I’ve been taught many critical lessons by the mentors on this page.

Some were family and some were friends.

Some were business partners, and some were joint venture partners.

There were authors whose work impacted me and mentors I’ve paid to move me forward.

And some of the most enriching lessons came from business owners I’ve assisted in one way or another who taught me through osmosis and friendly counseling.

Each mentor taught me something that eventually applied to my online marketing efforts and the design of my dream.

Even though your vision may be different from mine, you’ll be able to see how these lessons will help you the same way they helped me.

Much of this information was accumulated during positive events that were a joy to experience.

Much was also gained through harsh trial and error periods that tested my resolve

And a smaller grouping was attained by taking hard and heavy hits to the chin while studying at the School of Life.

But I shaped it all in a positive light for two reasons:

If I had chosen to remain bitter when those things happened to me, or feel guilty and ashamed for the things I clearly did wrong, never using them to learn and grow, then the lesson would have been wasted. I have to look at it all in a positive light because even the bad has good hiding within it.

And that’s one of the biggest takeaways I’d like you to become aware of as you finish reading.

Life sometimes sucks. It frequently sucks actually. So what?

If your dream is important enough to you, then you must keep getting back on that horse and trying again. There’s a fine line between knowing when to quit, change tactics, or rework your entire vision and unknowingly being just one step away from a success you can’t quite see.

If you’re already an entrepreneur or something close to it, then I’m preaching to the choir and kudos to you for even finding me as you press on. You guys feed that faith whatever it needs to stay alive and well.

If you’re new to the whole process of learning what’s in you that’s great (and we all have something) and trying to monetize it or fund its birth (if you have non-profit motives) then know that even with the best of help, some suffering will take place.

But also be aware that I’m going to do everything in my power to assist you in making that list of dings as short of one as possible. I shot myself in the foot more times than I can count.

I can save you those troubles

And I can lead you to people further along in the game than I, who can help you avoid even bigger trauma, some of which I am still learning as well.

Just know that, in order for me to sleep soundly at night, I have to be able to stand by my word. I have to know I did everything in my power to give you what you need to grow your dream into a concrete entity.

If I don’t know the answer to your question, I’ll go get it. If it’s beyond my experience level, I have friends who can most definitely pick up where I left off to bring you the knowledge that you need and I will point you their way.

OK. Let’s do this. Just click on any item below to be taken to the expanded post of that entity’s gift to me:

My Dad: Do The Job Right Or Don’t Do It At All

The bulk of what I've learned that means the most has come from my parents. This page is dedicated to my dad. Mom's is here. The older I get, the ...

My Mom: The Power Of Leading With Your Heart

I've stated elsewhere that my mom was the one who fought with me side by side to defeat the worst thing I'd ever come up against. And my dad provided ...

My Wife And Kids: Married: with Children

It was extremely hard to overcome my addictions. And even harder to overcome bipolar disorder in the way that I did, with no meds. But in many ways, the hardest ...

My Grandpa: Wherever you go, there you are

My grandpa's in my head most days. He died some years back. I have a lot to say in relation to how awesome he was but it would get to ...

The Marines

The Marines was an incredible period in my life, both for the better and for the worse. There is a built-in intensity to being a Marine Gen. Chesty Puller gave ...

Arnold Schwarzenegger – “I already called my mother and told her I won!”

This is what Arnold told Lou Ferrigno, his chief competition at one of the Olympias, in the movie "Pumping Iron." He was psyching out Big Lou, prior to the actual ...

“Say it again! I DARE you!” Samuel L Jackson

I learned one of my very most important lessons from Samuel L Jackson, he of "Pulp Fiction" fame. Oh, I know he's been in a hundred things before and since ...

The Farmer: Watch out for your own best interests

When you're going after a dream, be it yours or someone else's, be careful that the fires of enthusiasm don't burn all you have to the ground. I spent a ...

The Teacher: Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water

To succeed at anything, but especially large things, you're gonna need drive, determination, excitement, enthusiasm, and a stubborn refusal to quit. You're going to need help, guidance, advice, opinions, and ...

The Tradesman: You WILL get what you want in this life – choose wisely

Ever hear the phrase "Careful what you wish for. You just might get it."? Well, this particular mentor gave me ample opportunities to test that theory to the max, in ...

Bill Harris: Reality’s not what you think it is

Bill Harris is the founder of Centerpointe and the maker of Holosync, a technological meditation system that has had a profound effect on my life. He, above anyone else in ...

Jay Abraham: Preeminence: Be compared to others or be the one others are compared to

Jay Abraham caused me to step up my game like none before him ever had. His knowledge and wisdom changed the way I looked at life forever So much so, ...

Dr. Marc Rabinowitz: Your Pain Is Not What You Think It Is

You may be wondering why I included my chiropractor in my mentors list. It's quite simple. What he taught me about my pain saved my life He is a huge ...

Will Brink: BE strong to THINK strong

Will Brink is a strength and fitness trainer and an authority on supplementation for athletic performance. I needed some confirmation on some supplementation choices I'd made and what I figured ...

Rich Schefren: You can’t do it all yourself

This mentor came to me the latest. We're still working together as of this writing and I thank all I hold sacred that I found him. No joke. And I ...

Glenn Dietzel: Act! Now! Big!

Glenn Dietzel was my first big time mentor when I began all of this online activity. His company helped me to write my first book and to develop a business ...

Robert Kiyosaki – A profitable messenger is a heard messenger

Robert Kiyosaki came my way during one of the lowest, most stressful points of my life. I was literally losing my sanity...again But this time the stakes were higher. I ...

Garret LoPorto: Some of us don’t herd well

There's a saying: It's a fine line between madness and genius. This applies to most creative types The artists, musicians, writers, philosophers, architects, rebels, engineers... anyone who has game changing ...

Jeremy Ellenbogen: It pays to be authentic, transparent, and to operate with integrity

Due to the nature of my life, I've had dozens of jobs and been involved in dozens of non-work projects. Huge projects at times. I have been exposed to every ...

Jason Leister: Incomparable Expert

Jason Leister has been a game changer for me. He, like none before him, made clear the importance and common sense of using a platform to reach the world. It's ...

All of these folks’ info swims around in my head constantly, with the perfect piece coming to the surface when I need it most. That’s another skill you can learn but it takes time, FOCUS, and practice.

(Hint: You’re going to find focus to be your greatest asset and probably the hardest to develop, but develop it you must.)

I’ve just handed you a simplified version of the owner’s manual to my head. On my site, you’ll find an ever growing article base that discusses these same items in depth, as well as tools and resources to take what I’ve learned ever farther.

Compare your lessons to mine. Find particular topics on my site that resonate with you or move you in some way and leave your thoughts.

Comment! Share! Let us have a peek inside your head too!

I only know what I know. You know something I don’t. Guaranteed. I’d like to hear about it. So would others in the group.

The more you share, the more exposure you’ll get for your brand, idea, or product and the higher the chance that you’ll find a joint venture partner of one sort or another within the site. We all have to pull together in order for each of us to win.