Our achievements are shaped by the terrain of our lives and the strength of the foundations we set.  In building the life we’ve imagined, we must be true to our beliefs, dare to be ethical, and strive to be honorable.  For integrity is the highest ground to which we can aspire.

Everyone has potential…It is an infinite resource that cannot be exhausted, but can be lost in the clouds of fear and complacency.  It may take courage to embrace the possibilities of your own potential, but once you’ve flown past the summit of your fears, nothing will seem impossible.

As a high school coach, I did all I could to help my boys win their games.  I rooted as hard for victory as they did.

A dramatic incident, however, following a game in which I officiated as a referee, changed my perspective on victories and defeats.  I was refereeing a league championship basketball game in New Rochelle, New York, between New Rochelle and Yonkers High.

New Rochelle was coached by Dan O’Brien, Yonkers by Les Beck.  The gym was crowded to capacity, and the volume of noise made it impossible to hear.  The game was well played and closely contested.  Yonkers was leading by one point as I glanced at the clock and discovered there was but 30 seconds left to play.

Yonkers, in possession of the ball, passed off-shot-missed.  New Rochelle recovered – pushed the ball up the court and shot.  The ball rolled tantalizingly around the rim and off.  The fans shrieked.  New Rochelle, the home team, recovered the ball and tapped it in for what looked like a victory.  The tumult was deafening.  I glanced at the clock and saw that the game was over.  I checked with the other official, but he could not help me.

Still seeking help in this bedlam, I approached the timekeeper, a young man of 17 or so.  He said, “Mr. Corvino, the buzzer went off as the ball rolled off the rim, before the final tap in was made.”

I was in the unbelievable position of having to tell Coach O’Brien the sad news.  “Dan,” I said, “time ran out before the final basket was tapped in.  Yonkers won the game.”

His face clouded over.  The young timekeeper came up.  He said, “I’m sorry, DAD.  The time ran out before the final basket.”

Suddenly, like the sun coming out from behind a cloud, Coach O’Brien’s face lit up.  He said, “That’s okay, Joe.  You did what you had to do.  I’m proud of you.”

Turning to me, he said, “Al, I want you to meet my son, Joe.”

The two of them walked off the court together, the coach’s arm around the son’s shoulder

The highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity.  Choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over popularity…these are the choices that measure your life.  Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for there is never a wrong time to do the right thing.

“The credit belongs to those people who are actually in the arena…who know the great enthusiasms, the great devotions to a worthy cause;  who at best, know the triumph of high achievement;  and who, at worst, fail while daring greatly, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” 

– Theodore Roosevelt

Making money from your website should be a focus for all entrepreneurs in one aspect or another. Whether you’re selling actual products, ad space, or pushing walk-in traffic to your “brick and mortar”, your website should in the very least begin the sales process for you.

As we are all aware, allowing a “suspected” client to slide further down our sales funnel to become a “prospect” is key in building an effective and profitable sales funnel. For the sake of this article, I will be narrowing my focus on selling ad space, as I am in the process of rolling out my next website shortly.

The old advertising adage of “Reach and Frequency” has been enhanced with the advent of Internet advertising. Today marketers can hone in and target their audience in ways that were never possible with TV, radio, and print advertising. For example; if you advertise on Facebook, you can target your ads to only reach engaged females, age 21-35, in Norfolk, Virginia.

Being able to offer targeted advertising on your site will allow you to ask for more revenue from advertisers and also provide more flexibility as well. With that in mind, when designing your website look for areas that will allow companies an attractive way to target your website’s specific audience and tailor their ad campaign for their specific product or service.

Example:

If your website contains information on cars, your home page would probable be very broad in which cars you have information on.

Honda

Acura

Chevy

Ford

On a corresponding page, choices become narrowed as the user refines his selection.

Honda

-Accord

-Civic

-Passport

-CRV

Again, on the following page, the choices are narrowed even more, resulting in a specific selection.

Honda

-Civic

-88-91

-92-95

-96-00

Potential advertising revenue could be sold in several ways on a site designed like this. An advertiser could use the home page for branding purposes reaching a very broad audience, or they could advertise on the third page reaching a very specific group of individuals interested in 1997 Civics.

Which is better? That’s a relative question. What is your advertiser looking for? What kind of company are they? Do they sell soda, or insurance, or cell phones? If so, these companies would probably prefer a broad audience because many types of people with many different interests could use their service/product.

However, do they sell car parts for 1992-1995 Civics? If so, their money would be better spent advertising on a page specifically targeted toward that audience.

Obviously there are many different websites out there, and many different layout formats so this tutorial should be viewed as a starting point. The possibilities are endless, and can become quite confusing so make sure you plan a few steps into the future.

Good luck!

A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others.  He does not set out to be a leader, but becomes one by the quality of his actions and the integrity of his intent.  In the end, leaders are much like eagles…they don’t flock, you find them one at a time.

Your true character is revealed by the clarity of your convictions, the choices you make, and the promises you keep.  Hold strongly to your principles and refuse to follow the currents of convenience.  What you say and do defines who you are, and who you are…you are forever

The future doesn’t just happen, it is created…Our destiny is not in the stars, but in ourselves.  We may need to follow in the wake of those who have gone before, but what we do and where we go is ultimately up to us.  The attitude of initiative is an on-going state of exploration that is never finished…a journey that never ends.

Our lives are not determined by what happens to us, but how we react to what happens; not by what life brings us, but by the attitude we bring to life.  A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events, and outcomes.  It is a catalyst…a spark that creates extraordinary results.