Indians gone wild!

I have some cool friends from India. If you have not made the trip over to that side of the world, you are really missing out. You will not find a greater collection of bright minds, hard workers and fun like Indians. I am not kidding. That guy in your IT department with the long name you never talk to, he really is a hoot! I want you to stop what you are doing, introduce yourself and get to know him, you will see what I mean.

Anyway, I told my Indian friend about my blog. He is one of my few subscribers, let me correct that, “few” would be a compliment. A dead guy’s blog is not that far behind mine in readership. Hey I am a franchising guy, what do I know about blogging!

I tell my friend that blogs and franchising are just like a Jr. High school dance. Nobody wants to get out on the dance floor until the “cool” kids start shaking it. Once you break the ice, everyone wants to dance. Your stores are full, your blog subscribers go through the roof. Business like blogging, is easy when you have a crowd. By the way, kids in India have the same "dancing alone" fears as Americans.

I need some comments! Nobody is dancing with me and I already bought the food, bad drinks and lame décor. My stories have about as much action as that kid in your 7^th grade science class with the red hair and braces that kept talking about Dungeons and Dragons without end.

It may have been the “cool kids dance first” plug or maybe he just thought I was pathetic but he obviously has a lot more friends than I do! After I moderated more comments in 2 minutes than this blog has ever had, I stopped posting them. Here are 30 that I did not post but I had to share them with you. You have got to love the comments. These are unedited, raw, and straight of the cutting room floor.

If you don’t have any Indian friends, read on and see what you are missing. You cannot write copy like this, I challenge you! If you want to get out on the dance floor with your big idea, I have a few hundred Indian friends I would like to introduce you to.

Let’s dance!

Top of Form

	Hi all,some never ending thoughts need to end some... Hi all, some never ending thoughts need to end somewhere and the one who play has to lose one day. Then only he is selected to be the gem in his field of work or play. The Idea behind this is very simple there requires a better understanding for every other individual to run a long inning. Publish Reject	(nitesh)	2:40 PM
	Focusing on profit, money, etc is fine.The best re... Focusing on profit, money, etc is fine. The best response come in the time we realize the output figure before receiving it. That is not assumption but a thorough market study and profit or loss is not the end. The study need not be of product or company, it has to be of every other thing included and related to business. Really brilliant and mind blowing stuff these person is doing and only thing that needs to be learned is the word learning..... Rest all will be history. Publish Reject	(nitesh)	2:30 PM
	Hey brain it was great idea to build an empire fr... Hey brain it was great idea to build an empire from a junk. bye Publish Reject	(sarfaraz.m)	2:05 PM
	It was an great article for business corporates a... It was an great article for business corporates and market leaders to take advantage of visualising big problems into simple one like "chicken". Thanks.. Publish Reject	(sarfaraz.m)	1:56 PM
	Hi allIt's good to know that the root of the busin... Hi all It's good to know that the root of the business is the basic of all profits earned by the company. Then too it's a sad that professional are lost in finding the right profit their business should get at the end of every project completed. So, i think that it will be great to learn more from the experience shared by the great tycoons of the business through this podcast. A really good step towards bringing the one to the light of bright path ahead. Publish Reject	(nitesh)	1:19 PM
	hi all, hi all, Publish Reject	(daniel)	12:47 PM
	lot to know in quick momentsexcellent work!! lot to know in quick moments excellent work!! Publish Reject	(christine)	12:43 PM
	wise to choose to gather knowledge information in ... wise to choose to gather knowledge information in few moments that would be success Publish Reject	(steve)	12:42 PM
	in few moments there is lot to know then surely it... in few moments there is lot to know then surely it would be the great experience to share off Publish Reject	(david)	12:40 PM
	y not to know the franchise with lot of knowledge ... y not to know the franchise with lot of knowledge in few moments definitely would be appreciated Publish Reject	(Anonymous)	12:38 PM
	might meet up with Brian and experience the views might meet up with Brian and experience the views Publish Reject	(jessica)	12:36 PM
	well brief about the interview sure to be the one ... well brief about the interview sure to be the one to move ahead for the same Publish Reject	(george)	12:34 PM
	sure to know more about the specific criteria of t... sure to know more about the specific criteria of the same Publish Reject	(sherly)	12:33 PM
	sources were awesome to know the specific views of... sources were awesome to know the specific views of the business activity Publish Reject	(sherly)	12:30 PM
	enterprise is growing faster where to my knowledge... enterprise is growing faster where to my knowledge helps out to know the basic scenario of a policies that to be held out for a business Publish Reject	(snazdirio)	12:27 PM
	Have a persona of such a vast qualities and all th... Have a persona of such a vast qualities and all the great contacts makes you feel to take the most from the surrounding. Publish Reject	(Anonymous)	12:26 PM
	policies is been highlighted to know the theme of ... policies is been highlighted to know the theme of business activity to be pull out to grow in a field Publish Reject	(merline)	12:24 PM
	link is been highlighted which help business to gr... link is been highlighted which help business to grow step as well the essential need which fulfills the requirement to grow business Publish Reject	(christine)	12:23 PM
	valuable needsextraordinary briefing is mentioned ... valuable needs extraordinary briefing is mentioned well collective base of conduct of business activity through the streams of business steps Publish Reject	(anny)	12:20 PM
	policy are meant to be business activity of daily ... policy are meant to be business activity of daily life style and really it go through and sort out the extent of business criteria Publish Reject	(johnyy)	12:18 PM
	concept formatted with self-orientthinking concept formatted with self-orient thinking Publish Reject	(mitchele)	12:15 PM
	wow,I can really make huge capital in moments. wow,I can really make huge capital in moments. Publish Reject	(suresh)	12:03 PM
	The thoughts play in the mind, they are presented ... The thoughts play in the mind, they are presented one day. The big difference is seen when the results are exposed to the present innumerable crowd. Publish Reject	(Anonymous)	11:54 AM
	A gentleman with the brilliant mankind who knows h... A gentleman with the brilliant mankind who knows how to capture the market. Publish Reject	(Anonymous)	11:49 AM
	You can't imagine it's really good. Now even i m s... You can't imagine it's really good. Now even i m sure i can sell a piece of Ice on Iceberg. Publish Reject	(Anonymous)	11:45 AM
	rally a lot to admit in life as blog has different... rally a lot to admit in life as blog has different story altogether. Publish Reject	(Anonymous)	11:39 AM

No football for you!

“Harris, I have seen freeway cones move faster than you!”

-Coach Roy Walton, Tates Creek High School Lexington Kentucky

In athletics, as in life, you know where you stack up by simple honest observation. Taking a trip from Phoenix to Santa Barbara with four kids in a van is also very enlightening. I realize I could never get a divorce because I would go nuts, I don’t have the talent to be a single Dad. It hits you like a lightning bolt. It was like the moment in High School football, your senior year when the coach is trying to get you cranked up for the last game, “for all you seniors except one or two of you, this is the last time you will ever play a formal game of football with a helmet on.” In that split second, it hit me that I would be relegated to Thanksgiving games and old war stories. I don’t want to sound like it was a complete shock to hear it, the recruiters seemed to have lost my phone number.I knew I was not one of the “one or two” long before the pep talk but in the locker room the last time it really hit home.

Cruising down the 10 towards the coast with the whole gang was one of those lightning bolt moments. I am utterly and totally grateful for my wife. She seemed larger than life like some mythic warrior princess. I asked myself, “How can she take this every day?” I love my kids to death, we have a great time together, but packed in a van for six hours, I am reminded about my weaknesses and dependency on my wife. How someone would take this outsourced job as a Mother with very little upside and a huge downside if she fails is confirmation that we are all emotionally, spiritually and physically talented appropriately to our individual assignments here on earth, and it is not random luck that makes it all work. God gives each of us the appropriate talents to make sure we interact with one another. He knows our inherent selfish nature would guarantee we would never reach out to someone else if we had all the talents ourselves. We must embrace our weaknesses for what they are, God’s way of making sure we do not forget about each other.

It’s a new year, time to take a hard look at your family, company or organization and write down what each individual’s talents are on your team. Also, what were you born to be great at? Be thankful for what you have and more importantly be thankful that some people are waiting to fill in your soft spots if given the chance.

Interview with Dirck Schou CEO HF Coors

Entrepreneurs and Franchisers free prize inside! I had the pleasure of interviewing Dirck this week. This 10 minute Podcast is priceless if you are a USA based manufacturer that is struggling to maintain your niche.

Listen as Dirck takes you every step of the way from entering the market, buying out an 80 year old competitor and growing a "Made in the USA" brand by being "fast, flexible and customer oriented".

If you are also a retailer who needs customized kitchenware, HF Coors is the largest manufacturer in the West providing fast, customized solutions for fortune 500 clients and small retailers as well.

Click here to visit HF Coors

All formats supported for the Podcast, pick the way you want to hear this great interview.

Click here to listen to interview

Click here to get podcast


Click here to get free podcast from iTunes

Click here to get RSS of the Podcast



Readers and listeners we can repay Dirck for his generosity with his time and help your fellow business builders by sending them the link to this blog. They do not teach what you will hear in business school, this is real life first hand business building at it's finest, going against the outsourcing trend and moving the market up. I love it! Share the love!

Enjoy!

* iTunes subscribers. We are listed under "CEO interview HF Coors" Don't forget to subscribe and we will deliver new CEO interviews of Big Ideas like HF Coors, right to your iPod every time you plug in as we get them.

Victoria’s Secret they want to keep hidden

Sorry no pictures on this one readers. You can just imagine a woman dressed in $1 worth of material that is prepared, branded and marketed to make you believe that your girlfriend or wife will actually be a super model if she wears it. That is the magic of this brand that did 5 billion last year in gross sales in 2006, that’s a lot of panties! Imagine a small idea started by a Stanford grad to make it easier for men to buy lingerie, 30 years later we have one of the most well known brands in the world.

We are unabashed bulls on outsourcing, America was founded on outsourcing. The Crown’s factory was a young hungry colony across the Atlantic. Almost all of the apparel market was shifted to American manufacturers at one point. I am sure many British manufacturers, politicians and members of the media brought up the appalling conditions and loss of jobs the Yanks were taking away from the motherland, sound familiar? Short memories are easy marks for protectionist that like to throw the good and bad into the same pot.

The ugly side of outsourcing came to light last week that is no longer Victoria’s Secret. The National Labor Committee last week put out a report on a factory in Jordan that was pretty harsh. The report disclosed their contractor paid the workers .04 cents to sew a bikini in 3.5 minutes that retails for $14 just for the bottoms.

We are big fans of outsourcing but of course under humane conditions. How they verified the conditions at the factory were never clear in their article so we leave the judgment up to you.

Link to report

http://www.nlcnet.org/article.php?id=490

The same day the National Labor Committee report was released Suzanne Kapner of Fortune magazine reported that, Limited Brands insiders are treating themselves to an early holiday present in the form of $20.6 million in company stock purchases, a bullish sign for the struggling owner of the Victoria's Secret and Bath & Body Works retail chains.

Nine insiders, including CEO Les Wexner, have purchased $7.6 million of stock in the last three trading days, and plan to buy $13 million more during the next week, according to regulatory filings.

The insider buying is unusual for the Columbus, Ohio-based company. Directors and executives have not tended to be big purchasers of Limited stock in recent years. Buying now, at a time when the company's stock is trading near its 52-week-low, is a vote of confidence in Limited's future prospects, analysts said.

"The last time we remember an insider stepping up to the plate was in 2002, when director David Kollat [bought $2.5 million shares]," wrote Todd Slater of Lazard Capital Markets in a research note to investors Wednesday. "This time around, we are witnessing a much stronger vote of confidence."

With sales per square foot close to the top dog Costco they are betting that putting athletic wear in 30 of its test stores this past fall will keep the mojo rolling.

Sales per square foot:

Costco $918

Victoria’s Secret $731

Wal-Mart $438

Nordstrom’s $369

Licensing Tip: Got a fashion idea? It’s just cloth, trade the brand up and enjoy a fat profit and don’t forget to do your homework on where you outsource your labor.

Donald Trump throws like a girl, so what!

I know it was horrific to watch, confusing, was this the same guy that has the girl, the money, the jet… seeing the guy throw like Darla from the Little Rascals was brutal. More breaking news, she did not marry him for his blazing fastball or hip hair style. You don't put out a new book titled "Think big and kick ass" by sweating the small stuff. The coup he pulled of at 40 Wall, will go down as not only the biggest real estate deal of his life, but possibly the biggest deal ever done in the city of New York. If you want to know how to turn a million into five hundred million in 10 years, read the book. It takes coconuts and innate talent to fade the crowd when it may be the worst time for you to pull the trigger. Knowing what you are good at, and using that knowledge at the right time makes up for a lot of wild pitches.

LeBron James makes $20,000,000 dollars a year playing basketball for Cleveland and you don’t. He’s really good at it! I am going to take a wild guess and say he might not be the world’s best web designer, painter or engineer but he has 20 million reasons to not stress out about his weaknesses when he looks in the mirror every morning. What is stressing you out?

Forget your weaknesses. Someone can do it better and cheaper and you are wasting your time, money and energy trying to improve what you are just not very good at. Be honest.

Headline: “Bill Gates can’t dunk"

Remember your strengths. Intellectual property (“IP”) licensing is exploding around the world. You have years of valuable IP locked up inside your head and trapped inside your business that needs to be unleashed, licensed and annuitized.

The market will gladly pay a fat premium for your strengths, don’t forget LeBron!

Apple did not get where they are today by keeping their strengths buried under a mountain of weakness.

“1,000 songs in your pocket” they are good at marketing.

Turn over your iPod “designed in California, made in China” they outsource their manufacturing weakness, but kept their design and engineering strengths.

Do you have strengths?

Do you have weaknesses?

Are you honest?

Are you a rebel?

If you can answer yes to all four, you are already on the road to enlightenment grasshopper, just move toward the light.

“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”

-Bruce Lee

Would you really like to get kicked in the groceries by Bruce Lee? Imagine that feeling next time you are tempted to waste your bandwidth on stuff that you are never going to be very good at.

“When the opponent expands, I contract. When he contracts, I expand and when there is an opportunity, I do not hit. It hits all by itself."

-Bruce Lee Enter the Dragon

License your strengths, outsource your weaknesses- Be the Dragon!