Earlier this week I had the chance to catch up with my buddy and fellow entrepreneur Tim Storm, who also makes his living running an internet based business. Where we live in the Midwest, you would be hard pressed to find any internet business or website as successful as FatWallet.com.

I realize this is more of a story than the traditional Monday motivational posts, but consider this, Tim started this powerhouse of a business on his own with just a simple idea. Many of you who read this blog are familiar with how rakeback works in the online poker market. FatWallet.com is essentially a similar concept, however they operate in the retail market which is exponentially larger than the gaming market will ever be. The forums at FatWallet are also amongst one of the largest online forums in the world.

Like any growing business though, FatWallet recently grew out of their existing office space. Over the past year or so, Tim has been overseeing the construction of his new building. Three words came to mind after getting the grand tour the other day…..impressive, amazing, and unbelievable. It reminded me of a small scale Googleplex. In fact, I don’t even know where to start when explaining it. If you have an office with employees, this is the way to do it.

You can scroll through some great pictures of the new setup here on the developers website.

It is a very large, inviting, and open floor plan. As soon as you walk into the building you are greeted by an entryway filled with video games, pinball machines, a ping pong table, and all the other fun stuff you can imagine. As you progress through the long entryway, you can see what appears to be like a Starbucks with tables, a coffee bar, and of course a custom shuffleboard table. Just before reaching this area, you are greeted by a smiling and cheerful receptionist. I wish I would have remembered a camera, because my description doesn’t quite do it justice.

Further into the building you see several offices with dimmed lights and people working behind massive computer screens. The internet business is the only one in the world where you’ll find executives with ipods on, sitting in dark offices and not getting nervous about having 22 things minimized in their trays when their boss walks in!

The FatWallet team are all transitioning to Macs as well…..apparently they realized how awful Vista was when they decided to order all the new machines! Allow me to continue, as if a fully stocked game room was not enough, there is a phenomenal workout center as well as a library with massage chairs. Not impressed yet, the office building overlooks a golf course which Tim also has ownership in.

Here’s another piece of motivation for you. Before founding FatWallet, Tim was a gaming affiliate and promoted within our industry. It just goes to show you that a little “outside the box” thinking can take you to levels in the business world that most only dream about.

Here is why this entire set-up is so impressive though, it’s not just for looks or prestige. It is because Tim believes in taking care of his employees and keeping the company morale at 110%. If I had to think of one of the top 5 places to work in the world besides PAP, I can honestly say this would be one of them. Many C level managers would think an environment such as this would encourage employees to slack off or be less productive. In fact, it is the exact opposite. Employees want to work harder, show up early, and stay late, Why? Because they feel appreciated and know that their employer rewards them for a job well done.

When I speak about surrounding yourself with successful people, these are the types of individuals I am talking about. I look at business leaders like Tim, and even our CEO Warren Jolly, and I think to myself; what can I learn from these guys or take away from every conversation I have with them that will help me reach my lofty career goals.

Tim gave me a book that I am going to be reading this week called “Mastering the Rockefeller Habits -What you must do to increase the value of your growing firm” by Verne Harnish. I will give a full review in this blog or on our next radio show. Heck maybe I’ll even see if Tim wants to be a guest and discuss it with us.

In closing, all I can say is damn, how did I get so lucky to be working in one of the greatest industries in the world, the affiliate industry? The only answer I can come up with is one of my favorite quotes, “The harder I work, the luckier I get”. Make it a great week!

Instead of typing a long post today for the Monday motivational message, I will share some of the videos I have bookmarked that inspire me. There are some great takeaways and motivation from each of these videos.

1. Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture - Here is a guy that gives a great perspective on life when he is faced with the reality that he has less than a year to live. Everyone should listen to this and lead a life you can be proud of.

2. Taking the First Step - This video has been on the homepage of this blog for a while, and I have left it there because I know when I need some motivation, it’s the first place I go to.

3. Short and Consistent Progress - By making short and consistent progress towards your goal, you can eventually reach your main goal. Either way, you have to be willing to fight for inches in a world that is filled with competition.

4. Steve Jobs Stanford Commencement Speech - Steve Jobs is a an example of someone who started with nothing and is now is a billionaire. It’s amazing what you can do if you believe in yourself and make BIG goals.

Rudy - Bottom line, don’t let anyone EVER tell you that you can’t accomplish something!

Make it a great week! Feel free to share the links to your favorite motivational videos

The one principal I have always believed in is that you only have one chance to make big things happen in your life. Where you are at in life right now is not a dress rehearsal for something bigger to come later! The time to make things happen is right now.

So many people get stuck in the rut of saying, “Someday I will make it happen”, or “Someday I will do this or that”………. Well, what are you waiting for? Whether it be in business, or even something in your personal life, why wait?

Procrastination is the worst habit in the world and can essentially destroy your dreams and future if you allow it to. What if Mark Zuckerberg (the founder of Facebook) was lazy a few years ago and thought to himself, “Someday I am going to develop this new website and idea”, or if the founders of YouTube just put their fancy new website up, but then never worked to develop it or make it better?

Often times the problem isn’t even procrastination, it’s that people don’t dream big enough, or simply can’t envision big things happening in their lives.

Put yourself in the founders of these sites shoes back when they were literally nothing:

YouTube.com April 2005

Google January 1999

PokerStars October 2001

Many can argue that these people were just in the right place at the right time, but the fact of the matter is that they put themselves in that place! Sure, everyone wants to make millions of dollars and be ultra successful, but how many people actually put themselves in a position where this is even a possibility?

I am fortunate to know many people that have become extremely successful in business. And one trait all of these people have in common is that they do not procrastinate when it comes to making big things happen.

Right now we are at the beginning of a new month, and even better, the summer has finally arrived for those of us here in the States. If you are procrastinating about something, why not make a point to make this summer your best one ever. Let’s face it, none of us are getting any younger. Dream Big and make even bigger things happen in your life right now!

Make It A Great Week!

I have a very interesting outlook on life due to my past career working as a paramedic. When thinking today about what to write for a motivational message, I came up with some interesting thoughts. I know I write a lot about making money and being successful, but this Monday Motivational Post is going to be a little different.

If you want the full effect of this message, click on the video on the right hand side of this blog and listen……then go back and watch.

Anyways, before I got into this fun business of internet marketing, I spent almost 10 years volunteering as a firefighter. I have done CPR on probably over 100 people in my life. Likewise I have been in several people’s homes while their loved ones were experiencing the worst days anyone could ever imagine.

This is where I get my drive and what has made me who I am today. During this time I was making awful money doing a noble job. But it made me realize that life is very short and you can’t wait to make things happen in life. You need to do it NOW!

Although you may not be where you want to be right now (none of us are), it doesn’t matter. Enjoy the fact that you are an entrepreneur and out there trying to make it happen. Take a step back for a moment and realize all the great things you have in the here and now.

How many of your buddies are making ANY money online? Probably none, keep in mind though, there is a lot more important things in this world than just money. You could be gone next week, and quite frankly, it won’t matter how you rank in the SERPS, or how many new players you are sending each month.

I was inspired to write this post because we had my oldest daughters birthday party today. I had all my family at my house and it really made me think about what is truly important. Likewise I have a friend right now who’s wife is going through the trials and tribulations of breast cancer.

So I ask everyone reading this to just step back for a minute and think about what you have today and how you never know what tomorrow brings. Personally, I don’t ever want to look back and say “I should have done that”. Fu** that, there is too much out there to be had!

You should make every day count both personally and professionally. Never forget that you only have one chance in this world to make BIG things happen. Why not shoot for the stars with your goals?
Enjoy life today and make the most out of every minute.

And most importantly, always remember the people who got you there, and that there’s way more to living a good life than collecting affiliate checks.

Make it a great week!