As a 22-year-old baby-faced budding entrepreneur, I remember lying in my childhood bed, scrolling Instagram and LinkedIn, and looking at all the coaches and consultants I wanted to work with. The vision was clear: one day I'll be making enough money where I can afford to work with all these people who all seem so brilliant. I was fresh out of college and having spent an entire … [Read more...]
Finding the Right Piece for Your Puzzle
It's Okay to Change Your Mind It happens, sometimes you start on one path and realize part way down the road that it may not have been the best choice, or something else would be a better fit for the puzzle of your life. One of the biggest mistakes I see people make regularly is trying to force themselves into a puzzle that they don't quite fit into. They do it simply … [Read more...]
I Want a Divorce…Business Style!
Nothing is certain in business except that you will form partnerships and sometimes those partnerships will crumble. Not only will they crumble, they will crash and burn. If the partnership has managed to cross business lines and become a friendship that can make the breakup even harder but there is a silver lining. Here’s what your business can gain from having a partnership … [Read more...]
The Trouble with Talent
As entrepreneurs the thing is, we can see talent. The moment it walks in front of us, we know that this person has exactly what we are looking for. The problem with talent is that if the person has it, they inevitably want to use it. There is a fine line between being a person who requires little oversight and being a rogue employee who thinks they know everything. So how … [Read more...]
Back to Basics
As small business owners we routinely perform tasks that larger companies would associate with assistants and receptionists. I answer phones, research client questions as well as conduct meetings and business development. As the economy continues to stall I have found myself performing tasks that even I have had to sit back and wonder if I should be doing them. What I have … [Read more...]
Finding the Right Job – Personal Satisfaction Matters
Life is short. We have heard that quote a million times, but as I watch the years roll by I know that it's absolutely true. It is important to do something you enjoy. Whether you work for yourself or for someone else, finding the right job is essential to enjoying life. If you are unsatisfied with where you are, take the plunge and look for something new. You are never too old … [Read more...]
The Fiscal Cliff and Your Business
The crux of the situation as many business owners know is consumer spending. As we plan and strategize growth, many of us wonder if our businesses will be around this time next year. Even firms such as my own that concentrate on business services are feeling the crunch that has become the personality trait of this economic climate. If there is a strain on the middle class, many … [Read more...]
Everything you need to know about leadership, you learned in Kindergarten
Yesterday as I watched an old episode of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ the story line was about how the kindergarten teacher enacted lessons in kindness using lessons from her Kindergarten class resonated with me. Leadership lessons at their core are taught in Kindergarten and here’s what I mean. Say Please and Thank You When asking for cooperation, which is a key part of every … [Read more...]
Play up your strengths
Focus on your strengths, hand over the rest. We all fall into the trap of thinking we can do it all, or taking on too much. This goes right along with getting help when you need it, but expands upon that thought even more.... make sure you are passing over the right tasks. What are you good at? Maybe you are great at sales, but then dealing with the nitty gritty, … [Read more...]
Worried About Keeping the Doors Open? Not for long!
As an entrepreneur we take on so many responsibilities and one of the most prominent is finding a way to keep those sales coming through the door so that our employees keep a job. But what I have learned is that the short-term month to month thinking doesn’t help your company grow and it almost certainly will mean the death of it. Here’s what I’ve learned about what you need to … [Read more...]