I live in Miami and down here we have a serious problem in Everglades National Park. Giant invasive pythons have setup shop on the American Alligator's' swampy turf. To make it worst, the giant non-native monitor lizard just joined the party. He's an egg eator who doesn't discriminate, so both gator and python eggs are on the menu. What's a gator to do with stiff competition like that? Well, fight or die.

Like these competing reptiles, small business owners offering the same type of service will face off in a local market.

Just recently a light bulb went off in my head. Something that should have dawned on me years ago when I was lifting in high school…staying consistently healthy improves your approach to the world. I’m not saying to be a health nut but to be consistantly health conscious. Once you are more health conscious life improves drastically. Our mind, body, relationships, spirit, work and thoughts improve.

Holy spacenuts!! Priya Nembhard's been called a lot of things, author, Guyana queen, Orangewoman, mom in business, WAHM (work at home mom). Let's add Marathon Chick and astronaut while we're at it. Just check her social circles, it's pretty funny what friends actually think she does as a mom and business owner. Those speculations gave birth to that humorous graphic below. One twitter fan called it "how cute."

My wife used to tell me I'm lacking in local brick-and-mortar related networking (she's damn good at it), but in the same sentence tell me I'm the world's greatest entrepreneur dad and king of internet marketing. I'm an internet entrepreneur, why do I need to hobnob with local business and politics for? Anyhow, I took her advice and sank my talons into local business and marketing to increase my brand recognition. What a hell of roller coaster ride it's been. Non internet folks and business can be great but there's a crazy mix of slithering snakes and wolves in sheep's clothing in the pack. 

Wow! What a crazy start to 2012. Are most of you having the same thought? The new age of Pisces or the Dragon year might attribute to it but I can definitely tell you this year, this far has revealed many truths. One in particular is surrounding yourself with the right people, your supportive mastermind business group. I guess if we are all going to die according to the Mayan calender it might as well be with who you want to be surrounded by.

There's that 80's cartoon the "Smurfs". Each one named after a cool or weird personality trait. Handy and Hefty were my favorites. I hated Brainy and Lazy for obvious reasons. I'm not a fan of fake know-it-all people who love pointless attention whoring, (that's Brainy smurf). I don't appreciate lazy people period (that's Lazy smurf). I do however like those who display a working attitude, creative thought, and some form of useful inner or outer strength. I have an appreciation for genuine members of the 1% wealthiest in America who truly worked their way there through perseverance. I do however despise the rotten apples that slip into that top 1% and give the whole group a bad name. What are you doing with your one chance to enjoy some of the greatest places, luxuries, and opportunities the average person without the financial means might never see? Do you have a creative business idea for example?

The non-profit world is made for special individuals who have the best of intentions to make an impact in the community, either locally or globally. Starting off can be both a moment full of hope and dreams and a moment of panic. Knowing where and how to start can be very overwhelming because in reality, running a non-profit is running a business, not just a charity that gives and gives. Starting a non-profit is also a project you must be prepared for because you must be educated on what you can and cannot do as a non-profit. That will be my next article. Another Erookie article touched on steps to start a tax-exempt non-profit, but I'll dig deeper into it since I personally run one.

Today as I was pondering the universe and where I stand in it all Wade said to me “you are like a car driving on a road full of speed bumps. Every three weeks or so you start to ponder the universe and the people who really do not matter in our lives. I on the other hand am on a straight drive on highway 380 to my old alma mater Syracuse University. I will not stop for a nuclear bomb or a market crash. I am focused on the road, a straight road to success.” Don't believe me, then check out these 7 keys to success.

Does your business have a global mission? Can your business have a global mission? Mine is impacting as many lives as possible through Entrepreneurrookie and The EDGE (Early Development of Global Education) and cleaning up the planet through education.

Something to think about. You started your own business and it’s in a field you chose that you thought would be successful but is it really a field you are an expert in? Does it matter whether or not you are an expert?