Archives for May 2014

Where, Not How

12bOne of the best parts of creating a Vivid Vision is the chance it gives you to tear off the shackles of reality and logic and fantasize about your future. But often, successful entrepreneurs have a hard time tapping into their creative side. The pragmatic, logical thought patterns that made them successful don’t allow a lot of room for imagination.

So when I am coaching these ambitious leaders, I spend a lot of time getting them out of their shell and into a creative space. The goal of a Vivid Vision (formerly Painted Picture) is to imagine ‘where’ you will take your company, not ‘how’ you’ll get there. And to make this work, you need to dream big and worry about the ‘how’ later.

I encourage my clients to think about crazy stuff. If it’s too outlandish to bring up in a meeting, then it should most likely be considered for your Vivid Vision.

To tap into my creative side, I use a technique called ‘mind mapping.’ I write down whatever thoughts pop into my head. Each notion inspires another thought, sometimes connected, often completely random.

After a while, I am left with a sheet of paper covered in haphazard, seemingly unconnected notes. But when I dig a little deeper, patterns begin to emerge. They are ideas or directions I might not have been actively thinking of, but my creative subconscious certainly was.

I wasn’t always this right brained. When I was COO of 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, I excused myself from the process of creating Vivid Vision. Not because I was lazy, but because I knew I’d get in the way by constantly asking “how.” How were going to get mentioned on Oprah? How were our offices going to be studied by Harvard?

At the time, I thought they were legitimate questions. Why waste our time on these outlandish ideas if we had no plan on how to achieve them?

It was only later, after I saw the power of Vivid Visions in action that I understood why we didn’t need to ask “how”. The “how” just happens organically.

These lofty goals and ‘crazy’ visions weren’t necessarily supposed to be achieved. Rather, they were meant to act as carrots, leading us down a positive path. Sure, that path might not end with our logo on Oprah’s show, but the steps we take in even trying to get there undoubtedly lead us to a better place. That’s the magic of the Vivid Vision.

So get out of your own way and imagine a future without limits. Who knows, you just might get there.

Use A Rifle To Find Top Employees

 

13bIf you’re contemplating the use of a search firm, chances are you are looking for a new Leader to join your team.  There are thousands of search firms to choose from and, making the right choice depends on the criteria you use in your selection process.

Here are a few tips and questions to think about:

  • Purpose, Culture and Values matter.  As you consider your search firm options, dig into the overall philosophical alignment between your company and that of the search firm.  Do you align?  Will your search partner challenge your thinking and push you to hire a better leader?  Make sure you select a search firm that understands your company’s Purpose, Values, Culture.  Most search firms know how to find individuals with the technical aptitude to do the job – that’s the easy part. The best search firms find Leaders who are profoundly connected to your Purpose, align with your Values, and fit into your Culture.
  • Engagement matters.  The Gallup organization states the number one reason why employee engagement is so low is due to poor leadership. People are more than just a resume, and it takes more than experience to be a Leader.  Does your search firm partner have a process that helps you benchmark the performance objectives of the role, uncover the requisite behavioral/personality profile of the role, and delivers an individual who cares about the same things your company cares about?  Finding a Leader who can influence real change and win the hearts and minds of your team can be the difference maker.
  • People matter.  The best Leaders are constantly being bombarded with job offers.  Is your search firm partner setting themselves apart through their outreach efforts/approach?  Are they simply using the same ‘rolodex’ they’ve always used?  Transformational Leaders have higher expectations; they want to know what your company stands for, the difference you are trying to make in the world, and that you care about more than just their resume. Be thoughtful in which search firm you select – their philosophy and process will have a tremendous impact on the future of your company.

Email me – Cameron@BackPocketCOO.com if you’d like an intro to the recruiting firms I have all my clients using.

Now, here are 5 reasons to use a Search/staffing company (non retained) all encompassing.

1.    Confidential representation and a proactive approach to connecting with quality candidates and leaders, often times with a replacement guarantee.  Hiring a 3rd party agency gives you the ability to discreetly call into your competitors.

2.     Hiring Experts:  Provide consultation and guidance to further define your role and ideal target candidates.

3.     Resources and Outreach: Search firms have the strength and focus to reach out to many more candidates.  Search firms expand your pool of candidates and save your company time.

4.     Stay focused on your core business:  Search firms are always hiring and reaching out to thousands of professionals each day.  Outsourcing a critical hire can save you and your team countless hours sourcing, screening, interviewing, and reference checks.

5.     Objectivity:  Professional search firms offer a consistently objective hiring process, which avoids biases, building continuity throughout the hiring process.  Search firms streamline the hiring process, eliminating many of the variables involved in a critical search.

Email me – Cameron@BackPocketCOO.com if you’d like an intro to the recruiting firms I have all my clients using…

Get Into Your (Dis)comfort Zone

14bChances are you’ve built a nice office for yourself. It’s a comfortable space filled with everything you need to get your job done, whether it’s your laptop or pictures of your family when you need a bit of motivation.

It’s the perfect spot to sit down and start mapping out the future of your company and your personal life.

And that’s why I absolutely forbid my clients from working on their Painted Pictures in there.

I tell them to get out of the office and go someplace inspirational. I’ve had clients work by the ocean, in the forest—heck, I wrote my Vivid Vision (formerly Painted Picture) from the hammock in my backyard.

Sure, these places ooze inspiration, but they also lack a lot of the distractions that can be fatal to the Vivid Vision process. Your office is brimming with distractions—emails, phone calls, people popping their heads in the door.

To visualizing your future properly, you need to focus. These interruptions can shatter your flow and drag the process out indefinitely.

Trying to conduct these visualization exercises in places like your office or a boardroom surrounds you with the minutia of the office environment. The hum of a copier, the murmur of phone conversations, even the white noise of the air exchange—these sounds can lock your brain into rigid, business-first thought patterns that will stifle the creativity it takes to really imagine a bright, exciting future.

A lot of my clients are decidedly left-brained. They’ve been successful their whole lives using rational, pragmatic thinking; just the kind of thinking that can sap all the energy and usefulness out of this exercise.

The idea is to dream about ‘where’ you can go without concerning yourself with ‘how’ you’ll get there. It’s easy to get caught up in asking ‘how’ when you are surrounded by sales charts and spreadsheets. Freeing yourself from the office frees your mind from the boundaries of business metrics. You’re able to fantasize without letting reality rain on your parade.

I also discourage you from using your computer when cobbling your Vivid Vision together. First of all, a blank word processor page is far from inspiring. Secondly, the distraction of email, the Internet, Minesweeper or other cyber-diversions is counterproductive.

Instead, use a sketchpad and a good, quality pen. There is something truly inspiring about putting pen to paper. It really is a lost art. And once you get over the hand cramps, you’ll find the tactile feel of the pen irresistible, and the blank sheet will be more like a blank canvas that you’ll quickly fill up with ideas and visions for your future. Then, once you’ve sketched a rough Vivid Vision, you can use your computer to put it all together.

Most of us complain that we spend too much time in the office anyway. So here is the perfect excuse to get out of it. Enjoy the sunshine, breath in the fresh air and visualize your perfect future.

NO, You Are NOT More Important…

I’m tired of hearing CEOs or Execs say that one area of their company is more important than another.

NOT true.

Think of Phantom of the Opera.  There are only ever 2 or 3 people on stage.

However, there are a couple hundred people doing marketing, sales, finance, operations, music, lighting, costumes, set design etc. etc.  Without those couple hundred people, the stars would NEVER be stars.

Front Stage & Back Stage exists in EVERY company.  Yours is no different.

Sales is NOT more important than Accounting.  And don’t ever treat them that way again.

 

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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.