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Valentine’s Day Is About…

Feb 14th, 2010 by fredsarkari

There are so many opinions about Valentine’s Day.  It is too commercialized, too many expectations, its beautiful, there is a lot of love, it’s not real…

Valentines should be what you and your loved ones like it to be.  That is all that matters.  If it is important to her than it should be important to you.

Valentine’s Day is about celebrating our love by connecting to the ones that are special to us.   It is not meant for us to treat our loved ones with more respect and understanding than any other day.  It is a reminder of how we should be treating our loved ones on a daily basis.

We all want to love and be loved.  We may fear it, ignore it and fight the thought of it – but that still does not change our intrinsic need to love and be loved.

There is no greater achievement and a sign of a persons strength of character when they risk loving and letting others love them.

I was asked this morning: If love is so critical to us, how do some survive without love in their life?

One can survive without love.  Life is not about surviving, anyone can survive – Life is about living and in order to truly live there needs to be love, authentic love.

When you sing, sing with love – when you hug someone, hug them with love – when you smile, smile with love – do acts of kindness with genuine love – live with love revolved around you.

Let valentines day be a reminder for all of us to truly connect with our loved ones and those that cross our path in life.

Being the Olympics right now, take the opportunity to give out some golden hearts and do what you need to do to win the hearts of your loved ones.

Fred Sarkari

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Posted in Relationships, Sarkari Speaks | 8 Comments »

The Biggest Error You Can Make In Launching Any Strategy For Your Product Or Service

Feb 7th, 2010 by fredsarkari

I recently discovered that I had made one of the biggest errors one can make when forecasting any strategy for your product or service.

When it comes to our products or services, we are more attached to the value of them then our own clients are.  That being said there are times that there is greater value within our products than what our clients have perceived.

The question you need to ask yourself is:

What Perceived Value Do My Clients See

In My Products and Services?

Not What “I” see in them?


It’s like what we have seen in the real estate market in the last few years. How many times have we heard people talk about what they believe their house is worth – their perceived value of it as an owner, as the one that put all the time into renovating, decorating, the experiences within their house etc..

All these things have no value to our potential clients. Yet we expect them to see and feel the intrinsic value of our attached emotions within our products and services.

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I recently put together a Facebook group to help with my new book launch – “Your Naked Chicken.” I was so excited when I posted it that I thought I would have 300-350 people in my group within a few days.

I figured I would be guaranteed a 30% conversion rate. Keep in mind that I am also aware of the fact that the average conversion rate for such a launch is approximately 8%.

Even knowing that, the true value of my product was blinded by my emotional connection to my product.

I based the value of my product on elements

that have no value to my potential clients.


In order to see the true value in what you are offering from your clients point of view, you need to be able to disconnect yourself emotionally.  Ask yourself, “What value do THEY see in it?” irrelevant of the time, money and effort you have put into it.

Lesson reminder:

When forecasting your results, numbers, sales etc. be realistic. Always take the worst case scenario so your strategy results can be more predictable. Once you’ve achieved your initial numbers everything else will be gravy.

All that being said, if you want to support MY perceived value for MY new book, as it is all about US and OUR products. he he

COMING SOON! “YOUR NAKED CHICKEN”

Fred Sarkari

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Posted in Business, Entrepreneur, Marketing and Branding, Sarkari Speaks | No Comments »

Ron Russell You Will Be Missed But Never Forgotten

Feb 6th, 2010 by fredsarkari

I never  would have imagined that the man I was about to meet in the next few minutes would have impacted me for a lifetime.

It was obvious that this man had gained the respect and love of those around him.  Walking through the offices for the first time, it was even more true that the same care, compassion and respect that categorized Ron Russell as the man he was, lived within the people in his office.

It is true that one’s respect can also be felt in the presence of others.

As I walked into his office, I was greeted by a man that instantly put a smile in my heart, It had nothing to do with what he said or did but more so that his presence had an aura of truth.

Ron shook my hand like we were old friends, we looked each other in the eye and at that point in time it was evident that I was never going to get anything less than the truth from this man.

He reminded me of how precious it is to wear your true heart on your sleeve.

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To not only say what you believe in but to live it. To not only share your success but also your struggles, as those are lessons that others can grow from.
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I truly enjoyed our frequent coffees we had as I would sit back and listen to his life journey.  He never shared his journey to gloat about his success and struggles. He always took the time to share with the main purpose to teach us to be better than we are today, to grow and to believe that every struggle we face at this moment will pass and will make us into stronger and empathetic people.

Ron Russell took the time to take care of not only his close friends, but also the community he lived in that became part of his family.
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He asked me the first time we met, “Fred what do you find as one of your struggles just moving into the Okanagan.” I replied, “I miss my niece and nephew as they are further away from me.  It felt like I was distanced from my family.” – That is when he looked me straight in the eye and said, “welcome to your new extended family – you will always have a home here.”

I truly will miss those frequent coffee conversations I had the pleasure of experiencing and growing from.

All those that had the pleasure of knowing Ron Russell know exactly what I mean when I say; there are only a handful of people who come into your world, and touch your life in a dramatic fashion the instant you shake hands for the first time.

Ron, you will be missed but never forgotten. 

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Posted in Sarkari Speaks | 2 Comments »

How Do I Turn My Brand Into A Movement & Give It Life?

Jan 27th, 2010 by fredsarkari

What is the difference in creating a brand like Coca-Cola and one for your everyday entrepreneur?

My parents moved into a new community just prior to me visiting them during this holiday season.  Every time we walked by a new neighbor, my mom would introduce me.

“This is my son, he is an inspirational speaker and an entrepreneur coach, he likes the outdoors and is very active…”

After a while I realized that every new neighbor we met, my mom introduced me the exact same way.

It turned out that I was branded by my very own mom.  We are branding ourself whether we like it or not.  The real question is, are we doing it subconsciously or with intent?

There is no difference in how Coca-cola brands them self and how an entrepreneur should effectively brand them self.  The process is all principle based.

Branding yourself has faced a paradigm shift.  How entrepreneurs branded in the past will never be how entrepreneurs need to brand in these times in order to be effective.

Before you spend any time or money creating a strategy for your marketing and branding, you need to be aware of the 3 pillars that all your strategy needs to be built upon.

Most peoples brands are nothing more than fancy words and slogans they put on a piece of paper and than try to market the hell out of it.

You need to turn your brand in a movement.  In order for anything to have movement it needs to have a life of its own.  In essence give your brand life.  The obvious next question is, “how do you give it life?”

For any brand to have life, it needs to do one thing – it needs to make people feel.  A brand with life within it makes people want to be part of it.

When you give your brand life, it will become a movement.

Just like any relationship has a foundation, you need to be aware of the foundation of your relationship with you brand.

3 PILARS

Tip Of The Tongue:

If I were to go around the room and ask your clients to tell me about you, your brand.  What would you like them to consistently have at the tip of their tongue that they are ready to say?

Chasing Rabbits:

When you try to chase 3 rabbits at the same time you will catch none.  Even if you can sell your product or services to the mass – you need to have a niche market that you brand yourself to.

The more you focus on a niche the more powerful your brand will become.

Street Lessons:

If there is anything you are going to focus on when marketing yourself.  Any information that you share.  Always always always keep one thing in mind. Educate your niche market.

Now educate does not mean you bombard them with information they can already get on the internet.  Educate them based on their state of mind, their fears, concerns etc.  Things that they as laypeople can relate to and more so are craving for.

Going forward, everything you do with your branding and marketing ask yourself this question.

What emotions am I making people feel?  The answer to that question will be your existing brand.

Would love to hear about how people have made their brand different and unique.

Fred Sarkari

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Posted in Business, Entrepreneur, Marketing and Branding, Sales | 4 Comments »

There Is Always Enough Time For You Grandma

Jan 9th, 2010 by fredsarkari

Here I am in Florida thinking I was going to enjoy the heat and they seem to have a cold front not seen since the 70’s. :(

Instead of starting my runs and swimming during my spare time, I was perfecting my coffee drinking at different Cafe’s.

Today I was at the Panera Bread, a place I highly recommend for a soup and lunch.

There they were, a gentleman and an elderly lady sitting on a table with their coffee and a laptop.  The gentleman was showing the lady, grandma, some basic tricks on the laptop.

At one point in time he said to her “we should have brought your new laptop so you could have practiced on yours instead of mine.  Lets come back again tomorrow with it.”

His grandmother replied, “you are too busy for that my dear.” That is when the  grandson replied with the most precious words.

“There is always enough time for you grandma.”

We not only live in this fast paced decade but we have also got caught up with the momentum of always going from one meeting to another, one email to another, one event to another… And in doing so, we have lost sight of our priorities and making time for them.

The grandson had his priority right – there is always time for those we love.  The question is are we willing to make time for them?

We are facing a new year ahead of us.  Take the time to ask yourself 2 questions:

  1. Who are the important people in your life?
  2. Are you making enough time for them?

Lets be more conscious and commit to our loved ones.

Who will you make extra time for

and what are the little things you will do?

All the best for 2010

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Posted in Relationships, Sarkari Speaks | 3 Comments »

My Christmas Eve On The Streets Of Vancouver

Jan 1st, 2010 by fredsarkari

This year my Christmas Eve was filled with more adventure than I ever expected.  Infact, this is my 4th year spending Christmas Eve on the streets and it has always been the greatest life lessons but never have I faced such adventures.

My last great awareness experience taught me the valuable lesson of respect in our lives.

Once again, this Christmas Eve I dressed up like I was a homeless person and spent this beautiful night of giving and sharing on the streets with strangers.

It all started with my long johns, a full belly and a warm coffee.  I was already blessed with so much more than everyone else I was going to spend this magical evening with.

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I was making my way down the Vancouver streets through the nicer part of downtown and already I could feel peoples eyes all over me due to the way I was dressed, like I did not belong on their side of the tracks.

Most of these people gave such slight quick looks that the only reason it impacted me was because it was directed towards me.  We need to ask ourselves, do we at times judge with our looks and actions without realizing we do them?  Most of the times I do not believe these people even knew they were giving me such judgmental looks.

The greatest impact we leave behind with others in our lives are the little things that we do.  These leave behind emotions that last a life time.

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When I got to the location where all the homeless lived, it was one of the most overwhelming experiences than any other city I have done this.  It felt like I was in an entirely different world.

There were people selling drugs, people using needles, others just lost in their own world of loneliness, some scary enough that I would not want to walk by their path and some just talking aloud to no one in particular as they wandered aimlessly.

There I was surrounded by people filled with their own individual stories with one commonality – bringing them all to this one location on this special night.

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And so the adventure started.  It was one of those moments that you can see unfolding before it begins.   I knew he was heading straight to my direction with  an unknown intent to me.  He walked right over to me and the first words that came out of his mouth was, “Who the F^*((^ are you and what the F*(&^%&%^& are you doing here?”  Well long story short I was standing at his drug selling territory.  After chatting for a while even he had a Christmas Spirit of forgiveness. :)

Once again I had the opportunity to listen to some phenomenal life stories from people in this world that we so often walk right by and only notice with judgment.

Life lessons revolve around us on a daily basis,

are we open to receiving them?

In the last 4 years of doing this I have never met an individual like Mr. Maca.

Mr. Maca has been living on the streets for 6 years now.  He has a family he has not seen or heard from for 9 years.  He is a man of high education, a Doctorate in philosophy.

He had such a calm relaxing demeanor about him and he just seemed so at peace with himself.  All logic makes me question his self-peace but it was not for me to judge but to just accept.

We ended up sitting on the sidewalk against a building for a little over an hour.  My only regret was I wish I could have pulled out a pen and paper to write down all the insight this man has.

He made me aware of the most critical lesson I learned that night.  We are always looking for the right answers or at times just answers to give us guidance, answers to fix and heal different aspects of our lives.

Mr. Maca, reminded me the main reason why we never seem to find the answers we are looking for is because we never ask ourselves the right questions.

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If we do not understand how to ask ourselves the right questions

than we will ever find the right answers.

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Take the time to become aware of the kind of questions we ask ourselves, our   children, partners and spouses, friends and strangers that cross our path.

When we start focusing more on the questions themselves it is amazing how the answers will reveal themselves.

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During your interactions and communication always ask yourself the following questions:

1. Am I asking the right questions to myself?

2. Am I asking the right questions to others?

3. Am I aware of the little things that I do that affects people?

4. What emotions do I leave behind with my daily small actions and behaviors?

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2010 will be a phenomenal year.  Lets together make it a year of personal growth, a year full of love and compassion, a year of kindness, a year of intent, a year of calmness in our minds and souls.

A year where we as individuals make a difference.

Make this your year.

Wishing you all the best for 2010.

Fred Sarkari

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Posted in Business, Inspirational, Relationships, Sarkari Speaks | 20 Comments »

Who’s Angel Will You Be This Christmas?

Dec 18th, 2009 by fredsarkari

Everywhere I turn I hear Christmas music.  At first it seemed like a shock to my system and before I knew it I not only expected it but looked forward to it as it got me into the Christmas Spirit.

This is the time of the year where we feel it has snuck up on us, but more importantly in no time it will feel like the season came and went with the blink of an eye.

Make sure you take the time to connect to the loved ones in your life.  Do not only tell them but show them your love, how much you appreciate them and what they truly mean to you in your life.

At the same time, give some of your moments to the stranger that pass by you.  It truly only takes seconds to touch one’s life; with passing smile, a hello, a compliment or just holding the door open.

We as individuals can change this world with small precious moments that we share with others.

2010 will be full of opportunities.  Lets make sure we do not loose sight of the precious moments around us.  The small acts of kindness we can spread into this world that will ripple throughout time.

We all have our own personal journey and story.  At times there are those angels that walk our path not judging our actions and circumstances but more so to just hold our hand through the hard times we face.

I ask you this, who’s angel are you going to be this Christmas season?

Lets together make 2010 the beginning of a New World.

Fred Sarkari

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Posted in Inspirational, Sarkari Speaks | 6 Comments »

Women Shelter Fundraiser Cheque Presentation

Dec 13th, 2009 by fredsarkari

Thank you to all those that helped us raise $945.00 for the Women Shelter here in Kelowna.

Food bank 2009 021[2]

Thank you to Valley First and Cabana Grille for supporting me on this venture.

Help Raise Money For The Women Shelter
By Reading A book and Eating An Appetizer.


WAIT! It’s not over yet!  We still have the campaign going for a little bit longer.

Go into any Valley First Credit Union in the Okanagan and donate any amount to receive the Best Selling Book: How The Top 5% Think! Principles Of Great Leaders and receive a free appetizer from Cabana Grille.  ALL FUNDS raised goes directly to support the Women Shelter.
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It is critical that we support our community and those in need.  If everyone took the time for a small act of kindness, imagine the community that we can build in the Okanagan from within.  Spread the word to everyone to go to a Valley First Credit Union and receive your book and appetizer in order to help raise funds for the Women Shelter.

Thank you for all your support.

A special thanks to Joceylnn Wells from Valley First for helping put all this together and their internal campaign that raised another $1059 for the Women Shelter.

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Posted in Inspirational | 8 Comments »

Creating A Corporate Strategy Without Paralysis By Analysis – Igor Ansoff

Dec 10th, 2009 by fredsarkari

One of the most critical elements of growing a business for the long term is knowing how to strategically plan for or make decisions about the future.

Igor Ansoff born 1918 in Russia is considered the grandfather of Corporate Strategy.

Igor Ansoff

Igor identified 4 standard types of Corporate Decisions – Which I believe stand the test of time of creating a successful business.

PRODUCT:

Do you have a clear idea of what your business / product is responsible for?  This will connect to your brand, not only of your product and your company but in turn you as a person.

Your brand caries you into the future.  The power of your brand can create clarity in times of economic turmoil.

GROWTH:

We at times get so busy trying to keep up to daily activities that we never get around to creating strategies to actually grow our business effectively.

What plans have you created in order to excel the growth of your business for the long term.  This is so critical as no business just sustains it self.  It is either growing or falling behind.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE:

A competitive advantage is what you possess that will enable you to compete effectively no matter how the market or economy changes.

Most think that competitive advantage is something no one has.  If that was the case than everyone would be a ‘monopoly”  A competitive advantage is something your business prides on and creates a brand around it.

SYNERGY:

The whole is  greater than the its parts.  Successful people know that greatness cannot be built alone.  Surround yourself with like-minded and successful people.  Learn and work with the best.  And create synergy, partnerships, with other like-minded people.

Corporate Strategy can be your best friend or your worst enemy.  I have seen it time and time again, how people fall into the trap of “Paralysis by Analysis”.  This is where people take so much time to analyze everything and anything to a point of no implementation.

Paralysis by Analysis: Procrastination caused by over planning, leading to business failure.

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Posted in Business, Leadership, Sarkari Speaks | No Comments »

Hurry Up And Make A Decision Already – Understanding Personalities

Dec 7th, 2009 by fredsarkari

The majority of our day is spent trying to communicate our message or to understand the relevance of a message from others. The question we need to consider is how many hours a day do we waste in frustration and ineffectiveness because we do not seem to be able to get on the “same page” in our communication with others.

Everything revolves around our core personalities; how we think and what we do.  And it doesn’t have to be conscious, because we have gotten so proficient at adapting our behaviors in situations that we forget who we really are and what really makes us tick.

By now you should have realized that there is no magic formula for successful leadership. There is no book, seminar or course that can inject the right ingredients into you and your situation to make you a successful leader. Consider those that you believe were successful leaders.  Did they all have the same personality traits?

For example, in managing information, a leader can be the center or hub of an organization’s communication wheel or he/she may prefer to sit at the end of a hierarchy that reviews information and simply presents them as options to the leader.  These are contrasting styles, but both can be effective in the right situations.

By its very definition, leadership involves providing guidance and direction to followers. Understanding how personalities influence actions, responses, purchasing decisions, etc. can help a leader provide guidance and direction.

Consider the impact of personalities on a sales meeting: We all know that purchasing decisions are not made solely on the merits of the product.  As successful sales professionals, we are constantly aware that it is our ability to communicate and build rapport with a potential buyer that greatly enhances our ability to close a sale.

There are several psychological definitions and categories of personality traits. Consider the following as a guide to help us start on our path to awareness.

QUESTIONER:
They are always looking for detailed facts and will ask many questions. Keep focused and be systematic with your conversation by avoiding jumping from one topic to the next. Be objective and back up everything with proof.

RUNNER:
Their minds are on multiple tasks and have the attention span that will last a few seconds.  They speak fast and move fast.  They are always looking for the conclusion and results. Therefore get directly to the point and than you can expand into the details. They always talk about results.

HELPER:
They are always looking after everyone’s needs and concerns.  They are more concerned about who you are as a person.  Once they understand you than they will want to talk about your product or service.

Be friendly and build rapport; talk emotionally; don’t pressure them; take your time; allow them to include others in decisions; give them one positive choice; help them justify their decision.

SEEKER:
They get excited about new things and adventures. They will not focus on details but more so the bigger picture.  Recognize them as being important; once you have built excitement and visualization than put details in writing and explain carefully.

Personalities have a major impact on your leadership style and success.  For those of you that find your interaction with others getting difficult or strained, it will be useful to Understand personalities and dealing with the differences.  This will prove to be one of the most critical tools to help you become a successful leader and connect at a deeper level with your relationships within your professional and personal lives.

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Posted in Business, Leadership, Relationships, Sarkari Speaks | 3 Comments »

My Surf Board Taught Me The Most Critical Lesson

Nov 30th, 2009 by fredsarkari

What a perfect moment I experienced today.

We were sitting on our surfboards waiting for the next magical wave as the sun was blaring on our sore muscles.  Just as I thought to myself of jumping into the water to cool my body off, we started to experience sun showers.  And than there it was the most amazing double rainbow I have ever seen.  They were so bright that I felt like swimming over and surfing the rainbow themselves.

I wished to myself I had a camera to capture this moment.  Now hours later it occurred to me that this was one of those moments that was carved into my memory – an image that was more vibrant than any picture.

What was it about this moment that it was photographed with fine details into my memory?  Than it occurred to me that it made me feel.  It was an experience that elicited emotions within me.

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Experience linked to emotions will stay with us for all time.

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What a powerful lesson to take with me.  When we communicate with people, do we connect to their emotions in order to leave behind a lasting experience.

Always ask yourself after every interaction, what emotions did I leave behind?

I feel so blessed on this trip.  Beautiful weather, warm ocean, great people, great fun and some great sessions with courageous people that are so open to looking within themselves.

Look around you as there is beauty in every moment.

Fred Sarkari

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Posted in Business, Inspirational, Relationships, Sarkari Speaks | 13 Comments »

“You Do Not Seem To Understand What I Am Saying”

Nov 20th, 2009 by fredsarkari

“You do not seem to understand what I am trying to say”  Is the comment I heard a daughter tell her mother while I was reading my book at the coffee shop.

Their conversation reminded me of some of the other comments we hear or say in our personal or professional relationships.

  • “You are just not listening to me”
  • “I am not interested”
  • “I do not understand why you need me to do this?”

Everything the mother was saying to her daughter made complete sense.  Unfortunately, what the mother did not realize is that she was speaking in a language that her daughter did not know or relate to.

Even when we have relevant information others need, if we do not speak in their language the interaction leads directly to frustration, mis-understanding and ineffectiveness.

Speaking to one’s personality is nothing more than speaking to one in their language.

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When we become aware of peoples personalities, there are endless benefits:

  • We can more easily predict what others will do, say, think and feel given different situations.
  • We will understand WHY they feel the way they do.
  • Why they respond or react the way they do.
  • Make the decisions they do.

All of us have an intrinsic need to feel understood.  When a client feels that you understand what they’re needs are, why they are making particular decisions, or that you innately understand them for who they are at their most basic level, than and only than will they want to connect with you at a deeper level.  Loyalty and referrals start from that point on.

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Imagine the impact in your personal life, spouse, children, teenagers…How much does the feeling of being understood play a part in those relationships?

We have all met people with the attitude “why should I change? – they should change first”. I believe this attitude is the lowest form of communication between two individuals.  We must commit to letting go of this archaic form of thinking and communicating.

Being understood is more important to people than getting what they want.

Oh wait a minute – That is exactly what they want. :)

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“If you talk to a person in a language they understand that goes to their head.

If you talk to them in their language, that goes to their heart.”

Nelson Mandela

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Posted in Sarkari Speaks | 3 Comments »

Okanagan Kelowna Event With Fred Sarkari A Great Success – 5 Key Message Takeaways

Nov 7th, 2009 by fredsarkari

I have to start by saying I am so so so grateful for all the people that supported this event.  It was a pleasant surprise to have close to 200 people come to the event.

We have received so many emails from people saying they had a great time; full of education, networking and some great wine at the Okanagan Grow Your Business Event on November 5th.

5 Key messages to take away from the session:

1. Understand The State Of Mind Of Others: We are emotional creatures.  Every decision we make is based on emotion and justified by logic.  Those emotions are based on our past experiences in similar situations.  Before you start bombarding people with logical information, understand their present state of mind and than connect to those emotions.

2. What emotion did I leave behind? If every decision is based on our emotional state of mind than the most critical question you can ask after every interaction with people, be it your customers – spouse – or – children is, what emotion did I leave behind? It takes 5 sec. to answer that question, so make it a conscious habit you will will see your relationships grow to a deeper level.

3. Speak their language: This is what the presentation was all about.  We can logically have all the information someone needs, but if we do not speak to them in the language they understand, the communication and information will be of no use to them.  Understand the balance between their core personality and their adapted behaviors and than speak their language.

4. What are their perceptions of the relationship? One thing I hear consistently from people is their belief, perception, of the level and depth of the relationships in their lives.  The true question we need to ask is what are the perception of others in our professional and personal lives?

5. Take the time to understand others feelings - By nature we gravitate towards wanting to be understood and in turn we expect others to change how they should interact with us.  That to me is an archaic way of thinking.  Take the time to understand others feelings and emotions when you are communicating with those in your life.

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I want to take the time to thank everyone for their support and a special thank you to the OBRG members for all their hard work in helping to make this event a success.

Congratulations to the 6 people that won the door prizes, equaling to $3500 and thank you to the following door prizes.

PinStripe – Creative Design Marketing ($1500 Marketing package – website / letterhead / cards etc)

Beachwalk Villas ($300 interior decorating and staging)

Belleview Communities (Weekend Getaway in Scottsdale Arizona)

Benson Salloum Watts (Thank you for helping us raise a little over $400 for charity)

Stone Quest Granite & Marble Personalized Granite Slab: (Value $250)

Hustle Up Dog Trainers: 3 Private Dog Trainer Gift Certificates: (Value $150/each)

Ron Finch – Water Colourist Art Lesson: (Value $125)

Kelowna Cycle Gift Certificate: (Value $100)

We were also able to raise some more money for the Women Shelter.  If anyone wants to further support the Women Shelter you can go to any Valley First Credit Union and pick up my book on donation and ALL the proceeds will go to the Women Shelter.

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I have received a lot of emails wanting to know when the next event will be.

If I were to ask you to comment?  What specific topic would be useful to you?

I know I had a lot of fun.  I hope you had a great time and were able to take away something you can implement in your professional and/or personal life.

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Looking forward to your comments on your experience with the event and any future topics you would like to see.

Thank you to everyone for all their support, you have truly touched my heart.

Fred Sarkari

***WIN A 64 Gb IPOD TOUCH*** Share your thoughts below on what would be a great topic for another session for entrepreneurs and you could win a ipod Touch (approx. Value $399)

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Posted in Relationships, Sarkari Speaks | 46 Comments »

Without Love, Freedom Is Nothing More Than An Idea.

Oct 29th, 2009 by fredsarkari

I went for a walk by the water to clear my mind and start the day with clarity and awareness.  Have you ever taken the time to watch the sun glisten over a calm lake, watching every ray bounce off the water.  Walking by trees and noticing the intricate shapes and colors of the bark and their leaves.

Than I had the pleasure of talking to my niece and nephew on the phone and listening to the playfulness of their voice.

We are all gifted by the beauty of our surroundings, the question is, do we slow down enough to enjoy those moments?

My niece and nephew have taught me the meaning of love.  Risking love allows us to be thoughtful, attentive, considerate.  Risking love allows us to cherish the precious little moments in our lives and not be blinded by the clutter of our daily activities.

Without love for ourselves, people in our lives, strangers and passing moments, there can be no freedom in our lives. 

Without love, freedom is nothing more than an idea.

Take the time to be aware, grateful and cherish the precious moments in your life.

I am grateful for my family and friends, for my increasing health, the opportunities I have been given…

I ask you, what are you grateful in your life?

Fred Sarkari

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Posted in Sarkari Speaks, Spiritual Awareness | 6 Comments »

How My 10 Km Run Turned Into A 42 Km Marathon

Oct 13th, 2009 by fredsarkari

How my 10 km run turned into a 42 km marathon.  All I can say is OUCH!

The BMO marathon was last Sunday.  Taking a break from running for a while due to a calf injury, I intended to do the 10 km run last Sunday. The longest distance I have ever ran is 14 km and that is when I was running consistently.  so I figured if I dug deep enough the 10 km should not be too difficult.

8 km into the race I decided that I might be able to pull off the 1/2 marathon if I dug even deeper within.

Next thing I knew I was facing the fork in the road, by this point in time I was already feeling the swelling in my knees and back.  Go right for the 1/2 marathon and go left for the full 42 km marathon.  I have no idea what came over me but at an instant I hid my color coded race bib under my shirt and made a left towards the entire marathon.

As soon as I made the left it seemed like majority of the runners disappeared and the reality of my decision sunk deep into my heart.  Now I was committed and there was no turning back.

I knew I was in for some agony for the next few hours, just did not realize how painful these few hours were going to be.

I made 2 commitments to myself at that moment in time -

I will not give up and I will have fun till the end.

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Imagine the power of those 2 commitments in anything that you do in life.

The things you are capable of achieving.

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I was having the time of my life, singing, a little bit of dancing, telling myself some of my favorite jokes and never losing that smile off my face.  To my surprise I was doing better than ever expected, well until I hit that 19 km mark.

Than I felt a sharp nerve pain fire off from my hip to the back of my right knee. If you have ever had a nerve fire as such, you know that you instantly start singing a different kind of a song.  Once I realized that this nerve pain on every step was not going anywhere, my only option was to have fun with it.  So I started talking to it, laughing at it and the next thing I knew I ran 2 more km with (her) as a pain in my side. he he

It seemed like it was at the exact time when I saw the 22 km sign, my right knee started to swell like a balloon.  I still had 1/2 a marathon to run.

My 1o min. run and 1 minute walk intervals turned to a 5 min. run and a 1 minute walk.

It took me a few more km to figure out a perfect movement with my hip in order to be able to run without bending my right knee too much.  One of my happiest moments – I was back on the move again.

You see at this point as far as I was concerned I had already finished the marathon, only thing left was to run over to the finish line and get my metal.

There is a big difference to the psyche from thinking what you want to accomplish and verbally speaking what you have already accomplished, in the near future.

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Than came km 27 – my left knee decided to play a joke on me and started to swell up.  My first reaction was frustration at this point as I still had 15 km to go.  As soon as I got frustrated I started to realize how badly my body was really hurting, everything that could possibly hurt started to hurt at that point in time. And on top of that everything that should not be hurting also was hurting.

That was the best thing that could have happened to me

as it gave the the awareness how important my state of mind was at that moment in time.

Instantly I started singing again, moving my upper body like I was dancing to the music, put on the biggest smile on my face and visualized every molecule in my body crossing the finish line.  And magically the pain started to disappear, well at least lessen.

-

Well until I hit km 32.  I can’t bend my right knee, I have a nerve firing off from my hip to my right knee on ever step and now my left knee was getting harder to bend.  My feet were swollen and every step made my feet feel like they were being tenderized by a mallet.  That is okay, bring it on I told my self as there is only 10 km left.

Then came the practical joke of the day.  8 km left and I cannot bend either of my knees, and every step was excruciating pain at the top and bottom of my feet as they both were swollen and tender.

The last 8 km truly tested how committed I was to the 2 things I promised myself.  I will never give up and I will have fun.

It took me almost 2 km to figure out that the awkward hip movement run I was trying to do without bending my knees was slower than if I just tried to walk.

So the rest of the way instead of saying ouch with every step, I smiled, I laughed, I stared at the true colors around me, I passionately listened to the birds that were cheering me on with their singing and I took one step at a time.

The last 6 km did take for ever to finish, but crossing that finish line in the end knowing that I can always count on my promise to myself made it all worth while.  To me the greatest satisfaction was not the stupidity of running a marathon without training for it.  The satisfaction is to know I can believe in my commitments to myself.  How can we expect people to reply on our word to them if we cannot even rely on ourself.

I would never recommend the above, as I would be the first to say it was a stupid idea.  That being said, never forget what you are capable of achieving, have the courage to stretch and to fight for what you want.  We are capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for.

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5 Things I Took Away From This Journey

1. Have the courage to jump in and than commit to your actions.

2. The sign of a persons true character is one that will keep their promises to themselves.  When I want to know if I can trust someone, I want to know if they keep their own promises to themself.

3. No matter what your journey, slow down enough to cherish the colors around you, to listen to the sounds, to smile, to laugh and to dance with every step.

4. Never give up.

5. You can have fun in any situation – Never forget that!

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I say to you, never give up and take every step towards your dreams, cherishing the fun in every moment of that journey.

Few days have passed and now I can ‘kind of’ where my shoes and ‘kind of’ walk again.

Happy Running

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Posted in Health, Inspirational, Sarkari Speaks | 6 Comments »

A Child & A Homeless Person Asked Me The Same Question About Thanksgiving

Oct 12th, 2009 by fredsarkari

This weekend a homeless person and a child asked me the same critical question about Thanksgiving.

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I sat there on the street and shared a meal with the homeless man.  This man was more cheerful and happy than most people I know with an abundance in their lives.  I was amazed to hear of all the things he was grateful for in his life.

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The question I was asked by this man and a 10 year old child:

“What is the point of Thanksgiving?”

Thanksgiving has different meaning to different people, but in the end the message is consistent to all.  Be thankful and grateful for what we have, not just for the obvious like food, but also for all the little things in our lives.  No matter what our situation or circumstance in life, there is always something / someone to be grateful for.

Thats not always as easy as it sounds as we are not only surrounded by negativity, we have also created a culture focusing on what we don’t have, should have, why others have more…and in turn, we loose sight of all the precious moments we have in our lives.

First and foremost, I am so grateful to the friends that I had the pleasure to celebrate Thanksgiving with.  I just got back from over eating some great food with some great friends.  I was asked what I was grateful for?

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Three things came to mind:

1. Niece and Nephew:  Natasha and Zal have been the greatest gift I have ever received.  They have taught me more about myself, people, love, compassion and even pain than any other person or event in my life.

2. Old And New Friends: I have the greatest lifetime friends and so fortunate to meet some new friends this year.  No matter where my journey leads me I hope that they also one day will become my old lifetime friends.

3. World Is Full Of Compassion: I truly believe that this world is full of compassion.  When you truly believe it, you will also see the unlimited amount of small compassionate acts everywhere we turn.  I am so grateful to have the awareness for it.

WHAT ARE YOU GRATEFUL FOR?

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Having a conversation with Mike Hassard, a few days ago, he approached me with a suggestion to collect canned food for the food bank at the Nov. 5th event in Kelowna. Now there is an example of a person taking the time to see how we can give back during our busy schedules.  Please bring food for the food bank if you are coming to the event.

Some fun trivia:

Do you know the answers to the following questions about Thanksgiving:

  1. When was the first celebration of Thanksgiving?
  2. What are the only 2 items known for sure that were on the menu?
  3. In 2007 how many turkeys were eaten in the U.S.? (hint: in millions)

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Please, take the time to be grateful for what you have in your life.  Take the time to tell your family how much you appreciate them and love them.  Appreciate others in your life, be thankful for your health, feel fortunate for the food on your table.  Most importantly take the time to give back the little moments that we have grown to take for granted.

We would love to hear the things you are grateful for and the moments you are giving back.

Fred sarkari

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Posted in Sarkari Speaks, Spiritual Awareness | 2 Comments »

Your Marketing Efforts Should Aim To Accomplish One Goal

Oct 3rd, 2009 by fredsarkari

Before you spend any time or money on your marketing,  you have to be aware of the most critical element that either makes your marketing effective or just blends in with all the other useless data dump.

We are in the Information Age, where the average person thinks 60,000 thoughts every day. 30,000 pieces of advertisement bombard our senses daily. Clients have less time, they are more frustrated and they expect more. Yet we give them the same as everyone else and we expect different results.

Your ads should be an education. Get your target market to see your company as superior to the rest. People intrinsically want to be lead but lead by experts.

Educate people to why and how things are done the way they are. And ultimately those reasons must translate into the benefits for the client; otherwise, it will simply be bits of trivia.

A prime example of using education to increase market shares is the Schlitz Beer campaign. The company went from 8th position to 1st within 6 months. Everyone else was claiming that their beer was pure. But what did that mean? Schlitz took it a step beyond and explained how they tested the ingredients, how they selected and processed them, and how each batch was quality tested. Suddenly the consumer was involved mentally with the making of the beer and that made it “their beer”.

The first person who tells the story on how and why they do something positions him or herself as the expert in the field and gains distinction in the marketplace from then on.

Instead of running ads shouting how good you are, try offering a booklet with practical advice and interesting information. For example, if you are in the mortgage industry, you could put together a list of “10 critical questions to ask before you purchase a home: a lifestyle checklist to determine the type of home that suits you”, now you have targeted people who are seriously interested in purchasing.

Increase the perceived value of your product through education. The more your clients understand how your product helps them or protects them the more they will want it. Remember, you are selling a lifestyle.

Educate educate educate educate…

Fred Sarkari

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Posted in Marketing and Branding | 4 Comments »

Losing Weight Is Easy! – The Perfect Diet is The Bucket Diet.

Sep 29th, 2009 by fredsarkari

Losing weight is easy! The perfect diet is here –The Bucket Diet.

We have created a culture in our environment that consists of quick fixes, lack of delayed gratification and lack of awareness of the long term impact towards our health choices.

I was having a conversation with a good friend of mine that is highly respected in the Health and Nutrition Industry, Andrea Thatcher.  She put the basics on the plate for us “everyday folks.”

THE BUCKET DIET is as simple as:

Merely spit into a bucket until you’ve spat five pounds!  There…you’ve lost five pounds.  But…how do you feel?  You have indeed lost weight.  Is losing WEIGHT the real issue? Or is it losing FAT?


Three components make up your body:

  • Water
  • Lean Weight
  • Fat

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Water: is the main ingredient of your body.

Second is lean weight:  Your muscles, bones, organs, and tissues.

Third is fat.

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Unfortunately, most diets disregard whether the weight loss is water, muscle, or fat.

Rapid weight loss will undoubtedly be from water that was stored in the body.  Unfortunately, results are short-lived: the body detects dehydration and responds with anti-diuretic hormones.  The result is subsequent water retention and bloating.  You’ll lose one pound for every two cups of water – and gain it all back when you drink again.

Layman’s terms: Absolutely useless and very dangerous for your organs.

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Low calorie diets (under 1200 calories per day) does not supply the food energy the body needs for normal function.

These diets can cause loss of muscle tissue – up to 45% of the lost weight, according to Dr. Michael Colgan.  Good muscle tone promotes a higher metabolism (the rate of burning energy) even at rest.

A low calorie diet signals “starvation” and triggers a fat-storing enzyme (YOUR BODY STORES FAT!).  This encourages fat retention (YOU GAIN MORE FAT).   Weight loss becomes unlikely (YOU DO NOT LOSE WEIGHT).  Clearly, a low-calorie, quick weight loss diet that leaves you listless, irritable, dehydrated and bloated, and ultimately fatter is not what you want.  It’s not just about the weight!

———–


 Focus on losing fat while maintaining water and increasing muscle!

Decrease food intake calories (by no more than 20%) and increase your activity level to raise your metabolism.  Gradual weight loss of around one pound a week takes longer, but the loss will be FAT and is more likely to stay off permanently.

———-



Your body’s healthy, natural weight is determined by your

genetics and lifestyle.

At this weight you feel fit and able to participate in your chosen activities.  You’ll need between six months to a year of healthy lifestyle before your body settles at its healthy weight.

This means: eat healthy, exercise within healthy guidelines, get adequate rest and maintain a healthy attitude.


 Dieting may cause a temporary weight loss,

but you’ll gain extra unwanted “baggage”.


 By living a healthy lifestyle, you’ll lose fat weight, improve: energy, productivity, strength, endurance, sleep, SEX DRIVE, stress tolerance, immune system, risk from injury  – to name a few benefits.


Choose Healthy Living. Your Body Will Thank You.

For more information on healthy living visit:  Andrea Thatcher

Fred Sarkari


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Posted in Health | 13 Comments »

Okanagan – Kelowna Event Everyone Has Been Waiting For

Sep 29th, 2009 by fredsarkari

There are so many networking events in Kelowna that one can easily get lost within them all.  It almost becomes a habit of showing up, meeting people, changing cards having some appetizers and then forgetting it all until the next one.

Last week I experienced what networking is all about.  I attended the OBRG event in Kelowna and I was pleasantly surprised for their focused intent of being there.  To network, but more importantly to help each other grow their business.

It was all about “how can I help you?”

With such committed individuals, to others success, I had to say yes to partnering up with them for our next event.

Here is a brief introduction to the event

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Fred-Sarkari-Postcard_FRONT_wbleed

We will take the most critical elements that all successful people have in common and in 2 hours show you first hand how it will impact every relationship in your professional and personal life.

Since we are in the Okanagan, we will end the event with some wine and appetizers while we network with like minded people.

We all love our free stuff.  So there will be some great door prizes as well.

In partnership with the OBRG, connect with their members to receive their special offer for this event.

As we get closer to the date, more exciting news will be revealed for this event.  Make sure you keep November 5th, 2 to 5 open in your calendar.

I would also like to thank our other partners for this event:

OBRG – Okanagan Business Referral Group

PinStripe – Creative Design Marketing

Beachwalk Villas

Cabana Grille

Print Three

Belleview Communities

Benson Salloum Watts

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Posted in Business, Relationships, Sales | 3 Comments »

You Can't Do Anything About The Length Of Your Life…

Sep 4th, 2009 by fredsarkari

I received this email from a dear friend this morning.  She could not have picked a more perfect time.

I was having one of those mornings where you lose sight of the moment and your focus expands to the finish line of your tasks at hand.

Thank you for shaking my state of mind and bringing it back to enjoying and cherishing the present moment of the journey.

Enjoy your day, find the love and joy in what you are doing at the moment, take time to breathe for a moment, smile and laugh.

Below is the powerful email that was just sent to me.

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Hi Fred,

Came across this today…it was thought provoking and reminding me of your way of living…

hope you have a GREAT weekend =).

“You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.”   Shira Tehrani

Life is a funny thing. It’s an ever-going marathon, yet no one knows where his or her finish line is. We just keep running and running, hoping we still have a long way to go. We do whatever we can to prolong the run, but sometimes despite our best efforts, the marathon is cut short. So many of us are only concerned about the distance we are traveling, we lose focus of what’s going on during the run. And this is the important part, so take advantage. Stretch some personal boundaries, work outside of your comfort zone, try something new. There will be bumps along the road, shortcuts, and paths that lead into dead ends. These are all parts of the journey; how you deal with them will determine where you go in life. Remember, we don’t always determine the distance, but we can determine the path.

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Posted in Inspirational Quotes, Sarkari Speaks | 2 Comments »

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