LaTron B. Unwrap'd: A Personal Development Blog to Kick Some Amazing Butt in Business and Life

Something smells disgusting. I am so having a strong case of buyer remorse right now. While people are complaining about bank and airline fees, i offer this….. Dang, ticket fees are just as bad! Let me tell you! The day was swell, and I was escatic to find out that Tyler Perry’s, “Madea Get’s A Job” tickets were on available for purchase. The weather was warm and the birds were chirping.  The ticket prices for were marketed as $65-not bad. I expected to pay a modest fee of about $5.00 for online purchase cost-pure bliss.

Then BAAAUMM!  There is a Fac fee of $2.00, a Convenience fee of $16.50 ( aka the rip off fee). Get this, it costs me $2.00 to print them at home, using my own ink and paper and $2.00 to place the order. WTF…They should be paying me to use my skills and time to navigate their system, recover from the sudden shock of  all these fees, use my ink and paper, and the panic and mental distress caused by having to rush to click checkout after I discussed this news in shock and awe with my mother.  Tyler Perry, the things I do to see your awesome performances. I’m sure it will be good! Roanoke Civic Center don’t count on me eating ANYTHING there! Nuthing, nada, zip… heck my food should be free. I feel like I just paid for it! I can NOT believe I just did.

Since the economic downturn, the trust in financial institutions has decreased significantly. Investors have seen their life savings disappear. Institutions are tightening their belts and are not providing loans to people who need them the most. You could be an entrepreneur looking to start a business or you could be looking for a down payment for a car or house. For some people, it is difficult do to low or no credit. What do you do when you need a loan, but are unable to attain one?

Peer to peer lending is a relatively new concept that has picked up traction. Sites such as Prosper put the Dream back in the American Dream. This concept began in the United Kingdom with a company called Zopa. This concept caught on like rapidly because of the relative ease and the reliability of transacting loans directly between borrowers and lenders. In 2006, Prosper was launched and in 2010 P2P Financial was launched in 2010 in Canada.

These peer to peer lending provide a platform to ease the transactions between borrowers and lenders. Financial institutions do not come in between them. Banks are only used at the end of the contractual transaction–to move funds from lender to borrower.

There are several models of peer to peer lending sites. They are direct vs indirect, Secured vs unsecured, and relational borrowing. In the direct model, the lender lends to separate individuals based on credit rating. Obviously, the risk comes into play when the borrower does not pay. To abate this risk, lenders have begun lending in smaller amounts. With the indirect model, the lender lends to a pool of individuals that a peer to peer site categorizes based on similar credit ratings. The only risk the lender has is when all of the people do not pay. As you can tell, this model significantly reduces risk. Prosper uses this arrangement to provide loans. In a secured model the lender’s fund are backed by collateral from the borrower, in case they do not pay. In unsecured model the lender selects the borrower based on credit score and does not require collateral. Lastly, in relational borrowing you lend to people you know and trust. You can be a family member or friend lending to many people you know through the online platform. As expected, you would typically lend at ranges far below market rates.

In conclusion, peer to peer platforms are lifesavers because they truly help people in need of funding that they would not be able to get at a tradition institution. They can use the funds to go toward a down payment on a home, car, or to start a business. They are also able to obtain funding at competitive rates that are far below the rates of a bank. For lenders, it gives them an opportunity to lend and receive a reasonable rate of return, and it reduces their risk.

Here is a video that I found truly inspirational. The underlying message is simple, change your words, change your life.  We can apply this to our own lives. We get caught up with the day to day obstacles. We become depressed because of our flaws and overwhelmed because when we feel stuck. We give up when we fail. However, we undermine the truth that the power of life and death/success and failure is in the tongue. If you are struggling to move forward in your career or business, pay close attention to what you are saying. It has taken me a long time to learn this and I am still a work in progress. You have the tendency to believe what you say, and your beliefs are reflected in your in body language, in your work, and in your interactions with others. If you can take one step to move forward to change your life, I encourage you to try something new. If you feel stuck and you feel that there are no doors opening up for you, try this:  Instead of saying ” There are no opportunities for me” say, ” The opportunities are endless, and there is plenty of possibilities waiting for me to discover it.” Speak the real truth because our it never fails that our lies become our truth. If we change our views on life, we become better. Enjoy.

Peace, love, and elbow grease…

Have you ever just sat and thought about all of the businesses you could start? One idea comes after another–all of them legitimate. Wishing you could implement them all, you come back to reality realizing you are only human and can not possibly tackle all of these projects. So, you end up playing around with one or two ideas that really get your motivation peaked. As you start thinking about your plans and processes, you become overwhelmed by all things necessary to get to where you want to be. Fear grips you by the neck. The shear overwhelm inhibits you from moving forward in taking your vision and implementing it. Fear is the root of all inaction. I believe there are three types of fear that holds us back.

1) Fear of work

You draft up a mental plan on how to accomplish a goal. Once you see everything that will be involved in the endeavor, you come to the realization that is not for you because you do not want to carryout each of the steps and and be responsible for the challenges, you will face along the way. If your fear the work, it is not really your passion. If it is not your passion, it will not succeed. So, how do you know if you have found your passion, you ask. When your values and your goals align you will have found your passion. You will want to work on the business no matter what. So never jump into anything just to make money. Jump into it because you will enjoy the process, the rewards, and the ability to grow from failures.

2) Fear of Failure

Time and time again, young entrepreneurs spend lots of time, tirelessly, working on ideas that are doomed to fail from the start. Other projects are not really doomed from the beginning, but fail to gain traction either because of too much competition or by insufficient marketing efforts. If you face these obstacles over and over again, you will be more hesitant about jumping into new projects in the future. Overtime entrepreneurs and small business owners begin to learn value of their time and will not jump into a project if there is no immediate benefit. The delay of a result can seem like a failure, if you are not looking at the big picture. So, if there is even an inkling of success for your project even in the presence of delayed gratification, go for it and keep your eye on the big picture.

Some times you feel that someone will steal your ideas and be more successful because they have more capital for marketing and innovation. This is inevitable for many small businesses. However, know that competition is good. Competition will allow you to learn various ways to make your product or service even more outstanding. However, take measures to protect your proprietary materials as much as possible. Consult with an intellectual property lawyer to get started.

3) Fear of Success

It is possible to see the success of your project from the start, either by the small scale market research or consumer purchases. However, some entrepreneurs fear success, because they do not have the capacity to keep up with demand. By not investing in additional equipment or marketing projects, you lose sales to your competition who can provide a similar service. Other entrepreneurs feel that they are undeserving of the success.

I think it is necessary to define your idea of success. Is it to provide x amount of products or services to x amount of people each year? Or, it is to make $1million dollars your first year? You must make your idea of success specific. Is your idea of success realistic? If you are trying to generate $1billion in sales, your first year of business, your are setting your self up for failure quickly. Make your idea of success reasonable and rational to what you know you can attain.

What do you fear?

I have been faced by theses three issues time and time again. One is especially significant–Fear of failure.  Especially being an introverted person, many say personality is not suited for entrepreneurship. But, I have moved past this fear many times and did things I never thought was possible for myself. I may not be the loudest one of the pack, but I am passionate about helping other people aspire to their greater selves. That is one of my passions, and I will do whatever it takes to reach my vision. However, each time I have to dig really deep to find out ways I can see the big picture, think long-term, and move past what everybody else defines as success.  What is your major fear?

Oh how I love the Volkswagen 2012 Superbowl commercial! Doesn’t it make you just want to go out and buy one?!?

Civility, the thread that keeps society from falling apart. Without it, life as we know it will fall into disarray–total anarchy.

Our lives are impacted by the actions and consequences brought on by the beliefs of others. The interconnectedness of all life matters. Good manners, the core element of civility, a social construct created to inter how we really feel. Necessary, it is. Together, good manners simply give leverage to the familiar side of the equation that houses action and belief.

Acceptance of this need for civility is essentially a view that all humanity is running from its inherent malice. Humanity, preoccupied with the duties of self-preservation and self-actualization—thinking nothing of its brother’s sustenance and sustainability.

Lest, we forget we are the fulcrum of our individualistic existence and experience, constantly balancing our own realities with civility. Indeed, one by one a good manner finally eases itself in the eye of the needle, tying the fabric of civility together and giving life support and stability.

Are you single? Absolutely sure that you’ll spend your Valentine’s evening alone? Well, no fear! Tron is here to give you advice on unlocking your inner ‘Player’. After work, stop by your local Walmart and shop for a card and a gift as though your are shopping for someone else. No need to spend an arm and a leg! Visit your local coffee shop around 6-8pm. Most single people will be there– eating alone. Simply approach someone of interest, extend your hand as a friendly gesture and say, “Hi, I am [insert your name here]. Happy Valentines Day! I saw you eating alone, and I wanted to give you this.” Take the Valentines day gift you have hidden out of sight and give it to them and ask, “What is your name?” When they response, take out the card and pen and write down a personal messages one the card including their name.  I’m sure it will start a conversation! But most of all it will make someone feel special! Damn, I never cease to amaze myself!