Are You Ready For Success?

Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be." - George Sheehan Most of the time it's not the place, the time, the people, or the circumstances. It's YOU.

It's not the obstacles or lack of opportunity. It's YOU.

Successful people blast through obstacles and make their own opportunity.

It's that simple. So start today by looking inside and be the person you believe you were meant to be.

Do You Keep Your Nose To The Grindstone?

To grind corn in the old-time grist mills, corn was fed through a hole in the runner stone, and then, by means of centrifgugal force, was carried between two great stones, grinding all the way. However, these two great stones never touched. To accomodate the different grain sizes, the miller was able to adjust the gap between the stones by means of a wheel that was connected by a rod to a lever upon which the central shaft rested. The movement of this adjusting wheel moved one of the great grinding stones, the runner stone, from the other, called the bed stone.

By keeping their nose to the grindstone, the miller could detect the smell of granite, which indicated that the two grinding stones were too close together.

So the term "keeping your nose to the grindstone" doesn't really mean working hard or late. It means ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?

• To what is important and letting go of the minutae that fills our valuable time.
• To what is happening at a macro and strategic level and not the small stuff.
• To who is leaving, who is coming aboard, and where you stand in the hierarchy.
• To your customer's wants, needs and concerns.

If you pay a little more attention to the important things, you'll grind a lot of grain, and keep your grist mill running strong.

Tough Times Never Last. Tough People Do.

I run a high-performance peer-advisory group — a great bunch of people who know what they want and know how to get it. The other day, one member recognized that everyone around the table 'survived' the past recession and are still in business. Some were still skeptical that the recession was over, but most agreed that tough times were behind us. Then one person said, "And this is the time to go for the gold. To think big. To take our businesses where we want them to go before the rest of the marketplace gets wise and catches up."

It's been a hard 2-3 years — we've all had to work  twice as hard to just make the same amount of money. We've seen many fellow friends fall by the wayside, many good businesses close. And many people still out of work looking for that prize job.

The reality is — tough times never last. There is an end to the economic instability. There might be another one coming (shut your mouth Rich Gee!), but for now, most economists (and the market) agree that things are getting better.

So what are you going to do about it? How are you going to 'go for the gold and think big?"

• Has your client base changed? Some gone away - new ones popped up? Do you know how to communicate to them?
• Has your company changed? Many were laid off, projects were cancelled. What rays of sunshine are beginning to stream down?
• What can you change about your business? New products? New services? New positioning?
• How can you grow yourself as an executive? Mobile is exploding. Communication channels are dying. What works? What doesn't?

You survived. Now it's time to step up to the plate and "Get Tough". Take action. Today.

Do You Have The Girlfriend Effect?

What's the Girlfriend Effect?

Remember in high school, if a boy didn't have a girlfriend, it was pretty darn near impossible for him to attract one? But if the boy did have a girlfriend, all her friends seemed to flock over to him and be instantly interested in him?

Well, the girlfriend effect is alive and well in business today and it starts with the atmosphere you create.

It's how you act, your confidence, your self-esteem, the way you react in situations, the way you carry yourself.

If you own or run your own business or if you are an executive in a corporation, you understand the power of first impressions, charisma, and confident behavior.

If you don't have it, you need to get it. When I work with my clients, I frequently say that you need to always have your "hot shit" persona on. Because if you don't think you are important, influential, and experienced, no one will. It all starts with you.

Here are some incredible books that you can grab to build your confidence, charisma, and image:

1. Executive Charisma: Six Steps to Mastering the Art of Leadership By D.A. Benton. A proven six-step process for acquiring the style, flair, and credibility needed to make it to the top. According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, managers who do not exude an all encompassing self-confidence, style, poise, and energy, in short, “executive presence,” are highly unlikely to make it to the corner office.
2. The Secret Language of Success: Using Body Language to Get What You Want By David Lewis. The jewel of my library. Have you ever felt that you could walk into a room without being noticed and leave and not be missed? Your inability to make your presence felt has probably made you frustrated on more than one occasion. This book teaches you the secret language of silent speech and body language.
3. How to Win Friends & Influence People By Dale Carnegie. This is the bible — buy it and live it. This grandfather of all people-skills books was first published in 1937. It was an overnight hit, eventually selling 15 million copies. How to Win Friends and Influence People is just as useful today as it was when it was first published, because Dale Carnegie had an understanding of human nature that will never be outdated.

P.S. Hope I haven't offended anyone by possibly positioning my post badly around women or men - not trying to be sexist here, just exhibiting a point.

Do You Have A Career "Plan B"?

You just missed the last recession, hopefully things are getting better. You're getting quite adept at dodging the executioner's axe — ducking at the last minute while watching fellow peers lose their heads. Are you talented or just lucky? At my last corporate gig, I managed to have seven bosses in six years. Six LONG years.

Talented and lucky just don't take you very far anymore. There might be a time when you need to resort to "Plan B".

What is "Plan B"? It's that time of your career when you realize that it's time to change, to make a move, to take ACTION. Some executives realize it when they are still employed and some realize it when they are carrying the contents of their desk in a box.

Here are some basic "Plan B" activities:

• Get Out & Meet New People. Today. Try to have lunch with a new person every week. Do it.
• Get Out & Strengthen Current/Old Relationships. They already know you. Pick the most motivational and influential and connect with them again.
• Brainstorm. Sit down with a white sheet of paper — draw a line down the center and write energize on the left and enervate on the right. List all the elements of past positions that energize you and all elements that enervate or deplete your energy. Your new position should leverage the 'energize' elements.
• Keep Alert. What's happening in your company? In your marketplace? In your city/state? What companies are doing well? Which ones need help? If you're going to go — go for the gold.
• Get Your Resume In Order. Work with a professional (I have a few great recommendations if need be).
• Start Reading The WSJ/Financial Times/The Economist/BusinessWeek. It tells you what's happening. Where to focus. What areas are growing, who's shrinking. New areas you never even knew existed.
• Past Bosses. Have lunch with them. Find out what they're doing. They might want you.

Bottom line, now is the time to take action and develop a robust "Plan B". Today.

10 Ways To Stop Worrying About Your Job.

It's still tough out there. You probably know at least one person who is unemployed (maybe more). And life in a company is a very lonely place when everyone is out for themselves (and worrying about their jobs).

So what do you do? Here are some tips to help you get past worrying and start moving forward:

1. Stay in the Present. Worrying projects your thinking in the future and you really can't do much about that. Focus on what is happening to you right NOW.
2. 80/20 Your Projects. Figure out all things you do at your job — dump the ones that are low-priority and won't give you any visibility. Focus on the ones that your boss really appreciates and will give you broad exposure.
3. Be Your Boss' Best Friend. I'm not saying you should suck up (although that doesn't hurt), but be positive, be a good friend, listen, give good feedback, ask great questions. Be valuable to them.
4. Keep Your Peripherals Moving. See who is doing what, where, when, why and how. Who has the mojo in the company. Who doesn't. I kept a file (at home) of what projects, people, and departments were doing.
5. Connect. I can't say this enough (and I do frequently on this blog) — get out frequently and meet other colleagues to discuss business and marketplace issues. A broader vision outside of work is refreshing, motivational, and inspiring.
6. Don't Partake In Gossip. The office soap opera is a time-waster. Of course keep your ears open for factual happenings, but don't give into what-if's, innuendo, and flights of fancy.
7. Stay Away From The Media. Stop reading newspapers, watching TV news, and surfing news sites. Let's be honest — the only reason why they are still in business is because they sensationalize and titillate to get your attention and spread fear, doubt and uncertainty.
8. Keep Your Options Open. Always have a "Plan B" waiting in the wings — it might be a number of key contacts, a position that is waiting for you, a company that is just starting out. If you don't have that, go back to #5.
9. Focus On The Positive. Be enthusiastic, motivational, and a force for change at your company. Come up with new ideas, new processes, new efficiencies and present them to anyone who will hear.
10. Worrying Never Helped Anyone. Spend your time building your strengths, developing solid connections in and out of your company, and plan for the future of your career.

Don't waste time worrying — you have a LOT to do . . . So start TODAY!

P.S. If you would like to read a great book on this topic — this is the one! It's the bible and it's helped me many times.

3 Ways To Successfully Attain Any Goal In Life.

You have grand designs on your future - unfortunately, you never meet your personal or professional goals. Why does that happen? It comes down to three areas - SRS or Simple — Realistic — Steps (not five, as in SMART, or seven as in SMARTER - let's keep it simple!).

What do I mean?

1. Simple - Keep your dreams simple. Don't make them too complex. If you do, you'll find you will be spending more time deciphering what to do next and questioning if you did it to completion. Simplicity is key. Also break out the goal into smaller, more attainable goals (see #3).

2. Realistic - Be honest to yourself and pick those goals that you can actually achieve. So many people go off half-cocked and attempt something grandiose or unattainable by any measure and then find themselves cashing in again on a failed project, initiative, or life goal. Then they get frustrated and angry. And they never try anything again.

3. Steps - Chunk out each goal into simple and realistic tasks or activities. In addition, look at your goal, if it is too big or unwieldy, break it up into manageable steps. An example might be, "I want to own a BMW Z4 sports car". Normal steps might be save money, research best way to purchase, buy car. A better way to break up your steps would be to have three segmented goals (with sub-goals) that build up to your main goal, ownership of the Z4:

• Finance - a. Ensure constant stream of revenue to pay all bills and have extra left over. b. Investigate a general financial goal for the Z4. c. Develop a time/payment schedule to save. d. Ensure that no unplanned emergencies arise to deplete the Z4 funding machine. e. Find a profitable 'holding area' for the funds saved that will deliver the best interest. f. Ensure your credit score remains high to garner the best interest rate deal. g. Set up goal markers to check off during this process.
• Research - a. Why do you want a Z4? b. Investigate alternatives to the Z4 - cheaper, better, other brands. c. What are the best dealerships? d. Who are the best salespeople that can educate you on the Z4 and get you the best price? e. How much will insurance be? f. What is the resale value? g. Lease or buy? h. Return policies? Warranties? i. Set up goal markers to check off during this process.
• Purchase - a. When are the Finance and Research steps complete? b. Initiate the finance process. c. Plan for any hiccups in the process. d. Sell your current car. e. Make a list of items to check when you sign the papers and pick up the car. f. Set up goal markers to check off during this process.

This is an over-simplified example to show how you can chunk out each step to cover any issue or problem that might arise, but also to move you forward during the process, making each step simple, manageable and motivational, ensuring your success.

Are You Throwing Happiness Out The Window?

Lately, a lot of people feel 'stuck' in their life. Why?

• Because of their past decisions leading up to the present.
• Because of the possibility of jumping into another terrible position.
• Because of the economy.

This is what I call "Not Living In The Present". Why? Let's look at the three reasons again:

• PAST GUILT: Past decisions leading up to the present.
• FUTURE FEAR: Possibility of jumping into another terrible position.
• DISPLACED ANGER: The economy.

Past Guilt

Blaming actions in the past that you feel are affecting the present. You are currently not feeling 'adequate' to attempt to jump to a new job because of your past failings, lack of knowledge/experience, or some other situation that might have happened to you.

Solution: You can't do anything about it. Stop frustrating yourself because of things that have happened in the past and start dealing with the qualities, experience, and talents that you currently have. Make a list - you will surprise yourself.

Future Fear

Being scared of the future may be real to you, but in reality, a waste of your time and energy. Why? You are predicting the future . . . if you knew exactly what was going to happen, go buy a lottery ticket. We hold ourselves back because we are insecure of what 'might' happen and we begin to concoct elaborate stories in our head to make them real.

Solution: Deal with your anxiety about the future — start making a plan based on reality and move from fear back into a strong secure place in your head and life. Sit down and map out specific goals you want to accomplish and those activities and tasks that will get you there. Add a timetable and you are done!

Displaced Anger

Blaming other people or forces about your misery is a common practice with many of my clients. Because of the marketplace, the economy, your clients, or a crazy boss, you are eliminating all ability to take control of the situation. There are always other options to any situation, unfortunately, we tend to throw them out the window and begin to blame things we cannot control.

Solution: Uncover, understand, and focus on the things you CAN control. Start breaking down your frustrations with outside forces and other people and begin to see opportunities that were hidden from you. The best way to do this is to state your situation, come up with alternatives, and brainstorm options, no matter how crazy or outlandish they are. You'll find that some of these options quickly turn into opportunities.

Start living in the present. You will be much happier and have abundant energy to change where you are NOW.

The Best Kept Business Secret To Success.

To be successful in business, you need to make CONNECTIONS.It's that simple.

Connections to meet someone new, to make a sale, to find a new position, or to learn about a recent, yet unknown development.

I find that some of my clients, some of my workshop attendees, and for some people I meet, they 'rebel' against this notion.

And in my opinion, to their detriment.

FACT: Every weekday, every lunch, every upscale (and even downscale) restaurant, key executives are connecting. Just look around. There's a reason why lunches are cheaper, smaller, and served faster — for business lunches!

On average, I meet or speak to 2-3 new people a day, have 2000+ names in my address book, and ensure that every lunch I have is either meeting with someone, speaking with someone, or just bumping into someone.

It's like Tom Peters' 20 x 12 = 240 model (see below), you have ample opportunity to connect with A LOT of people.

Why do certain people rebel? Why do they think that it isn't important?

I think these people either don't like to talk to other people, don't find it useful, think they're too busy, or don't prepare for the lunch. They're wrong.

So if you're waiting for that big, shiny limousine to pull up at your home or office and whisk you off to a better life with more money — keep dreaming.

If you want to win the showcase on The Price Is Right, you at least have to show up and be in the audience. Make it happen!

How To Connect With Key People.

I attended a NSA (National Speakers Association) meeting last night. I know . . . after a full day at work, I spent additional hours in a cramped, hot hotel room looking at slides. I wouldn't change it for the world.

• I met a LOT of great people just like me. People that I can help and who also can help me.
• I experienced a great speaker who gave me a LOT of great information to grow my business exponentially.
• I had fun and it energized me (and my business).

Without further ado, here are some critical tips:

1. Get Out. The hardest thing my clients, colleagues, and friends do is to not get out and meet people. Find events and GO TO THEM. My motto: The more people you meet, the more opportunities you make, the more business you close. Corollary: The less people you meet, the less opportunities you make, the less business you close. It's that simple.
2. Show Enthusiasm & Energy. Don't be manic and scary though. Keep an upbeat focus on everyone you meet. Greet with a broad smile, hearty handshake and have one item/area to personally compliment the attendee. Do what you have to do to bring up your energy, go for a walk before the talk, listen to a power song on your iPod, drink an energy drink - anything. But come with ENERGY.
3. Wear Your Own Nametag. This sounds hokey - but it works. Everyone knows your name and what you do. And . . . you name is clearly visible to everyone you meet. In addition, the speaker could see it from her vantage point and mentioned my name — although I never met her! So it works.
4. Try To Do Something For Everyone You Meet. And then follow up the next day. I know it's hard, but this is how the big boys and girls do it.
5. Do a 360°. Talk to everyone around you when you sit down. During breaks, increase the frequency and solidify the relationship. Follow up the next day (this is critical).
6. Don't Eat. Not only is it difficult to handle a plate, shake hands, eat, and maintain a conversation, chewing and talking just don't go together. Eat beforehand. You look more polished and professional if you don't eat. Did you ever spit food while talking? Not cool.

Finally, two areas that I would like to promote:

• National Speakers Association - www.nsa.org - check them out - great meetings, incredible speakers, they make it happen!
• Rebecca Morgan - this professional clearly knows her stuff on how to "Make Money In Your Jammies" - www.rebeccamorgan.com

Why I'm Not Surprised You Got Fired.

It's funny. So many things happen in life that make us wonder, "Why did they do that?" "Why did they go with the other candidate?" "Why am I not getting that promotion?" "Why did I get laid off?"

It's the balance of factual and emotional and how we also balance them in our head and heart.

Unfortunately, we often tend to skew on the emotional side when it comes to highly personal and influential decisions. As I say to my clients, "You tell yourself stories."

You need to evaluate the FACTUAL side of the equation and you'll probably see why and how they made the decision.

Why do I mean by facts? Follow the money, perception, situation, and influencers. They are probably to blame.

On the other hand - there are situations when the people in charge make emotional decisions and let facts fly in the wind.

Candidly, you don't want to work for them. Trust me.

What Are You Afraid Of . . . Failure Or Success?

At some time in our careers, we self-sabotage. We know we need to do 'A' to move forward, but somehow we find ourselves doing 'B'. And 'B' isn't as good as 'A'. In fact, 'B' might make us take a number of steps backwards. But we do it anyway.

Why? Fear of Failure & Fear of Success.

Fear of Failure is simple - we don't want to attempt something if we feel that it's going to fail in the end — a sales call not attempted, a higher price asked, etc. We retreat to that safe, warm, and fuzzy place in our heads that takes us away from all possible failure scenarios. Unfortunately, you might be wrong — that call or price might be accepted and you suddenly move forward at a blinding speed with your career . . . and that's where fear of success steps in.

Fear of Success is even more insidious and calculating than fear of failure. It hides in the deep recesses of our psyche and when it comes out, we usually don't even notice it. Fear of Success sabotages our ability to make great leaps forward in our career by preying upon our irrational fears.

So how do we fix this?

Fear of Failure - Just do it. Most of the time, we are just putting up obstacles to procrastinate and hide of the pain of rejection. But the reality is that you usually have a better chance of acceptance is you just take action. Also - the rejection is not as bad as you think - so just do it.

Fear of Success - Get real. Most of the internal stories we tell ourselves are based upon fantasy. If we lose weight, we'll cheat on our spouse . . . if we get that big promotion, we'll never see our family again . . . and on and on and on. Sit down and list all the irrational ways you fear success, write them on paper. Then take each one and dissect it with a clear head and only use FACTS. You'll find that most of your fears are highly irrational and not based in the real world.

Now go out and face the world without fear!

Three Major Mistakes Many C-Level Executives Make.

Look, your job is hard. Probably one of the hardest in your company. But then again, you are the best and most highly decorated/compensated employee too. But you're human and sometimes it hard to lead and execute perfectly. Over the past 10 years of advising C-Level executives, here are three of the more frequent mistakes made in your day-to-day endeavors running the whole 'lemonade stand':

1. Trying to do everything, not honing in on your talents.

A frequent occurrence since everyone that works for you thinks that you can solve all their problems. Or when issues, obstacles, and opportunities come at you from many directions, it hard not to say no. But you have to say no.

One way to fix this problem is to either say no, or not now. But that's hard to do. The best way to fix this issue is to delegate it to someone below you. You first need to know what key strengths your people exhibit and then you have to apply certain communication/management skills to pass on the task. Then ask them. Most of the time, they are dying to work on more complex/challenging stuff, especially your 'stuff'. Then you can go back and work on things that compliment your talents.

If you don't do this, you'll find that your days are filled with an avalanche of decisions and tasks, many that you're not the best at. And that spells trouble.

2. Less focus on planning, more focus on quick decisions.

When time is short and your to-do list is long, we tend to make more 'shoot-from-the-hip' decisions rather than planning ahead of time. Again, this is a hard thing to do in today's marketplace.

One line of attack is to clearly define key recurring areas that frequently need addressing and to bring your team together to plan for them, rather than waiting for something to blow up. You can segment them into client-based, financial-based, operations-based, marketing-based issues and have key, qualified people responsible to lead the charge. Once areas are planned and options are defined, it's much easier to chart your course in a more educated fashion.

If you don't do this, you'll find that you will spend more time substantiating your decisions with higher-ups, direct reports, and clients and realizing that many unplanned decisions usually aren't the best ones to execute.

3. Not asking for input from multiple sources.

This is the biggest and most important one — and it also aligns with the previous two mistakes. As you get comfortable in your position, it's really easy to insulate oneself from other learned sources when managing, leading, and running the business.

One way to eliminate this mistake is to actively and frequently reach out to people and ask them their opinion on a strategy, direction, or decision. They could be mentors that you've established, previous colleagues that you've worked with, key direct reports you can trust, and even employees that you never talk to. You'll be surprised with their answers — you might find that their line of thinking is completely different from yours. And it might be better!

If you don't do this, you'll slowly find that many people around you will be able to telegraph your position immediately (since you always make the decision) or they shut down completely since you are asking them for advice. Take a chance — listen to other sources.

Do One Thing Today That Scares You.

Do one thing today you've been procrastinating on that scares you. Anything. Why?

• You get something done (duh . . . Rich).
• It's the only way you grow (okay, I see where you're going).
• You will feel better about yourself (big win here).

Most of the time, we get down on ourselves when we don't get key stuff done. We are also even harder on ourselves when we hold ourselves back on the most important stuff.

And that feeling and those behaviors take a subtle toll on our confidence. Your confidence is one of the major players in your success in business and life. It's what drives you and makes you attractive to others. You do not want to deplete it — you want to nurture and grow it. So you need to do SCARY things.

It's the only way you will grow your confidence level. So how do you do it?

• Call that one person that you are afraid of calling or you've been putting it off because your 'not prepared'. Just call.
• Make an appointment with an influential mover and shaker. Today.
• Start something that really scares you. An exercise program. Dancing. Singing. Speaking. Something.

It's doesn't matter WHAT it is. It's the action of just doing it that builds your confidence level. And that's a good thing.

Are You Sleeping At Work?

The past few posts have been a bit long, so this one will be concise and blunt. I run into many people at my workshops who are unemployed. When I offer a FREE coaching session to help them, a few balk. Why? I think:

• They like unemployment (stay with me here).
• They want someone else to do the thinking and searching for them.
• They are afraid of doing it themselves.
• It's easier to not make a decision/do something rather than making a decision or acting on an opportunity.

Why does this happen? Because they lived on the corporate teat for the last 20-25 years. What do I mean by that?

They got lazy at work. They did the same thing every day — hoping and praying (as the world changed around them) that no one would notice.

Unfortunately, someone did. And they were let go from their job. Now they are desperately looking for a new  job just like their old job. They are looking for a new job just like they worked for their old job — they're telegraphing it in.

I'm not saying that they didn't work hard. They probably did. But they didn't work SMART. They didn't push themselves into KEY initiatives or projects that would change the company. Or developed a process that saved the company a lot of money. Bottom line - did they affect the growth of the business, save a lot of money, or change the game? No. They sucked on the corporate teat.

Let me say that again — are you:

• Affecting the growth of your business? Talking to a new major client? Releasing a new product?
• Saving your company a lot of money? Cost cutting, streamlining, better allocation of resources?
• Changing the game? Orthogonal thinking, coming up with major ideas/solutions that no one has thought of?

What's funny is that these unemployed people are now moving from the corporate to the federal/state/city teat. They can't find a 'safe' job in corporate — so they hope to find a 'safe' job in a public position. Unfortunately, I see that cost-cutting will start to matriculate down into these areas too in the next 5-10 years. So guess what? These 'safe' jobs are not really safe.

So don't sleep at work. Impact the growth of your business. Save your company a lot of money. Change the game. Start TODAY.

Corporations? Dead Or Dying In Five Years.

Corporations are changing all around us — it's just that we don't see it happening. Not until it happens to you. There is a 'perfect storm' of many major influencers affecting the typical corporation of today. Let me go back a little in history . . .

• The first corporation came into existence in 1347 (Stora Kopparberg).
• The first modern corporations started in the early to mid 19th century.
• Corporations as we now know them (glass office buildings, desks, water coolers, etc.) thrived right after WWII and into the 50's/60's.

The majority of boomers and millennials were brought up with the idea to do well in school, go to college, graduate and get a good job in a corporation. Then very quickly afterward comes marriage, kids, grandkids and social security (hopefully!). The corporation would look after you if you kept your head down, worked hard, stayed late, and never caused trouble (see Linchpin).

In the 1990's something arrived called reengineering. This upended the typical unspoken agreement you had with the corporation. All bets were off. Corporations began review efficiencies EVERYWHERE. And if they found them, the answer was to remove the chaff and redistribute responsibilities to the remaining staff.

Unfortunately, reengineering went away as a process and was wholly subsumed into the functioning practice of the corporation. No longer was there a single great 'vetting' of the chaff, it happened EVERY YEAR. Odds are, every able corporate type has been laid off based on one stupid corporate reason or another. Before this happened, getting fired had an enormous stigma. No longer — everyone has that 'A' on their soul.

Now fasten your seatbelts — here is when it gets fun. Present day . . . seven disparate areas are merging together:

1. Corporations still practicing slash and burn with employees on a regular basis (CFOs have the ear of the CEO and board).
2. Worst recession hits since the great depression (mass firings, low personnel in-house, anemic hiring).
3. Technology accelerates to allow virtual workers (laptops, wi-fi, iphones, ipads)
4. Boomers are retiring - Millennials are taking the stage (more focus on work/life balance, less hours/smarter work).
5. Benefit outlays are rising exponentially (there is a breaking point - workers want them/companies can't afford them).
6. Facilities are really getting expensive (Rent, HVAC, Security, Ergonomics, Networking, Phones, Cafeteria, Gym, Parking, Grounds, etc.).
7. Unintentional entrepreneurs (those fired in the last two years) are becoming consultants, looking for work ANYWHERE.

This begs the question: Why employ permanent workers at all?

Think of it — why not bring together required workers when needed for projects and initiatives and let them go when it is done?

Many departments can be easily outsourced or eliminated - Finance, IT, HR, Marketing, Sales, Events, Customer Service, etc. What does that leave? Management, Operations, Production? And those groups could be culled down significantly to a point where a small group of key executives rally the vision and leverage temporary teams to execute that vision.

It's already being done - think of how a movie is shot. A studio/director has a vision on filming a movie. Over the next 6-12 months, an incredible amount of highly skilled professionals are brought together (from many different areas) to build this film. The production hits an apex and then this huge group is then slowly whittled down to nothing when production is complete. Why can't this model be applied to business?

It's the perfect virtual company. Help is brought on based on experience, knowledge, and aptitude. Not seniority. You might say, "Where's the dedication? Where's the loyalty? Well . . . you're kidding yourself if you think that your company is loyal. And day by day, year by year, employees are becoming more disaffected and disloyal as corporations treat them like chattel. They hate you as much as you cheapen them.

Now you might think this is a bad thing. A negative thing to happen. I disagree - in fact, I think the exact opposite.

In my next blog post, I will present why it should happen and what are the real hidden benefits to all parties.

The First Day of Autumn.

It's the most wonderful time of the year . . . I LOVE FALL! I used to run cross country - I love the smell in the air, the look of the trees, the wood stoves firing up. I get nostalgic for those times. But what is nature really telling us at this time of the year?

• Things die. Leaves are falling to the ground. Tilled my garden under for the winter.
• Things hibernate. Grass is turning light brown for the winter, but will come back in Spring.
• Things turn cold. Left the bedroom windows open last night. We FROZE!
• Time to pack things away. That incredible teal floral hawaiian swimsuit I bought thankfully goes away until next summer.
• Time to get ready for different weather. Having my famous wood stove cleaned as I type - wood is being delivered this week.
• Time for my favorite foods to appear. Macoun apples are MY favorite. By the way - looking for them - some help here would be appreciated.
• Get busy. Squirrels are losing their friggin' minds collecting thousands of acorns that have fallen on the ground.

How does this align with business? You career? Your life?

• Things die. Mourn their loss (a project, a system, a job) and MOVE ON. Right Now. It's never coming back.
• Things hibernate. A stream of business has gone away - look for others - don't fret! Take Action.
• Things turn cold. That's life - sometimes people or businesses give you the cold shoulder - find where the warmth lives.
• Time to pack things away. Things that haven't been working now might need to be put away for awhile. Work on new and interesting stuff.
• Time to get ready for different weather. Change your game - start targeting people instead of waiting for them to come to you.
• Time for my favorite foods to appear. New things appear on a regular timetable - what happens in your industry at this time? Take advantage of it - be prepared.

And finally . . .

GET BUSY! Stand up, get out, and start collecting the thousands of acorns that have fallen on the ground.

Just one might change your life.

I Miss Kinko's and Mailboxes Etc.

This happens all the time. Larger companies catch, chew, and swallow smaller companies. It's the 'circle of life'. But there have been two not-so recent purchases/migrations of companies that are slowly building a slow burn in the back of my neck lately. Who are they you might ask? FedEx Office and The UPS Store*.

First off - the real haven for any small business was Kinkos and Mailboxes Etc. Why?

• Service. Kinkos had a familial atmosphere where all employees had fun. Mailboxes Etc. was a franchise and usually run by people who were using it as their retirement nest egg. They were having fun.
• Convienence. Both were close to my Stamford and home offices. If I needed something duplicated, bound or sent, it happened immediately. They also had incredible hours, where I could access their services when I needed them.
• Products. They delivered what they promised. All with a real smile.

Over the past few years, both companies were subjugated by the competition and turned into zombie clones of their former self (okay . . . a bit harsh). Let me explain:

• No Service. Where Kinko's had between 5-8 people on staff at any one time cheerfully helping myriads of small business people just like me with their office issues, Fed-Ex Office has no more than 2 people on the floor at any one time (and one squirrelly manager skittering in the background running back to their office as soon as a long line forms of customers). The worker at UPS Office is on a potent mix of prescription drugs and the cheapest liquor one can purchase, all fueled by a steady stream of Hot Pockets. He cannot pay attention and loses his train of thought frequently (this is a local occurrence, but has happened to me at other UPS locations).
• No Convenience. Store hours have been truncated severely. Most FedEx Office locations are no longer 24 hours (a real problem when you need business documents for a morning meeting). Even the UPS Store has cut their available hours over the weekend.
• No Products. FedEx Office eliminated many of their offerings and every location looks like a mere shadow of what it used to be. There is an increased focus on shipping and not on duplication/printing. The UPS Store still has most services, but its mailing and office supplies have been cut to the bone.

Finally - I really feel for the employees at these locations. They walk around like zombies with no apparent smile or enthusiasm. This is a clear example of poor management coupled with a very oppressive 'corporate-mandate' rule structure (you must do this, don't do that - no ability to make your own decisions).

I love when I find perfectly run, service-oriented tools that I can use for my business. It's sad when I see corporate greed snatch up these same icons of good service and turn them into awful places to work and shop.

I'd love your comments, viewpoint, and experiences on this topic!

*There are still a minimal amount of locations for Mailboxes Etc. - but for all intents and purposes, they are The UPS Store to me.

Push Yourself Just A Little Bit & You'll See Incredible Results.

A great business story presented by my BNI sales team: What's the boiling point of water? 212° Fahrenheit.

What do you get when water boils at 212°? Steam.

What does steam do? It moves huge locomotives. It turns powerful turbines. It heats millions of homes.

What is water at 211° Fahrenheit? Warm water. (okay . . . very warm water)

But not STEAM.

How many times do you stop at 211° in your life? In your career? In your business?

All you have to do is to just push yourself a little bit and you will produce STEAM in your life, career and business. What could you accomplish with increased energy, ideas, contacts, opportunities or prospects in your life?

Make the choice: Warm Water or Steam?

How To Get Clients.

I've been busy the last few weeks. In addition to coaching a full practice of clients, my action team meetings started this week (say goodbye to Monday nights). So the production end of my business is 'full-steam ahead'.

But I also got up early every morning over the past two weeks (4:30 AM) to attend various networking/sales meetings to spread the word of the Rich Gee Group.

And I gave a major presentation Thursday to a business group (50+ executives) about how to market themselves. It was a big hit for me - most attendees gave me a 4 to 5 rating (on a scale of 1-5).

So the 'development' end of my business was in full gear too. What did it deliver? I received an avalanche of interest in my coaching and my phone has been off the hook. In addition, my site numbers are through the roof and I have a pack of new business cards that can choke a horse (all to enter today into my contact list for eBlasts).

Why am I telling you all this? Not to brag (even though it is bragging . . . ). But to illustrate HOW TO GET CLIENTS.

Get out there and SHAKE HANDS. Get out there and be visible. Get out there and BE A BILLBOARD.

You are the product - get others to meet you, talk with you, experience you. "Take you out for a test drive" as I call it.

Don't hover over your laptop all day. Get OUT and MEET people. It's that easy.