It is one thing to study war and another thing to live the warrior’s life. —Telamon of Arcadia, mercenary of the fifth century B.C.E., as quoted in The War of Art, p. 61. Felix Baumgartner’s historic Mach 1+, 119,846’ free fall to earth on Oct. 14, 2012. By virtue of... read more →
Jun
06
Jun
05
Business owners tell me they have two scarce resources: time and money. In order to create a business that provides both revenue and time, the owner needs an arc reactor that powers the vision of the business and gives life to every staff member. For the owner, keeping her arc... read more →
Jun
04
Is it Possible to Effectively Plan for Risks and Contingencies? Owners of small and mid-size businesses face all kinds of risks. Some disasters cannot be avoided, but the consequences of most of them can be managed by practicing good business planning. A disaster can be something that impacts the entire economy... read more →
Jun
03
Last week we looked at one citizen who did a public service for 95 million Americans. We explored how this kind of modeling is the first step in creating a culture within which you can build great employees who become principled future owners. These are the kind of people who... read more →
Jun
02
The opposite of play is not work—the opposite of play is depression. – Dr. Stuart Brown We often believe that the most basic rule of business is work. “Work more, work longer and work harder” goes the mantra. Both from my observation of business owner clients and from listening to... read more →
Jun
01
“Servant selling.” It sounds like an oxymoron. Isn’t the goal of every business to make money? To increase the lifetime value of a client (to my firm)? Last week, my post demonstrated how there’s scientific support behind this notion of servant selling. Clearly, this concept undercuts the conventional wisdom of... read more →
May
31
If you are a baby boomer or have boomer parents, you’ve probably come across this ad: The Crankset Group has dubbed these Blinding Flashes of the Obvious. BFOs are epiphanic moments of “seeing” something essential for the first time or perhaps recalling something foundational that we’ve neglected or forgotten. Why... read more →
May
30
One of the joys of presenting during Money Smart Week is learning about concerns from participants. The best questions—and answers—often come from either new business owners or the most veteran. Q: What are my options for funding a new business? A: You have several choices—each with corresponding advantages and disadvantages.... read more →
May
29
Last week I made the case for what I term “innie” CEOs—those skilled at effective and impactful two-way communication with groups of employees at all levels of the company. Harvard Business School researchers Michael Porter and Nitin Nohria said that “innies” produce companies with higher EBITDA. You may be an... read more →
May
28
In This Edition... Featured Article - Homerun: How to Develop a Corporate Culture to Sustain You in the Top 25% Newsbreak - Kudos / Gratitudes "Success" Story - Lesson from a Former Client's Experience Featured Article Homerun: How to Develop a Corporate Culture to Sustain You in the Top 25% CEOs... read more →