10 Silly and Dangerous Things People Say About Stocks
“Nature never deceives us; it is we who deceive ourselves.” – Rousseau (Émile, 1762) Peter Lynch was the most successful fund manager in the world from 1977 to 1990, when he ran the Fidelity Magellan Fund. The fund grew from $20 million to $14 billion in assets under his…
READ MOREWhy You Need a Career Exit Strategy
“Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower When you’re talking job security, hardly anything beats being a Rolling Stone. While nobody understands how the Stones have…
READ MOREHow to Start a Multi-Million-Dollar Catalog Business, Part 2
“Watch the turtle. He only moves forward by sticking his neck out.” – Louis Gerstner, Chairman and CEO of IBM I asked SL, “Is it still possible to start a successful business like yours working from home?” His quick, sure response was, “Yes — even in today’s tough business…
READ MOREHow to Start Your Own Multi-Million-Dollar Catalog Business
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin. Boldness has genius, power, and umagic in it.” – Goethe SL and his wife began their catalog business together 15 years ago with a tiny display ad for a reading lamp — and have grown it into one of the…
READ MOREThe Hooker’s Conundrum: What to Do When Business Falls Off
“It is always the latest song that an audience applauds the most.” – Homer (The Odyssey, ninth century B.C.) MN, who has recently taken over my role as head butt-kicker for a $90 million business, is — despite his best efforts to the contrary — starting to act more and…
READ MOREDon’t Be a Brand Junkie
About 20 years ago, a partner of mine was shopping for a luxury car. I had been reading the car mags and was very excited about a brand-new generation of luxury cars being introduced by Toyota and Honda. The new Lexus and Infiniti sedans had been strategically targeted by their…
READ MOREHow Do You Measure Up in the Wealth Contest?
“All wealth is relative; and so is its absence.” – Sybille Bedford (The Sudden View, 1953) How does your financial situation compare to that of a typical wealthy American? Following are some numbers to work with (provided by Dr. Steve Sjuggerud). The average wealthy American (based on numbers Steve…
READ MOREHow Much Should You Be Mortgaged?
“Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship.” – Benjamin Franklin In April, May, and June of this year, 640,000 mortgages were in foreclosure. On a percentage basis, that’s 1.23% — the highest, by far, in the 30 years that the Mortgage Bankers Association has been…
READ MOREWhy Writers Don’t Make As Much Money As They Think They Should
“We can always make ourselves liked provided we act likable, but we cannot always make ourselves esteemed, no matter what our merits are.” – Nicolas Malebranche (Traité de la Morale, 1867) Why don’t writers get any respect? Screenwriters. Novelists. Short-story writers. Magazine writers. Journalists. You ask them, they’ll tell…
READ MOREBuying Used Cars: Overcoming the Ignorance Factor
“When buying a used car, punch the buttons on the radio. If all the stations are rock ‘n’ roll, there’s a good chance the transmission is shot.” – Larry Lujack Prices of recently purchased new cars fall like a stone. Drive a new car off the lot, and you have…
READ MOREThe 10 Mortal Sins of Marketing
“But enough of me. Let’s talk about you. What do you think of me?” – Ed Koch Here is a short list of the dumbest things a marketer can do. 1. Assuming that your customers are interested in you, your company, or your products. This — neglecting to understand that…
READ MOREYour Career in Venture Investments
I have invested in 15 companies that later went public. So I am frequently asked how one’s career in venture investment begins. I seldom give the same answer twice. I took such a circuitous route that each time I try to recall my path, I remember a different landmark along…
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