Archives for September 2010

Be Yourself, Everyone Else Is Already Taken

I must admit I always struggled with writing down what the core values for my company BackPocket COO would be.  In fact, I found it easier to put them in place for companies I’ve built in the past because I had teams of people.  Now my company is me, and some awesome virtual people doing design, research, assistance, SEM, writing, etc.

A few months ago after helping a client’s company nail their core values I was on a flight home, and I realized the core values for my company were already inside me, I just had to close my eyes, and feel them.  Then in a rush, they came out:

Do What You Love – Be Authentic – Deliver What You Promise – Balance Is Key

Once I scribbled them down, I knew they were right.  They were values I already lived by and felt energized by.  They fit like my Saturday comfy hangover jeans and sweatshirt do.

Do What You Love – is based on the concept of Unique Ability by Dan Sullivan.  Coaching, Mentoring & Speaking are fun for me.  I’m great at them.  I get energized doing them.  And others get energy watching me.  I love em.  And I’d do them for free – but my kids like to eat.

Be Authentic – It drives me nuts when people put on a game face, or a professional voice etc. I’ve always found that when people are REALLY themselves, they resonate with everyone around them.  My energy vibrates when I’m being me.  I become a magnet, and I know it.  When I wear what I want, say what I mean, and let my vulnerabilities out, others are attracted to me – and I am to them.  It feels great being me.  Besides, I might as well be myself, everyone else is taken.

Deliver What You Promise – Period.  Nuff said.  If I need to explain this one – ummm, we can’t be friends.

Balance Is Key – I get one life.  And I’m not going to live it working 65 hour weeks any more.  I once did 117 hours in a week and wore it like a badge of honor.  What an ass I was back then.  Now I try to live by a couple mantras:  1) Remain Interested to Remain Interesting (thanks Jillian Dixon Boxer) and 2) The Lazy Entrepreneur (thanks Dave Feller).  I know ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun’ but damn it, I do too…

What are your core values ?

Tennis anyone ?

For more information on this topic, check out: Building a World Class Culture.

College Pro Painters = 10x an MBA

Grieg Clark, Founder of College Pro Painters

25 years ago in Dec 1985 I was admitted to what I now know was my real world MBA.  And the guy in the picture Grieg Clark started it all in 1971.

Almost 40 years later, College Pro Painters is still, in my opinion, the single biggest reason I am where I am today in business.

That December I was awarded the Sudbury franchise of College Pro Painters.  And I was scared to death.  I remember my father telling me, go ahead, sign the 62 page franchise agreement.  Worst case scenario is you’ll go bankrupt, but what do you have to lose at 21.  You’ll learn a ton.  And wow, he underestimated what I learned.  And what I made.

I ran my franchise for 3 summers.  Over the three summers with College Pro Painters, I earned approximately $60,000 in profit.  I paid 100% of my own way through University.  And at 23 years old I invested the remaining money I had in my first house.  Yes, I was debt free, owned a house, and had paid my entire way through school.

In addition to making great money, and being able to take university girls to the top restaurants in Ottawa on dates, I learned a ton.  I had 12 full time employees at 21 years old.  I ran sales, marketing, advertising, operations, production, hiring, etc.  I learned how to interview, lead people, and even deal with lawyers.  I ran my own accounting system.  I literally learned how to run a business, and not from Professors who I quickly learned were all theory, I learned from brilliant leaders like Steve Rogers, James Jones, Mary Mowbray, Kevin Carter, Ron Martin, Paul Hayman, Don Darby and the list goes on.  It’s funny really.  I can’t tell you the name of a single professor I had, nor what I learned in University.

I’m so lucky I had what it took to get awarded a franchise, and to succeed at running it: early signs of Leadership, Attainment, Tenacity, Introspection, Precision etc.  However, what I really had were the systems of an awesome company, and the passion and skills of those people who taught me.  Everything I learned 25 years ago, I still use in building companies and coaching CEOs today.

Funny, my brother and sister both ran franchises with College Pro too.  And we all own and run our own companies today.  Sure glad I didn’t go get that high paying $15/Hr job at GM.

Get the Right People on Your Cult Bus

Attracting the right people is crucial to becoming a cultural magnet. When you have great people who are over the top positive about your company, you’re on the fast track to creating a powerful culture and a successful business.

 

But you’ve got to get the right people on your bus and the wrong people off. This is especially true when it comes to cultivating the right culture in your workplace. One bad apple will actually spoil the whole bunch.

At times you may not have to get them off the bus so much as you may need to move them into a better seat.  Once you put them in the right position, if it’s the right person in the right seat, you’ll see the energy level increase, too.

Whenever I discuss culture and getting the right people, I almost always think of the time when I was president of Barter Business Exchange. At that point in time, I had a “Director of First Impressions,” which in typical business settings would be a receptionist or office manager. But since this wasn’t a typical business setting, and I didn’t want a receptionist–I wanted someone who would knock the socks off of any customers, suppliers or employees with positive energy as soon as they walked in the front door. Our Director of First Impressions, Tina Etchart, did just that.  She nailed the first impression every time with her smile, awesome tone and great energy.  What first impression are you setting right at the front door? As the saying goes, “you never get a second chance to create a first impression.” Remember that.

When Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were starting Apple they knew exactly what they were looking for in their employees. They hired people who wanted to challenge the status quo. They hired people who wanted to empower the human race. They weren’t about making computers.  Steve Jobs wanted to put a dent in the universe.  And he hired people who could help them achieve that goal.

Hire people who are passionate about their work. Hire people that have deep passions outside of work. And how do you know you’re creating the right energy? Prospective employees will say things like, “I just want in,” and “You’re the ONLY company I want to work for.”

For information on this topic, check out: Leadership at 100MPH.

Stir the Kool-Aid

Years ago, my friend and brilliant speaker, Jack Daly, pushed me to ask myself, “What one thing did I do today to raise the energy level of my team?”

When I think about it, it makes sense.  The speed of the leader is the speed of the group.

One of your jobs as a leader, no matter where in the company you are, is to raise the energy level of your team. On the flip side, also ask yourself what you did to destroy the energy of the team?

I distinctly remember the times I’ve taken an entire team and destroyed their energy and passion for days by saying the wrong thing or by publicly coming down on them.  I’d even feel myself doing it and didn’t stop.  I had to learn how to listen to my conscience and let it guide me.  Trying to slow down before I’d say something would help, but it was hard for me.

In the must read book, The One Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard nailed it when he stated, “Two strokes for one poke.”  Others call it a “shit sandwich,” which basically means that if you give constructive criticism, try to sandwich it between things you are happy about and can praise the employee for doing.

By being a better communicator, you’ll produce employees that understand your goals and communicate well to others on the team.

As you walk into the office each day, think about the things you can do to raise the energy in your workplace.  Be yourself, but find ways to stir the Kool-Aid every day.

As my mentor said, if you want and awesome company culture “focus on building something slightly more than a business and slightly less than a religion.”  To really build that cult (culture) you have to always be looking to raise the energy of the group.  Find a way.

I’d love to hear what you do in your company to raise the energy level of your team.

For more information on this topic, check out: Building a World Class Culture.

Fire Who Ever Made This Sign

Who made this sign ? Seriously ?

Fire them…

I never understand why some employees do tasks that they know are stupid, pointless, useless, redundant etc. just cuz “we’ve always done it that way”.

Make today Waste Less Wednesday. Ask your employees to find one thing that the company does that is stupid or a wastes time. And stop doing it. Forever.

For more information on this topic, check out: Building a World Class Culture.

Do You Need To Change It? Really?

In my experience, IT is brilliant, yet often disconnected from what customers or employees need. IT often installs the newest technology that no one needs.

Operations ends up having to deal with customer & employee problems related to this bleeding edge IT, and overhead increases too.

Do you need to change it ? Really ? Or does the same solution you’ve used for 100 years still work ? What do you think ?

Big Thinkers Can’t Speak

At Burning Man 2010, I learned that thinkers don’t get their points across to do’ers.

Thinkers, who ramble on about their brilliant (which they are) ideas, just end up with a lot of other brilliant thinkers saying ‘ya, totally, I agree’.

However, the do’ers have no idea what the thinkers have said, are to embarrassed to say so… and nothing get’s done.

Net/Net: Lots of brilliant ideas swirling around with no one doing anything about them.

It’d sure be great if the thinkers could dumb it down for us do’ers a bit.

Thots ?

book-4

Meetings Suck: Turning One Of The Most Loathed Elements Of Business Into One Of The Most Valuable

We all know that meetings suck, right?

You hear it all the time. It’s the one thing that almost everyone in business can agree on.

Except it’s not actually true… 

Meetings don’t suck.

We just suck at running meetings.   

When done right, meetings not only work, they make people and companies better.

In Meetings Suck, world renowned business expert and growth guru Cameron Herold teaches you how to use focused, time effective meetings to help you and your company soar.

This book shows you immediately actionable, step-by-step systems that ensure that you and everyone in your organization improves your meetings, right away.

In the process, you’ll turn meetings that suck into meetings that work. 

In life, we always hear about people who’ve made huge decisions from their gut – without data.Today, I want you to make a decision, not only from your gut, but also from some data.  A decision that is only $12 per employee but will be priceless for your business.

Right now, your gut is telling you something is wrong with your company’s meetings.  You KNOW everyone complains about meetings.

People HATE going to them, they HATE running them, and they really have NO idea which meetings are truly necessary but they hold meetings simply because they think that is what they SHOULD do.

Even some of the smartest CEOs in the world complain about meetings – Elon Musk publicly told employees at Tesla & SpaceX to walk out of meetings if they weren’t being run properly.

I sent Elon a message saying that wasn’t going to fix anything – the key is to fix the root of the problem – NOT continue to ignore why meetings suck.

A Meeting is – Any phone call, video call or occasion where 2 or more people meet to discuss or work-through office topics.

Most employees on average spend 1-2 hours per day in meetings.

And likely, none of those employees – front-line staff or leaders – have had any training on how to attend meetings or participate in them, LET ALONE How to RUN THEM.

Consider this…

If the Average employee spends just 1 Hour per day in meetings – that’s 1/8th of their time.

If the Average employee earns $50,000 per year.

And they’re spending 1/8th of their time in meetings, that means you’re paying $6,250 dollars per year for just ONE employee to attend meetings.

The reality is, employees spend 1/8th of their time – and 1/8th of your company’s payroll – doing something they have literally NO idea how to do.

The Reality is…

95% of employees are booking & leading meetings – and they have NEVER been trained on how to run them.

95% of employees have had NO training on how to show up and participate in the meetings they attend daily.

And 95% of employees and companies have no idea what meetings are even necessary to hold.

Meetings CAN be hugely effective – IF you know how to run them

Meetings don’t SUCK, we just SUCK at running meetings. 

Investing $15 per employee – to help ensure the $50,000 a year you spend on them is an obvious and easy choice.

This could be the most impactful $15 you’ll ever spend and will save the company’s money, time and resources instantly.

Buying a copy of Meetings Suck for 100% of your employees and having them read it this month will have a huge impact on your company’s success.

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Free PR: How To Get Chased By The Press Without Hiring A PR Firm

Public relations has always been an essential part of doing business which is probably why you’re shelling out big money to an outside PR firm. But the truth is that you don’t need them. You already have all the necessary tools in-house to do as good a job as the so-called experts. 

Cameron Herold and Adrian Salamunovic have taught thousands of company execs how to exploit free media coverage and ditch these expensive, often ineffective outsiders. 

Cameron & Adrian have also built in-house PR teams, spent decades learning how to generate Free PR and how to leverage public relations to complement their sales and marketing strategy. 

In Free PR, you’ll learn how the media world operates while you gain invaluable insider knowledge and actionable advice on how to: 

  • Build your own in-house PR team
  • Provide effective interviews
  • Score great media coverage for free with just a few easy steps 

Landing public relations coverage for yourself and your company is a powerful tool to help elevate your personal brand. PR is easier to generate than marketing, PR is easier to leverage than marketing and PR is more cost effective than marketing. In other words, Public Relations is more critical than ever in growing your brand and your business. 

You’ve got more passion, commitment, a larger stake, and a deeper understanding of your business than any outside PR firm could ever have. So stop wasting money and take the reins yourself.  Learn the secrets to landing TONS of Free PR for your company.

What they’re saying:

“I think PR is the core for promoting any business. Public relations acquires customers! That’s what’s cool about this book.”

– Kevin O’Leary,  Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank

“The ultimate guidebook for those looking to get press, grow their brand, and get in front of the masses. Free PR is the roadmap you’ve been looking for.”

– Peter Shankman, Founder, Help a Reporter Out (HARO)

“Adrian and Cameron will show you the secrets of getting massive exposure for your business. This book is packed with actionable insights from two guys that actually know how to to do it.”

– Dan Martell,  Serial Entrepreneur & Investor (Intercom.io, Unbounce)

“I told Cameron to write the book on generating free PR. I’m excited to see that he’s finally sharing his secrets with the world. This is a must read for any entrepreneurial company and marketing team.”

– Verne Harnish, Founder of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) and author of Scaling Up (Rockefeller Habits 2.0)

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Vivid Vision: A Remarkable Tool For Aligning Your Business Around a Shared Vision of the Future

Many corporations have slick, flashy mission statements that ultimately do little to motivate employees and less to impress customers, investors, and partners. 

But there is a way to share your excitement for the future of your company in a clear, compelling, and powerful way and entrepreneur and business growth expert Cameron Herold can show you how. 

Vivid Vision is a revolutionary tool that will help owners, CEOs, and senior managers create inspirational, detailed, and actionable three-year mission statements for their companies. In this easy-to-follow guide, Herold walks organization leaders through the simple steps to creating their own Vivid Vision, from brainstorming to sharing the ideas to using the document to drive progress in the years to come. 

By focusing on mapping out how you see your company looking and feeling in every category of business, without getting bogged down by data and numbers or how it will happen, Vivid Vision creates a holistic road map to success that will get all of your teammates passionate about the big picture. 

Your company is your dream, one that you want to share with your staff, clients, and stakeholders. Vivid Vision is the tool you need to make that dream a reality.

miracle-morning

The Miracle Morning for
Entrepreneurs: Elevate Your SELF to
Elevate Your BUSINESS

READY FOR EXPLOSIVE GROWTH AS AN ENTREPRENEUR AND ACCELERATED SUCCESS IN THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

A step-by-step guide to enjoying the roller-coaster ride of growth — while getting the most out of life as an entrepreneur. A growth-focused approach: The book is divided into three sections, which cover planning for fast growth, building a company for fast growth, and leading for fast growth. Each topic the author covers — from creating a vision for the company’s future to learning how to generate free PR for a developing company — is squarely focused on the end goal: doubling the size of the entrepreneur’s company in three years or less. A down-to-earth action plan: Herold’s experienced-based advice never gets bogged down in generalities or theory. Instead, he offers a wealth of practical tips, including: How to design meetings for maximum efficiency; How to hire top-quality talent; How to grow in particularly tough markets; How to put together a board of advisors — even for a smaller company; How even the busy entrepreneur can achieve a work/life balance.

READY FOR EXPLOSIVE GROWTH AS AN ENTREPRENEUR AND ACCELERATED SUCCESS IN THE REST OF YOUR LIFE?

Hal Elrod’sThe Miracle Morning has helped redefine the mornings and the lives of millions of readers since 2012. Since then, careers have been launched, goals have been met, and dreams have been realized, all through the power of the Miracle Morning’s six Life S.A.V.E.R.S.

THESE SIX DAILY PRACTICES WILL FUEL YOUR EFFORTS TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN POSITIVE CHANGE IN YOUR LIFE.

Now The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs brings you these principles in a whole new light—alongside the Entrepreneurial Elevation Principles and the Entrepreneur’s Elevation Skills. These are essential skills that you need to create a successful business and personal life. Cameron Herold— Bestselling Author and a widely-respected expert on entrepreneurial mindset—brings his wisdom and insight to you using Hal Elrod’s powerful Miracle Morning framework.

DEVELOP A VISION FOR YOUR BUSINESS, AND BECOME THE INFLUENTIAL AND INSPIRING LEADER YOU WERE ALWAYS MEANT TO BE.

The principles and skills you’ll find in this book will help you to channel your passion and achieve balance in a remarkable new way. – Learn why mornings matter more than you think – Learn how to master your own self-leadership and accelerate your personal development – Learn how to manage your energy—physical, mental, and emotional – Learn how to implement Hal Elrod’s invaluable Life S.A.V.E.R.S. in your daily routine – And much more… You’re already an entrepreneur. Now discover how to take your success to the next level by first taking yourself to the next level. The Miracle Morning for Entrepreneurs is your roadmap to masterfully building an empire with a powerful vision, utilizing your areas of personal genius, with the right team at your side.

Start giving your business and your life the very best opportunities for success, right now.

A step-by-step guide to enjoying the roller-coaster ride of growth — while getting the most out of life as an entrepreneur. A growth-focused approach: The book is divided into three sections, which cover planning for fast growth, building a company for fast growth, and leading for fast growth. Each topic the author covers — from creating a vision for the company’s future to learning how to generate free PR for a developing company — is squarely focused on the end goal: doubling the size of the entrepreneur’s company in three years or less. A down-to-earth action plan: Herold’s experienced-based advice never gets bogged down in generalities or theory. Instead, he offers a wealth of practical tips, including: How to design meetings for maximum efficiency; How to hire top-quality talent; How to grow in particularly tough markets; How to put together a board of advisors — even for a smaller company; How even the busy entrepreneur can achieve a work/life balance.