In her best-selling book, A Place of Yes: 10 Rules for Getting Everything You Want Out of Life, entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel credits her accomplishments as the reason she learned to be open to new challenges and to all possibilities. Instead of shutting out potential by defaulting to no, she says she comes from a place of yes.14 Positive people can come from a place of yes more often because they trust. They trust that whatever door closes,

In my good times and my bad times being positive and say- ing to myself, Okay I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing and do it well, and have a great attitude and stay positive, has made a difference in my life. What you focus on is what you create. I didn’t want to be the person who shuts down when stressed, worried, or challenged. I wanted to practice positivity so that I could keep my state of mind peaceful.

It has been said that one of the most important personality characteristics of an entrepreneur is the understanding that failure is part of the game, and going to work anyway. Among some of the other commonly shared traits of successful businesspeople, labeled by Entrepreneur magazine as the “Seven Traits of Entrepreneurs,” are tenacity, the willingness
to start from square one (without being compelled to jump off a bridge), passion, vision, self-belief, tolerance for ambiguity,

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.
— Dalai Lama
When her son Daniel was 13 years old, Debra Poneman signed a consent form allowing himto attend an eighth-grade class trip to Washington, D.C. The plane ride, the cool hotel with a swimming pool, and how they were going to sneak into the girls’ rooms was all Debra remembers Daniel and his friends talking about for weeks leading up to the big trip.

John M. Sweeney is the founder of a social movement called Suspended Coffees. In his article, “Kindness Makes Good Business,” Sweeney describes himself as being, among other things, a kindness coach, saying that making others happy had always been his mission in life.This is why, when it came to his career, he found himself flailing. For two-and- a-half years he wasunemployed and felt he had no purpose. Then he read about an old tradition called cafe sospeso or “suspended coffee,” which began in the cafes of Naples,

Has your heart been big in business and now you have a “big ask” for yourself? Whether you are launching a new product, expanding a business, looking for capital, or need some extra marketing muscle, perhaps it is time to go ahead and solicit support from those you have shown support to. Here are a few suggestions on how to properly ask for a business favor and avoid awkwardness.
Be Brief: Clear and concise writing is hard work,

Don’t we hope to turn our customers and those we lead into “raving fans,” as Berny calls them? Is it possible to go a step beyond and demonstrate our kindness by being vocal fans andcheerleaders of the people in our network in a way that lifts them up? Marci Shimoff, New YorkTimes best-selling author of Happy for No Reason and Chicken Soup for the Woman’s Soul, believes she wouldn’t have experienced her level of success if it weren’t for the power of those who supported her.

Have you heard of social capital? It’s all the rage. Finally, more and more people understand that it is not just who we know, but how well we know them that makes business viable. Social capital is all about networks, where transactions occur through trust, cooperation, and reciprocity.
Groups that have formed as a means of gaining social capital do so not only forthemselves but for a global good. Without social capital I would be nowhere,

Giving credit where credit is due is an important aspect of being a great leader. Generously thanking, complimenting, or praising a staff member, vendor, or customer—even for the most mundane thing—shows people you take the time out of your schedule to notice them and to stop what you are doing to acknowledge them. And when you are receiving credit for something you haven’t personally done or conceptualized, be sure to redirect the compliment. A great leader in business knowshow to graciously pass on a compliment to the person who truly deserves it.

I think the number-one thing people remember about other people is when they have beengiven more of their time than expected. We all know doctors who make us sit in the waiting roomfor far too long, but we keep going back because once we are in the examining room, she gives usenough time to feel like we are being cared for. We don’t mind waiting be- cause we trust she willgive us the time back,