Tips, Trends, & Techniques

Do You Want The On-Purpose Person For Free?

April 24, 2012 By kwmccarthy

Download The On-Purpose Person for free in Kindle: go to http://www.oppkindle.com. Starting today through April 28, you can get the unabridged book for nothing. Don't have a Kindle device? No problem, use the link above to download free Kindle reader software for your Mac, PC, phone, or iPad!

Once you have your own free Kindle edition, please share the message of being on-purpose with others on your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or other social media and email lists. Thanks for helping the planet to be on-purpose!

What Kind Of Business Owner Are You?

April 2, 2012 By kwmccarthy

Business owners are anyone with a job to do.

In The On-Purpose Business Person I write about the Think Inc! mindset and the importance of taking on responsibility. Blame is the easily spread dung of cowards. They avoid consequences, but will revel in results.

To assume responsibility for leading one’s life and work is a heroic effort. To put oneself on the line along with the ensuing consequences (good or bad) takes guts. If you’ll simply get started with assuming responsibilities, you’ll be amazed at how it feeds your confidence and fuels your growth. Rarely will you blow it. Always will you learn from it. The more you attempt, improve, and succeed, then the more opportunity and increasing responsibility will come your way.

Hopefully, you have an executive coach or mentor who helps you sort and think through your responses and lessons when you miss. Also, the person can give you perspective when you hit the mark and help you raise the bar of the possible next.

One of the most important roles of a business owner is to set and create a culture or an environment. How well are you doing with those around you? We can be slack about it or intentional. We can encourage the taking of responsibility or we can crush it. The same holds true at home. It reflects an approach to life, marriage, rearing children, or volunteering for a committee at a not-for-profit.

As a result of this On-Purpose Business Minute, please challenge yourself to truly reflect on this important aspect of leading by taking responsibility for yourself, your actions, and your choices.

Just what kind of business owner are you?

What Is The State of Your America Dream?

January 24, 2012 By kwmccarthy

As President Obama prepares to address the nation tonight, let me ask you one simple question, "What is the state of your American Dream?" Use your webcam to post your response to YouTube or Facebook and then add your link below so others can see what you have to say.

The only rules:

1. Keep it non-political. Hey, let's hear your story.

2. Be civil.

3. At the start of the video, please give your name and location.

Here's my webcam video.

Christian Women in Business: ONPURPOSE@WORK: Join me live on air Oct. 19!

October 15, 2011 By kwmccarthy

Christian women in business face unique challenges. Whether you're an entrepreneur, president, or CEO or simply dreaming of a small business start-up we'll explore the many opportunities and pitfalls of business ownership. (Men are welcome too!)

Jory Fisher has graciously invited me to be her guest on her radio show October 19 (Scroll below to call in and listen). We'll address how you can be ONPURPOSE@WORK. I'll be awarding a scholarship to ONPURPOSE@WORK to a deserving entrepreneur so you'll want to tune in to listen so you can learn how to earn by being yourself, prospering, and making a difference.

Be On-Purpose!
Kevin

Details about Heart & Soul for Women of Faith

Heart & Soul for Women of Faith airs live Wednesdays at 12 noon Eastern / 9 am Pacific. To listen live online, click on Heart & Soul at BlogTalkRadio.com. To listen by telephone, please call 1.347.326.9296. If you wish to participate in the discussions either by phone or in the chatroom, you must register your name and email address first with BlogTalkRadio by clicking on “register” on the home page of the site.

All shows are archived on my BlogTalk Radio host web page for 24/7 access and for iTunes and MP3 downloads. They are also available on my website: www.womenfindpurpose.com

“A ‘Balanced’ Life” a Poem on Life by Kevin W. McCarthy

July 25, 2011 By kwmccarthy

A "Balanced" Life

A balanced life is what I sought,

Only to have a life that was not.

My battle for balance was constantly fought,

Yet, time and again I found myself caught.

I planned, I managed, I strove to obtain.

With burnout, frustration, and a worn out brain.

Time I did “manage” with feelings distraught,

Where the harder I tried, the less I got.

A balanced life captured my thought.

Advice and coaching I often sought.

So coaches and counselors I did retain

To inspire, encourage, and help me retrain.

I listened and learned and did as I ought,

Yet my sense of my self continued to rot.

Day after day I did not obtain,

A life in balance – I could not sustain.

Daily my Father saw my deep pain,

Finally, he asked of my earnest campaign.

I told of the experts and advice I had bought.

He listened long. Then, I asked what he thought.

“A balanced life you will not obtain.

It’s an illusion sure to drive you insane.”

About the balanced life I so anxiously sought.

In essence he said, “All is for naught.”

Could my experts’ advice be words all in vain!

Dad’s contrary words were too simple and plain.

Defensive and righteous, I took a pot shot,

“If not balance, what else have you got?”

He answered, “A balanced life is what you’ve sought.

Instead, try this one simple thought:

Live your life integrated. It will go as it ought.”

A different perspective my Father had brought.

Intrigued and delighted his words fell as rain,

To my parched soul truly going insane.

How do I integrate? How do I maintain?

Were questions resounding deep in my brain.

“In the beginning, when you were begotten

A purpose was given, you’ve long since forgotten.

Search your heart and all its terrain.

Your purpose lies dormant, yet steadfast and fain.

“Ignoring your purpose causes work with strain.

Why worry about balance if it isn’t germane!

Align to your purpose, live as you ought.

Listen, my love, to the words that I’ve taught.”

His words were startling, and hard to contain

For Balance, my idol, he had just slain.

No more was my stomach tied tight in a knot.

For a balanced life I no longer sought.

In the heart of my heart I had learned a lot

Of ordering life on Dad’s integrating thought.

Gone were failings and feelings distraught

Where the harder I tried, the less I got.

I’m sparked by my purpose so simple and plain.

Integration, not balance, now keeps me so sane.

The gift of hope in my heart does remain.

For being on-purpose I can surely sustain.

Does This Sound Like TOP Performer?

March 25, 2011 By kwmccarthy

In 1998 when I wrote The On-Purpose Business, I shared the concepts of employee engagement on two dimensions: "Technical" and "Tingle." Traditionally, most employers hired on the Technical merits of a candidate – how well they fit the job description. With Tingle, the idea was to identify how well aligned the candidate / employee and the company were with purpose, vision, mission, and values. In short, pay high attention to the culturally fit and cause connection. The On-Purpose (TOP) Performers are those who bring both Technical and Tingle.

Truly, I had heads of some very large organizations tell me back in the 1990s that I was wasting their time. In one case I was hired and fired as a consultant to a hospital service organization to address massive turnover in a low skills job. By simply rewriting the position posting and advertising to reflect and attract high tingle interest and seeing the job for what it could be, I calculated that my concept was worth over $250 million/year in cost savings system-wide. Plus, it would have improved patient safety, care, and experience while easing operational tension. A ridiculous "waste of time," huh?

Fast forward now to the SXSW 2011 Conference in this Fast Company Magazine panel interview moderated by Anya Kamenetz and featuring Alexis Ohanian (Reddit), Chris Hoyt (@TheRecruiterGuy), and Scott Belsky (Behance). Invest a minute and nineteen seconds to see what is discussed as the future of employee engagement.

As forward thinking as The On-Purpose Business was in 1998, only about 10% of the concepts in this book are approaching the mainstream. Most of this is because so few people really understand the power in purpose, let alone how to harness it for the good of self and society.

You are ahead of the curve… on-purpose!

On-Purpose Profile: Carrie Wilkerson, The Barefoot Executive

January 20, 2011 By kwmccarthy

This morning, I kicked off my shoes and listened to Disney Entrepreneur Center.

Carrie plays in the noble space of helping professionals, business owners, those in career transition, and other self-employed persons work more successfully from home. She trailblazed her way and is marking the path for others to follow in her footprints.

If you’ve followed me for any length of time, you know that I’m a fan of the creativity, productivity, profitability, and contribution that starting and owning a small business offers. Business can be a pure vocational expression of your purpose, and, therefore, an opportunity to be on-purpose. Because of a similar heart to Carrie, my On-PurposeME program is designed for the SOHO (small office, home office) start-up or running business owner. You just can’t know enough.

Carrie is a great model for creating on-purpose work at home business. Sitting in the front seat and I could see it in her eyes. She’s having the time of her life doing good while doing well with maintaining defined personal boundaries and a strong commitment to her marriage, family, and clients.

For years, I’ve been teaching that life balance is a myth. Carrie shared those nearly identical words with those in attendence. Coincidentally, my On-Purpose Minute on Tuesday was entitled: Do You Want More Balance In Your Life? (Be sure to look for the link to my poem: A Balanced Life.)

Here’s my recommendation to you, visit Carrie’s website (click the banner below). Subscribe to her email and video messages. You’ll find that she brings a fresh encouragement and spirit similar to me when it comes to being true to yourself and taking the leap into business ownership.

Watching Carrie in action was educational and engaging. If you are a fan of On-Purpose and fit the target audience of wanting to be a work from home business owner, then jump bare feet first over to Carrie’s website and get a little cyber sand between your toes.

Brand Backstory:

Carrie shared that in 2003 her husband, aka Mr. Barefoot, tagged her as the “Barefoot Executive” while she made the career transition from high school teacher to stay at home business executive / owner. She was running around the home conducting business in her barefeet and he lovingly made the observation. Carrie made note of his term of endearment. Three years ago, she birthed her business of helping others make the great escape from the corporate world.

I had to chuckle when she said, “I’m from Texas. We understand branding. It is the way we keep track of our cattle and keep people from stealing them.” It was a great reminder that business branding is rooted in some pretty practical stuff! With Carrie’s help perhaps you, too, can leave your footprints in the sand… on-purpose, of course.

PS – yes, Carrie Wilkerson spoke to us in her jeans and barefeet!

PSS – Special thanks to my friends Wendy Kurtz and Roy Reed for organizing and inviting me to the event at the Disney Entrepreneur Center.

Wendy Kurtz is President of Elizabeth Charles a niche PR firm that helps authors, speakers and executives get their message and medium into the media and into people’s lives.

Roy Reed is a Partner in Consensus Communications, a strategic public relations firm whose currency of choice is trust.

Is Your Smart Phone Making You Stupid?

January 17, 2011 By kwmccarthy

The smarter our smart phones get, the dumber we're becoming behind the wheel of a car.

Teens get blasted for texting and driving, but let me tell you, it isn't just kids. While I don't text and drive, I do have my unsafe moments of cell phone use. Those of us who are older and "wiser" are guilty of our own set of cell phone violations – looking up numbers, dialing while driving, reading email, etc…

There's a line in this video, "What is worth losing your life over? That text message?" That question stopped me dead in my tracks of cell phone usage.

You see, even though my car is equipped with bluetooth and I've got two hands on the wheel, I find myself looking up phone numbers, dialing, and pressing send while driving. No more even just a little distraction for me. Watch this, join me, and let's live longer, healthier lives while driving safely for us and those other people on the road.

Really! How busy are you that it can't wait until conditions to text or call are safe?

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