Did you know that…

1. Lucille Ball’s (I Love Lucy) career didn’t start off so well. She was once dismissed from drama school for being too quiet and shy.

2. Big companies that have gone bankrupt:
- Quaker Oats (3 times)
- Pepsi-Cola (3 times)
- Borden’s
- Aunt Jemima
- Wrigley’s (3 times)

3. Clint Eastwood was once told by a Universal Pictures executive that his future wasn’t very promising. The man said, “You have a chip on your tooth, your Adam’s apple sticks out too far, and you talk too slow.”

4. Albert Einstein did poorly in elementary school, and he failed his first college entrance exam at Zurich Polytechnic. But he became one of the greatest scientists in the history of the world.

5. Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he finally succeeded.

What if these people listened to the naysayers and gave up? What if they let their negative experiences stop them from pushing on?

Many of their great contributions and successes would be lost.

How does that fit into your life? Are you letting the negative setbacks pull you down? There are always going to be people who can’t see what you see. There will always be circumstances that shape your thinking and slowly begin to cause you to lose that drive and determination you may have once had. The key though, is to never give up and do what you feel is right. Constantly reinvent yourself and what you do. If you come across someone who doesn’t believe or share the same vision you have, be reminded that God gave YOU the vision to fulfill a certain purpose. Sometimes others just don’t see the same thing because God gave them a different vision to pursue.

Live out your dreams, stay focused and change the world.

Daniel Decker is the founder of GiftofKindness.com, a nonprofit initiative with one primary purpose… to inspire others to be kind, compassionate and loving to one another… at home, at work, and in every interaction throughout the day. To learn more and request free Kindness Cards that you can share with others, visit http://www.giftofkindness.com/

5 Tips to Improve Your Business Communications

By Andrew Brown

In today’s day and age of e-mail, Blackberrys and text messaging, business environments are relying on technological advances to facilitate communication. Certainly, operations have become more efficient. However, are interactions becoming more effective as a result?

Continuing to develop interpersonal communication skills is never something that should take a back seat. Simply put, how you communicate is just as important - if not more important - than the product or service you are trying to sell. In our rapidly changing and fast-paced business environment, building relationships is critical to the success of any business. For small businesses in particular - that may not have a formal communications function - every individual in the business is a part of the communications effort.

From the Experts:

1) Pay attention to physical cues. Experts say that when you meet someone, you have just ten seconds to make an impression on them. Elements such as eye contact, a firm handshake and a calm speaking voice are all part of the communication you are delivering or the interaction you are facilitating. Keep checking the other person’s non-verbal cues as well to adjust your approach, mirroring their style - are they friendly or formal? Do they appear open to closer talking or prefer to have more space between each other? By answering these questions in real time and adjusting your physical style appropriately, you can easily make a potent first impression.

2) Employees come first. Meet with employees one-on-one at regular time intervals. Experts recommend weekly meetings and advise both parties to come prepared with updates or issues for discussion. This is a perfect time to discuss career path strategies for your employees as well. You can also take the time to inform employees of any performance issues that have arisen, giving them time to mark improvements before any formal reviews.

3) Take advantage of presentation training. Group speaking skills are critical, and especially important for small businesses looking to grow referrals and network in their industry or market. In addition, be able to effectively communicate to employee groups to build credibility and ensure consistent messaging about your expectations.

4) Be careful with emails. Know the difference between what messages can be delivered via email and what must be discussed in person. As a rule, save more emotional matters for face-to-face discussions. On the flip side, learn how to become more succinct with your e-mail communications to ensure you’re delivering the facts and outlining appropriate action steps so that everyone is clear on your requests. A good rule of thumb: write the way you speak and remember that longer is not necessarily better.

5) Use logic to construct your communications. Whether speaking or writing, state the facts to support your opinions. Avoid limiting your credibility by using statements like, “I feel.” Instead, use goal-oriented language and avoid unnecessary storytelling.

Andrew Brown and Small Business Guru provide Coaching, Inspiration and Practical Advice for Small Business Owners and Entrepreneurs. Subscribe to the free, weekly newsletter at http://www.small-business-guru.com/.