I'm starting to find that more is less.

 

I am involved on several social networking sites; none of them add to my wallet and distract me.

 

I am involved in several businesses and have a few websites; more management and less focus.

 

I have more quantity and less quality.

 

So given all this I am wondering two things:

1. What do you use the Internet for (outside of work and social networking)?
2. If you had to pick one social networking site to use (and to focus on), what would it be and why?

 

This post is a little bit of a personal update.

People have asked me to speak more about my personal experiences. They want to know about my depression, family breakdown, how I felt dropping out of school, the struggles of trying to make my way in the world, etc. They know I have some good advice and thoughts but also want to hear about it via my stories, lessons and experiences.

Taking my friends and readers requests into consideration, I have decided to start devoting more time to my own experiences and the lessons I have learned from there.

To this end, I am making two main changes to Moore Thought:

First, I will start writing more about my own personal experiences. I have been writing a lot of content based on what I know works, but it seems people want to know my experiences around how I found these things out, etc. So I will be incorporating more stories from my own life into my posting in the future.

Second, after experimenting with multiple social networking platforms and ways of contacting me, I am cutting back the ways to contact me. Here are the five main ways to contact me in order of preference:

1. Face-to-face
2. Phone calls
3. Facebook
4. Twitter
5. Email

I am breaking down the barriers between my personal and business life. As a result, until I reach the maximum friend limit my personal facebook account will be the primary method of contacting me online. You will also get to see some of the positive feedback as well as criticism I receive from my real life peer group which I have in this account.

I have left email and RSS subscriptions on as well as comments so you can still use them if you wish. Just note they are not ways to get in touch with me, rather to receive updates from me and to add to the community on Moore Thought.

On top of that the last few months have been a bit of a struggle for me. I am going to be focusing on finishing my Bachelor of Business (Entrepreneurship) as my main goal this year. This is taking so much of my time and draining me of motivation. The only way to solve this is to complete it and move forward.

My cash flow situation has also been struggling. It is hard to make a decent income as a student. However, I am setting up a few things to get my finances back into a healthy position.

To this end, a friend and I are setting up a business where we are building websites for small businesses. Website creation will normally begin at $1,000+. Since we are still setting up our website, etc. we are offering the first five customers a price beginning at $750. These websites are going to be marketed and built for businesses in our local areas (Mornington Peninsula and Melbourne only at this point in time). Contact me now if you are interested in finding out more.

Pitch Club is still going along well. We are setting up local chapters of Pitch Club around the country. Melbourne is running a local chapter event (known as a 'Lite' event) this Thursday. There is no boxing ring, or other facing trimmings at a Lite event. It is merely a place for local entrepreneurs to get together and to present their ideas to each other (and possibly service providers, connectors, angels, etc.). The event is FREE instead of the usually high ticket price that comes at the bigger events. Find out more.

I had a short stint in employment about a month ago for a few weeks while a Manager was on holidays. This reminded me of some of the things I love and hate about employment. The regular cash flow is definitely good to have. I may end up getting a little part time job again to see me through until the end of the year.

So what does this long post mean for you?

First, if you have less than 1,000 customers in a business it is best to be in close contact with them. Don't use fan pages, etc. until you have enough of an audience. People want to connect with the real you, so give them the opportunity to do so. Learn from my experiences and save yourself time experimenting with multiple sites. Connect with real people using primarily the five methods of contact outlined above.

Second, if you want me to write about something you would like to know more about, then you are more than welcome to contact me with your request. Feedback I have received so far is that people liked the 30 days to reaching your potential series, the Start Here page and would like to hear more of my personal experiences and stories. Feel free to give me feedback via one of the five ways of getting in touch listed above.

Lastly, if you are looking at setting up a business (or a website for your business) than you can save yourself the time spent learning about websites and building them by contacting me and getting your first website setup at a bargain price. If you are interested in moving your business into Social Networking, we can also help setup and facilitate that also. Contact me now if you are interested.

Thanks for taking the time to read, and I look forward to speaking to you all soon.

Josh Moore

:-)

P.S.: Fourth benefit of coming to Pitch Club Lite for FREE! Don't miss out on the opportunity to network with Melbourne's finest entrepreneurs.

P.P.S.: Yes, there is a huge peacock behind me in the above photo. Thought I'd give those aspiring PUAs amongst you the chance to see how the 'naturals' do it.

P.P.P.S.: Still to this day my most popular posts have been about PUAs (PickUp Artists). I will be sure to be writing about important aspects of personal development for PUAs too in the future, including fashion and style, minimalism, approach, conversation, doing interesting things, etc.

P.P.P.S.: As this blog will be gaining a personal feel, expect a lot more P.S.'s in the future. I will be focusing on providing quality posts on this site rather than quantity.

***UPDATE***

Game plan has changed. If you want to reach me this is the best way now:

1. Face-to-face
2. On the phone
3. Email

Twitter and Facebook are now just another way to follow me (like Email/RSS). My main communications out will be email, phone calls/sms and updates on this site.

Josh Moore

Sometimes we have situations that are not the most ideal.

Often people can attempt to put us in circumstances where we are not comfortable. They might want or expect something from us. They might try and get us emotionally invested in their situation or, they might want us not to do something (that may affect them in some way if we do).

Although it is difficult, if you do not feel comfortable with the situation it is best to say no. Although the person might have hurt feelings temporarily if they can see things objectively (as to subjectively only through their emotions) they will understand.

There are a few things you can do however to make saying no easier. They are as follows:

• Dress one up: Dress one level above the person. If they are in a button up shirt and jeans, wear a suit. This will give you less rapport and also will allow you to have an appearance of being one step above (this has also been called 'Using your celebrity' in You Need This Book).
• Listen: When people try to do a sale on you, they are generally trying to establish three things: confidence, interest and motive. They will use small talk, their circumstances, etc. to convince you. It is important to listen and to empathise with their situation. Don't interrupt or say anything. Just listen.
• Step back: If the person is doing a hard sell and needs an answer then and there then you will have to be frank. If they ask why you have said no be as honest as possible. If they want you to have a think about it then decline them in a way that is comfortable (IE: if they are pushing you in person, step back to on the phone, etc.).
• Avoid being personal: Focus on the project, event, costs and benefits. Don't bring a person into it. If you say something like 'It's nothing personal' chances are the person is going to take it personally.
• Positive finale: Give them an uplifting statement. Wish them the best with what they intend to do. You are not trying to personally offend. 
• Don't argue: Are they trying to make you feel guilty about saying no? A 'no' is simply 'no', nothing more. A salesperson is aware of this and thus does not take it personally. We should also treat it as simply a 'no' and not buy into any attempts at creating a dispute by the other party. 

In the last few days I have had to say 'no' to a few people. It wasn't easy. It never is. Keeping these few things in mind helped make it easier however.

(Photo courtesy of courtneybolton)

We can all learn lessons on how to build our businesses the way modern day rappers build theirs.

50 Cent, Eminem, The Game and many more all have done specific things that have seen them skyrocket to fame. By taking a few leaves out of their books we can quickly see ourselves in a similar position.

Here are some of my observations from watching how these guys build their businesses. No doubt, acting on some of these observations could change results for some businesses:

1. Think Global, Act Local: Rappers build their credibility by investing their time, money and energy into their local scene. While building their local presence, they keep their global presence in check at all times. They do this primarily using social networking (originally Myspace a few years ago but now youtube, facebook and twitter). They have a focus more on audio and video over writing blogs. This helps them to start establish an online presence which can take them global.
   
2. Representing your brand: Most recent rappers know their target audience and the rebellious streak assumed by younger age groups from Tattoos. Take a look at Eminem, Proof, D-12, The Game, Ya Boy, 50 Cent, G-Unit, 2Pac and more. They all have their rap name and affiliated brand names tattooed on their bodies. This shows the level of commitment they have to their brands. Many however later cover these tattoos up with others if they change their name or have established their name more prominently.
3. Embrace a persona: Most of the people we see everyday hear us complain about the same shit. However, rappers don't have this on their global presence. Their close friends might know how they feel on a day-to-day basis however, when they are out they are focused on marketing themselves and the way they want to be portrayed. They show people a part of their identity online through videos, etc. but keep the majority of their lives to themselves.
4. Loss leader material: Most musicians will tell you they don't make millions from their music. The real money is made from merchandise. They use their music, looks, clothes, tattoos and more to create and image and then sell various products to people to help them feel like they have the same image. The music becomes more like a loss leader for the other stuff they do.
   
5. Diversify investments, but stay true to your image: Brands and various products rappers get involved in all tie into the image they promote. 50 Cent was once advised by managers to turn down an offer to promote gym equipment because it was believed it would affect his image. All your investments continue to help reflect who you are as well as you helping to define them.
   
6. Invest in what you know: Rappers build businesses such as their own music labels, clothing labels, sneakers, headphones, jewelery, games, movies, etc. They invest in things they know about. For example: I have spent ten years reading and learning about business, which gives me an information advantage in this area over others. Some people have spent the last ten years keeping up to date with their knowledge in plumbing. They know more than myself and the rest of the population in that area and should be able to spot what is going to happen in that area in the future, giving them the ability to make wise investment decisions.
7. Trust yourself: Rappers trust their own instincts and make their own decisions. They might have advisers but they are only there to give advice, not make final decisions. Rappers know the importance of trusting yourself and making decisions based on your own ability, not the recommendations of others.
8. Create an exit: A lot of rappers are aware that they can only keep up a certain image for a period of time. They use this knowledge to their advantage and begin to move into other aspects of business (whether it is real estate, producing for the next generation, etc.). Thus, they ensure they have an exit out of their prime that will see them continue to prosper.

Relationships are the key to success in all aspects of life.

Sometimes when we go out to see our friends, we go with the wrong focus. We try to see what it is that they can bring to the table. We want them to do things for us and for them to help us feel good about ourselves. However, this can actually prevent long term development and success in our relationships that can often bring a much greater return than the temporary benefits we sometimes seek.

Our relationships truly begin to grow when we go with the intention of uplifting the other person and doing what we can to help them. When we genuinely do what we can to help people and to make them feel good about themselves, they naturally want to increase the quality of their relationship with us.

I remember a few years ago I started hanging out with a friend from school I hadn't seen in ages. I never did it with the intention of wanting anything except to see and old friend and hear what was happening in his life. Pretty soon I was catching up with him several times a week and a good friendship developed out of it again. It all occurred because I made an effort to catch up with him without trying to get any validation, help, etc. from him.

Developing the ability to focus on giving rather than receiving in relationships takes time. It is a skill that most of us (myself included) have to continually work on to improve. But the rewards are worth it.

How can you start improving your relationships? Simple. Make an effort to do something for three people today that will make them feel good or benefit them. Don't expect anything in return, just give. Continue to do this every day. Over time, you will find that making people feel good about themselves and helping them is the difference that makes the difference in building true friendships.

Saving is a critical aspect of reaching your potential.

Almost any wealth creation expert recommends you begin with the same, mundane sounding task of saving at least 10% of what you earn. The reason for this is that it is so crucial to your success and is also the best way for someone to start getting good returns for their time.

Let's use an example. Let's assume you make $50,000 a year before tax and that the interest rate for Term Deposits at the bank are around 5% per annum. If you are able to save $1,000 a month, then at the end of the year, you will have accumulated $12,000 (plus a little bit of interest). I am aware that after inflation and taxes that your money will actually be worth less. However, those who are able to save should be able to adjust their budgets a little to compete with inflation (and CPI, which is often not 100% accurate).

Saving $12,000 a year is difficult for a lot of people. However, it also provides a good return. At 5% per annum you would need to have $240,000 in a term deposit to make the same return. Suddenly, your ability to save seems to make a whole lot more financial sense.

Another point with saving is that for every dollar you save you have had to earn more than a dollar before tax to save it. If you want to replace a dollar you spend, it means you have to earn more than a dollar to replace it. Therefore, holding onto as many dollars as possible is critical for those want to gain the finances necessary to reach their potential in life.

I remember reading a book about four years ago titled 'From 0 to 260+ properties in 7 years or less' by Steve McKnight. In that book, Steve suggests people take up the 33/30 challenge to begin building wealth. What is required is that individuals try to save $33 a day for 30 days. At the end of the month they will have $999 (add one dollar and you have $1,000). Repeat the process 12 times and you are on your way to wealth accumulation. From there you can begin to invest but the key is to start the saving pattern and to build a nice savings account.

The 33/30 challenge can be easier than most people think. Although you will need to look at your own income and expenses fairly closely, here are some good ideas to get you started:

1. Take a bottle or two of water to work instead of buying drinks.
2. Brown bag it for lunch daily.
3. Call your phone provider and see if you can move down to a lower phone plan. If you are pre-paid then buy less credit each month.
4. Bus or train when possible rather than driving. 
5. Consider reducing your insurance from fully comprehensive to third party.
6. Watch less T.V. and use some of that time to do overtime at work and make a few extra dollars.
7. Track your spending for 30 days. I did this years ago and found that 70% of my spending went on eating out.
8. Borrow books from the library rather than buying them (I so should have started this tip years ago).
9. Use the home phone and call other home phones over a mobile-mobile when possible.
10. Agree not to spend anything on one day of the weekend. Go for a walk, watch a movie at home on TV, and cook something with what you have in the cupboard. Invite friends over to join you for free using facebook earlier in the week.
11. Cancel subscriptions to magazines, cable T.V. or anything else that costs you monthly.
12. For ever new thing you buy, sell (preferably) or dispose of two old things.
13. Only buy when it is absolutely necessary.
14. Always ask for a discount. You never know when you might get one.
15. Consider buying online. It can usually be a lot cheaper.
16. Invite friends over for dinner instead of going out to restaurants.
17. Buy generic stuff such as toothpaste, flour, salt, etc. 
18. Do Easter (nb: I know this is already been and gone this year, but try for next year) a week later. Save 50%+ on Easter Eggs.
19. Pay principal payments on your debt to save long term on your interest payments.
20. If you are a student and don't live at home, ask your parents to bring whatever food they have available over for you on their next visit. Makes a huge saving in your food bill.
21. Avoid credit cards like the plague. Use Debit cards or cash instead.
22. Set up as many payments as possible to be online. Save your time (time is money).
23. Carry bigger notes on you at all times so you are less inclined to spend.
24. Put all the coins you collect in a jar at the end of the day.
25. Car pool with friends or family to work, when going out, for functions or particular events, etc. Make sure you aren't the only one doing the driving. If you are, ask for petrol money.
26. Stop hiring a cleaner, gardener, etc. and DIY instead.
27. Get off the computer. I am starting to get off and finding that I spend less time reading about things I want to buy, reducing my desire to purchase.
28. Pay twice as much and buy half as many. Always go for quality over quantity.
29. If you have the money get your car converted to gas. Drive less.
30. Setup a minimum of your income to be automatically transferred to your savings account. Try for a minimum of $100 a month to start with.
31. Sell you old game consoles (either on eBay, to a friend or via cash converters). If you have to have games use a portable console which you can take on long train rides with you.
32. Format your old computer rather than buying a new one.
33. Go to the movies on discount days.
34. Park a little further away and walk into the shops rather than paying for parking.
35. Give up (at least temporarily) chocolate, smoking, drinking, gambling, etc.
36. Unsubscribe to mailing lists online and offline.
37. Rip all your CD's onto your Hard Drive then sell them. If you want songs for your car CD player, burn the ones you like back onto a disc. Do the same with movies if you have them.
38. If overdue, do your tax return. You could potentially have some money you could get back or, you could be saving from paying additional penalty rates on money you owe the Government.
39. Buy less soft drink at home. Save on dental bills too in the process. Drink water and keep to a one-two glass maximum daily limit for soft drink.

Saving is a critical aspect of reaching your potential.

Almost any wealth creation expert recommends you begin with the same, mundane sounding task of saving at least 10% of what you earn. The reason for this is that it is so crucial to your success and is also the best way for someone to start getting good returns for their time.

Let's use an example. Let's assume you make $50,000 a year before tax and that the interest rate for Term Deposits at the bank are around 5% per annum. If you are able to save $1,000 a month, then at the end of the year, you will have accumulated $12,000 (plus a little bit of interest). I am aware that after inflation and taxes that your money will actually be worth less. However, those who are able to save should be able to adjust their budgets a little to compete with inflation (and CPI, which is often not 100% accurate).

Saving $12,000 a year is difficult for a lot of people. However, it also provides a good return. At 5% per annum you would need to have $240,000 in a term deposit to make the same return. Suddenly, your ability to save seems to make a whole lot more financial sense.

Another point with saving is that for every dollar you save you have had to earn more than a dollar before tax to save it. If you want to replace a dollar you spend, it means you have to earn more than a dollar to replace it. Therefore, holding onto as many dollars as possible is critical for those want to gain the finances necessary to reach their potential in life.

I remember reading a book about four years ago titled 'From 0 to 260+ properties in 7 years or less' by Steve McKnight. In that book, Steve suggests people take up the 33/30 challenge to begin building wealth. What is required is that individuals try to save $33 a day for 30 days. At the end of the month they will have $999 (add one dollar and you have $1,000). Repeat the process 12 times and you are on your way to wealth accumulation. From there you can begin to invest but the key is to start the saving pattern and to build a nice savings account.

The 33/30 challenge can be easier than most people think. Although you will need to look at your own income and expenses fairly closely, here are some good ideas to get you started:

1. Take a bottle or two of water to work instead of buying drinks.
2. Brown bag it for lunch daily.
3. Call your phone provider and see if you can move down to a lower phone plan. If you are pre-paid then buy less credit each month.
4. Bus or train when possible rather than driving. 
5. Consider reducing your insurance from fully comprehensive to third party.
6. Watch less T.V. and use some of that time to do overtime at work and make a few extra dollars.
7. Track your spending for 30 days. I did this years ago and found that 70% of my spending went on eating out.
8. Borrow books from the library rather than buying them (I so should have started this tip years ago).
9. Use the home phone and call other home phones over a mobile-mobile when possible.
10. Agree not to spend anything on one day of the weekend. Go for a walk, watch a movie at home on TV, and cook something with what you have in the cupboard. Invite friends over to join you for free using facebook earlier in the week.
11. Cancel subscriptions to magazines, cable T.V. or anything else that costs you monthly.
12. For ever new thing you buy, sell (preferably) or dispose of two old things.
13. Only buy when it is absolutely necessary.
14. Always ask for a discount. You never know when you might get one.
15. Consider buying online. It can usually be a lot cheaper.
16. Invite friends over for dinner instead of going out to restaurants.
17. Buy generic stuff such as toothpaste, flour, salt, etc. 
18. Do Easter (nb: I know this is already been and gone this year, but try for next year) a week later. Save 50%+ on Easter Eggs.
19. Pay principal payments on your debt to save long term on your interest payments.
20. If you are a student and don't live at home, ask your parents to bring whatever food they have available over for you on their next visit. Makes a huge saving in your food bill.
21. Avoid credit cards like the plague. Use Debit cards or cash instead.
22. Set up as many payments as possible to be online. Save your time (time is money).
23. Carry bigger notes on you at all times so you are less inclined to spend.
24. Put all the coins you collect in a jar at the end of the day.
25. Car pool with friends or family to work, when going out, for functions or particular events, etc. Make sure you aren't the only one doing the driving. If you are, ask for petrol money.
26. Stop hiring a cleaner, gardener, etc. and DIY instead.
27. Get off the computer. I am starting to get off and finding that I spend less time reading about things I want to buy, reducing my desire to purchase.
28. Pay twice as much and buy half as many. Always go for quality over quantity.
29. If you have the money get your car converted to gas. Drive less.
30. Setup a minimum of your income to be automatically transferred to your savings account. Try for a minimum of $100 a month to start with.
31. Sell you old game consoles (either on eBay, to a friend or via cash converters). If you have to have games use a portable console which you can take on long train rides with you.
32. Format your old computer rather than buying a new one.
33. Go to the movies on discount days.
34. Park a little further away and walk into the shops rather than paying for parking.
35. Give up (at least temporarily) chocolate, smoking, drinking, gambling, etc.
36. Unsubscribe to mailing lists online and offline.
37. Rip all your CD's onto your Hard Drive then sell them. If you want songs for your car CD player, burn the ones you like back onto a disc. Do the same with movies if you have them.
38. If overdue, do your tax return. You could potentially have some money you could get back or, you could be saving from paying additional penalty rates on money you owe the Government.
39. Buy less soft drink at home. Save on dental bills too in the process. Drink water and keep to a one-two glass maximum daily limit for soft drink.