She’s been “gone” for a few years now – lost to dementia and aging or so we thought.  Mom suffers from multiple medical conditions, is bed-ridden, and needs full-time care.  Conversations with Mm were generally short and straightforward. Her mental state varied from day to day, but she was always smiling, happy, and kind to all her caregivers.

After a short hospital stay and a few weeks in a skilled nursing facility, Mom was holding conversations as she did three years prior. She’s even initiating contextually accurate discussions. Her recovery is nothing short of miraculous and spectacular. It’s amazing the effects of fluids, antibiotics, and proper nutrition on the human body.

As much as we owe mom’s recovery to her medical professionals, we are incredibly thankful for two hairstylists who were the catalysts for her improvement.  First, I am grateful for my hairstylist Heidi, who, among other things, encouraged me to trust my gut instincts on mom’s healthcare. There were many times I questioned my judgment because her providers were the experts and mom made some improvements. Without Heidi’s regular encouragement, I may not have stayed the course.

Likewise, I am incredibly thankful for mom’s hairstylist Kim.  She courageously spoke up about what she witnessed with mom over the years. I am sure it was risky for her approaching my sister and me with the concerns she had.  Her willingness to speak up was not only the reassurance and reinforcement my sister and I needed, but also the tipping point for my dad.

Without Kim, my mom may not be getting the care she needs and recovering such that her kids and grandchildren can enjoy her presence, or my dad might not have the renewed companionship of his wife.

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for hairstylists. While they have the power to impact our confidence through physical beauty, they can have a much broader impact on their clients. In our case, their words helped to heal Mom’s physical health as well.

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I share this today in belated thanksgiving for Heidi and Kim. Equally important to share is that it doesn’t matter what career, job, or role you have, what matters is by doing it well, following your gut, and taking risks, you will have a profound effect on the people you serve.

Mom passed away nearly three years ago. During the time she was on hospice, people often wondered about her purpose and her impact on those around her. To me it was always clear; her purpose then was to feed the souls of her caregivers. She was always grateful, thankful, and loving to all her nurses, aides, and doctors.

Like Heidi, Kim, and my mom, you were created for a purpose. A very significant purpose.

Now, go impact the world.

It wasn’t the wine at all.

The woman, originally from Poland, moved to rural Texas with her husband from Chicago, and they were longing to connect with other people.

We are craving connection — men and women both long for meaningful conversation with those around us.

One of my clients, I’ll call him Mark, shared with me an experience that had a profound effect on him. When he received an unexpected call from a client, Mark assumed it was about a pending project they were planning. To Mark’s surprise, his client said: “I’m not calling about the project, but I just felt the need to call you and pray for you.”  He had no idea that Mark was grappling with significant life changes. That call was incredibly comforting and meaningful for Mark.

Why are these stories important?

You have the potential to impact someone’s life today, and I don’t mean that in a superficial, fluffy, woo-woo way. I mean that in the gut-wrenching, where-did-that-come-from kind of way.

Every action or non-action, large or small, ripples through the lives of those around us.  There are no boundaries between business and personal.

Business is personal.

I challenge you to reflect on your business contacts. Who do you feel led to call, but don’t because it might feel awkward or weird?  Business ownership and leadership can be a very lonely place.

Follow that nudge.

Reach out.

When was the last time you were that jazzed up about your business or career?

Every few years of my career, I would get bored and look for a new challenge. While building my IT service firm, I would regularly consider selling and doing something completely different. Ditto for my consulting business. I am always looking for new tools and services to bring to my clients.

How can we approach our businesses with a childlike sense of new school year excitement?

Yes, I know you parents are excited too and for entirely different reasons. However, let’s pretend we are kids and the new school year is starting, shall we?

Get New Clothes. It’s not just a girl thing. Men still read GQ, and The Wall Street Journal frequently reports on men’s fashion.  When was the last time you spruced up your work wardrobe? Want to feel more confident, dress with confidence. Wear clothes that fit and feel comfortable.

Get New Shoes too. Whether it’s a new pump, sandal, or sneakers, new shoes are fun.  If you are wearing shoes from five years ago, live a little and get a new pair. They are likely dull and scuffed. Perhaps they feel like a member of the family, at least get them polished and repaired.

Get New Supplies. Do you geek out on new technology?  Get some new fancy pen like this one, a rocketbook notebook, or a new tablet. You can even go big with new furniture or art. Have fun with this.

Start a New School. Is it time you graduated to a real office instead of a virtual office or your home office? Have you run out of space? Don’t add portables like the schools here in Texas. Look for new digs that make you proud and accentuate your competence.

Use the momentum and energy of a new school year to propel you forward. If none of these ideas generate a spark for you, then we need to talk.

Before you stop reading, I am NOT going to talk about politics.  I promise! Stay with me for a moment.

Hearing only his voice, he sounded like Bob Newhart. Whether you know him from his show from the ’70s or as Professor Proton from The Big Bang Theory, then you know when he’s not stumbling over his words, he’s speaking in the same lifeless tone and with little conviction.

Later that evening listening to the talking head analysts, some people have concluded that Mueller didn’t write his report, doesn’t know what’s in it, knew little of what was occurring with his team, and may have been a mere figurehead.  Few people truly know whether this deterioration occurred before or after the investigation.

What I do know is that many leaders fail to recognize and act on the signs that it is time to leave.

There were many times in my IT business that I wanted to sell and let someone else take over the controls. There were times I was bored, tired of doing the same thing. Other times my corporate ADD, changing roles every two to three years, took over. There are a few revealing signs that it might be time to step down and let someone else take the lead.

If you have lost your mental capacity like it appears Mueller has, it may be time to resign. Mental deterioration does not always occur with age. Illness can have the same effects. I see leaders in their 40’s that don’t recall the decisions that they’ve made.

If you have lost your passion, enthusiasm, or energy for the organization’s mission, you need to leave. The people on your team, your vendors, and the clients you serve all rely on you to help them grow personally and professionally and in business.

If you are coasting along, thinking you achieved what you wanted to and have no other higher goals, then it’s time to write that resignation letter. I know it seems self-evident, but many business owners and CEO’s consider the role their final resting place almost like it’s their highest achievement and they have nowhere else to go. And that’s completely untrue. I believe we all have specific God-given gifts, and those gifts are meant to be shared.

Hopefully, none of these apply to you, but you may recognize the signs in someone else. You can help them by gracefully coaching them into their new role where they can share their gifts and renewed purpose.

Or maybe it’s just me?

Social media gets such a bad wrap, but there are so many amazingly cool apps that I use every day. I love seeing what my friends across the country are doing, seeing their family vacation pictures, and watching the snapchat stories our kids post.

How do we harness the positive aspects of social media without it taking over our lives?

I compiled a few tools that I love to help keep you focused and more productive while growing your business.  Try one or try them all.

Need to post something on Facebook, but don’t want the clickbait? Then try the News Feed Eradicator for Google Chrome. Now you can skip that usual verbal Facebook fights and still post your kiddo’s award for grandma across the country without getting lost in hours of distraction.

Curious if your most business headshot creates the impression that you are likable, competent, and influential?  Submit it to Photofeeler and let website visitors vote, you may get excellent feedback. It turns out that my favorite pics created good ratings in all categories, but they weren’t the best. So I quickly changed my LinkedIn and other professional photos.

Before your next sales call or meeting, check out your prospect on LinkedIn using the Crystal Chrome Extension. Crystal uses their LinkedIn profile to assess (or guess) their DISC behavior style and then provide you with communication strategies that will work best based on their profile. This app is great for people you are meeting for the first time or those with whom you are struggling to connect.

Want some quick graphics for social media or posters for your retail shop? Google has some excellent tools at marketingkit.withgoogle.com. With a few simple clicks, google takes your google reviews and makes them into shareable social media images. So now you can publish your 5-star reviews all over Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Here’s another one for salespeople:  Hunter.io.  Do you have trouble getting past a gatekeeper or reaching a prospect by phone?  Hunter.io searches public data to find their email address. I know you might hate that this is available, but it is. Use it judiciously.

Try one of these apps and let me know how they work for you.

What are your favorite apps for saving time or growing your business?

How could one company veer so far off course from the safety and integrity values that they boldly claim on their website?

Boeing ignored not one, but TWO of their stated values:

“We value human life…above all else.” (safety)

“We take personal responsibility for our own actions.” (integrity)

Boeing leadership did not take my advice on managing a crisis. They were undeniably winging it with their amateurish response which was grounded in protectionism and self-preservation.

Boeing broke their brand promise. The promise of an experience rooted in those values.

How can their customers and passengers ever trust them again?

Your values whether personal or corporate are quality control for your high stakes decisions.

Had anyone at Boeing funneled their decisions after the second all-passenger fatal crash thorough their “Enduring Values,” they would have illuminated the incongruency in their actions.

Individuals and organization’s don’t dump their values overnight; they slowly erode in the daily opportunities we take, the compromises we make,  and the aspirations we break.

We can all take a lesson from scouting and many service organizations.  The Boy Scouts begin their meetings with a pledge that they call the Scout Oath and Law. It isn’t about professing blind loyalty to an institution but being unyielding in the beliefs that govern our everyday choices and behavior.

What are your values? How do you communicate those values regularly with those around you?  Are you living your values in all your interactions with clients, prospects, vendors and the people you meet?

As for Boeing’s leadership, the path to salvaging their business, restoring their brand, and regaining trust will prove to be a turbulent flight.

You: How are you?
Friend: Busy! I’ve been busy.

It seems we are all busy these days.

Are you busy?

The word busy is one of the most commonly used words in the English language. In fact, most lists have it in the top 500 words.

Some people wear busy as a badge of honor to imply success and popularity. Others use the word to invoke sympathy or even as an excuse for inaction.

I caught myself recently telling someone I’ve been busy when what I truly meant to say was “I am highly focused on a project deadline.”

Busy is bad.
Busy is bad for business.
Busy is bad for your health.
Busy is bad for your relationships.
Here are four reasons why you should ban the word busy from your vocabulary.

You won’t get the best work from yourself. Busy can often be an excuse for submitting sub-par work. Never tell yourself you’re too busy so you can be proud of the work you do.

You won’t get the promotion you wanted. If you are too busy in your current position, why would anyone grant you a promotion to a more substantial role? Never tell your boss you’re so you can take on that high-profile new role.

Your team won’t come to you seeking advice until things explode out of control. They don’t want to add to your trials, tribulations, and stress unless it is necessary. Never tell your team you’re busy so you can be available to support them as they create remarkable outcomes.

People won’t send you new clients. Are you too busy for new clients? When you tell people you are busy, they assume your business is at capacity and may not send referrals your way. Never tell anyone else you are so you can serve more people.

Remember that saying “A lack of planning on your part doesn’t constitute an emergency on my part?”

Not every email or phone call needs an immediate response. Although, responding in a timeline manner is more meaningful, which means you can schedule these in your calendar.

The antidote to busy is scheduling open space in your calendar. Schedule time to return calls and emails. You know you need to do it every day. Why not schedule that time into your agenda?

Do you have time on your calendar reserved every week for new clients and customers? You know they are going to call and want to work with you (if not, that’s another conversation.)

Stop being busy.

Be open.

Who or what do you need to create space for in your life?

Why?

Three reasons.

Because it is WORK, you have worked hard the past year to make it happen.

Because it is INVISIBLE. Before you can genuinely feel successful, you have to see the numbers, and sometimes you have to look at it from a different perspective. As silly as it sounds, one owner’s scale on his graph made his 61% growth last year look flat.

Because it is OVERLOOKED. Having labored and hustled with intensity, not seeing tangible results, and not being where you want to be, you have jumped right into 2019 focusing on the negative, what you didn’t do. What you wish you had done. The one client you lost last year.

JUST STOP IT!

If you don’t feel successful, maybe it’s because you haven’t gathered and accurately appraised your results. Only then will you sense your victories and propel the momentum into the future.

The process is simple: acquire information, feel the results, and learn.

What were your successes last year?

What were your team’s successes?

Having trouble identifying something worthy of defining success? Ask your spouse or business partner.

Enjoy the moment. Soak in confidence. Embrace your aspirations and optimism for 2019.

Expect great things!