We live in an "instant society."  Everything moves fast and it's getting faster.  It can be hard to keep up with what used to be the easy things.  And in a world dominated by technology and the "ping" of a smart phone or device that has us trained to immediately respond, we sometimes miss the opportunities to be our best and connect with others, even in little ways to make a difference.  Giving a gift to someone can make a huge difference in their lives and reminds us that we are human enriching ours as well.

Here are 7 gifts you can give that cost nothing and will brighten the world around you today.

1.) Tell someone you care about how much you appreciate them and most importantly, why...With life pulling us in a million different directions 24/7, we forget to stop and let people know how much they mean to us.  So, tell you spouse or significant other, tell a coworker, or call an old friend.  It takes less than 5 minutes to give this small gift that creates a ray of sunshine to brighten the world around you.

2.) Go out of your way to give someone the gift of a compliment, especially someone who would never expect it from you.  It might be the Starbucks barista that fills you cup every day, or the mailman that delivers your mail.  It doesn't matter who you pick.  What does matter is that you take the time to look at someone else and compliment them.  It is amazing the difference it can make.

3.)  Bring out your smile.  Try this exercise.  For one day, make it a point to smile in all your interactions.  All of them.  From those you meet in person passing by to even when you are talking on the phone.  Give everyone the gift of a smile.  You'll be amazed at what a difference it can make and how it will show through, even over the phone.

4.)  Take a genuine interest in another.  This gift can go a long way for any relationship.  Take the time to learn about someone and show them genuine interest.  It may be an employee you've never spent much time with or the person at the checkout counter.  Ask them a simple question (nothing creepy).  You can even mix it with a compliment and get a two-for!  "That's a really cool car, is there a story behind it?"  or
"I noticed you have an awesome scuba picture on your desk, where was that taken?"  The point is that you can make a difference in someone's life, and find out things you never knew that can give you another perspective or level of respect for someone, just by showing a genuine interest.

5.)  Send someone a handwritten "Thank You" note.  In an age where everything happens electronically, a handwritten note really stands out.  It shows you took the time to stop, think, write, and put real thought into your message.  It shows that you are willing to go beyond normal or conventional communication for someone.  Writing someone a thank you note can have a profound impact on their world and it can bring out a more thoughtful side of you as well.

6.)  Do one random act of kindness.  Give the gift of kindness to someone.  It may be helping them with their luggage at the airport or their groceries to the car.  It could be letting someone who is obviously in a hurry go ahead of you in line.  Opportunities to be kind present themselves to us all throughout each day. Take them up on their offer.

7.) Forgive someone.  Give the gift of forgiveness to someone who, either by accident or on purpose wronged you, or made a large mistake.  Forgive them, put it behind you, and move forward.  Forgiveness is a gift that truly helps both parties.  It clears the conscious of one, while strengthening the soul of the other. If there is someone to forgive in your life - do it now.  You will be amazed at how it can change the world around you.

This past week, I was invited to attend a special event, Social Smash 2017, hosted by Mike Koenigs.  The event was held as the closing party for the Social Media Marketing World conference in San Diego.

It was an amazing event attended by all of the major influencers and players in social media, blogging, podcasting, etc.  People like John Lee Dumas, Allison Maslan, JJ Virgin, Paul Colligan, Michael O'Neal, Lisa Sasevich, Pam Hendrickson, Steve Olsher, and many others attended.

And the whole event was done live on Facebook!  Everyone was sharing their best tips for success and for growing.  You can access and view everything here (definitely take the time to do so)

I enjoyed meeting a number of people.  Many of whose advice, I used in getting Misfit off the ground.  
And, as I went through the evening, there were a few things that really stood out to me when it comes to success and life.  So, I thought I'd share them with you.

Networking is Still the Best Way to Grow

For everything people do to further their businesses and life pursuits, networking in person is still the best way to grow.  You just cannot replace the connections that happen when you are one on one and face to face with others.  It's innately human.  To be able to chat with a John Lee Dumas about podcasting or ask an Allison Maslan what she is seeing work best in business right now, and then discuss potential synergies
is, well...priceless.

If you haven't made a commitment to seek out networking opportunities or taken time to investigate joining Mastermind groups to help you grow; you are missing a key element that all of the most successful use in their lives.  In fact, I would probably have not been at the event, if it weren't for my connections from Masterminding.

Make a commitment to network and meet the right people to help you get where you want to go.  Go to events where they will be.  Join groups or organizations with like minded individuals.  Invest in yourself.

The Law of Reciprocity 

Throughout the evening, I met so many amazing people and one thing was constant with all of them.  They were all so open and willing to give.  Whether they were conscious to it or not (I think they are), they live the law of reciprocity which simply states that the more you are genuinely willing to give, the more that will come back to you in return.  Of course, the most important word is "genuinely." Everyone I spoke to was so open and genuine in their willingness to learn about me and how they could help.  And I with them.  

This is a secret trait of the those that are very successful.  I have noticed it over and over again throughout the years.  They approach things in a very giving way and ask themselves, "how can I help?"  
Most unsuccessful people look at things like "what's in it for me?" or "what can I get from this person?"
And they wonder why they don't get ahead.

This trait or habit is not something you have to be successful to learn, but it will absolutely help you reach higher levels of success on your journey.  Start asking yourself, "how can I genuinely help?" and stop yourself from approaching things with a "what's in it for me?" or "what can I get?" attitude.  You'll be amazed at how the law of reciprocity works for you.

Their Story is Your Story

For all of the hype about this group of people (and the hype is warranted), they are still just people, like anyone else.  Their story is your story.  I was amazed at how so many started out with nothing or just an idea.  They work hard.  They put in the time.  They learn from failure and get back up again.  They find ways to reach their goals.

Most importantly, they believe in themselves and their mission and they are devoted to it with every ounce of their being.  Commitment is a word that is thrown around a lot and it has taken me many years to really learn what it means.  To me, commitment is your unwavering belief and urge to push on in spite of everything that comes in front of you.  In spite of fear, failure, worry, and self-doubt.  It is the burning flame for something that can never be put out.

Everyone has something, that by the definition above, they are committed to on their success journey.  Go all in and don't hold anything back.  It was obvious that the individuals in this group had done just that.

They are Constantly Improving Themselves and Their Craft

This may seem as a given, but one thing I observed was the constant discussion of how people are testing new things, seeking out new methods, and sharing what is and what isn't working for them.  No matter how successful they were, they were still learning and trying to improve.

The lesson is obvious, but one that everyone needs to hear over and over again - never stop growing, learning, or challenging yourself.  Complacency is a natural enemy of success.  Always be growing!


Social Smash 2017 was a great event and a great way to end the first quarter of the year.  For me, it reinforced the commitments that I have made to myself, energized me to go after things with more focus and speed, and inspired me to set the bar even higher.  That is all you can ask for a from a few hours on a Friday evening.

We've been having a lot of fun introducing Instagram to Misfit and our pics over the last week.  Below we have put some of our favorite quotes with our thoughts on them for you.  We hope they will inspire you and challenge you to succeed and thrive.  Feel free to copy and share them!

And follow Misfit on Instagram @MisfitEntrepreneur

​Sometimes the best lessons and wisdom come from the most unlikely places.  

A great example came from Lady Gaga during the Superbowl.  While everyone before the show was talking about her performance (and delving into whether it would be political or not) and then after talking about the performance itself; they failed to miss one of the greatest lessons on how to achieve your dreams.

As with all Superbowl's, there is a lot of hype leading up to them with media days and press conferences, interviews, and events.  

During this time, Lady Gaga hosted a press conference with a number of big media stars and fans asking her questions.

It was during this time that she said something was truly inspiring and truthful when it comes to going after what you want.

She was asked a question about her preparation for the show and here's what she said:

I am going to have to say that the preparation for this show is the show business version of the athlete. We have our own set of criteria that we go through myself, and my dancers have been training for months on this. For two months, we dedicated our time to creating the story of the show, creating the musical score, and then we created the set, what it would look like. Then we choreographed the actual dance routine. And then we choreographed the pyrotechnics. 

Additionally, to all of that, we go through an extensive amount of training so that I can sing and dance at the same time for the show, for 13 minutes. 

What I would say is that what you’re watching at the halftime show, it’s not easy. And I say that because I want young people at home that are watching, when they see it --if you have a dream to be something big, you should go for it, but you got to give it everything you’ve got.  You got to wake up, and you got to eat it, breathe it, see it, every second of the day. And if you do that, you might be lucky enough one day to wake up and be playing the halftime show.

You just read one of the most succinct and straight forward pieces of advice for going after your dreams and success.  And further to that, reality and wisdom as well.  

If you really want something, a big dream or goal, you DO have to give it everything you've got.  You do have to eat it, live it, breath it, see it, every second of the day.  But, you know what?  You can do all of that and in the end still not get exactly what you are after.  As Lady Gaga said, "you might be lucky enough."  And that is the thing about life, success, and going after your dreams.  Nothing is ever guaranteed and nothing is ever guaranteed to happen the exact way that you want it to.  

What I can tell you is that if you truly live it, see it, breathe it, give it everything you've got, and are committed to it; you are going to reach new levels.  You are going to go places you never thought possible. It may not be exactly what you expected when starting out, but that is the exciting thing about going after your dreams.  Sometimes you can do even better and sometimes you can succeed in a totally different way. Either way, you can change your life.  So, go for it...give it everything you've got.

Things don't always go well.  Despite how much effort we put in, how much planning, how much emotion, and work; sometimes we get knocked down and run into setbacks.  But, no matter what happens, we can always find ways to overcome and get back on track.

Setbacks, minor and major, are a part of life.  We are better for them.

But, what do we do after a huge setback or failure?  How do we pick ourselves up and come back stronger? How do we get going again?

Fortunately (and unfortunately), I've had my share of failures over the years and have learned a few things about the comeback.

First, you need to get your head straight after a setback.  Most of the time, we let our emotions govern our reactions - fear and anger being the most damaging.  When you have a major setback, some of the first emotions one feels are typically fear and anger (think fight or flight).  Fearfulness of not knowing what to do or how to fix things, and anger at the situation itself.  Recognize this and isolate those feelings.  They are real.  Acknowledge and deal with them. You are going to have them, but you can't find a solution or make the right decisions when they are clouding your ability to think logically.   

There are a few things you also need to understand.  

1. Accept that there will be pain (to you and potentially those around you), but pain is temporary and in order to get back on track you need to go through it.  Don't try to avoid it - attack it head on and get it over with.  Everyone will be better off for it.
2. Realize that it is not that bad.  As bad as things seem to get, they really aren't that bad.  You're still breathing right?  There is a best case and a worse case in every scenario and the majority of the time, you end up somewhere in the middle.  Keep this perspective.
3. Have faith in yourself.  This does not mean you are overly cocky or detach from the reality of the situation.  You must, however, keep faith in yourself that you will make it through.  If you truly believe in yourself, you will.  

In the video below, at about the 5 min mark, Tony Robbins talks about overcoming huge setbacks and makes some really good points to go along with the above.

​Once you have gotten the initial emotional responses out of the way and resolved to fix things, you are ready to go to work.  Overcoming a huge setback comes down to two actions: 

1.)  Ask "How?" and don't use words like "can't," "won't," or any variation of them

When you use words like "can't" or "won't," you shut your brain down right there.  You stop yourself and your ability to think and act in a positive way.  But, asking "how?" does two things.  1.) Asking "how?" activates your brain to start thinking of solutions, and 2.) ​It opens up your mind to look for possibilities.

So start by asking, "How can I move forward in the best way?"  And then get out a piece of paper or journal and just starting writing.  Write everything that comes to mind.  Do a total brain dump.

Once you've done this, you can review your writings and will find specific solutions that you can put action plans around and move forward.  As stated above, you are going to face reality and that means there will be pain, but you'll figure it out and do the things you need to do to get back on track.

2.)  Embrace the fact that you will need to keep pushing, adapting, and finding a way through

Once you start to take action from your list of "how?," not everything will workout as planned.  Sorry, it just doesn't.  Perseverance is crucial here.  Get comfortable with feeling a little like a punching bag.  But don't quit or stop.  Every attempt you make or action you take will get you close to overcoming.  Just keep pushing. 

If you are like me and have been through a lot of these scenarios, you know what I am saying.  I've been broke, back on top, lost a big chunk, come back, etc.  Even when I've reached high success levels in my businesses to where anyone on the outside would think the business is so successful, it doesn't have setbacks anymore, we do.  Just as Tony talks about in the video above.  No matter what level you reach, you will always have things to overcome.  The problems are just different (usually bigger).  And when you've attacked things head on and been the "punching bag" over and over again and continue to push through; you know you'll find a way because you have developed that faith and belief in your ability to do so.  

Just remember, there are no perfect outcomes.  You cannot please everyone, even yourself, all the time.   Many times it's trying to please everyone and not dealing with what we know we should, that causes the setback/failure in the first place!

If you learn to handle the emotions of failing, develop an unshakable faith in yourself, take action, and keep pushing until you overcome; you will get back on top....with a little time to enjoy the sweet taste of victory before the next setback comes and gives you the chance to take yourself to the next level!