Show Notes:
Richard Branson blog https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson
Seth Godin blog https://seth.blog
Seth’s podcast https://www.akimbo.me/
Seth’s business school https://altmba.com/
Naval podcast https://nav.al/category/podcast
Raj Sisodia http://rajsisodia.com/
Conscious Capiltalism https://www.consciouscapitalism.org/
Transcription:
This is Christopher Sherrod. Your host for BlissLife Business. And I haven’t had an episode for months because I had a major seizure back in July. And I haven’t understand what I wanted to do with this podcast until recently.
My original plan was to go into business ethics speaking and I was going to use this podcast to help me write my book on that. But, my July seizure has left me unable to travel well and be reliable enough to speak on demand.
I’ve had a long four months vacation with a lot of medical tests. I’ve written a list of things I want to do before I die. And this podcast is not on the list.
My business ethics topic I will incorporate into my business memoir which will be some time before it comes out.
This podcast wasn't intended to be moneymaker for me in the first place. It was too get out a business ethics framework which I think is badly needed.
I was a full-time entrepreneur from the mid 90s and have a lots of deals over the decades. With so many deals some didn’t work out so well. I’ve had to deal with some very dishonest business people. Some that used their big stature to get away with doing dishonest things.
You will get a horrible reputation no matter how big you are if you just rely on your big stature and screw people over. If a deal isn’t working out for any reason just state the reason and split nicely. Or don’t even give a reason and just say it’s not working out, or this deal isn’t what I was expecting and I think it’s better that we go our separate ways. Burning people and telling everyone you know not to do business with someone and not give the reason you were fired is being dishonest.
I was a minority owner in a coaching company once where the primary owner hired a coach that was teaching some very dishonest techniques. I remember the day when I was notified that a virtual assistant company charged her company thousands of dollars and I thought it was a fraudulent charge. Comes out it was her new business coach. When the coach was asked about it, it didn’t go well and it got worse over time. I left the company and focused full-time on my other business.
I want to think some entrepreneurs I reached out to to ask about this particular coaching model that my partner was being taught and how dishonest it all was. They helped me understand the real business model. Later my partner was presented the MLM-like coaching mill that I was informed of. She chose to dissolve her coaching company and go into her passion work. And it all worked out.
And thank you to the multi-millionaire that came up to me at a business event and shook my hand and said I heard about your partner in your coaching company firing her coach. You are real entrepreneurs. It took me by surprise because I had never meet this person and I didn’t tell anyone about catching a virtual assistant turned business coach. I was informed that we were being blacklisted from any group they had influence over.
It was a five month long lesson that helped me understand business ethics, what a real business really is and how to deal with conflict.
And I have had other stories over the years as well.
And I wanted to share those lessons with others.
But, because of my seizure, again, I am having to reprioritize everything in my life.
I’ve sought out a lot of medical help and figuring out what I can and can’t do.
Even though I may occasional post a new episode I’m treating this podcast as my last, for now.
But, I want to leave you with some resources to some other people who I like. They point out what really matters in business.
There is a very common problem of unqualified people, some even virtual assistances turned business coach teaching. They are like actors that have learned what to say but have never actually been a successful entrepreneur.
I’m a big fan Of Richard Branson. Because he has created the most number of successful businesses. Hundreds actually. And he’s very good about highlighting businesses that do good. I recommend reading his blog and all his books. Link in the show notes.
Next I recommend Seth Godin. Seth has an excellent podcast, link in the show notes. And I love all his books. Really solid business advice from a serial entrepreneur. His current coaching program also has a coaching format as a mastermind which I believe works much better than a multi-tiered coaching business model that is very commonly taught and has some serious issues when scaled. Seth has trained facilitators that help each small group go thru his framework and they each help and give feedback. That’s a solid setup. Seth was on Tim Ferris’s podcast once and talked about how 95 to 99 percent of the articles in publications like Entrepreneur Magazine are simply hustle porn. Content that really doesn’t help you be successful in business. I completely agree with him on that.
And my third recommendation is Naval. His podcast is excellent. Short and precise and excellent advice. His ability to shorten his advice into little bit size nuggets is amazing. I have a link to his podcast in the show notes.
My fourth recommendation is Rav and his book Conscious Capitalism and his new book Healing Organization. I interviewed him some years ago for this podcast. I’ll put a link to that episode in the show notes. Read both of his books. They show how a business can do extremely well, be conscious and do the right thing.
The conscious business philosophy that states that a business can transform the world And make money, in fact, must make money and can do it by doing the right thing is my fundamental core. Richard Branson Is really great a pointing out businesses like that.
I’m sad that I’m having to stop this podcast, maybe permantely, maybe not. Because I think conscious business ethics is really lacking right now. But, the tide is turning and my above recommendations are just some of the people that are making things better.
I’ve had fun being an entrepreneur, from selling smelly erasers when I was in elementary school to selling info-courses, physical products and software over the decades.
It’s been four months of slowing realizing I can’t do what I use to do. I wasn’t ready to retire. I never wanted to retire. But, unless my medical results don’t change drastically I have no choice.
I will miss it.
I want to thank my love Nan Akasha for saving my life during my seizure and for taking care of me these last few months as I struggled to function and then figure out what to do next in my life. Meeting you Is the best thing that's ever happened to me. Period. I love you dearly. And again, thank you for saving my life. I am forever grateful.
I envy all of you on your entrepreneur journey.
Just do the right thing, focus on your customers and bring them value.
Goodbye for now.
