In today’s society the concept of vocation has lost much of its original meaning. Most people connect the word vocation to having a job. Interestingly, it originated in the 15th century from the Latin word, vocatio, which means summons or to call. So the essence of this word vocation is not a job, but a calling. Therefore, you should not look at the business God has called you to build as just the work you do. You should look at it as your God-given calling within His Kingdom.

There is no such thing as sacred and secular within the Kingdom of God. Work is sacred, just like what would be considered traditional ministry is sacred. Being a secretary is as sacred as being a pastor. Being an entrepreneur is just as sacred as being a prophet. When you understand working in all you do as unto the Lord, you come to the realization that anything you do for God is sacred. And although there are many different gifts, offices, and roles within the Body of Christ, each one of them is needed and necessary to bring the manifestation of God’s Kingdom to the earth.

Are you tired of having to drag yourself to work everyday because you dread the type of work you have to do? Are you over delaying your dream job because you're scared to step of faith into unfamiliar territory? If your answer is yes to either of these questions and you need to sign up for my new FREE online workshop:

"A Step by Step Guide to Finding Purpose, Pleasure, and Prosperity at Work!"

In this webinar I will share with you my experiences, acquired knowledge, and effective strategies that have helped me to succeed personally and professionally. I will outline a strategic path for you to find fulfilling work, maximize your talents, and grow financially. You don't have to be frustrated any more!

The workplace is a much different place today than it used to be. One area where it has changed a lot is employee training. In times past companies were willing to hire unskilled workers and invest the time and money to train them them until they became skilled. That is definitely not the case today.

A recent Gallup survey stated that 33% of CEOs don't believe college graduates have the necessary skills and competencies their business needs. Another poll by CareerBuilder.com ​found that nearly 80% of managers are at least somewhat concerned about current and potential employees lacking required skills, but just about 40% are doing anything to alleviate it

What I infer from putting these studies together is that although companies recognize the lack of certain skills in the marketplace, they are often unwilling to invest the time and money to help people get up to speed. They see it as your problem to fix, not theirs.

So what does that mean for you? Right or wrong, this is the new reality of the American worker. It means you are going to have to invest in your own development in order to move your career forward. You will have to take personal responsibility for developing the necessary skills to stay in demand and ahead of your competition.

Now some people might look at this and say they need to go get more formal education. And while this may be a good option for some, for many others it isn't based on money, lifestyle, lack of time, etc. For these people, which might include you, another option is more suitable: short, inexpensive, on-demand, online training courses where you can learn specific skills directly related to your job or business.

One benefit of this second pathway is that it eliminates all of the unrelated courses you have take in traditional educational programs while pursuing the exact skills you need to acquire. So the focus is on learning, not just doing work to get a grade.

Another benefit is that it's easier to pay for one specific course at a time versus having to spend a lot of money or take out student loans, which leads to a whole host of other issues down the line.

​A third benefit of online training courses is that you can start many of these courses on-demand at your convenience and work around your busy schedule.

This is why I'm excited about the relaunch of my online business school. A few of the benefits of my courses include:

1. Gain skills and knowledge from the latest business best practices.
2. Only the specific information you need without the fluff.
3. Short courses that are only 6 to 8 units so you have a definitive beginning and ending. 
4. Instant access to a private online portal for all of your courses.
5. Multi-media content for different learning styles.
6. Accessible through my mobile app (coming soon!) so you can learn on the go at your convenience.
7. So much more!!!

In the past as high school students were graduating from college, very few options were presented to them as it relates to starting a career. These options usually revolved around these three: 1) College, 2) Trade-related jobs, or 3) Military service. Fortunately today, with the advent of low-cost do-it-yourself technology, high school graduates who are deciding which direction to move forward in their work lives have a few more options to consider.

Thinkific, a leading online course software platform, recently published an article that highlights the potential of anybody becoming an entrepreneur by launching an online business through creating and selling online courses even if around the typical high school graduation age. The article, Unsure About College? Be An Online Entrepreneur Instead, highlighted five considerations for this steadily increasing market opportunity:

1. The market for online courses is exploding (see graphic above).
2. You don't need to be a technology expert to build an online business.​​ The tools are extremely easy to use.
3. Your age is not a factor. Your expertise is what matters.
4. Online course building tools cost a whole lost less than they used to.
5. You can get started fairly quickly.

Full disclosure: I am a customer of Thinkific. And this was one of the best business decisions I have ever made in my more than 10 years of being a full-time entrepreneur. Over the past 15 years I have traveled all over the United States and around the world teaching workshops and training leaders on how to start and grow businesses. However, this platform is revolutionizing my business because I am able to easily produce content that available immediately, I can quickly update and refresh any of my outdated curriculum, and I can increase my reach around the world exponentially. I currently host several of my business training courses on their platform (just here to access my courses).

There's no better time than now to become an online entrepreneur, especially if you're not sure if college or a job is the right choice for you. However, like starting any business, becoming a profitable and sustainable online entrepreneur takes a lot of passion, patience, and perseverance. But the great thing is that all the tools are available and easily accessible to you to get it done.

​*You can read the entire Thinkific article here: http://blog.thinkific.com/unsure-college-online-entrepreneur/

LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers just pulled off an improbable feat in the basketball by coming winning three games in a row to win the NBA Championship against the defending world champions, Golden State Warriors. The thing is this journey didn't just start this season. It started nearly two years ago when James returned to Cleveland. He announced his return by penning an essay describing why he came back. 

The part of the essay the caught my attention wasn't about basketball. It was his vision for his hometown. Here is an excerpt:

So is your vision compelling enough that you can pull enough of the right people "Together" to accomplish it?

According to recent surveys, only 23% of company executives believe that recent college graduates have the skills needed to succeed in the workplace. Don't be on the wrong side of that statistic. In this podcast episode you will learn four career building principles to develop skills that will keep you in very high demand.

Enjoy and I look forward to your comments below...

The results of many surveys of millennials show that they are in search of "meaningful work" as it relates to their professional lives. This quest can often lead to some unfulfilling experiences as this desire is noble, but often realistic mainly because their approach is flawed.

​Watch this excellent video from Ryan Hartwig from a TEDx event in California as he explains this myth and how young professionals should approach their careers.

​In order to gain everything that you want in your career, you must first let go of some things. Enjoy part 2 of this powerful teaching that will help you find fulfillment and success in your profession.

​If you want to find the career or business of your dreams, you must lose some things along the way.