What Will You Do When Lightning Strikes?

What will you do when lightning strikes?

Have your ever noticed how we allow ourselves to become used to the status quo? We just relax and cruise within the confines of our comfort zone, old habits, old paradigms, and old ways of doing things? We never expand beyond our comfort zones, and when that happens we don't seek out new challenges, and new opportunities in life. We are lulled into a life of comfort and complacency. But the question I would ask you today is what will you do when lightning strikes?

Have your noticed that right before lightning strikes there are three stages. First you see a brilliant flash of light, and sometimes it comes in succession; one right after the other. It's almost like the flash of a camera and there's no sound, it's very quiet. During stage two you hear a low thunderous rumbling. Immediately after that stage three takes place lightning strikes.

Lets look at each stage.

Stage one. The brilliant illumination of light in succession. I would like to think that this stage represents the quiet time that we spend talking to God in our own humble abodes, in our secret hiding place. Maybe just maybe this is the time that we receive the inspiration from God concerning creative ideas and the entrepreneurial spirit along with the innovative spirit. Perhaps this is the time we sit back and take assessment of our skills, talents, and abilities and of the greatness and the creative genius that dwells within. We come into the knowledge that we were divinely created by God himself, in his own image and likeness.

Stage two. The low thunderous rumbling.

What if the low thunderous rumbling represents the unrest and stirring in the soul and spirit. At this stage perhaps we are trying to pull away from our comfort zones, and old habits. We come to understand that the comfort zone is not a good place. We sit up and say I can do more! I can be more! What is my assignment? What is the assignment that I am to fulfill on this earth? What is my purpose?

Stage Three. The lightning strikes.

Finally the lightning strikes. It's like a cannon or a sonic boom. The sky lights up brilliantly with a great flash. The illumination is incredible. It's like a freeze frame in the sky and appears to part the sky in halves. The lightning appears to writhe across the sky like a thing alive. What if this is the time that we come into the knowledge of what it is that God wants us to do in terms of fulfilling our destiny? What if this is the time that we come into the knowledge of what our purpose is? Perhaps this is the time that we begin to pursue our goals and dreams in life. What if this is the time that we begin to write out our goals and attach a deadline for their accomplishment? Maybe just maybe this is when we design an action plan step by step detail by detail and begin to implement the plan in an effort to achieve our life's dream.

There have been so many people that didn't write the books, or did not invent the invention or did not pursue their dream and purpose in life. I can just imagine that they saw the lightning and chose to ignore it.

What will you do when lightning strikes? Will you look to the brilliant illumination in the sky and follow it on to your goals and dreams. Or will you seek shelter in the confines of your comfort zone, old habits and paradigms? I chose to follow the lightning and pursue my goals and dreams in life, as should you, while the opportunity exists. Remember, lightning never strikes in the same place twice.

To Your Great Success

Mel Richardson
VisionStar Enterprises
1906 Galetown Drive
Severn, Maryland 21144

216-956-3640

The Power Of A Team

Now matter where you are you need to operate within the confines of a team.
As they say no man is an island. When you have a team every person is assigned
a specific function to carry out. If one person is not fulfilling their responsibility then the team suffers. That burden falls to remaining team members, which mean others have to do the job not being handled by the slacker. Most companies are organized within teams with everyone fulfilling their role. Here are
some events that happen a team is not functioning correctly.

1. Other team members will become disgruntled and this could lead to turnover
2. Not only are individual goals not being met but company goals will suffer.
3. The earnings of the company will suffer as well.
4. The share holders will not realize the return they expect.

When organizations have great teams working together the following are the results.

1. Goals are met - Individual and company
2. People are happy and productive
3. Earnings and income for the organization are being fulfilled.
4. Morale and turnover is great.

All great teams whether in sports or business have common characterics. A willingness to work together for a common cause. There is a lot of trust and communication. Winning teams view all situations as a win win scenario.

Great teams coming together for a common goal can virtually achieve the impossible.

To Your Great Success

Mel Richardson
VisionStar Enterprises
1906 Galetown Drive
Severn, Maryland 21144

216-956-3640

Do You Need Venture Capital For Your Business?

If you do not have the initial funding to get your business off the ground then chances are you need to explore other options such as venture capital.

I have come across a website that provides venture capital for your business. The website is
www.nea.com. Most start up businesses need some type of capital to get up and running but they just don't know where or how to go about attaining those particular sources of fund. If you are a start up then Nea will help you by helping to build your great organization from the ground up and continuing on with every single stage of your organization.

What's significant is that NEA will help your business not only through the beginning stages but the later stages as well. Therefore if your company has more than it's share of risks in terms of market, technology, and managment teams, you have huge growth potential then they will also assist you in these endeavors.

To qualify for help from NEA your expertise or focus must be in two areas and they are information technology and Healthcare. These are the industries upon which they have superior knowledge and experience.

If you are looking to receive assistance from NEA you have to meet certain qualifications such as a very unique product or service. Your products cannot be the standard run of the mill . Perhaps you have a process that is truly remarkable and unusual. Also note that your product should help customers or clients satisfy some basic needs . Does it bring about some process improvements in regards to how people work. In other words does it make them more efficient and effective in terms of doing a particular job, task, or duty.

Your product should have the ability to help people in regards to the way they live and play. Does it help them live a more effective life? Does it help people with the way they have fun? Is it contributing to their well being as they pursue recreational activities.

Another thing to note is NEA is more likely to be attracted to your organization if it is well run in terms of the management. It's in your best interest to seek out the best talent you can possibly find as a member of your organization. You want the best talent, in other words those that are sound in their thinking and those that have solid management experience, along with the ability to develop some great ideas and also have the ability to develop a vision for your company.

There is a certain amount of counseling and advising that NEA will provide. Your organization has to have the ability to accept sound counsel and judgment in order to achieve the desired results. Are you open to new ideas and new thinking and new ways of doing things?

Before you even get started you want to make sure you have a product that truly satisfies a need. There have been so many companies that develop a product only to find that there is no market for that particular item. In other words they did not do their market research.

When you start talking about products and services and competition one of the key ingredients you want to examine is market share. Do you have the ability to capture a huge portion of the market from your competitors later on down the line? Can you capture and control a market? Have you found a hungry crowd for your product or service? If so NEA will help you feed them.

Also you don't want to just concentrate on market share you want to concentrate on demand. You need some repeat customers to keep your business up and running. Is this likely to happen for you?

If you business meets these requirements then it's a safe bet that you may be able to receive assistance, guidance and support from NEA.


To Your Great Success

Mel Richardson
VisionStar Enterprises
1906 Galetown Drive
Severn, Maryland 21144

216-956-3640

Getting Down To the Serious Business of Selling

If you are in sales then you probably know there are certain things you have to do to become successful. One of the characteristics of great sales people is the fact that they are extremely confident. A customer can sense if you are not sure of yourself or your product. That's why it is so important to know your product and services. The more competent you are the more confident you become.

You must be a good communicator and have the ability to establish rapport with your customer. Establishing rapport helps you to break the ice and begin the process of relating to and understanding a customer. You must also have the ability to ask the right questions and in the right way. Start with open end questions. These are questions which cannot be answered with a simple yes or know. They entice the customer to give you more information.

These type of questions get the customer talking about themselves. One example of an open end questions is the following: Please explain your experience with investments. Listening is another good quality because this helps you understand the customers needs and then gives you the ability to recommend the correct product or service. Customers want to know that they can trust you and that you have their best interest at heart.

As a sales person you can also use closed end questions. These are questions that the customer will answer with a yes or no and are designed to help you close the sale and control the conversation. One example is "Do You feel comfortable with high risk products?".

Another good quality to have is the ability to overcome objections. More sales people will tell you that they made the sell after the customer made their first objection. The recognized and understood the objection. Sometimes it's a matter of giving the customer more information.

You have to be persistent. The average sale is not made until the customer has said no 5 or 6 times therefore you must have the ability to persevere with a course of action despite the difficulty. If a prospective client objects to your product offering always summarize the customers objection and then have a solution that will help the customer understand why your product or service is going to solve their problem.

And finally be enthusiastic, friendly, confident and persistent. Take some notes immediately after talking with a customer. Perhaps they have children and if you know the children by name it will let the customer know that you were listening and have a sincere interest in helping them eradicate their problem whatever it might by


To Your Great Success

Mel Richardson
VisionStar Enterprises
1906 Galetown Drive
Severn, Maryland 21144

216-956-3640

Think And Grow Rich

Think and Grow Rich

I have read the number one selling motivational book of times, “ Think and Grow Rich“, by Napolean hill three or four times. Every time I read it I learn something new or gain a new perspective on how to look at some of the concepts in that book. This book makes great reading for those that want to become successful, not only in the area of finances but all areas of life as well.

The concept that I love to explore is the fact that your thoughts are things, very powerful and can take on a life form all their own. Not many people realize this but it is our very thoughts that form the fabric of our being regarding who we are, who we can become, and why we do the things we do.

If you think for example that you are going to become a successful, and this is a strong belief backed by unconquerable resolve laced with as Napolean Hill stated, a burning desire then chances are you will become a success. When you are in this state of mind you have a tendency not to see you failures, short comings or set backs. You mind is completely focused on your goals and the successes that lie ahead.

Every fiber of your being is instilled with a can do persona. This is the rare individual that will venture out and throw caution to the wind in the pursuit of his stated goals and dreams, and eventually fulfill his destiny.
Your thoughts when mixed with perseverance, definiteness of purpose and that burning desire they will eventually translate into those things that you are seeking in life.

Napolean Hill gives several examples of individuals that did not accomplish their goals because they gave up when victory was just within their grasp. The lessons he learned were to persevere along life’s journey and in the pursuit of your dreams even when they way is not clear, and you are not sure how you are going to accomplish this goal.


Mr. Hill touches on all the components needed for success such as your thoughts, desire, faith, autosuggestion, specialized knowledge, imagination, the subconscious mind and many more including sex transmutation. If you are looking to fulfill your goals and dreams and live life at it’s highest imaginable point then you should consider reading this book , for the many pearls of wisdom it contains.


To Your Great Success

Melvin Richardson
VisionStar Enterprises
1906 Galetown Drive
Severn, Maryland 21144

216-956-3640

The True Meaning OF Success

The true meaning of success is going above and beyond the call of duty. True success means having the ability and aptitude to hit all of your goals in all six areas of life which include the mental, physical, spiritual, social, career, and the family. When you are able to map out a road map for success no matter what your goals are, and change and adjust along the way then you are truly successful. It's your ability to focus and take action on your stated goals and persevering and not giving up when the road seems dim and dark.

When others have written you off as a failure it's your ability to continue believing in yourself and motivating and inspiring yourself when you are sad and depressed and things are not going your way. Success is calling never giving up and calling upon that inner resolve that says don't give up for what you are seeking is just beyond the horizon. Never fall by the wayside. Continue to seek wise counsel in the coaches, and mentors you find for they are all around. Success is learning something new everyday and never settling for the status quo.

Success is challenging yourself to do better, to be better and then setting the bar just a little bit higher. It's when you look to fulfill your goals by tapping into that inner resolve, and unleash the creative genius within that allows you to achieve a success unlike anything you could have ever imagined.

Success is establishing those relationships with all those that you come in contact with. It's also your ability to help others along your way to success.

And finally success is coming to the realization that we are more than just physical bodies, in essence we are spirits and it is the developing of the spirit and our sense of awareness that allows us to transcend this physical world and seek wisdom from the creative power, the God power. For it was God that created the heavens and the universe and all of our success is dependent upon our relation with HIM and acknowledging him in all of our ways.

To Your Great Success

Mel Richardson
VisionStar Enterprises
1906 Galetown Drive
Severn, Maryland 21144

216-956-3640

Pearls Of Wisdom From The Successful

They say if you want to be truly successful then you should do what the most successful people in the world do. How do you know what they do? Well, you can read their autobiographies or you can simply go and talk to them, which is what I did on several occasions. On this particular setting I scheduled an appointment to speak with Robert Goldberg, who at the time, was President of Ohio Savings Bank, NKA, Amtrust Bank. I actually got a chance to speak with him and pick up some pearls of wisdom about success and becoming financially independent.

During my encounter with Mr. Goldberg I asked what were some of the attributes or qualities one needed in order to become successful no matter what company you were working for and the first attribute he shared was the fact that you have to work hard. He went on to explain how his father was a hard worker, persevered and was disciplined in his saving habits, which eventually enabled him to save enough money to buy the bank. He understand the powerful concept of compound interest and how money works. Albert Einstein called compound interest the eighth wonder of the world because of the extraordinary impact it has on your money when you begin to save and have that money subject to a decent interest rate.

Mr. Goldberg went on to explain how he developed habits of discipline and perseverance because of an early set back or failure in college. That also corresponds with my thoughts on the matter that you need your setbacks and temporary defeats to shake you out of your comfort zone, which in essence leads you to greater victories in the days, weeks, months and years ahead. It’s our setbacks that propel us onto greatness. Willie Jolley, a renown motivational speaker said it best in his best selling book, entitled, “A Setback Is A Setup For A Comeback”. When you have a setback you are in essence positioning yourself for a comeback. You learn from your failures and mistakes and set out anew with new plans, ideas, hopes and sometimes new dreams in an effort to live your purpose and fulfill your destiny.


As I listened to Robert Goldberg I could not help but think about how some people are so flawed in their thinking. They think people become successful by luck, or accident, or it was just meant for them to be. The last part of that statement is true, it was meant for them to be successful, but only after they have paid their dues with long hard hours of work, and perseverance and with not only knowledge, but as Nido Quebein once said, it’s knowledge in order. You can have all the knowledge you want but if you don’t apply it in an organized format towards the accomplishment of your stated goals. you will not receive the desired results.

Willie Jolley said it’s like baking a cake, there is a certain recipe you must follow to get the best results. If you don’t follow the exact recipe then you will get less than stellar results. Too much of this, not enough of that or this is missing all together. There is a process, a recipe or a formula that must be followed to become successful.

As we continued the conversation Mr. Goldberg hit on another key quality and that is integrity and always telling the truth, along with keeping your word. What powerful concepts and principles for success. During the early years of running the bank he stated if a customer was told he would receive an interest rate of 6% and the rates increased to 7% or 8% that is what the customer received, because 6% was the prevailing rate at the time. Your word is your bond. These were times when a handshake would suffice and a deal was made. Not anymore. Both sides today come armed with attorneys looking for loopholes but that’s the way society has evolved to. Integrity is a continuous action, which enables you to develop a reputation for integrity.

Another key concept he expounded upon was doing more than is required of you. If you have a project with a deadline of three days, get it done in two.


Mr. Goldberg mentioned how important it is to understand what it is you want to accomplish or pursue while you are in college. As he spoke on these things I immediately thought about myself and how important it is to understand your purpose and the need to have clarity.

Robert mentioned how he honored the things his father spoke of and also the great example his father set which he followed. His fathers story represented the ultimate success story. He ventured to this country in 1929 without any money and he deposited 50 cents per day which enabled him to eventually save enough money to purchase a lot, resell it and purchase another. Again, he was eventually able to purchase the bank in 1961 with assets in the millions and 60 employees.

Being a good listener was the next quality he spoke about. So many times people don’t really listen they merely wait for the other person to pause or stop speaking so they can interject their own thoughts without taking the time to thoroughly absorb what was said. Listening allows you to learn from others because no one has all the answers. Always have an open door policy which allows associates to voice their opinion and express what is on their mind .

The next success tip was very key as well and it is have compassion on your co-workers and treat them like family, which sets the stage for your employees to go the extra mile and do whatever it takes to get the job done.

Working and contributing to the community was another key quality Mr. Goldberg spoke of. This for the most part was the end of my interview and it enabled me to put some plans into place that would help me achieve even a greater level of success. I was able to put some notes together from our encounter and every now and then I refer back to them as a reminder of the things I need to do to walk into greatness and fulfill my destiny.

To Your Great Success

Mel Richardson
VisionStar Enterprises
1906 Galetown Drive
Severn, MD 21144

216-956-3640