Believe it or not, being a ski instructor can shape how you approach your business. In fact, in a lot of our recreational activities, there are major lessons in business and foresight that can be applied to how you run your business to succeed. Here...
I get this question often, “How often should a CEO reach out to clients?” And, my answer is simple, “All the time!” But, buyer beware… It is important, as the leader of your company to be visible to your clients, but it is also important to make...
This is a term coined by the author of The Ultimate Question. Bad profits come from all of those shady deals, extra fees, hidden costs, and those confusing price structures. Airlines do this all the time, with the upcharges for seat selection, baggage fees, cost...
Now that we are well into 2019, it is time to stop planning and start executing! Many business owners think that they’re in the game, but in reality, you're spinning your wheels with planning. You can plan yourself into procrastination if you don’t convert that...
As a business owner, it can be easy to get swept up by the negatives in life. We start to dwell on what we have to do, what is going wrong, or what will go wrong. We have to take the time as often as...
When it comes to hiring the right people, I hire for certain character traits as opposed to education. I’ve found over the decades that fit is everything for your business. You have to go into the hiring process knowing what you are looking for and...
When it comes to your business, can you tell the difference between “getting things done” and really “getting things done”? The former, I call “motion”. It is the day-to-day errands, starting things and never finishing them, researching, filing, even learning. In other words, when you...
Every January, I have a special ritual that I do to take time out to reflect on the previous year and, more importantly, to give thanks to my clients. I go through the clients that I have worked with up until that point and I...
How big is your why? Do you have a why? Why do you have a why? These are single-handedly some of the most important questions you should be asking yourself. The “why” is what keeps you grounded and focused on moving forward. I strongly suggest having multiple “why’s”...
To effectively grow your business, you must know where you want to end up. Having the end goal in mind, helps you determine what steps you must be taking now, next, and into the future. For example, think about building a house. Before you even...
If you ever want to push your body and your mind to the limit, then train and run a full Ironman Triathlon. That’s 2.4-mile swim, then a 112-mile bike, and finally a 26.2-mile run. Needless to say, it takes preparation and the mental stamina to...
I’m often asked, “how can we effectively address problems before they become operational issues?” And, my answer is simple… take a collaborative approach. I recently read an article about Jeff Bezos, founder, and CEO of Amazon which detailed the steps they take to address an...
You cannot build an amazing business without strong relationships. That includes building relationships with your teams, your customers, your vendors, and your business partners. So, for 2019, you need to focus on strengthening your relationships across the board to make this year the best one yet. Here’s...
In life and in business, your follow-through is everything. How you handle setbacks and the urge to want to quit can often define your future trajectory. Now, to be clear, in some cases, you may need to give up and pivot to find a more...
I’m always asked what are biggest “pitfalls” of business that lead many businesses to fail. I came upon this list and here are the top 5 reasons why we fail. Absence of trust. People want to be around those that they trust. In business, trust...
In business, having a great idea or an innovative product is only half of the battle. What will keep you miles ahead of your competition is your motivation, drive, and hunger to be successful. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been there… My business was doing...
You’ve started your business and grown it to the point where you are ready (if not need) a right-hand person. However, finding the right COO fit can often be a challenge, especially when you approach it from the “traditional” way. We often hire for skills...
I get asked all the time, “What can I do to stop procrastinating?” And, I often tell my clients an answer that they would least expect. If you find that you procrastinate more than you should, I recommend you not stopping. You read that right,...
Have you gotten off track with things in your life or business? If you have, you’re not alone. We all have things that fall to the wayside, or times of the year when certain things we need to do inevitably get put on the back burner....
When it comes to achieving your goals, many people fall short because they don’t have a compelling “why” to want to dedicate to reaching their goals. Every goal you create should have a “big why” that propels you to stay focused on getting the work...
As the year comes to a close, it is time to reflect on what worked this year and what didn’t. Perhaps you accomplished your goals, perhaps you didn’t quite see them all the way through. Either way, take the next few weeks to truly ask...
When it comes down to getting things done in your business, and taking your productivity to the next level, it all falls back on how your team executes – and if they execute well. If your teams are not performing, then it is time to start...
Making decisions can be challenging, especially when it can mean the difference between your company growing or not. Over the years, and through some of my own personal mistakes, I’ve found that the key to making the right decisions and having them positively translate into...
I’m often asked this question, “why do some people make millions, while others don’t”. And, my answer is always much simpler than people may think. I’ve studied what differentiates the most profitable businesses from those that barely make ends meet. In other words, to be...
When it comes to achieving your goals, the biggest hurdle is setting them first. Believe it or not, this is where many people fall short. You can’t achieve a goal that you have not set. That’s why I dedicate 4 whole days at the end...
As a business owner, your business or work life is only one small portion of what makes you who you are. What good is having a successful career, if other areas of your life are in shambles? When you look at your life, there are...
In business, productivity is everything. When you first started, you naturally had to wear many hats. You had to be the marketer, customer service, sales rep – all rolled into one. But, as your business grows and you bring on staff, your role must shift...
Starting a business is a financial balancing act. You need cash to get started and you need enough to hold you over while you generate buzz around your business and attract customers. But, cash flow challenges aren’t a start-up problem. As you scale your business,...
When you study the world’s greatest athletes you quickly see a common trend emerge: practice. I once asked a professional tennis coach what truly separated the good players from the best. And his answer was simple, “the best players practice at least 6 days a...
Consider this question… In a crowded marketplace with thousands of other businesses, can you really stand out and make a decent profit? If you know how to consistently stand out, then the answer is: yes! When your customers have dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of options to...
I will be the first to tell you: change is hard. Whether you are “forced” to change because of an unexpected shift in your industry, or if you are looking for a new way to shake things up – change is inevitable. And, as technology revolutionizes...
How often in your business do you find yourself or your employees saying, “We don’t do it that way?” Now, don’t get me wrong, having systems and procedures in place – that should be followed – is always a great way to increase efficiency. But, if...
When it comes to building a team of peak performers, training them appropriately is key to how they will treat you and how they will execute. For example, when you have to continually remind your staff to perform or complete tasks, you inadvertently establish a...
In business, having to overcome obstacles is just an inevitable part of the process. But, how you tackle obstacles will be key in determining if you will be able to persevere and be successful. When you come across a challenge, if you’re like most, you...
We’ve all been there… we make a goal, think we’re committed to seeing it to fruition and then somewhere along the lines we drop the ball and never reach it. And, for the busy business owner, this happens all too often when other things get...
When it comes to starting and running a profitable business, how you handle your finances can be one of the biggest predictors of your future success. I always hear entrepreneurs say, “I need to make more money,” but this may only be one side of...
As we near the end of the year, now is the best time to start evaluating what has worked, what didn’t work, and, more importantly, where you want to go in 2019 – and beyond. Whether you carve out 3 days, like I do to reflect...
When you get feedback, how do you often respond? Are you quick to jump to conclusions or get defensive? If you’re like most people, the word defensive may come to mind. We often are reluctant to see the fault in our ways and that is normal....
I was approached, not too long ago by a business owner who had an employee that was spending too much time on her phone, while she was at work. He had tried to put rules in place, but that didn’t seem to work. And, though...
I’m often asked, “What can I do to stay motivated?” and my response is actually a very simple one. I follow the same three steps when I make goals in my business as well as in my personal life. When it comes to staying on track,...
When it comes to growing your business, stepping out of the box is often mission critical to your business success. I recently had a client reach out to me because their sales were dropping, despite them sending out 100+ emails a day. Naturally, they went to...
We’ve grown accustomed to think that bigger is better and less is worse. But, in reality, when it comes to getting things done in your business, taking a step back and investing time to grow your business is what is important. I had a client who...
If you’re like most entrepreneurs and business owners then you know, the more your business grows, the more problems you’ll encounter. Simply put, challenges propel us to grow and to transform what we do and how we do it. I found this out firsthand last year with my...
I have a motto I live by: “I want my customers to adore me and my competition to hate me.” I know this is a bold and unconventional statement to make, but I see many business owners, time and time again, falling into the competition trap....
Even the most successful business owners and entrepreneurs have to overcome those voices that tell them they “can’t” or that they “shouldn’t”. But, how you handle them when they inevitably happen will help set you apart from your competition. In some cases, that voice in...
When’s the last time you’ve challenged yourself? Pushing yourself further physically, mentally, or emotionally is always a good exercise to remind yourself of just how powerful you can be when you are able to commit, focus, and execute. I make a point to challenge myself,...
When you set a goal, do you choose something that is within reach or do you go all out and pursue the unreachable? If you’re like 99% of Americans, you’ll like go for the goal within reach, right? We all have done it and/or still do it. That’s...
Most entrepreneurs and small business owners talk about scaling their business. When truth be told, what they are actually doing is growing their business. So, what’s the difference? When you grow your business, you alone are taking your business to the next level. You, single-handedly, are working...
As business owners, we’re almost wired to assume that more money, a more prestigious title, or even more praise are enough for an employee to want to perform at their best. However, the reality is, there are often many more factors at play that can...
Though success is not guaranteed in business, there are certain steps and actions you can take to put yourself on a winning trajectory. However, it all comes back to you truly reflecting on what you want and being willing to put a plan to execute...
Being a ski instructor is not the most glorifying job, nor is it one where you expect to learn some key lessons about business. But, during my time, in the 1980’s, working in New York City as a ski instructor, I soon realized that the...
In business, it is not what you know, but how you execute. And, trust me, I’ve seen it time and time again, when business owners make a plan, but never execute it. Or, even worse, they execute the plan, but only half-heartedly. To truly follow...
Starting a business is complicated enough. But, when you add in business partners to the mix, it can be a disaster if you do not get organized on day one. To build your business’ foundation, you must create an operating agreement. This is not optional. Even...
First things first. You cannot execute, without a plan. And, you cannot plan without a goal. Take it a step further, and it becomes clear – you cannot create a goal until you can identify what it is you want to accomplish. The foundation of...
When you started your business, did you consider how your business would fit into your life, or how your life would fit into your business? As an entrepreneur, you hear about (if not have already lived through) the 12, 14, even long 16 hour work days...
When it comes to how you handle your business and your personal relationships, knowing the difference between reacting and responding is critical. If we take a look at the dictionary definitions for each, then it becomes clear that having a reaction is not the same as...
I’m always asked when the right time is to start a business and to be honest, there may never be “the perfect time”. Starting a business, even when you are the most prepared comes with an inherent level of risk. Just how much risk you...
When it comes to your personal and professional development, are you focusing on bettering yourself and staying challenged? All too often in life and in business, we let our responsibilities and schedules crowd out taking time to reflect on how we can be better, in...
In business, you’re constantly evolving to try to determine what products and services to offer your customers to meet their needs. We ask ourselves questions like… What need do our customers have? What products or services will they want to buy? What price are...
Too often I see entrepreneurs and business owners fall victim to their ego. They invest their time, money, and sweat into a business venture and risk losing everything rather than making the decision to walk away. Contrary to popular belief, giving up can be one...