all things sales from Zig Ziglar [ yes I did meet him in Perth in the 1970's ] to Gary V, who we agreed was a little too mouthy for our baby boomer sensibilities, and how seminars had descended into pitch feasts and consequently we had passed up the opportunity of seeing Gary V in Brisbane in recent days. We discussed the "#metoo" movement and how it is leading to an uncivil community as political correctness has gone made. I think we agreed that cold calling still works if people would do it.

My experience of #metoo movement has made presenting our management workplace seminars problematic as people take offence on behalf of someone else, not even for themselves, and on one particular occasion, the complainer didn't actually attend the session but said I was disrespectful to [ fill in the blank ] group.

So that was Jean in Auckland, Pat on he sunshine Coast, Queensland and Wayne in Perth...

On checking my email I find John had made contact from Dallas Texas and asked advice about company structures - I met John in Darwin... and I was able to connect him to Steve in Clark Philippines.

And then I had a note from Tony who was asking if I had a contact he could make access to help him source a H3 Hummer and get the Hummer to his client in Vanuatu. As they drive on the other side of the road to Australia - he wanted left hand drive we have right hand drive I have put him in touch with a contact is the US.

Looking for a breather, I let the phone go to message bank but after retrieving the message got in touch with the caller, a long term colleague asked if I could help him stage a series of business workshops in regional Queensland... that required me to talk to my friend of 20 years in Aurora Missouri USA to set up some of the infrastructure to allow that to happen.

Just to add normality to my day, I had discussion with my friend who is coming back to Perth from Rural India where she is helping farmers recharge bores to bring sustaining water to their villages, in between chating to a new friend from London Ontario Canada who Joanne and I met whilst cruising in the Mediterranean in this September.

Just as I was getting back to dull boring suburban Perth and email from another friend arrived from Botswana with a link to marketing advice from South Africa.

I am sure I have missed a few conversations here - like feedback from Australia's chook king David Craker in Eagle Point, Victoria talking about how to access $5 billion of Australian Government grants for drought assistance or Terry and Elizabeth cruising in the stormy Arctic Ocean hoping to see the Northern Lights...

All this happened whilst I had hardly moved more than a metre from my desk in Dianella Western Australia.

Business Advice Central

In the last 7 days I have been consulted on software updates... mobile phone apps... computer security... the best place to set up an overseas company for tax and IP considerations, which is the best seed to plant for hemp, where could a list of business owners emails be sourced, web page design, what is the next best thing for marketing for small business,

What now???

And of course lots of discussions about how people can afford to stop their "ordinary job" as the latest share market meltdown wiped out trillions of dollars of value from the worlds stock markets.

If you would like to tap into my 40 plus years of experience, contacts and adventures - perhaps the world's most relevant Roladex [ remember those?] have a look at our Biitzpro venture where you can be an observer, an active participant or contributing trendsetter on my next adventure"

I could go on but you get the picture....


So let me know if I can call on you??

Wayne Mansfield
biitzpro@272mail.com
Mobile +61 429 823 325 

The Seth Godin Wisdom of Why

I stole this one from Seth Godin:

"Hiding in plain sight

The answer to your quandary is right there, in front of you.

It’s just that it involves more work, more risk or more trade-offs than you were hoping for."

So hopefully I will find...

The first 1,000 are the most difficult

Stop watering dead plants

Hard Work or Long Work

I am listening to one of my favourite podcasts [ James Altucher ] have a long discussion [ 90 minutes ] with one the world's great thinkers [ Seth Godin ] about the difference between Hard Work and Long Work... I am struggling with my decision to do Hard work but his explanation is helping.... he says it takes courage to do hard work because long work is easier. The example is cheap hourly work on Fiverr or holding out for meaningful work where it doesn't take as long but you are rewarded better.

I am currently holding out for rewarding work but the temptation to do long work calls every day.

The Ah ha moment in the talk came - hard work has a minimum viable audience and you know you are on to something when some people "get it and others don't... in my case that is Rebootology - what to do in your fourth life in the sharing economy.

As they say in the classics... I feel better now... and I can stop watering dead plants.