I have been involved in a couple of successful businesses over the years and have been fortunate to evaluate and learn from those individuals that I believe are very successful. I believe that these individuals all have similar qualities that make them successful. I have identified them as what I see are the 4 keys to success.

1. Concern yourself with things that are in your control 
This one seems so easy, but in fact is really hard to do. The hard part is distinguishing what is within my control and what isn’t. The way I distinguish it is if I can significantly influence the situation then it is within my control. If not, I can’t. Those who worry about things that are out of their control never seem to move significantly forward in their endeavors. They are too caught up on the things they don’t control and it impedes their progress, while those who move forward focus on their circle of influence and rise to the top.

2. Set goals and become borderline obsessed with those goals
When I set a goal, it isn’t just something I write on a piece of paper (although that is better than just saying it in your mind), it is a vision in my mind that is so clear and vivid that if I were to write it out it would be 1–2 pages long. I refer to it as a vivid vision of what you want to accomplish. A goal on paper is good, but a vivid vision of what that goal accomplishes looks far better. 

3. Positive Attitude and Optimism
Have you ever thought about the conversations that you have with yourself?  Do you constantly bring yourself down?  Hopefully you build yourself. If you think you aren’t good at something, so will the rest of the world. However, if you believe in yourself and carry that dialogue within your head, then chances are you will accomplish what you set out to do. 

I’m sure that we have all met those people who are so extremely negative that it just physically, mentally, and emotionally drains your energy. If your energy is continuously being drained by negativity (whether it is by you or someone else), then you have little left in the tank to be successful. 
 
I have met people in my life that haven’t been the smartest, but have been successful through determination and optimism. That is the only dialogue they have with themselves. They attract success to them. 

4. Surround yourself with those that share the same drive to success and values you have
You have to surround yourself with others that share your drive and passion. If you have been able to master the first three keys to success, the fourth key should make absolute sense. Associating yourself with those who don’t buy into the first three keys to success is like training hard to get into shape, then hanging out every day at the All You Can Eat Club. You will get unwanted results. 

There is power in a group of individuals that shares the same values and strives to attract success into their lives. They are united as a group, and this goes beyond teamwork. They focus on the task at hand and strive for the main goal with such fervor that success will ultimately find them. 

Aaron Peterson, Executive Vice President of Sales, Satelitte Offices

When was the last time you walked into Home Depot or even your local grocery store expecting to buy one specific item and walked out with a whole cartload of items after coming across some unexpected and irresistible sale items?  I’d bet that many of the items you bought on sale weren’t even things you needed or later used. This type of buying is very normal for most of us. After all, who doesn’t love a good sale!

Many regular bargain hunters aren’t seeing the biggest sale of all, and it’s happening all around them. There are amazing deals available in real estate across the country and around the world. Everyone has heard the old investing adage, “Buy low and sell high.” It’s funny how they run forward in hoards to buy when prices are high, but few people seem to have the courage to step forward and buy when prices are low. In spite of the recent downturn, prices will eventually rebound and continue to climb. Still, many continue to be skittish. Is it possible to safely enter the market under current conditions? Absolutely! The following are a couple of ways to seek financial success and still sleep at night:

Assigning Contracts 
After an offer is accepted on a piece of property, you have the option (as long as your contract is structured properly) to assign or transfer the contract to someone else for a fee, rather than closing on the property yourself. Assigning contracts to another allows you to profit from real estate without having to fix up property, apply for financing, or risk having to cover an extra mortgage payment. For investors, this can be a very-low risk way to an extremely fast payday.

Conservative and Purposeful Offers
Forget the asking price! What can you afford to pay for the property to make it work for you? Remember, there are many very anxious sellers in the market today, and buyers are scarce. Because of the disparity in supply and demand, sellers are getting more motivated and flexible on both their price and terms.

The last time that we had a buying opportunity like we have today interest rates were at 12%. Our rates today are half that. Property prices, seller flexibility, and rock bottom interest rates make this a WONDERFUL time to load up your cart!

Dave Greene, Real Estate Coaching Division Leader

If there’s an upside to a down economy, it’s that people are more conscious of their finances and make a stronger effort to get out of debt. Prosper has a Finance program to help people do so.

The economy as a whole is big news in the media and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Because of what we do, Prosper is garnering some attention. Miranda Marquit, author of the “Personal Finance Corner” on AllBusiness.com, has posted a quick overview of us.

See it for yourself here.  

Compared to the “average” company, Prosper Inc. is particularly focused on entrepreneurism. Top management exemplifies the concept of developing multiple streams of income, while rank-and-file employees are encouraged to pursue their entrepreneurial interests.

You could say entrepreneurism is in our blood. Since the company was founded in 1999, much of our focus has been on giving people the knowledge and guidance they need to explore their entrepreneurial ideas.

A recent survey conducted in September 2008 reveals some very interesting attitudes about entrepreneurism in light of the current economic conditions. Twenty-seven percent of survey respondents said they plan to start their own business within the next five years. That projection is huge. Out of 100 people you know, 27 will (according to these results) start their own business in the next five year. Personally, I can really only think of one or two who have even thought about it.

Even more revealing is that a staggering 70 percent agreed that “the success and health of [the U.S.] economy depends on the success of entrepreneurs.” In a related question, 80 percent of the respondents also agreed that the U.S. government needs to encourage more entrepreneurship.

With so many being open to the concept of entrepreneurship, Prosper is excited about the opportunity to be a prime contributor in the delivery of one-to-one coaching to up-and-coming entrepreneurs.

Kendra B. of Springfield, Mass. recently enrolled in our Finance program and is excited about where she is going.

For the past few years I have been doing a lot of reading about personal finance and everyone seems to have their own ideas of what is most important. David Bach’s Automatic Millionaire and Smart Women Finish Rich made a lot of sense to me, but then there was Dave Ramsey, Suze Ormon, Robert Kiyosaki and others.

Because of this I found it very difficult to decide what I should focus on first. Should I build my emergency fund first or pay off debt? Should I fund my 401k or wait until I have paid off my debt and have 3 to 6 months of savings?

One day I received an invitation to learn more about the Finish Rich Coaching Program from Prosper and I immediately wanted to find out more information. I was assigned my coach and together we worked on a financial plan that was right for me and my individual needs and circumstances.

Since joining the coaching program and taking part in the webinars, homework and conference calls, I now have clear direction on what I need to do first. I have been able to think about my dream and goals and give them dates of when I plan to achieve them.

Prior to the program I couldn’t see any further than just my debt. I learned that my net worth was a negative amount and that was really troubling. I also learned that I clearly need to rethink how I spend money and how to prioritize my spending by what is important to me. So far I have consolidated my credit card balances onto a card with 0% for balance transfers and am working on building up an emergency fund. I am also looking at ways of increasing my income.

A few months ago, I went to Borders near my home to browse books and I came across a book entitled The Fred Factor, by Mark Sanborn. I could not put it down! Fred is a postman who delivers exceptional service—so outstanding that it motivated writing a book that has become a national best seller.The story of Fred continues to encourage people all over the nation. Who knew a postman could do that? As I browsed the book, I came across a few important points I’d like to share.

Quoting from the Fred Factor web site (www.fredfactor.com): The Mission: Be a Fred…Continually create new value for those you live and work with through dedication, passion and creativity.

The ideas I took from the book:

• Each of us makes a difference. The only question at the end of the day is “What kind of difference did I make?”
• Everything is built on our relationships. The first principle in building a relationship is to build trustworthiness. Other words for trustworthiness include respect, humility, honesty, patience, faith, virtue.

This principle of trust and respect is based on always assuming honorable of intentions towards our fellow workers, students, customers and those we love. Always remember: “Nobody succeeds on their own. Asking for and sharing information broadens one’s perspective of situations and life. Others help you open doors to opportunity.” (Lessons in life from the mailman, The Times, Munster, Ind.)

The book reminded me that we can train employees to achieve exceptional performance. However, only each individual employee can choose to do a job in an extraordinary way.

I asked myself, “Do I add or take away from the experience of our customers/students and colleagues? Does the Student Care Department move Prosper closer to, or further away from, its goals?” (Read Lee & Nancy’s story.)

I think we do a very good job. We strive to continually learn and grow and create value and success for each our students, one at a time.

Devin Willis
Prosper Student Care

The overall economy in the U.S. is uncertain at best, but Prosper is forging ahead. Our great coaching programs generally help people increase their earning power or eliminate debt. A troubled economy increases demand for both. That’s just one reason why now is an exciting time to work for Prosper.

We have many opportunities for both experienced and inexperienced sales reps to help our customers achieve their financial goals and dreams through our coaching programs.

In that way, Prosper is more than a job; it’s a chance to help people through our distance education programs.

But don’t take just my word for it. Some of our recent hires talk about what they love about Prosper:

• “I love the management and trainers!” – Sandra Carver
• “The potential here at Prosper is fantastic!” – Mike Bunata

• “It’s the leadership!” – Bryan Plante

• “The energy is awesome here!” – Kimberly LeMieux

• “I really like the positive atmosphere!” - Cami Burton
• “I love knowing we’re helping people achieve their goals and dreams!” – Erin Proctor
• “The people are what I like best about Prosper.” – Jessica Johnson

While sales powers the Prosper train, we are a thriving company with all the support functions of a large company including departments in Human Resources, IT, Software Development, Marketing, (most companies don’t view reception as a Department) and many more. To view and apply for open positions, click here.

Prosper has a culture of being a professional, family-focused environment. We also have a track record of hiring and promoting from within and rewarding hard work

Travis Cook, Prosper Human Resources

As outlined in a recent press release, Prosper Inc. is now partnering with Adam Mesh to provide stock coaching. Yes, even in volatile economic times people can leverage the stock market. 

If you’re a fan of network TV, you may have seen Adam on “The Average Joe” a few years ago. After being one of many on that shoe, he was the featured “bachelor” on “The Average Joe: Adam Returns.” But well before his reality TV fame, Adam had already found success with stocks. He had been a partner at two successful trading companies, selling the last one in 2006. His success has been landed him coverage in Fortune, “The Tonight Show” with Jay Leno, Trader Monthly, and CNBC’s “Squawk Box.”

Since selling in 2006, Mesh has focused on helping individuals succeed in the stock market, and has found great demand for his coaching. We look forward to partnering with Adam to bring his unique stock techniques to “Average Joes” (and Janes) everywhere. 

I often think about the different pathways people take on their road to business success. For some, success just seems to fall in their lap, and others the road is filled with annoying pot holes of frustration, doubt and despair. Too many people that get into business (online or off) give up too quickly. As a business owner who has had many frustrations along the path to success, I can honestly look back and say it has all been worth it.

One of the biggest tools I feel I have had has been a mentor, a person that has “been there” and “done that.”. It does not mean that I will not make mistakes; it just means that I have access to a seasoned veteran who can show me the ropes when times get tough.

There will be times when you want to throw in the towel. You just have to make sure you are doing it for the right reasons?  Are you wanting a better way of life?  Are you wanting to spend more time with your family?  Do you want financial freedom? Owning your own business is one of the great ways to get the things in life that you want from life.

There will be many doubters along the way that will just try and bring you down. You have to grow a thick skin, ignore them and remember why you are doing it. You are not creating a business to better their life, you are doing it to better your life.

Your success has to come from within. Even working with some of the greatest business mentors like Prosper Learning, it does not guarantee anything if you are not in the right frame of mind and willing to put forward the effort. You have to make the choice and decision to say, “Today is the day I am going to do it, and I am going to take control of my future.” Once you are at this point there will be nothing that will get you down - you will be a success!  I am grateful to Prosper Learning and those mentors who helped me along my path to success and financial freedom.

Mat Siltala