Three Ways You Can Excel in the New “Insight Economy”

I attended Matt Dixon’s presentation on The Challenger Sales Model last month, which was particularly relevant for today’s selling environment. The last few years have been especially tumultuous and challenging for many industries, and connecting with your customer in a meaningful way has never been more important.

“Verizon, My Other Cable Company’s Not Working. Can I Get Your Service For Free?”

Have you ever walked into a clothing store, saw something you loved, and just walked out with it without buying?

Or, have you ever called a service provider who is the competitor of a current provider, and asked them to help you for free because their selected vendor isn’t doing their job well?

Does Your Attunement Need a Tune-Up?

When I was in college, I waited tables to have money for my “essentials.” I loved the work because I could talk with so many different types of people, I was part of a (really fun) team, and I made good money. Looking back I realize that one of the reasons I was a successful waitress was because I can quickly read people and connect with them in a way that makes them comfortable.

The REAL Differences Between Leadership & Management and The Two Tools to Help You Excel

I attended an exceptional Young Presidents Organization (YPO) learning event last week, where Steve McLatchy, author of Decide: Double Your Results, Reduce Your Stress & Lead By Example, spoke. Many people speak at a high level about the differences between management and leadership, but few articulate it well. Steve nailed it.

Leadership is a result you produce. If things are exactly where they are when you arrived in a “leadership” position, then you’re providing maintenance, not leadership. A true leader never “arrives” at leadership. The moment you’ve arrived there, you are a manager, and in maintenance mode.

In a nutshell, leadership = improvement, and management = maintenance.

“I Know You’re Busy But…”

“I know you’re busy, but….”

“This may sound [crazy/stupid/silly], but…..”

In one of my recent coaching sessions, I worked with a client who is having difficulty engaging with an aggressive, somewhat disrespectful colleague. Let’s face it; we all have to deal with difficult people at some point in our careers. They are as predictable and enjoyable as taxes.

BIG PR on a Small Budget: Five Surefire Strategies to Get the Buzz Your Biz Needs

As a small business owner, I know first-hand how important it is to have a PR plan, but I also know that time, money, and resources are scarce!

So how does a business owner communicate their value – especially in an information-overloaded world, and rise above the noise?

The two questions small business owners must always ask when trying to get good press is:

5 Luxuries No Business Owner Can Afford

I was paralyzed with indecision. Then, my coach and 20-year advisor snapped me out of it. “Marissa, you don’t have the luxury of standing still.” The word “luxury” struck a chord. In business, time is money. Energy is money. If a business isn’t smartly applying these two valuable resources wisely, it means they are applying them poorly. There’s no in-between. There’s little margin for error.

F.O.C.U.S.

One of my favorite writers is Seth Godin. He has a way of framing brilliantly simple concepts in a succinct way that makes you go, “Why didn’t I think of that??”

One of his blogs last week was Cracking the Pottery. He talked about how we need to be able to let go of what’s not working for us, even if we’ve invested a lot of time/money/energy in it, so that we can be free to work on what IS working.

This is a conundrum that most entrepreneurs face for these reasons:

Boxed In? 4 Ways to Transform Your Corner into a Doorway

One of my favorite books when I was growing up was “Harold and the Purple Crayon.” With the stroke of a purple crayon, Harold designs the life he imagines. When he wants to go for a walk, he draws a moonlit path. When he’s hungry, he draws himself a lunch. When he becomes scared of his own illustrated dragon, he creates an ocean and a sailboat to escape just in time.

Harold uses his creative thinking to escape from life’s corners that constrain him.

People with big vision often find themselves painted into a corner. We set upon our path, often underestimating or unaware of the obstacles that may get in our way of progress. Or, we over-commit, and find ourselves completely overwhelmed with what we have promised to others. Wouldn’t it be great if we could draw ourselves an ocean and a sailboat, and simply sail away to a far-away land?

We can’t do that, but when our backs are up against the wall, we can create additional paths to lead us out of our corners. We can transform our corners into a doorway.

Driving an Intrapreneurial Spirit and Mindset

I’m working with a great company who’s committed to moving to the next level of growth. The owner/founder has done a very good job of establishing himself as a highly dependable and reputable subcontractor, but wants to triple the company size, and evolve into a prime contractor over the next 3 years. We have a lot of work to do. To make this pivot, we have to build his infrastructure, implement required processes, and align with the right people.

One of our most immediate tasks is to evaluate and shift the mindset and commitment of his current team. Growth can’t happen alone. It takes a village to build a business.