Thursday, March 28, 2013

This blog has nothing to do with business…or does it?

This is about The Most Popular Band in History and in my opinion The Greatest Band Ever!
The Beatles

The impact The Beatles had on the world of music and the world in general cannot be denied. All who listened to their music were touched. Even adults who saw their children’s music as worthless admitted to the deep meaning and impact of the Beatles music. Still today members of the Beatles make headlines and influence our lives.

Let’s start out with a few facts.
In 1957, at the age of 17, John Lennon formed his first band. The band was called the Quarry Men, as all the members had been classmates at Quarry Bank Grammar School in Liverpool. Fifteen-year-old Paul McCartney was introduced to John Lennon in the summer of 1957 by a mutual friend and Quarry Men band member Ivan Vaughn. After an audition at the Woolton Parish Church, McCartney was invited to join the band. After a bit, McCartney introduced Lennon to his friend George Harrison. George had a mini audition for John on the top level of a double-decker bus and was then asked to join the band. John and Paul began their history as the greatest songwriting team and George was the band’s lead guitarist. The other members of The Quarry Men left one by one and the band took a small break and reformed as Johnny and the Moondogs. In 1960 Drummer Pete Best and Bassist Stu Sutcliff joined Johnny and the Moondogs. They went through several names before settling on the name The Beatles.
This early version of the Beatles toured Scotland and Germany. In Germany they were known for playing five sets per night. The five band members returned to Liverpool and their popularity increased. In April of 1961, Sutcliff left the band to pursue an art career. He unfortunately passed away one year later.

In December of 1961, Brian Epstein discovered the band at the Cavern club and signed on as their manager. It was Epstein who changed the group’s appearance, suggesting the now-famous gray suits without collars. They went through many auditions withsome major record labels in England such as Decca and some not so major ones as well and heard the word "No" from all of them. Finally in the spring of 1962, Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Best auditioned for EMI producer George Martin at the infamous Abbey Road Studios. In August of the same year, Ringo Starr signed on to replace Best and the Beatles as we know them were born. In the fall of 1962 the Beatles released their first single in the UK, “Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You,” which became a top 20 hit. The Beatles first album, “Please Please Me” was released early in 1963.

Their career as a band lasted until 1970 and this is what they accomplished.
The Beatles have had more number-one albums on the British charts and sold more singles in the UK than any other act. According to the RIAA, the band are the best-selling act in the United States, with 177 million certified units. In 2008, the group topped Billboard magazine's list of the all-time most successful "Hot 100" artists. As of 2012, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Hot 100 chart with 20. They have received 7 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score and 15 Ivor Novello Awards. Collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the 20th century's 100 most influential people, the Beatles are the best-selling band in history, with EMI Records estimating sales of over one billion units.

What does this all have to do with business?
They received countless amount of No’s at auditions, gigs, and record deals but kept moving forward, striving for a “Yes”. They got their first yes that really mattered at that EMI audition with George Martin. That “Yes” changed their path and music as we know it. What if they would have gotten discouraged to the point of quitting at the Decca audition that happened just before the EMI audition with George Martin?

Keep moving forward! Remember…Every No that you get just means that you’re 1 closer to that ever important Yes!
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Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Frank The Tank

       
       I've never had a blog before. To tell you the truth I didn’t even know what one was until my kid had to explain it to me. I just felt as if I needed to share my story and this seems to be the way to do it now-a-days. If you or someone you know is going through hard times in life that are directly tied to being overweight, then this blog is for you. It's a constant mental and physical battle that you honestly can’t relate to unless you’ve been there. You've just got to remember that you’re not alone, and you CAN'T GIVE UP!
        Growing up I was often referred to as Frank the Tank. Now as cool of a name as that sounds it doesn't exactly boosts one’s self esteem. Needless to say I was a bit on the chunky side. Now don't get me wrong, being on the plus side had its advantages. Such as, not getting bullied from the fear of being sat on, and known for being excellent at warming up the bench during football games. I moved on to high school and I soon realized that the extra pounds I was sporting around was not exactly the best chick magnet. Luckily for me my metabolism was on full blast when I hit my teens and it was nothing to shed the pounds.
        Twenty years down the road is a different story. It's like my metabolism went on a permanent vacation. When I got into my mid to late 30's everything changed. I couldn't keep the weight off. Nothing seemed to work. So I decided my only option was to become healthier. Quitting smoking was the first step. This caused me to gain even more weight, so I never was able to feel the benefits of quitting that nasty habit. So I tried various diets and all I seen were short term results. I would lose 20 lbs and gain back 25. This seemed to be the case with all the diets I tried. I was feeling discouraged until my 2 youngest daughters were born. At that point I was determined to lose the weight. I wanted to be able to run around and play with them without feeling completely out of breath.
     Finally I feel like I’ve figured it out. Not only am I losing weight I’m also experiencing a mental clarity that’s changed my life. Don't worry, I'm not good at keeping secrets. I'll tell you all about it on my next weekly blog entry.