What follows is something I wrote a few years ago, and as we go into a new year, I thought it might be nice to revisit. I know in my business career, there might have been fewer scars if I had played my own golf course, so to speak. I recently had dinner with a friend, who …
If I had it my way, most of our business cards would not list a job title. Mine never has. Over the years, I have seen folks get caught up in their name, rank, and serial number for a company, maybe neglecting some important nuances in the process. With all respect to my banking friends, I have never met anyone with a lower rank than vice president listed …
With each passing year, I think it is easier at times for us to get caught up in the “comparison trap.” I know I have been guilty of this very thing. A few months ago, I had lunch with an acquaintance, a wealthy individual who had accumulated a substantial amount of wealth during her life. …
There are a few phrases that folks in our office are probably tired of hearing me say. One is,“Success is about finding good customers and keeping them.” If you can keep good customers, you don’t have to be out looking for new ones all the time. It sure saves time and resources, allowing for better …
When you walk into a conference room, the normal thought is that the authority figure is seated at the head of the table. At your next meeting, I’ll challenge you to look to his or her right, and take note of who’s sitting there. That person often has the leader’s ear. I was talking to …
Some time ago, I figured out the value of being a connector, working to connect the right people who may not know each other, but would benefit from being acquainted. I’ve been doing this for several years now, and typically with no strings attached. The realty is that if you expect nothing in return, then …
Over the years, I have learned the hard way that saying “no” can sometimes lead to just as much success as saying “yes.” It’s human nature to want to say “yes.” We all wish to be positive and help, but sometimes knowing our own limitations or those of our company means certain business situations or …
The flow chart on this sidewalk sign caught my attention. Simple. All options lead to the “right” answer. It reminded me of an important truth in sales. Every customer is different, needing a different approach to lead them to the end goal. The object is the same for us–we wish to earn the business or gain …
It doesn’t matter if you are in the C-suite or any other position in the organization. For those who are motivated to keep moving forward, it’s hard to get everything off that “to-do list.” That’s the growth mindset. You are always thinking of the next thing to make bigger and better. If I have a …
Our economy is edging up by the quarter. While I do not believe 4.5% GDP growth is sustainable, it would be nice to think we will be somewhere around 2 – 2.5% at year’s end. We are still the world’s leaders right now, and this makes me smile. About this time in the cycle, it …
This week I had breakfast with a young fellow who has raised about $3 million for his tech startup company. He’s past the angel fund stage, and now has a group of about 30 working for him. They are still losing money each month, but he has a pretty decent runway with the revenue he’s …
I am a member of a group that provides startup capital and mentoring to young entrepreneurs in our city. This week, I attended a presentation on the life of Winston Churchill that was sponsored by our group. As the past can give us some insight to the present, it was nice to see young entrepreneurs …