Trade Order Form: Fill & Download for Free

I was sitting in a Starbucks.Credit card in hand, heart racing.The fear of the unknown grew stronger each second…Self-defeating thoughts dominated my mind, silencing even the slightest hint of optimism.“What if I lose my job and get stranded?”“What if I'm late for a flight or misplace my passport?”“Or worse… what if it’s not all I had hoped for?”But the order form on my laptop screen was still staring at me.It had to get filled out.And only I could fill it out.So, I grabbed my red Visa card and looked at each 4-number sequence very carefully…Meticulously entering each number into the “Card Number” section of the page.Then I did the same for the card expiration date.Then for the security code.At this point, you woulda thought I was trading hundreds-of-thousands-of-dollars worth of stocks…Forehead vein bulging from intense focus.Sweat glistening on my upper lip from the almost-crippling anxiety.Eyebrows pinched together in deep thought, weighing all the possible pros and cons.But I wasn’t gambling with huge sums of money…I was booking a flight.And then, with a simple “click” of my mousepad, I hit the shiny “Book Now” button.The deed was done.The flight I booked was from London to Budapest on May 18th, 2017 at 2pm……which was 4 hours after I was supposed to fly home to San Francisco.But I didn’t go home.Instead, I purchased a one-way ticket to spend a month in a city with no friends, no family, and no knowledge of whatsoever.And with nothing but this:This was a “bold move” for me, as I’ve never traveled outside the U.S. before.I write this on my last day here.Tomorrow, I’m moving to Poland to continue this journey.So, I’m sure you’re wondering…How’d it go in Budapest?Amazing.I’m leaving with a network of more than 20 likeminded entrepreneur friends, countless experiences I’ll remember for years to come, and a newfound confidence in my ability to meet interesting people……plus, a few opportunities to partner with my new friends in existing businesses that could significantly change my financial life.Now, here’s why I tell this story…The “bold moves” in your life - the ones you’re afraid of but know you gotta act on - aren’t as scary as you think.Yes, there really is someone just as scared, just as insecure, just as anxious as you.You are not alone.We’re all scared of our dreams disguised as “bold moves.”But they’re our dreams for a reason.They consume our thoughts, we long to experience their realities, we’re hungry for change.So what will you do when a dream of yours is staring you in the face?Here’s what to do:Take out your metaphorical credit cardFill out the order formClick “Submit"I believe in you.P.S. No refunds… ;)

The following is one of a few stories that resulted in my being banned from having any contact with customers.It was at a trade show in Atlanta where our rep firm held an annual party for sales staff, buyers, store owners, and manufacturers (like us).As often happens, an especially comely woman was surrounded by men, including me, vying for her attention. Ms Trophy Wife, clothed in a dress with a revealing slit almost up to her hip, was obviously enjoying the attention while her hubby stood across the room seething.I’m not sure why, but I heard myself saying, “I really like your slit!”Before the exclamation was out of my mouth I knew I’d screwed up - again.Had we been alone, my faux pas might have gotten a pass. Unfortunately, the men started hooting, howling, clapping, and guffawing as if my comment was the funniest thing they’d ever heard.The woman turned bright red and ran out of the room but then returned, accepted my apology, and gave me a hug.While all this was going on, her husband found his briefcase and removed the order he’d placed for our products for his 27 store chain. With all eyes on him and me, he tore up the order form.We never sold anything to any of his gift shops after that.My big mouth cost at least $100K, and possibly more, in lost sales. Not to mention the bad will with the salesman and repping firm.Wish I could say, “Lesson learned.”As my brother likes to warn people, “You know that little voice in the back of your head that says, ‘Don’t say it?’ Well, Charles doesn’t have one.”

Question: In the early American west and the pioneer days, how did people get ammunition for their Winchester rifles and six shooters and other guns?They bought it.Or they traded for it.By the time that Winchester came into being the railroad spanned the country and it was beginning to branch off into the hinterlands. Wherever the train stopped, there was usually a small settlement or a town and in that town there was at least one store. That store sold everything that the people needed, including firearms and ammunition.Manufacturers of ammunition made millions of rounds of ammunition and they sold it onto wholesalers, who then sold it to retailers of all sizes around the country. Those retailers would then sell it to whoever came into their stores (excluding Native Americans in many cases). It wasn’t a major portion of their business as people were a lot more careful with their ammunition use back thenFor the relatively few people who could afford it, catalog giants like Sears Roebuck and later Montgomery Ward would send them orders by rail or by stage. The person would write an order form (or have someone fill one out for them) and send that into the company to be filled. In anywhere from a few weeks to a few months, the package of ammunition would arrive.