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Archive for the ‘Personal Development’ Category
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
As 2010 hits the halfway mark, I’d be remiss to not recognize these additional Pearls of Wisdom - and the people who have contributed so much to my own business growth and learning and entrepreneurial expertise over the past six months…
1) Recognize when it’s time to get stuff off your plate - and onto someone else’s
Courtesy of Aldonna Ambler, aka “The Growth Strategist” and one of my advisors who said over a year ago that it was time to find a marketing assistant, and that an intern might be a good place to start. Took a while, but I’ll never go back to not having this position filled. Having good marketing help is critical in this economic landscape.
2) Never hesitate to reach out for help
I’ve had some difficult organizational transitions to make over the last few months, and I am deeply grateful to two of my colleagues, Ted Lebow - who has been a wonderful sounding board and crisis helper and John Gerber - who had stepped up to the bat for me when I required legal advice and counsel. It’s been great having people like them in my life. Their support has been invaluable! Thanks guys!
3) In economic times like these, be willing to experiment with new marketing and sales tactics
We’ve certainly been experimenting - a lot! From blogging about our story - thanks to Kevin Daum and his advice and counsel back in January…to utilizing the telemarketing services of Corporate Call Centers (thanks to another advisor - Claudia Timbo - and her great marketing right hand person Jean Dilley) - and getting their assistance running our first lumpy mail campaign…to having the opportunity to speak at Square 2 Marketing’s University last week, we’ve been strategically reaching out and “touching” people. And it’s keeping us in the game!
4) Find partners with sympatico - and form strategic alliances
The relationships which we’ve forged with Jim Devine and his crew at the Mid-Atlantic Employers’ Association as well as Karen Marsdale at the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce have been key to expanding our reach in the Greater Philly area. We’ve really enjoyed partnering with both organizations - and our partnership has resulted in more business for all of us!
5) Define (and discover) your ideal client
And there’s no way that we could have done what we’ve done without the help of our clients. From giving us feedback on our value prop, to participating in video interviews, and even taking the Caliper Profile (thanks to Dave Griffith of Modern Group - another informal advisor) who suggested that we use the profile to more closely identify our ideal client - Great idea!
So that’s some of our “pearls”. What are yours? What have you learned and to whom have you reached out this year? Drop us a line or give us a call if you’d like to learn more at ckuchler@ceothinktank.com ….
u’d like to learn more… ckuchler@ceothinktank.com
Tags: Enlightened Executives, Entrepreneurial Excellence, Executive Coaching, Executive Roundtables, Leadership, Personal Development, Small business advice
Posted in CEO Peer Groups, Entrepreneurial Excellence, General, Leadership, Personal Development, Personal Management | No Comments »
Friday, May 14th, 2010
Why am I so excited to have Steve Spinelli at our next “Dining with the CEO” on June 8th?
1) He’s got a wealth of knowledge and experience…
From his early days (he was just 24) when he co-founded Jiffy Lube International and went on to become the chain’s largest franchisee to his tenure teaching future business leaders entrepreneurship at Babson College (he’s even worked with Verne Harnish) to his current role as President of Philadelphia University.
2) He’s a great example of someone going for the gold - throughout his career.
After Jiffy Lube, he went on to get a PhD in Economics at the University of London. Then, during his entire tenure as the Director for the Arthur M. Blank Center for Entrepreneurship and the Chair of the entrepreneurship division at Babson College, U.S. News and World Report ranked Babson number one in entrepreneurship.
3) He’s also willing to share his mistakes and his lessons.
In an interview last year with Bloomsberg Business Week, he shared the following thoughts:
 · What has he learned about being an entrepreneur?
Never get cocky! “We were doing so well [at one point], we started having this mentality: “This is easy. If we build it, they will come.” If you start thinking that way, jump in a pool, cool off. That is a huge mistake.
How important is education – and a good business model - to an entrepreneur?
“I don’t think you necessarily need to be in college to do this. But you need to be a lifelong learner to survive. I think you will have to evolve your business model five times - and maybe five times in 5 years!”
Intrigued? Me too! So join us on Tuesday, June 8th to hear him – from 5:30 to 8:30pm at the Union League in Philadelphia.
And get a chance to ask your question!
p.s. And if you missed our last “Un-Marketing” event with Kevin Daum, checking out his presentation, “Creating the Awesome Experience”.
Tags: Business Coaching, Enlightened Executives, Entrepreneurial Excellence, Leadership
Posted in Enlightened Executives, Entrepreneurial Excellence, Leadership, Personal Development | No Comments »
Friday, December 4th, 2009
It was easy to be grateful while seated at a Thanksgiving feast with loved ones. Amidst the chaos of extended family, I counted my blessings readily, especially after hearing repeated tales of loss and dire struggle. Now, with holiday bustle in high gear, it’s easy to surrender to the endless year-end urgencies that every business faces – things that didn’t get done, people who didn’t get called, numbers that didn’t add up.
Appreciation at Work
First, I want to transfer some gratefulness from my dining room to my office. Amidst a recession and a roller-coaster year, what are five things for which I am thankful, professionally?
1. LinkedIn. I’m awed by the ability to connect with my network and my network’s network (and their networks, too) around the clock. Among my goals for 2010 is to fully leverage this tool for enhancing business – mine and others’. For now, I’m simply grateful that 100+ people are willing to publicly acknowledge their connection to me!
2. Planning. Always one to prefer keeping options open, I historically hesitated to commit to a plan. Now, having seen the light shed by a clear strategy, I appreciate the value of formal programs such as Gazelles Rockefeller Habits, as well as informal tools, like a vision board. I’ll appreciate some imminent “down time” as an opportunity to continue planning for 2010 — and beyond.
3. BoardEffect. Leave it to online technology to make meetings, scheduling, even filing seem FUN. This web-based portal, designed to enhance the governance function of nonprofit boards of directors, enables online communication for CEO Think Tank members as well. As both a user and an e-governance consultant with BoardEffect, I appreciate this online tool with the power to transform how boards and working groups collaborate.
4. CEO Think Tank. Colleagues don’t let colleagues drive off the road. Our community of entrepreneurial business executives ensures access to best practice methodology and solutions to business problems, not to mention peer support for members. I am grateful for every vetted contact, business advancement, and bit of sanity CEO Think Tank has provided.
5. Two-by-fours. Not the real ones, but the proverbial boards that beat us over the head with business advice. It’s rarely new information, but certain delivery can pack a wallop. I’m thankful for the trust, concern, and confidence that a colleague and new friend demonstrated recently in calling the question about a business decision.
Nobody said it would be easy to grow a company. It’s been a tough year. Before it ends, identify your list of five things to appreciate.
Posted in General, Leadership, Personal Development | No Comments »
Thursday, November 5th, 2009
Do you want to crush sales in 2010? CEOs and entrepreneurs are wanting to leverage social media for sales. One thing is very certain - you need a strategy and the real you for success.
Differentiation is Marketing
Simple marketing is all about standing out from the crowd and being different from your competitors. In this ultra-competitive environment, these principles are critical to the growth of your business. Prospective customers are carefully choosing how to spend their money. How do you compete?
Your Personal Brand
The basic idea of personal branding is to promote yourself as having certain values, skills or expertise - your brand - so that if someone needs that expertise, they’ll come to you first. Have you leveraged your personal brand for sales?
As Dan Schawbel mentions in his Generation Y personal branding book Me 2.0:
Personal branding is about unearthing what is true and unique about you and letting everyone know about it.
Trouble is, for a lot of people the ramifications of that statement are scary. And in my own work, the critical piece that’s missing in business is the need to connect yourself and your personal brand with your prospects and customers.
Your Leverage
Your customers want the real you (both illuminating & enlightening.) So start leveraging your personal brand and crush sales!
Tags: Dan Schawbel, Gary Vaynerchuk, Marketing, Personal Branding, Sales
Posted in General, Marketing, Personal Development, Sales, Strategy | 4 Comments »
Monday, September 14th, 2009
Happy back-to-school season. As “normalcy” returns to our weekday routines, I am struck by the juxtaposition of recent concerns among my children, my clients, and my colleagues. I am left to ponder the simple question: how can a culture so utterly dependent upon something be so willing to deny its importance?
Playground Learning
“It” is the collection of so-called soft skills we amass over time. My youngest child unwittingly dismissed some of them as that which happens at recess – not math or reading or “real learning” (which, she explained, happen “only when you’re sitting in class”), but the negotiating, socializing, building of confidence and awareness that happen on the playground. Ironically, it wasn’t the books or homework that brought her home from school in tears. It was her anxiety about meeting new friends, sharing old friends, and finding her way.
Beyond Business Basics
Fast forward to the work/life equation. We concentrate on mastering finance, sales, operations, and the endless, tangible functions critical to our respective businesses. The ”soft skills” required for effective management of others, communication, self-assessment, time management, and even leadership — among the skills needed to find our way at work and home — we often taken for granted. Especially in the current economy, we’re loathe to invest in anything but immediate bottom line results.
Hard Choices
As we all know, however, it’s the intangible qualities that can make all the difference. Having invited several colleagues to hear an upcoming presentation by Stewart D. Friedman, professor at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and author of Total Leadership: Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life, I heard — and understood — all the reasons they could not attend: variations on the themes of time and money. In hard economic times, we direct our resources to work, sometimes reinventing it, as if to be sure there’s work to be had.
Reinventing Leadership
That said, the renowned guest at this week’s CEO Think Tank event will explain why “leadership in business can’t be just about business anymore. It has to be about life as a whole.” While it might be hard to tie that to the bottom line, it surely could be harder not to.
Friedman’s organization strives to “improve performance in all four domains of life — work, home, community, and self — by creating mutual value among them.” It would seem that learning the soft stuff is harder than we think. Whenever such opportunities present themselves, perhaps we should make every effort to go back to school — or at least back to the playground.
Posted in General, Leadership, Personal Development, Strategy | 8 Comments »
Tuesday, August 18th, 2009
I laughingly read Meg Cadoux Hirshberg’s article from last month’s Inc. magazine, “Living with a Blackberry Addict” - and showed it to my eleven year old (with some amount of guilt and chagrin). “That’s not you Mom”, he said with all of the nonchalance that an 11 year old boy can have. “You’re not an addict - you just work all of the time.”
I was a little shocked - but not surprised. I don’t know how many folks are dealing with work family issues this year - trying to find a way to make all of the pieces fit - but for me, 2009 has been one of the more challenging times in my 25 year career - and not just because of the invasion of this (sometimes) wonderful technology and a pervasive 24/7 mindset.
In her Inc. article, Hirshberg writes, “Entrepreneurial businesses are colicky babies that never stop screaming for their owners’ time, energy, and imagination. Their families are in a constant battle for attention. For the entrepeneur, maintaining work-family balance involves managing guilt on both sides.” And that’s certainly how I’ve felt for the last nine months - no pun intended. 
That’s why I’m so excited that Stew Friedman, a long-time professor of business and leadership at the Wharton School is coming to talk at our next “Un-Marketing” event on September 16th. Friedman suggests that leadership needs to be thought about in all aspects of our life but traditional thinking pits work and the rest of our lives against each other. His philosophy of Total Leadership - taught at the Wharton school for over 25 years now - says that you don’t have to make trade-offs among work, home, community and self.
Instead, if you take the time to:
- Reflect on what’s important to you and how you’re spending your time
- Brainstorm possibilities
- Choose experiments that you can try and
- Measure your progress
You will have more energy for yourself and those who are important to you - as well as have more success in all areas of your life.
Hirschberg, who is a student of Friedman’s, speaks glowing of his work and the impact that it’s had on her life. She’s married, by the way, to Gary Hirshberg - the co-founder of Stonyfield Farm and so has lived the entrepreneurial dilemma first- hand.
What’s even more exciting - Friedman’s research suggests that people who focus on the concept of Total Leadership have a 20% to 40% increase in satisfaction in all of life’s domains and a 9% improvement in job performance - even while working shorter weeks.
This is particularly heartening to me. I’ve always thought that I did a good job at the “integration game” but 2009 has proven to be a challenge…Instead, maybe it’s an opportunity for my own growth and development as a business person and a human being - and the chance to try a few experiments of my own!
For more info on Stew Friedman’s talk on the 16th at the Independence Seaport Museum, check out the link under “News and Events” CEO Think Tank’s homepage. Or click here!
Tags: Business Improvement, Enlightened Executives, Leadership, Personal Development
Posted in General, Leadership, Personal Development, Personal Management | 1 Comment »
Thursday, July 9th, 2009
Over the past few weeks, I’ve continued to have inspiring - and at times - difficult conversations with CEO’s and owners of small business owners in the Philadelphia region and beyond. People who are showing amazing ingenuity and pig-headed determination as they battle what for some are hurricane-force headwinds in their fight to stay in the game, thrive and win. But they’re not the only ones who are inspiring me. In the course of my travels I’ve been reminded by some other peoples’ stories – not in the business world – of the three critical keys to overcoming adversity – and overwhelming odds.
1) Believe That You Can – In June I had the wonderful opportunity to attend a Thurmo event at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia. The guest speaker, Adam Taliaferro, was truly inspirational – in his calm assurance and his focus on optimism and hope.
For those of you who might not be familiar with his story, Adam was a top-rated high school football player who went on to play corner back for Penn State in 2000. While playing in only the fifth game of his college career, Taliaferro sustained a career-ending spinal cord injury tackling tailback Jerry Westbrooks during Penn State’s game versus Ohio State. He was paralyzed and was given only a 3% chance of ever walking again.
But he didn’t give up. With the encouragement of his family and literally thousands of friends and fans, and eight months of hard rehab, he re-learned how to walk and returned to school for the first game of the 2001 season.
In his talk, Adam attributed his success to three things - early medical care - within seconds of the injury he was injected with steroids which reduced the swelling - optimism - that his condition would improve - a belief that his parents enforced every day as they sat by him - and perseverance - in spite of the odds. He believed that he could - and he did!
2) Renew your Commitment – to yourself, your business, and your stakeholders – whether they’re your employees, your customers or your family.
Now is the time to step back, take a few deep breaths and remind yourself of why you’re doing what you’re doing and who you’re doing it for…I was reminded again of the importance of commitment over the Independence Day holiday weekend. An email came across my inbox that I had seen before about the Founding Fathers – and the commitment that they needed to make when they signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 – “declaring” themselves traitors to the British crown in the process.
Nine of the 56 men who signed the Declaration fought and died in the Revolutionary War. Five were captured and tortured by the British before they died. Eight lost wives and family members during the ravages of the next few years and some lost all that they had and died in poverty.
They made a tremendous sacrifice standing up for what they believed in and making a commitment to a dream and a vision. Most of us are certainly not facing what they faced with the horrors of war upon them but the lesson is compelling. What’s your dream and your vision? And what are you willing to do to achieve it?
3) Reach out for Help - I’m still amazed after all of these months that business people who are in trouble don’t reach out for help. Adam Taliaferro shared that his courage and spirit were reinforced everyday of his recovery by the support of his parents, along with the letters and phone calls and prayers of hundreds of thousands of fans and friends.
That support and help was given to him by people who loved and cared about him very much and wanted him to recover. How many of us are reaching out to the people and advisors in our life who can help us right now? Who have you had lunch or breakfast with in the last week or two? Are you seeking out guidance and support? Or are you burying yourself in the business without pausing to see who or what could help?
Let CEO Think Tank help you with the shifting sands of 2009 - and get the support and guidance that you need!
Tags: Business Improvement, Enlightened Executives, Leadership
Posted in Leadership, Personal Development, Personal Management | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 14th, 2009
What a rollercoaster… not so much the recession, but business – and individual — response to it. Despite confidence in our “best practices” orientation, there is ambient anxiety among entrepreneurial leaders throughout our business community. As we shed programmed responses to social pleasantries, we acknowledge things are not what they were, or could be, or might ever be again.
Such drama…not that I don’t subscribe. Indeed, I spent a 14-hour day last month in meetings about what’s wrong. In the CEO Think Tank® Senior Leaders’ Group, we explored how companies are cutting costs (unpaid vacations, reduced workweek, pulled plugs on new programs). Then I met with a colleague whose boss’s long overdue departure was thwarted by fear of not finding a job. Finally, a new client scaled back an urgent project to the point of pointlessness. By the time I got home, I was a wreck – who starts a business in this economy?
Consider the paradox of many small businesses today: the recession demands that we cut back and “focus on core competencies”, yet we stress about cash flow and say “yes, we do that” to almost anything. We work harder and less productively, as if frenetic effort will overcome reality.
Suddenly, I saw a bright side: at least I can’t be fired.
No, that awareness was not my “a-ha”; instead, it was the fact that there was an alternative perspective. Having recently read Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book, Outliers, I increasingly concentrate on the opportunity beyond the crisis. Despite our cultural inclination that success is an individual achievement, it springs from countless external variables. The trick’s in our response.
What if we were to respond differently? Even when your business can’t sacrifice income, your psyche can seek other rewards:
1. Regroup — that unpaid day off is just what you needed to build the treehouse you promised your child or take the golf lessons you promised your sales team.
2. Reconnect – the former colleagues and classmates you’ve wanted to track down are the warm leads that might just make a difference.
3. Recall – what matters to you in life and work and which elements of each warrant attention?
4. Read – tackle that pile of business books on your desk, starting with Mastering the Rockefeller Habits, by Verne Harnish, as it’s a good time to embark on planning.
5. Reclaim – your expertise is not in question, so consider other ways it can be leveraged and/or enhanced.
Experts proclaim things might never return to how they were. What if that’s okay? Amidst the media frenzy over Michelle Obama’s breech of protocol when she touched the Queen, it occurred to me that we’ve never had this First Lady before – times have changed; maybe previous protocol is passé.
Posted in Business Improvement, Leadership, Personal Development | 6 Comments »
Friday, March 13th, 2009
Smart CEOs get ideas from CEO Think Tank Events. Successful CEOs implement these ideas.
It has been a year since I joined the CEO Think Tank community and it just keeps getting better. This month’s “Un-Marketing Event” proved to be another sellout - all eager to gain insight from Growth Strategist - Aldonna Ambler. Want some tips to get you thriving instead of just surviving during this “different” recession?
Resilient Growth Despite the Odds
1. Improve your Listening & Care Skills.
Leadership is judged in times of crisis. As a leader, our job is to weather the storm with optimism that solutions will be found. Now is the time to listen deeply to the concerns and needs of our customers and employees. Find out what is reality and communicate the facts. Engage your employees in defining problems and solutions.
2. Identify your Target.
Who are your top 50 prospects? Stop chasing any new customer and find your riches in your niche. We can all learn from the banking and real estate industries - profile your most profitable customers. Focus your energy on this target. And if you get a “no” - it just means “not yet.” Nurture your target leads with a drip marketing strategy.
3. Do Something Big.
Remember the year of “The Secret?” Has the recession stopped you from asking the Universe for what you want? Are you stopping yourself from thinking or dreaming big? Learn from Comcast - Dream Big and align yourself with partners, joint ventures and strategic alliances. Get out of your way ’cause you can’t do it alone. Isolation is the entrepreneur’s enemy.
4. Go After Talent that You Can Afford.
It’s an employer’s market. Years ago, you may have been frustrated with the attitude of employee entitlement - those days are gone. Get rid of your dead wood and build your new TRIBE focused on creativity, contribution and connectivity to your organization.
5. You’re in the Energy Management Business.
You may not have the creative energy of recession busters Jay Leno and CEO Think Tank’s Dave Raymond. But you can infuse positive energy into your work environment to compensate for the brain drain caused by the negative energy of our economic news. Bring fun back to work. If a Raymond’s game of “cup stacking” is too much for your team. Consider mindfulness meditation for stress management - a healthy benefit for all.
Will you slide, be smart or be successful in 2009? The choice is yours. Why do it alone when you can be a member of CEO Think Tank?
Posted in Business Improvement, General, Marketing, Personal Development, Sales, Strategy | 4 Comments »
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