Okay folks, I decided to make the blog more interactive and allow fans and followers to ask me whatever they wanted to ask and I would do my best to answer. I can’t answer everything simply because of volume but I’ll answer what I can. No topic within reason is off limits. If you are interested in playing, send your questions to info@larrywinget.com.
Q&A for this week:
Jeff: “I teach marketing and business to high school students. If you were my sub for a day – what would you teach them?
I would teach the one and only reason a business exists: to be profitable. I think more than ever, people believe that businesses exist to make their employees happy. Wrong. They exist to be profitable. Any business that ceases to be profitable goes out of business. Businesses become profitable by offering a product or service that fills a consumer need and that they can sell for more than it costs them to provide. When they stop doing any one of those things, they cease to be profitable. Businesses that exist to please employees, fail. Businesses that exist only to satisfy customers, also fail. Profitability is priority one. Yes, you must make customers happy and serve them well and obviously, you can’t spend your time making your employees UNhappy, but never sacrifice profitability! Past that lesson, I would cover the importance of selling. I believe that you can sell yourself out of any problem. Yet so many don’t know the fundamentals. Teach your kids how to be courteous, respectful, look people in the eye, and how to ask and they will always have a job and will always be successful.
Michel: “Do you believe that sometimes people use religion as a means of avoiding personal responsibility? Do you think some people say “it’s God’s will” or resort to blaming God as an excuse for doing poorly?”
Michel, absolutely! For many, religion/faith/belief is not used to move them to a higher level of thinking or action but as an excuse for the bad that happens in the world, especially in their own world. Almost all of what is going badly in your own life is caused by your own actions. People HATE that idea and feel a need to place blame somewhere outside of themselves, therefore they use their employer, conditions in general, the government and the easiest of all, God. While some will argue that it isn’t “blaming” God, any time you invoke the “God’s will” argument for your situation, you are blaming God and shirking your own responsibility. I hate the “God’s will” BS about as much as anything being said in that world of belief. Is it really God’s will that you lost your house to foreclosure? Or did you spend stupidly and buy more than you could afford or did you charge too much on your credit cards and now can’t make your payments? Is it God’s will you got cancer or did you just smoke too many cigarettes even though there is a warning label on the package? Is it God’s will that you have heart disease or are diabetic or do you simply eat like a pig with no regard for your health? God didn’t buy the house, pull out the credit card, light up the cigarette or chow down on the cheeseburger – you did! Bottom line: we give God the blame when we aren’t willing to accept the blame ourselves. Yet, it gets us off the hook and even creates sympathy from fellow “believers” when we invoke God’s name into our own stupidity. Leave God out of your mess and go look in the mirror instead.
Kevin: “Larry, in a recent facebook post you mentioned having a ‘boogie bag’ at the ready should you need to evacuate on short notice. Can you share the contents of your bag?”
Kevin, I am not a whacked out survivalist but do believe in preparedness. I have a month of food set aside (as well as 20 gallons of water) as no city can sustain itself with food for more than a few days if disaster hits and the fight for food would become dangerous. Disasters do happen and while the likelihood is remote, few people have taken the steps to be prepared in any way. Besides, it only costs about $100 to put aside 30 days of food so there is no downside. On to my bag: it is normally called a “bug out bag” and it is sometimes referred to as a SHTF bag. I take it camping with me as well as when I ride quads in the mountains or desert. A lot of thought and research went into putting this bag together. It is a backpack with molle attachments which means there are smaller bags attached to it. I may post a picture of it or do a youtube video of it and the contents some time. Here are the contents:
Pistol and 7 mags of ammo – Pants, shirt, socks – Weatherproof poncho – Leather work gloves – Boonie hat – a buff – 3 knives (survival, hunting, filet) – leatherman multi-tool – 100 ft. paracord – 25 feet gorilla tape – 2 headlamps – small flashlight – small crank flashlight – several batteries – several single pak anti-bacterial wetones – fire striker & combustibles to start a fire (cotton balls soaked in Vaseline) – matches/bic lighter – water bottle with filter – stainless steel water bottle – small stainless cooking container – sunscreen/insect repellent – jerky/power bars/hard candy – compass – whistle – monocular – carpenter pencil and waterproof writing pad – small sharpie – 3 carabiners – metal mirror – bandana – gerber pocket saw – expandable towels – 3 mini Johnny Walker Blacks – 50 one dollar bills – and a very complete medical kit.
And for you Red Dawn fans: The chair is against the wall.
Thank you for answering my question! I also loved your answer to Jeff’s. Perfectly said. Being a marketing consultant myself, a suggestion for your next book would be: “Your Business is Your Own Damn Fault!” Now that would be a killer!
Larry, I was recently re-org’d out of my company primarily due to politics (the new SVP brought in his own folks)…OK I know it’s my own damn fault in some way from reading your books. I’ve been through this once before and am determined not to let it happen again. I have started my own sales company and am taking steps to put my destiny into my own hands. I’m done with big corporate America. Fortunately I have many good contacts and that will help. It’s not easy starting all over again at 54 but I can and will do it, and wanted you to know that your books are an inspiration. God Bless and thank you.
Hey Larry,
I love the what you are doing here on your blog with the questions. I want to see an image or video of your “bug out bag” living in earthquake prone California I’ve got my bag but without the pistol with the “7 mags of ammo”.
–THX, David
Larry, would you have any words of wisdom for a woman at 50 wanting to start her own health/fitness business? I read all the so called “you can do it” books but really I am finding that it’s who you know and needing money behind you. Should I just forget it? How does someone with no money learn about internet online business?
Thanks!
Larry, I especially liked your answers on the religion question. There are so many who blame anyone and anything for their problems. We have to start taking responsibility for our actions and look for solutions rather than keep looking to place blame. That means we may have to give up our precious DirecTV, the expensive cell phone, and even get off the couch and exercise.
I am one of those individuals who has made some bad choices and I am not blaming the economy, God, or my parents. It is my own fault. And I am the only one who can fix it. So, to all those out there blaming your problems on anything but yourself, get a clue and do like Larry said – “look in the mirror.” I did and it wasn’t pretty but I have a plan now. Larry’s direct approach is the best. Great job Larry and I look forward to next week.
The 3 Johnny Walker Blacks prove your list is indeed well-thought out!
Lynn, it is a tough time to go into business for anyone right now and even during the best of times, most small businesses fail. The “You can do it” books are primarily written by people who have never done it! You do need money to get started and to hold you with no income for several months minimum. And a strong marketing plan and disaster plan is also necessary.
As (almost) always, excellent points.
God Larry, I love you, in a Bro-mance kind of way! You shoot straight, tell it like it is, and you are the ultimate realistic. I quote you to all my business contacts. I think answering these questions was a great Idea for your blog. Coming from an owner of a web company, this is the type of thing I ask my clients to do! Kudos to you my friend. Oh, and I am still telling every idiot parent to read your latest book! That was the best Facebook marketing idea you had to date. I must have told 150 parents about that book by now, and I often reference it when parents are complaining about their kids to me….”it’s your own damn fault!”
Thanks Larry! So do you have any good marketing plan books? LOL I love your brilliance!! Enjoy reading everything…and btw, your survival bag…you sound like my husband! :o) Take Care!
What advice do you give 20 something year olds. Do you believe in getting a good job at a good company and growing with it in today’s world? Both my kids have landed what seems to be excellent jobs with opportunity…thanks again!
SHTF bag requires a definition Larry!
Thanks for all the brain food.
John
…and yes, I DO have a long mustache.
Lynne “How does someone with no money learn about online business”? Go online and google everything. The internet itself will teach you everything you need to know about the internet. You just have to WANT to know and have a passion for learning new things. I should know because I started a website that is now a household name nearly ten years ago with zero knowledge, that website quickly became no 1 in our field and has remained the market leader ever since, every month we get more and more dominant. I use the internet like a starving man looking for a new morsel evevry day still and I learn about the internet, marketing, social marketing every single day (and I implement what I think will work for us). Although I am an expert in my field (thanks to all that free online training). It’s a very exciting business to be in. By the time a book is out it is almost “defunct”, learn via the internet, supplement with the latest books (from the library). You seem quite ready to abdicate responsibilioty to Larry for your dream and ‘forget it”. Get in, or get out, there is no half measure. Do what you LOVE and what is your passion. Ten years on and I still love what I do, in fact I find it more and more interesting! I am now at the point I could help other businesses and get paid for it, but I too excited about building and growing my own business right now.
As an owner of a business I love the common sense response from Mr. Winget. It is too often that we forget why we are in business. Thanks Larry…
Lynn – no, I don’t have any marketing plan books that I recommend. It’s been a long time since I read any! Sorry.
And for 20 year olds, I recommend they read my book, It’s Called Work For A Reason to give them perspective on business and employment and about how to be a good employee.
JOHN – you know what SHTF means!
Hi Larry,
I have an idea! PRESIDENT WINGET!
Have you ever thought of it?