Value

I remember reading a story a few years back about how the police were called to remove a “homeless man loitering in a bank”.  The police responded and removed the man but not before he requested to close out his account that held well over a million dollars.  I can imagine the look on the bank managers face when that went down, it must have been priceless.  I guess the lesson to be learned is to never judge a book by its cover, played out advice i know.

I grew up in Philly and was the first and only in my family to attend college.  I started my first business at the age of 18 but don’t for one second kid yourself, I had other ventures that made me money before then.  Some legal some not so much.  I make no bones about how it has shaped me to become the man that I am today.  I am firm, yet give second chances and I never will judge a book by it’s cover. 

I had a record label distributed by Universal Music Group.  One thing that my label did better than any other label on our level was organize and mobilize street teams nationally.  Something that I created was an “Assist List”.  This list was meant for every street team member to think of who they knew in their circle who could further our cause.  We branded our teams with the coolest designs and the coolest shirts.  The idea was to create an Us vs Them mentality and it worked.  The whole purpose of the exercise is to prove that everyone has value.  One kid in Arizona had an Uncle who was a janitor at the largest radio station in Arizona who just happened to have a great relationship with the Program Director.  He would have never known if we didn’t motivate him to ask.  I am still friends with that PD in Arizona. 

There are so many avenues to learn from in this life.  We are not complete keepers of information and college doesn’t teach us everything we need to know.  Some of the most educated people I know never went to college.  We are obligated to share information with each other…..it’s our duty!!! 

Information can be hidden in many different packages and lessons can be learned as long as you are open to learning.  Everyone around you is an asset, disguised in many different packages and presented in many different challenges.  What you do with information and what you learn is up to you.

 

Check Your Moral Barometer

In the 90’s I am not ashamed to admit that I got down to a little bit on The New Kids on The Block.  The story behind that group is they were produced and managed by a guy named Maurice Starr.  Needless to say Maurice Starr branding everything with NKOTB imagry and made himself and everybody around them rich beyond belief.  Lou Pearlman owned a commuter airline called Trans Continental Airlines.  Mr. Starr would shuttle his boy band across the country and international destinations via Trans Continental.  Lou Pearlman saw all the money that could be made in the boy band business and formed The Backstreet Boys, who eventually went on to sell over 100 million records worldwide.  Pearlman never regained his foothold on the music industry and it wasn’t from a lack of trying.  Man, who could forget the hits of the likes of “O-Town” and “LFO”?  So he does what any red blooded American does and…………………….develops some ponzi scheme and bilks people out of 300 million dollars and then runs to Indonesia when the federal government finds him out. 

 

Poor Lou, I can almost smell the excess that was his heyday.  Now he has to repay over 300 MILLION dollars in damages and restitution and sit behind bars for 25 years.  My Uncle used to tell me when I was younger that, “You can’t make money like this.”. (At which point he would ball his hand into a closed fist)  Meaning there has to be an equal exchange of money in and money out.  Willing to give money as well as you are to take money.  Always be prepared to be generous and know that you cannot take ANY of it with you.  The greatest joy I get is the joy that I get from being generous.  The greatest gift I ever received was the reaction to a gift that I gave.  That being said, I cannot comment on Lou Pearlman as a human being.  I can speak with great conviction that I believe his acts to be deplorable.  All I can do is be cognizant of 2 things:  1.  There will be people in life who can NEVER get enough and you have to live your life for yourself and realize that things that are too good to be true, are ALWAYS to good to be true.  2.  That the New Kids on The Block spawned more than one bad thing in the 90’s, they gave us Lou Pearlman.

Google Phone

 I have shunned common sense and a few friends who have attempted to get me out of my T-Mobile Sidekick.  The argument always arises, “You are a businessman, why on earth would you be using a Sidekick?”  “Hogwash”,  I would say, “I need the larger keyboard.” 

There is a high school near my house made famous in the movie “Grease” as Rydell High.  As I passed by a group of Venice High School students I noticed almost every single one of them typing away on…….you guessed it, their T-Mobile Sidekicks.  In my head I envisioned these kids laughing at me because I merely had the SideKick 3 and not the LX or any of the fancier versions. 

I immediately made it my mission to get me a “grown up phone.”  I have found my salvation.  The new GooglePhone.  This compact gadget gives you all the benefits of Google on your phone.  The phone is designed by Samsung and will also be outfitted with relevant advertising enabling Google to offer a 3 month discount on your mobile Internet monthly flat fee. 

In all honesty, I think the Google Phone will be the tip of my mobile communication iceberg.  I am going to get a second phone to ensure I am covered on all fronts.   As soon as I get the phones I am going to drive by Rydell High make allllllll the kids jealous.   Call me, text me or email me…..I am always available.

A little Lost?

I hope you all had a great 4th of July. I was speaking with a friend over barbecue food this weekend who had several ideas for a business venture. In between bites of delightfully tasty yet messy grilled meat, he articulated his abbreviated vision for 3 businesses. While i liked all three of his ideas he spoke a bit more passionately about one.

I mentioned that his passion meter had peaked with the reference of one idea over the others. His response was that, he had this idea longer and knew more about the concept than the others. I gave him one of my ribs and said, “bingo”. I told him to focus on that concept and refine it. A major mistake that entrepreneurs make is to continuously cultivate ideas and not focus on one and expand it. It is a common problem that even pre-exisiting businesses experience.

Pick ONE thing you do….and do it better than EVERYONE else. This applies to everything but holiday barbeque’s. In that case…cook as many meats and as you can and do it to the best of your ability.

 

For more information visit www.perfectbusiness.com and look me up under my username, 4murph

Do The Minimum

I am often perplexed when approached by a small business owner or entrepreneur who is stymied by their lack of exposure, foot traffic, awareness etc. My questions are simple: A.) What have you done that has or has not worked B.) What are your short-term immediate goals? I am flabbergasted to find that most business people immediately begin referencing “marketing and advertising budgets” and don’t much know their immediate goals. They overlook the minimum steps when it comes to creating awareness.

Social networking sites have been prevalent for quite some time and have been invaluable in creating awareness. Now-a-days you can cater your friends that you accumulate on a social networking site by your desired demographic. You can then take that target information and craft your marketing accordingly. It’s that simple…..and it doesn’t cost a dime. This blog serves as unique marketing tool and costs me nothing but time. Co-branding opportunities are around every corner. Our site did an interview with Peter Bieler. His name may not ring a bell but his product will. Peter is the mind that brought us the “ThighMaster” and shared an anecdote with us about the early days with his invention. He discovered somebody who had a similar product as his. Obviously a rip-off, so Peter did what any red blooded American would do and filed a lawsuit. Well, this lawsuit was drawn out for years and during this time Peter got to know his adversary very well. Peter eventually won his lawsuit but said if he had to do it again he would have figured out a way for them to work together as there is enough for everyone to go around. Find somebody to align with, be it a charitable organization or a local salon. Partners can come in many different walks of life and yes…..adversaries can one day become partners.

The lesson to be learned is utilize every opportunity for marketing and promotion…….but do not overlook the minimum. You have to start somewhere. Check out www.perfectbusiness.com for more information and resources to assist you in your business endeavors.