If you are going to do something, then you should do it right.  Sucking happens to fall into the category.  If you are going to suck at something then do it right.
On today's podcast, I cover four points to consider to suck well.
Check out the podcast below or you can subscribe with the button to the right in iTunes.  Thanks again for visiting and, as always, your comments are welcome.
 

bstcThere are times in my life where I have been inactive.  I then resolve to get to bed early, get up a little earlier and get some activity in.  As soon as I set out to do that is the exact time that one of my kids throws up, has a nightmare or wakes up from some other reason that results in me getting far less sleep than I would have preferred.
The nature of an obstacle is that it comes at us when we least expect it and we are less likely prepared for it.  In the midst of the obstacle, it's hard to find meaning in it.
This week's podcast is about acknowledging our obstacles, finding the meaning in the obstacle and preparing ourselves to deal with them.
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As we creep into the month of February, the local is gym is a little emptier, McDonalds a little more frequented and many of our New Years resolutions are already a distant memory.   Because so many goals are left unfulfilled.  Many question the necessity for setting goals.
One thing that I have noticed in my coaching work with business owners is that when business owners set goals and get excited about them, they often have great things happen in their business.  I start hearing phrases like “best month ever” or “our team attitude is better than it's ever been.”
Goals alone don't make people successful.  Doing the work does.  What goals setting does is creates focus, engagement and purpose where it was lacking befo
re.
This week's podcast is about why we set goals and the results that it creates for us in our business.
If you haven't subscribed to the podcast yet, do so now and enjoy.
 
 

If you have ever spent time and thought about how you create value in your business and make money, you probably come to the simple conclusion that the way you make money is through the actual work that you do.  In the initial stages of a business, this is exactly right.  You go out and get customer and then you deliver your product/service to that customer.  If you are a service based business and you want to expand your value creation abilities, then you will need to go even further than that.
Whether you are a doctor or a mechanic, at some point you are going to come to the realization that you can only serve so many customers in a day.  Everyone agrees that there is a limitation of time that we are faced with as service based business owners.
Service based business owners who take their business to the next level, and by next level I mean more profit, more freedom and less of the technical work that you were trained to do, recognize that there are certain activities that they should be doing to create additional value for their business.
These four activities are:
Operations
Creation
Relationship Building
Marketing
In this week's podcast, I talk to you about what those specific activities look like in your business and how they create true and lasting wealth in your business.
 
 
 

When Herb Kelleher started Southwest Airlines, he wanted to create a culture of fun.  His approach to doing this was very intentional from how they hired to the goofy antics on flights.
Small business owners can take note that, for better or worse, you are the catalyst of your own culture in your business.
Herb Kelleher was all about the people that worked for him as evidenced by this quote:
“If the employees come first, then they’re happy…. A motivated employee treats the customer well. The customer is happy so they keep coming back, which pleases the shareholders. It’s not one of the enduring green mysteries of all time, it is just the way it works.”
This week's podcast is about how you can create that intentional culture in your own business and I give 3 simple places to start.
You can listen by clicking the link below or you can subscribe to the podcast in Itunes.
 

What keeps alcoholics off booze and drug addicts off drugs?  Would you believe that it's the same thing that allows you to create real change in your organization?  That thing is belief and in a business this starts with your vision and getting clear on it.
I have written several posts on the subject of vision , I have a workshop that I do around vision and talk about it with business owners till I am blue in face.  Why?  Because, when people realize that they are apart of something bigger than themselves, it changes how we act.
The problem is, business owners have a hard time with a setting a direction and sticking to it.  It's too easy to chase the shiny object.
How good are you at communicating your vision and making that part of your business culture?  This week's podcast talks specifically about creating and integrating vision into your culture.  As always, you can click the player below to listen or you can subscribe to the podcast in Itunes.
Enjoy.
 

When I talk with clients about philosophy issues, such as mindset, limiting beliefs, their purpose, etc,  I encounter a fair amount of resistance during the process.  Most will tell you that they don't need the fluffy stuff, they want the meat.  The truth is, you can have all the right strategies and tactics and never execute on success because one thing gets in your way.  Your brain.
This week on my show, I interview Tim Brownson from the blog A Daring Adventure.  He just wrote a book called 70 Amazing Brain Facts…And Why It Does Weird Things.  Tim is a true value creator and has great stuff so it made sense to interview him for his new project.
You can check out his new book for free and with no opt-in for the next 7 days by clicking this link.
http://www.adaringadventure.com/download-70-amazing-facts-about-your-brain/
 
The interview shares specific ways that your brain plays tricks on you and also talks about some ways that you can overcome some of these issues.
Check out the interview by clicking the player below and as always, you can subscribe to my podcast in Itunes by clicking the button to the right.
 

I grew up in an alcoholic home and from  that experience I know all about the concept of enabling people's behavior and how destructive that can be.  When you manage people, it's easy to fall into a trap where we think we are helping people but in reality we are hurting them.
Enabling is defined as doing from someone what they can and should do for themselves.
In a work setting, it's common to see managers and business owners enabling their teams by trying to solve their problems for them.
Your employee's problems are not your problems, they are their problems.
This week's podcast deals with understanding what this looks like in your business, what the 3 keys to effective confrontation are as well as the 4 steps on working through an employee performance issue so that you empower them.
As always, you can subscribe to my RSS feed or click the button to the right to subscribe to the podcast in Itunes.
If you have any questions, make sure you leave a comment.
 

When I was in the corporate world, everyone looked to get together as much as possible.  It was meeting after meeting after meeting.  Very few of these meetings were very effective.  They were mostly used to give people things to do.  In a small business setting, you don't have the resources or the bandwidth to have wasteful meetings.
One tool that small business owners can use, that is useful and effective, is the team retreat.
These retreats can be annual and/or quarterly and can be used to accomplish a number of different things from goal setting to connecting.
This week's podcast is about how you can use a retreat effectively in your business for the coming year.  Check it out and enjoy.

It's about that time of year where you start reflecting on business habits and what you can to make next year great.  One of the tools that we have at our disposal is our calendar.  This tool has been around for a long time yet it is still an underutilized resource.
When it comes to handling projects and activities, I am no different from you.  If you don't create a plan for handling activities, your results are sporadic at best.
Beyond creating time and space, it's important to create habits for when things get done in the form of consistent rhythms.  When we create rhythms, we create consistency and much needed habits that allow us to get consistent results.  When we fly from the hip and play it fast and loose, we get inconsistent, volatile and often mediocre results.
For the coming year, take out your calendar and put your important activities in there right up front and watch what happens.
Check out this week's podcast below and if you haven't yet, don't forget to subscribe in iTunes.
Have a great week.