Business is down, so you cut costs and let some folks go. But then, just a few months later, projects come rolling in. Now your team is slammed; they have worked up to their eyeballs. So you dig in with them and help knock out some client work. While you’re head’s down, you miss how…
I scheduled too many things today. Mondays are for thinking and writing, and I knew I had a lot to think about and at least one thing to write about. But two calls had slipped into my schedule. No, that’s not true. I said “Yes” to two calls today. That would have been OK, but…
Silicon Valley venture-capital-funded start-up companies have created a whole world of business advice and jargon to go with it. Much of that advice is irrelevant to the small, privately funded service firm owners reading this! However, one VC concept I find fascinating is “Product Market Fit.” (Or PMF as the tech bros call it.) Because…
For most of us, the start-up phase of our business involved a lot of fear. Speaking for myself, I was terrified that I couldn’t make a living. That every client that hired me would be the last. Or someone would figure out that I was making this whole thing up as I went. That makes…
You might have heard a lot about this concept of Founder Mode recently. (If you haven’t, count yourself lucky, delete this email, and get back to work. You’re living right!) The term grew from a post by Paul Graham about a talk that Brian Chesky gave at a Y-Combinator event. (Again, if you don’t know who those people are or what…
I’ve come to see that the only problem anyone ever has is believing things that aren’t true. ~ Steve Chandler As I talked to this agency owner about growth, she was getting fired up!1 “How much do you think I can grow in the next 12 months? Could I double my fees? Could I triple…
“…the strength of the pack is the Wolf and the strength of the Wolf is the pack.” ~ from Rudyard Kipling’s The Second Jungle Book Those who know me would tell you about my focus on improving daily. I strive to improve my craft, become a better listener, and grow in my ability to lead myself and influence…
When I was six years old, and my father was teaching me to ride a bike, we lived on a street with a big tree right in the middle of it. There was plenty of room to drive around it on either side, but the road was paved right up to the tree with no…
For the last 26 weeks, I’ve been emailing my coach weekly updates on important initiatives. I update her on everything from my self-leadership assessment to discoveries about becoming more humble and meek. The results are astonishing! These weekly reflections have enabled me to make rapid course corrections when I’m off track, significantly improving my focus….
Self-esteem is like a difficult-to-cultivate flower. It requires frequent nurturing that occurs when you keep your word and follow through on your promises. Derrick Bell This year, I’ve been on a journey to become more impeccable with my word. When I commit to being somewhere, doing something for someone, or following up, I’m more rigorous…