Tag Archives: motivational
Life Principles I Attempt to Live By
For the past 3 months, my two business partners, Brian Sowards and Tim Walsh, and I moved into a beach house for the summer in Dewey, Delaware to build our beta platform for USEED and create a really badass company culture. We essentially created our own Business Accelerator, testing our hypothesis and working 15 hour days to bring our idea to fruition. It was the most exciting, challenging, uplifting, inspirational, mind expanding, chaotic, life-hackish, and epic experience of my life.
Now that the summer season has ended and we finished our move back to the University of Delaware campus, I have been reflecting on the goals I had before the summer began, which ones I succeeded in and which ones I did not, and what made me a better person during this journey. On that topic, I wanted to create a post of life principles I want to apply to my own life to help me become the person I want to be.
Please, feel free to add your own in the comments section!!
- Have Integrity – when you say you are going to do something, do it. Do not under deliver or make up excuses
- Always be on Time – Always, no matter what. This falls under integrity, but is so important it needs to be listed on it’s own
- Treat every single person you meet as a best friend, and they will become one
- Think in terms of the other person’s perspective as much as your own
- Respect all elders and be a role model to those younger than you
- Forgive.
- If a friend has a quirky trait about them that really annoys you, help them improve upon it
- Knowledge is happiness, happiness is knowledge* (Courtesy of Tim Walsh)
- Don’t lead people on
- Every person has value and is your superior at something
- Wherever you are and whoever you are with, enjoy their company and have them enjoy yours
- Leaders eat last. Leaders take care of their tribe.
- Do not gossip or talk about someone behind his or her back. It will always come back to that person, and people will worry you say negative things about them to others
- Be prepared and stick to your morals no matter the situation, especially the ones that test them
- Do not belittle people. Do not be knowingly ignorant.
- Treat life as a beautiful experiment; be curious; Create value
- Listen. Listen. Listen.
- Treat guests like family
- Family, above all, is most important – cherish them
- Chase your dreams, not money.
- Don’t leave people hanging. If they text, email, or call you, respond in a timely manner
- Remember your best friend’s and family’s birthdays, and personally call them
- Never show up to a party or gathering empty handed. Always add to the party, don’t just consume.
- Think before you speak. Then think some more.
- Live for the big moments, enjoy all of the small ones
- Your feelings and thoughts become reality. Pay attention to your feelings and what you think about
- Show appreciation when appreciation is due. Pay attention to the things people do that affect you
- Be consistent. Don’t fall off the wagon easily or jump from one thing to another.
- When you do something, do it very well. Or don’t do it at all.
- Always pay back money you borrow and return things you borrow on time
- Show up. Show up to wherever you said you were going to. Show up to the things you may not have necessarily promised to attend, but know you should be there. 90% of living life is just showing up.
I will be updating this post as I think of more. Any ideas for additions?! Share them!
Keep It Warm: One-For-One, Warmth-For-Warmth
Keep It Warm: One-For-One, Warmth-For-Warmth from Matthew Racz on Vimeo.
It used to be quite uncommon for businesses to have a social mission attached to their business model. Revenue was the main driver and all metrics were tied to growth. Luckily, our generation of innovators have shifted their priorities: Innovation through changing the world. Jeff Savio, founder of Keep It Warm and recent graduate from Villanova University, is a part of this generation of innovators looking to make a positive impact on the world. I am honored to have him on this episode of Start It Up TV!
Keep It Warm is a socially responsible apparel company specializing in winter wear. For every product sold, Keep It Warm will donate one to someone in need: one-for-one, warmth-for-warmth. Furthermore, Keep It Warm acts as a promoter of deprivation awareness by supplying happiness, hope, and comfort to underprivileged corners of the world.
Keep It Warm was born in 2011 because of a life experience Jeff had when he was a senior in High School. After going on a service trip to the Lakota Tribe in South Dakota – one of the poorest counties in the country – he knew that he had to do something to make a difference. Enjoy this episode as we dive into the business who is making a direct impact on the lives of those who have lost hope.
About Jeffrey Savio
Jeff Savio is a 2012 gr
aduate from Villanova University, where he majored in Finance and International Business with minors in Political Science and Entrepreneurship. He is originally from Voorhees, NJ, where he attended Bishop Eustace Preparatory School. Passionate about helping others, Mr. Savio participated in many community service initiatives throughout high school, ultimately embarking on an outreach trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in Pine Ridge, SD. These experiences motivated Mr. Savio to begin his own initiative to help others.
In the Spring of 2011, Mr. Savio founded Keep it Warm with classmates at Villanova. In addition to having worked in financial services, Mr. Savio also has non-profit international experience through previous engagements with UK Sustainable Investment and Finance in London, UK, and the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament in Rome, Italy.
Mr. Savio is extremely passionate about socially responsible business and entrepreneurship, and he hopes Keep it Warm will serve as another example that businesses can be successful while making a positive impact in the world.
Links to Connect with Jeffrey:
Feel free to connect with Jeffrey, browse his socially responsible products, or simply let him know you loved the interview!
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/keepitwarm
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/keepitwarmteam
- Jeffrey Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreysavio
Show Some Love for Start It Up TV
Quick Note
Start It Up TV is still growing into what it needs to be. We are trying our best to make this site as awesome and legitimate for our viewers as possible. If you have any ideas on how to make this site better, want to do business with Start It Up TV, or would like to be interviewed for one of the episodes, please feel free to use our Contact Form or E-mail Matt@startitup.tv!
A big thank you to Alek Rost for the intro to Start It Up TV. Check him out at AlekRost.com
Studentbusiness.com: Student Entrepreneurs Helping Student Entrepreneurs
Student Entrepreneurs Helping Student Entrepreneurs: Studentbusiness.com from Matthew Racz on Vimeo.
In this episode of Start It Up TV, Travis May, Harvard graduate and Co-Founder of studentbusiness.com, shares with us his experiences dominating the college entrepreneurship programs at many leading universities. StudentBusinesses.com is an interactive online directory of the top student entrepreneurs and their startups.
The platform helped entrepreneurship programs run business plan competitions through their online SaaS platform. Travis was able to build his business to more than 50 universities in two years and raised angel financing in September 2008. His company was acquired in October 2009 by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation (site rebranded as iStart.org).
About Travis May
Travis was Founder and CEO of Campus Venture Network, Inc. – which was acquired by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. He studied Economics and Mathematics at Harvard and graduated with Phi Beta Kappa and Magna cum Laude Honors.
He is now the Head of Strategy and Operations for Rapleaf, which provides consumer insight and helps personalize experiences online Travis manages the strategic partnerships team and leads new initiatives.
Links to Connect with Travis:
Feel free to connect with Travis, ask him some questions, or simply say “hey, great job on SIU TV.”
Show Some Love for Start It Up TV
Quick Note
Start It Up TV is still growing into what it needs to be. We are trying our best to make this site as awesome and legitimate for our viewers as possible. If you have any ideas on how to make this site better, want to do business with Start It Up TV, or would like to be interviewed for one of the episodes, please feel free to use our Contact Form or E-mail Matt@startitup.tv!
A big thank you to Alek Rost for the intro to Start It Up TV. Check him out at AlekRost.com
The Strangest Secret – Earl Nightingale
Possibly one of the greatest audio clips about succeeding in life – Earl Nightingale was known as “The Dean of Personal Development.” He was born in 1921, joined the Marines at age seventeen (he was one of 12 Marines who survived the bombings of Pearl Harbour on the USS Arizona), hosted the WGN Radio Show from 1950-1956, and is known for his book, The Strangest Secret. Listen, I got all of this from his Wikipedia Page…so if you want more background info on this really cool American motivational speaker, check his page out or go to his website here: Earl Nightingale.
If you are wondering what makes certain people successful, you need to listen to this 30 minute audio clip recorded in the 1950′s. Grab a piece of paper and a pen, write down everything he says, and start accomplishing your goals. I think you’ll surprise yourself with the results. This clip is not only extremely motivational – it’ll make you eager to change your life for the better – but it is proactive too. He challenges you. He gives you a 30-day test that you can start immediately to help jump start the process of accomplishing a goal of yours.
To be honest, I did not know what to think about this audio clip at first. I am not one for sitting down and just listening to someone speak for 30 minutes. After the first two minutes, I was roped in. He started saying things like:
“We don’t have to compete, all we have to do is create” and ” What is it you want? Really think about this. Plant the seed in your mind. Work steadily toward your goal and it will become a reality. It is a law.”
He explains that what we think about is what we become. This is a truly powerful concept and I want you to really listen to what he has to say.
This whole idea of thoughts becoming reality makes perfect sense. Have you ever been in a rotten mood in the morning, and then it seems like the entire day one bad thing after another happens to you. Earl Nightingale suggests that your negative thoughts and feelings are what drive this “series of bad luck.” You become what you think about – bad things happen to you because you are thinking and feeling negative thoughts.
But hold on a second. Haven’t you had those days where it is the reverse? Where it seems like your luck is being drawn from an infinite well – that you just can’t do anything wrong. If you think positively, positive things will happen to you.
It is a law – a law of attraction.
So, let’s take it a step further. Positive feelings and thoughts are great. In fact, it is a perfect place to start. But let’s take it a step further and consider what Earl Nightingale is really talking about: Goals. If you map out your goals and truly think about them in positive ways all day everyday, it is impossible for you to not accomplish them – for your thoughts become reality. Well, he says it better: ” Your limitations are self-imposed. The opportunities ahead of you are infinite.”
As noted earlier, Mr. Nightingale also proposes a 30-day test to his listeners. He challenges you to write down one goal that is clearly defined – something you really want to accomplish – on one side of a note card. You must be willing to put i the effort to accomplish this goal, for what you put in is what you get out. Now, every day for one month, keep this note card with you everywhere you go and read it throughout the day multiple times. When you do think about this goal, think about it in a cheerful and positive manner. Do not concern yourself with your fears of failing to accomplish this goal. For 30 days do more than you have to in order to accomplish it. You must receive in direct proportion what you put in – so make an effort to go the extra mile and make it count.
Try it out. Make it a habit. work to accomplish this goal in 30 days. If you need more time, then you need more time. But once you accomplish your first goal, move on to another goal. Then to another.
I’ll leave you with this exert from his audio clip:
“Don’t concern yourself with the money. Be of service, build, work, dream, and create. Do this and you will find there is no limit to prosperity and abundance will come to you.”
Cheers,
Matthew
