Now this post isnt about rap or rappers. It just goes to show that everyone recognizes that there are times in life where you make a decision to move and make moves or stay where you are and let the moment slip.

The challenge to this scenario, in grabbing this opportunity when it presents itself is that we dont usually see the opportunity until it has passed.

How many times have you been driving and look back just in time to see you have missed your freeway exit? Happens to me all the time (usually because I am on the phone or singing). I have my mind on other shit and I end up wasting time heading to the next exit to flip around to head back to the right exit. Once this happened to me driving from Los Angeles to San Francisco. I missed the 99/I-5 split. I had to double back. That minor mistake cost me an hour of lost time or 1/6th of the total trip time.

Instead of being on the freeway you are bumpin through life. You are sweating the husband, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, parents or whoever. You have your head up your bosses ass to get a raise or your own trying to figure out how you are going to spend your weekend. You have your eyes crossed while trying to ake a U-turn – whatever. You have so much going on that you forget where you are going. Sometimes you are so focused on where you are going that you miss the detour signs telling you that you are heading for a dead-end.

You have to be focused, but not too focused. You have to concentrate, but not so much that you block everything else out. You have to move quickly, but not so fast that you can’t make a turn if a dog runs out in front of you.

Your brain is powerful enough to take in a lot of information if you teach it to filter out the bullshit.

There are people around you who want you to fail. I have touched on this before. These are people who have their own mtives. Sometimes their motives are even hidden from them. They don’t knw they are sabbotaging you. They tell you things like:

• Hey, slow down and smell the roses.
• All work and no play…
• You are going to work yourself to death!

Are they right? Only you know for sure. You have made the decision to get on that road, put the keys in the ignition, and start the car and go. It is your foot on the accelerator. You determine how fast you want to go. The question is – how soon do you want to get there?

I like driving at night. People are out of my way. Roads are clear. I can go faster. But then I hear

• But that’s when the drunk drivers are out!
• But no one is on the road; you are more likely to get pulled over.
• What if you fall asleep, crash or have an accident? No one will see you!

But for me, those are minor riskes that I can prepare for. I can drive without speeding (too much). I can keep an eye on traffic – fewer people on the road allow me to be more maneuverable in avoiding accidents. I can take a nap before I drive away. I can have all my fluids and tires checked for safety. All those things that they say to stop me from going are relatively preventable. The gain is that I get to my detination 2 to 4 hours faster (depending on L.A. traffic).

The benefit outweighs the manageable risks.

So, I’m going to keep this one short. Here is my point. If you have something you want to do or somewhere you want to go then pull the trigger. Make sure you have extra gas in the tank. Make sure you check the tire pressure and fluids. Make sure you are rested and ready. Make sure yu have your course plotted and planned and an alternat route in case there is trouble along the way. When you have done all that – smash on the accelerator.

It is the only way you are going to get where you want to go before everyone else, with time to spare.

Keep Hustling

Then you hear on the finance channels that now is the time to invest. Days like these are the days that made the Rockerfellers the Rockerfellers.

Thats  true – these are. But the Rockerfellers weren’t broke before the depression either. So, here is what I hav been up to.

The restaurant is open. I ran into a beef wih the local police because they didnt want me to open. That process cost me an extra $15,000 that we didn’t plan for. That pissed me off because the issue seemed “made up”. But I got over it. After 8 months of being open we are scratching at profitability. That means I am about 10% away from operating in the black which, in this industry is considered miraculous.

But there is work to be done. I have a lot of competitors and folks who have connections that do not want to see me be successful. But all of that makes me stronger. See, while they are focused on me – I am focused on their customers. Which strategy do you think will bear more fruit?

A few of my other businesses have been hit hard by the economy. Fortunately I believe in diversification. For me, that means I have multiple products and services that I offer my clients. One of those products replaced a more expensive service. So clients that have had their budgets cut and can’t afford our big expensive services, can still work with us and know that we are solving their problems. This means that I didn’t lose a client – instead I just solve their problems differenly. This has also earned me some attention in a few national publications in he industries that I serve. That brought me new clients.

We are about to launch that new business I told you all about. I know, launch a NEW business? Remember what I have said before. There is opportunity in every environment.

I can’t go into detail on what he project is right now but it is timely and here is an unfilled market. That is a good start. The part that is really interesting is that I am doing it with a partner. I am going to try it again.

Partnerships have never worked out well for me. I think I may have even recommended to you all to avoid them. I am hoping this will be one of those rare exceptions.

I was completely up front wih my partner (who has been a friend for a long time. He even hired me once for a job when I was 18 years old ) I told him that I have never had a partnership work out. Never. Neither has he (except for his wife). We are working out a partnership agreement. I am hoping that wisdom will temper this new relationship. I am betting on success. The idea is too good to not pursue and neither of us would pursue it alone.

I have a lot more to say and I will try to keep up with this momentum. Right now I am typing from the ba, on my laptop. I have been coming in more ad instead of sitting n my ass or watching TV – I am ging to try an talk with you folks.

Keep your head up and keep hustling.

He now has a cool project called Alltop. Alltop is a list of the “Best of the web” in a variety of subjects. Recently, Mind of a Hustler was added to the ranks. We appreciate the vote of confidence and hope that the folks, who stop by here, throw some support to Alltop. I dig it and it really is the spot for the best the web has to offer.

It also wouldn’t hurt to check out Guy’s personal blog and read up on him, this cat has got something to offer anyone trying to develop their hustle.

Two travelers come to a village, carrying nothing more than an empty pot. Upon their arrival, the villagers are unwilling to share any of their food stores with the hungry travelers. The travelers fill the pot with water, drop a large stone in it, and place it over a fire in the village square. One of the villagers becomes curious and asks what they are doing. The travelers answer that they are making “stone soup”, which tastes wonderful, although it still needs a little bit of garnish to improve the flavor, which they are missing. The villager doesn’t mind parting with just a little bit to help them out, so it gets added to the soup. Another villager walks by, inquiring about the pot, and the travelers again mention their stone soup which hasn’t reached its full potential yet. The villager hands them a little bit of seasoning to help them out. More and more villagers walk by, each adding another ingredient. Finally, a delicious and nourishing pot of soup is enjoyed by all. 

Now, I copied this story from Wikipedia because I didn’t feel like retyping it. But basically thats how I remember the story. Now, according to Wikipedia, the two morals of the story are:

1. We can all work together, co-operate and end up better off.
2. If you want to get people to do something, don’t tell them how desperately they are needed. Don’t try to appeal to their sympathy and kindness. Instead, create the impression that you are giving them the opportunity to be part of your success.

I can kind of go along with that, but they left a part out. The biggest part of this story is that the two travellers stood in the town square. They went where they could get the most exposure. To plug another post “They went where the food is“.

Now, to the point of the post. Most projects need a little money to get rolling. Even projects that can be planned and executed effectively can usually be done faster, better and with bigger payoffs if you have a Money Man in your pocket.

I get emails and phone calls about where to get financing. I mentor start-up entreprenuers and their first question is almost always “Where do I get money?”. Well, there is a lot of places to get money, so here is the breakdown.

Friends and Family – most of us don’t have family with money. So you might say that this is a dry well. That’s not true. Remember the stone soup story. If you can find 10 family or friends willing to invest $100 each in you, you can raise $1,000. If you can borrow the money, thats better (as not everyone wants to deal with friends and family as business partners.) I have done this myself. It is never easy, but approach your family and friends like you would a strager. Have your business plan in hand (did I mention that you should always have a business plan?). Explain to them why you need the money, what the business is about and how soon you could repay them. Have a promissory note on hand too. Even if your business fails, you want to pay these people back. They are your family and if you pay them back, they will lend you again.

Your Network – Now my family always told me that when it comes to people, there is family, friends and acquaintances. Your network would be considered all the people you know that you wouldn’t call your ace boon coon, your number one roll dog. You know who I am talking about. Your co-workers, neighbors, old schoolmates, your employer – all these people are open game. Friends of friends are a great source too. I can’t tell you how many business contacts I have made that came from a friend saying “You know I can’t help you but a friend of mine…”

SBA – SBA stands for Small Business Administration. Now I have never done this myself but I know people that have gone through the process. There are loans available for almost any type of business for any reason. These loans are actually funded by banks and credit unions but guaranteed by the federal government (believe it or not, the government wants you to be rich. They can squeeze more taxes out of you that way and you will hire other people and they will tax them too.) They are worth a shot because they are more likely to lend you money than a bank would.

Banks – Yeah, don’t waste your time. You are basically asking them to give you money with nothing that they can go after if you don’t pay. This is called an unsecured loan and unless you are pulling down serious dough, a long time customer and have a high credit score, you have better chance of getting their money with a gun.

Credit Cards – A sucker’s bet. Don’t do it. I don’t care how sure you are that you are going to pull off the score of the century. If you are late once on a credit card, that rate could go up to almost 30% interest. That is a hole that is almost impossible to dig out of. You are better off tricking for the cash.

Now most of you know about these options. But I am going to share afew other lesser known “Stone Soup” options to get some money.

Peer to Peer Lending – This is a fancy way of saying that there are people out there with money that want to lend it out to people like you. They want a return on that investment. The cool thing about P2P lenders is that you may have the opportunity to talk to the people lending you the money. See, they want you to succeed. So they may offer you free advice or insight that gives you ammunition to hit your target more accurately. Here are a few sites to check out:

• Prosper
• Zopa
• Lending Club
• Kiva (for our international readers)
• Loanio
• Virgin Money

Not all of these are technically P2P but each of them has a way to get you the money you need.

Special Investors – Now you can call these guys “Angel Investors” or whatever you like. I have dealt with these guys and I have had one of my projects funded this way. My experience was great. I have no complaints. But the question is “Where the hell do you find an investor that you don’t know?” Well that is the trick man. You can find some online. You can start by going to the town square and set up your pot and get the fire going. You can reread this post to get the ball rolling but I did leave something out of that post. I left out something very important.

Most people hate their jobs.

I know this sounds obvious and stupid, but think about it. Everyone wants to do what you are doing. They want to be the Captain of their own ship. Most of them just don’t have the stones to jump in the mix. This means that if you find someone who makes a lot of money at their job, and you offer them a piece of your life, they will trade that money for your time.

In simpler terms, find yourself a Dentist, a Doctor or a Lawyer and let them in on the action. Statistically (and in my experience) these people hate their jobs more than anyone else. They are literally dying to find someone like you. I get hit up all the time by doctors and lawyers in my circle who have the next great board game or business idea. They have the dough, they just don’t have the time.

So, if you want to get your hustle going, set your pot of stone soup up in the village square. That means that you have to let everyone know that you are on the scene and you are going to hustle your way to the top. You will be surprised how many people will want to throw a little something into your pot to get a taste of your “Stone Soup”.

Keep Hustling

I think the issue may be a cultural one more than one based on intelligence or ignorance. I deal with many people in my day to day life that come from a great many countries. We also have readers from all over the world. I want them to understand exactly what we are talking about when we define what a Hustler is.

I am about to explain what a Hustler is to me.

I get around online and see others who claim to be Hustlers. Whether they want to call themselves “Hustla’s” or some other derivative of the term, I don’t really care. The sentiment is the same. They see themselves as something more. They are more than a worker, they are more than a trick, they are more than a pimp, they are more than a gangster… They are a Hustler.

I will start by telling you what a Hustler is NOT. A Hustler is not a thief, a crook, a swindler, a liar or a con artist. A Hustler may possess these skills. A Hustler may have even been one of these things in the past. But unless you drop the life of the criminal – you are a criminal. A Hustler is not a criminal.

So here is where I lay down my definition of what makes someone a Hustler. I will not be doing something cute like…

“H is for Honor”

…because, frankly, I am just not that guy.

A Hustler is someone who is or has been hungry. Personally I was hungry in the literal sense. I have gone without food for days. I have gone without a home. I have been broken down to nothing but pocket change found on the street. Now, not everyone has to be literally hungry for food. You could be hungry for money, hungry for fame, hungry for respect, hungry for knowledge or hungry for self improvement. Whatever it is that you were or are hungry for, it has to be a hunger that burns in your gut like acid. It has to make you spit fire. It has to be the single voice that rattles around in your brain when you are all alone.

Being hungry like I was makes you understand what real hunger is. You can think of nothing else. Every step you take is in the direction of the only thing that will satisfy that hunger. You will go through, around, under or over anything that gets in your way. When you haven’t eaten in days, no is not an option. When trying to understand the depth of this hunger – think about the crackhead girls who will do anything for a fix. That is the type of fixation that will keep you motivated.

A Hustler needs that hunger. Being a Hustler without hunger is like sitting in a car without gas. It might be comfortable and you might look good doing it – but you aren’t going anywhere.

A Hustler works a Hustle. I started writing this by defining all the things that could make up a Hustle. The post got incredibly long, very quickly. Here is the condensed version:

A Hustle is an activity that Hustlers devise to generate income or define their place in their community. A Hustle doesn’t have to generate income, but for most Hustlers, it must. It can be a job, a temporary project or a new business venture. A Hustle is the vehicle you take to reach your goals.

That is the basic idea.

So now we know that a Hustler needs – motivation (Hunger) and a Hustle (Plan of Action).

What next? What else does it take to make you a Hustler versus a guy with an idea and motivation?

A Hustler’s state of mind. A Hustler cannot be refused. He or She has honed their mind and skills to razor sharpness. There cannot be a doubt that what a Hustler tells you has not been completely thought out and absolutely verifiable. Sometimes this comes with experience, but not all of us have that kind of time.

I built my game when I was young. I had no experience. I had no skills other than the ability to talk other kids out of their lunch money. These were survival skills. I had to do this or I wouldn’t eat. I lived with strangers who really didn’t care about my welfare.

But where others found obstacles, I found opportunity. I don’t know how much of that is genetic and how much is conditioned. I do know that it is obvious when you meet someone with game and obvious when you see someone without. We can smell our own. We used to say “Game recognize game” back in the day. That is still true. And once you get on your game, like minded people will flock to you. But you need to develop that Hustler state of mind.

I can’t tell you how to develop a Hustler’s state of mind, but I can put you on the path. The next time you hear the word “No” ask “Why”. It doesn’t matter if someone else told you no, or if you said it to yourself.

Ask for a raise at work. If they say no, ask why. Do you need more skills? Do you need to create more sales? Do you have an attitude problem? By asking why, you are defining the obstacle. Once the obstacle is identified, a plan can be enacted.

Ask yourself if you can afford to buy your own home. No? Why? Is it because you don’t make enough money? Is it because you don’t know how to buy a home? Both can be overcome with the right plan.

Without a “No” there is no “Yes”. And that is the Hustler’s state of mind.

So this is what a Hustler is to me. Motivation + Plan + Focus = Hustler.

Keep Hustling