Really, I don't know why so many people are annoyed with President Obama for saying that personal success is almost always a product of our system in America, with the benevolent federal government leading the way. Certainly, that's true, and I will attempt to prove it based on a brand-new investigation of very successful folks.

New York Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey was once a mediocre performer, but he became a star by perfecting the knuckleball. Word is that Nancy Pelosi took the pitcher aside and demonstrated just the right spin to put on his delivery. The former Speaker of the House is too modest to take credit, but she does want to tax Dickey at a higher rate now that he's a 1 percenter.

Did you know that Clint Eastwood was a struggling actor until California Gov. Jerry Brown taught him to squint and say things like, "Feeling lucky, punk?" Apparently, Brown learned that phrase from a former girlfriend, singer Linda Ronstadt, and generously passed it along to Eastwood. However, there is no truth to the rumor that Brown's autobiography will be entitled: "Dirty Jerry."

She won't admit it, but Lady Gaga's career took off when New York Sen. Chuck Schumer advised her to lose the poker face and "loosen up a little." Taken aback by the blunt advice, the former Catholic-school girl took it to heart and replaced her blue blazers with ripped fishnet stockings and rhinestone halter-tops. The rest, of course, you know. But what you might not know is that Schumer was the inspiration for the Gaga hit: "Born This Way."

Likewise with Simon Cowell. The Englishman was looking for a TV niche when he ran across Congressman Barney Frank, who advised him to insult just about everybody and wear tight undershirts in public. After watching Frank on cable TV, Cowell adopted his scorched-earth verbal style and ever since has amassed hundreds of millions of dollars. Fortunately for Cowell, when Frank told him to invest in Fannie Mae, he declined, believing Fannie was an obscure rapper.

But the topper is LeBron James. As a kid in Akron, Ohio, LeBron was directionless, wandering around the boulevards looking for something to do. Then one day a suave stranger showed up on the playground and began shooting hoops with LeBron and his crew. The man showed the youngsters a variety of basketball moves, including the fade-away jump shot. From the jump, LeBron was enthralled and thus began his steady climb to basketball greatness. That stranger's name: Barack Obama.

And now you know the rest of the success story.

Veteran TV news anchor Bill O'Reilly is host of the Fox News show "The O'Reilly Factor" and author of the book "Pinheads and Patriots: Where You Stand in the Age of Obama."

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Bill O'Reilly: The secret to success

Now, it's personal. Our naf of a president has again insulted every American who has worked hard and attained some measure of success. President Barack Obama last week again belittled business owners, diminishing their industry, dismissing their perseverance and deriding their ingenuity. Yes, this is very personal.

"If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help," Obama said at a Virginia campaign event. "There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges."

Of course somebody helped us. In my case, it wasn't a community organizer. David Johnson worked hard to buy the food Dorothy Johnson prepared for me and my brothers. Ralph Sims, my maternal grandfather, helped me get a job in construction, hefting shovels to dig ditches in 100-degree heat. The federal government didn't lift a single shovel.

Gladys Sims pinched pennies and counted quarters so she and my mother could stock my pantry on trips to Cookeville, where I was the first in our family to attend a university. My irascible uncle, Arley Johnson, hired me to work summers servicing swimming pools so I could pay my own way at Tennessee Technological University.

Norma Blair, my high school English teacher, taught me to write. Julia Householder, my history teacher, challenged me to think. Bill Williams, my science teacher, took me to the University of Tennessee, where I first set foot on a college campus. Chick Graning, my high school football coach, later hired me to coach college football before recommending me for my first job in financial services.

Of course many more helped, but not one did it for the money. Not one was part of some grand plan by a Harvard graduate who can barely mask his Marxism. They did it for love.

Obama's biggest insult was to business owners. "If you've got a business you didn't build that," Obama said. "Somebody else made that happen."

Is he nuts? Seriously. Is our president insane? Or just stupid? Is this why we've never seen his college transcripts? Would they reveal his ignorance in its totality?

I've worked with business people for more than a quarter of a century now. Want to know why hiring is slow? The people who took the risk, worked their behinds off and built something from nothing feel belittled by this president. He hates them, and they don't trust him.

Obama speaks of "paying it forward." Well, my family did. Those teachers did. Now many, many, many of us are paying it forward to our kids, to our churches, to our communities. And this president has the audacity to equate taxation with family, friends and community? He insults us all and the American Dream.

Read more:
Greg Johnson: Obama's insults make politics personal

If youve been successful, you didnt get there on your own. . . Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If youve got a business you didnt build that. Somebody else made that happen. Barack Obama

The presidents defenders have claimed he either misspoke last week or that what he said is true. Both defenses have merit.

No mans accomplishments are entirely his own; were all indebted to others, and we all rely on government to provide some basic things. If the presidents praetorians want to defend him on grounds of platitudinous banality, fine.

But even they have to know in their hearts that this is a pathetic maneuver, given that the reason theyre rushing to defend Obama in the first place is his commitment to the very philosophy they deny hes espousing.

Obama is a progressive ideologue and a passionate believer in social justice, and thats a large reason why his fans love him so. But if you ever say that he is what he is if you take his words seriously they ridicule you for believing hes anything other than a pragmatist and moderate.

Yet many conservatives dont appreciate that Obama fits within an old American intellectual tradition. Indeed, you might even call him a reactionary progressive; he seeks to restore the assumptions and priorities of the Progressive Era.

Herbert Croly, the godfather of American progressivism, spoke for a generation of progressive intellectuals when he wrote that the individual has no meaning apart from the society in which his individuality has been formed. For the progressives, society and government were almost interchangeable terms.

John Dewey, the seminal progressive philosopher, believed that organized social control via a socialized economy was the only means to create free individuals. For the progressives, freedom wasnt the absence of government coercion, it was a pile of gifts from the state.

Progressives invented the idea of the moral equivalent of war as a means of inciting citizens to drop their personal priorities and rally around the state for a government-defined cause larger than themselves. Obama came into office under the motto a crisis is a terrible thing to waste and has been looking for Sputnik moments ever since in a search for a way to rationalize his agenda.

To the extent Obama ever speaks the language of religion, it is to justify, even sanctify, the works of government. He often invokes the Hallmark-ized biblical teaching that I am my brothers keeper, I am my sisters keeper as a means to rationalize not personal action but government action.

The rest is here:
Co-sponsoring your success

BALTIMORE, MD--(Marketwire -07/18/12)- While it may be summer now, school will begin soon enough. For students who said goodbye to elementary school earlier this year, this fall represents the start of a critical transition to middle school.

Middle school means new beginnings, experiences and challenges. And while these changes -- new friends, new teachers and new school environment -- can be exciting, they also can be a bit unnerving for new middle-schoolers.

"These transition years can be exhilarating and full of promise, but they also can cause some measure of anxiety," says Richard E. Bavaria, Ph.D., senior vice president of education outreach for Sylvan Learning.

"Research and common sense tell us that the first year in middle school is critical," Bavaria says. "During this single year, a new middle-schooler must assimilate, make new friends, set goals, establish new habits and attitudes, take tougher courses, discover talents and interests, learn new skills, and begin to build confidence in this new environment. Making sure a child handles this transition year well should be an important goal for parents. In fact, a primary indicator of a successful middle school experience is a positive transition from elementary school. And the key to that positive transition is good preparation."

Here are some of the most daunting changes students will encounter during this year of transition -- and some tips from Sylvan Learning on how to work through them successfully.

Challenge: Negotiating the New Environment

The Locker Scare: One of the biggest concerns incoming middle-schoolers have is the locker. Instead of lugging their stuff around in one bag, students now have a place to store everything safely. The best part about the locker is being able to personalize it with photos, drawings, magazine clippings, and anything else that makes it feel comfortable. Ease locker fears and purchase a combination lock and practice before school starts.

New Campus: If your student has to go to an entirely new school, it may seem overwhelming at first. Explore the school's Web site with your child and better yet -- explore the new campus. The better your child understands the school layout and rules, the more at ease she'll feel on the first day. Ask the school if there are any campus tours or orientations available to parents and incoming students. Get a map of the campus and take your child to explore. Be sure to check in with the school office to get an OK for your explorations.

New Schedule: With different classes in different rooms on different days, middle school schedules can seem confusing and scary at first. A few weeks before school begins, check with your school to see when schedules are ready so that your child can have some time to get comfortable with the new routine. If your student needs help finding something or keeping track of where he has to be, encourage him to ask a teacher or other school staff for help.

Challenge: Acquiring New Academic Tools

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Middle School Year -- Transition Your Way up to Success

NEW YORK, July 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Newtek Business Services (NEWT),The Small Business Authority's President and CEO Barry Sloane appeared on Fox News Channel's Fox and Friends this morning. Mr. Sloane was interviewed by host Gretchen Carlson addressing the recent statements made by President Obama about small business. Mr. Sloane took the position that the government and larger regulation are interfering with the ability of the economy to grow. He stated that business owners are offended by President Obama's comments because they feel they have earned the right to be successful. Business owners do a great job within their communities by giving to charities, hiring workers and paying taxes that build roads and bridges. This is a government by the people and for the people; it is the people who have paid taxes and created revenue to create all this. The full video clip of the interview can be seen here.

Barry Sloane also presented his position on this issue in a blog on Forbes and on Twitter.

President and CEO, Barry Sloane commented, "Unfortunately, the country is now in a debate over deciding whether successful business owners and entrepreneurs should thank the government for building roads or great school teachers for their education. At Newtek 'The Small Business Authority,' we represent over 100,000 business accounts and owners and believe that the American philosophical and cultural way of doing things has made them and all of their stakeholders successful. Their stakeholders include their employees, spouses, children and communities who benefit from taxes assessed against their income and success. It is not necessary for the government or any federal official to remind us that the government needs to be thanked for providing services. Our government is for the people and represents the people; it should only be providing a support mechanism for the American way. We are presenting our opinion using these channels as an advocate for our small business clientele who feel the need to celebrate their success outside of the political circle and to elaborate on their concerns over government expansion and the sharing of wealth outside of the free market mechanisms."

About Newtek Business Services, Inc.

Newtek Business Services, The Small Business Authority, provides the following products and services:

Newtek Business Services, Inc., The Small Business Authority, is a direct distributor of a wide range of business services and financial products to the small- and medium-sized business market under the Newtek brand. Since 1999, Newtek has helped small- and medium-sized business owners realize their potential by providing them with the essential tools needed to manage and grow their businesses and to compete effectively in today's marketplace. Newtek provides its services to over 100,000 business accounts and has positioned the Newtek brand as a one-stop-shop provider of such business services. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, there are over 27.5 million small businesses in the United States, which in total represent 99.7% of all employer firms.

Note Regarding Forward Looking StatementsStatements in this press release including statements regarding Newtek's beliefs, expectations, intentions or strategies for the future, may be "forward-looking statements" under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the plans, intentions and expectations reflected in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, among others, intensified competition, operating problems and their impact on revenues and profit margins, anticipated future business strategies and financial performance, anticipated future number of customers, business prospects, legislative developments and similar matters. Risk factors, cautionary statements and other conditions, which could cause Newtek's actual results to differ from management's current expectations, are contained in Newtek's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available through http://www.sec.gov.

Rubenstein Public Relations Telephone: (212) 843-9335 Contact: Jonathan Goldberg / jgoldberg@rubensteinpr.com

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Newtek CEO Barry Sloane Comments On Obama's Position For Small Business Success

HOUSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Serving the needs of a diverse population is a challenge for any city government. Add in the fact that the City of San Mateo, California is located in the heart of Silicon Valley, and it has a lot of big expectations to live up to with a tech-savvy population.

The IT department for the City of San Mateo was actually facing a situation in which they were reduced to writing help desk tickets by hand on scraps of paper. The city needed a more sophisticated way of processing incoming requests.

The Challenge

Failure to provide adequate IT service management to city employees resulted in slow response time to citizens and the inability to meet the demands of a growing high-tech hub.

San Mateo needed a new, cost-effective IT service desk solution that could help maintain the citys networks, including the personal computers of more than 600 employees spread across 22 facilities enabling them to improve service quality and speed for the citys more than 90,000 citizens.

According to a senior project manager at the City of San Mateo, they had a help desk software program in place, but it wasnt implemented well. The staff did not use it, and they fell back on writing tickets on paper. Work orders fell through the cracks, and users did not know if their requests were worked on or escalated.

The Solution

The City of San Mateo chose the BMC Track-It! solution after reviewing a number of competitive mid-range help desk solutions, including TechExcel, CATM and HEAT from FrontRange. The BMC solution was rated the highest by officials in other cities, and its superior support capabilities indicated that it would garner the highest levels of customer satisfaction.

The City chose to work with BMC Software because the companys Track-It! solution offered a user-friendly, easy-to-integrate way for San Mateos IT team to improve its service. The team also saved a lot of money, and city employees were able to focus on tending to the needs of the city and its citizens, instead of worrying about IT issues.

Original post:
CUSTOMER SUCCESS: City of San Mateo Upgrades IT Management to Better Serve Citizens

Boulder, CO (PRWEB) July 17, 2012

As a psychotherapist, professional coach, spiritual guide, and business woman, Heather Hans has transformed her life on every level. She now partners with clients who are serious about success and confirms that anything is possible, but only for those who are highly motivated, creative, brave, astute, and are driven by a desire to contribute to the world.

Having it all is achievable. Obtaining success and the life of your dreams is a step-by-step process, each piece building on itself, which takes time, dedication, and full responsibility for one's life.

If youre someone who wants big success in your life, try Heathers five tips:

1.You must believe. Our thoughts are the beginning of our desires manifested. All successes that you have already achieved are a result of your belief that you could do it. Once you have this belief, there are other steps you must follow, but unlimited belief is foundation of it all.

2.Build a foundation of health. Develop a healthy mind, body, and soul as a foundation for all great success. A wide variety of professionals and self-help resources are necessary in this endeavor. You play the biggest role in these efforts, however, so you must be diligent in your efforts and trust your instincts.

3.Determine your deepest desires. Your diligence and the laws of energy will work in your favor once you become certain of your goals. The key is to select the goals that are truly in line with your values. Goals that are rooted in love and betterment of the world are most likely to be supported by the universe and achieved.

4.Develop a business mind and be brave. Goals are achieved through plans, action, organization, seizing of opportunities, and results. Intentions alone will not create success. Also, learn to dismiss the many voices that will try to sabotage your success and criticize your big dreams. Having courage does not mean that you are not scared of the unknown. It means, even though you are scared, you persevere anyway. And remember, any gate or door that closes on you, a more enchanting one will open a few steps up.

5.Have fun and let your inner child shine! The process of fulfilling your dreams canvas with you as the artist. When you have fun with it, you relax, and when you relax, you have renewed energy and are inspired with creative ideas and solutions. Plus, enjoying life is the biggest success of all.

To get more information on success strategies, like Heather on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

Excerpt from:
5 Tips for Personal Success and Leading a Harmonious Life

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

When it comes to project and program management, what truly propels organizational success? What preconceived notions of personal and professional achievement must be challenged, reconstructed and implemented in order for individuals and organizations to reach their goals?

At Project Management Institutes PMI Global Congress 2012 North America, world-renowned author, consultant and speaker Marcus Buckingham will provide attendees with insight on how they can harness and apply their unique workplace strengths, and how those strengths can translate into long-term success for them and for their organizations. His presentation will draw on his career as a senior researcher for Gallup Organization, where he has spent two decades collecting and analyzing data and delivering results that redefine the true drivers of achievement. It will also highlight the findings of his latest project, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal bestseller StandOut. StandOut delivers practical innovations that fit individual strengths and provides managers with quick insights on how to get the best from each member of their team.

Marcus Buckinghams insight into workplace strengths, how to maximize them and the crucial differences between leadership and management are unmatched, said Mark A. Langley, President and CEO of PMI. His presentation will give attendees a new perspective on how to fulfill the quest for long-lasting achievement not just in the workplace, but in all walks of life.

In addition to StandOut, Buckinghams work includes four best-selling books: First, Break All the Rules (coauthored with Curt Coffman; Simon & Schuster, 1999); Now, Discover Your Strengths (coauthored with Donald O. Clifton; The Free Press, 2001); The One Thing You Need to Know (The Free Press, 2005); and Go Put Your Strengths To Work (The Free Press, 2007).

In his role as an author, independent consultant and speaker, Mr. Buckingham has been the subject of in-depth profiles in The New York Times, Fortune, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. He has appeared on numerous television programs, including The Today Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show, and is routinely lauded by such corporations as Toyota, Coca-Cola, Master Foods, Wells Fargo, Microsoft and Disney as an invaluable resource in informing, challenging, mentoring and inspiring people to find their strengths and sustain long-lasting personal success.

About PMI Global Congress 2012North America

PMIs Global Congress is the worlds premier project management educational and networking event, providing a forum in which practitioners and professionals can network, further their skills and learn how their projects fit within the context of world and economic affairs. The PMI Global Congress 2012North America will be held from 2023 October 2012 at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, BC, Canada. To register, visit http://congresses.pmi.org/NorthAmerica2012/Registration/. Start networking early on LinkedIn by joining PMI Global CongressNorth America and on Twitter @PMICongress.

About Project Management Institute (PMI)

PMI is the worlds largest project management member association, representing more than 600,000 practitioners in more than 185 countries. As a global thought leader and knowledge resource, PMI advances the profession through its global standards and credentials, collaborative chapters and virtual communities and academic research. When organizations invest in project management, supported by PMI, executives have confidence that their important initiatives will deliver expected results, greater business value and competitive advantage. Visit us at http://www.PMI.org, http://www.facebook.com/PMInstitute and on Twitter @PMInstitute.

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World-Renowned Author, Consultant Marcus Buckingham to Keynote PMI® Global Congress 2012—North America

Recently I sat down with a new friend I met for dinner. We talked about what it takes to achieve the goals you want to achieve in life. My friend is already a very accomplished marketing professional. And yet, there was lots more she wanted to do. One conclusion I kept coming back to in this talk is that a large amount of how successful you will be in life comes down to the people you spend time with.

This is why:

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.' Jim Rohn

This quote is one of the most powerful ones that I keep reminding myself over and over again. I am the average of the five people I spend the most time with. Others around myself determine how I think, how I act, and ultimately how successful I will be.

This video from Jim Rohn is amazing. In short: You'll face many struggles along the way if you are seeking success and happiness. If you are the sower, your seeds will get picked up by the birds first and won't give a return. Then they will fall on shallow ground, leaving you with nothing again. Then they will fall on thorny ground and the sun will shine so hot that your small plant will die after the first day. No return either.

Then, one day, the seeds will fall on good ground and finally give you the expected return and success. The only way you can make sure that you will fight your way through this hardship is with the right people by your side.

It doesn't matter how smart you are. It doesn't matter how talented you are, which skills you have, where you are born, or which family you came from. All that counts if you want to be successful in life is the people you surround yourself with.

It's a notion so simple, yet so difficult to get started with. Something I tried to do very specifically is this exercise:

It's ok to end up with this:

"Since last you heard from me, I lost some friends, well, heh, me and Snoop we're dippin' again." ~ Dr. Dre (Still D.R.E.)

Read more from the original source:
How the People Around You Affect Personal Success [Success]

Recently I sat down with a new friend I met for dinner. We talked about what it takes to achieve the goals you want to achieve in life. My friend is already a very accomplished marketing professional. And yet, there was lots more she wanted to do. One conclusion I kept coming back to in this talk is that a large amount of how successful you will be in life comes down to the people you spend time with.

Image remixed from Leremy

This is why:

You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with. Jim Rohn

This quote is one of the most powerful ones that I keep reminding myself over and over again. I am the average of the five people I spend the most time with. Others around myself determine how I think, how I act, and ultimately how successful I will be.

This video from Jim Rohn is amazing. In short: Youll face many struggles along the way if you are seeking success and happiness. If you are the sower, your seeds will get picked up by the birds first and wont give a return. Then they will fall on shallow ground, leaving you with nothing again. Then they will fall on thorny ground and the sun will shine so hot that your small plant will die after the first day. No return either.

Then, one day, the seeds will fall on good ground and finally give you the expected return and success. The only way you can make sure that you will fight your way through this hardship is with the right people by your side.

It doesnt matter how smart you are. It doesnt matter how talented you are, which skills you have, where you are born, or which family you came from. All that counts if you want to be successful in life is the people you surround yourself with.

Its a notion so simple, yet so difficult to get started with. Something I tried to do very specifically is this exercise:

Its OK to end up with this:

Read more:
How The People Around You Affect Personal Success