Saturday, January 31, 2015

How Financially Fit Are You?

Financial education



The greatest lesson I learned about money many years ago was to stop spending time and money and start investing time and money. Money is a blessing, a tool at our disposal to bless others. We must take full control of our personal finances if we want a shot at living an abundant life. Applying the three overriding principles of wealth creation (long term thinking, delayed gratification, and the power of compounding) is paramount to financial success.

1.      Understand and respect money. Know the defense, offense, and the rules of personal finance. Invest and compound time and money. Above all else, invest in yourself. Money always follows excellence.

2.      Have a financial action plan. We don’t get what we deserve, we only get what we define, plan, and take action on.

3.      Live within your means. Follow a budget. Spend less than you make and make more than you spend. Always look for ways for reducing expenses and increasing income.

4.      Eliminate all forms of debt. Create new spending habits. Follow a debt payment roll-down plan.

5.      Grow your net worth. Diversify your sources of income. Accumulate skills and money will follow. Invest in a proven business system. True financial security is not developed until we develop income from business systems.

6.      Get full control of finances. Understand how money is created and kept; follow the money flow. It does not matter where the money starts, it matters where the money ends.

7.    Be generous with your blessings. Share your blessings with others. Learn and share, share and learn. When we help those in need our blessings are compounded.

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them with others.   
We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others.
Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx
Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy

Friday, January 30, 2015

The Serial Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship



Do you want to become an serial entrepreneur? Well, then you better develop the following traits:

1.      Confidence. The confidence of entrepreneurs comes from their ability to get things done, to get the right results. Entrepreneurs know their level of confidence grows out of their ability to perform and lead others. Their confidence comes out of their competence.

2.    Credibility. The credibility of entrepreneurs comes from their character. Their integrity is neither sold nor compromised and their courage is often displayed as they are willing to put everything on the live to right a wrong.

3.      Communication. Entrepreneurs have the ability to speak words that create pictures in our imagination. Great communicators used simple words that carry powerful messages with them.

4.      Contribution. Entrepreneurs are value creators. They see a crystal clear need and create businesses to fulfill needs.

5.      Community. Great entrepreneurs have the ability to build lasting relationships. They are keenly aware of their needs and the needs of those around them.

6.      Creativity. Creativity is to have the ability to generate a multitude of ideas, to have the wisdom to pursue the right ones, and the fortitude to withstand critics and see them fully implemented.

7.      Persistence. Persistence is having the will to finish, going until the end. Neither talent nor knowledge takes place of persistence.

8.    Ingenuity. Ingenuity is not just dealing with change; it is having the ability to create change that others go along with.

9.      Tenacity. Tenacious entrepreneurs will always find a way. They continuously release new versions of themselves and let their success leaves clues for others to see and follow. Entrepreneurs always bounce back from their failures stronger.

10.  Innovation. Entrepreneurs bring innovation to the marketplace. They often start with directional innovation and eventually bring inter sectional innovation to fruition. Their innovations create cataclysmic changes to the world we live in.
Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them with others.   
We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others.
Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx
Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Business ownership

Business ownership
When it comes to business ownership, there are a few things to look into.


1.    Own a business. See a business as an asset that produces income. Leveraging a business system allows the business owner to have time to pursue a purpose and a cause.

2.    Choose the right business. The best business to own is the business that uses a system to generate income. A great business system can be replicated.

3.    Build a business. Become an entrepreneur and get a real education while building a business. The only way to really get to know a business is to build one.


4.    Attach a business to purpose. It is a lot easier and more rewarding to attach a business to a purpose that attaching a purpose to a business. A great business provides meaning to those involved in it.

5.    Grow the business. The business growth is a reflection to the owner’s growth.  Money is a byproduct of the value we create in the marketplace.

6.    Provide opportunity. The right business provides fulfillment to the owner and provides opportunities for others in win/win situations. Business owners can see opportunities to fulfill a need while others cannot.

7.    Share the benefits. A business owner shares the prosperity and benefits the community. Generosity is a common trait in the most successful business owners.



Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them with others.   
We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others.
Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx
Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

Getting the right education

Getting the right education

Invest to feed your brain at least as much as you do to feed your stomach. In the information age you cannot afford not to invest in your self-education on a continuous basis. Choose wisely the information going into your brain. The right education is the first of the 7 areas that separates those that have and those that have not.



1.      Tap into the power of daily reading the right books. Reading 15 minutes per day will allow one million words entering your brain. The right words carry enormous power with them. Reading expands our thinking and fertilizes our imagination.


2.      Listen to the right audios on a daily basis. Listening is a different form of learning. Listen to audios while commuting.


3.      Watch the right videos. Lean the art and science of public speaking. Public speaking significantly improves our communication skills.

4.      Associate with the right people. We become the average of the five people closest to us. Choose your associations wisely. Learn from the right experiences of others.


5.      Tap into the power of having the right mentor. The right mentor provides the right perspective and can see in us what we cannot see for ourselves. We can only claim our rights after we take full responsibility for our education and our lives. 


6.      Discover the power of daily writing. Writing crystallizes our thinking and drastically improves our communication skills.

7.      Apply what you learn to solve your day to day problems. The secret to a great education is small doses of daily learning and application of truth to solve our day to day problems.

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them with others.   
We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others.
Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx
Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

Solutions to Income Inequality

Solutions to Income Inequality



Learn how to become a victor, not a victim of your circumstances.

We often hear and read about the increasing gap between the incomes from those that have and those that have not. Today we will take a look at what you can do to change the direction you are going and start moving towards one of those that have. I am sure you have heard before, we all do the work of a millionaire in our lifetimes, so we might as well learn how to become one. How come then some have fruits on their trees and others don’t? In the subsequent 7 days we will drill into each of the 7 areas to help you understand what it takes to be a person of value, having results from the work that you do, providing and making the lives of others better.

1.    The right education. The traditional education, based on credentials, developed during the industrial age, is fast losing its edge. The self-education, a principle based education or a classical education as known a century ago and some still today, is the right education for any economic era, is ideal for the times we are living in. In the information age, the cost of a self-education pales in comparison with a traditional education. One of the keys to get the most of a self-education is to have a coach or a mentor that has done what you are about to do. This is absolutely critical to success, no matter what endeavor we pursue.

2.    Business ownership. The traditional education focused on training individuals to get out of school and get a job, become an employee. The self-education focuses on life education to equip the individual to take full responsibility for life and/or business ownership. There are many advantages of owning a business. What used to be a safe bet in the industrial age, get a secure job with a big corporation, is not the safe thing to do today. Security today is found in getting a real education while building a business.

3.    Entrepreneurship. No matter what we do, where we work, we better think and behave as entrepreneurs if we want a shot at prosperity. Constant change and improvement is a must. Personal growth is NOT optional. Entrepreneurs take full responsibility for their futures developing persistence, ingenuity, tenacity, creativity, and becoming innovative so they can often release new version of themselves.


4.    Financial education. Having a solid financial education is a must no matter what line of work we are in. It does not matter where the money starts, it matters where the money ends. When we trade time for money we will never have both. We must take full control of our personal finances if we want a shot at living an abundant life. The haves not often violate the basic principles of personal finance and are ignorant about the basic rules of money. The haves learned how to invest time and money where the haves not keep on spending their time and money. True financial security is not developed until we develop income from business systems. Applying the three overriding principles of wealth creation (long term thinking, delayed gratification, and the power of compounding) is paramount to financial success.

5.    Success thinking. Our thinking determines where we end up in life. Faulty thinking often leads to a victim or a dependent mentality. Most of adults today are product of the industrial age thinking. New thinking is required to succeed in a new age. We cannot take our old selves into a bright new future. We must learn from the past, live fully in the present, and lead ourselves and others into a better future. Success thinking starts with defining what we want out of life, learning from those that have what we want, and under guidance, applying a proven process to produce the results we want. Using our imagination is critical to success into the future. Learning the art of things is more important than the science of thing. Proper thinking and mastery of relationship, friendships, and salesmanship; yes, salesmanship is the basis for having results in life.

6.    Leadership. Leaders know their purpose and have a clear vision for where they are going. How can we hit a target we don’t have? We don’t lack potential, we don’t lack talent; we lack faith. Truly successful people believe before they see; they see before they do; they do to improve, and they improve to succeed. Who is willing to take the time to detect their purpose, develop the vision, and be willing to stick to a proven process until they succeed? Very few and that is why so many never succeed. The hardest thing in life is to explain the lack of results. The haves not often quit and blame others for their lack of results. Leaders become masters at achieving results, develop powerful relationship, and are constantly working on their character. Leadership is a choice; it is not given, it is taken. Become a true leader and you will have more fruit on your tree than the branches can hold. Become a pro instead of just dabbling as an amateur. Be a jack of all trades and a master of one. Be a finisher in a world of starters and quitters.


7.    Gratitude and generosity. Be a giver in a world of takers. Many haves not had opportunities presented to them and they either rejected or did not see the opportunity. The future will always belong to the givers. Generosity is a common trait of successful people. Abundance thinking leads us to a multiplier mentality instead of a subtraction mindset. We are all hit with things that can knock us down. The haves get up, knock the dust, and keep on going towards their vision; the haves not become victims of their own circumstances. There is no time to waste when we are in the pursuit of great dreams. Whatever we send out into the world we get it back multiplied, either for the good or the bad; it is always our choice.

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them with others.   
We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others.
Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx
Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy

Monday, January 26, 2015

The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan – 16

The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan – 16


1.      So I felt then, as I feel now, America owes a special thanks to those who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

2.      When the income tax was first levied in 1913, the top rate was only 7 percent on people with incomes over $500,000.

3.      England may be the mother of parliaments, but from the Boston Tea Party to this administration, it’s the United States that has been the mother of tax revolts. You know, that’s a pretty good line. I can hardly wait to try it out on Margaret Thatcher.

4.      The American taxing structure, the purpose to which was to serve the people, began instead to serve the insatiable appetite of government.

5.      Someone has likened government to a baby. It is an alimentary canal with an appetite at one end and no sense of responsibility at the other.

6.      Speak softly, but keep the battleship Iowa close at hand.

7.      Entrepreneurs have created a global electronic network, on-line 24 hours a day, sending capital, ideas, goods and services around the world at near the speed of light.

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them with others.   
We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others.
Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx
Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy

Sunday, January 25, 2015

The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan – 15


The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan – 15


1.      I've always thought that the common sense and wisdom of government were summed up in a sign they used to have hanging on the gigantic Hoover Dam. It said, “Government property, Do not remove.”

2.      The needs of the new world economy are transcending political boundaries.

3.      I've learned in Washington, that that’s the only place where sound travels faster than light.

4.      Where but in Washington would they call the department that’s in charge of everything outdoors, everything outside, the Department of the Interior.

5.      The values and the valor of those Continental soldiers helped to release the freedom this blessed nation now enjoys.

6.      The vigilance and training of today’s soldiers keep that freedom secure.

7.      America’s open market is its great strength, not its weakness.

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them with others.   
We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others.
Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx
Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)
Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy

Saturday, January 24, 2015

The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan – 14

The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan – 14


1.      I confess, I was not as attentive as I might have been during my classroom days. I seem to remember my parents being told, “Young Ron is trying – very trying.”

2.      Today, free enterprise is propelling us into a new technological era.

3.      Small businesses throughout our land now have computer capability, which a decade ago was available only to large corporations.

4.      The economic vitality pushing our country into the 21st Century is broad-based and irreversible.

5.      The creative talents of our citizenry, always America’s greatest asset, are being magnified by state-of-the-art technology and put to work for our benefit as never before.

6.      We have every reason to be optimistic.

7.      A foreign policy based on our bedrock principles allows us to offer a practical solution to the suffering peoples of the world, a means of achieving prosperity and political stability that all Americans take for granted as their birthright.

Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them with others.   
We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others.
Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx
Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)

Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy

Friday, January 23, 2015

The Wit and Wisdom of Ronald Reagan – 13


1.      No government in the history of civilization has ever voluntarily reduced itself in size.

2.      There must be a limit to government size and power.

3.      There has been a distortion of the relationship between various echelons of government – federal, state, and local.

4.      Common sense told us that when you put a big tax on something, the people will produce less of it.

5.      We can make ours the land of the future, offering unlimited opportunity to all Americans who dare to live for their dreams.

6.      Being free and prosperous is a world of peace.

7.      You know, it kind of reminds me of the fellah who asked his friend what the problem really was: Ignorance or apathy. And the friend responded, “I don’t know, and I don’t care.”



Thank you for reading and reflecting on today’s nuggets. Share them with others.   
We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give. Be a giver in a world of takers.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others.
Carlos Fontana, President of Phalanx
Co-author of the book Follow to Lead (The 7 Principles to Being a Great Follower)
Author of the book PRICELESS (Sixty-Six Simple Stories of Reflection, Love, and Legacy