Good writing is considered to be a key business skill. And yet, jargon and poor grammar are rampant in business, especially in marketing. Many writers sound cool, but often fail to communicate exactly what they mean.
I’ve been guilty of this too at times, trying to find eye-catching titles or ... Views: 797
Truth #1: Every buying decision begins with a connection. If you want to increase your income, build connections with your customers.
Truth #2: People want to be part of something bigger than themselves. We all want to contribute somehow, and most of us what to do so in a way that makes the ... Views: 434
"I can't afford it right now," Laine said in a small voice. I could feel even over the phone how her energy was shrinking, moving away from what she wanted but felt she couldn't have.
Laine's not alone. Her dilemma is one we all face, over and over again, as we move through this journey as ... Views: 1031
Your business isn’t just about marketing and income and strategy. It serves a higher purpose. It connects you with others. It serves the impact you want to have, your unique positive contribution to the world.
In order to have that impact, you’ve got to bring your whole self to whatever ... Views: 553
Your choices are very powerful.
When you make choices that are world-class, you’ll get world-class results. Mediocre choices? Mediocre results.
Most of us spend a lot of energy justifying bad behavior. How many times have you ignored your best self and gone ahead and done that thing you ... Views: 544
Impact vampires - sounds a little ghoulish, right?
It’s worth getting a little nervous about impact vampires, because they can draw valuable energy and resources out of your business, and prevent you from having the impact that you could have.
An impact vampire is anyone who interferes ... Views: 437
Racing to the next meeting. Hurrying to finish the project.
That can define your days. And busy as you are, it can still leave you feeling that you haven’t used your time well.
With all our many time management systems, time still seems to slip by. You haven’t accomplished everything you ... Views: 515
If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard a business coach say, strategy is crucial for success!, I would be writing to you now from my hammock on a Tahitian beach, and servants would be bringing me another umbrella drink. It’s gotten to be so commonplace, that it’s a given.
It makes a lot ... Views: 877
Take Action! Just Do It! Action is the Key to All Success!
I was once part of a corporate training group. We were leaders in the organization, real action-takers who were rewarded in that setting because of our ability to 'git 'er done'. We had just spent the first morning of a 2-day retreat ... Views: 1139
As we move into this New Year, we're often called to think about change. It often starts with exhorting you to think BIG. What's your vision? What's the big picture? What is your overarching purpose moving forward? All of that is awesome, and has its place. I'm thinking, though, that it can all ... Views: 924
You’re a leader. We all are. We all have the opportunity to lead and contribute.
Your ability to contribute, to have impact is affected by your leadership skills, in a big way. Your leadership can even be transformational for other people.
Take the leadership quiz, and see where you stand ... Views: 942
Where do you think any impact begins?
You might be thinking, action! Or planning.
It’s true, both planning and action are ingredients for impact.
But in the beginning? Impact begins with an idea. A vision.
In the last article ... Views: 770
How do you show up in the world?
A big question.
Your impact is intimately tied with your presence. How you show up takes your impact vision one important step forward.
Think deeply about your response to this question: how do I want to show up? What kind of qualities would I want to ... Views: 746
You want to have impact in your business and life, right?
Here’s the thing: you already do! But it’s not necessarily the impact you want to have.
Having a positive influence in your business, community, and even the larger world takes disciplined effort. When you make those efforts ... Views: 858
Farah’s struggling. She’s got a lot to do, and the day just seems to get away from her. The 40 minutes she spent surfing Instagram didn’t help her cross items off her list, but it was the only break from work that she took all day.
Still, at the end of the day, she feels unsatisfied and ... Views: 423
In a recent blog post, Seth Godin wrote, “Get the strategy right and you’ll have an easier time with the tactics.”
I couldn’t agree more.
Impact-focused strategy sets you up for success at every level.
I’ve seen over and over again with my clients the benefits of developing an ... Views: 501
As CEO of a growing company, you may be doing so much that you can’t even take the time to think. You’re in the growth stage and are between doing everything yourself, and having a staff trained and coached sufficiently to take care of the day-to-day activities.
It’s easy to get overworked, ... Views: 489
What is the point of setting goals? It's not even that you are more likely to achieve what you want to achieve, though that’s certainly true.
Here are the two biggest benefits of goal setting:
1. Goal setting gives you with focus. You’ll zoom in on the actions you need to take to achieve ... Views: 692
As an entrepreneur and leader, you make a lot of decisions, every day. Your ability to make decisions enhances your ability to run your business effectively. I’d go so far as to say that it’s a necessary trait.
Often, those decisions are made with some kind of time constraint. Even if that’s ... Views: 511
Have you ever seen or read about people in the direst of circumstances who are transcendent, happy? And others who seem to have everything, and yet feel deprived?
The way you choose to think about a situation, the parts of yourself that you call on, even dig deep for, are what determine your ... Views: 559
Oh, that transformative beast - jealousy. It can transform friendship into resentment. It can transform honest effort into a reason to beat yourself up. And it can really mess with your business. One of my friends, a bright and articulate woman, was the object of my jealousy. She's also an ... Views: 519
Impact can feel oddly unsatisfying.
What?!
A big reason for focusing on impact is that it brings fulfillment and satisfaction along with it, right?
If you’re feeling that your impact isn’t fulfilling you, that’s a clue. Maybe you’re not having all the impact you want to have.
Impact ... Views: 424
On the other end of the phone, a prospective supplier was nattering on about a software platform that many of her clients use. I had just said, I don’t use that system and don’t have an interest in adopting it, and gave my reasons.
This is a great example of how we (yes, I include myself ... Views: 576
So busy you can’t think? That’s not an uncommon situation for entrepreneurs. You work like crazy to get a flow of clients. Then you work like crazy to do the work that those clients want.
It can get to be a cycle of busyness, leading to poor decisions and a negative impact on your well-being ... Views: 552
So much has been said about free online content for businesses, how essential it is to gain credibility and build trust and connection.
All true.
We buy from those we know, like, and trust, so it’s a good avenue to share what you know with people who care about what you know, as a way to ... Views: 349
Everyone needs some space in their business for thinking.
If you're always on the move, completing one task after another, strategy suffers and you can lose your direction.
Take some time out to just think.
Use this time to review projects and reflect on what went well and what didn't. ... Views: 1051
Entrepreneurs and leaders are often depicted as the Lone Ranger, riding out alone and striking a blow for justice. OK, he did have a trusty Native sidekick, Tonto, but really, the Lone Ranger was the one around whom things revolved.
That depiction as a rugged individualist doesn’t reveal the ... Views: 443
We spend a lot of time in our culture emphasizing possibility and lack of limits. You can do it! Everything is possible!
In a sense, that is true, as the field of possibility does allow for much to unfold. However, our relentless focus on lack of limits doesn’t allow for us to know when the ... Views: 506
In 2005, David Lynch created the Quiet Time Program. Yep, that guy – the award-winning director, writer and producer of Eraserhead, Elephant Man, Wild at Heart, Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet. That’s the short list.
This guy is known for his frankly weird films. Now, he’s teaching kids about inner ... Views: 681
It may seem counter-intuitive, but the financial results of companies like Eileen Fisher, Patagonia, and Dr. Bronner’s bear this out.
There are really two key words here: impact and focus. If your impact isn’t infused into every aspect of your business, you won’t realize your company’s full ... Views: 522
Ever notice how much energy super-heroes have available to them, ready whenever needed? Wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to have that in your business?
One thing that is clear from the almost 100 interviews I’ve done for the Work Alchemy: The Impact Interviews podcast: your greatest asset as ... Views: 565
Have you seen that YouTube video with the cat using the iPad? It's hilarious to watch.
And it tells a revealing story about how the world is changing for your business.
Right now, there are more people in the world with mobile subscriptions than there are people who have access to ... Views: 794
Are you speaking up for what you believe? Are you an authentic leader for your business? Are you advancing your impact?
If you question any of those things, you may have moved into the comfort zone.
It’s tempting. That soft place where you don’t have to question anything, where you can ... Views: 448
Do you have a really powerful and vivid dream of the difference you’d like to make in the world, the impact you want to have? Or is your vision evolving?
Either way, whether or not that dream comes to life depends very much on the answer to these questions:
What are you willing to do to ... Views: 580
Do you want to be successful? Since you're reading this article, it's pretty much a given that the answer will be, yes!
Success can be defined in a myriad of ways. If we're not conscious about it, we can get caught up in someone else's definition of success. Your family's. Your culture's. The ... Views: 922
Customer service is not always on our minds as leaders. It’s often seen as a cost, and little else.
What’s the purpose of customer service? You might think, to fix problems. With that mindset, it doesn’t make sense to invest much in it.
The thing is, it’s a little more complicated. Here ... Views: 395
Marketing has been described as storytelling. You are creating a story about your business.
Some marketing stories are masterfully crafted. But they don't necessarily tell the authentic truth about the brand, about what that company can truly deliver.
I know, because you're reading this, ... Views: 742
Have you ever had a prospect say they want to work with you, and they suddenly decide to go with another company?
Have you ever poured energy into helping a prospect make a decision, with great content and multiple conversations, and then they have one conversation with another provider and ... Views: 515
When I recommended it, Randi replied, “I just do not have time for a quarterly review!”
I know how she feels. And I bet you do too.
Randi’s not the only one who gets caught up in the day-to-day operation of her business. You’ve got decisions to make, things to get done, and people who want ... Views: 613
Podcasts are a great way to reach out to your community of prospects and clients.
You have so much latitude to explore the topics that both serve your audience and most interest you. You provide people with new perspectives. You introduce them to new ideas and personalities. You can even ... Views: 631
I have a problem.
My name is Ursula and I have trouble celebrating big accomplishments.
Hi Ursula.
I’ve been encouraging my clients to celebrate their accomplishments. Every day.
Like every coach I’ve ever talked to, I don’t always take my own advice.
Sure, I do daily celebrating. ... Views: 459
OK, that was a little harsh. But really, it’s a valid and oh so important question.
As entrepreneurs, we can so easily get derailed. The temptations are many, and they center around one thing.
You are not connected with yourself.
When that’s the case, it’s easier to look outside of ... Views: 535
I recently read a gem of a book by Lisa and Franco Esile called Whose Mind Is It Anyway? Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Life. It was a quick read – under an hour. Plus it had pictures! How often can you say that about a business book?
It’s not touted as that, but it really is a book for ... Views: 429
The ability to make good choices is what makes your income grow.
This discernment also helps you have more impact, to make a positive difference with your business.
It’s a choice between adding everything you feel anxious about that day to your to-do list vs. being disciplined to make ... Views: 520
“She was so clear about the vision for my business, but now, I’m not sure.” My client Lorraine had worked with a coach who felt super clear about what she should be doing next. At the time, Lorraine had felt it too.
Now that she was in the implementation phase and away from the coach’s ... Views: 904
Ever have a client or colleague who just is not a good fit for you? What you are doing gets hard. All the fun goes out of it. It feels like a struggle.
On the flip side, ever work with a great client? Someone who 'gets' what you do? You understand what they want, and you deliver it with joy ... Views: 805
Ever feel like you want to just bail, to leave everything behind and go elsewhere?
I sure do. I dream of going to Africa, where I’ve cried seeing elephant families roam and worked with warm, committed people to help their communities rise. I dream of going to Canada, to visit dear friends, to ... Views: 386
Ever feel like you want to just bail, to leave everything behind and go elsewhere?
I sure do. I dream of going to Africa, where I’ve cried seeing elephant families roam and worked with warm, committed people to help their communities rise. I dream of going to Canada, to visit dear friends, to ... Views: 432
As we move through this holiday season, there's a lot to do. Juggling family expectations, events with friends, and keeping your business shipshape can start to feel overwhelming.
And it's not only this time of year. Any business that is growing is also changing. That can start to feel like a ... Views: 928
Really? You can change the world?
When you hear, “You can change the world!”, it’s often an encouragement, uttered to inspire. Sometimes, it’s an exhortation.
These days, it sure can feel like the world needs changing, more than ever.
But is it true? How much effect does any of us ... Views: 636