Entrepreneur Success

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

Unbeaten – Our Latest Documentary Release

Greg Strom, VP Worldwide Media Polaris Media Group, presenting Unbeaten

One of the many highlights of the recent Foundation Live events was the release and showing of our new documentary film “Unbeaten”.

This film comes from the vision and work of director, Steven C Barber, and our own Vice President of Worldwide Media, Greg Strom.

Unbeaten is a truly inspirational film about disabled athletes competing in the grueling “Sadler’s Alaska Challenge” and the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

We received resounding support from our distributors regarding this film and here is some feedback from Rich and Bo Welt:

“Wow, Unbeaten was so moving for me on so many different levels.” Rich Welt

“Unbeaten was inspiring, absolutely inspiring.” Bo Welt

Rich and Bo Welt being interviewed after the presentation of Unbeaten

We have also received some great media coverage for Unbeaten. Steven C Barber was interviewed on the street at the Sundance Film Festival by CNN.

We also received a very positive review from movie critic Avi Offer, the NYC Movie Guru.

One of the individuals featured in Unbeaten is Veteran and 2008 Gold Medalist at the Beijing Paralympics, Oz Sanchez. We were very lucky to have Oz Sanchez join us at Foundation Live in San Francisco and the Gold Coast and seeing Oz in person made the Unbeaten experience even more profound for our distributors.

Unbeaten is only our second documentary release and there are more to come.

Tags: Polaris Media Group, Unbeaten
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Wednesday, January 20th, 2010

Achieving Success – Keeping Your Money and Making it Work for You

A lot of people have made and lost millions. Some don’t seem to mind – it’s their game. But others, having made a few million, would rather keep it. To do that, you need to be financially literate. True, you need a certain amount of financial literacy to simply take on an entrepreneur opportunity and have any chance of achieving success, but to keep that money may require you to boost your financial literacy up a notch.

How does one become financially literate? When I looked at the number of people that have fallen prey to the country’s recent economic woes, it would seem that controlling your finances and making them somewhat predictable is a challenging task. So, I went searching for basic and uncomplicated guidelines that apply to everyone.

There is a lot of advice out there, however, I found a list of basics which, if followed, should help your finances stay under control as you work on achieving success.

It does take a little work, study really, but that’s no different than any other subject you want to master. The info I found was offered on basicallymoney.com in response to a question from a reader: “How does one become “Financially Literate?”

Understanding finances enables you to reap the full rewards of any entrepreneur opportunity. I hope this information helps!

Tags: achieving success, Entrepreneur, entrepreneur opportunity, financial literacy, financially literate
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Friday, December 18th, 2009

Kids With Cameras Debut – Watching Them Achieve Success Was a Night To Remember

Our vision of presenting inspirational documentaries about people who achieve success against the odds launched last night with the very successful release of Kids with Cameras. It was a night of education and inspiration. Really, the atmosphere was so uplifting nobody wanted to leave.

The screening was held in the Chaplain Building Screening Rooms at the Raleigh Studios in Hollywood, California. We had appetizers and drinks before the screening, and had the chance to mingle and catch up with friends.

I was honored to host the event and we had some stellar guests: The amazing Brad Koepenick, the award-winning educator whose film camp was the subject of the movie, Greg Strom, whose efforts were key in making Kids with Cameras happen, and Lori Miller, the co-producer.

Unfortunately, Alex Rotaru, the film’s director, is working overseas and was unable to attend.

Members of the Polaris’ Executive Marketing Council – Arni and Michael Berry, Karla and Don Silver, Melissa and Kevin Knecht, and Lisa and Bob Molina – joined in the fun as did many Polaris distributors and several individuals from the film industry.

In case you don’t already know about the film, it is an incredible story that chronicles the challenges faced by a group of kids with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome when they attend Brad’s film camp called “The Celluloid Heroes Movie Camp.”

Kids With Cameras The creativity and insight demonstrated by these kids is nothing short of remarkable, as was watching them interact with each other and with Brad, and seeing what being given the opportunity to show their creative talents does for them.

Monique and Dominique Beltran, two of the kids featured in the film, came with their very proud mother and filled us in on what they’ve been doing since the film. They were definitely a hit – everyone wanted to talk to them after seeing the film.

The response to the film was incredible. Watching these kids achieve success will change many people’s lives. A very big thank you to everyone involved, and special thanks to the kids for letting us into their lives.

Tags: achieve success, Kids with Cameras
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Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

Achieving Success When You Don’t Have the Get Up and Go

You may have seen me mention that I think it’s important to stay in good physical shape. There’s nothing more difficult than pushing through physical aches, pains, and fatigue when you’re working on achieving success. Except, perhaps, pushing through emotional aches, pains, and fatigue.

These types of symptoms can be a primary barrier to achieving success. But sometimes they’re easier to address than you might think.

I’ve already written a blog post about compiling a list of things that help you stay in the zone. That list is definitely a high priority when it comes to giving yourself a boost.

But there are other things you can do as well:

– Exercise. It’s not just for staying in shape. Exercise also releases endorphins, the body’s ‘feel good’ chemicals, and helps lower cortisol, the ‘stress hormone.’ Experts say cardiovascular and aerobic activities work best. Sometimes just 10 minutes is enough, although 30 minutes a day is generally recommended for those who are physically up to it.

– Call your business associates. You’ve got a team, use them. Team members help each other.

– Review your goals and the reasons why you’re working on achieving success. Getting your attention back on the goals gives you a lift and helps take your mind off any problems you might be running into.

– Watch an inspirational DVD; it’s amazing how they can help give you the boost you need.

Life is full of ups and downs. Sometimes the downs have to be directly addressed, but sometimes it’s enough to just remove yourself from them and get your eye back on your goals. The steps above can help get you back on track with your entrepreneurial opportunity and get your attention back on achieving success.

Tags: achieving success, entrepreneurial opportunity, inspirational DVD
Posted in Entrepreneur Success | 1 Comment

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

Five Key Elements of Achieving Success

Communicate No matter what business you’re in, achieving success depends on your relationship with your customers. Even if you have a monopoly, unhappy customers will go elsewhere as soon as there’s somewhere to go. So, what are the most important points in taking care of customers?

A recent article in Entrepreneur.com more or less lays out the five most important elements:

-    Be proactive
-    Communicate
-    Have a positive attitude
-    Understand the client’s business
-    Follow-up.

You can read the article for more details.

However, there is one more thing I would add, something I’ve found to be a real issue in many companies – letting management and product development people know about the feedback front line people get from customers.

Years ago a study was done regarding the support desk industry – the people you call when you have a problem with a product or service you’ve purchased. These individuals make a big contribution to a company achieving success. However, it was found that often the support desk people heard about the same problems over and over again – but they didn’t let anyone else know about it. The information never got to management or product development so nothing was ever done to make the necessary changes in the product or service.

Everyone likes to feel like they’re being listened to. It’s a vital part of achieving success in any activity, and a vital entrepreneurial skill.

Tags: achieving success, Entrepreneurial skill
Posted in Entrepreneur Success | 2 Comments

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

Achieving Success Despite Obstacles – Check Out Kids With Cameras

You may have heard about the film Kids With Cameras. This is a new project for Polaris Media Group, part of the documentary film series about people achieving success despite obstacles. And it’s already having an impact even though it hasn’t been released yet.

Check out the Twitter action to the left.

I have to say this documentary series is destined to be one of the things I’m most proud to be associated with. Anyone achieving success is a good thing, but when you see it happen for these kids, it’s miraculous.

Tags: achieving success, Kids with Cameras
Posted in Entrepreneur Success | 1 Comment

Monday, December 7th, 2009

The Tools to Achieve Success are a Great Holiday Gift!

Achieve success this holiday The holiday season is definitely upon us and it’s an inspirational time. Among other things, it inspires us to do a little more for those less fortunate than us.

How can you do that? You can volunteer in a soup kitchen, give a child a toy, donate money to a charity, visit elderly people who no longer have family with whom to spend the holidays, and so on. There’s no end to the charity work you could do. And you should do it.

There’s also another way you can help others – teach them how to achieve success.

As members of Polaris Media Group we are in a unique position to offer a special kind of help. You no doubt have heard the old proverb: “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.”

One of the greatest joys for those who achieve success is being able to help others. I keep hearing that from our team members, so I know you know what I’m talking about.

This holiday season, choose a special someone in your life who could use some help and make sure they get a few entrepreneurial skills that will enable them to change their life.

Tags: achieve success, Entrepreneurial skills
Posted in Entrepreneur Success | 1 Comment

Friday, December 4th, 2009

Entrepreneur Opportunity – The Early Bird Gets the Worm

Polaris US- Blog #5 Way back in the 1600s, the phrase “The early bird catches the worm” was published in a book of proverbs. When I was very young, I thought it meant you should go to work early, or get somewhere before everyone else. But I’ve since learned that the correct interpretation of the phrase is a little broader, and it’s especially applicable to entrepreneur opportunity.

Good ideas are a funny thing. The same good idea tends to come to many people at the same time. I’ve been involved in several things like that. I once worked for months on a project that was delayed for just a few weeks. By the time I could resume the project, someone else had already released the idea. Obviously, they’d had the idea about the same time I did. We both acted fast, but he didn’t delay. Sometimes it doesn’t take much to lose the game. Or, to win.

A good idea seems to float in time until someone takes it and runs with it. And that’s where the early bird comes in. The early bird is the one who runs with an entrepreneur opportunity now. The procrastinator doesn’t get the worm.

Got a good idea? You can’t achieve success sitting on it. Move on it!

Tags: achieve success, entrepreneur opportunity
Posted in Entrepreneur Success | 1 Comment

Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

Entrepreneur Opportunity is Obvious When You’re in the Zone

Some people wait around for others to present a good idea – an entrepreneur opportunity. But have you ever noticed that when you’re alert and ‘switched on’ ideas come to you a mile a minute? And they’ve been there all along, you just didn’t see them.

Likewise, you can have a problem that plagues you for ages and suddenly, when you’re in the zone, the solution is right there staring you in the face. It’s also been there all along, just waiting for you to see it.

There’s no question that staying in the zone opens the doors to entrepreneur opportunity. So, observing what gets you in the zone is a worthwhile activity. It could be anything from hanging out with your spouse to gardening or playing with your cat. It might be stimulating conversation with associates or going to the gym.

Whatever those activities are, put them on a list and keep it handy. Sometimes, when you’re not in the zone, you won’t remember these little things. All you have to do is pull out your ‘in the zone’ list and start doing whatever strikes your fancy.

Life is rough when you’re pushing uphill. Achieving success is much easier when you’re in the zone.

Tags: achieving success, entrepreneur opportunity
Posted in Entrepreneur Success | 1 Comment

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

Teaching Entrepreneurial Skills at Home

entrepreneur skills I recently read an article that argued against stay-at-home moms, with some very convincing reasons. I nearly bought it, until I remembered something a friend said to me many years ago.

One of the best arguments raised in the article is that kids who spend all their time with mom have a social circle of one – mom. In a daycare, their social circle is 20, maybe more.

Good point; how do kids learn to get along with others when they’re home with mom?

Then I remembered my friend. He and his family, wife and two kids, lived in a rural environment. Mom home-schooled the kids and, because their home was so isolated, they rarely got to interact with other kids.

When I remarked about how time consuming it must be to get their kids together with other kids, my friend’s reply made me laugh. “Have you ever seen kids interact?!” He reminded me of birthday parties where out of control kids were running around screaming.

He said he would much rather his kids emulate the manners, interaction and habits practiced at home. Then they could go out in the world more prepared.

One of the great things about using entrepreneurial skills to work from home is you get to spend more time with your kids, and in turn, more time to provide education in life skills such as how to get along with others. A solid education in this entrepreneurial skill will give any child the greatest chance of achieving success.

Tags: achieving success, Entrepreneurial skills, stay at home moms
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