Company of One with Dale Callahan

What should you quit doing? As we move into a new year, I have found many of my clients planning to do more and add to an already busy schedule.

But I want to challenge you to think about what you should quit.

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So, are you the burger flipper or the boss?

This is a question I ask my kids often.

It is all about ownership and engagement.

I hear a lot about engagement. Employers want to do everything they can to engage their employees. At the university, we want to engage our students. Why?

Engagement means money and productivity. Engaged customers and audiences are great for marketing. Engaged employees are great for morale and productivity.

Engagement is directly related to profit.

How to Create Engagement in Others and Me

The problem, according to Marshall Goldsmith in his book Triggers (Triggers: Creating Behavior That Lasts – Becoming the Person You Want to Be), is that engagement is not something we do to people. Engagement is something they do themselves.

Anyone who has ever done any coaching (of any kind) will tell you that the coach’s job is easy and rewarding if the person being coached wants to learn.  You cannot make a person work harder or perform better if they do not want to do so. You have little control. This is why coaches only want to work with motivated people. (And I will say faculty only want motivated students.)

So how can we get people more engaged?

According to Marshall, we should stop asking passive questions and instead start asking active questions.

Passive Questions

To understand active questions, you need to understand passive questions and the human response they get.

We have all been asked to rate ourselves or our team. We often get questions like “Do you have clear goals.”

That simplistic question is charged with meaning based on how we interpret the question.

First, if you read the question as “does my boss or company provide me clarity in what I should be doing from day to day”, then your answer is likely to be negative. Most of us do not feel like we have clarity from above. So, when this question is put into employee surveys, the leadership of the company or team is often frustrated by the response. You will hear them (or you) saying all kinds of things like

and similar ideas.

Active Questions

But Marshall pitches a second way to interpret the question that yields much better results and engagement. He suggests using active questions such as “Have you done your best to set clear goals.”

This question turns active by using the “Have you done your best…” at the beginning. It is a powerful mindset shift that forces the reader to take responsibility for the goals as opposed to being passive and waiting on when to be told what to do.

This is why I ask my kids about being a burger flipper or a boss. One is passive, the other – the boss – is active and engaged. In other words – the boss is taking ownership.

Every employer (including you) wants self-driven people. We want people who are taking responsibility. Heck, even the manager of a fast-food restaurant would prefer self-driven burger flippers!

Using the active question with the “Have you done your best…” lead-in helps to drive the individual to think “Oh, this is my responsibility.”.

Why Active Questions Work

Questions asked properly are powerful. The reverse interview process I use often uses questions that get others to talk about themselves – a trick I learned from Dale Carnegie in How to Win Friends & Influence People.  Proper questions are also powerful in marketing messages when they cause you to internalize desire or pain.

So active questions turn the attention to you and your own responsibility.

To take responsibility, we have to have skin in the game. I have noticed this with high-cost executive graduate programs and coaching. The person who is paying feels committed to show up and get when he paid for. The paying client often expects more from themselves than they do form the coach.

Click here to listen now.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my Company of One? If you’re not, I encourage you to do that today so you don’t miss an episode. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

If you like what you hear, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast. I also love reading them and connecting with you. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Quit being a pawn. Stand up and fight back.

As you might be noticing yourself, nobody is listening. We have quit talking and turned instead to yelling at each other.

And, if nobody is talking, who is controlling the conversation? I have been watching what is going on in our country (I am in the US) for some time. We fight. 

Nobody is talking anymore. Everything is charged. We all think we have opinions and are fighting for the truth -but we are just being used. They want us fighting against each other. They want division. We are stepping up and marching to their orders.

We fight about issues such as politics, global warming, abortion, the second amendment, etc.

But nobody is listening to me, or to you, or to anyone. We are just fighting.

On TV “news” shows we see the news as one-sided. Even when they talk about having a discussion – it turns into insults and yelling. In the printed media, it is all just opinion laced with a few facts to make their care.

And social media – that is the cesspool of it all.

They tell us to get along – but is that what they really want?

I do not think so. They want us to fight. They encourage it.

Truth is – not matter what the issue – you and I likely agree more than we think.

Global warming is one issue.

Nobody wants dirty air or water or an out of control environment. We all would agree we need to be responsible. We might differ on what that means or who pays – but if we talked through it we would likely come up with something solid.

But we don’t because they do not want us to.

They want us fighting.

Who are they? I do not know – but they are not the media or the politicians They are all pawns.

They are not the voices on social media – they too are pawns.

They are not even many of the world leaders – they are pawns.

People like Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders are with them – which is why the “system” turns against both. Both men have far different views of things – but both hated by them equally because neither man plays by the rules.

Quit being a pawn

How? Start talking to one another. Get off the social media, sit down, care about others, and talk. We are more alike than we are different.

Click here to listen now.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my Company of One? If you’re not, I encourage you to do that today so you don’t miss an episode. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

If you like what you hear, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast. I also love reading them and connecting with you. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

A conversation I often have with parents is something like this:  

“College? There Has Got to Be a Better Way”.

College is like a money pit and does not offer such a powerful tool to create wealth and security as perhaps it did. In fact, if chosen poorly, it generates the opposite.

So today, I want to dive into the issue a little deeper and explore some thoughts.

The college experience has some issues that often go with it.

Yet as parents, we only hear of a few alternatives

The truth is, we want for our kids the same thing that the college experience used to really offer. We want

So to think about this, let’s start by unpacking what college does still offer

Now the question is, how do we get this without college?

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Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my Company of One? If you’re not, I encourage you to do that today, so you don’t miss an episode. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

If you like what you hear, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast. I also love reading them and connecting with you. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review,” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Moving from tech expert to leader in your organization can be tricky. Scientists, engineers, developers, architects, and many other experts move into leadership positions every day. Many companies expect this transition to take place. But other companies do not see tech experts as leaders – just as tech experts. It is kind of a new “blue-collar” thinking. Either way, the transition is not always easy.

Leadership positions come in many flavors, but the first moves are often as team leaders – where you are still on the technical side of things but you lead the activity of your peers. Project management or product management is another common path toward higher leadership positions.

Over the last 20 years, I have been coaching people into leadership – usually out of tech positions. Most go rather smoothly once the new leader to-be understands the game. But too often, the tech leader resists the change and new responsibilities and fails to grow.

So in today’s podcast, I am going to provide some observations from coaches who have helped tech experts makes the cut in leadership.

Steps to move from tech exert to the leader.

Click here to listen now.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my Company of One? If you’re not, I encourage you to do that today so you don’t miss an episode. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

If you like what you hear, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast. I also love reading them and connecting with you. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

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My Most Popular Podcast Episodes tell a story. The story is not about me, but more about you.

What topics catch your attention?

What are you most interested in hearing from me?

What are you struggling with?

Where do you want answers or insight?

Below is a list of my most popular episodes. When I put them together by category I get this…

Topic #1 – Getting a job – 3 posts

Topic #2 – Excelling at work – 3 posts

Topic #3 – Productivity – 1 posts

Topic #4 – Starting a company – 2 posts

While this meets the Company of One mindset (you are all of these things) it is interesting that the tops are still about getting a job and some of the less popular are others about starting a company.

So where do we go from here? Email me at [email protected] or post to my Facebook. Would love to hear your thoughts?

https://dalecallahan.com/reverse-interview-questions/

https://dalecallahan.com/overcoming-the-fear-of-making-mistakes-at-work/

https://dalecallahan.com/how-to-conduct-a-reverse-interviewe-interview-a-guaranteed-method-to-find-a-job/

https://dalecallahan.com/115-need-business-license-podcast/

https://dalecallahan.com/how-to-read-a-book-in-30-minutes-or-less/

https://dalecallahan.com/064-4-common-mistakes-made-in-the-informational-interview-podcast/

https://dalecallahan.com/do-i-need-a-business-license-or-llc/

https://dalecallahan.com/067-how-to-be-happy-at-work-even-if-you-hate-your-job-podcast/

https://dalecallahan.com/059-five-ways-to-deal-with-office-politics-podcast/

Click here to listen now.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my Company of One? If you’re not, I encourage you to do that today so you don’t miss an episode. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

If you like what you hear, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast. I also love reading them and connecting with you. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Waiting on leadership to show up and take action can be one of the most frustrating issues in corporate America. More frustrating than a bad tyrant of a boss is the absent boss. At least with that tyrant, you might learn what to expect. When absent and you are waiting – you often spend your days in frustration not knowing what matters and what should be let go. 

In episode 156, I dealt with how you can lead if you have a leadership void. The reason for that podcast was because I find myself with so many clients who find themselves leaderless. My first take when leaderless is to find a way to step up and lead – if even on the small things.

But unfortunately, that does not always work. Sometimes a lack of a leader just leaves you frustrated.

Lack of Leadership

Here is the situation. You have a job to do, but nothing clear about what matters. No one is calling the shots. You have asked the person who is filling the role (often in a temporary role) and get nothing. You are being told by management that things will change soon. They will fill the slot, hire new people, move things around, etc soon. But as you wait for change, you become frustrated and restless.

But I have found that this is sometimes not even possible. So what do you do?

Click here to listen now.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my Company of One? If you’re not, I encourage you to do that today so you don’t miss an episode. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

If you like what you hear, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast. I also love reading them and connecting with you. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Make money online will help you see the quick and dirty methods of getting started in a side hustle without spending much (or any) money.

The video from the presentation is below.

1. Find an idea

How to find a simple idea that fits you.

2. Find a platform

How to use common platforms with lots of traffic to get noticed

3. Do the work

Setting up some platforms.

4. Action TNT

Continue to grow.

Click here to listen now.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my Company of One? If you’re not, I encourage you to do that today so you don’t miss an episode. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

If you like what you hear, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast. I also love reading them and connecting with you. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode:

How much should I be spending on my business? Like all other things in life, modern businesses tend to overspend, Especially small businesses that are not making money yet. 

I constantly am running into startups who are “investing” money to help the business grow. But, too often, they are only growing in the wrong direction.

Instead, it would be best if you focused on spending that will generate sales. 

Too many people are spending money on things that will likely not move the needle. Perfect tools that are overkill. Logos design. Software that is way too big for the budget. 

Focus instead on spending money on things that will impact your customers.

So let’s step back and examine who you should be spending – and on what.

1. Marketing 

Spending money on marketing is usually the biggest issue that will have the greatest impact. Whether the money is via ads, help to do calls, of just your own time connecting and marketing your business. This is number one for a reason. 

If you have no income, use a budget of about $10 per week for marketing. If you have more to invest, push it to $100 a week. As you get income, keep marketing as a top expense. Every industry is different, but I like to keep at least 10% of the revenue to use for marketing and advertising.

2. Legal issues

If your business is a threat to get sued or to have an injury, you need to spend the money upfront on getting protection. See my post on Do I Need a Business License or LLC?.

As a rule, I would expect to pay no more than $1000 for this protection (and the insurance) if you need it.

3. People

When it comes time to get some help, spend the money on the right people, doing things cheaply (or yourself) is often wasted time and money. Tools like Upwork will help you find the right people for the right price. 

Click here to listen now.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my Company of One? If you’re not, I encourage you to do that today, so you don’t miss an episode. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

If you like what you hear, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast. I also love reading them and connecting with you. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Five reasons you should consider an online business. I spend a lot of time trying to help people like you start something on the side. (Why You Need to Start Your Own Business Now.)

Join me Oct 14th at 6:30 PM Central

We will do a webinar on this subject of Make Money Online: Business Ideas You Can Start from Home live on Oct 14th at 6:30 PM central. Of course, after that, the recording will still be there.

1. Everyone needs a side income

In Ep 32: Why You Need to Start Your Own Business Now, I explain that everyone needs a second (or third) source of income.

2. Costs little to start

Compared to almost every other business, an online business is cheaper to start, maintain, and market. The risks are just low. Expect to pay from zero down and zero per month to just a few hundred dollars a month once you get moving. But you should at very least always break even!

3. Gets results quickly. A simple way to test ideas

Using other platforms like eBay, Etsy, and Amazon (to name a few), you can tell if your products and services will hit a nerve. You can test your teaching on Udemy, test your consulting or freelancing skills on Fiverr or Upwork, or test your creative and hobby sales on Etsy. Just so many ways to dip your toe into the market to see if you like it and if you can sell it.

4. Does not interfere with your day job

You can work after hours and does not impact the amount of money you make. I have friends who have businesses that made over $200k per year with them working only after hours and on the weekend while keeping their day job.

5. Easy to scale.

To go from a small storefront to a larger one costs a lot of money. Same for opening a second store. But to scale an online business is easy and cheap. You can move from selling on eBay or Etsy alone to your own website for a few thousand dollars (or cheaper if you have some skills)

Click here to listen now.

Subscribe & Review in iTunes

Are you subscribed to my Company of One? If you’re not, I encourage you to do that today, so you don’t miss an episode. Click here to subscribe in iTunes!

If you like what you hear, I would be really grateful if you left me a review over on iTunes, too. Those reviews help other people find my podcast. I also love reading them and connecting with you. Just click here to review, select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” and let me know what your favorite part of the podcast is. Thank you!

Links mentioned in this episode: