Observations

MasteringYourQuest.com

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:48:23 -0500

Another commentary on co-working. We often confuse the building and the amenities with the space. But in Co-working the focus should be the people. After all, in this environment the workers chose to be there. This is different from a business where the business chooses the employees.

Mastering Your Quest

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:48:55 -0500

Mastering Your Quest:

Here’s the first of several posts I’m writing on co-working spaces. It’s a new and exciting concept for the new information age entrepreneur. It could be the way we work in the future. It gives back the social aspect of work to the independent contractor.

Brief note on Health Care Reform.

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:49:07 -0400

Tell me again how great our current health care system is when I can’t afford to go the doctor and have to scrape up the money to buy overpriced prescriptions. Tell that to all the employers that have to cut employee health coverage every year to be able to afford it. The only good thing about this economic down turn is that it may force some changes on this monster.

Insurance is a tough racket.

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 01:59:29 -0400

Surprise, I’m changing agencies again. I’ve given up on Banker’s and am now talking to a company called PMA / USA (Performance Matters Associates) They specialize in workplace insurance or what is sometimes called voluntary benefits. They go to companies and sell life and health policies to the employees. Sounds like a much better gig. No marathon phone sessions calling people who don’t really want to hear from you. We get the call from the HR department and meet anyone interested on their breaks. I expect this will mean more interested people but I’ll really have to see. Banker’s sounded good at first too. If everything goes well I’ll start in a few weeks.

Party Prank - Show your friends you love them.

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:42:29 -0400

How would our friends know we cared if we weren’t mean to them now and then?

I got this from the latest Wired Magazine.

1> Get an Ice Tray and freeze some ice cubes.

2> When the ice starts getting solid put some mentos in them. Position them so that they are totally encased in the ice cube.

3> Once the cubes are totally frozen you can add them to your victim’s glass of diet coke.

4> When the cubes melt down enough for the mentos to contact the diet coke, the drink will overflow with foam. Much hilarity will ensue at this point.

I haven’t tried this myself yet. Feel free to give it a shot.

Yes, I'm now a secret Insurance Agent.

Sat, 09 May 2009 22:47:00 -0400

I recently had a surprising meeting at work. We had a meeting to give us the latest updates on following the new rules on selling insurance. One section of the meeting was on advertising and how the rules affected us. Insurance advertising is heavily regulated and any published ad must be reviewed by a small army of lawyers. We drifted into the subject of web advertising and guess what. Due to the requirement that any advertisement must be reviewed we cannot create any of our own advertising. If we want to advertise we must use the company approved items. So basically we cannot put anything original on our web pages about ‘national company’ life. In fact, we have been asked to not even list the company name on our personal sites. That includes blogs and any social site. They consider any listing of the name an un-reviewed advertisement. We can only say that we are ‘insurance agents for a national company’ in our current employment sections. Wonder how that affects on-line resumes? Is it still considered advertising if it is negative? It would be funny except they are serious and our jobs hang on keeping our licenses. There are still a lot of people that don’t understand the web.

I start Twittering.

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:48:56 -0400

After seemingly years of denial of the importance of Twitter, I finally signed up. I’m going to try it. I got a software offer that made me. So, there, I’m on it now. I haven’t found everyone yet but I’ll add all of you as I find your links. I started with Austin, Jose, and Geeksouth. I’m at @andserve if you are interested.

I change jobs

Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:42:20 -0400

Combined Insurance no longer owns me. Truthfully, they never really paid me very well. So, I have moved on. I signed the papers Friday to start working at Banker Life and Casualty. I start my training on Monday. It should be a good move. I like their lead structure a lot better. We’ll see if that helps the bottom line a little.

It's here.

Sun, 14 Dec 2008 05:31:55 -0500

I was pleasantly surprised today when the official insurance license came in the mail. The state of Tennessee has granted me the right to sell health and accident insurance. Watch out world. Starting this week there is one more person selling insurance.

I pass the exam.

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 12:21:12 -0500

Yes, everything worked out and I passed the Health Insurance exam for TN. The exam was on Nov. 25th. I’m waiting until the state completes the paperwork and I receive the actual license. Until then I can’t start the job. I’m continuing to study the sales material and get everything back on track that was late while I was in Nashville. Another milestone passed on my new job direction.

Status at Week 1

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:33:48 -0500

I have come back to JC so I can straighten out some stuff before the next phase of the training starts. Monday we start the sales training. The Combined Insurance Company was the creation of Clement Stone. Stone is a famous motivational writer of the fifties. He was also connected to Napoleon Hill. Hill is famous for the book ‘Think and Grow Rich’. Stone wrote several as well and contributed to the Grow Rich book. The sales program is based on Stone’s selling system. It should be very interesting. I’ve read a little of his work. Like most of the motivational writers of that time he stresses just pushing through your limitations. They weren’t big on touchy feely stuff back then. I’m looking forward to seeing his work presented for the 2008 salesman. Their meeting room is next door to the License training room where I’ve been this week. We heard them chanting motivational sayings several times. I guess we will be chanting this week too.

The State test is early Thanksgiving week. I’m studying hard. I get mixed comments from people who have passed it. Some say it’s easy and some say it’s hard. No matter what they say, some people do fail it, and those people don’t get to work before they do pass it. So, I study. I need an income to start as soon as possible.

Later…

I start the training

Sun, 09 Nov 2008 22:05:17 -0500

Today I arrived in Nashville to start training. Tomorrow I attend my first class. I have checked in to the motel. As they told me I have a room mate. That seems to be part of the training. I wonder if it’s so we can be exposed to some else in the same position we are. They send out snipers in teams of two. The reason is that if only one person is sent, they may decide to not shoot the target. With another person along there is enough social pressure to make sure the target is shot. Could that be why everyone is issued a roommate? Just enough social pressure to keep everyone excelling.

Job News

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:59:00 -0500

Good news, I’ve been hired by Combined Insurance as a field agent. Monday I start their agent training in Nashville for three weeks. Then I’ll be back here to spread the word of low cost health insurance. Have no fear, I’m continuing my web activities, my other projects, and of course my quest. My e-book will be completed and my blogs will continue to inspire and encourage those also seeking success. I’ll just be able to pay the bills a little quicker. The universe continues to push me toward ultimate success. I’ll keep you informed.

I put some pictures up.

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 21:49:35 -0400

I put some pictures up on Facebook and Plaxo. My cats and the motivational poster.

The Poster Is Available on MYQ Site NOW

Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:14:00 -0400

I have put the poster up on e-junkie and put the proper links to it on the Mastering Your Quest Blog. Feel free to go and get it. I have also put some extra polish to it. I think you will like it.

Oops, Turns out that e-junkie allows free downloads but you still have to go through pay pal to get there. I’m working on a less hassle method of downloading. You can get the poster now by giving paypal info. You may want to wait to get an easier method to download.

https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?i=156865&c=single&cl=24034” target=”ejejcsingle”

Sorry - missed getting out the next chapter.

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:24:25 -0400

Sorry, because of the computer problems I did not get the fourth chapter of my ebook out. I plan to be releasing it this Friday. I am experimenting with motivational posters and have completed my first one. I will be e-mailing it out to my list and the people on my various friend lists. If you like it please send it out to your friends, so they can enjoy it as well. It will be available on my e-junkie account as a free down load as well. I plan on releasing several more posters in the future.

Windows crisis and resolution

Sun, 05 Oct 2008 17:19:00 -0400

I just spent several days reinstalling Windows. After a two week fight with ad ware and spy ware the Windows installation died and killed access to the main drive. So I could work on recovering the damaged drive, I chose to add a second hard disk and reinstall windows on that. In addition I made it dual boot-able as well with a partition of Linux. I’ve gotten the computer working and most of the current software that I need has been installed. I don’t appear to have lost anything but the spy ware so far. The only weirdness I’ve found with the changes is that the main drive is now G. The damaged drive retained it’s C name. Thank goodness for backups. Configuring the Linux has been a learning experience but once set up it seems to work well. I’ll keep you informed on my explorations of Linux.

Proof Reading The First PDF Draft

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 17:02:38 -0400

I’m excited about the first draft of chapter three of the e-book. It’s now in PDF form and it looks really good. John does great work with e-book layouts and this is an example of this. He makes me look good. It’s a great combination. Tomorrow I start the promotion of it. (and start on chapter 4) I’m going to start working on getting the chapter written earlier in the week. That will make it easier all around.

I’ll have it on e-junky and the blog soon.

Wrapping up the third chapter.

Sun, 28 Sep 2008 13:54:00 -0400

I just put some finishing touches on chapter 3 - Mastering Your Quest - Removing your limiting beliefs. I’m sending to John to do some editing magic on it. Most likely by Monday or Tuesday it will be on the site for purchase.

Then on to the next chapter on empowering beliefs - out Friday

Don’t get too far behind. Get the first chapters and start on the exercises.

Sorry about missing the deadline on this one.

Dot Dash Create - Blog Promotion

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 00:53:00 -0400

Just signed up with this new social site that is centered around blogs. Heard about it from Steven Pearce on his audio blog. Maybe I’ll get a little more traffic. Couldn’t hurt.