Risk For Bliss - Name your Passion Entrepreneurship

Alexey Lushnikov Artist Extraordinaire      I have the distinct pleasure and honor to introduce Alexey Lushnikov, French Russian Artist.        After a distinguished journalism career in St. Petersburg Russia, Alexey currently spends his time raising his daughter as a single father and developing his art portfolio.   Studied at the British Royal School of Fine Arts Studied at Leningrad University Russian-French Artist Alexey’s love of art started at a young age long before his distinguished TV Journalism career began. He has an appreciation for all great people.   In particular his greatest muse is found in the works of Leonardo Da Vinci. His  inquisitive nature and intellect delves into the state of nature and civilization with impeccable insight.  Rendering depictions in its raw, untapped state, without pretense or planning. Finding Meaning      After spending some time in the UK, Alexey debuted as an artist in the early 2000’s. The main theme of the Ale

Many months ago while reading the book, "A Field Guide for the Hero's Journey, I embarked on a project that would put my abilities and self assurance to their limits.  Life presented and opportunity and I boldly went forward with much tenacity.  All to come to a crescendo where I loudly declared with all my heart, I want to, need to find a way to give back to others, but how do I do that. I did it by first asking questions and not being afraid to ask for what I wanted.  Second I did not limit myself.  I refused to let anything including language get in the way of making a difference.  I crossed the boundaries of language through google translator, learned on the fly how with word press how to develop a website, found resources and learning in places I didn't think possible. It doesn't matter how we make connections, only that they happen.  What motivates you to live, breath and get up in the morning with a smile on your face.  Is it the satisfaction of h

On every journey there is a cross road that we come to.  A moment to pause and take stock of life and what direction we ought to take.  While standing at the sign posts of life, I have come to think if this was my last lecture on earth, what would I say. Unlike Dr Randy Pausch, some topics aren't off the table or not meaningful at this juncture. If this moment was indicative of my last final breathe or end of a journey where we would part ways, I would want to share some invaluable wisdom and insights gained on this journey in hopes that it will light your path as you travel, leaving a legacy that encourages, no shouts for you to live life for your dreams, make your wishes and find opportunities as Dr Pausch did to live out your dreams. From the moment I wrote my blog about wishing upon a star, it was self evident the basis of our drive comes from dreams and hopes. The fuel we need is that found in dreams.  Dreaming is the force behind success and sticking to the goal in mind. 

On the journey of life, we experience many things often not having the right tools at our disposal. Finding the right tools can be cumbersome but also crucial to any success we have professionally and personally.  It is reminiscent of a great visualization in the following idiom, "You can't serve soup with a fork." One such tool is in the actual power of the word Knowledge.  Knowledge is the basis of continuous learning.  Certainly, this creates hiccups and setbacks that solidify the need for continuous learning and personal growth.  We have heard many times from our progenitors the necessity of reading and finding answers in the valuable pages of books.  Books are fast being replaced by google and other such search engines.  However, the written word is still valuable and edifying because someone took the time to write down what we were most curious about. There will always be questions that need answers. In keeping with the framework of knowledge, recently I r

Have you ever found yourself in a precarious position betwixt the devil and the deep blue sea.  Often it is when our values and what we want are crossroads.  The key is how to do battle with the angel and demons in our lives. Sticks and Stone may break your bones but the giant of despair cannot hurt you.  I adapted this childhood rhyme to introduce and aspect that can break the best of us.  Second to that is the pebble in our show, the annoyance that won’t go away. The reason for these two notable topics is because they resonate two distinctive challenges I have been facing while developing business ideas this last semester.  I believe that knowing and understanding these two key challenges it will help me to find meaningful ways to embrace and over come them. I found solace in a great, simple to the point read.  It is my sword and buckler in those moments, not just as an entrepreneur but as a human I face difficulties.  May I resoundingly recommend, "A Field Guide for th

Despite our diversity and nationalities we are never immune to tragedy. This life is full of tragedy and frankly it can at times make you disillusioned to if there is any humanity left in the world.  Due to the connections with Facebook and Instagram, half way around the world I find myself crying for the tragedy of those families in Kemerovo a Siberian City in Russia.  On Sunday a fire broke out in a mall, where based on initial reports, the fire alarms were turned off and exits were blocked.  Over 64 people to date have reportedly been lost in the fire or are missing.  The majority of them school age children taking the equivalent of much like our children Spring Break.  This is a senseless loss that the parents will spend years trying to make deal with . Lets gather our collective humanity together and bare this burden for others further afield than we are in this moment. We owe it to them to share this grief for are we not all humans that feel. Please take a moment of sile

William Shakespeare coined a phrase, To be or Not to be.  I am going to borrow this thinking and apply it to our vision of life, who we are and how we see the world.  To see or Not See that is the question.  How is the color of our perspective developed in relation to how we see the world in which we live? Stephen W Gibson,  Founder of Academy for Creating Enterprise spoke at a local university in Idaho and discussed how our thinking, beliefs, opinions can create filters in our minds.  It begins in our youth as our minds go through the conscripts that are under development. This will color and form the way we see things and issues.  Inherently we can see our parents in ourselves on many issue while we are growing up.  At some stage through our education and life experiences in our early adulthood we shift our vision to lenses, unfiltered that work for us.  Gibson said it is much like wearing corrective optical lenses.   The road to becoming an independent thinker.  A shear momen

Since the beginning of this blog post over 10 weeks ago many discussion have been about the core of entrepreneurship.  Getting to the heart of the matter.  May I remind you as often I have that this journey started with a dream, your dream to create something that you believed in your youth would come true.  Remember those wishes and child like aspirations. It sounded something like this ...  "When I grow up, I am going to be be a Fire fighter, the President, be a toy maker, invent something cool." This weeks insightful blog will explore the dynamics an entrepreneur vs the intrinsic automated bureaucratic tendencies of corporations.  How do these differ?  Based on research it is in the line of thinking.  An entrepreneur when faced with a challenge will immediately think, Where is the opportunity? How do I capitalize on it?  What resources do I need? How do I gain control over them? What structure is best? Inherently the business administrator of a corporation wi

How do you see yourself on this journey of Entrepreneurship?  Are you confident, calm, serene or do you feel desperately at a disadvantage?  Leaders are not immune from such feelings but what sets them apart is how they utilize those feelings to graciously walk, not run through challenges they face. An enviable mark of a great leader is one who puts aside their personal feelings and sets about making a difference in others’ lives for the greater good of the company not self. Selflessness is a virtue greatly ignored in a world of entitlement, self-gratification, self-indulgence, and selfies.  However, a leader who is attuned to the people, faces and members of his corporation will understand that to love his people means to give them opportunities to be selfless, grow professionally and trust their gifts and talents.   Leaders cannot realize their greatest vision for the future without letting go of the reins and delegating important tasks to trustworthy, talented and very capa

Often we have heard the endearing words from our parents in our youth that we can do anything you want if you put your mind to it.  The mind and heart can be fickle especially when subjected to negativity from outside sources.  During those times we doubt our ambition, our dreams and desire to become what we are most passionate about. How do we not give up and keep moving forward when the sounds that echo around us of non support or despairing remarks from family hecklers or disbelievers in the wings and rafters.  It is a phenomenon that gives preponderance. Think for a moment why you want to give up a life of meaning because of nay sayers who do not walk in your footsteps.   Why do we has humans have the propensity to give up so easily because someone we may trust doesn't have the vision that we do.  This is just minor obstacle on the journey to entrepreneurship.  Jeff Sandefer and Rev Robert Sinico coined it well in chapter 5 of the book, "A Field Guide for the Hero

Have you ever picked something up along your journey of life thinking this is great and will work wonders, found passion in the words, were moved to do something but a micro ingredient was missing so you laid it down, not having the impetus to re-engage until decades later.  The thought process, this is all too familiar.  Many years ago having experienced an awaking with the principles of First thing First and 7 Habits of High Effective People it is more profound today that in that moment it was first introduced.  Profound because there is passion and purpose in my life, in my goals, in my vision. Despite putting aside 7 Habits many years ago, within the inner recesses of the data field of my mind fragments of the past exist.  Those fossilized remains periodically ignited to memory would serve their over time but not come to full fruition till now. Of the 7 habits, the most decayed were 1. Begin with the end in Mind, 2. First things first and finally 3. Sharpen the Saw. If you a

Take a moment and take in through your nose a deep cleansing breath.  Breath in as much air as your longs can take. Now hold, and slowly exhale, breathing out gradually.  Read the following questions Do you have a Dream?   What is your dream? What are you willing to do make that dream a reality? How do you want your family, friends and colleagues to remember you?  Now take a deep breath, think through those questions and close your eyes.  As you exhale focus on the answers to those questions. Take one last deep, powerful breath in and slowly exhale.  Are these questions triggering emotions in you.  Think for a moment and connect with how you feel. The purpose of this exercise was to reunite the passion within you to keep dreaming and to see how self  can either defeat or ignite the drive we innately have within us. Plato said: "The first and best victory is to conquer self, to be conquered by self is, of all things, the most shameful and file. " Building a le