The person who really wants to do something finds a way; the other person finds an excuse.  ~Author Unknown

There are many factors that can keep us from obtaining that which we desire. There are many difficulties and challenges that we have to overcome in order to achieve our objectives. But no excuse in the world can truly stop us from what our heart longs for. Excuses are for the lazy and the cowards who feel that somehow something is “owed to them”.

The world owes you nothing!

Matt Marcinek has an excuse. He has been disabled with cerebral palsy since he was nine months old. He can’t walk so he should just cry that life isn’t fair and ask for a handout. But the Disabled Grappler makes NO EXCUSES and he doesn’t ask for sympathy. Matt trains every day as a martial arts grappler and even competed in tournaments. He never won a match, but that doesn’t stop him from doing something he is passionate about! And he also makes fun about his “disability.” I have respect for Matt and am honored to call him a friend.

Do you have something you’ve wanted to do but have held back because you have your reasons? Will you find a way through it or will you just find an excuse?

Respond. Verb. 1) to reply or answer in words: to respond briefly to a question. 2) to make a return by some action as if in answer.

You would think that most business owners or their team would respond to a potential client interested in their service or product. Think again! I’ve had numerous conversations with friends who have sought out a company for a solution and never heard a response, either by email or phone. I have also closed on three very great projects since the beginning of the year just because I actually returned an email or phone call. One simple step that elevated me over my competition.

My Communication Response Rules:

• Respond to emails within 12 hours or less.
• Return calls in 24 hours or less.
• If it can’t be done in that time, at least tell the person you are sorry and you will respond properly when you have time.

Sometimes things do happen and we will let communication fall through the cracks, but for the most part there is no reason to not respond to potential clients – no matter how busy you are. If you don’t want the work, then at least tell the person so they can find someone else to give their money to faster. ABC. Always Be Courteous.

That’s my Power Punch for today.

Time.

It’s a precious treasure that is always fleeting and one that you can never keep. Once you’ve lost it you can’t get it back and you definitely can’t manufacture any more of it. That is why time is so incredibly valuable. In fact, it’s priceless.

This is why we should respect it.

Stop wasting your time on useless business meetings. Avoid childish social media playgrounds. Don’t work on projects that suck. Quit charging too little for so much. Give up habits or situations that don’t contribute to your well being. There are plenty of things in our lives that completely waste our time. It’s up to us to change that.

Life is moving faster than you or I can keep up with.

The question is, will we let life pass us by because we focus on the crap that doesn’t really matter … or will we live with more purpose, focusing on the things in life we will regret losing if we never do them?

I am extremely proud to announce the release of a brand new book, Small Town Rules, co-authored by my good friend and fellow Oklahoman, Becky McCray.

Small Town Rules: How Big Brands and Small Businesses Can Prosper in a Connected Economy.

I absolutely love reading business books but so many fall short in theory and application. Small Town Rules is far from that! What I appreciate most about this book is that it is filled with advice, thoughts, and strategies that make sense. Barry Moltz and Becky McCray do an amazing job of telling authentic stories about the common bond between big brands and small town communities, and the reading just flows from chapter to chapter. I firmly believe as you read through the chapters you will have an endless amount of practical ideas you can start applying to your own small business today. I admit that I am only halfway through the book and I’ve highlighted more places here than I have in hundreds of other business related  books.

Some of my highlighted notes from the book include:

• Companies that hold on to frugality and plan for the long term are the ones best positioned for survival.
• Hard work building trusted relationships is what produces sales.
• Some businesses act as though there is an inexhaustible supply of customers, as they burn and church through buyers, never servicing the ones the already have.
• There’s a time to plant new projects, a time to reap new rewards, and a time to prepare for what’s next.

Small Town Rules is every bit worth the investment and is in my top 25 business books of all time. And this isn’t because I know Becky, it’s because the information is absolutely priceless!! I recommend that you head on over to Amazon today to purchase the printed or Kindle edition. You can also check out the official website here.