When I got in my car this morning, I did what I always do, popped in a CD of something great to listen to.  No, it wasn’t the latest from Justin Bieber, or Taylor Swift…wait….. are they still around?  It was the latest CD that came with my monthly Success magazine.

In the intro, Darren Hardy the publisher of Success Magazine, told a story about CNN wanting him to write an article when his book The Compound Effect was released. Darren found this unbelievable since CNN is his, “mortal enemy.” Darren wrote the article, and as he thought CNN did not publish it.  You can read the article here on Darren’s blog.

While the bombing is incredibly sad for the deceased, the injured and their loved ones, it’s also sad for the United States, once the strongest most powerful country in the world.

When I heard Darren’s story, it was exactly about what I was thinking about this morning regarding the news about the bombing in Boston.  The media will play this story until everyone has had their fill of it, and that is what I find incredibly sad, people that can’t get enough of this type of news.  The media will analyze the bombers, the backpacks, they number of people injured, the other two bombs – no wait there were no other bombs, yada, yada, yada until people are sufficiently scared, and convinced that our country and our world is full of nothing but evil.

I didn’t watch the news or any coverage of the bombing, as a matter of fact,  I haven’t watched the news in years.  I believe we manifest what we think about.  If we give our time and energy to continuous news stories like the Boston Bombing we are thinking about: evil, tragedy, terrorism, death, destruction and so much more.  How can that possibly help us?  I said a prayer for those killed, hurt, and the heros, and I moved on.  I made a conscious decision to not give any thought to the evil that exists in our midst.

I choose instead to think about empowering business owners to manifest what they really want from their life and business, teaching, helping, laughing, providing value, creating, abundance, marketing, and especially having fun everyday.

My husband and I use to go to the movies every week.  I told him last year, I wasn’t going to anymore movies or watching any television shows with horrific killings or blowing people and things up.  He enjoys that, I don’t.  It is rare now that we go to the movies.  He understands, and now he will see those movies with our adult sons.

I recently deleted someone on Facebook who posted the most awful picture of a dog being brutally euthanized.  While her intention was to bring awareness to the cause of animal abuse, that is not the way to do it.  I am an animal lover and I am completely in love with my two rescue dogs, and I do not want to see crap like that photo.  There was nothing that could have been done after that photo was taken that could have helped that dog, shame on the person taking the photo, and the one that killed the dog.

Does my choosing not to think about it make it go away?  Nope, but for me it allows me to continue to think positively, live gratefully for all that is going right, and continue to create what I’m thinking about, because my brain is filled with really good stuff, and my thoughts are always about helping other small business owners find the success they are after.

I am not telling you to stop watching the news, although I think you would be happier if you did, I’m just saying that NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS.

The post No News is Good News appeared first on Bounce Solutions.

That is pretty profound, and yet so many small business and franchise owners don’t take this advice because they claim they don’t have enough time.  To that I say, “I’m a small business owner, a franchise owner, a speaker, an author, a trainer, a coach, a wife, a mom, a daughter, and a volunteer.  Whew, are you really going to tell me you don’t have enough time?”

The “LEARNING” is what separates you from your competition.  Small business and franchise owners have it backwards.  They don’t take the time to learn how the power of focus, goal setting, follow up, and accountability will help them do more in their business so they can have more: more time and more money.

On April 17^th,  I am holding The No One Can Stop You Workshop in Countryside, IL.  I will teach the attendees, how to find and accomplish that “ONE” item that has been on their to-do-list for months, possibly years, and knock it out in 30 days.  FAST and SIMPLE.

Here is what participants will receive from this 3 hour workshop:

• It will start with a continental breakfast; you are going to work better on full tummy.

• I will guide you to target the ONE thing that has been on your radar, but you haven’t been able to capture just yet.

• I’ll show you how to make sure your ONE thing is the RIGHT Thing. Picking the wrong thing first is what most people do.  You will save tons of time by picking THE most important ONE thing first.

• You will receive my proprietary UNSTOPPABLE ENTREPRENEUR Playbook that, when completely filled out, becomes YOUR Business Playbook.

• Time away from all of the distractions so you can completely focus for 3 full hours on what’s important to you and/or your business.

• A plan of how you are going to achieve THE ONE thing in the next 30 days.

• A hot lunch before I send you on your way to your 30 Day Adventure. 

• This is also the time to network with your new friends.

• You’ll leave this workshop with your ONE clearly defined goal and a complete understanding on how to accomplish it FAST.

If you are willing to learn, NO ONE CAN STOP YOU.  Click here for more information.

The post Are You Blocking Your Success? appeared first on Bounce Solutions.

FranchWire Book Club
Feb 18, 2013,  by Sherri Starcher

It’s that time again, folks. FranchWire Book Club time! You may have seen our review of our last franchise book, The Franchise Fraud by Robert Purvin. This time we’re taking it a step deeper to help you avoid even more franchise mistakes that can wind up costing tons of money and headaches with Jean Kuhn’s book “F*Ups: Franchisee Screw Ups That Can Cost You Thousands”

It’s got a great title and the content is even better. At just over 70 pages long, this little book is jam packed with advice that will help you with nearly every aspect of franchise ownership – some obvious and some not so obvious.

Check out my review below and if you’ve read the book be sure to let us know what you think!

I am inserting just the link, because I couldn’t get it to play on my site.  But please click on the link and watch this very short video.  Then, if you feel so inclined, LIKE Franchwire on Facebook.  They are putting out great content.

Click here for the 2 minute video book review of my book F*Ups, Franchisee Screw-Ups

The post Video Review of F*Ups, Franchisee Screw-Ups appeared first on Bounce Solutions.

FranchWire Book Club
Feb 18, 2013,  by Sherri Starcher

It’s that time again, folks. FranchWire Book Club time! You may have seen our review of our last franchise book, The Franchise Fraud by Robert Purvin. This time we’re taking it a step deeper to help you avoid even more franchise mistakes that can wind up costing tons of money and headaches with Jean Kuhn’s book “F*Ups: Franchisee Screw Ups That Can Cost You Thousands”

It’s got a great title and the content is even better. At just over 70 pages long, this little book is jam packed with advice that will help you with nearly every aspect of franchise ownership – some obvious and some not so obvious.

Check out my review below and if you’ve read the book be sure to let us know what you think!

I am inserting just the link, because I couldn’t get it to play on my site.  But please click on the link and watch this very short video.  Then, if you feel so inclined, LIKE Franchwire on Facebook.  They are putting out great content.

Click here for the 2 minute video book review of my book F*Ups, Franchisee Screw-Ups

The post Video review of F*Ups, Franchisee Screw-Ups appeared first on Bounce Solutions.

I’m in a power team with 3 other entrepreneurs. We push each other, help each other and support each other. Someone has to tell you the best idea you ever had…..is really not.

One of the guys in the group is getting ready to release his first book. He mentioned how sad he was that his friends weren’t as happy for him as we were.  None of his friends asked him about his book.  We got to talking about how that has happened to all of us. We all have friends who no longer stay in touch, who no longer want to hang out with us, parties we are no longer invited to, or who don’t even want to have dinner out with us once in a while.

My team member said he thought his friends might think he now believes he is better than them because he has authored a book.  We talked about our insecurities as humans.  How sometimes those relationships no longer serve us, but others will come that do.  We talked about how when someone walks out of your life, the void is filled by someone new who only knows you as you are now.

I completely understood what he was talking about.  This happened to me too.  While it hurt my feelings terribly at first, I had to get over it.  It took me awhile to realize that while I know I am the same person, I’m now setting goals, and accomplishing things most people never will.  This doesn’t make me better than my friends it makes me  better than who I was.   I have worked hard to improve me.  That means I still have a wicked sense of humor, find the fun in almost everything I do, enjoy a well-placed “F” bomb every now and then, and believe there is no better place on earth than Walt Disney World.

My core values have not changed, but my mind definitely has.  Now Interviewing New Friends, I hope you will apply.

The post Now Interviewing New Friends appeared first on Bounce Solutions.

In 2010 I attended a conference in Orlando, and I had the opportunity to hear Simon Baily speak.  Once Mr. Bailey opened his mouth, I sat up a little straighter in my chair, and it was if all of the other attendees were gone, and for the next hour Simon Bailey talked to me, and everything he said I needed to hear. My one big takeaway from Mr. Bailey was this: When you are ready to move your business to the next level, people will start appearing in your life to help you get there.

Please, read that sentence again. When you are ready to move your business to the next level, people will start appearing in your life to help you get there. Read it a third time if you need to.

Now, this happens to all of us, all of the time, but we don’t see it because we are so quick to dismiss a genuine opportunity. We are so quick to wonder why someone reaches out to us, they must “want” something from us.

This happened to me this week. On Tuesday I had lunch with a business friend, and we talked about something he was selling that I could use in some promotions. I then started telling him about a trade show I am doing in November, and he had some awesome ideas for me. Then it was…….nice seeing you, see you around sometime.

The next evening I got a call from him, and he told me could not stop thinking about my trade show, and we spent the next 3 hours on the phone as he laid out a fantastic marketing plan for me, and he offered to come to the trade show and help me successfully pull off the plan.

I immediately got a little uneasy feeling wondering…..WHY??? Why did he want to help me? Why could he not stop thinking about this trade show? Why? Why? Why?

I woke up the next morning still thinking about it, and then it “smacked me in the face”. I am ready to take my business to the next level, and he showed up with the knowledge I needed at exactly the moment I needed it. I am getting ready to take a huge leap forward in my business, and I am so far outside my comfort zone I feel like I am walking on a tightrope with no safety net a mile up in the air. That’s right, coaches need coaches too, and while he is not a coach, he does have the key to the door I’m trying to get through.

I didn’t recognize the teacher immediately when he appeared. He didn’t look like a teacher. It made me wonder how many people miss out on opportunities because they don’t recognize the teacher when he or she shows up.

In retrospect, this made me think of 3 or 4 people I know, that I showed up for when they needed help the most, and I offered my services to them, and the politely declined. I didn’t take it personally it was their business. I knew I could help them. Unfortunately, they are all now out of business. They didn’t recognize the teacher, and they couldn’t see the opportunity. And to be honest, I didn’t realize why I was there offering them help they didn’t ask for until this week.

When The Student Is Ready The Teacher Will Appear. How many opportunities are lost because you can’t recognize the teacher when they appear?

What do you need help with right now? How many of you just wondered if I am trying to “sell” you something by asking this simple question? I’m not, and I will be happy to point anyone who answers in the right direction. I’ll go one better than that. I will give anyone who feels they could use it a free 30 minute coaching call. Don’t let this opportunity pass you by. You can schedule your free call on my calendar here: https://jeankuhn.acuityscheduling.com/

The post Can You See An Opportunity When It Smacks You In The Face? appeared first on Bounce Solutions.

“OK, we officially have an RN in the house. She passed her state boards and should have her license in 2 weeks. She already has a job. I know you are probably sick of hearing about daughter Kuhn and how proud I am of her especially when I have 2 boys too, and I am equally proud of them. She had a goal, she was focused, and she didn’t quit when it got rough, I can’t teach her anything else.”

After I wrote the above paragraph, it occurred to me these really are the Keys to Success, and without all three it is almost impossible to succeed.

Key #1 – Have a goal.  Do you have a clearly defined goal that you think about day in and day out?  Does this goal get you out of bed in the morning, and put you to bed at night?  Do you want it so badly that you can’t accept “not” having it?

Key #2 – Focus.  What does that mean, “focus”?  It means you want to achieve your goal more than you want anything else.  Your eye is on the prize constantly, and you see yourself achieving this goal before you actually have because not hitting this goal is NOT an option.

Key #3 – Don’t quit when the going gets rough.  This is when that little voice in your head or the people around you starts questioning your goal.  It’s almost like the Universe wants to know how hard you are willing to work for the prize.  It will throw all kinds of obstacles in the way of your goal.  And if you can side-step, hurdle, duck, and sometimes cry, but never lose focus on your goal, you will  succeed every time

So today, when my little girl is all grown up, has hit her goal that she has been so focused on for four years, I’m going to celebrate her success.  I was her mama, coach, employer, mentor (whether she will admit it or not), cheerleader, and always her biggest fan.

It has been such a joy watching you become the brilliant young woman that you are. Congratulations, Nurse Jaci, R.N., you my dear, are a SUCCESS!

The post The Three Keys to Success appeared first on Bounce Solutions.

Fast forward 55 years, and a great friend of mine, Linda Ryan a Life Coach from New Jersey, sent this book to my 19 year old son.

I sat down one afternoon to read it, it’s a small book, and it took me about an hour.  It’s a fantastic book, and I already knew everything in the book, and I set it aside.  Here is the lesson of this blog:  There is a difference between “knowing” and “implementing.”

A year later as I was packing my now 20 year old son’s room up, because I had told him he was no longer welcome to live here due to his bad behavior, I came across his book.  There was a CD that came with it I could not find.  I felt like I really needed to hear something positive.  I downloaded the audio book and started listening to it.

Then I started listening every day.  As I listened, I could think of about 1000 people who needed to know and implement this material.  Really “know” and understand this material.  Most people would read the book once, say, “Oh that is good information, and never….ever…. put what they just read into practice.  But what if? What if there was a way to get them to start practicing it?   In the book Earl Nightingale talks about performing a 30 Day test to prove this material works.

What if I put together a 30 Day Test Program to help people stay focused?  What if they were accountable for their thoughts and actions for just 30 Days?  Every day for 30 Days! What if they had help for just 30 Days to stay committed to just one goal?  I knew there was life changing material in this little book.  And better yet, I knew exactly how I wanted to structure the homework that would help the participants implement the changes they needed to make for 30 days.

The Strangest Secret is just 6 little words:  We Become What We Think About.  It sounds simple enough to understand doesn’t it?  But if it was that simple why isn’t everyone rich or living the life they can only dream?   Well, the answer to that exact question is in the book.  It is our habitual thinking that keeps us right where we are. Ouch!

I led my first program starting the end of June.  One participant had a goal of earning an additional $6000 in 30 days.  On day 29 she had an additional $60,000 dollars.  I’m not saying everyone is going to get 10 times their goal.  I’m saying most people don’t define and focus on one goal in a year let alone for 30 Days.  If you would like to hear the interview I did with Janna, the woman who attracted 10 times what she wanted in just 29 days click on this link.

My blogs are never “salesy,”   This is not about trying to “sell” you something.  Today I am so passionate about this material, and I am so convinced that this material will help you, that I am offering a 100% money back guarantee.  It doesn’t matter what you want.  It could be more money, a better job, more customers, to write a book, or a better relationship.  Anything is possible, and with this program, amazingly achievable.

Ahhh, a better relationship, I would like you to know my son was out of the house for 3 weeks. He was invited to come back as long as he can follow the house rules.  Six months later he is still here and he and I are seeing a counselor and working on our relationship.   That’s right, I practice what I preach.  The counselor is “coaching” us to a better relationship, a better understanding of each other.  I “coach” my clients to a better business or in the case of this program, The Strangest Secret, to a better Anything.

Click here to find out how you can change your life in just 30 days.

Earl Nightingale ends this book with this sentence. “Start Today. You have nothing to lose – and you have a whole life to win.”

The post I’ve Got A Secret And I Can’t Keep It appeared first on Bounce Solutions.

So Dan Cathy said something that he believes from the bottom of his heart, and some disagree with him.  Well, who exactly do you think you are hurting by boycotting Chick-Fil-A?

Dan Cathy is not in the business of selling chicken sandwiches, waffle fries, and lemonade.   Mr. Cathy is in the business of selling franchises.  So if you don’t like Mr. Cathy’s religious beliefs or his political beliefs then, please, by all means…..do not buy a Chick-Fil-A franchise.

I made sure to have lunch this week at Chick-Fil-A before I knew about the Wednesday Chick-Fil-A Appreciation Day.  Why?  It had nothing to do with my opinion on what Mr. Cathy said, but it had everything to do with supporting my local, fellow small business owner.  The franchisees are the ones that will be hurt by a boycott.

I think that some people don’t realize that franchises are not owned by the Corporation.  These are your local neighbors who purchased a small business.  The work hard, long hours to support their families like everyone else.  The irony of being self-employed is that all of your friends and neighbors think you must be wealthy.  I have been self-employed for the past 27+ years, and I will tell you, there have been times, that I never worked harder for less money.   I am pretty sure, some of these Chick-Fil-A franchisees feel the same way.  They are paying their mortgages, and most likely a loan on their franchise.  So please think about the  small business owners first, when someone calls for a boycott.

When I bought my franchises I did not ask the CEO about his political or religious preferences.  And I have been thinking what if the CEO of my franchise said something to upset my customers.  A boycott of my business would pretty much ruin me and my fellow franchisees within days.  I may or may not agree with the CEO, but we as franchisees would still suffer.  I was so happy to see the people who came out in mass to support these franchises.

I know, I know, a lot of them were there to support Dan Cathy, but so what.  Men died so that you, and me and Dan Cathy can express our opinion.  That is what it means to live in a FREE society.  Click on the song lyrics below.

And I’m Proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m Free,

and I won’t forget the men to died, and gave that right to me.

So I gladly stand up, next to you and defend her still today.

Cuz there ain’t no doubt I love this land, God Bless The USA.

The post My Feathers Are Ruffled Over Chick-Fil-A appeared first on Bounce Solutions.

I live in a pretty nice subdivision.  Here is a picture of one of the houses in my subdivision that’s for sale.  Now look closely at the for sale sign. (See the close up picture of the sign.)

 No, not the agent’s name, look at the top of the sign, it says, “Waterfront.”  Interesting marketing, Mr. Adamson.

My husband pointed this out to me over the weekend, and when I saw it, I literally laughed out loud, and I believe my exact words were, “are you kidding me?”

My subdivision is about 1 square mile bordered on all four sides by streets, with many streets running through it. So my question is…..where is the water?  Oh, do you mean that little stream that runs behind the house? 

Sixteen years ago, when we were searching for a lot in this subdivision, we looked at a “waterfront” lot.  Only then it was called “a lot with a conservation area.”  The “Conservation Area lots” looked an awful lot like “Mosquito Breeding Grounds” to us. We passed, and bought a lot as far from it as we could, two blocks.

When we are not in a drought situation like we are right now, this “waterfront” is nice to look at, and is probably about 10-18 inches deep of still water. This is a picture of the back of the “Waterfront” home.

Why am I telling you all of this?  Because I was not sure if the agent was serious or was he just having some fun, so I called Mr. Adamson and asked him what is up with the “Waterfront” sign?

He explained to me that these conservation areas homes are in big demand.  Really? Mr. Adamson also said, ”By using the word “waterfront” on the sign it tells people there is water behind the home.”  There is another home 3 doors down from this one for sale, and it says nothing about being a “Waterfront” property.  So now I’m looking a little deeper.

“Waterfront” home is 4077 square feet has 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths and is $688,000 and staged beautifully.

Home 3 doors down is 4006 square feet, has 5 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and is $589,900, and not really staged at all.

I point this out because It’s All About The Marketing.  Mr. Adamson, is telling buyers this home’s additional 71 square feet is worth $98,100, and why is it worth an additional $98,100 because it is now called a “Waterfront.” WOW, I like the way Mr. Adamson thinks.  It “pays” to market.

When it comes time to sell our home, I would like Mr. Adamson to market our home by saying:  No need to ever leave this lovely home.  Spend your summers lounging by the pool with a handsome pool boy serving you umbrella drinks all day.  This 4600 sq. ft home boasts a gourmet kitchen, 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths and live-in maid’s quaters. This is a steal at $3.6 Million Dollars.

I have to run now, and go vacuum the pool,  make tuna fish sandwiches for dinner, and see if my son will either move out or become a “live-in” maid.

What service or product do you sell, that you could and probably should change your marketing strategy on?  How often do you get a chance to promote yourself for free.  I really want to know because… It’s All About The Marketing.

The post It’s All About The Marketing appeared first on Bounce Solutions.