2013 New Year, New Opportunity And A New Life Resolution

I want to start by wishing you a fantastic 2013.  I hope you make it great!

In 2013, I expect to have a very different year than I did in 2012.  Why? Because when I look back at most of my life it has been a long slow road of the same ol, same ol.  Each year was pretty much like the last.  There were a couple of major events, but no major changes.  In 2012, things changed.  I made goals that I achieved, like losing 30 pounds without drugs, surgery or major caffeine doses. 

Until 2012, my life wasn't like that though.  When I left home to join the military, I went from my mother telling me what to do to my drill sergeant telling me what to do.  As I got promoted and finished schools, I slowly migrated away from being told what do to, but no major leaps or risks were taken.  I followed the safe path.

When I became a pilot in the Air Force Reserves, it was a transition from one form of military life to another.  No major change, still the safe path.  When I retired from the Air Force Reserves, I was flying for American Airlines, still no major change. No real risk, no real rewards, just the safe path.

I have had the opportunity to build several businesses, sell a couple and then waste all the money building a business I should have avoided.   At the end of the day though, the reality has always been that I had my fallback “job” in the Air Force Reserves, or as a Pilot with American.  The flying has been fantastic, but the job didn’t live up the promises that were made to me and my family when I took the job.  It was just a safe path.

It has been difficult for me to say why the airline industry has frustrated me until this holiday season.  I realize that I let the Airline Industry make a promise to me and to my wife about our future and then do nothing to help me achieve what they promised.  My frustration has been with the fact that they made the offer and promise, and I got stuck with the responsibility for it.  To make matters worse, I wasn’t given any avenue to improve my situation.  Maybe this is what a mouse feels like on his little cage wheel, running no where.   

My wife had accepted a similar promise when she became a teacher.  Between the two of us it was a pretty boring life of work vacation and more work.  There had to be more, but we didn’t have a reason to go get more for the first ten or so years.  We moved into comfortable town, the most dangerous place you can be.  Each pay cut or increase in work requirements that was handed to us was accepted without a fight.   We just adjusted and moved on.

In 2009 my wife was diagnosed with cancer, a form that is only treatable by surgical removal.  If they miss any of it, she moves on without me.  Our comfort was shattered in a matter of minutes.  We found out on a Friday, she was in surgery by Monday.  48 hours isn’t much time to talk about anything.  Given that we had been married 14 years  you would think we had already said it all.  We realized we hadn’t said anything.  I lost the business I was running and all the money I put into it from the last two companies I built.

The diagnosis in 2009 led to several changes in our lives.  One of those changes was a commitment to live differently, no more same ol same ol.  We wouldn’t be our parents taking the “safe” route and accepting what we were given any longer.

At the end of 2010, we looked back and it was the same ol, same ol.

At the end of 2011, we looked back and it was the same ol, same ol.

In 2012, we didn’t give up and we didn’t crawl back to our comfort zone, and finally it wasn't the same ol, same ol.

As we reach the end of 2012, I can say that we made a couple of leaps of faith and so far both have worked out very nicely.  A major change in our lives happened, and a couple of pretty big minor ones too.  As we move into 2013, we are looking at making more major changes, since 2012 worked out so well.  I can also say that my wife has been cleared with no new cancer, she is officially “in remission”. 

As you go forward into 2013, look forward with the dreams you once lost, and don’t look back at the fear of what “might” happen. Commit to making a major change and doing whatever it takes to do it.  Stop watching the bad news on TV and spend that time fulfilling at least one of your dreams.

Next year I want to hear about it.  Please don’t post your goals here.  You can post your name so I will know to look for you next year here.  Don’t tell the world what you are going to do, go do it, and tell us what you did next year.  

In fact, a better idea, write down your one or two resolutions, put them in an envelope, seal them, have someone sign and date the envelope.  Celebrate next year as you open the envelope and share your success.  More fun needed?  Make it a bet with the other person, and have them do the same.   Encourage each other during the year and look forward to both of you achieving new success.

Happy New Year.

How To Make New Years Resolutions That Work.

A friend of mine once said if you want a New Years Resolution that you will stick to, it is easy, don't make one.  Every year we make new years resolutions that stick like a post it note on your windshield going through a car wash.  We all know it and yet studies indicate that we continue to make resolutions and fail to keep them.

Have you ever wondered why?  Do you even really care? Why do so many resolutions end up broken and forgotten?

Psychologists tell us that unachieved goals are more dangerous than no goals at all.  When it comes to running a business I couldn't agree more.  I have seen parts of my business life that quite frankly have been a complete failure.  After I messed a few goals, I came to expect that I would miss more.  It is like a cancer to the positive thought  and energy that entrepreneurs need to have every day. 

Entrepreneurs are a different breed.  Most of them that I meet have an addiction to running their own show.  They have an enthusiasm for whatever it is they do and love to see their customers enjoy the fruits of their labor. The underlying reasons are a little different for each of us.  Liberty, Freedom and Happiness rank up there for a few of us.  Some have something to prove, which is perfectly fine.  In fact Bill Bartmann believes that having something to prove and someone to prove it too can be a great motivator.

Watching my chef friend and neighbor work is amazing.  She is up at 3am or so baking so her clients get the best baked goods she can deliver.  When she has a new flavor she yells across the street for me to go to the store and try it.

So how do all the pieces of our minds come together and create New Years Resolutions that work?  Isn't that what we really want?

While doing a little research on the subject, I found a study about exercise and weight loss.  Having lost over 30 pounds this year it was very interesting.  The study said that our spouses/partners are not good enough as motivation to lose weight or exercise.  It is easier to put off exercise if we are only doing it for us, or our spouse or partner.  Why?  Because we know that they will love us anyway.  I think that is true of our businesses too.  If I don't make my next goal, my wife won't leave me or love me less will she?

My weight loss success came from a bet with my friend and business partner, not my desire to impress my wife.  As wrong as that sounds it isa reality.  By making it a challenge, I didn’t want to lose (the bet that is) and so I made the effort and stuck to it.  Suddenly switching from Ice Cream to Yogurt was easy.  Cutting out all grains, not that difficult, eating less became tolerable and finally I got off my chair and hit the treadmill or the road for a good run.

At first the run was literally a couple of blocks, this morning it was an easy three miles in 24 minutes followed by a quick upper body strength session.

I have to wonder if having a partner that keeps the other person engaged isn't the reason behind such great companies as Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Apple, all of which started out as partnerships of two very different minded people. 

New Years resolutions have all of the same challenges as losing weight.  More so if they are business related challenges.  

No matter what you choose to do, make sure you find a way to make it important enough to you to actually do it.  If you want to lose weight, you have to want to lose weight more than you want to eat, avoid exercise and watch TV.  If you want to grow your business, you have to want to grow your business more than the alternatives.

The holidays are especially tough on entrepreneurs.  Many of us have a narrow window of opportunity to take advantage and make some big changes to set our businesses up for 2013.  At the same time, our families are almost demanding more of our time because “it’s the holidays”.

Being an entrepreneur is complicated by our social desire to please everyone.  After all we solve problems don’t we.  The holidays are simply a problem we can solve or are they?  It has taken years for my family to understand that I work when others play, and I play when others work.

When they do get a glimpse into my life, they are amazed at how much more this allows me to do.  Less standing in line at both ends of the deal.  Quieter and less expensive vacations, shorter lines at the Orlando attractions and shorter lines at the airport are just a few of the benefits of working this way.   I don’t feel like I am making progress in the areas of Freedom, Happiness or Liberty when I stand in line for three hours anywhere.

As you look to 2013, before you make those resolutions, think about what is really important to you first.  Instead of making resolutions, how about making a road map of your perfect life?

A few years ago a family health issue made me take a long hard look at my life.  I realized that I was missing a lot of my “goals” because they really weren’t my goals or didn’t fit the image of my life.  Those missed goals were creating stress and anxiety while preventing me from achieving other goals.  I realized the psychologists were right about goals and resolutions.

After a spending two days in front of a white board I mapped out everything I really wanted and didn’t want.  The next step was getting my wife to sign off on.  Of course that happened after a couple of changes from her input.  Today I live a very different life than I did just three years ago.

Instead of making a resolution this year, make a change.  Whatever you decide to do, find a reason to do it, and a reason not to avoid it.  Figure out how the obstacles you might encounter first, and how you are going to get around them before you try and make a change in your life.  Make the decision that what you get is worth whatever it is you have to give up and get other people in your life to agree to let you do it.

Write out the changes that you want to make, remind yourself every day what you are willing to give up to get there, and you will be there before you know it.  

Happy New Year

Internet Presence = Internet Marketing + Social Media ++

What is your Internet Presence?  Do you know?  Do you even know what it means?

Every business in the US, and for the most part, every business in the world has an "Internet Presence" whether they know it or not.  If one customer stops by your business and posts information about you on their Facebook page, that is your Internet Presence.

At the end of the day, your Internet Presence is the sum total of all of the information about you that is published online.  If you don't add to that information, then you have zero control over your Internet Presence.  The more information you add, the more you control.  At least that is the idea.

All told you actually can control a lot more or a lot less of the information based on how you deal with your customers.  You can actively seek reviews on Yelp! or Google+.  You can also ignore them.  It is your choice.

As part of your complete marketing plan, you should have a plan and a direction for Online Marketing, Social Media and digital PR so that you can at least influence the Internet Presence of your business.

If you feel like all of this is overwhelming, and you just don't know what to do about your online marketing, you can of course hire an online marketing business like the Bourquin Group, and for a fee, we'll be glad to go to work for you.

If you want to watch your budget, another option is to get a copy of The Easy Guide To Internet Marketing, and follow the step by step guide to build your Internet Presence on your own.  It is something that any business owner can do in just a few hours each week.  You don't have to give up your life to monitor Facebook and Yelp!.

Even if you are going to hire someone to take over your online marketing and help you improve your internet presence, getting a copy of The Easy Guide To Internet Marketing will help you understand how to hire better and how to decide if your marketing and internet presence plan are going in the right direction.

Don't ignore your customers on the internet, engage them and win them over today so your business can grow tomorrow and you can enjoy the freedom that you were looking for when you started your business.  Get your copy of The Easy Guide To Internet Marketing today.

Checklists for Success

As a pilot, we need to get a check ride every year if you want to keep flying.  The bigger the plane the more difficult the check ride is the rule of thumb. The truth is a lot easier than that.

There is a saying in aviation, when something happens either "wind your watch" or "sit on your hands".  The reason is simple. The knee jerk or impulse reaction is usually the wrong reaction.  I see it in aviation and I see it in business every day.

Would You Like A Little Freedom With Your Business?

It is almost an irony of the jet age and the information age that going faster isn't always the best method.  Big jets get places fast, but don't change trajectory quickly.  Business is much the same.  When an engine catches fire in an airplane, specifically a big airplane there is an impulse reaction to shut the engine down and use the fire extinguisher.

While those two steps are on the checklist there are other things to check first.  For instance, you want to make sure it is a real fire, not a false alarm.  Shutting down an engine that really isn't on fire makes things worse when you are halfway between New York and London or Los Angeles and Honolulu.  We call this a self induced emergency.

In business the same thing can happen.  I see it in my office and I see it in my clients offices.  The big difference between flying and business, is pilots have a checklist.  Our "checkride" is really a reminder to use the checklist.  Unfortunately, business owners don't get to practice emergency procedures and test out their checklists.  Many big name franchises have excellent training manuals that include these checklists.  If you are a small business, and didn't work for a competitor and "borrow" the checklists, you have to build yours by trial and error.  That can be an expensive checklist.

A business coach can be like the flight instructor on a check ride.  The business coach can ask you questions about scenarios that are likely to happen and you haven't seen yet.  Then you can build the checklist for your staff before the business is actually on fire.  Teachers even have a checklist for fire drills and yet most business owners don't.

Many things that you as the owner do every day can be handed off to your staff very effectively by just building a simple checklist and training your staff to use it.  The key to success here is followup.

When you hire a really good business coach what you are really hiring is someone to hold you accountable for achieving your stated goals and reaching that next level of freedom and success in your business.  Your mission is to find tasks that you can shed to your staff and hold them accountable in the same way.

As you build your checklists and your staff begins to take over your tasks, you can focus on your business instead of working in your business.  Need help?  For $297, I'll send you a copy of the "Easy Guide to Internet Marketing", and for the first ten people, I'll add a $100 Google adwords coupon if you don't already have an account and we'll spend an hour going over how to create the right ads and create a checklist so you don't have to do it.  That is a $1,675 value for $297.

Not convinced. I'll do one better.  How about a money back guarantee.  If you don't think you got a deal, I'll refund your money, you keep the book.  email me at scott@ownersplay.com and I'll send you the questionairre and a paypal invoice so when we get on the phone we can get you started right away.

Living With Windows 8, Is It The New Coke of The PC World?

Our office computers are now pushing four.  In business computer land that is an unheard of age.  Weekly crashes and blue screens have been the norm.  Clearly the hardware can’t keep up.  

After a week of looking around, we ended up in the Microsoft store and started to really like the idea of Windows 8 and the instant information on the home screen using “tiles”.  Maybe it should be called Windows Tiles Instead of Windows 8.

Eventually, we were convinced to buy a Windows 7 PC and upgrade to Windows 8 Pro with Media Center.

The initial installation to Windows 8 was the easiest upgrade I had ever done.  Literally just insert DVD , click three agree boxes and off it went.  The PC was a brand new HP AIO with a 23” screen.  The plan was to get a serial adapter and then use a second 22” HP screen we already had.

Not one single glitch or hardware error during the upgrade. Everything appeared to work perfectly.

Setting up email with Windows Live Mail was pretty straight forward.  It did ask if our server was POP or IMAP and then when we chose POP a window appeared that says “Windows Live Mail Does Not Support POP, Please contact your provider for IMAP”.  Why not just say that on the previous screen?  

After setting up the initial screen “Tiles” on Windows 8, we really liked the ability to see a snapshot of your world on one screen.  This is the perfect solution for a kitchen tablet, or shared family PC that isn’t used for work.  Much better than the small screen iPad and since the tiles updated, you always have the latest information, at least that is the idea.  With HP AIO computers starting at just $799 for the touchscreen models, it makes sense to have a 20” tablet in the kitchen for controlling lights and easily reading recipes.

This is also the failing of Windows 8.  Windows 8 might just become the catalyst of change in our office, and not one that Steve Ballmer is going to be happy with. 

Knowing there were major changes to the thought process and operation of Windows 8, I let a lot of things go in my two initial articles about Windows 8.  I assumed the problems I was having were simple user errors and I would learn how to do it right later.

Wrong.

After setting up Mail, the next thing I wanted to set up was our server access.  It took a while but I found a help file article to map network drives.  The “Desktop” tile quickly became my tile of choice.   I couldn’t “Map” any of our music or photo folders on the server to the “libraries” on the PC as I could in Windows 7.  While I was going back and forth between the “desktop” and the “home” screens I noticed the weather wasn’t doing what I expected.

With our old PC’s we had several “gadgets” on the right side displaying time and weather in several cities.  Calling Tony at Renew Services in Indianapolis during a major snowstorm would just be a waste of time.  I set the tile up to monitor five different cities.  Instead it only showed New York, New York weather.  New York wasn’t one of my five choice.

I got sidetracked here and tried the weather channel ap and the weather bug ap, and neither of them would display more than one city.  I expected it to rotate through the cities so in 45 seconds or so I would get to see all of the information.  That didn’t happen.

Since I had a pretty big screen I tried to load several tiles.  Windows 8 wouldn’t let me load the same tile twice.  I could only see the weather in one city without clicking the tile.  WeatherBug said they were working on a fix.  

Back to drive mapping.  In Windows 7 it was a two step process of mapping a drive and then adding the folders in the drive to the library.  In iTunes it was worse.  Again I assumed Apple wants me to buy their toys.

In Windows 8 it can’t be done easily.  At least no way that I found.  Next of course was mapping the photos drive so we would have easy access to them for creating customer websites.   This is where the big problems started.  I still haven’t found media center, even though we bought “Windows 8 Pro with Media Center”.  What we found were tiled versions of pieces of media center, that wouldn’t allow mapping of our server for media access.  I tried the XBox music interface, and no luck there either.

Finally it was time to simply work.  We tried to Upload the latest non-cloud based versions of Office and Expression Web.  We also tried to set up mail.  POP is no longer supported.  

Using iMap we were able to get Windows Live Mail to work.  We couldn’t get mail to tile though, only “fence post”.  I say fence post because it takes a full vertical slice of your screen.  Instead of a 3x3 tile or “window” that can hide behind a word document, mail is displayed as a 3” wide vertical stripe on the screen.  

Even in “desktop” mode, the fence post was all I could figure out.  We couldn’t open a document, two browsers and an email window or tile on one desktop to do basic research and write copy for a web page.  Microsoft has trained us to work this way for 20 years, Apple and UNIX followed suit.  Tiles or “Windows” overlapping on a screen are how most business computers are operated.  It is how screen manufacturers sell bigger screens.

Much of Windows 8 is designed around working in "the cloud".  While I see the "cloud" as a great tool, it is also a scary bet for business.  When there are 4 major accounting software packages, and all the data is on your computers, if your vendors goes under, your company keeps running until you get new software and migrate the data.  With over thirty "cloud" based accounting systems charging monthly fees, what happens when they shut down and your accounting goes with it?  I want my business software on my servers in my office with no service fees.  The cloud is a great backup or mirror service for my data, but not a primary source.

Also I am too cheap to spend $14 every flight to connect.  Why not get all of my email while sitting in the airport on free WiFi and respond while flying, then sync up when I land.  Do we really need to be that connected?

Enough about my thoughts on the cloud.  Eight hours after the box was opened and Windows 8 loaded, we decided that Windows 8 isn’t ready for business.  It was the New Coke of Operating Systems.  We attempted to go back to Windows 7 using the DVD we created in the beginning and the PC failed.  It turns out Window 8 installs easily because it eliminates your ability to go back.  The only way to return to Windows 7 is some command prompt work, formatting hard drives and reloading from a complete set of Windows 7 OEM discs according to the phone support people at HP.  Back in the box it went, and back to the store.

As Apple narrows the price gap with $599 Mac Mini’s packing all the power of a desktop, Microsoft has reason to be concerned.  Apple didn’t make iOS separate from OS X because it was cheaper.  They did it because it is what people need to maximize the devices they have.

As an alternative to Apple OSX for the home, Windows 8 is a great information center.  As a tablet interface, Windows 8 is the best available.  As a phone interface.  Same.  As a PC in a work environment, it hands the keys to Apple, which is where I am going today.  Tomorrow, the Mac Mini will be the first Apple desktop in my office ever.  

Mobile might be growing in leaps and bounds, but desktops still are the foundation of the machine that mobile is built on.  Windows 8 isn’t a foundation, OS X is becoming one quickly.

Act Like The Person You Want To Be

“Act Like The Person You Want To Be” is some great advice or is it?

This is a little phrase I have tried to follow all of my life.  When I was young and wanted to be a Rockstar, I acted like all the Rockstars I saw on MTV.  As I moved into my teens, and decided maybe racing cars would be a great life, I acted like the guys on TV.  

When I joined the military I quickly learned that I didn’t like walking around airplanes as a Security Guard at 2 am in weather so cold my jacket literally turned to ice.  I noticed there were a few guys who had better schedules.  They were the base shooting team.  So, to try and get out of the all night duty, I acted like the guys on the shooting team. 

It didn’t take long before it worked and I was moved off of “guard duty”.  In fact, acting like the other guys on the team got me quickly accepted to the team, and brought a box of awards and medals home that I still don’t have a house big enough for.  That team was a dominant force for four years running.

When I got commissioned as a second lieutenant, I needed to finish college in order to go to Air Force Undergraduate Pilot Training or UPT.  While I was finishing college and waiting to leave for UPT, I hung out in a fighter squadron with F-16 pilots.  Once again I followed the sage advice, and everyone wished me luck when I finally left for UPT.  

At UPT it was a different story.  I was still acting like an F-16 pilot, not like a top student.  My “attitude” landed me a letter that cost me my F-16 slot.  Ironically the letter said “Lt. Bourquin does not have an attitude conducive to flying a fighter.”  

I left UPT to fly a C-26 and spent the next five years as a “wanna be” fighter pilot, in a fighter squadron, hauling people and parts.  I acted like the guys in the squadron and eventually things were looking good I would get that one in a million second shot.  Instead of waiting for a slot at the base I was stationed, I found a reserve squadron in Austin Texas willing to take a chance.  The base was closed before I could even start F-16 School.

The difference in the two scenarios has played out in my life several times and in several different areas.  Do you see the difference?  In simple terms, when I was acting like the person I needed to be in the place and time I was living, I experienced almost effortless success.  When I was acting like the image I wanted to be, I experienced failure no matter how hard I tried.

I wish I could say there was an “epiphany” or “aha moment” where I realized the difference and suddenly my life changed.  Regrettably, I am not that quick.  It took many years and a lot of coaching coupled with self reflection to see the difference.  Now when I talk with someone I can see it in minutes.

As a coach, my most difficult task is to teach people the difference between an image  of a person and the real person.  

I have been blessed with knowing several real “Rockstars”, Race Car Drivers, Actors and CEO’s.  All of them have one common trait.  They act like who they are, not the image people see of them.  It is when they start believing the PR and acting like the image that they fall from grace.

The Rockstar in my neighborhood isn’t currently recording so he built a company.  Most of the day he acts like a hard charging PHD entrepreneur.  That is Poor Hungry and Desperate PHD type by the way.  The rest of the day he still acts like a Rockstar.  He has a full studio in his home and although he’ll never say so, I have met his guitar coach twice just walking by with the dogs.  He is and always will be a Rockstar.  If you followed him all day, you would likely be confused because his lifestyle hardly fits the image you would expect.

The same is true of my Race Car Driver, CEO and Actor friends.  They are always acting like the person they want to be.  Sometimes it is a better version of themselves, other times it is someone who is just above their level.

Who are you acting like?  

If you aren't sure who you want to be check out:

Profile or Page - What Should Your Business Have

As Social Media morphs into it's next phase, Google + and Facebook have a couple of similarities the market is coming to expect.  Simply put, people have profiles, businesses have pages.

So what is the difference.  On Facebook, a profile is supposed to be a website for a single human.  You are limited in how many friends you can have, however you can have a lot of subscribers.  A subscriber is a follower you don't necessarily know.

A page on the other hand is designed for business.  On both Google + and Facebook a page has several business friendly features such as displaying hours, phone numbers and a map in a mobile friendly format.  Every business owner should have a page for their business.  After all they are free.

If you want to know more, check out the book "How To Market On Facebook For Free" or "How To Market On Google + For Free".  Both available as an e-book on Amazon.

Are You Missing Out On Free Facebook Marketing?

One of the questions I get more often from potential clients and new clients is related to Social Media Marketing.  Initially when they become an SEO client they want to know how they can save some money and do the Social Media Marketing on their own.  After all their kid is on Facebook for eight hours a day.

Just like running a successful SEO campaign, all Social Media Marketing has to start with a solid foundation.   Last year we introduced a Social Media Marketing Plan to our clients, and it has been a success.  In some cases it has been more cost effective than SEO efforts so we have moved more of their campaign effort to Social Media.

Clearly Facebook is the king of Social Media, so it is probably the best starting point to build a foundation for Social Media Marketing.  It depends on the kind of business you have where you’ll go next, but just like building a good house, the longevity aspect starts with a good foundation.

Learning how to market on Facebook, starts by learning how to build your Facebook foundation or presence correctly. Once that is done, you can market on Facebook for free if you have the time to dedicate.  Free marketing on Facebook is pretty straightforward but there are some big mistakes you can make early that can cost you.  While your kid might be on Facebook for eight hours a day, Facebook marketing isn’t a place to let anything go.

Once you have a foundation on Facebook properly built, then you can use your marketing strategy to build your plan for Social Media Marketing beginning with Facebook.  In order to make sure you get it right, I wrote a book with a step by step guide to get your foundation built correctly.  Included in How To Market On Facebook For Free is several strategies that you can tailor to your business, along with a few things not to do on Facebook or anywhere online.

If you want to grow your business using online marketing and don't want to break the bank, how about starting with free.  doesn't growing your business for free sound pretty good?  Why not invest a little time to get your foundation in social media and on Facebook started today.  

Currently you can get How To Market On Facebook For Free at Amazon only on the kindle.  The paperback should follow shortly.  If you get it before the five days are up you can check it out for free too.  After that, it will be under $5 for the kindle version and under $15 for the paperback.  It will be money well spent.  

A Contest To Lose Weight - It Works

Like many people in the US, I was recently told by my doctor I was overweight.  My knee had bee bothering me, I wasn't sleeping well and I noticed that my posture was getting, well lets say "lazy".  The first doctor looked me over, and sent me to a knee specialist.  The knee specialist wanted to do some surgery that would take me out of work for six to eight weeks.

While I was waiting for a surgery date, I had an "executive wellness physical". Sort of a whole like evaluation.  The doctor here was very different.  His approach was to find ways to keep you living longer, and in his opinion surgery wasn't it.  He simply said, "Scott, your knee is a problem, but surgery won't fix it if you have 25 pounds of extra fat it needs to carry around.  You have got to lose some weight, at least 20 pounds, and 25 would be better."

At first I was a little shocked.  I knew I was a little bigger since I did recently have to buy some new slacks, but 25 pounds.  That seemed quite excessive. He cancelled the surgery on my knee and sent me home to lose the weight and come back for a followup.

I have never really "dieted" so I didn't know where to start.  I tried more exercise, but the first run out of the chute almost killed me.  When I was 17 and at basic training for the Air Force at Lackland, we had to run 1.25 miles in 14 minutes and 20 seconds.  Fat guys did it, skinny guys did it, and girls did it so I figured I could do it at 45.  Nope.  Almost killed me.

I set the 1.25 miles in 14':20" as my goal, and 20 pounds to lose as my target.  I did all of the things I teach everyone to do when they set a goal.  I wrote it down and put it on my dresser, in my wallet and in my car so I was sure to be reminded of it every day.  In just three months I lost five pounds, and hit a wall.

I got an app for my iPhone that counted calories and exercise, and still couldn't make any more progress.  Then my friend and business partner Dr. Goldberg proposed a bet.  We each needed to lose 15 pounds.  The first one to get there picks our next board meeting and vacation location and the "loser" (who doesn't lose the weight first) has to buy a nice dinner for us and our wives.

Being an MD, he was kind enough to share some great nutritional information about calorie quantity and quality as well as a few studies about the sodium in diet soda aiding in water retention in fat cells.  He also thought that might be why I don't sleep as well as I used to.

He sent some great information about Atkins type diets, Caveman type diets, and Gluten Free and we talked about the similarities among all three.  He chose a modified Atkins, I chose a modified Paleolithic or "Caveman" diet.  I still eat a little dairy on occasion, but only about 10% of what I used too.  I also cut out grain/gluten products, peanuts and cashews.

GAME ON!

At first neither of us saw any changes.  We agreed that we could each only pick one scale to use as the benchmark because all scales are slightly different.    After about a week we each lost one pound.  I had gone below 195 pounds for the first time since I had to close my home theater businesses in Texas.  I realized I was carrying a lot of stress weight.  That one pound felt better than the five I lost going from 200 to 195.

We stayed neck and neck for the first five pounds.  He hit 165, I hit 185.  I should say he is a little shorter than I am so our end goals are slightly different.

Here we both hit a wall.  We both felt better, and I hit my time on the 1.25 mile run of 14':20".  That really is a sad number when you realize that several people broke four minute miles in the Olympics this year, but it was something.  I met the minimum standard to be in the Air Force in 1984 just as I had done then.  I wouldn't mind going for a run with the recruits today, a 45 year old retired Major running the track and keeping up with a large percentage of them.  I would hope it would motivate them to stay in shape and not get as fat as I did.

For nearly two weeks we both hovered at five pounds above our target weights.  Every morning I was surfing, paddle boarding or jogging, and on some days I would get in two or all three activities.

Normally I would have given up, but last week Dr. Goldberg said, don't worry, this is the muscle rebuilding stage,  you are adding strength you lost years ago, so look in the mirror.  Your muscles are probably growing and the fat is still shrinking.  The scale can't show that.

And then he sent a text..

164.1

I ran up to the scale and looked down to see 184.9.  Not enough to text back, but then two days later, 183.8, I sent the text.

He replied

163.8

A Tie.

As of this morning we both have less than 3 pounds to go.  2.8 to be exact for me.  He hasn't said, so he is either letting me think I am ahead, or I am ahead.

Having a purpose in my weight loss plan, even if only to pick a vacation destination and get a free meal is so much better than just "losing weight" or "dieting".  Now when I stroll pass the Haagen Daz in the Dallas Airport and Honey (yes that is what his name tag says) yells out, He Mr. B, I have Dulce De Leche and Fresh Waffle Cones, I can keep walking and feel good about it.

In every goal we set, there must be a purpose or a reason to do it that motivates us.  Just knowing I needed to lose weight wasn't enough.  A little friendly wager with my friend was.  Giving up isn't an option when there is a dinner and vacation on the line.

Many times we say we want something, and might even make it a goal.  Without a reason or purpose to achieve it, you probably won't, and just end up blowing it off.  When you find a friend to hold you accountable, or find a purpose for what you do, you are much more likely to hit your goals.

As for my weight loss goal, if you know me, you know that Ice Cream and a soda were my normal desserts at every meal.  I was even known to put vanilla ice cream on corn flakes at breakfast a time or two.  Is there any wonder I walked into Dr. Shen's office at 200 pounds?

The bet still has a little ways to go and I am already thinking of a double or nothing for the next 5 pounds since Dr. Shen wanted me to be at 175.

Next time you set a goal, ask yourself, is it something your really want?  If so why?  No make that a big WHY?  Find a reason so big that you have to reach the goal, and then go find someone to hold you accountable.  Someone to share your successes with and someone who will coach you through your temporary setbacks.  Remember there are no failures.

Stay Tuned, I'll tell you who won the dinner at Trokay Cafe in Truckee California.  For the double or nothing I am going to add a cupcake and Ice Cream from Cake Tahoe.


September 19th

OK Here is the Update - Last week I sent a photo of my scale reading 180.0 - no response.

The next day I sent a text "179.7, double or nothing to go 5 more?"

Response - "Congrats on the win, I am 170, only going to 160"

My reply "OK, I'll change to 175, you still only go to 160, and we up the ante to add Dinner at the Lone Eagle on Lake Tahoe"

Response "Game on"

After peaking right at 200 pounds, I feel really good at 180 and finally am very used to a diet I would call nearly gluten free and low carb.  Grilled chicken and vegetables at El Pollo Loco, are my basic lunch.  Grilled vegetables or wok seared at home with some fish is the home meal, and either muscle milk light or greek yogurt for breakfast.

Stay Tuned for round 2.

Why The Stock Market Isn't Perfect.

The stock market is supposed to account for all of the things going on in the world.  I am amazed at how many times a deal pops up and people say "Oh the market already accounted for that."  The truth is the market is crowd psychology at it's finest.   If you have ever watched a Sheepdog Herding Trial competition, this will make a lot of sense.  If you haven’t, take this with you and watch one.

The gist of it is, a shepherd and his dog are timed for how quickly they can get a small flock of sheep into a pen 

This is how I view the stock market.  The “guru analysts” are like the shepherd.  They make the calls and the dog reacts.  The dogs just want to please the shepherd so they blindly follow the commands.

 The dogs run around and “steer” the sheep into the pen.  These are like all of those newsletters and subscription services that advise about stocks.

The sheep are the readers of those newsletters that buy the “pick of the week”.  Read any of those newsletters and they always miss a few, many miss a lot.  Some just miss it, and yet the sheep keep following the dogs.  Very rarely do the sheep ignore the dogs and do their own thing.

 I can hear you asking “Ok then how come some people get rich in the stock and commodities markets, and others don’t?”

Occasionally some sheep don't go in the pen.  If you look at Facebook, you can see a lot of sheep getting slaughtered.  Look at Netflix, one day it is over $320 a share, the next morning it is under $80.  How can the market be perfect and make leaps like this? 

Some shepherds get rich because they buy the stock, make the call and bail out when it goes up.  Not all of them though. In fact over time how many great stock pickers can you name?  If you follow the markets I bet you have less than a handful who have been successful for more than 10 years running.  

There was a story many years ago someone thought they could beat the system by stealing a financial magazine off the presses before the sheep jumped in.  The funny part was, the guy lost money doing it.

 Some dogs get rich for the same reason.

But the truly rich are the observers in the stands.  They don’t care what stock is in the pen, they watch to see what phone the shepherds use, what food the sheep dogs eat, what kind of fence the pen is built with.  The shepherd, dogs and sheep are simply entertainment.

Some of the super famous long term successful people like Warren Buffet are the guys that moved from the stands to the observation booth so they could see more than one competition at once.  In Mr. Buffet’s case he goes as far as buying the entire feed company (Dairy Queen), Big Chunks of the beverage company (Coca-Cola), The transportation company (Net Jets) and more while sitting up in the comfort of the big booth being entertained by the sheep, the dogs and the shepherd.

Who is managing your stock portfolio?

How to Fix A Midlife Crisis

What is a midlife crisis anyway?  

Elliott Jaques defined a midlife crisis as a time where adults come to realize their own mortality. A midlife crisis is experienced by many people during the midlife transition when they realize that life may be more than halfway over. Sometimes, a crisis can be triggered by transitions experienced in these years, such as children leaving for college, the death of parents of the loss of a job. During this time,  people may reassess their achievements in terms of their dreams. The result may be a desire to make significant changes in core aspects of day-to-day life or situation, such as in career, work-life balance, marriage, romantic relationships, large expenditures, or physical appearance.

The sentence which is really the key to unlocking the real problem is “People may reassess their achievements in terms of their dreams.” 

Beginning with our first experiences at school, we are taught to “go with the flow”, yet the human psyche doesn't go with the flow.  We have an inherent need to change the world around us, and when we go with the flow nothing is changed.   All of us know this to be true, and a midlife crisis is the realization of that truth.  At some point,  what I like to call the "busyness" of life takes our attention away from what we really want.  It is the point when the busyness takes a break that the midlife crisis kicks in.

Another way to think of a midlife crisis is as a "mature realization" that we followed someone else’s dreams.  We conformed our lives to someone else's wants, or conformed for convenience.  Personally my life shifted the day my dad past away.  From the time I got the call to the time I was sitting at a funeral home was a couple of hours.  Right there I was sitting in a mental state many would call a midlife crisis that lasted for nearly 5 years.  I didn't see it at the time, it is only with some careful reflection that I could see my realization or midlife crisis and where it began.  

During that time I made a lot of poor choices in business and financial management.  Towards the end when I realized what was happening, it didn't take long to fix it and get out of the "funk".  I wish someone had given me a swift kick in the butt four and a half years sooner.  The faster you see through your own midlife crisis or mature realization, the quicker you get to move on with life.  Ironically my dad would have done that.

All through our lives, What is a midlife crisis anyway?  Wikipedia defines it this way:

Midlife crisis is a term coined in 1965 by Elliott Jaques stating a time where adults come to realize their own mortality and how much time is left in their life. A midlife crisis is experienced by many people during the midlife transition when they realize that life may be more than halfway over. Sometimes, a crisis can be triggered by transitions experienced in these years, such as andropause or menopause, the death of parents or other causes of grief, unemployment or underemployment, realizing that a job or career is hated but not knowing how else to earn an equivalent living, or children leaving home. People may reassess their achievements in terms of their dreams. The result may be a desire to make significant changes in core aspects of day-to-day life or situation, such as in career, work-life balance, marriage, romantic relationships, large expenditures, or physical appearance.

The last couple of sentences are really the key to unlocking the real problem.  “People may reassess their achievements in terms of their dreams.” is a very telling statement and most likely the core of the problem.

Our society trains us starting at a school age to “go with the flow”, yet the human cause is counter to the flow.  We have an inherent need to change the world around us, and when we go with the flow nothing is changed.  What I like to call the busyness of life takes our attention away from what we really want.  It is the point when the busyness takes a break that the midlife crisis kicks in.

I prefer to think about a midlife crisis more as a mature realization that we followed someone else’s dreams or worse, accepted their fears.  Many of the transitions mentioned in the Wikipedia definition all hover around the same thing, a major change in your life.

Personally my life shifted the day my dad died, within hours I was sitting in a mental state many would call a midlife crisis that lasted for nearly 5 years.  During that time I made a lot of poor choices in business and financial management.  The faster you see through your own midlife crisis or mature realization, the quicker you get to move on with life.

Every time you decide a job stinks and we find a new one, you have matured a little and decided to move on.  We have mini realizations all the time.  some like the midlife crisis are just bigger and more mature realizations that something isn't right.  It might be that you realized that you made a bad choice taking the job, or that someone else misled you about the job.  Either way, you woke up and made a change.  

The big realization we call a midlife crisis happens when there is a much bigger change in your life.  Something so big it can disrupt the busyness of everyday life.  The real problem with the midlife crisis is that you don't know what to do.  That is the "crisis" part.

Buying a Porsche, divorce, getting remarried to a younger new wife, finding a new job, are the male midlife stereotype.  The stereotype clearly reflects the symptoms but doesn’t address the issues.  All of us have different issues, and the good news is working through them is basically the same.  Even if you don't know what to do, there are ways to work through it.  I wrote a book about this process.

When I wrote So, Now What?, I was focused on military troops leaving the service and helping them find a better job and create a better life in the civilian world.  I didn’t want the troops that worked with me to come home and just get a "safe government job".  I have always felt that we do people a disservice by letting them take "safe" jobs until they retire.  While this is a great socialist view, the human spirit isn't challenged and doesn't grow.  Just look at the local motor vehicle counters, is anyone really happy or smiling.  Then go to a thriving business, and look at how happy people are to work and contribute.  

i wanted them to use this opportunity to teach them grasp the realization, and move forward with their dreams.  I have always believed that everyone should do two years of government service, even if it is just working the motor vehicle counter.  If you go to a state funded college, maybe you do four years.  All of the people that worked for me or me in the military have done their service, so I wanted to help them grow their own energy and life. 

Writing So, Now What? to help more of them also helped me.  First it talked me through my own realization, saving my family life and moving me to a place where I wanted to live.  It also helped people I knew reflect on their lives and make a major change, helping me to learn what people needed to know to get through their own mature realization or midlife crisis.  Some acknowledged the book was the catalyst right away.  Others made major changes without really saying why.  Either way it has been a fun ride, and I learned that all realizations can be corrected with the same process.  Your age and maturity level don't matter.  You can have a mature realization at 20 or 80.  That is why I don't like the term midlife crisis.

Last week I was out surfing, and something happened which inspired me to write to you.  Surfing of course, is part of my “dream life” that wasn’t happening at my McMansion in Texas.  While surfing, I met a guy I'l call "Bob".  We talked for a while and my answers were starting to sound rehearsed, I realized that So, Now What? not only changed my direction, it changed how I interact with people.

Instead of giving advice to Robbie, I just asked questions and let him come to his own conclusions.  Last week I received an email from a reader saying he liked my book because of the worksheets.  I wasn’t telling him what to do, I was helping him find out what is right for him.  At the end of our conversation, I could see a light in his eyes that wasn't there when we started talking.

All of us have our own dreams and demons.  Getting advice from friends and family just keeps you going with the flow or following their dreams.  People don’t like change unless they are comfortable with their life to the point of boredom.  The only person who will know what the right exit strategy is for your midlife crisis or mature realization is you.  Asking how other people see you will help, asking them what you should do probably won’t.

From the emails and feed back I get, the hardest part of reading So, Now What?, is doing the worksheets after every chapter.  It is also the most important thing to do according to the people who send the "thank you" letters.  

So many people just want the quick and easy answer.  All that will lead to is another mature realization at another point in your life.  That is why I don’t like the term midlife crisis.  You don’t have to be midlife, and you don’t have to let it become a crisis.

It will take some time to invest in yourself and find your dream life.  If you don’t take the time, you might end up right back in another crisis.  Are you worth the time?  I think so.

A New Challenge

There aren't too many new books I would suggest you read. People that know me have seen me go through one or two a week. Many of them vey long like "The Laws of Success in 16 Lessons". A Napolean Hill classic which at 1694 pages turns most people away no matter how much they succeed. One of my friends and business parters is an MD. We have both been discussing weight loss, and while reading "The Charge" by Brendon Burchard, we got an idea. We set a weight challenge in line with one of the suggestions for energizing life that Brendon covers in the book. Already I am excited, We set a winners prize or losers prize depending on how you look at it, and set the parameters of the challenge. As an MD, Eric suggested the Paleolithic diet as the healthiest way to accomplish our challenge of 15 lbs each. I have never been excited to think about losing weight. In fact my mentality is always to win, I have never wanted to "lose" anything before. What mountain is standing in front of you, that you are looking around instead of looking up? What can you do to make the rise to the top of that mountain a challenge you look forward too instead of a boring task that needs to be accomplished?

Making Big Shifts To Move Forward

Every once in a while we hit a ceiling that we impose upon ourselves and don't even realize it.  Even after coaching people and training for years, someone pointed out I was doing it to myself.

I had been trimming down my business and fine tuning my focus over the past couple of years and still didn't seem to be making a lot of ground.  My book stalled out and I really lost a little motivation to re-do the cover and retile it because it was already selling a little bit.  I do need to get to that.

One of the first things I did to punch through my personal ceiling was to give up coaching business owners so I could focus solely on the marketing aspects of the business.  My coach pointed out that I was still way to broad and that I should focus on just one area.  This goes against all of my thoughts and efforts for my client in online marketing, or so I thought.

Right about the same time my wife started working in Real Estate and of course my business took over her online marketing campaign.  As one guy interestingly noted, "No one has figured out how to get listings online." and he is right.  Listings are the name of the game in Real Estate.  The science of selling a house of known quality is much better than helping people find their next home.  Buyers can look at 50 or 100 homes before buying if they even buy at all.  This was challenging to say the least.

Even ghost writing for my wife got a little sketchy since I didn't have a real estate license.  In order to correct this, I decided last fall to go back to school so I could take the test in California.  After I took the test and passed, I joined her as an agent at Keller-Williams.  The intent was to be part time and just help her out but it didn't take long for my coach and I to see that this was the niche I needed to focus on.

I have been buying and selling homes to live in and as investments for nearly 20 years, making money all along the way.  A couple of times only by sheer luck I might add.  It only made sense for me to combine my coaching, leadership, marketing, sales and real estate knowledge and tie it all up on one package.  As a Realtor, I use all of these skills and still get the freedom of self employment I enjoy.  If I need more money, I go work more.  The big difference is the checks take a lot longer in the real estate business.

On paper this might seem like a really big shift, and it hasn't been.  What it has been is the clear path to move through the ceiling I was creating for myself by staying to broad in my efforts, and not following my own advice on focus.

By focusing on a single area, I can already see a difference in my ability to get things done which should eventually lead to more income, and less work.  Isn't that what we all want?

Follow the Rules or Make the Rules, What Do You Do?

Rules and structure are a funny thing in business. On any given day you can pick up a business magazine and read about someone who is successful by creating rules and processes like Henry Ford invented the assembly line.  The same magazine will have an article about some guy who is successful who didn't follow any of the rules.  So which is it?  What is an up a coming business owner to do?

The great thing about business is you can do either.  The important trick is to look in the mirror and really understand who you are.  If you are a risk taker that never follows the rules like Steve Jobs and Wozniak, you might build the next Apple.  If you understand the rules of the game like a young Bill Gates did, you might create the next Microsoft.  I don't think any of those three will ever be labeled as "unsuccessful" or worried about money.

Most people have been conditioned to be the worker bees.  They show up, learn the rules, do the job and leave.  If that is all you want out of life, stop reading.

Some of us haven't bought into the whole "be happy with what you've got" philosophy and are always looking for a way to improve our own lives. Simply put that happens one of two ways.  The first way is the Apple way, don't follow anyone, blaze new trails and do things differently.  These people and companies are the high risk high flyers that change the world and how we see things every day.

The second method is the structured approach.   Follow the rules and make incremental improvements.  Test the changes and move forward with those that work.  There are a few Microsoft fans out there rolling their eyes wondering how they got into this category.  After all hasn't Microsoft changed our world too.

The answer is yes and there in lies the answer.  You can be successful by managing and owning very low risk businesses like the family that owns In-N-Out.  They didn't change the burger business, they just made it clean and simple.  No chicken, no fish, no frozen foods ever, well except the milk shakes.

Microsoft was created after Bill Gates acquired the rights to an operating system and then smartly followed the rules laid down by IBM.  His competitor was "busy" and didn't follow IBM's rules.  Bill got in the door and got the deal.  DOS likely became a household word because of that one event.  If the other guy had answered the call, we might all be using CP/M or whatever the other guy had.  Microsoft has been making incremental changes to DOS ever since.  Windows was an add on to DOS.

Apple on the other hand changes everything from the inside out, every time they change something.  Check out the article in Fast Company about Steve Jobs this month, and read about how the iMac almost never existed.  While you are there read about Homeboy Industries too.

Figure out where your strength is, structure, tweaking structure or breaking structure then set your sites on a target that is just out of reach today and go for it.  Never stop, never give up, never quit, just keep moving towards the target whatever it may be.

Secrets to Getting and Staying Rich

I am going to try something new here, once each month I will post a "Secret to Getting and Staying Rich".  Some little nugget that not everyone knows or that everyone knows exists but they don't know how to use.  For instance, in the book "How Come That idiot's Rich and I am not", one of the secrets Rich Shemin shared was about buying used cars.  "Rich Idiot's" buy used, broke people lease or buy new.

I agree with this secret and have used it more than once.  The best deal was a one year old "Certified Pre-Owned" BMW 325i Wagon.  It had just 7501 miles on it, and instead of a 50,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, it had a 5 year 100,000 mile warranty and maintenance.  I got the car for $10,000 less than the sticker price of the new model and my price included the tax, license and registration.  Over $13,000 saved up front, and several hundred in maintenance saved over the 8 years I owned the car.  Buying a used car isn't what this is about today.

For those of you that don't know, I am also a Real Estate Agent.  I don't do much selling personally, my wife is a full time agent.  I got the license to be able to access better information as an investor.  Once in a while I get to help someone fulfill the dream of owning a home, or owning their first investment.  If you are in Orange County California, look me up, I am always glad to help.

Today, I am going to be counter intuitive and talk about timeshares.  I can hear you saying, "What is a real estate agent doing talking about timeshares and getting rich, they are a rip-off!"  Like all things in life, it is how you buy it, how you use it and how you get rid of it that matters.  Timeshares can be good if you buy right and use them right.

Right off the bat I will say that having access to a second home at your schedule is a great thing.  One week a month I am in the Truckee-Tahoe area, and the other three I try to be at my home in Huntington Beach, CA.  Admittedly not a bad life, but I still like to go other places.   Like Maui for instance.  I am planning to go the first week of May, and rented a condo from Jim Casper at mauitownhouse.com.  I'll talk about renting condo's in the future for those of you that don't think you want a timeshare ever.

I would have used my timeshare to go to Maui, but it is one of the few places on the planet where I couldn't find a unit I could trade for that I liked.  I am planning to go to Nashville or Orlando or both this summer using my timeshare.

Most people think of timeshares as the pressure cooker sales presentation followed by a bottle of champagne and the hangover when you realize you just bought a hotel room for life.  Yes this happens.

Wyndham does a good job to make the owners who buy their timeshare second hand, second class citizens.  If you have lots of points and paid full price in the pressure cooker, you are in the "VIP" club.  If you didn't, well you aren't.  I am not.  If I want to pay $10,000 or more to feel like a "VIP", I'll join a country club again.

This all started several years ago when I wanted to go to San Antonio Texas for the weekend.  After talking it over with my wife,  just like parking spots in the movie The Secret, an invitation to go to a Wyndham timeshare presentation and get a free weekend in San Antonio appeared in my mail.  We went with the intention of just taking the free weekend.  If you are planning to do this, don't wear decent clothes to the presentation.  I noticed that people looking like they were auditioning for the "people of Wal-Mart" emails got out quickly and painlessly.

My wife and I sat in the pressure cooker for 3 hours of our "45 minute presentation".  That salesman knew I had cash available and wasn't letting go.  I finally broke down and bought a "trial" package with just one years worth of usage.  The idea being I would like to the program so much that I would come back and buy in.  They were half right.

At first I was a little put off by the slightly longer lines for the non-VIP people, but I eventually got over it.  My wife being the master at finding a deal treated the Wyndham points like catalog shopping.  She managed to stretch the points into three one week adventures.  One for the entire family in Myrtle Beach South Carolina where we got a three bedroom unit and had everyone there.  Another to Nashville (where I have since bought) and Kona Hawaii.

Once you get used to the Wyndham points system, it is pretty cool.  It is a little harder to deal with than the reserved week system from what people have told me.  If you are like me, the benefit of flexibility offsets any loss of "guaranteed" time.

The only thing that bugs me about Wyndham as a big timeshare company, is they still look like they are out for themselves and not their owners.  You can go online and rent a unit at just about any Wyndham timeshare.  I think the owners should get a rebate check for that time, or be able to put their unused time into the pool of open rooms to get paid, but that isn't the case.

That said, Wyndham does have a really nice over all product and the locations might look bad on paper but they turn out to be pretty good.  At least where I have stayed so far.  Nashville looks like it is in the sticks on Google earth, yet it is right next to the Opreyland area, and an easy drive into town if you rent a car.  The location was just out of traffic, and close to everything.

So, now to the secret of buying a timeshare that Wyndham and even other timeshare owners don't want you to know about.  eBay.  Buying a timeshare on eBay is very easy, however there are some things to know if you want to make it painless.  For instance to make the annual fees look less expensive, Wyndham bills every month even if you only get points every other year.

Buying on eBay will consist of several different fees on top of your final bid price.  A $1 auction could cost you $4,000 so read the fine print.  Luckily with timeshares there is a 10 day right to cancel called a right of rescission.  It is better to read the fine print first and not have to cancel.  I cancelled two because the fine print and the escrow didn't match.  Both companies were very good about it and I believe they were honest mistakes.  Either way though, your money is still held up for at least several days.

The first fee is the escrow fee.  Some sellers pay this for you, others run $499 to $750 per transaction.

The second fee is the resort transfer fee.  Normally $299 for Wyndham, sometimes paid by the seller.  keep in mind on eBay you don't negotiate these things.  There are several websites where you can make offers, so keep this fee list handy.

The third fee is the prepaid maintenance.  If the seller didn't use the points, you will likely pay them for the annual maintenance fee they paid so you get the points.  You have to watch this closely.  Escrow and transfer at the resort can take 45 days, and the points anniversary might only be 60 days away.  You'll have as little as 15 days to make a reservation, get there and burn the points if you can't carry them over.

A fourth possible fee is a "convenience fee".  This one is made up for smaller points sales that have prepaid the annual fee and know that you won't pay the entire amount.

Finally add your bid.  Add all of that up and you get your final cost.  We all know there are shills on eBay and eBay doesn't present it.  I don't know if it was the sellers or who, but several times a buyer with zero transactions would snipe me and run the price up, or get the deal.  Don't let it bother you, another auction will be open soon for the same number of points at the same resort.  Don't pay extra unless the seller is paying a lot of the fees.

As an example,  when I bought my 156,000 points at Nashville.  The points weren't used so I paid $25.50, (after a zero buyer ran it up with just a few hours to go) for the timeshare instead of the $14,000 the seller paid, $299 escrow (partly paid by seller), $370 in prepaid fees and $299 resort transfer for a total of $993.50.  My fees are $138 per month which isn't bad.  Even though I paid 25.50 I would have paid $50 since the seller was paying $200 of the escrow fees.  Know your price first.

Since I can travel off season, my wife uses the Wyndham website like a shopping challenge and finds great deals for us to see new places.  We picked Nashville as our base since it is one nonstop flight for everyone in our family and we can have an annual get together there.  It doesn't hurt that we had a great trip out there before.

Lots of user groups talk about getting the best points per maintenance fees deals when shopping.  If you are looking at the $1.00 eBay auctions, you are getting such a bargain that the fees aren't that big of a deal.  Also I think it is worth it to own at a place you might want to go at least every other year.  You can reserve earlier if you own there.  I suggest sticking to the 100,000 and higher points ownership. The fees do go up quickly for the smaller points owners.travel

There are two other caveats to Wyndham.  Some of the resorts were purchased from another company and were primarily sold as "weeks" not points.  In that case points owners can be at a disadvantage when making reservations since not all the rooms are open to points members.  The Westwinds in South Carolina is one such resort.  Just down the road are two others which aren't limited, and that isn't shown on eBay.  If anyone knows where that list is published please share it here.

The final caveat is to read about the points anniversary and usage.  Biennial usage can be odd or even years, and the anniversary can make a difference in your first year costs.  You might pay for a year you can't use.  My anniversary is July 1st.  Some are January 1st.  That means any points I haven't used by June 30th go into the ether and just like a second home that sits empty, I paid for not using those points.

If you like to travel, a  timeshare can be half the cost of a hotel room or less and the added benefits of having a kitchen can save even more.  If you don't want to buy on eBay you can go direct to places like discounttimeshares.com.  So there is your Secret to Getting and Staying Rich this month, buy a timeshare on the cheap and use it instead of using a hotel.