Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

Here’s a headline to an article I read this week: “95% of college degrees are overrated and a waste of money.” Yikes. And the article wasn’t written by somebody who couldn’t afford college. In fact, the writer continued with…

“And I say this as a college grad with an overrated and waste-of-money degree. I graduated about a decade ago, and luckily with only minimal debt (about $10K). Looking back, I regret my decision to go. Because I now use absolutely nothing that I learned. And, to be honest, everything I learned in college I could have taught myself at the library for free. I went to college because it was my parents’ plan for me at the time. And I really didn’t question it.

If I had to do it all over again, I would not go. I would rather go learn a trade, go into healthcare support, or be content with my HS diploma.

I think college is worth it for a select few degrees/occupations: Engineering, Medicine, Law (although this market seems very oversaturated), Accounting, and some STEM. But everything else, including my degree, is a waste of time. And it’s not that the subject matter is a waste of time, per se. But it’s that paying thousands and thousands of dollars to learn it is. So, like I said, I could have learned what I learned in college for free at the library.”

I agree. Most college degrees ARE overrated.

And even when you get one that isn’t, you still have a degree that won’t help you make the most of your gifts and talents. And, if you’re like most people, you’d probably prefer to support yourself and your dreams with what makes you uniquely YOU.

So, that’s why the very first lessons in RondaReady YOUniversity are designed to help you discover, or rediscover, your Vision. And those lessons can help you focus your energy in the direction you’d actually like to go. With strategies to help you know how to get there.

Why spend tens of thousands of dollars on college degrees when you don’t have to in order to be successful as you do what YOU do? That’s a question only YOU can answer.

But how about we talk it over, you and me? Book a free call with me, with that handy calendar below. And give me a chance to see where you wanna go in life. I’d love to help YOU if I can.

Let’s talk soon.

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

Marketers love to use sound bites (or sound bytes) in their communication. One example is when they talk about how you can “magnify your wealth.” And they do that because those snippets are easy to remember. That’s why I’m gonna use that technique right now.

Because you CAN magnify your wealth with a special tool.

Nope. It’s not a college degree in finance. And it’s not a certification from some course you took online or in a seminar. In fact, you don’t need to “buy” this tool anywhere. But before I tell you what it is, do you like learning about history?

I hope so. Because I have a little history lesson on the little ol’ magnifying glass.

You find a sample of it on lots of websites. Most times it’s that little search bar in the upper right hand corner with the tiny magnifying glass you click or tap on.

But long before we could make digital copies of one, ancient Egyptians used “chips of crystal or obsidian” to see small objects better. Then, Emperor Nero (you remember that famous fiddler from around a.d. 37-68, right?) looked through gemstones to see actors on a distant stage.

According to a lot of reports, English philosopher Roger Bacon was the first to use a magnifying glass for scientific purposes. And that was sometime during the thirteenth century.

Maybe, when you were a kid, you tried the experiment where you use a magnifying glass to set some paper or straw on fire. Yes? It’s fun and interesting to watch that happen. And it happens when you hold the glass “exactly two focal lengths from the paper.” Because that focuses the light into a tiny spot. And that focus generates enough heat to start the fire.

And THAT brings me back to the one special tool I mentioned.

No, you don’t use a magnifying glass to magnify your wealth. But you DO use the power of Focus.

Because laser focus beats the shotgun approach almost every time.

Why bang your head against a bunch of walls when you don’t have to? Why not use the laser-like power of focus to cut your way through? But here’s a key point. You need to work this way sooner rather than later. Because, wouldn’t it be better to get the results you want, sooner?

So, that’s why, in RondaReady YOUniversity, my course for young people (or even not so young people) just starting out in the real world, I show you how to use 5 focus tools:

  • 2 tools to help you visualize your ultimate scenario,
  • An achievement to action tool,
  • A tool to ward off burn out, and
  • A tool to help you establish how much time you want to spend making the money you want to make.

I can’t tell you how many times my clients and students have told me how much this one part of RondaReady YOUniversity has helped them. Well, I could. But none of them are YOU. And your results will depend on, you guessed it, YOU.

So, how about we talk about it some more? Book a free call with me, with that handy calendar below. And give me a chance to see where you wanna go in life. I’d love to help YOU if I can. Let’s talk soon.

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

What were you doing or thinking about when you were a young teenager? Or even a pre-teen? I bet you were probably picturing yourself behind the CEO desk of your own company. Right? What’s that you say? You were too young to think about those kinds of things? Well, turns out, there ARE some girls and boys who apparently think about those things.

For example, do you think 7 would be too young to start a business?

Alina Morse, and her dad, didn’t think so. Because she came up with the idea for candy that could taste good and still not be bad for your teeth. That was when she was 7 and offered a lollipop while on an errand at the bank with her dad. Of course, as a kid, she wanted the lollipop. But she declined. Because she remembered her parents telling her that candy’s bad for your teeth.

So, Alina came up with Zollipops and Zolli Candy. And her tasty treats have been sold across the country.

Maybe you’ve heard of Evan Moana and his YouTube channel. In 2016, he became YouTube’s youngest millionaire. And he started his channel when he was in the fourth grade. At first he turned his reviews of popular kids’ toys into videos. Now, he has several channels. And they include videos of his family out doing whatever his family does.

Evan’s parents helped him set up a system for his profits. According to a blurb I read, “all the money Moana raises through sponsorships and advertisements and his earnings are invested in college funds and investments for Evan and Jillian, his sister.”

All from a YouTube channel. But not just any channel. His channel has 7 million subscribers.

Yeah, that didn’t happen overnight or by accident.

I could share lots of other similar success stories from kids who were too young to do what they did. But I think you get the point.

And, in case you didn’t know, kids of any age can legally start a business. They just need their parents (or legal guardians) to help them with the paperwork and legal requirements.

So, if you are (or you know) a young person who’s about to leave the nest and head out into the real world, give yourself a leg up on success. Because imagination and creativity are a great starting point. But you gotta have a System to help you RUN your business and enjoy the profits.

And that’s why the very first lessons in RondaReady YOUniversity are designed to help you discover your Vision. And whether you’re 7, 17, or even 70, your chances for success expand exponentially, when you boost your vision with a System. If you’re reading this, you’re not too young or too old.

How about we talk about it some more? Book a free call with me, with that handy calendar below. And give me a chance to see where you wanna go in life. I’d love to help YOU if I can. Let’s talk soon.

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

What do you tell yourself when it comes to who you are and what you want in your life? I hope you tell yourself the truth. Because the YOU that you’ll eventually be needs the truth. So, be sure you know your story and that you can tell the story. Because it’s amazing what a difference that can make.

Here’s someone else who recommends that you tell the story.

Maybe you’ve heard of Canva. If not, it’s a super-easy-to-use online design software company. But it’s not super easy by accident. I read a short bio on its founder Melanie Perkins. And she created Canva because of a part-time job she had, in 2007, where she taught students how to use desktop design software.

Ms Perkins said the software was “expensive, complex, and required a semester’s worth of instruction to learn how to use.” And she figured there had to be a simpler, less expensive way to do design work. So, she designed Canva, received an investment, and started making millions.

Ha! Not so fast.

Turns out, Melanie’s software idea was turned down by over 100 investors. In fact, it took her three years of pitching the idea before Canva got its first investment. And it only happened then because she realized she had, up until then, been pitching her idea all wrong.

She realized that she’d been talking benefits and features. And that was fine because there were plenty. But she decided to lead her investment pitch with a relatable problem Canva could possibly help solve.

In an interview with Inc. Magazine, she put it like this, “A lot of people can relate to going into something like Photoshop and being completely overwhelmed. It’s important to tell the story. Because if your audience doesn’t understand the problem, they won’t understand the solution.”

And that’s when the investments happened.

And then the profits. According to what I read, somewhere around “60 million customers use Canva to create designs across 190 countries.”

Ms Perkins’ story shows how much you gotta know who you are, what you offer, and how to pitch it to the right people. Her story also shows it takes persistence and endurance to run your own race. Being a business owner and entrepreneur isn’t for people who don’t have that.

If those qualities describe YOU, I can probably help you get where you wanna go. Better and faster.

How about we talk about it some more? Book a free call with me, with that handy calendar below. And give me a chance to see where you wanna go in life. I’d love to help YOU if I can. Let’s talk soon.

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

OK, you probably know by now that I share lots of tips and strategies here on the website and in my daily emails. But today I’m gonna recommend that you ignore advice.

More specifically I want you to ignore advice that says YOU can’t.

Entrepreneurs are often advised not to go into business with their spouses or friends. But Nellie Akalp, who’s a mother of four, an author, and now a speaker, decided (with her husband) to ignore advice like that. And I read in her bio that they “started MyCorporation.com in their living room, which they then sold to Intuit in 2008.”  You’ve heard of that little company, Intuit, right?

But the Akalps didn’t retire and “rest on their laurels” as the saying goes. Nope. They launched CorpNet. And  that’s a company that helps “potential small business owners by preparing and filing the documents necessary to start a business in any state.” I’d say there’s a big need for that. Especially with remote business being such a big thing now.

And the Akalps made sure CorpNet can help established businesses, too. With services like “ongoing paperwork for filing annual reports, changing a company name, and more.”

Since they decided to ignore advice from whatever knuckleheads thought that advice would be a good idea, the Akalps created a multimillion dollar company. I personally believe it’s an awesome idea to have someone in your life boat with you.

For so many reasons.

Not the least of which is to help you stay focused.

And I created RondaReady YOUniversity to help you discover your Vision. And to help you focus your energy so you can do what couldn’t be done. With strategies to help you know how to get there.

How about we talk about it some more? Book a free call with me, with that handy calendar below. And give me a chance to see where you wanna go in life. I’d love to help YOU if I can.

Here’s a verse, from “It Couldn’t Be Done, by Edgar Albert Guest. Hope it motivates YOU.

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done
But he with a chuckle replied
That “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be one
Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

OK, today I’m gonna share some nutrition advice. Not because I’ve suddenly become an expert in the health and wellness field. But because I want you to be the best YOU possible. And me, too.

I found this nutrition advice in several places online.

It’s what health and nutrition experts call a salt and soda soak. Hmm, they’ve got me hooked so far. And the first step involves dry brushing. Because that “stimulates the lymphatic system which aids in detoxification.” And evidently, “an Epsom salt bath (especially when mixed when baking soda) aids in muscle aches, inflammation, and radiation detoxification.”

Wow. Did you even know you could detox from radiation? OK, I like this nutrition advice. Tell me more. According to one of the articles I read about the salt and soda soak, it’s “a radiation-neutralizing bath designed to help you detox and to clear your system of ionizing radiation, a particularly invasive environmental factor that can devastate your immune system.”

Plus, “baking soda and Epsom Salt baths also improve your circulatory health and reduce blood pressure.” Yeah, I don’t see any downsides, yet.

Also, “Epsom salt helps flush out toxins and heavy metals. The process is called reverse osmosis. And it literally pulls toxins out of your body.”

And all this time you thought you took a bath or shower just to get clean. Silly YOU. They’re so much more.

Of course, since salt is involved, experts recommend you drink plenty of water. And that’s just a good idea anyway. Because your body tends to literally dry up without it.

Want some great tips for how to set up your salt and soda soak? Great. I’ll share the ones I found. And I think you’re gonna love this. So, make sure you add it to your self-care to-do list.

Here’s the “recipe” for the setup:

  • Add between 5 tablespoons to 2 cups of baking soda to the bath.
  • Then add 1-2 cups of Epsom Salt. The amount depends on the condition you wish to treat.
  • Swish it all around to make sure it all dissolves well.
  • Finally, soak in the bathtub for 10 to 40 minutes.

One expert said you should “shower with fresh cold water after your bath.” I know that sounds like a shock to the system after relaxing in that relaxing bath. But apparently the hot to cold transformation will “improve your circulation. And it can help filter out toxins in the body. Because it stimulates constriction and subsequent relaxation of the blood vessels.”

Nice. I love the sound of the whole thing. Don’t you?

And I think you should be just as caring for your goals and dreams as you are for your skin. Because goals and dreams tend to dry up when you don’t nurture them, too. And you start with your Vision. That image you have of yourself that only YOU can see.

So, that’s why the very first lessons in RondaReady YOUniversity are designed to help you discover your Vision. And they can help you focus your energy in that direction.

I could share more of the benefits, and there are plenty. But how about we have an actual conversation about it? Book a free call with me, with that handy calendar below. And give me a chance to see where you wanna go in life. I’d love to help YOU if I can.

Let’s talk right after you take the nutrition advice I shared. I think a salt and soda soak is calling my name.

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

Have you ever heard the term, “circumnavigation?” It’s mostly used for nautical purposes. And it typically means sailing around the world. If you knew that, maybe you’ve heard of Jessica Watson.

She’s connected to sailing and circumnavigation in a big way.

According to records, she’s either the youngest person to circumnavigate the globe or the youngest person to attempt it. And it comes down to criteria. Which she might or might not have met.

Jessica, who’s from Australia, is reported to have checked on what was required as proof that she truly did sail around the world. And she discovered that “a vessel must start from and return to the same point, must cross all meridians of longitude, and must cross the Equator. The shortest orthodromic track of the vessel must be at least 21,600 nautical miles.”

So, Ms Watson started her plan. And she announced, in May 2009, that she expected her journey “to take eight months with an estimated sailing distance of 23,000 nautical miles.”

Other criteria she had to meet included she must:

  • sail non-stop and unassisted
  • have no other person on board, or have anything from someone else
  • not moor to any port or other boat,

Advice, through radio communication, would be permitted.

Well, I suppose that’s something.

Now, as someone who grew up near the beach in California, I love the look and feel of the ocean. But the idea of sailing alone, for eight months, around the world, sounds borderline crazy. But it makes for great stories. And evidently there’s even a Netflix movie about Jessica’s solo circumnavigation.

My recommendation is to never try to go solo in this life. In fact, I even included the idea of having someone in your boat with you if and when you start a business.

But it’s important to know who’s in your boat with you on that adventure.

Because they become a big part (maybe the biggest part) of your support system. And a good support system can make all the difference in the world. So, someone in the boat with you can be a huge advantage for your success. But it’s super critical they “get you” and how important your business is to you.

And that’s a sneak peek at what I offer to my RondaReady YOUniversity students. There’s so much more that can help a young person, just starting out, avoid sinking in the middle of the business ocean.

How about we talk about it some more? Book a free call with me, with that handy calendar below. And give me a chance to see where you wanna go in life. I’d love to help YOU if I can. Let’s talk soon.

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

It’s almost summer. So, of course, students everywhere are chomping at the bit to get out of school. I think, if I try hard enough, I can remember that exhilarating feeling. And something that’s maybe a little less exhilarating might be some of those summer programs for students who want to start a business. I can just hear ’em now.

“Summer programs to start a business? Are you kidding me?!”

Yeah, who wants to think about boring stuff like that? Especially when you just finished a bunch of tests to complete your high school requirements.

Believe it or not there ARE young people who want to get a jump on their graduating classmates. And they actually want to pursue their passion. And they actually would like to make a living as they do that. If that describes you, check out this info on some summer programs. Then, I’d like you to think about an alternative I’m confident will get you where you wanna go much better and faster.

One of the selling points these programs use is that you don’t have to wait to get your MBA to start building your dream and your business. I’m not gonna name names. And I’m not gonna link you to these other programs. Let them do their own marketing. Plus, as I said, I’m confident you don’t need to go elsewhere.

The first program is from a business school that “hosts a virtual summer program for high school students, where they can develop critical skills for succeeding in their future careers.” They say you’ll learn from their “real faculty.” And they add that you’ll “receive mentorship, and hear from innovative leaders.” Plus, “you’ll also have the opportunity to earn four college credits.”

But they don’t actually teach you how to RUN your business. And the 3-week program costs $5995.

The next program says it’s an “academy for youth.”

It only allows “50 high school students from around the world each year, where they develop a business idea and execute a plan with a team over the course of two weeks.” Sounds like a fairly intensive program. But it’ll cost you $7050. Unless you live in California. Then you can take off $1000. Either way, they don’t show you how to RUN the day-to-day tasks a successful business requires.
The information I read included 20 programs. But I’m just gonna share one more. A few of the programs only cost around $1000-1900. Only two of them were free. But they had some strict requirements.
OK, I saved this program for last because it’s the most expensive option I saw.
They call it an “entrepreneurship program.” And it goes from the middle of June to the middle of July. So, you get to spend a month learning “what it takes to start a business with a blend of business theory and practice.” Notice that first phrase. “What it takes to start a business.”

From what I could see, they come the closest to showing a young person the different parts of business. Here’s their actual bullet list of what you’d learn:

  • Accounting and finance
  • Marketing
  • Human resources
  • Creativity and innovation
  • Business plans
  • Ethics
  • Personal branding
  • Building your network

Great list.

And those are all excellent (and necessary) skills to build if you wanna be a business owner. And they also help you to “hear from guest entrepreneurs and speakers, visit local businesses, and create their own entrepreneurial endeavors.” That can be helpful. But not much of it teaches you how to RUN a business.

AND, by the way, it’ll cost you $10,000 if you want to stay “on campus.” If you prefer to commute, you could save almost $3000 and pay only $7160.

Before I finish up, I want you to know I firmly believe you should be willing to invest in yourself and your business. Obviously, because my RondaReady YOUniversity isn’t cheap or free either. But I’m not sure a large investment in a so-called “high-profile business program” gives you the most bang for your buck. 

Especially if you’d rather start building your business and your dream after you finish high school. Instead of joining one of those summer programs that basically prepare you to go to a 4-year college. And postpone your passion for another chunk of time. Not to mention the extra cost. But I just did.

I’m not gonna put a sales pitch for RondaReady YOUniversity on you right now. But I DO believe it’s a far superior option. Because it focuses on YOU. Your dream. Your vision.

So, that’s why the very first lessons in RondaReady YOUniversity are designed to help you discover your Vision. And they can help you focus your energy in the direction you’d actually like to go. With strategies to help you know how to RUN your business. So you can reach your goals better and faster.

How about we talk about it some more? Book a free call with me, with that handy calendar below. And give me a chance to see where you wanna go in life. I’d love to help YOU if I can. Let’s talk soon.

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

If you’ve ever sailed on an upscale boat, you probably noticed the solid sailboat rigging. And it HAS to be solid. Because your life depends on the reliability of all the parts. Especially when the weather gets an attitude and squalls at you.

I thought about sailboat rigging as I read about The Ocean Race.

It sounds grueling to me. And I can’t imagine volunteering to be a part of this kind of race. I mean, check out this schedule. It reads more like a college hazing trip:

Alicante, Spain – Leg 1 (1900 nm) start: January 15, 2023
Cabo Verde – ETA: January 22; Leg 2 (4600 nm) start: January 25
Cape Town, South Africa – ETA: February 9; Leg 3 (12750 nm) start: February 26
Itajaí, Brazil – ETA: April 1; Leg 4 (5500 nm) start: April 23
Newport, RI, USA – ETA: May 10; Leg 5 (3500 nm) start: May 21
Aarhus, Denmark – ETA: May 30; Leg 6 (800 nm) start: June 8
Kiel, Germany (Fly-By) – June 9
The Hague, The Netherlands – ETA: June 11; Leg 7 (2200 nm) start: June 15
Genova, Italy – The Grand Finale – ETA: June 25, 2023; Final In-Port Race: July 1, 2023

The article I read talked about the weather the racers faced as they sailed off the coast of Rhode Island. Does this quote sound like fun to you?

“We are going into a small low pressure, with very strong wind, probably around 50 knots at one stage. Not for very long, but quite extreme,” is the view of Nico Lunven on Team Malizia. “The sea state should not be too bad, I think, because it’s a new system so it shouldn’t have had time to develop.”

OK. Sounds tough. But Nico didn’t seem worried.

But a little further into the story the “forecast has evolved.” Yeah, that’s putting it mildly.

“The low pressure is deeper and stronger than previously forecast,” was the description given by Alan Roberts on Biotherm. “There’s possibly 50 knots, gusting even higher, to the south of the low. The optimal route takes us that way but in terms of boat preservation it’s not ideal. We have to decide whether to keep heading north towards it, or to tack and invest in the west in order to pass a bit further south of the low. It’s not easy.”

Yikes! None of those options sounds appealing to me. But I bet the sailors had enough confidence in their abilities, and their sailboat rigging, to power through.

And that’s what I want my clients and students to have. I want YOU to have confidence in your abilities AND your tools to be able to power through. To keep your Vision in front of you at all times.

So, that’s why the very first lessons in RondaReady YOUniversity are designed to help you discover your Vision. And they can help you focus your energy in the direction you’d actually like to go. With strategies to help you know how to get there. Because, like sailboat rigging, they’ve been tested. And they’re solid.

How about we talk about it some more? Book a free call with me, with that handy calendar below. And give me a chance to see where you wanna go in life. I’d love to help YOU if I can. Let’s talk soon.

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant

Business Hub Consultant in Colorado Springs Posted on by

I just read an article about a teenager who found a way to really make it rain as she pursued her dream. The article said she describes herself as “an entrepreneur, social media influencer, marketing leader, and high school student.” Yeah, at the ripe old age of 15, she launched her own fashion collection. And with a starting budget of just $600, her online store has reached over $1 million in revenue.

She didn’t just make it rain. She made it pour.

You might say it was Destiny. Especially when you find out her name IS Destiny. The article went on to say how Ms Snow, who’s now 17, is “focused on two things: growing her business and helping other young entrepreneurs find success.

And that seems to be the pattern for successful people. Focus. And helping others focus.
Because, ultimately, you DO achieve what you focus on. Even if your focus is to stay on the couch and play video games all day. Funny (odd, not ha ha) how the couch (or game chair) is your destiny when your focus is on what someone else built.

But Destiny Snow focused on what she enjoys AND found a way to turn it into a profitable business. In an interview for the article she said, “I spent months researching and planning on the perfect niche and product that I was passionate about.” So, she worked on what she already knew. And that became her Vision.
Now, she’s able to branch out. By writing and publishing ebooks to help other entrepreneur wannabes avoid the mistakes she made. And to help them achieve their goals even better and faster than she did. As she put it, “I know that my achievements can be accomplished by any other passionate entrepreneur with the right formula.”

That’s what I’m talkin’ about!

And it’s why the very first lessons in RondaReady YOUniversity are designed to help you discover your Vision. And they can help you focus your energy on YOUR passion so you can make it rain, too.

I won’t go so far as to say it’s your destiny (see what I did there?). But I WILL say you can’t just do nothing.

How about we talk about it some more? Book a free call with me, with that handy calendar below. And give me a chance to see where you wanna go in life. I’d love to help YOU if I can. Let’s talk soon.

Stay Ready,
R.O.N.D.A.
Your Responsive Online Nonstop Digital Assistant