“Risk-taking, trust, and serendipity are key ingredients of joy. Without risk, nothing new ever happens. Without trust, fear creeps in. Without serendipity, there are no surprises” Rita Golden Gelman

Today I am excited to  introduce you to my new friend Christine from almostfearless.com. Why am I excited? As many of you know, I love traveling and being independent, and Christine can help you achieve both.

I recently reviewed her ebook “Going Digital” on how to become a digital nomad. I can honestly say that I love her guide, Christine is honest and straight to the point. The guide is beautifully written and covers the essentials to becoming a digital nomad, allowing you to work from anywhere there is wifi connection.

Ever since Tim Ferris burst onto the scene  with his “4hour work week”, everyone started dreaming of a location independent lifestyle. But the reality is that even though so many people read it, very few made the jump. It can be overwhelming with the amount of information out there on creating this type of lifestyle, that many just become frustrated and give up.

Christine has been living and working abroad since 2008, so she knows what she is talking about. She quit her good job with a fortune 500 company, to pursue a lifelong dream of traveling the globe with her family. She initially did this by selling all her stuff and setting up her freelance writing business online.
Her Book Covers:

• Exactly what it is to be a digital nomad.
• Why you should and could become a digital nomad.
• Exploring the many options that may be available for you to go digital.
• Picking your digital career.
• How you may be able to turn your present job to a digital one.
• The positives and negatives of going digital and how you can overcome them.
• Starting a small business built around your talents or skills.
• Do you really have what it takes to live a location independent lifestyle.
• How to deal with the inevitable time differences.
• Once you reach your goal, how to make sure your in this for the long haul.

So If you are ready for a change and you are willing to work hard, make sure you check out her guide and make the leap into the land of adventure. Plus its only 13 bucks, which is a small investment that could radically change your lifestyle for the better. Click Here To Check It Out Now.

(editors note: these are my affiliate links, if you decide to purchase you are directly supporting my dream of being a full time writer, thanks a bunch in advance)

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine

It’s Time For You To Explore The World

I love to travel and so do most people, but the unfortunate reality is that most people don’t get to travel extensively or experience living abroad. Traveling to exotic countries used to be only reserved for the wealthy, but due to recent advances in technology and commerce, that is no longer true.

If you get creative you truly can live anywhere, and there is a huge swarm of people doing just that. I am one of those people.

“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” – Samuel Johnson

What keeps most people from exploring the world besides money is there own self imposed limitations. Often times money is not the number one reason, even if they think otherwise.

If you get clear on why it is you want to travel, and is something you strongly desire to do, you will find a way to raise the money. The toughest challenge for most is removing their self imposed limitations or fears.

Today I would like to introduce you to my buddie Karol Gajda from ridiculouslyextraordinary.com. Karl has been a digital nomad for years, traveling all over the world and running his business solely from his laptop.

Karl’s recent goal is to help 100 people achieve as he calls it, ridiculous freedom, by helping them start a “freedom business”. I think this is an awesome goal, hence why I am trying to help him out by exposing his work to more people.

Today is the launch of his guide “How To Live Anywhere”, which is how he plans to reach his goal. I have gone over the guide and Karol does a great job of giving you the essentials and leaves out all the fluff. The guide is composed of his personal philosophy, the essentials of living and traveling abroad, and practical online business creation ideas to make your dream a reality.

So if you have always dreamed of traveling or living abroad but felt too overwhelmed with all the information that’s out there, Karol offers a great road map. You can be one of the 100 people, your just going to have to work your butt off, but trust me, its well worth it.

Head on over and check It out Click Here to check out the Guide. (editors note: these are my affiliate links, if you decide to purchase you are directly supporting my dream of being a full time writer, thanks a bunch in advance)

By my dear friend and CEO Coach Debra Benton

How do you ‘go on board’ when you’re already there?

When you get a new boss you are the unknown. Even though your job position hasn’t changed, you have to take the same action as if you are going on board a new position.

When nearly 10% loose their jobs the remaining 90% get shuffled around ending up with different reporting relationships.

Before you meet your new boss take some time and Monday morning quarterback the mistakes you made with your previous boss. Think about and write down what you should have done differently then plan to remedy past errors.

Provide positive support even if you feel you should have gotten the job. You didn’t. How you handle yourself at this standpoint might get you the job next time.

Welcome the person the same way you might a new neighbor. Invite to lunch or offer to bring sandwiches in to have time to talk and get to know each other

Ask and listen to learn how to best work together; don’t guess. Find out his or her first 30-90 day agenda; the most important issues or problems to solve. Here’s an occasion to ask basic, maybe even stupid-sounding questions. When one executive was asked, how do you prefer to communicate: face to face, telephone, email? He said, ‘I like yellow post-it notes left on my desk so when I return to my office I can scan them and see what I need to respond to.”

Make the impression you want your new boss to have of you. Show confidence in who you are and what you bring to the table. From the first time you meet ensure the message you send is the one you intend with your appearance, manner, and comportment. If you have self-doubt, the person will cut you off in a heartbeat. You’ll never really recover if you misstep here.

Tell your new boss about your job duties, responsibilities, your team, and scope of work as it fits in with the rest of the department/company. Seek out how he or she views changes in your role. (Don’t criticize your former boss.)

Delve into Google, Facebook, Linkedin, or other internet sources. People put information on themselves they want you to know. Keep in mind, your new manager is likely reading your profile and updates as well.

Observe and study how he or she interacts and reacts to colleagues, subordinates, and superiors. In a non-judgmental fashion look for consistencies and inconsistencies; check out what works and doesn’t work with the individual.

After you understand what your new boss wants to achieve and avoid, do something successful and worthwhile around it. Sticking to your old bosses agenda is a mistake. There is a new sheriff downtown. Do more than the person expects; demonstrate initiative without requiring further direction. Come in with, “This is what we should do and here’s how I think we should do it.” Don’t pester with, “Now what should I do?”

And, stay in touch with your old boss. If things don’t go well, he or she might be a source of good advice – or a resource for ways to get out.

You might ask, “Isn’t it the boss’s job to get to know me?” Yes, it is. And he or she is getting to know you by how you get to know her.

In a Recession… Should You Hold out or Sell Out if You’re Offered a Job You Don’t Really Want?

By my dear friend Debra Benton

You need a job. You just got offered a job. The problem is, it’s not your dream job. Should you take it, or should you hold out until the perfect opportunity comes along? After all, we’re in a recession and it could be a long time until another offer comes your way.

It is often a mistake to treat any job offer as a simple question of yes or no. Of course, you may have to accept the job if bills are piling up and you have to put food on the table. But if that is not the case, there are other issues to consider.

Here are answers to the questions that will be on your mind when that less-than-perfect offer comes your way:

I was just offered a job, but I’m not sure if it is exactly what I’m looking for. It feels like a detour on the career path I planned before the current recession hit. Should I turn it down, even though there aren’t lots of options today?

If it is financially possible to hold out for the job you want (or a job leading to what you want), do so. If you settle for what you can get, you’ll be unhappy from the start, and likely do poor work. And if the interim job is demanding, you will limit the time and energy you have to search for the better job.

Before you accept or reject a new job, though, you need a grasp of what you really want. If you don’t know what you hanker for, you won’t know if you’ve found it. Put meaningful thought and time in to assess what you seek.

Look beyond the pay and title and consider the learning opportunities, geographic location, cost-of-living, promotion potential, freedom or latitude, exposure to higher-ups, decision-making ability, and anything else that may be important to you.

What if my financial situation is forcing me to accept it?

Be appreciative of the opportunity and accept the offer graciously. Work hard to earn whatever you are making, regardless of how little or less it might be. Remember that you are filling in gaps in your résumé, contributing to society, and supporting your family. Those are all valid, honorable things to do. But privately vow to “pay” yourself in skill building and knowledge. With that outlook, you can add value to yourself every day by earning a dollar, saving a dollar, or learning a new skill.

The interim job serves a purpose for me right now, but I’m afraid of what other people will say or think when they hear I’ve accepted it.

Avoid pressure to evaluate a job based on what others want you to do. Instead, evaluate it based on what you want. Listen to people who care about you, but decide for yourself – not for them.

If I accept the job and then leave in a few months because something better comes along, how much damage will I do to my career and reputation?

The sooner you tell your boss you’re leaving, the sooner he or she can look for a replacement. A reasonable person and good boss will understand.

But be fair, since no one wants to be surprised when you just don’t show up one day. Have the courtesy and courage to say, “I’m not going to show up.” Thank your interim boss for hiring you for the job, and offer to help through the transition if doable.

The best time to leave any job is after you’ve learned all you can in that position, not just for more money. Leave for goal-achieving, not tension relieving-reasons. Goal-achieving means, “I’ve learned what I need to know and I want to take and test my new skills in a different area.” Tension-relieving is, “I can’t stand my co-worker, I have to get out of here.”

Be sure to stay in touch when you’re in the new job. After all, you and the boss you left might have an opportunity to help each other in the future. Research shows that 25% of people who leave a company rejoin it at some point, if bridges were not burnt. There is no reason to alienate on either side in this situation. The only repercussions should be if you lie, cheat, steal, while on the job or in leaving it. (And of course, you are not about to do those things.)

Until the minute you walk out the door, keep up quality work. Don’t let it diminish in anticipation of your departure. You don’t want people to remember your work going downhill.

And another thing. If the interviewer for that “perfect” job you’ve been waiting for pressures you to leave your interim job too quickly, without respecting the quality of the work you do there, speak up and say that you need to give proper notice, wrap up your projects, and leave on honorable terms. Any ethical hiring manager will respect you for taking that position.

What is the benefit of turning down the “not so perfect job” and pursuing a better opportunity?

If you refuse the less-than-perfect-job offer, you have more time available to look for the better opportunity. You salvage your pride a little, and you’ll be happier when you achieve the goal of finding the right job. But it is only time well spent if you know what you want. If you don’t know where you want to go, you can never reach any goal.

Will taking a job that is not the most “ideal” affect my career in the future?

Benton: If you make the decision out of laziness or lack of confidence, then, yes, it will affect your career because laziness and lack of confidence affect everything now, and in the future.

But taking a lesser job can be justifiable and wise if you understand the reality of the condition and take it upon yourself to:

1) Learn all you can from the job;

2) Stay positive; and

3) Work to get back on track in the future. Don’t look, hope, or wait for someone else to do that for you. With that kind of outlook, taking an interim job becomes a proactive, positive activity instead of a dead end.

What if the job that isn’t so great, pays well?

Accepting a job just for money is like marrying just for money – there is a price you pay for your decision. Money should not be your main motivation, especially early in your career. Skill-building, broadening business acumen, and deepening your knowledge should be. Plus you cannot put a price on waking up every morning and doing what you love to do.

Realistically though, the financial bump can get you solvent, improve your pay history, and boost your ego.

Always keep in mind the choice you made and vow to not get trapped into golden handcuffs where you can’t leave because you are making too much, despite your job dissatisfaction. Write on your calendar a date no more than two and a half years out. If you are still stuck in a high-paying but unsatisfying job, that is your date to move into a satisfying situation.

Have America’s top CEOs been known to accept something that isn’t the perfect job?

Absolutely, most everyone has, at least in their own minds. They’ve been given, and they’ve accepted, less-than-desirable positions. The smart ones squeeze every opportunity to make something out of these positions for the time being, while working to change things.

The truth is that you might be given a “rotten” job as a test to see how you will handle it, what you will do with it or make out of it. Anyone can do well when things are perfect, but the good ones do well when things are far from perfect. Leaders always emerge stronger from difficult positions, so a job that presents real problems could represent an opportunity to excel.

It is a bit like the decisions that actors and actresses must make before they become top stars. My guess is if you researched every role Johnny Depp has ever taken, there are some real doozies in his past that he took to learn, gain confidence, and enhance his skill. And he was probably passed over for some roles he wanted, just as CEOs are. But the reason he can choose the juicy roles he wants now is that he knows what he wants – and that kind of knowledge comes from experience.

If you find my site valuable please pass it along to your friends and family. I really appreciate you helping me in my personal mission to empower as many people as I can.

photo credit: star5112 by my friend Debra Benton

This happens every day in business: “Ralph (Ron or Ray) meets Laura in her office, and both nervously shake hands. Laura notices what feels like a wimpy, limp clasp. Both think to themselves, “Yech, what a poor handshake.” A two-second exchange like that sets an unease and discomfort in the relationship from then on. Whose fault is it? Likely, Laura.

Women get lousy shakes because they set the stage for them. They typically extend their hand with fingers in a palm down motion. Men clasp the women’s fingers and they get “finger to palm” contact. It ends up feeling uncomfortable for both. Men don’t shake fingers to palm with other men, they shake palm to palm.

The simple act of the woman turning her wrist perpendicular to the floor when she extends her hand to shake with a sort of “put ‘er there” will increase the chance of both getting a fair shake.

I was in a Mexican restaurant in Southern California and noticed a number of people going to a corner of the restaurant where the manager had set up office. One person after another was escorted to him. He would stand up, shake hands, have the person sit and talk for about three minutes. Shake hands goodbye, the person would leave and the next would come up and do the same. After about an hour of watching this I felt compelled to go up to the manager and ask about his process. He kindly explained he was interviewing people for job positions. “But I notice you only spend three minutes with each. What can you tell in that short of time?” He said, “I decide whether I want to see them again.”

“How do you decide?”

“By their handshake.”

(I might add that there were an awful lot of cute, young, long-haired blonds working there who all apparently all had good hand-shakes.)

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by my dear friend Debra Benton

It’s true that we learn from our mistakes, but the wise young businessperson corrects his/her mistakes before they are made. What mistakes should you be weary of? I surveyed 100 CEOs to reveal the “seven career sins” that sabotage success.

1. Focusing on tasks not people. If you invest time and energy in building professional friendships, in addition to the job itself, you will improve performance at work. You have to develop basic face-to-face social skills as opposed to just social skills alone.

2. Staying in one job (and/or organization) for too long. Don’t allow yourself to get comfortable with the routine; the job becomes easy, the pay is good, your spouse likes it, or any other rationalization. You will likely stay too long and all of a sudden instead of two years going by, 22 years have. Life is about change; take it upon yourself to avoid getting sucked into comfort. Or worse, others will view you as settling and you will lose promotion potential. Too much loyalty to the company means too little loyalty to yourself.

3. Dismissing the fact that image matters. People expect substance but they hire and fire on fit. You have to fit in and look like a leader in how you walk, talk, dress, act and think to become one. If you expect your work will speak for itself then you might find that it has to speak a lot louder.

4.Waiting for opportunities to be presented to you. If you wait until someone taps you on the shoulder and bequeaths you a promotion – you may wait a long time. You must initiate learning and development so you deserve a promotion, explore potential opportunities to see where you would fit in and clearly communicate your desire to climb to the right people. Have the courage and confidence to move on if you discover your situation will not allow the upward movement you desire. Frequently, the “ceiling” you hit, is your own.

5. Concentrating on making you look better rather than others. This is probably the biggest career killer at all levels of management. A leader thinks we not me; thinks how will this affect my team, not how will it affect me?

6. Being a usurper. If you are rude to the boss or colleagues, unruly buck the system, demean others’ value or usurp accountability, you will not be viewed as fitting in. It is great to stand out but also you need to have the executive maturity to know when and how to fit in.
7. Denying the need to network. Everyone who goes anywhere has contacts. You never do it on your own. If you miss out you on an opportunity, you complain someone else had more contacts. If you get the job it’s because you are the one with the better contact, network or relationships. If you find my site valuable please pass it along to your friends and family. I really appreciate you helping me in my personal mission to empower as many people as I can.

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I would also love to hear your feedback, please leave your comments below. I really appreciate your support - Ivan

by my dear friend and CEO Coach Debra Benton

Business Integrity 101

I’d like to share some lessons I’ve learned about integrity from speaking with the best business leaders out there:

• The same show has to go on in front as on the “backside of the curtain.”
• Your outward appearance has to show what’s beneath the skin.
• Just because you don’t like someone, doesn’t mean the person lacks integrity.
• What goes around comes around more annoyingly.
• Don’t expect someone to be honest with you, if they’re not even honest with themselves.
• You can’t succumb to “incrementalism” (taking a little from the cookie jar, which goes unnoticed, so you take a little more, and so on.)
• No one is completely worthless; a failure can always serve as an instructive example.

The best chance you have at making it big in your career and in life is to decide from day one forward that you’re going to do it ethically.

“CEO Material” is now available everywhere!

Today I would like to tell you about my friend Debra Benton’s new book “CEO Material” , this is a must read for anyone who is in a leadership position, and that includes everyone on some level

You can order Debra’s book at Amazon.com or pick it up at all the major books stores like Barnes and Noble

Debra Benton: Today is the launch day of my new book, “CEO Material: How to Be a Leader in Any Organization” (McGraw-Hill). It’s the culmination of years of work, and surprisingly bells aren’t ringing from the mountainside nor is confetti showering down from the skies. Instead the publisher and I are sending email blasts to our respective list of contacts, press releases and review copies are being mailed, and I’m twittering and responding to media inquiries. Other than that it’s pretty quiet. A little anti-climatic in fact after all the work it took to get to this point.

This is my eighth book so I know the drill, but this one is special, and based on early reviews – my best. You see I took a sabbatical from research and writing four years ago. At the time I had suddenly lost both of my parents: my best friends, business colleagues and mentors. It took four years and a great deal of encouragement from clients and friends who said, “you have so much to say and offer people, when are you going to write another book?”

One day my friend, John, a retired General Electric executive, said “you have to write about what to do at age twenty-two to be CEO by forty-two.” It hit me that this subject is what my life’s work is all about: What you need to put in place to make the big jobs happen.

His idea triggered renewed motivation and “put me back in the saddle”. I contacted my long-time editor at McGraw-Hill and proposed the book content around leadership necessary at any age, stage or area: Confidence, Craftsmanship, Communication and Co-worker collaboration. They decided the content read like “how to be a leader in any organization — and — real CEO material.” They too thought it was a good idea.

Now, I made all of that sound pretty simple. It wasn’t quite that easy but I’m taking editorial license here to spare you all the nitty, gritty. So today, the new book is being introduced and I encourage you to check it out. It’s based on my personal conversations with over one hundred CEOs who shared with me advice they give to people they mentor, their friends and even their children.

Whether you want to be a big company CEO, a C-level executive or start your own business, this book is about having integrity, taking charge, accepting challenges and making an ally out of everyone you work with. It’s your home-school guide to doing what must be done in order to make significant moves up the ladder.

If you buy it and you have a question you want to ask me, do, write to debra@debrabenton.com. I’ll personally write you back as I love to hear from my readers and help them on their personal journey.