Author Archive

Idea Discovery – Book List for Entrepreneurs

SylviaHenderson One of the best ways to get more – and better – ideas is by reading.

Here are the top 100 books for entrepreneurs according to followers of IdeaMensch.

BOOK LIST FOR ENTREPRENEURS

Idea Discovery: Napoleon Hill Lectures – In His Own Voice (Rare Recordings – Full Series Playlist)

As a student and evangelist of Napoleon Hill’s success principles and his principle of the master mind, finding a complete series of his lectures is a gold mine.

The idea of the Idea Success Network is in sync with many of his principles so I share with you access to the Napoleon Hill Lecture Series – in his own voice. These are rare recordings of him speaking his principles and values.

10 Powerful Innovation Principles for Market Disruption

Contrary to common thinking (which is what innovation and disruption are all about anyway), Jeff Bezos says to focus on the things that won’t change and then put your energy and effort into those things.

Contradicts what you’re doing in your business? Is this what you think when you think of ideas that can change the course of your business, life…or the world?

Innovation is necessary to avoid being part of the statistics that Vijay Govindarajan and Anup Srivastava state, that:

“80% of the companies that existed before 1980 are no longer around — and another 17% probably won’t be here in five years.”

Innovation is hard, but read ten innovation principles that might help you to improve your chances of success.

READ FULL ARTICLE HERE.

Where Good Ideas Come From (TED Talk – Steven Johnson)

People often credit their ideas to individual “Eureka!” moments. But Steven Johnson shows how history tells a different story. His fascinating tour takes us from the “liquid networks” of London’s coffee houses to Charles Darwin’s long, slow hunch to today’s high-velocity web.

I love this video because it confirms my belief that ideas worth spreading may be the mission of TED and TEDx, yet ideas worth implementing (and putting into action) are my personal mission and passion! Steven Johnson examines the input stage to what has become the title of my signature speech, “The Science of Transforming Ideas to Action”.

Some points I note as “keepers” from this presentation:

Our ideas are liquid networks. They rarely come immediately from “eureka moments” or “lightbulb experiences” (even though we typically think they do).
An idea as a network means that from a new network of neurons – all firing various “sparks of insight” – comes that one idea that gels.
While the image of The Thinker and other solitary monuments of thought typically represent new ideas, the more appropriate places for good ideas to come together are coffeehouses.
Coffeehouses are “conjugal spaces for ideas”.
Idea MindTeams(c) – the platform co-founded by Sylvia Henderson and Josh Silverstone (see IdeaMindTeam.com) are liquid networks!
Research: Kevin Dunbar went to science labs around the world to record how people worked and conversed throughout their work days. Upon examining his recordings he realized that important ideas came about when people communicated and collaborated together rather than worked in solitary environs.
The “slow hunch” is when ideas linger in the back of a person’s mind until the “right opportunity” – tools, people, resources, & circumstances come about to create the perfect environment to support implementing the idea. That idea may have been lingering for days, weeks, years, or decades until the network of resources comes into play to coalesce into an idea to implement.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

NOTES

Steven Johnson’s Bio:
https://www.ted.com/speakers/steven_johnson

Direct link to this video on TED.com is https://www.ted.com/talks/steven_johnson_where_good_ideas_come_from

What’s Your Word?

News flash! The end of a calendar year is nearly upon us and a new year begins just one moment after the current year ends.

One of the key actions we take is to make resolutions; set intentions; reset goals; make commitments. We trash old calendars and hang up new ones. We physically clean up, organize, and weed out to make room for the new. We take time for family and friends, and re-establish relationships we’ve dropped throughout the year because our schedules are so busy.

With all of the “start anew” that happens at the intersection of years, do you find yourself stepping back, taking some time, and assessing how the current year turned out for you? When you do – if you do (and I suggest you do so if you don’t) – how much do you feel you’ve missed some key goals and intentions that you set at the beginning of the year? How often does this happen at this time of the year for you? Over the years?

Think about how you live your life throughout the year – how you make decisions about what to do; to what you said “yes” and to what you said “no”; how you may have been busy yet unproductive; how you might have missed an opportunity that presented itself because you were so busy; how you may have overthought something yet under-done what would have brought that “something” to reality.

I know I’ve experienced all of these situations at one time or another. I would look back at what felt like very busy years and realize that I had accomplished less than half of what I set out to accomplish, yet I was soooo busy the entire time!

And then, three years ago, I made a discovery that changed everything! This discovery was so simple – yet so powerful – that from the time I did it I achieved 60-to-80% of my goals for the year, every year, from then on. This one simple action can transform your future; guide every decision you make; allow you to take advantage of opportunities you don’t even know are in front of you until they appear; and free you to spend more time with the people most important to you, doing more of what you want to do. This discovery is…

One word.

Yep…you heard me – one word.

Identify one word to which you will dedicate the entire next year.

That one word can be based on the goals you’ve already set, or it can help you set goals and intentions for the year.

Here’s my example and story:

For 2015 – when I made this discovery – I set my year to the word “conversion”. That word set in my mind that every action, every decision, everything I did (within reason) was to lead to my converting the free programs and products and offerings I made to upsells to be paid. By the end of the year, I had converted 5 more people who took advantage of my free offerings to paying clients – more in number and several thousand dollars more in income than the previous two years combined.

For 2016 I set my year to the word “believe”. As I look back on the year I realize I have implemented at least 2 new programs I previously thought would not be viable simply because I kept the mantra “believe” in my very being.

As a new year approaches, my word will be “stretch”. My intentions for the year are to do things beyond what I’m prepared to do; to have others see in me what I don’t see in myself; to bring on a team of people to help me do what I can’t (or won’t or haven’t) done for myself; to learn some skills that challenge me yet, when mastered, will move me forward to greater success; to speak on a stage I’ve wanted to be on in front of 2500+ people at a conference in August.

You see, when you identify a word for the year, then you synchronize your brain to “see” everything that comes up throughout the year as supporting your word.

It’s like when I first bought my Toyota Matrix car. I’d never heard of a Toyota Matrix until I ended up buying a car that met my need for transferring my Mom, who was wheelchair-bound, into and out of a vehicle when I could no longer do so with my Toyota 4-Runner SUV. Once I left the new-car lot in my Matrix, suddenly every 5^th car on the road was a Toyota Matrix or its equivalent!

So I encourage you to take a few moments after the hustle and bustle of the holidays and think about what you want the year ahead to be for you – personally and professionally. Then identify your word for the year. Write it down and keep it in front of you – on your computer monitor, or in your wallet, or on your refrigerator – somewhere you will see it constantly. Let your word guide you as you make every decision throughout the year to support your word.

Finally…make a date with yourself on your calendar now, for the end of next year, to evaluate how much more you accomplished and achieved because you set your word as your guide.

What’s your word?

9 Ways to Get Past Roadblocks to Implement Your Ideas

roadblocks_blog-post

You’ve likely heard the saying, “Don’t take ‘no’ for an answer.” But if you did take it for an answer in the past, it’s possible you never saw your idea or plan through to a successful completion.

No matter where you travel in life or what you accomplish, there are always roadblocks and naysayers ready to shoot down your ideas. While you can’t change that, what you can adjust is the way you react to roadblocks in your travels so that you are able to keep your eyes on the prize…your idea, implemented. Let’s take a look at some effective ways to do just that.

· Keep your “WIIFM” written and visible. “WIIFM” is your “What’s in it for me?” statement. It is your inner reason for why you want to bring your idea to reality. Let your inner reason statement – your WIIFM – remind you of why you’re taking action to implement your idea.

· Establish accountability partners. If you have someone else to whom you feel responsible for your idea progress, you are more likely to follow through with your intentions. Accountability partners can be just you and another person, a group of like-minded individuals, industry masterminds, or executive advisory boards. Choose a partnership that lends expertise and positivity to your idea.

· Create a vision board and keep it visible. A vision board is any medium you use to display images that represent what you want to accomplish in your life or your profession. The medium may be paper, cardboard, poster board, or cloth. There are online tools that enable you to create a “virtual” vision board. You find pictures and words that represent your dreams and goals in life and secure them to your vision board. Once created, make sure you mount your vision board in an area you see regularly (if it’s a tangible physical board) or that you can access regularly from your computer or mobile phone.

· Make hard decisions about friends and family. Sometimes your closest friends and family members can be your biggest roadblocks and naysayers. That’s typically because they care about you. When they say, “Oh, but you could get hurt!”, consider that they say this out of concern for your well-being. How much you reveal to them about your idea or to what extent they’ll be permitted to help you can eliminate some detours and dead ends on your path to implementing a great idea. Doing so may allow less room for hard feelings later. At time you may just have to let someone go or place them in the background of your life in order to move forward with your idea.

· Associate with people who will support you – emotionally and otherwise. The journey from idea conception to implementation can be a lengthy one, but it doesn’t have to be a lonely journey. Make a conscious effort to network with others in your industry or area of interest. Form project partnerships and alliances with those who have been down your road before, or are passionate about your idea. If you can benefit from additional education in order to implement your idea, sign up for a class and interact with other people of like mindsets.

· Get away from familiar surroundings. Whether you take a vacation or just a day to have some fun, engaging in something other than working on your idea allows you to come back refreshed and with new perspectives.

· Listen to and read positive messages. There is a never-ending supply of inspiring and motivational web sites, podcasts, and self-help books that can help you move forward with your idea. Read, listen to, and watch regularly to feed your mind, keep it nourished with positive messages, and maintain your success mindset for idea journey.

· Get rest, eat well (healthy), and get a medical check-up. In order to persist with your idea for the long haul, your mind and body must be able to perform. Keep your physical self tuned-up and detailed for maximum performance throughout your journey.

· Ask a kid (or someone younger than you) if “it can be done”. Let the knowledge and perspectives of younger generations guide you in accomplishing your goals. With their exposure to new technology, youth can help you discover the potential value of using the next best thing as tools in your toolbox of resources. They feel valued in the process.

· BONUS – Number 10! Look within yourself. Return to your “WIIFM” to see if it’s still your drive and your passion. Then continue in spite of naysayers and roadblocks.

When you move to push your idea or plan to completion, roadblocks to your journey are inevitable. Follow these strategies along the way for encouragement and the “breaths of life” you need to stay energized, motivated, encouraged, and engaged in making your idea a reality.

But Will You Be There in the Morning? (More Than Just a One-Night Stand)

IdeaMindTeam

Clients hire me to help them get things done. Whether they have an idea they want to implement, a project to complete, a dream to become reality, or goals to achieve, I help them get clarity about what “it” is, develop strategies & action plans for getting “it” done, and hold them accountable to their actions. My corporate project & people management and non-profit leadership experiences over a quarter century provides the expertise from which I draw, and my own creativity blended with systems, processes , and tools gives me a unique combination of developing ideas and seeing that they get done. There’s one more key component to getting things done. People!

I have, and encourage my students and clients to develop, Idea MindTeams^©. These are people whose relationships we establish over time, before we need them, so that they’ll “be there in the morning” when we need them and who are “more than one-night stands” in our lives. They serve both our minds and our hearts, and some believe in us more than we sometimes believe in ourselves, however strong and self-confident we believe ourselves to be. I submit that without my Idea MindTeam^©, my impressive resume would be insufficient for getting the things done—and helping others to do the same—that get done. The Idea Success Smackdown! 30-Day challenge would not have succeeded in the way it did, and the IdeaThon program would not have gone from idea to “success” within six weeks were it not for my being able to call on members of my Idea MindTeam^© for the help, moral, emotional, and physical support that I received. I serve as a member of my clients’ Idea MindTeams^© as I help them develop their own.

So, what’s this Idea MindTeam^© all about? As I already noted above, these are people whose relationships you develop over time who can support you morally, emotionally, and physically in your business or career, and life. Some of your Idea MindTeam^© are life-long relationships; others are one-time-only or fleeting. Others encompass the range in-between. I use the mnemonic “MINDTEAM” to identify the types of people to consider establishing on your Idea MindTeam^©. And I submit that you establish all of these types of relationships in your life mix because they serve you in different ways depending on their roles in your life.

M = Monogamous. This is the one person with whom you share intimacy both physically and emotionally and who is the primary relationship in your life. Your bond with them may be through marriage, life partnership, or otherwise. This is your “main squeeze” however you define this relationship.

I = Intimates. These are your close friends and positive relatives. Note the emphasis on “positive”. These are not the relatives who bring you down, exude negativity, or otherwise cause drama in your life.

N = Networks. These are people whom you determine to be within six degrees of separation of each other. These are the connectors, referral partners, and affiliate relationships you draw on for your business, career, and professional growth.

D = Dinner guests. You may interact with these people only once ever, or see them periodically in social settings over time. These people flit in and out of your life. They are ever-changing. They are also people with whom you can typically have conversations without worrying about long-term consequences.

T = Teachers. Your mentors, coaches, guides…and teachers fall in this category.

E = Electronic. Your social media “friends”, “likes”, “followers”, and other designations are in this category of relationships.

A = Associates. These are your colleagues, co-workers, and collaborators. They’re your joint venture partners. On the personal side of life they may be friends of your close friends, members of your faith-based environment with whom you interact regularly, your sorority or fraternity members, or volunteers at the non-profit where you also volunteer.

M = Masterminds. Napoleon Hill, in his book “Think and Grow Rich”, defines “the master mind” as “coordinating knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose”. Your master minds are your groups, Boards of Advisors (whether formal or informal), work teams, and other groupings that help you move towards a definite purpose. These groups may meet in person or virtually; regularly or only once.

As you can see, your Idea MindTeam^© is a well-rounded collection of individuals in your life who can meet your many needs in their own specific ways. Where you feel you have gaps in your relationships based on the above, consider seeking and building those relationships so that you have them when you need them to serve and support you. Yes, in life it’s not all about you. But in the context of this article and your Idea MindTeam^©, it is. Build your Idea MindTeam^© and you’ll know that you have relationships that will be there in the morning and who are more than one-night stands.

NOTE: Download your copy of the “MINDTEAM” poster HERE.

Idea Discovery: Article – 6 Tips to Push Your Creativity to the Next Level

originals_adamgrant Make your IMPACT(c) … one idea at a time!
Here’s my Idea Discovery for today to help you do just that.

Are you ready to push your creativity to the next level? Adam Grant’s article 6 Tips to Push Your Creativity to the Next Level will help you do that. His tips align closely with my IMPACT© process. You’ll also find a link to his book Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World. The title says it all. 🙂

My goal is to serve you with resources and strategies that help you clarify, organize, and implement your ideas.
Stay connected with me for more Idea Discoveries – IdeaSuccessNetwork.com
Sylvia Henderson, Your Idea Coach Author: “Hey, That’s MY Idea! How to Communicate and Get Recognized for What You Know and Think”

Idea Discovery: 6 startup ‘types’ that may inform how you pitch investors

march7ideadiscovery2 Make your IMPACT(c) … one idea at a time!
Here’s my Idea Discovery for today to help you do just that.

I came across this informative infograph (also see below) from VentureBeat.com. It will help you discover what type of start up you are and how knowing that can help with your pitch. Which type are you?

Idea Discovery: Dorie Clark – Communicate Your Brand

Make your IMPACT(c) … one idea at a time!

Here’s my Idea Discovery for today to help you do just that.

Dorie Clark is an expert on establishing, communicating, and pitching your brand. How can you get investors to fund your idea if you can’t get them to understand it.

Listen to her podcast on pitching your brand to investors.

Check out her articles (400+) on making your brand stand out by getting your brand out there.

My goal is to serve you with resources and strategies that help you clarify, organize, and implement your ideas.
Stay connected with me for more Idea Discoveries – IdeaSuccessNetwork.com

Sylvia Henderson, Your Idea Coach Author: “Hey, That’s MY Idea! How to Communicate and Get Recognized for What You Know and Think”