Blog | Kevin Breeding | Mindset Engine | Catalyst U

The Power of A Personal Note

I know Jimmy Fallon has made Thank You Notes a Friday night centerpiece, but I encourage you to take a cue and express some gratitude today through a personal note. Over the past month, I have taken a few minutes Friday morning to write out at least one thank you note to someone that has made an impact on me over the last several days.

The result is truly remarkable!

In all of two or three minutes, we each have the power to make someone’s day AND we can impact ourselves with a solid dose of gratitude. This morning, I wrote out a note to a new friend and business colleague, Pamela Bruner. Pamela took the time this past week to send me a copy of her book. We had met at a conference a couple weeks ago and started a great conversation and networking discussion. Then, yesterday I received her gift.

So, long about next Tuesday she will receive a note from me – handwritten, not an email, not typed and on business letterhead.

Every time I do, the recipient calls or shoots me a note back at how they appreciated my thoughtfulness and time. Honestly, it takes all of two minutes – but it is well worth it!

Then, there is the energy that I gain from being intentionally grateful. The personal note is a means to express gratitude in a way that is becoming a lost art. We have become so busy and so electronically cold that we often lose the personal connection like a personal note brings.

Now I have to admit that I am partial of mailed, personal notes. Honestly, it is this simple act that made me fall in love with my wife, Susie Howard Breeding. She and I met when we were 12 years old and wrote letters back and forth from Little Rock and Bossier City for almost 10 years. We still have some of them today.

So, let me encourage you today to consider taking a moment today – don’t wait – and write out a personal thank you note. The impact will do the recipient a world of good. And the personal note will put you in a place of gratitude.

Everybody wins.

October 3, 2014/by Kevin Breeding

Success Is A Choice

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Success Is A Choice

I know, I know. That is a hard statement. But honestly, success IS a choice. Yes, I know that there are circumstances that come across our path. And I also know that there are often times things that we cannot control and things that rob our progress and squash our joy.

But it wasn’t until I was forced to face the truth that I realized – Success is a choice.

You see, like you, I often allow stuff to get into my head and limit my actions. Every professional coach I have worked with emphasizes that the greatest enemy of success is fear – pure and simple.

Our fear is what tells us we can’t.

It tells us that we are too busy.

It tells us that we can’t afford it.

It tells us that we aren’t good enough

It tells us anything it can in order for us to justify our inaction.

It paralyzes us into doing nothing – and then we wonder why nothing happens toward our dream.

I know – that is harsh. But friend, that is what holds me back when I allow it. And I offer to you this – your success is simply waiting right there in front of you. Hard work to get there – but your success is already there, already present, and already complete. You simply have to get up, get over your fear, and get started.

Now – is it going to be easy? No. Is it going to happen overnight? No. Will you always see the results that you want? No.

But hard work, determination, clarity, and a huge commitment to not allow excuses are all you need. If you are willing to get up, work hard, work smart, and be willing to try and try again, then you will find it. In fact, your success is in the trying – not in the outcome.

I have the privilege to work alongside many incredible people and even am able to coach a few individuals as they are on their journey. I count it a complete joy and blessing to do so. Every coaching session, I walk away more energized and more clear on what it is I need to be doing. By investing in someone else’s success, I win too!

So let me encourage you today. Success is a choice. Now, what are you going to do about it?

Let’s go!

Want more conversation like this? Hit LIKE on Facebook

October 1, 2014/by Kevin Breeding

Excellence, Education, Expansion, and Energy

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Excellence, Education, Expansion, and Energy

Constant education is one of those “would a, could a, should a” things that we all know we need to do and still pretty much fail miserably.

If you are like me, you want to continue to learn and have a desire to, but how do you find the time? What do you set aside in order to make time for personal and professional growth.

Truth? You don’t. You never find time for personal and professional education – you MAKE time for it.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. That sounds trite and simple, but honestly, making time for personal education is tough. Really tough. By the time you read this, I will be in Phoenix for a week of personal growth and training. In fact, this particular education trip is a multiple win trip for me.

As most of you know, I have a book in the works – Total Life Matrix. It shares my personal journey as an entrepreneur and how I have come to focus on seven key aspects of life for maximum success –

My Business

My Relationships

My Health

My Education

My Spirituality

My Personal Interest

My Purpose for Being On This Planet

It is at this cross-section where genuine success lies. So, for me, this week is both business development and education. I am feeding my brain and my experience so that I become a better author, business coach, marketer, husband, and father.

I have found that when I get in the heat of business, I often make the mistake for neglecting those other things around me. Take a look at the seven things above. Which are you sold out to and which are you in “would a, could a, should a” mode? I am committing to building these seven areas in my life consistently – not equally – but consistently.

My hope is to build a better life WHILE building a better person. So, ask yourself…”What are you building?”

——-

Kevin is a husband to Susie, dad to Natalee and Mallory, step-dad to Carlea and Abbie, a life-long musician, avid photographer, political junkie, and developing author of the upcoming book Total Life Matrix. Connect @kevinbreeding or via Linkedin.

April 22, 2014/by Kevin Breeding

Analytics: Is Your Website Actually Working Against You?

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Analytics: Is Your Website Actually Working Against You?

“I can’t figure out why so many people come to my website but don’t buy anything” or, “I cannot figure out how to get people to my site in the first place” or, ” My web site is so cool! Why aren’t people signing up?” Analytics will tell you.

Does this sound familiar? I hear comments like this pretty much every day and the answers are right there on the page if you know what to look for.

Just last week, a call came in from an individual that had spent countless thousands of dollars on a new website, “kick-ass” video, and landing page for his upcoming event. Yet, even with significant traffic, people were not signing up. They weren’t converting into sales.

What’s up with that?

Here is what I found:

74% of his visitors were coming via a mobile device
2/3 of those mobile visitors were coming on an iPhone and only stayed on the page about forty seconds
1/3 were on tablets and stayed on the site over two minutes
Of those that were viewing from a desktop, 26%, they stayed on the site almost three minutes
Less than 1% were requesting information or purchasing

Why?

The site features a “very nice” two-minute video which is interesting if you are on a desktop, somewhat interesting if on a tablet, and virtually non-viewable from a phone. Yet, 2/3 were trying to view it via a phone and could not. The potential sale was lost – by design.

Here is how to solve this:

First, make sure your web experts understand your core consumer or target consumer and how they are going to consume your product offer.
Second, realize that creative and graphic design is only ” really cool” if it actually works and gets the job done – Sales, Donations, Sign-ups, etc.
Third, make sure that you understand, or have someone who understands, analytics. Know how to read and interpret and then what to do about it.
Fourth, communicate, communicate, communicate. Consumers want to know that you hear them, appreciate them, create for them, and are thankful for the time, money, effort, etc. that they give you.
Finally, commit to constantly evaluate your material and site. Change what needs to be changed and let the data speak for itself.

Regardless of your message – Sales, a Cause, a Lesson, a Need, a FILL IN THE BLANK HERE – focus on analytics. Your consumers and your site will tell you a lot if you know where to look.

Interested in a completely free site and social media evaluation? Shoot me a note at kevinbreeding At Gmail Dot Com.

April 21, 2014/by Kevin Breeding

Customer Service: A Dying Art

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Customer Service: A Dying Art

I am a constant learner. I am forever scouring books, videos, and online courses to learn all manner of things. But I have to say that as a result of my experience across all product delivery systems, I have learned that Customer Service is a lost art.

Just this past Monday, two days ago, I ran across an online course from a very prominent online marketer. If I listed his name here, most of you would know it or have seen it on Facebook or via a blog or email. So – – the course looked interesting; I was in the mood to expand my experience a bit more; I purchased the product. This was a quick start guide, a 30 minute training video, and a checklist for effective online marketing. Simple, easy, and inexpensive – designed to draw me in and upsell me later. (which I have no issue with as long as you are trustworthy and the material is good)

HERE IS WHERE THE RUB BEGINS. Order placed, credit card processed, delivery email received, and a download link that does not work. FAIL!

This is where true Customer Service is shown – when there is a problem, not when everything is wonderful. Needless to say, their customer service sucks, their brand is forever ruined in my mind, and I am now sharing my experience with my network of friends to protect you.

Here are a few keys to remember when considering an online purchase:

Is the product offer clearly listed as “what you get?”
Is there a phone number AND a support help desk listed?
Is there a “no questions asked” money back guarantee?
Are there complaints about the marketer or company by Googling? (people can bury these so be careful)
Does the Support, Contact Us, or FAQ section clearly tell you how to get help if you are dissatisfied?

If any of these are missing, Caveat Emptor! Let the buyer beware.

For those of us in the online marketing space, here is a big reminder list:

Our product is excellent ONLY when it does what it says it will do, not just when it sells.
Our product experience is defined by whether or not a customer will tell someone about it.
Our product is made stronger when we allow someone who doesn’t like to easily return it.
Our product is damaged when we attempt to make it difficult to return – it makes people never come back.
Our product is us. People believe in people, reputations, and customer service.

Serve people well and they will come back again and again. Serve them poorly, or none at all, and they will go away and tell everyone they know about how bad their experience was.

Customer Service is your best marketing tool!

April 16, 2014/by Kevin Breeding

3 Ways to Move the Needle Toward Satisfaction

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3 Ways to Move the Needle Toward Satisfaction

Do you ever feel like you are just going through the motions?

Does your life feel like a bad version of groundhog day where one day just repeats over and over? Do you have fantastic dreams and ideas that you know can make a difference, but you can’t quite figure out how to get them out of your head and into the world?

I have been right there with you. In fact, I lived right there alongside all that for many years – and now, I am finding the solution to life meaning and satisfaction.

Last night, I was on a call with one of the most important people in my life. They are a true co-laborer in making me a better person. Their viewpoint and opinion are paramount. Also – their advice and input carry significant weight.

About 10 minutes into the conversation, I noted a serious tone of frustration and definitely zero satisfaction. We started talking through it a bit and it dawned on me that I had a fantastic tool that helped me build satisfaction that I had once used, but had forgotten about it. That changes today!

When I get down on myself, here is what I do:

1. Ask yourself – What do I want to be doing? What do I want to be?

2. Ask yourself – What EXACTLY am I measuring so that I can see when the needle is moving? (THIS IS A BIG ONE!)

3. Ask yourself – What am I willing to commit to for change to happen?

For several years, I spoke publicly often several times a week. Every single time I would, I would beat myself up mentally saying things like, “that was lousy,” or “no one benefitted from that.” In fact, reality was completely the opposite. People really enjoyed what I shared for the most part.

You see – I was not satisfied with who I was, what I was about, or what I was doing. So, instead of working on my mental position, I simply beat myself up mentally about every thing I was doing. Candidly – it was a miserable way to live.

Now, I focus on the real issues internally rather than just teaching myself to doubt, be afraid and back away. I know who I am, what I want to be about, and most importably, what I want to be. I know where I find satisfaction – with everything.

Regardless how big or how small your hurdle. Ask yourself – what are you using to measure what is going on? It is entirely possible that you are doing great things today – you just won’t allow yourself the victory and see your success.

Here’s to beginning a new walk toward satisfaction, joy, and excitement in life. I’ve been on both ends of life – I’ll take this one for sure!

For additional insight into making your thoughts work for you instead of against you, consider THIS POST.

Kevin is a husband to Susie, dad to Natalee and Mallory, step-dad to Carlea and Abbie, a life-long musician, avid photographer, political junkie, and developing author of the upcoming book Total Life Matrix. Connect @kevinbreeding or via Linkedin.

March 27, 2014/by Kevin Breeding

Enjoy Kevin’s Daily Musing Through The Mindset Engine Blog

The Power of A Personal Note

The Power of A Personal Note

Success Is A Choice

Success Is A Choice

Excellence, Education, Expansion, and Energy

Excellence, Education, Expansion, and Energy

Analytics: Is Your Website Actually Working Against You?

Analytics: Is Your Website Actually Working Against You?

Customer Service: A Dying Art

Customer Service: A Dying Art

3 Ways to Move the Needle Toward Satisfaction

3 Ways to Move the Needle Toward Satisfaction

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