Do You Have What It Takes To Succeed?
“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome.” – Booker T. Washington While we all want to succeed, we know success is a process, and not an outcome. If we achieve it once, we know we haven’t found […]
One Idea
When the Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, the estimated population of this country was 2.5 million spread across 13 colonies. Today, our fifty states have an estimated population of 319 million, and 2.5 million is about equal to the population of Chicago. Amazing, isn’t it. And it all started because a bunch […]
Are You Too Busy to Do the Work That Matters?
How managing your emails and phone calls can make your day more productive. “The only reason for time is so everything doesn’t happen at once.” – Albert Einstein Half the year is gone and many small business owners I know tell me they don’t know where the time went. They’ve been busier than ever and […]
Doing the Usual: Asset or Liability?
“Major Strasser has been shot. Round up the usual suspects.” – Captain Renault in “Casablanca” Any aficionado of old movies will recognize those classic lines from the last scene of ‘Casablanca.’ And, although Rick (Humphrey Bogart) shot Strasser, no one questioned Renault’s (Claude Rains) order, because it was typical both of him, and of the […]
All Are Welcome. We Are One
Black, white, yellow, brown, red. Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Sufi deists, agnostics and everything in between. Men, women, transgenders. Young people, old people. Those with blue eyes, and those with brown or green. Tall people, short people and those of average size. People who speak our language and those who don’t. As […]
But Do They Listen to You?
Big meeting. Sales presentation. In-laws anniversary party. If you’re like most people, public speaking doesn’t come naturally to you. The truth is that while most people prepare diligently and may even know their lines by heart, they’re so concerned with themselves and their presentation, they fail to remember that when we speak, the intent is […]
Memorial Day: Reflections on Heroism
Memorial Day. A holiday conceived to solemnly commemorate fallen soldiers that has been transmuted over time to also celebrate the kick off to summer, first barbeque of the season, one of the biggest sales weekends of the year, and of course, countless numbers of graduations. Funny how a day steeped in tribute, ceremony and heroism […]
17 Quotes That Help Define Customer Moments
It doesn’t take an MBA for a small business owner to understand that every moment spent with a customer is a defining moment – an opportunity to turn a one time sale into a long term relationship. But while we have our defining moments, our customers have theirs too. Who’s responsible for them? If you’re […]
Getting Attention Isn’t About You
As small businesses, we spend a lot of time focusing on getting consumers to buy from us. Common sense tells us the first thing to do is to get their attention. So, you do that: You try to impress them with your credentials. You try to tempt them with your products. You try to grab their attention […]
The Thing About Rules
From the time we were born our lives have been subject to rules. Sets of procedures and behaviors we’ve learned to adhere to. Without rules, there would be chaos. Right? Not always, and the emotionally intelligent businessman understands that sometimes our greatest advantages come from knowing which rules to adhere to, which need a bit […]