One of the things that you have to love about kids is there innocently rude honesty.  Yes, kids are so innocently honest and they can’t help it if they haven’t been taught how to tone it down. Like the time the lady was talking and laughing with her friends and her daughter walked up beside her. When everyone got quiet the little girl looked at her mom and said “oh your breath stinks”. The truth is all the other ladies were thinking the same thing but no one said anything, in

One of the areas that people struggle with in business and in their career is “standing out.”  Like the blue duck; finding a way to get the attention of others long enough to showcase the value you offer.  Depending on the type of industry you are in, the best way to standout can be very interesting.  For example if you’re a musician; Katie Perry’s stylish and artistic birthday cake dress or Michael Jackson’s iconic silver glove could be perfect for you, but if you’re a consu

A very wealthy man once gave me this secret about making money: It’s all about the problems you solve. The tips below will be some of the simplest, yet most effective piece of free advice about money you will ever get. In simple terms—Business is not about your product or service but really about the customer’s problem that you solve so it is important you focus on that. Now that you are focused on solving problems, let’s look at some ways that you can find problems to solve

“I’m afraid that I won’t have time for anything else because my career or business will make me a workaholic.” This is a very legitimate concern for Entrepreneurs, because too often the workaholics are the ones that get highlighted or you watch a movie and the seemingly successful person is the one working all the time. You know– those movies where the successful person is missing their children’s school events, cancelling dinner with their spouse, waking up before the sun co

When it comes to making money the process is more practical than you can imagine I learned this lesson when I was 5 years old from a couple of things that my parents taught me. To be clear I did not come from a family of business owners and my family does not have a history of college degrees. In fact, when I learned the fundamentals of business my family was living in West Germany just before the Berlin wall came down, my father was military soldier and my mother a stay at h

We all have that one friend in the group who seems to be late to everything, I mean everything.  It’s like they can’t show up on time to save their life. You say the wedding starts at 2:00 pm and they somehow walk in at 2:15 pm slightly making a scene as they try to sneak in to a seat just before the bride walks in.  If you have a friend like this, it’s embarrassing and annoying. If you are fortunate not to have a friend like this, it’s great for you but sucks for your friend

In the 1960’s & 1970’s General Motors (GM) was a massive success that drove the Detroit communities into a place of prosperity and growth beyond belief. But when GM hit troubled times in the 1980’s and beyond, the city of Detroit suffered a near fatal blow. The city was too heavily dependent on the success of GM and there were not enough other businesses attracted to the city that could keep the economy of Detroit flowing when GM was struggling. If you are a government offici

Are you aware of the additional benefits that the massive changes in US international tax provisions can provide to you? Most companies are still trying to breakdown and understand the changes in the tax code so these opportunities are not widely discussed yet but they are coming and you can get a head start on everyone else. The major impact of the change in US international tax provisions will most likely lead to more companies bringing tons cash and resources back to the U

Recent reports from the Tax Administration show that over the last five years tax scams have exceeded more than $26.5 million. This year alone there has been a 400% increase in the number of phishing schemes. Two of the most popular schemes that scammers are using are: unsolicited phone calls and phishing emails.  With the phone call; the caller usually informs you of an outstanding debt and then demands that you pay immediately and if you don’t pick up they leave urgent voic

When I was younger I always spent time around older kids.  It was awesome because no one messed with my in the neighborhood or at school.  I was like the “little kid boss.”  This all came about because of a peach tree.  All of the kids loved the peaches from this tree but it was behind a fence and guarded by a very mean dog.  Climbing the fence was out of the question because the dog would kill you before you got to the tree, so I came up with an idea. At age five, I was the

Once I was working with a very large company and while walking up the stairs to a meeting I heard a heart dropping sound.  My pants ripped!!! So there I was standing in a stairwell with my underwear exposed and absolutely no time to change.  Could you imagine being in that situation, ripped pants, and maybe five minutes until you need to walk into a very important meeting? I was embarrassed and angry at the same time.  The anger was with myself, because I had gradually gained

It’s almost Super Bowl Sunday and the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots are set to give the world a great game. I don’t usually watch a lot of football during the year but when the Super Bowl comes around I absolutely love it. What I love most is the hype and the set up, all the shows and talks about the players and coaches, their lives and everything they went through to get to the Super Bowl.  I am always deeply inspired by the background stories of the hustle, h

I’ve never had a concussion before but I think I came close once. When I played high school football one of my positions was on the kick off team. So, there I was running full speed with laser focus on the man with the ball and out of nowhere a player from the other team hit me so hard I flipped and hit the ground head first. After laying on the ground for a moment I managed to get to my feet but I was so dizzy and everything looked a little hazy. One of my teammates had to h

As a kid I was always amazed when I saw people doubledutch (the process of jumping while two ropes are simultaneously moving in an opposite circular motion). I always wondered how they were able to focus on jumping, while also making sure they wouldn’t get hit by the rope. After talking to a friend who did it very well, I walked away with a simple answer—Just Jump In! I think the same goes for starting a business. When it comes to starting one, many people are like I was. Alw

In grade school I noticed a huge issue; not enough social time. Students didn’t have enough time to get lunch and hang out with friends because the lines to get food were too long. When I realized how big this problem was I launched my first food delivery services business. I would collect lunch orders and money (including my $2 delivery fee) then leave my pre-lunch class a few minutes early so I could be at the front of the lunch line. Shortly after my paying customers a

Everyone loves a great party! I mean the type of party you remember long after it’s over and still bring up with your friend’s years later. One of my most memorable parties would have to be my wedding. I know it sounds a little bias, but it really was a great party. Between my wife Lola and I, we have lived in over 7 countries on 4 continents and have visited over 15 countries, so we have friends from all over the world.  With all of this in mind the wedding was planned to be

To benefit even more from the new tax bill below are five things you should consider doing before December 31, 2017. Pre-pay your property taxes (if you elect itemized deductions) In 2018 the deductions for state and local taxes will be limited to $10,000 so it will likely play to your advantage to pay your taxes before December 31, 2017. Defer Income Tax rates for most will go down in 2018 so deferring income for individuals and businesses will save you money. If you are sel

Many people are excited about digital currencies like Bitcoin because people are making significant profits from these types of investments.  If you or someone you know is considering digital currency here are a couple of “tax thoughts” to help clear up some of the confusion about digital currency and taxes. The IRS’s tax guidance on digital currencies has made it clear that some transactions do trigger a tax event and possibly a tax liability for those involved. There are tw

If you turn on the news you will find no shortage of opinions about the latest tax bill.  If you are like most people you just want the facts so you can figure out the most important question on your mind “What does this mean for ME?” At the time of writing this, the tax plans are not fully approved and signed into law but we do have an idea of the changes that are being proposed. Here are the major highlights: Deductions are used to reduce your tax liability and can either b

A small boy maybe about the age of four was at the beach with his parents for a fun day in the sun.  To keep himself occupied while his parents hung out, he used his bucket and a toy shovel to dig holes. He was such a happy kid having a ball digging his hole but at a certain point he got really confused and frustrated.  It was like his hole wouldn’t get any deeper. It seemed like he was pulling the same sand out of the hole over and over again.  What he didn’t realize was tha