CarusoBlog

The Most Unusual Occupation Ever

Composed in Chicago,  Illinois--

I'm spending a lot of time in Chicago creating management videos for Mark Ragan and Ragan Communications. 

You can find the videos every other week at www.MyManagersNetwork.com.  The most recent video is on the negative power of Mondays.  Sign up for free and learn from other managers.

While in Chicagoland, I delivered a keynote on leadership in nearby Burr Ridge.  I met quite a few people that day, but Lee Kirk stands out because of his unusual occupation.

Lee sells communion.  Did you get that?  I thought giving communion might be a pretty good gig, but this guy has figured out how to sell it!  Brilliant! 

The container comes with 576 wafers for $14 or so.  It sounds like a bargain, although I had no idea what the body of Christ  is going for these days. 

When I asked Lee if he sold Holy water, he smiled and informed me that most Holy water is tap water that has been blessed.

Here's Who Attended My Vegas Conference on How to Be a Speaker/Author/Consultant

Composed in Las Vegas, Nevada--

I'm here to help folks become speakers, authors and consultants.  Northwest Airlines smiled or maybe  grimaced when I brought my portable recording studio through the security line. 

I'm recording the sessions so people who can't attend can have access to this valuable information.

An impressive group has assembled for this event!

We have a husband and wife couple who are each working on books.  She's almost finished writing a children's book and he's got a fiction book going.

One of the attendees works at a public radio station.  She's a natural for producing audio books and other types of recording because of her on-air experience.

A retail executive is here to develop his consulting skills.  He loves helping people and may decide that he's worth more than what the boss is paying for his services.

Also in attendance, a former Naval officer who became a prisoner of war when the USS Pueblo was captured by the North Koreans in 1968.  Eddie Murphy has already been published, but he wants to update his story and republish or re-purpose the content. 

Everyone is listening when this American hero speaks.  Even the Canadian in attendance, which makes my conference an international event!

I'm going to help them all. 

How to Read 39 Books a Year

Posted from Royal Oak, Michigan--

I'm a consultant and it's important for people in my position to be well-read.  This works out because I love to read.  Reading has even made me a better writer.  Primarily, I read non-fiction books such as self-help, business books and autobiographies.  Fiction is entertaining, but novels don't help my clients much.

My secret is to always have two books going at once.  I always have an audio book playing in my Sebring convertible and rental vehicles.  I also make it a habit to always have a real book with me.  By reading a little bit each day, I can generally read about 35 books in a year.

Here's a list of the 39 books I read in 2007, along with a short description of each.  You can read a more complete listing at the EdisonHouse Web site.
 

39. Hard Call by John McCain and Mark Salter
McCain is a fan of history.

38. Super Crunchers by Ian Ayers
The information game is changing. Try to keep up. 

37. Love It—Don’t Leave It: 26 Ways to Get What You Want At Work by Beverly Kaye and Sharon Jordan-Evans
The grass, as you know, isn’t always greener.

36. The Photographer’s Guide to Puget Sound - Where to Find Perfect Shots and How to Take Them
by Rod Barbee
The author is passionate about the great Northwest.

35. God Is Not Great—How Religion Poisons Everything* by Christopher Hitchens
British, snobby and brilliant, it’s almost natural for Hitchens to go against the grain. 

34. Heroes of History: A Brief History of Civilization from Ancient Times to the Dawn of the Modern Age by Will Durant
Will Durant was such a prolific writer that this book came out after he was dead. 

33. Life Is Good: Simple Words From Jake and Rocket by Bert and John Jacobs
Fun advice from a hipster named Jake and his equally hip dog Rocket. 

32. Who’s Your Caddy?*  by Rick Reilly
You don’t have to be a golfer to enjoy this book, but you should have a sense of humor. 

31. I Quit, But I Forgot to Tell You by Terri Kabachnick
All employees leave. Try to get give them lots of reasons to stay. 

30. The Real Deal---My Life in Business and Philanthropy by Sandy Weill and Judah S. Kraushaar
Business savvy from perhaps the most successful business man of our time. 

29. Houdini—America's First Superhero by William Kalush and Larry Sloman
A fascinating book about the master of self-promotion. 

28. The Missions of of California by Melba Levick and Stanley Young
Franciscan priest Junipero Serra founded a string of missions over 500 years ago. 

27. The Power of Outrageous Marketing by Joe Vitale
Lots of ideas on how to think differently, so you can market differently. 

26. Confessions of a Video Vixen by Karrine Steffans
Fluff fun from a female player.

25.  How to Say It To Seniors by David Solie
This book is for anyone who ever had a mom or dad. 

24. Passionate Action—5 Steps to Creating Extraordinary Success in Life and Work by Doug Gray
An effective mix of text and interactive segments. 

23. The Wal-Mart Effect*  by Charles Fishman
A fascinating profile on the world’s largest corporation. 

22. You Don’t Need a Title To Be a Leader by Mark Sanborn
We’re all leaders in our own way, whether we have a leadership title or not. 

21. Arrogance by Bernard Goldberg
Angry rhetoric accusing the media of having a leftist slant to news reporting. 

20. I Rant, Therefore I Am by Dennis Miller
High-brow, fast-paced humor. 

19. Moneyball--The Art of Winning an Unfair Game*  by Michael Lewis
Actually the biography of Billy Beane and how numbers have changed the game. 

18. Alice Cooper, Golf Monster—A Rock ‘n’ Roller’s 12 Steps to Becoming a Golf Addict by Alice Cooper with Keith and Kent Zimmerman
How Alice got started in music, stopped by alcohol and started in golf. 

17. Folks Upset by the Capital Karma—A Shock and Awe Campaign for Political Reform
Heavy-handed political rhetoric with R-rated overtones. 

16. I Shouldn’t Even Be Doing This by Bob Newhart
Newhart was so popular, he had the #1 and 2 albums in the country at the same time. 

15. 700 Sundays by Billy Crystal
Charming and funny, just like the author. 

14. You: The Owners Manual: An Insider’s Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger by Michael F. Roizen and Mehmet Oz
Dr. Oz is on Oprah all the time; don’t be surprised if she gets him his own show. 

13. How To Write a Book Proposal by Michael Larsen
The best feature of Larsen’s book is the section of sample proposals. 

12. How Doctors Think* by Jerome Groopman, M.D.
A fascinating look at how doctors and the rest of us process information. 

11. Frank Talk on Our Rotary Foundation by Frank Devlyn
Written in the popular “novel with a moral” format. 

10. Made To Stick—Why Some Ideas Survive and Some Die*
Audio book by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
An eye-opening treat for anyone who needs to be creative.

9. The Secret
Audio book by Rhonda Byrne
I’ve known “the secret” for a long time. The secret is the law of attraction. 

8. Change Or Die—The Three Keys to Change at Work and in Life*
Audio book by Alan Deutschmann
Change is a fascinating look at human potential.

7. How To Talk To Anyone—92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships
by Leil Lowndes
People are your greatest resource. It pays to know how to talk to them. 

6. The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More*
Audiobook by Chris Anderson
As an information marketer, this book really captured my imagination.

5. Changing Minds
By Howard Gardner
Want to change other peoples’ minds? “Listen with charisma.” 

4. Influence—How and Why People Do Things
By Robert B. Cialdini
Highly recommended for sales people, managers and parents who want to be better. 

3. Five Regions of the Future—Preparing Your Business For Tomorrow’s Technology Revolution
By Joel A. Barker and Scott W. Erickson
Five scenarios for what comes next after what comes next. 

2. The Best American Nonrequired Reading 2002
Audio book adapted by Dave Eggers
This is the first issue of the eclectic series. 

1. Areas of My Expertise
Audio book by John Hodgeman
John Hodgeman has had success with his brief comic bits on The Jon Stewart Show. 

* Highly recommended 

Note:  Some of the books I read in 2007 are audio books but nearly all of the above titles can be found in digital and non-digital formats. 

My goal is to process at least 30 books a year. I’m in the self-improvement business so I favor non-fiction including biographies and psychology books. My annual reading lists are available at www.EdisonHouse.com.

How to Be Even More Successful in 2008

Posted from Royal Oak, Michigan--

Did you ever have a really great Thursday night?

I had one last night, along with a good-size crowd at Walled Lake Central High School auditorium.  The Lake Area Rotary and the Lakes Area Chamber co-sponsored an evening of networking, food and a featured speaker--me.

The topic was How to Be Even More Successful in 2008.  Over 100 business professionals took notes for over two hours as I gave them my best advice on creating success.  Attendees asked all kinds of questions and I gave highly customized advice to people in many industries, including a pet specialist, a business banker, an author of children's books and a dozen salespeople.

I spent considerable time teaching attendees the two fastest ways to brand themselves as an industry experts:  writing and speaking about your area of interest.

Afterward, I signed copies of my books and audio programs.  The FastLearnerAudio2 series on Leadership was the most popular item.

I reminded the group that the two-hours of content they were getting was a snippet of the two days of content I'm providing at my Triple Your Income conference in Las Vegas, February 15-16.

When you have a good Thursday night, the week ends right and the weekend starts on a high note.

The Best Part of My Job--Teaching Others What I Do

Posted from Royal Oak, Michigan--

I've had some great success in the publishing business.  The speaking business has been even more kind to me.  And in 2007, my consulting business grew by at least 50%.  Imagine having a triple revenue stream from writing, speaking and consulting.

The concept of a triple revenue stream was initially introduce to me by Dottie Walters, grand dame of the speaking business and a great person.  Unfortunately, Ms. Walters passed away on Valentine's Day of this year.  Her book, Triple Your Income, encouraged me to think big.  I've just announced an event in Las Vegas where l'll teach people to do what I do. 

I don't view other speakers and authors as my competition so I don't mind sharing my trade secrets.  In fact, these types of events have become the most rewarding part of my job. 

The conference in Las Vegas on February 15 and 16 is for anyone that wants to become a speaker, author or consultant.  I'm sure there'll be people who have achieved various degrees of progress in all three arenas.  I promise there'll be twelve jam-packed hours of content and of course, we're gonna have some fun on the Strip.  What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

I'm hosting a preview call for anyone that wants more information on Saturday at noon ET, but space is limited at the February conference, so I recommend that folks register right away.  Here are the details:

How to Become a Speaker, Author or Consultant
February 15-16
Courtyard by Marriott Convention Center (1/4 mile off the Strip)

It turns out that this mentoring event will be one year and a day after my mentor, Dottie Walters passed.  I'll be channeling Dottie when we get together in Las Vegas.

Now Is the Best Time To Be Successful

Posted from Royal Oak, Michigan--

I was working with a client recently and encouraging her to step out of her discomfort zone so she could become even more successful.

I use the word "discomfort" because although the woman is successful at her job, she doesn't really like it.  Her boss and various circumstances keep her from being comfortable, so I was needling her a bit.  After all, anyone who is unhappy with his or her situation is actually in a discomfort zone, right?

(Some people refer to me as a motivational speaker, but I'm more of an aggravational speaker.)

Greek calends is a time that never exists, i.e., "I'll probably leave my job when hell freezes over." 

The opposite of a Greek calends, therefore, is a time that always exists, i.e., I can leave my job and give myself an upgrade anytime I choose.

Indeed, now is the best time to be successful.

What's More Important--Your Past, Present or Future?

Composed in Richmond, Virginia--

What's more important--the past, present or future?

A House Committee of the United States government decided to condemn Turkey this week for its participation in the genocide of Armenians that occurred during World War I.  I'm not sure why it's taken almost 100 years for legislators to take a stand on this issue, but many argue that their timing couldn't be worse. 

As a result of the condemnation, Turkey recalled its United States ambassador and it could be getting warmed up for some aggressive action toward the U.S. 

Should we overlook a bad thing that happened a long time ago or should we dwell on it longer?  When it comes to international politics, the answer is not always easy. 

Allow me to ask a simpler question: What's more important to you -- the past, present or future?

The answer may be easy if you are quite old or newly born, but for those of us in the middle of the game, this riddle is a genuine head-scratcher.

Let's do a little word substitution and see if we can get a sharper perspective.  Let's say the past can be equated with experience, that the present is about talent and that the future is a result of ambition.  That is:

Past = Experience

Present = Talent

Future = Ambition

Then the question might become, what's more important--experience, talent or ambition?

My friend Duane Scherer is a talented artist.  Although he has lots of experience creating and marketing his unique clocks, Duane believes that the future may be most important.  I agree.

Experience and talent, like the past and present, are already captured.  It's what we do with our experience (building on the past) and talent (springboarding from the present) that will marshal our ambition (so we can leverage the future). 

Sneak Peak at My Newsletter for Leaders

Posted from Royal Oak, Michigan--

I have recently published the fourth issue of my 5 Cool Ideas Newsletter for Leaders.  It's a subscription newsletter, but I thought you might want to have a sneak peak at the content of the current issue, which offers my best advice for working with consultants.

5 Cool Ideas Why Leaders Should Work With Consultants

1. Use a consultant to help you stay focused.

It’s easy for teams to get distracted. Strike an agreement with your consultant the way you might program a GPS tool. One of my clients hired me to help him double the size of his company within five years. No matter what distracts his people, I am zoned on the task I was hired to perform. 

2. Hire the person who wrote the book.

You can hire a consultant who reads books or a consultant who writes them. Published advisers almost always offer a deeper range of expertise and connections. Writers are also better equipped to provide you with helpful tools such as market research and competitive analysis.

 

3. Work with people who can work with people.

There are two types of consultants: those that give advice and those that get ‘er done. I’ve consulted for many companies whose employees delay and even prevent the owner or President from accomplishing important goals. A strong consultant will make things happen at your company.

 

4. There’s no need to for radical change.

It's okay to pay a consultant to tell your people what you've been saying all along.  Sometimes employees need to receive a message in  a  different  way from a different person.  Don't let your ego get in the way of success.

 

5. Parlay your experience into a consulting gig.

When you work with outside experts, pay attention to how they operate. Decide which ones you like and borrow ideas about their style and how they get results. You may want to become a high-priced consultant some day.

Helping People Is Fun

Posted from Royal Oak, Michigan--

     A while back, I flew to Houston for a speaking engagement.  The flight was memorable thanks to a conversation with my unhappy seat mate.  He was a nice enough guy, but I could tell he was unhappy.  When he found out I do career coaching, he asked me for advice.

     I asked him some specific questions about his life and quickly surmised that he didn't like his job.  I asked him to use one sentence to tell me why he didn't like his job.

     The man thought for a second and then said, "I spend too much of my time helping other people."

     "Hmmm . . ." I thought.  "Isn't that you're supposed to do at work?"

     I am fortunate to really love my job.  I help people become more successful through personal and professional development.   In 30 days, the Edison House will publish the second of my FastLearnerAudio series. 

     FastLearnerAudio (FLA) is a unique learning resource that combines audio learning with book learning.  Eventually there will be four FLA series.  FLA1 is for personal development and FLA2 offers help with professional development.  FLA3  will be exclusively for sales people and FLA 4 will support entreprenuers.

     The newest product, FastLearnerAudio2 has a professional development theme that covers four essential topics:

• Remarkable Customer Service NOW!
• Effective Meetings -- Motivate and Inspire Your Team
• How to Give Killer Presentations
• Effective Leadership -- Getting People to Do Stuff

     People love the FastLearnerAudio (FLA) format because of the efficient one-hour CDs and the accompanying 30-page e-books. Each topic offers the best information on the subject, including  up-to-date research, personal success stories and client testimonials.  The e-books, which can be easily downloaded as .pdf files, expound on the audio version and give hyperlinks to additional resources.

     FastLearnerAudio1 has been out for about six months and is still selling well.  It offers personal development and contains CDs and e-books on time management, stress busting, dealing wth difficult people and how to create success habits.

Persistance Is Your Secret Weapon

Posted from Royal Oak, Michigan--

     Nothing in the world can take the place of persistance.  Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.  Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.  Education will not; the world is full of educated failures.  Persistance and determination alone are omnipotent. 

     The above quotation is attributed to Calvin Coolidge.

     I have been fortunate to work in three unique and distinct industries.  In my 20's, I was in a touring rock band with my brothers.  We delivered nearly 2,000 performances in North America, opening for acts like Corey Hart, Rick Springfield and Joan Jett. 

     In my 30's, I sold telecommunications equipment over the phone and in my 40's, I am an accomplished speaker and published author.

     I practically started over in each decade because when I changed jobs, I also changed industries and careers.  Yet, I doubled my income with each change.  Persistance and determination have been my "secret" weapons.  Now, I'm teaching others how to do what I do.

     My newest publication shows you how to create information products.  It's the fastest way I know to leverage one's expertise.  Anyone who has been on the job for more than five years can create an audio program or an e-book.  Sell these products to create passive income and make money while you sleep.

     Persistance is a great model, but everyone likes to see results quickly, right?