Her Newest Title, is NO MISTAKE- Author, Publisher, and Entrepreneur Tamika Newhouse stops by to "HUSTLE HARDER"

One of the earliest success principles that I learned was that "if you want to dine with the classes, you must cater to the masses”. No one understands that principle more than the Ms. Tamika Newhouse who confidently states “you have to keep them talking!” With a list of titles and accomplishments that could easily read as several people’s lifetime achievements, ** see here** Tamika has consistently elevated her game to become not only one of the top authors in the game, but has recently launched her own highly successful “DELPHINE PUBLICATIONS”. I believe it was more than a privilege to catch up with such a phenomenal woman and be able to share success principles, that have not only gotten her to where she is today, but more importantly her well planned path that will get her to where she wants to be.

In just a few short minutes, Tamika and I discussed leadership, sales, social media, ambition, and of course her newest book: "He’s My Favorite Mistake”, which is guaranteed to be another top seller. One of the things that stood out to me the most, is the innate ability that Tamika possesses to shift gears, and identify with her audience, speak to the inner entrepreneur, and tap into the “burning fire” that most people have in an effort to educate against, and ease the fear that paralyzes everyone at some point in their pursuit of happiness. “Stay in your own lane” is one of the dozens of nuggets that she shares during our interview, in regards to chasing your dreams and goals, it’s important that you do not measure your weaknesses against other peoples strong suits.

Maybe it’s her competitive nature, maybe it’s the simple fact that she is simply a driven individual, or that she wants to leave a lasting legacy by doing exactly what she loves to do; but whatever it is, I believe Tamika Newhouse will forever Hustle Harder. She is an amazingly professional, talented and ambitious woman who shares her true story when speaking to teen parents, and paints engaging stories that you live everyday whenever she picks up a pen. Before you listen to this interview, ask yourself, what is it that you love to do, and more importantly do you BELIEVE that you can be successful at and possibly turn your love into revenue. I dare you to believe, in your gifts, talents, and passion, because if you do…I promise you at that point, there is nothing stopping you besides time, and work ethic. Tamika is an example of “bullet proof belief” sets out to positively touch everyone that she comes into contact with. Her question to you: “WHAT IS STOPPING YOU FROM BEING HAPPY”?

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ARE YOU BOLD ENOUGH TO GET NAKED?- Mentor, Coach, and Author CATRICE JACKSON says: "NAKED IS A MUST"

In the year 2000, a songwriter and singer named Erykah Badu released a song called “BAG LADY”. The message of the song was based around the idea that many of us are walking through life with way too many bags. If you have never heard the song, Erykah wasn’t talking about luggage in the literal sense, but more of a metaphor for all of the things we deal with during our daily grind emotionally, and mentally. To take it a step further, Ms. Badu went on to suggest that we would “miss out buss” carrying all these bags. Imagine that, everything that you’re holding on to is basically making it hard for you to get where you are going. Your bags are your personal issues, and your BUS is your path to greatness. Singing in my best Erykah voice: “BAG LADY, you gon’ miss yo bus, you can’t hurry up, ‘cause you got too much stuff”! Wow, how many of us are holding onto past failures? Rather it be relationships, business ventures, jobs that didn’t work out, how many of us are holding bags?

As a writer, mentor, speaker and coach, Find out more here
Ms. Catrice Jackson is in a class all her own. With her “P-SPOT PASSIONISTA” series, as well as her “GET NAKED” MOVEMENT, she is taking aspiring speakers and businesswomen and men from a place of quiet confidence to bold, enthusiastic (yet humble) greatness. She is a sincere, thought provoking leader that I believe is going to change the face of what it means to empower women and men alike. You’ve got to love genuine compassion, someone that cares enough to give you undivided attention and still make sure you are having fun, while she’s giving you life changing information in a relevant “right now” format.

Within the first 60 seconds of being on the phone with Ms. Catrice Jackson, It was apparent that she has not only dealt with this issue, but more importantly has found an inner peace from confronting, and conquering all of her bags. As a matter of fact, the CEO and founder of www.catriceology.com has not only confronted them, she’s taking it a step further than the bags, Catrice says “LET’S GET NAKED" too. Not in the literal sense, but in the theoretical, spiritual sense. Imagine being able to strip away all of the false truths that we hold about ourselves, other people’s impressions and expectations of us, and the huge cloak of pressure and defeat that many people deal with every single day. I have to say that one of the things that I learned from Catrice during our time together is that when you begin to peel away the layers of “burden, doubt, and fear you are left with the strongest form of potential there is; your true beautiful self. Catrice has overcome her own personal obstacles on her past to greatness, and she is working tirelessly to help countless people all over the world to do the exact same thing.

CHALLENGE: Are you ready to get naked? Are you ready to peel back the bags, clothes, and mental, emotional layers that are hindering your greatness, blocking your “P-SPOT?” Write down the hurdles you know you face, at least 5 (YES FIVE)! Across from each item, write down the potential consequence you face, by NOT removing that layer. This interview will address those items, encourage you to be BOLD, FEARLESS, and empower you to “GET NAKED”



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7 Qualities that make it IMPOSSIBLE to fail!

The best part about being a student of personal growth, and being in the constant pursuit of greater success, is that there are or (always should be) notes to refer to. Last year at a sales training class I presented what I am going to share with you in the following paragraphs. Now as always, I truly believe that there are several principles, laws, and rules that can guide you to success, so I dare not act as if these are the “end all-be all” to you and your business. Rather you are an author, salesmen, designer, speaker, or a chef, beginning or well established, the 7 qualities that you will read here will absolutely help your business grow.
While typing this, I’ve realized that 8 days have already passed in 2012, and you know we like to say that entrepreneurs don’t have the luxury of time, so before I share these 7 qualities with you, I want you to ask yourself; “WHAT HAVE I DONE SO FAR THIS YEAR WITH THE 192 HOURS THAT I HAVE BEEN GIVEN” Not asking to make anyone feel bad, or put any pressure on you, but truly if we want to get where we said we would this year, we have to start IMMEDIATELY. Okay, enough suspense, I know you’re over there yelling at your screen, (or at least thinking in your head) “C’MON MAN, WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES” so…here we go..

1. Be Unconditionally Committed: Simply put, if it’s for you, it’s for you. There will be times in your business where not only people will doubt you, but you might even doubt yourself. But you have to be married to your business (not that Kardashian kind either!! –cheap shot, I know…sorry!) But when I say unconditionally committed, I mean working on you, and your business should be as automatic as brushing your teeth in the morning. You can’t give in to the time traps of being busy, not feeling well, etc. Wal-Mart is open for business 24/7 and you should be too. Be ready to pitch, ready to sell, and most importantly be ready to work longer than you anticipated. Quick example: Sylvester Stallone was unconditionally committed to his Rocky script, so much that he sold his dog for $50.00 and turned down over 100k offers that didn’t allow him to play the main character. After literally HUNDREDS OF NO’s, he got his yes.
2. You Cannot Be Emotionally Attached To Yes or No: I know this one is easier said than done, but I equate this to a hall of fame baseball player. *STAY WITH ME* a hall of famer in baseball typically has a batting average of at least .300 which means that 7 out of 10 times that it’s his turn to hit, he gets OUT! No homerun, no base hit…OUT! But 3 times, he gets a hit! What if you approached your business the same way? Countless entrepreneurs and sales people quit before they ever get their 8th,9th and 10th no! If you really want it, embrace the NO it’s simply part of the game.
3. Discipline and Consistency: These are like a muscle to me. Especially if you’re just starting out. Developing self discipline, and consistency aren’t necessarily easy to do, but that’s why it’s important to do what you love, so that it won’t feel like work. If you still have a day job, try to pick days of the week after work that you are committed to working on your business. An additional suggestion is to have an accountability partner, someone that knows your daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly goals, and checks in to make sure that you get them done.
4. Posture: This isn’t about standing or sitting up straight. Posture is the way you walk into the room, the way you command the right kind of attention, and how people view you. I like to call it a perfect blend of quiet confidence and laser focus. Imagine Donald Trump, Sean Combs, or even a Sara Blakely (FOUNDER OF SPANX) walking into the room, they know what they know, and they are absolutely great at what they do. There is a sense of “who is that” in the air. There are 2 definite things people will always do: Be attracted to success, and treat you the exact way that you present yourself. Have posture.
5. Willingness to fail: Similar to quality #2, being willing to fail in business means that you know its business, not personal. When you learned how to ride a bike, you were subconsciously willing to fail…BECAUSE YOU DIDN’T FOCUS ON FALLING, you focused on learning how to ride the bike. I know it sounds elementary, but success isn’t hard, following the principles that get you there is the part that discourages most. I beg you, to be okay with failing, just make sure you fail forward. I suggest that you document the perceived failures, and take maybe 5-10 minutes to analyze where you can improve.
6. Courage through the storm: The courage to keep going, this doesn’t mean that I want you to necessarily endure blow after blow after blow. No one wants to be a punching bag, but know that sometimes it will get worse before it gets better, hey even diamonds have to get pounded, stomped, burned, cut and all that stuff, but once it’s done… they’re the most beautiful stone on earth. Courage comes with knowing WHY you’re doing something. Who’s depending on you, why do you work so hard, what is the pot of preverbal gold that you’re chasing, and what does it mean to you?
7. Be a student of YOUR game: Consistently study your industry. Years ago, I knew several people that were earning well into the 6 and almost 7 figure incomes as real estate loan officers. They weren’t necessarily good at what they did, they were just in the right place at the right time, however when the market turned, they lost everything. They weren’t students of the game, and hadn’t studied the cyclical nature of the industry and consequently lost the very homes that the industry allowed them to buy. Your industry is bound to change, stay on top of it’s history, trends, and how it can affect your business. It’s not about right now, it’s about next quarter, next year, and 5 years from now.

Okay, that’s enough to read for now, but guys I absolutely believe that if you can adopt these 7 qualities, your businesses will never be the same. As a matter of fact, these aren’t just business principles, try applying them to your personal lives and relationships as well.

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HUSTLE HARDER-Top 3 "To Do's" for 2012

As much as I tried to fight it off, I just couldn’t do it. There was almost an attack on 4 out of my 5 senses, and I tried my absolute best to keep all of the remarks, the insight, the opinions that I had inside… but I broke, and what you are about to read is the result of YEARS of watching, listening, and most importantly watching again. So what is it that I can’t take anymore, what drove me over the preverbal edge? NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS.

I’m not talking about the regular “I’m going to lose weight” or “I’m going back to school”, this is of course, catered to the entrepreneurs, and the things that people are telling you to do with your business. For once, I took the “average route”, logged onto Google and typed in something similar to resolutions for entrepreneurs and I couldn’t believe the lists that popped up, I’ll share some of them in no particular order: (along with my opinion of them of course)
1. Go Small: ( I guess they mean “do more with less, stretch your resources…okay fine if it makes sense why not)
2. Go Mobile: (What serious entrepreneur HASN’T ALREADY gone mobile? Most smart phones now almost eliminate the need for a laptop…almost)
3. Go Local: (*blank stare* -as opposed to what? Starting a brand new company in a place you’ve never heard of, with people you don’t know? Still scratching my head on this one)
4. Learn to delegate: (Now this one I like, at some point in the growth of your business, you’ll have to realize that you can’t do everything, so yes…learn to delegate)
5. Expand your customer touch points: use more social media-( HELLO!!! In this day and age, how can you be serious about your business without using the bare minimum of twitter and facebook, I’m convinced this one was a joke)
6. Refresh your website: (if needed okay, sure a fresh look never hurt anyone)
7. Encourage feedback: Most entrepreneurs, sales professionals, and general humans, only encourage POSITIVE FEEDBACK, but I’m here to tell you, if you don’t encourage feedback in general, your business will remain stagnant, and quite possibly regress. Grow thick skin!
8. Obsess about your business: REALLY? (I promise I’ll calm down, but this was literally a suggestion. Listen, if you don’t bleed your business, STOP NOW!

Can you hear me breathing deeply in semi disgust? This was supposed to be a top ten list, but I refuse to do that to you. I just can’t believe that these were the top results on the internet when the average public searched for help. Either someone out there is extremely out of touch, or they are underestimating what people really need to get going, and thrive in their businesses. Please understand that I’m not attempting to say that what I’m going to offer up is the “end all-be all” or that it’s the best advice that’s out there for you. But I will say that this is one of the most sincere posts I’ve ever written, and without these 3 things, it will be IMPOSSIBLE to grow.

I want to share 3 things for new and existing entrepreneurs to implement NOW, or next year, whenever you’re ready. Like the lists above, I’ll add in a little reasoning to go along with what made the HUSTLE HARDER TOP 3 “TO DO’s for 2012.

1. WORK BACKWARDS- Simply means begin with the end in mind, you’ve heard this before probably, but a prime example is to set a goal for the entire year, maybe it’s revenue, or a pin level (for my friends in network marketing) then simply separate that yearly goal into smaller quarterly goals. It doesn’t stop there, separate the quarterly goals into weekly goals. Doing this allows you to have several smaller targets to hit on your way to success, as well as celebrate some “wins” along the way. Additionally, this method will help you manage AND measure your activity on the way to your yearly goal.
2. STUDY YOUR INDUSTRY- There’s a saying that I heard a while back, and it’s stuck with me, one of the main reasons that I read so much, it goes something like this: “Your income growth, will never be more than your personal growth”. That being said, I suggest that you look up the top 5 books relating to your industry, and read them. It doesn’t matter if it’s an actual person that is successful, or a business, but find them, and read them. (Personal favorite: The Magic of Thinking Big by David Schwartz).
3. COLLABORATE- Find out what goes well with your industry, and reach out to someone in that industry and work on a project together remember spider webs catch more than mouse traps by this I mean, if you build a strong network, there’s a better chance of getting referrals out of the blue that ADD to your business, than finding new business on your own. Think about it ladies, have you ever asked someone where they got their hair done? Where they got their boots? BUILD YOUR NETWORK, AND GET REFERRALS!!

Okay, this one has been long enough, so I’ll wrap it up. The main point that I want to drive home guys is that ENTREPRENEURS DON’T HAVE THE LUXURY OF TIME, so I don’t want you to rob yourself of valuable time by setting goals that are “common sense” in retrospect. The difference in your accomplishments from 2011 to 2012 for the vast majority will be based simply on game planning work ethic, it’s all about execution. Remember, don’t wait until new years to have resolve. The change can happen anytime!

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THE FIRST GRAY HAIR

Okay, I know what you’re thinking, and yes you’re right. As much as I’ve never given it a first, second or third thought, it finally came. Life’s most gruesome, evil, forsaken, telling mark of age… my first grey hair. Sure, I went through all the stages, denial, maybe I’m stressed etc, but much more quickly than I’d imagine in retrospect, it didn’t cause the reaction most would think.

I didn’t flip out, I didn’t go on a mad treasure hunt trying to figure out if anymore were coming. For me, the first grey hair wasn’t as much as an alarm as it was a reminder…maybe even a stopwatch. If you know me at all, you know that I’m a sports guy, namely NFL and track and field. The reason I say it’s a stopwatch, is because most athletes don’t use a stopwatch to “countdown” per say, they use them to measure speed, accuracy, and improvement. Okay, okay… back to the grey hair, what I realized is that we don’t have the luxury of time when it comes to chasing our dreams and goals.

I began to think about what I’ve accomplished in life thus far…any self respecting entrepreneur would say it’s not enough, but in the same breath, I’m absolutely grateful for where I am, and what’s on the horizon. In my official effort to give grey hairs a perception makeover…Ask yourself these questions…

1. Have I truly made good use of the time that I’ve been given?
2. When I procrastinate, is there really a good reason?
3. Where would I/we be if I’d saw that one thing through, or not given up so early?

Although we’re all guilty of procrastination in some way, shape or form, nothing is worse than telling yourself flat out excuses (which are nothing more than well planned lies.) How many times have you said “Next year, I’ll definitely get it done, or “As soon as things settle down, it will be easier”, or maybe you just tell yourself “It’s just too late”.
All of these excuses run congruently, it’s kind of like the lie you tell yourself about running a stop sign. If it’s not a complete stop, it’s a roll. Accept it, deal with it, just hope you don’t get caught! However in life, for everything that you don’t give the extra effort for you not only get caught, you get penalized.

Think about it, how many times have you known that you should have done something as simple as changing the oil in your car, and not gotten it done? Only to talk about how “crooked” the mechanic is when he tells you how much it costs to replace your engine. You get the idea.
The reason I’m writing this is to invite you to look at your first grey hair, (or the 6th, 7th or 19 grey hairs that you have) as the starting gun to get things done. It’s clear that time isn’t on our side, so we have to make the most of what we have.

Top 5 things to do:
1. Take inventory of all the projects you’ve always wanted to do
2. Take inventory of the “reasons” that you haven’t done them
3. Prioritize (quickest gratification, sense of accomplishment
4. Plan of action
5. Be Accountable- now that you have a grey hair… how much will you get done, (be it little or whatever) before you find the next one, the next 5…

I can see now, that in the interest and utter respect for your time, this may have to be a 2-part series…but one thing is for sure, Grey hairs don’t come by themselves, and they typically don’t stop coming…why not make sure we have something to show for them. OH! and No!, I'm not telling you where it was!!!

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She’s a Happy, Healthy, LifeGiver: Ms. Tunya Griffin

There’s a saying that motivated me for several years now, and it goes as follows “We all have a story to tell, we just have to earn the right to tell it”. That statement doesn’t mean that your story isn’t WORTH telling, it simply means that you have to create a platform, so that people will WANT to listen to your story. And my guest this week Ms. Tunya Griffin, has done just that. Dubbed The Happy and Healthy LifeGiver, Tunya has taken on the tall task of helping women everywhere discover and unleash the power that is within them.
She had gone the traditional route, you know what they say, go to school, get a good education, and find a good job. After receiving her degree, and a having a GREAT sales career, Tunya realized that there was something bigger than herself that she had to accomplish, and I PROMISE YOU, that the nuggets of pure wisdom that she shares in this interview will help you unleash your power, and find your purpose as well.

Now I have to admit, that I get excited every time I have a successful mind that I can learn from, and trade ideas with, but the pure honesty and sincerity that I heard in Tunya’s voice has definitely changed the game and “raised the ante” in terms of the Women Who Win Series. Like the other mentally strong, business savvy ladies that have been on this month, Tunya blends her life experiences, business mindset, and unmatched passion to the table every day as she chases, accomplishes, and resets her dreams. She is a mentor, author, and national speaker, and I believe that if you listen clearly, you will hear why the sky is the limit for Ms. Tunya Griffin and anyone fortunate enough to be involved with her projects. Listen closely to the HUSTLE HARDER mindset of The Happy, Healthy, LifeGiver; Ms. Tunya Griffin.

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Part 3-Land On Your Feet

DID YOU SEE THAT! I know I get carried away with that video, so I’ll give you 2 minutes to watch it one more time! *impatiently waiting* ….Okay, time is up! Did you see that for the past 10 years Indy Car races have been decides by an average of 1.54 seconds? Yet the difference between in results for less than 2 seconds, is over half a million dollars, yes OVER $500.000.00. What I want to make sure we notice is NOT that 2 seconds was the difference, that 2 seconds was decided in the plan, the preparation, the implementation, and the extra effort.
So let’s go over the steps before the “big finish”. First, we talked about having a dream. You have to have something to believe in, something that pushes you to keep going. Your dream should be strong enough to make you cry, it’s the reason why you even want to land on your feet. Second, you have to protect that dream. The one time that I’ll ever advise that you be reasonable when it pertains to your dreams, is that you realize that EVERYONE WILL NOT SUPPORT YOU. Sad, but true fact. Your friends and family may call it “protecting you” or “trying to help”; they may even call it “support” but know this: if it doesn’t add to your goal, and push you forward, it’s against you plain and simple. Now, let’s talk about step three.
Extra Effort.
The 212 degree video was first introduced to me years ago at a network marketing function where all of the top leaders were giving motivational talks about what it takes to get to the top. None of us were allowed to tell the others what we were going speak on, and when the gentlemen played that video, my life changed. Maybe it was the atmosphere, maybe it was the video itself, but if you really watch it, and if it’s your time, it will tell you that there is always more that we can do. Now because I could write forever on this topic, I’ll break down 3 or 4 of my top bullet points for EXTRA EFFORT.
1. Don’t take shortcuts. Rather it means delaying a launch, or paying a bit more for your product or service, or your research, don’t take shortcuts, it will always come back to bite you in the end (I almost said something else there!)
2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. What I’ve noticed by countless entrepreneurs is that they are ashamed or to prideful to ask for help. Knowing that the definition of success is to find someone that has achieved what you want and duplicating their steps is proof positive that asking for help or assistance is an absolute must. There are some bumps on the head that you just don’t have to take. The reason we network is not to “protect our business from someone that might steal our idea” it’s to GAIN RESOURCES” so they can HELP YOU and vice versa.
3. Don’t be afraid to fail. I had to learn, and in all honesty, I’m still learning that failure isn’t an end point. Failure is just traffic on the road to success, it’s a process. Think about it; have you ever packed up for a road trip and decided to leave in the middle of the night so that you could avoid traffic? An hour into the trip and you’re at a standstill, what do you do? Do you get off the freeway and go home? Or do you make the best of the time, until YOUR LANE OPENS UP, and keep going to your destination? Success is the same way.
It’s all about extra effort. My mentor tells me all the time to play to my strengths, basically meaning that we can’t compare our failures to other people’s successes. All we have to do is stay in our lane and outwork the competition. Extra effort is what keeps you up at night, it’s the pen you keep in your car just in case an idea hits, it’s the feeling in the pit of your stomach when things start to fall into place, it’s working the plan even when you don’t want to, and more importantly, extra effort is a belief in yourself that you DESERVE the results that you’re chasing. It’s not about who believes in you, it’s about believing in your potential, and your destiny. #HUSTLEHARDER

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