February 2017

The Mental Wellness Revolution In The Entrepreneur Empire #4049 - GROW GREAT Podcast

The Mental Wellness Revolution In The Entrepreneur Empire #4049

The Mental Wellness Revolution In The Entrepreneur Empire #4049 - GROW GREAT Podcast

In 2004 my wife and I went to visit an elderly gentleman friend in the hospital. He had suffered ill health for a few years and once again found himself in the hospital. His wife had served him well, battling the healthcare system of the Veterans Administration. Her health was beginning to show the signs of wear.

After our visit we walked down to the parking lot to our car. As we got in the car I had an epiphany. I looked at her and said, “I don’t think I can do that to you.” It was an awful indictment of our friend, but I didn’t mean it like that. Fact was, his health issues mostly had nothing to do with abuse or neglect. He wasn’t responsible so much for his poor health. My comment wasn’t meant to reflect poorly on his character…but more on my realization that IF I could better manage my health, then I felt I owed that to my wife. At the time we had been married 26 years. I suppose mortality was beginning to be more and more on my radar.

It had been years since I had taken my fitness seriously. But the wellness revolution was in full swing. Evidence of it was everywhere. Back in 1977 is had hit American society in a big way with Jim Fixx’s book, The Complete Book of Running. Ten years before publishing that book Fixx had been very overweight and smoked…a lot. But he took up running, took his health more seriously and created – almost singlehandedly – an exercise revolution. These were the days before you’d see lots of people out jogging, or cycling, or even walking. Sadly, Jim Fixx died at 52 of a heart attack. Proof I suppose that the gene pool is largely responsible for our health outcomes. But American society would see a major shift. A revolution.

Today, fitness chains are everywhere. Here in the DFW area we’ve got all the usual suspects like L.A. Fitness, Gold’s Gym, 24 Hour Fitness and more. Even in the foulest weather you’ll spot runners, walkers and cyclists. Then, the food revolution hit. Enter Whole Foods and other grocery stores specializing in healthier food choices. Today gluten-free, fat-free, sugar-free and every form of free has invaded the grocery aisle.

This is all positive. Mostly. I mean how can you argue with focus – or a renewed focus – on our physical health?

About a week after I told my wife that I didn’t think I could do that to her I joined 24 Hour Fitness. And I’ve mostly gone 5 times weekly ever since. It may not look like it, but deep down I feel very fit. 😉 Okay, not so much, but I’m putting in the work to make good on what I told her. The wellness revolution started happening in my life and I don’t see it stopping any time soon. This is a revolution with no end.

I See The Mental Revolution Needs To Happen

Sometime in the 80’s I started noticing friends struggling. It was shocking because we were all still young. Too young to be hospitalized with stress induced physical problems. And worse. Some even figured the way out was to end their life. Before this, the only people I knew who took their life were idiot teenagers who dropped too much acid. That was rare where I lived, but it did happen once in a blue moon. Now, here I was at the helm of a business, still in my 20’s and I was seeing a toll. The pressures of building a business, growing a business and successfully operating a business were causing people to go crazy. It wasn’t a medical or psychological diagnosis. It was just street lingo for pressure – consistently exerted over prolonged periods – causing people I knew to crack, physically – mentally – and emotionally.

I know it’s sexy to be called an “entrepreneur,” but I’m going to burst your bubble. I’m not an entrepreneur. Back in the 80’s I didn’t know any. I knew plenty of business people. I knew plenty of business owners. It wasn’t sexy or glamorous. It was grueling. A life sentence of devoting your life to days that blended into each other because no sooner did you get home until it was time to go back. We often wondered why bother…then we realized it was because there were no showers at work. You gave up a lot to be an operator. And I was an operator. A roll-up-your-sleeves-get-the-job-done kinda guy. Nothing glorious about it.

But these were the days before the Internet or the business press. Well, Fortune, Forbes and BusinessWeek existed, but they covered Wall Street kind of businesses. Not Main Street kind, which is what we were. Shoot, In Search Of Excellence was published in 1982 and thanks to authors Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, business books became mainstream and somewhat cool. Prior to that you’d have been hard pressed to find a section in the bookstore called, “Business.” And if there was one, it was dominated by books on selling, thanks largely to the insurance industry, which spawned all the best sales advice at the time. You were just as likely to find something worthwhile in the “Self-Help” section.

And that’s exactly what we seemed to need — HELP.

Unfortunately, helping ourselves wasn’t so easy. In spite of what the gurus of the 80’s preached, we were business guys (sorry, we were mostly guys back then…thankfully that’s changed and now women also enjoy the pain of business). Nobody was interested in feel-good-philosophy. We were busy. We were young. Resilient. We could take it. We could take anything.

We were foolish. Ignorant. Not knowing any better.

Not realizing that our mental health was being fractured by the stress that drove us. I know. I was a – and still am – a stress junkie. Thriving on the chaos of operating a business is an adrenaline rush that fuels us. It was worse back then. Probably because I was younger. And more foolish than I am now.

How can you know when it’s TOO MUCH stress? I couldn’t. Non-business type friends couldn’t understand the drive. Or the pursuit of more pressure. Greater challenges. Higher accomplishments. And I was operating in the small business world running a small chain of retail stores doing about $14 million. No matter. I was also in my 20’s and I may as well have been at the helm of General Motors. All the same to me.

Working 80-100 hours a week. Too many days living on Twix bars and Dr. Peppers. Thankfully, my religious convictions prevented me from drinking alcohol, smoking, doing drugs or having an affair – all the common behaviors of too many people I knew. They convinced themselves they deserved whatever vices they took up. Because of their hard work. Because of their success. Or their failure. I never bought into that. Again, my faith kept me grounded, along with my wife and two little kids. Not a single hour passed that I wasn’t driven by the three people who meant the most to me.

But that also took a toll. I was more often in the doghouse at home than not. Missed supper dates. Last minute cancellations. Late nights at work. The typical crap that goes with being a good operator. Which is what I still suppose I am. I’m not an entrepreneur. I don’t even like the word, but it’s in vogue so who am I to resist? We were business people. Period. Doing the best we could. Sometimes failing. Sometimes not. But always like a dog chasing a car. Never satisfied because the game just kept on moving.

Until something stopped us. A health scare. A fainting spell. A heart attack. A stroke. Exhaustion. Mental collapse.

Then it all got very real. Very fast.

I’ve seen it up close and personal too often.

About 6 years ago I began to see a real need. The need for business people – owners, CEOs, Presidents, leaders and executives – to take their lives more seriously. I’ve told more people this one thing than any other thing in the past 6 years. “You’re a finite resource. You’ve got limits. You’d better get busy knowing what they are so you can take better care of yourself.”

Mostly, people (clients) hear me, but don’t change. Some do. Most don’t. People who are unwilling to help themselves can’t be helped. Hence, I’ve come to put greater stock in that book category, “Self-Help.” It’s not that you have to go it alone, but if you’re not willing to help yourself…nobody is going to be able to help you.

The Mental Revolution Has Never Been Needed More Than Right Now

The Internet has made entrepreneurship sexy and desirable. Forget that most will fail. And many will fail big losing everything they have, and owing large sums of money. Forget that Snapchat lost over $500 million last year. Just focus on that mythical valuation of $22 BILLION. Besides, it’s other people’s money they’re losing. Real money costing other people.

I could vomit every time I hear some kid talk about losing money and failing at a business as though it’s a rite of passage. Something every modern entrepreneur must do to earn their stripes. The stripes they ought to earn are the whipping they should take from every investor who lost a single dollar betting on them. Many feel it’s the education they deserve. Those Snapchat kids ought to be earning double PhD’s by now.

Real business is hard. Exhilarating for the right people, but hard. The focus and intensity required by the market – I don’t care if it was yesterday’s market or today’s – is always demanding. And the market makes winners or losers of us all. It’s not a life for the timid. And for the stress junkies it’s home. But grow too comfortable with it and it’ll eat your heart and take your mind.

It just doesn’t have to be that way. Fact is, it should NOT be that way. The people who make the economy roll deserve better. YOU deserve better. Business owners and leaders deserve better!

For 6 years I’ve held these thoughts more closely than I should have. Mostly because they’re not yet popular, but I’m convinced they will be. Eventually. After enough people commit suicide. Or after enough people drop dead of heart attacks. Or after enough marriages end in divorce. Or after enough kids endure repeated stints in rehab. Something bad will happen to you if you don’t take care of your mind. Then you’ll listen. Then you’ll pay attention. And it’ll be too late to fix whatever bad thing caused you to finally get a grip. That thing you can’t see right now will suddenly become crystal clear like one of that pictures with a hidden word or image that you have to squint to see. You’ll see it some day. Unable to take your eye off of it you’ll wish you’d seen it sooner. So will I.

Your life. Your family. Your company. Your employees. Your customers. Your partners (whether they’re vendors, suppliers or some other kind of partner). They all hinge on YOU because you’re the business owner. Specifically, you’re the small business owner. That’s where my heart is because that’s where I’ve spent my life. Companies that likely do under $50 million a year, don’t have a big org chart and are in the trenches fighting the fight every single day! Oh, I’ve seen some that are doing a few hundred million dollars a year who fit the bill. It’s still small business.

Not operating on other people’s money. Not listed on Wall Street. Not hobnobbing with the Boston Consulting Group or the kids from McKinsey & Company. Just guys and gals putting in the work. Making payroll again this week. Making another sale. And another. Buying a new truck or forklift. Leasing a new warehouse space. Hiring a new web design outfit. Pumping millions of dollars every year into an economy while other people whine and moan about who is in the White House. We’re operators. Our lives don’t hang in the balance because of some politician. Sure we care, but only because they get in our way of making money – and growing a business! We’re capitalist who want to make something happen. Something we believe in. Something worthwhile.

And all that imposes more pressure on us. Happily so. Pile it on, we say. We’ve got broad shoulders.

It’s got nothing to with strength. Or resolve. We’re mortal. Vulnerable to prolonged and/or extraordinary pressures. Even the kind we mostly relish.

Business people are like the professional athletes of a bygone era who suffered concussions. We refuse to acknowledge our injury fearful somebody else may replace us, or fearful others will think we’re weak. Cowardly even. So we hide our loneliness, fear and anxiety. When asked how things are going we’ll always reply, “Fine.” Many of us grew up to the mantra, “Never let ’em see you sweat.” We’ve lived that way always. It’s hard to change, but not impossible.

Why You Need To Pay Closer Attention To Your Mental Fitness

Every business owner – every business leader – is really paid for one fundamental thing. To solve problems.

In solving the problems I focus my work on three specific areas: 1) making better decisions, 2) executing improved actions and 3) doing both of those faster (preferably in real-time). It begins with improving our ability to make the wisest choice in real-time. Guess what helps that? Mental fitness.

Fatigue, fear, loneliness and anxiety are among just a few things that hamper improved decision making. Do you really think you’re going to make your best decision – do your best at problem-solving – when any of these emotions are prevalent in your life? Then why do you do it?

Because you’re paid to solve problems.

Because you’re afraid. Afraid to be vulnerable, and fearful of letting employees or anybody else see you as weak. It’s head trash. Your head trash that’s standing in the way of your improved mental fitness.

When we’re facing a business problem we commonly ask ourselves, “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” I’m encouraging you to ask yourself that same question when it comes to your own mental and emotional fitness. Ignore the problems, the stresses and all the other issues confronting you and the worst thing that can happen is you crash and burn. You won’t be operating at your best. Face the problems, admit them and be open to letting others help you and you’ll find yourself relieved, supported and feeling more confident.

Question: Which version of you would you want to hire?

Then why are you resisting help?

You’ll dispatch all kinds of resources to solve much smaller problems, but you’ll ignore yourself as the owner or chief leader.

Isolation.

That’s the big culprit. It fuels our fears. Anxiety is elevated. Stress builds.

Peer advantage and peer disadvantage are things our parents understood. That’s why we were urged to have good friends and hang with kids who were well-behaved, got good grades, were committed to sports or whatever else our parents valued. Those kids at school who consistently got in trouble all hung together. It all seemed and was so cliquish. But we were learning, even as kids, that we tended to behave and perform like the people around us. The troublemakers didn’t make good grades and got in trouble more often than others. The Honor Society kids did well and were highly regarded by faculty. The best athletes were friends and stuck together on and off the field. We mostly met the standard established by our group.

Enter the business world and we suddenly think we can go it alone? Or that who we surround ourselves with doesn’t matter so much?

Of course it matters. And no, we can’t go it alone – not if we want to be a high performer!

Enter the problem, even if you want to surround yourself with people who can help.

HOW?

Not that there’s anything typical about business people getting together because there are breakfast meetings, association meetings, Meet Ups, networking events, social events, Chamber events…we have more opportunities to get out and about than ever before. But these are very different than being surrounded by people who only want one thing – to help each other improve their mental and emotional fitness by becoming better decision makers, better action takers and faster at all of it.

It’s common to encounter a CEO or business owner who has an informal board. Sometimes board members have invested money in the enterprise. Sometimes not. Often times these board members have their own business, but they almost always have some vested interest in the company. They’re on the board because of some other relationship with the company or the owner.

Business owners can have an employee-based inner circle. Maybe it’s a VP or a CFO. Maybe it’s a handful of people in key positions. Good people. Hopefully, rockstars in their own right. But again, they have a relationship with the owner or CEO. She’s the boss. Their careers are somewhat in her hands.

Associations, especially industry associations, surround us with people just like us. Folks in the same industry, reading the same trade rags, whining about the same industry woes and generally sharing the same outlook about whatever space we occupy.

Now you’re beginning to understand the problem of eliminating the isolation. You can easily remedy the social isolation, but that’s not going to help you improve your mental and emotional fitness to grow your business. There’s a big difference in feeling better and getting better. Growth isn’t always pleasant, but it’s rewarding.

To each his own.

I’m not pompous enough to tell you there’s a single solution for everybody. I think there are solutions that any of us can apply. And some may be more universal than others.

Purpose. That’s the foundational issue when we’re looking to solve our isolation and grow as owners. Growing our business is so important to us. It should be.

Just ask yourself why this group or event is happening? Look past the surface answer. Sometimes it appears to be instructional, but really it’s about selling attendees. Sometimes it pretends to be educational, but instead it’s promotional. Sometimes it’s a broaden your network, but really it’s people hawking their products or services. We’re in a world of platform performers speaking 45 minutes so they can spend 2 hours selling books or courses at the back of the room once the presentation is over.

There’s nothing wrong with any of that. It’s just the way the world works, smoke and mirrors. Bait, then switch.

How can you find a remedy with a purer purpose? By making sure you surround yourself with people whose primary focus is in helping you grow your business…and in helping you grow as a leader.

I’m forming a very small group – just 7 business owners from around North America – expressly for that purpose. To help each member grow their business. And to help each member grow as a leader. It’s about helping each other make better decisions and take more meaningful actions. It’s called the Bula Network Owners’ Alliance.

There’s a reason support groups are so popular. Because they’re effective. If you’re scared, get over it. Put yourself in the best position possible to experience greater success. Surround yourself with people willing to help you. Then allow yourself to be helped. That may be the toughest ask of all for some of you. Find the strength and courage (and humility) necessary to accept help. It’s also one of the best paths toward helping others, too.

The mental wellness revolution is coming. It’s already started, but it needs more fuel…more people willing to join. It’s a 2-way street of helping and being helped. You need to be part of it because there’s nothing you can do for yourself and your business that will be more valuable.

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The Mental Wellness Revolution In The Entrepreneur Empire #4049 Read More »

Q&A: Am I Too Old To Start Something New? #4048 - GROW GREAT Podcast

Q&A: Am I Too Old To Start Something New? #4048

Q&A: Am I Too Old To Start Something New? #4048 - GROW GREAT Podcast

A common thought is that our scope of knowledge, experience and wisdom is commonplace. We can easily discount our assets, especially as we grow older.

According to a Government Accountability Office report, “Older Workers: Demographic Trends Post Challenges for Employers and Workers” –

The term baby boomer describes people born between 1946 and 1964. The baby boomers were part of the post-World War II spike in birth rates. In 1900, thirteen percent of the population was age 50 and over. In 2002, it was over twenty-seven percent. By 2020, it will be over thirty-five percent. The size of the 50 plus population will more than double in the next 35 years. Our nation faces a demographic revolution as 78 million boomers enter their retirement years. A baby boomer turns 60 every 7.5 seconds. This demographic shift will result in tremendous changes in the workplace, civic organization and healthcare.

“According to Census Bureau estimates, in 2019, when the last of the baby boomers (those born between 1949 and 1964) have reached age 55, nearly twenty-nine percent of the total United States population will be age 55 and older, compared with twenty-one percent today.”

Because the Internet is so pervasive older Americans can sometimes feel left behind both technologically and socially. And that has ramifications in business. Specifically, more mature people – people over 50 – can feel trapped and stuck.

Today’s Q&A is among the more common things I hear among more experienced business people. And the shift seems to be going down to lower ages, too. Recently, I was talking with a business leader who was 46 and beginning to feel that it was too late for him to shift or transition into a different opportunity. Forty-six and over the hill! It’s a real feeling. Even a belief for some.

When I’m asked if somebody is too old to start something new it’s in reference to business. Whether it’s a career move – finding another job – or starting a new enterprise, the fear is real. It can be hard, sometimes impossible, to convince a person with over 30 years of solid professional experience that they have tremendous value that can be leveraged. If they don’t believe it, it doesn’t much matter how strong my faith is.

I’m not addressing a person’s ability to start learning something new. I’m confident that people who have sufficient physical and mental health can learn something new until they die. And the Internet affords people an opportunity to consider small scale or larger home-based enterprises that can generate some income. But I’m biased. I don’t believe in retirement. I don’t plan on ever wanting, or being able (emotionally or mentally) to ever retire. So with that bit of background let’s talk about this question, “Am I too old to start something new?”

NO. You aren’t. Unless you think you are!

The Henry Ford quote has already leapt to your mind by now…

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t–you’re right.”

But let’s put that aside for the moment and talk about the practical realities of today’s post-50 year old who fears their business life is over. Here are the common things I hear so I want to address each of them in hopes it’ll hit you where you live if you’re finding yourself fearing these things.

“The technology has passed me by.”

That’s a self-inflicted wound. I’m tired of hearing people, even folks in their 40’s lament that web-based technology in particular has them baffled. “I don’t understand all this social media stuff,” is among the most common things I hear. It’s largely why I’m recording this episode. Because I’m tired of hearing it and tired of trying to talk people off the ledge about this.

It’s rubbish. If technology has passed you by it’s your own fault. Stop whining about it and do something about it. Don’t tell me you were able to run a multi-million dollar budget, or operate a multi-million dollar division of a company, but you’re too stupid to learn how to function in a world where the web rules everything! It’s how life is now…and how it’s going to be. If you don’t get on board now, just wait until augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR) hit bigtime in the next five to ten years. You’re lost because you choose to be lost. You’re behind because you made up your mind that spending time learning this stuff wasn’t worth it.

Nobody is going to feel sorry for you. Nobody is going to be patient with your refusal to get on board. Dig a hole in your backyard and jump in if you want. OR, make up your mind right now that you’re going to devote some time (just a few hours here and there consistently over time) to learn all you can.

Do you remember the fax machines that had that thermal paper? Sure you do. You filed those papers away and months later you went to retrieve a fax and found a blank piece of thermal paper because the image completely faded away. I’ll bet you did what I learned to do – what we all learned to do. You photocopied the fax. Imagine that today! We PHOTOCOPIED a fax! It was the only way to keep the fax intact for our files.

Then, the plain paper fax arrived and we thought, “BRILLIANT!” Now we can stop photocopying our faxes. These were the days of pagers, too.

When cell phones first arrived they were bag phones, large – bulky – expensive. When they became affordable we ditched our pagers and got on board.

We also sold our turntables and got CD players. We got cable TV and VCRs. We’ve seen a lot of technology changes long before the Internet arrived.

Why are you intimidated by web-based tech? Think about all the tech you’ve embraced and mastered. You’ve got a lifetime of adapting, adjusting and learning. Stop convincing yourself that now – at whatever age you are – it’s all passed you buy. Rubbish!

We can learn whatever we want to learn. Especially the things we’re talking about. I’m not trying to convince you to learn quantum physics. It’s the Internet and you’re likely just romanticizing life before. Stop it. That life is over. It’s not coming back. And you don’t want it to, either.

Mostly I hear people complain about social media when we talk about the Internet. Or smart phones. But put me in a room of older business people and I promise every hand will go up if I ask, “Who has a Facebook profile?” or “Who has an iPhone or some other phone that has apps on it?” Every single hand. I know 80 year old business people who have both. Proof that we can learn these things enough to incorporate them into our lives.

It’s not a capacity issue as much as it’s a bitterness issue. People act like they hate the world is today. Some honestly do hate it. They’re being stubborn and hard headed. Look in the mirror and remember how your grandfather lamented how the kids today have gone to the dogs. Congrats, you’re now him! 😉

The irony is that today’s 60 year old is behaving significantly younger than any previous generation of 60 year olds. Today’s 60 is yesterday’s 40 thanks in large part to technology. That smart phone in your pocket has more computing power than those Apollo missions that went to the moon. But you’re still in love with the notion of life before we all had them? Don’t be stupid. Stop being stupid.

Here’s the remedy. Clear your head from the prejudices and romantic notions and be thankful that you’re alive in an age where our possibilities are almost limitless. Show some gratitude you old fart. Quit magnifying the difficulties or challenges and start looking at the opportunities. First, the opportunity to learn.

Here’s an idea. Do you have kids (or grandkids)? Spend time with them talking about how they use the Internet. Tell them you want to learn. Ask them to teach you. Don’t judge. Don’t tell them how stupid they are to spend hours a week on Instagram or Snapchat. Just listen, observe, watch and learn.

It’s just communication, conversation and engagement. That’s all. It’s no different than what you used to do when a new neighbor moved into that house a few doors down. You went over, introduced yourself and began the process of getting to know them. Today, much of that is done via another online app called Nextdoor. It’s all about connection, conversation and engagement. It’s just done on a mobile device using an app and a platform that easily connects you to the people you most want to engage. Yes, you have to want to engage. So if you want to be a hermit, then stop reading or listening and go find your cave. But if you want out of the cave, come out here where the people are. Nothing bad will happen to you.

Yes, it takes some time. But the cumulative time you spend will pay off quickly. A few hours a week will provide you the education you need. Within just a few weeks you’ll be well on your way. Proof that it’s not too late to start something new. And yes, it’ll have practical application to your career and business pursuits.

If you want to go fishing you first have to know where the fish are. Well, the people are online. Moan and groan about it or get with the program and meet them where they are. Your choice.

“Nobody wants me. I’m too old.”

First of all, that may not be true. And even if it is, that doesn’t mean your options are limited.

Get out of your head and stop bemoaning how you’re no longer valuable. A common refrain among mature business people is the feeling that they’ve spent their life learning about business, they have skills, experience and wisdom — and they still have energy and drive. Many of them feel they’re in their prime, but they see a world they (incorrectly) think is dominated by 20 year olds.

There’s no doubt that young people today – many of them – have mad skills in technical and non-technical spaces. But what many of them lack is what mature people have in spades, emotional intelligence. The ability to be part of a team working together to accomplish something none of them could individually. Mature people have patience often lacking in younger people. Mature people experience far less drama about interpersonal situations in the workplace, too. And many mature business people are well-rounded having spent their lives dealing with a variety of business challenges. Got an HR problem? They likely have seen it before. Got an operational issue? Ditto, they likely have a wealth of experience from which to draw from.

Here’s the problem. Mature business people, those who’ve been “transitioned” out of a previous role, have lost their confidence. They’ve spent years solving a variety of problems. I regularly find mature business people who are quite skilled at approaching a problem in very effective ways because they’ve seen so many challenges before. But now they feel that their knowledge, skill, experience and wisdom is commonplace. But it’s not true.

We live in our head and know what we know. That makes it tempting to think everybody has whatever we’ve got. Until you stop to soberly consider your life experiences, in and out of the workplaces you’ve occupied, and all the business issues you’ve faced…it’s easy to discount yourself. Stop it. These are assets you’ve spent a lifetime earning. Now is the time to leverage those resources to serve you.

It’s tantamount to a business owner with some valuable resources diminishing their worth. If you had battled and spent good money getting a patent on something you believed had value, would you toss is aside as worthless? Not likely. But that’s what you’re doing with your life’s experience.

Here’s the hard truth. If you don’t find value in yourself then nobody will see value in you either. You’re toast.

Get over the idiotic generalization that NOBODY wants you. The world is filled with people who don’t want you, or me, or millions of other people. Your value isn’t based on them. Except you’re letting them establish your worth. That’s your fault. And mistake.

Step 1, know yourself. I know, I know. You’d think by now you’d know exactly who you are. Sometimes mature business people are among the most confused people around in this regard. Partly because many of stumbled into our careers because we started doing something when we were young. We spent little or no time diving into such touchy feely things. And now that we’re mature we may be tempted to think it’s a ridiculous exercise. Well, it’s not. It’s critically important for you to get in touch with what you dread. I know people will tell you to find your passion, but I tend to approach it from a reverse perspective because it’s often easier, quicker and more effective. We can easily identify what we dread. It’s much harder for some people to identify what they’re passionate about. Besides, mature business people have likely spent a lot of their life doing things they’re not passionate about because maturity teaches us practicality. I’m betting you’ve done many things in your life, and done them well, but they weren’t passions for you. Nor were they things you dreaded. Dread empties your tank robbing you of energy. So when you’re self-reflecting, I’m urging you to know what you dread and steer clear of those things! While you’re identifying your dread, think about your desire. Desire fuels you. Dread robs you. More of one, less of the other. That’s the recipe.

Step 2, stop diminishing your talent, knowledge, experience and wisdom. That 20 year old may have more talent than you in some things, but he’s not lived as much as you. Your stuff has value. Stop comparing yourself to him. Stop thinking of what you don’t have and concentrate instead on what you do have. Again, it’s time to be grateful for all those struggles you’ve endured.

Let me point out something to illustrate. This resonates with everybody mature business person I know. Think about the economic cycles you’ve experienced during your career. The other day I was talking with a business owner who is slightly older than me. We both remembered days of double-digit inflation, double-digit mortgage interest rates, oil embargoes and more. Business people under 40 don’t remember any of that because they’ve not seen it. Yet.

I’ve not taken the time to calculate the economic cycles I’ve lived through in business, but I know it’s vast. It requires adjustments and problem solving that no mature business person should down play. That’s just one illustration of your value.

Step 3, believe. If you don’t think you’re valuable, then you’re doomed already. I won’t believe in you more than you believe in yourself.

Step 4, open yourself to opportunities. Can you leverage your assets to build something of your own? Of course you can. Brace yourself because it’s gonna get real up in here now. A displaced CEO who once earned nearly $400K a year plus all the perks imaginable now confesses that he’d be perfectly happy – HAPPY – if he could create something sustainable that would garner him about $60K a year…with no benefits. He just wants to do something to contribute and make enough to sustain his current debt-free lifestyle. We chuckle about how he feels like he’s working harder than ever to earn 15% of what he once earned. FIFTEEN PERCENT and he’d be happy! Doable? Of course it is. The man has mad skills and experience. He just has to figure it out and make his own path. I don’t know what that will look like for him because I don’t know what he dreads, or what he really desires.

Stop seeing challenges everywhere you look. Instead, see opportunities, then figure out how to best take advantage of them. That’s what you’ve been used to doing in your career. Except now it’s personal. It’s YOU, INC. I know that makes an enormous difference, often presenting you with a special kind of head trash. If it helps, do what I do. Post a picture of your tribe nearby. My picture has 10 people, not including me: my wife, my son, my daughter, my daughter-in-law, my son-in-law and my five grandkids. Ten people. That’s enough to suppress any head trash if I’ll just remain focused. When I don’t, my inner critic can get the best of me. It’s my job to pull out every MMA move I can and get my inner critic to tap out. Better yet, I want to wrestle my inner critic into submission or knock him out. Find your reason for fighting, then get busy trying to win.

Let me end with one final word of encouragement. Every successful mature business person I’ve ever known has a trump card called “work ethic.” You know nothing beats effort. The discipline you’ve developed to work hard is second nature for you. Embrace it. Don’t undersell it. Just get engaged with the reality of your situation – and your assets – then go make it happen. Refuse to lose and eventually you’ll win. We both know there’s no way to tell how long it will take, but we know we’re on the clock so we have to make the wisest use of every single day. Now get busy!

And let me know how it’s going. I’m here cheering you on.

Subscribe to the podcast

bula network podcast on itunesTo subscribe, please use the links below:

If you have a chance, please leave me an honest rating and review on iTunes by clicking Review on iTunes. It’ll help the show rank better in iTunes.

Thank you!

Q&A: Am I Too Old To Start Something New? #4048 Read More »

Bula Network Owners' Group: Week 1 Of The Process #4047 - BULA NETWORK

Bula Network Owners’ Group: Week 1 Of The Process #4047

Bula Network Owners' Group: Week 1 Of The Process #4047 - BULA NETWORK

When you develop an idea it’s worth nothing until you take some action. That’s the primary thing that separates achievers from the rest of the population. It’s why NDA’s are mostly useless. The odds of anybody stealing your idea are remote. Most people aren’t acting on their own ideas…much less yours.

Doing is the key. Not thinking. Not planning. Not preparing. It doesn’t mean those things aren’t important, but too many people approach them as singular activities happening in a silo. They don’t work like that in real life. Not if we’re going to move forward. They’re more like so many other things in our lives – things like work/life balance, or operating our businesses. Things happen simultaneously. In parallel.

Too often we feel like we have to do things in some special sequence and in isolation. No. That’s what kills us. I’ve let it kill me in the past. Don’t let it keep happening to you.

Knowing Enough

We just have to know enough to know what to do next. Here’s what looks like for this Bula Network group.

One, I know I don’t want to assemble a big group. I want to keep it more intimate and close knit. Seven is a lucky number. And it’s odd, not even. It feels right and who cares if it’s 100% correct or not. It’s enough to provide the diversity I’m looking for. And it’s small enough to form the depth that really matters to me…making the group powerful for every member.

Two, I know I want to get this group together virtually because I don’t want to limit it geographically. There are some practical reasons for that. I don’t want to limit myself to people in my area, even though I live in a major metro area. I don’t want to hassle with scheduling time to get to some location, setting up a room and making sure the logistics are in place for a face-to-face meeting. I don’t want people who are experiencing the identical economy. So this point has both a utility benefit and a value benefit.

Three, I know I want to get this group together in meetings that last no more than 2 hours. For a group this size I know a lot can be accomplished in 2 hours if the preparation is done. And I’m going to be prepared. Additionally, I know with a virtual online group preparation can happen via email, messaging and other tools so we can avoid wasting time when we’re online together. Too much time gets wasted in face-to-face meetings with kicking the ball around, housekeeping details and other nonsense. I’m not going to foster or allow any of that.

Four, I know I want to get this group together at least every 3 weeks. Ideally, I’d like to do it every other week, but I’m flexible depending on what the members want. I know I want a minimum of 16 or 17 meetings each year and a maximum of 24. By the time we get to this detail I’m happy to adjust based on the feedback I get.

Five, I know I want small business owners who operate companies in any space except “sin” industries like porn, nightclubs, tobacco, alcohol or pot. This is a personal choice. I’m not willing to devote myself to helping every business grow. I’m targeting prospective members who own businesses generating $5 to $30 million annually. I prefer to have business owners who are within a more narrow range of revenue because I know the problems of a $5M business are very different from the one doing $30M. I’m purposefully starting out with that broad of a range to see how things go. Again, I’ll adjust as I go. If I find myself connecting with more owners of $10M than $5 or $30, then I’ll concentrate on a more narrow range like $8 to $12M. You get the idea.

Six, I’m only concentrating on owners. The #1. Every seat at the virtual table will be occupied by somebody who can make THE decision. The work is so deep and so powerful, it’ll demand a person who can make a commitment to take action. This is going to be a no excuses group. Anybody who has a board of directors who really run things won’t be welcome to this group. I’m aiming to serve the people who have the entire burden of running the business squarely on their own shoulders!

Seven, I’m going to concentrate from the Central time zone toward the east or west. There’s a four hour time swing from the east coast to the west coast. I don’t want a group where that time swing presents a problem. So I’m going to keep this particular group all Central and Eastern time zone, or all Central, Mountain and Pacific time zones. That’s important for my prospecting. For now, I’m concentrating on the Central time zone since it’s the one I occupy and it includes a large area of the country. I’ll figure things out from there.

Eight, I’m going to use the book, THE POWER OF PEERS, as my template for forming a highly effective group. By now you likely know I’m working with Leo Bottary helping him produce his podcast. Leo is a co-author of that book. In the book, Leo and his co-author Leon Shapiro outline the 5 factors for peer advantage. I’m going to focus intently on these: select the right peers, create a safe environment, utilize a smart guide, foster valuable interaction and be accountable.

For now I’m clearly going to focus on that first factor, select the right peers. Based on the ideas detailed in the book it starts with shared values that matter. Members of the group have to identify with one another. The group is smarter than any individual member. It’s important that every member not just understand it, but that they believe it.

Questions matter. For decades I’ve operated businesses with the knowledge that the quality of our questions determines the quality of our business. Better answers result from better questions. Leaders in this group will be selected based on their belief that they’ll benefit from insightful questions from the group. It’s not just about getting answers to our questions, but it’s about having our answers questioned. Business owners who aren’t completely comfortable and confident in this value aren’t going to be fit for this group.

Owners in every industry share aspirations, dreams, desires, challenges and opportunities. Each industry thinks its challenges are unique. I’m not minimizing that some industries do face special challenges. For instance, some industries are more highly regulated than others. But we’ve all got far more in common than not. We’re just well acquainted with our challenges and pain points. That focus on our own stuff makes us tend to think other industries have it better. Mostly we’re wrong. We just don’t know their problems.

There’s a benefit of reaching across and outside our own industry. It broadens our insights. I think it also helps reduce our sense of isolation as we become more familiar with owners operating businesses completely different than our own.

Families work best when each member is willing to accept responsibility for their own decisions and actions. Things break down every time people hide. Growth happens when we face ourselves and our situation. That means accountability is a very important component of building the most effective group possible.

And like a family, it’s important that we have shared goals. As the authors of the book, THE POWER OF PEERS, point out…if you’re going to run a marathon you’ll do well to surround yourself with others who want to run a marathon. Why surround yourself with people who have no interest in accomplishing what you want to accomplish? We want a group where each member is intent on growing their business and growing themselves.

It’s also important to have shared beliefs. To create a safe, confidential group it’s important that each member believe in open and honest exchange of ideas, opinions and perspectives. It’s not about always agreeing. It’s about respecting the value of sharing without inhibition. I’m a super-fan of candor. This group will embrace the value of candid conversations.

I know that the value is found in helping business owners make better decisions so they can improve the actions they take. It’s about real-time wisdom, the ability to get more right than not at the time. Everybody can look backward with a perspective that shows us how we may have been able to improve our choices. This group aims to help each member make better decisions so everybody can take more impactful actions.

These are all the things I know right now. Plenty, right? Of course.

What About You?

What do you know enough already? Why aren’t you doing something about it? Or at least trying to do something?

There are absolutely no guarantees I’ll succeed. But there aren’t any promises I’ll fail either. All it is is head trash or optimism until I try it and find out. It doesn’t matter what anybody thinks or says. The only thing that matters is that I’m determined to build a powerful group of business owners because I know the return on investment will be enormous for every member, and for the collective. I’m determined to make it so.

Are you waiting to learn more? What?

Are you waiting for somebody to tell you it’s a good idea? Why?

What difference does any of that make? None, but you know that already. Still our head trash gets in our way. We stall because we’re uncomfortable carving out our own way, or because we want somebody else to be happy with us. Deciding. Acting. Those are much more difficult than thinking and dreaming. Or wishing. And hoping.

Don’t think for a second that legitimate business owners – I don’t mean all the wannabe “entrepreneurs” – don’t fall prey to complacency. We can all get stuck. And lonely. Wishing somebody would show up to help us out every now and again.

You’ve got people in your life. Professionally. Employees, vendors, customers, partners, suppliers. Our lives are filled with people looking to us as owners. Well-intended, good people. Some of whom are high performers. But they all expect something from us. They’ve all got an agenda…and it’s perfectly okay. Expected even. It’s how the world works.

The odds are ridiculously high that you’ve never been part of a group like I’ve described because they’re extremely rare. You’ve been in industry groups. That’s not even a first cousin to a truly effective peer group where each member is there solely for the purpose of growing themselves and their business — and for helping the other members do the same. That’s a game changer that is just extremely rare in business owner circles. And it’s why I’m intent on making this happen for 7 business owners. It’ll change their lives.

What are you going to start doing to change lives, especially your own? What are you waiting for? Get busy. Let’s go back to work. We’ve got things to do.

Subscribe to the podcast

bula network podcast on itunesTo subscribe, please use the links below:

If you have a chance, please leave me an honest rating and review on iTunes by clicking Review on iTunes. It’ll help the show rank better in iTunes.

Thank you!

Bula Network Owners’ Group: Week 1 Of The Process #4047 Read More »

Not Going Crazy In The Process (owners helping each other exercise real-time wisdom) #4046

Over 15 years ago I distilled business building into three basic activities that I’ve since labeled “the trifecta of business building” –

  1. Getting new customers
  2. Serving existing customers better
  3. Not going crazy in the process

During the past 4 years or so I’ve increasingly shoved more focus on that last one because the need is so large (and the opportunity is equally large). Not because the first two are less important, but because they’re so important. Business owners and CEOs are driven crazy largely because of the importance of the first two. Pile onto that the personnel and personal issues confronting leaders and some form of crazy is almost always in play for us.

Getting Back To What Matters Most (and has always mattered…to me)

Part of avoiding going crazy is having help when we most need it. In an age where there’s an app for just about everything – including therapy (have you not seen TalkSpace, the online therapy service?) – we’re often lonely, sad, worried and anxious. Sometimes it all morphs into despair.

Passion is popular and highly over-rated. Especially in the business world. I don’t see the world in terms of passion and happiness. Instead, I focus on energy and dread, which drains energy. And instead of learning more, I concentrate on closing the gap between what we already know and fail to do (a shout out to the 1999 book that gave language to what I was feeling, The Knowing-Doing Gap by Pfeffer and Sutton).

It’s not a slam against passion or knowledge. We need a degree of both, but neither will get the job done. Doing gets it done. Figuring it out while you’re doing it gets it done. And it won’t happen fast. It’ll be a slog, which is why dread can’t be part of it. Dread drains energy…energy you need to get the job done!

I’m so inclined in helping people that many years ago I snagged a domain, TalkingYouOffTheLedge and another one, TwoFriendsTalking. I didn’t keep either one because I never did anything with either of them. I just use them to illustrate how I’m wired. People will tell you to pay close attention to what people look to you for…and there you have it with me. I spent a lot of time talking people off the proverbial ledge. Not people who are despondent, but people who are vexed. Not people on the verge of suicide, but people with real struggles that could possibly take them down a path of real despair. The ledge is unsafe. Dangerous. We don’t make our best decisions there.

I’m going back to the core things that I believe in most. The things I’m most blessed to do to help others.

Empathy. Asking questions. Listening carefully to answers. Emotional intelligence.

Through the years I’ve had many occasions where I’d call a business owner or CEO. Somebody I’d never talked with before. People I’d never met before. Within minutes I’m asking them about their biggest challenge and then I shut up. Twenty minutes later they come up for air and it’s evident…they’re not used to having anybody ask them. Instead, their lives are full of people pitching them, selling them and claiming to have “just what you need.” Stranger like me enter their lives daily armed with the solution to problems they don’t even know exist because they never took the time to ask. Been there. I know exactly how these women and men feel because I’ve sat in that same spot. That helps me serve better.

Longevity matters because patience is a lost art. Growth takes time. Improvement can happen incrementally, but it takes patience to reach mastery. For over 7 years my work has happened 6 to 12 months at a time, then ended. In some instances, clients have remain engaged for 2 years or more, but not usually. And all along the way, the work goes deep, but I drive away if it’s face-to-face or I hang up if it’s a video conference. The depth of it all leaves me feeling empty. Or I should say, the shallowness of it all leaves me that way.

Deep relationships matter to me. I’m the guy who prefers fewer people willing to go deep. Curious. Interested. Hard things to scale, but scale has never mattered much to me.

So starting right now I’m going to peel back the curtains and whatever else might obstruct your view. I’m going to show you how I’m working to assemble a small group of business owners for no purpose other than helping one another grow as business people and humans. Bula Network is going to veer away from a network of services to a real, genuine network of people – people connected for the purpose of their own higher human performance.

By now you may know of my work with Leo Bottary to produce his podcast, Year Of The Peer. Want to talk about passion and energy? This topic fuels me because I think we’re facing a tidal wave need for business owners to take better care of themselves emotionally and mentally. Emotional and mental fitness are crucial to helping owners overcome their dread and misery. It’s not limited to struggling owners either. Sometimes successful owners face even greater pressures.

The evidence – my evidence – is anecdotal, but still important. I rarely encounter business owners who don’t quickly and freely express frustrations that drive them crazy. And when I do encounter it, it’s almost always a person wired to not be open. You know the kind…the person who gives single syllable answers to questions. The person who doesn’t engage easily in conversation. It happens. That’s fine. I’m not bothered by that.

Instead, I’m going to go hunting business owners who are yearning to get ahead. Owners willing to invest in themselves knowing that few things will fuel their company’s growth more than their own growth.

Right now, I’m taking my aim at small business owners operating companies that do between $5 and $20 million in annual revenue. I don’t care where they’re located because this is going to be a virtual group with meetings conducted via video conferencing technology. I don’t care what industry they occupy because I’m going to concentrate on making sure the space is safe and confidential for every member.

It’s not about selling, it’s about finding the proper fit. I’m not a coffee drinker. I hate coffee. Always have. I have friends who love it. Even addicted to it. If you were going to try to sell me coffee you’d have a better chance of pushing water up a hill. I’m not buying. No matter how much you extol the virtues of coffee. Why waste your time talking to me when you could easily talk to people who love coffee? Stupid.

I’m not going to be stupid. Conversation will determine whether people are attracted to putting themselves in better positions to grow as leaders and owners. Dialogue will quickly reveal if people see the true value of making better decisions by surrounding themselves with people whose sole purpose in coming together is to help each other build more successful businesses. I’m not shocked when I encounter people who can’t see the value. I hate coffee. 😉

So here’s what’s going to happen. I’m going to record weekly updates – maybe more – sharing with you the journey of what this looks like. And what it feels like. I won’t betray confidences, but I’ll characterize the conversations I’m having, the objections I’m encountering, the positive feedback I’m receiving and whatever else comes by way. For now, Bula Network’s first business owners’ group will select 7 business owners.

Time to get busy and figure this thing out. I hope you’re trying some things that are nagging at you. This idea has nagged at me for almost 6 years…proving that thinking about it won’t make it happen. I once read a story of slavery in the pre-Civil War south. In the story was a quote that always stuck with me because of the brilliant wisdom of it. It was a quote attributed to the Negro slaves of the day who would say, “Mean to don’t pick no cotton.” And boy is that right! I know too many people – including sometimes myself – who live life meaning to do many things, but never getting around to them. It’s time to stop meaning to, and DO.

I hope my journey and admission fuels your own desires to pursue the things you may have been putting off. Get off the schneid. Start doing it and see what happens. Let me know how it’s going. I’d love to hear it.

Subscribe to the podcast

bula network podcast on itunesTo subscribe, please use the links below:

If you have a chance, please leave me an honest rating and review on iTunes by clicking Review on iTunes. It’ll help the show rank better in iTunes.

Thank you!

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Don't Just Think Like A Media Company, Act Like A Successful One #4045 - Bula Network

Don’t Just Think Like A Media Company, Act Like A Successful One #4045

Don't Just Think Like A Media Company, Act Like A Successful One

Content marketing isn’t magic. Or quick. For too many, it’s not even effective.

That’s because too many small business owners struggle to view themselves as a media company. CEO’s and business owners will happily recite what they’ve repeatedly heard, “Act like a media company.” But they don’t know what that truly means. They think it means cranking out content. Any kind of content.

“I don’t have time to blog three times a week,” is a common refrain. Well, the three times weekly may not be the most common number. Mostly, I hear them say they can’t do it once a week!

I usually feel like a fishing instructor standing in front of people who just want to buy fish. “Can’t I just pay somebody?” Sure, but when you’re the owner of a $4 million dollar remodeling company, or a one man financial advisory business…you’re the expert. That magic you’re looking for in content marketing is in your head. You just have to start thinking and more importantly, acting like a successful media company.

My first exposure to TV Guide, other than seeing it in the check out line at the grocery store, was at my grandparents house. A copy could always be found on the side table next to my grandfather’s chair. At the time, there was nothing like it. The closest thing was the daily tv schedule in the daily newspaper, but in small town America that wasn’t often an option.

Scattered in each issue would be stories of your favorite TV stars like Lucille Ball. In fact, when the guide first went national in 1953 the birth of her son, Desi Arnaz, Jr. made the cover. Even these stories were unique at the time. This was long before People and other celebrity gossip magazines. There was always plenty of yellow journalism – those sensationalistic rags – but TV Guide had a legitimacy about it. A trust. And they approached stories of these stars with more of a true journalistic quality.

These were the days before technology afforded us the ability to time shift watching our favorite shows. No recorders. Everything in real time. If you missed your favorite show, you missed it. Your best hope was that during the summer they might run it again as a re-run. That made a guide even more important to people.

In retrospect you may think “that’s no so special.” You’d be wrong. It was a one-of-a-kind. Unique. Something only the TV Guide could do. Something only the TV Guide did. And in most cities and towns in America there was only 3 networks – ABC, CBS and NBC. Small towns would often switch between two networks on a single channel, bringing people the most popular shows of each one. Big cities had a separate channel for each network, plus they had a PBS station giving you a whopping four channels to watch.

Unlike the newspaper, TV Guide published in a digest format – slightly larger than pocket size. Super convenient. It was 15 cents. During the 1960’s it was the most widely read and circulated periodical in America. It’s value soared, surpassing the estimated value of ABC, CBS and NBC combined. An aggregator had grown to be worth more than the content creators it was compiling.

What’s the lesson for you?

Don’t just crank out content to crank out content. I know people tell you to blog, podcast, post articles at Linkedin, create videos for YouTube and a thousand other pieces of advice for morphing your enterprise into a media outlet. But they’re overlooking a bigger issue. A more important component, uniqueness.

Dive into any space you’d like. Pick one. Some space where you notice people are blogging or creating content. I don’t care what platform they’re using. YouTube, Linkedin, Medium, Tumblr, their own website…anywhere you’d like to look.

Big areas include money or wealth management. Another big one is entertainment. Pick either of those, or something else.

Now scan as much of that content as you can stand. Set a time limit. I don’t want you to dive too deeply down the rabbit hole where you’re unable to find your way back out. Scan a dozen or so and think about what you’re seeing.

Pick the space and mostly you’re going to see a lot of “me, too” content. One looks like the others. You might go through dozens before finding one – just 1 – that stands out. Why does it stand out? Because it’s not like the others. It’s unique. Different.

Notice I didn’t say better. Maybe it is better. Maybe not. But it’s unquestionably different. And that’s the lesson for you. That’s how you stop thinking like a media company – there are tons of media companies who struggle. Thinking like everybody else isn’t the path to high achievement. That’s how you start acting like a successful media company – a company that knows what they’re doing and is committed to rising above the noise floor.

Brace yourself for some tough love advice. Don’t create content if you can’t produce something different. Sure, it’s ideal if it can be different and better. That’s optimal, but not easy. In the war between different or unique and better – aim for unique. There’s two reasons for that. One, better is subjective. And it won’t get you noticed Two, unique is easier to spot for most people. Let me add a third reason…sometimes you’ll be able to make your unique content collide with better content. It may not happen all the time. Everybody strikes out every now again. You just want to get on base more often than not. Consistently unique is far easier than consistently better. It’s a big world with people who likely have more resources than you. If you’re a solopreneur operating out of your house…you won’t likely be able to produce better content than a staff of content creators who have graphics skills, copying writing skills, infographic skills and all the other talent found in today’s content creation world.

How am I different?

Yes, we’re all individual and in some respect we’re different. The question is how different are we? Not so much really.

It’s poor strategy to simply think that because it’s you saying something everybody is saying, then you’re special…worthy of attention. True, nobody can say it quite like you, but there are plenty of people close enough to make it hard to tell the difference. It’s why we commonly see people acting like lemmings. Many of us have been working all our lives to fit in, to be like everybody else. Watch any high school when they let classes out. You’ll have a hard time spotting unique because teens want to be like their classmates.

Now as adults, that innate desire is still very strong. Before we started school (hum, may be something negative to this) things were different. We were different. Unafraid of standing out, being unique. Not bashful to wear Alf underwear. Things change. Compliance kills creativity. Creativity kills boredom.

If your answer to, “How am I different?” is “I’m not,” then you have a much bigger problem than acting like a successful media company. I don’t mean you have to have a one-of-a-kind business model, or product or service. I do mean you need something that helps you stand out.

Your gas gauge is on E. That warning light just came on. You have 30 miles or so to find a gas station.

If you’re in town where there are gas stations on every corner, you make a decision based on convenience. Or maybe you make it based on a preferred brand because they have 93 octane, which you need, while everybody else only has 91 as their highest. Or you make a decision based on a station you know has diesel ’cause you need diesel. Or you don’t care what kind of gas you burn, you just want the lowest price. It’s all gasoline, but your selection is unique to you, not because you’re one-of-a-kind, but perhaps you have some special considerations.

Operators of gas stations — successful gas stations tend to rely on one fundamental differentiator, location. Put me on corner of the intersection based on ease of getting in and out and I’ll kick the competition on the opposite corner. It’ll be hard to ignore my competitive advantage.

Enter Quik Trip, my favorite place to get gas. They have great locations, good prices and drink bar to satisfy any liquid urge. They also have the details down, like windshield washer suds instead of empty containers with crusty devices that last cleaned a windshield 10 years ago. Stores are clean, staff is friendly and even if I don’t go in – which is most of the time – those details impress me enough to warrant me giving them my fuel up business. If the gas prices aren’t as low as surrounding stations, they lose my business though. Those differences are just the tie breaker, but the tie breaker means getting my money…or not getting it.

Such is the case in your space.

Be different. Be unique. Zig where everybody is using zag. Make that a top priority.

Then work on making your content better.

Give your prospects and customers something they can’t get elsewhere. Give them a reason to choose you. “Pick us, we’re just like everybody else,” isn’t a wise way to go. Harry’s and Dollar Shave Club have both disrupted an old, old industry ruled by mega powers. Casper and Leesa did the same thing in the mattress space. Under Armor did it in athletic wear. I’m not suggesting that you’re operating at such a high altitude of disruption, but disruption is just another term for being different. Sometimes VERY different. It gets attention. It gets lots of attention when that difference is dramatically better.

The same thing goes for your content.

Successful media companies, more often than not, are unique and better. They don’t always produce content you love, but they produce enough to grab your attention. AMC gave us Breaking Bad, Mad Men and Better Call Saul. Different, unique and better. They also gave us The Walking Dead and Humans (two shows I have no interest in, and have never seen). You’ll never get all the eyeballs and ears. You just need to get enough to grow your business and make it sustainable over the long haul.

Subscribe to the podcast

bula network podcast on itunesTo subscribe, please use the links below:

If you have a chance, please leave me an honest rating and review on iTunes by clicking Review on iTunes. It’ll help the show rank better in iTunes.

Thank you!

Don’t Just Think Like A Media Company, Act Like A Successful One #4045 Read More »

People Power: Reaching A Higher Altitude #4044 - Bula Network

People Power: Reaching A Higher Altitude #4044

People Power: Reaching A Higher Altitude #4044 - Bula Network

Years ago when I founded Bula Network it was a very informal side project that I felt warranted a name, even though it wasn’t really a business. It was a service enterprise spawned by the CEO’s, founders and business owners who reached out to me to get my perspective on a variety of issues they were facing. Sometimes the work went deep, diving into specific numbers. At other times it was more high level, talking somebody off that ledge that we call find ourselves on every now and again. That’s why I found myself using the moniker – “network” – because of the scope of things. Because I podcast people began to assume it was a network because of that, but that’s not how it began.

When I left the c-suite, the work and the enterprise became more formalized. What had begun mostly as a passion project to help out friends and acquaintances was now something I needed to market so I could create a sustainable business. It was about 8 years ago when it began. To say it’s been difficult is an understatement. And I can’t overstate the learning that has taking place.

Any business experiences missteps and I’ve certainly made plenty. Even with a lifetime of experience the market – and life – teach us how little we really know. And how much more we need to understand.

When Bula Network was a side project it was mostly directed toward retail, sparking one of my first podcasts, REMARKABLE RETAIL. Years of running luxury retailing companies meant that my biggest circle consisted of people involved (at some level) in that arena. Very quickly it widened to other areas where high touch service was the mandate. I soon left remarkable retail behind, mostly because I was bored with it having spent my life there. I was also seeing major shifts in the retailing landscape, which drove me away emotionally and mentally. However, the skills required of operating at high levels in retailing translate to just about any enterprise, organization or industry you can name. Especially so in luxury retailing, where customer experience is supremely important.

People.

It’s always been, and will always be about PEOPLE. Some people are into a variety of aspects of business building. My life’s focus has been on the people who make it happen. My ability is implementing workflows, processes and systems that are congruent with helping people perform at consistently high, predictable levels. I’m not your guy if you’re wanting to take your business from launch to where it can escape the gravity of risks that often cause businesses or organizations to crash and burn. I am your guy if you’ve escaped gravity, which happens at various times for each organization, and you need to find a higher altitude. Some business builders are great in stage 1 where you need liftoff. I’m not a stage 1 builder. I’m a stage 2 through whatever builder. Never satisfied with the existing success.

Sometimes an enterprise is struggling even though they long ago escaped gravity’s pull. Other times they’re doing well, but stuck. I can encounter businesses stuck in success just as easily as those stuck in failure. Success has its own demons that owners and leaders find particularly challenging. Some refuse to contend with them because success feels so comfortable. Until it doesn’t.

When I was a young man I was taught the magic of marketing summed up in a single phrase, “Be an aspirin, not a vitamin.” Whenever we have an ache or pain we quickly reach for a pain reliever. Pain makes us reach. Vitamins might be preventative, but because they don’t likely impact our lives in the short term, we don’t think much about them.

I admit there have been times when I neglected to follow that advice. Or when I thought I was being an aspirin, but my target market wasn’t willing to remedy their pain. Sounds odd, doesn’t it? But I’ve learned the hard way that some people – some spaces – have enormous pain, but they’re resigned that it’s just how things go. They’re not willing to take an aspirin. That’s the small, but important, nuance to that brilliant marketing advice – “Be an aspirin, not a vitamin.” It presupposes that people in pain will take an aspirin. That’s not always true. And I’ve violated what I knew to be true by pushing for people to understand. It rarely works.

For the last 5 years or so I’ve had an idea that I finally started pursuing late last year. I was attracted to this group of people practicing a specific and narrow part of law. Yes, they’re attorneys. I love what they do and have great respect for their work. The genesis of my idea was to take my lifetime of experience to serve a group that had spent their time learning and getting authorization to practice their craft. They have pain. Every group does. But something weird happened as I began to speak with dozens of them. Well, two things actually. One, mostly they were unwilling to devote any time to a remedy. They’re in the habit of paying somebody for turn-key solutions. What I was offering was much more powerful, but much more personal. It was in teaching them to fish, not in selling them one. Most had no interest in putting in even a minimal amount of work to do that. Not because they’re lazy, but because they’re crazy busy. They couldn’t see themselves taking on another project, or any more commitments. Even if taking that on would change their lives forever. Two, that viewpoint was so engrained in most of them they couldn’t see a future where their lives weren’t under the dictate of an overbooked calendar.

Déjà vu.

I’ve earned my stripes convincing – or trying to convince – people of what is possible. Experience taught me that it’s usually a waste of time to try to influence an entire group to see something they simply can’t see. Or something they refuse to see. How can you know the difference? And does it really matter? You can’t and it doesn’t.

So I pulled the plug knowing that I would never be able to help this group, even though I was only attempting to serve a small number of them. For me, the toll of trying to escape gravity was too high. Because there are other people desperate to reach a new altitude in their life and business. I figured I’d take my own advice that I give to every client. “You have to view your life as a limited resource. Make sure you invest it as wisely as possible.” I wasn’t doing that so I decided it was high time I listen to my heart and my head.

It’s also why I’m pushing more toward my roots and my special gifts – people. Whether I’m sitting with a CEO, founder or executive the problems universally revolve around dealing with and leading people. Sometimes it means managing the work performed by people. But whether we’re working with a service professional like an attorney, or a manufacturer, or a software developer, or a city management team – their problems, challenges and opportunities all have one thing in common. PEOPLE.

I’m still very focused on growing great businesses and careers. Higher human performance remains at the heart of it all.

The lessons for you?

  1. Know what you’re good at. Really know what you’re great at.
  2. Know what you’re not good at. Really know what you suck at.
  3. Bet on your strengths, not your weaknesses. Shore up what you can, but don’t waste too much time being something you’re not.
  4. Put your strengths in the form of an aspirin. What pain can you help eliminate? What problems can your strengths remedy?
  5. Just because a market is in pain doesn’t mean they want or will pay for relief. Don’t assume it.
  6. If people embrace their pain, feeling it’s “just how things are,” then walk or run away. Waste no time trying to convince them. Leave them alone in their misery.
  7. If people want relief from their pain, but aren’t willing to pay for it…run away even faster!
  8. Make sure you serve people you actually enjoy being around. Few things are worse than being stuck with customers you don’t respect or enjoy. That’s being trapped.
  9. Marketing is easier when you get all this put together so your view of yourself changes to where you realize there are people out there waiting for the relief only you can provide. Believe in yourself.
  10. The aspirin or pain reliever you buy is the one you believe works. Belief is critical. Find prospects and customers who believe. Walk away quickly from everybody who doesn’t.

I’ll build on these ideas in upcoming episodes, but for now — ponder these things. Apply them to your enterprise. See how you can provide value to people able to see it. Serve people worthy of your product or service. Help the people you can and stop pushing so hard to serve people who aren’t likely to embrace your work no matter what you do. The work is still about people connecting with people. It’s about people serving other people.

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