OSCAR Winning TEAM Formula

If you watched the 2016 Oscars®, it was another night to celebrate the underdog.

That night, Hollywood’s biggest and brightest took to the stage to accept their Bronze statuettes, a mark of the highest achievement anyone in the film industry can receive.

But as I watched cast of ‘Spotlight’ receive their award, another thought crossed my mind. As the director and producers of the film came onstage, they were not alone. They were joined by an entire line of actors and team members who shared warm hugs and tears of joy. They ‘buzzed’ with the excitement of what they were able to accomplish—not alone, but together.

Prior to that, Alejandro Iñarritú had just received his Oscar® for Best Director of the film ‘The Revenant’, second year in a row he has won such a prestigious award.

For me the night had so many wonderful take-aways. But one which stands out most is Team Work.

You don’t have to be an award winning director to apply Spotlight’s or have Alejandro Iñarritú’s teamwork model to achieve ground-breaking business success today. 

You see, the casts of 'Spotlight' and ‘Birdman’ seemed to realize something other teams may fail to realize: 

If you want to receive the highest honor in any industry, 

you have to understand the Power of the Team.

No Oscar-winning movie would be complete without the best sound effects, music scores, direction, make-up, actors, scriptwriters, or special effects. Every detail has to be right to achieve the award-winning results we all want to see in our business.

Alejandro Iñarritú understood the Power of the Team and used that knowledge to build an award-winning cast and film. He knew how to organize a team that is creative, innovative, and achieves award-winning results.

Is your team ready for ‘Birdman’-worthy fame? Are you capitalizing on the teamwork power Alejandro used to gain the highest honor in his field?

Your company’s award might not come in a form of a statue, but it will come in the way of satisfied customers, excellent products and services, community involvement and improved branding for you and your company.

Are you ready to make your business and TEAM ‘Oscar-Ready’?

If so, I have the Oscar Formula you need for ultimate success.

You might have thought, “I already have a plan in place.” Or, “I’m not sure if I’m ready to try something new.”

The truth is, change is hard. Even scary. But I have some good news for you. All you have to do is take the first step. I will take care of the rest.

Here are 2 Oscar- Worthy Tips that are guaranteed to increase productivity and profitability in your business, regardless of the industry you’re in.

1.  EMPOWER your team members in a way that helps them grow.

Now, you might be thinking,

I’m already empowering my team members. But are you doing it in a way that motivates them to use their gifts and abilities to the max?

Are you empowering your time to perform at their utmost level of potential?

2.  DELIVER messages that are positive and motivating.

Are you speaking to your team members in a way that is both powerful and reassuring? Are you using the type of language in your everyday interactions that

inspires hard work and dedication?

Or are your words causing your employees to doubt or

second-guess their contributions?

The words we use matter. If you want to change the words you use to create powerful and profitable change in your company, you can start now.

Contact me today to create the type of award-winning success Alejandro Iñarritú created to win Oscar fame. You can reach me at coachluis@luisvicentegarcia.com or visit my web pageswww.luisvicentegarcia.com and www.coachluisvgarcia.com

And believe you can always do it, 

if you set your mind to it!

Luis Vicente

It's Sunday... it must be Raining!

Spring is a beautiful time of the year; for some, the most beautiful season of all. This has been my first spring in Houston and actually, my last weekend here before heading back home; and I was expecting a beautiful season as well. But instead, we have had the worst torrential rains and floods in Harris County, Texas in over 35 years and today is Sunday, and as it has been over the past four weeks, it must be raining.

We have all heard the phrase ‘Spring Showers, May Flowers’; well, yes it’s true. But after April showers came May rains, thunderstorms and floods; so the flowers came and then, they drowned. I do not want to sound drastic or dramatic, but I have never seen or heard so many warnings for floods and river overflows as have this past month. So May has been a wet and rainy month. In fact, we have had an above average rain month this May and then of course our forecast for today is 100% rain with thunderstorms and now the usual flood warning; so yes indeed, it is Sunday and it is raining.

However, there are no excuses to stop you from doing the many wonderful things you can do on a rainy Sunday; especially when you could take the time to relax and do every single thing you never have the time to do. So here is a short compilation of some of the many things we can do today:

-          Finish reading the book you are reading or start reading a new one;

-          Sit down and write a short story, a novel, a poem;

-          Start cooking; be creative;

-          Do some exercise, inside or outside (I just finished my 10 Km Sunday walk and of course came back all wet, but really enjoyed it);

-          Plan your summer vacation or a long family weekend, if you are planning one;

-          Talk; yes, simply talk;

-          Talk to your family and friends, it is still one of those nice things we can all do;

-          Call someone you have not talked to in a long time;

-          Finish that long overdue project you have postponed (and yes we all have such projects);

-          Finish working on your idea, that prototype you have been thinking about for so long;

-          Play chess or any nice table game with your kids; they would learn much form it;

-          Have a puzzle? Nice day to do it;

-          Plan your week ahead;

-          Do part of your homework so you do not have to do it during the week;

-          Go to a Museum, yes that one you only visited years ago;

-          Get that much deserved rest you know you need; or simply,

-          Relax and enjoy the rain.

People complain all of the time. If it rains too much, if it is too hot, too dry, too cold; well, it is what it is and we cannot do anything, as it is Mother Nature calling on us.

So make the best of it. If it rains, read or listen to music; if it is sunny, go out and play. Make the best of your life; it depends on your attitude. And even if it is Sunday and it must be raining, enjoy life, be happy and keep motivated.

Do not complain, see this with a new attitude and a different perspective; have a different approach and even though it is Sunday and yes, it is raining, decide to enjoy it and have a wonderful Day!

Luis Vicente

Is there a Future for Optimism?

I have been an optimist all my life!

I have worked and strived for giving every person that I meet and have worked with, a reason to be happy, to be motivated and inspired and always to look forward to a better future. It is with hard work and determination that you make it right. And yes, it is not an easy task and I wish more and more people do and act that way, but it is something that is everybody’s responsibility. This is not a single act or someone else’s job. It is our job.

But where is it all going? Will we get somewhere with this crazy and strange idea that we can all be happy and positive?

I was privileged to be invited to a private screening of the new Walt Disney Pictures movie, TOMORROWLAND. For all of us who grew when you needed single tickets to ride on the monorail at Walt Disney World or needed to buy extra tickets to get on the rides again, it was an experience like no other. Yes it was during the 60’s and 70’s when many of us went for the first time to Adventureland, Fantasyland and to the future world of Tomorrowland. We read or were told by our parents about the New York World’s Fair in 1964 and about Disney’s Carrousel of Progress and the It’s a Small World attraction. And they, and maybe we, were part of a kind of fairytale.

But as stories start to fade, so was our hope for the future. At some point in time “our” future did not start to be seen so bright and wonderful; and no more happy endings as the world entered a series of critical issues, from wars, to conflicts, sickness and disasters; to natural catastrophes, to an uncertain future. At some point in time, our future looked positive, full of ideas and innovation and optimism. But we let it go; we did not give it all our best, or did we?

There was no more a “… hope-filled future like the ones promised us in the 1950’s”, as Robert Ito wrote in his “Back to the Future for ‘Tomorrowland’” article on the New York Times[1].  But, when did this change? And Why? No one is certain of when and why our moods became negative and our vision about the future changed. Our positive view of the future dimmed and over the years, and as a result, more and more adults see the future more difficult for their children.

However, we have lived in an era of unprecedented change, growth, research, new vision, and of course, future oriented developments. It is true that we need to cope with the realities of our complex world and try to solve its major issues and conflicts, but there is hope. When we see what organizations and institutions are doing for an improved educational system for all children; what companies are doing for the conservation of our planet Earth; when we look forward to space travel and exploration beyond Mars or the research that goes into the future of medicine; or that still inventions created by da Vinci, Edison, Verne, Eiffel and many others are yet to be perfected and improved upon, we can see a better future; a new Tomorrowland.

Walt Disney envisioned a park where all the family could - together - spend a happy day; he created lands for adventure, frontier exploration, and fairytales; and of course, for a new tomorrow. He envisioned a prototype city for the future. And we can still work to create a future, our future, based on what we want and how we see it: positive and optimist. 

In the movie there is a very interesting character, ATHENA, played by Raffei Cassidy who believes that “it is her mission to recruit DREAMERS energized to realize the promise of a better world.” Is that only her belief or could it be ours as well?

As Tomorrowland’s Screenwriter Damon Lindeloff said in an interview: “The future is what we make of it.” We can still create our future how we want it to be; we can build our “Tomorrowlands” filled with the hopes we had before and better yet, with more optimism and enthusiasm.  We just need to work together on making it work, seeing the future not as it could have been, but as it can actually be.

And if we do so, we can start building our Tomorrowlands the way we want them to be; and yes, we can still create a future for Optimism.

"Be Inspired to Motivate". 

Luis Vicente

---

[1] Robert Ito, “Back to the Future for ‘Tomorrowland’”, The New York Times, Sunday May 17, 2015, p. 25, 28.

Best Quotes for Entrepreneurs

I must admit I love quotes. They give you insights into other people’s minds and thoughts. So looking for quotes to motivate, inspire and teach us is something we all need to do. They can also suggest different perspectives at particular times.

Recently I read Tanya Prive’s Forbes article (@TanyaPrive1) on the 32 best quotes for #entrepreneurs which, with her permission, I present to you today.

Use them, allow them to guide you, and learn from them.

To your success,

Luis Vicente

Top 32 Quotes Every Entrepreneur Should Live By

(http://www.forbes.com/sites/tanyaprive/2013/05/02/top-32-quotes-every-entrepreneur-should-live-by/)

Tanya Prive

CONTRIBUTOR

The nature of being an entrepreneur means that you fully embrace ambiguity and are comfortable with being challenged regularly. Choosing this career path is completely irrational because the odds of succeeding are dismal, but most succeed because of their unwavering belief, laser focus on delivering and persistence.

Starting a company is a riveting roller coaster of emotions with tremendous highs and at times, difficult lows, but one thing that always helps me through the ups and downs is to connect with some of the greatest minds. Below are just a few of my favorite quotes:

1. “The best way to predict the future is to create it.” - Peter Drucker

2. “Winners never quit and quitters never win.” - Vince Lombardi

3. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.” - Steve Jobs

4. “My biggest motivation? Just to keep challenging myself. I see life almost like one long University education that I never had — everyday I’m learning something new.” - Richard Branson

5. “Every time you state what you want or believe, you’re the first to hear it. It’s a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don’t put a ceiling on yourself.” - Oprah Winfrey

6. It is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” - Bill Gates

7. “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” - Warren Buffett

8. “One of the huge mistakes people make is that they try to force an interest on themselves. You don’t choose your passions; your passions choose you.” - Jeff Bezos

9. “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” - Thomas Edison

10. “Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.” - Albert Einstein

11. “As long as you’re going to be thinking anyway, think big.” - Donald Trump

12. “Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” - Winston Churchill

13. “ Genius is 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration.” - Thomas Edison

14. “Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” - Mark Twain

15. “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” - Vince Lombardi

16. “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” - Napoleon Hill

17. “I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” - Bill Cosby

18. “Success is not what you have, but who you are.” - Bo Bennet

19. “Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t so you can spend the rest of your life like most people cant.” - Warren G. Tracy’s student

20. “To win without risk is to triumph without glory.” - Corneille

21. “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” - Mark Twain

22. “There is only one success- to be able to spend your life in your own way.” - Christopher Morley

23. “Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve.” - Napoleon Hill

24. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” - Albert Schweitzer

25. “What is not started will never get finished” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

26. “When you cease to dream you cease to live.” - Malcolm Forbes

27. “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” - Jim Rohn

28. “The most valuable thing you can make is a mistake- you can’t learn anything from being perfect.”- Adam Osborne

29. “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.”- John C. Maxwell

30. “The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.”- Ralph Nader

31. “Choose a job that you like, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”- Confucius

32. “Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.”- Bill Gates

The Bryce Harper Effect, When Greatness Comes Out of Left Field

When many of us think about the summer, images of going to the beach or grilling out fill our minds. For some of you summer really only means one thing, and that’s baseball. If you’ve been paying any attention, you’ll probably know who Bryce Harper is.

But, for those of you who aren’t familiar with the name, Bryce Harper is an outfielder for the Washington Nationals. In the 2014 season he played left field, hence the pun.

Aside from being an outstanding player, Harper has an interesting take on life and business. It can be described by two words:

Keep Pushing.

What makes Bryce Harper so great is not just the fact that he is insanely talented, (at 16 he decorated Sports Illustrated’s cover with the title “Baseball’s Chosen One” and was drafted into the MLB by the Washington Nationals at 19), but the fact that he pushes himself to the limit in everything he does, and then some. He’s not one to rest on his laurels either. Even with his insane talent he is always looking for things that he can improve.

This got me thinking, what does a Bryce Harper attitude look like for business? How do we keep pushing?

We have to stay hungry, and remember what it was we set out to do. Accept nothing but the best from yourself, and your business will flourish. But get comfortable and lazy and you’ll get left behind.

What any organizational leader or manager MUST know how to do is build a sense of urgency in their organization.

Even if you’re doing everything in your power to make more sales and create a positive customer experience, it is your team who is on the front lines, keeping the engines running.  Creating a sense of urgency and embedding it into your company culture is the ONLY way you can ensure that your team is performing at their highest levels each and every day. A sense of urgency is the only way to make sure your company stays above the curve.

No matter what industry, or what stage of the game you’re in, I can help you define and identify the changes you need to build a culture of urgency in your business and create real results today.  I can coach you to implement the strategies you need to create unparalleled success and ensure your business makes a Grand Slam in the coming Quarter.

If you’re ready to transform yourself and your business in order to gain the type of award-winning success Bryce Harper created to garner national attention, contact me today. You can reach me at coachluis@luisvicentegarcia.com.

And believe you can always do it if you set your mind to it!

To Your Success,


Luis Vicente Garcia

2015: A new Year of Adventures, Learning and Experiences!

While we begin to think about the next year at the end of the current year, very few do so with due seriousness; and, as a result, few real and serious goals are set for the New Year. As 2014 just ended, we probably thought about what we did, what we accomplished and what really happened. For some it was a year of challenges and changes; for others, it was a year of learning, experiences and exploration. For me, I can summarize this year in one word: 

ADVENTURE!

In an article I wrote earlier this year, I commented after an article that I read that at the beginning of 2014 we all had 365 days ahead of us. Days, at that time still blank, which could filled with whatever we wanted: new ideas, thoughts, business, jobs, or education; in short, everything new. For some people it was a combination of all this plus something else, such as writing our words and ideas; or embark in new actions, goals and activities. Those days would be filled with all our experiences with our family, friends, work colleagues or university friends. Some of those would be good days or excellent days (never bad ones as Zig Ziglar once said). Well, the same is true for 2015, as we have 365 days ahead of us.

I ask a lot of questions so I get a lot of answers. This means that for some people, the year 2014 was - as I was told - a quiet or normal year. For others, it was a really difficult year. To you my friends, a warm hug of solidarity and appreciation. For a few, as someone told me a few weeks ago, the year was more or less the same as previous ones; in that case, however, my comment was that it might have been the same but that it was also different, given the experiences we've all had in the last 12 months.

But, for most, I'm sure, 2014 was a year of adventures. As I try to do sometimes, I searched the definition of Adventure and the Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy defines 'Adventure' as:

1. Occurrence of an strange event;
2. Chance, or contingency;
3. Uncertain Outcome or something that presents risks.

You can see the year as a change or a challenges depending on your personal attitude, which has had to be a positive one in everything we do. If we do so, we need to figure out how 2014 was a year of personal motivation, positive attitude and continuous growth and learning. There is no other way to see any kind of year. We have an obligation: to always motivate others. And we need to start seeing 2015 as the year for 'highly motivated teams'.

As we embrace the new 2015, with more energy, emotions and of course prepared for more changes and challenges, how do we prepare for it? When I talked with my kids about 2014 they told me that it was a "different and unusual" year. We might see our future different from the past and better than the present. Nobody knows what the future holds; just understand that it is up to us to define what we do with it and in it. Our decisions will guide us along the way and take us through the path that will result from our actions.

In this new 2015 full of challenges but also full of hope, with 365 new and ready to be filled days ahead of us, with changes and decisions to be made, we will need to define our course of Action. There will be uncertain adventures and events, but let’s work so that they are the result of our actions and steps. And make it a year where we all carry forward the goal to become better at our personal development: with the optimism, enthusiasm and motivation that drives us to inspire others to join us on this adventure that is our own life.

Enjoy the New Year; seize it; learn, be inspired and motivate all around you; and make 2015 a fabulous year for everyone.

Luis Vicente Garcia

@lvgarciag

www.luisvicentegarcia.com