I recently read a story about an editor who worked on a book manuscript. She finished editing it and turned it in to the publisher, who paid her the agreed-upon fee. Later she found out that the publisher chose not to publish the book and she was crestfallen. “All that work for nothing,” she said….
Last week I was talking to two different business owners, both were in similar circumstances, but they told me very different stories. Business Owner 1 This business owner runs a marketing firm that focuses on urban real estate companies. They had some terrible years in 2008 – 2012 — but the owner told a very…
It can’t keep going like this! You hustle to get more work (‘cause you NEED more work). But when the work comes in, too much of it falls on you! Yes, there’s a team, but it takes more time to get them to do the kick-off and set up the billing, and schedule the status…
I just got back from a family trip two weeks ago, and then a conference last week, so my to-do list is bursting at the seams as I try to get caught up. This is the kind of situation where I need to be 100% focused and productive, but my brain is all, “We need…
Sometimes I procrastinate. I have something that would be easy if I just got it done, but instead, I put it off. Do you ever do that? Recently, I procrastinated on a deliverable that was my client was anxious to see. What I promised him seemed simple enough at the outset, it quickly showed itself…
Drove back from Boston to Chicago last weekend to ferry my new college graduate (and all her stuff) back home. Along the way, we played the license plate game. (We found 47 states in just over 1000 miles!) I couldn’t help but notice that every time we found a New Hampshire plate, I had a…
In the last two emails, I’ve talked about some common problems that entrepreneurs confront when they are growing their business. They are over-invested in their importance and competence. They believe, “If I work harder, it will get better.” They don’t see anyone helping them — it’s all up to them. They can’t let go… If…
My son, who works in the restaurant industry, sent me this fantastic podcast where David Chang interviews Chris Bianco (of Pizzeria Bianco) and Chad Robertson (of Tartine Bakery) about their lives and careers. It’s incredible; you should listen to it. But what struck me most about the interview was how the problems, fears, and challenges…
Just like children, businesses grow through predictable phases. We start life as baby startups, then progress to raging growth companies, before settling into a more stable “adult” phase. Here’s my version of this story focused primarily on B2B service businesses. See if you see any of your own experiences in it. Baby startup Once upon…
I want to get started making videos to help me build an audience and to improve the search optimization of some of my content. I’ve been cruising around YouTube checking out creators who have unique styles. I’m itching to figure out what gear I need and plan out some videos to create. Starting something new…