theMikeMonty.com 

Talk Less, Do More

// June 27th, 2009 // View Comments // Uncategorized

Something I’ve decided I’ll finally voice my opinion on and make public is the detest I’ve developed for those termed as muckrakers, or people who only complain about problems without actually doing anything about them, or at the very least offering a solution to those who are capable of fixing the problem. No, I’m not going to gripe this whole time about muckrakers, but it’s simply a conversation starter. I feel that people these days simply do too much talking, I’ve done it, I’m sure you have too, talking about the future, what you’re going to do tomorrow, what I’m going to be someday, etc. Eventually, you have to shut your mouth, think about what you’re doing, where you’re going, and why and just GO THERE.

For instance (and I’m not sure if this is ‘me talking’, call me on it if you think it is) there was no yo-yo contest in the state of Idaho until 2005. Why? No one thought to throw one. It was my first full year of yo-yoing, and I decided I didn’t want to live in a state where I and my peers didn’t have a venue to compete in friendly, sportsman-like competition to test and try our skills at yo-yoing. So? I did something about it! I started a website (my way of writing down a goal) and shot an email to a friend I had met at a distant yo-yo contest who owned a company in our industry. He agreed to sponsor the first contest, no questions asked. That one sponsor on my website got me motivated enough to call a venue, get shirts made, get about ten sponsors, get sanctioning from the American Yo-Yo Association and National Yo-Yo League. Basically the point is that I didn’t sit and complain about the problem. As a 15 year old (in 2005) I never thought to do so. I had just finished reading the book “If You Think You Can, You Can (for Teens)” and it never occurred to me to doubt myself or to even gripe about the issue.

In the right state of mind, things will just flow. If there are speed bumps along the way (and there will be) they can be easily overcome with a little bit of thinking (you have a brain for a reason)!

So, I will shut up now, but next time you have an issue pop up, instead of spreading negativity, shut your mouth, think about the situation, what caused it and what can fix it, and simply Talk Less, Do More; get the job done. You’ll feel better that you did, and people will remember that you did it.

Montgomery Enterprises LLC Scholarship for Aspiring Young Entrepreneurs

// June 26th, 2009 // View Comments // Uncategorized

In my efforts to apply the Go-Giver philosophies more fully to my life and business I’m establishing the long winded title to a soon to exist scholarship, or “the Montgomery Enterprises LLC Scholarship for Aspiring Young Entrepreneurs” which I am very excited to tell you all about! Or what I’ve decided about so far.

Though it is still in the works, I’m going to be making the applicants read five books that I’ll be choosing, a few will be, “The Go-Giver”, “If You Think You Can, You Can (for Teens)”, and “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”. The other two I will decide over the next few weeks. What the applicants will be required to do after reading these books is write an essay on how they’ve applied the principles they’ve learned from this book to their lives. I’m also considering having them provide a sample business idea they’d like to try out and that they would use knowledge from the books to implement.

I’m going to fund the scholarship by placing vending machines and taking a percentage of the yearly sales to be set aside for the scholarship. The rest of the money will be invested back into the vending machines to grow the business so more can be given in following years. I will also be creating additional revenue streams for the scholarship, one will be a yearly calendar of photographs from around the Gem County, Idaho area. I’m going to make the first issue/draft using only my photographs, simply to build a sample and get the idea out there. I’m considering turning the calendar into a competition to find photographs to use. Alternatively I am considering contacting local photographers to gauge their interest in contributing to a calendar that will help aspiring young entrepreneurs.

That’s what I’ve got so far, I’d love to hear your thoughts or ideas for developing more revenue streams for this scholarship so please comment, can’t wait to hear from you!

Took a break after IDYYC09

// June 25th, 2009 // View Comments // Uncategorized

Well, it finally happened! After a solid month of preparation I finished organizing and executing the 2009 Idaho (State) Yo-Yo Championships at the Gem County Cherry Festival in Emmett, ID. I had 10 competitors attend and participate this year and one judge (John Bozung).

Because the other judges had some difficulties making it this year, I got to judge this year’s competition with John which was fun and informative. Here’s a picture of the participants this year:

The projects I currently have related to this ‘finished project’ include the production of an event DVD which would include images from the event, the competitors freestyles, the awards ceremony, and other various bits of info including the sponsors, judges, event staff, etc.

The other project branching off of IDYYC09 is an Event Organizer’s Handbook on how to organize a yo-yo contest. It’s my attempt to make it so easy to throw a yo-yo contest that there is no excuse not to.

The Go-Giver (Book); What I’m Learning (Vol. 1)

// June 12th, 2009 // View Comments // Uncategorized

It’s important to me to share what I’ve learned about what I’ve read to my friends, family, and peers. I am going to be using my blog for that purpose. I have started to develop a library of books; many of the books currently in it were accumulated over the past ten years of my life and include books that are generally fictional and romantic hallucinations of reality. These past few months however there is a drastic and obvious change in my bookworm’ish appetite.

Ever since I started taking social media seriously I was thrown into a world where a thought can change a life in a matter of seconds. I was introduced to many influential and life-altering individuals whom I am ever grateful to have had the opportunity to meet. One of these people are Mr. Bob Burg, that charismatic and intensely interesting author from ‘back east’ in Florida who wrote the book that I would attribute to being the pivotal point of my existence as a young entrepreneur.

Many of you who are reading this have seen, heard of, and have read the book, ‘the Go-Giver’ and understand already what I mean when I say this was a life changing book. There are thought processes identified that should be so obvious to the business person… I feel that the fact that we are in business is why we don’t see them. Sometimes it takes a look from the outside in to see what exactly is going on in our businesses, and we often aren’t presented with this opportunity. “The Go-Giver” is that opportunity. It covers what is my favorite idea that what we give in value should be more than what we receive in payment. Many people are baffled when I tell them this about the book. They don’t understand it or see the logic to it. Whether they are businessmen and women or just the average Joe employee or peer. The idea behind this concept that has already been proven to me is that when you give more in value than you receive in payment you get more out of your relationship with your clients and customers.

This should be logical but it is for some reason often overlooked and over-thought. Most people my age and older going into business think only about the management side of things, and feel that the bottom line is the most important aspect of their business. Don’t get me wrong, it sure is if you plan on existing for a long time; but the fact that without RELATIONSHIPS there would be no commerce, you would think that working on those relationships should be the obvious focalpoint for the bottom line. This is why I love the Go-Giver so much and (just ask anyone) I never shut up about it.

This is the first installment in what will be  a series of shorter (than this post) blubs about the Go-Giver Book and what I’ve learned from it. After I’m done going over the Go-Giver I’ll be going over other books I’ve been reading from.

The Go-Giver (Book); What I'm Learning (Vol. 1)

// June 12th, 2009 // View Comments // Book Reviews, Business, Go-Giver Tour, Journal

It’s important to me to share what I’ve learned about what I’ve read to my friends, family, and peers. I am going to be using my blog for that purpose. I have started to develop a library of books; many of the books currently in it were accumulated over the past ten years of my life and include books that are generally fictional and romantic hallucinations of reality. These past few months however there is a drastic and obvious change in my bookworm’ish appetite.

Ever since I started taking social media seriously I was thrown into a world where a thought can change a life in a matter of seconds. I was introduced to many influential and life-altering individuals whom I am ever grateful to have had the opportunity to meet. One of these people are Mr. Bob Burg, that charismatic and intensely interesting author from ‘back east’ in Florida who wrote the book that I would attribute to being the pivotal point of my existence as a young entrepreneur.

Many of you who are reading this have seen, heard of, and have read the book, ‘the Go-Giver’ and understand already what I mean when I say this was a life changing book. There are thought processes identified that should be so obvious to the business person… I feel that the fact that we are in business is why we don’t see them. Sometimes it takes a look from the outside in to see what exactly is going on in our businesses, and we often aren’t presented with this opportunity. “The Go-Giver” is that opportunity. It covers what is my favorite idea that what we give in value should be more than what we receive in payment. Many people are baffled when I tell them this about the book. They don’t understand it or see the logic to it. Whether they are businessmen and women or just the average Joe employee or peer. The idea behind this concept that has already been proven to me is that when you give more in value than you receive in payment you get more out of your relationship with your clients and customers.

This should be logical but it is for some reason often overlooked and over-thought. Most people my age and older going into business think only about the management side of things, and feel that the bottom line is the most important aspect of their business. Don’t get me wrong, it sure is if you plan on existing for a long time; but the fact that without RELATIONSHIPS there would be no commerce, you would think that working on those relationships should be the obvious focalpoint for the bottom line. This is why I love the Go-Giver so much and (just ask anyone) I never shut up about it.

This is the first installment in what will be  a series of shorter (than this post) blubs about the Go-Giver Book and what I’ve learned from it. After I’m done going over the Go-Giver I’ll be going over other books I’ve been reading from.