Why do we like leather products?

Leather products are like ‘guilty pleasures’. Because our conscience is the greatest perpetrator of us all and the concern here has to do with ‘morality’. Because some of the finest leather products come from the most horrendous and unimaginable of sources. Automakers such as BMW, Mercedez-Benz use Nappa leather upholstery on their luxury vehicles. And they for the most part come from the skins of young or unborn sheep, lambs, goats.

Yet among all these slaps and kicks of conscience leather products are always the first hand-picked choice. Why do leather products hence give out the money vibe, an aspect only prompting more the monetary society? Because the reality with leather products has more to do with it being just a fabric, or a by product of the meat industry. Leather is ‘status’, it is the ‘king of fabrics’, the mark of luxury and high class. When one wears leather, there is every chance they are wearing history because of their durability. Because with leather there is every chance the rugged boots or the aviator jacket has survived the World War-II.

In reply to the morality concern many argue that leather is a natural product better worn than discarded. If their opinion of the natural product is so strong we wonder why other natural products such as cotton, wool, bamboo do not receive the some status as leather products do? Why do leather accounts for an upward 10% of a cow’s potential worth? Why don’t international brands such as Micheal Kors, Gucci, Prada are not known for cotton then they are known for their leather?

Utilising dried animal hides have been in existence since the exiting of time. It was first recognised in the prehistoric times dating back to t0 1300BC when men started appreciating animal skins as more than just a by-product. Since then techniques to soften and preserve the skin with traditional methods were practised. We now have an advanced preservation method known as the chrome tanning using chromium. Leather industry is hence on a constant rise.

Along with the status symbol they are used for all purposes such as vehicles seats, steering wheels, dining chairs, fashion etc. It maybe does support the claim that leather products are flexible, durable and fashionable. What will even make it more fashionable is if the claims of it being a by product of the meat industry were absolutely all true.

7 Things Successful People Do Everyday !

When we think about successful people like Elon Musk, Obama, Warren Buffett or Steve Jobs, we tend to listen to a lot of information that sometimes can be noisy. If you ask around you will understand that they inevitably credit simple routines which have been proven over time to give them an edge.

So today let’s find some examples of simple routines who can lead to success:

1. Wake up early.

Jeffrey Immelt, the CEO of General Electric, says he wakes up by 5:30 am for his daily workout routine. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple Inc., starts his day as early as 4:30 am to send emails.  Starting your day earlier, enables you to do tasks before the rest of the world has rolled out of bed. You have less distractions, and fresh energy to be more efficient. Also you can avoid getting stuck in a traffic jam.

2. Perfection is the enemy…

 of getting things done. Every great product wasn’t perfect when they first launched. This website isn’t perfect. But I needed to get started. With time I will evolve and continue to make improvements.

Henry Ford once said, “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small pieces.” Do you think the first Windows or the iPhone were flawless on their first versions? No. Still they changed the world.

3. Be productive rather than busy

Focus on the things that really make a difference in accomplishing your goals. Remember than often 20% of our work deliver 80% of the end results (Pareto Principle). So let’s find out what exactly are those 20% and work on them.

Money can be lost and made again, but time spent can never be reclaimed. So use your time wisely, and learn what habits bring more results. Focus on those and ignore the rest.

4. Say “no” to almost everything. 

Billionaire Warren Buffet once said, “The difference between successful people and very successful people is that very successful people say ‘no’ to almost everything.” Your time is precious. Don’t give it away easily.

5. Take care of your body.

Regular exercise doesn’t only keep the body physically healthy but also helps with your mental state. Barack Obama runs 3 miles or exercises 45 minutes per day, six days a week. Billionaire tech investor Mark Cuban gets at least an hour of cardio per day.  Doing anything well requires energy, and you just have a lot more energy when you’re fit.

6. Automate everything possible.

Automation helps you with the routine administrative work. Thus you can save time for yourself to focus on high-value, innovative problem-solving. This is key, specially if you are a solopreneur running your own business.

7. Welcome criticism.

In my opinion giving (and receiving) feedback when discussing ideas, is absolutely key to long-term success. Some say that this is the reason for the success of Amazon. Some disagree. But I would say that constructive criticism is always helpful for improving.