Leaders Always Ask the Right Questions

Never stop asking the right questions.

How to Maximize Going for Your Goals in 1 Year

Plan to reach more goals this upcoming year by changing how you look at your time.

Se things differently in order to achieve more in less time.

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. . .

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.

A Profitable Prophecy for Hard Economic Times

Then Elisha said, "Listen to the word of the LORD; thus says the LORD, 'Tomorrow about this time a measure of fine flour will be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.'" - 2 Kings 7:1 (NASB)

Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a seah of flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel, as the LORD had said. 

- 2 Kings 7:16 (NIV)

It happened as the man of God had said to the king: "About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria." 

- 2 Kings 7:18 (NIV)

The man of God in the Old Testament was more than priestly.  He usually stood out as a messenger of God, a prophet.  Elisha was such a messenger.  He was an advisor to the Hebrew kings of his generation and times.  He provided spiritual insight and interpretation for the benefit and blessing of the entire kingdom based on the word of the LORD.  

A severe famine had struck the land due to invaders surrounding the city and placing it under siege.  This same famine caused the market rates to go sky high.  During this famine, a  donkey's head sold for eighty shekels of silver and quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels ( 2 Kings 6:25, NIV).  Eighty shekels of silver was the equivalent of approximately two pounds, while a quarter of a cab represented about 1/2 pint of seed pods.  In such an economic crisis, no one can get much for their money due to the limited supply and a high demand.  When did donkey heads become listed commodities on the open market? That's when you know things have gotten real bad.

Things had gotten so bad that a woman had agreed to cook her son and eat him with another woman. Upon hearing of this, the king becomes distraught and tears his robe as a sign of mourning.  He vows to have the head of Elisha, God's messenger.  Obviously, Elisha quickly fell out of favor with the king at this point due to the dire conditions of the kingdom in that day. God's messenger is His representative among the people, too.  That also makes him the perfect target for outrage and criticism when things go awry.

Elisha offers a prophecy of coming profitability.  God shared that the famine would end soon and things would turn around.  He prophesied that by the next day  a "seah" of flour and two of barley would both sell for only one shekel.  When it comes true, the people are overjoyed and elated.  They readily grab hold of  all that they could and lived on during the economic recovery.

Keep in mind that the head of God's messenger was sought by high ranking officials just hours before things turned for the better.  Even though he believed it to be so, others did not readily believe it until they saw it for themselves. 

Today's financial conditions will not remain the same always.  Hear where God is directing you and see where He is making swift changes and movements that impact our global economy right before our eyes.  You may need to prepare for today's prophecy becoming tomorrow's reality quick and soon.

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: 
for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. 
- Matthew 5:12

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Remain Positive

He who walks with wise men will be wise,

But the companion of fools will suffer harm.

-Proverbs 13:20

Why suffer needlessly? It's senseless.  It's foolish.  It's totally unwise.

In midst of all of this foolishness that may come your way, I suggest that you remain positive.  Norman Vincent Peale wrote The Power o f Positive Thinking many years ago and it still generates fans to this day.  Keep yourself positive.

How?

Keep a positive perspective on things.  Be an optimist.  Winston Churchill once stated: "The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty." Maintain a positive perspective.

Stick with positive people.  Don't fall in with the wrong crowd at the copy machine or water cooler.  Keep yourself surrounded by people who will build you up and lift your spirits.

Stay positive.  We all know that bad things still happen to good people.  That's still a reality.  Let's maintain our own positivity in the midst of the storms of this life.  hink about the folks who survived Hurrican Sandy and who were so thankful to God for sparing their lives and the lives of their loved ones.  That's how to stay positive in the storm and beyond.

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.

 

Little by Little

Dishonest money dwindles away,

but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow.

- Proverbs 13:11 (NIV)

You have a choice.  You can do things the right way or not.

If you go about things the wrong way, you will see how fast what you have can dwindle away and disappear.  The wrong way has consequences of its own.  The right way always outweighs the wrong way.  Don't get it twisted.

The Bible speaks of exercising patience.  Proverbs keeps speaking about prudence and wisdom.  This verse echoes much of the same line. 

Gathering money little by little requires accumulation.  You may not start with much, but you need to start.  You need to start somewhere.  You need to start with something.  You need to start small.

Don't be afraid if things look tiny at the beginning.  You have to start somewhere to get from zero to something.  Just put it away bit by bit and month after month.  Make it work for you and let it grow.

Growing in His Word

“Don’t wait to fast, read, pray, or to do anything else.” – Charles Finney

Use the Good Book to get back on track.

Let truth show you the way.

You need to pray over some things.  You just need to get into some deep prayer and let loose.  I have one word of advice for you, though.  You do not have to hurry when praying, but you surely need to hurry up and pray.  Allow God to draw you in nearer and nearer, closer and closer.

Spend some time connecting with the Lord.  Go to the Word.  Read and hear the Word of God.  Listen to sermon podcasts and the Bible dramatized on iTunes. 

Take some time to make things work for you, especially as you work towards serving God daily.
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. - Colossians 3:16 (KJV)



Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.- Romans10:17 (NIV)
 
We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. -ColossiansNIV)
 
Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.- James 5:13 (KJV)

Need-Based Programming

"Find a need and fill it."- A.G. Gaston

Have you identified the needs of your target audience? That's important.  You want to ensure that your target audience is getting its desired results through your product or service.  Identify what they need, and then identify how to meet those needs.  In doing so, you need to prioritize your work on addressing the needs.

Your programming should include matching your product or services with identified needs.  We call this "need-based programming."  Such methods provide you with an approach to meeting the needs and measuring success based upon which needs were met at in what areas.

Measure needs met and use these as your results.  Make sure that your data collection matches with your desired results.  As you move forward, keep your focus on keeping up with the pulse of the audience you serve.  If you lose touch, then you can lose some profitability.  That's not the direction that you want to move in. 

"At 103 years of age, A.G. &. Gaston leaves behind a thirst for success, a keen resourcefulness and an entrepreneurial split that will be deeply missed by those of us in the business world who either knew him personally or knew of his achievements."- Earl G. Graves interviewed at the death of A.G. Gaston

Fundraiser Event Formula

"I am aware that only God knows the total plan and that I am part of it." - Laurie Beth Jones, Jesus CEO



You need a formula for your special events, especially when they are used to raise funds.  Much like the Lord has a divine plan, you need to have a plan for your special events and fundraisers.

I always like to say that it is only special because of the special effort that you put into it to put it on and pull it off.  So, with that being said, you have to put something special into it for others to get something special out of it.

• Special Attention: Red carpets, paparazzi galore, and loads upon loads of glitter should be on the agenda for gala bashes.  Disposable cameras or digital prints with sizzling frames printed on the scene for guests.  Guest books are great, too! If it's an arts fundraiser event, have your guests leave their handprints in "cement" (use clay) like the Hollywood walk of fame and scrawl their John Hancock to be displayed in this week's society section.  Jazz it up as much as you can without going over budget.
• Special Attractions:  Yes, it sounds corny, but the real deal is the real deal.  People will flock to the dunking booth if the principal is on that plank.  How about the youth minister or the senior pastor? Got talent? How about the librarian who dresses like Lady Gaga or the softball coach who plays a mean violin- or, is that a fiddle? Either way, get people to attend your event by what you have to offer.  Try to find local talent.  Get in touch with local promoters and producers, club owners and talent agencies.  You never know what treasure is buried in your own backyard until you start digging around.
• Special Appearances: Is there a local celebrity who may grace your event? How about the mayor as the fry cook for your Friday night fish fry? Could you get that ex-football player to talk to dads in the community about the importance of fathers and male role models for young boys? What about that Negro League player? Is there a famous professor who won the Nobel Prize or Pulitzer at the local university or college? Check out who lives in your town or area, even those born there.  There are those who love to visit certain areas who may be inclined to show their faces at such an event if you can get close enough to their people who will call your people, and then you all can do lunch and see what works.