When nothing I did worked

(an email from Perry Marshall)

Did you ever have some relative or teacher or parent or grandma
or grandpa or friend who would always say, "Buddy, you're
really gonna BE somebody. You're gonna make it. You're gonna
make a big dent in the world. You're going to be successful some
day. I believe in you."

They would make you feel so good, so confident, so inspired.

Then later on....

You wake up one morning - or maybe you receive some
phone call or orange envelope from your bank - and say
to yourself, "What on EARTH was he talking about? I am
getting absolutely NOWHERE!"

You look in the mirror and say to yourself, "I'm good
enough, I'm smart enough, and people like me"

...and then you think to yourself "This is total BS. Who
you kidding, pal?"

Until I was almost 30, very little that I attempted
to do in business ever really worked at all.

I got to experience my first of many firings at age 21 (someday
I'll tell you that story, it's very funny, it's funny NOW but
it wasn't funny then)... there was the whole Amway saga,
which never made me any money - despite superhuman
persistence including 118 NO's in a row.

After college I went into engineering, designing car
speakers. And yes while I designed speakers for the
94 Ford Probe, the 95 Acura Vigor, the 95 Jeep Cherokee
and the 96 Honda Civic, none of my "really interesting"
projects - the ones I truly put my heart into - ever saw the
light of day.

For example the speakers I designed for the Civic were
actually really crappy speakers because Honda had
these rigid requirements and they rejected this super
cool design that I cooked up for them.

The only reason they were even buying from us at all
was some law about foreign vs. US parts content in the
cars.

Most projects I worked on got shelved. Eventually I
got laid off.

Then I went into sales and my boss Wally said "Now this
guy Perry, this is a sales guy waiting to happen." Wally hired
me right away. Super great guy. And Wally waited... and waited...
and waited....

Every single major deal I worked on failed to close and
finally 2 years later Wally gave up on me.

It's pretty depressing when every item on your resume is,
truth be told, a dead end story with no real results to brag
about.

Every time I'd walk in the door at 9:30 in the morning
and tell Laura I'd been fired again, she'd encourage me
and tell me she believed in me and I'd march out into the
raging blizzard of life one more time and try again.

Man did she ever put up with a lot.

This eventually forced me to do some pretty serious
soul searching. I was a square peg trying very hard to
shove myself into round holes.

See, the thing was, everything I was trying to do was
ALMOST right. It was ALMOST a fit.

Just not quite.

I started looking real hard at what about be a perfect fit.
I didn't need no sex change operation; just a reshuffling of the
details:

-I needed to be in a place where my writing ability was
put to good use. None of my jobs had ever had any place for it.
-I needed a sales job where my technical skills were an asset,
not a liability.
-I needed to be able to use marketing as a tool to position
myself as a problem-solver instead of a peddler trying to
schmooze purchasing agents.

I got real clear about those things and started looking for a
spot that would satisfy those criteria.

You know what? When you get super clear about what
you want, it gets real easy to ELIMINATE all the stuff you
don't want. You've gotta get ruthless about not compromising
on that.

I'm not saying be a prima donna. I'm saying, be willing to
WALK AWAY from situations where you know you're just
going to be a square peg in a round hole all over again.

A few months later, the right opportunity presented itself.
It just FELT right. And it matched the criteria.

Suddenly it was easy to sell stuff because I was positioned
properly and not fighting my own nature anymore. The very
first commission check was the biggest I'd ever gotten.

The negativity was suddenly reversed. A positive spiral
began that continues to this day.

This did NOT instantly solve all of my problems, but the
texture of everything was different after that. My assets
were no longer liabilities. They were assets.

I couldn't possibly overemphasize how important it is to
really know yourself. Because you know what?

The things that have gotten you in the most trouble are
probably the very things that make you successful. The
things that annoy people the most about you are the things
that are most impressive about you.

When you're in "the zone" you create mischief.

Or...

When you're in "the zone" you create magic.

Mischief and Magic, they're usually two sides of the same
coin.

One works against you, the other works for you. I cannot
overstate how big the difference is.

You wouldn't be reading this email if you weren't a misfit like
me. If you were a happy little conformist you'd be blithely
involved in some bureaucratic meeting, performing your
assigned role. Not reading this email.

The reason you're out on the Internet working to find your
fortune is because you're a geek and a freak and a misfit
just like me.

Only a misfit would still be reading this email right now.

Be proud of it.

Know thyself, and: Harness your talent for creating mischief.

Don't apologize for who you are or what you're trying to
become. Just become MORE of what you already are.

Be more of who you are and find the people in the world
who want that.

Seize the Day.

Can We Be Real Friends?

I always ask myself this question whenever I invite or get invited to be a friend with someone I’d “virtually” meet online. I have more than 600 friends in Facebook, more than 300 in Linkedin and a couple more in Friendster. I’d say, of almost 1,000 friends – social or professional – I have personally met only 100 of them. Is that a bad thing?

Technology has driven the way we communicate and associate with people. When what was supposed to create more time and space for us to be “free” has actually caused us to cram more things into our lives. Now, our lives are so cluttered that we don’t even have real time for real people.

Time is a valuable commodity. Sadly, it’s not renewable. We can’t even buy it. No matter how much money or connections we have, we simply can’t influence time. True to the old adage, time waits for no one. Thus, given just a few minutes to socialize, we meet, greet and keep our friends in online space. Then again, are they real friends?

We have used the online social and professional networks to connect and reconnect. We’ve found former classmates, officemates, friends, and maybe even lost loves. With photos and albums galore, we have found a way to share our lives to others. We have found virtual space to share our trials, triumphs, notes, journals, status, availability, ability, faith and hopes. These are the things that remind us of our needs as human beings.

I love coffee shops. They were made for personal conversations. They were created so we can just sit around, enjoy a cup of coffee and watch people and the world go by. Like the coffee that warms your lips, coffee shops make you feel the warmth of people around you. Friends that you make over a meal or a cup of coffee are seemingly for real. Yes, they can also break your heart. But they’re for real. What you see is what you get.

What about my online friends – are they for real, too? I’m talking about friends whom I have never personally met in my entire life. It’s either I invite them or they invite me. After which, I say a casual “hi” or greet them on their birthdays. I also comment on their notes, blogs, journals or status. I just want to somehow interact with them, even if it will only take me a few seconds or minutes of my time. As long as I have shared a bit of my time with them, I consider them as friends. Well, I am for real. I don’t really care if they aren’t.

Guess what? I have made some real friends online. I have even been invited to their birthdays, weddings and family gatherings. I’ve even godfathered some in their weddings and children’s Christenings.

Technology may have changed the way we interact with others today. What hasn’t changed is the need (read as: urge) to genuinely connect. Hopeful that every human being we meet online is the real deal, we’ll never stop connecting and reconnecting. We were wired to be social beings. That’s who we are. So, I guess it won’t really matter if my online friend is genuine as long as I know I am. That is my nature. Maybe even human nature. That is what really matters. I have a conscience. I have a heart. Most of all, I have a soul. Now that's for real.

Discover 90/10 Principle

(I forgot where I got this, but it's something worth sharing...)

Discover the 90/10 Principle.

It will change your life (at least the way you react to situations).

What is this principle?10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react.

What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%.

The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%. How? By your reaction, you cannot control a red light, but you can control your reaction. Don't let people fool you; YOU can control how you react.

Let's use an example. You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just what happened. What happens next will be determined by how you react. You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close tothe edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt. Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 (traffic fine) away, you arrive atschool. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home. When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter. Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning.

Why did you have a bad day?

A) Did the coffee cause it?
B) Did your daughter cause it?
C) Did the policeman cause it?
D) Did you cause it?

The answer is D. You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day.Here is what could have and should have happened: Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say, "It's ok honey, you just need to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You and your spouse kiss before you go to work. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having.

Notice the difference? Two different scenarios. Both started the same. Both ended different.

Why? Because of how you REACTED. You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction. Here are some says to apply the 90/10 principle.

If someone says something negative about you, don't be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You don't have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc.

How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound on the steering wheel? Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try and bump them? WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work? Why let the cars ruin your drive?

Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it. You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time into finding another job.

The plane is late -- it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger.

Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse.

Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it.The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and apply this principle. The result? Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and heartache. There never seems to be a success in life. Bad days follow bad days. Terrible things seemto be constantly happening. There is constant stress, lack of joy, and broken relationships. Worry consumes time. Anger breaks friendships and life seems dreary and is not enjoyed to the fullest. Friends are lost. Life is a bore andoften seems cruel.

Does this describe you? If so, do not be discouraged. You can be different! Understand and apply the 90/10principle. It will change your life.

The Making of a Salesman

Some of my friends call me Homerun.

Besides having "Homer" as my first name, they have coined the term as a recognition of my sales career. Having had numerous hard-won victories in my long sales career, companies hire my services when a heavyweight batter is needed to create and push sales teams. Advertising has been my home stadium though some industries such as IT and recruitment have hired my services to create and make their organizations conducive to sales homeruns. At 40, I think I've seen it all. I mean I have been able to profile who would be great salesmen and sales managers. I have spotted them and have been able to coach and mentor many mavericks.

This leads me to what many have asked me through the years: "Are supersalesmen born or made?" Let me tell you my story.

I believe I wasn't born into sales. I didn't even recognize the gift of gab. As a kid, I wasn't talkative or even had the trappings of a young politician. I never networked. I had a handlful of friends or playmetes and that was it. I used to write poems and believed I was a loner. But living in a small rented apartment near a squatters area in Makati City, this little kid had big dreams.

Finding a Personal Need or Want

I used to play with penlight batteries replacing toy soldiers which I didn't have. I once picked up a plastic toy cyclist on the street and had it as my first favorite toy. It was the mid-70's and a small plastic red helicopter I fancied was worth 80 centavos. My dad didn't want me to buy one though. Maybe we couldn't afford those extras or maybe he simply wanted me to just concentrate on my studies. I also wanted playcards known as "tex" but I didn't have an allowance to save up with. We were studying in private schools but I believe all our money went into our "privileged" education in Don Bosco Makati.

One day in school, I saw kids claiming deposits for bottles of Yes Cola softdrinks and Vim Chocolate drinks they bought for recess. "Hmmm," I thought. We had some old Vim bottles at home hidden under the old sink. A lightbulb lit up in my little kid's brain -- "maybe if I claimed deposit on them, I'd get some money." I did.

That single incident sent me into motion. I searched for bottles in school and at home to sell. Well, I was able to buy that red plastic helicopter. But I didn't stop there. I bought the playcards as well.

Lesson learned: find your personal need or want. What drives you towards finding a way for you to satisfy that need or want? It may be a car or house you've been dreaming of having. Or your new born baby whom you want to provide the very best.

My bosses have always given me or my teams sales targets or quotas. I give my sales teams dreams to fulfill. I usually would ask each sales person what would s/he want to buy or have by the end of the year. Whatever answer I get, I'd tell the sales person that that would be his or her target in terms of commissions or incentives s/he would like to earn. Simple enough, huh?

So when I promised my wife that I'd buy her a house and two cars before I was 30, I worked hard to make sure I kept my promise. I was into media sales for a global publication and I was 27 when I made that promise. In two years and at age 29, I fulfilled that promise.

My practical advice? Dream big. Make it happen.

Being Enterprising

I loved Choc-nut when I was a kid. Since I didn't want to blow all my earnings on toys and chocolates, I tried to think of a way to make more money. An aunt once told me that if I bought Choc-nut by the box at a store near the wet market, I can save 80 centavos per box. I asked my friends, classmates and even our househelp if they would buy Choc-nut from me at a lower price than the store's. Of course they said yes. Thus, everytime I bought Choc-nut, I literally ate my profits -- 80 centavos worth of Choc-nut. At 5 centavos each, I ate 16 pieces per box, then replenished my stock. I was now both filling a want or need by buying and selling Choc-nut. I moved a notch higher and became enterprising.

But since I wasn't making real profits as I ate them, I had to find a way to increase my money. I found a way through renting out comics.

I noticed that many students in Don Bosco were being fetched 2 to 3 hours on average after dismissal in the afternoon. Some were into sports and games while many more were bored waiting for their "sundo." I laid out about a dozen comic books one time and rented each for 10 centavos. On the side, I played tex. Each week, I replenished my stocks since my parents bought us kids (we were 3) new comics every Sunday. Inventory replenished weekly, in about a month, I was able to earn 400 pesos. That was big during those years when a jeepney ride was only 10 centavos. As an entrepreneur, it is always important to learn about inventory, cashflow and target market.

Lesson learned: be enterprising. Find what others need or want, then fill them. I believe that we will never run out of needs and wants as we create new ones each day. Technology and media are two of the most influential sources of these.

My practical advice? Be creative but grounded. If you can find opportunities in problems, then you're well on your way.


Salesmanship + Entrepreneurship

In high school, I sold subscriptions to Reader's Digest and World Executive's Digest. It was by chance that I saw an ad soliciting community representatives to both magazines. Besides my fancy in reading those magazines, I found out I could earn extra by just sharing them with others. I stumbled upon the basic concept of being a salesman.

At first, I used my basic network: family friends, relatives, and co-workers of my parents. I asked for referrals and those referrals gave me their own referrals. Soon, my network grew -- and so did my income. But you know what? I loved it more when my network of friends and acquaintances grew. It's as if I broke out of my shell.

By college at the University of the Philippines (in Diliman), I was organizing rock band concerts and contests, selling jewelry, and wholesaling eggs.

I wanted to be a musician but didn't have much interest in the long hours needed to practice the guitar. I thought of going one step higher -- I produced the shows myself. So, together with some friends, we organized campus rock concerts and band contests. Some projects failed but we carried on. It was fun anyway!

One day, I stumbled upon an ad in the classifieds looking for young people who might want to sell a new line of fashion jewelry. The concept was direct selling under the master trainer Harry Pound (who I would be working with again 18 years later). I was 18 then. I invested a few hundred pesos and pushed on to be become the youngest sales supervisor in the company's history.

On the side, I also wholesaled eggs which came from an over-production at the Magnolia Farm. It was a short-term opportunity. I hired a salesman -- our houseboy -- on commission basis. Making the rounds of the community "sari-sari" stores and the small public market outside our village, I was able to make good money for more than a year.

What was good about my venture into the eggs business was my having trained our houseboy into a being a salesman than as a full-fledged entrepreneur. From selling commodities in the Zapote Public Market, he now grows, manages and sells cut flowers in Dumaguete City. He uses a one hectare land of the seven hectares my mom owns. This was my first mentoring and coaching experience, just before I graduated from college.

In my sales ventures, I was refused a lot of times. However, I was relentless instead of frustrated. Whenever I got a "no," I always found ways for my prospects to say "yes," may it be for me to simply repeat their name and ask them if I was right. Somehow, those little "yeses" moved closer and closer for them to say "yes" to my sales pitch. Also, I had to make sure that I got to present to more people till I got a "yes" so as to lessen the impact of the number of "nos" that I received. As I always say, "sales is a numbers game." The more pre-targeted prospects you have, the better your success ratio becomes.

Lesson learned: salesmanship with entrepreneurship is about managing your frustration levels creatively and with determination. Failures will always be part of the sales process. It's not how many times you fall, but the number of times you get up is what matters. Be strategic. Pre-target as many prospects as you can before making the actual call. Also, success is sweeter if you've been able to learn from your previous mistakes.

My practical advice? Work smart, instead or working hard. Do your homework. Learn about the product or service you will need to sell before hitting the streets. Know about your target market. Go first for niches.

Years of Learning and Practice

Right after graduating at the University of the Philippines with a Communications Research degree, my first job right was again selling magazine subscriptions and book sales, though this time to both corporate and individual clients. I even won a silver award in my rookie year, besting the veterans. I practically did building sweeps besides getting endless referrals. I also began to understand the need for targeted or niche prospecting. Instead of doing a shotgun approach to finding prospects, I did them by industry. This technique I still do until this day. I refer to it as a street-by-street and block-by-block guerilla sales approach. Traditional, but still massively effective.

Wanting to try my hand at advertising, I cut short my sales work and got into McCann-Erickson Philippines, the top ad agency at that time. After two years learning the ropes in both media and account management for the San Miguel Beer account, I was taken in by San Miguel Corporation's Magnolia as it's very first Media Coordinator. Both experiences have opened the doors for me to learn more about strategic marketing techniques from my mentors Ting Jarme (my former boss and Account Director at McCann) and the late great marketing genius Bert Anido (my former boss and Marketing Director at Magnolia).

I realized that if you wanted to learn how to do strategic selling, you've got to learn marketing. I did not only learn basic marketing, but I attended lots of seminars, read numerous books and practiced what I learned. I even fell in love with marketing communications as a sub-specialty. This, I acquired due to my love of media.

As a media coordinator at Magnolia Nestle Corporation, I had four ad agencies who supported my team of three. Four media managers were at the forefront of these hot agencies of the early 1990's servicing our account namely Emma Deloso of J. Romero & Associates, Bing Aragon of PAC/BBDO, Jon Gatbonton of Ace/Saatchi, and Suzanne Capistrano of McCann. I loved my support team. They were my mentors, especially Emma who was so patient with a 22-year old media head as a client. Candidly, she taught me a lot. Both Bing and Suzanne were to move onto the supplier side while Jon was destined to be Saatchi's top media honcho. Emma would later be a media consultant.

My work allowed me to meet a lot of media suppliers. One particular TV blocktimer, whom everybody fondly called Tita Glo, became close to me. I even made her a godmother in my wedding. One day, she asked me a favor. She wanted me to go with her to meet rock n' roll great RJ Jacinto. She was offered to market his FM radio station in Manila. Politely turning it down, Tita Glo told RJ if he instead wanted to hire me. RJ offered me the job right there and then with a big smile on his face. He gave me the terms privately and I accepted. That was the start of my media sales career.

Now armed with a media and marketing background, I plunged into advertising sales for DZRJ-FM as marketing director. I was 24.

When I arrived at the RJ Ventures office in Makati Avenue, I was a bit shock by the adhoc nature of the sales and marketing organization. There were two freelance marketing agents and I had to build the team from scratch. I had to bring in a fresh team of young and good-looking guys and a lady who looked as if she came out of a fashion mag. I got my college friend Will Maligalig from the radio station of GMA-7 to lead the team as Sales Manager. We had a formidable team. I got Robert Velhagen (who eventually became ABS-CBN Marketing Director), Jude Garcia (who went on to become Aliw Broadcasting VP for Marketing), and two others -- Paul and Claire (forgot their last names). Eventually, Anna Cawaling, one our freelance marketing agents, left to set up Target Marketing with my friend Winnie Baling, selling cinema spots. Only the veteran Marsha Cacho, the other freelance agent, helped my young team market RJ.

In 6 months, we were able to turn the company around. We helped build the station into a 6-station network. Admittedly, Will was a big factor in pushing the sales promotions into unprecedented heights. We had back-to-back movie premieres in Silence of the Lambs and Robinhood Prince of Thieves. From a rock n' roll format that was shunned by advertisers, we were able to create a funky niche in our "Good Times" slogan. Ramon Jacinto's DZRJ and Bistro RJ became a hit among the oldies and the yuppies.

Lesson learned: go to a field that you will come to love and enjoy working in. Along the way, study your craft more than what's required of you to learn.

My practical advice? Don't learn the tricks of the trade, learn the trade. Find a mentor.


Sales as a Passion

When I was hired by the Asian Sources Media Group (now Global Sources) to be the Country Sales Manager for the publications World Executive's Digest (a.k.a. WED) and Trade & Travel magazines, I believe that's where I found my passion in sales.

When my old friend Bernia Jiao, then WED Marketing Manager, asked me if I would be interested to be the sole sales rep for the magazine, I was excited. I have been a fan of WED since college. I sold subscriptions of the magazine and knew its readership profile. However, I was to pick-up ad sales from a 15-year marketing arm. "Tough act to follow," I thought. Sales were also in the red. A reversal of its trend. In my mind, it's another turn-around task. This time, it's a tougher industry -- publishing! I was also up against regional and global sales managers as WED was now part of a global publishing group. Oh, and I was alone. The stakes became higher indeed!

Resorting to fervent prayer more often, I geared up for an uphill climb. I was relentless in my calls and forged partnerships with some high-value clients for long-term deals. After 4 years, I looked back and saw a 500% increase in sales. We were also already in the black and I was eventually awarded a Sales Person of the Year Award besting other nationalities. As far as I know, I was (and still am) the only Filipino who got that award. I also realized that 80% of my sales came from 20% of my clients -- the Pareto principle!

Having moved into various media including that of dotcoms, billboards, TV, and even a stint in recruitment sales, I realized that success comes with passion. It is waking up everyday embracing the prospect of a deal. This is where the adrenalin rush comes from. It's in the negotiations and crafting of proposals where the mind works more than the tongue. It's when after each presentation, faith sets in.

Lesson learned: many sales persons lose the game when they lose the passion. If you can spring back into action despite a setback, that's passion. If you're mind races into imagining solutions while the client is briefing you on their challenges, that's passion.

My practical advice? Be genuinely concerned in helping a customer or client find a solution to their challenges. See through those challenges as opportunities. In the end, it's how you got to closing the sale is what matters. This is where learnings come from. You solve a client's problem, you got a sale for your company. Think win-win -- genuinely.

Trail of the Boomers

Born in the last trail of the boomers,
When flowers were equal to power,
And everyone feared a nuclear shower,
Has the world changed for the better?

When television was in black and white,
Or ideals were either left or right,
Letting the big boys pick a fight,
Have we changed the value of might?

As rock and roll was being aired,
And Hollywood was being bared,
As many mothers’ teary eyes stared,
What price for blood was really paid?

Many more were born after us,
But there’s still division inside a bus,
We nurtured love of wealth as a must,
Now where’s the culture of trust?

Counting the silver and grey hairs we see,
Many more dreams that could never be,
If only fifty more years had we,
Can the captive nations truly be free?

Watching leaders and nations rise and fall,
We’ve always seen the writing on the wall,
We can still make our final call,
And be the generation that did our all.

Multiple Streams of Income

A few years ago, I stumbled upon author and speaker Robert Allen's white paper on the Internet titled "The 7 Secrets of Extremely Wealthy People." Also the author of "Nothing Down" and the "One Minute Millionaire," Robert Allen has contributed to my renewed perspective on making money so money itself will work for you.

I've gone back to corporate life after 7 years as a business development, marcom and publishing consultant. It was during those times that I've practiced Robert Allen's techniques as provided in his book "Multiple Streams of Income."

Somehow, I had "Filipinized" some of his views and translated "Multiple Streams of Income" into "pagbubukas ng maraming gripo" (opening many faucets or sources of water). This, I used as a basic coaching term for those seeking to improve their cash flow and income.

Internet-Based Business

Robert wrote about creating income through the Internet. I immediately created my own website. Admittedly, I got some consulting work from it and still receive some calls until now, though I'm so busy in my day job that I just offer free service for charities today. The key is to be an "Infopreneur." As Robert said, anyone can make money 24 hours a day through an Internet-based business. I agree.

Gather as much information as you can and are interested in. See where you can specialize. Create a business from there. Get paid for trading information or goods. A good friend of mine and a high school classmate, Jovel Cipriano, who owns Pinoydelikasi.com, earns huge sums from trading Filipino delicacies online. I was once meeting with him in Seattle's Best Coffee at the Greenbelt (in Makati City) when he paused for awhile to facilitate an order in the U.S. via email. Done in a minute! Whew! Another former elementary school classmate, Alain Villanueva, trades toys through E-Bay. He says he makes good money out of it in his own time. Knowledge indeed is equal to money.

Network Marketing (or MLM)

Another source (or faucet-wallet) is being involved in network marketing. Many have shunned this route due to pyramid scams. A word of wisdom: pyramid (or ponzi) schemes do not sell any tangible products. True MLM's (multi-level marketing) carry tangible products that are worth your investment. Candidly, the rule of thumb is 200% return on investment (ROI) on your first payment. You invest $100 and they give you $200 worth of products or benefits -- on the spot.

MLM is basically a home-based business. You can earn 2 ways: through selling products yourself or recruiting a network of sellers so they can sell the products for you. MLM is a form of direct selling. It is simply a way to distribute goods or services to the end consumer. I advice my friends going into network marketing or networking to check if the products are manufactured by the company or simply distributed. When the products are simply distributed, there's a danger that stocks will run out without a definite replenishment date. When this happens, the network becomes disgruntled as they are the end consumers anyway. The network then dies a natural end.

A company I recently joined is the Royale Business Club. It has strong products and a fantastic business plan, combining franchising, direct selling and binary recruitment. I am currently building a strong network which is destined for riches -- doing this in my spare time! Whoa!

OPM (Other People’s Money)

Money begets money. What if you don’t have money to start with? Then, go to someone who has!People with lots of money naturally want to have more. They can’t have enough. We will always have our reasons for wanting to accumulate money but for those who don’t have much to start with, then tap the one who has. You may have a skill or knowledge that when put into a business plan can potentially make loads of money. You may need an investor initially, but if your idea is presented correctly, then you can be partners. The key to this is an arrangement that both (or several) of you agree on. Some may opt for investing then divesting later, while some want to put money on the long haul. What’s also crucial is the type of relationship you may want with your investor/s. One word of advice – put your friends on the bottom of the list as potential investors. You’d rather keep your friendship than lose it someday if the venture fails.

The Commissioner

I have a knack at knowing what people want and need. This puts me in the middle of transactions. I connect them and I earn a commission. This, I can do, in my spare time. You can sell real estate, insurance, or anything that you can be an agent of. Just make sure you price your commissions based on industry standards. The key skill needed in this situation is to know the value of your connections and information. Keep informed. Keep connected.
Sell Something

Babies sell their need to be carried or fed by crying. When you apply for a job, you do everything in your power to get that job. You sell yourself to employers. Thus, no one can say that he or she hasn’t sold anything.

There are a lot of things that can be bought and sold. You can make something then sell it or buy something at a low price then sell it on value. That’s what car dealers do. They negotiate for a low price on someone selling his car, fix it up, then sell it with a neat mark-up. Think of something you can that you’d love to sell based on your knowledge or love of it. I used to sell magazine subscriptions and ads because I loved to read. I felt I was simply sharing my passion – and I got paid for it!

Doing What You Love

We dream of working on something that we are passionate about and get paid well to do it. This, I believe can be done if we seek in our hearts what is that that inspires us. When I do volunteer or evangelization work, I get fired up. All my communication and management skills are put to work for good causes. Do I make money on them? The work is for free. But by having a job that gives people jobs (I'm in executive/people search!) is truly empowering. When I recently joined Royale Business Club, my aim was to bring more people into their own business or at least have extra income. I have a friend who recently had a heart bypass. He's 60+ years old but has money to invest in a business. I told him I'd "partner" him with someone who can work on his network but doesn't have the money to spare. They share the profits. (This is also a variation of OPM)

Find what you love to do. You love books and coffee? Open a coffee shop with a bookshop. You want to the outdoors? Sell camping equipment. You love cars? Open a carwash business.

Everyone has his or her own passion. Make money out of it!

Hopefully next time, I’d be writing about the MONEY TREE. Tah-tah!

Paskong Pinoy

Heto na’t malamig na ang simoy na hangin sa gabi hanggang sa madaling araw. Ang tunog na Top 40 sa mga mall ay napalitan na ng mga Christmas Carols. Puro “Sale” na ang nakikitang karatula sa mga tindahan dito. Ang mga tindero’t tindera ay hanggang tenga na ang mga ngiti, inaantay ang iyong pagbuhos ng inipong salapi. Kumukutikutitap na din ang mga parol sa mga bahay at lansangan. Narito na nga ang Paskong Pinoy.

Buhos na din ang trapik sa buong kamaynilaan. Lalu na yung malapit sa mga paliparan dahil sa pag-uwi ng mga kamag-anak na nasa abroad. Ang mga palitan ng dolyar sa mga mall at Ermita ay mahaba na din ang pila. Di man naka-uwi ang iba, pera na lang ipinadala. Dagsa na din ang mga mamimili’t mandurukot sa Baclaran at 168 sa Divisoria.

Sa tulad kong kayod marino sa pagtatrabaho ng isang buong taon, ang inaasam na 13^th month ay ubos na. Naikasa ko na rin ang mga perang nakuha sa mga raket. Kaya hayun, yung suweldo na pang-Disyembre ang ibabakas sa panggastos sa Pasko.

Ang sabi nga ng mga tusong negosyante, tuwing piyesta at Pasko nga lang gumastos ng todo ang Pinoy. Kahit pa katayin na ang kaisa-isang baboy sa bakuran at limasin ang ipon sa tukador at banko, makapag-handa lang sa okasyong ito. Tama nga!

Bakit nga hindi? Minsan lang sa buong taon ang tumodo sa gastos para lang maranasan ang lubos na kasiyahan sa pagbibigay kesa ipagdamot ang kita. One day millionaires daw tayong mga Pinoy. Siguro nga. Hindi kasi tayo likas na madamot. Masayahin at matulungin dala ng pagiging maka-Diyos at maka-pamilya.

Sabi nga ng asawa ko, over-quota na daw kami sa budget sa Pasko. Madaming regalo ang naipamigay at maraming beses na ding nagbalik-balik sa mall at grocery para sa iba’t-ibang handaan. Bukod pa yun sa Noche Buena ha!

O sige, baka makalimot tayo sa tunay na diwa ng Pasko. Ito ang pagsilang ng Panginoong Hesus na nagbigay ng bagong buhay sa atin. Ito ay ating ipinagdidiwang sa kapaskuhan. Ang bagong buhay na ito ay ating ipinadadama sa lahat ng ating mahal sa buhay. Maging kapamilya, kapuso, kabayan, kabagang, kakosa o ka-anu-ano pa natin sila.

Sa bispiras ng Pasko, kabi-kabila na ang mga concert ng mga kabitbahay ko! Kanya-kanya na ang mga hari at reyna ng videoke. Bumabaha na din ang San Mig Light at Pale Pilsen at Duty Free na alak.

Sa di kalayuan, naririnig ang pagtawag ng simbahan para sa misa. Naglalakad na ang mga taong naka-pustura. Karamihan ay kulay pula at berde ang mga suot na damit. Dagsa na rin ang mga nagtitinda ng tradisyunal na puto bumbong at bibingka na lumaki ang kita mula ng magsimula ang simbang gabi. Salamat naman.

Pagtungtong ng alas dose, sabay-sabay na ang pamilya sa Noche Buena. Lahat ng klaseng pagkaing naka-ugalian na ang nakahanda. Ang importante’y magkakasama-sama. Kuwentuhan, kantahan, at walang humpay na kasiyahan. Hanggang kinabukasan yan. Lahat ng reunion pinipuntahan huwag lang magkatampuhan. Ang mga namamaskong kabataan, pinagbibigyan. Parang trick or treat sa Amerika. Iyan ang Paskong Pinoy. Minsan lang maging magarbo. Todo ang gastos, todo rin naman ang saya.

Lord, salamat po at ako’y isinilang Niyong Pinoy.