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October 2008 - It's has been an unprecedented month.  The stock markets all over the world have been running a roller coaster and the reality is no one knows when or where its going, but surely everyone wants to get off.  It's hard to imagine that coming from a humble background, where my father worked the night shift for FORD Motor Company back in England, that I would be reminded of how to deal with... by Kevin Smith

Si percibes que tus empleados están desmotivados, no estás solo.  Más de la mitad de los trabajadores en   los Estados Unidos  están desconectados de su empleador. Eso significa que no les importa que le pueda pasar a su patrono. Incluso un porciento considerable es una mala influencia y activamente trabaja para sabotear la empresa.  No estoy especulando;  son estadísticas.  Entre los empleados... by Alex Fleming

No sé si piensas igual. Para mí las reuniones son frecuentemente una pérdida de tiempo; incluso contra-producente. No me refiero a esas reuniones de tu a tu. Hablo de aquellas donde hay 3 o más personas como las juntas y comités de trabajo; donde me veo mirando el reloj y pensando como excusarme de un ejercicio carente de sentido y propósito. Responsabilicemos al que conduce la reunión. Esta persona... by Alex Fleming

En la década de los 60 se puso de moda el concepto del Peter Principle'. En el contexto del trabajo, se refería a que los empleados  ascienden en la medida que son competentes.  Llega un momento que la complejidad del trabajo los domina. Entonces cesan de ascender y  ahí permanecen en incompetencia.  Esto sugiere que  con el tiempo los trabajos terminan siendo ocupados por personas  incompetentes... by Alex Fleming

Además de poder escuchar profundamente, otra competencia crítica de todo gerente exitoso es comunicar con claridad.  Barreras comunes a la eficiencia y la productividad están relacionadas a la falta de claridad y entendimiento sobre las expectativas, objetivos, iniciativas y tareas que surgen diariamente en una empresa. Si los trabajos que delegas  frecuentemente  te llegan tarde o no son los que... by Alex Fleming

November 21, 20083:00 pmto4:00 pmEastern Time ZoneBook It! Words for the Soul Thursday, November 21, 2008                                                            3:00 pm to 4:00 pm Eastern Time Zone  Host: Lynn Kindler Guest: Bill Treasurer Book title: “Courage Goes to Work (How to Build Backbones, Boost Performances, and Get Results)”  Please join us for an Uncommon Conversation with Bill Treasurer, who is a founder and Chief Encourager at Giant Leap Consulting and author of “Courage Goes to Work: How to Build…

The Chronicle of Coaching provides a snapshot of what’s happening in the coaching profession, designed to show where and how coaching appears in the popular culture worldwide. It is not intended to be a summary service nor a news roundup, although it may serve that purpose for some readers. The Chronicle is new each Thursday morning. Compiled and edited by Alex Goldsmith and Linda Ballew. The Chronicle of Coaching strives for 100% accuracy and regrets any deviation from that standard. Our policy is to correct errors promptly and prominently, in the next edition and in the online archive.

Last week, at the ICF Conference in Montreal, Dr. Vikki Brock spoke with a group of coaches.  This was a special group of 50+ people who attended our Friday evening event to learn more about the Harnisch Foundation and the many initiatives that are important to us at the Harnisch Foundation. One of the initiatives that’s especially important to me is The Gift of Coaching. To say that The Gift of Coaching has been a labor or love for the past several months would be an understatement. This summer we conducted extensive beta testing with both coaches and non-coaches.  We wanted to…

November 17, 200812:00 pmto1:00 pmEastern Time ZoneMonday, November 17th Time: 12 Noon eastern Guest: Tamara Herl   Coaching With the Expressive Arts – A Tool to Create Awareness in Coaching What are expressive practices?   Can they play an important role in coaching?  How can coaches use the expressive arts to access clients’ personal resources and wisdom? Like any profession, Life Coaching is growing and evolving. Two years ago, when art therapist Tamara Herl became a Life Coach, she began using expressive practices in her work with clients. The responses and results may…

I’m sorry I wasn’t able to join for the entirety of the latest Uncommon Conversation, “Live from ICF Montreal” hosted by Marion Franklin, but I was enlightened and entertained by what I did hear. (I confess to muting and multitasking, so I apologize in advance for any inaccuracies. Please let us know IMMEDIATELY if corrections need to be made.)   It’s always fascinating to get a first-person report filled with telling details, insight, passion, and insider information you’re not going to hear anywhere else, which is what Marion delivered. Katherine Gotshall English kept things…

Every Friday I like to feature an online resource that will help you and your organization Maximize Possibility. This week I would like to feature one of my favorite HR resource and blogging sites: HRM Today. The Resource: HRM Today - The Social Network for Today's HR Professional What it Covers: HRM Today is a dedicated social network for HR professionals that features a number of great resources including blogs, discussion forums, and a nice social networking feature that functions like a hybrid of LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Blogs on HRM Today are integrated via RSS feeds from some…

Time management in any economy cycle is important. Your time must be managed to maximize your productivity today and your results in the future.

Today's down economy is going to "reformat" perspectives about work - especially work-life balance. Work Life Balance is dead. Job performance will be critical.

If you have not already heard, Malcolm Gladwell's latest book - Outliers: The Story of Success was officially released to the masses today. Gladwell's third book takes a look at the unusual stories of the ultra successful high performers and through his extensive research identifies a number of interesting nuances about these remarkable individuals that we can all learn from. Those of you who have read Gladwell's previous two books - Blink and The Tipping Point - will not be surprised to hear that Outliers has already reached #2 on the Amazon.com bestsellers list and is the #1 book in...

There were a lot of great blog posts this past week on the topics of leadership, talent management, and human resource management. We'd like to point you to five posts that we consider to be the best of the best for the week of November 10th to November 16th, 2008. Frank Roche, Know HR: You Can't Threaten People to Be Happy - Frank shares a disturbing story about an HR department that is threatening it's employee to improve their level of morale and reminds us that you can't threaten people to be happy. Nina Simosko: The Life of an Intrapreneur...

It isn’t too late to review your plans for the forthcoming holiday weeks. The tough economic environment is causing many companies to look for opportunities to reduce expenditures. With Thanksgiving and Christmas falling on Thursday this year, discussions in the Northeastern Wisconsin TAB meetings surfaced the following plans to cut back, capitalize on or otherwise modify holiday vacations.One member, who usually gives each employee a $300 Christmas bonus, called a company-wide meeting (under 20 employees) to discuss the market for their product drying up due to budget cuts, the cost of…

From the TAB-East Bay North Web site:With the hardships small business are currently facing, I decided to list the essentials I am seeing in owners who are good at enduring the tough times. However, I then noticed that there is a lot of overlap with that list and what I see the prospering people doing. I realize that many small businesses are more interested in just staying alive than having a drive to thrive, however, you are going to need all ten of these elements regardless. Therefore, why not just try to be a Thriver rather than a Survivor?They Are Passionate about Working On Their…

The world of sales is filled with infinite possibilities, but while opportunity does have a reputation for knocking, it doesn’t always use a heavy hand. If you only listen with your ears, chances are you might not hear what you need to know. Sales professionals are up against some pretty tough competition, and it’s not the flesh and blood variety. Technology has greatly increased consumer choice and just as drastically decreased the need for personal contact. But, while technology may have “ears”, it definitely doesn’t have a heart. The art of effective listening requires a…

Most people have a tendency to want to get into the purpose of a negotiation too quickly. This can be especially detrimental if you are meeting with someone for the first time. People prefer to do business with those they know, like and trust. While a trusting relationship takes time to build, taking five to ten minutes to break the ice over topics of interest on which you and your adversary can connect is a great jump start to building such a relationship.There are a lot of interesting questions or topics you can bring up that will create a more relaxed and open atmosphere. However, your…

Rule #1 Always be prepared. This will enable you to speak without hesitation, projecting authority and utmost professionalism. Consequently, you will give the prospect the sense that you have the answers to their needs.Do you know all the features and benefits of your product or service? Are you completely aware of what pains or problems all the benefits can resolve? Do you know what benefits the competition is offering? How do you differentiate your product or service from the potential competitors? Rule #2 Have advance contact with your prospect. How many times have you showed up on a sales…

Chloe’s Chronicles:Views from the Management Muse Meet Chloe, Business Energetix’s Management Muse.  When she joined us in 2006 as the official Office Dog, we quickly realized she had talent far beyond the scope of her position.  Read on to see how she serves as a constant source of instruction and inspiration for exploring the challenges of management.  The dictionary defines muse as a source of inspiration, and while I find Chloe to be very inspiring, it isn’t always easy to glean the message for the art and science of management from her daily behavior.  Chloe…

Chloe’s Chronicles:Views from the Management Muse Meet Chloe, Business Energetix’s Management Muse.  When she joined us in 2006 as the official Office Dog, we quickly realized she had talent far beyond the scope of her position.  Read on to see how she serves as a constant source of instruction and inspiration for exploring the challenges of management.  Even the management muse has to be managed.   In spite of what I believe to be very clear guidelines and expectations for greeting guests Chloe is often much too enthusiastic in her welcoming rituals.  She wants…

Chloe’s Chronicles:Views from the Management Muse  How do you handle mistakes within your company?  Chloe’s latest management lesson began when she made a colossal mistake and we all had to deal with the consequences.   We were visiting a lake nearby when Chloe, running off leash and joyfully exploring the new territory, found something deliciously tempting lying on the beach.  She snatched it up and in spite of my “drop it” command, swallowed it quickly before I could get to it.  Had she only obeyed my commands, the entire next week would have been more…

Chloe’s Chronicles:Views from the Management Muse The dog days of summer seem like the ideal time to observe Chloe’s lesson about the myth of multi-tasking.  While we humans race about to accomplish more and juggle lots of tasks at the same time, Chloe is off doing one thing at a time, totally immersed in it.  She does not even attempt to split her attention.  When it is time for a walk, she is singular in her focus on getting out the door; when she retrieves a tennis ball from the river and runs to the bank, she drops the ball to the ground before shaking the water off her…

Chloe’s Chronicles:Views from the Management Muse Chloe loves her car rides, whether it’s a short run for errands or a real road trip.  If I leave her in the car while I run into a store or office, she immediately moves into the driver’s seat and sits there, watching over the steering wheel, waiting for me to return, relinquishing the driver’s seat only when I approach the car and unlock the door.  It’s like she can’t stand for there to be no one in the driver’s seat so she steps up to the role of leader for the pack of one left in the car.    The same is…

You have probably seen in my byline, I help customer focused entrepreneurs find hidden profits.What Are Hidden Profits?Hidden profit is profit that your business could (and should) be earning if you hadn't missed a profit opportunity.You see I believe (and research supports my beliefs) that businesses miss a fortune because they: Don't see profit opportunities. See but don't try to take advantage of profit opportunities. Try to seize the profit opportunity but do it in a half hearted way that lacks commitment, determination and intent. Give up on great ideas that used to work. Each of these…

A man I'm paying a lot of attention to at the moment and has crept into many of my thoughts is Eben Pagan. Because I'm on his Wake Up Productive time management program at the moment, I seem to start the day thinking of Eben.I found these videos of Eben being interviewed by Joe Polish about managing your team and hiring tips on YouTube so I thought they were well worth bringing to your attention.Eben Pagan Hiring Tips Video 1 - The Way Teams WorkThis video of Eben Pagan is solid content and runs for just under 10 minutes. Eben Pagan Hiring Tips Video 2 - Mistakes When Hiring People In this…

I received an interesting letter yesterday from one of my clients, AMP Associates, a small accountancy and tax advisory firm in south London.Jonathan Amponsah, the senior partner has turned his attention to heaping his clients through the recession and has identified a number of sectors which are recession-proof or at least are sheltered from the harsh realities the construction and motor industries are currently experiencing.Full marks to Jonathan and it is good to see an accountancy firm being proactive. I asked for permission to publish his letter and the details - anyone else, please note…

I have just downloaded an interesting report from Pegasus (the IT systems people) on the pressures facing a Finance Director (FD) in small and medium sized businesses which outline how an FD can help their business.A quick summary SMEs are very important for the economy The burden of regulation compliance falls heavily on smaller businesses The economy is turning nasty It then gives the five steps you should expect from your Finance Director: Be regulation savvy - personally I hate compliance issues that get in the way of business but your FD is probably best suited to monitor what is…

This conversation follows on from "My Business Is Losing Money" and looks at the issues when the caller had done some analysis to determine if their cash crunch was due to profit or cash issues.Caller "Paul, thanks for the advice the other day on how I can understand more about why business is losing money. I have done the analysis and found that the big increase in my overdraft is due to a number of causes. My customers do owe me more money and I have a couple that looks as if they are bad debts. I have also taken more out of my business than I usually do because we had a few things done at…

Over the past month you might have noticed times where my server said there were too many processes going on. In other words, it thinks there is too much traffic at once for the system I have it on. Having too much traffic is a good thing. Having your site down is a very bad thing. Considering the fact I have some major advertising planned for January to boost the numbers even more, this would become a major problem. This cannot continue. This week I’m transferring this site along with several others over to WiredTree.com hosting. All the sites will be transferred over before any domain…

There is a recession. Some marketers are simply telling us to ignore it and it will go away. Sorry, but that won’t work. I’ve been examining sales not just in my business, but in the businesses of my clients and can tell you the recession IS affecting internet businesses. While the sales of some products are down, other products are selling better (covered this in more detail in the last issue of the Monthly Mentor Club). So there is an effect taking place whether you acknowledge it or not. Ignore it at your own peril. At the same time, we have hundreds of thousands of people…

It’s shocking just how important personal help and support is when trying to build your internet business. I see it all the time when working with clients. You need answers to questions you have. You need a more experienced eye to take a look at what you’re doing. You need to know which traffic method is right for you. You need that slight change in ad copy to boost your conversion. It’s hard to build a business when you’re an island. But of course not everyone can afford one-on-one coaching like I currently offer (and obviously I can only take a limited number of…

I’m here at Glenn Livingston’s house today, creator of the How To Double Your Business Power Pack designed to help you research in detail everything there is to know about your target market. All weekend long I’ve been creating products with Glenn, his wife Sharon, Fred Gleeck, and David Oliver. Glenn has done over $14 million dollars in consulting for Fortune 500 companies. He is a “marketing psychologist” who crawls inside the minds of his customers to find out what they want to buy, and how to improve profits on existing products. He then took that wisdom and…

This month, I’m covering profiting in the recession AND how to create landing pages for your business in the Monthly Mentor Club print newsletter. Normally I like to mail out the newsletter on the 10th, but I’m going to be mailing tomorrow (the 7th) for November for a couple of reasons. First of all, for some reason the mailing service I use was slow last month and the issues came late (not sure why this happened). The second reason is I’m going to be up in New Hampshire the next couple of days with Glenn Livingston and Fred Gleeck creating some new audio products through…

Ron McDaniel wrote a great post on 7 reasons to join I Learning Global. Here is why I think I Learning Global is important Morning: Life's Reboot Button I Learning Global: The Start Button for Life's Reboot Button. Here is Ron's Post! http://www.liquidlearning.com/ilearningglobal-7-reasons-to-join-36.htm Ron Finklestein330-990-0788Ron@akris.net

http://vimeo.com/1711302?pg=embed&sec=1711302 J.K. Rowling, author of the best-selling Harry Potter book series, delivers her Commencement Address, “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination,” at the Annual Meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association. (via harvardmagazine.com)

This is the story of a women who had a stroke. This is the most powerful video I have ever seen on death and dying, living and loving, growing and changing. Please take 20 minutes and change your life by watching this video http://static.videoegg.com/ted/flash/fullscreen.html?v=/ted/movies/JILLTAYLOR-2008&cid=/ted/movies Ron Finklestein This affected my deeply becuase 10 years ago I had a brain tumor removed. Though my situation was not nearly as dramatic, it was just as pwerful

This was written by Dan Minick, President of IRN. I asked Dan's permiission to publish this becuase I think others need to hear this message. As you read this keep in mind Dan wrote this for IRN members. If you have questions for Dan his contact info is at the end of this post. THE AMAZING 3% There is not one person receiving this message that has not been negatively affected by this Economy in some way. It did not take an economist or politician to tell you your customer base was dwindling and it seems like everyone is taking longer to pay you. And telling you not to participate in the…

Business Mastery Coaching Announces 100% Return on Your Investment or it is Free! October 30, 2008, Akron, OH – RPF GROUP INC , the leading provider of business coaching, consulting and eLearning, announces a 100% money back guarantee on it popular Business Mastery Advisory Board program for all NEO companies with revenues of less than $10M! “I am proud of this significant accomplishment. I'm not aware of any other program in Ohio that has committed to it clients a 100% money back guarantee. RPF GROUP INC has clearly demonstrated that small business owners are willing to invest in…

For those of you who love to fly Southwest Airlines, but also travel to New York City frequently - your day has finally come.Currently, the airline only flies to Long Island - which is quite a distance from the city. However, they are planing to start operations at LaGuardia Airport, a move that surprised some in the commercial aviation industry.Southwest said in an announcement that it will buy assets from bankrupt ATA Airlines Inc. for $7.5 million. ATA ceased operations in April after filing for Chapter 11 protection.That purchase is to include ATA's 14 flight slots at LaGuardia, plus…

For those of you who use business credit cards to finance your companies when your cash flow is low, there may be some good news ahead. Tamara E. Holmes, a writer for Black Enterprise Magazine, discusses the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act that was recently passed by the House of Representatives. Here are some snippets:The Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights Act, passed in September by the House of Representatives, would restrict certain practices by credit card issuers. Among them, it would prohibit interest rate hikes on existing balances under certain conditions, restrict card…

I recently received this email from InternetRetailer.com that convinced me to be at their next conference in 2009. Here's what it said:You may think your web store looks just great and you have a right to be proud of it. But did you ever sit with a focus group to see what problems they had with it? Did you ever have top web site designers analyze it to find flaws? And have you listened to e-retailers tell you how they’ve vastly improved online sales and conversion rates just by making basic design changes that eliminated the most common web site design faux pas?You can do all of this and…

I was recently featured on the Tavis Smiley Show on PRI (Public Radio International), live from his studio headquarters in Los Angeles. During the interview, I spoke about the African American web properties that my partner Will Moss and I have housed under our recently formed Lee Moss Media brand. These include BlackNews.com, BlackHistory.com, HBCUconnect.com, BlackWomenConnect.com, BlackInAmerica.com, and many others.I elaborated on our mission to create the most relevant and resourceful online experience for African Americans, and our goal to own the largest network of premium African…

President-elect Barack Obama plans to tape a weekly presidential address not just for radio listeners, as presidents have for years, but for YouTube Internet viewers, too.The videos are part of his team's effort to build on a campaign model that helped him reach millions of voters online during the presidential race. It's a powerful electronic tool in new digital outreach effort aimed at supporters and others interested in being connected to the activities of the Obama White House. The videos allow him to bypass the traditional media and reinforce his message online.So what does this mean for…

Silicon Valley Innovation Institute (SVII) “First Wednesday” Innovation Society Meeting November 5, 2008 6:00 - 9:30 pm How Can Visual Thinking Aid Innovation? Robert E. Horn, Guest Speaker Stanford University Join us as Robert Horn shares with us powerful examples of innovation visualizations — from Leonardo da Vinci to contemporary innovative work. Together, we will explore how these examples illustrate the power of vision and visualization in a wide range of innovation fields. Bob is a political scientist with a special interest in policy communication, social learning,…

Google CEO and Employees Interview Barack Obama, Part One Google CEO and Employees Interview Barack Obama, Part Two Barack Obama on Tech Leadership and Innovation Google and Apple are often regarded as the most innovative companies in the U.S., at least in the media. While this contention may be argued, it is noteworthy that early in the race, Google CEO Eric Schmidt and Google employees interviewed Barack Obama. Recently, Mr. Schmidt was the subject of a wide-spread video offically endorsing Barack Obama for President, the first video clip at the top of this post. The two-part interviews…

Why Tech Leaders Support Barack Obama On September 29th, Craig Newmark, founder of CraigsList, posted this video of himself and other notable tech executives and venture capitalists explaining why they are endorsing Barack Obama for President. Although I have not endorsed a specific candidate for President or Vice President on my blogs to date, it is clear that the message in the video above is that Obama is the candidate of innovation, and Newmark and his colleagues voice their deep concern for the future of the internet, technology and science as the frontiers of innovation to drive both…

Silicon Valley Innovation Institute Upcoming Program: Social Innovation—CSR in Action Wednesday, October 1st, 6:00-9:30 p.m. Guest Speakers: Rossella Derickson and Krista Henley, Corporate-Wisdom and CSR in Action with Cecily Joseph, Symantec This inspiring feature presentation will guide us to integrate Corporate Social Responsiveness (CSR) into the fabric of our work and our organizations. The guest speakers, authors Rossella Derickson and Krista Henley, will ask us to think out of the box about our products and services, to find ways to become responsive local and global citizens.

Turning Vision into Value Silicon Valley Innovation Institute Invite your friends and colleagues and join us for the Silicon Valley Innovation Institute’s Innovation Society 2008-09 Series Next “First Wednesday” Innovation Society Meeting: September 3, 2008 6:00 - 9:30 p.m. Theme: Showing Up as an Innovation Advocate Presenters: Leslie Janoe, Sue Lebeck and Howard Lieberman of the Silicon Valley Innovation Society After a busy summer, we bring our attention to the heart of what the Silicon Valley Innovation Institute is all about: Innovation Advocacy. What is Innovation…

Ron and I both present keynote speeches, seminars and workshops for industry conventions and company specific organizations . If you are interested in a list of our seminar topics or workshops feel free to drop us an email. In case you are in Las Vegas this week I will be speaking at the National Pavement Exposition West located at the Las Vegas Convention Center. On Friday November 21st, at 8:00 am I will present the popular 90 minute seminar tilted “Secrets of Successful Job Costing and Creating Measurable Goals”. On Saturday November 22nd, at 8:00 am I will present the renowned…

I just reviewed the list of 85 newsletters that Ron has written over the last 2 years. They have given you readers an awesome amount of helpful information and inspiration. Oh and did I mention that Ron provided these free of charge! I figure that at an average of 1500 words per newsletter multiplied by 85 issues, Ron has provided you with facts and information equivalent to two business books. Again Ron has done this selflessly without pay and much praise. So I ask all of you who have benefited to send Ron a thank you email. Send it to: ron@filtyrichcontractor.com For those of you who…

I thought about posting this blog before the election took place but I just was unable to find the time to accomplish it. Let me reiterate that we do not promote or discuss any political viewpoints on our website. The purpose of this post is very direct. Don’t allow national or state election results or the state of the economy to provide an excuse as to why you or your company is not doing as well as it should. Unless you are part of a global or national company which probably excludes most of our readers you can develop a strategic plan that will minimize the impact of what the…

Had lunch today with a couple of pipe fitters. Good food. Good conversation. I find that field guys often have really insightful perspectives about business and life. Anyway… During the conversation each threw out a saying that they had heard recently. One from his minister and the other during a visitation. I thought you might reading enjoy them. From Danny: “Following the path of least resistance makes rivers and men run crooked.” From Ray: “Uphold your name. Every morning, your goal should be to better your name. Everything you do throughout the day should better…

You know when you’re listening to someone or reading something how a word will really grab your attention in a new way? A word that is very familiar to you but suddenly hits you with a new meaning or insight? That happened to me the other day. In this case, the word that made me go “hmmmm” was TALENT. I hear the words ABILITY and SKILL used frequently.  When I heard a talk radio guy mention that a well known public figure had a TALENT, I thought eureka! That’s a great way to phrase a person’s natural gifts. They are TALENTS. When you hear that someone does or…

Singin’ the Work at Home Blues? Jazz It Up With Feedback from These Successful WAH Stars… All of us who work from home know that it can have its pitfalls. That doesn’t mean we’re not grateful, or that we’re ready to throw in the towel, but this coach will be the first to say that life at home 24/7 doesn’t always rock. There are days that I find myself singin’ the work at home – WAHhhh – blues! Last week we got great feedback from 3 of my successful entrepreneurs. Here are 3 more - I hope you’ll add your feedback and ideas as well!

Singin’ the Work at Home Blues? Jazz It Up With Feedback from These Successful WAH Stars… Many of us who work from home know that it can have its pitfalls. That doesn’t mean we’re not grateful, or that we’re ready to throw in the towel, but this coach will be the first to say that life at home 24/7 doesn’t always rock. There are days that I find myself singin’ the work at home – WAHhhh – blues! So - I reached out to a group of successful WAH business owners with 4 quick questions. I hope you enjoy – and benefit from – a few words from the wise!

Have you launched a new website or product lately? Hosting an event or won an award? Are you speaking at the local library or Rotary Club? If so, your local news wants to know….really they do! Small business owners often feel intimidated or uncertain about submitting press releases. If that’s you, just stop it now! It’s time for your 15 minutes of fame. Writing a press release isn’t as tricky as you might think; thinking of a newsworthy topic doesn’t have to stop you either. Let’s look at some of the common myths about press releases and next week we’ll go through the how to…

When I take on a new client, I ask them to fill out a questionnaire before we begin working together. One of the questions is: “Success means different things to different people; what does success mean to you?” It seems like a pretty basic question at first glance, but when you really think about it, it’s fairly loaded. Your answer might sum up why you chose the business you did, how you feel about your family, what global issues are important to you, how important your physical and mental health is, what money means to you, and more. I’ve learned that very few successful…

Going to this year’s BlogWorld (enjoy the pics) was a real treat for me. First of all, it was my very first blogging conference – yay! Secondly, it was paid for by our wonderful sponsor, Epson – yay again! The list goes on and on: I met most of the other SparkPlugging authors, what a great group and great time. I got to spend a good chunk of time with my dearest friend in the world, Wendy Piersall. I love her more each time I see her! We had a fantastic travel experience on Southwest Airlines – you won’t believe it when you watch this video! And of course, I met some of the most…

by Madalyn SklarSo I was away last weekend in NYC for two GoGirlsMusicFest shows - one in Brooklyn at Hank's Saloon and the other in the city at Otto's Shrunken Head. It was a blast! Everyone who wanted to play got to play so it was short 15 minute sets.Here I am with Rosie Lopez from Tommy Boy, Rew our GoGirlsMusicFest Coordinator, Kiyomi from Hunter Valentine, ME, and Trish our NYC GoGirls Chapter Coordinator.Me and the girlsRock on,Madalyn Sklar

By Alisa MillerFinding a place to take free classes can be a bonus for musicians struggling to pay the rent. The following open courseware collections include classes, entire courses, and lessons that are sure to please the musician in you. Select from college courses from some of the top-ranked universities, educational open courseware collections, music schools, and even podcasts and webcasts.Click here to read entire article...

They rock! Plain and simple. You know, there are so many CD manufacturers out there but who really knows their stuff and cares about the customer? Hands down, it's Crystal Clear. Give 'em a call and see why we are happy customers! -- Madalyn SklarCDs – DVDs – T-SHIRTS - PROMOMadalyn Sklar at IndieMusicCoach & GoGirlsMusic.com recommends her friends at Crystal Clear Disc, Promo, and Apparel for your CD/DVD replication, T-shirt/apparel, and other music promotional needs. Serving the regional and national independent and major label music industry for over 35 years, Crystal Clear has…

Social-networking giant Facebook is continuing to grow like mad. In fact, the company grew its active membership total from 90 million users in early July to 120 million now, according to Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer. While speaking at Salesforce.com's Dreamforce conference, Sandberg also noted, “We got more (members) in the last three months than in the first three years of our existence.”click here to read more...Madalyn's Note: I find these numbers to be quite interesting. It's truly the power of the internet and the power of social networking. While Myspace is…

November 6, 2008 (Sugar Land, TEXAS) - Tish Meeks, well-known front person of Texas band 3 Kisses, has been named Director of Operations for Social Networks for Musicians. In this newly created position, Tish will be responsible for client/account manager relations."In addition to live music performance, Tish has worked with numerous bands across the US providing motivation, education and support to help them further their music careers," said Madalyn Sklar, President of Social Networks for Musicians. "In the three years that I have been working with Tish, she has proven herself to be an…

When sharing the notion of full accountability with my clients, I expect some pushback from managers and executives around taking on this position. I hear things like, “C’mon Keith, 100%. Don’t managers get a little bit of a break here? How can we be fully accountable when I'm already stretched thin and still expected to achieve higher sales goals with fewer resources. Doesn't the salesperson have some role and responsibility in this? After all it’s their career and ...

There was always an interesting conversation that transpired when it came to discussing what factors determine the success and failure of a salesperson. That is, if a salesperson that you are managing fails, whose fault is it?

After posting my blog the other day entitled, You Got Scammed! The Greatest Scams Salespeople Engage In That Managers Buy Into, I was hit with a few questions from readers, (which I certainly love to receive, so please keep sending them!) This particular blog must have struck a chord with many people, especially managers and executives. The question was, "Why do we continually fall into the trap of believing our own stories, fables, and illusions when we know that, from a logical perspective, ...

Salespeople are a creative bunch, especially when it comes to the stories they tell themselves. These also happen to be the same stories that managers find themselves to be the unfortunate recipients of during many meetings, conversations or performance reviews. Unfortunately, rather than removing themselves from the story, managers find they are getting sucked into it, wasting valuable time and resources on a well fabricated issue that has no real resolution. I refer to these illusions as S.C.A.

Many of the strategies that we engage in today, whether in our thinking as well as in our actions, are often counterintuitive to what we may believe would be the solution to achieving our goals and objectives; especially as it relates to cold calling and prospecting for new business.

Get a Plan – Business plans are easy to write if you know the basic outline.  My Own Business, Inc. is a nonprofit organization committed to helping people succeed in business. This organization is a great place to get your feet wet, offering a free course in business start-up, creating a business plan, and all the other little details people often don’t think about when they start a new business. http://www.myownbusiness.org/   Organize – However you decide to organize your business, Secret-Angels can help walk you through the process and mentor you…

Ludwina Dautovic, the founder of the highly successful Melbourne-based women’s business mentoring and networking group The Red Tent Woman has won the Women in Business category at the 2008 Marketing Communications Executive International awards. The prestigious MCEI award is a major coup for Ms Dautovic, who started The Red Tent Woman only 18 months ago after recognising there was a good opportunity to create a women’s mentoring group that provided a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere for businesswomen to network with each other on a regular basis. “I’m absolutely delighted to win…

I have been very kindly invited by Rachel Elnaugh to become part of a four man panel of Entrepreneurs for an event being held at The British Library in January 2009. The theme of the event is “Entrepreneurs who hit crisis point”. I am proud and honoured to be invited by Rachel to be a part of her team and more so that the event is being held at The British Library. The library is not only a London Architectural Icon but also offers amazing services that Entrepreneurs and small business can use to help them grow their businesses. The finer details of the show are yet to be announced and…

Entrepreneur Business School With so many Entrepreneurs businesses failing through lack of knowledge and real scenario experience, it is time to help increase their chances of success by creating a school for entrepreneurs. Million Impossible was created with the intention of helping UK businesses by using an online network where Entrepreneurs would help each other in specific relation to their key business skills and industry experience. The network has come a long way in the last 12 months and I feel that it is now time for a major change in educating aspiring and experienced Entrepreneurs…

Looking for ways to be more successful? Searching for top flight executive coaching? Keen to accelerate your career? Got something critical you need to work through fast? Simply want to stay on top? Our team at empower your life specialise in helping people get ahead and stay ahead in their business and private lives. It is common when striving for massive goals and achieving great things that certain aspect’s of life suffer. We offer clients the solutions to problems that they otherwise may encounter during these successful times. With the use of NLP, we re-program the mind to deal with…

Life and Business Begins with Self Click edit above to add content to this empty capsule. The Investigation of Things: The Ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom first ordered well their own states. Wishing to order their own states, they first regulated their own families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts.  Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts.  Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first…

Was ist ist Busness Coaching? Es ist eine individuelle und professionelle Beratung bei der Umsetzung persönlicher Veränderungswünsche und Fragestellungen des Klienten im beruflichen Kontext. Coaching ist immer gegenwartsbezogen, lösungsorientiert und zukunftsgerichtet.

From www.5bizsteps.blogspot.com

Games reflect business & life It’s been a little while since I have posted something new. I took last week off and went to Alabama with friends for a golf get-away. It was a welcome vacation and we had a lot of fun. I love to golf but have to admit that I don’t get to play enough to get good at the game. I still enjoy getting out and having fun though. As I played last week it got me thinking about how playing golf has so many similarities with business. In fact, any competitive sport can offer some lessons on business and life. Below are some of my insights that I wanted to…

When I first heard of the concept of “essence energy”, I was finally able to name the guiding force in my life and business I always knew existed. And when I heard the people I considered my business and marketing gurus pay so much attention to it, I knew it was important to listen. For all of us striving to build prosperous businesses based on integrity with our souls and hearts, this concept is the key. Let me explain, the best I can, essence energy. Just like we have a unique genetic code, each of us has this special “energy code” specific only to our souls and…

Maximizing your time by working more “on” your business.   Are you the master of your time, or is it the master of you? A)    Establish _________MEASURABLE______________________ goals and plans B)    Know how to _______INVEST______________________________ your time C)    ____IDENTIFY__________________ and _____ELIMINATE__________ time wasters D)    Know _______YOUR LIMITS________________________ - Reevaluate your priorities E)    Take time to ________PLAN_______________________________ and set priorities F)    Learn to say ____NO!!___________ G)   …

Maximizing your time by working more “on” your business.   Are you the master of your time, or is it the master of you? A)    Establish _________MEASURABLE______________________ goals and plans B)    Know how to _______INVEST______________________________ your time C)    ____IDENTIFY__________________ and _____ELIMINATE__________ time wasters D)    Know _______YOUR LIMITS________________________ - Reevaluate your priorities E)    Take time to ________PLAN_______________________________ and set priorities F)    Learn to say ____NO!!___________ G)   …

•    Passion – What is your passion, and why do you want to start your own business? How do you find your passion? A question we all should ask at least once in our lifetime. The three questions below will get you on the road to finding your passion. o    What would you do if you could do anything and not fail, and money was not an option? o    What people-group touches your heart? o    What story in the news causes you to take action? The answer to these three simple questions is quite possibly your passion.

•    Passion – What is your passion, and why do you want to start your own business? How do you find your passion? A question we all should ask at least once in our lifetime. The three questions below will get you on the road to finding your passion. o    What would you do if you could do anything and not fail, and money was not an option? o    What people-group touches your heart? o    What story in the news causes you to take action? The answer to these three simple questions is quite possibly your passion.

•    Systems run successful businesses, and people run the systems. What systems are needed in every business? o    Profit  Analysis – Increasing your bottom line by analyzing your prices, margins, and costs. •    Knowing where your leads come from •    Knowing how many you convert to customers •    Knowing how many times they buy from you •    Knowing how much they spend on average •    Knowing your costs •    Will determine your profit. To increase your profit you often just need to:     add more leads,     convert more customers,…

Knowledge is power but the problem is too many people abuse that power. Spidey said "with great power comes great responsibility." I'm pretty sure wherever he is, Spidey is reading this series on the Leadership Principles just like you are. You can be a super-hero just like him. As a leader in your organization, you are privy to a ton of information which in turn gives you a great deal of power This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://thoughtleadersllc.blogspot.com for more.

I recently had the extreme pleasure of being a speaker at the W.P. Carey School's Compete Through Services Symposium. Some fantastic lessons came out of the sessions that were delivered by some phenomenal speakers. I count myself fortunate to have been part of such incredible company. The W.P. Carey School at Arizona State University has distinctive offerings in the arena of business services This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://thoughtleadersllc.blogspot.com for more.

It's time to get into the heavy lifting of the Leadership Principles. The fifth principle - know your people and look out for their well-being seems like the easiest one of all. Therein lies the trap. How well do you know them as individuals? What makes them tick? Freak out? Happy? Fearful? What do they do really well? What are they terrible at? Getting the picture yet? You know I love examples This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://thoughtleadersllc.blogspot.com for more.

Do you have kids? Want some? (Kidding - mine are great and you can't have them and no, I'm not implying your kids or mine look like this post's picture...). I ask this first question to kick off our discussion of the fourth Leadership Principle: Set the Example. Anyone who has kids or has spent any time around them knows this principle can be an exceedingly powerful and/or embarrassing one. Kids This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://thoughtleadersllc.blogspot.com for more.

Back on the topic of the Leadership Principles, we're going to explore one that even Tommy from Rugrats understands: responsibility (or "'sponsbltee" as he pronounces it). The principle states "seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions." While it seems relatively straightforward, this principle requires some parsing and deeper exploration. Many managers (which I do work hard This is only the beginning of the thought... Please click the article headline above or go to http://thoughtleadersllc.blogspot.com for more.