A duck and a dream

I had the pleasure of watching arguably the world’s best magician David Copperfield live in Melbourne recently. The magic itself was awesome...

17 reasons you should always carry a book with you

1. As someone who used to spend a lot of time waiting for real estate clients to show up – I know that clients / appointments / people in general are often late...

Reality Television your way to Success

I think I’m one of the only “motivational speakers” (not that I call myself that) who will openly admit that I watch television. I watch bad television too… even… dare I say it… reality television.

Where is the love?!

One of my businesses, Elephant Property, works in the notoriously under appreciated category of residential property management. The old adage in property management...

The power of the word

I’m quite distraught. I was eating my personal trainer approved afternoon snack of 12 almonds (my suggestion of 12 Tim Tams: not approved)...

Monday, September 24, 2007

What's on your list?

I'm passionate about lists.

I'm passionate about goals.

Knowing that can you even imagine how passionate I am about my list of goals?! They sit in a box by my desk and each week I add to them. I add to the things I want to do before I leave this earth.

I found this great video online at: http://www.goals-2-go.com/ showing one person's goal list and what they've done with it. Enjoy!

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Friday, September 21, 2007

Don’t think the whole world knows what you do

I just received yet another text message from a company I have no recollection of. The text read “Garments ready for collection at XYZcompany”.

The first time I got this message I had no idea who XYZcompany (of course not their real name) were and only figured it out after the second text by asking random questions of a workmate.

Were they my dry cleaner? Were they a repair shop I’d ordered alterations at? Were they a clothes store? I literally had no idea and their text message gave me no clues.

When you’re sending out correspondence from your company – please don’t assume that people will remember your company name. It’s easy to get tunnel vision with this sort of communication thinking that if someone has used your company’s services they’ll instantly recall the name – but trust me – they may not. Why risk the frustration?

This message would have hit its target first time up if they’d simply said: “Garments ready for collection at XYZcompany uniforms, ph: 6355 5555, 123 Smith Street”.

PS – we just went and picked up our “garments” – and they’re fabulous!

By Kirsty Dunphey with No comments

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

10 Reasons A Pirate Should Be Your Entrepreneurial Role Model

Bring on September 19 - International Talk Like a Pirate Day! In honour of Johnny Depp, ITLAP Day, and the frivolities that go along with it, let’s talk about why you should forgo traditional entrepreneurial role models for the mighty pirate!

The English word pirate is derived ultimately from the Greek word peira meaning “attempt, experience”, or more implicitly "to find luck on the sea". Let’s see how much we can improve your entrepreneurial experience and find you some luck in the sea of business opportunities!

1. Get a parrot on your shoulder
The parrot on your shoulder can represent two things:
i) Your conscience. Every entrepreneur has moments in time where the easier option does not always represent the right option. Remember the parrot on your shoulder is there to guide you.
ii) Your mentor. The voice of guidance from someone who’s been there and done it. Get the right parrot (or mentor) and you’ll skyrocket to greater heights.

2. The eye patch
An entrepreneur needs to have selective vision. They need to be able to block out distractions and zone in on opportunities. Develop your own figurative eye patch by honing in on what you want to focus on – and making the rest walk the plank.

3. The funky pirate wear and the eye liner
An entrepreneur stands out from the crowd. Whether it’s John McGrath, Sydney real estate agent extraordinaire pioneering the no tie business look or Sergey Brin, google co-founder, wearing jeans and a t-shirt while giving a keynote to 10,000 people, entrepreneurs don’t feel the need to conform to outdated business standards. Most wildly successful entrepreneurs are there because they don’t conform in their businesses. They’re edgy and they try new things in their businesses, which quite often spills over into their outerwear and can make them easy to identify.

4. Any weather – Any time
A pirate’s ship and crew carry them through the roughest storms making them mobile, flexible and able to deal with a multitude of circumstances – just like the ultimate entrepreneur.

5. Live and die by the team
No pirate ever managed to crew an entire ship on their own and no successful entrepreneur ever got there without their own crew of motivated, engaged, talented individuals. In the boardroom as on the ocean – the undeserving leader will face a mutiny.

6. The bicorne hat
The entrepreneur needs to be a master of wearing many hats – even if they look as ridiculous as the Napoleon-esque bicorne hat! As an entrepreneur you’ll need to be motivator, innovator, initial implementer and so much more.

7. The peg leg
The pirate manages to swashbuckle all over the world on slippery decks, in rising oceans and with a peg leg no less! As entrepreneurs we all have our own disabilities. Perhaps you don’t have a formal education, perhaps you were poor growing up, perhaps your technology skills aren’t up to scratch. Be like a pirate and get over it! Whatever your peg leg is, compensate for it and move on!

8. The hook
If there’s one thing we all associate with pirates it’s a hook. As an entrepreneur you’ll need to be able to develop an amazing hook. You’ll need a hook to get people on board with your idea, you’ll need a hook to get investors or the bank interested, you’ll need a hook to get your customers frothing at the mouth for your product or service. If Johnny Depp was the hook for Pirates of the Caribbean – do you have a hook of that calibre for your entrepreneurial passion?

9. The treasure chest
Pirates are single minded in their search for treasure. They know what their treasure is and they have a map on how to get there. What is treasure for you? Is it the chest of gold, is it seeing your product in the market, is it having a crew who love coming to work each day? Know your treasure chest – your goal, and then set about developing a map for how to get there.

10. They just arrrrr
Pirates don’t need to define themselves as pirates. You look at them, you know it. Their crew knows it. They know it. Same thing goes for an entrepreneur. Like the passion for the sea – the passion for entrepreneurialism is in your blood. Your heart rate rises at the thought of a new business idea, your brain races and you can’t wait to hoist your colours up the flag pole and set sail on a new adventure.

And for some fun – try out this online English to Pirate translator: http://www.talklikeapirateday.com/translate/index.php

Arrr, t' your ongoin' success Gar – Kirsty

By Kirsty Dunphey with 2 comments

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