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Weekend edition

May 4, 2013

My scrumptious supper.

Do you take weekends off?

I don’t.

Don’t think I’m proud of that.

I’m not.

This evening, Dave and I relaxed on the patio with glasses of wine in hand. I’d taken a couple hours to clean the grill and cook the magnificent supper pictured at left.

As we enjoyed the memory of our meal, I asked Dave if he’d heard back from the HVAC guy.

“Nah,” he said. “It’s the weekend.”

“Well,” I replied, “if you called me about a job that you needed done by Thursday, and it was the weekend, I’d damn well call you back.”

Pause.

Is that the right answer?

Is there a right answer?

Before I had Sam, I looked forward to holidays because they meant I could work without interruption.

Now…well, holidays aren’t quite the same.

I’m posting on a Saturday.

I didn’t mean to post on a Saturday. I got busy. I missed my second post this week. I considered skipping it.

But then the shame came. The shame of not living up to my own ideas of who I am.

That particular shame cuts both ways.

The introvert charger.

I recently suggested that someone should invent an introvert charger. Just plug yourself in and get your mojo back after a week of wretched PEOPLE.

My friend Kimberly said, “I’m already doing this. I’m sitting outside with a glass of wine.”

I’m not going to tell you to put. down. the. cellphone. Although maybe you should.

Maybe just for today.

Posted in Motivation, Running Your Business, Time Management | 2 Comments »

On being the person who figures sh*t out

May 1, 2013

Photo by the Italian voice

I recently attended a Leadership Montgomery session where we talked about the state of education in our fair county.

We are fortunate to have the superintendent of schools, Josh Starr, in our class, as well as the sitting president of the school board, the immediate past president of the county PTA, a school principal, and others who are on the front line of education.

In his remarks, Josh talked about how the greatest issue facing public schools today is the democratization of information. As he put it, “Do you need to memorize a fact if you can Google it?”

Your 21st Century Skill Set

The most important thing I look for when I’m interviewing a potential programmer or writer or designer is this: is this the kind of person who can figure shit out?

I taught myself to code websites. Out of a book. Unsurprisingly, given that I’m an unabashed English major.

But the truth is, in programming (and I would argue, in any job), you can’t know everything you may one day have to know. You have to be able to figure it out on the fly.

When someone asks if you can do a thing, you say “Yes!”

Way back when I started the Collective, I was coming off of a job where I had managed the development of a custom, web-based CRM. Heady stuff for 1999.

Note, I hadn’t built anything - I had only worked on a theoretical level, managing the smartypants who actually did the coding.

My first year in business, some of my former colleagues had spun off from that company and asked me if I could build a system like that for them.

I said “YES!”

Then I went to Barnes and Noble and bought a book called Data-Driven Websites or something like that.

When you have the ability to figure shit out, you can do that and get away with it.

You’re not a fraud.

I have many friends who are entrepreneurs of all stripes, and they ALL say the same thing.

When somebody asks if you can do a thing, you say “Yes!” And then you go figure it out.

These days, the interwebs being what they are, it’s a lot easier to figure stuff out on the fly. Use that.

Because not everyone can do it.

If you can, you win.

Posted in Innovation, Running Your Business | Leave a Comment »

How to Succeed In Business (or whatever career you choose)

April 26, 2013

Photo by Tony Hall

My run-in with my friends at McDaniel College on Monday night has gotten me thinking.

If we chunk it all down, is it possible to come up with a list of core competencies that are essential to career success?

Here’s my list:

1. Write clearly and with style.

This came up several times on Monday night. Granted, all the members of the panel were English nerds, but we agreed that learning to communicate our ideas clearly in writing was essential.

Think about all the writing you do in the course of a day. Email, proposals, blog posts, instant messages. Most days I write WAY more than I talk. So learn how to make a compelling argument in writing.

If you make spelling errors, use txt speak, or regularly choose the wrong word, that goes right to your credibility. How can I know if your ideas are any good if you can’t express them?

That’s not to say all writing should be formal. Far from it. It’s important to have a voice, and there are times when that voice can and should be snarky, indignant or flat out funny.

But there’s a difference between informal writing and bad writing. Know what that difference is, and use it to your advantage.

(Here’s hoping there aren’t any typos in this post).

2. Be able to defend your ideas orally.

Even though writing well is critically important, you also need to be able to defend your ideas orally.

Nothing impresses a prospect more than the ability to generate ideas and recommendations on the fly. I think that comes mostly from experience, but looking for opportunities to practice public speaking can give you a leg up.

I’m not suggesting you become a bullshit artist. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with saying “I don’t know,” or “I’ll have to think about that.” But being able to design and deliver an effective presentation is a skill everyone needs to cultivate.

3. Have a point of view.

The fastest way to stand out from the masses is to have a point of view.

Anybody can repeat what others have already said. But it takes a certain courage to develop your own opinions. Have a philosophy of how your work should be done, and talk about it whenever and wherever you can.

Is there a prevailing point of view that differs from your own? Even better! Use skills 1 and 2 to write and talk about how your ideas are better.

You may be proven wrong, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Every great thinker has a few stinkers in their ideabook.

Have the courage to stand out and the universe will reward you with the attention you seek.

What do you think of my career advice? Anything you would add? Tell me in the comments.

Posted in Motivation, Running Your Business, Writing | Leave a Comment »

On Fairy Dust

April 18, 2013

What would you do with a pile of fairy dust?

What I wouldn’t give for a big pile of fairy dust.

If I had a bag of that stuff, I’d sprinkle it on the other folks in the collective and they would magically conform to my wishes. I’d douse my kid and he’d stop saying “Son of a FISH!” over and over and over again. I’d blow some at my husband and he would start compulsively folding his own underwear.

But I digress. Back to business. I’d sprinkle it on a prospect and she’d turn into a glowing client. I’d heave some at a university, or government building, or giant corporate campus and have enough work for a year.

What would you do with a bag of fairy dust?

So, I don’t have any fairy dust.

Bummer, right?

I could sit around and lament my lack of fairy dust.

Or…

I could get off my butt and make things happen. I could fire up my team and wow that prospect and work my contacts inside that university.

Which path would you choose?

Which path are you choosing now?

Posted in Marketing, Motivation, Running Your Business, Sales | 2 Comments »

On Risk and Failure

April 16, 2013

Risk and reward go hand in hand in business and life.

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about risk and failure. And risk of failure. Etc.

The Safe Thing

The safe thing is a seductress. She lures you in with her certainty and her comfort. Before you know it, you’re shacking up and splitting the electric bill.

Do you have options? Of course you do! The beauty of this place and time is that we all have more options than we could ever explore in a lifetime. In fact, the dizzying array of options can in itself be paralyzing.

But say there are two options you’re really interested in. Now consider, are you splitting the difference?

Because that’s the safe road. And the safe road is a prison.

My Story

Seven years ago I leased an office and hired six people and otherwise went absolutely batshit insane. And you know what? It was a horrible failure.

That experience still colors every decision I make today, if I let it.

But when I get to my center, away from the fear, I wonder: “Why should I let ancient failures limit me in this way? Is making a bad decision years ago proof that I will make a bad decision this afternoon?”

The answer, of course, is no.

So?

I think the only way to grow is to throw ourselves wholeheartedly into the thing that we want most. And the thing we want the most is very often the thing we fear.

What do you think?

Posted in Motivation, Running Your Business | Leave a Comment »

On Saying Yes

April 3, 2013

Yes!

Have you ever noticed that the car is the absolute best place to talk to your kids?

Last night, Dave reported the following car ride conversation:

Sam: “Dad, lately, mommy’s been saying yes to me.”

Dave: “About what?”

Sam: “Well, if I want a new video game or something, she lets me download it.”

Dave: “Wow, that must cost a lot of money.”

Sam: “No, dad! They’re free!”

For a long time, I had this weird mental block about letting Sam download too many games to my iPad. Even the free ones.

I guess, on some level, I thought video games would melt his brain. Or the iPad. And since he’s not quite a reader, a new game would require a lot of attention from me.

But mostly, I just had a weird mental block about it.

What’s in your way?

Sometimes it feels like we live our lives inside a glass maze. We can’t see the walls, but they keep us moving along the same well-worn paths.

Sometimes we reach a dead-end and get stuck for a while. It doesn’t take long to forget how you got there.

Because the walls are invisible, you can see your goal, but you can’t quite get there. It’s just out of reach, taunting you.

So what’s in your way? What invisible mental block is preventing you from getting where you want to go?

Saying Yes Makes All the Difference

Yes is the most powerful word in the universe.

When you say yes, you open yourself up to all sorts of possibilities that didn’t exist before.

With Sam, I’ve made it a point to say yes when I can, and that’s made a huge difference in our relationship.

You also have the power to say yes. You can say yes to this moment. You can accept what is and move from that place of acceptance.

No is the path of resistance. No is the deadend in the glass maze.

The good news? You can begin again. Begin by saying yes.

Posted in Motivation, Running Your Business | Leave a Comment »

Thinking: A How To Guide

March 29, 2013

Pondering

In his personal development masterpiece Lead the Field, Earl Nightingale contends that most people will do anything in their power to avoid using the great computer between their ears.

It’s telling that I can’t find the exact quote on the web. I suspect that’s because no one wants to believe it’s true.

The first time Earl accused me of avoiding thinking, I was annoyed. “But Earl,” I protested, “I think all the time! I can’t stop thinking!”

Then I realized, not all thoughts are created equal.

The Thoughts That Consume Us

Worry might actually be the lowest form of thought. I recently shared an item on Facebook that read “Worry is a mis-use of imagination.”

How many days (weeks? years?) have you wasted worrying about things that never came to pass? You calculated all your moves. You had a brilliant plan to mitigate a disaster that never materialized.

I’m exhausted just thinking about it.

The Thoughts We Consume

The best kinds of thoughts are the ones that feed us. These thoughts include:

Dreaming
Planning
Prioritizing
Scheduling
Imagining

These are the thoughts we avoid, according to Earl (and me).

Why? Because dreaming seems indulgent. And imagining isn’t something you can put on your timesheet.

But sitting with a challenge or an opportunity and really pondering it is the only way to create something new.

And if you’re not creating something new, what the hell are you doing here?

You’re Doing It Wrong

Are you extremely busy all the time?
Do you feel like you’re on a treadmill that’s moving faster and faster?
Do you have two speeds? Full on sprint and “Oops, I just drooled on myself”?

If so, you need to take some time to think, dream and plan.

What Will Happen If You Don’t Change?

You may not find the “refusing to think” quote on the interwebs, but you will find this equally disturbing one:

“People are where they are because that is exactly where they really want to be, whether they will admit that or not.”

- Earl Nightingale

Don’t be that guy. You’re better than that, and so am I.

Posted in Motivation, Running Your Business | Leave a Comment »

In Business: Follow Up FAQ

March 21, 2013

When to follow up? I say NOW!

Part of an occasional series on simple things you can do to grow your business.

Follow up.

Oh, how I hate it.

I have this theory. If you’re going to buy what I’m selling, you’re going to buy what I’m selling. I don’t need to chase you around reminding you I exist like a sixth grader crushing on an older boy.

Too bad that’s a terrible theory.

I submit for your consideration my Follow Up FAQ:

Do I have to?

Let’s get this out of the way at the start: you have to follow up.

If you meet someone at a networking event and you hit it off, you have to be the one who calls to set a date for coffee.
If you give someone a proposal and don’t hear back, you have to keep asking. Call, email, hire a skywriter if you have to. But don’t let that thing die until they say no.

Why should I?

You like to eat, don’t you?

But why me?

Because you’re the one who wants something. If the other person wanted something from you, she would have followed up already.

Won’t I annoy the prospect if I follow up too much?

Define too much.

Of course, if you call a person every single day asking what’s going on with your proposal, you’re going to annoy them. But that’s not an excuse to let someone fall off the radar, and if you’re whining this much about follow-up, I already know that’s what’s happening.

If you’re intuitive like me, you probably know how much is too much. If not, make a follow up schedule and run it by one of your more intuitive friends. Then stick to the schedule.

How can I seem less like a stalker when I’m following up?

Here are some ideas for keeping your “creepy factor” to a minimum:

Vary your media. If you sent an email last time, try a phone call or text message. Remember that less intrusive methods of follow up are potentially less annoying, but they are also easier to ignore. Switch it up.
Stay visible. If it’s been a while and the person refuses to say yes or no to your request, switch to hanging around without asking the question. Comment on a facebook post or respond to a tweet. Just keep your face in front of the person and bide your time until you feel like it’s cool to ask again.

Doesn’t silence mean no?

Absolutely not.

There are only two answers to any question you can ask in business: “Yes” or “No.” A non-answer is something like “Not yet,” and you should treat it that way.

I realize that sounds like creepy-sales-guy-talk, but it’s true. Yes, it’s possible that your prospect simply doesn’t have the guts to say no to you, but don’t make it easier on them by assuming that’s true. Make them say yes or no, period.

One trick that works for me is to give people permission to say no. I usually do this if I’ve been following up with no response for a couple of weeks. I’ll just say, “Hey, if you’ve decided to go another direction, it’s totally fine. Just let me know.” If I still don’t get a no, then that’s a not yet. Hey, Mr. Prospect, you just gave me permission to keep bugging you!

When should I give up?

I’m tempted to say never, but that’s not realistic.

When you’ve exhausted every possible angle and the person still isn’t responding, it makes sense to stop actively pursuing the prospect. I wouldn’t give up completely though.

I have a color coded spreadsheet where I track prospects.

Green: If this job happens, we’re doing it.
Yellow: This job may not happen, but I still feel like we’ve got it if it goes.
Red: This job is unlikely to happen or we are unlikely to get the job when it goes.

There have been plenty of times when I’ve moved people down to yellow only to get the job later, and even a few cases where red jobs have roared back to life. You never know.

When something’s yellow or a red, it just means I follow up less often and less intrusively. And I employ lots of social media stalking, looking for opportunities to restart the conversation.

The point?

Disciplined follow up helps you keep your options open so you can react to the right opportunity at the right time.

Posted in Running Your Business, Sales, Time Management | Leave a Comment »

Good morning. I’m six!

March 19, 2013

Somebody’s six!

Sunday was Sam’s sixth birthday.

It was also the day of his elder brother’s engagement party, which meant that Sam’s milestone came and went without a whole lot of fanfare.

Monday was a whole different story.

Sam marched into school, chest puffed out. I trailed behind with an enormous tray of brownies, still warm from the oven. As we made our way down the hall, Sam greeted everyone he could find:

“Good morning. I’m six!”

Occasionally one of his friends would shake his head in disbelief. Sam insisted, “No really. I had my birthday!”

This gave me an idea about telling people who you are.

Facepalm

It’s happened to you more than once, I’d wager.

You met someone you know well at a networking event. A third joined you. Your friend started to introduce you and then…couldn’t remember what you do. Or anything else that’s worth saying about you.

She finally stammered, “Uh…well, Ann does web stuff.”

Thanks for the ringing endorsement, buddy.

The Art of Telling People Who You Are

There is an art to telling people who you are. You don’t want to be pushy or obvious, but hey, I haven’t met any actual mind readers lately, have you?

All too often, we bury ourselves in layer upon layer of obscurity, then expect everyone else to jackhammer through all that sediment to discover what’s at our core. Maybe even we begin to forget what’s down there.

This isn’t surprising. It’s so hard to be vulnerable. Much easier to encase ourselves in something hard and impenetrable.

But I can think of so many reasons that the world deserves to know you. And if I force myself, I can think of almost as many reasons that the world deserves to know me too.

It’s not an easy road, but it’s critical to becoming the person you were meant to be.

Posted in Marketing, Motivation, Personal, Running Your Business | 2 Comments »

On following your own advice

March 12, 2013

iStock_000001637391XSmall

See if this is true for you:

As a consultant, I spend a lot of time doling out advice. But when it comes to applying that advice to my own my business, I often fall short.

I’ve got the same reasons as you:

I’m too busy.
I’m too broke.
I’m too tired.
I’m not sure what to do.

Except that last one – that isn’t quite true. I know exactly what to do. I’m just not doing it.

I’m not sure why.

Chalk it up to fear of rejection, or downright laziness, but lately, I’ve been the marketer who couldn’t market her way out of a paper bag.

I’ve seen this same pattern over and over again with my clients, from organization development people who don’t pay attention to the health of their organizations to health coaches who are carrying around a few extra pounds.**

My point is, we all have moments when we long to take the easy way out – to spout off rather than apply what we know to ourselves.

But that doesn’t get you where you want to go. And it doesn’t do wonders for your clients’ confidence in you either.

So what advice do you regularly offer your clients? Do you walk your talk?

** Neither of these examples is about you.

*** Do you like my blog? Leave a comment!

Posted in Marketing, Motivation, Running Your Business, Sales | 3 Comments »