A Bullied Child, Abandoned at Birth, Becomes a Global Leader in Dental Innovation and Education

Everyone loves rags-to-riches stories, but few people have lived such lives. In addition to a desire to see others succeed, many people like to complain that they don't get any breaks . . . and use setbacks as an excuse for not having accomplished much. But are breaks really the basis of rags-to-riches success, or is it something else?

The punch line of most rags-to-riches stories is that it's what you do, not where you start out, that makes the difference. Let's look at a modern-day Andrew Carnegie to see what lessons we should draw for accomplishing more.

Dr. David Penn was abandoned in a hospital in Sydney, Australia by his refugee parents. His first fortunate break came when he was adopted as baby by a childless couple. His next set-back came when his adopted parents broke up: Dr. Penn was mostly raised by his determined Mum who struggled to earn enough to support him.

Wanting a better education for him, Dr. Penn was sent to a boarding school at 13 where he suffered from continual bullying and violence while mentally stagnating from the school's weak academic program. This set-back was a low point from which many teens don't recover.

Dr. Penn was adamant that he wanted to come home and finally persuaded his parents to free him after two years of misery and three break outs from the school. Thrown into a new sink-or-swim school, he thrived thanks to a new friendship with a nice teenage girl.

He started university studies at 17 and quickly found that he had entrepreneurial instincts. He earned a good living from providing part-time tutoring to high-school students and sponsoring a lucrative football betting game at the university. Profits were so good that he hired someone to do his laundry for him, much to his Mum's dismay.

Buying a dental practice after graduation, Dr. Penn was soon so successful that he bought a second practice and had both completely booked by the time he was 27. Seeking new challenges, he later started a dental laboratory in Hong Kong to make dental prostheses. That business has grown over the last 25 years into a global industry leader.

Through the dental laboratory, Dr. Penn found ways to improve the practice of dentistry, providing better materials and prostheses while educating dentists on how to be more successful using these improved resources. The business did so well that he characterized its business model as being as near perfect as a business model can be.

But he was restless and wanted to do more: He started and ran three more successful companies. But those accomplishments still weren't enough.

Where does a man who is so successful go to find new challenges? In Dr. Penn's case, his next stop was to study for an online MBA at Rushmore University.

Why? He wanted to examine what he had been doing in business from a new perspective and thought that the individual tutoring by the world-famous professors at Rushmore could help.

Because he had been asked by another university to develop an MBA program for dentists, Dr. Penn made that one of his topics for earning an online MBA; and he created an MBA curriculum and model unit on ethics for dentists. The program was designed to build on the best of what well-known universities were doing and his experiences with individual tutoring at Rushmore.

Dr. Penn found from his studies that experientially directed learning (working on practical problems to learn business principles) energized and informed him in ways that he did not realize could be done through academic studies. He pointed to David Kolb's book, Experiential Learning, to characterize how the experienced person can make large gains in gaining and applying new knowledge:

1. Perceive new information.
2. Reflect on how the new information can impact some area of life.
3. Compare the new information to your experiences.
4. Think about how the new information could provide better ways to act.

After gaining his MBA, what did Dr. Penn have to say about the educational experience in terms of the four-step model?

"Was the course worthwhile and would I do it again? Absolutely! Upon reflection, the most difficult aspect was defining the course and ensuring that the tasks were worthwhile and challenging. I set myself an enormous performance gap to bridge but emerged at the end with an achievement that has altered my thought processes forever."

Since graduating, Dr. Penn expanded his dental laboratory by integrating a new product line from another company. This experience was so exciting and successful that he has been thinking about studying for a DBA (Doctor of Business Administration) degree to consider and expand on his post-MBA work.

What challenges will entice Dr. Penn next? It's hard to tell, but they are bound to be large ones. Now that he appreciates how education can accelerate his success, the sky is clearly the limit for him.

How can you refocus your talents and experience to accomplish more? Perhaps you should start using Dr. Penn's four steps to help you. Rather than thinking it's all about breaks, start looking for ways you can perceive new knowledge. And follow on from there as he did.

About the Author

Donald W. Mitchell is a professor at Rushmore University. For more information about ways to engage in fruitful lifelong learning at Rushmore to increase your success, visit

http://www.rushmore.edu .

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How Do You Focus on Excellence

In 1995, I started a project to help the whole world make improvements at 20 times the usual rate. I knew it was a good idea, but I wasnt so sure that anyone else would think so.

How would I pursue this project to engage the interest of great leaders I had no idea, not even a clue. All I knew was that I was supposed to make this announcement at the autumnal equinox.

I quickly organized the meeting. Clients graciously agreed to fly in to share their triumphs and lessons with one another. We were able to reserve my favorite room for such meetings at the Four Seasons restaurant in Manhattan.

Not knowing how anyone else may hold the comment of the new face up to, I adjudicated to carry it to myself. I similarly had the belief that my directives were to carry the ordeal personal until the information. In our own way, why variety the comment then to a certain extent than more rapidly

Accomplishing that something indispensable can take place, I pressed one of my teenagers into establishing a movie of the finish game.

As the weeks occurred prior to the equinox, I was strangely peaceful also albeit I frequently versed similar to I was upright at the top of a tall developing just about to walk into cell.

I dont customarily get tense before a big sport; typically Im slightly serene. When the daybreak of the exercise dawned, I found myself highly agitated in its place. I was looking convey to having my notice. How may all and sundry answer

And as a rule I wouldnt go through unearthed shoppers to so a few presenters without producing rehearsed the narrators . . . or at slightest left by the use of slightly exhaustive briefings. But this occasion, I had basically counseled each person what on earth sphere of their occurrences I hoped they can part and gave them whole leeway for how to notify their stories. One excuse I had better off plus this advent was my become aware of of the comprehensive integrity that these massive executives frequently cast off to recommendation their lives.

The discussions rotated out to be outstandingly proper. I couldnt have maybe grew whatever they stated, also if I had tired weeks also each creature. Plainly, the narrators were energize by the occasion and the honor they competent at personality desire to allocation their shrewdness and the amalgamation. They had all set extremely painstakingly and methodically. In addition, each speaker dug deeply to allotment powerful personal occasions that had not been germane in public prior to.

Heres an case in point: One CFO demanded to part the some ways that he got ordinary employees to communicate along furthermore him candidly on the subject of anything was running on in his bureau. His standard procedure He dressed up comparable to the different employees and launched advertising a broom, flowing boxes, or only doing whatever each person else was doing. Numerous staff assumed he was a new employee. Indoor a day or two, staff revealed up to the new guy. No one constantly achieved that he was enjoys corporate administrative center.

To keep in touch anything he learned, he can wear esoteric costumes and role works for his viewers. For case in point, subsequent to concluding that the companies board had been too lax in addition to the purse chain, he dressed as Scrooge and mentioned a lot of "Bah, humbug" at the after financial statement rundown by the board.

On that day, the CFO dressed up as Albert Einstein admiration wig and all and gave us equations for producing breakthrough exploits. It was an unforgettable behavior, and the listener reveled it He was considerably moved by the reaction he got wind of.

As one striking chat followed one more one, I felt love I was on top of the world.

Whenever you let tremendous leaders do their fixation, you, too, can arouse each person to realize further condition.

Are you prepared
Just about the Architect

Donald Mitchell is an originator of seven books plus Adventures of an Optimist, The 2,000 Percent Squared Way out, The 2,000 Percent Way out, The 2,000 Percentage Way out Workbook, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise, and The Final Competitive Vantage. Studied just about developing

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Learn to Build an Ideal, Secure Lifestyle

Do you already enjoy an ideal, secure lifestyle

Here are a few questions to help you check on whether you do:

Think back to 6:30 p.m. on your last day of work. Were you at home If not, why werent you at home with your loved ones What could possibly have been so important at work that it took you away from your family

How do the hours you spend commuting each week compare to the number of hours you spend in loving conversations

What things frighten you Why are you frightened

Will your children and grandchildren have more loving childhoods while they live at home than you did

Will you be able to retire each time you solicit Why may well you constantly appetite to retire if your work is amusing and an advisable complement to your relatives existence

How is your relationship as well as God Do you frequently skill the autonomy to go after His ways

How a good deal of animation and excitement do you tolerate whenever you awake each morning

If you were to die tonight, how would you review the feature of your existence in the last every year

Those are the types of queries that recruits and vocations at times ask themselves. As its accepted to ask the inquiries, its far added prime to resolution the interrogatives and after that act on anything your rejoinder confirm to you should be done.

For as far back as anthropologists can describe every day male being alive, more workers experience had to textbook tough and for long-lasting hours. However, excepting a big wig was a slave, book normally engaged human being accessible to nuclear family and friends.

It has merely been because the factory set of rules arose in the very last few centuries that prolonged hours configured lengthy periods of separation loves nuclear family for Some workers. All through the profession-industrial age in economically stepped forward nations, more or less textbook continues to upset separation loves clan.

Struggling with opposition that separation, a few people are obtaining that there are fulfilling vocations that can be occupied in at abode or in a business where the comprehensive relations can be either souvenir or within reach. Examples contains building art, farming, on the internet sales and services, psychiatry, software duty, tutoring, and scripting.

In essential, some prolific jobs can be better performed in friendlier environments. The spare nurturing such environments move can improve mental stability and ask beneficial dice-capturing.

However, more or less employees dropped into a way of earning a alive, fairly than choosing a habits to live. Thats a mistake.

If you appreciate youve organized that mistake, how can you adjust Let me allocation an case in point and you of a big wig who has manufactured and is building an advisable, buckle behaviors that a couple of staff would like.

Leon Holtzhausen holds an MBA degree enjoys Rushmore University where he is now a Ph.D. candidate. He became attracted in academic studies behind schedule in survival. As a child, Mr. Holtzhausen was far further desirous in sports and probing the world. For case in point, he hitchhiked using 16,000 miles of the Joined States after graduating like college.

Mentors played a big role in his survival by suggesting what on earth generous of vocations he should enquiry, what facts he should benefit, and whatever munificent of line of business he should aim for. We should all be so favored to taste such appropriate mentors.

But the prime and numerous helpful adjustment in his being alive got back each time he connubial a female plus a deep fury for horses and a at any rate-planted detect of right and mistaken. His wifes character became a bed rock on which Mr. Holtzhausen instituted his existence choices. Following their teenagers were born, the Holtzhausens moved relishes South Africa to Germany, agreeing with there were occasions there for a pocket sized line of business and an advantageous family being alive. After the change, Mr. Holtzhausen got wind of corporate existence to be a bit torturous in vocabulary of his colleagues ethics. He as a result switched to government consulting where he was additional often able to act plus personal integrity. Unluckily, his consulting assignments were burly book and frequently brought him far somewhere else loves domicile. He currently returned to company continuation, leading a sturdy shift management initiative for a major agency.

Anytime hes home, existence is remarkable for everyone in the relatives. The Holtzhausens own a farm near the Baltic coastline where they are yearning Mrs. Holtzhausens admonition in breeding Trakehner horses sturdy, bright, in any case-tempered, and great horses stepped forward cherish the core breeding supplies at an eighteenth century East Prussian farm that move at any rate in dressage competitions. Their horse farm is in a rural setting that permits their kids to grow up in other places bask in the tensions and traumas of an urban population. In fact, Mr. Holtzhausen likes to daydream almost about what it may possibly be comparable to to retire there:

"I imagine myself on a Sunday afternoon, sailing trailing the Peene River plus a basket of goodies, a accepted textbook, and a fishing rod plus no hook, by no means wanting to pick up anything, but just amusing the moment."

Mr. Holtzhausen bask in a few aspects of business and doesnt solicited to give up completely subsequent to he retires bask in the commercial world. In its place, he imagines stimulating the breeding farm pay and supplementing that income along furthermore a juvenile affair operated cherish domicile.

We all experience dreams, and this is a pleasant one. Why could Mr. Holtzhausen be able to understand this dream at a young ample age to take pleasure in it also his husband and adolescents

First, the desirable abode is owned and at-dwelling house occupations submit to previously begun via acquiring the farm and starting up to category horses. The dwelling house, farm, and horses are enjoyed by his nuclear family when he is at book and by him when he is homestead.

Minute, by making an MBA degree, Mr. Holtzhausen instituted the savvy and credibility base that has comfortably beefed-up his latest career by the use of earning a dense interest evaluating and becoming a added informed best friend of his wifes breeding conduct. In the future, he intends to use this acumen to set out a new interest. The degree was similarly a inner most milestone in light of his prior to academic limitations. He is animated almost about the new memorizing that his Ph.D. studies are bringing, and he seems transports to the popularity and respect that a doctorate will transfer him.

Third, he has set defined goals and rendezvous for earning this convenient survival . . . blind dates that are not too far in the successive.

Let me ask you these queries to abet you gauge how nonetheless you are doing:

1. What is an advisable, buckle routines for you

2. Anything plans do you meet up with to assistance that habits

3. Do you go through goals and dates set for realizing this habits

4. Are you accumulating the savvy and assets that can pace joy of the plans

5. Are you beforehand of or behind calendar in meeting your targets

If you arent happy as well as your achievements, step back now and grow up the original plans, acumen, and resources to accomplish anything you want to know in the exhaustive knowledge about following. You and your relatives wont be attaining any younger.
Almost the Discoverer

Donald W. Mitchell is a professor at Rushmore University, an online school. For spare notice regarding

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The One-Page Business Plan for Your Bookkeeping Service

Sometimes the thought of sitting down to draft a business plan sends me running for the hills, even though I preach the importance of planning to all of my clients Small business advice: Without planning, your bookkeeping business goes nowhere fast. When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.

What I have come to learn as a business coach is that business plans dont have to be long to be good. In fact, a single page can contain all the essential elements you need to show where youre taking your bookkeeping business and how youre going to get there. The most important reason to have a business plan is to clarify your thinking about where you are taking your business. When its in writing, others will know and understand your vision and your plan.

Here are a few characteristics of an effective one-page business plan for your bookkeeping business:

- Simplicity. A one-page plan takes a complex subject and makes it simple.
- Focus. It focuses on whats important. There is no room for fluff or filler.
- Versatility. It is a communication tool for employees, prospective employees, partners, shareholders, investors and bankers.
- Consistency. It sends the same message to every person who receives it, unlike a verbal presentation, which may change every time you speak.
- Flexibility. It is easy to change and update.

The Five Elements of the One-Page Business Plan:

1. The Vision Statement - What are you building

This is the place where you describe your vision - your way. Most business coaches will tell you that vision statements should be expansive and idealistic. They should stimulate thinking and communicate passion, while painting a detailed picture of the bookkeeping business you want. The key to capturing your vision is to refrain from restricting the flow of thoughts.

2. The Mission Statement - Why does this business exist

The mission statement describes the purpose for which your product, service or business exists. Great mission statements are short and memorable. They communicate in just a few words the companys focus and what is being provided to customers. They answer the question, "Why will customers buy this product or service" The mission statement should also reflect the owners passion and commitment. When the business satisfies an owners passion for creativity, independence or the need to serve, there is substance and staying power in the mission.

3. The Objectives - What results will you measure

Objectives clarify what you are trying to accomplish in specific, measurable goals. Some of the best small business advice that I can give you is this: for an objective to be effective, it needs to be a well-defined target with quantifiable, measurable elements. There are many types of objectives, and your plan should include a variety of them. For many businesses the two most important categories will be the financial and marketing objectives. It is important, however, to tailor your objectives to cover the full scope of your bookkeeping business, focusing on the goals that are most critical to your success.

4. The Strategies - How will you grow your business

Strategies set the direction, philosophy, values, and methodology for building and managing your company. Strategies also establish guidelines for evaluating important business decisions. In most industries there are four to six core strategies that successful businesses follow. These core strategies are easy to understand, remain relatively constant over time, are used by market leaders and result in profitable growth. Here are two examples of a core strategy: "Price isnt everything," and "Attract the very best employees and give them a stake in the business." What are your strategies

5. The Plans - What is the work to be done

Plans are the specific actions the business must implement to achieve the objectives. Plan or action items should contribute to the growth of your bookkeeping business. Each plan or action item is, in effect, a project. Plans should be action-oriented, list specific tasks and have definitive deadlines or due dates.

Once your plan is in writing, it is now time to put that same plan into action. Putting the plan into action is the most important step because the actions deliver the results you wanted when you started this process. For most entrepreneurs, this is easy - you are already action-oriented Here is some business advice, as well as a few suggestions, to help you put and keep your bookkeeping business plan in action:

- Keep the plan with you.
- Use it as a decision-making tool.
- Update it with new thoughts.
- Share it with people you trust and whose opinions you value.
- Measure your progress at least quarterly.
- Prepare a budget to match the plan.


About the Author

Linda Hunt and Laurie ONeil are the co-founders of The Bookkeepers Referral
Network Inc., the place where business meets great bookkeepers. To get your
copy of The 9 Disastrous Mistakes Most Freelance Bookkeepers Make in
Business and How You Can Avoid Them visit http://www.bkpr-network.com

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