Lessons from J.F. (Jim) Straw

Q:  What are the biggest mistakes you’ve made in your career?

A:  Mistakes?  Who, me?  Never!  But, there was this one time …

All kidding aside, there are really no mistakes that I’ve made that stick-out as being “the biggest” or even the most important.

Babe Ruth was known as the “Home Run King” - but - he had more strike-outs than he did home runs.

I can count my successes on my fingers - but - when it comes to mistakes, I couldn’t count them on all my fingers, toes and hairs on my chest.

The secret to real success is to make mistakes. — You don’t learn anything from your success but mistakes teach you valuable lessons … IF you don’t make the same mistakes over & over again.

It’s like the one-time wonders who hit one big success, then never do it again.  They couldn’t learn anything from their success, so they are locked-in to telling the story of their one big success over & over & over; ad naseum.

Q:  What would you say are the best offline opportunities?

A: Who is the most beautiful woman in the world?? — Depends upon who’s looking, doesn’t it.

Look around you.  There are millionaires in every field of business endeavor.  There are millionaire garbage collectors … millionaire bankers … millionaire shop keepers … millionaire day-care operators … millionaire internet marketers … etc., etc., etc.

As Albert Einstein said, “Anyone can be a genius, if they pick just one specific subject and study it diligently just 15 minutes each day.”

The same holds true in business. — Just pick one specific business. Do it every day until you do it successfully.

Most people don’t fail, they just fail to stick with any ONE thing until they have mastered it.

Q: What do you see as the best opportunities online at present, and in the next 2 years?

A:  Again, it’s all in the eye of the beholder.

There are very, very few opportunities that couldn’t be the “best” for someone.  It is all a matter of persistence.

As Benjamin Disraeli said, “The secret to success is the constancy of purpose.”

What would be “best” for me … since I have a very high risk threshold … wouldn’t be the “best” for anyone seeking any kind of security; or privacy.

To succeed in business, you must leave your comfort zone and tread into untried waters … willing to take the risks.

Q: Do you treat your online business as you would a brick and mortar business?

A: Yes. — As Benjamin Franklin said, “Keep your business and your business will keep you.”

Unfortunately, all too many online business people treat their business on a catch-as-catch-can basis.  They don’t establish office hours or keep with any established schedule … worst of all are the ezine publishers who set a circulation date for their publication then allow almost anything to keep them from meeting their own deadlines. — Even while I was in the hospital; after my heart surgery, my publications went out on schedule.

If you are going to have a business; any kind of business, you MUST establish all the “rules” you will follow … then, follow them.

Q:  In the respect of customers there is a kind of unwritten rule that says the customer is always right. Does this apply in the online world as well?

A:  The customer may not “always” be right - but - a customer is always a customer.

Too many wannabees want to “make sales.” — Those of us who succeed “make customers” … then, we do everthing in our power to keep those customers.  Our customers are our only real asset — BUT …

Unfortunately, there are some customers who become a liability; rather than an asset.  When a customer costs more than that customer is worth to keep, it is best to drop that customer from your roles.

Q:  How important is a business plan if you don’t need to raise funding to start your business?

A:  A business that doesn’t plan, plans to fail.

Even when financing is not required, a wise business person writes a plan … even if it is just a list of gonna do’s … to keep track of what they are doing; what they are going to do - and - what results they anticipate. — Of course, the plan is subject to change at any time.

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