November 26th, 2011

Peter Fogel’s “Five Vital Things to Consider BEFORE You Think About Changing Careers!”

 Times are tough. Unemployment numbers… up and down… up and down.  More peaks and valleys than an EKG graph.

So what do you do? Do you leave your present place of unemployment and look for greener pastures whilst America is caught in a volatile job market? Or is there a more prudent way to enhance your future without changing careers?

Well, if you are a working pro, nobody has to tell you that changing careers in midstream has many challenges. Some career coaches say that if you’re planning to make a career change you should do it while you’re young. Maybe they are correct. The nitty-gritty is that you are the only one to really know what you are passionate about and if this is the right course for you be on. On the flipside, when thinking of changing careers you also have to take into consideration whether you are single, married with children etc… What’s right for you in your 20′s — might not be right for you in your 30′s or 40′s or even 50′s.

Thankfully, preparation, research and doing your due diligence will allow you to make a  smooth transition if you think changing career is what’s needed. However, a better idea might be to stay where you are and improve upon present status. Doing so will allow you to take the necessary steps to help Reboot Your Career –without the hassles of making of entering a new industry.

Either way, before making a complete 180-degree career change — investigate the five tips below before making the new leap of faith and evaluate your current job status.

1) How satisfied you are with it before thinking of changing careers? Before making any hasty decisions about exiting your current profession (and company) make sure to really look at your options. Make an evaluation of day-to-day performance, reactions and feelings. This will help you determine if changing careers is really, what is called for.

2. Make a true assessment of your skills, talents and interests. Assess whether your skills and more importantly your interests are in fact in line with your current career. If they are compatible, then changing careers would definitely be an option to look into.

3. Considering what choices you have as a working professional in terms of a career change from it. Unfortunately, deciding leave for another profession is only half the battle. That’s because you still need to determine where you are headed. Without a strong guide, changing careers is like piloting a plane without a flight plan. Without one, you are headed into a strong wind that can hinder your progress and do you more damage than good!.

Look at this way; when you go on vacation, don’t you have an itinerary that tells you what you’ll be doing, what sites you will be visiting? Well, it is the same with your career.  Your best bet is to brainstorm options and then narrow it down from there. Examples of worthwhile activities include talking to people in your industry — or outside your industry. This step is vital to pinpointing where exactly it is you want to go with your career change… and how to get there.

     4   Making a preliminary assessment  Once you have a good picture towards the career changes you want, simply make a preliminary assessment. This helps you to evaluate whether or not doing so is in the best interests of finances and workload.

5. Determine whether this industry or career path is really for you.  Again, do more research or even shadow an industry professional who is actively doing what you want to do. Luckily, if you know someone in that field, you can ask for their assistance on determining whether you can get away with effectively changing careers and entering this particular field of interest.

If this article helped you out in anyway, it’s to show you NOT to rush into anything. Do your homework, check out where you are now and see if you create the new career you want at your present job or a completely new enterprise.

Make sure to always consider the consequences of every step you might take when you’re changing careers. Yes, it can be difficult to pull off but remember this: Success occurs when opportunity meets preparedness!

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October 14th, 2011

(PREFACE) “If Not Now…Then When?” (Book Excerpt)

(PREFACE) “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” (Book Excerpt)

~ George Eliot

I’m going to be up front with you right now: I wrote this book for a special person. Me. And who’s more special than me?

Answer:  You.

Ever wonder if on one occasion during her life, the selfless Mother Theresa ever contemplated, erself, just once? “Gheez, Louise,” I can hear her saying now. “What about my needs? Don’t I count?”

We both have  probably had to deal with the same type of people over the years and have jumped through the same hoops” in our professional lives. I mean, isn’t it rue that for as long as you can remember, you’ve had to answer to “others,” lease “everyone else,” and make “all of them” happy?

But come it did …

It also gives us a sense of purpose … and a sense that what we do does make a  difference.    Perhaps your significant other does (or doesn’t) know what you’re going through at the moment. “Gheez, Herb, get a hobby or something.”

They don’t get it, do they? But you and I both do. It’s because… well, you know you have no choice but to reinvent yourself! The folks in this book have all gone through some type of reinvention—or metamorphosis. Some wanted to, some had no choice but to. And some found themselves open to a new opportunity and fulfilled a destiny they didn’t even think they had available to them.
But they all had something in common: They got fed up with their “status quo,”  focused on the big picture they call their lives, and took action to make their  choices a reality. And if they can … you can, too!
As you read their stories, you’ll realize that for the most part we  all have the same wants, needs, and desires pulsating through our veins.  Yes … parallel lives, perhaps … but the same experiences.
You’ll undoubtedly read a person’s story and shriek so loud that  your cat will not only leap off the table, but your spouse will drop  the remote control, come running in from the other room, trip over the
cat that just ran into his path, and shoot you that “What the hell is going on?”  look. Where upon you’ll announce to them: “Oh, my God! This … is … me!!”
Your eyes will indeed widen in astonishment as you realize that, yes, there might  be only six degrees of separation with everyone on this planet.
In fact, I  bet you anything that right now in some third world country there’s some Bedouin  tending his flock just like his father did … and his father before him.  And as he steps into sheep doo-doo for the umpteenth time, he screams up to the heavens:
“I hate … hate … hate … sheep! And I hate living in a cave! Yes,  it’s all paid for … but I still hate it!”
Think of this book as perhaps the ultimate “Survivor Show.”  The interviewees could be a friend of yours … a neighbor … a  relative that you see every day. Ever wonder what goes on in their mind—what  they’ve gone through that brought them to this point in their lives?
But more  importantly, how their journey might be similar to yours? Well, now you can see for yourself.
Because now you’re going to be fly on the wall … seeing and experiencing  where they’ve come from … how their choices shaped their future and where  their reinvention has led them.
I shall bring you such tales of hope and failure that you might want to come  over to each interviewee’s house and curl up in the fetal position with them.  And then celebrate with them when they reach their goal of reinvention and fulfillment.

In a perverse way … their story is yours—and mine.

And once you experience their story, hopefully you can use a technique they’ve  successfully applied in their reinvention (especially if you’re interested in  entering into their particular profession) or get a spark of an idea you can use  on your own particular journey. These over 40 folks are your peers and have  “been there; done that.”
And if you have any questions that go beyond the information provided herein,  they’ve graciously allowed you to contact them via their Web sites or Email addresses.
And as you contemplate you’re reinvention, please remember: You’re the only one who can truly make you fulfilled. Not your kids … not your spouse … not your family. They can help, you need their support … but it all boils down to you!

But Is This Book Really For You?

Yes.
  • Especially if you’re 40 and over and have been devastated by a major  crisis in your life and/or you feel you must have a fresh start and perspective  if you are to take a different direction in your vocational world.
  • Who is a wonderful, creative, sexy, intelligent person (stop looking around,   I’m talking about you.) and acknowledges that “perhaps”—some self-destructive   behavior might be holding you back?
If you answered “yes” to the above then I applaud you for “getting off the  delusional”train, acknowledging your problem, and moving forward. I hope you always keep your sense of humor during these challenging times that you might be going through.
Humor puts everything into perspective. It has kept me from giving up, selling out,  and doing the one thing I feared … and that’s going to law school. Ad“them” usually referred to some committee you were on, right? And where do  committees always gather? Don’t take yourself so seriously and know that most crises can be overcome by diffusing the situation with laughter.
And in your quest, remember what Winston Churchill, one of the greatest orators  and leaders of the 20th century (who it just so happens suffered from being bi-polar)  said to a university graduating class.
He rose, crossed to the podium, and calmly said  into the microphone,“Never, never, never, never give up.”
He then sat back down.
Those were his so-called “pearls of wisdom.” Six simple words. You know, there had  to have been two young blokes in the bathroom standing innocently at a urinal when  one turned to the other and said in a cockney Newkirk from Hogan’s Heroes accent,
“Say, ya’ think we’ll miss anything?”
Now you’re thinking:  “Is he getting to a point, here?” Yes, I am. My point is that  life goes fast. (C’mon, only yesterday you were wearing mood rings and earth shoes …  okay, just me then.)
More specifically: Because if not now…then when?
The above excerpt was from Peter Fogel’s book, If Not Now… Then When? Stories and  Strategies of People Over 40 Who Have Successfully Reinvented Themselves. For more  info on the book and to get his FREE 4-in-1 Total Success Reinvention Package -  visit www.reinventyourselfnow.com
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August 3rd, 2011

Peter Fogel’s “How to Rid Yourself of a Little Flaw That’s Holding You Back!”

When transitioning from my former career as a stand-up comic into my new one as “The Reinvention Guy,” I realized that one of the things that had been holding me back from accomplishing my goals was the desperation of wanting success too badly. I swore that once I transformed myself, I would do my best to get rid of it (the desperation)!

Sure, I would still have tenacity. But I would pull back more, give people a chance to get to know me,
and not be a jackhammer in trying to land engagements.

Like me, there’s a good chance that the little flaw that is holding you back has to do with the way you
communicate with people. In general, correcting that flaw is a matter of withholding judgment about them and trying to see where they are coming from.

It Begins With Mutual Respect

Let’s start with this: If I asked the people you work with what kind of person you are, what would they
say?

Would they say that you are friendly, hardworking, and dedicated?

Would they say that you are easy to work with? Your co-workers and bosses will put up with a wide range of behaviors from you, just as you do with them. But one thing they won’t put up with for long is disrespect! I know this might be common sense – but just as they have to earn your respect, you must earn theirs. That means getting to know them – and getting rid of any preconceived notions you may have about them.

Dr. Todd Kashdan, a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at George Mason University,
says lack of curiosity is a breeding ground for stereotyping and discrimination, ignorance, rigid conformity, inflated confidence, and dogmatism.

No matter how unprejudiced we think we are, we all tend to make assumptions about people who are different from us. It’s human nature. But you must rise above this if you are to communicate with others effectively.

Getting in the Mood

Could the people you work with say that you are prone to wild mood swings? If so, that’s something you
have to learn to control.

Here are three things you can do:

Notice your mood swings.

Go off by yourself while you work through your problems. (Have your own personal “time out.”)

  • If you go off on someone, apologize.
    As much as you may think the opposite, apologizing isn’t a sign of weakness on
    your part. It’s a sign of respect.
  • If you are having serious emotional issues, get help from a counselor.

The Invisible Co-Worker

There’s a great episode of the old Twilight Zone television series where a guy was sentenced to be  invisible for one year. A mark was put on his forehead and no one was allowed to speak to him or
acknowledge he existed. Naturally, he went crazy.

Are you treating any of your co-workers in this fashion? Could you be disrespecting these people by NOT
acknowledging them at all?

Doing so makes them feel unappreciated – like their contributions to the business aren’t important. But
these are people who affect your own job security. They’re the grease that keeps the engine of the company you work for running.

Here’s what you can do to “see” them:

This may sound like a no-brainer, but it truly is the little things you do that get
noticed.

One of the most important things you can do is to say hello to others as you walk down the hall or past their offices.

Regardless of the size of your company, try your best to actually learn and address
everyone by their first names.

As Dale Carnegie said, “If you remember my name, you pay me a subtle compliment; you indicate that I have made an impression on you. Remember my name and you add to my feeling of importance.”

Smile at people, shake their hands, and introduce them to others. I guarantee you they will not feel invisible after that.

Surprise them. I have an assistant who is handling a lot of tasks and assignments for me. She
recently sent me an invoice for her services. I paid her immediately (which I always do), and I added a bonus. She sent me a heartfelt thank you, telling me her other clients never do what I did… and that they could learn something from me about how to treat people who work for them.

Think my assistant isn’t always going to go the extra yard for me?

Reinvention Guy’s Take-Away Tip: Really examine how you communicate with your co-workers.

Do you treat them with respect?

  • Do you treat them fairly?
  • Do you make an effort to implement their ideas?
  • Do you make it clear that you value their input?

No matter where you are in your career, the advice I gave you today can help you get a little further
toward achieving your long-term goals. And I’d love for you to let me know how
it did via my blog: http://www.peterfogel.com/reinventyourselfnow/

[Ed. Note: The above article was adapted from Peter "The Reinvention Guy" Fogel's new
book, Reboot Your Career: 27 Ways to Reinvent Yourself in the Workplace (If You Still have a Job!).
Before Peter reinvented himself from a successful stand-up comic into an in-demand speaker, freelance
advertising copywriter/problem solver, he worked on many TV shows, including Married With Children, Hope and Faith, and Whoopi.  He is the author of the critically acclaimed book If Not Now... Then When?: Stories and Strategies of People Over 40 Who Have Successfully Reinvented Themselves.

For info on his book and to sign up for his FREE Reinvent This! E-zine and get his 4-in-1 Total Success Reinvention Package (a $75 value). Go to www.reinventyourselfnow.com/reboo-your-career/

If you're interested in public speaking, please sign up for Peter's FREE 7 Days to MORE Effective Public Speaking e-course (a $125 value) and get FREE Mp3 downloads at  www.publicspeaklikeapro.com.]

 

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April 30th, 2011

Peter Fogel’s “What Steps Have You Taken Today Towards Your Reinvention!?”

I don’t know how to say this any clearer: But most people are lazy. (Not you, of course, I am talking about other people who are reading this article.) And being lazy is part of human nature. A body at rest; stays at rest… a body in motion yada, yada, yada…

Anyway, the reason I am asking is that I want to know what you are doing today towards reinventing
yourself?

I know, you have family commitments… work commitments… people tugging at you… and all you have want to do sometimes is to be left alone so you can work on what’s vital to reaching your goals.

Sometimes you don’t think you have enough time, but you know what? It’s not really true. It’s the best use of your time that counts.  On the other hand, time is the one resource that is (along with oil) depleted each and every day.

And yet, it’s also the one resource you have just as much as the next guy!

And no one’s time is worth more than yours. So what are you doing to make better use of yours?

First off, you have to become clear about what you really want. Have you gotten clear about your reinvention? Are you thinking of leaving your present career and venturing out into a new one? Or are you thinking of reinventing yourself at your present job and getting more fulfillment  out of it?

Thankfully, you can do that, too. (My new book, Reboot Your Career: 27 Ways to Reinvent
Yourself in the Workplace – If You Still Have a Job!– will explain everything to you.)

Now, once you’ve become clear in what you really want, what actions are you doing to make it happen?
Nothing will happen unless you take ACTION. Of course, you have to prioritize those actions.
What has to be  done immediately… tomorrow… the day after?

For instance, I have to finish work for a client and then work on promotional materials for my new book. It is gorgeous out today in Florida (What a surprise, huh?) I’d love to go the pool or beach, but
nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnno.

I will NOT. Why? (I’m a real martyr, aren’t I?) Because I was inspired to write you and connect with what is happening with you. Not to mention I felt my MUSE rising and the inspiration to write you this very moment. Then it’s taking care of the other tasks that are on my proverbial plate.

The Secret is to Prioritize

You see, prioritizing allows you to give you the biggest ROI of your time and resource. In marketing, for instance, if I do X and it does not bring me Y and Z (leads or income) then it did not work the way I wanted. Then I go back and tweak things.

The  same with your own reinvention. If something doesn’t work the way you want it, don’t get
discourage and give up. Think about what tasks didn’t  work and see how you can improve upon it to
get the results you want.

Whether you are reinventing yourself into a new career or at your present job, the one important thing to keep in mind is that you are a marketer of your own goods, services, and time…

When I talk to subscribers, clients, customers, I discuss what they are doing to reach their goals. Some are taking meaningful changes and doing it… others, unfortunately,  usually come up with different excuses as to why they are not moving forward.

Make no mistake: exceptional marketers do NOT come up with excuses. They take care
of business, their own!

Simply put, you have to become a better marketer of your time and resources.

Know your  self-worth, and know that you will have to make sacrifices (with friends and family) to
make things happen during your busy day. Prioritize tasks every day!

Reinvention, like any metamorphosis, takes time.  There are steps you have to take. Thankfully,
if you take small steps each day you will not get overwhelmed. Instead, you see real measurable results.

Make no mistake: during this time (and remember it’s your time) you will have to retool, repackage, and rejuvenate your passion and perhaps learn a new skill. A skill that must be mastered if you want to give yourself a meaningful career and fulfilled life!

one last note; I want to know what is going on with you and help answer any questions you have. Please leave all comments and questions here on my blog.  I want to answer them for you…

Who is Peter Fogel

Peter “The Reinvention Guy” Fogel has worked on many TV shows, including Married With Children, Hope and Faith, and Whoopi. He transitioned from a successful stand-up comic to an in-demand freelance advertising copywriter/problem solver. He’s the author of the
critically acclaimed book(s)

If Not Now… Then When?, Stories and Strategies of People Over 40 Who Have Successfully Reinvented Themselves, and the soon-to-be-released Reboot Your Career: 27 Ways to Reinvent Yourself in the Workplace… If You Still Have a Job!
Sign up for his FREE Reinvent This Ezine and get his 4-in-1 Total Success Reinvention Package
(a $75 value). Go to www.reinventyourselfnow.com/book-special0606.htm.

For Public Speaking, please sign up for Peter’s FREE 7 Days to MORE Effective Public Speaking
E-course ($125) and get FREE Mp3 downloads at www.publicspeaklikeapro.com

 

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April 18th, 2011

Peter Fogel’s “Self-Publishing: Your Ticket to Branding Yourself as an Expert!”

Who are you if you have a book available for purchase? An expert? Someone successful? A smart marketer? All of the above. Reinventing yourself often requires a new life set of references. The doubts are out there. “Sure”, the clients says (or worst, just thinks), you were successful as a project manager for IBM for the last 20 years.

You obviously know how to make it in the corporate world, but what do you know about small business management? What can you really do for me? Heck, we can take him to the moon if he’ll let us, but getting him to realize that often takes more than we can offer when we first start out. It’s frustrating. 40 Years old and I don’t have references again? Is my acne back as well? (Uggh!)

Writing a book solves that. And that’s because a A Book Tells The World (And Your Client) That You’re The Go-To Person Writing your own book is a fascinating process. It condenses our thoughts, prepares us for our Reinvented life and gives us the realization that we really do know how to handle the small business problems our client is asking about.

Writing a book truly makes you an expert. You hear all the time, “I know so much about this I could write a book.” Do you really? Because if you do, you will discover that you really are an authority, and people will not only see that in your book, but see it in you.

Writing a book increases your:

• Client Base
• Income
• Self-Esteem
• Feeling of Success

When I wrote my book, If Not Now… Then When? Stories and Strategies of People Over 40 Who Have Successfully Reinvented Themselves, I not only studied the subjects I lived it. That’s what separates me from folks with doctorates or masters degrees. I am NOT a theoretician, “I practice what I preach” to my subscribers.

A book puts you in a whole different light than your competitor. Once you write one, people will read yours and refer them to others. My mentor Bob Bly has written over 60 books. (That’s right, folks, count ‘em—60) over a 25 year period. It has propelled him into millionaire “guru” status with his clients and the industry. And that’s because clients don’t mind paying for expert advice.

(Cha-ching) It is only when there are doubts about the outcome that they barter down on you. Knowing what you know, seeing it sitting in front of you brings together a life. It ties up many loose ends. The process of building out a real book reveals your history through a new perspective.

Alright! You’ve Written The Book… Now What?

Naturally, you can write the book yourself which will give you the closest feeling (if you’re a man at least) to giving birth. Or you can hire a ghost writer. (You don’t think “The Donald” actually writes his books, do you?) Ghost writing will be the subject of another article. But for now, let’s assume you’ve completed the manuscript.

NOW what are you going to do with it? There are several options out there. The traditional publication methods of; getting an agent, sending it out to the publishing houses, (rejection) hassling with the editors, are all available, just as they have been for the last 200 years. No worries there.

Technology has also created several other options for you as well. Self-Publishing is now a viable, reliable and profitable way of getting your book to print. eBooks also bring your book to print and publication and available for immediate distribution—PLUS— all the profits are all yours. (Amen) And there is no reason you can’t do both. There are a number of benefits to self-publishing which in the past could not be tapped, which technology has made available.

• Faster production from concept to printed volume
• Time-sensitive ideas able to be capitalized on
• Cost effective printing schedules
• High quality product

Traditional methods of publishing can take 8 months to a year to push through the houses, whereas self-publishing can get your book out in as little as 2 to 3 months. This is a huge marketing boon for those looking to get time-sensitive messages out to the public.

Self-publishing was once looked down on, they were called Vanity books. But not any longer. Self-publishing is now a real alternative. You can find Self-publishers that will help you with cover design, ISBN numbers, Book Store marketing, and Amazon.com listings. The quality of these books is fantastic, and the printing options very manageable. Short prints, and shipping arrangements are often available options.

eBook printing is much less expensive (obviously), but not less rewarding if you have the right people working with you. There are several great resources available to you as well. For example, if you need help in preparing your book for the public then Jim Donavan is someone you should contact.

He’s a writer’s coach and even has a full course on getting your book to print and what to do once it is there (www.publishingsuccesscd.com).

If you are looking at Reinventing yourself as a Consultant, or Life Coach, the benefits are really self explanatory. If you follow Jim’s advice you will probably make your money back in sales alone, but the monetary value of the business your book brings in, just because it exists may be ten times greater.

Let’s face it, someone that has a book available for purchase is someone who is stable, authoritative and knowledgeable. Books have clout that nothing else captures. Offices, business cards, and resumes are all very necessary, but a book puts you in a different category. Books bring people to you. Imagine a prospect coming to your work and they say…

“What can you do for me?” Your reply?
“Read my book and find out.”
How empowering is that?!

Remember one important thing: Unless you get to Mark Victor Hansen status (millions of copies of Chicken Soup for The Soul sold) you won’t become wealthy beyond your wildest dreams with writing a book.

There’s a lot of variables involved. Marketing, timing, NY Times Best Seller list—yada, yada, yada. But can you imagine what a book can do for your business? I tell you from experience that nothing can launch your reinvention quicker into expert status than writing on a particular subject. It’s worked for me and I know it can work for you.

Author’s Bio

Peter “The Reinvention Guy” Fogel is the nation’s leading reinvention expert and author of the book, “If Not Now… Then When? Stories and Strategies of People Over 40 Who Have Successfully Reinvented Themselves!” And the soon to be released, “Reboot Your Career” 27 Ways to Reinvent Yourself In The Workplace!”

He went from being one of America’s funniest comedians to reinventing himself into key note speaker and in-demand sales writer for multi-million dollar companies as Early to Rise, Strategic Profits, Biocentric Health, Renaissance Health, (to name a few.)

For further information on his products and to sign up for Peter’s FREE 7 Day Reinvention E-course at  www.reinventyourselfnow.com. Interested in public speaking? Then you’ll want to check out www.publicspeaklikeapro.com and gets LOADS of freebies over there!

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