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Fortunes Begin with Ideas - Think and Grow Rich Tuesday 102423

Think & Grow Rich Tuesday

"Ideas are the beginning of all fortunes." - Napoleon Hill

3 Essentials for Joining the Gig Economy Despite the Pandemic

 In the latter part of 2020, about 6 months into the pandemic, I shared via YouTube some insights into making changes in your life and kick off some new ventures in the remainder of 2020. It was befitting for Coffee & Chat with Rev Bruce because the overall theme of the livestream is to inspire people with information and interviews that help dreamers become doers.

Today I cover 3 essentials for joining the gig economy despite the pandemic. Why do I say "despite the pandemic?" In ties like these, people operate differently. They see things differently and they respond to things differently. 

For many people, the common factor boils down to fear. So, as I talk about taking a leap or pushing forward with a launch, fear has no place in the equation. Push fear aside. Allow yourself to think and act boldly rather than to sit back and cringe in a corner based upon fear.

3 Essentials for Joining the Gig Economy

Here it is:

• Competency
• Capacity
• Confidence

That's what you need. Those are essentials for joining the gig economy. Those are necessities for developing and doing your side hustle with success and for sustainability.

Competency

Competency has various meanings and definitions based upon what we are talking about at any particular time. Don't get caught up in semantics. Consider competency in the context of your side hustle. In this case, competency is your skills, know-how, and hands-on knowledge. 

In a gig economy, the greater amount of competency that you are able to develop and distribute within that economy means that you have a higher degree of leverage. If your competency includes highly specialized skills that are in demand and few people can actually do on their own, then you have high value competency that can allow you to charge a premium in fees for your services.

During this pandemic, whether you have lost your job or you simply want to supplement your income, you need to increase your levels of competency to create more opportunities for you within the gig economy. Driving for a rideshare service like Uber or Lyft or delivering food for Postmates or DoorDash do not require a high degree of competency. But teaching others how to invest in real estate, flip houses, and employ the BRRR method will require you to have some experience or track record with real estate and some proven methods or strategies for implementing and capitalizing on real estate investments. 

To increase your competency, you should consider:

• e-courses or email courses
• webinars/ virtual trainings
• niche coaching
• college degree programs
• certificate programs/ licensing

Additionally, increase your competency by spending additional time reading books on both personal development and business or entrepreneurship as well as watching YouTube or Vimeo videos that offer how-to and tutorial information in bite-sized proportions.

By increasing your level of competency, you naturally increase your potential opportunities within the gig economy and provide yourself with the possibility of side hustle success and sustainability.

Capacity

Capacity is defined as how much you are able to handle. In essence, your capacity comes in different forms. In many cases, you find people arguing that they do not have enough time or money. 

Many people see themselves "at capacity," and that just is not true. Too many people limit themselves based upon both assumptions and excuses that do not merit attention. Capacity can be expanded based upon the maximum utilization of what you already have under your control.

For many people, capacity seems finite. However, I dare you to follow me in the example of a daily time audit. There are 24 hours in a day. You currently work 8 hours or one-third of the day. You sleep another 6 to 8 hours per day. at maximum, that is 16 of your 24 hours. Let's say your exercise about an hour per day and your meals amount to 2 hours per day. That is another 3 hours. By simple calculation, you should at least have 5 additional hours to your day. Now, armed with this information from your daily time audit, you can begin to strategically and systematically identify how you will utilize those additional hours for your side hustle.

To increase your own level of capacity, you need to consider incorporating and implementing:

• daily time audit
• daily time allocation budget
• time and stress management apps
• daily journaling or diary writing
• morning meditation
• weekly self check-ins
• monthly money budget
• money bucket system
• monthly money envelope system

Start taking a different type of approach towards the very things that others say are limited. Broaden your own scope in regards to the possibilities of increasing your own capacity. By increasing your capacity, your increase your ability to handle opportunities presented for you within the gig economy. With increased capacity, you can withstand the highs and lows of the pandemic and still experience side hustle success.

Confidence

Here is a simple warning about confidence. You can build your own self confidence without the kudos or accolades of others, but you need to be sure to not let anything get to you. Romans 12:3 warns us to not think too highly of ourselves. It does not say for us to not have self confidence, so we need to be sure to keep a level head about us and keep our feet on the ground as we move forward with our side hustle in this gig economy.

Confidence is believing in yourself, your skills, your talents, and your abilities. You need self confidence to network and promote, even market and brand yourself, within this side gig economy. Nobody is going to toot your horn for you and nobody should be a bigger cheerleader for you than you. You need to make the most noise about what you have to offer than anyone else. 

I know one of my holy and saintly friends will pop up and clap back with the words from Proverbs that say for us to let another man praise us and not ourselves. Marketing and promotion is not self praise. They're part of a formula of building brand awareness that any business needs to undertake. If you do not share what you have to offer, how will someone know that you have the talent, skills or know-how to do a job for them or someone else who they know?

Combine These 3 Essentials for Success and Sustainability

Your increased levels of competency and capacity will help to feed your self confidence. This will fuel you to withstand the storms of the pandemic and its aftermath. You can still develop and launch a side hustle in the midst of all of this mess. your confidence will carry you through the closed doors in your face and emails and DMs without any reply. Allow your self confidence to give you the drive to share your skills and know-how.

By combining your competency, capacity, and confidence, you will see new opportunities and even older opportunities in a new light. You will have armed yourself with assets that make you more than marketable. Your resume and portfolio of skills and know-how will stand out as your polished confidence speaks volumes with every presentation and meeting.

This gig economy is growing. If you are not doing the essentials to take the leap and jump in, then you are limited yourself and your opportunities. In fact, you might be setting yourself up to do one of two things. You might be setting yourself to hire someone else who is engaged in the gig economy with skills and know-how that you need in the form of services and products. Or, you might just be setting yourself up to work for one of the people who is in the gig economy and has expanded and enhanced their services to the point where they need additional hired help.

Tune in for more on this topic. . .

Elevated Expectations

In the Dickens classic Great Expectations, it is said that Pip is destined to become a "man of great expectations." Imagine such an elevated expectation of a young man from such humble beginnings.  Now put yourself in a similar situation.

What level of expectation do others have of you?

Are you a picture of the epitome of success? Or, are you sadly falling far below expectations?

If you meet or exceed expectations, now is the time for you to start exploring and engaging in new relationships on a professional level.  You may have outgrown your current level of success and require a new set of challenges to keep your drive going.

When you venture into new territory, you are bound to experience some new levels of elevated expectations.

Meet the challenge and embrace it.

Biblical Business Principles for Your Book Shelf

Christians who are in business could always use some help, especially the type of help that can build up their faith as well as strengthen their skills or abilities to manage a workplace balance.  I have compiled a list of my favorite Bible-inspired books for business owners and leaders.

Jesus CEO Laurie Beth Jones
This is definitely an all-time and hands-down exceptional book that is also an easy read.  Jones shares anecdotes, examples and  illustrations that interweave with the Scriptures for a delightful book on leadership.

Running with Giants John C. Maxwell
Maxwell takes the reader on an inspirational journey through the hall of Faith (Hebrews 11).  He utilizes the biblical sketches of these standout biblical characters to inspire and uplift business professionals as they seek to grow their own faith as much as they seek to succeed at growing their business.

God is My CEO Larry Julian
Julian breaks down the principles required of Christians to succeed in the business world by highlighting the lives of successful Christian business men and women.  These profiles provide a wide breadth of pointers for Christians in need of inspiration and insights into the real bottom line.

The Management Methods of Jesus Bob Briner
Bob Briner lays out a compact book that packs a powerful punch.  He shares his personal business journey as a Christian in the sports media world.  He accentuates each chapter with the methods Jesus utilized with His disciples and others.  This is a great book for first-time managers who fear that their faith might endanger their own success.

Business by the Book Larry Burkett

This is a must-read for any Christian who works in the world or even in the church as an employee or volunteer.  Let Burkett's mastery of money matters and biblical principles sink deep into your soul and mind.  After reading this, you will find some real nuggets for getting ahead in business while maintaining your integrity.

If you have other suggestions for great business books for Christians, please submit the title and author to us via comments on http://revbruce.wordpress.com.

Starting Your Own Startup

Entrepreneurship is one of the only ways some folks will ever return to the workforce.

They do not have the skills.  They lack the education or experience necessary.  They are too old.  They are not equipped, not certified or not what the recruiters and headhunters are looking for in a qualified candidate.

Entrepreneurship may be their only immediate route.

Entrepreneurship may be their one and only hope.

Imagine what the recently released felon must say about his or her chances at landing the dream job.

Think about how the recovering addict fresh out of rehab.  How is he or she going to fit in with the sales and marketing team on the sixth floor?

Picture gramps who just got let go from industry leader who decided to" go in a new direction" after using him for the past twenty-five years.  He's not exactly the best bet or best fit for hiring firms as a Baby Boomer.

Some will say that you just don't have it.  They don't believe that you have it in you.

They don't feel what you feel or see what you see.

You have the knack for being in business.

You have the drive and motivation to start and stay in business.

You've got what it takes.

I found that the knack and drive to own your own business may require you to manage conflicts on your own or with your family.  You may be required to use your living room as a home office or shop for used furniture to outfit your new brick and mortar office space.  You can become your own boss.  You can give birth to your own dreams.

Promote entrepreneurship among our people who are struggling for another chance.  Give them a leg up.  Put them in touch with community banks and micro lenders.  Educate yourself on entrepreneurship.

As a freelance writer and consult, I benefit from the help, support and advice of others.  I gain a lot from online communities and social networks as well as multimedia sharing sites.  I use freelancing to supplement my primary income.  I use some of the top freelancing sites to get my words in print or online.

I understand what it takes to run a business.  I had to believe in myself.  I had to believe in my dreams.  I had do it by myself at times and with the help of others at other times.  I had become flexible and adaptable.  I had to make adjustments on the fly, too.

If you really want it, you can succeed at being in business.  If you believe in yourself more than you believe the words of your critics and the naysayers, you can have it.

Go on and stop waiting on others.

Start taking action.

Start your own startup business now.

Scoring More Than Par

Golf is more than a sport.

Golf is the type of activity that can lead you down tree-lined fairways and into the serenity of winding rock canyons.  It can cause you to endure the lay of the land as well as come face to face with the majesty of God's creation.

All the while, you learn just how feeble your humanity really is in true perspective.

Just look at your scorecard after a round of golf.  Even on your best day, you may not make par on every hole.  It's a reality for many of us weekend golfers.  We do not excel on each and every hole.  We may do better on par 3's than par 4's.  We might do better on executive golf courses than others.  We just might not being having a good day.

Our business may be just like our golf game.  We may not make every move with precision.  We might get hung up on whether to swing a big-headed driver or play it safe and lay up with a long iron.  How we decide to make certain moves will lead to how things play out based upon the given conditions.

Remember Kevin Costner's blunder in Tin Cup? He took too much club and it cost him.  He went for it rather than playing it safe.  He wanted all of the gusto, but it ended up costing a penalty when his ball rolled into a water hazard.  The same thing happens to us as we go through the the course of life.

God wants us scoring more than par.  He wants us trying our best with obedience to His instructions.  If we stay in His Word and in communion with Him, we can stay on course.  That is more than scoring par on every hole.  That is spiritual success throughout this life.

Finding the Strength to Love

"Evil is stark, grim and colossally real." - Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength to Love

With MLK Day approaching us, I thought it would help to remind us of the prophetic words of Dr. King that still echo from the past.  Through his sermons on Christ-like love, Dr. King offered us a solution for the prevalent evil that exists on earth and among mankind.  In essence, Dr. King urged us all to seek the higher calling of living lives that offered the love of Christ to others.

Imagine if we found the strength to love in ministry.  We would embrace the lost souls who returned to Christ with repent hearts and restore them back into the fold with joy and forgiveness.  Look at how Dr. King took on the example of Jesus Christ.

Picture how it would be if we found the strength to love through our businesses.  We would extend love to our employees and business partners as we held ourselves and those under our authority to a higher standard of customer service.  We would show our customers and vendors how Christians in business could operate a business with God as the ultimate authority over all matters.

Can you find the strength to love? Is it still possible to overcome evil with the love of Christ? You will only know by trying to imitate Christ and His love in all of your ways for all of your days.  Find the strength to love.

Winning at All Costs

"Winning isn't everything,
but wanting to win is!"
- Vince Lombardi
Head Coach
Green Bay Packers


Look back at Lombardi.  He bred and led champions.  the NFL has named its coveted championship trophy after him and in his honor.  He was a pioneer in the sport's history-making era.  He stood out as a man who could lead men, a man's man and a player's coach.  If there ever was an example of gridiron guts and gallantry to behold, Lombardi was the prime example for all to lay there eyes upon.

Today's NFL is nothing like Lombardi's heyday.  Hard work and determination have been replaced with performance enhancing drugs and off-field antics that border between publicity stunts and public disgraces.  Bountygate has taken prisoners among both players and coaches, revealing true character as it has unraveled before our own eyes.  The NFL currently suffers more black eyes than Pacquiao after his last bout.

The sad truth is that Lombardi's words speak to our character once we get set on winning.  We become consumed with winning at all costs.  We will cut corners to get an edge on our competition.  We will kick an opponent while he's down and out, leaving him with no recourse except to wave the white flag of defeat.  That's what becomes of us when we let a "winning" spirit take over and consume us.

That doesn't have to be the case, though.

He that loves silver shall not be satisfied with silver; 
nor he that loves abundance with increase: 
this is also vanity.
 - Ecclesiastes 5:10

Putting our focus on the prize can detour us from the right pathway.  There are no shortcuts to righteousness.  Purity and holiness do not have a cheat code available to a select few.  No, the Lord shows us that a wise choice is to take the moral high road rather than to stoop to the level of cheater just to get ahead.

Our desire to win should remain in check as win people over on our way towards achieving the prize.

Order a copy of my urban poetry collection Words from the Underground

Succeeding at Necessities

"You must succeed at doing what is necessary." - Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill stands out as a prominent figure due to what history has made out of his accomplishments as part of Great Britain's wartime stance against the air raids of the German Lufthansa during World War II.  However, Churchill's many quotes should also provide today's business leaders with some stirring words to ponder.

How many of us view success as "doing what is necessary?" That is not a common perspective for most people, especially those trying to run a business on their own in the hopes of growing and increasing revenue or the pastor of a storefront church who has aspirations of growth and expansion.  Necessary things seem to fall right into the mix with all of the other unexpected fires that have to be put out as one makes it day by day and step by step. Yet, Churchill offers such words to cause us to ponder if what we are tinkering with here and there is really leading towards true success.

Ask yourself if you have done "what is necessary" in order to keep the doors open and the lights on.  Develop a list of fundamentals that have to be in place before you move to bigger things.  Utilize this list as a check-in point for yourself before you get started on your daily grind.  I guarantee that such a checklist is exactly what will come in handy as you work on getting to that crucial point that we all seek so desperately and tirelessly that we tend to call success.

The Day of the Lord is Coming

² 

“I will utterly consume everything

From the face of the land,”

Says the Lord;

³ 

“I will consume man and beast;

I will consume the birds of the heavens,

The fish of the sea,

And the stumbling blocks along with the wicked.

I will cut off man from the face of the land,”

Says the Lord.

-Zephaniah 1:2-3 (NKJV)

Consider yourself warned.  God will have a day of reckoning.  he prophets spoke of it.  In particular, Zephaniah spoke explicitly about it.  It would be the type of day that no one would want to see in their lifetime.

Think you have had a bad day? That's nothing like what will happen when this day comes about.  The Lord will not be slow to anger on that day.  He will set forth His wrath like it has never been unleashed before.

Take care of business, brothers and sisters.  Know that how you manage your business affairs is part of how you reflect God in your daily life to others, especially those who are not of the faith.

• Are you viewed as shrewd and crafty, ready to cut costs at the expense of the livelihood of your employees and vendors?

• Do you readily examine the bottom line or the heart of the matter when making decisions?

• Do you pray over your business decisions and seek godly counsel from other Christian business men and women?

Consider how you handle your business.  Others are watching you.  Others take into account that you say that you are a Christian.  God is watching.  God will not always be waiting.  One day, and we we do not know when, God is going to call us on what we have done and what we haven't done as His children.

Making a Name for Yourself

 

Most of us have dreams of having our names in lights.  We dream of seeing our names plastered on some billboard near the Hollywood sign or in pixelated images overlooking the Strip in Las Vegas.  Stardom has a certain appeal that keeps our heads in the clouds.

Beyond dreaming is doing.  You have to do certain things to get to the point where you earn that type of name recognition.  You might not be able to point out James Patterson in a shopping mall or the grocery store, but you most probably know him for his best-selling Alex Cross novels.  That's name recognition.

How do people recognize your name?

What do people attribute to or associate with your name?

Is there more that you can do to build a better brand out of your name?

Make a name for yourself in your industry.  Become a recognized expert in your field within your city or region.  Do not let opportunities to share and show your expertise pass you by simply because they all do not pay in per diem or client fees.  Some of your biggest dividends may be the fact that people begin to recognize your name, even if it isn't in lights.

God Has a Plan

"Christ came to redeem us from sin and bring us back to serve and glorify Him."

- Andrew Murray, God's Plans for You

Let's get real.  Salvation is part of God's master plan for all of us.  It isn't the whole thing, but it is a major part of the plan.  What is highly important is that we recognize that God has a plan.  Even more refreshing for us is that we are included in God's plan.

That includes your business.  That includes your special gifts and abilities.  That also includes your example that you set for others, especially unbelievers, through how you live your life.  It is all part of God's plan.

What's the point of God's plan?

He shows us love because He is love.  He expects us to live as reflections of Him.   We are to serve Him.  We are to glorify Him.

Guess what?

It's all in His plan.