by Kirby Hasseman
Today was a snow day. I know, that’s not a huge revelation on February 1st in Ohio. The winter that had started out very mild, has turned more harsh over the last couple of weeks. So when I got the call this morning to alert me that school was cancelled, it was not a huge surprise. The call came a about 15 minutes before my scheduled alarm was set to go off. And, as I processed the information, I realized that my morning appointment had cancelled yesterday. My morning had just opened up. I stood up and turned my alarm off. Then I crawled back into bed and snuggled under the covers with my lovely bride…and smiled. It was a “little moment of celebration.” In business and in life, we are taught to celebrate the huge victories. If you win the big game, land the huge client, graduate, get married, or get that job, we throw a party. These are special moments and they should be celebrated. But moments like that are, well, special. That means they are (by definition) rare. They don’t come along that often. And while they are fun to celebrate in that moment (and great to shoot for) they don’t provide many opportunities for satisfaction. In the middle of grinding for a big goal, I think it’s important to give yourself reasons to celebrate along the way. These moments of happiness and gratitude can help to boost you when you need it. In addition, they can help to provide some level of fulfillment along the way. These “little moments of celebration” can help you with that. Now don’t get me wrong. It’s not a daily time to be lazy. It’s a simple time to take a breath and take stock. Then, after reflecting on how far you have come, or how much you have to be thankful for, you can get back to work. Make sure you never miss an update or a chance for a “little celebration.” Sign up to become our VIP! Each week we send a list of the content we have created to provide you value. Sign up for that here.
by Kirby Hasseman
With all of my talk of goal-setting on this blog (and there is plenty of it), I thought it would be only fair for me to share my goals for 2019 here. This is always a bit of a scary exercise for me. On the other hand, it’s sort of a “practice what I preach” moment as well. In the interest of transparency, there are a few I have left off. They are a bit more specific and personal. Either way, here are quite a few of my goals, with a bit of information about them! 1. Increase Hasseman Marketing Sales 45%: This is a lofty goal. But we sent a firm foundation in 2018. We finished the 2nd half of the year with nearly 25% growth. My hope is this will be a year that we take it to the next level. 2. Increase Youtube Subscribers to 1000. I plan to do more vlogs this year and I think this makes sense. You can help by subscribing here! Please do. 3. Run/Walk 15 Miles Per Week: This one is pretty straight forward and falls under the Fitness category. (Read about the 5 F’s of Goal Setting here). 4. Take 3 Cool Trips with Amy: We have one scheduled, so I am on my way. But anytime when we get to hang out…is very good. 5. Write New Book: This one has been hanging out there for me for a while. I have the title and the idea. I just need to put in the work. 6. Sell 500 Copies of Books: I have two books out there now that I think are worthy of purchase. I need to do a much better job of promoting. Again, you can help with this one. Delivering Marketing Joy (about doing promo better) is here. In addition, the book Fan of Happy (personal development lessons I wrote for my daughters) is here. 7. Pay off Credit Card Debt: Though it’s not a huge number, it’s one that I need to fix. 8. Increase Personal Savings: This is not a mountainous number…I would like for it to be! 9. Be a better Father and Husband: Here is where I make the case for “non-measurable” goals. I don’t how to quantify this. But I do know that I need to continue to improve and focus on this. Having this on my list every year helps me do that. So that’s my goal list for 2019. What are your thoughts? What am I missing? Thanks for reading along and lending your support. I truly appreciate it. Feel free to become a VIP. You can do that by signing up here.
by Kirby Hasseman
This time of year, everyone is looking for the perfect gift. And if not the perfect gift…an easy one. So if you are looking for a low cost, last minute gift for someone on your list, let me submit these to you. Fan of Happy: This is the book I initially wrote for my daughters. During their most challenging teenage years I decided that there were lessons I wanted to share with them. The problem is, they didn’t want to hear them. So I started writing them down to share later. What I came up with was 110 personal development lessons that are appropriate for just about anyone. If you like the style of writing (and the lessons) from this blog, you might enjoy this book. Delivering Marketing Joy: This is a book I wrote for anyone who is charged with marketing an organization. There are tons of books written on social media, marketing tactics, email marketing and more. But one of the most powerful (and long lasting) forms of marketing is Promotional Premiums (or promotional products or SWAG), and unfortunately there are not a lot of books on how to do Promo right. This is that book. There are chapters on trade shows, direct mail, promo with social and many include case studies from all over the country. If you know someone that wants to up their marketing game, this might be a cool gift for them. The Written Goal: Finally, for those last minute gifts, you could check out my friend Sam Kabert’s book called The Written Goal. I am a big believer in goal setting and the power of “writing it down” so I am excited to check out Sam’s take on it. I also know the amount of time, energy and work that goes into writing a book! It’s an awesome undertaking. Great job Sam. So those are a couple of last minute gift ideas that can help you (or the person on your list) start off their New Year right! Make sure you never miss an update! Become a VIP. What does that mean? It means we send out one email per week to catch you up on content for the week. It’s a great way to stay motivated. Sign up for our VIP newsletter here.
by Kirby Hasseman
“In 5 years you be the same person, except for the people you meet and the books you read.” You have the ability to get smarter. You have the ability to grow. You are NOT the same person you will be…if you choose to read (or listen to) books. You get to choose. But what books? I have already given you a list of books that I recommend for people in sales (and we are all in sales).
That got me thinking about the books that I think are foundational. These are the books, that if you haven’t already read, I think you should.
These are the 5 books I want my daughters to read.
Mindset by Carol Dwek: If you have not read this book, start here. In this book Dr. Carol Dwek explains that there are really only two mindsets; fixed and growth. And your Mindset, can unknowingly determine the overall trajectory of your life. This is powerful and is a must read for anyone that wants to get better…at anything.
7 Habits for Highly Effective People: Yes I recommend this book a lot. That’s because I find myself quoting it all the time, and it’s been years since I read it. There are so many foundational principles in it that can help anyone. If you want to improve, then be pro-active, stay in your circle of influence, and sharpen the saw by reading this book! 🙂
The 5 Second Rule: This is a great book to get you un-stuck. It’s a simple principle…but simple does not always mean easy. And if you are going to get this one, I recommend the audiobook because the author Mel Robbins is awesome on it.
The Happiness Equation: I found this one easy to read and a pleasure to learn. Your mind functions better when you feed it “happy.” Author Neil Pasricha explains the “hows” and the “whys” in this great book.
Fan of Happy: Okay, you have to give me this one. It’s a book about personal development that I (quite literally) wrote for my daughters. You can check it out here.
So those are just a few “foundational” books on personal development that I think everyone (including my daughters) should read. As always, let me know your favorites! And remember, never miss an update by signing up for our VIP newsletter here!
