Yesterday I talked about building your foundation by having people with the similar goals and maturity as you. Today, I give an example of how not doing that can cause you to make a mistake that could very well cost your business or hinder your ability to achieve your goals.

It is great to have different people around you, especially if you are learning from them. However, if the people closest to you are lazy when you are ambitious, they are immature while you are mature, or they make bad decisions while you try to make good decisions…they cannot help but drain your focus and deter your from your goals.

Social media makes it very easy to meet people. Networking can be very valuable to entrepreneurs. Unfortunately, the term “friend” is overused and the meaning of “friends” has become diluted.

For people who want a successful career, surrounding yourself with people with similar maturity and experience levels is crucial for success. The people who are serious about obtaining the quality of life they have goals for do this naturally. The people closest to them have similar goals and interests that bond them.

Social media makes it easy to become friends with people who will distract your attention to almost guarantee you will not reach your goals. If you are a parent, it’s like your child hanging around the “wrong” group of kids….can you relate to that?

Social networking tools are being used more and more every day. Unfortunately, what people do not realize is that by using these tools, they are creating a personal brand. A personal brand is simply what people think of you when your name is mentioned.

For those that do not realize they are creating a personal brand or worse, think that it does not matter, they are similar to the people who got themselves in debt when credit ratings first came out.

The penalties of not listening I suppose. Anyway, let’s talk about it what is really going on with social media.

Read on to learn the lesson I learned.

It’s an interesting term, “noob”. Sometimes it is used to mean lacking intelligence or common sense. Other times it is used to mean “new at something”. However, the term can’t be accurately used to describe someone screwing up at something they’ve been doing for a long time. For example, someone using the internet for over a year can’t say they are new, as an excuse for doing something inappropriate.

Let’s look at an example of how thinking before doing something or using common sense can go a long way in stopping embarrassing interactions.

I read an article that, as a consumer, rubbed me the wrong way. The article started off with a false premise, and in my opinion, went downhill. It is sad how many people simply do not understand how to work with others. Trying to force someone to do something, or giving them an ultimatum, is not the way to go. Instead, learn from past experiences and show you have wisdom.

There are a ton of articles on what to look for in a business partner. For a change of pace, let’s talk about traits to avoid in looking for a business partner.

The internet makes it easy for people to create a character online. Let’s take a look at someone doing this to see if it is a wise thing to do long-term.

In life you will reach a crossroads where you have to make a decision on what path you want your life to take. For me, I just found my way back home, too my roots.