IN THIS ISSUE
Welcome
Feature Article - Lessons From a Lemonade Stand
Words to Inspire
Guest Column - Beware of Routines
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WELCOME

Greetings and welcome to all of you. We are delighted to send you another issue of KEYS TO SUCCESS. Thank you for joining us.

The feature article this month looks at business using concepts I borrowed from very young entrepreneurs selling lemonade. They have so much to teach us about creating a successful business. Please enjoy!

We are spending two weeks in Hawaii this month. It is our favorite place to go for some rest and relaxation. I am a true believer that vacations are a wonderful way to rejuvenate and replenish one's energy and I plan on doing just that.

Our commitment is to give you practical information and inspirational ideas to benefit your business and personal life. We are committed to "bringing out your best"! We welcome feedback so we can improve and offer real value to you.

Keys to Success is written and published by Carol Gegner. Are you ready to excel? Check out http://www.coachexecs.com. We are ready to help you.

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<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< FEATURE ARTICLE - Lessons From A Lemonade Stand

Three neighborhood kids set up a lemonade stand on the corner of our street this weekend. Watching these budding entrepreneurs at work was sheer delight! The idea started because they wanted to make a little money to go to the movies. Since they are only eight and ten year olds the options of making money are a little limited. Fortunately, the conditions were near perfect for opening a lemonade stand.

First, it was a warm sunny day. Second, it was late morning and lots of people were walking or driving up and down the street. Third, they picked a corner spot so they could attract business from two streets. Fourth, they made signs to hold up advertising their products. Fifth, they expanded their product line to include small bags of pretzels and they sold the rights to petting their cute 10 week old golden retriever puppy. Now I ask you, who can resist petting a puppy! Last but not least, their mom made really good lemonade.

The word on the street is these kids made $78. Not bad for a couple of hours of work on a Saturday morning. The reality is they weren't really working. They were having fun!

I want to share some of what I observed. Eight and ten year olds have a wonderful positive mental attitude. They believed they would be successful and make enough money to go to the movies. Negative talk and self doubt didn't stand much of a chance with this group.

Their selling technique was superb as they enthusiastically yelled, "get your cold lemonade here - it's only 50 cents" to everyone passing by. Lemonade was the main drawing card. Next, the offer came for pretzels and petting the puppy!

This small group of three used great team work. While two of them had the task of attracting potential customers, the third one poured the lemonade. They easily moved back and forth sharing the team positions.

These kids were an eager, enthusiastic bunch. You could not help being pulled into their business enterprise. They had a magnetic power that helped create sales.

In a very na*ve way those kids demonstrated what it takes to create a successful business. Perhaps we need to ask ourselves how well we would do running a lemonade stand. Do we need to upgrade our attitudes, selling techniques, team work or enthusiasm to be more successful?

Have you forgotten what it is like to have that extra punch of energy, zest and joy in what you do? Are you having fun and enjoying your business? Maybe we all need to inject a little bit of that creative child-like spark into our lives and business. Having fun isn't just for kids with lemonade stands!
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WORDS TO INSPIRE

"We know nothing of tomorrow; our business is to be good and happy today."
Sydney Smith

"Action may not bring happiness but there is no happiness
without action."* *
* William James

"The road to happiness lies in two simple principles: find
what it is that interests you and that you can do well,
and when you find it, put your whole soul into it -- every
bit of energy and ambition and natural ability you have."
*
John D.* Rockefeller III
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GUEST ARTICLE - Beware of Routines

"Routines are the boon and bane of our existence. They're beneficial
because they allow us to get things done without much thought. For example, if every morning you had to relearn how to dress yourself or cook your breakfast, you'd never make it to work on time. Routines can be harmful, however, if they prevent us from developing a fresh perspective. They are the most dangerous when we are least conscious of the extent to which our perception and cognition are guided by them. Sometimes our habits become so integral to our thinking that we fail to identify them as habits, and instead consider them the 'way things are done.' Thus we need an occasional
jolt to shake us out of our mental patterns. I call this jolt 'a whack on the side of the head,' and it can stimulate us to ask questions that lead us to new answers (von Oech, 2002, p. 56)."

Reference: von Oech, R. (2002). Expect the Unexpected (or you won't find it): a creativity tool based on the ancient wisdom of heraclitus. New York: The Free Press.

Are you in need of a jolt to shake up your mental patterns?

Provided by Beth Flynn of Ohio State University Leadership Center. Beth can be reached at Flynn.61@osu.edu.