Just like an experience at your local cafe, I’ve planned for Acceler8Success Cafe to be conveniently located when and where you desire or need to relax, enjoy a cup of coffee, and catch up on some time for you. My goal is for Acceler8Success Cafe to be your virtual cafe, a place where you may frequently visit to enjoy a few minutes of leisure time to read, think and reflect about ways to improve and succeed in today’s crazy business world.

I strive for your experience to be memorable by providing learning opportunities, by presenting different perspective & insight, by spurring thought & reflection, by encouraging interaction, and by spotlighting topics that, quite frankly, may not be as front and center as they should or need to be.

Acceler8Success Cafe is open for business seven days a week. For the benefit of current & aspiring entrepreneurs, this daily newsletter is delivered each morning. As a way to jumpstart the week ahead, a weekly review is delivered each Sunday morning listing and linking to the articles you might have missed during the previous week. My objective is to provide an opportunity for you to begin your day and the week ahead informed and with ideas that possibly could accelerate your success.

So, before we jump into this week’s review, how about starting today with a smile? A positive thought? A nice memory? A thankful moment? And what better way than doing so than with the aroma of fresh, hot coffee filling the air from your favorite cup or mug?

Today’s Weekly Review

Independence Day: It’s all about the U.S., and US!

We started the week with a celebration of our country’s independence. This article discussed what it means to be American, and how to be an American from the American Dream to a Shared Set of Values.

The belief in the American Dream and living by a shared set of values are deeply embedded in the United States culture. Commonly held values help drive what it means to be an American, set a standard of what’s good and fair in society, and are critical to upholding a culture’s shared beliefs. 

While not all Americans share the same views, most Americans share a common set of values. L. Robert Kohls, a renowned author dedicated to research on cultural values, developed a list of 13 commonly held American values which were included in this day’s article.

Surviving Despite Economic Uncertainty: What must be done?

On Tuesday, thinking about what it would take to survive during a time of economic uncertainty I included a powerful story about the power of choices.

After all, we know it’s going to take a great deal of effort, a lot of work, long hours, diligence, and honest evaluation. Of course, that is if we choose to do so.

It will be about making the choice whether to change, or to sit idle and ride out the storm. Choices. Such a simple concept, yet so much riding on whether the right choices are made, or not. At times, we know that by just making a choice, right or wrong is better than remaining undecided.

Building an Online Community with Common Goals and Objectives

Spurred by a high level of interaction by the Acceler8Success Cafe community, Wednesday’s article focused on the optimism shared the day before. Although, I did find the interaction a bit unusual as most of the interaction came directly to me as opposed to being posted as comments.

I strongly believe those that contacted me directly wanted more than to just share their thoughts. They wanted interaction. They also wanted validation their actions were correct. As well, I believe a few wanted a pat on the back and an attaboy! But I felt there was even more to it – they were all excited to share their experience. That, in and of itself, made me proud of the effort being put forward with the Acceler8Success Cafe platform.

Preparing for War: You vs. Recession

As I sat down to write Thursday’s article, I felt compelled to continue with the discussion about surviving during a period of economic uncertainty. I decided that over the next week or so, I would focus this newsletter on helping individuals prepare for the looming war against recession. I addressed recession as war because it will be a series of battles, it will take varying strategies including when to be on the defensive and when to be on the offensive, and it will mean fighting for small victories in order to survive when the fight is over.

Looking ahead, now is the time to fortify our arsenal, assessing what must be repaired or replaced. We must evaluate our skills, improving as necessary and learning new skills, as well. We must rally our troops and ensure all who will be helping us are properly trained and have the necessary firepower for combat. Essentially, we must plan for the inevitable fight ahead. As such, I began the series by addressing personal branding and its role in the war against the recession.

Recession Prep Question: Are you planning to win, or are you planning not to lose?

The series continued Friday as I talked about the difference between playing to win or playing not to lose. There is a difference, a big difference between the two. How it’s addressed is all in the planning before taking action. However, it’s essential to know the difference and plan accordingly sooner rather than later.

With a nod to the financial professionals who do all they can to keep our businesses within the rails, and especially so during the pandemic, I emphasized the necessity of acting proactively to drive sales. After all, only so much can be done to protect the finances of a business. Without sales, there would be little to nothing left to protect.

Is a 4-day work week realistic, practical, feasible across the board?

On Saturday, I wrapped up the week by sharing my personal perspective on the continuing conversation about a 4-day work week. Although not part of the survival series launched earlier in the week, I know it will be an important topic in addressing labor issues that have been front and center throughout the pandemic – issues that continue to be problematic for many business owners. I’m sure the discussion about a 4-day work week will continue for some time. It will be an interesting one for sure.

On the Lighter Side

I saw this image pop up in my Facebook Memories this morning and again, I thought it to be a very interesting proposition. If only it were possible, even just one time. Kind of a mulligan in life. If only…

I recall reflecting upon it quite a bit and changing my mind multiple times, mostly depending upon what I thought I would want to discuss. To that end, I had decided to list my desired topics of discussion in seven categories: emotional (family member), interests (sports, cooking, health), spiritual (religious), career (education, networking), business (entrepreneur, founder), motivation & inspiration (most categories above) and fiction (interesting, fantasy).

I have found this exercise to be eye-opening. Especially, as I compared my original list to the list I developed today. Mostly, I believe it has to do with differing thoughts for the times. I can see an article about this in a future edition of Acceler8Success Cafe. In the meantime, who would be on your list today?

Have a great day (and week ahead). Make it happen. Make it count!