Russ Dalbey's Blog

The famous author and humorist Mark Twain wrote that to succeed in life, you only need two things: ignorance and confidence. Well, I’m not sure ignorance is really a trait modern entrepreneurs should embrace, but I do agree that confidence is a key factor to success.
Don’t think you’re “the confident type”? Well, I’ve got [...]

Some people are their own worst enemy when it comes to being successful.
It’s not that they’re lazy, or doubt their ability to get things done. The problem is they have so many great ideas and want to do everything at once. As a result, very little actually gets done. This slows them down in accomplishing [...]

Do you find yourself feeling a little jealous when you’re in the presence of someone who appears to be more successful than you? You know, that someone who is really fit and trim, driving a more expensive car, or talking about a fantastic vacation they just got back from?
I mean, maybe you don’t let [...]

Anyone who is running a business out of their home knows the benefits of this career choice. Your commute time and costs? Zero. The annoyance of leaving something important in your office and having to go back? Never happens.
But for most, working out of a home environment can have its downsides as well. Sometimes [...]

I often talk about the importance of setting goals (check out my post on March 17, 2006 for tips on how I set goals for myself).
I was amazed at this story! This 13-year-old girl set a goal of raising $3,000 for cystic fibrosis research, but after easily reaching that goal, she realized that she would [...]

The key to being successful
in business is not just about having a great product, being a great
salesperson, or having lots of money for advertising (although all of these can
certainly help as well). For me, running a successful business boils down to about
having good people who will work to find solutions to other people’s problems.
Effective communication [...]

A certain cell phone company is currently spending lots of money so you know that “it’s the network” that makes the critical difference. And I agree . . . they’re absolutely right!
But I’m referring to your business network, not the wireless provider you use. Every entrepreneur should understand the importance of networking and building [...]

Link to a real-life rags to riches story
When I read this article about Chris Gardner, I knew I had to share it on my blog.
Gardner is now a millionaire, but remembers sleeping in bus station restrooms with his two-year-old son.
He became a homeless single parent through a series of unfortunate circumstances, but never gave up. [...]

We all watched helplessly as
the tsunami of December 2004 devastated so many, and closer to home, Hurricane
Katrina forever changed the face of one of America’s oldest cities. For many of
us, the memories of these catastrophes have faded, but the reality is that
emergencies can strike anywhere, at any time.

Would you know how to put
your life [...]

I’m a passionate guy. But there have been plenty of
times in my life where routine took over – and I just lost my “spark.” It’s
normal. It happens to everyone. But when we fall victim to routine, sometimes
we resist change and growth.

Keeping that passion is the key to success. And I’d
like to share a great [...]