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Do Less! Think More! by Robin J Elliott

Written by: Robin Elliott

Article Overview: By using Joint Ventures to borrow and leverage other peoples’ underutilized time, resources, credit, reputation, services, equipment and products, you don’t recreate the wheel and you Fast Forward your success in a win/win way. Together, we can do amazing things. Successful people and businesses piggyback on distribution, advertising and access, so they alter the time and effort equation.

Do Less! Think More! by Robin J Elliott

Two farmers enjoyed the same size of land, the same weather, the same marketplace and opportunities, pricing and labor availability. One was the father of my friend, Louis. One day the neighboring farmer visited Louis’ dad and said to him, “You know, Mr. Boschoff, I don’t understand why I work hard from dawn till dusk, while you spend a lot of time talking with your friends and sitting on the porch smoking your pipe, yet your farm makes you rich and I am close to bankruptcy. Why is that?” According to Louis, his dad replied, “That is because you work too hard. You should be thinking more and working less. I plan and discuss and cooperate with my friends while you are laboring.”

When I applied to immigrate to Canada, I used my training, certification, and credentials in Work Study (Organization and Methods) to qualify for acceptance.
Dictionary: “Work Study noun 1. An investigation of the most efficient way of doing a job, especially with regard to time and effort.”
When people say, “work smarter, not harder”, they remind us that we are no longer laboring in the Industrial Age. In this Information Age, there are literally no limitations on people who use their heads instead of their hands to create value. Laborers and other people who sell their time may as well be slaves. They’re really no better off than prisoners! When you sell your time, you sell pieces of your life that you will never be able to recover. You should only spend time on things you absolutely love doing. If you make money into the bargain, that’s great. But few people get rich by selling time.

By using Joint Ventures to borrow and leverage other peoples’ underutilized time, resources, credit, reputation, services, equipment and products, you don’t recreate the wheel and you Fast Forward your success in a win/win way. Together, we can do amazing things. Successful people and businesses piggyback on distribution, advertising and access, so they alter the time and effort equation. As a Work Study Officer, I found ways to remove entire sections from work processes and still get the same results. When I was asked to do Work Study in a government department, I showed them how to fire 40 people and still get the same results. Unfortunately, government is more interested in politics than profit, so they turned down my proposal. I fired my boss and started my own business. Louis Boschoff gave me a Tony Robbins book as an “Independence Day Gift” and I took my skills into the wonderful world of capitalism instead of bureaucratic collectivism.

When you think more about leverage (the more you learn, the more you earn), you can work less and have more time to play and have fun. Louis Boschoff bought a real estate office (with no money or risk) and became a millionaire in two years. He applied what his farmer father had taught him. This article is dedicated to the memory of that smart man who taught me much. Thanks, Louis. Rest In Peace, my friend.

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Re: October 17 Triple Crown Leaders - Yep - and Robin referred him and is getting all the credit in the Referred Articles category!
Re: Q4 Triple Crown Winners! - Hi Everyone, Thank you for your kind words, I have enjoyed being involved and well done to Jim and Robin for winning their categories. Thank you to Evan and GT for all your help and support to the membership here throughout the last year and best wishes to everyone for a successful 2012, regards, Mal.
Re: Q3 Triple Crown Winners! - Well done to Milly, Robin and David for a fantastic result, you are all deserved winners and have put in a lot of hard work. I am all in favour of seeing Evan and GT in the results as we know how much you both contribute and support us all so you should be recognised for that. regards, Mal.
Profile: Essie Weingarten, creator of Essie Cosmetics - Pop culture has its share of dynamic duos: Batman & Robin, Dolce & Gabbana, Brad & Angelina, and, as devotees of Essie Cosmetics' nail polish know, "Baby's Breath" & "Ballet Slippers." And what's Essie Weingarten, creator of Essie Cosmetics, wearing right now? Why it's "Mademoiselle" paired with one coat of "Pink Glove Service,"of course! It's this playful take on fashionable colors and color combos, coupled with Essie's chip-resistant formula, that has converted beauty professionals and customers into adoring fans and secured Essie Cosmetics' position in the $1 billion nail industry. As a little girl in Queens, NY, Essie was undoubtedly the youngest customer at local nail salons. A manicure was a reward her parents indulged her with on special occasions, and she relished the experience. She did, however, eventually grow bored with the limited selection of nail polish colors, and imagined that other women felt the same way. After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology, she worked for Geraldine Stutz, the visionary behind Henri Bendel; Essie admired Geraldine's business acumen and was determined to learn from her mentor. Following a few more years in the fashion industry, Essie decided to address the nail polish niche that still remained untapped. In 1981, Essie launched her business in Queens by introducing 12 new polish shades that have since become classics in the nail industry. Twenty-six years later, she is still on top of her game and has transformed Essie Cosmetics into a $150 million empire. what we learned from essie: You have to find what works for you. You cannot overextend yourself. It's very important that you know exactly what you can handle before you get into it. making moves "I wanted more. My stint in the fashion world was done. It was time for me to move on and do something on my own. I knew I loved nail polish and I knew that there were no groundbreaking nail products out there that promised long-lasting polish, so I decided to run with it. I had identified a niche product and market and was excited to make the move." vegas, baby! "I said, 'Where am I going to get the best bang for my buck?' Las Vegas was the quintessential test market. There were cocktail waitresses, dealers, dancers, cashiers. Twenty-six years ago, there were not that many women working together in one geographically concentrated area. But Las Vegas was the exception. I went to all the hotels and casinos that had beauty salons and I left samples. By the time I got home, which was less than a week later, I already had orders. The calls kept coming in. I got calls from women in Florida, New York, California, and Illinois who were in Las Vegas on holiday and tried my product there. They raved that it was still on their nails a week later. I thought, 'My god ... I have a business!'" man's world "Back when I started, there weren't as many women in the workplace. Customers and clients would call up and ask to speak with Mr. Weingarten. I had to deal with chemists, box manufactures, brush manufactures, bottle manufactures. It really was a man's world. I quickly learned how to convert challenges into opportunities. I often compared myself to a bumper car: I hit a wall, turned around, and kept going. I met each roadblock with the following question: "How can I do it better, different, and put a spin on it?" That mindset helped me through it all. If you start to get negative or down on yourself, then you're done faster than you started. You have to keep yourself very positive and very focused." skin deep "Before you can expect anyone to believe in you, you must believe in yourself. It's that simple and that important. If you feel good and secure, you shine. You don't have to be the most beautiful woman in the world to look and feel great. If you put yourself together and make a statement, people respect you. And there is no better or cheaper way to change or spice up your look than with nail polish. I always say we are the cheapest addiction around!" the sweetest thing "Do you have any idea how many doors were slammed in my face? I lost count. Never, ever get frustrated. Perhaps they're not interested in your product or service now, but they will be. They just don't know it yet. When they come back, and they do, you are in the driver's seat. You set your terms. They want and need something only you can give them." networking "Networking to me is the most important business practice. I never burn a bridge. I still network with people I worked with in my first job at Bendel's. Women are an unbelievable resource for networking. They enjoy helping one another. You must have good follow-through, contacts, and networking skills to survive in business." fresh and fun "Every 90 days we come up with six new colors. Every color is very fashion-driven, because we rely on the current trends in fashion and design to inform us of what people will want to wear. If you change your nail polish, you feel like you're always wearing something new. We keep our customers guessing and wanting more. We don't allow them to get bored. Of course there are the classics that everyone goes back to, but change is good. It makes the product hip and makes our customers feel like trendsetters." essie moments "A lot of customers relate our colors to milestones in their lives. I can't tell you how often I've heard "Cotton Candy" and "prom" in the same sentence. I recently overheard girlfriends saying that "Bordeaux" is great for a first date. When I meet people and hear what certain colors stand for in their lives, it makes me feel so good. I love that I can make women feel great and I absolutely love hearing about how the nail colors speak to such personal moments in their lives." essie's tips for longer-lasting nails 1. Don't use your nails as tools. 2. A smoothing hand cream is a must. Essie has several kinds that match specific moods. If you're on vacation, try coconut pineapple. If you're feeling Zen, try the fragrance-free aloe. 3. You must use a base coat. Then follow it with two coats of color. After three days, apply "Good to Go!," a fast-drying topcoat. It keeps the polish looking wet and new and it's also protective for the nails. parting thoughts -"My greatest strength in business is ... I never give up." -"I am happiest when ... the ultimate spa or salon that I've always dreamed of having as a customer calls and becomes a new customer." -"Success to me means ... when you get all the wonderful press and endorsements without paying for it. And when I make people feel fabulous." -"I will retire when ... it's no longer fun. But it's still so much fun, so I don't see when I'll retire." -"I will always think of myself as ... fun-loving." -"I care most about ... making people feel good." -"I care least about ... money." -"The key to being a great boss is ... I don't ask anyone to do anything that I wouldn't do myself." -"Every entrepreneur should ... be passionate." This Featured Lady was profiled by Alexandra Salas, a Buenos Aires-based writer.


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