Table of Contents
The Secret’s Out…! ix
Don’t Be Afraid to Make Mistakes 1
Secret #1: Try to learn from your mistakes—better yet, learn from the mistakes of others!
Don’t Borrow Money 9
Secret #2: Think twice before you either borrow money or loan money to someone—especially a friend.
Love What You Do 15
Secret #3: Following your passion is the key to success.
Make Time for Both Work and Play 19
Secret #4: It is important to make the right trade-offs between work and play so we live a balanced lifestyle.
Listen to What Others Can Teach You 25
Secret #5: The experience of others is the best classroom you will ever find!
Always Think of New Ideas 31
Secret #6: Try to come up with alternate ways of doing things.
Always Have a Plan 37
Secret #7: When you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
If You Fail, Try Again 43
Secret #8: Failure is not falling down; it is staying down.
Protect Your Reputation 49
Secret #9: It takes years to build a reputation but only minutes to ruin it.
The Customer Comes First 55
Secret #10: Take care of your customer and your customer will take care of you.
Open Minds Let In Better Ideas! 61
Secret #11: Opening your mind can open the door of success.
Always Promote Yourself 65
Secret #12: Successful businesses successfully promote and advertise themselves.
Location is Very Important 71
Secret #13: Location is a vital part of most businesses.
Don’t Be Fooled 77
Secret #14: If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.
Don’t Judge Others 83
Secret #15: With businesses, like with people, you should get to know them before you judge them.
Be Willing to Change Your Ideas 89
Secret #16: Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken.
Your Image is Important 95
Secret #17: Price is on the price tag; value is in the eye of the beholder.
Be Thoughtful of Others 99
Secret #18: If your service is outstanding, you’ll always stand out.
Pay Attention to Details 103
Secret #19: A good business is disciplined to do the little things right every day.
How to Present Yourself 109
Secret #20: It’s not just the outside that counts. It’s the whole package.
Your Decisions Affect Your Future 115
Secret #21: Make sure you stay in school. Failing to complete your education can lead to not achieving your dreams in the future.
Save for the Future 119
Secret #22: Save money for things you need instead of spending it all on things you want!
Be Someone in Demand 123
Secret #23: Prices are determined by supply and demand.
Confi dence Comes with Understanding 127
Secret #24: Don’t get involved in a business you don’t understand.
A Lifetime of Learning 133
Secret #25: Be smarter at the end of the day than you were at the beginning.
Partners Make it Easier 139
Secret #26: Great partnerships will make any job easier.
About a Squared Entertainment 145