Neuro-linguistic programming - motivational speach

It has been a time since I looked for a motivational speaker with a good modulation of voice and smart ideas( normally the basics and the essence is quite the same) I am talking about something that just flows and makes you feel good when you listen to. So by chance/serendipity I stumbled upon Brian  Tracy http://www.briantracy.com Loved his manners from the first moment, very human and persuasive. No need to go off the wall in order to get my attention.

Moreover, in the same line I one colleague told me about a friend that does flirting counseling ;) that is a cool concept, and he gets paid for it. http://charismacommunity.com

Hanging out with friends I met a person from the south of Germany that practices Art Theraphy... followed an intriguing and interesting conversation on human behavious.

As I am fascinated by neuro-linguistic programming, this are just a few ideas, and the next ones are just to follow. What drives you?

Work for a Startup? 10 Questions to Ask Your Interviewer

In startups especially, job interviews are just as much for the interviewee as they are for the interviewer. Because there is often a lot at stake for a new company, it's wise to ask where you will fit in among founders and first hires — and how you can make a direct impact on the company's success.

That's why I asked 10 entrepreneurs from the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) what questions they would pose for an interviewer at a startup. Here's what they had to say:

1. What one thing must be done?

I would ask what one thing must be accomplished for the startup to succeed. There are two reasons to ask this: It will determine if they have a clear, focused vision, and it will give you a sense of how your job should be aligned with that goal.

- Seth Talbott, Preferling

2. When is your next funding round?

It's a huge risk to begin work at a startup within months of an upcoming funding round. At that point, you've had very little time to influence the company's viability, so you'd basically be left crossing your fingers and hoping that they've been doing well without the extra manpower, innovation, skill and insight that now makes you so in demand. Investing time and energy to build a startup is a calculated risk to begin with, but putting yourself in a position where your job security rests exclusively on the efforts of your predecessors is an even bigger gamble. Proceed — if at all — with extreme due diligence and caution. Whatever answer they give, deduct two to four months in case they've underestimated their expenses — it happens.

- Manpreet Singh, Seva Call

3. What's your runway?

Startups are almost always on the verge of running out of money. They are dependent on their next funding round or their next big client. You should ask how many months of runway they have left, so you know what you're getting into. You could be out of a job in three to six months after joining.

- Bhavin Parikh, Magoosh Inc

4. How does your product apply to my role?

Startups need people who love to explore and are curious. Do your homework before the interview by signing up for a free trail of the startup's product. Make a list of all the different questions you have about the product based on your experience. Try to tie the best questions back to the role you're applying for, and think of possible solutions to make the experience better. During the interview, bring up the question you had from your experience. This shows the interviewer you care, you’re analytical and will respectfully challenge the startup to be better.

- Brett Farmiloe, Internet Marketing Company

5. What are your founders' goals?

If interviewing with a founder, I'd ask what the founder hoped to gain from the venture. Do they want to create a world-famous product, take the company public or make as much money as possible? Although there isn't necessarily a right answer, the interviewee should be looking for some consistency among the founders. In addition, the prospective employee can decide if his or her goals align with theirs.

- Bobby Grajewski, Edison Nation Medical

6. What's your exit strategy?

Candidates are often so excited about working for a hot, new startup they don't think about their own long-term potential. Before accepting an offer with a startup, ask what their exit strategy is, and make sure you're on board. If they're all about acquisition, ask about time frame goals. If it's not about exit, dig into specific growth plans for the years to come. They may not have exact answers, but you'll get insight into how strong their vision is and how much foresight they have to consider these things.

- Susan Strayer LaMotte, Exaqueo

7. What is the sales strategy?

Startups are often focused on product and user traction first, but it's critical for the company to eventually monetize. While some startups keep operations running from proceeds of fundraising, it's important to understand — before you join the company — how the startup intends to make money from customers or users. Having an intimate understanding of the sales strategy will help you gauge the likelihood that the company will succeed and can be your best position when you're interviewing for a job at the firm because you'll have a great strategic focus.

- Doreen Bloch, Poshly Inc.

8. What's the focus for the next three months?

This question is a shortcut way to learn about what your job experience is going to be like. For example, if the startup says it plans to launch two new tech features for its product and you're applying to be an engineer, you'll likely have a great first three months. You'll know that you have the opportunity to show your skills and your contributions will be noticed. On the other hand, if you're applying for sales, the startup's plan to focus on product features might mean you're selling a product that might be outdated soon.

- Nanxi Liu, Enplug

9. What is the culture and work environment like?

Culture fit is very important at a startup for both the employer and employee. Each startup is unique, and the work environments can range from wacky to stuffy. Because you are going to be working closely with a small team for long hours, it is imperative the company fits you as much as you fit the company.

- Kevin Tighe II, WeBRAND

10. What is the problem you're solving?

The most important question to ask the interviewer is about understanding the problem the company is solving. If the answer the interviewer gives doesn't excite you and isn't something you'd work on in your free time, then keep looking. It is crucial to find a startup that's solving a problem you feel incredibly passionate about fixing.

- Sarah Schupp, UniversityParent

Signed BY SCOTT GERBER in http://mashable.com 

Confidence. Conviction. Charisma: The Art of the Sale

Gurbaksh Chahal, offers the 3 key attributes needed to succeed in sales. Moreover, this can be one of the tricky question asked during and interview: What is the key to succeed in sales? 

If you want to master the art of the sale. They’re the three C’s: Confidence. Conviction. Charisma. If you have these attributes, there isn't a single thing you can’t sell.

CONFIDENCE

Do you have the confidence in yourself to represent your product or service so that your customer is convinced of its worth?

When you display confidence, you exude an infectious aura. When you’re confident, you’re convincing. People listen to you; people believe you, and believe in you.

“Confidence” also means inspiring confidence in the people with whom you do business. Once they have confidence in you they will keep doing business with you and you’ll understand that ultimately business isn’t run by machines, they are run by these relationships. They can’t be programmed, they are earned.

CONVICTION

Do you truly believe in what you’re doing? Do you have the strength of your convictions? Conviction is a ‘must-have.’ It gives you the power to handle any rejections that come your way—and there will inevitably be rejections. There will be disappointments. There will be setbacks. At times things might go so wrong it seems like a major catastrophe from which it would be hard to recover.

Having conviction in your undertaking is really important when people try to drag you down for whatever reason.

CHARISMA

This is a tricky one. Having “charisma” means having a personality that attracts people to you; that makes people like you; that even makes people want to follow you. I’m tempted to say that you either have it or you don’t have it.

Maybe you don’t have the special kind of magnetism and charm that makes someone charismatic. But you can shine nevertheless. You can promote feelings of goodwill and foster positive cooperation among your colleagues. Be likeable! People only like to work with people they like.

There is one final item you need to remember if you wish to master the art of the sale.

In sales, you are never selling an object or something tangible. What you are really selling at the end of the day is: Opportunity. Confidence, Conviction and Charisma just allow you to create that opportunity into art.

by  Gurbaksh Chahal

Life gives you the people you need

We all have a certain type of persons or characteristic traits that we appreciate, very hard to find a matching that we like and cherish. That is why life takes care that we do have in our lifes all kind of persons that leave a mark either for good or for bad. Is a continuos learning experince that benefits us even tough on that moment we do not feel like that because it can hurt us.

This situations are encountered over all areas of our lives. Maybe you have a boss that has noble qualities that you appreaciate, he is determined, honest, looks for the interest of other. Has the drive and energy to win and goes for it. It rubs on you. So, he is a positive example you want to emulate.

On the other extreme, is the boss that tries to fool you all the time. Thinking he is clever that the rest when in reality he has no idea what he talks about. You realize that all that he says comes form books and fairy tails that he has been listening to. He has no experience and does not even listen to get better but tries to save his back all the time by pushing others to the limit. A pure egocentrical person in love with himself and his image. Has a perverse sense of enjoying the power that has been granted because he was in the right place at the right moment.

You may have encounter one of the above mentiones characters. Or both of them in the same place. Make the most of every opportunity and adopt skills you appreciate or learn how not to be. There is always a benefit in both scenarios. Is all about how you react to them.

Remarkable selling experience-feedback

It has been more than 3 weeks since I have been searching for running shoes, compared prices, brands and quality levels. One day I go to Fitzroy on Johnson street(Melbourne) where all the oulets are located. 

I visited them all, but it was when I entered Adidas that my heart started to beat.The ambience of the store, the smell and of course the shoes. There were 3 models that I liked and I found it difficult to decide, one was red(favourite colour), the other one blue and trendy meanwhile the last one was just ultimate with an innovative soil. 

Would I go for the colour I like? What about the performance? All this questiones passed through my head when a lovely shop assistant explains the benefits of some shoes to a customer nearby. Seeing her expertize, I asked if she could give me some information. With a big smile, she came and asked me to take off one shoe and put the barefoot on the ground. She looked at it and her diagnostic was that I gave a medium plane sole. 

Her feedback was like going to a doctor that takes interest in you and first and has a look at your appearance before prescribing a drug. Then, she asked: What do you want the shoes for? Do you want them to last for a long time? After getting all this information she compared all the 3 models I have selected and highlighted the benefits  but said that the blue ones are going to fulfill my requirements. 

At this point she left me alone to have a better look at all the shoes. After 2 minutes she saw me with the blue shoes on and encouraged me to go for a run inside the shop so that I can try them out. 

Once at the counter she said that the colour looks extremely good and the model is a very good one. I commended her for the professionalism she showed and said that you really know your product. Her reply was: ´´I have to´´. This is the correct attitude if someone wants to be successful in sales and in life. Make the customer feel welcomed, invite him to test it out(even go for a run test) and when at the counter reinforce his decision so that he will be pleased spending money with you rather the competition.

​

Startup Blog by Steve Sammartino

Living, studying and working in Melbourne, I had in my mind one objetive: to meet Strategic Planners. You know, those minds that are in charge of the strategy of an advertising agency. Sometimes they are called Account Planners. But in this particular case, I had the priviledge to meet personally: Steve Sammartino, Director of Strategy.

He has been an inspiration for me thanks to his blog, StartupBlog that I follow on a weekly basis because it provides many tips regarding business ideas, apart from planning and strategy.

I would mention just a few of the ideas I found interesting and beneficial:

• He motivated me to learn a 5th language: "time to start something worth starting"
• Instead of a Master, start your own start-up project. You will learn far more and would be a more valuable experience given its practical side and 110% need of involvement.
• Positive attitude with vision for new projects and start-up accelerator 

As a flashback, it has been an excellent ocasion to meet Steve and talk about his vision regarding the advertising world and the way it will change in the future. He gave real life examples of how things are working and the way consumers have changed the way they use media. Explaining the on demand TV viewing, YoutTube phenomenon and other implications.

The part that I most enjoyed is that he is so human and down to earth. A person with a wide network that knows how to use the tools and technology around him. Steve is a person full of energy and enthusiasm. 

All the best for your future projects.

Where do you get your inspiration from?

Are you following any blog?

Where do we start?

Das Park Hotel-sewage pipe hotel room

Having seen posted a picture of Das Park Hotel in Austria has drawn my attention to investigate more about this eye catching idea They have converted sewage pipe segments into hotel rooms with a touch of style.
Along with pictures from the designer Andreas Stauss with more inspirational ideas for your next project.

This concept made me think about other similar builings: container houses. See 22 Most Beautiful Houses Made from Shipping Containers

Have you got more ideas for your future home?