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Marketing Fail

Marketing Fail!

By Leadership, Motivation 2 Comments

I am at the post office getting stamps and I look to my right to see the above image. Freedom is scratched out and I ask the cashier “Why does the line go through the FOREVER like that?”

He says, “It’s so people don’t steal them and try to use them as a stamp.”

I laughed and thought he was joking because they are magnets. I thought “a) are there really people that dumb enough to try and use an oversized magnet as a stamp and b) why on earth would they choose to put a line through FOREVER?”

He did not laugh back and was completely serious!

They could have made any other mark. A huge X through the entire stamp. They could have put a watermark over it. they could have done so many other things than cross out FOREVER!

All I am saying is I am considering this to be a HUGE marketing failure for the Post Office! Would you agree?

Question: What is a “Fail” you have seen recently? 

 

photo by Crystal Cathedral Ministries

Schuller – Friday Quote Day

By Motivation, Quotes One Comment

This week’s quotes focus on a man named Robert H. Shculler. I read as many quotes as I can and look to remember many of them to help when I am speaking or to use in my workshops. Here are a few powerful ones to keep you motivated and heading in the right direction!

“Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines.” – Robert H. Schuller

“I’d rather attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed.” – Robert H. Schuller

“Tough times never last, but tough people do.” – Robert H. Schuller

“High achievers spot rich opportunities swiftly, make big decisions quickly and move into action immediately. Follow these principles and you can make your dreams come true.” – Robert H. Schuller

“Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future.” – Robert H. Schuller

“Goals are not only absolutely necessary to motivate us. They are essential to really keep us alive.” – Robert H. Schuller

Question: What is your favorite quote above? 

Keep Going!

By Leadership, Motivation No Comments

When you are going for your goals there will be obstacles in your way! The bigger the goal, the bigger the obstacles!

They are there as markers to see if you are ready to make your dreams happen! Look at them… and run right through!

We all have goals and dreams and when a bump comes up or a roadblock stands in our way, we have to keep fighting and moving forward toward the dreams we have for ourselves.

This week has been full of surprises, ups and downs and some major roadblocks! However, so many people and organizations are on board for the World Record on April 16th and this goal is worth fighting for.

Your goal is also! Keep going, keep pushing yourself and keep making things happen! It’s worth it! As always…

Dream BIG,

Ryan Avery

Question: What goal do you want to accomplish this year? What obstacle stands in your way?

World Record for the Largest Book Signing in History with Ryan Avery

1,000 Signatures and counting…

By Motivation, World Records 4 Comments

I have started my training for the World Record on April 15th. 5,000 signatures in ten hours will be what it takes to take home the gold.

I wanted to see how many times I could sign my name before my wrist got weak and I got to about 1,000. Then I switched to my left hand and as you can see from the photo above… I have a lot of work to do before then… especially with my left hand signature.

At first, 5,000 signatures seems doable… then you try it and you tell yourself you better get training!

So today I am putting together a training schedule to get ready for this record. It will include signing my name more 100,000 times, writing 500 letters, doing push-ups everyday and working with one of those 5-pound hand grips with a spring.

If I want to do this, training is a must.

This week I am in Fort Collins meeting with campus and community organizations to help market the event and get people on board to break a World Record at CSU! Remember to stay in touch by signing up for the blog at the top right hand corner of this page and email me at ryan@averytoday.com if you have ideas or contacts that can help with the event!

Once I get my training schedule completed, I will share with you my plans to get ready to sign 5,000 books on April 15th! Together… we will break a world record!!! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan Avery

WORLD RECORD ANNOUNCEMENT

By Leadership, Motivation 9 Comments

I am excited to announce that on April 16th with the help of McGraw-Hill, 800 CEO Read, Alpha Kappa Psi, local Toastmasters, Fort Collins community members and students at Colorado State University, together we will break the record for the largest book signing in history!

The current record according to the Guinness Book of World Records is: The most books signed by one author in a single session is 4,649 by Sammy Lee (Hong Kong), who signed his book “Autopilot Leadership Model” in Shenyang, Liaoning, China, on 19 January 2013.

There will be more to come and in the next eight weeks. I will blog about our journey, planning and what it takes to break the record. Make sure to subscribe to the blog posts (right-hand corner of this post) because I will send out information on giveaways, ways to help and how you can be part of this World Record!

We will sign 5,000 copies of my (and Jeremey Donovan’s) new book – Speaker, Leader, Champion: Succeed at Work Through the Power of Public Speaking on April 16th. Email me at ryan@averytoday.com if you have ideas of how you can help, people you know who can promote the event or if you want to volunteer the day of the signing!

I am beyond excited to be breaking this world record with you and can’t wait for us to make history at CSU!

As always….

Dream BIG,
Ryan Avery

Robin Sharma and Ryan Avery

START – Friday Quote Day

By Leadership, Motivation, Quotes One Comment

Each Friday I will give you five quotes to get ready for the weekend.

Each week I will focus on one word.

Because this is the first week of many, I thought it would be appropriate for the first word of Friday Quote Day to be … “Start!!”

“There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting.” – Buddha

“Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another.” – John Dewey

“You just have to keep on doing what you do. It’s the lesson I get from my husband; he just says, Keep going. Start by starting.” – Meryl Streep

Starting out to make money is the greatest mistake in life. Do what you feel you have a flair for doing, and if you are good enough at it, the money will come.” – Greer Garson

“It’s impossible to map out a route to your destination if you don’t know where you’re starting from.” – Suze Orman

What is your favorite quote above? Do you have a quote you can add about starting? Share your comments below and share this article if you feel inspired! As always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

 

The Question You Should Be Asking Yourself!

By Motivation No Comments

When Chelsea and I were first starting out we asked ourselves, “What do I want to do?”

We pondered over this question, got frustrated by this question and often ignored it thinking that would help.

“What do I want to do?” became a common sentence that would run off our tongue so many times it sounded like it was on repeat!

“What do I want to do… with my life?” 

“What do I want to do… with my career?”

“What do I want to do… with my relationship?”

We would go in circles and become frustrated with the answers. Not sure of what we wanted. Until we changed the question with one word! Instead of “What do I want to do?” we started saying, “What can I do?”

“What can I do… with my life?” 

“What can I do… with my career?”

“What can I do…with my relationship?”

This opened up our minds and let a new light in. We were aware of what we could do and capable of. Once we realized all the things we could accomplish, that is when we moved to, “Now what do we want to do with it and why?”

What can you do? What can you do right now to make your life better? What do you have right now that can make you happier? What one thing can you do to be a better friend, family member or member of society?

Change the “what do I want” to “what can I” and your life will change. For us it did! It brought us clarity and keeps us focused on what is important in our life. We are not bogged down by the weight of what we want to do but rather understand we are capable of so much more. Focusing on the “can” helps you create your “why!”

So my question for you today is, “What can you do?” Think about it and use it to make things happen in your life! Enjoy your day and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan

P.s. Did you like this concept? Press your preferred social media icon below and share it with your network!  

5 Hotel Habits That Affected My Home Life

By Motivation One Comment

(Photo: Chelsea eating chips in our “non-sleeping” bed!)

The past six months we lived exclusively in hotels. We hopped from one room to the next and slept in more than 72 cities in 2013 during our North American Tour.

Fresh sheets every night, 24/7 room service, concierge to pick up and deliver your dry cleaning and free wifi was something I was getting used to.

The tour ended this month and we moved back into a new apartment in downtown Portland. We are taking February and March to create new content and enjoy being home.

We have been in our new place for almost a month and I now understand when Stephen Covey said, “We become what we repeatedly do.”  Here are five hotel habits that affected my home life: 

1) You don’t have two beds where you can eat in one and sleep in the other. 
2) There is no 24/7 room service available so if you are hungry you have to make it yourself and choice are limited. 
3) If you leave your towels on the ground they stay there and are not replaced magically. 
4) Losing your keys does not mean you can go downstairs and get new ones.
5) Wifi, toilet paper and shampoo are not free you have to pay for those!

After waking up to a house full of clothes on the ground, no fresh towels, almost locking myself out of the house and getting a bill from Comcast… I was reminded, “The habits you form, form you!” It is easy to fall in a trap and let your habits get the best of you. 

It is good to check in with yourself every now and then and look at what habits you are creating for yourself. What habits are you forming now that will shape your life later? The longer you have a habit, the harder it is to break! So let’s make a change and set a goal!

Goal: Identify one habit you must get rid of and one you can implement in your daily life that will help you achieve more. (For example, one habit I need to get rid of is thinking I am living in a hotel. It is not good for my home life or relationship! One habit I  implemented last year was I must write at least one sentence a day, everyday! This one habit keeps me researching, learning and teaching).

Let me know your habit-related goal below in the comments! Keep making things happen and as always…

Dream BIG,
Ryan Avery

Make Things Happen With Ryan Avery

GIVEAWAY: What Are You Doing to Make Things Happen?

By Leadership, Motivation 23 Comments

I am excited to be launching my new website, RyanAvery.com. This blog will focus on articles that enhance our life, improve our communication and identify what it takes for us to be more successful.

As many of you know, my tagline is “Dream BIG.” About five years ago I had someone say… “Yeah Ryan, we know you are a dreamer but what are you doing to make those big dreams come true?”

Ever since then I am reminded everyday that you can’t just dream, you have to act! You have to put the work in. You have to think BIG and start small but remember if we can’t dream it, there is no way we can achieve it!

So… “What are you doing to #MakeThingsHappen in your life?” 

What goals do you have? What dreams are you working towards? What are you doing today and everyday to make sure you are living the life you want?

Today’s GIVEAWAY: Leave a comment below before February 11th at 12pm PST and two lucky winners will receive a signed copy of my new DVD Push Past It! 

I am looking forward to continuing to provide content that will help us be stronger communicators, leaders and more successful. Leave your comment below, stick around and subscribe for more articles. Enjoy the start of your week and as always…

Dream BIG,

Ryan Avery

Ryan’s Archived Articles

By Motivation No Comments

Want to read articles that will help you be a stronger speaker, leader and champion? Read Ryan’s archived articles on

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