#mel fell seminars

[ourmrmel]

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Creates a Plan for You to Whip Your Texas Business into Shape

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Creates a Plan for You to Whip Your Texas Business into Shape

Melvin Feller is known as “The Entrepreneur’s Mentor” because Melvin walks his talk. Melvin Feller has been there and done that and more importantly, Melvin Feller knows how to transfer the skill set for success. This is main reason that he has been the sought after coach to hundreds of small business owners,…

[danwhobrowses]

AEW - Best and Worst Booking Decisions from Double or Nothing 2020 to 2021

As I promised back in my WWE Post Reviewing the Booking of Mania 35-36 it is time for me to run down AEW's booking over the last year.

Double or Nothing 2020 was AEW's first PPV of the Empty Arena Era, which they pulled off with the inaugural TNT champion being Cody'd, Brian Cage's debut and murder of Darby Allin, Hikaru Shida began her mammoth title reign, Moxley and Brodie Lee put on a fantastic show with their short build and we finished off with the wacky Stadium Stampede. But since then, it's had some ups and downs.

As I said with the WWE one, these are my opinions: some of which will act within hindsight rather than within the moment.

There will also be spoilers from the Dynamite after DoN 2020 to the end of DoN 2021, you have been warned

May 2020 Best - FTR They told us one day they would wrestle the Bucks and the world shall rejoice, and after several teases on BTE following The Revival's release from the E, FTR arrived and the division got even more stacked because of it.

Worst - Mike Tyson loses to his shirt AEW did try with Tyson, pushing for some shared history with Jericho as they began to stand off with one another. But his struggle to cleanly tear off his shirt really made the confrontation awkward and it wouldn't go anywhere.

Best - Baker becomes the Roll Model Baker's injury was a huge blow given how she was finally getting over thanks to her heel turn and bloody battle with Shida. It would've very easily killed her momentum to be off TV, but AEW instead played into Baker's injury by making her flaunt her heelish hilarity, starting with her being a wheelchair-riding 'roll model', this would begin Baker's time entertaining in spite of injury.

Worst - Allie and QT begin What was this huh? Now Allie in a red dress was a sight to behold but the whole romance angle where a very married Allie had a brief period as a babyface and pairing with the also very married QT Marshall. We all knew it was gonna lead to Butcher and Blade jumping the Natural Nightmares, but it really overstayed its welcome.

Best - The TNT Open Challenge We will get more on this but Cody's win of the TNT title was met with concern given the monster push of Lance Archer - not to mention the dismal design of the championship itself. But Cody did his best to add prestige via the weekly Open Challenge, which would showcase a lot of talent in a similar way to Cena's US title Open Challenge.

June 2020 Best - Brodie goes on the Recruitment Prowl Being the leader of the Dark Order, Mr. Brodie Lee needed a new direction after being felled by Jon Moxley. What he decided was to add to his ranks; bringing in Dark Standout Alan Angels, enticing Colt Cabana and extending a hand to Anna Jay. These choices bolstered the Dark Order's ranks to last much longer, especially with their segments in BTE showing all their comedic flair.

Worst - Sammy Guevara eats his words The Speaking Out movement affected AEW just as it did most of wrestling, leading to the release of Jimmy Havoc. But Sammy Guevara also got done in by his egregiously vulgar comments he made regarding his attraction WWE's Sasha Banks in an old interview that had now surfaced. While this isn't a booking decision per se, it was the fault of AEW to have not caught this on their background check. Sammy would rightfully be suspended with a full apology, seminars taken and a direct conversation with Banks herself to make amends.

Best - Red Velvet stirs in Red Velvet would debut on Dark in June, showcasing talent which would later be enhanced and explored later in the year, adding Red Velvet did indeed bolster the women's division a bit more, showing AEW's dedication towards building new stars was still alive.

Best - Wardlow vs Luchasaurus rocks the house Lumberjack matches are more miss than hit, but the long-awaited match between Wardlow and Luchasaurus was a sleeper hit for the month. Big time spots of athletic hosses slapping meat and flipping feet continued to showcase Wardlow's dominance with a big win over the Dino-man, just a good wrestling match worth the wait.

July 2020

Best - Open Challenge Opens Doors Cody's open challenges started with the AEW roster, but they soon expanded to being for indy talent and cross-promotional challengers too: Enter Eddie Kingston. The Mad King made an instant impact in his hardcore challenge against Cody, which quickly earned him a contract with the company. Also among the challengers was Ricky Starks - who would also get a contract - and Warhorse, who had rallied the fans into giving him a shot - and AEW did play into his popularity, having an answer for a lot of Cody's offense until he hurt his leg for the finish. It was smart booking even if Cody was bound to win.

Worst - Cardona's time is Radio Silence You gotta feel bad for Matt Cardona, he has all the makings to be a great star, but he just suffers from either company disinterest, injury or poor timing. The latter was the case for his AEW time, since AEW were having to deal with WWE's COVID outbreak by extension of any partners, Cardona only had a rare appearance backing up Cody a few times and while he did find himself in Impact, it's sadly not as green as the other side.

Best - Sue is Over The Best Friends as babyfaces walk the line perfectly of being a group of goofball man-children but also legitimate and talented wrestlers. The cherry on the top though was the Friends' entrance to Fyter Fest in Trent's mom Sue's mini-van for their tag title match, immediately getting Sue over with fans. Sue would also be a cult figure for BTE in her skits with the Dark Order, being the only person ever to make Brodie Lee break character and corpse.

Worst - Cody cannot elevate Hager Cody's defenses led to Hager (and his wife) looking for a title match, the sale of it being a more legitimate bout with the weigh in and packages didn't pull off in the match though, being quite slow and simplistic. Hager still remains a wrestler who lacks any more potential than what he has now but knows the right people.

Best - Taz promos around Mox's COVID absence Due to the aforementioned outbreak, AEW were forced to reschedule their main event when Renee Young had contracted the virus, exposing their world champion Jon Moxley by extension. This meant that Brian Cage would have to wait longer for their match (though not as long as UK fans are waiting for AEW to come overseas), so AEW decided to let Taz carry them over this predicament, which he did marvelously by reviving his FTW title and handing it to Cage. It added some extra heat and something for Cage to carry around as if he had won the personal victory over Moxley already, and it would lead us into the following week's rescheduled Main Event at Fight for the Fallen.

August 2020 Best - Brodie Destroys Cody After a lot of defenses and Cody getting the 'finished product' TNT title, fans wondered how Cody's defense against Mr. Brodie Lee would go. And boy did we get a spectacle, the Exalted One demolished Cody, Anna Jay then choked out Brandi as the rest of the Dark Order held the Nightmare Family at bay, and we were left with the visual of Brodie on top and Cody and Brandi at their feet, covered in the shredded remains of the old TNT title that Cody had reigned with. It was great storytelling and a great way to elevate Brodie as well as finally putting the Dark Order over, the stable rode the highest they had been since their debut while Cody disappeared to film for the Go Big Show.

Worst - Bea and Sadie get released, Mel stays AEW did their best to keep as many people they could during the Pandemic, but due to the travel restrictions Bea Priestley was very much land locked and Sadie Gibbs was not getting a second chance at her botched debut. It was a shame because of how talented both women were, Bea especially since rumor has it she might be en route to the E. What was baffling was that Mel, of the failed Nightmare Collective, remains on AEW's payroll despite not having appeared for over a year, hard to add that up.

Best - Thunder Rosa makes her challenge Before the Forbidden Door, NWA opened their doors to AEW while the pandemic prevented them from filming shows. With champion Hikaru Shida lacking a built-up challenger, fans were interested in Thunder Rosa's intrigue about Shida's challenge, and would be pleased to see AEW roll with it too. Rosa and Shida made for a great cross-promotional feud which'd lead to a great match in the following month. To this very day, Thunder Rosa's appearance on AEW is one of the brand's most vital steps in terms of strengthening their women's division.

Worst - The Deadly Draw is on Youtube Speaking of the Women's Division, AEW had also decided to have an all-women's tournament called the Deadly Draw. 'Random' tag teams would be forged in a tag tournament that'd give women some time to show their stuff. Unfortunately, this would mostly be on Youtube - save for the Finals - and be dominated by Fans' disdain that Allie and Brandi were making the finals. The method of picking was not handled well since we didn't really get any mismatch teams aside from Nyla, and the amount of women we got were not all spectacular with Rache Chanel and the former Cameron being a part of it. While Ivelisse and Diamante would win too they only got some crappy medals, all of which leaves a bitter taste following Ivelisse's release.

Best - Deadly Draw gives us Conti, Diamante and Savoy That being said, the Deadly Draw had its saving graces. For one the use of Veda Scott on commentary, Madusa as the host and Shaul Guerrero as the announcer were nice touches, we also got to see Tay Conti, Diamante, Ivelisse and Nicole Savoy wrestle - the middle two win. Conti would turn out to be the most important of the lot with her team and friendship with Dark Order's Anna Jay, getting over because of their chemistry and making it to the semi-finals.

Worst - Conti to Dark Order doesn't develop Conti and Anna's friendship meant that soon after, Jay had extended an offer for her friend to join the stable. For weeks we saw Conti carry around this invitation but then: nothing. Conti never joined Dark Order and this didn't beget any friction between the friends either - in the end it became a missed opportunity as Conti dances on the edge of being supported by the Dark Order but not a part of the Dark Order.

Best - Jericho and Cassidy Debate With Mike Tyson unable to appear more to feud with Jericho, AEW slotted over-as-fuck Orange Cassidy to face Jericho. While Jericho got the win in the first match, we were graced with a fun 'debate' hosted by Schiavone and with a guest appearance of Eric Bischoff. Cassidy's monologue during the debate was great too.

Worst - Cassidy's first win over Jericho isn't as big as it should be Unfortunately, when Cassidy did get the win over Jericho was not as good as the first, getting clunky at times with some miscommunication and slow pacing. They would have their rubber match in the gimmicky Mimosa Mayhem which would also be a bit of a mixed bag.

Best - Hardy and the Mad King Squad Up Despite solid starts, Private Party, Lucha Bros and Butcher & the Blade had struggled a little to find success in AEW, but they would gain some benefit by associating with Matt Hardy and Eddie Kingston. Hardy worked well as a mentor to the similar styled tag team to his younger years, while Kingston's evil grin to the camera did signal that Kingston's new squad would be up to no good.

Best - Moxley and Allin make another classic Allin and Moxley somehow just click, they click so well that you could put them in a match every week and people wouldn't complain, hell there's fanart of Moxley essentially adopting Allin in the same vein as Shota 'Shooter' Umino. Anyway, Allin vs Moxley is always fantastic, and it made sense for the feud that was growing.

Best - You're Out of the Elite! Hangman's slow burn storytelling has been sublime, and it was at a new height when FTR started sniffing around Hangman like lions around a wounded gazelle. Feeding into Hangman's alcoholism - established since his inability to beat Jericho or PAC in his hunt to be world champion - FTR exposed doubt within Page that the Bucks were ousting him out and would soon turn on him. All of which were mind games to sow discontent between him and Omega in their bid for the tag titles. The cherry on the top came with Hangman's removal from the Elite, after a stellar feud in Revolution being brought up, Hangman impulsively screwed out the Bucks from getting another title match, after a dressing down and being kicked out of the group we pan to a shot of Hangman staring into a mirror cracked - perfect storytelling.

Best - MJF campaigns against Moxley MJF had been undefeated and fans have wondered when rather than if he would get his shot. And when he set his eyes on Moxley it is spectacular. The faux presidential campaign was right up MJF's alley as he looked to write out Moxley's go-to finish of the Paradigm Shift, this also had great easter eggs like MJF emulating Samoa Joe's shove on him to one of his entourage, as well as his lawyer Sterling being a good addition for the feud.

September 2020 Best - Allin/Starks, Johnson/Carter are bangers September came out with some very impressive matches, for Dynamite it was the culmination of Allin and Starks' feuding but on Dark we got unsigned Lee Johnson and Ben Carter blow the roof off, immediately both names were a topic of scouting and it remains a top level match.

Worst - Billy Mitchell's cameo Early into Miro's debut we got some vignettes of 'The Best Man' enjoying his other past-time as a gamer. While this wasn't the right way to go in hindsight, the cameo of Billy Mitchell - a controversial figure in Arcade Gaming - was quite out of place for AEW as well, many having to look up who the dude was anyway and why many gamers were disgruntled about it. 'Celebrity' Cameos can only really work if you know who they are.

Best - Kingston stories a weird finish into a Title Match It would've been a Worst moment on this list when Eddie Kingston lost a battle royale for a title shot by being pushed off the turnbuckle despite leaving to the apron via the middle rope. However, when winner Archer came down with COVID, AEW was put in a reverse Fyter Fest scenario, a champion but no opponent. This allowed Kingston an in to use the fact that he never technically went over the top rope to barter a title match, which he used to impressive effect.

Worst - Sydal Slips The Shooting Star Press is a difficult move to pull off, and dangerous to botch. It had also been the staple of Matt Sydal, who was the Joker in the Casino Battle Royale of All Out, but when he did his Shooting Star he slipped and faceplanted. While it's not a booking decision it is a sore spot, Sydal has partly recovered as a full time worker and a mini-feud with Nakazawa to save face on the botch, but he has only once tried the move again.

Best - Will Hobbs impresses When Sydal botched and hit the floor though, Will Hobbs was the one you saw roll over inconspicuously to check he wasn't hurt. The youngster had already been impressing on AEW Dark on a regular basis and his appearance alone in the Battle Royale was an encouraging sign. Hobbs would also put on a strong performance in that match, which would lean in on being more utilized on Dynamite, his momentum would also carry to Double or Nothing with another strong run in a Battle Royale mostly pitted against Christian Cage.

Worst - The Matt Hardy incident Perhaps the lowest point of All Out was the Broken Rules Match. Hardy and Sydal had overshot their spear spot from a forklift to a table and Hardy hit his head hard. Hardy wobbled with signs of concussion as the match to and fro'd about being called off, Hardy though was having none of it - since the stipulation would have him retire had he lost - he would continue for a scaffolding spot for the finish but it did put a lot of heat on Guevara and AEW for allowing the match to continue. Matt would make a recovery and have a cinematic match with Sammy to finish the tainted feud, but from there BROKEN Matt Hardy was seldom seen.

Best - Deeb arrives Serena Deeb is one of the most technically gifted women on wrestling. Someone so grossly underutilized by WWE that it's baffling that the best thing they would do with her on the main roster is shave her head for the admittedly great Straight Edge Society but then release her for not keeping up kayfabe in her personal life. This was the month though that the current NWA Women's Champion debuted on AEW Dark and would later get signed, Deeb adds veteran experience and technical mastery to AEW's women's roster and she is a cert to be AEW Women's Champion someday.

Worst - Fans fight Tooth and Nail but Swole/Baker doesn't deliver Despite Britt Baker's rise to superstardom, her return feud with Big Swole became a bit of a mishit. The build was fine with Swole often getting the better of the wheelchair-bound Baker, so for Baker's return AEW had set a cinematic match in her dentist's office. The match was placed on the Buy-In, which pissed a lot of fans off and had them strong-arm Khan into putting it as the opener, and it didn't pay off. The match was par at best, ending with Baker losing as well, while the quickly-put-together match of Private Party vs Silver & Reynolds shone brightly on the Buy In in the spot this match should've taken. Listening to fans is of course good but AEW had the hindsight to judge whether the match was worth it in the eyes of the fans and they picked wrong.

Best - Parking Lot Brawl But for every par match AEW has they always sneak in a blinder, and it was Best Friends' 5-Star Parking Lot Brawl against Santana & Ortiz that pulled it off. With Orange Cassidy coming out of the boot of the car, Santana & Ortiz's Dead Presidents' appearance and Sue getting a brand new minivan and flipping off the Inner Circle duo at the end, the match was a fantastic closer for the night.

October 2020 Best - Brandon Cutler gets the W Brandon Cutler had AEW's longest losing streak, and they loved to ham it up, except Peter Avalon also had AEW's longest losing streak too. They had tried working together but couldn't find the common ground, so when Avalon turned on Cutler we were set for one of these men to get the win. After two no contests due to double count outs and double disqualifications, Cutler and Avalon had a no rules rubber match on Dark and it was great. Cutler got his win in probably AEW Dark's best feud storytelling - though it probably should've been on Dynamite or even the Buy In of the PPV - giving a payoff years in the making.

Worst - Nyla/Shida II is built on Dark Hikaru Shida had gone through the majority of the Women's Roster, so with new manager Vickie Guerrero, Nyla Rose wanted her title back. The problem however was that all of Vickie's calling out of Shida after a Nyla squash was on Dark, so the match was poorly built. You feel bad for Tony Khan because he tried this so more eyes would go on Dark but it was also a reminder that title matches should be built on the Main Show.

Best - MJF and Jericho get musical MJF had decided once again to try and get in with the Inner Circle, only this time he was faring better thanks to his chemistry with Chris Jericho. What we got was Le Dinner Debonair, a pompous, broadway-esque musical scene that fit the larger than life and delusional heel aura of both men's ego. While some people called it 'too goofy', it was also named one of the best TV moments of the year.

Worst - Miro feuds over an Arcade Machine Fans wanted one thing from Miro: the beast, but AEW did not lead with that. Instead they had him feud with Best Friends because they were thrown into an Arcade Machine he was playing. While it's not the level of feuding over shampoo, it was still rather dumb and contrived given how the rest of this weak feud was telegraphed leading up to Kip and Penelope's wedding - despite Miro's attempts to subvert Wrestling Wedding Tropes.

Best - Leyla legitimately impresses In October, 'Legit' Leyla Hirsch came out of nowhere and made the best of her moment. A non-title debut against champion Hikaru Shida on Dark proved an extremely entertaining affair as Hirsch got to showcase her physicality, and then that was followed instantly by a NWA Women's Title shot against Deeb on Dynamite - which she also really impressed in. While it took a while for AEW to announce Leyla as a signing, it was a definite plus to see Olympic qualities in the Women's Division.

Worst - Jericho can't get Luther over When Jericho got a whole Dynamite to celebrate 30 years in the business he had a lot on his plate, several cameos from Slash and Hiroshi Tanahashi made it a special moment but the Main Event didn't work. Luther is sadly another one of those Brutus Beefcake cases of knowing the right people, and while Luther could probably go when he was younger, currently he isn't the best. People wondered if Jericho could carry Luther in his match with Chaos Project but unfortunately it didn't land, Luther after all has his place on the undercard throwing Serpentico around, he doesn't need any more than that.

Best - The Cleaner shows signs of returning After an Anniversary Show meant that Moxley had gone through another opponent in his mammoth title reign, AEW had set up a tournament to name the new Number 1 Contender. At this time as well FTR had already dealt with Hangman and Omega but their post-match embrace was not reciprocated by Omega, who had more or less washed his hands with his partner. The two were in different places, Page had descended further into the bottom of a drink without any of his friends while Kenny had become focused upon being a singles competitor again. Metaphorically winking to the hard cam, Omega would enter in an over the top fashion with cheerleaders of the Jacksonville Jaguars dancing with brooms to hark the slow arrival of the Cleaner. His disgruntled face after squashing Sonny Kiss was also meme quality.

Worst - Brodie's Reign is cut short Brodie Lee's TNT title reign was great, it had put the Dark Order on top and his segments on BTE were extremely entertaining too. An emphatic return of the dark haired Cody Rhodes did invite a rematch which would be a more brutal affair than Cody's prior squashing, but sadly Brodie would not retain. His reign only lasted a month and in hindsight that would be the only time Brodie held gold, while he stated he had no regrets on how short his reign was it was not great booking to put it immediately back on Cody as if Brodie only held it because Cody had another show to record.

Best - Dog Collar Match was great Result notwithstanding though, the Dog Collar match proved as brutal as it was entertaining. Another match that elevated the TNT title's prestige, Lee and Cody tore into each other in a match that could've easily screamed Vince Russo late-WCW failure. But the men pulled it off with their raw talent and nobody looked bad out of it.

November 2020 Best - Kenny vs Hangman I Since AEW's inception, Hangman Page has been on a slow course to squaring off against Kenny Omega. This came to a head in the finals of the No.1 Contendership Tournament, the confident Kenny vs the angsty Page proved an effective opener which further spiralled Hangman into depression while Kenny would return to the top of the card.

Worst - Hornswoggle in a nappy? The Inner Circle's Vegas skit was probably too much, it had some good moments like Hager and Wardlow continually staring at each other as they beat up people in the club, also the appearance of an Elvis Impersonator and Konnan. But the bit finished on a weird note trying to homage The Hangover by having WWE's former Hornswoggle appear in a baby's nappy, it was just weird no ways around it.

Best - Cargill and Top Flight make an impression November saw the debuts of new members of the Women's and Tag Division. The Martin brothers impressed as the new vibrant and athletic tag team, putting on a wild show against The Bucks. Jade Cargill would start AEW by confronting Cody with the tease of one Shaquille O'Neal, but the moment the camera panned to Cargill she had one word printed on her and it was 'Star'. While Top Flight are halved by injury, Cargill has continued to show her growth.

Worst - Shida vs Abadon has a short build When Abadon debuted on AEW Dark she put on an impressive match with then-not-champion Hikaru Shida, the story being that Shida was weirded out by the Living Dead Girl. Since then, Abadon had been undefeated in her sporadic appearances - partly delayed by injury - so she was put on a course to reignite this storyline with Shida. However, they didn't get enough time, only a couple segments of Shida trying to prove herself not scared and an AEW Dark segment when Abadon jumped Shida and hit a Cemetery Drive on her. A decent match would follow, but we could've done a lot more.

Best - Hobbs turns to FTW Will Hobbs had grown more and more impressive with each appearance, put over as well in promo by Jon Moxley too gave him a lot of credit. During Darby's feud with Team Taz, Hobbs had often come to make the save to prevent Darby from being injured, however he did have a habit of arriving a little late. This proved to be intentional when Hobbs turned heel, aligning with Team Taz to learn under the ECW Legend. While Hobbs has yet to taste gold, he has of recent found himself elevated by the feud with Christian Cage and should Brian Cage move away from Team Taz, he would clearly be the top choice to take the FTW belt from him.

Worst - Cody Hogan's his title loss When it was time for Cody to drop the TNT belt again, fans would hope that it would be a similar case of Cody putting someone over red hot like he did Brodie. However, instead Darby defeated Cody with a series of roll ups which Cody kicked out in 3.1, a very Hogan vs Warrior title change with Cody also having to keep the spotlight on him by handing the belt to Darby before Darby's moment was further interrupted by Team Taz's attack.

Best - Darby has gold At the very least, Darby being crowned TNT champion after finally beating Cody was a perfect narrative for the talented and albeit batshit crazy masochist Emo Skater Boy. Darby's reign would also be consistently good and maintain Allin's star aura against opponents of all shapes and sizes.

Best - PAC is BAC Due to COVID, several of AEW's international talents were land-locked and unable to appear, but when the UK's borders loosened slightly The Bastard PAC made an emphatic return to reestablish Death Triangle. This had also come off the heels of Eddie Kingston trying to sway Penta away from his brother and kick Fénix out of his group. PAC's mini-feud with Kingston would remind the world that AEW had some world class talent to put in against Kenny Omega as well as reminding the world that PAC is just amazing as a wrestler.

Best - Bunkhouse match blows the roof off Dustin Rhodes seems to have carved an interesting spot for himself as the 'Obscure Gimmick Match Master'. Currently teasing a Bullrope match with Nick Comoroto, he shone brightly in the culmination of the long-winded QT/Allie storyline which lead to a Bunkhouse Match against the Butcher and the Blade. It had old school qualities with amazing spots that continued a long chain of AEW pulling off impressive gimmick matches even if the feud wasn't as impressive itself.

Best - Mox and Kingston, Feud of the Year 2020 You know what was an impressive feud though? Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston. Imagine winning feud of the year for something set up in September to November? And most of it was promo, but these were two of the best promo guys in the world, touching on their roots, their former friendship, the lengths either would go and all coming to a head in an I Quit Match. Kingston made you believe every word he said when he declared that he would never quit and he wouldn't stop until he was champion but come the match Moxley proved more resilient than words can be. Getting Feud of the Year is not bad going for what originally started as a one-off title match because Archer got COVID.

December 2020 Best - Brodie Lee Memorial Show Near the end of December the wrestling world was shocked by the death of Brodie Lee, the Exalted One was someone fans really wanted to see be a major world champion someday, but he had tragically succumbed to a Lung condition. At this time too AEW were promoting a 2-part special of New Year's Dash, but delayed the shows a week to put on a memorial show for Brodie. With matches picked by Brodie's eldest son, AEW did perhaps the perfect tribute show, with a perfect blend of clips and tributes paired with matches that honored the Big Rig. Brodie's influence was shown with Silver emulating Brodie's outfit, Eric Redbeard appearing, FTR renaming their Goodnight Express to the Big Rig, and the TNT title being handed to Brodie Lee Jr. - who became AEW's youngest signing - and a special t-shirt being the highest selling t-shirt of 2020, with proceeds going to Brodie's wife, Amanda. Brodie's influence still reigns in AEW as the Dark Order have become somewhat gatekeepers to the TNT title and the quote 'It's [day], and you know what that means' being frequently used or displayed via signs to start off an AEW show.

Worst - Ben Carter slips through their fingers Ben Carter had proven a sensational talent on his AEW showings, quickly having rose to having a match on Dynamite. However, AEW did not get his signature on the dotted line, and the E came a-callin'. The loss of the now-Nathan Frazer was a rough blow for AEW business since it showed that WWE could still outbid them if they wanted someone enough, and AEW made the mistake of not signing him before other companies started sniffing around.

Best - IT'S STIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING! The 'Winter is Coming' special had many big things happen, but one of the biggest of all was the return of Sting. Instantly Sting's T-Shirt sales broke records in AEW (until the Brodie shirt would break Sting's) as the WCW legend had made his return to TNT in a veil of snow staring down Darby Allin, nostalgia was high on this moment.

Worst - STIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING does nothing for a month But. There was a problem with Sting's arrival on AEW, he wasn't exactly spry in his 60s and AEW were cautious in wanting him to come back into the ring despite being classed as an active talent. AEW did miss a mark by promoting Sting to just do the same interview over and over, more than once in fact, you gotta do something with Sting to get the fans excited.

Best - Taz chokes out Cody While feuding with Darby, Cody became involved when he dropped the TNT title to Darby and got attacked by Team Taz all the same. When this led to a verbose conflict between Cody and Taz over the legitimacy of the FTW championship, Cody made the mistake of turning his back on Taz after diminishing his philosophy because Taz's son Hook was training under his factory rather than his father. Jake the Snake did warn him not to turn your back on someone you respect, but maybe he should've warned him to not turn your back on a Human Suplex Machine, because Taz immediately put him in the Tazmission - to a huge pop from fans - choking out the younger Rhodes to further personalize their feud.

Worst - Dynamite Diamond Ring doesn't change MJF had used the Dynamite Diamond Ring sporadically as a weapon to cheat in matches, but it anything it was a glorified brass knuckles that had limited prestige. When AEW had the chance to give it new prestige by having it fought over a year after MJF won it, they decided to simply keep it on MJF's pinky finger. As a result we had a battle royale and a match that kinda went nowhere narratively, and AEW should've really just made the ring a one-off or given it to someone else to signify a young up-and-coming talent getting a rub.

Best - The Acclaimed prove they're not all talk Not to be outdone by Top Flight, who they seem destined to have an eternal rivalry with, The Acclaimed put on an impressive showing in their title match with the Bucks too. Max Caster's diss tracks continue to slowly win fans over but this was the moment the Acclaimed turned into a mainstay of AEW's tag division.

Worst - TNT ask for no more surprises While reported months later, fans were alerted that after Sting's debut, TNT had asked AEW to not do any more surprises. Business-wise it made sense since they wanted to promote any big moments on the show for a greater viewership, but Wrestling-wise eliminating the shock factor would be a detriment to the business as a whole. AEW have managed to work their way around such things by promoting 'mystery entrants' or debuting surprise characters between other promoted segments but it is still a questionable decision by TNT to request such a thing.

Best - This is Bear Country Next on the 'XX impress on Dark, get signed up' is the tag team of Bear Country. Different to Top Flight's flippy talent and the Acclaimed's knack for mind games and more technical wrestling was two big hoss men running roughshot War Machine-style, there's not much else you need to sell with that, Bear Country was just good stuff and provided another style AEW's tag division could use.

January 2021 Best - Negative One With Brodie Lee Jr. now signed to AEW, he started to make appearances as Dark Order's new leader 'Negative One'. And instantly, Brodie Jr had become an excellent presence. With great understanding of the business for such a young age, Negative One would delight audiences on Dark and Elevation be it on commentary or simply being the feral prince that often accompanied Preston Vance, Anna Jay and/or Tay Conti. The kid was having the time of his life too.

Worst - TNT title doesn't get revamped enough With the original finished product of the TNT title handed to Brodie Jr, there was an opening to make a new TNT title which learned from the criticisms that the original had. Unfortunately we did not have this, we mostly just got a Black strap. Granted COVID would've been a part of that but given how long Darby's reign was, we could've put work towards giving us a better looking TNT championship.

Best - Dark Order turn face, help the Hangman On BTE Dark Order found their feet with their flair for comedy, one of the segments that began this was Evil Uno's selling of Brodie's throwing of papers, the bit originated from Lee discovering that Hangman had once reached out to the Dark Order website sometime at the beginning of his depression spiral. Because of the rejection, the Dark Order had fostered an animosity against Page with frequent 'Fuck Hangman' chants, and yet Hangman would sporadically appear in their hangout, starting his own 'Fuck Hangman' chant when kicked out of the Elite in a brutal show of Page's self-loathing. From there though the Dark Order had softened to the Anxious Millennial Cowboy and after a face turn they had grown to become AEW's most popular faction and a much-needed friend for Page. While Hangman wouldn't officially join the Dark Order, it definitely proved to be an entertaining chapter in Page's story from an unlikely source.

Worst - Team Taz will jump Darby, but not Sting During their feud, Team Taz were seen to jump Darby Allin whenever they could, didn't matter if he had Cody or Moxley on his side they would still try to get the upper hand on the TNT champion. But now that Sting has arrived, Team Taz decided to stop doing that. As much as it was AEW protecting Sting from bumps, it really diminished Team Taz as well because five men that included Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs and Brian Cage were scurrying away from a lone 60 year old with a baseball bat.

Best - Bullet Club in AEW Tama Tonga might refute it, but the appearance of Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson in AEW was big, and their arrival to aid Kenny and then to two sweet him with the Bucks was an image definitely worthy of closing the night. From Gallows and Anderson's arrival to AEW led to Impact's doors being opened, which has recently led to Omega being the Belt Collector.

Worst - Callis' feud with the Bucks is gimmicky When Kenny won the AEW World Title at Winter is Coming, he had began a full on chaotic turn with Don Callis as his manager of sorts. The Young Bucks however were still firm babyfaces and were perturbed by Callis' actions that were ousting the Jackson brothers out of Kenny's social circles. Some bits were good, Callis really laying in thick the fact that he felt the Bucks had lost their edge, but the majority of it was a bit too much soap opera for my liking, the fake shiner was probably where it jumped the shark.

Best - Tay Conti shows her improvement against Deeb Tay Conti had grown a lot as a wrestler since her debut, and when set to challenge Serena Deeb for the NWA Women's Championship we had the story of 'Jack of All Trades vs Master of One'. Leaning more into her Judo and martial arts background, Tay Conti showed the wrestling world that she had arrived as a wrestler thanks to the AEW machine. WWE's loss had officially become AEW's gain as Tay Conti continues her rise to perhaps being one of the biggest female stars in the company.

Worst - Archer can't win a feud Having lost to Cody in May and then Moxley on the Anniversary episode, Archer was put in a no-win situation by feuding with Eddie Kingston. Now Kingston is great, but the problem was that both men desperately needed to win a feud for credibility, and Archer was the one who lost. Archer continues to be sold as a monster but also someone who will lose all his major feuds. Suffice to say, more can be done with the Murderhawk Monster.

Best - MJF sows seeds of discontent Having officially gotten in with the Inner Circle, MJF now had Chris Jericho's ear and he was ready to spread his poison. This started with the ousting of Sammy Guevara - Jericho's protege of sorts - before moving on to sowing tension between Jericho and Santana & Ortiz. This would be the beginnings of an excellent swerve by AEW, which we will get to later.

Worst - Santana and Ortiz aren't even the Inner Circle's tag team? Because of MJF's sowing though, we had a weird scenario where the Inner Circle were debating who was their official tag team? Debating between Jericho and MJF the singles competitors, Sammy and Hager the singles competitors or Santana & Ortiz the tag team. In this as well MJF and Jericho won, which was more sowing on MJF's part but it does still leave the worrying sense that AEW's tag division is perhaps too big as Tony Khan waits for the right moment to introduce a Trios title.

Best - Wardlow vs Hager was surprisingly good Another recurring narrative of MJF joining the Inner Circle was Jake Hager and Wardlow staring each other off whenever they could. In order to 'bury the hatchet', Hager challenged the War Dog to a match, and surprisingly this was Hager's best match in an AEW ring so far, big men slapping meat with the right conclusion of Wardlow winning.

Worst - The Waiting Room fades out While Britt Baker was injured but not Wheelchair bound she had started an interview show on Dark called 'The Waiting Room', it had a few flaws here and there but eventually it showed on Dynamite to decent effect. But after that it was gone, which is a shame because it could've easily been a longstanding segment for either of AEW's shows at the time to give some promo segments or interviews to AEW's talent.

Best - Private Party are leeched After working under the wing of 'Big Money' Matt Hardy, Private Party turned heel to compliment Hardy's newfound persona as the Company Leech. The heel turn has somewhat revitalized the once-promising tag team and proved they can play either side, it even got them an Impact Tag Title shot and an impressive match on the PPV.

Worst - Whatever Snoop Dogg was doing Snoop Dogg made an AEW appearance where he was insistent on doing a spot, but it didn't really work - much like it didn't really work when he tried it in WWE. Snoop as a guest wasn't the worst idea in the world and it is good that he's willing to bump on the show, but could does not always mean should.

Best - Jungle Boy and Dax put on a masterclass In the middle of FTR's midcard feud with Jurassic Express - the one that'd involve Marko Stunt being kidnapped - Dax Harwood and Jungle Boy crossed paths in an excellently technical match. The match received high praise that'd further put Jungle Boy over while also giving worthy praise for Harwood's wrestling ability.

Best - Jungle Boy gets some Baltimora While on the subject of Jungle Jack Perry, Tony Khan had decided that he had a library of songs he owned or could own and use as entrance themes for some of AEW's more earmarked talent. This would begin with Jungle Boy, who was given Baltimora's 'Tarzan Boy' per the suggestion of Joey Janela. Immediately Jungle Boy had something the fans could use to rally behind, a chantable song that embraced all that Jungle Boy's character was.

February 2021 Best - JD Drake makes an impression JD Drake does not look like AEW's typical wrestler, but that's the point. On his debut on Dark he surprised many with his great offense and agility, even able to pull off a moonsault. Quickly Drake was signed and becomes the odd one out but also the oft-ignored voice of common sense in the Wingmen faction of prettyboys. He's having a lot of fun with it too and has put on good matches, recently against Rocky Romero.

Worst - Women's Eliminator Tournament partly goes on Youtube The Women's Eliminator Tournament opened up the Women's Division in a big way, but COVID meant that not all of it could be filmed in Jacksonville. So like the Deadly Draw, the tournament had to spend some of its time on Youtube. Now I have no problem with Youtube being used, it's a wider medium that can be accessed at any time, but it did mimic the downsides of the Deadly Draw and alienate the TNT-only audience, especially since Dynamite rarely showed highlights of the tournament progress.

Best - Women's Eliminator Tournament exceeds expectations That is however, the only criticism with hindsight one can give the Eliminator Tournament. Because not only did it give us the return of Riho, Yuka Sakazaki, Ryo Mizunami, Emi Sakura and Aja Kong, but it also graced us with the talented debuts of Maki Itoh, VENY (aka Asuka, who also wore Hana Kimura's robe) and Mei Suruga. In addition Shida provided Japanese commentary for the Joshi matches sporting a strikingly beautiful white suit. The tournament did not have a bad match at all; with VENY vs Sakura, Suruga vs Sakazaki, Sakazaki vs Sakura (which had Sakura perform a fantastic entrance), Serena Deeb vs Riho, Leyla Hirsch vs Thunder Rosa, Riho vs Rosa, Baker vs Nyla, Conti vs Nyla and the finals were all great and unique matches. The non-tournament 6-woman joshi tag match was also excellent and so was the surprise winner of Ryo Mizunami and her title shot against Shida at Revolution.

Best - Moxley brings the IWGP US Championship Jon Moxley may've lost the AEW World Championship, he still had a title on hand he could use: the IWGP US Championship. While NJPW had intended to keep it mainly on NJPW Strong during COVID, New Japan also allowed Moxley to bring his title on rare occasions to AEW, later to the point where he could defend it. It was definite good business and the next thing is why it was such a big deal.

Best - THE FORBIDDEN DOOR OPENS! 'New Japan will not work with AEW' - that was what we were told in the early stages of AEW, but we held out hope. We got more hope when Harold Meij stepped down from NJPW but still the 'Forbidden Door' remained shut, all the way until Beach Break when a hooded figure came up to Jon Moxley, hit a GTS and revealed himself. KENTA, the holder of the IWGP US Championship Briefcase he won in the inaugural New Japan Cup USA tournament. The internet went wild, the forbidden door was open and there was no way fans will let it close again.

March 2021 Best - Sting debuts cinematically Team Taz's feud with Darby came to a head with a Tag Team Street Fight. It was Sting's first AEW match and fans were concerned on how many bumps he could take - memory of his 'career-ending' match with Rollins echoing in the mind. AEW though would not make that mistake, deciding to go cinematic to protect Sting and give him time to recover from any bumps caused - as well as win the match like one HHH refused to do - the match itself was fantastic with Team Taz and Darby fitting in a ton of extreme spots and Brian Cage just flexing all over the place.

Worst - Archer feuds(?) with Sting After said Street Fight though, Sting continued said momentum with: Interviews. Worse yet these interviews started being interrupted by Lance Archer, who wanted to take Sting's TV time from him. This amounted to nothing as well because after Sting put an endorsement on Archer, the Murderhawk Monster would decide not to fight for a spot and come in to save Sting and Darby from time to time. If we were gonna establish this alliance we could've done more with it, sadly AEW keep on following up Sting wrestling with a ton of Sting talking.

Best - The Pinnacle debut MJF's snaking in on the Inner Circle was paying off dividends, but after an unsuccessful challenge for the tag titles, the Inner Circle had announced a 'War Council' to discuss their future. It looked as though MJF was gonna completely oust out Jericho from his own group, but out came Sammy Guevara. Absent since leaving the group, Guevara had unraveled MJF, revealing that the Inner Circle was wise to MJF's plot all along: except they weren't. MJF had played 5 steps ahead of the Inner Circle, because he wasn't trying to steal his faction, he was setting up his own. FTR, Spears, Wardlow and MJF swarmed the Inner Circle for an epic debut which would be known as the Pinnacle.

Worst - Cody beats Penta despite a shoulder injury At this point fans were beginning to wonder how Cody Rhodes would write himself off of TV. His wife Brandi was halfway through pregnancy and the Rhodes had announced a Miz & Mrs-esque reality show too. So when Cody was kayfabing a shoulder injury and pitted against Penta El 0M, fans were hoping that this time Cody could not finagle his way into defeating a charismatic and popular member of the roster who could use the rub and has a history of kayfabe breaking arms, and yet he did. The feud set up ended up being a one-off that harmed Penta more than it did good, he had done the arm breaker but Cody just shrugged it off and won anyway. It was growing all too apparent that clean Cody losses will remain to be few and far between.

Best - Penta Says that Alex is a Great Hype Man There is one saving grace to the Penta/Cody mini feud though and it's that pseudo-Dark Order member, Spanish announcer and interviewer Alex Abrahantes had been paired with Penta as his translator/hype man. Sporting some Rollins-esque outfitting of gloves and jackets, Abrahantes added extra venom to his translations which of course gave Penta a lot more vibrance. Alex as well seems to be having a whale of a time doing so.

Worst - Team Taz Dissension starts, but will pause for 2 months In the aftermath of their Street Fight defeat, Cage had drawn the ire of his Team Taz comrades by showing Sting some respect. This led to some light tension between Cage and the rest of the team, especially Ricky Starks. While this could've worked towards a Cage face turn, the tension fizzled out, only reigniting recently.

Best - Jade, Velvet and Shaq impress at a Crossroads The special episode 'The Crossroads' had been set up to promote a mixed tag match which served as Jade Cargill and Shaq's AEW wrestling debut. Competing against Cody and Red Velvet, the match did put fan minds at ease by keeping Shaq's spots simple but classic, while Velvet and Cargill ran the show in the ring. Shaq took a table bump as well which was cool and the match started Jade's star-level momentum on a high.

Worst - Shaq just, disappears In the aftermath of the table spot Shaq was put on a stretcher and into an ambulance, but when we went backstage to get some comments from Shaq before being sent off we found that the ambulance was empty. A weird thing considering that in a few days Shaq would be back on TNT anyway like that had no continuity, it was a strange decision nonetheless.

Best - Exploding. Barbed Wire. Deathmatch! AEW and their penchant for gimmick matches is an interesting relationship, but the moment this match was announced it had garnered a lot of hype. I mean it's not every day you see an Exploding Barbed Wire Deathmatch, and Kenny and Mox had already tore into each other in Full Gear to the point where they legitimately broke state laws. The match was every bit as brutal as promised, homaging Onita many a time through Mox but also with the wired up baseball bat, 99% of the match was freaking awesome.

Worst - Fizzling. Barbed Wire. Deathmatch. Sadly, that 1% that wasn't would be the final visual of the PPV. Moxley is defeated and the whole ring is gonna blow, Kenny and co have scurried and Mox is handcuffed and KO'd in the middle of the ring. Disregarding the warnings of the Butcher, Blade and Bunny, Eddie Kingston rushes in to help his former friend, past enmity be damned, he cannot free Mox in time and in a narratively pivotal act of self-sacrifice drapes himself over Moxley to take the blow. And all we got was a fizzle, a few sparklers and fireworks would end the night unfulfilled, undoing all the good the match had delivered. It would be AEW's most unsatisfying moment caused by a botched ending that could never be undone.

Best - Mox and Kingston reunite to rule the promos Although they could not take back the botched finish, the storyline still allowed a new dynamic of Moxley and Kingston reuniting as chaotic street brothers eyeing up the Elite for a fight. One King of Promo would be enough but two was just fantastic, you could watch Kingston and Moxley bounce off of each other all day and still remain thoroughly entertained.

Worst - Kingston doesn't get a crack at Kenny It was however a shame that draping your body over your friend to protect him from an intended explosion was not enough to validate a feud between said person and the creator of the explosive device. Kingston looked all but set to try and avenge his friend by facing Kenny, but it would not turn out to be. The closest we got was a jump and a One Winged Angel, which is a shame because Kingston vs Kenny would've been fantastic - but alas, Mox and Kingston jumped over Kenny and just went for the tag teams instead.

Best - AEW support Cezar Bononi and his wife Cezar Bononi was doing fine as part of the Undercard faction of the Wingmen with Pretty Peter Avalon, Ryan Nemeth and JD Drake. Behind the curtain though Bononi's wife Camila was suffering from Leukemia and needed a Bone Marrow transplant, her sister was a match but she was in Brazil so they needed an emergency visa so to do the transplant on time. Thanks to the collective efforts of fans and the continued exposure AEW provided for Bononi, Camila's sister would make it in time and Camila herself got her transplant and seems to be doing well.

Worst - Big Money Matt loses his quarter, but it doesn't go anywhere In the conclusion of the chapter where Matt Hardy tried to leech his way into Hangman Page's profits, Hangman had defeated Hardy in a 'Big Money' match which meant that Page had won all of Hardy's money over the last quarter. This opened an avenue to see what Big Money Matt could be like with No Money, but it amounted to very little. In fact the worst we got from Matt was eating olives, a missed opportunity for sure, we could've even had Matt be hounded by loan sharks and debt collectors but alas, it didn't dent his money in the end, at the very least Hangman got his lawnmower.

Best - Elevation elevates Mizunami, Leyla and Limelight In March, AEW debuted a more canonized version of Dark called Elevation, which'd be used to show off a bit of the undercard and allow more opportunity to climb the rankings. In the first month of Elevation, we were graced with several good matches, usually including one of three Elevation Regulars. The Eliminator Tournament Winner Ryo Mizunami would go on a series of bouts with female talent such as Tesha Price and KiLynn King where she effortlessly fit into the role of AEW's women's division gatekeeper, meaning that whoever beat her would get a solid rub - and Abadon did. When Mizunami returned to Japan, one of the people she felled took over from her duties and that was Leyla Hirsch, Hirsch had teamed successfully with Mizunami a couple of times as well and has effectively used her spot to get some wins in. On the men's side, NJPW Strong regular Danny Limelight was given his namesake with some high profile matches including Jungle Boy, Frankie Kazarian and Dark Order's 10, not to mention Takeshita, Omega, Kingston and Moxley in later months, the Team Filthy member definitely taking the show's name to heart.

Best - Cassidy wonders where his mind is Not long after Jungle Boy had obtained Baltimora, plans had been made to give Orange Cassidy a new theme too. The pick was an inspired one with The Pixies' 'Where is My Mind?' - which many would be familiar with as the ending song to Fight Club - the song suited Cassidy really well, and after positive testing on Dark it was used for the next Dynamite to close off the night.

Best - Arcade Anarchy delivers in spite of a weak feud It should probably be a word of caution to not face the Best Friends in a gimmick match in AEW, because they hit a new gear whenever they do. The feud with Miro and Kip was poor, and fans were more than happy for it to end on the PPV when Miro got his win, but AEW insisted on one more match: Arcade Anarchy - agreed to by Kip. In spite of fears this match ruled: Trent's return with Sue was great, Kris Statlander's return was a huge surprise, it took all 3 Best Friends to keep Miro down and we finished the night with Where is My Mind playing us off. Despite the weak feud, AEW had finished strongly which made reheating Miro a lot easier.

Best - Tully Blanchard wrestles in 2021 The culmination of Jurassic Express vs FTR came in the Crossroads in a 6-Man tag match. Made extra bonkers because Tully Blanchard was FTR's third man in the match. They of course limited his spots and a Shawn Spears return would prove the difference, but it's an entertainingly ridiculous thing that Tully Blanchard both wrestled in 2021 and won: wrestling is just crazy.

Best - Final 4 of Casino Tag Royale put on a Show AEW have played around with the 'Casino' concept for a few stipulations; regular battle royale for men and women, ladder match, and then tag royale. This royale finished strongly though with the final 4; John Silver, Fénix, PAC and Jungle Boy. Four absolutely over stars brawling out in mini-matches that left fans salivating for more, after Silver and PAC were eliminated Fénix and JB put on an absolute treat of a finale, which ended with Fénix getting the win for Death Triangle to face the Bucks.

Best - Silver earns Sting's respect with a Dislocated Shoulder John Silver was voted by Dark Order to take Darby Allin's open challenge for the TNT title - offered because it was the anniversary of Brodie's debut. Silver vs Allin became a great match, made even more impressive since Silver dislocated his shoulder early in the match and kept going. While Silver couldn't bring the title home to the Dark Order, he got a show of respect from Sting - which in turn would lead to the Dark Order coming to Darby and Sting's aid at times.

Best - Maki Itoh breaks America Fans of TJPW or twitter's tdegifs were very familiar with the charismatic foul-mouthed hard-headed former idol Maki Itoh, and seeing her in the Women's Eliminator tournament paid dividends despite her first round elimination. Itoh's popularity skyrocketed, she had an It factor which pissed off Jim Cornette for extra adulation, and come Revolution's Buy-In, Maki Itoh had arrived in Jacksonville for one of the biggest pops of the night. Itoh proved charming and entertaining even though she was aligned with the heels, to the point where she even main evented the inaugural Elevation against Riho. Sadly Itoh would have to return to Japan and unsuccessfully challenge for Rika Tatsumi's TJPW Princess of Princess Championship (her tag partner/former longstanding rival/sauce boss/Pink Striker Miyu Yamashita would however win), have her twitter hacked and set up a new division of her faction 'Saitama Itoh Respect Army 2021' with Yuki Kamifuku and Marika Kobashi, but she had made her mark and then some, the world was a simp for Maki Itoh, and she allowed it because she needed the monies.

Best - Rosa/Baker break the ceiling Itoh vs Riho wasn't the only cross-promotional women's main event AEW gave us, because 2 days later on St. Patrick's Day Smash, Britt Baker and Thunder Rosa's unsanctioned match would deliver on one of the highest rated matches in modern women's wrestling. A bloody and fantastic affair instantly rose Baker and Rosa's stakes in a fitting end to their rivalry, but one that also didn't cost Baker any standing because it technically 'didn't count'. It remains to this day AEW's best match in the women's division.

April 2021 Best - Miro ditches Kip After months of hanging with Kip Sabian and Penelope Ford, Miro had become fed up with Superbad. The acceptance against his wishes to fight the Arcade Anarchy proved the last straw as Miro set his focus on capturing any and every title within his reach, with or without Kip. After a few weeks of not seeing Sabian, Miro attacked him, writing Sabian out of action with a legitimate wrist injury while Ford was dealing with an allergic reaction to her eyelashes, with Kip gone Miro could finally be who we were waiting for: at freaking last.

Worst - Interference finishes beget questions of Faction Bloat Although not as bad as WWE, many matches on AEW seemed to end one way or another with factions fighting one another, clean finish or not. This did of course grind on fans and cause questions to arise that perhaps there are too many factions in AEW, they have a point, though easily fixable without splitting any factions up.

Best - Bucks descend to heeldom Don Callis had been a thorn in the Bucks' side for a while, but his words had got in their head, they were indeed the most successful when they were cocky assholes. Although they did save Moxley from being swarmed one time, the six-man tag proved too much for them: they didn't want to see the feral Moxley take out their old and storied friend and so they chose Kenny over morality. No longer annoyed by Callis, the Bucks became absolute shiteating heels again, which benefits the climate of the tag division.

Best - Jade is elevated by being sought out While Jade Cargill would only sporadically appear for squashes, AEW have done well to slow burn her star power by having managers try to get her as a client. It's simple storytelling but effective, because people want Jade it means that Jade is desirable and that makes her more important as a talent.

Best - Baker DeManDs her title shot Because the Unsanctioned Match 'didn't count' Britt Baker had carried the acclaim of that match even in defeat. Baker had stopped dossing around too, legitimately rising up the ranks to the Number 1 spot like a looming shadow to have her crack at Shida's title. It could've been easy to give her a shot by virtue of her performance but AEW did it right - and gave Tay Conti her shot in the process - which made Baker much more valued in her title hunt.

Best - Cage upsets the Hangman At the Number 1 Spot, Hangman Page looked like he was on course to fight Kenny Omega, but when asked about this prospect Page dodged the subject entirely. The thought though would weigh on his mind in his match against Cage, where he was practically squashed in an upset fashion, it was a surprising plot twist and delays Page's clash with Kenny while also adds to Cage's reputation.

May 2021 Best - Varsity Blonds add some Hart The Varsity Blonds had done well considering that they started as being an undercard pair-up and grew into a talented young combo homaging Brian Pillman and Steve Austin's team of the Hollywood Blonds. But adding Nightmare Factory upstart Julia Hart just added the missing piece for the blonds, as a trio they look the part, and their rise feels earned as they put on a great showing against the Bucks.

Worst - QT loses to Cody after all that Cody's Ace Problem had transitioned to the point where QT Marshall was picked to turn on him next, collecting a small portion of the Nightmare Factory who felt that the students were secondary to Cody's ego. When it came to the exhibition Cody won by DQ, but got assaulted by the Factory, so when they had a proper match we had a choice: elevate this new faction or have their leader lose, guess which they chose? QT tapped out to the Figure Four and Cody prevailed.

Best - SCU put it on the line For several months, SCU had put a challenge on themselves that if they lost in tag competition (not singles or battle royales) they would split up. It had worked well because they were undefeated since, but being at the top of the rankings with a heel Young Bucks signalled the inevitable clash between the two teams. The question would be could the Bucks really end the team they welcomed to AEW on Day 1, their friends, the first World Tag Champions of their company, and the answer was yes. A bloodied affair of near falls and the Bucks hamming up any emotional bonds they once had led to a fantastic match that has put a tragic end to SCU.

Worst - SCU's embrace is cut short But immediately after that we cut to Mox and Eddie trashing their locker room. AEW would return to show SCU's final embrace but a 'previously on' is not as effective as seeing it when the wound is fresh, it was the end of a partnership that had spanned a decade, all the way back to Fortune, Bad Influence and then The Addiction, it deserved the time to linger.

Best - Blood and Guts! Last year it was planned that the Elite would face the Inner Circle in a WarGames-esque match called Blood and Guts. But COVID had prevented this, so we changed to Stadium Stampede. With the Inner Circle feuding with the newfly formed Pinnacle, AEW made the right call in bringing Blood and Guts back a year later to clash the two factions against one another. And it truly did live up to its names, a brutish match which cemented the Pinnacle as one of AEW's top factions.

Worst - Blood and Guts (nor Stadium Stampede II) doesn't finish the feud Big gimmick matches like these should be feud enders, but AEW wanted to put the two factions at odds again. With the threat of disbanding, the Inner Circle got a rematch for Double or Nothing for Stadium Stampede and while it wasn't bad fans did feel that the feud should've ended at Blood and Guts. In addition, Stadium Stampede wouldn't even finish their beef as they look to divide into 3 mini-feuds again.

Best - Miro crushes Darby Without Kip, Miro was a monster and he immediately went for gold. A perfect usurper for Darby Allin's TNT title reign, Miro destroyed the fearless and near-indestructible daredevil - who was protected from the squash because Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky had thrown him down some stairs last week - his look over to Sting as they both accepted that they were likely losing this match was a great moment between Miro's destructive force. And as TNT champion Miro is great, his thanking of God for various things are both charming and hilarious but he also manages to pair it with psychotic menace, long may the Best Man reign.

Worst - Cody's American Dream wins over Ogogo's valid points After submitting QT in his match, Cody's celebrations were cut off by Anthony Ogogo, the Olympic Bronze Medallist and former Boxer in QT's Factory, who KO'd Cody and covered him with the UK flag. A feud with Ogogo could've been the saving face moment for the Factory but instead Cody opted to zone in on the flag thing. Painting Ogogo as the 'Anti-American Foreign Heel' did not sit well for anyone who wasn't an uber-American 'Patriot' since the concept was heavily outdated, in addition Ogogo was making real valid points about why he disliked America: pointing out the gross flaws in the country's healthcare system and Cody would reply with how his pregnant wife and unborn daughter were black, choking up his words to garner sympathy. This all falls flat given how Ogogo is also black and never once implied that Cody was a racist. With the chance to put over the Factory with a charismatic young competitor, Cody instead decided to win without even using a finisher - because it was Memorial Day Weekend and America always wins, at this point the Factory remain pretty tainted now since Cody has beaten every member he's faced (and Dustin beat the other one). Saying things worked out on 'Focus Groups' didn't help Cody's defense as to why the feud went the way it did either, it was an outdated narrative with a result that all but screws over the Factory.

Best - The Forbidden Door opens again While none have risen the heights of KENTA's shocking arrival, the Forbidden Door did remain open for some more appearances from NJPW's personnel. Yuji Nagata made a big return to TNT to fight Moxley for the IWGP US Championship but also Ren Narita and Rocky Romero made appearances, the latter having a mini Roppongi Vice reunion with Trent. AEW had also extended the forbidden door to DDT with Konosuke Takeshita impressing on AEW's first house show and on Elevation, and recently a Joker Card appearance for Lio Rush.

Best - Shida gets recognized, and a revamped title After a year of holding the AEW Women's Championship Hikaru Shida had been the subject of criticism from neckbeards acting like she was the 'female Brock Lesnar'. Some were annoyed that Shida's title reign had lasted so long and were blind to the fact that this was clearly intended so Baker could win in front of a crowd. The Dynamite before Double or Nothing though AEW did right by recognizing Shida's work ethic and title reign and by presenting her with a new and larger Women's Championship. While people may complain that they could've unveiled this new title at the PPV I felt it was right to at least let Shida enter the PPV with this title considering how long she had held the Women's Division down. Some poor builds aside, Shida had carried the division with strong matches and worked behind the scenes as well for improving the division, as well as producing the Women's Eliminator Tournament. In this house we do not disrespect Hikaru Shida.

Best - Double or Nothing 2021 And we end on the crescendo, and what a crescendo. The full-time return of fans were graced with an excellently feel-good PPV - aside from Cody beating Ogogo - which had all the competitors perform at a high level. Starting hot, giving Jungle Boy a big unexpected win, Mark Henry debuting and topping it off with Stadium Stampede signed off a big and entertaining year for AEW and closing off with the returning crowd chanting Judas: masterful chef kiss level idea.

The aftermath of DoN while mentioned will probably not be touched on next year because damn were these posts long, but at the very least I did it for WWE and AEW as I said I would. Let's hope that both companies can rise to higher heights and avoid lower lows in the next year when we retread these ppvs again.

[malcsi-blog]

hello everyone, i’m mel !! also known as joey hansen ( aaron tveit fc ), here to introduce my new character, malosi who more commonly goes as ‘mal’ or ‘si’.

he was born in moata’a on the island of upolu in samoa to a samoan dad, a high chief and english/scottish mother, a fiction author. mal is an only child, who was raised in auckland, nz. he’s v independent, one could argue that trait’s a result of growing up with little interaction w children his own age outside of school.

he’s always been p shy and reserved ?? v much an introvert, into spending time with music or surrounded by books over people. his parents encouraged their sensitive empath li’l boy, and he’s glad for it!

 despite what some might call the ‘wrong’ personality for sport, malosi freakin’ loved it !! he especially enjoyed football, but unfortunately had to give up after injury ( patella dislocation and other issues that arose. ) this is also somewhat prevalent today, he still encounters some problems esp with stairs and sitting for too long. ( sucks when u spend hours in seminars right ?? )

speaking of seminars, mal is studying to become a music therapist at illinois state because he loves music + helping people and when he heard of it, he fell in love w the job !! plays guitar and violin, is currently teaching himself violin.

if asked abt it, will probably say he’s pansexual but honestly could not give a F less about labels or who he dates/falls in love w. which probably happens a lot because everyone’s pretty and it’s great.

still v shy, but impossibly sweet. like i said, always wants to help people, l o v e s listening to people, no matter what they have to say. 

talk to him abt books or music, or offer to go for coffee w him and he’ll be the happiest pup you’ll ever encounter. HMU for plots and shiz!!

[savetopnow]

2018-03-10 00 CELEBRITY now

CELEBRITY

E!

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[ourmrmel]

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Discusses 1031 Tax-Deferred Exchanges

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Discusses 1031 Tax-Deferred Exchanges

 Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching for Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching. Mel Feller Ministries. Mel Feller is an Innovator and Business Leader. Visit www.melfeller.com and www.melfellersuccessstories.com Mel Feller currently maintains an office in Texas. Currently an MBA Candidate.

  This article is meant to be an introduction on the topic of performing tax-deferred exchanges. There are a number of legal hoops that the IRS makes you jump through to complete a tax-deferred exchange, but they are actually not that complicated once you study up on them a bit.

  A tax deferred exchange allows us to sell a piece of investment (i.e. rental), trade or business property, buy a new property with the gain or profit from the sale, and not owe taxes on the sale immediately. If you eventually sell the new piece of property, you would owe taxes at that time. Generally, all gains and losses on sales of real estate are taxable, but an exception lies where the property sold is traded or exchanged for "like-kind" property. The new property is seen as a continuation of the original investment, so taxes are not due at the time of the sale.

 Many people view tax deferred exchanges as being for huge corporations, or only for professional investors. I believe that everyone should take advantage of these where they can. Strategy -- purchase a rental home below market value, rent it for a year, sell it, and buy two rental properties with your gain. Note that if you do this too many times, the IRS may take the view that you are not a long-term investor, and disallow such exchanges. When you get ready to do a tax-deferred exchange, you will need the services of a qualified CPA or Attorney. This is a basic  introduction only, and you should always get professional advice from someone who has all the details on your deal, since so much liability is at stake.

  Let us look at how one of these deals would work. Assume that you own a rental property that has gone up in value. You would like to sell this property and then reinvest the proceeds into some other rental real estate. You can avoid the tax bill if you can find suitable property to exchange for. The difficulty of the tax-deferred exchange is that the property you are going to purchase must be identified within a certain amount of time, and it must be closed within a certain amount of time after it is identified. Unfortunately, no extensions are possible.

   Identifying Property

 You must identify property in a written document signed by you, and delivered to the party assisting you with the exchange (cannot be related to you!) on or before 45 days from the date you sold the original rental property. There is a growing body of support for identification of properties, and closing of new properties before the original property is sold. This is somewhat controversial and outside the scope of this discussion.

  Technical Note: You can identify more than one property as the replacement property. However, the maximum number of replacement properties that you may identify without regard to fair market value is three properties. You may identify any number of properties if the total value of these properties is not more than 200% of the value of the original property you are selling. Note that you do not have to close on all the properties you identify. You can name several if you are not sure what will close, or not close, but you have to observe the rules in this technical note in terms of the value of properties you identify. If at the end of the identification period you have identified more properties than you are allowed, you are generally treated as if no property was identified. This means that you pay taxes!

  Time Limits for Completing the Exchange

  If you have correctly complied with the identification phase of the exchange, you have up to 180 days to complete an exchange, but the period may be shorter. Specifically, property will not be treated as like kind property if it is received more than 180 days after the date you transferred the property you are relinquishing, or after the due date of your return (including extensions) for the year in which you made the transfer.

  For multiple property transfers, the 45-day identification period and the 180 day exchange period are determined by the earliest date a property is transferred.

   Avoid Boot!

  Boot is defined as any money or any type of property of unlike kind (example, a car received as part of down-payment). You will be taxed on this boot regardless of whether or not you carry out the exchange correctly. You will want your Exchange Company, or attorney to examine your transaction closely to make sure you do not receive anything that could count as boot. Special rules apply for exchanging property with assumed mortgages.

  Summary

   The tax-deferred exchange is a great way to maximize your wealth. By keeping your investments growing without immediately paying taxes, you can do wonders for your net-worth. You will need to search out a good intermediary. I am happy to provide the name of mine for our members. This may seem like a dry subject, but it is important to understand when you begin to accumulate some rental properties.

  Remember that this article is to provide basic information only. If you are planning to do a tax deferred exchange, you really need to speak with a professional that handles these transactions on a regular basis. Information here is subject to change by IRS regulations or statute, so be sure to use current information provided by your accountant or other professional when planning a strategy involving tax deferred exchanges.

  Mel Feller, MPA, MHR, is a well-known real estate, business consultant, personal development Consultant and speaker, specializing in performance, productivity, and profits. Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching For Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching, a real estate and business specific coaching company and Mel Feller Ministries. His three books for real estate professionals are systems on how to become an exceptional sales performer. His four books in Business and Government Grants are ways to leverage and increase your business Success in both time and money! His book on Personal Development “Lies that Will Sabotage Your Success”. Mel Feller is in Texas. Visit www.melfellersuccessstories.com  and www.melfeller.com

[ourmrmel]

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Looks at Customer Truths in Business

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Looks at Customer Truths in Business

 Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching for Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Coaching.  Mel Feller a Texas- Utah Innovator and Business Leader.  Mel Fell has offices in Texas and in Utah.  Currently an MBA Candidate.

  The truth, which I stumbled across by researching mine own and my competitors businesses, is that customers are not demonstrating loyal behavior when they buy the same products repeatedly. People are returning to a product because the buying process is simple and automatic, and they have not yet encountered a reason not to purchase it.

  Therefore, if its good experiences that keep customers “dedicated” and bad experiences that push them away.  Then what you define and say about your product or service matters, but not more than the involvement, it delivers. Then once you get your foot in the door, the rest is about keeping that door open for repeat customers.

  Here is a staggering statistic according to a study by Deloitte, 89% of customers in the United States and the European Union stated that customers make decisions based on their customer experience ahead of both price and product.

  Therefore, it is not just about promising the lowest prices or extravagant features, or even saying and doing absolutely anything to sell the product or the service.  It is not even about convincing existing customers to keep purchasing your product or service repeatedly. The bottom line is that we know that they already want to do this.   Thus, it is about educating your marketing message in reality, trusting your product and delivering the strict customer experience your customers expect.

  The bottom line is that customers always need more, and at the best possible price. Customers want these things, but, most notability, not at the expense of a great experience.

  Therefore, if any part of your experience fails to meet the customer’s expectations you set up for your customers in any of the sales process, they will view it as a poor experience. Breaking any, part of a promise, even one small expectation, is still breaking a promise in their mind. Moreover, broken promises never make customers happy.

  Moreover, People seek a wide array of benefits when they are in a buying mindset. If you are communicating any one of those benefits to the people who want them this very instant, you have virtually made the sale. People do not buy because marketing is clever, but because marketing strikes a responsive chord in the mind of the prospect, and its resonance makes that person want the advantages of what you are selling.

 Your customers do not buy because they are being marketed or sold. Instead, they buy because you help them realize the merits of owning what you offer.

  Every educated entrepreneur or business owner knows this. Nevertheless, the truth is that people do not always buy benefits. They buy a whole lot more:

 They buy promises you make. So make them with care.

They buy the promises they want personally fulfilled.

They buy your credibility or do not buy if you lack it.

They buy solutions to their problems.

They buy you, your employees, and your service department.

They buy wealth, safety, success, security, love and acceptance.

They buy your guarantee, reputation and good name.

They buy other people's opinions of your business.

They buy expectations based upon your marketing.

They buy believable claims, not simply honest claims.

They buy hope for their own and their company's future.

They buy brand names over strange names.

They buy the consistency they have seen you exhibit.

They buy the stature of the media in which you market.

They buy the professionalism of your marketing materials.

They buy value, which is not the same as price.

They buy selection and often the best of your selection.

They buy freedom from risk, granted by your warranty.

They buy acceptance by others of your goods or services.

They buy certainty.

They buy convenience in buying, paying and lots more.

They buy respect for their own ideas and personality.

They buy your identity as conveyed by your marketing.

They buy style -- just the kind that fits their own style.

They buy neatness and assume that is how you do business.

They buy easy access to information about you, offered by your website.

They buy honesty for one dishonest word means no sale.

They buy comfort, offerings that fit their comfort zone.

They buy success; your success can fit with theirs.

They buy good taste and know it from bad taste.

They buy instant gratification and do not love to wait.

They buy the confidence you display in your own business.

  It's also important to know what customers do not buy: fancy adjectives, exaggerated claims, clever headlines, special effects, marketing that screams, marketing that even hints at amateurishness, the lowest price anything, unproven items, or dazzling graphics that get in the way of the message.

  They also do not buy humor that hides benefits, offerings signaled by unreadable type, poor grammar or misspelled words, salespeople who do not listen, or things they do not fully understand or trust.

  Therefore, the best-proven marketing of all involves prospects and informs customers. It builds confidence and invites a purchase. Best and unique of all people get it!   That is why knowing the truth about them will help you to stand apart from your competitors and shine in the minds of your prospects and customers.

  Mel Feller, MPA, MHR, is a well-known real estate, business consultant, personal development consultant and speaker, specializing in performance, productivity, and profits. Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching For Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching, a real estate and business specific coaching company. His three books for real estate professionals are systems on how to become an exceptional sales performer. His four books in Business and Government Grants are ways to leverage and increase your business Success in both time and money! His book on Personal Development “Lies that Will Sabotage Your Success”. Mel Feller is in Texas and In Utah.

[ourmrmel]

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Discusses the Best and the Worst in Business Advertising as used by the Mel Feller Companies in Texas and in Utah

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Discusses the Best and the Worst in Business Advertising as used by the Mel Feller Companies in Texas and in Utah

 Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching for Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Coaching.  Mel Feller a Texas- Utah Innovator and Business Leader.  Mel Fell has offices in Texas and in Utah.  Currently an MBA Candidate.

  In business we know that more marketing funds are invested in advertising than in any other activities of successful entrepreneurs marketing; and because an disconcertingly huge amount of that investment is just plain wasted, marketing specialists and experts have shown and discussed basic truths about copy, graphics, what makes commercials good or bad, and why so much advertising fails.

   Advertising can have many different effects on many different people because everyone’s life experiences are so unique. What works for one may not work for another, in a way it is subjective to each individual case by case. Advertising allows the consumer to understand the product or service being presented and what it is or why we would need it. All this comes down to the fact that one size does not fit all, but it can fit many!

   Entrepreneurial marketing experts know ten things that advertising copy should always be include:

 Readable

Informative

Clear

Honest

Simple

On strategy

Motivating

Competitive

Specific

Believable

  In addition, they know ten things not to do with advertising graphics.  Please note these concepts have held true for years now.

 Do not let the art overpower the idea.

Do not let the art overpower the headline.

Do not let the art overpower the copy.

Do not let the art fail to advance the sale.

Do not let the art fail to grab casual readers or viewers.

Do not let the art fail to get the ad or spot noticed.

Do not let the art fail to be different.

Do not let the art be created in a hurry.

Do not let the art fight the product's identity.

Do not let the art dominate the ad.

   Moreover, entrepreneurial marketing experts have known for years as to what makes a television commercial a total no win marketing tool.

 It is more entertaining than motivating.

It is not clear with its promise.

It is not visual, but depends on words.

It is schlocky, lacking in credibility.

It is high-pressure or exaggerative.

It is a fabulous film but a terrible commercial.

It is so clever you forget who ran it.

It is so special effects oriented; it is devoid of an idea.

It is too complex for an idea to come shining through.

It is boring, boring, boring.

   However, these same entrepreneurial marketing experts also know what makes a television commercial a winning marketing tool.

 It is clear about its competitive advantage.

It is visually intense.

It is professional looking.

It is believable and credible.

It creates a powerful desire.

It is clearly and largely focused on advancing the sale, not being clever.

It is enfolded up with the product.

It demonstrates the benefit clearly and concisely.

It is fascinating even the tenth time you see it.

  Entrepreneurial marketers are captivated by the failures of advertising and know the main reasons why so much of it falls short:

 Premature abandonment

Silly positioning

Failure to focus

Starting without a plan

Picking the wrong media for the right audience

Picking the right media for the wrong audience

Being unclear to prospects

Not understanding customers

No understanding self

Exaggeration that undermines truth

Not keeping up with change

Unrealistic expectations

Overspending or under-spending

Saving money in the wrong places

Inattention to tiny, but nuclear-powered details

Missing the point about profitability

Thinking it can be done without hard work

Unimpressive first impressions

Committees and layers of management

Not using media to their greatest advantage

Not supporting advertising with other marketing

Starting out in the wrong direction

Allowing success to beget lethargy

Judging the future by the past

Boring advertising

  For a more definitive idea, examine this list below:

 Positives of Advertising

 Advertising is a key part of modern business

Companies need to tell customers about their products

Advertisements inform us about the choices we have

Advertising is a creative industry that employs many people

Without advertising, we would have less choice

Without advertising, there would be higher unemployment

Advertising is a form of modern art

People enjoy adverts

  Negatives of Advertising

 Advertising manipulates people

It aims to persuade people that buying a product will make them happier

Advertisers focus on selling a brand image

They use glamorous, successful people

We now live in a consumer culture

We are persuaded to follow the latest trend

  Take what you want from the above list, it may or may not resonate with you.  However, take this, create your own, and test the advertising with various groups and on various mediums.

  Advertising is neither good nor bad by default, though it is used for both. The positive is that it sparks consumption, sparking economic growth for businesses and entire economies. It may not seem as so (because lots, or even most advertising may be ineffective), but if all advertising in a given country were to cease, there would be considerable decreases in consumption. We are affected by advertising more than we like to admit, and while that effect may not be seismic for any individual, the effect across the masses is clear and measurable.

  Mel Feller, MPA, MHR, is a well-known real estate, business consultant, personal development consultant and speaker, specializing in performance, productivity, and profits. Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching For Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching, a real estate and business specific coaching company. His three books for real estate professionals are systems on how to become an exceptional sales performer. His four books in Business and Government Grants are ways to leverage and increase your business Success in both time and money! His book on Personal Development “Lies that Will Sabotage Your Success”. Mel Feller is in Texas and In Utah

[ourmrmel]

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Discusses Going Into Business FAQs

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Discusses Going Into Business FAQs

 Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching for Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching. Mel Feller Ministries. Mel Feller is an Innovator, Business Leader, and Investor. Mel Feller is currently working closely with his son-in-law and partner on an incubator for young entrepreneurs.  Mel Feller currently maintains an office in Texas. Currently an MBA Candidate.

  To start and run a small business you must know and be many things. As one small business owner attending a conference put it: "When I came here, my business lost the services of its chief executive, sales manager, controller, advertising department, personnel director, head bookkeeper, and janitor."

  This FAQ, based on questions asked by people in small business or contemplating starting, suggests the many facets of running a small concern that each owner/manager must become familiar with. While the answers to the questions are hardly exhaustive of any of the subjects, they provide the background for questions you may need to ask before going into business, as well as suggesting sources of answers to those questions.

   Introduction

 Almost everyone considering it has dozens of questions about starting a small business. The only foolish questions, of course, are the questions that are not asked. Yet, many times, we do not have enough information to ask the right questions.

 The questions in this guide are drawn from participants in training courses for new entrepreneurs. Most of the questioners did not own, operate, or manage small businesses. Their questions are typical of what is on the minds of potential business owners. You may have pondered similar questions, as you thought about becoming your own boss. The questions fell generally into areas such as the steps in setting up a business, marketing, and financing a new concern. In this guide subject has grouped the questions.

 Answers to the questions came from experts in the various areas. These experts include a lawyer, an accountant, a bank loan officer, several small business owners, and market researchers.

These answers, it is hoped, will help you as you approach deciding on becoming a small business owner. The questions may suggest questions that you should find answers to before you invest your money, time, and effort in a small business.

 Starting Out

 If you have money but no particular business in mind, how can you get enough information on the best business to go into?

  The best way of choosing your business venture is to look at your experience and educational background. A thorough review will provide leads on the business field you should enter - do what you know best. Even more important, you must like the business field you are going to enter to bring the enthusiasm and self-confidence you need to make the business go.

  What are the basic survival skills you need to run a business?

  The basic survival skills include a working knowledge of basic recordkeeping; financial management; personnel management; market analysis; break-even analysis; product or service knowledge; tax knowledge; legal structures; and communication skills.

  What special obstacles do women entering business face, and how can these obstacles be overcome?

  Women are at last making inroads into business, not only as executives but as owners. There are many obstacles, chief among them the doubts that lenders, suppliers, and in some fields, customers have about women's ability to run businesses. These can be overcome with self-confidence and a strong belief in your ideas. You should not be discouraged by being rebuffed by people who simply do not understand. As more and more women enter business and succeed, the process will become easier and easier.

  What are the most important factors that cause small business failure?

 There are, of course, many reasons for the failure of new small businesses. One way of looking at the causes is to remember that a new business is starting at zero momentum; newly entering a market, having to establish supplier relations, finding proper financing, and training employees.

To coordinate all these facets and start them simultaneously is a tremendous job. If you do not have experience and management capability, success will not be very likely. You will also find that undercapitalized businesses, those without enough cash to carry them through the first six months or so before the business starts making money, do not have good survival prospects. In such cases, even businesses with good management can founder.

  If you are trying to buy a going service business, how can you figure a reasonable price for the business that takes into account goodwill and business contacts in addition to the value of equipment and inventory?

 There are many methods, but what you are trying to do is set a value on the assets and earnings record of the firm. The simplest way is to determine the "payback period," usually two or three years.

  That is, the net profit for two years would equal the goodwill value. A more complicated and accurate method called the "net present value" method is based on the cost of capital and a risk factor. For that, method an accountant's help would be valuable.

  What kind of a market study should you do before deciding to buy a radio station?

 Determining the price of any business is difficult. For a radio station specifically, you can get the figures on the total revenue of all stations in the area (that is, advertising revenue). You should also get the percentage of the total market that the station you are considering has. You must also determine the potential market for the area in advertising dollars. Finding out the total number of businesses by line and size in the area covered by the station and their advertising expenditures would give you some insight. Really, you would study the market like this for buying any business.

  How long does it take a new business to establish a good public image?

 A good public image takes a long time to establish (and only minutes to lose). There is no set formula, but a good image depends on:

The service, products, and customer treatment you provide;

The market you are in;

How you stack up against your competitors;

The quality of your public relations and advertising programs.

 If you are new to a market - and if you do what you say you are going to - you may establish an excellent reputation in 18 to 24 months.

  How do you find a good lawyer?

 As with most personal services, you must have rapport with your attorney. The best way to determine this is to talk to lawyers by phone or visit them before you make a selection. Get recommendations from friends, or your banker. You are looking for someone you can trust and who will take an interest in you and your business.

  Do you need a lawyer to start a business?

 No, but it is wise to get the best advice possible when you are starting out. An attorney is one source of the expertise you will need to draw on.

  Form of Business

 What form of business do you recommend for a new business?

Each legal form, sole proprietorship, partnership, or corporation, has its advantages and disadvantages. The one you should pick depends on your circumstances, including:

Your financial condition,

The line of business you are entering,

The number of employees,

The risk involved,

Your tax situation.

 Do not assume, if you plan a one-person business, that sole proprietorship is the way to go. See your lawyer.

  The Market

 How can you find out what the prevailing costs are for a service business in your market area?

One way is simply to call competitors and ask their prices. Their prices will give you a lead. You could ask competitors' customers for the same information if you did not want to go directly to the competition.

  How do you go about determining the market for a mail order business?

 The principles of determining market share and market potential are the same no matter how large the geographical area. You must first determine a customer profile, the size of the market, and the number of competitors. You could also use a readership survey given to you by a magazine in which you intend to advertise.

  Pricing

 How do you figure markup and markdown?

 Markup (markon) is the original amount that the merchandise is marked up. Markup as a percentage (also called gross margin rate) is figured as a percentage of sales. For example, say the cost of merchandise is $10 and you want a 20 percent markup; what is the selling price (SP)? By definition, we know that markup as a percentage is given as a percentage of sales. Thus, our cost must be 80 percent of the selling price (100 percent selling price - 20 percent-desired markup).

Therefore, our selling price is $12.50, cost $10.00, and markup $2.50 or 20 percent of the selling price. Markdown (discount) is a reduction of selling price below the original sale price. Assume the item is marked down to $11.25. The markdown is $1.25 or a 10 percent markdown ($1.25 markdown divided by $12.50 original selling price).

  How would you go about establishing price guidelines for a business renting items to customers?

 Pricing is based normally on a combination of cost and market competition. Trade associations are a prime source of such information.

 Finances

 What is the average expected net profit for small business?

 Average net profits vary with the type of business - retail, wholesale, service, manufacturing, construction. They also vary for the type of business structure - proprietorship or corporation. Dun & Bradstreet publish ratios that give you these figures, as well as lots of very useful cost information.

  Would you explain the meaning of "rate of return on investment"? How is it different from net profit? Is it different from return on assets employed?

 Net profit (before taxes) is total sales for a specific period less cost of goods and operating expenses during that period. (For a retail business, cost of goods would be your cost of merchandise sold.) Net profit is a function of both rate of return on investment (ROI) and return on total assets. ROI is net profit divided by capital invested by the owners of the company.

ROI is used to measure the effectiveness of management in attaining the owners' desired return on their investment. Generally, the larger the ROI, the more attractive a company is to potential investors.

 Return on total assets is the net profit divided by total assets. This measures the net profitability of the use of all resources of the business. It is another tool for measuring management effectiveness in the use of all resources borrowed and equity.

  Does a bank require absolute top credit references from loan applicants?

 The better the credit references the greater the possibility of loan approval.

  If I estimate my start-up cost at $50,000 and can't put up anywhere near the $25,000 that I've been told is what I should have for my share, am I wasting my time even filling out a loan application?

 In all probability you would be, although there are some exceptions. For example, it might be possible to get a loan under your circumstances if you were buying a business that is already operating well enough to provide sufficient profits to cover its obligations and the loan. Furthermore, if the applicant is the present manager who has made this business go, the chances of getting such a loan are much better.

 Help!

 Getting money is difficult; keeping it may be even more difficult. Where can I get assistance in managing my business?

 Your accountant and bank can provide financial counseling that can be very helpful in starting and managing your business. They can also give you invaluable information on the local area and your market that can be critical in making decisions in your business.

  Mel Feller, MPA, MHR, is a well-known real estate, business consultant, personal development Consultant and speaker, specializing in performance, productivity, and profits. Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching For Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching, a real estate and business specific coaching company and Mel Feller Ministries. His three books for real estate professionals are systems on how to become an exceptional sales performer. His four books in Business and Government Grants are ways to leverage and increase your business Success in both time and money! His book on Personal Development “Lies that Will Sabotage Your Success”. Mel Feller is in Texas. Visit www.melfellersuccessstories.com  and www.melfeller.com

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Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Looks at Customer Truths in Business

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Looks at Customer Truths in Business

Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching for Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Coaching. Mel Feller a Texas- Utah Innovator and Business Leader. Mel Fell has offices in Texas and in Utah. Currently an MBA Candidate.

The truth, which I stumbled across by researching mine own and my competitors businesses,…

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Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Looks at Customer Truths in Business

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Looks at Customer Truths in Business

Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching for Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Coaching. Mel Feller a Texas- Utah Innovator and Business Leader. Mel Fell has offices in Texas and in Utah. Currently an MBA Candidate.

The truth, which I stumbled across by researching mine own and my competitors businesses,…

[ourmrmel]

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Gives You the Key to Marketing Your Business in Today’s World

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Gives You the Key to Marketing Your Business in Today’s World

Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching for Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Coaching. Mel Feller a Texas- Utah Innovator and Business Leader. Mel Fell has offices in Texas and in Utah. Currently an MBA Candidate.

Let me begin by asking you what is marketing, in order to discuss…

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Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Gives You the Key to Marketing Your Business in Today’s World

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Gives You the Key to Marketing Your Business in Today’s World

Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching for Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Coaching.  Mel Feller a Texas- Utah Innovator and Business Leader.  Mel Fell has offices in Texas and in Utah.  Currently an MBA Candidate.

Let me begin by asking you what is marketing, in order to discuss marketing, we all must be on the same page.  In other words, have the same definition.  

 Therefore, for our discussion we will define marketing as 3 points.  These points are the keys to any successful business marketing endeavor.

 They are as follows:

 Marketing is everything that you say and that customers and prospects see or hear.

 Marketing is everything that as a message goes out from your business.

 Marketing is most important to every business and on the other hand, present the art and sciences of entrepreneurship.

  Therefore, for our discussion, marketing resources are everything that will introduce you or your business to customers and, in turn, will bring more leads in to your sales funnel. Your sales funnel must always start with a marketing campaign that brings awareness about both your business and your products or services. After that, these customers will have the interest to see your products or services, and after that, many will have a desire to purchase your products or services. At the end of your sales funnel, a portion of those individuals will desire to own your products or services and actually make the decision to purchase. If you have a greater number of potential customers at the beginning of your sales funnel, you will have more individuals that are converted from leads into buyers.

  Some marketing resources are expensive, but many are low-cost. It is not the truth that only the expensive marketing resources will give you more potential customers inside your sales funnel. It is more important to have marketing resources that are openly applicable and directed to targeted leads.

  However, at this point, I must annotate that different combinations of marketing keys and activities will give you different results for different businesses and different people. You must know that you cannot implement every single marketing resource that exists. You must plan your marketing resources, put everything on a marketing calendar, evaluate what works and what does not, and then adjust accordingly.

  Creating a marketing plan will not cost you money, only time and it is the most important marketing resource you will ever have. Because of that, I recommend that you begin with a marketing plan as the beginning of your marketing endeavors.

  Thus, your marketing plan presents a roadmap for your business and for your ensuing success as an entrepreneur. Nevertheless, the important part when I discuss the marketing plan is how you should use this marketing resource in the correct method. Too many marketing and business plans are written and then placed on a shelf to gather dust.  If that is the case why even create one?  This is a living and breathing document and needs to be reviewed at the very least, weekly.    More importantly, who will win and who will lose with a marketing plan that gathers dust? The answer is you the entrepreneur or business owner.

  Planning your marketing resources is an essential aspect of your marketing. Your goal line is to always communicate your marketing messages to your prospects and customers on a designated period. In addition, the key to identifying your marketing resource list is to determine what your target market is and what benefits they can expect from you or your business.

  Every business has proven tactics that have worked for them in the past, so these tactics should be part of the marketing strategy they will use. You must improve previously used resources that give results and force you to implement new strategies and resources that give your business results. The key to success for your marketing is to choose the resources that work for you, that are applicable to your target market and target customers, and that you can finance. You cannot or should not use marketing resources that cost too much and especially if you do not have money to finance them.

  According to my research, your marketing needs to be based on the following:

 Continuous. Any type of pause is not acceptable. You may go from one to another marketing resource, but it stop one source with pauses between one to another marketing effort.

 Dynamic. This means that all your marketing resources must change from time to time. You must not allow your messages to be boring for your prospects.

 Driven by what your prospects and customers want. Always think about your prospects and customers’ needs and wants and then develop your message around their needs has been always in first place as a rule in developing your branding messages.

  As a high priority, you should use brainstorming as a technique in order to pinpoint marketing resources that might be applicable to your target market. Successful marketers are always looking for new ideas in order to improve their marketing efforts and then in turn to improve their business.

  I recommend that you think of your marketing resources as a means for disseminating your message that promotes and improves your business for high visibility and generating a larger number of prospects into your sales funnel.  Therefore, I am providing a list of recommended marketing resources that are either free or low cost.  Please review the following list and I would suggest that you at least select five. Why five selections?  The reason is that by selecting five; you will be able to concentrate on one per day in order to become a master of that resource or marketing keys in your arsenal.   These marketing keys or tools are:

  Marketing plan          

A marketing calendar

Identity            

Business cards  

Stationery        

Personal testimonials    

Telephone marketing scripts  

A toll free number      

A vanity phone number                      

Postcards          

Postcard decks

Practice your teaching ability

Sales training

Personal Stories

Your target audience  

Classified ads

Practice how you say "Hello" and "Goodbye"

Practice your social demeanor

Networking

Your circle of influence

Your employees and reps

Employee attire

Practice contact time with customers

Offline and online Yellow Pages

Professional titles

Use of downtime        

Per-order and per-inquiry advertising            

Free ads in shoppers  

Affiliate marketing

Circulars and fliers      

Media contacts

Community bulletin boards    

Create a list of "A"-List customers

Movie ads      

Your core story

Outside signs  

A sense of urgency

Street banners

Limited time or quantity offers

A window display        

A call to action

Inside signs      

Create a list of satisfied customers

Posters            

Create a benefits list

Canvassing      

Competitive advantages

Door hangers  

Gifts

An elevator pitch        

Service

A value story  

Public relations

Backend sales

Letters of recommendation    

Barter

Attendance at trade shows    

Word-of-mouth

Advertising      

Buzz

Direct mail      

Community involvement

Newspaper ads

Club and association memberships

Radio spots      

Free directory listings

Magazine ads  

A tradeshow booth

Billboards        

Special events

Television commercials          

A nametag at events

A computer    

Luxury box at events

A printer or fax machine        

Gift certificates

Chat rooms    

Audio-visual aids

Forums          

Flip charts

Blogs

Guest Blogs

Reprints and blowups

List building    

Coupons

Personalized e-mail    

A free trail offer

An e-mail signature    

Guarantees

Canned e-mail

Contests and sweepstakes

Bulk e-mail      

Baking or crafts ability

Audio and video postcards    

Lead buying

A domain name          

Follow-up

A web site      

A tracking plan

A landing page

Marketing-on-hold

A merchant account    

Branded entertainment

A shopping cart          

Product placement

Auto-responders        

Being a radio talk show guest

Pod cast

Become a Pod cast guest

Create your own radio show

Increase search engine ranking

Being a TV talk show guest

Electronic brochures  

Subliminal marketing

RSS feeds        

A proper view of marketing

Brand name awareness

Intelligent positioning

A personal e-zine        

A name

Ads in other e-zines    

A meme

E-Books          

A theme line

Content provision      

Writing ability

Webinars        

Copywriting ability

Joint ventures

Headline copy talent

Word-of-mouse          

Location

Viral marketing          

Hours of operation

EBay and other auction sites  

Days of operation

Click analyzers

Credit card acceptance

Pay-per-click ads        

Financing availability

Search engine keywords        

Credibility

Google AdWords        

Reputation

Sponsored links          

Efficiency

Reciprocal link exchanges      

Quality

Banner exchanges      

Service

Web conversion rates

Selection

Knowledge of your market    

Price

Research studies        

Upgrade opportunities

Specific customer data          

Referral program

Case studies    

Spying

Sharing            

Testimonials

Brochures      

Extra value

Catalogs          

Adopting a noble cause

Business directories    

Easy to do business with

Public service announcements          

Honest interest in people

A newsletter    

Good telephone demeanor

Speeches        

Passion and enthusiasm

Free consultations      

Sensitivity

Free demonstrations  

Patience

Free seminars

Flexibility

Articles            

Generosity

Columns          

Self-confidence

Writing books  

Neatness

Publishing-on-demand            

Aggressiveness

Workshops      

Competitiveness

Teleseminars  

High energy

Infomercials    

Speed

Constant learning      

Focus

Marketing insight        

Attention to details

Yourself          

Ability to take action

  Mel Feller, MPA, MHR, is a well-known real estate, business consultant, personal development consultant and speaker, specializing in performance, productivity, and profits. Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching For Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller Coaching, a real estate and business specific coaching company. His three books for real estate professionals are systems on how to become an exceptional sales performer. His four books in Business and Government Grants are ways to leverage and increase your business Success in both time and money! His book on Personal Development “Lies that Will Sabotage Your Success”. Mel Feller is in Texas and In Utah.  

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Three Myths of the Law of Attraction

Three Myths of the Law of Attraction

Mel Feller & Coaching For Success 360 a Texas-Utah Company

Mel Feller, MPA, MHR with Offices in Texas and Utah

Mel Feller Seminars, Coaching For Success 360 Inc. /Mel Feller Coaching          

See www.melfellersuccessstories.com and www.melfeller.com

 The law of attraction has received much media attention in recent years. Thanks to the movie The Secret and the subsequent explosion of television, print media and Internet coverage,  almost everyone in Western society has heard the phrase “Law of Attraction.” Most people, however, have collected fragments of incomplete information and here and there do not really have a solid understanding of how the law works.

This has led to a widespread lack of understanding of how the law of attraction really works, or even work at all. Many people feel a deep resonance when they are told that they create their own reality. They recognize the truth in this idea. However, often frustrated when they are exposed to incomplete information and myths, and cannot seem to make it work. They “know” that there is something about this, sorry; I do not know how to use it yet.

 Myth # 1: The Law of Attraction is magic

 Myth: “Law of Attraction proponents will tell you all you have to do is think positive and things will only want you This is obviously wrong, because things like money, cars and houses may be not only out of nothing. ”

 The Myth Debunked: No one with a true understanding of the law of attraction has said that if you think a positive thought, a house with a million dollars on the kitchen table and a Ferrari in the input only just come down from heaven front of you. This is usually a quote used by people trying to claim that the Law of Attraction is a fraud. However, the quote is not true. That is not how the Law of Attraction work at all.

 The law of attraction not only literally, put things in one’s lap. Meeting brings the right people at the right time, bright ideas and coincidences. It is your job to pay attention to these ideas, follow your intuition and recognize the similarities.

 For example, a household wishes. The Law of Attraction gives you an idea of driving through a safe neighborhood that does not tend to drive through. You see a house with a sale sign in the yard. The house looks perfect; except you are sure, you are completely out of your price range. You decide to stop and knock on the door anyway. It turns out that the owners are a lovely couple who are moving to Australia in a month. You and they really hit it off and decide to offer rent to own terms you can afford. I really want to live there. Well, you get the perfect house at a price that is unable to pay, in circumstances that could never have foreseen. It fell right into your lap. Well, not literally, no. However, if you paid attention and followed the ideas and impulses of the Universe was giving to you, which would have seemed almost as easily as any. This is how the law of attraction brings you things. Find what you want is also looking for you and brings you together through a series of perfect events, ideas and hunches.

 Myth # 2 – All you have to do is display

 Myth: 2 “The law of attraction is not just display’s why they tell you to create vision boards and the like are supposed to look at the things you want and only come to you.”

 The Myth Debunked: This is partially true. The display can be a valuable tool used to train to create what you want. Display is not being created, however. It is created through the vibration that we offer. The vibration that you offer is determined by the thoughts we habitually think (beliefs). Visualization can help train your mind, but there is much more than that. If you visualize a beautiful car, but have the belief that never get a car so you can see all day, every day, and the car will not appear. How to know if you harbor a conflict of beliefs? You can tell that by the way you feel when you visualize. If you feel very, very good to see the car, and the entire display is positive, you are doing well. However, if you feel a little out of your display and take a bit of a turn for the worse, you just discovered some negative beliefs.

 For example, one wonders how it will make the payments, which point to a belief that says, “I cannot afford a new car, or you could expect their children to stay out beautiful new seats, which could point to a belief that you cannot have nice things and always get ruined, so why bother anyway.

 Visualization is a valuable tool in the demonstration, but not the creation process itself.

 Myth # 3 – The Law of Attraction is new

 Myth: 3  “If the law of attraction is actually a law, why nobody has discovered before this is just a new fashion”

 Debunked Myth: The law of attraction is not new. Has been around since the beginning of, well, everything. Arguably the oldest law in the Universe. The reason that so many people are hearing about it now, is because more and more people are waking up and realizing, or at least get a glimpse of whom they really are. More people are asking for this information than ever before, and therefore, the Law of Attraction to bring more responses than ever. There are more books written on this subject than I have ever seen. Thanks to the Internet, people can find answers to your questions immediately.

 The information is not “new” we are simply asking for and is capable of receiving information, and a faster pace than ever. Furthermore, we live in an age when most of us can discuss spiritual matters and the universal laws openly without fear of being burned at the stake or stoning. This has allowed the idea of the Law of Attraction to spread at unprecedented rates.

 Mel Feller a Texas /Utah Personal Development, Business, Real Estate, Realtor Trainer, Branding, Business Funding and Finance Coach.  In addition, Mel Feller has served in a variety of executive leadership roles for medium and large organizations, including multiple Fortune 500’s.  He is a charismatic leader who has facilitated change and growth in all sized organizations, including non-profit and Board development.  Mel Feller has successfully led organizations in the areas business development, marketing, real estate and Realtors, sales, team building, operations, and the like. Mel Feller is in Texas and is in Utah with offices, staff and investments in both states.

Mel Feller is committed to serving.  In the Texas / Utah community, he chairs several organizations.  Mel Feller volunteers his leadership at two churches in a variety of ways, including serving on council, bible study facilitator, and more.

 Mel Feller has been a featured speaker for career professional is groups, business leaders and continuing education sessions, and aspiring business startups.

 When he is not coaching, you can find Mel Feller reading, listening to podcasts, exercising, fishing, or with his kids and grandkids exploring the greatness God has gifted us all.

 Mel Feller states, “An effective coach is someone who tells you what you may not want to hear, helps you navigate around your blind spots, and helps you identify opportunities…so that you can be who you’ve always known you can be” Mel Feller

 Mel Feller’s purpose is to add tremendous value to those business owners/entrepreneurs by helping them reach their potential.

Mel Feller is an effective, charismatic and powerful speaker, corporate advisor, and best-selling author. In 1998, Mel founded Coaching for Success 360 to help professionals worldwide design subtle changes in their presentation, attitude and leadership style that increases their personal and professional effectiveness and subsequently their financial status.  This also includes both real estate as an agent and/or investor. See www.melfeller.com  and www.melfellersuccessstories.com .  Now with offices both in Texas and Utah.

 As a business, executive, personal development, and real estate coach, I work with a wide range of professionals and offer a highly personalized approach tailored to each individual in concert with the organizational environment.  In a supportive atmosphere, I work to build trust and support the professional in the attainment of goals and measurable outcomes.  

 Mel Feller offers sessions, both in-person and virtual.   We will start with an initial assessment to clearly define your short and long-term goals, everything from communication skills to personal acceptance. We will use these goals as a foundation to create a strategy and build the path for attaining these objectives.  Change is typically a major component of reaching goals and sustainable change becomes more likely in a coaching partnership.  

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A Simple System For Tracking Your Real Estate Goals by Mel Feller

A Simple System For Tracking Your Real Estate Goals by Mel Feller

Mel Feller, MPA, MHR with Offices in Texas and Utah

Mel Feller Seminars, Coaching For Success 360 Inc. /Mel Feller Coaching See www.melfellersuccessstories.com and www.melfeller.com

 All of us know that it is much easier to set goals than it is to actually reach them.  In fact, I read one study that people make on average of 75 goals a year and they do not come to fruition. Therefore, the only conclusion that can be reached is not just set our goals but to then literally track them.  By tracking them, we will not just forget about them.  That makes sense!  

 However, by consistently tracking your progress, tracking your goals will give you insight into whether you should continue on the same path or change course in order to achieve that desired result.

  Only Set Intentional Goals

 Thus, the first thing to do is to set a very specific and focused goal.  It must be specific and focused in order to actually set a target and to track the results.  

  General, abstract goals without clear direction or timeline are not likely to get you anywhere. Your goals need to be intentional.

 What does it mean to set “intentional” goals?

 What are your intentions for setting these goals?

How do you intend to achieve your goals?

Does the intent behind this goal further larger business goals?

  Set intentional goals using the SMART format.

 SMART refers to goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound.

 When you use this methodology for your real estate business, it helps you set a real number to track against and concrete deadlines to hit along the way. A goal of, “generate more listings in my farm area” does not fit the bill, but if you give it the SMART treatment, “generate 15% more listings in my farm area by Q2” you’re giving yourself additional tangible objectives to work with.

  If you are a real estate investor, then how many doors do you want to buy?  It could be even to increase the rent per door by $100.00 per month.  That makes it smart goal.  The rest of the SMART process will work for anyone and for any business.  

  Only Specific Real Estate Goals

 First, state exactly what you are trying to accomplish, and hone in on the daily activity levels that are necessary to accomplish your desired results.

If you’d like to goal yourself at a certain amount of closings this year, this is where you drill down to your daily work to get you there, like how many calls you will make each day in order to generate more leads, more clients, and more opportunities for sales and even more investment purchases.

  Only Measurable Real Estate Goals

 What gets measured is improved, so here you need to address how your activity levels will be measured. If you’re lucky enough to have a CRM that tracks activities, this can be simple, or perhaps you’re manually going to log how many calls, appointments, etc. you make.

 Come up with a specific number that accurately defines your goal. You can use percentages or specific numbers to determine your number.

  Only Achievable Real Estate Goals

 Idealistic activity levels will not happen, so be sure that while your goals are inspiring you, they are not impossible to achieve. Not only does this go for realistic activity levels, but you also need to take things like past performance, your budget restraints as far as advertising, marketing, etc. and internal resources and manpower available to you into consideration.

  Only Time-Bound Real Estate Goals

 This is probably one of the more dire components. If you have effectively set a measurable goal, it must include a period. Do not be too harsh or too lenient with this. Take an audit of past data and insights into your marketing strategy, and incorporate those results into your plan.

  Time To Get To Work

 In order for you to succeed at finding and marketing great real estate deals, you have to be accountable for your efforts. Since you may not have a partner to keep you on track, we have designed a log to help you.  Make copies of this log and fill it out each week. Track your week-to-week business to see your strengths and weaknesses. If you see that you spoke to 75 homeowners, yet got zero deals, you know you need to work on your presentation. If you see you mailed 5,000 postcards, yet received zero response, don't spend money on postcards.  It is imperative to your success that you know where your real estate deals come from, which marketing works best, how much you spend to get each lead, how much you spend to get each deal, and how many of your deals actually close.  If you see it is costing you $500 for one lead, change your marketing methods. This sheet will help you track and modify your efforts to meet your real estate goals:  What are your goals this week?  1. _____________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________ How many distressed homeowners did you speak to this week? ________________________________________________________ How many deals did you put together? ________________________________________________________ List all marketing methods used and the quantity. How many calls were generated from each. (For example: 100 postcards mailed = 25 calls received; ran 3 ads = 15 calls received; put out 100 signs = received 50 calls).  1. _____________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________ Which marketing methods generated the most potential deals? 1. _____________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________ How many properties do you have on the market right now? ________________________________________________________ For how long? ________________________________________________________ How are you marketing them?  1. _____________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________ Did you add any real estate to your portfolio? ________________________________________________________ How many? ________________________________________________________ What could you have done overall to get better results this week?  1. _____________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________ How many wholesale deals this week? ________________________________________________________ How many wholesale deals fell apart? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ What went wrong? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ How many short sales this week? ________________________________________________________ How many short sales that fell apart? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ What went wrong? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ What seller objections were you not able to overcome? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ What bank objections you were not able to overcome: ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ How many hours did you spend prospecting? ________________________________________________________ Do you honestly feel you treated this like a business? ________________________________________________________ What was the most important lesson you learned? ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________ Did you achieve your goals for this week? ________________________________________________________ What are your goals for next week?  1. _____________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________ What will you do to meet those goals?  1. _____________________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________________

  Mel Feller a Texas /Utah Personal Development, Business, Real Estate, Realtor Trainer, Branding, Business Funding and Finance Coach. In addition, Mel Feller has served in a variety of executive leadership roles for medium and large organizations, including multiple Fortune 500’s. He is a charismatic leader who has facilitated change and growth in all sized organizations, including non-profit and Board development. Mel Feller has successfully led organizations in the areas business development, marketing, real estate and Realtors, sales, team building, operations, and the like. Mel Feller is in Texas and Utah with offices, staff and investments in both states.

  Mel Feller is committed to serving. In the Texas / Utah community, he chairs several organizations. Mel Feller volunteers his leadership at two churches in a variety of ways, including serving on council, bible study facilitator, and more.

 Mel Feller has been a featured speaker for career professional is groups, business leaders and continuing education sessions, and aspiring business startups.

  When he is not coaching, you can find Mel Feller reading, listening to podcasts, exercising, fishing, or with his kids and grandkids exploring the greatness God has gifted us all.

  Mel Feller states, “An effective coach is someone who tells you what you may not want to hear, helps you navigate around your blind spots, and helps you identify opportunities…so that you can be who you’ve always known you can be” Mel Feller

  Mel Feller’s purpose is to add tremendous value to those business owners/entrepreneurs by helping them reach their potential.

  Mel Feller is an effective, charismatic and powerful speaker, corporate advisor, and best-selling author. In 1998, Mel founded Coaching for Success 360 to help professionals worldwide design subtle changes in their presentation, attitude and leadership style that increases their personal and professional effectiveness and subsequently their financial status.  This also includes both

real estate as an agent and/or investor. See www.melfeller.com and www.melfellersuccessstories.com .  Now with offices both in Texas and Utah.

  As a business, executive, personal development, and real estate coach, I work with a wide range of professionals and offer a highly personalized approach tailored to each individual in concert with the organizational environment. In a supportive atmosphere, I work to build trust and support the professional in the attainment of goals and measurable outcomes.

  Mel Feller offers sessions, both in-person and virtual.   We will start with an initial assessment to clearly define your short and long-term goals, everything from communication skills to personal acceptance. We will use these goals as a foundation to create a strategy and build the path for attaining these objectives. Change is typically a major component of reaching goals and sustainable change becomes more likely in a coaching partnership.

[ourmrmel]

How to Discover Your Life Purpose by Mel Feller

How to Discover Your Life Purpose by Mel Feller

Mel Feller, MPA, MHR with Offices in Texas and Utah

Mel Feller Seminars, Coaching For Success 360 Inc. /Mel Feller Coaching          

See www.melfeller.com and www.melfellersuccessstories.com

 How do you discover your real purpose in life? I am not talking about your job, your daily responsibilities, or even your long-term goals. I mean the real reason why you are here at all — the very reason you exist.

 Perhaps you are a rather nihilistic person who does not believe you have a purpose and that life has no meaning. Does not matter. Not believing that you have a purpose will not prevent you from discovering it, just as a lack of belief in gravity will not prevent you from tripping. All that a lack of belief will do is make it take longer. Most likely though if you don’t believe you have a purpose, then you probably won’t believe what I’m saying anyway, but even so, what’s the risk of investing an hour just in case?

 Here is a story about Bruce Lee, which sets the stage for this little exercise. A master martial artist asked Bruce to teach him everything Bruce knew about martial arts. Bruce held up two cups, both filled with liquid. “The first cup,” said Bruce “represents all of your knowledge about martial arts. The second cup represents all of my knowledge about martial arts. If you want to fill your cup with my knowledge, you must first empty your cup of your knowledge.”

 If you want to discover your true purpose in life, you must first empty your mind of all the false purposes you have been taught (including the idea that you may have no purpose at all).

 So how to discover your purpose in life? While there are many ways to do this, some of them involved, here is one of the simplest that anyone can do. The more open you are to this process and the more you expect it to work, the faster it will work for you. Nevertheless, not being open to it, having doubts about it, or thinking it is an entirely idiotic and meaningless waste of time won’t prevent it from working as long as you stick with it— again, it will just take longer to converge.

 Here is what to do:

 Take out a blank sheet of paper or open up a word processor where you can type (I prefer the latter because it is faster).

Write at the top, “What is my true purpose in life?”

Write an answer (any answer) that pops into your head. It does not have to be a complete sentence. A short phrase is fine.

Repeat step 3 until you write the answer that makes you cry. This is your purpose.

That is it. It does not matter if you are a counselor, an engineer, or a bodybuilder. To some people this exercise will make perfect sense. To others it will seem utterly stupid. Usually it takes 15-20 minutes to clear your head of all the clutter and the social conditioning about what you think your purpose in life is. The false answers will come from your mind and your memories. However, when the true answer finally arrives, it will feel like it is coming to you from a different source entirely.

 For those who are very entrenched in low-awareness living, it will take a lot longer to get all the false answers out, possibly more than an hour. However, if you persist, after 100, 200, or maybe even 500 answers, you will be struck by the answer that causes you to surge with emotion, the answer that breaks you. If you have never done this, it may very well sound silly to you. So let it seem silly, and do it anyway.

 As you go through this process, some of your answers will be very similar. You may even re-list previous answers. Then you might head off on a new tangent and generate 10-20 more answers along some other theme. In addition, that is fine. You can list whatever answer pops into your head as long as you just keep writing.

 At some point during the process (typically after about 50-100 answers), you may want to quit and just cannot see it converging. You may feel the urge to get up and make an excuse to do something else. That is normal. Push past this resistance, and just keep writing. The feeling of resistance will eventually pass.

 You may also discover a few answers that seem to give you a mini-surge of emotion, but they do not quite make you cry — they are just a bit off. Highlight those answers as you go along, so you can come back to them to generate new permutations. Each reflects a piece of your purpose, but individually they are not complete. When you start getting these kinds of answers, it just means you are getting warm. Keep going.

 It is important to do this alone and with no interruptions. If you are a nihilist, then feel free to start with the answer, “I don’t have a purpose,” or “Life is meaningless,” and take it from there. If you keep at it, you will still eventually converge.

 When I did this exercise, it took me about 25 minutes, and I reached my final answer at step 106. Partial pieces of the answer (mini-surges) appeared at steps 17, 39, and 53, and then the bulk of it fell into place and was refined through steps 100-106. I felt the feeling of resistance (wanting to get up and do something else, expecting the process to fail, feeling very impatient and even irritated) around steps 55-60. At step 80 I took a 2-minute break to close my eyes, relax, clear my mind, and to focus on the intention for the answer to come to me — this was helpful as the answers I received after this break began to have greater clarity.

 Here was my final answer: to live consciously and courageously, to resonate with love and compassion, to awaken the great spirits within others, and to leave this world in peace.

 When you find your own unique answer to the question of why you are here, you will feel it resonate with you deeply. The words will seem to have a special energy to you, and you will feel that energy whenever you read them.

 Discovering your purpose is the easy part. The hard part is keeping it with you on a daily basis and working on yourself to the point where you become that purpose.

 If you are inclined to ask why this little process works, just put that question aside until after you have successfully completed it. Once you have done that, you will probably have your own answer to why it works. Most likely, if you ask 10 different people why this works (people who have successfully completed it), you will get 10 different answers, all filtered through their individual belief systems, and each will contain its own reflection of truth.

 Obviously, this process will not work if you quit before convergence. I would guesstimate that 80-90% of people should achieve convergence in less than an hour. If you’re really entrenched in your beliefs and resistant to the process, maybe it will take you 5 sessions and 3 hours, but I suspect that such people will simply quit early (like within the first 15 minutes) or won’t even attempt it at all.

 Give it a shot!

Mel Feller has served in a variety of executive leadership roles for medium and large organizations, including multiple Fortune 500’s.  He is a charismatic leader who has facilitated change and growth in all sized organizations, including non-profit and Board development.  Mel Feller has successfully led organizations in the areas business development, marketing, sales, operations, and the like.

 Mel Feller is committed to serving.  In the Texas / Utah community, he chairs several organizations.  Mel Feller volunteers his leadership at two churches in a variety of ways, including serving on council, bible study facilitator, and more.

 Mel Feller has been a featured speaker for career professional is groups, business leaders and continuing education sessions, and aspiring business startups.

 When he is not coaching, you can find Mel Feller reading, listening to podcasts, exercising, fishing, or with his kids and grandkids exploring the greatness God has gifted us all.

 Mel Feller states, “An effective coach is someone who tells you what you may not want to hear, helps you navigate around your blind spots, and helps you identify opportunities…so that you can be who you’ve always known you can be” Mel Feller

 Mel Feller’s purpose is to add tremendous value to those business owners/entrepreneurs by helping them reach their potential.

 Mel Feller is an effective, charismatic and powerful speaker, corporate advisor, and best-selling author. In 1989, Mel founded Coaching for Success 360 to help professionals worldwide design subtle changes in their presentation, attitude and leadership style that increases their personal and professional effectiveness and subsequently their financial status.  This also includes both real estate as an agent and/or investor.  See www.melfeller.com  and www.melfellersuccessstories.com .  Now with offices both in Texas and Utah.

 As a business, executive, personal development, and real estate coach, I work with a wide range of professionals and offer a highly personalized approach tailored to each individual in concert with the organizational environment.  In a supportive atmosphere, I work to build trust and support the professional in the attainment of goals and measurable outcomes.  

 Mel Feller offers sessions, both in-person and virtual.   We will start with an initial assessment to clearly define your short and long-term goals, everything from communication skills to personal acceptance. We will use these goals as a foundation to create a strategy and build the path for attaining these objectives. Change is typically a major component of reaching goals and sustainable change becomes more likely in a coaching partnership.  

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Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Discusses the Best and the Worst in Business Advertising as used by the Mel Feller Companies in Texas and in Utah

Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Discusses the Best and the Worst in Business Advertising as used by the Mel Feller Companies in Texas and in Utah

Mel is the President/Founder of Mel Feller Seminars with Coaching for Success 360, Inc. and Mel Feller MPA, MHR, Coaching. Mel Feller a Texas- Utah Innovator and Business Leader. Mel Fell has offices in Texas and in Utah. Currently an MBA Candidate.

Mel Feller…