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I just spent 3 days with smart folks who make it their business to watch the world's economy, track world trends for entrepreneurs, 
and find new ways to monetize self-publishing. It's a talented and busy group who doesn't waste time talking about the daily news drama. Not once in 3 days did anyone focus on the U.S. government's closure other than a passing comment by someone from Denmark who said “We used to think of you as the United States of America, but now much of Europe is calling you the Divided States of America.” It's a fascinating, multi-national group of all ages – people who are truly out-of-the-box thinkers.
The focus of this groups is:
- What we as world citizens and business owners should be noticing
- How we should be investing
- What trends we are seeing
- How to monetize these trends within our businesses
Here are a few of my observations.
- The under-30 crowd is driving less than the past two generations of young adults did. In fact, a much larger percentage of under-30's don't know how to drive and have no plans to get a driver's license. Business owners in related industries have already felt the effects of this trend. Will this trend affect your business in sales or staffing?
- More small business owners are consciously using intuition in decision-making, and watching how the energy flows in their business and among their staff. My favorite sentence of the entire 3 days was from a woman who co-owns a million dollar business. Speaking of two options for her business, she said, “There's a vast difference in vibratory energy between these two options.” This was like a historic moment to me. Are you watching how the energy flows among your staff and in your business?
- The go-to second language to learn has been Spanish for a while now – but now the talk is all about learning Chinese. It's interesting to me that the majority of people at this event are bilingual, some speak 3 or 4 languages. All the international participants are bi-lingual (obviously), fewer of the U.S. participants were fluent in a second or third language. I met 4 American participants who are actively studying a new language right now, realizing they cannot capture some of the new business opportunities without a second language. How many languages do you speak?
- The biggest stumbling block to seeing new opportunities for ourselves and our businesses is ethnocentricity, which leads to the “not invented here“ syndrome. How many “wild” new ideas do you consider for yourself and your business?
The seminar's presenter described a bleak financial picture for many boomers, who are now reaching retirement but have credit card and mortgage debt, 20 to 30-something adult children still being supported financially, and elderly parents who need money and attention. Options?
- Keep working indefinitely
- Move to a less expensive area in the United States (if you are American)
- Export your retirement by living offshore
- Live in near poverty
- Die
Which of these options would you take if you were facing retirement right now?
My recommendation is to adopt two mindsets.
- Your business and your life will constantly change in reaction to or in anticipation of trends.
- Creating income now and investing for your future should be an integral part of your business and life planning and a top priority. I'd like to think that if I live ex-pat one day I do it because I want to, not because I have to in order to survive.
What “seeing the future” planning do you do for your own life and your business? Sharing those thoughts was super-helpful this weekend. We can do the same thing below.
I can speak Spanish, though I wouldn’t say I’m fluent. I can read it and write it better than I speak it. Many people assume that I can speak Spanish because of my last name–even though “deSilva” is Portuguese. Sometimes I get mail that is completely written in Spanish. 🙂 A few years ago, there was a push for kids in our area to learn Mandarin.
Tiffany,
I’d have never thought about deSilva being a Spanish surname at all. Did your children take Mandarin?
Sue
Awesome summary of what must have been a very cool event. Love, like you, “There’s a vast difference in vibratory energy between these two options.”!!! Did you stand up and give her an ovation right in that hot moment??? 😉
I view my elder years differently. I believe if you keep finding things you LOVE to do, you don’t ever need to retire. It is part of how you Be True Rich — living and working only at things you LOVE.
With love,
Katherine
Katherine C. H. E.
Author, Be True Rich
Katherine,
I was so jazzed up to hear someone talk in “energy terms” in a biz meeting that I almost starting clapping!!
Sue
Great conference summary Sue thanks for sharing – I am I total agreement with speaking Chinese – here in Australia so much of our economy and trade is reliant on the China and many of us are doing business with them frequently. Even if learning the language is not feasible in the short term I would recommend people at least familiarise themselves with the cultural differences and understanding the etiquette of doing business with other cultures.
Cheers
Heidi Alexandra Pollard
Heidi,
So agree about the cultural differences and getting expertise when you need it.
Sue
I agree that there seems to be a shift in generational thinking. I hadn’t considered looking at a world view. Interesting perspective, and something to definitely look into.
Mira,
All our businesses will be affected by global changes now, much more rapidly than in the past.
Sue
Never heard about the under thirty group not driving and not interested in a driver’s license.
Young people around where we live still obtain their permits, etc. as soon as they are able to
and drive as sonn as they are permitted.
Mitch,
I thought the same thing – and it might be because Nashville doesn’t have great mass transportation.
Sue
What an interesting sounding event with fascinating people. Thanks for sharing. I find the intuition and energy flow point to be very intriguing!
I speak 2.75?! languages – English, Afrikaans (which means I can get by with Dutch too) and school French (also enough to get by when in Europe)
Trudy,
I’m impressed you remember your “school French” and didn’t realize that Afrikaans was similar to Dutch. That’s impressive!
Sue
Sue,
This statement/observation is KEY to business success moving forward. “There’s a vast difference in vibratory energy between these two options.”
I don’t know who said it but it’s another indication that business is anything but usual and it’s time to trust our intuition. 🙂
Write on!~
Lisa Manyon
Lisa,
I agree, trusting intuition takes guts sometimes when the numbers don’t bear you out.
Sue
Sue, these tips are fascinating and it sounds like a great conference. I had heard about the trend of younger people not driving it and am witnessing it in friends’ children now. They turn 16 and they no longer rush down to the driver’s license bureau like we all did! It certainly will force them to stay in “the big cities.” I also agree that Chinese is the language to know although any foreign language is helpful.
Mary Ellen,
I agree – any language as a second language is better than none. I wish we pushed this more in our educational system.
Sue
Sounds like a fascinating event, Sue! Thanks for sharing the big points. I like to say I speak 1 and 1/8th languages, as I took French for many years, basically forgot it, but when in France, I understand a lot and can speak a little. I have tried learning Spanish via CDs, but apparently it’s the wrong kind of Spanish my Spanish-speaking friends tell me in California.
Jessica,
There are so many idioms in Spanish – but learning the basics can sure help you get around!
Sue