Desire and the 5-year Commitment!!!

Being a Coffee Aficionado...no...no...more like a Coffee FrEAk!!! Earlier this week, I was looking into what it would take to grow my own coffee beans. I found some KONA Coffee Plants that I could order at Amazon and grow.

Oh yes, I was psyched.

I could almost smell the aroma of roasting my own coffee beans. It was going to be wonderful, tasty, and above all it was going to be the "best part of waking up."

That is until I read the fine print. That's where the bottom fell out from underneath me: It can take up to 5-years before any good beans are produced. What? I had to commit 5 years to the care and maintenance of some plants that may or may not produce before I could pick my first coffee bean? What if the yield was not enough to make a single cup of coffee? How many more years would I have to wait?

The questions and the "What If's" started to pile up. There were more negatives than positives. This was not looking good and it seemed like I was destined to be a lifetime member of the "Grande Cinnamon Dolce Latte" Club. My dreams of breaking away from the corporate binds that tie were starting to fade with the morning sun.

Many times we find ourselves looking at something that promises to change our lives, even a little, but we quickly squash it when we realize just how difficult changing our lives will actually be to achieve.

Certainly for some people, driving up to the free standing box and screaming an order for coffee is a "fine and dandy" existence.

There are others, that wish there was an alternative but balk at the fact that the alternative will take dedication, time, and commitment.

Still there are others that have the DESIRE to break out of the "norm" and just go for it! These are the ones that are willing to take the steps to make that dedication, time, and commitment matter most and achieved the Desired Outcome.

Whether it is with a Kona plant or a new business venture or whatever they are going to make the time, put in the effort, and sustain that commitment to grow what needs to be grown. It can be a daunting task but if it is really worth the effort, none of that will matter. What will matter is that after careful thought, consideration, and a little planning the negatives were not so many and the positives, typically the end result, was far greater than anything else. This means that the desire to achieve the desired outcome is greater than everything else, especially the negative (or the downside of things).

Thus we can say when:

d + t + c >= D
...as dedication, time and commitment work together, in unison, and become greater than the DESIRE, then DESIRE is elevated to a greater status then, and only then, is the Desired Outcome achieved.

D → DO

What does this all mean?
It means that no matter what you this is easy or difficult is moot.

It means that ONLY through DEDICATION, TIME, & COMMITMENT can you achieve what you want. If what you want is that cup of fresh KONA coffee and you do not want to pay the corporate prices then time to pony up the D,T, and C.


I know I have to pony up as I pulled the trigger and ordered the Kona plants after I found the perfect spot to put all the plants that I will need in order to have several pots of coffee, (unfortunately) five years from now but it will be worth it.


As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

Here are some Technorati Tags: • Dedication• Time • Commitment • Desire • Desired Outcome • Dave Guerra • Leadership • Leading • Leadership Development • Professional Development • Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way • Ready, Fire, Aim! • If it aint broke, break it. • Hire Crazies • Ask dumb questions • Pursue failure • Spread Confusion • Ditch Your Office • Read Odd Stuff • Avoid Moderation • Higher, Admire, Desire, Require, Satire, Inquire, On Fire, All Possible Scenarios • Give to the American Red Cross • Hire A Hero

About Garage Sales and Selling

This morning (Saturday) as I was out and about doing the roadwork portion of my morning Physical Training (remember you can take the boy out of the Army but you can't take the Army out of the boy, but that's a different story) and I was watching those early birds start setting up their old stuff to be sold as new stuff to someone else.

There was this one Garage Sale that really caught my eye.


The lady seemed Gung-Ho about having the Garage Sale as she was putting stuff out on the table in their driveway. However, the business partner stood around with a scowl and not very inviting, not really happy about the situation. He was standing there with arms crossed and an "I dare you to stop and buy something" look on his face.

During my brief observation, I saw no less than 4 vehicles drive past that Garage Sale and stop at the next one, three houses down the street. There were kids outside playing, the sellers had smiles on their faces. It was inviting and open.

I understand that it was very early on a Saturday morning but seriously if you are going to commit an entire Saturday morning to the time honored tradition of the Garage Sale, then why not do the best you can? Why not commit to selling what you can to at least make the four or five hours you committed worth the time and effort (heck at least, make enough in sales to pay for Lunch).

Try this:
• Keep the scowl faced business partner (in this case: the husband) out of view of the buying public.
• If the husband insists on being out there, tell him to turn that frown upside down or SLAP a smile on his sour puss.
• No standing around with crossed arms
• No STANDING AROUND....Keep Moving
• SMILE...A LOT!!!!

Hey, why not try this in all parts of your personal and professional life?


As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

Here are some Technorati Tags: • Garage Sake • Smile A Lot • Be Inviting and Open • No Scowls • No Standing Around • Keep Moving • Dave Guerra • Leadership • Leading • Leadership Development • Professional Development • Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way • Ready, Fire, Aim! • If it aint broke, break it. • Hire Crazies • Ask dumb questions • Pursue failure • Spread Confusion • Ditch Your Office • Read Odd Stuff • Avoid Moderation • Higher, Admire, Desire, Require, Satire, Inquire, On Fire, All Possible Scenarios • Give to the American Red Cross • Hire A Hero

How Great Things Happen

While Steve Jobs may have said, "great things in business are never done by one person, they’re done by a team of people."

I am by no means taking anything away from Steve Jobs but I want to expand and say (and I believe):

All Great Things Are Never Done By One Great Person, They Are Done By A Great Team Of Great People!


As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

Here are some Technorati Tags: • Steve Jobs • Great Things • Great People • Great Things • All Great Things Are Never Done By One Great Person • They Are Done By A Great Team of Great People • Dave Guerra • Leadership • Leading • Leadership Development • Professional Development • Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way • Ready, Fire, Aim! • If it aint broke, break it. • Hire Crazies • Ask dumb questions • Pursue failure • Spread Confusion • Ditch Your Office • Read Odd Stuff • Avoid Moderation • Higher, Admire, Desire, Require, Satire, Inquire, On Fire, All Possible Scenarios • Give to the American Red Cross • Hire A Hero

About Mom & Pop Stores (small business) vs. Big Box Stores

Earlier today, I saw the image that accompanies this post and it got me thinking. While I do understand the reason behind supporting the Mom and Pop merchants. I wholeheartedly agree with buying local and how much sense it makes to support the small business, heck I am a small business. I want my company to be a big conglomerate one day and there is nothing wrong with shooting for the moon.

However, if my company or any other Mom and Pop operation makes it big and by big I mean HUGE!!! What then?

Will people forget that the now huge conglomerate was once a small Mom and Pop outfit?

I guarantee they will forget because instead of reveling in the success that Sam Walton had in taking the small store known as Walton's Five and Dime in Bentonville, Arkansas and turning it into the planet's 18th largest public corporation, they look at it as if it was Godzilla invading their hometown coming to squash the competition like little model cars.

The problem has nothing to do with the Big Box Stores and everything to do with the Mom and Pop stores. If they had a product and service that was better than anything any of the Big Box Stores could think of offering then people would gladly hand their money over to the Mom and Pop stores. However, just like you can't beat a dead horse you can't revive a business that has already decided that they can't compete against the big box stores.

So don't blame the Mega Marts of the world, you blame Walton's Five and Dime's competitors because if they had worked just that much harder, they would have been able to keep Walton in check and never gave the Five and Dime a chance to get off the ground, expand and grow into the mega mart it is today.

So to all you Mom and Pop organizations, my company included: You want to stay alive and compete with the Godzilla of your specific industry well then time to start leaving a big footprint. By Big Footprint, I mean do everything you can to become recognized in your field, in your industry.

Do what it takes to become known as the de facto go to company. Sure, the big company may have a large staff pool by which they can draw from but I guarantee all of that is moot.

They don't have what you have: (1) a lot less bureaucracy, (2) fewer middle managers, and (3) quicker access to the top. I promise that if you write me an email it will go directly to me and not some middle manager who may or may not have the authority to even reply to that email with a simple "Thanks for your email."

There it is, spelled out in black and white. The three things that will help you edge out your competition. Take those three items and exploit them to your advantage. Take advantage of those three facts and own them. Make them yours and your company's because they may be your company's saving grace.

Remember, people are not going to give you their hard earned money just because you are a Mom and Pop operation. You are going to have to take it from them in exchange for a quality product, a quality service, and above all a quality attitude.

What say you?


As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

Here are some Technorati Tags: • Mom and Pop Stores • Godzilla • Beat the competition • Large Corporations • Success of Walmart • Dave Guerra • Leadership • Leading • Leadership Development • Professional Development • Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way • Ready, Fire, Aim! • If it aint broke, break it. • Hire Crazies • Ask dumb questions • Pursue failure • Spread Confusion • Ditch Your Office • Read Odd Stuff • Avoid Moderation • Higher, Admire, Desire, Require, Satire, Inquire, On Fire, All Possible Scenarios • Give to the American Red Cross • Hire A Hero