Paying it forward is a beautiful concept that I came to enjoy this holiday season. As the Christmas season rolled around I was kind of in a little bit of a bah-hum-bug mood. I hadn’t really had the Christmas spirit hit me.

One night as I was preparing to wrap up an intense week and start moving into the Christmas week and the celebration mode. I got a nail in my tire. Everyone knows that I love my Audi A6, and to top it off, I had just put new tires on the thing.

So I was a little irritated as I took the car into my local Big O Tire store. Of course, they were extremely backed up. I waited and I waited in line to drop off the car, got a ride back to the office, and then raced through the day of work. When I finally arrived back at the tire place, it was past closing time. However, they were completely delightful and kind to me.

The guy at the cash register looked at me and said, “Mr. Christiansen, I see these are beautiful new tires. I know you didn’t buy those tires here, but I know you are a great customer. I’ve met you before. This is what I’d like to do. I’m not going to charge you for the rotation. So it’s just $20 for the flat.” Then he stopped, considered a moment, and said, “You know what? It’s Christmas! Let me just do that for you. Go and pay it forward.” 

Instantly that kindness softened my heart. Most of the interactions I have with people are the exact opposite. They are usually attempting to collect money, not gift it! 

I of course, instantly decided to pay it forward. I since have paid it forward. I do not want to share the specifics of the interactions, but I will tell you that when the time came to pay it forward, I had an incredibly strong feeling come over me–a great feeling that doing this little act of service for someone else was definitely the right thing to do. I was sure and that the kindness would touch someone else as it had touched me that hectic day in the tire shop as the joy and happiness boiled up in my heart.

Now as the New Year kicks off, I want to challenge everyone out there to pay it forward. There is no joy greater than doing private, random acts of kindness. I took a little risk in “disclosing” the fact that I’ve been paying it forward. But I share my story with a purpose, which is to encourage all of us to carry out more service.

There is no greater joy than doing private acts and paying things forward. This how we get out of the scarcity mode. I can tell you this with confidence! Every time I get into an abundance mindset –I can tell you the acts of kindness actually end up benefiting me.

So at this time, irrespective of your financial situation, be abundant. Do kind acts. Do small things. Bake a plate of cookies and take it to someone. Pay it forward. Although I can’t explain why, I can tell you that those acts will not only bless you personally and give you joy, but they will also bless you in your business ventures. 

Being abundant is one of the biggest magic secrets that there is. Now I am not one of these big subscribers to the method of sitting around, holding hands and chanting “ohm” and expecting things to fall out of the sky. Success also requires a lot of hard work. What I can say with confidence is that sharing abundance is a key part of the equation. 

Go forward this year of 2012 and have wonderful joyful experiences.  Building businesses, experience, and grow.

One of my favorite sayings comes from the climber Adrianne Burgess. The first time I climbed in the Himalayas it was with Adrianne. He often said, “We are spiritual beings on a physical journey, not physical beings on a spiritual journey.”  I really believe that. We have much to accomplish. Be good to the people around you. Go forward. Prosper.

Rich:

I’m so excited to be here today with my first mentor Alan Hall from back in the Netline days. You’ve heard me talk about Alan. Alan is an amazing individual. I’m so grateful to have him in my life. He is indeed an amazing individual and an example of what I hope to be in twenty years.

Alan you are now giving away everything you make! You’re promoting entrepreneurship and helping people’s lives. Will you talk a little bit about your work?

Alan: Well, it’s important for everybody to understand this is about stewardship—we’re stewards of resources. Somehow we accumulate wealth, but then wealth is really for us to give it away. To give to those who are of need. We all get enough to take care of our basic needs and then the rest outta be given away. That’s what we’re all about.

Rich: One of the philosophies that Alan has, is that the best way to take control of your life, and I agree, is to create a business. Not only does it impact yourself, but it impacts many people around you too.

Alan: Oh yeah. We’re looking for people all over the United States who are ready to start a business, and we’re here to support them! Obviously with Rich’s great knowledge, together we have teamed up to help make people successful. So go start a business! America needs you now.

Rich: That’s wonderful advice from a wonderful man. Look for more to come! I’m going to start highlighting Alan in future posts and tweets. Watch for Alan’s example. He’s done it the proper way. There are a lot of individuals that live and “it’s all about me”. But, Alan is the example to me; what I want to become like. Go forward and do good in this world. Please look forward for more to come from Alan.

One of my favorite books of all time is Viktor Frankl’s Man Search for Meaning. Although he covers two or three major concepts in the book, one of the major themes he discusses is that we all collaborate on a conscious or subconscious level.

I’m a Christian. I deeply believe that God has purpose for us in our lives. I think he has a bit of a sense of humor. And I think that oftentimes the alignment of happenings and circumstances in our lives are not just coincidental. I firmly believe that.

Although I’m a Christian, my mentor is an atheist who believes in the power of the universe. I also have dear friends who are Jewish and Hindu. Irrespective of beliefs and views, I think that we can all see that indeed, God, or the Universe, or whatever power we seek from; allows us amazing, unique, and beautiful opportunities.

I had such an event happen to me this weekend. Tenzing Norbu Sherpa is an amazing young man who has come over to the U.S. from Nepal this past year. We’ve been working with him on his college education, and we enjoyed having him join us for Thanksgiving dinner.

As we were down in St. George, Utah this weekend, we took a few minutes for a stop at the visitor center. All of the sudden, in walks my dear friend Roger Reid. Roger is a successful high school and college basketball coach.

For years Roger had been sharing with our family a story about an amazing woman from Hoang Jo, China. He tells about how when he spent time in China he and his family had a tender, wonderful relationship with this young woman. They spent time  discussing both religious freedom and personal freedoms that she was not afforded. In the past Roger had shared how deeply his family longed for this young lady to come to America.

Finally this young woman had come for Thanksgiving with the Reid family. So here we were: old friends with our amazing young international friends enjoying the holiday weekend. And to top it off at that very moment, in walks a woman who had a very profound effect on Tenzing’s life his first year of college. She helped him really live life with hope and optimism and belief.

It was serendipity.

Two minutes in the other direction and all of us would have missed each other. We had a delightful, joyful reunion. We gave hugs, we took pictures, and then we went our separate ways.

As for me and my house, I believe that God is in the details of our lives. I believe the universe does give us what we seek. Indeed as Victor Frankl points out, on a conscious or subconscious level we all collaborate.

It’s important to put positive energy into the universe and expect good things to occur. I think the energy is one part (not the only part) but one part of the equation that allows us to find success in our lives.

I’m so thankful in my life for these joyful, little, serendipitous events.

Here is a common story for entrepreneurs: You’re building your business. You’re zigging, you’re zagging. Then suddenly you’re stopped cold by a lack of financial resources.

But what if you actually have a lot more resources than you think?

Financial Advocate Garrett Gunderson is an expert at helping entrepreneurs and professionals uncover and leverage hidden financial assets.

I’ve asked Garrett to join me on a free teleseminar on November 3, 2011 at 6:00 pm PST, 7:00 pm MST, or 9:00 pm Eastern to expose the most common financial mistakes that stop business owners from progressing and rob their cash flow.

Furthermore, all attendees will receive a free, signed hardcover copy of Garrett’s New York Times bestseller, Killing Sacred Cows: Overcoming the Financial Myths that are Destroying Your Prosperity.

Access the call by dialing 801-656-2240 and insert the following number code: 021334#.

Garrett will reveal practical techniques that he uses to save his average client $11,700 per year in taxes and increase their monthly cash flow by $1,600.

Join the call to learn:

•    The monumental mistake most business owners make that creates stress and headaches and imposes frustrating limitations on your business growth.
•    The “Terrible 3” financial blind spots where entrepreneurs routinely lose cash without even being aware they’re losing it.
•    The 7 specific financial areas you can fine-tune to recover and maximize lost and inefficient dollars.
•    Why Dave Ramsey-style extreme budgeting is misguided and completely unnecessary.
•    How to optimize your current cash flow to be more profitable in the long-term while still enjoying your money immediately.
•    Why increasing production is far superior to decreasing expenses.
•    Why traditional financial advice robs your dreams, makes you lose control of your assets, and costs you hundreds of thousands of dollars over time.
•    How to turn your business wealth into personal wealth.

I want to help you zig zag your way to success. Join Garrett Gunderson and me for a free teleseminar to learn the most common financial mistakes business owners make that impede their progress and rob their cash flow.

All attendees will receive a free hardcover copy of Garrett’s New York Times bestseller, Killing Sacred Cows: Overcoming the Financial Myths that are Destroying Your Prosperity.

Access the call by dialing 801-656-2240 and insert the following number code: 021334#.

Won’t you join us?

November 3, 2011 at 6:00 pm PST, 7:00 pm MST, or 9:00 pm Eastern

What an amazing journey The Zig Zag Principle has been!

I want to so publicly acknowledge and thank all of you that have been involved in this great endeavor. 

There are two types of victory.  There is the private victory and there’s the public victory.  I am so thrilled about the public victory! We hit the bestselling lists!

- We were #3 overall on Amazon the day the book was released. On Amazon we also hit:
- #1 on the Movers and Shakers list
- #1 in Business Management
- #1 in the Motivational category
- #1 in Entrepreneurship
- #1 in Psychology and Counseling
- #1 in the category Life

We are #5 overall on the USA Today list.

And the public victory I am really excited about is that The Zig Zag Principle is the #6 bestselling book in Inc. Magazine. 

These listings stand for great public successes and victories. But the successes that I am the most excited about, is you.  I love the private successes. 

I get to hear the stories from individuals who are wresting control of their life. I love the stories of people take back their life—both emotionally and financially. These are the success stories that I am the most excited about. 

I thank you again so much for your support in The Zig Zag Principle and I hope that you will join me in having a zig zag, joyful, amazing, successful life.  Thanks again so much for supporting me on The Zig Zag Principle. Go forward and have a great prosperous life.

I have developed four rules I follow whenever I create a business.  There are times I violate them, but I do so deliberately.  Keep in mind that these are my rules that fit into my skill set and values.  You will need to look at your own situation and determine the rules that work for you. 

Rule # 1 – Ride a Wave:  I like businesses that are on a wave.  Just like a surfer who gets in front of a wave and rides it to the shore, I want the environment to be right before I get on a wave in my business or my life.  If the wave is big enough, then just being in its vicinity will generate enough power to propel you toward your destination.  But if you catch that wave wrong, life can come crashing down around you.  The key is to get on and off the wave at the right time.  September 12, 2001, would have been a terrible time to start an airline.  This same day would have been the perfect time to start an anti-terrorist airline security business.  Purchasing a row of new condos in 2006, when housing prices were at a point where experts were beginning to see they were unsustainable, would have been a bad move.  Purchasing those same condos after the housing bubble burst and prices were slashed in half would have been the right time to add scale.  You need to assess your environment and pick the right waves to ride.

Rule #2  – Transaction Businesses:  I like businesses that sit in the middle of a transaction.  A well-known example is credit card companies, which make 2-5 percent every time one of us slides our credit card through a reader.  None of us give what we’re paying a thought (and if you think we’re not paying, think again).  Merchants are happy to pass along the fee because the convenience brings more people to their business.  Customers love the convenience of not having to carry cash or write a check, so they willingly pay their annual fee (and high interest rates) as well.  Positioning yourself in the middle of a transaction puts you in a great place to make money.

Rule #3 – Own the Customer:  I like to own the customer.  I don’t like being in a business where I can’t look into the eyeballs of the customer and resolve the issue.  I like to be in the middle of the transaction, but I do not like being sandwiched between brokers.

During the rise in the housing market, I was riding a great wave with a company called Mortgage Saver 101.  We had an awesome web site that generated leads of people looking to obtain mortgages.  The company was riding a wave and was a transactional and a digital business.  The only problem was that we did not sell our leads directly to the banks or the people who were coming to refinance their loans.  We sold our leads to a broker who would then sell them to multiple vendors.  Many times the broker would come back to us and say he did not like some of our leads.  We would ask what he didn’t like and he would simply say, “It wasn’t a quality lead.”  Without being able to talk to the bank or the customer, we were left to guess at what they really wanted.  This left us very vulnerable, giving all of the power to the broker.  If there was a problem, we had no way to solve it.  On the other hand, credit card companies are good examples of being able to own the customer.  The credit card company can communicate directly with the merchant that is selling the product or the customer that has signed up for the credit card.  They own the customer.  They can manage the relationship on both sides of the transaction.

      Rule #4 – I Like Digital Assets:  This is my very personal preference, but I love digital assets.  I really do not like retail.  Why?  Because I stink at retail.  I don’t have enough discipline and I am not patient enough to succeed in retail.  It doesn’t scale as well for me.  I know many other people who have been highly successful in retail, but it is just not my preference.  Once I make a website or an application, I have made it once and as many people as want to come will fit into that store.  That’s the primary reason I like digital assets. 

We launched the book The Zig Zag Principle and within a day it hit #1 in every applicable category on Amazon. And then we hit #3 on Amazon’s Bestseller List. What fun this is seeing the results of the last several months of hard work.

I appreciate the positive comments and reviews from everyone. I’m enjoying this fun ride. And now it’s time to celebrate!

Please join us at our launch party this weekend. We’re going to celebrate The Zig Zag Principle with a party and a set of fun workshops designed for entrepreneurs, aspiring entrepreneurs, and anyone else who is interested in business and goal setting.

If you have tickets, please make sure you are registered for the event. We have incredible content to share, amazing food to devour, and a whole lot of celebrating to do.

If you’d like to attend, please contact our office today. Someone from back East purchased a large number of books and donated some of his launch event tickets, and we’d love to make sure they get used. Please contact us at 1-801-375-7900. First come, first serve.

THE ZIG ZAG PRINCIPLE LAUNCH PARTY
- Workshops, Speakers, Fun & Games, and Networking.

- Learn how other kids, teens, and stay-at-home moms have zigzagged to build businesses.

- Lunch is provided.
   
Saturday, October 15th
SALT LAKE AREA

For more info, to register, or for tickets, please click or call: 1-801-375-7900

Now that you’ve started bringing in some cash and adding resources, your organization is going to need more structure and discipline.  As you add more flesh to the bones of your infrastructure, you’ll need to work on making consistent progression.  This will require that you build on what you have learned so far as you have been driving to profitability.  In some cases, those will be lessons you haven’t even realized you’ve learned.

Building processes for your organization is vital to your short-term and long-term viability.  It’s a step that often gets left out as you head toward your beacon in the fog, but I’ve been convinced of its importance since I was a little kid mowing lawns.  After I had acquired a few lawn mowers and convinced my brothers and friends to mow lawns for me, I had to teach them the processes that had made me successful in the first place.  Here are the steps I took each and every time I mowed a customer’s lawn:

1. Present yourself well. I would tuck in my shirt and wipe the sweat and dirt off my hands and face before knocking on the customer’s door with a big smile on my face and saying, “Hello, I am here to mow your lawn today.  It will take me about an hour and a half. Is now an okay time?”
2. Clear the lawn. Before mowing a lawn, I looked it over carefully and removed all the balls and junk.  I picked up any dog mess, trash or anything else that may be on the lawn.
3. Trim the lawn. I used the trimmer to trim around the entire edge of the lawn before I began mowing.
4. Check the oil in the lawn mower
5. Check the gas in the lawn mower and make sure the tank is full.  I only put gas in the lawn mower while it was on the sidewalk so that I didn’t kill any grass if I spilled.
6. I went to the center of the lawn and picked a point straight across the lawn.  Then I shot for a straight line.  Everyone likes nice straight lines better than random tire marks across their lawns.
7. I followed the wheel patterns through the entire lawn to keep all of the lines straight.  If the lines got off, I corrected them.
8. I emptied the grass bag before it got full so that clumps of grass would not spill out on the lawn.
9. After mowing, I cleaned up the lawn and yard.  I raked any grass or debris that was left on the lawn and blew or sweep the sidewalks off.  Everyone likes their yard to look neat and clean after the grass is mowed.
10. I respectfully invoiced the customer.  I wiped the sweat off my face and the dirt off my hands and knocked on the customer’s door.  I then handed them the invoice for mowing the lawn and put a piece of candy or a package of seeds with it as I thanked them for the opportunity of mowing their lawn.

This process example may seem rather elementary, but I had to mow a lot of lawns before I learned that it took a lot less time and the lawn looked much neater if I trimmed the edges before I mowed.  I also learned that when I was having other people mow lawns for me, they all wanted to do it their own way.  But I knew that my customers had hired me to mow their lawns because they knew they would have straight lines and they would like the way their lawn looked after it was mowed.  They also loved that I gave them a packet of seeds or a piece of candy as my signature when I finished.  So, I had to document the processes and teach these things to my employees so they would know what my customers expected. 

My wife worked for Kentucky Fried Chicken while she was a teenager.  They have a list posted to the wall above the biscuit machine detailing the exact steps for making their delicious, fluffy biscuits as well as other lists detailing each step in making their chicken and every other menu item.  This keeps the consistency and quality that is expected each time a customer goes to eat at any KFC.

I used to love to eat at a regional fast-food restaurant that sells delicious chicken and rice bowls.  But one time when I went there, the dish I was served did not taste the same.  I commented to the person at the counter, “Something tastes really weird in my chicken.”  He said, “Oh, yeah, our normal supplier was out of the chicken we normally use, so we had to use different chicken today.”  I thought this was just a fluke, so I went back the following week.  This time the chicken tasted much spicier than usual, and it was even worse than the previous week.  I mentioned it to the guy at the front again and he said, “Yes, we had to try an even different supplier this week.”  I went back a few more times, but each time the chicken was different.  Not surprisingly, this franchise went out of business not long after, and now I have to drive thirty miles to get the chicken and rice that I love.  Whatever the size or complexity of your business, processes matter!

In zag number 2, you have to document the processes that led to your initial success.  You need to put these into bite-sized processes that other people can follow.  That is why I instructed my employees to trim the grass before they mowed the lawn and to put the gas into the mower while it was on cement so as to not kill the grass.  I had made all these mistakes and had learned from them, so I institutionalized what I had learned.

As you document your processes, remember to learn from the mistakes you made driving to profitability.  Documenting what not to do is as important as documenting what to do.  You want to have something in place that makes people think twice about making the same mistakes, and it will help if you have already proven what doesn’t work. 

Tomorrow is the big day.

Tomorrow is Tuesday, October 4th and it’s the day the books, my books, hit the shelves.

This is the day I wondered about before I decided to write the book. This is the day I dreamed about back at the beginning of the project. This is the day I longed for a few months ago when we were in the thick of things. This is the day that marks an important zig in my path. And now…this is the day I’m going to enjoy and celebrate. I will enjoy this day knowing that this book, The Zig Zag Principle, is the best I have to offer.

Over the past several months, via my blog, I have published excerpts from the book. I have shared zigzagging examples from my businesses. I have highlighted some of my favorite zigzaggers both public and private. Today I’d like to share The Zig Zag Principle book trailer.

I’d also like to invite everyone to participate in the events we have lined up in conjunction with the book launch. We’ve planned Webinars, speaking events, and we’re holding a big launch party in a couple weeks. I’d love for you to join our celebration. Releasing a book is a crazy and fun experience. Wish me luck, and let’s have a blast.

As you add resources to your business or your life, you still need to keep your cash flow heading in the right direction.  Obviously, you don’t want to begin hiring if doing so is going to put you in the red.  But as you hire, you need to be clear in your mind, and with those you hire, that if the business becomes less profitable, you will have to decrease resources.  This may seem harsh, but if you have employees in your organization who are not getting you to cash, it puts the whole company at risk.  It is better to lay off those people who are not performing or creating value so you can create opportunities for more employees in the long run.

I was a middle manager in a company that hired a lot of employees but did not become profitable.  That company waited until it was completely out of money and had declared bankruptcy before telling the employees they were out of jobs.  To add insult, the employees were let go without being paid for their last month of work.  Blind bliss is not bliss at all.  It would have been much better for every person in that company to have been laid off when the problems started so they could begin their new job search, rather than wasting a month doing work for which they would never be paid.

In your life, you have to do the same thing.  When you get to cash, you can spend a little more money adding resources such as a house, a car, a computer, or just some things that will make your life nicer and more efficient.  When times get tight, you need to immediately tighten your budget and stop adding those resources.  If times get really tight, you might have to sell off that nice car to make ends meet.  The key is to always keep a close eye on your bottom line.  Always stay profitable.  If you’re creative as you think about adding resources, you may be able to make more progress and spend less money.

When we began to add resources to CastleWave, the business Ron and I bootstrapped with only $5,000, our first significant hires were not college graduates.  They were not even college students; they were nerdy sixteen- and seventeen-year-old high school boys.  In our drive to profitability, I needed to add the resource of engineers. I knew I couldn’t afford to hire engineers at the going rate, and I also knew I could train people who had a working knowledge of computers and the Internet to do what needed to be done.  It hit me one day that my labor force could be found among my teenaged sons’ friends.  My only concern was that I needed them to have a strong vision, so I told them, “When you walk in this door each day, you’re no longer seventeen.  You’re an MBA graduate from Harvard, and I expect you to behave like one.”  And guess what?  They did exactly that.  They grasped what I needed them to do, and they bought into the company culture. It probably didn’t hurt that we paid them far more than they could have earned flipping burgers, but for a number of strategic reasons, those kids were so excited to come to work, they would sleep on the couch some nights because they were totally vested in what we were trying to do.
    

Yippee! We Have the Baby! This week we received the press copies of The Zig Zag Principle from the publisher McGraw-Hill. The books turned out fantastic. I’m thrilled!

As I hold the printed books in my hands, I’d like to thank many of my close friends and advisors who have been so generous and forthcoming in their support. As of today, we’ve pre-sold over 7500 books, which was no small feat. So again, I thank you for the incredible support.

On October 4th—one week from today—The Zig Zag Principle officially launches. If you haven’t already ordered a copy, I’d encourage you to go online and pre-order. You can also order at Amazon.com.

Next we’re throwing a launch party that we’re super excited about! Everyone is invited to come celebrate with our teams The Ziggin’ Moms and The Zaggin’ Teens (The Ziggin’ Moms and The Zaggin’ Teens are two teams of entrepreneurial women and teenagers who are successfully applying the Zig Zag Principle to their businesses.)

At the event we’ll deliver tons of useful content and Lightening Skills that you can use to energize your business. And of course, we’ll celebrate the release of the new book.

If you haven’t signed up for the party, I invite you to register today. We’d love for you to join the celebration.

The Zig Zag Principle is going to hit the New York Times Best-Seller List. I’m confident of that. We’ve pre-sold a phenomenal number of books. Now look for great things to come in the next several weeks. You will see The Zig Zag Principle covered by the press, I’ll be doing interviews, and the book will receive great exposure all around. I invite everyone to engage and participate in this. Please share your Zig Zag stories and your stories about success with me. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks and have a great day.

Sincerely,
Rich Christiansen

PS- Please join me for one of the following upcoming events:
-        Sept 27 • Special Webinar 5-6pm MT, register & participate

-        Sept 28 • Twitter Party 7-9pm MT, @richchristianse, #zigzag

-        Oct 4 • Official Book Launch! Join the teleseminar where Rich will answer your Zigzag questions. Teleseminar from noon to 1pm MT, 801-656-2240 code: 021334#

-        Oct 15 • Zig Zag Launch Party get tickets and register

Video Message From Rich Christiansen

I keep two pictures in my office to remind me of what it takes to be an entrepreneur. Both of these pictures are of beautiful and awe-inspiring places in nature. I enjoy hiking and I really appreciate how the analogies of hiking through some rough parts of nature are so closely aligned with what it takes to be an entrepreneur. The similarities are almost unbelievable.

In life and in business as an entrepreneur, much of what we face is hard. Sometimes all you can do is grit your teeth and use your determination to work your way through without forgetting to look up and enjoy the beauty.

Please enjoy this video and my thoughts about a recent trip through the magnificent Zion Narrows in Zion National Park in Southern Utah.

As children leave the comforts of home for the first time, they typically fall into one of two categories. There are those who, having grown accustomed to a nice house, an abundance of food, and easy access to a car, feel they should enjoy this same lifestyle now that they are out on their own.  If their solution is to max out credit cards and run up student loans, then what happens?  They get partway to their destination—whether that’s schooling or building a career—and run out of resources. Then there are those who ration what little they have, avoid borrowing at every turn, and wait until they’re firmly established before trying to live the same life it took their parents years to build.

As I share my ideas on focusing your first zig down the hill on your drive to profitability, I know some readers are going to feel I’m placing an undue emphasis on business principles.  And while I probably am, in part because that’s the world I live in, I also want to point out that the principle of driving toward profitability has application in all aspects of our lives, whether we’re bootstrapping a business, building a family, or overseeing a multimillion-dollar enterprise. In fact, I would contend that this first zig of getting to profitability is important in every aspect of our life because while it’s true that money can’t buy happiness, being broke can sure cause a lot of headaches.

When my wife and I first got married, we were both in school and broke, and I had to take several jobs I wasn’t all that excited about.  I even had to work late night shifts when I would have preferred being home, because I instinctively knew I needed to do whatever it took to get to profitability.  Neither of us had come from an abundance of wealth, but during our early years we tightened our budget and were so conservative that the humble origins we had grown up in looked like the lifestyle of the rich and famous.  So, we drove that old Dodge Colt that had been given to me, even though I’m sure we could have qualified for a loan to buy a new car. 

We had enough resources to pay our bills, even though our $15-per-week food budget did require that we eat a lot of potatoes during those times.  My wife reminds me that I used to always say, “We will live like you won’t now, so we can live like you can’t later.”  At that stage of my life, I hadn’t given words to the idea of driving to profitability, but I knew instinctively the importance of that principle.

Whether you are starting out in life or starting a business—or are broke and starting over—your first zig always needs to take you toward profitability.  Profitability means you’re able to pay all of your bills and have enough cash to move forward with your plans.  Given the ease of finding money, whether it’s from a credit card, a government grant, a small business loan, or help from family, it’s easy to bypass this first step.  But at some point the wells of easy cash will dry up, and you’ll find yourself at a day of reckoning where if you don’t have real cash coming in, you’re going to be stopped dead in your tracks.  So, don’t let the easy allure of available cash sidetrack you from finding the path that will get you to that critical point of profitability.

Each company or organization needs to make its own set of values and rules that it wants to live by.  Rick has a few rules based on his values that determine the kinds of people he will hire.  Some examples of these rules include:

1. They must be responsible.
2. They must have a credit score about 700.
3. They must have a college degree.
4. They must have a minimum of five years experience in their profession.

Some of his rules for the people that he won’t hire are:

1. I will not hire anyone that is a close friend.  
2. I will not hire anyone who has been unemployed for a long period of time.  
3. I will not hire anyone who does not value what we value.
4. I will not hire anyone who is late to an interview.

Listing the values that you want to travel on in your organization is not just limited to your business.  You should set up values and rules to travel on in other areas of your life where you are striving to reach a goal.  Some of these areas could include:

• Projects that you are involved in.
• Charitable groups you are involved with.
• Organizations that your children are involved in.
• Your children’s friends.
• Future business decisions.
• Your personal habits.
• Your health and well-being.

These are some of the ideas that Rick came up with, but this list should be personally tailored to you, your essential nature, your hopes and dreams, and your abilities.  Using value-based decision making can help you in your business, key relationships, parenting efforts, and virtually every other area of your life.  These values will help you avoid mistakes and make you more aware of where you are traveling on this road to success.

Eating our Own Cooking

As soon as we realized that we were getting our trading company back, Curtis and I sat down and mapped out the values we felt were essential for Froghair.  We went through the exercises in the section below and came up with the following list:

• Competence – We are a competent team.
• Cooperation – We value teamwork. We work together, we win together, and we waddle together. We cooperate.
• Freedom – We believe in freedom.  Not only for the company but also in our personal lives.  We support and help our team members to become free – financially, physically, and mentally free.
• Helping Society – We believe in helping society.  There are a lot of human needs. The most important is to live, love, learn, and matter.  We want to give back and to make a difference.
• Independence – We believe in being accountable for our own destiny.  We’re not big believers in grants and handouts.  We take accountability for our own destiny.
• Integrity – We try to do the right thing.  We are not always perfect, but our intent is to consciously work toward doing the right thing.
• Leadership – Leadership can be lonely, but we have the courage to stand out in the cold if needs be to do the right things, even if those things are not popular. 
• Responsibility and accountability – We have an attitude of “I’ll do it!”  We don’t say, “I’ll try to get around to it,” we just do it.  Not only do we do it, we take accountability for what happens – good or bad.
• Gratitude – We’re a company of gratitude.  We’re grateful to God.  We’re grateful to each other. We’re grateful for our relationships and for the opportunities we have.  We expect our team members to be grateful as well.
• Culturally sensitive – We embrace the people and places of the world. We value diversity.  We work on a daily basis with a wide variety of ethnic and religious groups, without bias.

These are the values we have worked hard to establish.  Our infrastructure is solidly in place, and it helps us ensure that we bring people into the culture of our company who are in alignment with our values.

Summary

These first three chapters have set the foundation for us to deliberately begin to zig and zag. You first assessed all of your resources so that you know what you are starting with at your beginning point.  Then you defined your beacon in the fog, or your destination point.  You know where you are going.  You have passion and a catalyzing statement that is the emotional fuel that will propel your vehicle to your destination.  Finally, you have defined the values or road system that you will take to get you to your final goal.  These four elements are what will get you on your way to your first zig!  In the next chapter we’ll be tackling Zig Number 1 – Driving to Profitability.