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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What Stage Gives You The Best Chance at A Great Performance?

It is perhaps one of the world’s most recognizable quotes:

“All the world's a stage,
and all the men and women merely players;
they have their exits and their entrances,
and one man in his time plays many parts"

Okay, maybe only the first line is actually the most recognizable, so that’s what we’ll talk about, not the stage per say, but the stages of life. I submit to you as you read this article ready to reflect on where you are in your relationship, spiritual and professional, lives, that maybe we only get 4 key stages to perform on. I was once told that no matter what we’re doing; because 1st impressions are so important, every time you walk out of your front door, “you’re on stage”. While we talk about the 4 stages, I challenge you to embrace whatever stage that you may relate to, or find yourself in, and challenge you to realize the natural progression between the stages. While they all work together, and come through sheer life experiences, know that no stage is necessarily better than the other.

BLIND AMBITION: This is the stage of life most people find themselves in both fresh out of high school or up to about their first 5 years in Corporate America. I call it blind ambition because you know you have “time” to chase your dreams and goals, but most either don’t know what they want to do, or they find themselves chasing someone else’s version of how their life should turn out. You may have heard these pieces of advice before (usually from someone older than yourself):
“Stay on that job, it’s a good company”
“You should study this field, there’s always money in that field”
“Take some time off, you have the rest of your life to figure out what you want to do”
Or my personal favorite:
“If you work hard at it, in a few years, you’ll be upper management, at company xyz”
There is nothing wrong with blind ambition, it’s the part of life where everything is in front of you, and everyone around you is an expert, willing to give you their extensive advice. Ambition, you really just want to get something done, to make your mark in life, and set yourself up for success; blind ambition is usually the start.

BLINDERS ON: Blinders for lack of better words, is where most people find themselves 10-15 years into their adult lives, Imagine yourself well into your particular chosen line of work, on your 2nd or 3rd job. You’re in the preverbal rat race, making just enough to get by, but not enough to be happy or get ahead. The great part about having “blinders on” so to speak is that everyone else has them on as well. Their typical day consists of waking up hours before you have to be at work, commuting, working, commuting, and then enjoying the 4 hours they have awake to be with their families before they go to sleep to get up in the morning and do it all over again. The great thing about being at this stage of life is that NO ONE KNOWS THEY ARE THERE. It’s deemed normal and it’s what you’re supposed to do, and most people are perfectly content here. Unless you find yourself in one of these next 2 stages, trust me, you are DOING PERFECTLY OKAY! But even if you do, know that it's merely temporary...if you decide it to be.

CAGED RAGE: This perhaps may be the most identifiable stage that people find themselves in. Imagine feeling trapped, and unfulfilled at the very same place you spend the most time-your job and your relationship. Caged rage is the defining moment in most people’s lives where they decide that they’ve invested too much time in any given thing, without seeing the results that they feel they deserve. You’ll find yourself questioning your relationship, your job satisfaction, weighing your pros and cons, and everything that has to do with where you are in life. Some quit their jobs, some give ultimatums and want to define or re-define their relationships, all in the name of knowing what direction they need to UNLEASH in, or where they can gain some sort of traction. Everybody reaches this stage, there are no exceptions. Once you reach this stage you either separate yourself, or you find an outlet which has the potential to be nothing more but a distraction typically. If you make it past caged rage, you’ll find yourself at the most exciting stage there is…

RE-Invention: This is the absolute best stage of life (biased opinion) that you want to find yourself and operate in. Re-invention is where you decide that your dreams aren’t dead just yet, that it’s never too late, or that you just plain aren’t ready to settle for more than you feel you deserve. I’m reminded of a story of a lady that had been on her job for 20 years before a healthscare nearly ended her life. During a weekend of recovery, she realized that the stress of barely making enough money, with unreasonable demands from her job were heavily contributing to her health issues, THE JOB HAD TO GO, She is now living out her happiest of dreams as a motivational speaker and trainer making much more than she ever had, but more importantly feeling more fulfilled than she has ever been. She re-invented herself.

Another instance a young lady had been in a relationship for 4 years, as the girlfriend. Promised the ring, promised monogamy, after years of empty promises, she found herself no longer to make excuses for this man not noticing what a gift she was. She ended that relationship and is now celebrating her 1 year wedding anniversary saying she’s never been happier. She re-invented herself.

Lastly, there is a very good friend of mine that after the real estate industry crashed, found himself going through bankruptcy, a repossession, and a foreclosure all at the same time, he’d given his young life to this industry, only to have powers that were beyond his control take everything from him. This man could have easily given up, but to keep a long story short (I love that line) he was presented with an opportunity that many think may be too good to be true, fast forward 2 years later, and in that same opportunity he is a high 6-figure income earner and is helping people all over the country out of the very same situations that he found himself in. He re-invented himself

Can you, should you, will you; re-invent yourself? Right now is as good a time as any to take a good look at where you are in life, and writing out where you want to be, vs. where you are and being completely honest with both answers. Know that there is a definite difference between chasing dreams, and chasing fantasies, but if you believe there is something bigger and better in any area out there for you, re-invent yourself, and focus on how you can get there. Reading this article can be your starting point. Yes, I’m being optimistic, yes the goal is to motivate you, and yes it is to inspire you as well, if it feels weird, it’s because the world is full of different entities telling you NO, telling you to SETTLE, telling you to “take your time” and be patient. I leave you with this: Time is the only commodity that you cannot get more of, the longer you wait, the longer you wonder, and try to find the perfect time to take action towards your dreams, goals or personal changes that you would like to make, the less likely you are to make them. I believe that you deserve to be happy, and that you deserve to have more in any given area-find a good coach or mentor, and RE-INVENT YOURSELF!


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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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CHERYL PULLINS - Does SO MUCH MORE than Mentor Women...

I’ve always believed that in life, people will treat you exactly how you present yourself. For that very reason, when I reached out to Ms. Cheryl Pullins, I expected nothing short of greatness, and she DID NOT disappoint. Cheryl is much more than an author, speaker and mentor, Cheryl is has a quality, and a skill that towers over all of those mere titles; Cheryl is transparent. The first 10 seconds of being on the call with her, I knew I was speaking to someone that was not only capable, but willing to walk through the preverbal fire with anyone she works with.

Sometimes I say you’re in for a treat, but with the interview that you are going to listen to below, I must admit, you are in for the full dessert. Cheryl opened up on many topics, and put so much thought and valuable information into each answer that she gave, that I can confidently say after you listen to this interview, something inside you will definitely change for the better. Rather you’re a fan of her “VICTORIOUS LIVING” series, or have attended one of her “WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACADEMY’S” One thing is for sure, Cheryl has the information that you need, if you’re looking to change your life. Why? Because she’s been where you are; guaranteed. If you want to talk marriage, she can do that, if you want to talk corporate America, she can do that, stressed out wife/mom: check! Starting your own business-yep! I can go on and on about her living resume, full of quotes and lives that she’s changed, but you have to experience it for yourself.

Before you click play and listen to a truly dynamic woman. I challenge you to write down the top 3 concerns that you have facing you currently. Not because I bet that Cheryl has an answer, but because I am sure that she will challenge your current state of thinking, and allow you to see things in a positive light (of course assuming that you don’t right now). This interview, like many before it is catered to the entrepreneur, but because we deal in reality, and all of the outside influences and distractions, Cheryl Pullins stands out as a transparent leader, that will stretch you, draw the greatness out of you, and be your best friend while it’s happening. After you make your list, write down ONE DREAM; because at the end of the day, that one dream will be what pushes you to take that first step. I present to you Ms. Cheryl Pullins.



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If You Have A "BIG BUT" Haunting You, Lynn Can Help!

It’s not every day that you get to hear from someone that has given their absolute all to their craft. What I admire most about the incomparable Lynn Zettler, is that not only is she at the top of her game, but she is a stickler for the details. During our conversation, Lynn methodically listed and talked in depth about the steps that she took while making the decision to step away from corporate America and launch what has become one of the most successful careers as a life-coach and motivational speaker that we have seen in a long time.

Lynn wears many hats, as an entrepreneur, business coach, author, wife and mother; it’s completely safe to say that Lynn’s brand of Life Action Coaching brings a well needed air of “completeness” to the industry. Rather it’s her personal and corporate coaching, or her team’s unique “ACTION CIRCLES”, or my personal favorite her “BIG BUT BOOTCAMP” Lynn completely dedicates herself, and pours every ounce of energy that she has into her clients. Now some would say that you’re supposed to give your all, you’re supposed to work hard, supposed to be dedicated, sounds like common sense right? Well, ask yourself this; How many times could you have worked just a little harder, double checked your work, or put just a little extra effort into a task? Lynn doesn’t miss a beat.

When it comes to motivation, and the all out fear of launching your own business, I’m sure both Lynn and myself always hear the same thing: “BUT, I’m not ready”, “BUT I still have so much to learn”, we’ve even heard “BUT, I don’t have all the money, time or answers”. Well guess what, the amazing Ms. Lynn Zettler has a boot camp just for you, so how about you sit back, listen in and learn how you (yes YOU) can lose your big BUT, and get on the fast track to achieving the dreams and goals that you deserve.



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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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