I always like to collect good quotes. Sometimes you run across some real gems. Here is one that seems to be very popular when I share it with a few people. It’s the one quote that has more to do with the secret to personal success and dealing with setbacks than any other I’ve seen. It addresses the one trait you will always hear from top achievers in sports, business, entertainment and any profession when asked what contributed most to your accomplishments. So here it is:

“Hard Work Beats Talent When Talent Doesn’t Work Hard.”

Not the quote you were thinking of? Many people don’t like to hear the word “WORK” as the answer. But it’s the only one that works best.

I was speaking to a group of managers and salespeople in Chicago, and one of the exercises was to have each person write down one idea they were going to implement over the next 30 days that was covered in the program. Some would stand up and explain how they were going to increase sales, get more face-to-face meetings or target the top 10 accounts in their territory using some of the methods we discussed.

As I listened to what they were going to do, I knew some of them would not be successful the first time they tried one of the ideas. So I told them after they presented their action plan to watch something I was about to do and never forget it. I walked back to the front of the room and jumped off the stage while doing a flip in the air and landed on my back. It made a loud noise and seemed to scare a few people…especially the president who thought I might not get up and finish the program. As I stood up, I said the following: “Falling isn’t failing as long as you don’t fail to get back up again.” I wanted them to know that the real “work” comes after you fall, make a mistake, get rejected, lose a deal…but it’s what you learn from that experience to come back with a new approach that really counts.

“There are no secrets to success: Don’t waste time looking for them. Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty to those for whom you work, and persistence.”—Colin Powell, U.S. Secretary of State

—Barry Farber

Dear Blogosphere:

What the heck is going on in the marketplace?

Clients have 75 designers and contractors to pick from and they know it. They can all perform. Well, maybe not, but they all appear as though they can and say they can. Clients are looking for a deal. So “kill the contractor” is the name of the game? Make the vendors compete until they bleed. They say to me, “Why should we pick you?” I tell them about me and how I’ll work with them, and they say, “Oh… OK, we’ll get back to you, thanks for your time” (10 years ago, they would have been offering expensive gifts if you’d even talk to them, and their question was “when?” and not “how much?”

Designers and contractors are wearing thin, in cash and patience. Everyone wants a hunk of us. The employees, charities, all the governments, insurance companies, clients, regulators and inspectors, family and friends. We try to keep up our good attitudes and cash flow and civic mindedness, but with the shoe on the client’s foot, we need to be careful.

Don’t act like you did when the work and cash were flowing heavily with easy credit and when everyone was flush. Listen but don’t kneel. You still need to get paid more than it costs, or just stay home. The guys and gals who sell themselves cheap will not be around long. Try to do what you have to, to show clients that things that are free are worth every penny. Know and watch your costs, but don’t let your service standards slip. In fact, ramp them up and do even better. And DON’T run out of cash, don’t run out of cash, don’t run out of cash!! Be ready when the shoe changes to our feet with a sharp, service-heavy organization that’s ready to grow 1/16th of an inch at a time, not fast.

—Mark Brady

Dear Blogosphere:

What the heck is going on in the marketplace?

Clients have 75 designers and contractors to pick from and they know it. They can all perform. Well, maybe not, but they all appear as though they can and say they can. Clients are looking for a deal. So “kill the contractor” is the name of the game? Make the vendors compete until they bleed. They say to me, “Why should we pick you?” I tell them about me and how I’ll work with them, and they say, “Oh… OK, we’ll get back to you, thanks for your time” (10 years ago, they would have been offering expensive gifts if you’d even talk to them, and their question was “when?” and not “how much?”

Designers and contractors are wearing thin, in cash and patience. Everyone wants a hunk of us. The employees, charities, all the governments, insurance companies, clients, regulators and inspectors, family and friends. We try to keep up our good attitudes and cash flow and civic mindedness, but with the shoe on the client’s foot, we need to be careful.

Don’t act like you did when the work and cash were flowing heavily with easy credit and when everyone was flush. Listen but don’t kneel. You still need to get paid more than it costs, or just stay home. The guys and gals who sell themselves cheap will not be around long. Try to do what you have to, to show clients that things that are free are worth every penny. Know and watch your costs, but don’t let your service standards slip. In fact, ramp them up and do even better. And DON’T run out of cash, don’t run out of cash, don’t run out of cash!! Be ready when the shoe changes to our feet with a sharp, service-heavy organization that’s ready to grow 1/16th of an inch at a time, not fast.

—Mark Brady

When you’re considering alternative energy production for your home, cost is an important factor. PV (photovoltaic) solar panels can seem great in concept, but if they are more expensive than other types of energy, it can be a tough choice. That is why I so appreciated the way the solar costs were described on a project I am currently working on in Miami.

The project is going to have a 10kw system (there are multiple buildings in the project). The company we have been working with, Electron Solar Energy, explained the finances of the system not just in terms of the cost but also the savings. The cost of the system will be $38,643 (after the $20k Florida state rebate and 30% Federal income tax credit). Compared to current solar costs in California, this is pretty good. But where it begins to make sense is when it is reviewed with the cost savings. The PV solar system will have a 25-year warranty, so the cost savings for the energy produced by the solar is estimated below (and is a conservative estimate):

Comparing the $279,182 electricity production to the cost of $38,643 results in a cash benefit of $240,539 over the 25 years. Not too shabby.

And for people like me who do not pay cash up front for their home, the monthly costs have a more immediate impact. By using a mortgage calculator for the cost of $38,643 for 25 years at 6.5% is results in a monthly mortgage of $277. While in the first year of production, the mortgage for the solar will cost $21 more each month than the energy savings, by year two the solar mortgage will cost $2 less each month, by year three it will cost $24 less each month, and so on until the 25th year, when the mortgage will still only be $277 while the energy bill projected would be $1638. Nice.

If we are going to live in smarter, more efficient ways that use our earth’s limited resources wisely, it needs to also make financial sense. I commend companies who are making alternative energy systems affordable and showing us that it can make smart financial sense to build and live in a greener way.

—Michelle Kaufmann