Posts by Mark Morgan Ford
Two More Ways To Invest With Experience
How can you invest in something new if you follow the Golden Rule of investing only in things you know about? This is a fundamental wealth-building problem, a problem that I suggested two solutions to in the past: (1) that before you invest in a business, you get to know it by working for it and (2)…
Read MoreWhy You Should Read The Daily Reckoning
“Man is, and was always, a block-head and dullard; much readier to feel and digest than to think and consider.” – Thomas Carlyle Instead of making the world smarter, the information revolution is making people dumber. Thats the argument Bill Bonner is making every day in his daily investment commentary, The Daily Reckoning (www.dailyreckoning.com).Roughly speaking,…
Read MoreSpeak More Powerfully By Saying Less
If brevity is the soul of wit, taciturnity is the backbone of conversational power. How many times have you found yourself in a situation in which, not being entirely confident about the point you are making, you speak too long in supporting it? Each added statement sinks you deeper in the quicksand of your uncertainty.…
Read MoreBuy A Pack Of Index Cards Today
In Message #185, I recommended that you start to use index cards to keep track of the big and small ideas that come to you at random times throughout the day — ideas that could have a big impact on your life but are too easily forgotten if not written down. If you haven’t already…
Read MoreGet Over Your Fear Of Cutting Prices
Norm Brodsky, Inc. magazine’s entrepreneurial columnist, speaks from experience. He’s one of the few business journalists who do so — most are experts or reporters — and consequently is one of the few I trust. He said something in a recent article that I want to discuss today. He was talking about a records-storage business…
Read MoreDevelop Your Business Ideas Like A King
“God was satisfied with his own work, and that is fatal.” – Sam Butler Most people know Stephen King as the author of such horror classics as “Carrie” and “Misery.” In fact, hes also a fineliterary writer, having penned some very moving and well-crafted stories, such as “Stand by Me.” Recently, he came out with…
Read MorePromise To Follow Through On Your Career Goals
Of all the qualities that contribute to an accomplished life, none is more important than persistence. Intelligence, knowledge, connections, luck — they are all important ingredients in the stew of success, but persistence is the stock. Persistence is a big virtue comprising many large and small ones, including endurance, tenacity, perseverance, and follow-through. Today, I’d…
Read MoreHow Smart Is It To Trust Your Employees?
EVM, a Wharton School associate dean and professor, used to lecture students about trust. “People are basically trustworthy, honest, and loyal,” he argued. “If you treat them as such, they will act accordingly.” He retired from academe in 1993 and six years later entered the business world — the real world — for the first…
Read MoreSometimes It’s Smart To Shoot For Second Place
It may sometimes seem like I’m always pushing you in the direction of becoming No.1 — of being your own boss and having your own business. And I won’t deny that I spend a lot of time talking about the advantages of entrepreneurship and equity. But some people are better off in the No.2 position.…
Read MoreWill The Death Tax Go Away (As It Should)?
“A son can bear with composure the death of his father, but the loss of his inheritance might drive him to despair.” – Niccolo Machiavelli With Bush in office, is it only a matter of time before the highly unfair estate tax (which taxes you, at your death, on what is left of the money…
Read MoreWhy You Should Listen More And Talk Less When You Want To Impress
We’ve often cited Dale Carnegie on “winning friends.” Carnegie believed that listening well makes you appear to be a better conversationalist than does speaking well — and that it’s certainly better than speaking too much. He told a good story about sitting next to an important businessman at dinner and saying nothing but “I see”…
Read MoreHow To Use Your Little Black Book
“It’s all right to hesitate if you then go ahead.” – Bertolt Brecht Last week, you started your little black book of powerful contacts (Message #265). This week, you are going to use it.Heres what youre going to do: Go through your address book quickly and select one person whom you havent been in touch…
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