On plane to InfoGuru Summit in San Francisco

January 29, 2010

As I write this, I'm on a Virgin America flight to San Francisco. At 39,000 feet, it's -60 degrees F outside!

I've been tweeting as we've progressed from Seattle to SF, tracking our progress using Google Maps. (Yes, I know in-flight internet will be commonplace in the not-too-distant future, but today, I feel like a kid again).

I knew there was going to be something fun about this flight after the captain came out of the cockpit and made the pre-flight announcements himself, before we rolled out.

AND, I could actually hear what he was saying through the overhead speakers!

In addition to in-flight internet, the in-seat entertainment center is far superior to anything I've seen on other airlines.

Virgin America says they set out to make flying fun again and, at least for today, they did it for me!

More details to follow!

Can Entrepreneurs Help Out in Haiti?

January 15, 2010

As I've read information and seen pictures of the devastation in Haiti, I've wondered what I could do to help. Sure, as a plastic surgeon, I'm sure I could fly down there and do something. In fact, a fellow plastic surgeon, Craig Hobar, MD from Dallas leads an organization called the LEAP Foundation (leap-foundation.org), an organization with vast experience offering medical assistance to this part of the world. Today, a team funded by LEAP is preparing to deploy to Haiti.

I donated money to Soles 4 Souls (www.soles4souls.org), so this money could be used to purchase new shoes for the displaced Haitians.

But I started wondering: "What could contribute as an entrepreneur who is committed to global change, transformation and impact?"

I've been hosting a weekly discussion group called "ConsciousLeaderpreneurship Conversations." ("Conscious Leaderpreneurship” is a phrase I’ve recently coined that embodies the conscious approach of building businesses based on blending inner awareness, with knowledge and perseverance.)

On Saturday, January 15th, from 9:30-10:15 pm, this group will participate in a brainstorming session about what we can as group of "generous entrepreneurs" might be able to do to help turn this situation into something that elevates the economy and confidence of Haitians and creates a ripple effect across the globe for collaboration and connection at a heart-centered level.

During this call, we'll share resources and ideas. I don't know exactly what we'll come up with, but whatever we do, let's make it actionable.

In addition, a fellow conscious leaderpreneur, Sharon Ann Wikoff, has generously volunteered to share her expertise with Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) during part of the call. EFT  has been found to be very helpful to relieve and release emotional trauma in people who have experienced an Earthquake.

In my work with entrepreneurial clients, I've used EFT; don't ask me how it works, but we can actually use EFT to help at a distance. We can touch on the relief of worry, pain, anxiety and fear... then tap in peace, calm, and centeredness... but mainly focus on bringing the creative energy to Haiti!! (No this is NOT therapy; Sharon is not a therapist; she is simply offering EFT as a minister with the certificiations of EFT-CC and EFT-ADV.)

The call is free, but you'll need to register to receive the dial-in information: www.freedompreneur.com/consciousleaderpreneurship

Feel free to invite other like-minded, like-hearted, and like-spirited entrepreneurs to this call.

To freedom and prosperity for all!

Focusing Through Distractions

January 13, 2010

The most important skill for consistent high-performance in your business

"If I were asked to choose one mental skill that distinguishes athletes and other performers who remain at the top of their game, I would name their ability to adapt and re-focus in the face of distractions."
– Terry Orlick, author of  In Pursuit of Excellence:  How to win in sport and life through mental training

The ability to remain focused, despite extreme pressure, failure, and even apparent impending doom, is what separates a good athlete from a top-performing one. Many parallels exist between peak performance in sports and that in business. So, ask yourself, when the heat is on, do you focus on distractions or do you focus through distractions?

The good news is that the ability to focus and, especially, to regain focus after a major distraction, is a learned, practiced skill. First of all, it takes awareness that you’ve lost focus to regain it. But that alone isn’t enough. Focus takes practice, persistence, effort, energy, and a high level of commitment.

Yannick Noah, a former world top 10 tennis player, was once asked if he could ever see himself being #1 in the world. He replied in the negative, explaining that he knew he didn’t have the discipline –  the wiring so to speak –  to focus at the sustained high level of mental and physical output necessary to be number one.

Try this exercise: In a darkened room, light a candle. Then, stare at the brightest part of the flame, while thinking of nothing other than the flame. How long could you stay focused before your mind started wandering?

See what I mean?

ACTION PLAN:
To strengthen your ability to stay focused through distractions (and thereby strengthen your shot at business success), try these tips:

1.Practice being aware of a)  when you lose focus and b)  when you’re able to remain focused on your top priority strategies and their corresponding actions.

2.Practice giving yourself permission (and the freedom), to lose focus. Humans aren’t built to be 100%. After all, even high-performance machines fail from time to time.

3.Look for the opportunities in every possible situation, no matter how apparently grim. Consider that it’s not about winning or losing; it’s about what you gain. No matter what, you’re going to gain something valuable: Memories you can look back on, the experience of “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat,” and learning that will aid you in the future.

4.Practice getting back on track quickly. This means, when you inevitably lose your focus or even lose your cool, make a game of seeing how quickly you can turn things around. When you’re in a bad mood, how quickly can you change to being in a good mood? How quickly can you shift from being angry with smoke coming out of your ears to being calm, cool, and collected? Is it hours and days? What would it take to get it down to seconds and minutes?

5.Practice the candle flame focusing exercise daily. With persistence, you’ll find that your ability to stay focused on the flame will increase and, remarkably, so will your ability to focus on the highest-impact priorities on your plate.