Hi All,

I am trying to raise at least $600 in the next 6 days for the House of Hearts Charity Bonspiel (i.e. curling tournament) that I am in this Thursday, March 18th – Sunday, March 21st.

I’m posting this in Unconventional Ideas for one reason – a great fundraiser that also let’s you get to play with some of the best athletes in the world is pretty unconventional!

Here’s why I’m doing this:

It only takes
2 minutes to donate!

1. All funds raised will directly help the St. Luke’s Foundation in Duluth, Minnesota.

St Luke’s is the hospital where my daughter, Ella, was born.  As an example of the impact the foundation has on the hospital, the baby warmer Ella was in was donated by the foundation.  The foundation raises money to help advance the technology and quality of care within the hospital (the regional trauma center for a 17-county area).

Every dollar donated will go directly to the foundation, not toward foundation expenses or overhead.  Donations are tax deductible (just download, print, and complete this receipt form, and of course, be sure to consult your tax adviser).  See the amazing results of past donations from this event.

2. If I raise enough money, I can curl with John Shuster, the skip (i.e. team captain) for Team USA curling.

If I raise over $600, I will get to pick my skip (i.e. team captain) for the House of Hearts Charity Bonspiel (i.e. curling tournament), which starts this Thursday, March 18th.  And, if I raise the most money out of the 72 people participating in the bonspiel, I am guaranteed to pick first! Since I would love to curl with John Shuster, the skip for Team USA, he would be my choice.  See all skips here.

Now, I sometimes share fund raising projects I’m working on with my colleagues, friends, and family.  However, I rarely directly ask for money.  This is one of those rare times.

It only takes
2 minutes to donate!

If you can help me, I absolutely appreciate it.  If you can’t, thanks for taking the time to read this, and I completely understand.

Onward and upward,
- Regis

http://dotconnectorblog.com

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As you may know by now, I’m a huge fan of unconventional thinking and finding new ways to spark creative thinking.  Creative problem solving is the “secret ingredient” to running and growing a successful business and realizing your full potential.

Last week, Stuart Davis, Chief Marketing Officer at Quicken Loans, shared this entertaining and insightful video from a prior TED Conference by Sir Ken Robinson on developing creativity, being “wrong,” and the public education system.

Take the time to watch this video.

Total viewing time: 20:03

Some of my favorite ideas from the video and the times that they appear:

3:44 - “but nobody knows what God looks like…”

5:39 – on being prepared to be “wrong”

11:16 – why our system of public education was invented in the 19th century

13:10 – on what intelligence is made of

15:31 – fantastic story about Gillian Lynne

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The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it.

– Marcus Aurelius

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The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.

– Flora Whittemore

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Building your business is about not being satisfied.  (source: Visualpanic / CC 2.0)

I recently caught up with Joel Gurman, Regional Vice-President at Quicken Loans, and a Snap Fitness franchisee.  I asked Joel to share with Dot Connector readers his top three lessons learned from both his 14-year career at Quicken Loans and from his time as a Snap Fitness franchisee.

Here’s what Joel had to say…

Lesson #1: Always be happy.  Never be satisfied.

There never comes a time to kick up your feet.  It’s all about trying to identify the next “inch” or “twist” that will build your business. When business is at its best, it’s the time to challenge yourself even more.

Think about it: when times are tough people usually push themselves simply out of the need to survive, and the results are never ultimately what they could be.  When things are going well, that is the time to push. It’s the time to really think about your business, so you can realize even greater success.

Others may see this as a negative, saying that you are never happy.  The key is making sure that you place an equal emphasis on both being happy and not being satisfied.  Remember, it’s easy to be happy.  Why?  Because it can always, ALWAYS be worse.

Lesson #2: Truly listen to everything your Clients have to say.

Very often the key to building a successful business is simply opening your eyes…and ears.  All to often, people want to only follow their heart.  While sometimes that is the right choice, taking in as much information as possible will always help you make the right decision.  Talk to everyone that you work with and listen to what they have to say.

Remember: feedback is a gift!  Whether it is positive, “feel good” feedback, or negative, “delivered with a needle” feedback, it is all a part of growing as a person.  The key is listening to the feedback, not only hearing what someone is saying, but understanding why they are saying it.   This doesn’t mean that all feedback is “right”, but it is important information that you can learn from.

Lesson #3: Always work hard.  Nothing comes easy.

I firmly believe that everything worth having can only be achieved by hard work.  Over the years, I have seen people making choices because it would make things easy; change careers because their current one is too hard.  Whether you work for yourself, or you work for a large company, at the end of the day the value you add is based ultimately on the results you bring.

My goal everyday is to do more with my day than anyone else. That’s why after a 10 hr day, I will go to the gym, or do more work at home.  Remember the lottery winner who loses it all…nothing comes easy.

If you’d like to learn more about Joel Gurman, please visit his website at: www.joelgurman.com.

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The greatest waste in the world is the difference between what we are and what we could become.

– Ben Herbster

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