10 Things To Live For

1. to embrace your values
2. to make a difference
3. to help others
4. to learn
5. to teach
6. to earn
7. to give
8. to love
9. to achieve
10. to share ideas with others

Take an opportunity to study to true meaning of thees reasons for living, and then share them with some one else. If you have noticed, on this site, I do not in any way write things that are shocking or crude or offensive. The only way others will hear about this positive site is for you to share it with them. I would appreciate your help in encouraging positive thought and share this site with two friends, it would me the world to me!

The Core Questions of the Non-Profit Sector

Why are nonprofit organizations such a significant part of the culture and local community in the United States?
Non-profits exist to help others. The benefits instilled in our culture include personal growth, career development, social development, cognitive/ academic development and it’s all to better the community.
What are five things all not-for-profit agencies should do to provide appropriate and effective customer service?
Devise a strategy. Get the top management to behave like customer service fanatics. Concentrate on motivating and training employees. Design services that make good customer service possible. Invest in service infrastructure.


What is a vision and why is it important?

A vision is the picture of what is possible for the organization. It evolves into a shared dream for your organization. Visions always picture hope and greatness, and aim at changing the world for those the organization serves.

Visions suggest future orientation
Visions can-notes a standard of excellence, and ideal. It implies a choice of value.
Vision has the quality of Uniqueness. It hints at what makes something special.

Characters of a Leader

1.Self- aware} recognize yourself
2. Self- Regulation} Thinking B 4 Acting
3. Motivation} passion to work for no money
4. Empathy} Understanding others
5. Social Skills} Charm- build networks
Emotional Intelligence

16 Potential Revenue Sources for Non-profits

1. Trade Shows
2. Conferences
3. Continuing Education Programs
4. Journals, Trade Magazines
Subscriptions
Advertising
5. Special Publications
Research
Independent Studies
Books
Education Materials
Directories
6. Sponsorships
Conference Activity
Publications
Networking Functions
Working group, Chat rooms
7. Research/Statistics
8. Certification Programs
9. Grants
Government
Private
Foundations
10. Cause-Related Marketing
11. Event By-Products
Tapes
Cd-Roms
Conference Proceedings
12Websites
Chat rooms
Banner advertising
Job Postings
13. Sale of Mail Lists
14. Warehousing Supplies
15. Franchised Chapters
16. Cost Sharing Alliances

The Guide to Social Change (How the Rich Change Society and the Poor and Middle Class Follow)

The Guide to Social Change (How the Rich Change Society and the Poor and Middle Class Follow)
The V and the D in the Humanitarian Quadrants have few tax advantages. Working out of these quadrants makes you poorer while the S and the P do get richer. It works like this: (See picture at top of page)

Because there are many more tax advantages for the S and the P they are able to keep more money. By paying less in taxes they are able to utilize their financial resources when making a social change. Think about this, would you like your children’s college paid for? Rich people are able to help their children move ahead and poor people are not because of the tax advantages associated with the humanitarian quadrants. Did you know that if you start a foundation that the money is tax free and can actually grow to put more than just your children and family through college? Social entrepreneurs and philanthropists know that money set aside in a foundation protects their assets and allows children to go to college on tax free money. However, volunteers and donors can not just send their children to school tax free.

Understanding the mind set of the S and the P are very important to making social changes. The S and the P get their governmental policies passed because their children that go to higher education are hand picked by the organization itself. Those children are going to grow up with the framed outlook to prevent society from going in the direction contradictory to what the S and the P want out of life.

A Problem with Passion?

Do your employees struggle with enthusiasm or passion for the job? Passion is not something that just happens to your employees or yourself it is a planned operation. Just as you have a plan for how you are going to market you business you should have a plan for how you are going to build passion in your company. There are four ways to build passion in your organization: developing a strong mission, building a training program, including your employees in goal setting.

Developing your mission!
What is your company’s purpose? Why do you exist? If you do not have something to live for then you merely exist, not living? Have a strong company mission is one to the biggest builders of passion in any organization. Many for profit companies could take a cure from the not-for-profits. People who work in the nonprofit industry have amazing passion for their mission. You mission should be instilled during your formal training program.

Building a training program!
When I was working for the YMCA of Greater Saint Louis one of my main projects was to compile research into understandable charts that show the efficiency of the training program. From my research the YMCA was able to determine that training (Formal) training improved employee retention rates, improved employee moral, improved the number of customers, decreased customer un-happiness, and helped raise more money. All in all I would say, in conclusion, training improves passion! What is your training program like? During formal training your company has the perfect opportunity to include employees in company goal setting.

Including your employees in goal setting!
By including your employees in company goal setting you not only help shape the future of your organization, get buy in, improve passion, and help your employee understand goal setting, you create an environment of creativity that will help fuel your organization. Having employee buy in improve the passion they have for the organization. Goals help them feel like part of the team and that they belong.

Where do you belong?

Humanitarian Quadrants (Cont.)

Why do nonprofits have paid leaders/employees?
A. Managing volunteers takes a lot of time
Planning Organizing
Motivation
Staff Placement
Leadership

What are the responsibilities of a paid leader in a nonprofit?
B. The paid people do the dirty work that most volunteers don’t want to do
C. Fill the needs of Volunteers through
1. A Mission
2. Providing Fun
3. Self- Fulfillment
4. Showing Productivity
5. Good Direction
6. Recognition

How do you keep good volunteers?
D. Good relationships
1. Treat them how you want to be treated
2. Become a social base
3. Make the job easy enough for them to be successful
4. Recognition of good job.

People in the S and P Quadrant know and understand this compleetly and this is why they are able to make the greatest social changes!!!

Humanatrian Quardants (TM)

Think back to the Humanitarian Quadrants™, many of times people will say to me “I volunteered this weekend and I made a difference.” I will in turn reply, “While it was very nice, and probably well intentioned, you did not make a difference.” Volunteering as well as Donating are on the left side of the Humanitarian Quadrants ™ . The left side of the quadrants does not make social change only the right side does. Let me explain: Social Entrepreneurs and Philanthropist are truly making the social change, you working in their system helps them to accomplish their social change.
Volunteers and donors have no control in the social arena, especially when trying to make a difference. Think back to 911, the Red Cross was responsible for collecting millions of dollars for the incident. What happened? The Red Cross received to many donations, more than enough to support the disaster of 911 so they redistributed to money, while they did catch some heat, they were never truly punished for not informing the donors. Why? Because it is the social entrepreneurs and philanthropist that make all the decisions for the Red Cross. They are the people in control of who, what, when, where, why, and how. Social changes are made by these decision makers. The donors and volunteers are only pawn in their strategic moves.

If you want to make a big difference you must begin to think like a philanthropist, or social entrepreneur and less like a volunteer. Instead of wasting your time you could be spending your time making a difference.

How do you spend your time?

The Humanitarian Quadrants

Lesson's Realting to Social Change:
Things the People in Power don't Want You to Know About Helping People

V= Volunteer
D= Donor
S = Social Entrepreneur
P= Philanthropist


This is a teaching tool that I will use in the future to describe how to create a social change for the betterment of mankind. Each person is from one of these, and operates in one of these quadrants during their life. While the V and the D are on the Outside of Social Change the S and the P are on the inside

Leadership, Ethics, Busisness Oh My

The foundation of an individual’s life that is not associated with their physical body, but the make up of their personality and confidence that is to search, by logical reasoning, for the understanding of basic truths (principals of the universe, life, morals, and human perception). This is the definition of ethics broken down to its foundation, to the core, to the root of the word. When discussing ethics it’s a matter of absolutes, maybe not absolute right but definitely absolute wrong. Leader-follower, follower-follower, and follower-group relationships are established in a leadership situation, and each relationship must be based on ethics or the cesspool of corruption starts to collect its bacteria that feed on the unethical ideology. There are four ways that something can be absolutely wrong and here is how: “nothing is better than me, and I’ve earned it all myself”, “hurting others with the intent of bettering myself”, and “I’m going to punish the innocent, to protect myself.”

“Nothing is better than me, and I’ve earned it all myself.”
An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
- Martin Luther King Jr.
Be for sure of what you make greater than yourself. What you follow. What you make your God, your moral guidance, your leader. It is no lie to say that everyone will worship something; there is no doubt about that. What makes-up the person is their thoughts and their dreams. That is what makes-up their character and credibility. What you choose to follow is what you are becoming. When one views one self as the greatest and proclaims that he follows no moral guidance he is saying, he decides what is right and what is wrong. We must as a society care about the needs of others, stand strong in what we choose to worship, and remember there is something greater than me. I only got to where I am through the help or allowance of others.

“Hurting others with the intent of bettering myself.”
What is worse damaging someone physically, mentally, or spiritually? I say damaging others to better myself is worse, because when I do I damage all three. Do not take advantage of people. Give your word and stick by it. We ought always to deal justly, not only with those who are just to us, but likewise to those who endeavor to injure us; and this, for fear lest by rendering them evil for evil, we should fall into the same vice. Good people do not need laws to keep them from hurting others, and bad people can always find a way around laws.

“I’m going to punish the innocent, to protect myself.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson:
The moral sense reappears today with the same morning newness that has been from of old the fountain of beauty and strength. You say there is no religion now. 'Tis like saying in rainy weather, There is no sun, when at that moment we are witnessing one of its superlative effects.


You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership. If you have ever sat in a class, and then cheated off your friend’s homework, and then got caught. Your teacher punishes your friend but not you. It was you who in-fact cheated, and you let your fried get punished for doing nothing wrong; you are unethical and do not deserve to be a leader. Although, all leaders must make mistakes but truly be able to admit them.

In conclusion a selfish person with selfish reasons for selfish gains is unethical. All “ethics” means is that there is something greater than me. In our society people tell me all the time that I can achieve anything I want to in our culture, but what they don’t tell me is that it takes others to get there. I can not lead myself because something bigger than me will always guide my decisions. That guidance is my ethics and those who lead with ethics which have the least amount of selfishness will gain the most in the end.

Basic Elements on Public Relations

1). What are the five common elements in the definition of Public Relations?

1. Management Function
2. Two way Communication
3. Planned Activity
4. Researched Based Social Science
5. Socially Responsible

2). How is PR related to the concept of relationship management

Well managed organizations know they must have good relationship with publics important to their success. Good relationships can reduce threats such as litigation, regulation, boycotts, or lost revenues.

3). Hunt-Gruing models of PR are? Why are they important?

1. Press/ Publicity model – Coverage, Or Publicity
2. Public Info Model – Accurate information
3. Two Way Asymmetrical – influencing a particular point
4. Two Way Symmetrical – two way communication of conflict resolution

They are important because they help predict the future. Organizations that practice PR correctly are said to be successful but the organizations who don’t fail. This is important in deciding what organization to work for if you specialize in relationship management.

4). How do PR and Marketing differ.

Marketing- Process of researching, creating, refining, and promoting a product or service and distributing that product or service to targeted consumers.
PR- management of an organization’s relationships with its publics.

5). Four steps it traditional PR.

1. Research
2. Planning
3. Communication
4. Evaluation

6). Why is PR considered a dynamic process?

It is a critical thinking process involving a constant analysis and reevaluation of information. What was true yesterday is not true today.

7). Describe the role values play in PR.

Values are the fundamental beliefs and standards that drive behaviors and decision making.

Personal Ingredients

Personal development

- what goes into you?
What are your personal ingredients?

Just as it is important to know what many of the ingredients in your retail products do, it is more important to know what ingredients you need to become successful and out perform the other products in your market. As you know in the retail hair care market there are many, many, many competitors. With out having the proper ingredients in your product ultimately it will have poor performance. When you find the right formula your career will catapult upwards and you will begin to feel what it is to have the best product available. There are five main ingredients that your products needs:
1.Education
2.Organization
3.Discipline
4.Values
5.Dreams

10 Things that I Learned today

1. Banks ask for a lot more information to pre-qualify you for a loan than they need
2. Most 21 year olds don't invest in property
3. My wife is REALY GOOD at putting on make-up
4. Some people were never supposed to be business owners some how they still are
5. Giving FREE SAMPLES does absolutely no good for wholesalers charge at least $0.50 for anything
6. There is a new support group for smokers similar to AA that helps smokers and nonsmokers alike and it is sponsored by Barns Jewish Hospital
7. In sales if you can touch your customer on the shoulder, hands, or arm in an appropriate way do so, touch is one of the biggest factors to opening up a relationship and building trust
8. Repeat sales are almost as tough to get as the first one especially because they know what your product or service does its best to lock them into a long term agreement.
9. Go out of your way to please a customer
10. Don't get upset when somebody misses a meeting with you. Even if you have called them and sent them a thank you card with the schedule time and date. Stay positive, if not it will cost you sales!

You’ve got the power!

For the first time in my life I was truly able to understand the law of magnetism.

I had just finished reading one of the many books in my library. The premise of the book was that with the right attitude people and success will become attracted to you hence the law of magnetism spoke about in John Maxwell’s book “the 21 irrefutable law of leadership”. The new book I read was practical applications for the law of magnetism or law of attraction!

The unique thing about this book is you can not find it in any bookstore it is passed among the elite members of society. I started practicing many of the things in the book and guess what they worked.

Three days ago I received a phone call from one of my friends. We had not spoken in two days, not because of a fight but because we were very busy in our careers. Had asked me what was going on in my life, and I replied honestly and sincerely. The funny thing was in the past two days since we talk I had started and grew a company, Got re-involved in my religion, set up to purchase two apartment complexes, My mother quit smoking, and about 13 other great things that were happening in my life.

Nick stated “Nathan I feel like if I don’t talk to you every day I am going to miss something.”

That’s kind of the point is it? We want to be able to accomplish, produce, and grow. The Lord even Calls us to grow and be “Fruitful and Produce” We were designed for accomplishment.

The ability to capture and understand the law of magnetism will undoubtedly multiply your life by 10. The ability to magnetize people to you is available to anyone who desires.

If you have some extra time, I always make time to help people in search of bettering themselves. We can set up a lunch just give me a call. Your first test to see if you are serious about help is to find my number!!!

What else can I get you?

It was not to long ago that my wife and I went to the grocery store. I thought that this was going to be a quick trip but I soon learned that no shopping trip with my wife is a quick experience. Anyways, as we were walking through the grocery store picking out all the food we needed for the month, we suddenly remembered we forgot the lunch meat.

Now little did I know I was about to get a lesson in persuasion, sales, and motivation. It is not important what meat we were to buy it was the man behind the counter that did all the teaching. To understand the lesson it is important to first understand our conversation.

Deli Employee: How are you two today (Friendly Greeting)
Nathan & Wife: Excellent!
Deli Employee: Wow! You two are with it tonight. How can I serve you two?
Nathan: Well, We need 1lbs of lemon pepper chicken
Deli Employee: and, what else can I get you?
Nathan: We need some turkey how about a half pound
Deli Employee: and, what else can I get you?
Nathan: We will take a pound of roast beef.
Deli Employee: And, what else can I get you?

I finally caught on to the man’s game, but at this point I could not tell him to take back the meat. What we went there for was turkey, but we left with every thing else. Why? I believe that it was because of this employee’s kind greeting, serving attitude, and phrasing “what else can I get you.” This very specific question can be very powerful.

What else can I get you?

How far shall I go?

How far shall I go?

How far shall I go?
As far as you possibly can!
How high should I reach?
As high as you possibly can!
How much should I read?
As much as you possibly can!
How many should I lead?
As many as you possibly can!
How big should I get?
As big as you possibly can!
How much should I learn?
As much as you possibly can!
How much should I earn?
As much as you possibly can!


Thank you Jim Rohn!

Mapping out your Career!

It has been over 7 months since I graduated from Lindenwood University, with a B.A. in not-for-profit management. Since then, I took a job selling websites, advertising, tried to start a business, and now sell hair care products to salons.

The field of not-for-profit (my passion) has yet to cross my path, so I wondered; why in the world did I get a degree in non-profit management and start my career as a salesman?

Today I took out one of my old text books (GOD thats like taking out an old girlfriend on a "I've got no one date") and started flipping through it. So many ideas started racing through my head. Is it possible for a social-preneur to get excited about sales? Why do I take jobs in fields that do not relate to my interests?

I want to help people and make a difference. I want to change society for the better, but currently, I can not find a cause or issue I am interested in. Of course I want to help where it is needed but, where do you find the need?

I know that a sales career is helping people help themselves. The good thing about selling hair care products is that you don’t get thrown out on you ass, like in advertising sales, however, I wonder how big a difference do I make in peoples life?

Growing up I was always in the leadership role, but now not so much. I like the idea of leading organizations, setting the culture, and helping people grow; how do you do that as the salesman?

This blog was a lot of philosophical personal question, I know that. I recommend that in your daily journal you take some time to jot down some of your questions you have about your life. I read somewhere that questions are like the road map, you keep driving and driving thinking you know exactly where you are, but you have no idea (you’re truly lost). You reach into the glove box and pull out the folded up QUESTIONS. I can't ever fold the questions back up and put them back in the glove box!

What are your goals for the future?

I recently read a good book that helped me re-evaluate my goals. In previous post I wrote about ideas of value-goals. It is important for you as the reader to understand the value-goal before you continue reading this post.

I found it is easied to focus on your goals if you separate them into seperate catagories. The catagories let your mind develop ways to help each happen. Our brains work simaliar to a computer and by labeling the files it is easier for you to recall the goal every day. Next, filing your goals allow you to pull or draw from other information that can be vital in accomplishing that goal. Lastly, Filing goals help you to create a balanced life.

The three catagories I used when setting my goals include: health, wealth, and love. According to all the books I have read, and experience I have gained, goals are not accomplished just because you write them down. In a previous post you will learn that goals are accomplished when you do the following: Read about topics related to your goals, write about ideas and actions to accomplish your goals, investigate or ask people questions that relate to your goal, and lastly, speak or talk about your goals. (do forget you have to provide the actions, take opprotunities, and not procrastinate.

My Goals Broken Down:
Health
Chemical: I will enjoy not smoking and abuseing alchol
Physical: I will enjoy weighin 185 lbs
Mental: I will enjoy reading 3 new books per month
Wealth
Financial: I will enjoy my first day as a millionare
Work: I will enjoy making over $100,000 a year
Lifestyle: I enjoy vacations once a year and appreciate the people that help around the house.
Love
Friends: I will have 6 groups of friends that get along with my wife
Family: I will spend more time envolved with my family every year.
Sexual: ************** Not appropriate

Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is!

Have you ever made someone put their money where their mouth is? Two years ago, as a college student, I was leading a fundraising campaign for our Annual American Humanics Golf Tournament. American Humanics is a campus organization that develops non profit leaders. The goal was $5,000 and it was going to come from HOLE sponsorships.

As the fundraising chair, I began to make it my personal goal to raise all the money as I loved the organization, and I wanted it to continue to grow for future nonprofit leaders. Chris Burk, was the president, Bryon Haverstick, was the vice president, Sheryl Guffy was the Dean of Humanics and Jack Beckerle was our Campus Advisor. Not to mention Jack was my fundraising teacher the semester prior.

Sitting in my dorm room I began to think back to last semester: What did Jack teach us?

Raising money lessons:
The Board of Directors, The volunteers, and the staff have to buy into the mission and support the organization with their time, talents, and money.
Ask for specific amounts, People will give you $100 if you ask for it but they could give you $20 if you ask for a donation
Have one major Goal for the entire campaign, and have all the specific reasons that you are raising money lined out for people to follow.
Before you can ask for money you must first have give your donation.

So I finished my planning, and I had three levels of sponsorships $50 silver, $75 gold, and the big $100 platinum donation levels. I also completed designing the pledge cards with all the future goals of American Humanics.

The next day I had a conversation with Jack our student advisor after his new fundraising class let out. The conversation went a little like this:

Me: Hi JACK how are you?
Jack: Fine, how is the fundraising going
Me: Great! However, Last year I had this very WISE professor teach me that the first people to give during the annual campaign should be the people with the most invested interest. And I would say that the student Advisor has an Invested interest. What would you say!
Jack: Nathan you are killing me.
Me: Jack that $100 hole sponsorship pledge card is due by next Friday for all board member and advisors.
Jack: Nathan you made me put my money where my mouth is!

We laughed and I became $100 closer to our fundraising goal.

How much do you give?

4 Ways to Attract Success

Sometimes living everyday it’s hard, when going through the motions, to step back and evaluate where you are and where you want to be. There is always something that is important and needs to get finished. As we grow older time seems to fly by and personal time disappears. It’s funny and ironic that: in our personal time we as humans dream, discover, and explore our inner most desires.

So, as the days go on, the time for planning our future is reduced to the carpet that needs replacing and the PRM report need by Friday. Is it possible to find time to dream?

It is in those times of dream, discover, and exploration ideas are created, enterprises are discovered, and communities are changed. If it is true that success attracts success; how do we get the ball rolling with all of the other challenges in our lives? Can a person continue their life, job, and responsibilities and make a difference in the future?

The following and methods used to create success, build wealth, and fulfill dreams

I have discovered 4 ways to get the ball rolling and get on the right track. These methods are for people dedicated to taking the lead in life and are methods used by many of the world’s most successful people.

1). Read
It seems simple enough, however my suggestions is to read things you are already interested in. By reading you can begin to distort your experience cure. Reading can eliminate many of the problems someone else had in your similar situation. Reading expands your mind and helps you to dream. Reading can be accomplished while standing in line or waiting for an order. I read somewhere that if you read about a topic for thirty min. every day for the next five years, about one topic, by the fifth year you would be an expert on that particular subject.

2). Write
Keep a note pad and when you have an idea where ever you are jot it down. After six months go back and read through your note pad. If you remember what you were writing about it is probably important to you. Not only is it important to write ideas down on note pads. It’s important to make lists of things needed to be accomplished, and to keep a calendar. It is also important to develop writing skills; it will help with person to person communication.

3). Investigate
Ask thousand of questions about the things you are interested in. When you do this you first do not come across as a know it all, and second, by asking questions people will begin to realize you are interested in one particular subject and lead you in the direction of answers. People will be on the look out for you. Say you wanted to change the local community center for the better. By asking questions people you know will lead you to where you want to be.

4). Speak
It is funny that when you share information how much more knowledgeable you become. (A side note: people’s number one fear is public speaking.) Many times the thing that keeps people from accomplishing thier goals respectfully is fear of success. By overcoming your fear of public speaking you are moving psychologically into a transition and therefore able to tear down the mental barrier that keeps you from becoming successful. It is not only important for you to speak but it is also important for you to listen to others speak.

How successful are you?