When someone mentions they might move to Wisconsin, people take notice. I talked about a possible move for my family and I on Coach Radio this week and many of you chimed in.

We put a time limit of four days to make a decision. Why only four days for a major decision you ask?

Well, we don’t want to spend the rest of our lives trying to make a decision. By trying to make the perfect decision, we do the only imperfect thing, which is to not take any action at all.   By not deciding, we have decided.  I hope your life isn’t like that.

So, our decision is…no.

Actually, our short-term decision is no.  I think we will end up moving.  Schools are really important to us though, and we’re going back for another visit, this time to get a tour of some of the schools.  That’s going to be later this year however, so for now, we’re sitting tight.

It’s not keeping us up at night because a decision has been made.

Thanks for your thoughts and comments.  Keep them coming!

I asked this question when I started my business. Then I decided to do something about it. It’s what keeps me going every day.

If you don’t have this same passion in your business, you’re going to run out of topics for your blog, and you’ll never be as profitable as you want to be.

So, what makes you mad? Comment and let’s talk about it.

Original video of What Makes me Mad if you can’t see it here.

Communication is a huge interest of mine, especially since I host Coach Radio a few times a week and travel the country speaking; not to mention the coaching I do. John’s book caught my attention and I picked up some great ideas.

Click here if you can’t see this video review of Everyone Communicates Few Connect

I’m not one for fanfare and my wife will tell you God has to work a miracle in order for me to go to the doctor.  When the mirror told me this was the kind of day I was going to have, I knew I had to do something.

Turns out I had poison ivy…in my bloodstream.  Poison ivy spreads by contact with an oil from the plant.  Since it was in my blood, I didn’t even have to scratch my body and it would pop up.  Yeah, not fun, right?

I was actually smiling in this photo by the way.  I was so swollen though, I couldn’t make my face do more than this.

I saw the doctor right away that morning and was back to talking with clients (on the phone) that afternoon.  I even ended up hosting this episode of Coach Radio from my bedroom.  (Boy, I just realized I may have shared too much about poison ivy in that show.  Sorry).

So now I’m back to normal and thinking this situation is similar to life; at least my life at times.

I started a business in 2006 and didn’t know what I was doing.  It took me 12 months to reach out to a coach.  I think that’s weird since I was a coach but still hadn’t hired one myself.

Some of my coaches help people manage their finances. They see people that wait until the last possible moment to reach out for help, like they’re waiting for a miracle to happen first.

What is it about the human spirit that keeps us in comfortable misery?

I need your help.  If you see me struggling and know what I need to do to get help and move on, will you tell me?  Seriously.  I can take it.

For you it may mean hiring a coach.  It might be going to the doctor.  It might be going to church, having a conversation with your friend or family member.

If you need to take that step, will you do it?  What’s stopping you?

I stay pretty busy throughout my day, so being efficient is important. In this video, I cover a few tips to help you keep your blog writing quick and concise so you can focus on other parts of your business as well.

How can you simplify? Let’s talk about it – I could use more ideas.

How to Write a Killer Blog Post in Only 5 Minutes (if you can’t see this video)

Every so often I struggle trying to figure something out in my business.  A better way of invoicing, a new marketing strategy, working with employees; you get the idea.  It’s easy for me to get frustrated, and sometimes I wish I would have worked for another coach, before starting my business.

Well, I can’t go back and change that now, but if you’re starting a business, you should look around at your options.

Become an Apprentice

Traditionally, an apprentice gets his training on the job.  In exchange for training, the apprentice agrees to work for a specified period of time for that employer.  I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather get paid to learn on the job than paying for a hands-off approach in school.

We hired two coaches over the past month to work with us.  It’s going to be a great opportunity for them to further their training while getting paid, and not having to worry about running many of the behind-the-scenes business things, like bookkeeping and major marketing.

You’ll see the two of them posting blogs soon at pastdueradio.com and coachradio.tv.

Save Money and Stress

Two of the biggest things you’ll save are money and stress if you apprentice before starting a business.  While you might get a later start on your business if you apprentice for a few years before opening it, I think your chances of success are much higher if you take that path.

Passion for your business is one thing, but being able to operate your business is another.

Have you ever considered an apprenticeship?

(Photo by Okinawa Soba)

You probably know I’ll all about productivity. I actually like to call it being efficiently lazy. When gmail made some recent changes I jumped to allow gmail the opportunity to manage all of my email. I can send from any address and access my account from any computer’s browser.

Click here if you can’t see the gmail universal client video

A lot of thought needs to go into the design for your blog.  It’s the window to your company that many people look through. You want a simple layout, interaction with your community, and the ability for people to subscribe in multiple ways. Remember, email is still the #1 way people subscribe.

Click here if you can’t view the video