success Archives - Page 2 of 3

5 Reasons You May Be On The Cusp Of Success (And Not Even Know It)

By Chris Carosa on August 11, 2020

Look around you. Now, more than ever, the world teems with constant change.

Some succumb, consumed by the cascading chaos.

Winners smile broadly, delighted by the array of percolating opportunities.

“Do I have what it takes to be an entrepreneur?”

This is the question every budding entrepreneur asks. It is the wrong question.

Imagine

Wouldn’t you benefit more if, before beginning on your entrepreneurial journey, you knew Continue Reading “5 Reasons You May Be On The Cusp Of Success (And Not Even Know It)”

Posted in Business Tips, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Achievement, Agreeableness, Autonomy, axiom, chaos, Constantine I, control, creative, entrepreneur, Extroversion, Julie Bee, locus of control, Neuroticism, openness, opportunity, Ratna Singh, return, risk, risk-taking, Sally Caird, success, winning

Ready. Fire! Aim.

By Chris Carosa on May 19, 2020

Ask any entrepreneurial wannabe what’s holding them back and they’ll say, “I’m just not sure if I have everything I need.”

Ask any successful entrepreneur to name the key to their success and they’ll say, “Moving forward without having everything I needed.”

There are two immutable laws when it comes to starting a business or any new venture. The first neatly packages a box for comfortable perfection. The second… well, let’s talk about the first law first.

The First Immutable Law of Every Successful Entrepreneur: “Never proceed without a Continue Reading “Ready. Fire! Aim.”

Posted in Business Tips, Gray Matter Musings, Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged entrepreneur, failure, fiduciarynews.com, improv, midcourse correction, opportunity, plan, success

Winning The Battle Of Bedford Falls

By Chris Carosa on April 7, 2020

“Gower and Uncle Billy sold war bonds. Bert the cop was wounded in North Africa, got the Silver Star. Ernie, the taxi-driver, parachuted into France. Marty helped capture the Remagen Bridge. Harry, Harry Bailey topped them all. A Navy flier, he shot down fifteen planes. Two of them as they were about to crash into a transport full of soldiers.”

“Yes, but George…”

“George? Four-F on account of his ear, George fought the battle of Bedford Falls… Air raid warden… paper drives…scrap drives… rubber drives… Like everybody else, on V-E day he wept and prayed. On V-J day, he wept and prayed again.”

If you’re a red-blooded American you immediately recognize these lines from the move It’s a Wonderful Life.

Good ol’ George Bailey. As honest and sincere a guy as you can come by. He’d give you his Continue Reading “Winning The Battle Of Bedford Falls”

Posted in Business Tips, Gray Matter Musings, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Adapt, COVID-19, George Bailey, Hero, inspiration, It's a Wonderful Life, Repurpose, success

Just Get Past The Peak

By Chris Carosa on March 31, 2020

There’s a bridge between here and Toronto. It’s in St. Catherine’s. It’s not high, but it’s high enough.

As you cross the Lewiston Bridge, the 190 turns into Route 405 in Ontario. The 405 quickly merges into the QEW and from there its straight on through to Toronto.

By way of this “high enough” bridge.

It’s called the “Garden City Skyway” and it soars 130 feet above the Welland Canal at its greatest height. Not too high. But high enough.

Nearly a mile long, when approaching from the east (which is what you do when you’re travelling to Toronto) before it crosses the canal, it ascends to a gentle curve. But not gentle enough.

To compound matters, the Canadians built the Garden City Skyway as an open road. There is no high structural steel to cocoon you comfortably within its path.

This, combined with it being as tall as a 13-story building and a curve that hides your ultimate destination leaves you with a feeling of flying unbound, high above the endless horizon of Lake Ontario.

And that’s just enough to give one smitten with a not-so-mild case of acrophobia sweaty palms.

I happen to be that one.

We all have a fear of falling. It’s natural and it’s meant to protect us. Acrophobia – the fear Continue Reading “Just Get Past The Peak”

Posted in Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged acrophobia, Canada, fear of falling, Garden City Skyway, hope, inspiration, Lewiston, Ontario, QEW, Queen Elizabeth Way, Saint Catherine's, success

Never Say Never

By Chris Carosa on March 24, 2020

One day, a little boy came home from his first day of school. He was very excited. He couldn’t stop talking about his day. “Teacher says I can do anything I want!” he exclaimed.

His grandfather, listening quietly, became interested, leaned forward and asked “What do you want to do?”

The talkative boy suddenly became quiet and his eyes lit up as he looked outside the kitchen window. Beyond the horizon stood a tall mountain that soared into the clouds. “You see that?” said the boy pointing at the mountain, “I want to climb to the top of that mountain.”

His grandfather leaned back in his chair and laughed knowledgably. “Ha!” he chuckled, “it’s impossible to climb that mountain, it’s too high up!”Continue Reading “Never Say Never”

Posted in Business Tips, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged accomplishment, hope, success

A Life of Flabby Loneliness

By Chris Carosa on March 17, 2020

It was a cold February winter more than 35 years ago. I sat uncomfortably close to a diminutive manually assembled Bush Furniture computer hutch. You remember those things. They looked like the mutant offspring of a too short desk and a flimsy book shelf.

Little did I know I was on the leading edge.

Actually, I did know I was on the leading edge… and loving it.

Hunched over what was then a new Wang PC, I had convinced my employer I needed to Continue Reading “A Life of Flabby Loneliness”

Posted in Business Tips, Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged creation, DPMA, Hubble Telescope, IBM, invention, MBA, PC, remote access, success, telecommuting, Wang Computer, word processing

Why the Hamburger is Who You Are

By Chris Carosa on January 21, 2020

I had the most enjoyable of times a couple Thursday evenings ago. Perhaps a bit too enjoyable.

I was honored to have been invited to speak to the Mendon/Honeoye Falls Historical Society about a subject near and dear to my heart: the history of the hamburger. Not only is it the topic of my most recent book, but I have been lucky enough to talk about my research at events across the nation.

You can understand why I may have enjoyed myself just a tad more than I should have during my Historical Society presentation.

Oh, I tried and tried to maintain my sober scholarly best. But, as is wont to occur when I talk about matters I’ve pursued down rabbit holes of research with extreme vigor, passion inevitably gets the better of me. And when that enthusiasm inspires audience interest, it Continue Reading “Why the Hamburger is Who You Are”

Posted in Gray Matter Musings, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Hamburger, success, the meaning of life

What Every Leader Wants (and Better Have)

By Chris Carosa on November 19, 2019

When we think of leadership, we think of power, authority, and influence. We often assume these three traits are interchangeable, that they mean the same thing.

They don’t.

According to Merriam-Webster, those with “power” have the “ability to act or produce an effect.” In addition, the dictionary also says power may be a “legal or official authority, capacity, or right” that possesses “control, authority, or influence over others.” Despite this, don’t confuse “power” with either “authority” or “influence.” You can possess power without having either authority or influence.

How is this so?

Merriam-Webster fails to help here, as it defines “authority” as the “power to influence or Continue Reading “What Every Leader Wants (and Better Have)”

Posted in Business Tips, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged authority, Influence, leadership, power, success

Discover Success Like Columbus: The Power of Thinking Inside the Box

By Chris Carosa on October 8, 2019

Everyone thinks the secret to success is to think outside the box. That may be one path, but it’s not the only one.

In fact, there may be a far easier route. It’s also one of the most overlooked paths to success.

You don’t need to think outside the box. All you need to do is think inside the box.

The voyage of discovery undertaken by Christopher Columbus represents an epic tale of success long embraced by the vast American public throughout the history of our country. It contains everything a good story should contain.

The Columbus saga begins with a naïve but unpopular observation by an underdog of underdogs. It features the obligatory scorn of the establishment. It honors the power of Continue Reading “Discover Success Like Columbus: The Power of Thinking Inside the Box”

Posted in Business Tips, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Albert Lasker, Bewitched, Christopher Columbus, Claude C. Hopkins, creativity, Darren Stevens, Henry Ford, IBM, innovation, Lord & Thomas, Mad Men, McDonald, McMann and Tate, Michael Dell, Ray Kroc, Rosser Reeves, Schlitz, Steve Jobs, success, Ted Bates & Company, Unique Selling Propostion

Party Like It’s 1959 – The Beautiful Dance of Strategy and Tactics

By Chris Carosa on July 2, 2019

The gray mid-day sky lit up with a brilliant blinding flash. Moments later came a sharp crackle. Its echo reverberated as if it came from inside a deep canyon.

Thus, were the thunderstorms of my youth. Short. Spectacular. And always worth pulling up a lawn chair and watching through the open garage door. It was only a one-car garage, but the space proved wide enough to fit me, my brother, and my father.

You know the kind of lawn chairs I’m talking about. They’re classic. The thin aluminum piping folded for easy and convenient storage. When unfolded you’d sit on its plastic webbing that cushioned your bottom for comfort. Kenny and I would often struggle to avoid being left with the one with the loosest webbing.

Best of all, these classic lawn chairs could get wet. This was often a risk while watching those wandering summer storms. Sometimes a gust of wind would blow the pouring rain beneath the slight eave of roof covering the garage. When that happened with sudden Continue Reading “Party Like It’s 1959 – The Beautiful Dance of Strategy and Tactics”

Posted in Memoir of a Real Life, The Compleat Carosa Commentaries Tagged Anniversary, Big Tree, Big Tree Cub Scout Pack 489, Dad, Kenny, Lena B. Carosa, Mardi Gras, mom, Patsy D. Carosa, pig roast, PTA, strategy, success, tactics