In the last post I talked about the risks of trying to launch or fiddle with multiple marketing strategies at the same time. I personally believe this is an essential lesson to embrace, so I want to make sure I am communicating this concept well. If my stalled car analogy left you scratching your head, please [...]
Do you feel a baseline of doubt – a constant level of anxiety – about your efforts to generate more business? Do you wonder if you need to change or add to your strategies, but aren’t sure what you should be doing instead? Perhaps we all experience this fear from time to time. So what [...]
You may have heard this statement before — “luck is when preparation meets opportunity.” Profound. These six words offer incredible clarity about a complex question — “how can we create luck in our businesses?” Like many, I use this time of the year to reflect on how things have gone over the past year and make new, bigger plans for [...]
We’ve all heard the phrase “a level playing field” applied to a variety of situations. Whether one thinks the field is indeed level, or drastically slanted in one direction or another, depends on the person and the issue at hand. One place where the field is inarguably flat (at least I don’t think I would [...]
Ever heard the phrase “plan your work and work your plan?” Well, creating your plan for the year (see my “Groundhog Day” post from December) is the “plan your work” part. As you know having a plan and living your plan can be two very different things! So this post is devoted to “working your [...]
“If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter” is a quotation from T.S. Eliot. I agree that it is hard to boil down big ideas and concepts into brief statements. But the process is so valuable. Not only that, the output is exponentially more valuable the shorter it gets. You can’t [...]
Isn’t funny that so many powerful tools boil down to just a few simple concepts. I am constantly reading books on business, leadership, self-improvement and the like. At least for me, the most profound insights are the ones that make you go “duh — why didn’t I think of that?” It may sound backwards, but [...]
Creating a vision statement will focus your thinking and guide your decisions. Sharing it, printing it, and posting it will help you keep it at the forefront of your mind, and therefore your actions. It is important to keep in mind that a vision that leaves out your customers/clients, staff, and your own personal ambitions [...]
The simple question I help my clients tackle is “How do I grow my business?” That’s a pretty big question though, you have to admit. It’s a big question because making a REAL change can set you on a completely different path. Don’t fall into the trap of just working harder! Any problem or challenge is [...]
I was privileged to attend a leadership summit here in Danville, CA over the weekend that drew about 1,500 people from Northern California and beyond. The event was put on by a local job-seeker networking group, but went far beyond just a “hang-in-there” message for those caught in the middle of this economic crisis. It [...]
