Tag: stand out from the crowd

Does it Pay to Outsource Chores?

Does it pay to outsource chores? I will never outsource my lawn care. Not because they can’t do it cheaper than I can; they couldn’t.  Not because they do not practice organic lawn care methods, keeping my yard safe for my kids and neighbors; they don’t. Not because they don’t have as much heart for their work as I do while testing my ingrained agricultural skills by successfully growing grass where previous owners have failed; I care.

I will never outsource my lawn care because it gives me time to think. Every other week when I cut my grass, I have an hour by myself with only the lawn mower to keep me company. No kids. No wife. Just me and the hand-me-down YardMachines. (Thanks Dad!)

Sure, I could listen to music while cutting the grass. Or I could stare off into the sky, but I might run into a tree. Instead, I use this hour to think. The din of the mower, thanks to earmuffs, offers the perfect combination of silence and white noise. I’m just a man with a lawn mower, my thoughts, and a notepad.

I think about upcoming presentations, new content for the next book, blog posts for the future. And occasionally, I think about the To Do list that is waiting for me after I finish the lawn and shower.

But Why is This Time so Valuable?

It has been shown that you think clearer during and after exercise. It is due to a combination of increased blood flow and endorphins. Without getting too white lab coat scientific, let’s just agree that even moderate exercise is good for the brain.

Between moments of self-doubt and jubilation, runners report times of exceptional clarity. Maybe it is the scenery where they are running. Perhaps it is the solitude of the moment. Or it could be the simple act of putting one foot in front of the other to propel the body forward.

Even if you are not a runner, or don’t routinely exercise, cutting the grass may be enough movement to get the blood flowing and the ideas pumping.

So What Does It All Mean?

The decision to outsource is not necessarily based on the hard Return on Investment (ROI). For example, if your time is worth $50 per hour and the lawn cutting service charges $25 per cut, it might seem like a no-brainer. Instead, the better way to look at this scenario is that you are spending $25 extra to have that hour to create perhaps thousands of dollars based on your ideas generated. Now which one is the no-brainer?

Outsource tasks that will yield minimal to no value. Keep those chores that pay dividends in the long run.

 

QUESTION FOR YOU –

How do you turn a chore into something productive?

SOMETHING FOR YOU –

For the awesome first chapter of the #1 best selling book Better than Average: Excelling in a Mediocre World, send an email to me and you score it for free!

_____

Todd Brockdorf
Better than Average Guy
Author, Speaker, Consultant
[email protected]

Post to Twitter Post to LinkedIn Post to StumbleUpon Post to Delicious Post to Reddit Post to Squidoo

Deep Gratitude

Better than Average Book #1 on Amazon.comYesterday, my first book, Better than Average: Excelling in a Mediocre World, was published. It hit #1 on Amazon Best Sellers for Hot New Releases in Business Motivation & Self-Improvement. It peaked at #17 in Business Motivation & Self-Improvement.

But here’s the thing. I couldn’t have done it without some help.

And for that, I am truly, deeply grateful.

When was the last time you said “thank you” and meant it? I’m talking about that time when you felt it in your soul.

When I saw those numbers yesterday, my hands were shaking. Not because I did it. But because WE did it. I simply provided the ice rink. It was the players would played the all-star game.

Thank you. Two words, yet so powerful.

What if we lived in a world with greater gratitude and less gimme gimme? What if there was more merci and minimal “mine”?  What if we dared for “danke” and had fewer desires?

Deep gratitude is a whole body experience.

To my friends, supporters, and those who have joined the Better than Average, I offer you my sincerest, deepest thank you. I am truly blown away.

 

QUESTION FOR YOU:

Who do you need to thank today?

SOMETHING FOR YOU:

For a list of 16 Easy, No Cost Ways to Express Gratitude on a Daily Basis shoot me an email and you score it for free!

_____

Todd Brockdorf
Better than Average Guy
#1 Best Selling Author, Speaker, Consultant
[email protected]

Post to Twitter Post to LinkedIn Post to StumbleUpon Post to Delicious Post to Reddit Post to Squidoo

I’m Starting a Movement and Need Your Help

Better than Average: Excelling in a Mediocre World by Todd BrockdorfIt’s not a mission. It’s a movement.
It’s not a cause. It’s a crusade.
It’s not a vision. It’s a victory.

Mediocrity ends now.

It’s time to quit complacency.
It’s time to be gone with “good enough.”
It’s time to be sick of the status quo.

It’s time for something new.

For those who want to stand out from the crowd. For those who want to excel in a mediocre world. For those who want more out of life, it’s time to join the Better than Average.

The movement starts today.

Here’s where I need your help:

  1. Please consider purchasing Better than Average: Excelling in a Mediocre World. Here’s the link. It’s a book that breaks the mold of traditional thinking.
  2. Please contact one friend who might appreciate this type of thing. Invite them to join this conversation.
  3. Please share this message on your favorite social or traditional media. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, email, phone call – it doesn’t matter. Below are some suggested posts/tweets.

Thank you and I sincerely appreciate your help. Let’s get this conversation going!

QUESTION FOR YOU:
Are you with me?

_____

Todd Brockdorf
Better than Average Guy
Author, Speaker, Consultant
[email protected]

Post to Twitter Post to LinkedIn Post to StumbleUpon Post to Delicious Post to Reddit Post to Squidoo

How To Kill Off Your Customers

My Grandfather's Gun I used to be a customer of a certain banking institution based in Wayzata (Minneapolis), Minnesota. I say used to because they used to stand out from the crowd. They used to be different from the rest of the banks that typically make headlines. They used to have a different attitude. Until they didn’t.

One of this bank’s main differentiators was Free Small Business Checking. Believe it or not, it was still relatively “free”. There is always an asterisk after “free” these days, but their terms and conditions were reasonable. So much so that I don’t even remember them because I was able to easily meet them through my normal banking activity. If you can meet terms and conditions without needed to think through your activities, those are decent T’s & C’s.

That was until December, 2011. That’s when they slaughtered their purple cow. They killed their differentiator. They left small businesses out in the rain. They added a $4.95 per month fee to their “Free” Small Business Checking. That’s almost $60 per year just for the privilege of having a business checking account. Ridiculous! So much for helping businesses get back on their feet during this economic recovery.

Sure, the fee irks me. But what really chaps my lips is the fact that they blatantly killed a method that makes them look and feel different from their competitors. In this age of ever increasing and more complex fee structures, simplicity is the new black.

Understand that I’m not just a business owner with an axe to grind. I was a 14+ year loyal customer. Do banks even have many of those any longer?

Just to confirm that the fees charged to my account were accurate and not some computer slip up, I called customer service. Sure enough, those fees are now being charged to “Free” Small Business Checking accounts. While Edgar was kind, he said, “We’ve held off fees for as long as we could. I think you’ll find that our fees are competitive with other FDIC banks.”

Ok, that’s nice, but the game has changed. Your competitors are not just other FDIC banks.

“I can go to a credit union and get truly free small business checking,” I said.

“Well, they’re not FDIC,” he replied.

“I don’t care. They are still insured.” Seriously, does the consumer really care who insures his money as long as it is safe?

As a result, this bank will lose not only the small business checking account, but my personal checking account and my personal savings account. Three accounts for one stupid fee. Is it really worth it?

With the elimination of their “Free” Small Business Checking, the only remaining differentiator is longer banking hours than other institutions. While this is a nice perk, will it be enough to attract and retain customers?

On a related side note, on their first quarter investor conference call, their CEO sited “checking account attrition” as an item weighing on their results.

In the interest of fairness, Edgar did say that he would waive this month’s $4.95 fee as a one-time courtesy. That’s nice. It should give me enough time to set up my accounts with my new credit union.

Post to Twitter Post to LinkedIn Post to StumbleUpon Post to Delicious Post to Reddit Post to Squidoo