When to retire?

 

How many times have you pondered or asked … 

 

“when can we retire?”

Or 

“how much do I need to be able for us to retire comfortably?”

 

Fears

• What happens if I run out of money? I don’t want to rely on my family or have to go back to work!!
• What happens if there is rampant inflaton?
•  How can I link my portfolio to at least be same as inflation?

What is that magical number? 

Time 

• What is the time horizon to get to the stage when you want to retire?
• How long will we need funds until we pass – as a 65 year old – expected lifespan is 23 years.

 

Your projected Expenses 

 Some of  the factors that you need to consider?

• Your lifestyle during retirement (projected monthly expenses )
• How much money do you need a month to live
• How much do you want to spend on travel or If you get sick, how much do you need to take care of yourselves?
• How much re you Hobbies? Wine, Cars , Golf, Daily coffee and gym?
• Is there Any Debt that you need to cover
• Children and Grandchildren – how much cash flow do you need to support this ?
• How long you think you will live
• Do you want to leave anything to your family once you are gone

 

(ps – I have a brilliant budgeting tool for you to use… let me know if you need this!!)

 

Once you work out the age that you want to retire, and the magical number you need to be able to retire …… the next question is

 

What income will I need in retirement?

Non Investment Income 

• Pension
• Annuities
• Business and real Estate 
• Inheritance (genetic lottery)

 

Investment Income 

• Asset Allocation 
• Dividends, Rent  and Interest
• Sale of Assets 
• Equities
• Property
• Bonds
• Cash

Cash Flow is King and Queen 

Once you identify what your monthly income and expenses are , and project your lifespan – do a cash flow!!

 

And then simulate the cash flow with what ifs!!

 

How to get there?

Identify the gap 

Know your numbers 

• Determine your time horizon from date of retirement
• Work out your projected expenses
• Work out your non- investment income
• Identify what investment you need to cover your expense

Once you know the numbers you need for retirement , 

• Identify what you have got – where you are today
• Identify what you need to retire and the time frame you have to get there
• Calculate the “Retirement GAP”
• Develop strategies on how to close that Gap
• Depending on the size of the Gap and the timeframe you need to get there…. You may need to leverage, work harder or marry rich?
• To work out these strategies ……

 

Find a Financial Planner that you Know Like and Trust to help you.

 

A good financial planner is like a good doctor…. You can only get to them via a warm introduction or a referral

 

The earlier you start to plan for retirement the easier it will be to close the gap !!

Do you know your Retirement Gap? 

Let me know if you want me to refer you to an awesome financial planner !!

 

There no such thing as a failure!

“I don’t think my wins would have come without my losses and I don’t like the word failure. Everything is a learning experience. Everything can lead to something else, something better, and the key to success is making the most of your highs and limiting the impact of your lows.” 

He counts his wife and son as his “real wins”

James Kennedy 

Kennedys

https://www.forbes.com.au/brand-voice/brandvoice/james-kennedy-on-transforming-kennedy-watches/

Interesting VC Stat - only 1pc of startups make it to $100m arr

Being an entrepreneur in a startup is not for the fint hearted …

And backing a startup is even riskier !!!

Michael Ho has an excellent pictorial 

However there is nothing better than making a positive change and playing at the cutting edge of innovation!!

What do you think ?

7 keys to unlock a flood of referrals

From John Jantsch 

Referrals are the goldmine of marketing! 🌟 They bring in ideal clients, speed up sales, boost fees, and dramatically increase customer lifetime value. 

But even though 80% of people love referring businesses they trust, less than 30% actually do. 🤔

I’ve put together a 1-pager with tips to close this referral gap and transform your business into a referral machine.

Click the link to read the full article: https://loom.ly/uSWauXU

John Jantsch 

5 strategies to grow your business through referral marketing

1. Identify your ideal target audience - and referral sources .
2. Deliver exceptional customer service - so your customers and referral sources  become advocates! 
3. Share with them and onboard them on referron - so they can easily refer your ideal customer to you from their network , and will enable you to refer their ideal client’s form your network! 
4. Track and analyze referral activity - what you can measure you can manage . Do you monitor the effectiveness of your referral - using key performance indicators (KPls) such as referral conversion rates, ROl, and Customer Lifetime Value (CLV)?
5. Thank and acknowledge your referrers - acknowledging their efforts with rewards, personalized thank-you notes, gifts, or public recognition?

Referron makes referral marketing easy - 

• it easy for you to share your business card , 
• connect and refer those people that you know like and trust to your network, and 
• makes it easy for your stakeholders to refer you! 

And it’s free !!

By making those referrals on a consistent basis will  strengthen your relationships with them - helping harness the enthusiasm and goodwill of your satisfied customers stakeholders and advocates …

Download referron from Google store or App Store or download form www.referron.com 

Procrastination - is a bitch!

Let me know if you can relate!!

Procrastination becomes a downward spiral!!! 

Ask me - I’m the king of Procrastination!!!

The longer I procrastinate on returning phone calls and emails, the more guilty I feel about it. 

 The guilt I feel causes me to avoid the issue further, which only leads to more guilt and more procrastination.  It gets to the point where I don't email someone for fear of reminding them that they emailed me and thus giving them a reason to be disappointed in me.  

Then the guilt from my ignored responsibilities grows so large that merely carrying it around with me feels like a huge responsibility.  

It takes up a sizable portion of my capacity, leaving me almost completely useless for anything other than playing the guitar , consuming chocolates , eating ice cream, writing blogs , becoming an expert in middle eastern politics ,  checking out Tic Toc  And surfing the internet like an attention-deficient squirrel on Heroine! 

At some point in this endlessly spiraling disaster, I am forced to throw all of my energy into trying to be responsible, just to dig myself out of the pit I've fallen into.

Who can relate? 

Inspired from a great find by Tanya Kaye 

https://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/06/this-is-why-ill-never-be-adult.html

Connecting and Collaborating in the City - using Referron

There’s something about working in the city !!!

Bumped into my good friend Gunnar Habitz  who works at ActiveCampaign  - he is a networker and collaborator and connector of note!!

Love the way he does business using the acronym #GLUE

Give , Listen , Unite  and Enhance 

Fits in well with Referron’s #5Cs 

Connect, Collaborate, Contribute, Continuously in a Capable way to build an awesome Community!!

We shared ideas - and Sparks were flying - we were connecting, sending VCards and referring with #referron . Looking forward to integrate referron with Active campaign and Automation and other #crms 

One needs to find a secret weapon! I reckon I have found mine.(#referron) 

What is yours?

Odile Faludi and Sasha shares their insights on David Shein’s Knowledge Share

Odile Faludi’s analysis 

• First Impressions of David Shein - authenticity and trust
• On way to the forum - he bought the homeless dude downstairs a coffee 
• Humble and high achiever 
• Gotta do something that’s saleable and scalable - or get a job - entrepreneurship is tuff! 
• Try to keep a balance but it’s tough!!

Sasha sharing views of “Dave’s Disciples”

• Balance is important
• Empower People 
• Teamwork is key 
• Theme of values - share common philosophy with employees and stakeholders - get rid of toxic people - no matter how good they are 
• Think Global 
• 
  
• Fun is important 

Great Advice to Achieve Excellence

Be Obsessive About the Details:

To me, success is not just about grand visions; it is about the relentless pursuit of perfection in every single detail. Knowing you did your absolute best. The way you do one thing is the way you do everything. When you build your company and or personal brand, it is a cohesive experience, intertwined with the same values, discipline, and precision.

❗ Remember: Consistency breeds excellence. How you handle the smallest task reflects your approach to the biggest challenges.

💯 My 2 Top Tips to Excel in the Marketplace [regardless of your industry]:

1️⃣ Relentless Focus: Prioritize and execute. Know your goal and eliminate distractions.

2️⃣ Unwavering Discipline: Show up every day with the same intensity and commitment.

3️⃣ Your brand is your promise to your customers, and every detail matters. Build it with the same rigor and passion that defines you and reflects who you want to be seen as. 

Excellence is not an act, but a habit. Your daily discipline shapes your ultimate success.

9 steps to be happy and successful

• Be grateful - every day - Be strong as a lion when you wake up in the morning to serve -  Because if waking up is the hardest thing you will do , the rest of the day should be a piece of cake!  מוֹדֶהאֲנִי לְפָנֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ חַי וְקַיָּם, שֶׁהֶחֱזַרְתָּ בִּי נִשְׁמָתִי בְּחֶמְלָה. רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ. Modeh anee lefanecha melech chai vekayam, she-he-chezarta bee nishmatee b’chemla, raba emunatecha. - I offer thanks to You, living and eternal King, for You have mercifully restored my soul within me; Your faithfulness is great.

• Be positive - before thinking or saying something negative or complaining - think of something positive about that thing or person 

• Manifest what you want 

• Dream big and follow your dream - take action with vision within your value system - make a plan - and Life will bring you opportunities that will exceed your wildest expectations!

• Care - turn competition to contribution and care - show people you care and you will win their hearts - people don’t care how much you know - before they know how much you care 

• Research do your research on what and who has been successful before 

• Systems - follow the recipe - trust the systems and processes of what has been done before process - maybe what you don’t really want is what you need  - but be sure to try new things and innovate 

• Innovate and continue to learn , innovate , try new things and make this people and things around you better 

• Focus, think, enjoy - to - be do have - not necessarily in that order  

So - Be grateful , dream big, and act (with care and humility) with a vision and a plan - to “be do and have” more than you thought possible !!!

Ivan Kaye 

The immutable 15 laws of the IK doctrine

Going away for a short break - and having 5 hours on a plane - for me - is a great time to look back, look forward, realign . 

Below are 15 immutable Laws or Insights  that have been taught to me by my mentors, experiences, colleagues , family and friends over the years !! 

Law 1 -  “The more you give the more you get!”

“it’s all about your customer” and how you make your customer feel. 

“People don’t care how much you know - until they know how much you care !!”

Robyn Kaye 

Mark Champley 

Law 2 - “if it don’t  flow - let it go” - let it go” 

go for the ride - a wave will happen with or  without you - ride the wave .

In South Africa , India and China - when the lower class was moving to a middle class - it was an amazing wave to watch 

Masses - will create wave - fighting against it is like pushing shot uphill - until you gain traction.

3  questions come to mind  

1. How do you  get flow and create that wave ? 
2. How do you get The power of 10 - 10X 
3. How do you  gain traction - and get flow 

•  Believe you are doing the right things and not just “things right”
• get advocates - followers that believe - others will come
•  if you are persistent 
• lots of energy needed
• continuity, consistency and persistency 
• Doing something that has been done before - like ducks migrating - arrow - people follow each other 
• Running un groups 
• Mass creates energy 

Law 3 - “where your energy does go - so it will grow “

You can control where  you place your effort and where you place your energy - and where you do that so will that grow and flourish! 

Law 4 - luv what you do . 

Don’t be a martyr - and do what you don’t like - life is to short - find the wave that fits with your values/beliefs / energy/aura …..don’t be afraid to fail and start again … if you feel that it’s right - it’s right!!!

Law 5 - the law of the mirror 

 “Life is like a mirror - people around you will adapt to how you feel - adapt to your energy and adapt to your wave length “

  I f you feel successful so you will be - and those around you will be 

• if you feel miserable  so you will be - and those around you will be 
• if you feel happy   so you will be - and those around you will be 
• If you feel like a winner - people will see you as a winner 
• You choose your team 
• You chose your attitude - and your attitude and aptitude will determine your altitude 
• What you say about people is a Reflection of you - what people say about you - is a reflection of them 

People will be attracted to those that they want to feel like 

Law 6 - “practice practice practice” 

the more you do - the better you will become. Be the “college of knowledge” “the subject matter expert” “the go to person”

Law 7  - “ be the centre of influence” 

of your target market - be the “college of knowledge” be the subject matter expert - go to person - for the person people who you want to serve - your customer

Here are some of my tricks :)

Law 8 - systems are key to exponential growth - ai , automation etc 

“what got you to $1m won’t get you to $10m - “what got you to $10m won’t get you to $100m -  systems are key to growth - build the systems that align with riding the wave - not with changing the wave . Change - you won’t change the wave - you will change where you are in connection with the wave 

10X

Law 9 - it’s not about the people - it’s about the right people 

Surround yourself with the “right people”

 it’s not about people - it’s about the “right people” around you - if you are the smartest person in the room - find another room - find a mentor - you become what the people around you are 

Allen Pathmarajah 

Law 10 - life long learning 

It’s all a work in progress - as long as you breath - you haven’t yet finished your mission 

Kala Philip 

Law 11 - “it’s just a fuckin rock” 

 don’t fret about “owning things” or “owning places”

 you are just here for a short time - and then you are gone 

you are leaving a legacy for the way it makes you feel - you are not doing it for anyone else - no-one else . 

You are just a tenant on this planet 🌎 

Look after it , respect it - it’s not yours 

It’s all about the stories that you weave and listen to and a learn from - it’s about the software - the neurals - not the thing 

“It’s not about the thing” 

- it about how the thing makes you feel”

 - what else can trigger that feeling ?

Kate Engler 

Herman Gyr

Global Client Action Forum www.gc-af.com

Yuval Noah Herari ! 

Law 12  - what you dream - you will manifest  

Law 13 - vision with action - with the right values - on the right wave - with the right people l👶🏼🤷🏻‍♀️💃🙋🏾‍♀️🙋‍♂️💁🏽‍♂️🧟‍♀️👯👩‍❤️‍👨🕺🧞‍♂️👩‍❤️‍💋‍👨 on the right bus 🚌 will get you where you want to go ….

• How do you ride that wave 
• the tools , the people around you
• Have a  destination in nind - although it will invariably be a different destination where you will end up - that’s ok .

Make sure you are moving forward !!! 

Law 14 - use the best tools 🧰  💻  📱 💰 💵that are available . 

Social networks , ai , databases, apps , drills …. Automation is good - ride the wave 

Law 15 - care for your team team - and be aware how you make them feel

 it’s all about family  and friends 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦👨‍👨‍👦🪢 

be sure to continually praise them for there effort to do good - and celebrate wins 

People don’t care how much you know - until they know how much you care !!

As my wife, Robyn says …. Ivan - do what you say!!!

Continuous Sales prospecting is key to success

Another great article - packed with insights from my friend Rana Kordahi

It’s not instant !

When it comes to prospecting and filling a sales pipeline, the biggest problem I often see, is that salespeople want instant results.

They might make hundreds of sales calls, and send out lots of emails, but because they are not getting immediate results, they say that it’s not working. 

Continuity is key!!

Many times, they give up after a few days. Or slow down their sales activities.

However, the sales and marketing activities that we do in a 30 day period, usually compounds over a 90 day period. 

Because customers usually take a while to know, like, and trust you and your brand. Or, they are not ready to buy at the point of contact. It's important to use our prospecting calls to also:

1.  Create curiosity and awareness
2. Start the conversation.
3. Create a touchpoint to follow up
4. Gather information.

What are some of your insights?

What are some small and large prospecting habits that you’re creating today, that will reap results in the future?

#thesellingacademy #prospecting #sales #b2bsales #salespipeline 

‘Tell me what you want, what you really, really want’

 

 

The Spice Girls message tells us how we should be dealing with others  dealings with others.

  

Does your mission statement talk about  excellent customer service and nurturing strong relationships?

 

Its all about nurturing relationships

 

Providing outstanding service is hardly rocket science. How hard can it be to return calls, respond to emails and keep the customer informed of what is going on!

 

The relationship we have with our internal colleagues is, more often than not, fundamental to our own success; Without their support, knowledge and skills the chances of us accommodating our external clients diminishes dramatically.

 

Unless you have fostered constructive internal relationships with those that you are dependant upon, it is quite probable that the demands you make could well fall on deaf ears. 

 

 Few people would consciously set out to sabotage the project – but the request for ‘that little bit extra’ certainly won’t be top of their priority list. It could also be argued that those individuals most stressed in the work-place and most in need of assistance from others are those with the weakest internal relationships.

 

When questioned about what they expected from their colleagues, employees at a major financial institution cited the following

 

• When they had problems or queries, they were looking for answers and/or solutions. If this information was not available they wanted to know where they could find the answers or solutions they required. They didn’t expect an individual to have all the answers but they did expect individuals to know where to find the answers.

 

• ‘I want to be listened to, understood and empathised with’. This quote sums up the next three issues. How often are we truly listened to by a colleague who takes an active role in trying to understand what we’re saying. How often do we long to be understood in both our personal and professional lives and how much conflict occurs because of a lack of this understanding. We want to be empathised with – ‘put yourself in my shoes for a moment’, ‘try to understand the limitations and restrictions that I’m working under and I’ll try my hardest to accommodate you’. The greater understanding we have of others the less confusion is likely to arise and the more likely this understanding is to be reciprocated.

 

• Respect was the final attribute expected from others. “treat people like you want to be treated and you are more likely to obtain the outcome you are after.

 

• Gratitude - Appreciate the role each individual plays in ensuring the success of your organisation, show this appreciation in your actions and words and enjoy greater success from the demands you place on others.

 

So, if you want to be successful with your external customers ensure you have worked on your relationships with all your stakeholders  – ensure you have ‘made deposits before you start making any withdrawals’.

 

Make the time to invest in building relationships first and the results will come.

the 10 commandments for an entrepreneur -

 

taken at BSI's Christmas party in 2002 

The ten commandments are pearls of wisdom that I have picked up from friends and acquaintances over the years 

1.       Set your goal and go for it

2.       Be tireless and persevere.

3.       Focus on niche markets.

4.       Be decisive and implement decisions quickly.

5.       Listen and be responsive to customers, suppliers, employees, and investors.

6.       Maintain CFN—cash flow now.

7.       Innovate.

8.       Minimize layers of management.

9.       Maximize profits by keeping costs low and productivity high.

10.   Believe in yourself.

ULTIMATE SUCCESS FORMULA

 

Ø  TARGET - Know your outcome.

Ø  ACTION -  Take action that you believe will produce the results you desire – else your desire will always only be your dreams

Ø  DETERMINE RESPONSE - Develop sensory acuity to recognise the responses and results you are getting to determine whether they are moving towards the outcome.

Ø  ADAPT AND CHANGE UNTIL DESIRED RESULT IS ACHIEVED - Develop the flexibility to change your action until you get the result you want to achieve your outcome.

You have a meeting with a prospect of note - 11 points to close the sale and create an advocate

1. Beware of impostor syndrome - you know your product - no one knows it better - you . They are no better than you 
2. You passionately believe in your product and it will add value to them 
3. They have same anxiousness as you
4. Know your product - know them - do your research - what are their pain points ? 
5. Know the Person - what personality - what are theirs hot buttons - do they like stories or facts 
6. Find the problem before giving the solution … peel the onion - let them come up with the solution / solutions 
7. Customise  and personalise to persons needs, wants and desires - is sustainability , dei, right left - what are their hot buttons - they may buy on the bells and whistles - and will always buy on the relationships 
8. The value gap - give them something that has nothing to do with the product - It’s invariably not about the price or the product - it’s about the relationship 
9. Underpromise  and over deliver
10. Follow up - get feedback and google review 
11. Ask for a referral 

As my friend Rana Kordahi says

“What will set you apart from your customers is you expertise, unique insights, genuine curiosity, authenticity, and sincere desire to add value. And most importantly, the belief that you have in yourself and your products and services.”

10 Lessons From Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

1. Find what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. Your Ikigai lies at the intersection of these four elements.

2. Pursue your passions wholeheartedly. When you engage in activities that you're passionate about, you naturally feel more fulfilled and energised.

3. Keep your body and mind active. Engage in physical activities, mental challenges, and lifelong learning to maintain vitality and cognitive function.

4. Build strong connections with family, friends, and community. Surround yourself with people who support and uplift you.

5. Life is filled with ups and downs. Cultivate resilience to navigate challenges with grace and bounce back from setbacks stronger than before.

6. Strive for balance in all aspects of life—work, relationships, leisure, and personal development. Avoid extremes and seek harmony.

7. Practice mindfulness and savour the present moment. Let go of worries about the past or future and focus on fully experiencing the here and now.

8. Take care of your physical and mental well-being by prioritising sleep, nutrition, stress management, and self-care practices.

9. Cultivate an attitude of gratitude. Appreciate the blessings in your life, big and small, and express thanks regularly.

10. Stay curious and open to new experiences by continuously learning, growing, and evolving as an individual.

BOOK: https://amzn.to/4dmqyVX

You can also get the audio book for free. Use the same link to register for the audio book on audible and start enjoying