What you will find in this edition
- Editorial Comments
- Captive Insurance Basics
- International Spirits
- Executive Fitness
- Business Tech
- Good Reads
- Interviews from the Archives
Editorial
I Talk to Myself and So Do You!
Yes, I talk to myself, and you do too. In fact, we all literally do it non-stop and the influence it has on our lives is amazing. It can be the difference between winning and losing. If you can learn to control your inner voice – it truly can be decisive and set you apart from your competition.
A Quick Story
It was a warm summer day far into the California Mountains above Yosemite National Park. We were a two-day climb into the high country. At 11,000 feet above sea level if something goes wrong you will find out who your friends are in a hurry. There were four of us on our annual guys’ only wilderness trip. Each one of us had strapped on about 50 pounds of gear as we were making our way back to Yosemite Valley. Coming down from the High Sierras, my buddy Peter was hiking directly behind me, when he saw it go. My right ankle announced its presence by turning completely over in my boot. Have you ever severely sprained an ankle? Well, if you have, you know the routine. Pain hits you like a wave – then for about half an hour – it is really no big deal. After that, however, the swelling and pain is likely to make it near impossible to walk much less hike up and down steep rocky grades. RICE … rest, ice and elevation is the usual method immediately employed in this type of injury. In the wilderness, you do not have that as an option. There were only two choices. I either had to silent my mind, wrap the foot as tight as possible and continue back down the mountainside or send for help in which case life flight would take me out at my own expense and with much embarrassment. My personal motivation became crystal clear and that inner voice was made to be very quiet.
The Strangest Secret … Zen to Earl Nightingale
For thousands of years, Zen followers have preached that to obtain enlightenment the individual should strive to stay in the moment and that the past is gone while the future does not yet exist. Mediation was often referred to as a means to “quiet the noise of the monkeys” in the brain. Several prominent business philosophers over the past century have taken this concept of thought control to the next level. They believe that you actually become what you think of on a regular basis. Most notably, Earl Nightingale made a series of self-help tapes back in the 1950s through which he coined the phrase, “you become what you think about all day long.” His first record named The Strangest Secret became a huge success and sold millions of copies within a very short period of time. He based much of his work in a book authored by Napoleon Hill entitled, Think and Grow Rich. Hill’s classic grew out of an earlier writing assignment funded by the Andrew Carnegie in 1908. Carnegie was the Bill Gates of his time. The industrialist, who was rich almost beyond comprehension, believed that success was a process which could be outlined into a simple formula for anyone to understand and achieve. Impressed with Hill, Carnegie engaged his services to interview over 500 of the most successful men and women in the world. The ultimate aim was to discover and publish a formula for success. In the process, Hill’s work became one of the best-selling books of all time, and the inner voice was acknowledged as a critical tool for achievement. All of these accomplished men knew The Strangest Secret to be true
Self-Talk
Successful entrepreneurs not only understand self-talk but embrace it. They frequently find themselves in high-stress situations, similar to our wilderness example, or often in a zero-sum competition when failure would have dire consequences. Over the last few years, economic factors and layoffs have forced many other individuals out of salaried corporate positions and into the risk of self-employment for the first time in their careers. Forbes Magazine recently coined the term “accidental entrepreneurs” in reference to these individuals. Anyone in a role that requires sales production must understand the importance of positive self-dialogue, although it is especially vital for these new business owners. It is a learned skill but absent a mentor; you can rest assured not a soul will teach you how to accomplish this daily. You will need to find it for yourself. Your success starts between your own ears.
Conclusion
Simply stated, we all have times in our lives when we must play to win. During these periods, you become reacquainted with the voice inside your head. Stress makes this ongoing dialogue within us loud and clear. Unfortunately, many of us have developed deft avoidance behaviors when it comes to working with our self-talk under normal circumstances. Worse yet, others think it corny or deny its existence. These people tend to be the same individuals who call themselves stupid or direct other derogatory remarks inward when something goes wrong. As with many things in business or life, you either control your inner voice, or it will have an uncontrollable impact on you
– Jeff Corbett
Related Links
Earl Nightingale Video
Captive Acquisitions
Offshore Captive Insurance
What is a Captive Insurance Company?
A captive is defined as an insurance company established in an offshore jurisdiction, created and controlled by either a parent company or professional association through which their own risk is insured. Those insured risks are frequently re-insured through a large multinational carrier.
The cost of insurance represents a considerable expense for most businesses. In recent years, premiums have skyrocketed leading many professionals to explore creative cost reduction strategies. One imaginative – yet proven – strategy is the use of wholly-owned subsidiaries to meet insurance needs which can control or even cut expenditures. Captives can be established to self-insure part or all of property loss, product liability, work compensation, malpractice and virtually any other coverage. Consequently, the driving force behind the move to offshore captive insurance extends virtually across all industries including, but not limited to: medical malpractice, workers compensation, manufacturing, financial, energy-related, and real estate developers, just to name a few. Over 350 of the Fortune 500 companies in the United States have insurance captives. As a result, Captive Insurance Companies have become a growing and significant sector of the global insurance industry.
Below we offer one of the best educational videos from our favorite author on the subject of Captive Insurance:
What you need to know and what to avoid. A great learning tool.
(Please Click on Photo for Video)
International Cuisine & Spirits
International Flavors to Your Front Door!
* An Outstanding Pinot Grigio Wine!
Castelfeder Wine
If you are a true wine lover, then not much is better than a nice pinot grigio on a warm day. Well, we were recently introduced to an outstanding – and I truly mean extraordinary – pinot while having a quiet dinner at a favorite local Italian restaurant. Castelfeder may not sound Italian, but it is absolutely an Italian treat. Founded in 1970 by Alfons Giovanet, this family-owned and run vineyard produces one of the world’s best pinot grigio grapes thanks in no small part to the combination of their expertise and the exquisite Northern Italy location. This style is most famous from the northern parts of Italy and traverses the foothills of the Alps nearly all the way from Italy through Austria and even Romania, Slovenia and Hungary. The mountains are a powerful force on the agriculture, insuring that the grapes keep their high acidity. The bad news, however, is that this is one of those “one offs” for us since you cannot have it delivered straight from Italy. You will have to find in on your own, but it is well worth the effort
Check out this YouTube Video: Please Click Here
* Gold Medal Wine Club
Gold Medal Wine Club
Established in 1992, the Gold-Medal Wine Club is the United States longest running, same-ownership wine club in existence. Currently, Gold-Medal Wine Club has six different wine clubs to choose from to please virtually everyone’s budget and palate. Over 2,500,000 wine shipments have been sent to wine club members during the past 25+ years. We present it as something you may want to keep in mind as means to diversify your interests
Check out this YouTube Video: Please Click Here
Executive Fitness
Online Therapy
We suppose it was only a matter of time, and here it is. If you desire privacy and do not want to leave the comfort of your home but want a professional to speak with, then Talkspace might be just right for you. Talkspace is an online and mobile therapy company based in New York City. It was founded by Oren and Roni Frank in 2012. Talkspace users have access to licensed therapists through the website or mobile app.
Business Tech
Business Video
iPhone Video Hero
For any business owner or blogger that uses video this is a must-have tool! Iphone Video Hero is an easy to follow training course which teaches you how to use your Iphone to produce professional looking videos. There are 32 instructional videos each approximately five minutes in length covering everything from the proper use of controls to back-lighting. It is taught by Jules Watkins who is a producer/director of numerous TV shows both in the US and the UK. With such popular shows as “Pimp My Ride” and “The Biggest Loser” to his credit, he knows what he is talking about. We use it and highly recommend it. It is fun and is extremely valuable as either a onetime instructional tool or an ongoing resource.
Once you get past the catchy but somewhat cartoonish logo the presentation is extremely professional!
Good Reads
“Taken Captive” by R. Wesley Sierk III
There has been a lot of recent interest regarding the subject of Captive Insurance Companies. Although we have pointed to this work on several occasions previously it still remains one of the best books on the subject. We highly recommend to anyone considering that type of structure.
Interviews from the Archives!
Olympic Swimmer – Amanda Beard
Entrepreneurship is nothing without inspiration. Over the years, we have had the rare opportunity to meet and talk with some very well-known and thought-provoking personalities. Below we have provided you another link to one of our favorite interviews.
Amanda Beard
AMANDA BEARD has been a genuine phenomenon since she broke on to the World’s biggest stage at age 14, winning 3 swimming medals for Team USA at the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games.
But Amanda’s superstardom has moved far beyond the springboard of competitive swimming into the even wider world of celebrity.
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