10 Lessons For Entrepreneurs From Coach John Wooden

Lewis Howes, Contributor, Forbes

 

Coach John Wooden, a.k.a. the “Wizard of Westwood,” is best known for his 27-year legacy at UCLA, where he led the Bruins to 10 NCAA national championships, and for coaching basketball legends such as Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

But his words and practices about what it takes to win don’t just apply to the basketball court; they apply to all areas of life – especially entrepreneurship.

Even though Coach Wooden was known for his simple and old school approach to practice and playing, the results speak for themselves.

This man knew how to win.

Below are 10 quotes from John Wooden.  I believe his words still have as much relevance in our digital world today as they did when he first spoke them.

Words Of Wisdom From John Wooden

1.  “Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.”
There’s always going to be something “extra” that can enhance your business or potentially boost sales.

Maybe it’s a new technology platform or a social media strategy.  Whatever it is, I think Coach Wooden would encourage us to strive for those things, but don’t let them become an excuse for not doing our best with what we already have.


2.  “If you’re not making mistakes, then you’re not doing anything.  I’m positive that a doer makes mistakes.”

I think one of the biggest reasons why seasoned entrepreneurs stop innovating and taking risks is because they’re afraid of ruining a “winning streak.”

Nothing is for certain in the world of innovation.  You’ve got to remember that out of every failed innovation comes unexpected knowledge that sends us in a new direction or reveals something we would have never known.

3.  “It’s the little details that are vital.  Little things make big things happen.”

Once you realize the truth behind, “Little things make big things happen,” you’ll never again view the details of your business as boring or insignificant – especially when it comes to marketing.

Consumers don’t become loyal brand buyers by accident.  It takes strategic planning and execution to cut through the estimated 3,000 marketing messages the average American sees each day.

Every picture, every image and every email within your marketing has a job to do.

Read the full article online.

10 Tips to Turning Your Internship Into a Full-Time Gig

“10 Tips to Turning Your Internship Into a Full-Time Gig” was provided by POPSUGAR Smart Living.

For a lot of us, graduating from college was the easy part — it was finding a job afterward that made us wish we could start freshman year all over again.

This stage of life is an unfortunate time that every postgraduate must endure.

If you weren’t given a trust fund or poached by recruiters, then you know this “rite of passage” all too well.

Searching the web for hours on end, connecting on LinkedIn, and completing countless applications without any response becomes your daily routine.

I went through the same experience after I graduated college.

Even with four internships under my belt, I had no idea just how competitive the job market was.

I realized that the best way to get my foot in the door was to expand my search. I started looking for internships (that would accept recent graduates) with the hope it could lead to a job offer.

Lucky for me, it did!

Here are 10 tips on how to turn your internship into a job:

Make friends

It’s tough to be new in the office, especially if you’re an intern.

That’s why it’s so important to put yourself out there and get to know your co-workers.
Take an extra trip to the water cooler or bathroom — the more people you meet in these communal spaces, the better.

Here are some conversation starters!

Another great way to mingle with new co-workers is to join in on any company events.
Go to happy hours, game nights, and other office get-togethers to show your fun side.

Be professional

Just because you are one of the youngest in the office doesn’t mean you have to act that way.

Stay professional, and show that you are mature.


You can still crack jokes and have fun; just avoid talking about partying with your friends every weekend.

If your co-workers view you as responsible, then they will trust you with more projects.

Ask the right questions

After you receive an assignment, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification if the directions are unclear.

You want to avoid completing a task incorrectly because you were too nervous to ask questions.

However, try not to bother your manager with tons of obvious questions if the answer can be found on the Internet or an office training manual.

You don’t want them to regret giving you the project when they could have done it themselves in the first place.

Read the full article online... 

18 Tips For Success From Richard Branson

Melissa Stanger, Business Insider

Richard Branson founded Virgin in 1970 at the age of 20, and he hasn’t looked back.
He’s the only entrepreneur to have built eight separate billion-dollar companies in eight different industries — and he did it all without a degree in business.

"Had I pursued my education long enough to learn all the conventional dos and don'ts of starting a business I often wonder how different my life and career might have been," he writes in his new book, Like a Virgin: Secrets They Won’t Teach You at Business School.

We’ve compiled some of the best tips from his book here.

Don't do it if you don't enjoy it.

Running a business takes a lot of blood, sweat, and tears (and caffeine). But at the end of the day, you should be building something you will be proud of.

Branson says, "When I started Virgin from a basement in west London, there was no great plan or strategy. I didn't set out to build a business empire ... For me, building a business is all about doing something to be proud of, bringing talented people together and creating something that's going to make a real difference to other people's lives."

Be visible.

Branson received some timeless advice when building Virgin Airlines from Sir Freddie Laker, a British airline “tycoon.” 

“Make sure you appear on the front page and not the back pages,” said Laker. “You are going to have to get out there and sell yourself. Make a fool of yourself, whatever it takes. Otherwise you won’t survive”.

Branson always makes a point of traveling often and meeting as many people as he can. This, he says, is how he came by some of the best suggestions and ideas for his business.

Choose your name wisely.

The unique name and brand that Virgin employs is one of the things that has made the company a success. Branson makes sure that the name ‘Virgin’ represents added value, improved service, and a fresh, sexy approach.

Branson says that he is asked all the time about the origin of the Virgin name, back when Virgin was just starting. "One night, I was chatting with a group of sixteen-year-old girls over a few drinks about a name for the record store," he says. "A bunch of ideas were bounced around, then, as we were all new to business, someone suggested Virgin. It smacked of new and fresh and at the time the word was still slightly risqué, so, thinking it would be an attention-grabber, we went with it."

Read the full article online.

ell beyond your comfort zone. Action is

1. Identify where you are stuck in your life. Take steps toward getting unstuck, even if it means pushing well beyond your comfort zone. Action is the only remedy for fear.
2. Develop your observing ego by stepping outside yourself and seeing who you are during the day. How do you come across to others? Do you like what you see? If you don't, modify your behavior.
3. Identify your biggest strengths and make sure you use those strengths in your profession. If you do, it's likely you have found your passion.
4. Scared to speak up? Preparation and practice can help you pull off the perfect speech. Oh, and don't forget to give yourself a positive pep talk. You can do it!
5. Get a good night's sleep. Not only will eight hours keep you mentally sharp, but a full night's rest can keep your appetite in check too. Experts recommend eight hours for everyone.
- See more at: http://www.success.com/article/30-tips-to-take-control-of-your-life-now#sthash.XkO3Hhci.dpuf

1. Identify where you are stuck in your life. Take steps toward getting unstuck, even if it means pushing well beyond your comfort zone. Action is the only remedy for fear.
2. Develop your observing ego by stepping outside yourself and seeing who you are during the day. How do you come across to others? Do you like what you see? If you don't, modify your behavior.
3. Identify your biggest strengths and make sure you use those strengths in your profession. If you do, it's likely you have found your passion.
4. Scared to speak up? Preparation and practice can help you pull off the perfect speech. Oh, and don't forget to give yourself a positive pep talk. You can do it!
5. Get a good night's sleep. Not only will eight hours keep you mentally sharp, but a full night's rest can keep your appetite in check too. Experts recommend eight hours for everyone.
- See more at: http://www.success.com/article/30-tips-to-take-control-of-your-life-now#sthash.XkO3Hhci.dpuf

1. Identify where you are stuck in your life. Take steps toward getting unstuck, even if it means pushing well beyond your comfort zone. Action is the only remedy for fear.
2. Develop your observing ego by stepping outside yourself and seeing who you are during the day. How do you come across to others? Do you like what you see? If you don't, modify your behavior.
3. Identify your biggest strengths and make sure you use those strengths in your profession. If you do, it's likely you have found your passion.
4. Scared to speak up? Preparation and practice can help you pull off the perfect speech. Oh, and don't forget to give yourself a positive pep talk. You can do it!
5. Get a good night's sleep. Not only will eight hours keep you mentally sharp, but a full night's rest can keep your appetite in check too. Experts recommend eight hours for everyone.
6. Is the Web site for your business representing your company in the best light possible? If not, spruce it up.
7. Set benchmarks for the progress of your business. Are you holding yourself accountable for meeting them? You should be.
8. Write to achieve. Write down your goals and dreams to declare yourself in the game. It's like holding up an "Open for Business" sign for your life.
9. Keep a notebook with you at all times. If you wake up at 3 a.m. with a brilliant idea, write it down. A blank notebook becomes a suggestion box for your brain, opening you up to new ideas.
10. Think of a favorite memory. When your mind is on overload, recalling a great memory can relax your mind. And it just might make you smile too.
- See more at: http://www.success.com/article/30-tips-to-take-control-of-your-life-now#sthash.XkO3Hhci.dpuf

1. Identify where you are stuck in your life. Take steps toward getting unstuck, even if it means pushing well beyond your comfort zone. Action is the only remedy for fear.
2. Develop your observing ego by stepping outside yourself and seeing who you are during the day. How do you come across to others? Do you like what you see? If you don't, modify your behavior.
3. Identify your biggest strengths and make sure you use those strengths in your profession. If you do, it's likely you have found your passion.
4. Scared to speak up? Preparation and practice can help you pull off the perfect speech. Oh, and don't forget to give yourself a positive pep talk. You can do it!
5. Get a good night's sleep. Not only will eight hours keep you mentally sharp, but a full night's rest can keep your appetite in check too. Experts recommend eight hours for everyone.
6. Is the Web site for your business representing your company in the best light possible? If not, spruce it up.
7. Set benchmarks for the progress of your business. Are you holding yourself accountable for meeting them? You should be.
8. Write to achieve. Write down your goals and dreams to declare yourself in the game. It's like holding up an "Open for Business" sign for your life.
9. Keep a notebook with you at all times. If you wake up at 3 a.m. with a brilliant idea, write it down. A blank notebook becomes a suggestion box for your brain, opening you up to new ideas.
10. Think of a favorite memory. When your mind is on overload, recalling a great memory can relax your mind. And it just might make you smile too.
- See more at: http://www.success.com/article/30-tips-to-take-control-of-your-life-now#sthash.XkO3Hhci.dpuf