Disqus - Friends of timbursch

Re: A Pricing Approach to Raise Your Consciousness

gulliver — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 09:41:15 -0000

>I don’t know of any services who have used value pricing before...

I've been doing 'no fixed-fees - you decide what to pay' for years with my business advice & support gig.

If anyone's interested, ask me for details.

Re: Letting Go Of Keeping Up

gulliver — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:47:35 -0000

>I need to find a way to be okay with this – to not be disappointed by everything I haven’t done.

Live with it - that's life. Accept and let it go. Do otherwise and 'you'll be fifty before you're thirty'.

And 'balanced, bliss-filled life, but I wonder if that isn’t possible'... yeah, it is possible - accept more, want less.

Enough of this, I'm off to start my own lifecoaching business.

Re: How Do You Tame Your Inner Critic?

gulliver — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 20:52:29 -0000

>I am not perfect, nor is my work. I need to accept that. Trouble is, I don’t know how.

That's life - there's stuff we're not supposed to understand. In three months time you'll be writing posts which describe how you're learning to let go. (http://www.elasticmind.ca/i...

Re: The Reality of Dreams

gulliver — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 02:52:58 -0000

>how quickly dreams become reality and how quickly the euphoria of achieving your dreams is replaced with the realities of them.

Blame yourself, then. The architect of your own undoing. ;-)

That's the problem - you didn't have realistic dreams. Instead they were 'that'd be nice' fantasy-rooted.

Solution: dial down your dreams? Oh no. Absolutely not.

Instead...
1 Ensure they're thoroughly practically grounded in realistic expectation.
2 Don't keep them as dreams - start implementing the thoughts as they arise.

That way, if you set them up 'right' and do them 'properly', the reality is as expected - and slides neatly into place, in the spot previously occupied by 'expectant euphoria'... and the downside then doesn't exist.

In one line... 'Relax into it... don't chase the dream - let it come to you.'

Or, if we want to get all man-on-a-dusty-motorbike-ish, T E Lawrence sweetly nails it with:

-----
Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act their dream with open eyes, to make it possible."
-----

What's he talking about? Dream real, not fantasy.

Re: The Reality of Dreams

gulliver — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 11:54:11 -0000

>A great distinction, gulliver.

But it's all bs - I, of course, don't sleep, so hence have to imagine what 'dreams' might be like. :-)

Re: Adapt to Grow

gulliver — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 07:15:09 -0000

This thread has become waaaaaaaaaaaay too highbrow for me. Can we please have something simpler? I'm feeling excluded. :-)

Re: You Aren’t Authentic If You Don’t Stand For Something

gulliver — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 07:30:17 -0000

Oh boy, this one is going to make me *so* popular...

'Too often the last refuge of the creatively-challenged...', plans can easily become a deceptive focus, in consequence of which much good stuff is missed whilst you're back-patting or self-flagellating for hitting/missing route markers.

'Dream, explore, discover', sometimes it's good to meander rather than adhere to a rigid 'If it's Tuesday, it must be Belgium' itinerary.

Khayyam's 'Be happy for this moment - it is your life.'? Maybe. It certainly shouldn't be overlooked.

And with your wits about you and a solid understanding of what you're doing and how/why you're doing it, there's much to be said for 'I don't know where I'll be tonight - but I'll always tell you where I am.'

I like the idea of 'Business Plan? Don’t Be Bothered.'.

:-)

Re: You Aren’t Authentic If You Don’t Stand For Something

gulliver — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 22:13:50 -0000

'Debate?'

Ha! My role is much simpler... rock the boat.

There's many folk who, through uncertainty or timidity, miss much that would have been beneficial.

Plans are too often deceptive in suggesting 'things are ok, on course', simply because that was what was planned.

Titanic was also on course and 'where it was supposed to be at the time, knowing exactly where it was going'. That cost a lot of lives, and got us a bloody awful Celine Dion song (which, being a soppy sod I actually quiet like).

Would it have been better without a plan? Probably not. But that's not my point.

Often, those with a plan then try to hone it. Maybe that's smart, maybe it's not. I don't really care - as I said, my 'rock the boat' role is to encourage people to think, rather than simply follow someone's advice (particularly mine).

'Do it, then fix it as you go' is a good point from Paul Arden: 'Too many people spend too much time trying to perfect something before they actually do it. Instead of waiting for perfection, run with what you've got, and fix it as you go.'

'Get good at what you do, work hard, keep your wits about you' - that's my advice.

And don't get me started on 'goals'...

;-)

Re: Cool Stuff You Might Love

gulliver — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:45:16 -0000

>I’ve made some changes to the blog.

Not enough. More widgets, please.

And an ejector seat, just like in the James Bond movie.

And the Jones' said 'If she wants a pissing contest, bring it on!'

Re: The Weight of the World

gulliver — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:54:26 -0000

>it just isn’t enough.

It has to be - otherwise it'll drive you nuts.
You do your best, and keep breathing.

Letting things get on top of you, just makes you less able to do the next good thing.

Re: How Do You Define the Achievement of Success?

gulliver — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:59:34 -0000

I'll define 'success' as the ability to be me in the face of pressure to be anything but. If I can also make rent, that'll be good too.

Selling 17 million albums and routinely filling arenas is all so passe.

Re: 30 Unanswered Questions

gulliver — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:13:35 -0000

'Why am I doing this? Who cares? Why do they care? Do I care about that? If so, why? If not, why? Am I too bothered by external stuff? Why? If not, why? How can I better live the life I want? What *is* that life? Is it all bollocks?'

Now, that *does* create value. Why? Wash, rinse, repeat.

Re: 30 Unanswered Questions

gulliver — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 15:33:00 -0000

'Hair color'? Who cares? (16).

It's the pearls that grab me. Why? (15)

Me, sit down for a whole 30 minutes? (14)

Oh, enough of this, girl... we have empire-developing websites to build. Don't we? (13)

Re: Shoot First, Think Later

gulliver — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:29:48 -0000

Let's introduce a little mischief...

Swiping from Kwakkers, 'churn, baby churn' and 'don’t worry, be crappy' spring readily to mind.

'Don't deceive yourself that the first version of your stuff is great. And don't wait to perfect before you ship. Revise and improve continuously.'

Besides, 'thinking' is hugely over-rated. (And that comes from a strategist. Ha!)

Re: 30 Unanswered Questions

gulliver — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:40:57 -0000

Why do so many spend so much of themselves commenting? (12)
Is it to contribute? (11)
Or get link attention? (10)
Does if help make the world a better place? (9)
If so, how? (8)

And, I didn't ignore your earlier 'do 'ifs' count? remark... firmly in the spirit of 'you have to listen to the lyrics as well as the tune'... Do if's count? (7) Of course they bloody do.

The 'ifs' are often among life's worthier bits. Howso? (6) They encourage, enable & assist us to question things on a wider and deeper level.

Where are the other 300+ readers who don't comment? (5)
Why don't they? (4)
Can they be encouraged and assisted to do so? (3)
Is it worth it? (2)
Do you want to? (1)

WHY?

Re: Shoot First, Think Later

gulliver — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 08:12:07 -0000

'Said the young man, to the old man...'

How is creating the design before writing the content a mistake?

That's exactly how templates are originated - on the basis that an appropriate design can accommodate a wide variety of content.

Your basic point of 'design should complement content' is sound.

(And yes, of course I'm being difficult here.)

Re: The Rise of the Innerpreneur Empire

gulliver — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 10:16:33 -0000

'Careful with that 'Constructive criticism always welcome.' line, Eugene.

Remember: 'To be successful, you can't afford to pay too much attention to what the customer wants.'

Re: The Rise of the Innerpreneur Empire

gulliver — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:43:47 -0000

It's why, in direct contrast to many who ask for feedback (and then either ignore it or wastefully divert resources toward explaining, countering or fitting-in), I never seek customer views, and always advise clients to do likewise—and specifically to 'not even think about what the customer wants', and instead focus on providing 'something great'.

Re: The Rise of the Innerpreneur Empire

gulliver — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 11:32:06 -0000

If business success was all about providing what people wanted, we'd still be using beige-box computers. There'd have been no iMac. Nor wheel, fire, post-its, ziplocs, whatever. We'd have no Sony.

The really good stuff wasn't initially wanted (and post-its were originally 'a piece of paper with glue that doesn't stick very well, who'd want that?' rejected), because nobody could have forseen it. Nobody 'asked' for chocolate.

The really good (effective, engaging and entertaining) businesses totally get this—and pursue it rigorously. They adopt & project very strong stances in which the want-of-the-customer is always second to the need-of-the-business.

'You can't please everyone, so you better please yourself', they rightly take the view of 'talent does as it pleases' and thus design & build & deliver stuff that wows them personally—figuring there'll be a market for it.

'We don't ask what they want—they don't know. Instead we apply our brain power to what they need, and will want, and make sure we're there, ready.' Morita

Re: The Rise of the Innerpreneur Empire

gulliver — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:41:21 -0000

'It takes a lot of craziness to get this clear on things...' it's relatively recently that I wised-up to so much of accepted business principle & practice being unhelpful to the efforts of people working hard to build decent businesses.

Too often, we either simply don't know this - or, in a quest to be accepted, turn away from the ocean and stay in the fishbowl.

> smack some sense? And, 'the night is still young', you'll do fine. Rather than hunker-down under the covers with warm cocoa, you've a wide-eyed zest for exploration.

Re: The Rise of the Innerpreneur Empire

gulliver — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:32:19 -0000

>Compliment?

Next you'll be asking 'Does my neck look fat in these pearls.'

Re: The Rise of the Innerpreneur Empire

gulliver — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:15:23 -0000

But I'm saying nothing about the pearls - other than 'I'm smart enough to not wear them.'

Re: On the Benefits of a Business Education

gulliver — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:15:02 -0000

>benefits of a business education?

Slightly on topic...

===

Innovation comes from the confidence to trust your instincts, having the bravery not to believe that hidden in the endless array of business management manuals is the secret to being Gordon Gekko.

The truth is that they are all bibles, they are all motherhood and apple pie, and they are all bollocks. When you read 'The Harvard MBA in 10 Days', it does not tell you anything about attitude. But it is attitude and values that should distinguish a social enterprise.
===

Or, with sound and pictures, about three minutes into this clip.

Sure, he's speaking of social enterprise, but the principle is the same.

Totally off-topic, though still relevant, is the current Internet 'expert' (and I use that term very lightly, as most of it isn't... expert or advice) nonsense which many latch onto. But that's a topic for another piece.

Re: There’s Nothing Wrong With You

gulliver — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:17:48 -0000

> It’s in exploring what’s right with you that you’ll find the joy you seek.

Agreed. And (not 'but'), in a commercial context, we still need to find and fix the weaknesses - or the whole thing can quickly come undone. No need to dwell on 'em, just be aware and sort what needs to be.

Re: More Content Than You Can Shake a Stick At

gulliver — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 18:46:14 -0000

>Look forward to seeing where these ventures go.

Well, they can hardly get much worse... so hopefully 'better' and 'regularly read' is where they're headed.

;-)