How One Age-Old Principle has Defined Our Success

Whether you’ve seen this, heard of it, or have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about, The Secret is incredibly powerful. The Secret to success, happiness, and prosperity pivots on the time-honored new age notion of the Laws of Attraction: That is, think positively, and positive things will come to you.

Rhonda Byrne’s discovery of The Secret began with a glimpse of the truth of life within a 100-year old book. She went back through the centuries, tracing and uncovering The Secret that lay at the core of the most powerful philosophies, teachings and religions in the world.

What Rhonda discovered is now captured in The Secret, a film that has changed millions of people’s lives across the planet. No matter who you are, no matter where you are, you can change your life.

This is The Secret to prosperity, health, relationships and happiness. This is The Secret to life.

It’s helped us be better entrepreneurs, go-givers, and members of society in general.

Check it out:

How to Transcend from a “Good” Leader to a “Great” Leader

Becoming a great leader isn’t easy. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said,  ”A good leader inspires people to have confidence in the leader, a great leader inspires people to have confidence in themselves.”

That’s the one thing that sets a good leader apart from a great leader. Worse, it isn’t always clear how to achieve that status.

Some say people are born leaders, while others are born followers. Others say you’re born with a blank slate and can be made into a leader with the proper training. Whatever you believe, learning from already-successful leaders is the best way to improve your leadership skills.

Here are Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top 10 Secrets of Successful Leaders:

1. Assemble a Dedicated Team

A business is only as strong as its weakest link. That being said, your team is the most important thing in your business. Hiring a team of passionate employees who get your mission, share your passion, and blend in seamlessly with your culture is key. That way, they will go above and beyond with everything they do. The best leaders hire the best people and are selective. Never sacrifice quality for quantity if you’re looking to hire more people as your business grows.

2. Overcommunicate 

This one sounds scary, but don’t fret quite yet. Normally, keeping communication to a minimum is most effective. Being bombarded with emails that only 5% of people need to see is completely unoptimized.

This isn’t what we mean by overcommunicating. Overcommunicate company happenings so everyone has up-to-date information. Recently featured in a press release? Make sure everyone on your team knows. Overcommunicate your goals and make sure people set goals for themselves. This not only creates accountability, but people are always in the know with what’s going on.

This can be done through a weekly newsletter, blog, or even social media. Trust us…it works!

3. Don’t Assume

This one is a biggie. When you run a small business, you might assume that everyone in your team knows your mission, goals, and what you envision the future to be. Don’t assume anything! Hammer home your mission. Remind them why you hired them. Let them know your goals for the company.

It’s important to paint a picture of your company’s future, and where they fit in. Also, ask your team where they see themselves in a year, five years, ten years. Your team will feel excited as they become a part of your growth and reap the rewards.

4. Be Authentic

Great leaders instill their personality and beliefs into the fabric of their organization. Be yourself. Don’t try to act like someone else, and surround yourself with people who are aligned with your values. Just by doing that, your business is more likely to succeed. We all know those people who assume a certain personality because they think that’s what people expect, but this is the furthest thing from the truth. Your team will be much more attracted to a company whose personality reflects your personality.

5. Know Your Obstacles

Most entrepreneurs are optimistic and certain that they’re driving toward their goals. But, a short-sighted leader doesn’t take the time to understand his or her obstacles. That mindset is a recipe for disaster. You need to know what you’re up against, that way you can plan around it.

6. Create a “Team Charter”

Too many new teams race down the road before they even figure out who they are, where they’re going, and what will guide their journey, says Ken Blanchard, co-author of The One-Minute Manager (William Morrow & Co., 1982). Just calling together a team and giving them a clear charge does not mean the team will succeed.

“It’s important to create a set of agreements that clearly states what the team is to accomplish, why it is important and how the team will work together to achieve the desired results,” says Blanchard. “The charter provides a record of common agreements and can be modified as the business grows and the team’s needs change.”

This charter can be something as simple as a sales chart with each salesperson’s name, a shared/personal goals spreadsheet, etc. Setting personal and shared goals is essential to a successful growing business.

7. Believe in Your People

Entrepreneurial leaders must help their people develop confidence, especially during tough times. That confidence comes in part from believing in your team.  If you think of your people as 10s and treat them like 10s, they perform like 10s.  But believing in people alone isn’t enough. You have to help them win. Make sure you are there to guide them to success. Share your knowledge. Make sure they are learning something new every day.

8. Dole Out Credit

We all know that phrase, “give credit where credit is due.” The same goes for your team members. Pay attention to their accomplishments and let them know you noticed. This will bring a smile to their face every time. It’s always nice to be recognized for something you did right.

Don’t be an entrepreneur who is too in love with his own ideas to dole out credit to those who have better ideas. You’re a team, not a bureaucracy. You really know a successful organization when other employees can do a better job at what they do than the CEO could.

9. Keep Your Team Engaged

Great leaders give their teams challenges and get them excited about them. It’s important to keep the passion alive. Set challenging yet reasonable goals. Give your team autonomy to learn and grow within your company.

10. Stay Calm

An entrepreneur has to backstop the team from overreacting to short-term situations, such as the current economic crisis. The best leaders thrive in tough times. Some of the most successful companies were created in economic crises, including Apple, FedEx, and GE.

New Jersey Nets Coach Avery Johnson Shares Lessons by Which to Lead, Learn, and Live

In every high school, there are motivational posters scattered along the walls to remind us to live by certain core values. We all know them well--the poster with the words “LEADERSHIP” with an image of a four star general and an inspirational quote underneath.

However, great leaders do not have to be decorated soldiers in the military or the President of the United States. Great leaders are everywhere you look.

But here comes the great debate: Are people born leaders, or can leaders be “made?” The old “nature” vs. “nurture” debate has been around for centuries and still hasn’t been resolved.

I think it’s safe to say that perhaps becoming a leader requires a little bit of both. You can never have too much advice from an already-established leader.

In a recent article in Inc., NBA Coach Avery Johnson provided us with his Top 7 Leadership Lessons. Coach Johnson won “NBA Coach of the Year” after his first full season (2005-2006) as head coach. Even before he became a coach and was still a player for the San Antonio Spurs, he was nicknamed “Little General” for his leadership skills.

“Bringing a unique perspective as a leader has been important for Johnson throughout his career, and particularly when he took over for a Nets team that had won only 12 games in the previous season” said Inc. “He considers the qualities of being a good leader in the NBA very similar to those necessary for succeeding in the business world.”

Whether you’re leading an NBA team or a small business, these 7 Leadership Lessons will always make the cut:

1. Cultivate Relationships to Build a Winning Culture

2. Know When to Push Your Employees

3. Respect is Key

This one is true for anything. People have to respect you before you can lead them. Respect is built from your background as well as how you manage situations. Being too lenient could mean your employees don’t take you seriously. Being too harsh could mean your employees begin to resent you and don’t put in 100%. There is a fine line between these two, but once it’s established, you’re golden.

4. Discover Your Different Voices

According to Coach Johnson, you need “a teaching voice, a disciplinary voice, an angry voice, a loving voice, and an incensed voice [...] Having those different voices that you have to have and knowing when to apply which one at what time, and with which employee, is so important.”

This piece of advice couldn’t be closer to the truth. Leadership is all about balance. Every employee is different, so it’s a difficult skill to determine which voice to use on which employee at which time. You have to know when to be angry, supportive, disciplinary, etc. Master that and you are already way ahead of the game.

5. Address Challenges Before They Arise

Preparing yourself, as well as your team, for future challenges is key to success. Forward thinking is a necessity in any successful sports team, business, or anything else! You can’t just jump into things without thinking them through. Know every angle of your business and everything that could go wrong.

Uncertainty does not always have to be feared if you prepare for the good and the bad.

6. The Six C’s of Good Leaders

• Great Communication

• Strong Character

• Competitive Drive

• Consistency in the Way You Lead

• Compassion

• Confidence

What you do on the court parallels what you do off of it. Having those 6 C’s is fundamental to solid leadership. Keep the lines of communication open, but to a minimum to maintain efficiency. Have character and show an example to others. Always have the competitive advantage and be on a mission to win it. Always be consistent in the way you lead, that way others know what to expect and mixed messages aren’t sent. Have compassion for others, especially your employees and customers, because it will build trust. And lastly, have confidence. Confidence is key and can make or break any leader.

7. Focus on Small Victories, Not Just Big Wins

Make it a point to focus on details and small victories. If you don’t recognize any achievement until you’ve won the championship, something’s off. Recognize your employees for their hard work. Let them know you noticed. It will make them feel appreciated and they will always go above and beyond when completing tasks.

A little goes a long way.

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The Lunch Line, Revolutionized

How One Company is Innovating School Lunches and Attacking the Obesity Epidemic

I can remember the meals offered in my school lunch program. The gems that come to mind are unappealing lasagna, frozen chicken nuggets, and cheese sticks with a pouch of sugary juice.

Just thinking about it makes me shudder!

One socially responsible company is revolutionizing schools by innovating their lunch programs. Oakland, California based Revolution Foods provides low-income schools and students with access to nutritious and delicious foods. According to an article in Inc., the company has already served over 400 schools across California and has expanded to Washington D.C., Newark, and Houston.

Health aides: Revolution Foods Co-founders Kirsten Tobey and Kristin Richmond

Too many schools cannot afford healthy school lunches, so Revolution Foods co-founders Kirsten Tobey and Kristin Richmond lent a helping hand. Both have a passion for food, and recognized a huge disconnect between nutritional education and the foods kids eat.

The National School Lunch Program’s reimbursement rate is a challenge, since Revolution Foods only has $3 to work with to put together a nutritionally balanced meal. There is now greater momentum bringing higher reimbursement levels to low-income kids, but it’s not enough to make health and nutrition universally accessible.

Just like Revolution Foods, that’s our mission to the core: to make healthy foods universally accessible by offering healthy snacks and drinks and nutritional information along the way.

Way to go Revolution Foods! Thanks to you, we are all one step closer to eliminating childhood obesity.

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How Utilizing This One Approach Will Prioritize Your Time and Energy

We all know time management is important. However, no matter how well we plan, it seems like there are always things that slip through the cracks.

Consider your daily workload. You have various tasks that need to be completed, and some are more important than others. Often times, we spend so much time and energy completing smaller, low-value tasks, that the big tasks get pushed further and further back. Each day that passes by, the stress of knowing we still need to complete these important tasks builds up. Before you know it, we are frantically scrambling to get everything done at the last minute.

It’s time for a whole new strategy.

From now on, use the 80/20 Rule. The premise is simple: 20% of your activities will account for 80% of your results. 20% of your customers will account for 80% of your sales. 20% of your products or services will account for 80% of your profits.

Thus, by focusing on numerous low-value tasks, we procrastinate on the one or two tasks that will provide the most value. Those one or two tasks are the most difficult to accomplish, but once they are completed, you feel accomplished and satisfied with the results.

See what Brian Tracy has to say about the 80/20 rule:

We think about the 80/20 rule every day when it comes to managing our healthy vending machines business. For every task we tackle, the 80/20 rule is always brought up. We know that 20% of our activities will account for 80% of our results, so we focus most of our energy on completing high-value, important tasks. There will always be hundreds of things to get done at some point. Forget the low-value tasks. Focus your time and energy on things that will actually amount to results.

Today, before you sit down to work, ask yourself, “Is this task in the top 20% of my activities?”

If it isn’t, DON’T DO IT!

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The Creative Product: Idea vs. Opportunity

What Distinguishes a Good Idea from an Entrepreneurial Opportunity?

“Opportunity ideas do not lie around waiting to be discovered. Such ideas need to be produced.” -- Edward de Bono, Psychologist

Ideas are everywhere, but only the best ideas are made into something real. How many times have we seen a seemingly commonsensical fad product (e.g. Silly Bands and Pokemon cards) and asked ourselves, “Why didn’t I think of that?”

Or take Facebook. How many of us saw The Social Network and marveled at the brilliance of Mark Zuckerberg in coming up with an idea that changed the social world? Albeit, exactly who came up with the idea of Facebook is still under dispute, but the brilliance behind it is still the same. An idea sparked an opportunity, and that opportunity became a website that has now reached over 500 million people across the globe and made billions of dollars.

For an idea to become an entrepreneurial opportunity is a pretty amazing thing. To understand this process, it is important to understand research in entrepreneurial psychology.

Here are three approaches to opportunity recognition:

Approach #1: Opportunity recognition is the process (idea + action) along a continuum ranging from initial insight to starting/operating a business

It’s safe to say that an entrepreneur is not after ideas, he or she is after opportunities. However, the biggest question is as follows: Are ideas and opportunities distinct, or are opportunities simply a different form of expression of ideas in the domain of entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurial psychologist Dimo Dimov explains, “whereas ideas, once expressed, are ends in themselves—an abstract representation of an imagined (future) reality—opportunities exemplify the tension to make that reality come true.” In this way, ideas and opportunities are a process. The original idea is formed and then altered to closer resemble an opportunity. The idea is altered again and again until it becomes suitable for a business venture.

When does an idea transform to become an opportunity? This question is the most difficult to answer because it is the most subjective. Most researchers agree that the distinguishable step is the “action” of converting an idea into a profit maker. This implies that idea and opportunity are not separate entities, but rather inseparable counterparts.

Approach #2: Opportunity development is a social, learning process

Even if we accept the notion that the creative product in entrepreneurship is the continuous shaping of an idea, this is still not sufficient to complete the picture. The first theory ignores the influence of social interaction.

This theory highlights the context in which the idea is formed. If I had come upon the “wrong” website or talked to the “wrong” person, I could have decided not to further pursue my new venture. The insight itself is so fragile that we have to consider the context in which it occurs and thus appreciate its enabling or constraining influences.

We depend on our intuition as well as the interpretation of others when it comes to anything we do. This is no different when seeking to create an opportunity out of an idea.

Approach #3: The social context affects the processes of interpreting and integrating by providing information, ideas, resources that help shape individual ideas

This theory builds on the previous one regarding the importance of social context. The social influences on the opportunity development process pertain to the interpretation that new entrepreneurs gather from those around them.  They engage in discussing, selling, or defending their ideas to this social audience.

Talking with others about your idea can provide valuable pieces of information. Other people see things you wouldn’t normally see. It always helps to have a pair of fresh eyes look at your idea/proposed venture. This suggests the strength of weak ties in one’s social network. The people we know at an arm’s length provide the most benefit. They have access to resources and people to which we normally wouldn’t have access.

We don’t live in a bubble. However, we sometimes underestimate the importance of others when it comes to entrepreneurship.

Ideas and opportunities are a complicated subject. But, going from an initial insight to creating a product or service is a social, learning process. Understand that and you will understand a lot of what goes into creating a successful business venture.

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And This Is Only The Line For the Restrooms

So, you’re a rookie vending operator with machines that have just been installed or you are seriously considering starting a vending machine business. This comprehensive guide will give you a great process to maximize the value of your vending machine locations. Before reviewing strategies to generate higher profit, it is important to keep in mind all of the related costs, some of which you might not be aware of, that pertain to running a vending machine business.

In the world of vending machines, the most important factor in operating high-profit machines and having a successful business is location. The second and third: location and location. Obviously, the more foot-traffic by your machine, the more vends your machine will have. A good goal is to have your machine in a location where 250 people will walk by each day, but a minimum of 150 people is almost necessary.

The proximity of other food and drink options to your machine should also be considered, as the more limited the nearby options are, the better your machine will fare. In addition, you need to know the demographics of your location and determine what products would best serve those people. Placing a baby food vending machine in a bar probably wouldn’t be the best idea, whereas placing a healthy vending machine in a gym or a school would most likely yield high profits.

Other popular locations include offices, hospitals, large apartment complexes, laundromats and malls. Again, any place that sees a lot of foot-traffic is probably a wise location for a vending machine.

However, just because you have purchased your machine(s) and found a great location doesn’t mean your work is done, at least not if you want to have a successful operation. There are several things you can do to optimize your business.

Create Buzz

In the week leading up to the launch of your first vending machine, you need to generate as much hype and chatter about your business as possible. Use email or another method to notify all employees, members, etc. at the location of the pending arrival of your machine and let them know about sampling events you plan to hold.

Determine the best contacts at the location to help spread the word, for example the HR department at an office, the manager of an apartment complex or the principal and newspaper team at a school. Aim to have at least 80 percent of your locations’ patrons aware of the upcoming arrival of your machine.

Educate Customers and Encourage Trial

Now that your machine is in place and fully stocked, you are ready to go. During the first week, focus on informing the clients at your location of the benefits of your vending machine. Create or obtain from the company with which you are doing business posters and/or tent cards that promote the products in your machine.

Take advantage of this start-up time by getting the products in the hands of potential clients by assembling a sampling event at your location (or at each location if you have numerous machines set up). Do your homework and determine the high foot-traffic time periods and schedule the event then.

In addition, after restocking your machine, observe patrons using the machine, talk to them, build rapport, get feedback on what they like and don’t like about your machine and the products your machine offers. Try to learn the names of five “regulars” at your location.

Set up a comment box  near the machine for those who may not want to give you feedback in person, or for the patrons you miss while you’re visiting your machine. Encourage customers to suggest products they would like to see in the machine.

Finally, at the end of the first full week of sales, create a report that shows you which products are the top sellers and which don’t sell much. Attempt to determine why certain products are moving while others are not.

Get Feedback and Optimize Product Mix

Yes, People Read Them

In the second and third weeks of your venture, continue to educate members, endorse your machine and the healthy products it vends, and convince people to try your products by providing them with samples.

Look at the previous week’s top seller analysis and consider switching out inactive products. But first, sample a product before removing it from your machine and try changing product locations within the machine and/or adjusting prices.

At week’s end, as in the first week, calculate the

top selling and worst selling products and again try to figure out why the results are that way. Spend time at your machine and watch the customers, chat with them and encourage them to tell you what they would like to see in the machine. Really take advantage of these early weeks to determine the best location-appropriate products.

Launch a New Promotion to Increase Sales

The weeks are rolling and you are most likely starting to feel more comfortable with how the vending machine business works as a whole and with how your machine specifically is operating. By the end of week four, you should have had two product samplings per machine, taken note of members’ requests and made the appropriate adjustments. Hopefully by now your machines are running at the optimal product mix.

If you feel confident that this is the case, initiate a new promotion to boost sales. Be sure to give notice of this to location patrons by placing flyers on or around your machine, at the front desk at the office, in the apartment complex lounge, etc.

One such promotion is the “Secret Sticker Giveaway”. For this event, place stickers with numbers only you know on the back of specific products in your machine. When someone vends that item and sees the sticker, they receive a secret prize such as vending tokens, a free training session at a gym, etc.; the choice is up to you. Keep track of the sticker numbers and record the winners associated with each number.

At the end of the fifth week, you should be able to whip up that sales report in no time, making sure to analyze sales, see what’s working and what isn’t and to change accordingly. Aim to conclude if the promotional event increased sales or the number of vends and consider doing it again in the future if so. Finally, if sales are increasing, try to verify if you are getting more buyers or just more purchases from the same number of buyers.

Host a Final Sampling and Get Creative

Vending Should Be A Celebration!

In the sixth week of your new business, schedule one last sampling event. Post the updated posters around the machines, highlighting the new products in your machine. At this point, it would be great if at least 50 percent of your “regulars” can point you out as the operator of their new favorite vending machine. Give vending tokens to patrons if they provide you with their suggestions for new products for your machine.

Incorporate a new marketing strategy based on all the results you’ve had and what you’ve learned about which products work and which don’t up until now. One idea is the “Trash for Cash” raffle. Have a representative of your location place a clean trash can in a visible area. Patrons mark their names on trash from your products (such as wrappers and bottle caps) and toss the trash into the bins. You then draw a piece of trash from the bin and the “owner” of that trash gets a prize of your discretion.

The Big Review

After eight weeks of having your vending business up and running, you should have enough information from your weekly reports and enough knowledge to know what is working and what isn’t. Obviously, do more of the former and less of the latter.

Determine if your product mix is as optimal as possible and look again at who is purchasing your products and if these customers feel integrated into the process. Does the number of your average daily vends compare to your original goals and expectations? If so, great! If not, look back through your reports and try to figure out why your business is not achieving its potential.

Again, if you have a select number of patrons buying a lot of products, think of ways to reach those who pass by but never vend. If you have many customers but they purchase only one product a week, try to encourage increased purchases.

So remember, if you want to start a successful and profitable vending machine business, first find a great location. Then do your homework, figure out what products your customers want and provide incentives for them to try using your machine!

After working with HUMAN for nearly a year and a half I have learned a TON about the vending industry. I have worked within the HUMAN team playing many roles including freight and machine installation logistics, marketing, sales, customer service, and administrative work.  I have also played an integral part in putting together machine instructional manuals and videos for our partner operators.   Flying around the country with the HUMAN CEO conducting location acquisition campaigns.  Running a business takes hard work, persistence, resilience, and most importantly a positive attitude!

What else could I possibly dive into at HUMAN?  Real world, in the field, vending operations!!  Taking my skills from learning about the vending machines at our warehouse in to the field.  After operating a machine at the Shalhevet School in Los Angeles for two weeks, here is what I have learned:

- You won’t know EXACTLY what the customers at your location will like best until you have a week or two under your belt (usually takes 30-90 days for total optimization). I learned quickly that some products did not move as fast as I’d like. What did I do about it? Got those specific products out of there! I then asked the students what THEY wanted to see instead, and Boom, 2 rows of the new product were both sold out the next day!

- Be 100% clear on what you are allowed to offer! At this specific location (a Jewish School), we are offering an all Kosher product mix. We did our due diligence, found some great kosher products, only to find out that some of the drinks and snacks did not meet their standards. Because of this, the administration actually unplugged the machine TWICE on separate days so the kids would not buy anything!  I headed over to the school immediately and sat down with the administration to see how we could get on the same page…sure enough, they printed out all of the acceptable Kosher signs and the product mix is now totally dialed in.  However, I probably missed out on 30-50 vends from this mistake…that’s cash out of my pocket!!

- Give out samples!!! Don’t be cheap here…I probably gave out 50 snacks and drinks and now have a group of kids who support the program and are happy to buy product.  You should see the smile on these kids face when I am filling the machine and they ask “Can I get a bag of chips?” and “I say sure, what free drink do you want with that?” Simple things like this ‘buy 1 get one 1 free’ tactic when you’re there for 30 minutes filling the machine can pay off HUGE.

- Pre-kit your products the night before. I usually spend an hour each night putting the right products into my containers to get ready for the next day. Doing it this way allows me to head over to the school and not have to worry about scrambling to get product together during my busy work days…business hours are for high-value tasks…do this kind of stuff when you’re hanging out, watching football, or in between sets of your at-home workout!

STATS December 6th -- December 16th:

InOne Technologies (a HUMAN partner) Sales Report Summary

This is a screen shot of sales from December 6th -- December 16th. Keep in mind that the school was not open on the weekend, there was a half day of school on Friday Dec. 10th, and they unplugged the machine twice in the middle of the day (losing at least 4 hours of prime time vending). We are looking at 9 days worth of sales!  These 414 vends equates to and avg. of 46 vends per day!

STACKS:

Yes, I took a picture of my money. I like money!

This is what 10 days of vending looks like at 46 vends per day! This does not include the huge bank bag of change I have.  No, they are not all twenties, but there are a lot plus some ones ; )

The Starting Point of All Achievement: BURNING DESIRE

Ah yes…

Can you smell it?

You know, the smell of BURNING DESIRE?

Burning desire is the quintessential, required ingredient every successful entrepreneur MUST have before anything else.

It’s the “thing” that gets you out of bed in the morning, excited to start your day, and fully prepared to “Crush It.” And you know we’re all about “Crushing It” here at HUMAN Healthy Vending

Members of HUMAN Healthy Vending have a burning desire to end obesity...and take goofy pictures on forklifts

So, what is BURNING DESIRE and how do you get it?

Well, Napoleon Hill, maker of millionaires, confidante of presidents, and author of the book Think & Grow Rich, says that a burning desire is the first step toward riches.

Having a burning desire is choosing a definite goal and placing all your energy, willpower, and effort into achieving that goal. Every person who wins in any undertaking in life must be willing to burn his or her ships and cut all sources of retreat. That is the only way you can be sure of maintaining the state of mind known as a burning desire to win. It is essential to success.

Since Napoleon Hill interviewed THOUSANDS of leaders, successful businesspeople, and head’s of state, and since he spent over 20 years of his life compiling the results of these interviews and boiling them down to 16 laws of success, we at HUMAN tend to listen to what he has to say.

At HUMAN Healthy Vending, our BURNING DESIRE is to conquer obesity and obesity-related illnesses (which cost the US healthcare system an extra $147 BILLION per year) by providing fresh healthy vending options for everyone. What gets us jumping out of bed every morning is the burning desire to help 1,000 people get started with their own healthy vending business and to positively affect the eating habits of 100 million people worldwide. Yes, it’s a lofty goal, but one that is completely attainable. And having a burning desire is step #1 in accomplishing our goal.

These kids have a “burning desire” to eat some tasty, healthy snacks!

So, what’s your burning desire? What are you passionate about? What goal will have you jumping out of bed every morning, ready to conquer the day?

Do some introspection and think about it!

If you’re passionate about health and fitness, or helping fight the massive obesity epidemic, or simply being an entrepreneur and running your own business, channel that passion into your well-defined BURNING DESIRE.

Then take action.

…and who knows, maybe becoming a HUMAN Healthy Vending Partner is the right vehicle to manifest this burning desire into your lofty, yet attainable goal.

Talk to you next week!

Sean & Andy

Founders, HUMAN Healthy Vending

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Crush It Quote of the Week:

“If you go to work on your goals, your goals will go to work on you.  If you go to work on your plan, your plan will go to work on you.  Whatever good things we build end up building us.”

~Jim Rohn

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Why this quote is important

Very few things that have ever been said, ring truer than this quote. Your goals will take you where you want to go, and your plans will show you how to get there. Jim Rohn is remembered as an American entrepreneur, author and motivational speaker, but what many people don’t know is that at age 25, he had dropped out of college and was making $57 a week as a stock clerk for Sears.  It wasn’t until he attended a lecture by entrepreneur John Earl Shoaff, that he decided to change his life.  John Earl Shoaff challenged Jim to set the goal of making one million dollars.   In just six years, he made his first million dollars (this was in the early 60′s, when being a millionaire was still almost unheard of).  If anyone knows about the power of setting goals and crushing them to fruition, it is Jim Rohn. Does this quote sound familiar?  It should, because versions of this quote have been around since ancient Greece. Maybe this one will ring a bell.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act, but a habit.” ~Aristotle

Part one of a video where Jim shows you how to “Have Your Best Year Ever” -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don’t Let Your Competition Eat You Alive:

Become an Internet Marketing All-Star Today

CLICK HERE

If you’re in business today and do not know how to effectively market online, your competition will eat you alive.  Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually it’s going to happen. The field of Internet Marketing isn’t black magic. It’s not stuff that only your 16 year old engineering whiz kid can learn.   It’s simply the way business -- especially entrepreneurial business -- is done today. Start your path to making money online and growing your business massively by attending this 100% free internet marketing webinar, which will feature HUMAN Co-Founders Andy Mackensen & Sean Kelly.   The event is LIVE and only offered once, and like I mentioned above, it’s FREE. So get after it!

To Sign-Up for this Free Live Webinar CLICK HERE.

Infuzy, the company behind this live internet marketing webinar knows how to CRUSH IT online big time.  We know -- HUMAN’s learned a lot from these guys.

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Entrepreneurship Tip of the Week

Following our theme of goal setting, watch this quick video and do your homework. Write down your goals and pick just one of them to crush. Brian Tracy knows success and sales better than just about anyone, so take notes!

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Mind Bending Video of the Week

Sales is everything in business, and all sales are driven by marketing.  Marketing is designed to convince consumers that a product is valuable enough for purchase, but what is value?  Take a second to think about this question.  In Lessons From an Ad Man, Rory Sutherland makes the assertion that a change in perceived value can be just as satisfying as what we consider “real” value.   His speech is fascinating, pointed, and clever.  Think about how you can use Rory’s ideas to change your mindset and take your business to the next level.

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How To Turn Your “Dud” Vending Location

In To A “Stud” Location: Part 2

We want your machines to be sucking down healthy snacks, and coughing up dollar bills! Get your notebooks out and write this stuff down, because you can use these tips, and should use these tips, right now. In this Crush It Report we will cover weeks 2 to 4 of the Optimization Guide regarding “How to Turn a Dud Location into a Stud Location.”  And FYI, this applies to more than just vending!  Here we will be focusing on optimizing your product mix, and planning your first promotional event. Yeah baby! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tips, Comments, Suggestions, or Jokes send them to crushitreport@healthyvending.com

Health Club Membership Tips: 5 Simple Ways to Get More Members from Andy Mackensen on Vimeo.

This machine is custom built for vending success. Not only will you make your standard margin on product sales, but you now have access to a completely new revenue stream by taking part in the booming digital advertising industry!

Through the H.U.M.A.N. Ad Network, ads can be uploaded remotely and customized towards any machine location. The Media Mogul comes with a 23″ HD LCD screen that looks great. It is such an eye catcher that product sales go up simply because people want to check out the machine.

This machine does not come with your standard coil trays either. It is equipped with the most sophisticated vending technology to date — a conveyor belt style delivery system. What does that mean for you? Higher capacity (meaning less work for you) and product versatility (you can vend anything that fits!). It is an entrepreneurs dream.

In vending, it’s all about finding the best locations. LOCATIONS, LOCATIONS, LOCATIONS!

Premium locations with high traffic is what any vending machine owner strives for. We at HUMAN could keep our strategies a secret, but we like our operators and potential operators to be fully informed.  Check out our 6-Step premium location acquisition process:

Step 1 -- 4 stage direct mail campaign to the top 250 locations in your region
Step 2 -- 4 to 6 Weeks of Telemarketing to every single healthy vending conducive location in your region that meets our criteria (at least 20 vends per day)
Step 3 -- 1 week of in-person location discovery & acquisition training with a HUMAN location pro
Step 4 -- A HUMAN location pro attends 30-40 top-tier meetings over the course of a week
Step 5 -- Custom press release and media outreach to every newspaper, tv and radio outlet
Step 6 - Constant follow-up marketing and outreach to EVERY location in your region for the lifetime of your partnership

With Step #3, this is all about the “Give a man a fish he eats for a day, teach a man to fish he eats for a lifetime.”  We’re training you to be successful in the short and long-run!  Which brings me to my next point, #6.  We perform continual follow-up marketing for the lifetime of our partnership to ALL of the locations in your region.  We have a custom email and customer marketing solution that helps us with this.  Additionally, as our brand grows nationally and internationally, you’ll benefit from our success.  Everyone who comes to HUMAN is passed along to you.  And as our brand grows to tens of thousands of machines, it’s very, very good for you.

Here is a sneak peak of The Media Mogul! My next post will highlight the features of this unbelievable automated retailer/digital media money maker!!!!