Today, I’m going to give you permission to do something that you’ve probably dreamt of, but never imagined you’d be able to do. There are very few guarantees in life, but if you take advantage of this opportunity, I promise you’ll thank me. Today, I give you permission to say, no. No to bothersome clients…
This morning I did something I have never done. While rushing into the gym, I left my smart phone, my lifeline, in the car. I didn’t even notice it until I climbed onto the elliptical, jammed my ear buds in my ears and reached for my phone to check messages before getting started. For a…
Last night, I saw the shell of a broken man. As I looked into the eyes of Lance Armstrong as he spoke with Oprah, the words liar or cheat, never came to mind. All I saw was regret. To have accomplished so much and fallen so far has left its mark, not only on Lance,…
If you’ve ever had a conversation with a small business owner, you can’t help but walk away changed. Their enthusiasm and determination is infectious and to some, delusional. But, when I think of the long list of delusional people who have gone on to create successful companies, something inside of me nudges me forward and challenges me to add my…
During the holiday season, many of us are looking forward to some downtime. As a small business owner, you may not have the luxury of taking extended time off during the year because you are your business. But, the long hours and sacrifice of time away from family and friends have taken a toll and we’re…
About ten years ago, I was working at an affinity marketing firm. From time to time, management would get all associates together in a large banquet hall for the all-employee meeting. You’ve been to those…free coffee and poppy seed muffins. Well, these meetings were often used to tell us how good (or bad) the company was doing and plans…
It’s fascinating to me to watch people network. The smiles and firm handshakes. The warm introductions and business card exchanges. All a necessary part of growing your business and getting your name out there. But I’ve also witnessed the other side of that. The whispers and eye rolls. The brush offs and avoidance. All unnecessary parts of growing your business and getting your…
Being good at something will automatically make you successful in business, right? Well, not so but we’d all like to think that. Many of us go into business for ourselves with a particular skill set that we have nurtured and mastered. Now that we’re experts, the next logical step is to start a business. Isn’t it? Here’s the…
Being an entrepreneur is the most rewarding, yet unforgiving, profession on the planet. It takes guts, smarts, and money – not to mention a little luck. For those of you who run a one-man operation, it takes even more. While we bask in the glory of setting our own hours and answering to no one,…