“Bailout, Babies, Blagojevich and Bullsh%!.” That’s the headline from last week’s series of events. First it was the Stimulus Plan being passed with no Republican support. What’s up with that? Then we heard about the Octuplet births where we later found out that the mother already had six kids. What’s your feeling? Then it was the former Illinois Governor being impeached by the State Senate after a weeklong media blitz. Is a movie in the works?

As if that weren’t enough to chew on, then it was reported that bonuses were paid out to executives of companies that received government bailout money. Some have come to the defense of these decisions by saying that it was good for the economy. Let me ask this question, if these companies did not receive the bailout they would have failed, right? And if they had failed there would be no money to pay bonuses, right? So, what’s wrong with this picture?

Well, let’s get back on message so that I’m not accused of wearing my feelings on my sleeves. It’s interesting how RPs (that’s the rich & privileged) found ways to use the taxpayer bailout to turn their last dollar into million dollar bonuses. The everyday person has to hope and pray to make ends meet. And if the average Joe were to go from broke to billions they would have to do it the old-fashioned way. Successful rags to riches or zero to hero stories seem to have a common theme and similar tale.

Before we learn more about how someone like Tyler Perry turned his last dollar into millions, let’s look at a company like Fedex for clues on building your business or career into big dollars. When you examine how Fedex does business you’ll find the following key components:

1.     Express

2.     Ground

3.     Freight

4.     Office

The Express services represent the bread and butter of their business. It’s where they move packages overnight and in the process move the marketplace. It represents the way they maximize the assets of their business. You also have assets that you bring to your business or the marketplace as well. The way you sharpen your skills or improve your game will determine how you maximize your assets. It’s not something that happens instantly and that’s why turning your last dollar into millions is not an overnight success.

The Ground services represent the delivery of packages the bare-bones way. This means transporting by rail for some but in the case of Fedex by road. When all else fails, this part of the business can keep them going if all the planes stopped flying. What do you do or who do you have in your life that helps you stay grounded? Is it a friend, family, a past experience, or your values? One way you know you’re working in the right field or building the right business is when your work supports your values and your values drive your work.

Then there is the Freight division of their business. Not much is said about how much freight is handled by Fedex but trust me it’s quite a load. This area is like the heart and soul of their business. It’s probably where everything got started before the company blew up. How do you put your heart and soul into what you do? Sometimes there’s a need for compassion and sometimes there’s a need for full blown passion. It takes passion to keep building your business or growing in your career if you hope to see the day when millions of people hear about your work.

What was once Kinkos has now been folded into Fedex Office. This area covers printing to copying, and publishing to promotion. It’s about helping to add the efficiency or effectiveness element to the way business gets done. Efficiency involves doing things better while effectiveness involves doing new and better things. Can you find ways in your job/business tasks to improve your rating, increase your cash flow and add a new level of efficiency or effectiveness to the bottom line?

Producer/Actor Tyler Perry is best known on the Theater Circuit for playing the Madea Character. His journey to riches is one that we all can learn from and emulate. Here’s a guy who was once homeless and down to his last few bucks. Perry arrived at a turning point where he looked in himself, looked up to God and then started working on his dream. While it hasn’t happened overnight we have seen it happen right before our very eyes as he has gone from plays to film to TV sitcoms. Like Fedex, Perry knows that it takes heart, passion, skill and pizzazz to turn your last dollar into millions.

Music Soundtrack – Pop/Rock Flava

Play ‘The Life by Alicia Keys,’ track here