Business first, then puberty

This world of ours is full of extraordinary people, you know. It’s no coincidence that many of today’s masterminds behind successful internet and mobile businesses are child prodigies, more often than not worth more than both their parents combined.
Meet Carl Ocab. A meager 14 years old and brainchild, literally, of www.carlocab.com, make money online with a 13 year old.
He’s too young to smoke, too young to drink, but the 14 year old prodigy makes a fortune as a… blogger!
We’re often told that our lives would be much simpler, with fewer obstacles, stress and worries if we could just shift our mindsets and behaviour back to when we were kids. We had a carefree life, challenging personalities and had the confidence back then that is truly needed in today’s world to ensure success.
When we were kids, we hardly ever let opportunities pass us by, regardless of the risk and possibility of failure. That is what makes these kids more special. They have found their niche, their passion in a very early stage in life and had the tenacity to do something about it.
Our fear of failure, embarrassment and scrutiny restrict our natural will to apply our minds and bodies to new experiences. Similarly in business, our inclination to follow our gut feel is stifled by protocol, tedious processes, ignorant decision making and our aversion to taking risks.
I see this in practice virtually every day. Businesses are afraid to pay notice to the plea of their customers, however subtle or direct. They refuse to acknowledge the change in consumer behaviour, change in trends and change in preference because they have smothered their natural ability to listen.
They also mostly refuse to change protocol or communications because their Neanderthal approach of top down management is firmly embedded in their being. They believe that a paying customer is a happy customer.
They’re scared to let go of the control of their brand. They prefer to let their mission statement do the talking in a time where customers aren’t willing to listen to corporate thumb suck anymore.
The truth however is that they have probably lost control of their brand already. Today, if you don’t have your finger on the internet pulse, you’ll more than likely be missing critical discussions around your brand.
Stop putting your faith in professional spin doctors to publish crafty contributions from the CEO, industry jargon that confuses and perceivably influences the belief system of your customers where in fact all it is that your customers really want is a direct communication channel to someone that actually gives a sh*t.
The key ingredient to success is simple. It is the willingness to change that stubborn mind shift that is so damn hard. Furthermore, it is the fear of losing control that is having you sit idly while your adventurous competition walks away with the prom queen.
Carl has a simple approach to business: Almost everything nowadays is possible. You want to be invisible? There’s a coat for that. You want to change your colour from black to white? Ask Michael Jackson!

http://bluespotmedia.ning.com/