It's All About Business™

For many people, starting a business is the fulfillment of their dreams. But sometimes starting a business can be the realization of their nightmares. I’m writing this post to help you fulfill your dreams — and avoid the nightmares. I recently read an article by Marshall Goldsmith about Why Coaching Clients Give Up. He said [...]

Dear Readers, I’m writing this post to get you thinking about your business. And what you should do before you sign a contract. “Penny Wise and Pound Foolish” is an English saying (idiom) dating from 1607. It appears to be attributed to Edward Topsell (or maybe Robert Burton). The Phrase Finder says “The meaning of [...]

What vision do you have for your company? What is your Core Ideology? What are your Core Values? What is your Core Purpose? When you discover your Core Ideology you will begin to Envision your Future. Then you will be able to create your Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG). Here is where you say, “OMG, [...]

Last week I was talking shop with a fellow business coach (I’ll call him Bill). Bill told me about a sales seminar he did. When he finished the seminar, he asked his attendees what they thought. Their response was “I Don’t Get It.” Bill couldn’t understand how attendees with the education levels of his attendees [...]

Pretend for a minute that you own a restaurant. Picture the kind of restaurant you own. It doesn’t matter whether it is a greasy-spoon grill or a 5-star gourmet. The choice is yours. Since it is your restaurant, you get to choose the dishes you serve. You get to choose the ingredients you use. You [...]

On June 4, one of my construction clients (I’ll call him Peter) closed a deal. The renovation job would start July 1 and last 3 months. $200,000. Peter didn’t tell me about it at the time so we never discussed what the job would mean for his business. On October 20, Peter called. He has [...]

1. A speech is not a commercial. And it is not free (remember, I say free is a 4-letter word). You get paid by getting a copy of the attendee list, plus the opportunity to ask permission (during the speech) to call or email attendees later. 2. Give them at least one takeaway. Present something [...]

Think about how it is as we grow up. When we make a mistake, grownups tell us all about it. We often hear criticism. And we are told not to do it again. Being told how we screwed up only tells us what NOT to do. We aren’t told what TO do. So we never [...]

Think how you feel when you are around someone who is always negative. Negative people sap your strength -– your drive –- your spirit. But only if you let them. To stop letting them bring you down, stay away from them. Friends, co-workers, colleagues, even family -– it doesn’t matter -– if they can’t or [...]

At the Age of 31      his business failed 32     he lost a race for a legislative seat 34     his second business failed 35     his lover died 36     he had a nervous breakdown 38     he lost a second race for a legislative seat 43     he lost a race for a seat in the U.S. Congress [...]