Negotiating is something we all do on a daily basis. We do it in our personal lives as well as our professional lives. Often, without even thinking about it. But many people find it difficult when negotiating in a formal business setting. They become intimidated and tongue-tied. They give away real dollars and percentages without…
1. If you’re helping someone and expecting something in return, you’re doing business not kindness. Do good and expect nothing in return. It’ll become your life’s greatest gift. ~ Gurbaksh Chahal 2. If you don’t make things happen then things will happen to you. ~ Robert Collier 3. A business has to be involving, it has…
As you breathe right now, another person takes their last, so stop complaining and learn to live your life with what you have. Stop the Why him/her syndrome? Every time some big success story happens, too many people complain about why him, or why her? Like almost as if it was all pure luck. I’m…
It’s how you rise from a fall that truly defines you as a man. Basketball legend Michael Jordan knows a lot about persistence. Discussing his stellar career he once noted that he had missed more than 9,000 shots and had lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions when he had been entrusted with the game…
Here’s an another interesting comparison I found between what you call experiences vs. mistakes in life. It’s an important distinction to know. Experience makes you shine throughout your journey vs. mistakes can put you in a dark hole. Even failures in life are great experiences as they can eventually lead you to your destination –…
Each of us has greatness inside of us. But that greatness doesn’t just burst forth to make a difference in the world without a conscious effort. You need to enable and empower that greatness. It requires effort. It requires hard work. How do you discover your own personal greatness? First of all you need to…
A young student at Pace University recently asked me a great question: What would you do differently if you’d known at the age of 16, what you know now? I answered the question on the spot but it struck a chord to such an extent that I gave it even more serious thought ever since….
“When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.” – Henry Ford. To me that is a powerful motivational statement that I always keep in mind as I continue my journey through life and as a I continue to work as hard as I…
We all have our low points. Whether they are personal or professional. We hit roadblocks and obstacles all the time. At some point, we think quitting is the only option. But, let me be the first to say the day you quit, is the day you lose forever. Nobody remembers that journey and nobody wants…
“A miracle is just a shift in perception from fear to love.” -Marianne Williamson A friend recently read this to me, and it hit me in a big way. The deeper I thought about the message attributed in this quote, the more I realized how life as we know is defined by fear and love. And…
The only vulnerabilities or insecurities you should have, are those you don’t want to become. This morning, I want you to take a moment, and look inside a mirror. Take a good look at yourself. What do you see? What emotions do you experience? What do you think? How do you feel? When you see…
99% is execution. 1% is the idea. Nine out of ten venture-backed companies fail. Ever wonder, why? Well, there are many different things. But, we will focus on one today. One out of ten start-ups survive. From that 10%, nine out of those ten will turn into zombies; an illiquid asset. Meaning, it may print…
What does Gravity mean to you? Gravity is a method of attraction. Life is a journey. We go through four phases in life. These stages begin from the moment our life starts to the very last second. ■ Birth ■ Adolescence ■ Adulthood ■ Parenthood All of these phases bring separate emotions into our lives. Through life, we learn, we…
Navigating through life can be difficult with no GPS to tell us when to stop, go, turn, speed up, or slow down. The destination we all look forward to seem grand in theory, however, the journey is never that simple. Through life so far, I’ve lived through many experiences. Some good and some from which…
Are you a driver or a passenger? If you want to be an entrepreneur there’s only one answer to this question. You have to be a driver. You can’t expect to be a passenger and get anywhere. You have to be the one with his hands firmly on the wheel steering your business in the…
Never forget where you came from. Never forget where you want to go. These are words I learned from my father at a very young age. It sums up for me what life is all about. It tells us that while we always have to keep a sharp eye on our ultimate goal we should never…
Ambition. Discipline. Love. They are three essential components that define success. And, they connect you with a deeper emotion, purpose. Each one of those words gives us a reason to follow through, to create the next revolution, and to make the jump. The secret to combining all three to create success, is knowing how to…
After three successful endeavors I appreciate that some people might question why I’m doing it all over again. Why don’t I slow down? Why don’t I just “enjoy” coasting or be jetting around the globe? Why don’t I sit back and make the most of this so-called “good life”? My answer is simple: that’s not…
As a wise man once said: “Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.” Fast forward to 2014 and apply his thought to today’s explosion of entrepreneurialism—especially in the high-tech space—and you have to agree with him. It doesn’t matter how old you are, if you have the…
I’ve often talked about the journey to happiness as being the most important thing in life. About how becoming rich or achieving a position of power and influence are not the hallmarks of happiness that you might think. Rather, authentic happiness is more about living joyfully every day; appreciating every moment that God has given…
Go with your gut. That’s what I’ve always done. And, most of the time, it’s worked remarkably well. I’ve made major decisions in my life based on a gut feel of the right thing to do. I listened to the inner voice that pointed me in the direction marked “success.” Then, I didn’t second-guess myself….
Have you stopped to reflect on your position in the universe and what you’re destined for? Most people spend their entire lives figuring out what they really want to do or more important try to understand what life means to them. We’ve all been placed on this Earth for a reason, what kind of lives…
Entrepreneurs inevitably encounter numerous obstacles from the first day they have a business dream. It’s an arduous journey to make and just as inevitably many business people fall at the first hurdle, or the second or third. To make the transition from would-be entrepreneur to successful entrepreneur requires an abundance of positive character traits. In…
Joel – The first company you created “Click Agents” was founded by you at the age of 16 and not long after that, it sold for $40 million. Nine years later you sold your second company “Blue Lithium” to Yahoo for $300 Million. Making close to half a billion dollars in the space of 9 years,…
There are good addictions and there are bad addictions. Good entrepreneurs, serial entrepreneurs, become addicted to success where they want to challenge themselves from one step to the next step. A lot of the times people are only motivated by money and sometimes they have one hit and that’s it or sometimes they basically have…
At the age of 16 I dropped out of school to start my first company and I think the advantage that ended up happening at that time is when you’re young you really don’t have the concept of failure. You don’t really have the concept of fear. That’s why even when you’re younger than that you…
To achieve success, you have to go through an incredible journey of ups and downs. And once you do, you feel humbled. I’ve realized the beauty of the American Dream is that once you’ve seen it, you start to think about ways to give back. I’ve been fortunate to be part of three successful entrepreneurial…
Fear is your worst enemy – risk is your best friend. The best thing about the unknown is the meaning itself: If success were guaranteed, the journey wouldn’t be the same. And the journey is actually what inspires and shapes us to understand that success isn’t supposed to be easy, it’s supposed to be worth it….
Below is the commencement speech I delivered to the graduating class at Evergreen College on May 28th, 2010. Thank you, Evergreen College, for asking me to speak here today. I feel honored. Everything starts with a dream, a particle of our imagination that teases us of what the future could be like, as long as…
Today is a very special day and marks an important day in history not only for myself but also for my family. I feel truly honored to be here. Eleven years ago, I made the decision to drop out of high school and pursue my love for business. Getting this award and an honorary doctoral…