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success tools: working with partners

Success Tools

Mar 042011

Reading time: 2 – 3 minutes

Working with partners is a unique experience and one that I recommend everyone try at least once.

Partnerships can be some of the most rewarding, as well as the most frustrating, experiences of your life.

Either way though, you’ll learn more than you thought possible.

You’ll get a crash course in negotiation, relationships, attitude, work ethic, and of course, communication.

All valuable skills to pick up.

In fact, working with a partner or partners can be, in many ways, like getting an MBA in business.

The big difference is that you’re getting real world experience and, with any luck, may come out of it a very rich person.

As I’ve had the privilege of working with a few partners over the years I thought I should take some time and pass along what I’ve learned.

Going into a partnership you must address each of the following issues.

Money
Responsibilities
Mission
Contract
Future expansion
Management
Accounting

Partnerships are essentially two or more people coming together to create something new and special.

But rarely is it a smooth ride, there are ups and downs and times when might want to call it quits.

As such I put together a series of videos for your viewing pleasure to give you some tips on what to expect and how to prepare for what could end up being one of the greatest experiences of your life.

Click here to watch them.

Your comments are always welcome.

Adrian Shepherd

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success stories: tomato ramen

Expert Perspective

Mar 032011

Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes

Last year a new restaurant opened up just down the street, they did a fabulous job with the decor, were very welcoming and had the potential to be a hit in the area.

Only one problem – hmmm…how should I put it?

They sucked.

So despite sinking an estimated $25,000 into the place, they closed their doors.

Fast forward 6 months and the place was still empty. Then one day I saw some carpenters doing some work on the place.

As I’m always on the lookout for a new place to have lunch I wondered what it would be.

Finally, all was revealed – Tomato Ramen.

Now, I must admit that while I do enjoy Ramen, I don’t like just any Ramen.

It’s got to be good.

When I told my wife about it she was curious but said that I should check it out first.

But I didn’t go until just recently on the recommendation of a good friend.

And as you might have guessed from the title of this article – it was good.

But I’m not here to tell you about the food or ambiance but rather the story behind the place as it struck me as interesting.

The owner actually studied how to make Ramen for 10 years.

Honestly I didn’t know there was that much to study.

They’re just noodles after all.

But what do I know?

Then the owner spent another two years coming up with the recipe for his tomato-based soup.

Wow, 12 years invested in creating a new style of Ramen.

Judging by the popularity of the place recently I have no doubt he’ll be there for many years to come.

And I wouldn’t be surprised to see his shop branch out.

It’s affordable, easy to make and, most importantly, it tastes good.

Although he’s just starting out I think we can call this a success story.

Why? Because it was his dream to open his restaurant.

His determination and hard work made it a reality.

Maybe one day he’ll be have a chain all over Japan…and it all started here.

All dreams start with a single step, what’s yours?

Adrian Shepherd

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success mistakes: the best laid plans of mice and men

success mistakes

Mar 032011

Reading time: 3 – 5 minutes

Each day we wake up, get ready for the day, then head out the door to face whatever challenges we have.

As we spend quite a sizable amount of time at the office it comes as no surprise that many of our challenges are work related but as we all know a whole range of things can happen on any given day.

Some challenges can be foreseen. Others come out of nowhere.

Yesterday was one such day for me. As many of you might know I try and post these articles just after the clock strikes midnight here in Japan.

The quiet of the night allows me to clear my mind and keep me away from many distractions during our busy lives.

It started as any other; I got my son ready for daycare and dropped him off just slightly later than usual.

Then I headed home to do some work and get my exercises done.

Around 12:15 I was ready to head off to my office. I hopped on my bike and was well on my way.

Then the unexpected happened.

I had just come down a small hill and then BAM, a lady on a bike popped out into the road without looking, and I crashed straight into her. There was nothing I could have done.

Somehow she only injured her elbow while I hurt all over.

Thankfully there was no need to call an ambulance as either one of us could have ended up with a more serious injury.

That’s life.

Despite our best intentions there are times when there is NOTHING we can do to avoid certain things.

A change in the law, an earthquake, a freak accident, another person’s mistake.

These are things we have NO control over.

What we do have control over is what we do and how we feel when we face those situations.

Those two things determine the end result.

Life is a mixture of both opportunity and difficulty.

Back in high school I read the book, “Of Mice and Men,” and while it wasn’t one of my favorite books there is one line that I have never forgotten – “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.”

We can plan all we like, but it’s almost impossible for things to go just as we had planned.

It’s a mistake to think that they will.

Things break, people forget, traffic, weather…the list goes on and on.

It pays to be flexible and to think on your feet.

In this ever changing world and with the speed at which things change so quickly people expect nothing less.

So don’t beat yourself up when things don’t go your way.

Adjust.

Make the best of what you’ve been given.

As the saying goes: “if you’re given lemons make lemonade”.

Adrian Shepherd

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life in Japan: Japanese food

Daily Life in Japan

Mar 012011

Reading time: 3 – 4 minutes

Food. I love the stuff. We all do, but what you might not know about me is I will sacrifice nearly every other entertainment expenditure to eat good food.

Soft succulent pieces of meat that drop off the bone.

Fruit that makes your taste buds jump up and down with glee.

Sushi so exquisite that it melts in your mouth.

Boy, I’m getting hungry just writing this.

When I first came to Japan 17 years ago I fell in love with Japanese food and each year I find more and more amazing restaurants that meet my requirements.

So today I thought I’d pass along what I’ve found out.

Some of you might think that Japan is all about fish and rice but you’d be wrong.

In fact, Tokyo has the most restaurants of any city in the world, topping the list with 160,000.

More than 6 times as many as in NY, which comes in second.

Now while I live in Osaka, it’s no slouch either.

You can find anything your heart desires here.

Italian, French, German, Spanish, Thai, Vietnamese and the list goes on and on.

Growing up I was blessed to have traveled all over the world and, for me, Japanese restaurants are the best in the world.

BUT, with so many restaurants here it’s easy to find some not so good ones, too.

Years of experience taught me where to eat, what to buy and whose advice to trust.

But I suppose the same can be said for almost any city in the world.

One restaurant that I try and take all my friends to is called Punraku located a stone’s throw away from my office in Hirakata.

It’s what Japanese people call an Izakaya, which is kind of like halfway between a restaurant and a bar.

The menu is extensive with all sorts of dishes – raw fish, yakitori (chicken on a skewer), pizza, karage (fried chicken), and chijimi (Korean pizza), just to name a few.

It’s great for parties and it always busy especially on weekends.

So make sure you book in advance just to be sure.

Now for those reading this that are heading to Tokyo, fear not, there is actually a shop there, too, located in Shibuya, one of the busiest areas in Japan.

So if you’re looking for a great place for dinner and don’t want to break the bank, check out Punraku.

You’ll be glad you did.

Adrian Shepherd

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success mistakes: the insurance poor

success mistakes

Feb 282011

Reading time: 3 – 4 minutes

The other day I got a call from a friend of mine who’s American but he lives here in Japan.

We talked for a bit about business then somehow we got on the topic of our families and I mentioned how tough it is for many people living away from their families.

He agreed and then started telling me about his mother’s situation.

She lives in America and just turned 70 which used to be considered our golden years.

These days it seems that they’re not so golden after all.

She gets about $800 from social security which isn’t enough to live on so she continues working.

She earns another $1200 before taxes from her job as a caregiver.

Unfortunately she is what we call “the insurance poor.”

She has health insurance, car insurance, home insurance and renter’s insurance to cover and she is barely able to make ends meet each month.

In life we are taught to study hard, get a job, work hard and build ourselves a better future.

What people don’t tell you is that there are two things you can’t avoid – taxes and insurance.

We must pay both to live but most people don’t realize just how much we have to put aside to cover these two things.

I have read in more than a few books that we each work for 3 months of the year just to pay our taxes.

With the economic crisis still gripping the world and more and more countries struggling to cover their costs how soon before our taxes go up.

Then you have to work another month or so to cover our various insurances.

It’s a sad state of affairs but a reality of life.

But my job isn’t to discourage you, I’m here to offer suggestions and advice.

Even with our income ravaged by taxes and insurances we can still become rich. But we have to learn to play the game.

The game is business, investments and savings.

Studying any one of these could very well change our entire financial future.

I have a few clients that are in their 20s and when I suggest that they study investing their eyes tend to glaze over.

If you’re young, have a job you like, and can save some money then investing can seem like a big waste of time.

But time and time again I’ve seen dream jobs become nightmares when a new boss is brought in or you are given a new client.

We don’t stay young forever and sooner or later must face the fact that life isn’t all clear skies.

By investing in our own future we give ourselves a better fighting chance.

I thank you for doing just that by reading this blog.

Adrian Shepherd

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success mistakes: what is it with weekends?

success mistakes

Feb 272011

Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes

Last week I decided to take one day off from writing here. It had been about a month since I hadn’t written anything but I wanted to test something out.

You see, accessing the power of computers I’m able to see where in the world my readers come from and how long they’ve spend on my site.

Now before you get all nervous, I can only see the cities from which the links originated.

For example, the other day someone in Hong Kong accessed my site for about 30 minutes – and a big thank you goes out to that person.

Glad to know I’m of service.

One thing that I learn from using this software is that viewership drops on the weekend.

So it got me thinking, what is it with weekends?

From Monday to Friday we’ve got appointments to keep, things to do and simply don’t have enough time in the day to get everything done.

It’s all go, go, go.

But when the weekends roll around we ease up.

We kick back, put up our feet and watch our favorite shows or get together for a few drinks with our friends.

It’s our time after all.

The funny thing is that we invest 40 plus hours a week into our job but forget to invest any in ourselves.

We must remember that for us to have a brighter future, we must become better.

And what better time to do that than on the weekends when we have time to spare.

I’m not saying you can’t have any fun, I’m just saying that we should spend at least one or two hours building ourselves a better life.

The weekends have a seductive power that most of us succumb to.

For years my sofa and TV were my best friends on the weekends.

These days we’re still friends, but I have books, audio sessions and business DVDs to keep me company as well, not to mention my lovely family.

So, what will you do next weekend?

Adrian Shepherd

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time management tips: what difference does a few minutes make?

Time Management Tips

Feb 262011

Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes

You may have had the chance to read some of my time management tips that I write about from time to time here so you might realize the importance I place on this in my life and believe you should as well.

But at the same time I know that it isn’t always easy.

And that getting rid of our bad habits can be tough.

One question we should always ask ourselves is “what difference does a few minutes make?”

There reason I say this is because we so often say to ourselves such things as:

What difference would it make if I’m late
What difference would it make if I skip my exercises today
What difference would it make if I canceled the appointment
What difference would it make if I push back the meeting
What difference would it make if I do it tomorrow instead

The problem with these questions is that the answer is, most of the time, “not much.”

The problem is that each time we fail to keep our promises to ourselves and our friends it makes the next time even easier.

Soon the seeds are sown, and we’re trapped in a vicious circle.

My mentor Jim Rohn used to say, “failure isn’t a cataclysmic event” and how right he was.

And failure, just like success, isn’t an overnight event.

If we knew the path we were on would lead to certain death we wouldn’t bother going down it. The problem is, that in life, we can only see so far.

We can’t see just how our small decisions today will affect our tomorrows.

That’s why we must learn to see the future. Take a look around, the signs are there.

A few minutes might not seem like a lot of time but put enough of those minutes together you get a day, then a week, then a month.

Soon those minutes start adding up, and those minutes become our lives.

Each of us only gets so many.

Use them wisely.

Adrian Shepherd

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success principles: the questions we ask ourselves

Expert Perspective

Feb 252011

Reading time: 2 – 4 minutes

We love asking questions. It’s part of being human.

Ever since we come into this world we are programmed for learning and therefore want to know.

We want to understand how things work.

We want to speak.

We want to communicate.

We want to find out why people do the things they do.

And sooner or later nearly everyone asks themselves the age-old question – why am I here?

What we don’t realize is just how powerful questions can be.

Did you know that if you are talking and someone interrupts us that we naturally have to answer that question before moving on?

It’s one of the reasons people ask listeners of a lecture to refrain from asking questions during the talk as the speaker is actually impelled to answer disrupting his flow.

Personally I love questions because I have seen firsthand how they can influence people both positively and negatively.

Here are some of the questions I like to ask my clients.

Do you think that was a good choice?
Could you have done better?
Was that a good use of your time?
Are you happy?
Do you really want to change?
Is that what you really want?
Would you do that again?

In many ways, the questions we find in self-help books are very closely linked to those that a psychologist might ask.

I just don’t believe that most people need to sit in an office for years going through therapy.

I find that most people know the answers to the questions they seek.

The problem is that they’re not asking themselves the right questions.

Change the questions you ask yourself and you will naturally start thinking differently as your brain is automatically activated to find an answer to what you asked.

Ask about why you messed up and your mind will spend hours thinking of all the possible reasons.

Instead why not ask yourself how you can succeed next time.

Essentially it’s the same question, but one focuses on all negatives, the other the silver lining.

The questions you choose create your view of the world.

And what a wonderful world it is, if you let it be.

Adrian Shepherd

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life in Japan: college entrance tests

Daily Life in Japan

Feb 242011

Reading time: 3 – 4 minutes

As I write this post the end of February is just around the corner and we’re well into the entrance test season here in Japan.

Here test season is no joke. Parents spend thousands of dollars to prepare their children for such tests in the hopes of their children getting accepted into a good school.

I still find it amazing to see children studying late at night at cram schools on my bike ride home from my office each day.

What’s even more amazing is that children have entrance tests for practically all schools.

Elementary school – sometimes.

Middle school – yes.

High school – yes.

College – of course.

Sometimes even cram schools.

Wow, that’s a lot of tests and a lot of pressure for kids. Just thinking about all that they have to go through makes me stressed.

Personally I’m a big believer in letting kids be kids.

Sure we need to offer guidance and teach them the do’s and don’ts of life but life isn’t just all about studying, especially for kids.

But that’s how things work here.

Having some high school students as clients, one question I am commonly asked is which university I think they should attend and why.

For most students, name recognition is nearly always the key decider.

But they are overlooking one key aspect – their involvement.

A Harvard or a Cambridge looks mighty fine on your resume but even those schools do not guarantee you success.

Some of the most successful businessmen in the world never even went to college.

Universities and colleges offer us experiences but it is up to us to supply the rest.

Will, desire, effort, communication, hands-on experience and many other things are what amplify our experience at school.

As I’ve always loved math I’d like to share with you my simple formula for success in college and in life for that matter.

10% (quality of school/idea/business) x 90% (what you do with it) = your chance of success.

Growing up I always thought that where we went to school determined much of our future, but as I’ve grown up I’ve found that in the end, it is the person we are inside that determines our own future.

If you are able to get into a good school – give yourself a pat on the back and take full advantage of it.

If not, no big deal.

Success is not decided in the classroom but in life.

Adrian Shepherd

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success principles: 3 small habits to change your life

Action

Feb 232011

Reading time: 3 – 4 minutes

One of my favorite quotes regarding habits comes from Keith Cunningham, a close friend of Robert Kiyosaki. He said, “If you do not consciously make good habits, you will unconsciously make bad ones.”

Habits don’t just happen, we create them, over time by continually doing the same thing.

There are all types of habits; health habits, food habits, sleeping habits, and exercise habits, just to name a few.

More often than not habits are created without us noticing them.

One day we just wake up and notice that something has become a habit.

Why are habits relevant to success? Because I have found that one of the differences between successful and unsuccessful people is that they have very different habits.

Successful people set up various disciplines and carve out time of their schedule to focus on what they know is necessary to achieve their goals.

They don’t need to find time to do what they have to because it’s already there.

Unsuccessful people, on the other hand, always seem to be too busy to do what they know they should, and often times, need to do.

And if you successfully learned a language then you have the ability to master your finances, become a magician or create a website.

You simply have to rewire your habits.

The time you spent studying a language can be used to focus on any area of your life and following a similar procedure of study and effort, success is likely to follow.

Often times, one success begets another.

So, for anyone who wants to master a new area in their life I suggest you try mastering three simple habits.

Each takes no more than 5 minutes a day so you won’t have trouble squeezing them in.

Flossing (at night)
Thinking (2 minutes of quiet time)
Breathing exercises (inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 16, exhale for 8)

What are the benefits of doing these three simple exercises?

Well, obviously, good teeth for one.

The other two, just to see if you can do them.

The point is to see if you can create the habit, or more appropriately, the discipline.

The challenge is to do them all, every day, for 3 months.

You might be surprised how hard it really is to do them every day.

I slipped up more than a few times before mastering them myself.

If you skip a day, then you’re back to day 1.

Can you do it? Sure, we all CAN.

Will you? That’s an entirely different question.

Adrian Shepherd

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