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Disneyland Makes Real Magic
We spent two days at Disneyland when my daughter, Brighten, was seven years old. I found the entire park to be a well-oiled, emotionally fulfilling enterprise.I was impressed by the rides, shows and dedicated staff (called ‘cast members’).Many cast members wear colorful pins commemorating Disneyland history and lore: Bambi’s birthday, Mickey and his friends, Piglet, Pooh, Beauty and the Beast. On arrival, Brighten was given a lanyard with four identical pins she could trade with any cast member in the park.Each time Brighten met someone with colorful pins she admired, that person knelt down to meet Brighten at eye-level. With a genuine smile, they said enthusiastically, ‘Would you like to trade pins with me?’ It sounded like the most exciting moment of their lives.At seven years old, choosing can take time, especially with so many pins to pick from. Brighten never felt rushed to make a choice. And every time a trade was made, the staff gave Brighten a big ‘Thank you!’ and a friendly smile.I don’t remember which pins Brighten traded. But I will never forget t

lpha or beta test and it is NOT just for debugging. The sooner you can get here the few resources will be wasted. The best entrepreneurs are flexible and can change on a dime so long as it is not the fundamental principal, or the primary customer value proposition they are building the

5 Creative Ways To Find A Job
Ok, you have posted to every internet job board and every job on Monster, CareerBuilder, and HotJobs. You’ve followed up with calls and networked until you are blue in the face. Each Sunday you take the newspaper and apply for every job in your field with little to no results. Well try some unique ways to find a job.Send Half of Your Resume Find a company you want to work. Write a great cover letter on why you are a good fit, pointing to the enclosed resume. Don’t seal the envelope and don’t enclose a resume. They’ll think the resume fell out in the mail. They will call and engage in a conversation. Sell yourself shamelessly.Write A Prospecting Letter Make use of the power of direct mail. Locate 5-10companies. Write up a letter to your contact network and ask them if they know anyone who works at any of the companies on your list. When a contact says they know someone on your list, send them your resume and ask them to forward it their contact or ask permission to send it yourself.E-Mail Chain Letter Create a list of 20 companies you want to work for and se

In my experience, few people understand the many different ways that a start-up must be managed as compared to more mature companies. Decisions must be faster, risks must be higher, and the solutions that are developed must be less complete (80% or less) and more narrowly targeted. During the bubble many "big company" executives were recruited to run startups with little more than an idea and a huge VC investment. This, of course, came back to haunt the investors when they realized too late that running a startup is a very different animal than a larger company. Most of these executives, though looking good on paper and in front of a board, were fish out of water in any startup company, no matter how much money they had in the bank.

There are so many unknowns involved with a new product and market that you must ALWAYS iterate towards the best solution in increments – You cannot pretend to know all the answers up front. Odds are, many, many changes will be required along the way. There must be a trial and error phase to reduce risk and move from theory to real customer feedback and/or market data. In technology this is an alpha or beta test and it is NOT just for debugging. The sooner you can get here the few resources will be wasted. The best entrepreneurs are flexible and can change on a dime so long as it is not the fundamental principal, or the primary customer value proposition they are building thei

Unemployment Leads to Depression
Being unemployed can lead to depression. I remember being concerned that when my husband became unemployed he would become depressed. Once you become unemployed several things could go through your mind: 1) you could think it was your fault you no longer have a job; 2) you are worthless; 3) you are causing your family to incur debt; 4) think no one will hire you; and 5) you have no motivation to go and look for a job.You sit at home and these thoughts bombard your mind over and over. The more you focus on these thoughts; it can lead you to become depressed. What can you do to pull yourself out of this depression? 1) look at your accomplishments prior to losing your job; 2) believe that you can do better than before you lost your job; 3) research your local paper, contact colleagues and find out if there are in leads on jobs in your field; 4) begin networking which might be new for you. I remember I had not really experienced networking in one particular job I had because of the nature of the job. One I lost that job and had to start over, I

ing the bubble many "big company" executives were recruited to run startups with little more than an idea and a huge VC investment. This, of course, came back to haunt the investors when they realized too late that running a startup is a very different animal than a larger company. Most of these executives, though looking good on paper and in front of a board, were fish out of water in any startup company, no matter how much money they had in the bank.

Your Interview Environment: More Than Just the Interview
Most job seekers think the interview begins the moment they stand up to greet the person interviewing them. This is false. An interview is a two-way street, so your interview should begin the moment you walk through the company’s door. In your haste to make a good impression, don’t forget to keep your eyes open and your senses tuned to what’s taking place around you.Is there a receptionist? How is the phone answered? Do any employees wander out to ask the receptionist a question? Are they terse or chatty? Do they scuttle away quickly when your interviewer appears? And do you find yourself smiling at what’s going on around you, or becoming even more nervous than you were when you came in the door?On your way to the interviewer’s office, odds are you’ll be walking through some part of the company. Notice what’s going on around you. Are people jovially discussing different projects? Or intently bent over their computers, silently at work? Do you hear laughter? How are the employees moving from one place to another? What is their interaction like?Depending on you

of these executives, though looking good on paper and in front of a board, were fish out of water in any startup company, no matter how much money they had in the bank.

Job Placement: Look First, Hire Later
Evaluating your candidate is part of the investigative process in job hiring. The increased competition for jobs in today’s markets has resulted in constant pressure upon jobseekers – and as a result least 30% of them fabricate their resumes at any given time. As an employer, hiring a candidate that has provided false or misleading information about experience, skills and abilities can be a costly, inconvenient and traumatic experience. So what can be done?Background checksA common practice in hiring is poor background checking. Many employers tend to fast track the hiring process in order to save time and get the position fulfilled as quickly as possible. Big mistake. Background proofing can avoid head aches, particularly for HR managers. For lower rank positions, simple identity checks can probably provide the necessary information required to avoid bad placement. However, if it is a highly ranked position, such as executive and management jobs, more elaborate investigative processes should be undertaken.Generally, the best way to perform a background check is to

t solution in increments – You cannot pretend to know all the answers up front. Odds are, many, many changes will be required along the way. There must be a trial and error phase to reduce risk and move from theory to real customer feedback and/or market data. In technology this is an alpha or beta test and it is NOT just for debugging. The sooner you can get here the few resources will be wasted. The best entrepreneurs are flexible and can change on a dime so long as it is not the fundamental principal, or the primary customer value proposition they are building the

Time for a New Job?
Whether working for a company or organization for a year or decades, it is always difficult to decide when to move on to another employer. There are certain signs that any individual can look for around the work place. While may of these seem like common sense, others are more subtle and are just an important, if not more so.Time in the jobConsider how long you have been in the same job with the same title performing the same function. If it is longer than twenty-four months and a new job for the same employer is not pending, then it may be time to look for a new job. Consider changing jobs within a company or organization every eighteen to twenty-four months. Anything longer labels you as a “lifer” in the role.PromotionAre others around you in similar roles and organizations getting promoted and you are not. Ask yourself why. If they have similar functions, skills and background and they are getting promoted about you, it is time to move on.RaiseEven though it is one of the last taboos, raises and bonuses are important indicators of who is val

A startup must be designed and launched quickly, and then, with high quality and bandwidth customer feedback (read quality face-to-face interviews), it must be constantly modified. It is like a heat seeking missile that is always readjusting its course based on the latest radar data. Generally, big companies cannot do this, while startups MUST DO IT so as to leverage their main advantage over companies with larger resources!

Top Ten Rules For Startup Success

Once you start burning cash, and until you reach profitability, time is your enemy. Respect it and limit any product development to a fixed schedule. (You Are Leaking Fuel and at high risk!) If the SR-71 can be designed, developed and launched in 18 months so can your project. Replace anyone who does not believe that they can develop a product in 12-18 months. Most should be 6 months maximum after the team is in place.

Expect, and constantly make, small course changes daily, then weekly, and then monthly. Iterate towards the best customer focused solution until you hit gold and find a solution the customer cannot live without and is diff

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I called on Jose Rodriguez, President of RISMED Oncology Systems, a Huntsville company that provides high medical technology to radiotherapy professionals around the globe, to get his input on the subject. Jose is an old friend and client and if anyone can give pointers on doing business internationally, Jose is the man.

Will you win every interview you go on? No and you shouldn't expect to but how do you handle the rejection?

Finding an ethical Christian network marketing opportunity can be difficult. I hope to offer a couple of ideas.

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