I’m pretty good with my budget and I normally have a set amount of money I spend on gifts…..BUT!

But it was my baby sister …. And it’s not every day she turns 40 (which is weird because I’m still only 21

So I splashed out on some Swarovski Crystal earrings.

But it got me thinking about how Joseph – who was also famous for his budgeting skills – treated the baby in his family. Much like me, he spoiled Benjamin, the baby of the family.

So maybe I have a Joseph anointing. And sure, that’s great.

But I think I’d like to have a crack at being the baby of the family too.

Even if I haven’t got a Benjamin Calling, I want one!

“Benjamin’s serving was five times as much as any of theirs.” Genesis 43:34

“To all of them Joseph gave one change of clothes; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of clothes” Genesis 45:22

300 pieces of silver – even hundreds of years later that much coin could still buy you a whole lot… 10 Jesus’s for a start! (seriously, you could literally buy and sell a life for 30 pieces of silver)

And Let’s face it if you’re going to be eating 5 times as much, you’re probably going to grow out of your clothes 5 times quicker too

Yep a life that is 5 times better than the life my already blessed brothers and sisters have, sounds like a pretty good life to me!

P.S. I wonder if Benjamin went around saying “ner ner ner ner ner!” much?!

I love this interview from The Guardian’s technology podcast last week about Netflix launching in the UK.
Not that I care about Netflix launching in the UK, but the way Neil Hunt articulates the value they provide makes especially the first ten minutes of this audio really worth listening to (and listening to again). Especially if you are thinking of starting a business, or how you can improve the way you communicate to the marketplace about the value you provide.
You get a real sense of the Netflix confidence in the business model when they talk about their “competition”. Neil refers to them as “complementary” and even recommends you try the competition at the same time. This relaxed self-confidence is quite different to some aggressive marketing styles that like to smash the competition. And it would be quite at home in the Australian marketplace.

Their subscription business model also intrigued me. They provide a free trial. They don’t have any contracts to lock you in (you can leave at anytime with just one click). And whilst you’re a customer you can consume unlimited content – on any device, at any time, for as many times as you like. No limits on file size or bandwidth/download etc.

Free trial, Freedom to come or stay, and freedom with no limits.

I’ve never tried Netflix so I’m not endorsing it. But I am endorsing a moment or two to learn from how they do business.

Let me know what you think.

I’m always starting things.

It’s one of the keys to my success.

I love starting things.

What if you could have been there at the start when Captain Cook was just thinking about sailing South?

What if Steve Jobs offered you the chance to invest in Apple shares when they were only worth 1 cent & the iPhone wasn’t even a dream yet? (Yes, he did offer some people that opportunity, and yes the one’s who said “yes” are billionaires now).

Tonight I think I started something that is going to impact 40 million people a year. And I love that! (Personally I blame Seth Brooks for getting me started on that).

But I’ve learnt a thing or two about starting. Here’s the main thing I’ve learnt;

> > > Starting stops most < < <

The number one reason why people don't complete things that they really want to do is because they never start them.

You've got to make a start.

You know you can start right now, right?

So, gentleman, start your engines!

There's no other way to win the race, than to start.

I can't guarantee you that every starter is a winner. (God knows I've had my share of failures). But I can guarantee you that every winner is a starter.

That's what makes starting so exciting!

Let's start starting (& winning). Again.

And I learnt something which, at first, was quite horrifying.

When there is a real emergency, with life and death consequences, the staff are NOT trying to solve the problem.

This is true whether it is a nuclear plant meltdown or a patient (just like you) in Accident & Emergency.

So what ARE the staff focused on?

Stability.

If they can get you stable, then (and only then) they will work on solving the problem.

This is why hospitals always categorize someone’s status as critical or serious or whatever “but stable”.

Stable is the biggie.
It means they have control.
It means they understand what was making your condition deteriorate, at least enough to stop it.
It means they have started working in an environment that will allow a solution to survive.

So when I work with someone’s financial world, especially if it’s in crisis, I don’t try and solve the problem. I simply focus on getting their finances stabilized.

Stable is the biggie.

Then (and only then) I work on solving the problem.

And heard David Astle explaining what a “sockdolager” is.

Turns out, it is a very useful concept to know.

I hope your 2012 turns out to be a real sockdolager!

The 3 shades of meaning are:

1. Something unusually large

2. A decisive reply

3. A heavy, finishing blow e.g. His right jab is a real sockdolager

It reminded me that when negotiating – whether a small personal matter or a large business contract, it often helps to start small.

Establish an environment of agreement. Help the other party say “yes” to you.

Only once they are used to saying use to you, is it time to unleash your sockdolager.

Sock it to ‘em!