Humans over-complicate all too much, and achieving what you desire boils down to four simple steps.

1. Belief – 100% Belief and Conviction
2. Action – Take Massive Action
3. Reinforcement – Continual and Constant Reinforcement
4. Reward – Meaningful Reward Upon Completion

Continually follow these four steps of the Cycle of Achievement and you can achieve ANYTHING.

Why on Earth is Warren Buffett so successful?

This marks week 8 of my 10-week series “The Matt Crowe Profile Series”.  I have been contemplating about continuing on indefinitely since not only do I really enjoy profiling people, but also is a way for me to simplify the key concepts and messages about these individuals for my readers to be able to learn from as well.

Warren Buffett was born August 30, 1930. He is one of the most successful investors in history and C.E.O. of his company Berkshire Hathaway. In 2008 he was ranked by Forbes as the richest person in the world with an estimated net worth of approximately $62 billion.

So all of that is fantastic, but it leads me to my next question. Why on earth is Warren Buffett so successful? I was asking myself this before I started this weeks profile series and here is what I came up with as my top 10 reasons:

1. He is humble and real.
2. He has a crap load of money.
3. He has a well-known and established personal brand and reputation.
4. He is a rainmaker, and there is a bit of exclusivity to investing in Berkshire Hathaway stock or being investing in by Warren Buffet himself.
5. He stays out of the limelight.
6. He “lays up” instead of going for the green all the time.
7. He invests in fundamental things that people use: like Coca- Cola.
8. He is philanthropic.
9. He enjoys what he does.
10. He says it like it is and doesn’t sugar coat things.

Most people don’t really know much about him other than he is Warren Buffett. They may know that he lives in Omaha Nebraska, but most people don’t know that when that funny little green lizard comes on a Geico commercial on TV, that he owns that company, the underwear they wear: Fruit of the Loom, or the International Franchise and King of those frosty ice cream treats, Dairy Queen, and many many more.

He keeps quite and under the radar.  He keeps his ego is in check. He is a humble and respectable man.

In Australia they have what’s called “the tall poppy syndrome” – this syndrome is something that applies to really anywhere in the world.  The massive ego’s of people that gain them riches and celebrity status is also what people want to “cut off” because they stick out from the rest.

Buffet’s humble nature, driving his own conservative car, living in a conservative home lets it so people don’t criticize, envy, or loathe his lifestyle and want to bring him down.  Instead they can RELATE to him and want to help bring him up: which they do.

Warren has made and lost money like others, but he sticks to what he knows best, replicating that process, and takes on risk when others don’t see a reward.  He is a man that will be remembered forever in history and deserves a spot on the Matt Crowe Profile Series!

This past weekend I spent some time in the Northwood’s of Wisconsin.  As I was kayaking across a serene lake in the Sylvania national forest I was instantly brought a bit of business inspiration.

Trees in the forest start out as a tiny little seed.  White Pines, Ash, Poplar, Maple, Oak, etc. When they start out they fight for light from the competition, much like businesses when they are quite young. They have to struggle to grow from a fragile little sapling, when the deer and animals want to munch on their fresh little leaves, or even get trampled by a hiker or a bear.  But as they continue to grow, much like business as they seek for the light and fight their way to the top. The strongest, and best grow until someday hundreds of years later a logger wants to come and cut down that tree because of its beauty, and size and cash in from the sale. Much like businesses, they grow from a small little company fighting there way until they grow up to be strong substantial companies with shareholders, board members, and maybe even a potential sale.

A tree starts as a seed, and so does a business.  Growing that business from seed to fully-grown tree takes many years, nurturing, and patience.

Remember that each tree had to fight its way to be, and so will you with your business.

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First, lets recap that last 5 years in business. People who shouldn’t have been in business were, everything was easy, people were flush with cash, and mediocrity was the norm. Even during great times, being average will be weeded out. Now…. a few years later, in a time when in my lifetime at least our economy is the most difficult and times are challenging none of that will cut it.  You HAVE to be the best, to even be considered and even then you may not have a change unless you are so good, unique, and the best.

Next, money is made on the way up in industries, not when it is at the top. Everyone and their brother was jumping into real estate, the market, and companies over the past 5 years and is why so many people lost so much money over the past few years including myself. The time in NOW. The time to innovate is NOW. The time to start a company, and be the best is NOW. The time to take things nice and slow and build your company right, slowly, and to be exceptional is RIGHT NOW. So that when things come back, you are positioned in your sector and are a strong and healthy company.

Lastly, it’s the same old adages that older experienced people will tell you time and time again:

-Buy Low, Sell High
-Go in when no one else is, and get out when everyone is getting in.

The time is now, to build, create, be the best, and go into business.

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Anyone who has read any of my writings or listened to me speak would know that a lot of what my message in business are very philosophically based which I believe is the foundation to anyone’s success. A strong psychology of ones self, and a healthy philosophy on life is the foundation that you need to become highly successful in any endeavor: business, relationships, family and just life in general!

There are many great example of this, but today I decided to do something that I normally wouldn’t do and use an excerpt from the Bible to best describe how important it is to have a solid foundation:

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” ~ Matthew 7:24-27

Now, take that passage for what its worth. For some of you who are not religious or Christian just take the important fundamental message – which is…you MUST have a solid foundation in life.  Having a solid foundation internally is what sets apart the winners from the losers, the successful from the failures, and building your foundation doesn’t come easy.

If you want to live a life of success and abundance then build or RE-build your foundation so strong so that you are prepared for anything and everything to happen in life. Because if you don’t, life will continually blow over your house and you will continually have to rebuild over and over again until you do the one most important thing in life….

Spend time building your sound foundation.

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Most people go through their entire life never taking risks.  Humans are incredible creatures and are able to do just about anything they put their mind to if the want it badly enough and are willing to take enough risks knowing that there will be potential failure to make it happen.  In business, and as an entrepreneur, taking risks needs to be or become part of your anatomy.

Take risks often, for you will be rewarded.

For some time I have wanted to host a radio show and today I am proud to say I have finally made that a reality and will officially be hosting my own radio show!! Now, it’s no nationally syndicated drive time show or anything, but in any event….you have to start somewhere and what better way to do it than in a very 2009 way – streaming over the Internet where anyone with an Internet connection can listen live and/or call in anywhere in the world.

So instead of me blogging on Fridays, I have decided to host a weekly radio show every Friday at 1:00 p.m. CT for 1 hour called “The Matt Crowe Show”.  During each segment I will talk about things that matter to people who care in the areas of business, entrepreneurship, philosophy, and life.  Over the course of the next month I will define my niche even more specifically and pin down specific show topics, and who knows….if my listeners really enjoy the show you never who where you might hear me or see me next!

The very first episode will be August 7th, 2009 at 1:00 p.m. CT so click on the button on my website where it say BlogTalkRadio or click here to tune in. On my first live episode of The Matt Crowe Show I will introduce a little about myself, the show, and a general overview of what we will be talking about on the show moving forward.

Wish me luck, tune in, and enjoy!!

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I was 19, had just sold my first company and was taking my first trip outside the US to Europe. I was in the Amsterdam airport between flights and was looking at books to read. Why this is so important is that I had NEVER before read a book. Now, sure I could read, I just choose not to in school and would watch movies instead and at the time, even the thought of reading a book made my head hurt. But something was different that day; something about the book by Michael Gelb’s How To Think Like Leonardo da Vinci caught my attention. So I purchased it, and it changed my life forever.

When I picked up the book I just couldn’t put it down. There was something about Da Vinci that resonated with me and I was able to identify with him in a way I had never had before. What a fascinating man and truly a man of many talents who left a great legacy.  So I have chose today to start him off as the first person of “The Matt Crowe Profile Series” 10 week series. Take a look at the PowerPoint I created to learn more about Da Vinci and what makes him a truly inspiring individual.

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This is what Merriam Webster defines failure as:

fail·ure
Pronunciation: \ˈfāl-yər\
Function: noun
Etymology: alteration of earlier failer, from Anglo-French, from Old French faillir to fail
Date: 1643

1 a: omission of occurrence or performance; specifically: a failing to perform a duty or expected action (failure to pay the rent on time) b (1): a state of inability to perform a normal function (kidney failure) — compare heart failure (2): an abrupt cessation of normal functioning, (a power failure) c: a fracturing or giving way under stress (structural failure)
2 a: lack of success b: a failing in business: bankruptcy
3 a: a falling short: deficiency (a crop failure) b: deterioration, decay
4: one that has failed

What Merriam Webster has incorrect is that and any great achiever or scholar will tell you that “failure” is not failure at all, but really only “temporary defeat”.

If you have had one or many “failures”, you should be able to look back and say that the reason why was because of frustration, a failed plan, and/or misery and defeat due to lack of a sound plan.

We all use the light bulb every day without even realizing that Thomas Edison “failed” 10,000 times before he prefected the incandescent bulb. 10,000 TIMES. Seriously, let that sink in for a second…..

Can you imagine what kind of determination, belief in oneself, and perseverance he must have had to continue on after the 8,478th time????  He knew that those so-called “failures” was really only a case of “temporary defeat” and that there was something wrong with his plan, which needed to be changed and fixed.

Not to mention other greats like Henry Ford, James J. Hill, Michael Jordan…they ALL admittedly experienced in their own way “temporary defeat” and didn’t let their “failure” beat them down. Instead they got back up, made a sound plan, and continued on.

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.”~ Robert Kennedy

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Over the next 10 weeks on Mondays I am going to profile 10 individuals. These 10 people exemplify characteristics that are unique to truly successful people and all have a very inspiring story of how they got to whom we know them as today and the legacy that have or will leave behind.

This will be called the The Matt Crowe Profile Series and stay tuned where next Monday I will start with a personal favorite of mine – Leonardo Da Vinci.

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