Kenney Myers

Author | Actor | Producer | Kickboxer | Entrepreneur

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6 Traits You Have to Possess if You Want to Start a Business that Can Succeed

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succeedMost successful entrepreneurs that I know have some traits in common that seem to enable them to endure and eventually win with small businesses.  On the other hand, I have met far more people that have tried to start a small business only to fail.  In some cases their ideas were amazing, they just couldn’t make them happen.  Here are six traits you need to possess or acquire if you want to successfully start a new business:

  • You have to be an insanely hard worker.  Somehow entrepreneurs got a bad rap for being too lazy to work for someone else but my experience is the exact opposite.  The best entrepreneurs I know work FAR more than 9-to-5 in fact, they really never stop working because of the passion and drive they have for their ideas.
  • You have to be passionate about your mission and ideas.  If you want your business to succeed you have to believe it will to your core and be able to demonstrate those beliefs to everyone you meet (literally).  You have to be a master evangelist because nobody should love your idea more than you.
  • You have to be able to deal with struggles.  Look, a start-up is going to be difficult.  You have to be able to keep focused even though you know you are scraping by and always looking for that next round of funding or deciding whether or not to keep depleting your own savings to fund the business.  If you are looking for job and financial security then you probably shouldn’t start a business.
  • You have to believe that you are going to win.  If you can’t put your “gameface” on  basically on demand then you probably are going to fail.  You have to look like a winner because you believe you are going to win and that its just around the corner (because it very well could be your next meeting or that next stranger you give your passionate elevator pitch to that is your big break).
  • You have to be a fighter.  You can choose to live to fight another day or fight to live another day but either way you are going to have to fight.  If you don’t have that killer/warrior instinct in you and the willingness to go into battle (call it cold calling or knocking on doors or …) then you are going to struggle and you probably are going to lose.
  • You actually have to be able to produce your product or service and not just talk about it.  Some people are just idea guys/gals and that’s all great but if you can’t actually bring the idea to market or know someone that can then you obviously are going to fail.  You have to be functional enough to be able to make sure the work gets done and that usually means being willing and able to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty.

There isn’t really a secret to success in starting a business other than hard work, smart work, and determination.  It also helps a lot to have a business idea that actually can make money, but that is far from enough.  If you don’t have the stomach to be an entrepreneur along with these traits listed above then you really shouldn’t begin because your odds for success are very low.

The 10 Fastest Knockouts in UFC History

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ludwigWhile mixed martial arts is, by definition, comprised of many different techniques and tactics for winning a fight, some of the more exciting finishes are the result of a knockout. These wins are even more explosive when they happen early in the fight. With this in mind, here are the ten fastest knockouts in UFC history.

  1. Todd Duffee – Seven seconds into the very first round at UFC 102, Todd Duffee knocked Tim Hague out after refusing to touch gloves with his opponent.
  2. Chang Sung Jung –Also clocking in at seven seconds into the first round is Chang Sung Jung, who knocked out his opponent Mark Hominick with a devastating straight right at UFC 140.
  3. Ryan Jimmo –In a three-way tie with Duffee and Jung. the at the time undefeated Ryan Jimmo put much-hyped opponent Anthony Perosh to sleep with a massive right punch at UFC 149.
  4. Don Frye –Way back at UFC 8, Don Frye made his debut and UFC history by dispatching opponent Thomas Ramirez in a mere eight seconds. For more than a dozen years, this legendary knockout was the fastest in the promotion’s history.
  5. James Irvin –Tying the previous record set by Don Frye, James Irvin made quick work of opponent Houston Alexander at UFC Fight Night 13. In just eight seconds, Irvin was declared the winner by knock out.
  6. Gray Maynard –The only victory by stoppage of Gray Maynard’s career was also his first UFC win, when he delivered a left hook that left opponent Joe Veres unconscious at UFC Fight Night 11 just nine seconds into the first round.
  7. Mark Weir –In his UFC debut at UFC 38, Mark Weir took out opponent Eugene Jackson with a jab ten seconds after the fight began. Despite his impressive opener, Weir’s first fight was also his last. After the loss, opponent Eugene Jackson left the UFC altogether.
  8. B.J. Penn – At the time a relatively inexperienced fighter, B.J. Penn made quick work of his more seasoned opponent, Caol Uno, at UFC 34. Eleven seconds into the fight, Penn knocked out Uno with an uppercut. Later, he would go on to win the belt and establish himself as one of the most accomplished fighters in his weight class.
  9. Duane Ludwig – In addition to being one of the fastest knockouts in UFC history, Duane Ludwig’s triumph over opponent Jonathan Goulet at UFC Fight Night 3 is also one of the most contentious. Officially, the fight ended at eleven seconds. Unfortunately, the Nevada State Athletic Commission timekeeper was slow to stop the clock. Evidence points to a six-second knockout, which would have been the fastest to date in the UFC. Still, the Commission stood by its initial ruling and Ludwig is not officially recognized for setting such an impressive record.
  10. Rob Emerson – Despite securing a knockout victory at UFC 87 against Manny Gamburyan in twelve seconds, Rob Emerson lost three of his next four fights and was subsequently cut from the organization’s roster. Still, he holds a spot on the top ten list of all-time fastest knockouts for the promotion.

As the UFC continues to grow in popularity, some of these legendary knockouts will be replaced by even more spectacular finishes. Still, each and every one of these fighters has earned a spot in UFC history.

The Bricks Have Fallen Let’s Rebuild on the Solid Rock

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solidIn the wake of the Boston marathon bombing and the media drawing comparisons between this attack and the attacks of 9/11, it’s logical to think again about Jonathan Cahn’s book, The Harbinger.  In his book, Mr. Cahn, a Messianic Jew, compares ancient Israel and its eventual destruction with modern America.  He does this within the context of Isaiah 9:10, which states:

“The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars.” – Isaiah 9:10

Mr. Cahn believes that America, like ancient Israel, has received nine signs, or harbingers. While these signs don’t seal our fate, they definitely do send us down a path toward destruction.  This fate can be averted at any time simply (or not so simply) by Americans turning back to God, putting Him back into both our lives and our society in general.

Let’s quickly review an abridged form of the nine harbingers from his book:

The First Harbinger is the breach.  God briefly removed the hedge of protection over Israel to allow an attack on them.  In the case of America, for Mr. Cahn this is represented by the terrorist attack of 9/11 on the twin towers in New York City, when our hedge of protection was dropped just long enough for devastation to occur.

The Second Harbinger is the terrorist.  In the case of ancient Israel, this was manifested in the Assyrians that attacked them. For America, this is represented by the terrorist group Al Qaeda; they are believed to be descendants of the Assyrians and have been tied to the attacks on 9/11.

The Third Harbinger is the brick(s).  For ancient Israel, this represents the buildings that have fallen from the terrorist attack, including the bricks.  This is paralleled by the twin towers falling in 2001, and specifically by the bricks that were left in the ruins around Ground Zero.

The Fourth Harbinger is the tower.  In Isaiah, this takes the form of Israel deciding to build bigger and better buildings with hewn stones in defiance of God.  Likewise, in America Mr. Cahn notes that our response was to immediately say we should build bigger and taller towers where the twin towers once stood.

The Fifth Harbinger is the Gazit stone.  A Gazit stone is a stone that is carved out into a rectangular shape; the Israelites obtained these stones from a local mountain.  In America, we did the same thing when we carved 20 tons of Adirondack granite from the mountains in New York to create the Freedom Stone, which is the cornerstone of the new development at Ground Zero.

The Sixth Harbinger is the sycamore tree.  In ancient Israel, the Assyrians not only destroyed the buildings, but also the land and the trees, specifically mentioning that they cut down the sycamore trees.  In the attacks on New York City, as scarce as trees were, one tree that was destroyed was indeed a sycamore. This tree became known as “The Sycamore of Ground Zero”.

The Seventh Harbinger is the erez tree.  In ancient Israel, as the vow states, they replaced the sycamore trees with erez/cedar trees.  The same thing happened at Ground Zero in New York, where a Biblical erez tree was planted in the same spot as “The Sycamore of Ground Zero.”

The Eighth Harbinger is the utterance.  This is the vow of defiance that Israel’s leaders uttered in their capital city in response to the attack, though sometime later after rebuilding had begun (Isaiah 9:10).  In America, this happened in our capital, Washington D.C., on 9/11/2004, when Senator John Edwards read Isaiah 9:10 on the anniversary of the attack after some rebuilding had begun.

The Ninth Harbinger is the prophecy.  This is the vow (Isaiah 9:10) again spoken in the nation’s capital, but it has to be done as a prophecy foretelling what would happen.  On 9/12/2001 (the day after the tragedy) Tom Daschle (Senate Majority Leader) gave the nation’s response to the attack, and he read Isaiah 9:10 that foretold that we would rebuild with hewn stone and replace the fallen sycamore trees with cedar, all of which we did actually do at a later time (so the speech did foretell the future).

The harbingers are ominous, and they should certainly cause all of us to stop and think, but we should also consider some additional thought as it relates specifically to Isaiah 9:10 and our beliefs as Christians.  In fact, let’s back it up a bit and look at Isaiah 9:6 and 7, which state:

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” – Isaiah 9:6

“Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.” – Isaiah 9:7

This is a messianic prophecy where we are being told about what will happen when the messiah comes to Earth.  Of course, Jesus did come to Earth, but far after ancient Israel was destroyed. For us, this is quite significant, as the harbingers/signs that were delivered to ancient Israel came before the messiah was born, lived and died to save us from our sins and bring us eternal salvation.

As a society, we (Americans) have gone out of our way to remove God from our government, businesses, schools and many aspects of daily life.  This certainly cannot be pleasing to God, but we can be certain that through Jesus we have a much greater opportunity to be forgiven without large sacrifices (at least not the kind of sacrifices ancient Israel was subject to).

So we can rebuild and grow stronger, not in defiance of God, but in concert with him and by following the example set by his son, Jesus.  The foundation that we should build upon is Christ, the solid rock.  As we rebuild (or expand) our selves, our families and our communities through his love and teachings, we can reach new heights and enjoy his blessings knowing that through Jesus we can and will be saved.

30 Famous Authors Named Ken

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follettWelcome to the first of many in my series of famous people with Ken as their first name (or a derivative like Kenneth, Kenny, or even Kenney).  We start off our adventure with some amazing authors.  Let me know if you think I left an excellent Ken of of the list (as I Ken and will approve them in the comments):

  1. Ken Follett – With more than 100 million copies of his thrillers and historical novels sold around the world, Ken Follett is a New York Times bestselling author from Wales.
  2. Ken Jennings – As a record-holder for the longest winning streak in Jeopardy! history and the all-time leading money winner on American game shows, Ken Jennings is also an author.
  3. Kenneth Benton – Kenneth Benton’s successful career as a spy and crime thriller genre novelist was inspired by his stint as an English MI6 officer and diplomat.
  4. Kenneth C. Davis – A historian whose Don’t Know Much About… series is quite successful, Kenneth C. Davis also lectures at museums and frequently appears on NPR’s All Things Considered.
  5. Ken Kesey – As a counter-cultural icon, Ken Kesey was regarded as a link between the Beat Generation and the hippies. While he wrote several books, his novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was his most popular work.
  6. Kenneth Fearing – Dubbed “the chief poet of the American Depression” by literary critic Macha Rosenthal, Kenneth Fearing was a poet, novelist and the founding editor of the Partisan Review.
  7. Kenneth Grahame – Author of the beloved children’s classic The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame was born in Scotland in 1859.
  8. Ken Hill – While Ken Hill was a theatre director, he also penned acclaimed works for the English stage.
  9. Kenneth Allott – A poet and renowned academic, Kenneth Allott was not only a writer, but accepted as an authority on his fellow poet Matthew Arnold.
  10. Ken Grimwood –While he sometimes wrote under the nom de plume Alan Cochran, Alabama-born Ken Grimwood also wrote several fantasy fiction novels under his own name.
  11. Ken Robinson – Knighted for his services to education, Sir Ken Robinson is an author and international advisor on education in the arts.
  12. Ken Bruen – Fans of noir crime and hard-boiled fiction know Ken Bruen as an Irish contributor to the genre. Bruen is also the recipient of the Shamus Award for outstanding achievement in private eye fiction by the Private Eye Writers of America.
  13. Ken Wilber – Ken Wilber has written about the mysticism, ecology, philosophy and developmental psychology that make up what he has dubbed Integral Theory, which he teaches at the Integral Institute he founded.
  14. Kenneth Koch – From the 1950s until his death in 2002, Kenneth Koch was an active professor, playwright and accomplished poet of the New York School of poetry.
  15. Kenneth Rexroth – Once named the “Father of the Beats” by Time, Kenneth Rexroth was a critical essayist, translator and poet that is considered a major player in the San Francisco Renaissance.
  16. Ken Dryden – A former NHL goaltender, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, a one time Liberal Member of Parliament and an officer of the Order of Canada, Ken Dryden is also a celebrated novelist.
  17. Ken Kalfus – With three books chosen as New York Times Notable Books of the Year, Ken Kalfus is a successful author and journalist.
  18. Ken Akamatsu – A superstar author and artist dedicated to the wildly popular Japanese manga art form, Ken Akamatsu is the brain behind runaway hits like Love Hina and Negima!: Magister Negi Magi.
  19. Ken Liu – A science-fiction writer whose works have appeared in Asimov’s, Clarkesworld and Analog, Ken Liu is also the only author to have a title sweep the Nebula, Hugo and World Fantasy awards.
  20. Kenneth Rose – Kenneth D. Rose is the author of non-fiction tomes like Myth and the Greatest Generation: A Social History of Americans in World War II, One Nation Underground: The Fallout Shelter in American Culture and American Women and the Repeal of Prohibition.
  21. Kenneth Clark – One of the most well-known art historians of his generation, Kenneth Clark was a London native who penned a series of books noted for their simultaneous mass appeal and contributions to legitimate scholarship.
  22. Kenneth Burke – Kenneth Burke was an editor, critic, literary theorist and philosopher, as well as a successful authority on rhetoric and aesthetics.
  23. Ken McElroy – An investment guru with a specialization in the area of real estate, Ken McElroy is a self-help motivational author with several high-profile books to his credit.
  24. Ken Segall – The brains behind the Think different Apple ad campaign, Ken Segall is also the author of Insanely Simple: The Obsession That Drives Apple’s Success.
  25. Ken Bain – A renowned academic and professor, Ken Bain is also the author of two popular tomes for college instructors and students alike.
  26. Ken Wheaton – The author of The Subway Chronicles: Scenes from Life in New York and The First Annual Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival, Ken Wheaton is a native of Louisiana now residing in Brooklyn.
  27. Ken Schwaber – The president of Advanced Development Methods, Ken Schwaber is also the author of several non-fiction works aimed ad software developers and project managers.
  28. Ken Alder – An associate professor of history at Northwestern University, Ken Alder is also the winner of the 1998 Dexter Prize for the best book on the history of technology for his tome Engineering the Revolution.
  29. Ken Dornstein – In addition to publishing a memoir entitled The Boy Who Fell Out of the Sky: A True Story, Ken Dornstein is also the recipient of two Yaddo artist residencies and the Series Editor for PBS’s Frontline.
  30. Ken Harmon – A specialist in all things paranormal, Kenneth W. Harmon is also the author of Ghost Under Foot: the Spirit of Mary Bell.

How to Avoid Sending Texts and Emails to the Wrong Person

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textingSending an email or text to the wrong person is embarrassing! Moreover, it can be a personal and, in some cases, a professional nightmare. You certainly do not want your boss reading an argument with your spouse or a friend reading something negative you said about her! Unfortunately, these types of messaging mishaps happen all too often. Almost everyone has their own story of hitting the send button and being filled with instant shame and regret. There are ways to avoid sending texts and emails to the wrong recipients, and implementing them can save you a lot of awkward moments, both personally and professionally.

Managing Email Contacts and Recipients

When it comes to email, if you don’t already, get in the habit of proof reading your words. Good writing should not become a lost art just because technology has made it faster and easier to send messages. Then, as you are ensuring your spelling and grammar are correct, also be sure to review your recipients in the To, CC and BCC fields. When you are inputting information into those fields, be sure to type out the person’s whole name. If you are depending on the system to automatically populate the field for you, you are just asking for trouble.

Many email services allow you to adjust settings in order to delay the sending of your emails. If you delay it, you can quickly cancel the message before your email server begins the sending process. Look for an “Undo Send” or “Delay Send” option under your email settings.

If you still send the email to the wrong person you have a few options. If you use Microsoft Outlook, and the recipient also uses Outlook and hasn’t yet opened your email, you can recall it. Granted, these are a lot of “ifs,” but sometimes, when all the stars align, you can get lucky and simply click to recall the sent message. If this is an inter-office goof, you can ask your IT department to remove the message for you if it is not too late. Finally, sometimes the only option you have is to own up to the mistake, ask the person not to read the email and let them know it was a terrible accident!

Managing Text Message Recipients

When it comes to texting, there are some handy apps that were created with the sole intention of saving you from feeling utterly mortified when you message your mother something intended for your boyfriend, or your boss something intended for your wife.

Some of these apps will work for both text messages and emails sent from your phone. They work by simply asking you if you are sure you want to send. Sometimes that brief pause is all you need to prevent a mistake you can never take back.

There are other apps that can be utilized where you can mark off potentially dangerous contacts such as bosses, co-workers and exes. The app will then hold off on sending the texts to these people until you review them. This is also helpful in preventing impulsive texts that could be regretted later.

Finally, some text messaging apps allow you to recall and even destroy a message after it has been sent. Users can even delete the message from the text messaging server, whereas with regular text messaging your words live on in that server for an unspecified amount of time. Many healthcare providers are using these types of apps to ensure privacy compliance, but it works well for everyday users as well.

Employing common sense is another way to prevent texting the wrong person. For example, do not text while you are driving.  Not only is it unsafe to you and to everyone else on the road with you, but there is no way you can ensure you are texting correctly while you are busy doing something else. It was not too long ago that people lived without cell phones at all, let alone text messaging, and they survived just fine. Waiting to pull over before sending a message does not mean the end of the world, your relationship or your career. When it comes to texting, waiting is a good thing.

As with email, always double check the To, CC and BCC fields before pressing that send button. Assigning pictures to your contacts is another helpful trick to ensure that you are sending to the correct person, assuming that you’ve assigned the photos correctly.

Many times, people use email and texting because they feel it is more efficient than a phone call or a walk to the next office down the hall. In this age of technology, many people feel so connected to their computers and smart phones that the thought of abandoning their work to speak to someone feels like a hassle and a waste of time. However, sometimes a quick phone call to relay information or hash something out can save you a lot of precious moments. Taking a break from screens is often just what the doctor ordered to rejuvenate creativity and your body’s circulation. It can also give you peace of mind that you are talking to the right person.

15 Websites to Help You With Rhyming Words

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rhymeRhyming words are fun, but some words will leave you tongue-tied trying to find a suitable partner. Anyone who has ever dabbled in poetry will tell you that meter is a refined art that requires the poet to have a comprehensive understanding of how the rhythmic structure of words, sentences and verses ebb and flow. A rookie mistake when dealing with rhyming words is assuming that every word has to be an exact match. A close match is often sufficient to convince the ear that it rhymes without breaking the rhythm of the verse of rhyme. These 15 websites are designed specifically to help you find rhyming words, synonyms and other forms of creative word play.

  1. Rhyme Zone – It’s very frustrating to discover that a word does not have an exact rhyme. However, with Rhyme Zone, you may just find the next best thing. The website’s search engine will look for an exact match, but if it doesn’t find one it will return a list of similar sounding words. You can define your search in a number of ways, including near rhymes, similar sounding words or related words. For more relevant listings, you can also organize the search results by both number of syllables and letters.
  2. Rhymer – As well as providing a powerful rhyming search engine, Rhymer is full of great tips and instructions on constructing rhymes. The website returns results based on rhyming syllables. This is particularly useful if you are a poet, as it allows you to construct verses that flow naturally without stretching to make the words match the meter.
  3. Rhyme Brain – This is a multi-lingual rhyming site that includes French, German, English and Spanish, among other languages. The interface couldn’t be simpler to use; you type the word you wish to rhyme into the search bar and the results are posted in tables on the same page. Rhyme Brain also has an extensive blog on rhyming words and alliteration that you can spend hours browsing through.
  4. Enchanted Learning – Finding rhymes the easy way is one thing; learning to use them on your own is quite another. Enchanted Learning provides endless hours of fun with rhyming games and activities. There is a $20 per year subscription charge, which gives you full access to all the downloadable content from the site. However, there is also a large amount of content that is free of charge and doesn’t require a subscription.
  5. Reggie Loves to Rhyme – This site from Scholastic is a fully interactive site for children, with games and activities that use colors, pictures and sounds to help build rhyming knowledge and skills. Scholastic is an international company that delivers educational material to children in over 150 countries.
  6. WikiRhymer – In keeping with other Wiki-sites, this rhyming search engine is community based. The interface has a number of search parameters to choose from, and there is also a discussion forum where you can ask questions if you’re having trouble with a particular word. This provides a very beneficial platform for poets and song-writers to share ideas.
  7. PBS Kids Rhyming Games – PBS have brought together all their much-loved characters to create a fully interactive site full of rhyming games. Sesame Street, Bingo and others are on hand to make rhyming fun for kids and adults alike.
  8. Word Central – Merriam-Webster are the developers of Word Central, so you shouldn’t be at all surprised to find that the site has a huge database of rhyming words. What’s more, at Word Central you can create your own dictionary along with word definitions. So if you can’t find a word that rhymes the way you’d like, you can just invent one instead!
  9. Find Rhymes – This site adds a new element to rhyme searching by adding phonemes into the mix. Phonemes are the distinct sounds in a specified language that distinguish one word from another.
  10. Rhymes & Chimes – As well as providing rhyming words, Rhymes and Chimes has search parameters for translations, phrases, quotes and related products. Results are also broken down by number of syllables in ascending order from one up to five.
  11. Reading Rockets – This educational site will take you all the way from the basics to the comprehensive elements of rhyming and word play. There’s also a selection of printable material available on Reading Rockets, as well as games and activities you can use on the site.
  12. Your Dictionary – Create your own worksheets and browse through lists of rhyming activities in Your Dictionary’s huge archives. The site is extremely well organized, making it easy to navigate and find what you need with minimal hassle.
  13. Rhyme Bot – This clever bot returns a wealth of information from a single search. By default, Rhyme Bot is tailored towards kids; however, you can also switch to advanced search for more complicated results.
  14. Kids Front – The questions and answers structure of Kids Front is a progressive way of learning rhyming structures.  Although the site is obviously aimed at teaching kids, the exercises are suitable for adults, too.
  15. What rhymes with? – There is nothing complicated or flashy about this site; you simply type a word into the search engine and it finds you rhyming words. However, the results are returned in an easy to read format and each word links to its own related words.