Are you a manager who’s at Cause or at Effect?

Is it really about the money? (Short answer; No it’s not).

Work -> Success -> Stop; What do you think of that career/business formula?

Rich, Money, Broke, Wealth, Sucess; Can you define those words?

Are you looking for the metaphors in your business or career?

The above are a few examples of the topics discussed at the 5 Myths workshop I hosted in Halifax.

Co-hosted by my friend, Dorothy Spence—an engineer, an MBA and the owner of 108yoga—we chatted, explored and “jammed” about business and careers; money and success.

Oh, and we laughed too. A lot (as attested by the photo).

If you’d like to be part of the next discussion, if you’d like to “jam”, join me at the LoveLifeCCC event on June 18.

And remember to bring your sense of humour.

Folk are,

Asking me to speak at various events.

Later this week, in Halifax.

Then Ottawa on May 28 and June 19.

“Talk about what’s in the book,” They say.

Which may have you wonder,

What’s in that book, then, that people want me to talk about it?

Let me answer as briefly as possible (because a lot is already described, here, on this blog. Plus there’s also the book, of course, if you want it all in one place, wrapped up in an entertaining and compelling story).

Okay, let me tell you—succinctly—what I’m going to say at those speaking events.

I’m going to tell folk…

Whatever it is you’d like to do—whatever you’d like to achieve.

If you believe in yourself

Then you can do it.

Don’t wait for permission either.

Just go ahead, and do it.

Oh, and one other thing.

It isn’t about the money.

It never is.

Paraphrases, in 15 minutes, many of the principles,

In my book of 262 pages…

Trust your heart; your gut-feeling; your instincts.

March to your unique drumbeat.

Believe in yourself.

Remember; there is no failure, there’s only feedback.

And, above all,

Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

Ideas? Suggestions? Questions? Please leave a comment

It’s about Free.

No, not freedom. But free—as in whether we, the self-employed, should even think about taking a non-paying gig.

On her blog, Susan Murphy tackles The Culture of Free and offers up compelling thoughts about what needs to change (and why it needs to). Susan makes especially insightful comments, too, about entitlement and about managing time—and your clients’ expectations.

All of which brought me to a post by Nancy Kenny called The Value of Me.

With thought-provoking references to money, self-worth and the courage it takes to ask for compensation, Nancy struck a chord that should resonate with all freelancers.

But what hit home was the clear, unequivocal stand that Nancy took vis-a-vis her perception of money and the role it played in her life. It’s not often that someone speaks so plainly, so concisely, about this kind of stuff. And it left me wondering; how many of us have done that, addressed our beliefs about money?

Meanwhile, getting back to the question, the business theorists—the number-loving analysts—might quickly suggest we all consult some sort of bell-curve chart with a formal-sounding title like; Earning Expectations for Self-employed Entrepreneurs…

However, I know (believe me, I really know) that the problem with such an analysis is it assumes that business people all—and always—act with clear-thinking logic and analytical decisiveness.

But as Nancy so evocatively demonstrated, for most of us, there’s an internal debate that gets played out, day-in, day-out. A debate about self-worth, about doubt, about what will people think.

And, let’s face it, as much as business theory likes to assume we’re all robotic automatons—modern-day Mr. Spocks forever making decisions based on analysis and reason, the truth is we’re a walking, talking sack of neurons, emotions, feelings and perceptions, and it’s from that pile of primal goo  that many of our decisions originate.

So should we work for free?

To arrive at an answer, maybe we should start by addressing our individual sense of self-worth and our own personal relationship with money. I’m guessing if we do that, and do it successfully, we’ll find that the answer is, quite often, fuhgeddaboutdit.

Whether you you agree, disagree, or think this whole “free” thing is no big deal, I’d love hearing from you. Please let me know what you think by clicking the Comment link to the right of this post’s title.

Thanks.

There’s a line in Dylan’s It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)

That goes, “Money doesn’t talk, it swears.”

Though I was seventeen when I first heard it—and I haven’t heard it in ten, maybe thirteen, years—it came to me this morning.

Does that happen to you? Awaking to snippets of songs jangling in your head?

No?

Well, anyway…

The lyrics came to me, I guess, because of this post.

This post about another type of voice.

Not a singing one, this one.

More a foreboding one.

Dire, maybe. Pleading, even.

It’s a voice that, I believe, we all heard growing up.

And, it’s a voice we may have adopted now, perhaps as we address our children.

It’s a voice about money.

It’s a voice cementing our beliefs about money.

And it’s a phrase that, because we heard it from such a young age, we just accepted as true.

You know what I mean?

A mantra spoken over and over, often as an epilogue to a financial request.

“Waddya think, money grows on trees?”

“What am I, made of money?”

Or, one of my favourites,

“Yes they might have money, but are they happy?”

If you chuckled as at any of that, it’s likely because you heard the voice too.

But, have you ever paused to consider the impact of that voice? Of those words?

I sometimes do it with friends, family—or clients, even.

Especially when they confide about their business’s dismal (or surprisingly, at times, uncomfortably lavish) financial state.

I ask them to remember that voice, recall its warning—in heavy, apprehensive tones—about the role of money.

And I then ask whether they still believe the voice (most do).

(Which, by the way, is another, important, reason I keep saying that it’s not about the money, but, rather, the discernment—the perception—of money).

You can make a game of it too.

Sit with friends and compare those voices.

See what comes out.

Then, later, laugh about it.

Shake your head.

But remember; those voices—and the words they relayed—are embedded. Deep down.

And many times, they still carry influence.

Leaving you to wonder why you can’t stop from picking up every penny lying by the wet, dirty curb… (A penny saved is a penny earned…. Look after the pennies and the dollars will look after themselves).

Or what compelled you to buy both an iPhone and an iPod Touch… (Oh you, money’s always burning a hole in your pocket).

Well, anyway…

Here’s what I’d like to do.

Have a contest.

I’ll give away a free book (my book, The Net Present Value of Life—in case you’re wondering) to the person who posts the funniest, or most thought-provoking, comment about money. It’s ideally something you heard while growing up. Maybe something a parent said when you asked for money. Or a line a family member recited over and over. Or maybe something you, quite simply, overheard. Please remember, as best you can, to put your reply in context.

Oh yes, the rules:

i) Contest starts today and ends on March 5, 2010 at 5:00PM (Eastern Canada time,  GMT -5)

ii) Contest open to all residents of Canada, USA, UK and Europe with an easily accessible postal address

iii) Prize to be delivered to the lucky winner via regular parcel post (delivery could take a few weeks)

iii) Lucky winner agrees to be identified (name and city/country of residence) in a blogpost, or other social media

iv) Lucky winner also agrees their comment may, at my discretion, be used in a blogpost or other social media

v) Contest is completely subjective and winning entry is selected by yours truly, based on the entry that makes me laugh the hardest, or gets me to ruminate the most

vi) There is but one winning entry. No prizes for runners up, or runners of runners up…

Is that okay? Fair enough?

Good luck.