By Karen Post, on October 5, 2011

Like I mentioned the other day, I have aged a bit since jumping into the world of being an entrepreneur. In fact, almost thirty years have whipped by me. Many things remain the same, but some things have changed.

My entrepreneurial traits that remain:

• I’m still very fearless in business.
• I still fear a few things like: being struck by lightning, being hit by a flying baseball, hockey puck or golf ball and I still hope I never meet a snake.
• I still have a strong sense of humor, love comedy and gravitate toward people who make me laugh.
• I still believe personal responsibility is a big deal. And when people don’t take responsibility for their actions and blame others for their fate, that’s not a laughing matter, it’s a character flaw.
• I still love my work, in fact so much that most of the time it doesn’t feel like work, but extremely satisfying play.

Some new human conditions that recently have shown up:
While my mind and passion for business and entrepreneurship remain high and are still on the “GO track”, my body has been signally some new trends. Most of which I’ve managed to fix, like gray hair – there’s hair color for that, some new facial geometry – there’s Botox® for that and even my true age – you can lie about that. But the next one I’m still working on and can’t say I’ve found the fix yet. But as an optimist, I’m confident a solution is near.

I’ve been diagnosed with Osteoarthritis. Just hearing the name creeps me out because it sounds like a very old person’s disease. Well, it turns out it’s not. Osteoarthritis can affect young people and active athletes too and most people will get some form of this condition as their bodies’ age – or we can say ‘mature’.

My case makes me feel like I’ve been hit by a Mac truck every morning. Throughout the day I get very shifty and my neck stays pretty pumped with pain. This started about a year ago. I went to a doctor just recently and she told me after reviewing my x-rays that I’ve likely had this bad boy, Osteoarthritis, for over five years.

Well, I’m not going to let some lame disease slow me down, even though there is no cure, there are things one can do to minimize the pain and I’m all about that. So this past month I embarked on a full throttle, super-sized, manage-this program.

Yes it was extreme and expensive, but I need my body in sync with my mind and saying GO! Not NO! After all, I may be aging a little but I’m not turning in my serial entrepreneur card and I have many big goals that I’m determined to reach.

So for any you that may share my pain, here’s what I did and what I believe is working.

• I hired a stretching coach for three days a week.
• I got regular acupuncture treatments and took a bunch of Chinese herbs that tasted like what I can imagine eating incense tastes like. If you are in Tampa, I highly recommend Dr Jiang.
• I got a massage every week.
• I started taking a non-addictive muscle relaxer at bedtime.
• I started taking Advil daily.

I can’t say all the pain is gone. But my neck is more flexible and less sore. My body is still pretty tight and hurts in the morning. I play tennis 2-3 times a week and for some reason when I’m in the tennis zone and playing well my pain is completely gone.

So my move forward plan is:
I ended the stretching coach. Once I learned the stretching moves, I wanted that hour back for myself. With any coach, small talk is required and that stressed me out, especially when my work plate is really full. I need that time to think and fix stuff. The stretching coach investment was worth it because not only do I now know the exercises, but my coach also introduced me to a couple of stretching tools like my big fitness ball.

and a Real-Ease Neck and Shoulder Relaxer.
Real-Ease Neck and Shoulder Relaxer (See all Massage & Relaxation Products)

So from here, I will continue to stretch throughout the day. This means: no more 6-hour long writing sessions, remain disciplined and keep moving around whenever possible. I’m also going to maintain the massages, acupuncture, muscle relaxer and Advil.

The big message to my fellow aging entrepreneurs–stay loose, keep moving forward, have fun and take care of what hurts.

By Karen Post, on March 12, 2011

State is a place you choose to be. This past week my state was questionable. I let a few goofy thoughts enter my brain and they had a direct impact on my output.

I chatted with my Tony Robins coach, Jayne, about this situation and she reminded me of the time I walked on fire and I didn’t burn one toe. I pulled that off because I was in a very intense state of mind – like a soldier on the front lines, an Olympic athlete in the game of their life. That night I was 500% focused on my mission. I could see the end of hot coals before I took one step forward. I was rock solid with confidence and felt there was nothing I could not do. I chanted. I talked to myself more than normal.

I can’t officially tell you this next part, because by doing so, it cracks the state I am in now until I finish my book. So I will only elude to this historic thing.  Ah, better idea, I will speak about a person I once knew.

There was a great writer who was awarded a plum assignment, because she knew her stuff inside and out. Instead of cranking out the goods, she surrendered her mental state to thoughts of question and doubt. She pondered way too long trying to write the perfect sentence, instead of pouring out what she knew, like her name. She wasted precious time and invited stress and all its kids to move in. Summary – big freaking waste of everything. Life, time and brain cells.

Today, a new writer showed up.
She was militant. She broke down big scary goals into small pieces of cupcake bites. She felt like Iron woman, Super diva and Queen of everything. She got back into exactly how she felt walking on that fire that night in Chicago and felt a powerful new strength. Within 60 minutes, she was in the flow zone and writing like a machine.

Every human has the ability to get into this state, if you want it bad enough. It is a mental drill. It is a dominating, dictator mindset, a take no prisoners attitude. Wussies not apply.

If distractions show up in your head, shrink them all down to small little crumbs, so you can’t even see them.
If voices start babbling, turn the volume button completely off, so you can’t hear them at all.
If you see something that looks bold, bright and scary, make it black and white, so it fades into nothing.

Getting into full State works with anything you want to accomplish, sales, writing, performing and sports.

Look out Saturday morning tennis opponent,  I am Venus William’s alter ego and I am here to win!

Also, be sure to check out: Trading your time for money is a mind-set you can no longer afford.

By Karen Post, on February 22, 2011

This week, Oddpodz shares the reality of keeping a business together while getting ready for an important trip. If you missed last weeks wrap up, click here.

1 – I’m going to Saudi, join me! Get the inside scoop of marketing, communication, travel & cultural lessons.
2 – Blog breakthrough – What does it really take? And what is the magic move that turns pondering into reality?
3 – How to get unstuck on a writing project – 10 ways. Learn to practice what you preach in a stress-free way.
4 – Forgive me, I’m using an excuse card tonight. Use these funny excuses if you’re having an off day.
5 – A road warrior’s check list, so the journey is a joy. What to pack when you’re always on the go.

For more on-the-road lessons view:
Networking in the sky. How to turn a seat mate into a good connection.
5 inspirational ideas and 2 revelations from an adventure to Chicago
What I learned from going to see Oprah

By Karen Post, on February 12, 2011

It sure can. Research shows that people who are happy are healthier and wealthier. Think about how much more energy you have when you feel great, you got a big new client, you are in love, you accomplished something difficult, it’s better than two shots of B12. And happy people experience less stress and attract other happy people which create a domino effect of momentum.

Identity small things that make you happy and do them  often. You will see a difference in your business, your support team and your life.

Here are a few things that make me happy.

• Going to an awesome movie.
• Hearing one of my favorite songs.
• Feeling the sun.
• Endorphins from exercise.
• Winning a tennis match.
• Smelling garlic cooking.
• Completing a tough project.
• Getting a massage.

The cool thing is, I can make all of these happen.

What are some small things that make you happy?
Now go make them happen.

Also, be sure to check out: Celebrate love being an entrepreneur everyday.

By Karen Post, on February 7, 2011

Juggling. I don’t remember ever taking a class on this in high school or college. Yet, as an entrepreneur and small business owner, you must master the skill like a professional circus star. Here are two methods that work well for me that I’ve just figured out through experience.

1) The 90-day strict focus juggling act.
This week and for the next couple months, I’m in serious lock down mode. This means other than sleeping, eating,  an hour or so of daily tennis or some cardio and cranking out quality work and I’m not doing anything else. PERIOD. I don’t recommend this approach often, it’s intense and most of your friends will think you are very weird and may even refer to you as a cave person, but sometimes, this style of juggling is just plain required.

This is a choice I’ve made because the current list of balls in the air that are directly tied to my big life goals. I am very intentional and know clearly what I want based on my core values.

My #1 life goal is: to ensure freedom and independence which are derived from financial, creative and high happy factor success.

My current list of responsibilities: my consulting work, my new book, Brand Turnaround: How Brands Gone Bad  Return to Glory, McGraw-Hill (complete manuscript due by May 1st), my Oddpodz blogging, my speech and trip Saudi Arabia all require big time, deep problem solving and creative thinking. For me, this is what I call the highly-focused juggle act. You keep your eyes and thoughts on specific projects and nothing else. You say no to social stuff, volunteer duties and anything that needs brain cells or attention, unless it’s part of your focused juggling act or really an emergency. Fortunately, I have the luxury of being single and having no dependents, so I can pull this off, this may not be so easy for everyone.

From here, I map out a very clear working plan.
This includes: daily objectives and needed tasks, support team and a detailed time line to accomplish all.  From here, I schedule daily blocks of time (the night before) to work on each of the four balls, (sometimes I even use a food timer to limit how much I spend on any given ball) stay very discipline so I don’t break my train of focus with non emergency distractions – like taking non urgent calls, checking email etc. – and I make sure I give clear instructions and expectations to any team members who is supporting me. Plus, when I do this highly-focused juggle I also do my rituals, read my affirmation as I eat right, don’t drink too much and visit my master goal list daily, so I’m so clear on where I’m headed.

When time is not such a critical factor, I use this more balanced juggling act formula, which produces great results.

2) The 365-day juggling act.
Stay calm.
Be happy you have balls to juggle. It’s much better than the alternative. Don’t view the balls that you are juggling as scary time bombs, but as great opportunities. Try to limit the number you juggle to 7 to 10 max or you are headed for the loony house soon.

Embrace balance.
Mix up your work load with non work stuff. Enjoy life, since it’s not a dress rehearsal.

Work from plan.
Write out daily objectives and needed tasks, identify who you need to support you and a develop a detailed time line to accomplish all.

Celebrate your achievements and be grateful.
Hourly, daily  and often.

Have fun, juggling is not a root canal.

Don’t forget to check out: Torn between two lovers, no different than business priorities.

By Karen Post, on January 30, 2011

Running shoe is by Newton.

I’m still in Houston and today is the Chevron Marathon. Thousands of ambitious runners are headed for the finish line as they run, walk or crawl 26 long miles. Achieving this goal after months of training and preparation is huge.

The day will be painful, challenging, rewarding, joyous and emotional for most. Sounds like a day at the office when you are entrepreneur. I’ve recapped 26 steps that these runners have taken and you can apply to reach your goals.

1.) Start. Set your goals.

2.) Create a simple, doable plan – how will you get to your goal?

3.) Develop a working schedule that covers: research, training, execution and anything else that needs to be done.

4.) List out all your smaller milestones that are needed to meet your big goal. Make sure you set accountable measures and deadlines.

5.) Design a wellness plan that includes diet, exercise, supplements and stretching rituals.

6.) Re-think your sleeping zone, your bed, the noise and the lighting so you can sleep for 7-8 hours every night.

7.) Relearn the importance and practice of breathing often and in a full cycles.

8.) Research and buy the best equipment you need to achieve the ultimate performance.

9.) Decide who your positive support network will be including business associates, friends and vendors.

10.) Kindly lose any negative, non-achieving friends, business associates and vendors from your world.

11.) Exercise your mind by using both sides daily. From crossword puzzles to something creative like doodling.

12.) Hydrate daily with water, not wine. Wine can be consumed in moderation, but water needs to be drank at least 6 times a day.

13.) Establish daily learning rituals from reading the WJS, to listening to podcasts and watching webinars and practice what you’ve learned.

14.) Work on improving mental toughness every hour. Shake off mistakes and disappointments. Believe in the power of your mind.

15.) Push yourself beyond what you think you can do.

16.) Identify a handful of people that inspire you, follow them and learn from them. Whether you know them or not.

17.) Carefully assess your competition, their strengths, and weaknesses.

18.) Seek out legal advantages that will accelerate your journey to the finish line.

19.) Keep your eyes and ears wide open for potholes and flying objects.

20.) Practice, train and be disciplined everyday.

21.) Recover, refresh and revitalize often.

22.) Show gratitude and appreciation to people you know and people you don’t know.

23.) Visit, read and recite your goals every day.

24.) Affirm in writing what you believe and can achieve. This is your story that you own, read it out loud everyday.

25.)  Stay laser focused on your goals and dreams.

26.) Don’t waste emotions on feeling guilt, worrying, dwelling on the past or things you can’t control.

Bonus step

27.) Be proud everyday of every little step you’ve taken.

For more on entrepreneur list-styles, view:
Celebrate loving being an entrepreneur everyday.
Can being happier change your entrepreneur results?

By Karen Post, on October 9, 2010

This week, our team has produced 7 articles for your success. For those of you who might have missed them – some of us are busy as hell during the week! – here is your weekly OWW-UP:

1 – In Liar Liar is your brand on fire, Joe Melle digs into the evolution of advertising over the past 50 years, focusing on infomercials. Joe wonders how marketing professionals look at their peers’ work. He also questions the extent to which Ethic impacts infomercials messages and he challenges every one of us to think twice about the way we communicate about our products? See Joe’s post here.

2 – In Leadership: the quality of your presence, Thomson Dawson highlights how leadership is an effect of a quality presence. He tells us why determined people are time-oriented and how they get to the next step. See Thomson’s post here.

3 – In Business Requirements Doc & Website Dev RFP Example, Karen Post follows up her last week article How Two Websites Almost Killed a Baby. Our CEO tells us what Oddpodz has learnt in IT adding some insights from Allen Clary and Brian Burridge

See Karen’s post here and download Business Requirements and Oddpodz Request for Proposal as examples.

4 – In Why you should master the art of “downloading people”?, Kenji Crosland develops the concept of “downloading people” – or how to get as many pieces of information from anyone as you can. Among the tips Kenji gives us: don’t focus on narrow objectives and remember that everyone has valuable information. See Kenji’s post here.

5 – In If it ain’t broke, break it…, Jocelyn Rings gives us 7 lessons she implements while brainstorming. Through the story of the successful startup SeamlessWeb, Jocelyn’s advices make a lot of sense for those of us who live through a continuous brainstorming mode! See Jocelyn’s post here.

6 – In How QR barcodes make it easy to attract & keep new online friends, Lauren Angrick shows us a Japanese way to communicate through mobile devices which is going worldwide at the speed of light! See Lauren’s post here

7 – Lauren brings it back in A little known way to spruce up your Facebook page for free. In this post, she adds up a great tool to the Oddpodz FREE biz findz blog with Facebook TabSite. A website that allows you to create for free a tab within your Facebook pages. See Lauren’s second post of the week here

Seven days, seven posts! The O-team has given its best for your success. Which insight has been the most helpful for you this week?

By Karen Post, on September 10, 2010

I have always enjoyed cycling. I saw the movie Breaking Away as a child and wanted to be a bike racer. Those plans were deferred as I spend twenty plus years as a competitive equestrian which is an extremely time consuming pursuit. Recently, I traded in riding horses for riding bikes and it has become my new passion. This past Sunday, I rode in the Savannah Century (103 miles, to be exact). The course started over the Talmadge Bridge and went into South Carolina, then wound through rural southeast Georgia before heading back to downtown Savannah. The event was well organized, the weather was relatively mild for the southeast and the camaraderie was awesome. I did not ride as part of a team, so once I’d logged 30 miles and the crowd started to thin out, I had a large chunk of 5 plus hours on the bike to take in scenery and think. I learned a few things about cycling and myself and found that they are applicable to business.

1 ) Preparation is key. This is true of a Century, or any business event in life. I was a bit nervous at the start of the morning, because I had not logged as many training miles as I had hoped this summer. Our hot southern summer kept me off the road for a few days and other commitments chewed into my training schedule. However, I did have a good level of fitness and was able to perform well despite not sticking to my originally planned regimen. Sometimes, you can get by with less preparation than you would have liked. I did think about skipping the event, but I am glad I didn’t. So, even when you think you haven’t put in 100%, just go ahead and do it. If you come up short, you know how much you need to do next time.

2 ) Those that talk the most have the least to say. I sat quietly with my bike waiting for the SCMPD to close the bridge so that we could get on our way. I heard lots of people around me bragging about performances in other events and on training rides (long distances, high speeds). I thought I would be at the end of the pack and dropped by every group out there based on what I was hearing. Once we got out on the road, I saw several of the self-proclaimed speed demons drop back and even turn off the 103 mile course to ride the 37, 56 or 69 mile routes. The quietly confident riders performed the best.

3 ) Watch out for road hazards, and be polite and warn those around you. When riding in a large group, you have to watch out for things on the road and the other people around you, much like you would if you were driving a car. Stay focused. And, when you see something, tell those behind you, as someone ahead of you warned you.

4 ) You will encounter unexpected obstacles, and you’ll just have to find a way to get past them. As we approached a draw bridge with a metal grating, the entire group slowed down. The organizers of the event warned us that we should walk our bikes over the bridge if it had rained and the surface was wet. It was sunny and 90 degrees, so I couldn’t figure out what was going on. Perhaps people were just erring on the side of caution and walking across the rough surface. However, we were, in fact, slowing down to get past a 6 foot gator in the roadway. We had been warned about road conditions, but no one expected a gator to cross our path. We all slowed down and communicated to one another to slow down and to pass with care. The entire group (that I could see) got past the gator with no casualties.

5 ) Know your limits, but push through them. I knew I could not keep up with people traveling upwards of 25 mph, but I also knew that I could move out of a comfortable pace and challenge myself by keeping up with a group that rode slightly faster than I rode alone on training rides. At about 85 miles, with my bike computer temperature gague reading 107 degrees, I felt pretty tired, but I knew that after traveling that far, I could make it the last 15 miles.

6 ) Going it alone is tough. I did not ride from the start with a group, so I didn’t have anyone to work with to share the burden. I have a friend who is an elite cyclist and competes in events all over the world. He always says that after a big climb, he never wants to find himself riding in a flat valley to the next climb all by himself; it’s just tough, it’s much easier to have at least one rider to help keep a quick pace. I rode by myself for the first 40 or so miles until the my first stop at the third rest stop. I tend to enjoy working alone, but it is a challenge. I realized how much easier it was to ride in a paceline where one person pulls the group along for a while, then moves to the middle or back of the pack to recover while the others take turns leading.

7 ) There are nice people out there. I passed one particular group a couple of times, but working together, they always caught me. After the third time, one member of the group asked me if I’d like to join them as they rode by. I said, “Yes, thank you!” It was much easier to reach the end with a group willing to share the work. And, you find yourself pushing yourself harder when you are in front and want to help everyone along. I rode stronger and faster when I was in the group. Granted, this was not a competitive event, but I was really impressed and inspired by the camaraderie and helpfulness. People at the rest stops were helpful and people that rode by at faster paces would shout words of encouragement.

8 ) Be a productive member of the team. For a while in the first part of the ride, I found myself with a riding partner for about 8 miles or so. Over my left shoulder, I saw a shadow. I looked back often and saw that person constantly. He was drafting and by riding behind me he could ride faster with less effort. I gestured for him to move in front a few times, but he would not. It was irritating. So, if you are in a group, doesn’t matter if it is two or twenty two, don’t hang at the back letting everyone else pull you along. Pitch in. Even if you can’t stay in front for as long as some of the other members, get up there and do your best. If people see that you are doing your best to help, it will be appreciated.

9 ) You can do more than you think you can. Mind over matter is for real. At mile 87, we were departing the last rest stop and the sun had reemerged. I looked at the computer on my bike and it said the temperature was 107 degrees. I was hot and tired and when I went to the front of the group, I looked down and my pace was slowing. I thought I was done, but I found something in some reserve somewhere inside and I picked my pace back up and powered through the tiredness and burning quad muscles. My body really would have liked to have stopped, but the mind kept it going.

10 ) Finish lines feel good. As soon as the finish line was in sight, the pain, lactic acid and bad feelings melted away. It was amazing that the feelings of accomplishment and pride demolished the yucky ones. I was riding for personal reasons and proud of myself for finishing, but there was someone waiting for me at the finish line who was proud of me, too, and that made crossing the finish line that much sweeter. So, you always have to keep your eye on the prize while you are in the path to your goal. Finally, make time in your busy life to put time into building friendships and relationships. Having those people in your life to share in your victories make them that much more rewarding.

Don’t forget to view: Outdoor advertising – effective tool? Dangerous distraction?

By Karen Post, on August 22, 2010

5 convincing reasons rituals can put you on a winning track.

Rituals are one of the most important tools you can use to achieve balance, mental toughness and your goals. Repetition of habits creates an awareness of your values and what’s most meaningful. Disciplined patterns of thinking and acting can enhance your ability to respond to pressure, recover from mental and physical depletion and concentrate on your goals.

In Jame E. Loehr’s New York Times bestselling book, Stress for Success, Jim works with and interviews top Olympian athletes, business leaders and people with extreme pressure cooking careers. He noted they all follow daily routines or rituals, enabling their health, happiness and performance to go to a new, higher level.

Studies show that rituals:

1. Help us shift gears to oscillate between stress and recovery.
2. Increase personal control and facilitate living a life consistent with our deepest values.
3. Bring order and structure to chaos and change.
4. Stimulate past emotional states by activating sensory memory.
5. Help us execute complex tasks with perfection—mentally, physically and emotionally.

I’ve always had rituals. You probably have some too. But I’ve recently created a list of them and consciously go through them daily. I’ve found in doing this my productivity has significantly risen and I’m feeling a lot less stressed and much more fulfilled.

Below is my daily list. I’ve thrown it in a chart and actually mark off the rituals as I do them everyday. And when I think about blowing a ritual  off, I ask myself, what would Michael Phelps, Madonna or whoever I admire do? The answer is they would do the ritual, and that’s why they have been so successful. When I have a big event to do,  give a presentation, speech or tennis match, I add other items that are specific to those situation. For instance, when I speak, I practice a number of times before the gig, and imagine a room with a standing ovation. For tennis, I perform mental and physical exercises before I walk on the court and talk to myself and tennis ball.

What are your rituals? Have you had any experiences that you can share?

Also view: 4-simple habits of champion goal-getters.