TEAM'S System on Economics, Success and Relationships

Orrin Woodward Scams, Coercion, And Networking-Part 3

2011-10-29T17:09:00.000-07:00

In part 3 of Orrin Woodward's piece on Scams, Coercion, and Network Marketing my favorite author points toward results attained by exercising your right to freedom. The "fruit on the tree" if you will! Nothing cements fact like principles applied and success achieved! Here is the proof that your detractors don't know what they are talking about. They simply apply negative so you don't reach a level any higher than their mediocrity. Here are the people who chose to ignore their critics, avoid their coercion, and set free the myth of networking being a scam backed by resluts.

God Bless!
Capt. Bill

Free to Win & Free to Lose

In America, one is free to win, free to lose, and, even free to blame. But unless one is forced against his will, a force that’s necessary for any real scam, one will look silly to blame his loss on anything but his own incompetence. It’s foolish to blame others, who worked harder, applied themselves more, and developed the skills to win. Calling winners names, calling the tournament (profession) a scam, pointing fingers at others, all in an effort to salve a wounded pride. This may take the focus off off his lack of skills temporarily, but it reveals more about the character of the sender of the toxic message than the receiver's character. It seems that ‘passing the buck’ is endemic in today’s society, but one of the goals of the Networking is to teach people personal responsibility. Accepting responsibility is the beginning of all leadership growth. In Networking, unless the person was forced to attend meetings against his will, forced to buy materials without a buy back provision, why is he passing judgment on others for his lack of results? The minute you blame others for your failures is the minute you surrender responsibility for your own life. In the Team, we teach that freedom is a gift and we support your freedom to win, lose or leave, voting with your own feet. The tens of thousands who are part of TEAM, were not coerced into joining, but joined freely by buying into the leadership culture. The TEAM leaders win by serving customers, not controlling them, even offering a 30 day, no questions asked, 100% return policy for any items purchased. No business would be foolish enough to publicly state that, unless they knew that 99.99% plus of their customers were happily served. All reputable Networking companies in our profession offer similar refund policies.

Stephen M.R. Covey is author of the New York Times bestseller The Speed of Trust

To me, the most interesting dimension of network market-ing is the focus on building relationships of trust. All parties must be able to trust one an- other, or nothing moves forward. Accountability, transparency and other high-trust behaviors clearly flow out of your character and competence, which in turn help to improve, solidify and create better relationships. Those relationships are powerful fruits that enable you to enjoy greater collaboration, a better reputation and shared accomplishment. When done well, network marketing is the speed of trust in action.

Team - Leadership Development Engine

My friend, John Maxwell, a top selling leadership guru, teaches that everything rises and falls on leadership. In my business ventures, I have focused on improving people’s leadership levels, thus improving their results. The many success stories achieved from this approach boggles the mind. Literally thousands of couples have reduced debts, improved relationships, and freed up their time from the mundane tasks, to focus on the important ones, by applying the principles learned from the TEAM leadership system. Does everyone get wealthy? Of course not, not everyone will discipline themselves daily to achieve that level of success. The key point is that those who do apply themselves, do achieve success. Similarly, those who don’t apply themselves consistently have no right to blame TEAM for their lack of discipline or poor thinking. Dan & Lisa Hawkins, a mechanic and day care provider, Chris & Danae Mattis, a counselor and dance instructor, and Marc & Kristine Miletello, both teachers, to name just a few of the TEAM leaders, all started from different walks of life, but all have achieved success through changing their associations and their thinking. Instead of sharing their stories for them, I let them speak for themselves in the following YouTube videos.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rtQ-IVcvAo&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32iwvGzGpgs&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16BGmUCV16U&feature=player_embedded

Two of the Top 30 Leaders in the World

The most recent Top 30 list of leadership gurus has Chris Brady, my co-author of the number one Wall Street Journal best seller for two weeks in a row - Launching a Leadership Revolution, and myself as Top 30 Leadership Gurus, making TEAM the only organization in the world with two of the Top 30. Gladwell’s 10,000 hours sure paid off for both Brady and myself. After five years, neither one of us had much success in Networking, but instead of quitting we chose to improve, leading to tens of thousands of satisfied customers. One either hates losing enough to change or one hates changing enough to lose. Brady and I chose to improve, as we hate losing, others may choose quitting, as they hate changing. I support their choices, because I support the freedom to choose. Giving people the freedom to make their own decisions, and the freedom to live with the subsequent results is the American way. If you win, you get the credit, but correspondingly, if you lose, you must take the blame. This is what made America great, and what my parents, along with competitive sports taught me as a young boy. No leader is good enough to make someone win against their will. In the TEAM, we commit to providing the best leadership training available for the dollar invested, but you must commit to the personal growth and the actions necessary to convert the training into results. People like Hawkins, Mattis, and Miletello applied the principles and changed their lives. What you will do, is up to you.

What Scams have I studied to date?

If you found this site looking for my research into the coercion based scams that I have studied so far, here is a partial list to get started.

1. Social Security Scam

2. Fiat Money Scam

3. Tariff Scam

4. Democracy Scam

5. National Bank Scam

6. U.N. Scam

God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Grandpa Know's Best!

2011-10-05T18:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a repost of early Orrin Woodward that's absolutely touching. This is classic Woodward philosophy, learning from those with not only experience, but the fruit on the tree!

Enjoy!
Capt. Bill

PS. Check out the links to Tim Marks, George Guzzardo and Dan Hawkins leadership blogs. More great information with a timely message!

I read a great short story by Steve Brunkhorst called Grandfather’s letter. What incredible nuggets it had for climbers in life! Steve’s points out that in order to climb from peak to peak—we must endure the valley between the mountains. It takes courage to step off the peak and descend into the valley in order to climb the higher peak on the horizon. I feel many of us have walked through a valley for the last 5 or 6 months and arestarting to ascend to another peak. This is the year to count your blessings, break camp and start the climb to the top! Enjoy this wonderful story and follow the advice of Grandfather’s letter.- Orrin Woodward

One day, a young man was cleaning out his late grandfather’s belongings when he came across a bright red envelope. Written on the front were the words, “To my grandson.” Recognizing his grandfather’s handwriting, the boy opened the envelope. A letter inside read:

Dear Ronny,
Years ago you came to me for help. You said, “Grandpa, how is it that you’ve accomplished so much in your life? You’re still full of energy, and I’m already tired of struggling. How can I get that same enthusiasm that you’ve got?”

I didn’t know what to say to you then. But knowing my days are numbered, I figure that I owe you an answer. So here is what I believe.

I think a lot of it has to do with how a person looks at things. I call it ‘keeping your eyes wide open.’

First, realize that life is filled with surprises, but many are good ones. If you don’t keep watching for them, you’ll miss half the excitement. Expect to be thrilled once in a while, and you will be.

When you meet up with challenges, welcome them. They’ll leave you wiser, stronger, and more capable than you were the day before. When you make a mistake, be grateful for the things it taught you. Resolve to use that lesson to help you reach your goals.

And always follow the rules. Even the little ones. When you follow the rules, life works. If you think you ever really get by with breaking the rules, you’re only fooling yourself.

It’s also important to decide exactly what you want. Then keep your mind focused on it, and be prepared to receive it.

But be ready to end up in some new places too. As you grow with the years, you’ll be given bigger shoes to fill. So be ready for endings as well as challenging beginnings.

Sometimes we have to be brave enough to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar. Life isn’t just reaching peaks. Part of it is moving from one peak to the next. If you rest too long in between, you might be tempted to quit. Leave the past in the past. Climb the next mountain and enjoy the view.

Dump things that weigh you down emotionally and spiritually. When an old resentment, belief, or attitude becomes heavy, lighten your load. Shed those hurtful attitudes that slow you down and drain your energy.

Remember that your choices will create your successes and your failures. So consider all the pathways ahead, and decide which ones to follow. Then believe in yourself, get up, and get going.

And be sure to take breaks once in a while. They’ll give you a renewed commitment to your dreams and a cheerful, healthy perception of the things that matter the most to you.

Most important of all, never give up on yourself. The person that ends up a winner is the one who resolves to win. Give life everything you’ve got, and life will give its best back to you.
Love always,
Grandpa

Butterflies Are Free!

2011-09-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

Another great teaser from Orrin Woodward's new book, RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE, set to be released November 1, 2011. Who better to teach us about systems than the #1 community builder through the systems approach. Here Orrin cites his study of systems applied though out history! Who would have thought that someone else's experience from the past would be applicable today? Maybe someone could clue in our representatives in Washington!

Enjoy!
Capt. Bill

Butterfly Effect
RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE-Orrin Woodward

The Butterfly Effect, a part of the Chaos Theory, confirms the massive results that slight changes can have when applied to a leverage point within a system. The butterfly effect is such that a butterfly flapping its wings has the capacity to change the initial atmospheric conditions enough to trigger a series of changes that compound into a hurricane on the other side of the world. The same effect applies to human affairs in that subtle adjustments in initial conditions can create profound differences in results. In fact, according to the University of Bath, it was through studying weather patterns that the Butterfly Effect was first expounded:

In 1960 a meteorologist named Edward Lorenz was researching into the possibilities of long term weather prediction. He created a basic computer program using mathematical equations which could theoretically predict what the weather might be. One day he wanted to run a particular sequence again, and to save time he started it from the middle of the sequence. After letting the sequence run he returned to find that the sequence had evolved completely different from the original. At first he couldn’t comprehend such different results but then realized that he had started the sequence with his recorded results to 3 decimal places, whereas the computer had recorded them to 6 decimal places. As this program was theoretically deterministic we would expect a sequence very close to the original, however this tiny difference in initial conditions had given him completely different results.

Lorenz’s findings teach that slight changes running through complex systems compound over time, creating significant differences in results. For leaders who understand systems, a little extra “flapping of the wings” at key points of leverage can multiply with time creating major changes in the long-term outcomes. Although no one can predict the results in complex systems omnisciently (as in weather forecasting), leaders know that small variances in initial conditions can produce big differences in the finished products. History is filled with examples of how little incidences impacted the destiny of civilizations. The Great Courses series, taught by historian J. Rufus Fears, dramatizes this point:

January 10, 49 B.C.: Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon River into Rome, igniting a civil war that leads to the birth of the world’s greatest ancient civilization.

October 12, 1492: The Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus, weary after months at sea, finally drops anchor at the island of San Salvador and takes Europe’s first steps into the New World.

September 11, 2001: On a calm Tuesday morning, a series of terrorist attacks on the United States of America ignites a global war on terrorism that continues to this day.

History is made and defined by landmark events such as these—moments that irrevocably changed the course of human civilization. While many of us are taught that anonymous social, political, and economic forces are the driving factors behind events of the past, acclaimed historian and award-winning Professor J. Rufus Fears believes that it’s individuals, acting alone or together, who alter the course of history. These events have given us

* spiritual and political ideas,

* catastrophic battles and wars,

* scientific and technological advances,

* world leaders both influential and monstrous, and

* cultural works of unparalleled beauty.

Without them, human history as we know it today would be shockingly unfamiliar. It’s because of these events that our world will never be the same again.

A Special Announcement!

2011-08-27T15:32:00.000-07:00

Some important news from Orrin Woodward...Pass it on!
Capt. Bill

Special Announcement: On October 3, Blogharbor will be closing its doors, my blog will be moving over to WordPress. All of the relevant leadership material will migrate with me. :)

Chris Brady and I went to Lansing, Michigan for a Super Open. With TEAM in it's pre-launch phase of LIFE, numbers and excitement are peaking! With over 1500 in live attendance plus 760 TEAM Casts locations, with an average of 15-20 per house, this was the single biggest Open meeting in TEAM's history. Now people can enjoy the leadership training in the comfort of their own or a neighbors house, reducing the amount of time, travel and hotel space needed, while increasing the quality of speaker content across the community. Here is a description of the intersectional quality of TEAM's new business model - LIFE. LIFE's plan is to grow all 8F's, helping serve each member with the only company with two of the Top 30 Leadership Gurus and New York Times Best Selling Authors. Not too mention the lowest priced leadership products, all within the record setting TEAM community. Finally, In November, LIFE will launch the most lucrative compensation plan in the history of Networking. I love win-win-win, and this plan is a win for customers, win for TEAM members, and win for Dallin Larsen. I personally want to thank Dallin Larsen, Ernst & Young entrepreneur of the year, for having the vision and foresight to partner with leaders in a win-win fashion. When TEAM reaches a million people, he will be happy with the results. :) Onward to 1 million! God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Restoring The American Dream!

2011-07-05T16:57:00.000-07:00

Good leadership demands reading! A classic post mentoring us on a great read! You will soon be run over by your community if you don't out learn them, so don't be caught staring at their tailights.
Enjoy!
Capt. Bill

The American Dream, the yearning for freedom inside of all Americans, no matter what race, creed or color, has lost its luster in recent years. American Dream? How about staying ahead on my bills? Dazed and confused by the endless maize of government regulations, most American’s have reduced their dreams to keeping their head above the water. A new book has the map out of the maize. Robert Ringer, the author of three number one best selling books, a true lover of liberty and justice, has captured the principles in his newly re-released book, Restoring the American Dream, to return America to greatness. What Margaret Thatcher famously quipped, while leading Great Britain back from the brink of disaster, still holds true today, “The problem with Socialism is that eventually you run out of other people’s money to steal.” Mr. Ringer eloquently captures the fundamental errors in our national policies, sharing where we have veered off track from the Founder Father’s vision, while gently directing us back to the principles that made America great. Whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, a Libertarian, or undecided, this book will awaken inside of you a hunger to learn more.

The American Dream is not dead, only sick from heavy doses of government intervention. Our economy shakes like a drug addict suffering a downer from his latest hit, searching for the next government quick fix, instead of cleaning out his system of every bad habit. It’s time to put socialism and Keynesianism where it belongs, on the ash heap of history. People did not travel to America from around the world to seek the latest government program. No, people traveled to America for an opportunity to succeed or fail based upon their own efforts. Mr. Ringer explains that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness were the only guarantees that government was to insure, the rest would be accomplished by your efforts and God’s Providence. Restoring the American Dream is a clarion call for individualism, self-responsibility, and personal freedom, a perfect fit for small business owners who proclaim this message every night.

Entrepreneurs from all over the world flocked to America for freedom. I pray the trend doesn’t reverse, entrepreneurs flocking away from American to escape oppressive taxation and policies. Whether you agree with every point isn’t as important as thinking through the points and Mr. Ringer’s book will make you think. Every concerned American needs to get informed on what government has done to our liberty, our money, our taxes and thus our futures. God Bless, Orrin Woodward

You Gotta Have Friends!

2011-06-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

When it comes to relationships and relationship building, when the #7 leadership guru speaks, people listen. Here's a great post from Orrin Woodward, mentoring us all on the fine art of friendship!
Enjoy!
Capt. Bill

True friendship is a fine art. When you find a true friend, a friend that will be there when the chicken hits the fan, be sure to count your blessings. Many people will live their whole life with nothing more than acquaintances, rather than friendships. Because friends respect one another, it naturally leads to leadership influence in respective areas of expertise. In order to lead people properly, one must love the person, as a fellow human being, believing in his/her goals and dreams. In other words, friendship must come before leadership, forming an authentic speed of trust relationship. Without love for people, leadership can quickly degrade into manipulation, causing damage to the leaders heart and the community’s future. Chris Brady and I wrote an entire book on leadership, our #1 best seller, Launching a Leadership Revolution, a must read for anyone in the leadership field. If you haven’t read that book, be sure to do so, because the principles taught here will come to life, at a new level, when combined with the LLR teachings.

Before diving into the details of this chapter, let’s examine our hearts. Why do you want to lead? Do you care for the people or just the prestige associated with leadership? Are you willing to sacrifice for the team when necessary? Although there are many rewards for leaders, at the end of the day, leadership is about service to others, not about perks for self. Leaders must love people and use things, not love things and use people. This is foundational for all long-term leadership, love is the glue that holds communities together during the struggles to success . When a community doesn’t feel loved, believing they are just part of the machine, they will stay only for material rewards. In the past, that may have worked, but in today’s competitive marketplace, communities will surpass individuals every time.

Since friendship comes before leadership, let’s begin our study with the key principles to develop authentic friendships. Remember, these are principles, not techniques, being more a matter of the heart than just the physical actions. Applying the techniques, without the right heart, will come off as inauthentic, hurting the relationship. But with the right heart, following the principles suggested, anyone can build relationships that will last a lifetime, leading to the joy associated with true fellowship, creating a foundation for leadership excellence. When gathering with true friends for a night of fellowship, food, and fun, the laughter and learning brings happiness to all that are present, because the friendship is founded upon trust developed through proper application of the friendship principles. Friends allow you to relax and be yourself, knowing that you will be loved, faults and all. If you want great friendships that will last a lifetime, then be a great friend first. There are several books that I recommend to help in becoming a true friend to others. The first is Dale Carnegie’s classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People and the second is Les Giblin’s, How to Have Confidence and Power with People. These two books did more for me, in relating to people, than any other people skills books. With these books and the six principles that I am about to share, you will radically transform your relationships.

The first principle in developing healthy relationships is to learn that people are drawn to happy open people, not unhappy closed people. By following the resolutions discussed previously in this book, one will find greater happiness in life. Happiness isn’t something to be sought directly, but is found indirectly by applying personal discipline to a worthwhile goal or dream. Having a positive attitude is one of the quickest ways to draw people towards you. Attitude is a magnet that draws or repels, depending upon whether it’s a positive or negative one. Resolution #3 covers positive attitude and EQ, so I won’t go into much detail here, but refer back to it for further comments on attitude. A second factor in drawing people to you is the power of a genuine smile. Smiling is part of the universal language for the world, communicating happiness and openness. When traveling internationally, even when one doesn’t speak the language, a baby smiling can bring smiles and cheerfulness to all around them. When people see you smile, it’s surprising how many people will smile right back at you. If you believe that you are happy, but aren’t smiling, please notify your face.

Another key to communicate openness and approachability is personal appearance. How you dress and groom communicates to others how you feel about yourself. Dress for success is more than just a catch phrase. Grooming for success is just as important. For example, if you have breath that would knockout a camel cold, get some breath mints, gum, or mouth wash. Body odor is another quick way to communicate that you are unapproachable. If they can’t get within ten feet of you without gasping, it might be difficult for you to nurture a longterm friendship. First impressions, whether we like it or not, do have a huge impact on our ability to have a second impression. Being approachable means that you attitude mentally, your smile and smells physically, and your looks aesthetically communicate friendliness to others. If you are not sure how you are doing, ask your spouse or close friend. Allow them to speak honestly, with the goal being to improve in openness and approachability.

The second principle in developing people skills is to take a genuine interest in others. What is a person’s favorite subject to talk about? If you guessed themselves, then you just won the jackpot. Friendships are based upon mutual interests, so learning about others interests is a key step in the process of nurturing relationships. For example, a person’s name is sweet to their ears. When you meet people, be sure to take the time to learn, and pronounce their name properly. Even, if you have to ask them to repeat their name, they won’t be offended as it displays an interest in them. With a name like Orrin, I have had to repeat my name many times, but I was always impressed when someone took the time to get my name right. The best way to do this is to say it several times during the conversation, complimenting them by your care to remember their name, and, through repetition, storing it into memory.

One of the quickest ways to display an interest in others is to listen to them. Stephen Covey titled it, “seek first to understand, then be understood.” You have two ears and one mouth, let’s use them in that proportion. I find that I learn much more when I listen, rather than talk. I believe you will discover this too. Ask questions and then listen. What questions you ask? Why not start with the FOR method - Family, Occupation, and Recreation? These are great starter questions to get someone talking about themselves, helping you learn more about them. For example, if you just met John and he is a dentist, ask, “John, how did you get into the dental field?” I love hearing the stories develop after that question. Whether is was a parent who encouraged them, a friend in the field, or a dream from childhood, it’s fascinating to learn people’s stories. All stories have a dream, struggle, victory component, and as I listen, I am listening for the key struggles that were overcome. Afterwards, I can point out to them how they played like a champion, finishing what they started. Usually, during the discussion, the new friend will pause, realizing that he has been doing most of the talking, and will probably need encouragement to continue. Remember, he is used to people only talking, not listening, so he is probably wondering what is wrong with you.

Cultivate listening into one of your most developed skills. A genuine interest in others will come through in your conversations, taking listening to the highest level of active listening. Active listening is the key to help others feel comfortable talking while intently listening. Stay focused on them, looking them in the eyes, nodding with understanding, empathizing with the success story being shared. In order to learn more of the dream, struggle, victory life story, you may need to ask questions during the active listening process. Questions like: “Really, why is that?”; “Serious?”; “What kept you going?”; “And then what happened?”; “No kidding?”; “That’s amazing!”; “Unbelievable”; How did you keep going?”, and many other short comments to inspire other to talk while you actively listen. I know, this isn’t rocket science, but listening skills are the most effective and underutilized people skill. I want to ensure everyone understands the importance of drawing others out, as nothing bonds people to you as quickly as active listening does, since nothing compliments a person more than taking a genuine interest in them. I have found over the years that I have learned much more by listening to others, and, when I was ready to talk, I had their undivided attention. I like to learn from experience, but if I listen well, I can learn from others experience also, not having to repeat the same lesson that others have taken for me. By listening to others, you learn from experience - their experiences, saving you time and money. To sum up, applying active listening skills, when you meet others, displays a genuine interest in them, paying a huge compliment by listening and learning valuable lessons along the way.

The third principle in developing true friendship is finding value in others. Before people will find value in you, they typically must first feel valued by you. This can create a chicken and the egg scenario where each person is waiting for the other to value them. I have witnessed so many discussions where each person attempts to one up the other by rolling out his list of achievements. Instead, let the person share their achievements and be truly impressed. By giving relationship oxygen to the other side, they can breathe easier and listen after you have valued them. Let’s stop the crazy cycle by valuing others first, it cost nothing (unless your self pride is more important than others self worth), but it pays huge dividends. How does one find value in others? Les Giblin, the author of How to Have Confidence and Power with People, give the Triple A formula that is pure gold in relationships: Accept, Approve, and Appreciate. I encourage you to read over and over again, Chapter 6 of Giblin’s book covering the three A’s. It really is that good! Let me share an overview of the Triple A formula here to help define the terms and start the learning process.

Acceptance from one human being to another creates peace, allowing one to relax and open up. When someone is constantly judging everything said and done, it doesn’t allow the other person to relax, making friendship nearly impossible. Acceptance does not mean you approve of everything that the person does, but you will never influence anyone that you don’t accept as a human being first. I have found, that only after accepting the person as they are, that it frees them up to become what they want to be. A mentor’s acceptance brings peace and joy, allowing the other person some breathing space to develop personally. Acceptance to the soul is like food for the body, giving people nourishment, providing energy for further improvement. By accepting people as they are, they start desiring further food, creating a process of growth, nurtured along by your acceptance of them. Most people get this wrong, thinking they cannot accept someone until they do everything right. The problem with this is that no one does everything right, leaving all of us unaccepted, if everyone thought this way. All of us need to grow, I certainly know that I do, but when people accept me for the way I am, this gives me the soul nourishment to keep moving on. Since we have a full time project in working to improve ourselves, we should judge lightly the faults of others. How many people in your life are you feeding with acceptance?

Approval moves beyond acceptance of the person into approval of specific actions and talents. While acceptance is more an absence of negatives, approval is the recognition of a person’s positives. In the Triple A formula spelled out in Giblin’s book, I view acceptance as the appetizer, approval as the main dish, and appreciation as the dessert, in the buffet for the human soul. In order to approve someone, you must be looking for the attributes that you respect and admire in others. I believe the reason most people do not take the time to approve of others is because they are too busy seeking acceptance, approval and appreciation for themselves. When you can get over yourself, you will be in a much better position to help others get over themselves. Focus everyday, on pointing out to those closest to you, the things that you respect and admire about them. Approval is like oil in an engine, making everything run smoother with less friction. Interestingly, approval has more of an impact, when the approval is in a less than obvious attribute. For example, pointing out to a professional car racer that you admire the way he drives won’t have the same impact as pointing out you admire his relationship with his children. Be a professional observer of excellence in others, and then point it out! Most, so preoccupied with themselves won’t observe, but even if you do observe, it only reaches the other person by sharing your positive observations. What is the point of observing without sharing? How many people are you approving in your life?

Appreciation is the dessert in relationship foods for the soul. When you appreciate someone, you communicate to them that they are special to you, not just another face in the crowd. Appreciate is the opposite of depreciate. When something depreciates, it loses its value; but when something appreciates, it gains in value. Are you appreciating those closest to you? Are you increasing the value of your friends and family by appreciating them? Little things make all the difference here. When you set an appointment, be on time as that communicates you value the other person. Another is to thank people personally for a job well done. Single out what you appreciate about them as a person and in their work, making them feel special and separated from the crowd. If you really want to appreciate others, then share all the good you can about them to others. When others do great work, share your appreciation, not just with them, but to everyone that they know. This is the proper use of talking behind someone else’s back, all the good that you know about them. Everyone wants to feel accepted, approved, and appreciated, sadly most people believe condemning, criticizing, and complaining will help to change people, but nothing could be further from the truth. You catch more bees with honey than you ever will with vinegar, so put away the vinegar for good, and start attracting people to you through the Giblin’s Triple A formula.

The fourth principle to build lifelong friendships is building a shared vision of the future. Friendships are based upon shared experiences, the more positive experiences that people share together, the more friendships are strengthened. Conversely, when friends lack a common vision, they lose shared experiences and eventually lose the bonds that drew them together in the first place. All of us have had friends from high school that didn’t continue, having lost the common vision (geting out of school), and the shared experiences. Lifetime friends are different, they are built upon common visions that last longer than the high school or job where they met. My lifetime friends all have strengths and weaknesses (just as I do), but friends magnify each others strengths, while protecting each others weaknesses. Few people think through why they have the friends that they have, but essentially, friends build social communities, providing value to each other by leveraging each others strengths and enjoying each others company. In other words, the friends that you have, you have because you admire certain strengths that they possess, enhancing your life by the strengths in their life. In the same way, your strengths increase your friends enjoyment and success on their journey of life. Shared visions, shared experiences, shared strengths while protecting weaknesses, forms the recipe for long lasting enjoyment for both parties in life long friendships.

But in life, struggles will occur, blurring the common vision. Friends will need empathy from one another to endure the hardships thrown at them. When a friend is hurting, its important to be there for them, listening to his situation, understanding his pain, empathizing with him, while redirecting his focus to solutions. Friends must learn to reframe the struggles in each others lives, giving a better perspective to help friends endure. When friends fall into a pit, it’s your responsibility to help them find the way out. A true friend empathizes with, but never sympathizes with their friends struggles. Meaning, friends will feel each others pain, but not jump into the pit with each other. Instead, friends throw ropes down into the pit to help their friends get out. Listen, understand, empathize, but then reframe and help them move ahead. All friends will go through challenges, but a true friend helps them see the light at the end of the tunnel of darkness. Friends will remember that when the chicken hit the fan in their life, that you took the time to be there, creating bonds of friendship that will stand the test of time. Friends who help each other in times of need are rare, so hold onto these friends. I count a person’s real wealth to be in the quality of friends developed, not monetary net worth developed. Are you a priceless friend to your friends?

Fidelity to the reputation and character of one’s friends is another key principle in enduring friendships. What is friendship if it isn’t loyal to one another when needed? Loyalty to friends doesn’t mean, my friend right or wrong, but it does mean my friend, let’s help him do right. A true friend doesn’t exit the scene when life gets tough, rather, he enters more boldly to help out. Fair weather friends are not really friends at all. It takes real courage to stick by people when they’re dealt painful cards in life, but that’s exactly when true friend are needed. When someone hurts a friend, they hurt all his friends as friends stick together. In this situation, friends must rally together to focus on resolving the dispute between friends. If your friend is following the conflict resolution principles, but the other side isn’t, then the other side will know they have violated your friendship as well. Conversely, if your friend is not following conflict resolution guidelines, you must sit down in love and loyalty and speak truth to them with the hope that both sides will follow the appropriate principles. Friends have a responsibility to be loyal to their friends, abandoning a friendship only when a friend abandons truth repeatedly, creating a situation where defending your friend would put you on the side of untruth. Even in this situation, I let my former friend know that restoration is possible when truth is restored in his life and our relationship. Loyalty, fidelity and honor are not used much in today’s society, but life long friendships must be based upon them. In my opinion, next to truth itself, loyalty is the most valued principle in a true friendship, forming the glue that holds friendships together during the storms of life.

Lastly, friends celebrate each others victories together. Can you be as excited for a friends victory as you are your own? This is essential for true friendships as friends should be each others greatest cheerleaders. Friends are not jealous of one another, nor suffer from envy, but do all they can to lift their friends up. Friends aren’t competitors, but huge fans and encouragers of one another. Why wouldn’t you celebrate when a friend succeeds at any worthy endeavor? A friends victory lifts the tide for everyone surrounding them. Friends dream together, laugh together, struggle together, have victories together, and celebrate together. Be the biggest cheerleader of your friends successes. Let your friends know how much you admire their strengths, sharing your thankfulness to be part of their lives. This will form bonds of loyalty, letting your friends know that you are proud of their successes, and proud to be their friend. Friends lift one another up when they are together, but also are the biggest cheerleaders of each other when they aren’t together as well. Be the type of friend, who cheers their accomplishments behind their backs, sharing all the good that you know about them. No one is an island unto themselves, having friends who cheer one another’s successes is essential in making life meaningful and fruitful.

True friendship is a lost art in today’s “Me” generation, but that only increases the value of a friend when you really find one. The best way to find friends of this caliber is to be one to others. In life, if someone identifies a couple of friends of this quality, then he is a blessed man. Make a personal commitment to give more to each relationship than you receive. This is much tougher to do in practice when you find true friends as they are focusing on giving more than they receive. Friendship brings so much joy into life and should be cultivated daily. Conversely, damaged relationships bring so much pain to life, and should be resolved quickly. The older I get, the more I realize that my real wealth is in my faith, family, and friends, making me more conscious to nurture the relationships that have brought so much joy into my life. In today’s world of feckless and fickle friends, give to others a friendship based upon fidelity and faithfulness. God Bless, Orrin Woodward

MLM Scams

The Road Not Taken!

2011-06-06T18:32:00.000-07:00

Since we are on a literary kick, this is one of my favorite works. Whenever we discuss running against the herd, fighting 95% thinking, becoming a leader and by definition, doing something different, this comes to mind. Orrin has told us time and time again, to get different results; outstanding results, you have to take a journey others aren't willing to make. I hope this echoes in your mind as you venture down the leadership highway.
Enjoy
Capt. Bill

The Road Not Taken!

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost (1874–1963).

J. S. Kim - The Role of Central Banks

2011-05-17T18:32:00.000-07:00

This is such a timeless classic from Orrin explaining our country's economic scam, I had to post it for all to revisit!
Enjoy!
Capt. Bill

Here is an informative article from J. S. Kim, one of the best minds on economics and government policy in the marketplace. Mr. Kim has consistently beat the market and, like Peter Schiff, studies the underlying principles behind government policies to predict accurately. We need less rhetoric from our government and more principle based leadership. I encourage everyone to start educating yourself on Austrian Economics, because it is the only economic training that has consistently predicted the effects of government intervention.

Mr. Kim explains his investment strategy. The underlying principles reveal that the relationships with Government and Central Banks are more important than serving the customer. This is another example of the end of free enterprise and to corporatocracy worldwide. The totalitarians lost the cold war, but are winning the economic war. This is not a good trend for freedom loving citizens of the world. Mr. Kim states that the Central Banks are more powerful than any government in the world! Throughout history, debtors are in bondage to their creditors. We cannot afford to remain ignorant of this slide into government ownership and control. God Bless, Orrin Woodward

All global economic problems today are rooted in the existence of Central Banks and their commitment to an application of destructive Keynesian economic theories to our global monetary system that simply has not worked for the better part of this century. Within the realm of academics, monetary policy, politics and media, there is a persistent refusal to acknowledge the primary role Central Banks undertake in artificially creating boom-bust cycles that would not occur in such severe fashion were Central Banks simply willing to step out of the way and allow free market forces to operate.

If you ask anyone who graduated from Wharton, Harvard or Oxford, or any number of other Western universities, with a degree in business or economics, who Alan Greenspan is, I guarantee you that he or she knows (I myself graduated from the University of Pennsylvania). However, ask them who Friedrich A. Hayek is, and I doubt if anyone knows. Yet those of us that adhere to Austrian economic theories have used our understanding of sound monetary principles to accurately predict all steps of this crisis since 2006.

So how did I learn about Austrian economic theories despite never having heard of Friedrich A. Hayek during my entire 18 years of schooling? For the last 15 years, I taught myself what the institutionalized formal educational system refused to teach me. Despite the successful accuracy of our past predictions, even today, we are summarily dismissed as crazy “gloom and doomers," while those that steadfastly adhere to Keynesian economics principles (all Western Central Banks as well as the governments and politicians they control), upon reflection, are the ones guilty of the predominant body of wildly inaccurate, unsound, and failed predictions over the past 3 years. Need a sample? How about the US housing markets being fine and properly valued? How about the US being on a path to full employment? How about strong future economic growth and a boom in US exports? Though in hindsight, these predictions sound more like the ramblings of a madman, these predictions were all made by our current Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, in 2005 and 2006.

In reality, if we strip away the divisive jargon of politics, gloom and doomers are not the perpetual pessimists we have been inaccurately and unfairly portrayed as by the media (for even I told my clients just five months ago that a 1,000 point rise in the DJIA was entirely plausible though the Dow’s climb has admittedly been twice my expectation since). In reality, we are merely strong proponents of the Austrian School of Economics. In the Western sphere of academia, the principles advocated by the Austrian School of Economics have been so silenced that most of us who graduated from Western institutions of education with MBAs, graduated never having heard of Friedrich A. Hayek, one of the pioneers of the Austrian School of Economics. This, despite the fact that his economic principles are so important that he is the most quoted economist in the acceptance speeches of Nobel Prize winners in economics.

In fact, by cleansing banking history and monetary policy in all textbooks of any honest discourse about the Austrian School of Economics, Central Banks have even shut out nearly all Western educated young men and women from possibly understanding the true roots of this crisis. The reason for this is simple: If people understood Austrian economic principles, there would be instantaneous revolt in the Western hemisphere against the loony monetary principles enforced upon us by Central Banks. Ignorance is the great pacifier. Those who are ignorant of Austrian economic principles and most hurt by the financial oligarchs that inflict Keynesian economic policies often the economy often serve as their staunchest defenders and apologists. For example, the retail investor who defends current stock market rallies in China, Europe and the US as “fundamentally sound” and “sustainable” will be the first person to be wiped out when these rallies ultimately and necessarily crash.

It is an absolute lie when the media and financial executives stated last year that no economist foresaw the blowback of decades of loose monetary principles that created the perilous situation the world suffered in 2007 and 2008. And when they tell us that this crisis has bottomed, this is a lie too. It is true that no Keynesian economist forecast this crisis; however, there were plenty of Austrian economists who forecast nearly every step of this crisis months and even years before this crisis unfolded. I, myself, back in September of 2006 started writing about a “Peak Investment Crisis” and I was hardly the only one who foresaw the depth of this crisis more than 3 years ago.

Furthermore, one could review the very public predictions of self-proclaimed adherents to Austrian economic principles such as Jim Rogers, Max Keiser, Ron Paul, Peter Schiff and many others for the past 3 years as well. I am very confident that you will find that strong proponents of Austrian economics were well accurate in the majority of their predictions while all of our banking and political leaders were atrociously inaccurate in their predictions as a group. Given the huge chasm in the accuracy of predictions between proponents of Austrian and Keynesian economics, were it not for a realization that the media are shills for the financial oligarchs, it would indeed by perplexing to try to understand why they continue to marginalize the accurate predictors as “gloom and doomers” and continue to heap praise upon the atrociously poor predictors. I, for one, refuse to give power or credibility to the term “gloom and doomers” as it surely is a favored discrediting tactic of the financial oligarchs that rule the US Federal Reserve and the world’s other Central Banks.

The US Federal Reserve has always been eager to re-inflate collapsed asset bubbles with cheap credit and ultra-loose monetary policy (just reference the actions of the US Central Bank, post-crash, after the 2000 dotcom stock market crash, and the more recent US housing crash). In the face of a runaway asset bubble, however, Central Banks have always been reluctant to rein in the flood of malinvestment created by their loose (and damaging and foolish) monetary policies by raising interest rates. In fact, the only time that I can recall the US Federal Reserve proactively, instead of reactively, attempting to curb inflationary bubbles was in the late 70’s and early 80’s, when they raised the Fed Funds interest rate to 20.00% in order to serve a larger private agenda and prevent the US dollar from collapsing.

But today, eager to reinflate the stock market after the US housing market plunge, they have successfully re-inflated the US S&P 500 to a P/E valuation that, for the last four months, has been 7.5 times higher than its historical average of 17.79. And as usual, the US Central Bank stated yesterday that they have no interest in stopping this runaway malinvestment bubble either as they stated they will leave interest rates near zero for the foreseeable future.

Central Bank policies, as usual, only serve to postpone and exacerbate the problems that their loose monetary problems create by engineering illusory recoveries that are entirely borne out manipulating the monetary system that they control, but that have zero basis in fundamentally sound economic principles. What do I mean by this? It is quite simple. When economies struggle, Central Banks never seek to solve the root of the problem, but instead, choose to artificially cut interest rates due to Keynesian economic theories, even when free market dynamics call for no such actions. Consequently, a flood of cheap credit leads to spikes in investment borrowing solely due to cheap credit and not because of the existence of appealing investment opportunities that offer good growth prospects.

The flood of easy money that Central Banks create now needs a home, as investors don’t borrow money to earn less than 1% annual interest in a bank savings account. The home, outside of entrepreneurs who may reinvest this money into their own businesses, is either the real estate market or the stock market. In the case of the stock market, since the stock market was not demanding more new money but has been force-fed new money, it continues to absorb the excess liquidity artificially created by Central Banks even when stocks are already fairly valued and even overvalued. This is Central Bank force-fed malinvestment, not economic recovery, and outside of the manipulation of Wall Street high frequency computer trading programs, this is precisely how we ended up with an S&P 500 with a P/E over a 133 for the last four months.

In reality, if free markets were free of Central Bank meddling, and allowed to function and set interest rates, proper interest rates would be set, and the appropriate amount of borrowing and investment or disinvestment would occur in US stock markets to achieve a healthy valuation of stocks. Instead, when Central Banks' artificially create excess money that free markets do not demand, excess money chases poor investments, distort asset prices, and create an extended period of malinvestment. So while periods of malinvestment can last for exceptionally long periods of time as long as Central Banks keep shoving cheap credit down the throat of the economy, the “economic recoveries” they produce are unsustainable and therefore nothing more than prolonged periods of ill-advised malinvestment. Under these conditions, every higher rise is, in reality, nothing but a greater distortion and move away from fair market values that plant the seeds for a future disastrous and inevitable crash that cannot be prevented.

A recovery under these conditions, commonly and erroneously referred to by the media as a “boom”, is not a “boom” at all, but a mass distortion of prices not set by free market forces of supply and demand, but deliberately engineered by foolish Central Bank monetary policies that successfully “bait” foolish individuals and institutions. History tells us that malinvestments always end up in busts. Not in small corrections and further sustainable growth for the next five years as Keynesian economists would want you to believe, but in spectacular busts. This is why I can be 100% sure that a spectacular bust is in the future of the US stock markets and that the only question that remains is the timing of this bust.

And when the bust that is inevitable occurs, you can be 100% sure that the financial shills that are our mass media will once again erroneously describe the “bust” as an “unforeseeable event”. Through the lens of an Austrian economist, this bust is necessary as it is part of the market’s self-healing process whereby it sheds itself of the distorted value caused by prolonged malinvestment and returns assets to their proper fair market valuations. Of course, in the process of the bust, panic often ensues which depresses assets below fair market valuations.

In fact, if one just switches the media’s descriptions for stock market rises and gold and silver market rises, then one would have a correct representation of reality. Stock market rises that are described as sustainable and healthy are more apropros descriptions for the rises in gold and silver markets, whereas the speculative bubbles they use to describe gold and silver markets is a more fitting description for the stock markets.

For the reasons described above, I am 100% certain that the reinflation of the US stock market, the Chinese stock markets and the European stock markets will all end up in disastrous busts. People don’t understand that the predictions made by the small handful of us who advocate Austrian economic principles are not driven by a genetic propensity towards pessimism. To the contrary, our predictions are driven by the logic of real world application.

For the last century, Central Banks have interfered with free market forces and imposed loose monetary policies that have led to the formation of asset bubbles that were unsustainable in nature. In every single instance, these bubbles did not undergo mild corrections and further periods of sustained growth, but all eventually experienced spectacular crashes. Thus, the continued application of the same strategies by Central Banks today are already predestined to fail in the same manner. To call Austrian economics a “doom and gloom” economic theory is a great miscarriage of justice. If its sound principles were applied by world governments, then sustainable steady growth could be achieved without the cycles of boom and bust we experience every four or five years.

If the media insists on playing the role of financial shills and calling advocates of Austrian economics “gloom and doomers”, the least they could do is reciprocate and label Central Banks and all proponents of their monetary policies as “psychopaths”. Though one may believe such a label to be unduly harsh, the clinical definition of a psychopath is one who regularly engages in antisocial behavior and exhibits a chronic disregard for ethical principles. When Central Banks continually engage in the same loose monetary schemes when they already know that the end result will be massive failure, this behavior embraces the clinical definition of a psychopath. What the people have failed to realize for the better part of this past century is that the private families that own and operate Central Banks have reaped great rewards from creating these massive failures, with the cost being the great destruction of a nation’s wealth.

Henry Ford once reportedly stated, “It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, there would be revolution before tomorrow morning.” One thing we have learned today is that Central Banks have insured that the people of our nation still do not understand how our banking and monetary system works. For if they understood, they would not be following the road to destruction that is deliberately being paved for us by the US Federal Reserve, not dissimilar to the behavior of suicidal lemmings that follow one another off the edge of a cliff.

One tenet that all Austrian economic adherents would support that will never receive any acknowledgment from Keynesian economists is the following: Central Banks are a burden upon all humanity, and that until all are banished from this Earth no progress in economic or political freedoms is possible. It is an absolute myth that Central Banks are necessary for sustainable economic growth and that in their absence, anarchy would reign. There is no historic proof of this. In fact, during periods of history when Central Banks did not exist, much greater economic stability and sustainable growth persisted. If humanity were successful in shuttering all Central Banks, this would be the greatest modern day gift to humanity as true “green shoots” – free markets, economic freedom, and a realistic chance to finally end poverty – would blossom. Central Banks are masters at creating illusory economic recovery, and as we know, all illusions must eventually crumble

Neither Social, nor Secure!

2011-05-08T06:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a dash of common sense about a government scam, straight from the horse's mouth!
Enjoy
Capt. Bill!

When I was eighteen, I had, in one day, two life changing experiences, both coming on my first day of work. One for good, the other, not so good. All of the new co-op students for AC Spark Plug, then a division of GM, gathered around a long wooden table in a conference room, to learn of their roles and responsibilities. It was at this meeting that I first met Chris Brady, my good friend and business partner. This was the good life changing event, as Chris and I have partnered in business over the last fifteen years, producing results and memories that will last a lifetime. I will save my Brady stories for another time, mainly, because I want to discuss the other life altering experience that day. I was an A section student at GMI-EMI (now Kettering), so I went to school during the summer while B section students worked in the summer, with each section rotating between work and school every twelve weeks. Because I was A section, I was only at work one day that summer for my initiation, meaning AC had to cut a check for that day before I headed to school the following Monday. You can imagine my anticipation, after leaving work, making my way to my rusty Chevette, when opening my first ever paycheck. I made a whopping sixty-four dollars minus, Federal withholding, Michigan State withholding, Flint City witholding, and FICA, leaving a grand total of around forty dollars. I couldn’t believe the taxes taken from my check, over one third of my check vanished, but still a nice amount for a broke eighteen year old. I quickly reviewed the taxes and acknowledged some legitimacy (the tax, not the amount) for the Federal, State, and City, but what is this FICA (Social Security)? No one told me about any FICA tax, exactly what is FICA Tax? I raced home to talk to my financial guru, my mom, sharing with her my concern at this extra tax. Laughing at my ignorance, she shared with me that our benevolent government withholds a certain amount of money from your paycheck, planning to take care of you when you retire. “But I don’t need the government to take care of me when I retire,” I emphatically stated, “I’m going in there and telling them to stop withholding that FICA tax.” My mother chuckled at me, like she has many times over the years, figuring I would have to learn this truth the hard way.

Imagine how strange I felt, realizing for the first time, that the State can help itself to my paycheck, not just for protection of my life, liberty, and property, but also to provide nanny services in my retirement years. I appreciate the offer Mr. State, but I will take care of myself through my own savings plan; sadly, that isn’t an option as we are forced to save our money with the State. Always the curious one, I asked around, seeking wisdom from some of my older co-workers, learning that employees and employers both pay half the bill, totalling over 12.5% of a employee's income. What I learned, that government can take our money, becoming a mandatory bank for us, didn’t sound like freedom as I understood the term. But like most eighteen year olds, my mind quickly lost focused, conveniently forgetting about my lost freedoms, reassuring myself that I could trust the Federal government to save my money; after all, if you can’t trust your own government, the one assigned to protect our life, liberty and property, who can you trust?

What’s most surprising to me, looking at our Social Security system, isn’t its upcoming bankruptcy, nor its over 12% tax on every incomes, but the curious lack of concern by the American citizens. Look at the latest statistics from the Mark Crovelli, writing for Mises Institute, on our American Social Security system.

For those people not gifted with accounting ESP like Lindorff, Social Security's unfunded liabilities are conservatively estimated to be around $17.5 trillion. Oh yeah, and that "trust fund" that Lindorff mentions as if it were really overflowing with saved money — all the money has already been spent by Congress. As you can see, the numbers are not exactly as rosy as Lindorff's ESP has led him to believe.

What is really interesting is that even while Lindorff is trying to make the case that Social Security's fiscal condition is not all that serious, he concedes that Social Security will indeed go bankrupt this year. He writes:

So with beneficiaries rising faster than anticipated, and the total national payroll in sharp decline, of course things have gone negative for Social Security earlier than originally anticipated.

One would think that an institution going "negative" (i.e., bankrupt) is a sign that there is something fundamentally flawed with it. For Lindorff, however, bankruptcy is nothing to get ourselves worked up about, especially since the bankruptcy is only caused by the demographic problem posed by the baby boomers.

Lindorff thinks the boomers are only a "demographic wave that will eventually pass." He's right — we only have around 30 more years until the "wave" passes. Thirty years of bankruptcy is nothing that need trouble us!

Now, let’s see if we can understand these figures. The unfunded liabilities is $17.5 trillion, that’s a boat load of money, even if your last name is Buffett or Gates, certainly enough to bankrupt the 100 wealthiest Americans with plenty of room to spare. The tax money, taken from us against our will allegedly for our own good, because it was assumed government would be more responsible than its citizens, saving it for us until we retired, is missing in action. Politicians transferred the money out of Social Security into other projects, violating our trust and their fiduciary responsibility, exhausting themselves in an orgy of spending, leaving a huge IOU to unsuspecting Americans. The problem, as I see it, is our government has proven incapable of balancing the budget with the Social Security surplus; how will they balance the budget and fund Social Security when there is no surplus? Can anyone say higher taxes or inflation? I heard recently, that Social Security is now paying out more in benefits than its receiving in taxes; simply put, this means it's time for us to reap what we the State has sown. Believing Americans, from all regions of the United States, allowed the federal government to go beyond its normal responsibilities, surrendering their money to FICA, assuming their savings is secure. Every year, for approximately the next 30 years, the numbers will get worse, accumulating more debt as baby boomers retire faster than the younger generations enter the workforce. Remember, currently, the State relies on the tax from the workers to pay the benefits of the non-workers. If the pool of workers reduces while the pool of non-workers increases, exactly the condition we find ourselves with the Baby Boomer retirements looming, the State is in trouble. The Social Security system is a classic example of a Ponzi scheme, where people get paid only if new people join fast enough to compensate existing beneficiaries. If new members do not appear, the system collapses. Population growth, not to mention the economic conditions, are not cooperating with the needed tax revenues to fund. By reviewing the State’s results, it’s clear to me, that Social Security isn’t going to be social and it certainly isn’t secure.

After hearing the dismal record of government involvement in Social Security, one can only pray for leaders to arise and address the root causes. America is suffering a courage crisis at the highest leadership levels. It’s time for government to stop trimming the leaves, calling this change; instead, start pulling out the failed government bureaucracies root and branch. Leaders in the business community, that want to serve their customers, not partner with the State, need the freedom to do so. Only production can generate real GNP and job growth, hiring more government employees only means higher taxes for the few courageous enough to still produce. Perhaps the biggest lesson learned in the Social Security mess is that government is the wrong place to look for retirement planning. We can make politicians our scapegoat, but the system rewards the wrong behaviors; changing politicians will do nothing, until we change what we ask government to do. Of course the politicians, tempted by potential votes, increased the Social Security benefits; of course the politicians, enticed by the “free money” surplus, spent it all, writing IOU’s that come due after they leave office. Social Security is in shambles, whether the government inflates its way or taxes its way out of the mess is the only question. We can complain about how poorly the Social Security system has been managed, but government wasn’t designed to manage our affairs, placing the responsibility upon citizens to clearly define and limit government’s roles. Politicians, by their nature, cannot think long term, having to stand for re-election every two, four or six years; when you consider that Americans live over seventy years on average, making life a long-term project, even retirement happening after thirty or more years, you quickly see the fallacy of our short term government involved in our long term lives. This is another example of the “Destruction of the Commons”, the politicians choosing their personal short term “good” creating the public’s long term bad. A simple way to remove the risk of "Destruction of the Commons" is to privatize, similar to what the airlines did in the early 1980's, ensuring there is no commons to destroy. Government has always been a hot bed for short term fixes, pushing the long term consequences off into the future, a future that never comes for them, since they are out of office, being replaced by others who quickly learn the rules of the political game.

The problem, even though accurately defined and easily predicted, is not simply solved. Because of the politics associated with Social Security, every electable politician is afraid to touch this with a ten foot pole, assuring the problem isn’t addressed, passing the buck into the endless future. By studying the failure of Social Security, learning the “Destruction of the Commons” principles, seeing the political take over from the economic any field government enters, one becomes certain of the proper course, keeping government out of people’s affairs. Americans, if we include colonial times, without the help from government, saving their own money and relying on family and friends, survived for 250 years without a Social Security system. Government, it seems, by offering to care for us in retirement, taxed our incomes, reduced our savings, forced us to hope in government’s solvency, a hope perpetually deferred. I have mentioned only one area of government intervention, but there are plenty of others to choose from. Each of the areas have their own particular facts, but all have the same underlying failure modes - “Destruction of the Commons.” Without looking at Public Schools, Medicaid, Federal Housing Aid and many more, don’t we already have enough knowledge to know that less government intervention is better? Is anyone truly going to argue that a $17.5 trillion deficit in one program is a success? With that said, is it really in our best interest to sacrifice our Health Care system on the State altars? You don’t have to be a prophet to see the effects of the “Destruction of the Commons” in the Health field, offering slower services, less doctors, but always the higher taxes as our reward for trusting in the State. As a leader, I learned a long time ago not to listen to what a person or organization says. Instead, I learned to watch what they did and the results they achieved. The rhetoric out of Washington may tickle the ears, but it empties the pocketbook. We can and must do better. God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Austrian Economic Principles!

2011-04-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

Some incredible wisdom from Orrin Woodward, borrowed from his timeless archives!
Enjoy!
Capt. Bill

Here is an informative article from J. S. Kim, one of the best minds on economics and government policy in the marketplace. Mr. Kim has consistently beat the market and, like Peter Schiff, studies the underlying principles behind government policies to predict accurately. We need less rhetoric from our government and more principle based leadership. I encourage everyone to start educating yourself on Austrian Economics, because it is the only economic training that has consistently predicted the effects of government intervention.

The underlying principles reveal that the relationships with Government and Central Banks are more important than serving the customer. This is another example of the end of free enterprise and to corporatocracy worldwide. The totalitarians lost the cold war, but are winning the economic war. This is not a good trend for freedom loving citizens of the world. Mr. Kim states that the Central Banks are more powerful than any government in the world! Throughout history, debtors are in bondage to their creditors. We cannot afford to remain ignorant of this slide into government ownership and control. God Bless, Orrin Woodward

All global economic problems today are rooted in the existence of Central Banks and their commitment to an application of destructive Keynesian economic theories to our global monetary system that simply has not worked for the better part of this century. Within the realm of academics, monetary policy, politics and media, there is a persistent refusal to acknowledge the primary role Central Banks undertake in artificially creating boom-bust cycles that would not occur in such severe fashion were Central Banks simply willing to step out of the way and allow free market forces to operate.

If you ask anyone who graduated from Wharton, Harvard or Oxford, or any number of other Western universities, with a degree in business or economics, who Alan Greenspan is, I guarantee you that he or she knows (I myself graduated from the University of Pennsylvania). However, ask them who Friedrich A. Hayek is, and I doubt if anyone knows. Yet those of us that adhere to Austrian economic theories have used our understanding of sound monetary principles to accurately predict all steps of this crisis since 2006.

So how did I learn about Austrian economic theories despite never having heard of Friedrich A. Hayek during my entire 18 years of schooling? For the last 15 years, I taught myself what the institutionalized formal educational system refused to teach me. Despite the successful accuracy of our past predictions, even today, we are summarily dismissed as crazy “gloom and doomers," while those that steadfastly adhere to Keynesian economics principles (all Western Central Banks as well as the governments and politicians they control), upon reflection, are the ones guilty of the predominant body of wildly inaccurate, unsound, and failed predictions over the past 3 years. Need a sample? How about the US housing markets being fine and properly valued? How about the US being on a path to full employment? How about strong future economic growth and a boom in US exports? Though in hindsight, these predictions sound more like the ramblings of a madman, these predictions were all made by our current Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, in 2005 and 2006.

In reality, if we strip away the divisive jargon of politics, gloom and doomers are not the perpetual pessimists we have been inaccurately and unfairly portrayed as by the media (for even I told my clients just five months ago that a 1,000 point rise in the DJIA was entirely plausible though the Dow’s climb has admittedly been twice my expectation since). In reality, we are merely strong proponents of the Austrian School of Economics. In the Western sphere of academia, the principles advocated by the Austrian School of Economics have been so silenced that most of us who graduated from Western institutions of education with MBAs, graduated never having heard of Friedrich A. Hayek, one of the pioneers of the Austrian School of Economics. This, despite the fact that his economic principles are so important that he is the most quoted economist in the acceptance speeches of Nobel Prize winners in economics.

In fact, by cleansing banking history and monetary policy in all textbooks of any honest discourse about the Austrian School of Economics, Central Banks have even shut out nearly all Western educated young men and women from possibly understanding the true roots of this crisis. The reason for this is simple: If people understood Austrian economic principles, there would be instantaneous revolt in the Western hemisphere against the loony monetary principles enforced upon us by Central Banks. Ignorance is the great pacifier. Those who are ignorant of Austrian economic principles and most hurt by the financial oligarchs that inflict Keynesian economic policies often the economy often serve as their staunchest defenders and apologists. For example, the retail investor who defends current stock market rallies in China, Europe and the US as “fundamentally sound” and “sustainable” will be the first person to be wiped out when these rallies ultimately and necessarily crash.

It is an absolute lie when the media and financial executives stated last year that no economist foresaw the blowback of decades of loose monetary principles that created the perilous situation the world suffered in 2007 and 2008. And when they tell us that this crisis has bottomed, this is a lie too. It is true that no Keynesian economist forecast this crisis; however, there were plenty of Austrian economists who forecast nearly every step of this crisis months and even years before this crisis unfolded. I, myself, back in September of 2006 started writing about a “Peak Investment Crisis” and I was hardly the only one who foresaw the depth of this crisis more than 3 years ago.

Furthermore, one could review the very public predictions of self-proclaimed adherents to Austrian economic principles such as Jim Rogers, Max Keiser, Ron Paul, Peter Schiff and many others for the past 3 years as well. I am very confident that you will find that strong proponents of Austrian economics were well accurate in the majority of their predictions while all of our banking and political leaders were atrociously inaccurate in their predictions as a group. Given the huge chasm in the accuracy of predictions between proponents of Austrian and Keynesian economics, were it not for a realization that the media are shills for the financial oligarchs, it would indeed by perplexing to try to understand why they continue to marginalize the accurate predictors as “gloom and doomers” and continue to heap praise upon the atrociously poor predictors. I, for one, refuse to give power or credibility to the term “gloom and doomers” as it surely is a favored discrediting tactic of the financial oligarchs that rule the US Federal Reserve and the world’s other Central Banks.

The US Federal Reserve has always been eager to re-inflate collapsed asset bubbles with cheap credit and ultra-loose monetary policy (just reference the actions of the US Central Bank, post-crash, after the 2000 dotcom stock market crash, and the more recent US housing crash). In the face of a runaway asset bubble, however, Central Banks have always been reluctant to rein in the flood of malinvestment created by their loose (and damaging and foolish) monetary policies by raising interest rates. In fact, the only time that I can recall the US Federal Reserve proactively, instead of reactively, attempting to curb inflationary bubbles was in the late 70’s and early 80’s, when they raised the Fed Funds interest rate to 20.00% in order to serve a larger private agenda and prevent the US dollar from collapsing.

But today, eager to reinflate the stock market after the US housing market plunge, they have successfully re-inflated the US S&P 500 to a P/E valuation that, for the last four months, has been 7.5 times higher than its historical average of 17.79. And as usual, the US Central Bank stated yesterday that they have no interest in stopping this runaway malinvestment bubble either as they stated they will leave interest rates near zero for the foreseeable future.

Central Bank policies, as usual, only serve to postpone and exacerbate the problems that their loose monetary problems create by engineering illusory recoveries that are entirely borne out manipulating the monetary system that they control, but that have zero basis in fundamentally sound economic principles. What do I mean by this? It is quite simple. When economies struggle, Central Banks never seek to solve the root of the problem, but instead, choose to artificially cut interest rates due to Keynesian economic theories, even when free market dynamics call for no such actions. Consequently, a flood of cheap credit leads to spikes in investment borrowing solely due to cheap credit and not because of the existence of appealing investment opportunities that offer good growth prospects.

The flood of easy money that Central Banks create now needs a home, as investors don’t borrow money to earn less than 1% annual interest in a bank savings account. The home, outside of entrepreneurs who may reinvest this money into their own businesses, is either the real estate market or the stock market. In the case of the stock market, since the stock market was not demanding more new money but has been force-fed new money, it continues to absorb the excess liquidity artificially created by Central Banks even when stocks are already fairly valued and even overvalued. This is Central Bank force-fed malinvestment, not economic recovery, and outside of the manipulation of Wall Street high frequency computer trading programs, this is precisely how we ended up with an S&P 500 with a P/E over a 133 for the last four months.

In reality, if free markets were free of Central Bank meddling, and allowed to function and set interest rates, proper interest rates would be set, and the appropriate amount of borrowing and investment or disinvestment would occur in US stock markets to achieve a healthy valuation of stocks. Instead, when Central Banks' artificially create excess money that free markets do not demand, excess money chases poor investments, distort asset prices, and create an extended period of malinvestment. So while periods of malinvestment can last for exceptionally long periods of time as long as Central Banks keep shoving cheap credit down the throat of the economy, the “economic recoveries” they produce are unsustainable and therefore nothing more than prolonged periods of ill-advised malinvestment. Under these conditions, every higher rise is, in reality, nothing but a greater distortion and move away from fair market values that plant the seeds for a future disastrous and inevitable crash that cannot be prevented.

A recovery under these conditions, commonly and erroneously referred to by the media as a “boom”, is not a “boom” at all, but a mass distortion of prices not set by free market forces of supply and demand, but deliberately engineered by foolish Central Bank monetary policies that successfully “bait” foolish individuals and institutions. History tells us that malinvestments always end up in busts. Not in small corrections and further sustainable growth for the next five years as Keynesian economists would want you to believe, but in spectacular busts. This is why I can be 100% sure that a spectacular bust is in the future of the US stock markets and that the only question that remains is the timing of this bust.

And when the bust that is inevitable occurs, you can be 100% sure that the financial shills that are our mass media will once again erroneously describe the “bust” as an “unforeseeable event”. Through the lens of an Austrian economist, this bust is necessary as it is part of the market’s self-healing process whereby it sheds itself of the distorted value caused by prolonged malinvestment and returns assets to their proper fair market valuations. Of course, in the process of the bust, panic often ensues which depresses assets below fair market valuations.

In fact, if one just switches the media’s descriptions for stock market rises and gold and silver market rises, then one would have a correct representation of reality. Stock market rises that are described as sustainable and healthy are more apropros descriptions for the rises in gold and silver markets, whereas the speculative bubbles they use to describe gold and silver markets is a more fitting description for the stock markets.

For the reasons described above, I am 100% certain that the reinflation of the US stock market, the Chinese stock markets and the European stock markets will all end up in disastrous busts. People don’t understand that the predictions made by the small handful of us who advocate Austrian economic principles are not driven by a genetic propensity towards pessimism. To the contrary, our predictions are driven by the logic of real world application.

For the last century, Central Banks have interfered with free market forces and imposed loose monetary policies that have led to the formation of asset bubbles that were unsustainable in nature. In every single instance, these bubbles did not undergo mild corrections and further periods of sustained growth, but all eventually experienced spectacular crashes. Thus, the continued application of the same strategies by Central Banks today are already predestined to fail in the same manner. To call Austrian economics a “doom and gloom” economic theory is a great miscarriage of justice. If its sound principles were applied by world governments, then sustainable steady growth could be achieved without the cycles of boom and bust we experience every four or five years.

If the media insists on playing the role of financial shills and calling advocates of Austrian economics “gloom and doomers”, the least they could do is reciprocate and label Central Banks and all proponents of their monetary policies as “psychopaths”. Though one may believe such a label to be unduly harsh, the clinical definition of a psychopath is one who regularly engages in antisocial behavior and exhibits a chronic disregard for ethical principles. When Central Banks continually engage in the same loose monetary schemes when they already know that the end result will be massive failure, this behavior embraces the clinical definition of a psychopath. What the people have failed to realize for the better part of this past century is that the private families that own and operate Central Banks have reaped great rewards from creating these massive failures, with the cost being the great destruction of a nation’s wealth.

Henry Ford once reportedly stated, “It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, there would be revolution before tomorrow morning.” One thing we have learned today is that Central Banks have insured that the people of our nation still do not understand how our banking and monetary system works. For if they understood, they would not be following the road to destruction that is deliberately being paved for us by the US Federal Reserve, not dissimilar to the behavior of suicidal lemmings that follow one another off the edge of a cliff.

One tenet that all Austrian economic adherents would support that will never receive any acknowledgment from Keynesian economists is the following: Central Banks are a burden upon all humanity, and that until all are banished from this Earth no progress in economic or political freedoms is possible. It is an absolute myth that Central Banks are necessary for sustainable economic growth and that in their absence, anarchy would reign. There is no historic proof of this. In fact, during periods of history when Central Banks did not exist, much greater economic stability and sustainable growth persisted. If humanity were successful in shuttering all Central Banks, this would be the greatest modern day gift to humanity as true “green shoots” – free markets, economic freedom, and a realistic chance to finally end poverty – would blossom. Central Banks are masters at creating illusory economic recovery, and as we know, all illusions must eventually crumble

The Seven Secrets!

2011-04-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

I read an informative article this morning from Paul B. Thornton on the 7 Secrets of Leadership Success. All the points are on the mark and every leader will improve by applying these principles to their life. Leadership in one sense is simple, but in another sense is extremely hard. What is the reason for this? I have a one word answer: discipline. Learning the principles are not enough—true results will only occur when the principles are applied consistently and this requires self-discipline! Enjoy the article. God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Fortune magazine once published an article entitled “The Best Advice I Ever Got.” It was a great article that offered wit and wisdom about achieving business success. I liked it so much, that it motivated me to produce my newest book, Leadership: Best Advice I Ever Got, which describes the best leadership advice 136 successful CEOs, coaches, consultants, professors, managers, executives, presidents, politicians, and religious leaders received that most helped them become effective and successful leaders.

Here are seven secrets to leadership success:

1. Leadership is about making things happen.

If you want to make something happen with your life – in school, in your profession or in your community, do it. Perceived obstacles crumble against persistent desire. John Baldoni, Author, Leadership Communication Consultant and Founder of Baldoni Consulting LLC, shared this advice that had come from his father, a physician. He taught him the value of persistence. At the same time, his mother taught him compassion for others. Therefore, persistence for your cause should not be gained at the expense of others. Another bit of leadership wisdom!

2. Listen and understand the issue, then lead.

Time and time again we have all been told, "God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason"... or as Stephen Covey said, "Seek to understand, rather than be understood." As a leader, listening first to the issue, then trying to coach, has been the most valuable advice that Cordia Harrington, President and CEO of Tennessee Bun Company has been given.

3. Answer the three questions everyone within your organization wants answers to.

What the people of an organization want from their leader are answers to the following: Where are we going? How are we going to get there? What is my role? Kevin Nolan, President & Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Health Systems, Inc. believes the more clarity that can be added to each of the three questions, the better the result.

4. Master the goals that will allow you to work anywhere in today’s dynamic business world.

Debbe Kennedy, President, CEO and Founder of Global Dialogue Center and Leadership Solutions Companies, and author of Action Dialogues and Breakthrough once shared this piece of advice that was instrumental in shaping her direction, future and achievements.

She was a young manager at IBM just promoted to her first staff assignment in a regional marketing office. For reasons she can’t explain, one of her colleagues named Bookie called her into his office while she was visiting his location. He then began to offer unsolicited advice, but advice that now stays fresh in her mind. He mentioned that jobs, missions, titles and organizations would come and go as business is dynamic - meaning it is always changing. He advised her not to focus your goals toward any of these, but instead learn to master the skills that will allow you to work anywhere.

He was talking about four skills:

The ability to develop an idea;

Effectively plan for its implementation;

Execute second-to-none;

Achieve superior results time after time.

With this in mind, Kennedy advises readers to seek jobs and opportunities with this in mind. Forget what others do. Work to be known for delivering excellence. It speaks for itself and it opens doors.

5. Be curious.

Curiosity is a prerequisite to continuous improvement and even excellence. The person who gave Mary Jean Thornton, Former Executive Vice President & CIO, The Travelers, this advice urged her to study people, processes, and structures. He inspired her to be intellectually curious. He often reminded Thornton that making progress, in part, was based upon thinking. She has learned to apply this notion of intellectual curiosity by thinking about her organization’s future, understanding the present, and knowing and challenging herself to creatively move the people and the organization closer to its vision.

6. Listen to both sides of the argument.

The most valuable advice Brian P. Lees, Massachusetts State Senator and Senate Minority Leader, ever received came from his mentor, United States Senator Edward W. Brooke III. He told him to listen to all different kinds of people and ideas. Listening only to those who share your background and opinions can be imprudent. It is important to respect your neighbors’ rights to their own views. Listening to and talking with a variety of people, from professors to police officers, from senior citizens to school children, is essential not only to be a good leader in business, but to also be a valuable member within your community.

7. Prepare, prepare, prepare.

If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail. If one has truly prepared and something goes wrong the strength of the rest of what you've prepared for usually makes this something easier to handle without crisis and panic. One of the best pieces of advice Dave Hixson, Men’s Varsity Basketball Coach at Amherst College has ever received and continues to use and pass on is this anonymous quote -“Preparation is the science of winning."

Along with this are two expressions from Rick Pitino's book Success is a Choice, which speaks to preparation. Hixson asks his teams every year: "Do you deserve to win?" and "Have you done the work?" This speaks to the importance of preparation toward achieving your final goal. If you haven't done the work (the preparation) the answer to the second question is an easy "no!"

Great advice comes from many sources – parents, other relatives, consultants, bosses, co-workers, mentors, teachers, coaches, and friends. The important point to remember is to stay open, listen to everyone, but also develop your own leadership style.

The Fine Art Of Friendship

2011-04-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

True friendship is a fine art. When you find a true friend, a friend that will be there when the chicken hits the fan, be sure to count your blessings. Many people will live their whole life with nothing more than acquaintances, rather than friendships. Because friends respect one another, it naturally leads to leadership influence in respective areas of expertise. In order to lead people properly, one must love the person, as a fellow human being, believing in his/her goals and dreams. In other words, friendship must come before leadership, forming an authentic speed of trust relationship. Without love for people, leadership can quickly degrade into manipulation, causing damage to the leaders heart and the community’s future. Chris Brady and I wrote an entire book on leadership, our #1 best seller, Launching a Leadership Revolution, a must read for anyone in the leadership field. If you haven’t read that book, be sure to do so, because the principles taught here will come to life, at a new level, when combined with the LLR teachings.

Before diving into the details of this chapter, let’s examine our hearts. Why do you want to lead? Do you care for the people or just the prestige associated with leadership? Are you willing to sacrifice for the team when necessary? Although there are many rewards for leaders, at the end of the day, leadership is about service to others, not about perks for self. Leaders must love people and use things, not love things and use people. This is foundational for all long-term leadership, love is the glue that holds communities together during the struggles to success . When a community doesn’t feel loved, believing they are just part of the machine, they will stay only for material rewards. In the past, that may have worked, but in today’s competitive marketplace, communities will surpass individuals every time.

Since friendship comes before leadership, let’s begin our study with the key principles to develop authentic friendships. Remember, these are principles, not techniques, being more a matter of the heart than just the physical actions. Applying the techniques, without the right heart, will come off as inauthentic, hurting the relationship. But with the right heart, following the principles suggested, anyone can build relationships that will last a lifetime, leading to the joy associated with true fellowship, creating a foundation for leadership excellence. When gathering with true friends for a night of fellowship, food, and fun, the laughter and learning brings happiness to all that are present, because the friendship is founded upon trust developed through proper application of the friendship principles. Friends allow you to relax and be yourself, knowing that you will be loved, faults and all. If you want great friendships that will last a lifetime, then be a great friend first. There are several books that I recommend to help in becoming a true friend to others. The first is Dale Carnegie’s classic, How to Win Friends and Influence People and the second is Les Giblin’s, How to Have Confidence and Power with People. These two books did more for me, in relating to people, than any other people skills books. With these books and the six principles that I am about to share, you will radically transform your relationships.

The first principle in developing healthy relationships is to learn that people are drawn to happy open people, not unhappy closed people. By following the resolutions discussed previously in this book, one will find greater happiness in life. Happiness isn’t something to be sought directly, but is found indirectly by applying personal discipline to a worthwhile goal or dream. Having a positive attitude is one of the quickest ways to draw people towards you. Attitude is a magnet that draws or repels, depending upon whether it’s a positive or negative one. Resolution #3 covers positive attitude and EQ, so I won’t go into much detail here, but refer back to it for further comments on attitude. A second factor in drawing people to you is the power of a genuine smile. Smiling is part of the universal language for the world, communicating happiness and openness. When traveling internationally, even when one doesn’t speak the language, a baby smiling can bring smiles and cheerfulness to all around them. When people see you smile, it’s surprising how many people will smile right back at you. If you believe that you are happy, but aren’t smiling, please notify your face.

Another key to communicate openness and approachability is personal appearance. How you dress and groom communicates to others how you feel about yourself. Dress for success is more than just a catch phrase. Grooming for success is just as important. For example, if you have breath that would knockout a camel cold, get some breath mints, gum, or mouth wash. Body odor is another quick way to communicate that you are unapproachable. If they can’t get within ten feet of you without gasping, it might be difficult for you to nurture a longterm friendship. First impressions, whether we like it or not, do have a huge impact on our ability to have a second impression. Being approachable means that you attitude mentally, your smile and smells physically, and your looks aesthetically communicate friendliness to others. If you are not sure how you are doing, ask your spouse or close friend. Allow them to speak honestly, with the goal being to improve in openness and approachability.

The second principle in developing people skills is to take a genuine interest in others. What is a person’s favorite subject to talk about? If you guessed themselves, then you just won the jackpot. Friendships are based upon mutual interests, so learning about others interests is a key step in the process of nurturing relationships. For example, a person’s name is sweet to their ears. When you meet people, be sure to take the time to learn, and pronounce their name properly. Even, if you have to ask them to repeat their name, they won’t be offended as it displays an interest in them. With a name like Orrin, I have had to repeat my name many times, but I was always impressed when someone took the time to get my name right. The best way to do this is to say it several times during the conversation, complimenting them by your care to remember their name, and, through repetition, storing it into memory.

One of the quickest ways to display an interest in others is to listen to them. Stephen Covey titled it, “seek first to understand, then be understood.” You have two ears and one mouth, let’s use them in that proportion. I find that I learn much more when I listen, rather than talk. I believe you will discover this too. Ask questions and then listen. What questions you ask? Why not start with the FOR method - Family, Occupation, and Recreation? These are great starter questions to get someone talking about themselves, helping you learn more about them. For example, if you just met John and he is a dentist, ask, “John, how did you get into the dental field?” I love hearing the stories develop after that question. Whether is was a parent who encouraged them, a friend in the field, or a dream from childhood, it’s fascinating to learn people’s stories. All stories have a dream, struggle, victory component, and as I listen, I am listening for the key struggles that were overcome. Afterwards, I can point out to them how they played like a champion, finishing what they started. Usually, during the discussion, the new friend will pause, realizing that he has been doing most of the talking, and will probably need encouragement to continue. Remember, he is used to people only talking, not listening, so he is probably wondering what is wrong with you.

Cultivate listening into one of your most developed skills. A genuine interest in others will come through in your conversations, taking listening to the highest level of active listening. Active listening is the key to help others feel comfortable talking while intently listening. Stay focused on them, looking them in the eyes, nodding with understanding, empathizing with the success story being shared. In order to learn more of the dream, struggle, victory life story, you may need to ask questions during the active listening process. Questions like: “Really, why is that?”; “Serious?”; “What kept you going?”; “And then what happened?”; “No kidding?”; “That’s amazing!”; “Unbelievable”; How did you keep going?”, and many other short comments to inspire other to talk while you actively listen. I know, this isn’t rocket science, but listening skills are the most effective and underutilized people skill. I want to ensure everyone understands the importance of drawing others out, as nothing bonds people to you as quickly as active listening does, since nothing compliments a person more than taking a genuine interest in them. I have found over the years that I have learned much more by listening to others, and, when I was ready to talk, I had their undivided attention. I like to learn from experience, but if I listen well, I can learn from others experience also, not having to repeat the same lesson that others have taken for me. By listening to others, you learn from experience - their experiences, saving you time and money. To sum up, applying active listening skills, when you meet others, displays a genuine interest in them, paying a huge compliment by listening and learning valuable lessons along the way.

The third principle in developing true friendship is finding value in others. Before people will find value in you, they typically must first feel valued by you. This can create a chicken and the egg scenario where each person is waiting for the other to value them. I have witnessed so many discussions where each person attempts to one up the other by rolling out his list of achievements. Instead, let the person share their achievements and be truly impressed. By giving relationship oxygen to the other side, they can breathe easier and listen after you have valued them. Let’s stop the crazy cycle by valuing others first, it cost nothing (unless your self pride is more important than others self worth), but it pays huge dividends. How does one find value in others? Les Giblin, the author of How to Have Confidence and Power with People, give the Triple A formula that is pure gold in relationships: Accept, Approve, and Appreciate. I encourage you to read over and over again, Chapter 6 of Giblin’s book covering the three A’s. It really is that good! Let me share an overview of the Triple A formula here to help define the terms and start the learning process.

Acceptance from one human being to another creates peace, allowing one to relax and open up. When someone is constantly judging everything said and done, it doesn’t allow the other person to relax, making friendship nearly impossible. Acceptance does not mean you approve of everything that the person does, but you will never influence anyone that you don’t accept as a human being first. I have found, that only after accepting the person as they are, that it frees them up to become what they want to be. A mentor’s acceptance brings peace and joy, allowing the other person some breathing space to develop personally. Acceptance to the soul is like food for the body, giving people nourishment, providing energy for further improvement. By accepting people as they are, they start desiring further food, creating a process of growth, nurtured along by your acceptance of them. Most people get this wrong, thinking they cannot accept someone until they do everything right. The problem with this is that no one does everything right, leaving all of us unaccepted, if everyone thought this way. All of us need to grow, I certainly know that I do, but when people accept me for the way I am, this gives me the soul nourishment to keep moving on. Since we have a full time project in working to improve ourselves, we should judge lightly the faults of others. How many people in your life are you feeding with acceptance?

Approval moves beyond acceptance of the person into approval of specific actions and talents. While acceptance is more an absence of negatives, approval is the recognition of a person’s positives. In the Triple A formula spelled out in Giblin’s book, I view acceptance as the appetizer, approval as the main dish, and appreciation as the dessert, in the buffet for the human soul. In order to approve someone, you must be looking for the attributes that you respect and admire in others. I believe the reason most people do not take the time to approve of others is because they are too busy seeking acceptance, approval and appreciation for themselves. When you can get over yourself, you will be in a much better position to help others get over themselves. Focus everyday, on pointing out to those closest to you, the things that you respect and admire about them. Approval is like oil in an engine, making everything run smoother with less friction. Interestingly, approval has more of an impact, when the approval is in a less than obvious attribute. For example, pointing out to a professional car racer that you admire the way he drives won’t have the same impact as pointing out you admire his relationship with his children. Be a professional observer of excellence in others, and then point it out! Most, so preoccupied with themselves won’t observe, but even if you do observe, it only reaches the other person by sharing your positive observations. What is the point of observing without sharing? How many people are you approving in your life?

Appreciation is the dessert in relationship foods for the soul. When you appreciate someone, you communicate to them that they are special to you, not just another face in the crowd. Appreciate is the opposite of depreciate. When something depreciates, it loses its value; but when something appreciates, it gains in value. Are you appreciating those closest to you? Are you increasing the value of your friends and family by appreciating them? Little things make all the difference here. When you set an appointment, be on time as that communicates you value the other person. Another is to thank people personally for a job well done. Single out what you appreciate about them as a person and in their work, making them feel special and separated from the crowd. If you really want to appreciate others, then share all the good you can about them to others. When others do great work, share your appreciation, not just with them, but to everyone that they know. This is the proper use of talking behind someone else’s back, all the good that you know about them. Everyone wants to feel accepted, approved, and appreciated, sadly most people believe condemning, criticizing, and complaining will help to change people, but nothing could be further from the truth. You catch more bees with honey than you ever will with vinegar, so put away the vinegar for good, and start attracting people to you through the Giblin’s Triple A formula.

The fourth principle to build lifelong friendships is building a shared vision of the future. Friendships are based upon shared experiences, the more positive experiences that people share together, the more friendships are strengthened. Conversely, when friends lack a common vision, they lose shared experiences and eventually lose the bonds that drew them together in the first place. All of us have had friends from high school that didn’t continue, having lost the common vision (geting out of school), and the shared experiences. Lifetime friends are different, they are built upon common visions that last longer than the high school or job where they met. My lifetime friends all have strengths and weaknesses (just as I do), but friends magnify each others strengths, while protecting each others weaknesses. Few people think through why they have the friends that they have, but essentially, friends build social communities, providing value to each other by leveraging each others strengths and enjoying each others company. In other words, the friends that you have, you have because you admire certain strengths that they possess, enhancing your life by the strengths in their life. In the same way, your strengths increase your friends enjoyment and success on their journey of life. Shared visions, shared experiences, shared strengths while protecting weaknesses, forms the recipe for long lasting enjoyment for both parties in life long friendships.

But in life, struggles will occur, blurring the common vision. Friends will need empathy from one another to endure the hardships thrown at them. When a friend is hurting, its important to be there for them, listening to his situation, understanding his pain, empathizing with him, while redirecting his focus to solutions. Friends must learn to reframe the struggles in each others lives, giving a better perspective to help friends endure. When friends fall into a pit, it’s your responsibility to help them find the way out. A true friend empathizes with, but never sympathizes with their friends struggles. Meaning, friends will feel each others pain, but not jump into the pit with each other. Instead, friends throw ropes down into the pit to help their friends get out. Listen, understand, empathize, but then reframe and help them move ahead. All friends will go through challenges, but a true friend helps them see the light at the end of the tunnel of darkness. Friends will remember that when the chicken hit the fan in their life, that you took the time to be there, creating bonds of friendship that will stand the test of time. Friends who help each other in times of need are rare, so hold onto these friends. I count a person’s real wealth to be in the quality of friends developed, not monetary net worth developed. Are you a priceless friend to your friends?

Fidelity to the reputation and character of one’s friends is another key principle in enduring friendships. What is friendship if it isn’t loyal to one another when needed? Loyalty to friends doesn’t mean, my friend right or wrong, but it does mean my friend, let’s help him do right. A true friend doesn’t exit the scene when life gets tough, rather, he enters more boldly to help out. Fair weather friends are not really friends at all. It takes real courage to stick by people when they’re dealt painful cards in life, but that’s exactly when true friend are needed. When someone hurts a friend, they hurt all his friends as friends stick together. In this situation, friends must rally together to focus on resolving the dispute between friends. If your friend is following the conflict resolution principles, but the other side isn’t, then the other side will know they have violated your friendship as well. Conversely, if your friend is not following conflict resolution guidelines, you must sit down in love and loyalty and speak truth to them with the hope that both sides will follow the appropriate principles. Friends have a responsibility to be loyal to their friends, abandoning a friendship only when a friend abandons truth repeatedly, creating a situation where defending your friend would put you on the side of untruth. Even in this situation, I let my former friend know that restoration is possible when truth is restored in his life and our relationship. Loyalty, fidelity and honor are not used much in today’s society, but life long friendships must be based upon them. In my opinion, next to truth itself, loyalty is the most valued principle in a true friendship, forming the glue that holds friendships together during the storms of life.

Lastly, friends celebrate each others victories together. Can you be as excited for a friends victory as you are your own? This is essential for true friendships as friends should be each others greatest cheerleaders. Friends are not jealous of one another, nor suffer from envy, but do all they can to lift their friends up. Friends aren’t competitors, but huge fans and encouragers of one another. Why wouldn’t you celebrate when a friend succeeds at any worthy endeavor? A friends victory lifts the tide for everyone surrounding them. Friends dream together, laugh together, struggle together, have victories together, and celebrate together. Be the biggest cheerleader of your friends successes. Let your friends know how much you admire their strengths, sharing your thankfulness to be part of their lives. This will form bonds of loyalty, letting your friends know that you are proud of their successes, and proud to be their friend. Friends lift one another up when they are together, but also are the biggest cheerleaders of each other when they aren’t together as well. Be the type of friend, who cheers their accomplishments behind their backs, sharing all the good that you know about them. No one is an island unto themselves, having friends who cheer one another’s successes is essential in making life meaningful and fruitful.

True friendship is a lost art in today’s “Me” generation, but that only increases the value of a friend when you really find one. The best way to find friends of this caliber is to be one to others. In life, if someone identifies a couple of friends of this quality, then he is a blessed man. Make a personal commitment to give more to each relationship than you receive. This is much tougher to do in practice when you find true friends as they are focusing on giving more than they receive. Friendship brings so much joy into life and should be cultivated daily. Conversely, damaged relationships bring so much pain to life, and should be resolved quickly. The older I get, the more I realize that my real wealth is in my faith, family, and friends, making me more conscious to nurture the relationships that have brought so much joy into my life. In today’s world of feckless and fickle friends, give to others a friendship based upon fidelity and faithfulness. God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Attitude!

2011-04-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. - Matthew 12:34

It’s amazing how much one can learn from a person just by listening. People who believe that they have a positive attitude, give away their negativity when they speak. I like to begin mentoring sessions with, “Tell me the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good we will celebrate, the bad we will make adjustments, and the ugly we will pray about.” This is sure to get people talking, helping me to identify, not just what happened, but how they are thinking about what happened. Which, in the end, is more important than the event; since the event happens only once, but how they think about the event repeats over and over in their minds and hearts. Painful experiences happen to both achievers and non-achievers. The difference is in the responses, achievers learning from the bad cards, choose to draw more; while non-achievers complaining about the cards of life being stacked against them, choose to quit the game. But what’s actually stacked against them is their own thinking. Winners received the same stimulus, but chose to respond differently than the non-winners.

When something bad happens to a winner, he immediately focuses on minimizing its effects, learning anything he can from the situation. No pity parties, no woe is me attitudes, just resolution and teachable moments. The extent a person wins in life, is many times, related to how quickly he can go from problem identified to problem solved, learning through the pain of the process. When people stay down for weeks, months, sometimes even years at a time, can they honestly expect a positive outcome? There is only so much mental energy, when it’s spent dwelling on negative thoughts, allowing them to enter the heart, eventually pouring out of the mouth, why is anyone shocked that so little is accomplished in life? The key is pulling the weeds (negative thoughts) upon entering the mind, not allowing them to move into the heart and out the mouth. Weeds are much easier to pull when immediately seized when they enter the mind, but much tougher when allowed to root in the heart, eventually flowing out of the mouth. Don’t provide fertile soil in the mind for weeds; don’t allow weeds to seed into the heart; and whatever you do, don’t allow negative seeds to spread out of your mouth, infecting other people. The former leader literally becoming a carrier of negativity.

Leaders are gardeners of their own minds, identifying and pulling weeds quickly. True leaders are never down period, choosing to pull weeds promptly. But if they ever were down, they certainly wouldn’t spread the disease to their communities, since they know that pulling weeds is an inside job. If a weed is extra difficult, then leaders have the discipline to seek out their mentors for help, refusing to contaminate others with their weed seeds. One of the first, and most important, assignments of any would-be leader is consistent and prompt pulling of his own weeds. It’s not an option if he plans on inspiring others, since no one is inspired by a bitter attitude and sour faced person. Pull your weeds, guard your mind, protect your heart, for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Leadership occurs when people having confidence in the leader, if a person’s attitude is unpredictable, he disqualifies himself for leadership, until he learns to pull his own weeds. Leaders are dealers in hope, change, and growth, beginning inside of them. Perhaps it’s time that we launched a leadership revolution, let’s start the revolution by tending to our own gardens. God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Humor Relief

2011-03-11T15:09:00.000-08:00

In times of crisis, leaders must be able to reduce a problem to real-world standards and bring it into a manageable perspective. They must be able to see the comedic aspects of the situation and clear the stress, anxiety and tension from the air through their own sense of humor.

Your people need this type of release in order to relax, reevaluate, and reprioritize their goals. Then they can refocus on what really needs to be done to correct the problems they face and get the job done.

That simple "humor relief" created by a leader can be the difference between success and failure. A true leader understands the importance of reframing perspective through humor.

Humor is an affirmative of dignity; a declaration of man's superiority to all that befalls him.
Romain Gary

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A Vision for the Future

2011-03-07T14:56:00.000-08:00

The future represents what is new. It represents change and innovation. It represents hope and the results of past efforts, attitudes and growth.

The present is important for it is in the present that we achieve the future, and we must learn from the past, our successes and failures. But the future provides a vision not yet attained-- a target to aim for.

A true leader understands the importance of having a clearly defined vision for success and is effective in communicating that vision to the team.

I like the dreams of the future, better than the history if the past.
Thomas Jefferson

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Location:Dallas/Fort Worth Airport

The Leadership Role

2011-03-02T14:42:00.000-08:00

To be appointed to a leadership position is not sufficient to make you a leader.

Leadership is not based upon position. That's management. Once appointed to a position of leadership, you have to take charge and begin leading.

Too many people feel as though they have arrived when they get promoted. The wise know that promotion is just the beginning. It is the opportunity to lead!

A leader who assumes the leadership role is much more effective than those who try to succeed by mere position. But those under the purview of that leadership soon discover the lack thereof.

It is easier to assume your role as a leader once you understand that people want and need to be led by a competent leader. You are there to help them, and yourself, by giving them direction through being the example.

When in charge, take charge!

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Location:AA Flight from Tucson to Dallas

Solution Oriented

2011-02-25T14:32:00.000-08:00

True leaders are constantly seeking solutions.

One seldom has to look for problems. Problems have a natural way of making themselves known.

One does, however, have to look for solutions to those problems.

Rather than expend wasted energy worrying and placing blame, leaders are solution-oriented seeking to just solve the problem. They then go one step further to learn from the mistakes and take action to ensure that a similar problem does not occur in the future. True leaders learn from problems and teach the lesson for greater growth of the team.

The block of granite which is an obstacle in the pathway of the weak, becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong.
Thomas Carlyle

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Competent Teamates

2011-02-21T14:25:00.000-08:00

Leaders are not afraid of their teammates or subordinates taking their jobs.

Quite the contrary, leaders reacting the best people they can find and train them thoroughly so they can not only do their job, but so they can fill in for the leader when necessary.

This ensures that the team and the leader gets maximum performance, maximum results and success into the future. Maxwell calls it the Law of Succession.

Quality followers, teammates, and subordinates are a result of, and a course of, strong true leadership.

There is something that is much more scarce, something rarer than ability. It is the ability to recognize ability.
Robert Half

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Common Sense

2011-02-18T14:19:00.000-08:00

Leaders Exhibit Good Common Sense
Are people born with common sense? Maybe.
It is the result of experience? Possibly.
Is it the combination of IQ, acquired knowledge and personal experience?
Probably!

Experts and know-it-alls can argue what constitutes common sense until the end of time but the fact remains that a true leader has it and uses it. Period!

Common sense is the knack of saying things as they are, and doing as they ought to be done.
Josh Billings

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Leadership Process

2011-02-18T05:29:00.001-08:00

Becoming a leader is an incremental process.

Becoming an effective supervisor requires certain skills.

Becoming an effective manager requires another set of skills.

In that same regard, becoming an effective leader requires yet another set of skills. Skills that can all be learned, developed, and honed by anyone motivated and disciplined to do so.
Developing these skills is the formula for your success.

Happiness lies in the joy of achievement and the thrill of creative effort.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

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Taking Risks

2011-01-31T14:23:00.000-08:00

Leaders take calculated risks.

Leaders are not foolhardy, wild-eyed maniacs who throw away the rule book.

On the contrary: leaders continually evaluate the elements of a risky project in comparison to the potential for gain from taking those risks.

They speak out in the heat of controversy. They take a stand when right, but not necessarily popular. They dare to try new ideas, sure in their own minds that their ideas will work.

They do not risk the safety of their subordinates or someone else's career-- only their own.

If nothing is ever ventured, then nothing is ever gained.

It is impossible to win the great prizes of life without running risks.
Theodore Roosevelt

The Social Leader on Orrin Woodward

Leading the Pack

2010-12-31T19:55:00.000-08:00

Leaders stay a little more progressive.

The do so by:
Being a little more innovative. A little more creative.
By taking that extra step.
Spending a little more effort.
Getting a little more accomplished.
Getting a few more results.

However, leaders can't run too far ahead of the pack without bringing others with them. They need support from others to be successful themselves. Leaders stay ahead but make sure others are with them.

It is a mistake to look too far ahead. Only one link in the chain of destiny can be handled at a time.
Winston Churchill

The Best Leadership Nuggets

Keep Moving Forward

2010-12-29T13:45:00.000-08:00

Leaders are always going forward making progress in some fashion. Sometimes in tiny steps, but often in quantum leaps.

A leader's group is the first to adopt new ideas, first to try new technologies, and first in efficiency and productivity. They pay attention to percentage points of increase and decrease. They pay attention to the score.

True leaders make things happen.

Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there.
Arthur Godfrey

Example

2010-12-22T09:45:00.001-08:00

One Fortune 500 executive told his people, "You may do anything you see me doing."

People will emulate, consciously or subconsciously, their leaders, bosses, and managers. If you are forward-thinking, innovative, and progressive, then your team or department will move consistently forward.

True leaders are also willing to roll up their shirt sleeves and do whatever is necessary to make a project succeed. Their commitment and dedication in such a situation sets the example for all of their people.

True leaders are excellent role models.

The example of good men is visible philosophy.
English Proverb

The Social Leader on Orrin Woodward

Having Vision

2010-12-14T09:40:00.000-08:00

To be able to visualize the completed project or task, the final goal and all of its rewards and consequences, is the ultimate test for true leaders.

In addition to visualizing "the dream," they must also be able to visualize each task that must be completed, and the integration of those tasks to successfully complete the project. They must also be able to effectively communicate this vision to the group.

To true leaders, vision defines the final goal, and action is the path that leads to the vision.

We have always help to the hope, the belief, the conviction that there is a better life, a better world, beyond the horizon.
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Blame

2010-12-04T09:29:00.000-08:00

When in a position of leadership, everything that occurs in your responsibility, even the errors.

Rather than spending effort in placing the blame on others, your job is to mitigate the damage, and to learn from the mistakes, take steps necessary to solve the issue, and make sure the problem does not recur in the future.

The buck stops here!
Harry S. Truman

Jealousy

2010-11-30T09:25:00.000-08:00

True leaders focus on their own career and accomplishments. Others, including those in competition with you, will also garner accomplishments and awards.

Rather than wasting energy on jealousy, share their joy of accomplishment. Seek them out as friends and colleagues. Learn from them.

Winners associate with winners!

Of all the passions, jealousy is that which exerts the hardest service and pays the bitterest wages.
Charles Cabet Colton

Excessive Pressure

2010-11-22T09:20:00.000-08:00

Leaders prevent excessive pressure on both themselves and them members of their team. Set realistic goals for yourself and your team. You should be able to see the end in mind the means of achieving it.

If an unrealistic task is given, realize it and break it down to a realistic, seeable, achievable goal. Expectations set the motivation of the group. Excessive pressure on members serves no purpose and often kills initiative and creativity at all levels.

We are more often frightened than hurt; our troubles spring more often from fancy than reality.
Seneca

Humility of a Leader

2010-11-12T09:13:00.000-08:00

Don't be caught up in the power and prestige of your position. Nothing is beneath a true leader. You must always be willing to help your team and teammates, even in what may seem to be the most mundane tasks.

Remember that you and your fellow co-workers will occasionally make mistakes. You know that, and they know that. If you have an arrogant attitude, you can expect no help from your fellow teammates in preventing or correcting your errors or theirs.

To be vain of one's rank or place, is to show that one is below it.
Stanislas I

A Leader's Loss of Temper

2010-11-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

There is little in the world worthy of losing your temper. Yet frustrations in every aspect of our personal and professional life are common and can be difficult to deal with.

As a leader, always try to stay in control. Discuss problems openly with the people involved. Be open in thought and firm in your demands, but remain in control.

Superiors, suppliers, peers, customers, teammates, and subordinates will sometimes (often times) be infuriating, but losing your temper will probably only compound the problem instead of solving it.

When angry, count ten before you speak. If very angry, a hundred.
Thomas Jefferson.

Leaders of Today

2010-10-31T08:57:00.000-07:00

True leaders have an understanding of the present, and a vision for the future. To be successful as a leader in any industry, you must:

Prepare to be a leader.
Understand leadership.
And then be prepared to assume the leadership role in your organization.

Your journey must not end here. In fact, your journey will never end as a true leader.
Leadership is about reaching for the stars, and when you reach one, reach for the next one, It's exciting, it's fun, and it's the essence of life.

The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well. and doing well whatever you do. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Leadership Gurus 2011

2010-10-26T13:23:00.001-07:00

The Best Leadership Gurus Voting for 2011:

by Orrin Woodward on Thu 16 Sep 2010 12:59 PM EDT

The voting is now taking place for the Top 30 and Top 25 Leadership Guru list. I will attach the links if you would like to vote. Thanks in advance and keep leading and learning on your journey to success. God Bless, Orrin Woodward

http://leadershipgurus.net/index.html - Vote for Top 30
http://www.topleadershipgurus.com/index.php - Vote for Top 25

From the Leadership Gurus 2011 Poll:

Leadership Gurus is your ultimate compass in directing you to the world's Top 10 and Top 30 leadership gurus, leadership speakers and leadership trainers across the globe 2010. If you are looking for the best presenters in leadership, change management, leadership development, leadership training, change leadership, leading leaders, and MORE, then let Leadership Gurus International be your guide.

Who are the worlds Leadership Gurus?

Leadership Gurus International, combined with public feedback, independently rates leadership trainers and leadership speakers from Asia, the Americas, Australia and Europe to determine if they have attained “guru” status. Only those leadership speakers and trainers who have attained “guru” status are featured on this site. Each of them has also been bestowed the GURU Award of Excellence based on our criteria.

Vote for the Best Leadership Gurus 2011 here.

Read on and vote you will find wisdom from top Leadership Guru's and Leadership Trainers such as John Maxwel l, Ken Blanchard, Orrin Woodward, Arthur F. Carmazzi, and Robin Sharma.

Team Leadership

2009-03-10T07:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some links for those interested in Leadership.
Chris Brady Leadership

Orrin Woodward Leadership

MonaVie

Orrin Woodward Twitter

Orrin Woodward Facebook

Orrin Woodward

America and Free Trade

2009-01-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

Here is an excellent article from Orrin Woodward on his Leadership Blog.

I have been asked my thoughts on free trade numerous times. I believe the World is Flat as Thomas Friedman says and that America must learn to compete with the world. Protectionism does not work and we know this from the world of sports. Can you imagine going to the Olympics and learning that certain countries were penalized for being too competent? The Olympic ideal is may the best person win and the best country win. In economic parlance, their win does not have to be another countries loss. Adam Smith, at the time of the American Revolution, clearly spelled out the advantages of specialization and economies of scale in his Wealth of Nations. America must not fear other countries, but embrace a win-win trading policy with other countries.

David Ricardo shared the concept of Comparative Advantage that is essential for the specialization between trading partners. As I began my research for this paper, I realized that Alan S. Binder had already captured all the essentials in his excellent article. I will share his well researched and reasoned article with you. Great job Professor Binder in providing quality information that is explained simply. America must remain free for the best entrepreneurs to try different ideas and processes to satisfy customers’ wants. Every time we lose freedom, we lose the ability to compete. Let’s replace fear with hunger to learn and grow. Chris Brady and I wrote our WSJ #1 Best Seller, Launching a Leadership Revolution to encourage all people from every country to grow personally and be part of the global community. God Bless, Orrin Woodward

Five New Blue Diamonds in One Week

2008-09-02T07:46:00.000-07:00

Here is an exciting article from Orrin Woodward on his blog.

Network Community building is one of the noblest professions in the world. Where else do the people with results work personally with the newest people in their business to help the new person achieve success? You will not see the CEO of any company working with all the new hires to help them achieve success in any corporation. Why the difference? To build a large and stable business, the top leaders must focus on rotating the processes, patterns, and systems with the new people at the proper depth points. Nothing motivates the upline to change as much as an exploding downline group. Top leaders understand that depth is not an option, but is essential for big numbers and residual income.

I am a believer in the whole Networking Industry and I offer these articles in a spirit of serving the greater community. If depth is the key to long-term results, then make sure you are part of a business that will reward depth building. Many of the oldest Amway type multilevel plans do not reward depth. You can be a diamond and break two diamond legs and receive practically no more money. It takes a lot of work to build depth so being rewarded for the efforts is an important point. I love the new generation binary plans. They pay for depth and width in depth. The concept of check matching on your groups bonuses helps ensure that the upline leaders desires to help people make more money. I love win-win and the new generation binary plans are definitely win-win.

There is a 5-Step pattern that the Team utilizes to rotate the pattern in depth.

1. Make a List
2. Contact
3. Show the Plan – Start the Process
4. Follow Through
5. Get Started
A. Customer
B. Distributor

You can achieve any level in Networking that you are willing to work for by clearly defining why you are building your network community and making a commitment to do the work. After that, it is rotate the 5-step pattern in depth until you accomplish your goals and dreams. Once accomplished, the next step is to get a bigger dream and set another goal. In life, you are either growing to ripe, ripe or rotting. Don’t ever get to ripe. There is always another gear and it is your responsibility to find it. Read, listen, think, pray, serve and grow! The Team training is an all purpose training and leadership organization designed to help people build large and loyal organizations. We are nearing 100,000 strong distributors with a goal of surpassing one million. But I don’t mean one million in our organization. I mean one million attending events and developing personally into the best leader that they can become.

What are you doing in life? Are you living life with a specific intent or are you a wandering generality. Too many people live life like they plan on living forever and put off their moment of greatness until it is too late. The Team’s goal is to knock you into reality and help clear the fog from your life. Our stated purpose is to lead people to truth in all areas of their life. There are financial, relational, developmental, spiritual and many more areas of truth. The Team believes that the more truth that you capture and apply in your life, the better prepared you will be for life. We are celebrating the week five more couples that have qualified for the elite Blue Diamond level in our MonaVie network. The average blue diamond income is $466,571/year in income according to the latest Monavie Income Disclosure Statement. We have over triple the amount of qualified Blue Diamonds in MonaVie than we had Diamonds qualifying in Amway. The average income for a Blue Diamond in MonaVie is well over twice the yearly income of the average diamond in Amway. This means we have over three times as many distributors making over twice as much money for an amazing six times the success rate plus! Laurie and I have only been in MonaVie for less than five months so these results will only get better. This is the difference between an organization that rewards the depth builders and an organization that chooses to keep it all for themselves.

I am proud to be in business with Dallin Larsen and believe that his vision of a free independent distributor will win out over any command and control culture. Dallin believes in free enterprise and earning the trust and confidence of the distributors on a daily basis. The future of Network Community building is with free distributors that are served not controlled by the owners of the company. Find a leader with a servant attitude that will earn your confidence and trust. When you find the leader, the products and compensation will take care of themselves by working as a team. Dallin has already announced that he will unveil a new product at the MonaVie International Convention. Let the continuous improvement cycle begin!

I have never been more excited about the future and feel we are on the leading edge of the next wave of networking. We have passed the ‘information age’ and are now entering the ‘conceptual age’. In the ‘conceptual age’, it is not the person with the most information that wins – it is the person that can take the information and develop a conceptual framework that serves the greater communities needs. The Team and MonaVie are building that conceptual framework. In a world filled with cynical news, pessimistic politicians, scared and hurting people – the Team promises to do their part to bring the older way of hope, optimism, faith and trust back into the global community. Remember, if you are going to do the work of rotating the pattern in depth - make sure you get paid what you are worth! God Bless, Orrin Woodward

One Great Way to Learn Economics.....

2008-02-01T06:48:00.000-08:00

Recently I was sent an email from a business professor at the University of Michigan. I asked him how I could learn more about Finance and Economics.

He gave me the following recommendations.....

1. Read the Wall Street Journal Daily
2. Read as many Econ and Finance Books as you can
3. And read Blogs such as mjperry.blogspot.com, http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com/, http://kudlowsmoneypolitics.blogspot.com/

2007-12-28T11:29:00.000-08:00

Check out this awesome article by Orrin Woodward on his leadership BLOG. In it he writes about and explains the meaning of the seperation of Church and State.

http://orrinwoodward.blogharbor.com/blog/_archives/2007/12/28/3434847.html

I know this article was an eye opener for me and I have learned a lot from this article and all the articles that he has on his BLOG. I recommend visting and reading his posts daily. I have the link listed under my favorites and also posted the link to the front page of his BLOG below. Add it to your favorites ASAP!

http://orrinwoodward.blogharbor.com/blog

Orrin Woodward's Top Economics Books

2006-11-10T09:30:00.000-08:00

Gather Around Everyone! I have requested and received Orrin Woodward's recommended economics books reading list. Orrin has read 1000's of books and I asked him to give a list and review of his top economics books for others to read. Here is the list.

The top economic books that shaped my thinking the most are:

Wealth of Nations – Adam Smith. This is the classic text on free enterprise economics and still one if not the best. Adam Smith shaped the minds of many of the founding fathers in our country.

Human Action – Ludwig Von Mises. This is the magnum opus from the best of the Austrian school economist. No economist I have read takes complex thoughts and describes as clearly as Mr. Mises.

Making of Modern Economics – Mark Skousen. The best basic primer on economic thought as well as the historic figures of economics. One of the first books I would recommend to anyone interested in economics.

Road to Serfdom – F. A. Hayek. This chilling book was written in the midst of WWII and is as relevant today as the day it was written, perhaps more so. Mr. Hayek stood on principles against an army of socialist thinkers describing what happens to freedom when economic liberties are taken lightly.

Economy in Mind – Warren Brookes. For a first rate discussion on how wealth is more a matter of mind than material I highly recommend this book. Mr. Brookes was an entrepreneur himself and had a gift of describing how the economy works through mental learning. An enjoyable read for anyone striving to be a top rate entrepreneur.

Religion and Capitalism, Allies Not Enemies – Edmund Opitz. No book better describes the economics of the Bible in laymen’s language than this one. Every concerned American should read and master the material in this book.

Change Makers – Murray Klein. This book is more of an overview of the role of entrepreneurs in stimulating growth in the economy. Where would America be without its great legacy of entrepreneurship? An exciting read for every would be entrepreneur.

Orrin Woodward Empowering Beliefs

2006-04-14T10:23:00.000-07:00

In a recent speech to business owners in Kansas, Orrin Woodward told the audience that, "Wealth comes from proper thinking. The biggest thing I do as a leader is help people attack their limiting beliefs. Most people develop habits based upon limiting beliefs, and then live for years without questioning those original beliefs, forcing themselves to live with the results of those habits. Changing the results is a matter of changing the thinking."

Orrin Woodward's new DVD "Lung Busters" Released

2006-01-19T05:28:00.000-08:00

The eagerly anticipated DVD "Lung Busters" has been released. Orrin shares his thoughts on limiting beliefs in the humorous rendition of his self talk while swimming lung busters. Orrin has a unique style of driving home points through humor and stories that has catapulted him to the top of the leadership field. Anyone serious about developing as a leader should have a copy of this DVD in their leadership library. Pick up a copy through your local Team representative.

Orrin Woodward and Success

2006-01-04T07:30:00.000-08:00

Have you read the book Leading the Consumer Rebellion? Here is a sample of how co-author Orrin Woodward thinks with regards to success.

Orrin Woodward once said at a conference:

"Success begins with making a decision backed by committment. Too many people think they can back into success. It doesn't work that way. Success is planned and deliberate. The good news, though, is that anybody can do it. Committment is available to everyone."

Leading the Consumer Rebellion & Chris Brady

2005-12-30T07:56:00.000-08:00

We have caught up with co-author Chris Brady from the best selling Team of Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady. Over lunch we asked Chris some questions about the book Leading the Consumer Rebellion.

LCR: What motivated you to build your Team business?

Chris Brady: I knew what I wanted in life, but did not have the vehicle to achieve it. When I met Orrin Woodward and he shared some of the details of his business project, I got excited.

LCR: How do you explain the incredible success you two have had, from building the Team to writing best selling books?

Chris Brady: First we give credit to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Second I would say focus and persistence.

LCR: Aren’t you concerned about mixing religion and business?

Chris Brady: I would be more concerned with not answering truthfully. My faith has helped me immensely in overcoming roadblocks and challenges. I will not push my faith on anyone, but if you ask me a question then I feel bound to give you the whole answer.

LCR: I respect that. Chris, what do you see in your future?

Chris Brady: I see building communities of leaders that can affect culture with positive change. I see the Team becoming a major player in on-line communities through off-line relationships. I also see more books that can help a person develop into the leader they always wanted to be.

LCR: It seems you are convinced that anyone can be a leader? Aren’t there some people who will never be leaders?

Chris Brady: Yes there are some people who will never be leaders of people, but not because they couldn’t be. They are not leaders because they have chosen not to grow. Everyone should strive to be better and by utilizing the Team business systems they will learn to be better leaders. At the end of the day it is the responsibility of every individual to make something of their life and we want to help people achieve this. That is what I respect so much about Orrin Woodward. Orrin didn’t come from any wealth or have any advantages, besides his own attitude. Orrin is a mentor of mine because he has proven results and has earned my trust through years of proven excellence.

LCR: It sounds like you need the right business and the right leadership team to achieve success in business?

Chris Brady: I agree and would add a willingness to learn. Orrin taught me many principles and led me to many books and CD’s to learn from, but I was responsible to take the information and apply. That is the key with life. Knowing the right thing to do, but not doing it still means failure. Terri and I made a decision early in our marriage to only take advice from people who had the results in life we want. Orrin and Laurie Woodward have the results and lifestyle we wanted and we applied the same principles and now have similar results. We wrote Leading the Consumer Rebellion to help others achieve their dreams and judging by its success, it seems to be working.

LCR: Chris thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to share with our reader audience.

Biography of Orrin Woodward

2005-12-20T03:55:00.000-08:00

Orrin Woodward Biography

Orrin has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Manufacturing Engineering from GMI and Business Administration training from the University of Michigan. He holds four United States Patents and an exclusive National Benchmarking Award for product analysis and has been recognized in national trade journals. Co-founder of the Team and acting Chair of the Policy Council, Mr. Woodward is also one of the most in-demand speakers in the industry. His highly popular Observations from Orrin appears monthly on www.The-Team.biz.

Orrin Woodward is also co-author of two new business and Leadership books titled Leading the Consumer Rebellion and Launching a Leadership Revolution.

Orrin Woodward's Top Economics Books

2005-12-12T09:40:00.000-08:00

Leading the Consumer Rebellion - Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward

2005-11-25T05:48:00.000-08:00

We recently caught up with Chris Brady and Orrin Woodward to ask some question about their recent best selling book, Leading the Consumer Rebellion.

What do you account for the books success?
Chris Brady - I believe the book speaks to people who are sick and tired of being sick and tired. Many people wish to change their lives, but don't know how and Leading the Consumer Rebellion teaches how.

What made you write the book originally?
Orrin Woodward - We found that we were answering the same questions over and over and finally decided to put our answers and teachings in book form to help put the answers into the new business builder quicker.

Are their any plans for another book?
Chris Brady - Absolutely, in fact we are currently releasing our first leadership book called, The Leadership Revolution. This will help the young leader on the Team grow and develop into the person necessary to run a large community.

With all your current success and vast wealth, what keeps you guys so hungry to keep growing?
Orrin Woodward - We feel that the greatest gift we can give to others is to teach them to be capable of leadership themselves. Even though financially we may not need the business anymore we know others have been praying for an opportunity. We know we have that opportunity and will always share the blessings we have enjoyed.

Thank you Chris and Orrin and please keep leading with character and integrity. The world needs more leaders like you.

Leading the Consumer Rebellion

2005-11-14T06:12:00.000-08:00

The first book released by community building superstars Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady called Leading the Consumer Rebellion has sold over 125,000 copies. The book is now being translated into Spanish. The book describes the emerging trends that make building communities the elite business opportunity of the 21st century.

Orrin and Chris's second book called Launching the Leadership Revolution is selling at a record setting pace and is sure to be a best seller as well. Orrin and Chris are humbled by the excitement generated around these two business books and would like to thank all their friends who believed in them when others said it couldn't be done.

Leading the Consumer Rebellion

2005-10-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

Here are specific Orrin Woodward sites were you can read more Leading the Consumer Rebellion information. Team Orrin Woodward, News Releases, Comments from Billy Florence, Orrin's Home Page, Don Freeze's Comments.

Orrin Woodward's Team

2005-10-19T09:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some great comments about Orrin Woodward and the Team discussing the leadership principles of Abraham Lincoln. Abraham Lincoln knew when to follow his principles and weather the storms of life because he knew what he was doing was true to his principles. Orrin Woodward & Team follow their principles and do what is right according to those principles. Are you tough enough to be an entrepreneur? People of integrity expect to be believed and when they are not, they let time prove them right.

Orrin Woodward - Win, Execute, Team

2005-10-03T06:05:00.000-07:00

Lou Gerstner in his book on the turnaround of IBM called, "Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?" stated the three principles he used to teach IBM executives. The three principles were Win, Execute, and Team. These three fit into the leadership principles taught on the Team. We are in business to win and that means playing the game with integrity and helping people win in their business. We do this by executing our plays better than our competitors and by utilizing the power of the Team. Individuals grow, but teams explode. Are you part of a winning team? As Orrin always says, "Come join team leadership on the Team!"

2005-09-24T05:31:00.000-07:00

Orrin has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Manufacturing Engineering from GMI and Business Administration training from the University of Michigan. He holds four United States Patents and an exclusive National Benchmarking Award for product analysis and has been recognized in national trade journals. Co-founder of the Team and acting Chair of the Policy Council, Mr. Woodward is also one of the most in-demand speakers in the industry. His highly popular Observations from Orrin appears monthly on www.The-Team.biz.

Orrin Woodward is also co-author of two new business and Leadership books titled Leading the Consumer Rebellion and Launching a Leadership Revolution.

Leading the Consumer Rebellion Soon to Enter Fifth Edition

2005-09-01T07:02:00.000-07:00

As incredible as it may sound, Leading the Consumer Rebellion, one of last-year's surprise best-sellers, is already slated to be produced in its Fifth edition! Look for the latest version as soon as September of 2005!

Larry Vanbuskirk Leading the Consumer Rebellion

2005-08-25T09:24:00.000-07:00

The LCR staff chased down diamond Larry Vanbuskirk for some comments on his meteoric rise in the Team business. Larry is a former Financial Planner who had three “by referral only” offices in the mid-Michigan area. Larry went from Platinum, to Sapphire, to Emerald, and then to the Diamond level in consecutive years. Larry enjoys a job-optional lifestyle with his lovely wife Marsie.

LCR: You were in the old catalogue model for over a decade at the Platinum level. How did you hold onto your dream through so many years?

Larry Vanbuskirk: Well, first I knew that the business itself would only get better. I believed that the MLM field would go from being catalogue-based to Interactive TV. Then the Internet just became an easier avenue to electronic ordering. Part of having a dream is seeing the future even when it is not yet reality. Marsie and I held onto our hope that we and our business would continue to improve.

LCR: Weren’t you laughed at for being part of the catalogue model?

Larry Vanbuskirk: A leader doesn’t mind the laughter because he knows that it is a sign that he is doing something different. I knew that all real businesses improve and that some day this business would enter the electronic age where I would be a pioneer who rode that wave to financial success. Does Ford motor company have to apologize for the Model T? When you drive a newer Ford today, do you have to explain that it's different than the older Model T Ford? All businesses (that plan on staying in business) grow and change, and the visionary is the one who recognizes a trend and stays in for the long-term. We did that, and it has made all the difference in our finances.

LCR: What changed in your business to enable you to grow so fast after such a long period of, well, not growing fast?

Larry Vanbuskirk: We became some of the best students of our mentors Orrin and Laurie Woodward. The book, “Leading the Consumer Rebellion,” will teach you the trends going on in business and all you have to do is add hard work. We had tried other systems and they did not work, but after tapping into the Team system, our business exploded.

LCR: Did you have doubts that you could be a Diamond after struggling for so long?

Larry Vanbuskirk: Everyone has doubts. The key is to silence your doubts through faith. I listened to so many CD’s that I began to see and believe that I could get up again and build this business. Leadership begins when you take your focus off yourself and begin to serve others. The Team leadership training is second-to-none, and I am an excellent example of how anyone can change with the right information. As I like to tell people: the Team system is the number one leadership development system in the world! I'm serious! I was a Financial Planner who spent his life analyzing businesses and I am here to tell you that there is no better business plan available to an aspiring entrepreneur. If you are looking for a handout, then this is not for you, but if you are looking for a hand up, then you have found it!

LCR: How is life for you today different than it was as a Financial Planner?

Larry Vanbuskirk: I worked an average of 80 to 100 hours per week for 50 weeks a year. The stress was becoming unbearable and I was not in control of my future. Today, I make more income than ever before and I have leaders that I spend my time mentoring. We thank God every day that we met Orrin and Laurie and the rest of the Team leaders. Freedom is a hard thing to describe, and, most people miss this: remember that freedom is not free. It must be earned. We earned our freedom through serving others. The Team leaders have figured out that true happiness comes through making others happy.

LCR: Larry, thanks for sharing your wisdom with us today.

Don Freeze Leading the Consumer Rebellion

2005-08-17T12:50:00.000-07:00

The LCR interviewer met for lunch with Don Freeze, one of the most respected and successful business owners on the Team. Don and his lovely bride Chris live a jet-set lifestyle and have built teams across the United States. Don is a former international business consultant who has worked with many of the top automotive companies teaching value engineering. Chris was a comptroller for a Fortune 500 firm. They are now both job optional.

LCR: Don, you were a $3,000/day consultant. What made you give up big money like that to build this business?

Don Freeze: First, I have a new definition of what big money is and $3,000/day is not it. Second, even though I was making decent money, I had to be there in order to be paid. I had the classic “S” business that Robert Kiyosaki discusses in his book. As I studied the marketing plan and looked at Orrin’s commitment, I realized this was my way out of the time-for-money trap.

LCR: Orrin wasn’t the financial success he is today when you first met him. What made you believe that this would work when there were no results?

Don Freeze: I am a business owner. If I had to wait for someone else to succeed before I started, that would put me a couple of years behind them. If I were a farmer, I wouldn’t wait for some other farmer to plant his field and get a harvest before I started planting. Business owners must have faith in their business partners and business plan. I knew Orrin was a hard worker and knew he had previously garnered four patents and a national benchmarking award. You don’t have that type of success without being committed to excellence.

LCR: When did you realize the Team business was something special?

Don Freeze: It was about six months into the business and I was recognized on stage as a new pin winner. I spoke for a couple of minutes and when I was done my son gave me a big hug and said, “Papa, I am proud of you.” No amount of money in the world can replace that special moment. I decided to build this business and give others a chance to win in life.

LCR: What would you tell an “S” business owner that is looking into this opportunity?

Don Freeze: First, I would tell them to go to an Open Meeting. Second, they should meet the Team they will be working with and find someone they relate with. Third, listen to the first 10 CD’s and get familiar with the Team leadership. Don’t use lack of time as an excuse not to do this, because you know it won’t change unless you do something different. Fourth, begin with the end in mind. What goal or dream have you been putting on the backburner due to lack of opportunity? Step out of the stands, get on the field, and take your swing. Wayne Gretzky said, “I miss 100% of the shots I don’t take.” I missed too many shots in my life and I wasn’t letting this one go.

LCR: It seems to have worked out pretty well for you.

Don Freeze: Chris and I are just beginning. We have learned so much by plugging into the right information. Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady are two of the top leaders in the country right now, and I ought to know, since I worked with top managers of almost every Tier 1 automotive company. Their book, “Launching the Leadership Revolution,” is creating a revolution in how leadership is studied and applied. I am personally implementing these principles and moving on in life and business. The internet is a great technology, one that needs a community of loyal buyers to make it go, and that is what the Team leadership supplies.

LCR: Don thanks for your time today.

Leading the Consumer Rebellion & Joe McGuire

2005-08-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

The LCR staff caught up with top businessman Joe McGuire for a one-on-one interview. Joe and his lovely bride Jane have three active boys and live on a beautiful property outside of Gaylord, Michigan. Joe is a former doctor who specialized in podiatry. Joe ran three offices when he first saw the Team plan, but is now full-time building the business and enjoying his new-found time.

LCR: Joe, as a doctor, you must have had reservations about entering a business that anyone can join?

Joe McGuire: I may have had some status, but I would never have so much status as to pass up a good business plan. When I studied this business, I realized that it would have been a much simpler way to become financially independent than the path I took.

LCR: How did you become a doctor?

Joe McGuire: I actually worked in construction as a manual laborer in Florida before deciding to become a doctor. One day, while working on the roof of a large mansion, the roof fell down and almost decapitated me. I was holding on for dear life thinking, "I need to find something else to do!" Over the next few weeks, I concluded that being a doctor would be my ticket out of construction.

LCR: Your fellow employees must have thought you were crazy for going from being a construction worker to a doctor?

Joe McGuire: I was definitely the big joke around the work-site. Nobody believed I would stick with it and finish. I was determined to prove them wrong. I didn’t know it at the time, but I also was suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), which, as you can imagine, made studying next-to impossible. I had to shut myself in the bathroom to eliminate distractions, and then I would study all night.

LCR: Your persistence is incredible. What did you do after graduation?

Joe McGuire: After completing my internship, I started my own business. I always wanted to run my own show and with a few hundred thousand dollars of debt I became my own businessman!

LCR: Excuse me, a few hundred thousand dollars of debt?

Joe McGuire: Between school loans and business loans I had run up a significant debt for the right just to "open the doors." When I saw the Team plan and realized for a pittance I would receive training and instruction on how to run my own business, I was sold. I know what a traditional business costs to run and operate, and I am here to tell you that there is no better business investment than the Team business model. In four years I matched what it took me over a decade to do as a doctor and did it with no debt load.

LCR: What advice would you give professionals entering the Team business?

Joe McGuire: Look below the surface of this business and study the leadership team that is in place. The leaders of the Team are engineers, doctors, lawyers, accountants, etc. These guys were all making six-figures before they joined the Team business. If it was worth their time to build it, it is probably worth yours. If you're looking for a way out of the stress and debt, I can recommend no better business vehicle than the Team. Do not let status keep you from residual income and relationships that will last a lifetime.

LCR: Joe, thanks for sharing your time and wisdom.

Leading the Consumer Rebellion & Matt Abraham

2005-08-10T17:41:00.000-07:00

The LCR staff tracked down pace setting business owner Matt Abraham for lunch today. Matt Abraham owned a very successful private law practice before joining the Team. Matt invested many hours as an attorney studying the Team model before deciding to build his business. Matt and his wife Cheryl are now job optional and enjoy raising there three energetic children and serving their team.

LCR: Matt what do you account for your phenomenal growth in business over the last couple of years?

Matt Abraham: Good mentorship, proper values, a willingness to work and the right opportunity sum it up. Orrin Woodward provided the mentorship, my parents taught me values and work ethic and the book Leading the Consumer Rebellion provided the framework of the opportunity.

LCR: Matt as a practicing lawyer you must of checked out the legal issues with running your own Team business?

Matt Abraham: As a lawyer I was paid money to help people in their business negotiations and contracts. When I studied the Team business and called multiple lawyers with backgrounds in the MLM field I was impressed. With thousand of companies involved and multiple lawyers per company checking out our model it was not too hard to determine it was a legitimate business. Just look at Walt Disney as an example. Do you honestly think Walt Disney would move their products through our MLM model if it wasn’t legitimate? After sitting down with Orrin Woodward, Leading the Consumer Rebellion and reviewing the documentation on MLM I knew this was a closed case.

LCR: Most of the readers are not lawyers or business people before joining the Team. Is there any advice you could give them as they start their own Team business?

Matt Abraham: I am always amazed by how many people without business or law backgrounds will assume to give advice on these subjects. I always say that if you are sick go to a doctor and if you are looking for law advice go to someone with law experience in that field. I have spent over three years doing research and communicating with the best legal minds in the MLM field and the Team business is a model of the free enterprise system. Cheryl and I have made more money through this business than we did as a master degreed teacher and lawyer. Anyone who would state that the MLM field or the Team business model is an illegal pyramid is embarrassing themselves by their ignorance of the facts.

LCR: How do you respond when someone ask if it is an illegal pyramid?

Matt Abraham: An illegal pyramid is characterized by three major points:

No outside customers
Inventory loading
Head hunting fees to sign people up

First, we were taught the value of setting up members and clients early in our business. Beauty clinics with Artistry makeup and XS energy drinks for health & fitness have made it easy to develop satisfied customers. Second, in all my time in the business no one has ever encouraged me or pushed me into buying product I didn’t need. We have a 70% rule to ensure that 70% of products are moved through your team every month and not stocked as inventory. Lastly, there is no headhunter fee associated with signing people up. I tell people all the time I would rather get a sincere no than a false yes. Signing up is not as big as learning to be a business owner. If someone is not interested in doing the business then don’t, but come up with a better excuse than it is an illegal pyramid. The MLM industry has been around since the 1940’s and is a multi-billion dollar industry today with thousands of success stories. I have worked with the Team Policy Council and with numerous other lawyers to help develop a business plan the Team can be proud of. I have also worked with Attorney Generals around the country explaining our Team system with excellent results.

LCR: One last lawyer related question. How do you compare your Team business model to all the businesses you worked with before the Team?

Matt Abraham: I worked with hundreds of business opportunities for entrepreneurs and almost all of them required massive upfront capital and major financial risk. Most business plans I worked with had goals to make money by their fifth year in business. One false move by these entrepreneurs and they were filing for bankruptcy. Cheryl and I replaced our incomes by year three in the Team business without loans or major capital risk. We invested our discretionary time for rewards in faith, family, finance, and friends. I am a blessed man because I ran into Orrin Woodward and decided to follow the plan laid out in Leading the Consumer Rebellion.

LCR: Matt thanks for your time today.

Leading the Consumer Rebellion Enters Fourth Edition

2005-08-08T06:39:00.000-07:00

The highly successful Leading the Consumer Rebellion has recently been released in its fourth edition. The book continues to thrill business audiences throughout the western hemisphere, and continues to get better with the release of each new edition.

Leading the Consumer Rebellion & Orrin Woodward

2005-08-04T15:11:00.000-07:00

The Leading the Consumer Rebellion staff caught up with whirlwind business owner, author, and speaker Orrin Woodward for some questions over dinner.

LCR: Orrin when did you know you were going to be successful in your own business?

Orrin Woodward: It took me longer than most people would think. I believe it was about 18 months into my own business before I had listened to enough tapes, cd’s and read enough books to begin to feel I could do this.

LCR: Why did it take so long? You had already succeeded on your job by having 4 patents by the age of 25, why did you need to listen to cd’s and read books?

Orrin Woodward: Just because you are successful in one area, does not mean you can just pick up and be successful in another. Michael Jordan was the best basketball player, but below average at baseball. I had to develop confidence in my interpersonal skills and that is what the Team system taught me. I am a product of the ideas learned from the combination of the tapes, cd’s, books and seminars I have attended.

LCR: Do you think anyone can have the success you have had?

Orrin Woodward: I believe it is there for anyone to achieve. Yes it is going to be work, but I realized I was going to work hard anyway. I might as well enjoy the results of that work. For the lifestyle that Laurie and I enjoy today, I would have worked twice as hard for twice as long.

LCR: Some people criticize you Orrin for being so successful, arguing that you are successful at other people’s expense. What would you say to that?

Orrin Woodward: I would first of all point out that this line of reasoning is exactly what Karl Marx stated about capitalism in general. Karl said that, “Capitalism is theft.” The whole argument is based upon the premise that someone’s gain is another’s loss. When I buy a book for example I pay money for information. It would be foolish to argue with me that I have wasted thousands of dollars on paper in my library. I did not waste any money, I invested money and my return was in ideas. My gain is the information and the book publisher’s is the money I paid. I traded money for information and then utilize the information to improve myself to benefit more people. This is the abundance mentality way of thinking and this thinking has made the US the greatest nation on earth. Go ask Soviet Union, North Korea, or Cuba how Karl’s ideas are treating them. I gladly bought books, tapes, cd's and went to numerous seminars to learn the ideas of success from the most successful business people.

LCR: That makes sense, this explains why in Leading the Consumer Rebellion you describe the business within the business model.

Orrin Woodward: Absolutely, we have created the Team system to reward anyone who serves others which models the free enterprise system in general. Anyone getting into our business system can be the highest paid based on their performance. In fact when I reviewed our training system to over 10 separate MLM based lawyers, they stated the Team system was more than fair and legal. Our Team leaders wanted to create a system that we would be proud to educate ourselves and our friends with on business principles and profit based on performance.

LCR: Judging by your results and so many on your Team, we would say you have achieved that. Thank you for sharing your time today Orrin.

Leading the Consumer Rebellion Translated to Spanish

2005-07-30T19:19:00.000-07:00

Due to enormous customer demand, the best-selling business book, Leading the Consumer Rebellion, will soon be available in Spanish! People have been clamoring for this since the book made its debut a little over a year ago, and now it's coming! Stay tuned.

Interviews

2005-07-29T06:48:00.000-07:00

Coming soon: look for interviews with authors Orrin Woodward and Chris Brady from their book Leading the Consumer Rebellion.

TEAM'S System on Economics, Success and Relationships

Orrin Woodward Scams, Coercion, And Networking-Part 3

Grandpa Know's Best!

Butterflies Are Free!

A Special Announcement!

Restoring The American Dream!

You Gotta Have Friends!

The Road Not Taken!

J. S. Kim - The Role of Central Banks

Neither Social, nor Secure!

Austrian Economic Principles!

The Seven Secrets!

The Fine Art Of Friendship

Attitude!

Humor Relief

A Vision for the Future

The Leadership Role

Solution Oriented

Competent Teamates

Common Sense

Leadership Process

Taking Risks

Leading the Pack

Keep Moving Forward

Example

Having Vision

Blame

Jealousy

Excessive Pressure

Humility of a Leader

A Leader's Loss of Temper

Leaders of Today

Leadership Gurus 2011

Who are the worlds Leadership Gurus?

Team Leadership

America and Free Trade

Five New Blue Diamonds in One Week

One Great Way to Learn Economics.....

Orrin Woodward's Top Economics Books

Orrin Woodward Empowering Beliefs

Orrin Woodward's new DVD "Lung Busters" Released

Orrin Woodward and Success

Leading the Consumer Rebellion & Chris Brady

Biography of Orrin Woodward

Orrin Woodward's Top Economics Books

Leading the Consumer Rebellion - Chris Brady & Orrin Woodward

Leading the Consumer Rebellion

Leading the Consumer Rebellion

Orrin Woodward's Team

More Orrin Woodward Links

Orrin Woodward - Win, Execute, Team

Leading the Consumer Rebellion Soon to Enter Fifth Edition

Larry Vanbuskirk Leading the Consumer Rebellion

Don Freeze Leading the Consumer Rebellion

Leading the Consumer Rebellion & Joe McGuire

Leading the Consumer Rebellion & Matt Abraham

Leading the Consumer Rebellion Enters Fourth Edition

Leading the Consumer Rebellion & Orrin Woodward

Leading the Consumer Rebellion Translated to Spanish

Interviews