Natasha and Zal had not stopped talking about the triathlon we did together.  So I decided to take them to the Penticton Ironman Triathlon.

There were two parts of this twelve hour event that I wanted to make sure they saw.  These two parts give me a surge of inspiration and remind me of what the human mind is truly capable of achieving.
To start, I wanted them to see the beginning of the swimming portion. It’s an awesome moment to see 2700 competitors start at once.  The last triathlon the kids saw had about thirty racers start the swim.  Seeing 2700 makes such a dramatic impact, and I knew it would leave the kids ready to face more of a challenge.

The most important thing I wanted them to see was the last competitors crossing the finish line. Most people focus on the winners, but it’s the ones who finish last that inspire me the most. Those individuals are the ones who don’t race to win, but who race for the sole purpose of seeing how far they can push their minds.

The Ironman is more of a mental competition than a physical one.  Every step an Ironman racer takes is from deep within.

I quickly discovered that my plans were ambitious. Our day started at seven in the morning, and with so many things planned, the kids were exhausted by late afternoon. They were dragging so badly that I took them home.

I regret that we didn’t get to stay to the end. Seeing the last racers would have had a real impact on the kids.  It wasn’t the kids’ fault. It was my fault. I tried to fit too much in. My lack of foresight made the kids burn out early and miss the best part of the event–the most important part of the event.

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How often do we do that in our lives?  Too often, we try to do everything in our business at one time and, as a result, we aren’t very effective at any of it.

It’s better to do less and have it carry an impact than to do everything and have it lose its meaning.

Well, all this means is that I will just have to fly Zal and Natasha back here next year so we can do the Penticton Ironman the right way.

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However, as I was listening to him, I realized that the conversations he was having seemed rich. These people were interested in talking to my brother-in-law, even though none of them had ever met him before. The reason why was pretty simple: my brother-in-law wasn’t just talking to people, he was talking about them. He took the time to ask them questions, to listen to their answers, to really understand who they were.
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The greatest human need is to be understood.

We all crave connection, and thrive when others reach out to us. Therefore, these small conversations he was having weren’t just small talk. They were actually making these people feel good. He made their day.

I can only imagine how that good feeling could translate to others. Their good mood can impact other people, and the positive energy can be carried far beyond the simple conversations my brother-in-law was having.

Just imagine what this world would be like if we all focused on how to connect with people. Changing someone’s day only takes a few minutes. Making a difference is as easy as a few kind words and listening ear. It’s a lesson we should all take to heart. I know I have.

It’s a lesson that single moms already know. The day to day demands of raising children without anyone else to fall back on are exhausting. I did it for three weeks; -single moms make a lifestyle of it.

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These moms learn how to focus their energy on the right things. They put their efforts into the things that need to be done both in their business lives and their personal experiences. They prioritize in order to make sure that their jobs get done while also saving enough time for their children.

I have a new found respect for Single Parent.

Over the last three weeks, I had a crash course in delegation. Since I had limited time with Zal and Natasha, I wanted to make sure that I gave them as much attention as I could. To do that, I had to reevaluate my business habits. I had to look carefully at my business tasks and only do the ones that were specifically catered to my skill set.

I did these necessary tasks myself and then turned the remainder of the business over to others.

I’ve always thought that I was good at delegating, but I never realized just how important it was until I put it into practice on this level. By prioritizing my attention on Zal and Natasha, I was forced to limit my work life. As a result, I was pleasantly surprised to find not only that others could get these tasks done, but that my personal life and my business life were better off for this new found balance.

It’s a valuable lesson for everyone–single moms, family men, and business people. We need to focus on our skill sets, do the tasks geared to us, and then delegate the rest. This allows you to play to your strengths, and by focusing your energy, you can be sure that your best work is being done.

It may cost a little more to delegate things out, but by focusing on your strengths the ROI will be well worth the price.

I would love to hear back from from parents how and what they do to create that balance in their lives.

Keep Sharing!

My recent trip to the physiotherapist was no different. I had made an appointment with Greg Smith from Kelowna Physiotherapist Associates As he was working on me, I asked Greg a question regarding an issue with my other leg.

He frowned thoughtfully, giving my leg a quick look. “Well, Fred,” he said with a slow nod. “I actually don’t know.”

For a moment, all I could do was stare. He didn’t know? How could my physiotherapist not know? I trusted him to know, I paid him to know.

He nodded again, collecting a breath before offering me a smile. “I’ll have to give it some thought while we take a closer look at your leg.”

It wasn’t the quick diagnosis I had been looking for, but as Greg conducted the rest of his examination, I realized it was the most reassuring answer he could give me. Sure, I didn’t know right away what was wrong with my leg, but I did know that I could trust my physiotherapist to be honest.

After all, Greg could have lied and could have made up anything. He could have planned five unnecessary tests to get more money out of me.

Instead, my physiotherapist kept his integrity and told me the truth. This honesty showed that he had my best interest at heart and that the answers he gave me were legitimate. When he did find the answer, I had no doubt that I could trust that as much as I could trust his initial uncertainty.

This lesson holds true in all businesses. No matter what you do, it is essential to be honest. Being a leader in the industry doesn’t mean you have all the answers. We’re all human, and as much as clients want to know everything at that moment in time, they also want us to be honest with our answers.

It’s a question we’re all likely to face in our business: what to do when you are unsure of the answer. Fortunately, we don’t have to know the answer. We just have to be honest, and that integrity will offer more to clients than false promises ever could.

Our clients do not expect us to know everything, but they do expect us to have integrity and be willing to take the time to source out the answers to their questions.

Fred Sakrari

There I stood with over a 1000 competitors, nervous, overwhelmed but excited.  Excited to walk into a situation where I know the only way I will finish is to dig deep within and challenge my mind and my heart.

That sounded all fancy and inspirational, in short I have no idea what possessed me to sign up for this race.

Click on my video to listen to my experience and the 4 unexpected lessons I learned about business along the way.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAaiCohMIuE

Here I am trying to figure out how to get into my new wetsuit that I will be using for the first time.

4 Lessons I learned during my half-Ironman in Oliver

LESSON 1: Run Your Own Race

Do not worry about others around you.  What ever you do do it for yourself, build your business for yourself not for the sake of building a bigger business than the one next door.

LESSON 2: Be Authentic

How you play the game is a reflection of how you life your life.  That lady I talk about in the above video is a great example of this.  She was genuine in her kindness and that was one of the most refreshing things to experience.

LESSON 3: Create Your Ideal Culture

The culture you create in your office is a direct reflection of the level of success you will experience.  Support and celebrate with your employees and clients.  Not only when they have accomplished something but more so along the way.

LESSON 4: Cherish The Moment

It is important to chase your goals, but never at the expense of losing sight of your achievements and experiencing the moment.

We are capable of so much more than we give our self credit for.  What ever your journey is never forget to smile through it all as it is a gift.

I look forward to hearing your experiences as well.

Fred Sarkari

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

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

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

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

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.

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.