You Can Be A CEO.

That's right. I'm not kidding. Today . . . this minute . . . this second . . . you can be a CEO. In fact, you always have been a CEO and always will be a CEO.

You never realized it.

You are the CEO of YOU, Inc.

And if you don't start regarding yourself that way, you'll never attain the success you deserve.

Here's the skinny — Even if you work in corporate or own your own business, you need to shift your thinking towards a more centric state of mind when it comes to work. If you are the CEO of YOU, Inc.:

• How's your stock doing? Up, down, flat? What are you doing to get it to rise?
• Who knows about your company? Do you frequently market YOU internally and externally to key movers and shakers?
• What's your message? How is it being interpreted? Is there any misinformation out there?
• Who are your competitors? How are you mitigating their threats? What are they saying about you?
• Who are your customers? What are they saying about you?
• Who are your partners? Are you educating them regularly on how they can help your company?
• How is the marketplace for YOU, Inc.? Is there a high demand for your services? Is it waning? Is it dying?
• How can you clone YOU? Delegate non-essential duties to subordinates?

The minute you make a mental shift from dutiful employee/entrepreneur to CEO status, you'll find you will focus on different areas left fallow for months/years beforehand.

And you'll start to see your new company do better and better and better. Try it. I promise you, you'll like it.

This has been another installment in my ongoing series, “Are You A Catalyst?” — today’s focus is how to “Be A CEO”.

The Complete Guide To Getting What You Want.

It's Finally HERE!

I’m excited to announce that my friend Jenny Blake’s book – Life After College: The Complete Guide to Getting What You Want, a portable life coach for 20-somethings and beyond — hits shelves this month!

Look, I coach all age groups — from the newly minted graduate from college all the way to the energized retiree that wants to jump back into the workforce.

Jenny has focused her incredible book on that time in all our lives, when we've left college and are looking for "THE PLAN" on what to do next (and HOW to do it!). It features practical, actionable advice that helps people focus on the BIG picture of their lives, not just the details.

As Jenny describes it, “There is no need for a highlighter – this book is the highlights: a compilation of tips, quotes and exercises trimmed to the essence, divided into chapters for every major life area. Chapter categories include life (values, goals), work, money, organization, home, friends & family, dating & relationships, health, fun & relaxation, and personal growth.” She covers ALL bases.

While geared toward college graduates, the rapid-fire tips, quotes and interactive coaching exercises would serve anyone looking to find some clarity and direction in their life. To purchase your copy on Amazon (a steal — currently selling for under $12!). You can read more about Jenny on her blog at LifeAfterCollege.org and follow her on Twitter @Jenny_Blake.

As you know, I rarely promote books on my site — but when I do, they're the best you can find. And Jenny is the BEST.

How To Make Work Bearable & Fun.

You hate your job. You hate going to work. You hate your boss. You hate the people you work with. You hate your cubicle. Or it's not good or bad — just boring. You watch the clock and pray for 5 PM to roll around.

Welcome to the club. We all have days like this. Here's a little secret: The difference between 1-2 bad days a month and every day being a bad day lies right in your lap.

It's called PERSPECTIVE. Most of the time, we are a huge influence on how we interpret and absorb our environment. If we have a crazy weekend and then have to look forward to the workweek, I know, it sucks.

Here's one rule which works for me and for many of my clients: Add Pizazz to EVERYTHING you do.

What does it mean? From attending a status meeting to delivering a major project — figure out how you can do it better. Make it sing. Go the extra mile to make it stand out.

Now you're probably saying you've done your best. You probably have — but I know you can do a little bit better. Look at all of your areas of delivery and see if you can add a little pizazz to your offering.

It might be offering an additional piece of information during a meeting or re-doing a promo box on your web site. Do Something.

Why does this work? It keeps you at a higher state of consciousness, performance, and focus. You are no longer wandering through your work — you're looking for opportunities to always IMPROVE.

And here's the best part — it's infectious. Your superiors instantly see it — so you get the great projects, the promotions, the spotlight. Your team members feel it — they start performing at a higher level — making you look better. Your peers observe a sea-change in you and it makes them jealous (always a good thing).

Bottom line — adding pizazz to everything you do will not only change your perception about your environment — it will change your career — and your life.

Try it, you'll like it.

Have you ever taken a step and added pizazz to the things you do? What happened?

This has been another installment in my ongoing series, “Are You A Catalyst?” — today’s focus is adding Pizazz to everything you do.

Image provided by Nina Matthews Photography at Flickr.

Be Smart. Know When It's Time To Quit.

I hear it all the time.

“I’m bored with my job,” “There’s no challenge anymore.” “My team is so dysfunctional, I’m tired of leading them around.” “My business model is getting stale.” “My clients are slowly going away.”

I tell my clients without any sugar-coating: “It’s time for you to leave or make major changes.”

But most people don’t want to hear that. They are all comfy with their routine and you know — in a few months everything will be fine again.

Wrong.

Why? Most positions and companies have a lifecycle. You’ve seen it — it goes up, levels off, and then goes back down — a nice bell curve. My experience (20 years corporate and 10 years coaching) — the timespan of that bell curve is 2-3 years.

Now the curve may not go all the way to the top or sink all the way to the bottom, but the general shape or experience is:

Up — learning, meeting, understanding, making a stake, growing reputation. Apex — performing, interacting, growing, gaining major rep, lots of street cred. Down — delivering, accolades, awards, moving on, finding a new home/client base.

Again, your career or business might not match perfectly to this model, but it’s pretty darn accurate to the majority of professionals out there.

If you’re an executive, every 2-3 years you will need to move to get a larger jump in pay, more responsibility, more leadership, a new organization with new challenges and more people to meet. Preferably with another company — most successful executives do this.

If you’re a business owner, every 2-3 years you will need to reevaluate your business model, your client base, your marketing/operations/staff, and financial targets. Not in a minor fashion (that should happen yearly), but in a major way (wholesale analysis and scrapping, and delivery of a new direction). Most successful businesses do this.

If you stay where you are, don’t change a thing, and keep your ship pointed in the same direction, I promise you will be repeating one or more of the statements at the top of this post.

HOW do you do this? Catch tomorrow’s post.

Do you change every 2-3 years? How has this worked out for you?

This has been another installment in my ongoing series, “Are You A Catalyst?” — today’s focus is how to move frequently.

Be A Catalyst: Spread The Word.

Most clients and attendees to my talks ask me how to truly accelerate their career and business. All I say is: "Spread The Word." You see, we're all out there hoarding key information, knowledge and experience in our brains. We think if we do this, it will give us a leg up or a significant advantage over our peers and the marketplace.

You're wrong.

Today, in the 21st century, people who spread their knowledge around are the ones who get the advantages the world has to offer - promotions, projects, more money, clients, customers, etc. Showing people what you know and freely giving away information makes you more attractive and influential than the person who isn't doing it.

You become an authority.

Now most entrepreneurs can do this. There is no regulation, no compliance department to deal with. But for those who work in corporate and their area is highly regulated, it might be a little harder.

I didn’t say impossible. I just said harder.

Check with management, see who is already writing and 'getting away with it'. Look to your industry — who are the mavericks out there doing it? Finally, if you hit too many roadblocks, write for your company's blog — most of them suck and are written by your PR department. I've recommended this idea to one of my clients — it will provide an incredible platform for his ideas and experience to help him get more clients.

Every word you publish out into the world is one more reason why people should do business with you. One more reason why you sell more product. One more reason why you get a new job/promotion with an incredible increase in pay.

Writing gets you noticed. Again, you become an ‘authority’ on the topics you write about. It behooves you to investigate how to start your own blog, book, facebook page, twitter account, uStream channel to spread the word.

Trust me — your career and business will skyrocket. Since I’ve taken the step to publish a post every day, my visitors have jumped from 2-5 readers to 75-100 readers every day. I get clients from all over the world calling me for my services. WOW.

Has anyone taken the step (even though it was looked down upon) and started spreading the word?

This has been another installment in my ongoing series, “Are You A Catalyst?” — today’s focus is how to get published and get noticed.

Want Success? Be A Giraffe.

Most executives and business owners tend to keep to themselves. Of course they go to meetings. They interact with their clients. They even give a presentation or two. But they feel they're work or product will ultimately deliver the success, money and notoriety normally associated to hard workers.

Well — each of these is not enough. You need to be a giraffe.

You need to stand out from the crowd. Be noticed. Have your work seen by the right people at the right time. Stick your head into the trees and grab those tasty leaves.

You need to MARKET yourself. Now how do you do it Rich?

Here are some tips:

Think strategically and broadcast your ideas. Stop messing with all the tactical stuff all the time — think what is going to happen with your company, marketplace, product 6 months, 12 months, five years in the future. Brainstorm with others about what you're thinking. Put a presentation together and present it to people who matter. Get those creative juices flowing!

Stick you head above the cubicle once and awhile. Look around — what's happening in your office, in your neighborhood, your marketplace, the world? If you worked for bookstores, record shops, newspapers . . . you should have seen this coming YEARS ago. But most people stick their heads in the sand. Start using your peripherals — who's moving up, who's going out of business, who's getting fired, who's making the big bucks?

Go where the important people go. This is a big one — mingle with the big boys and girls. If you are an executive, have lunch with them — see how they think, tell them your ideas, mingle! If you own your own business — stop trying to go through intermediaries to get your next client or customer. Go where they go and mingle with them! If you are targeting high-income earners — hit charities, country clubs, salons, gyms — anywhere they might be.

You need to get off the ground and start sticking your head into the clouds. Start thinking and acting that way!

What do you do to be a giraffe? How has it been successful to you?

This has been another installment in my ongoing series, “Are You A Catalyst?” — today’s focus is how stand above the crowd.

The Holy Grail of Getting Things Done.

Face it, we are constantly exposed to obstacles. Those pesky things which get in our way. Sometimes it’s technology, sometimes it’s people, and sometimes it’s US. But that’s what work is — a series of obstacles, problems, and hurdles we overcome. As I always say, “If it wasn’t hard, it wouldn’t be called work.”

The successful executive or business owner accelerates their progress only if they overcome these hurdles quickly, efficiently, and without worry.

So how do they do it?

Five words: Ask for forgiveness, not permission.

Waiting for someone to show you, to give you permission, to get their ‘OK’ will slow you down. Or, it stops you right in your tracks.

If you’re wrong (or ‘caught’) — ask for forgiveness. Most of the time, the person who is delivering the punishment understands you were virtuous in your actions, nothing malicious — you were doing it for the good of the company.

The funny thing is most executives will be impressed you stuck your neck out and pushed the envelope — they see themselves in you. The only people who truly get angry are the people who are afraid of your drive and passion. Take your lumps and try to move on as quickly as possible. Leave them in the dust.

So next time you’re faced with an insurmountable obstacle, a vexing problem, or a gargantuan hurdle — make a decision and just do it. Don’t ask for advice, directions, or permission — get off your butt and get past it ASAP.

That’s how the pros make the big bucks.

This has been another installment in my ongoing series, “Are You A Catalyst?” — today’s focus is how not to ask permission.

Have you ever asked for forgiveness, not permission?

BRAG — Toot Your Own Horn Without Blowing It.

Most people can’t sell themselves.

The Best Salespeople, who obliterate their numbers every year, selling products and services - have a hard time developing a personal talk-track.

Accomplished Executives, who are comfortable pitching in boardrooms, convincing multi-nationals to sign on the dotted line — have a hard time in interviews for a new position.

Business Owners, day-in and day-out, have the best location, web-site, media, and business card — have a hard time coming up with a simple process to close the deal.

Why is this? Why is there such a dichotomy between great sales performance and the ability to apply those techniques and tools to ourselves?

In my ongoing series, “Are You A Catalyst?”, today's focus is knowing how to brag effectively.

Peggy Klaus, author of Brag! The Art of Tooting Your Own Horn WIthout Blowing It, proclaims we tend to tell ourselves myths which ultimately sabotage our actions.

Myths such as:

• A job well done speaks for itself.
• Bragging is something you do during performance reviews.
• Humility gets you noticed.
• I don’t have to brag, people will do it for me.
• Good girls don’t brag.
• And the biggest one — Brag is a four-letter word.

Her main drive is to abolish these myths taught and ingrained into our psyche. One has to un-learn past behaviors (taught to us lovingly by our parents and schools) — to be prepared to brag effectively when it feels comfortable — during appropriate times and places.

Some suggestions from Klaus:

• Get a plan in place - be prepared with tight talk-tracks to help you brag.
• Get creative - make what you say engaging and interesting.
• Become the star player vs. promoting team spirit - take credit when credit is due.
• Brag through your weak points - acknowledge liabilities and focus on strengths.
• Make sure your fans get it right - prep them to present your story in the right light.

This book is a keeper — I recommend it to all of my clients when they hit an invisible wall and struggle with self-promotion. Check it out.

What techniques do you use to brag effectively?

Are You A Catalyst? Old School vs. New School.

Buckle up. Here we go . . .

Old School:

Do your work. Get to the office on-time. You're an employee. Keep your head down. Don’t make waves. Don’t screw-up. Do whatever your boss tells you to do. Your boss manages and motivates you. Ask permission. Work late. Stay until you retire (or they can you).

"This is a marriage. Unless you screw up, you can stay on for as long as you want to."

New School:

Do your work (that's a constant). Be visible. Brainstorm new ideas and processes. You're a CEO of You, Inc. Communicate your ideas effectively. Add pizzazz to everything you do. Know the prime movers - people, projects, etc. Connect inside and outside of work to build your power base. Work smart. Not hard. Not long. Bosses don't manage — motivate yourself. Brag effectively. Know your tools cold. As for forgiveness, not permission. Get published - eBooks, blog, media, etc. Move frequently.

"This is not a marriage - we’re just dating. We can whack you at any time." - (remember that - Rich)

Which school do you attend? What obsolete areas can you cast off and which critical areas can you take on?

Over the next few weeks, I will be expanding many of these important topics.

Image provided by dullhunk at Flickr.

1Q11 - What Have You Done So Far?

It's the end of the first quarter of 2011. Three months, 90 days . . . what have you accomplished? This is a great time to look back and review what you did — what went right and what went wrong. Time to measure, monitor and regroup for the next 90 days. Ask yourself:

• What was the biggest thing you accomplished?
• What made the biggest impact?
• Who did I meet and how did they change my business?
• How many clients did you close? Did you lose any? Fire any?
• How much money did you bring in?
• What did you learn?
• Where do you go next?
• Why did I do those stupid things? (my favorite)

I love the end of quarters — it allows me to hone in on what I accomplished, where I dropped the ball, and what I have to do next to accelerate the whole bailiwick.

If you don't do it, someone else will.

How do you monitor and measure yourself?

Go After Your Best Prospects First.

In business, many of us start out the year targeting hundreds of companies and usually by the last few months of the year, we're scrambling. When the prize is too large, we tend to get discouraged by it's size — too much complexity, too many moving parts, too gargantuan to handle all at once. It's because our vision is in IMAX and it really needs to be like a microscope.

Let's take a different approach — cut your list down to the Top 5 or 10 prospects, formally target them, and deliver the needed tools, support, and focus to make each of the 5-10 sales calls powerful and hopefully successful.

We're talking about the BEST prospects — ones who are highly suited for your products and services — ones you know if you just get in front of them, they will be very interested in your wares.

It's then much easier to measure your success — you can probably target your Top 5 in a single month. It allows you to expend maximum focus on your best possible prospects — the ones who may be the biggest or the best suited to your products.

By doing this, it also allows you to better understand the impediments in reaching your selected companies. Is it your message? Is it your pitch? Is the offering not specific? As you move forward, you will quickly uncover what is really holding you or your sales team back.

If successful, you can always look at the next five or ten targets.

Have you ever focused down to a select set of prospects and suddenly saw success? Let us know!

Top 10 Powerful Pieces Of Advice To Be Successful.

As a coach, I run into many great pieces of advice from books, clients, workshops, seminars, and instructors. Here is a powerful cross-section of great advice I’ve used in business and life:

1. “The first few months at a job, just shut up.” You will learn who to talk to and who the idiots are very quickly.
2. “If it takes 60 seconds or less to complete, don't complain or postpone. Just do it now and get it over with.”
3. "Talent without work amounts to nothing". For example: If you take one writing workshop and wrote every day a few hours a day, in 10 years, they'd all have a decent book published. Maybe not the Great American Novel, but a decent one.
4. “If you're at work, take a hour and don't work during lunch.” My old boss (who was very successful in business) took an hour everyday and made us stop working and go to lunch.
5. “When looking for a job, look at the company's mission statement." If you can't figure out what they do in 3 sentences or less, walk away. They have their head up their butts.
6. “Most people who seem confident aren't or started without confidence.” The trick to being self-confident is to fake it until you're not faking it any more.
7. "If you don't ask, you don't get." It’s not rude or out-of-line to ask.
8. A business class professor said on the first day of class: "Look around you and shake the person's hand next you and get to know them and everyone in this class. Over the long run, that will be more valuable than anything I can teach you."
9. “If you want something you've never had, you're going to have to do something you've never done.”
10. “Mistakes are like stones in a backpack, carrying them with you can make you stronger, but theres a point at which you need to drop them to even move forward.”

Do you have any great pieces of advice to share that’s impacted your career?

Image provided by laughlin at flickr.

Get Visceral With Your Business.

I meet a lot of people every day. When I ask them what they do, they tell me, "I sell insurance." or "I'm a financial advisor." What they don't realize is an answer like that tends to 'close' down the other person's inquisitiveness immediately. Unless the person has a real interest in talking with you, they will probably move to another topic or another person.

I tell my clients to 'Get Visceral'. Instead of talking about what you do for a living, tell them how you impact people's lives. Touch their hearts. Engage their emotions. Get them to truly feel how you make a difference.

When I'm at a meeting/expo/conference and people ask me what I do, I say, "I make people's dreams come true." That answer IMMEDIATELY encourages the person to ask me another question, "And how do you do that?" They're hooked — I know I have them and I start reeling them in.

I then talk to all things I do for my clients — rather than categorizing myself into a cubbyhole — I paint a vivid picture of all the areas of business life I touch.

Here's an example — If you sell insurance and someone asks you about what you do — show them. Give them a big hug or two-handed handshake and tell them you make your clients feel infinitely secure — without worry. That will bring up a myriad of follow-up questions.

At the very least, it makes the discussion more fun and lively. If all goes well, you might get a new client.

What do you do to touch people's hearts when talking about what you do?

Top 10 Best Business Rules.

Over the past 10 years of coaching (and 20 years in corporate management), a lot of key knowledge, information, and ideas pass over my desk. Candidly, most of it is a blur. But there are some ideas, certain quotes, and golden rules that tend to stay true and strong in my professional life (and my coaching). So I thought I would write them down and make a list to start off the week:

1. "If you want to be successful, you have to build a ladder rung by rung.  There are no shortcuts."

There are a lot of people out there looking for a silver bullet. And there are a lot of people who promise instant success. My experience over the past 30 years — it takes hard work and a certain amount of time to build something that really matters and delivers true revenue.

2. "Don't waste your time on jealousy."

This is a big one — I can't tell you how many people I've run into in corporate and in the business world who thrive on cattiness and gossip. Although I totally understand competition to drive you and I, I don't understand how it evolves into its addictive cousin, jealousy. It will distract and poison your personality.

3. "Stop being the "YES" person."

You can't walk down the hall without running into one of these. As a peer, they are so easy to spot — they tend to manipulate their superiors by delivering whatever pablum is needed to sustain their vicious life-force. Unfortunately, as a boss, it's hard to differentiate between someone who actually believes in you and someone who is just shoveling more manure.

4. "No matter how bad a situation you are in, remember, it could have been worse."

I love this one. I want you to brand this in your brain the next time something dreadful happens. Instead of focusing on the negativity of the current situation you are in, take a few minutes and realize it probably could have been much worse. You'll find after doing this exercise, a lot of your guilt has washed away and you can now focus on the problem at hand (and fix it!).

5. "Surround yourself with the right people: staff, mentors, colleagues, etc. People make all the difference."

It's not what you know - it's who you know. Go out there and double your connections this year. People are currency in any marketplace.

6. "Don't believe everything you hear."

WOW. I can't tell you how many clients come to me every day with prognostications about the economy, their industry, their competitors, and so-called experts who spin fear to get you to buy their latest 'Sham-Wow'. Take everything with a grain of salt — think about it and really try to understand it — usually it's full of hooey.

7. "The best place to find a helping hand is at the end of your arm."

Only YOU can change your situation. Yes, I know you should rely on outside help, friends, and colleagues to make things happen. But when the chips are down and you definitely need things to happen — it's always up to you to start the process.

8. "The way it's always been done isn't always the way to do it."

If I had a dollar for every time I heard, "That isn't the way we do things around here.", I would be living on a lush, tropical island. Corporate drones thrive on the absence of change — and your job (if you choose to accept it) is to prove them wrong. It's the only way everyone moves up and the company evolves.

9. "If everyone likes you, you're probably boring."

I love this one — my mother told me this a long time ago. If everyone likes you, you probably aren't rocking the boat, taking chances, and embracing risk in your life and relationships. Don't strive for the status quo, add a little pizzazz to everything you do and everyone you meet. You'll thank me (and my Mom).

10. "Work smarter, not longer."

If you work with me, this is Rich Gee's Golden Rule. And the funny thing, when I first say it to new clients, they think I'm crazy. They point me to #1 on this list and say "we have to work hard". I totally agree — you have to work hard and SMART. Figure out ways to streamline, delegate, and retire everything you do. Work on the important stuff and get rid of the fluff we like to consume our workday.

What other great pieces of advice guide your professional life?

Image provided by Solo at Flickr.

Your Most Successful Social Media Tool.

There's so much written out there on Social Media. There are experts, seminars, books, etc. all on this topic on how to learn it and leverage it for your business. I'd love to find out what works for you. Twitter? LinkedIn? Facebook? GroupOn? Something else?

But here's the catch — What REALLY works? Where do you make money? Where do you get customers?

Let me know - you can either comment on this post or send me an email - socialmedia@richgee.com.

I'd love to hear from you — I will post the responses.

Are Fashion Mistakes Hurting Your Career?

You know when you meet someone who not only knows their business cold, but they also are an incredible compliment to your existing business? I had the pleasure of meeting a woman yesterday who rocked my world! Ann Lindsay from J. Hilburn.

First impressions are so important and clothes do make a powerful statement about who you are and what you do. To be honest, I run into so many people who dress down so low that it's hard for me to take them seriously.

Ann made a powerful comment to me — even though you might shop at Brooks Brothers, Nordstrom's or Saks, it doesn't ensure the person helping you is motivated or qualified to dress you appropriately for your age, coloring, shape and profession. Ann will.

So go check out her site and hire her immediately — Style of Success - http://www.sosformen.com/

Top 7 Best Questions Coaches Ask Their Clients.

A lot of people ask me, "What happens during a coaching session?" and "What questions do you ask?". A coaching forum that I frequently read actually posed this question. Many senior coaches (including me) responded. Here are some of the best:

1. "Recently, how would you rate your over all life satisfaction on a scale of 1- 10? 1 being "extremely unsatisfied" and 10 being "the best days of my life"?
2. "What are you willing to do to move your life forward?"
3. "What will it take for you to reach the point where you don't need my help again?"
4. ""if you were guaranteed success, what would you do?""
5. "How would you describe yourself to me? How would others describe you to me?"

And my two favorites:

1. "If the answer is you, what is the question?"
2. "What is the one question you are hoping I won't ask you today?"

Feel free to ask yourself these questions — I think you'll be surprised with the answers.

Which one is your favorite? Which one motivated you?

Serendipity With The Apple Store.

Something wonderful happened to me yesterday. Well, let me start from the beginning — I wanted to get the new iPad. Badly.

In fact, I gave up all Christmas & Birthday presents to save up for one. So I was primed to get the iPad2 once I heard that the new release was slated for March.

When the iPad came out on Friday, my family and I traveled to the closest mall to see if we can see one (and secretly get one!).

You've probably heard — the lines wrapped throughout the mall — hundreds of people waiting for hours. We never got to even enter the store. I went home thinking we would show up the next day (when the lines went down) to pick one up. Guess what — all stores were totally sold out.

What I forgot to add is that I made a quick phone call to my good friends, the business managers at the Apple Store, prior to all of this technology hoopla. I asked them, "If the iPad came in, could they hold one for me?". I then proceeded to forget about this call after hearing the pent-up demand and 'no inventory' news.

One quick detour to talk more about the Apple Business Managers. They're the BEST. As a successful entrepreneur, I need a flawless technology platform. The Apple Store does it for me. They go out of their way to make any purchase (I have four MacBook Pros, two iMacs, three iPhones, and about twelve iPods, iTouches, Nanos, and Shuffles hanging around the office and home). Whenever ANYTHING goes wrong, they have impeccable client service that is available and flawless. I LOVE going to the Apple Store.

Now back to yesterday. I was at Pepe's Pizza, hosting my son Andrew's 10th birthday party with a gaggle of kids. I get a call from my one of the Apple business managers — not only has he saved an iPad for me from a secret shipment that he received this morning, he also will give me a discount on my purchase.

WOW. I ran down to the store and picked it up. It's beautiful.

Why am I telling you this story? It's based on all the business I sent the way of this business manager. And many of my friends, colleagues, clients, and acquaintances that I've also sent to that particular Apple Store.

It's called developing deep connections with key people in your business circle. Seeing how you can help THEM — how you can build their business. Always asking, "How Can I Help You?" (see my last post)

Most people don't do it — and they are the ones waiting in line for an iPad.

Has this ever happened to you? How did it make you feel? Do you now deepen your business relationships?

The One Phrase That Will Make You Millions.

And that phrase is: "How Can I Help You?" Stick with me here. If you aren't saying this phrase daily on the job, you are not:

• Delivering excellent service.
• Pushing yourself to new heights.
• Connecting with as many people and growing your network.
• Allowing yourself to be as successful as you can be.

You are not opening yourself up to the universe of opportunity. Okay, I might sound a bit 'out there', but it's true.

We all know the basic tenet of business is service. Whether it is a product, offering, communication, or something else, you need to connect with your clients and customers to deliver optimum service. That's a given.

But to grow from where you are now, you need to transcend the basics and open yourself up to new potentials. One way to do this is to ask: "How Can I Help You?".

Now you might be saying, "Rich, you're crazy." or "I already know that." I totally understand. But here's my point — you need to embrace this phrase and say it to different people EVERY DAY. Don't just hold it in your back pocket and let it out when it best suits you — you need to open yourself up to unforeseen unknowns — and reach out.

I've used this phrase for years with almost everyone I meet (I do have to be slightly selective - some will take advantage of you). Where should you use it?

• Ask your boss if they need any help on a tough project. Tell them you have a little time and can spend it helping them with the more mundane areas of a special project. They will LOVE you.
• Ask everyone you network with how you can help them. It will knock them for a loop. Not only does it catch their attention, it immediately telegraphs that you are a serious professional that wants to get things done.
• Ask each member of your team how you can help them. Tell them if they had to choose one area where you can help them, what would it be? Also tell them that they in turn need to begin asking this question too.
• Extra credit: Ask your family how you can help them. This one will truly throw them for a loop. Be serious — you will not only make their day, you will deepen your relationship with each one. By the way, with your kids, you're teaching them a valuable lesson.

I promise you — if you work this phrase into everything you do in business (and personal life), you will be infinitely more successful, happy, fulfilled, and rich than you ever would be if you didn't say it.

Have you ever actively asked this question? What were the results?

Are You Married To Your Job?

Many clients, when making a major decision about their career, find themselves in a highly conflicted paradox. Based upon all the facts at hand, they want to leave their current job and move to another position at a new job. Simple right?

Not so fast. These clients begin to throw self-made obstacles in their way to discourage, upset, and impair their successful future move.

Why do they do this? Many times it's because they feel a close bond with their current boss, their team, or their company. In fact, any attempt to move forward with their search produces intense feelings of infidelity, like they are cheating on their spouse or significant other. They're doing something 'behind their back'.

A recent example — When going to lunch with a director of another competing firm, you might feel obligated to tell your boss about it, so there are no repercussions. Now why would you want to do that? Many people would feel that it's the 'right' thing to do.

Bottom line, it's none of your boss' business. Unless you are revealing deep company secrets to the other party (and you're not doing that) — no one needs to know, be informed, or get a heads-up about a potential meeting. Why do people do this? Because they feel a certain kinship or marriage to their current company. I've actually heard, "It would be the right thing to do."

The way that I address this as a coach is to take the white elephant from the corner of the room and place it smack dab in the middle of the conference room table.

• "Are you in any way, shape, or form, married to your company?" NO!
• "If given the opportunity and the circumstances were right, would your boss let you go without a second thought?" YES!
• "Then why do you feel that you need to care about them?" I DON'T KNOW — I JUST DO!
• "Do you feel when you meet people for lunch, interview with a recruiter, or pass around your resume, you are 'going behind the back' of your boss or company?" YES!

Why does this happen? Because you've spent a long time with your company and you've developed deep emotional bonds with your team, peers, superiors, clients, support staff, etc. When you make the decision to move, you suddenly feel that you are deceiving them  almost 'cheating' on them. Couple that with an intense feeling of self-worth loss if and when you do leave and they really don't miss you. By the way — that actually happens. They move on.

So when you feel this way, really investigate your fears — odds are they are just misplaced emotions that are holding you back.

Have you ever felt this way when you made the decision to look for employment elsewhere in the marketplace?