Randy Cantrell

Randy Cantrell is the founder of Bula Network, LLC - an executive leadership advisory company helping leaders leverage the power of others through peer advantage, online peer advisory groups. Interested in joining us? Visit ThePeerAdvantage.com

Episode 94 – Don’t Leave Your Business Unfinished

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These baby birds are like your business. They expect to be fed. They trust mom to bring them worms.

What does your business expect? As we wind down June, what are the expectations of your business for July?

Sustainability in business isn’t about being green. It’s about building performances that can be replicated. It’s about having a degree of predictable success.

Professionals are able to perform with predictable success. Here in Dallas we’ve got every professional sport represented. These teams have high paid professional athletes. Whether they’re on the roster of an NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB team – these athletes are major league players. Professionals. Their respective teams have an expectation of performance. Their coaches or managers know what to expect from them every time the team competes. Sometimes, they disappoint. Sometimes, they win the game. Consistently, though, they perform at a competitive level. When they fail to perform consistently, in some predictable way, they lose their job. The team will replace them with somebody else who can provide high performance game after game.

Your business must operate in the same way. Too many solopreneurs do not have a predictable performance. They enter a month clueless about what their revenues will be. Some are even clueless about what their costs will be.

Successful business building demands an accurate aim. It takes some hard work, but it’s the most profitable work you’ll do.

Solopreneurs are prone to get so busy doing what they do – they coach, they consult, they write, they speak, they DO – that they neglect the work of building their business. This results in months of agony as they strain to successfully chase cash, revenue. The machine – that is, the systems or processes – to help generate that revenue never gets built. This means the business never gets fully built out.

I’ve known some families who set about to build their house while living in it. They got the foundation laid, the walls and roof built, working electrical and plumbing – and they moved in, figuring they’d finish the house as their budget would allow. Months turned into years as the art of daily living overrode those initial goals of completing the construction. If they’re not careful, the unfinished rooms decay and create increasingly more work than if they’d finished the job sooner. Time is rarely kind to the construction process. The elements can destroy uncompleted work.

Don’t leave your business unfinished. Complete the job. Don’t let life get the way. Get the systems in place. Be a professional. Build sustainability – a predictable expectation – into your enterprise.

 

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First, Get Millions Of Barrels Of Oil A Day

Simple easy answers for hard success – it’s what we all want.

I’m a Capitalist. I’m also a guy who loves free enterprise. That means, I’m fond of the competitive process. In business, I’m not offended that you’d like to kick my butt. I’d like to kick yours first.

Wild financial success is possible, but it’s not probable for most people. I don’t say that because I’m pessimistic, or because I’m a grumpy old man. Okay, maybe I’m a little grumpy, but that’s beside the point. The truth is, most people are average and live average lives. They earn average incomes. They experience an average degree of happiness, contentment and fulfillment. It’s among the many advantages of being average.

To rise above the average requires more than average ingredients. No, I didn’t say more than average skills or intelligence. The Situation proves that’s not true.

Success requires something above average though. In the case of Mr. Situation, it required above average arrogance, physique, brashness and shamelessness. Those ingredients worked to make him widely known and as we all know, celebrity brings wealth.

Deserved or not. We don’t care. We’ll reward you simply for being famous. And we don’t much care why you’re famous. The Situation reportedly earned in excess of $5 million last year. Yeah, that’s about right.

Does that make you feel like a stupid failure? Of course it does. Don’t lie.

Why are you still asking the same stupid question looking for the secret, or some missing ingredient?

Because you’re human, that’s why. Because like the rest of us mere mortals you’d like to find a short-cut, an easy answer. Because you don’t want to have to do it the hard way if you can help it. You’re smart like that. You and the rest of us.

But we’re not smart enough to realize The Situation doesn’t know anything you don’t. He’s just crazy enough to find a way to get famous – because he knows our society will pay money to fame. Skills? He don’t need no stinkin’ skills. Have you seen his rock hard abs? There’s your skills. Sure there are gyms all over the country with guys who have 6-pack abs, but they’re not as crazy arrogant as The Situation, are they? They are? Well, they didn’t get on MTV, did they? Nope. And there’s the rub. The Situation made it to TV, made the most of it and presto chango – he’s a Star.

Me? I’m no star. I’m sitting in The Yellow Studio listening to crickets chirp. I don’t care. If The Situation can earn over $5 million with those abs…I figure my love handles gotta be worth at least a mil. I’m just waitin’ for the phone to ring and then I’m gonna blow up like the blimp, yo!

Cya!

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Episode 93 – 3 Things That Can Help You Move Forward (How To Avert The Red Light Conspiracy)

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We’re all wired differently, but we share some common wires. Every wiring harness I’ve ever seen – in electronics, cars, light switches or anything else – has a red wire and a black wire. Red is power. Black is a ground. It’s universally true. I’m not terribly sophisticated so my wiring harness likely has fewer wires than yours, but I’ll bet you we’ve both got a red wire and a black wire.

Doubt, fear, procrastination. These are common wires shared by everybody.

There are switches in our brain connected by these wires. When these switches get flipped, BAM! On comes the RED LIGHT. The tires on our life and our business squeal and smoke as we come to a screeching halt.

There’s a signal light a few blocks from the church building where we worship. (Yeah, we always call them “stop lights,” don’t we? We never give people directions by telling them to go to the third green light or go light.) At any rate, a few weeks ago this light started staying RED a lot longer than it used to. I first thought it was hung. Traffic kept backing up behind me. We waited. We waited some more. No cars were coming from our left. No cars were coming from our right. Frustrated, I was ready to run through the intersection, but the green light appeared.

Sometimes in our lives – and in our businesses – we get stuck on a red light. We remain stopped until it turns green, growing more impatient. We seem to hit one red light after another. No sooner do we get a green light, accelerate up to full speed…until we hit another red light. One red light after another. It’s like all the lights have synchronized in a conspiracy to stall our momentum.

The majority of today’s show is a discussion of three “drop dead, stupid simple” things that I think can help me – and YOU – move forward by giving us a GREEN LIGHT. I’ll end the show addressing that last special episode about the future of this blog, podcast and the videos. Chime in and tell me what you think.

Thank you for listening. Won’t you drop by Apple iTunes and leave me a comment about the show? I wish you would. Or you can leave me some audio feedback at (214) 736-4406. I’d love to hear what you think.

Mentioned in today’s show:

2010/2011 NBA Champion – Dallas Mavericks
2010/2011 NHL Stanley Cup Champion – Boston Bruins
• Freakonomics by Levitt and Dubner
Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

 

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Forget The Guy With Six-Pack Abs. Look At That Fat Guy!

We all do it. We look at our station in life and dream of being where the rich folks are. Look at their house, their cars and their lifestyle. Man, wouldn’t it be great if we could live like them?

Meanwhile, there are scores of people who look at our life and think similar things. We don’t pay much attention to them though. They’re not where we are and we don’t want to go backward. I mean, who wants to be poorer?

Falsely, we assume that by looking in one direction we can go in that direction. It seems right. Even logical.

What if we’re looking in the wrong direction? What if we’ve got it all wrong?

Forget The Guy With Six-Pack Abs. Look At That Fat Guy! Read More »

Special Episode – Help Me Navigate A Crazy Intersection (Happy Birthday To My Wife, Too)

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I’m approaching this crazy intersection.

My GPS is working fine, but it’s useless. Why? Because I’m not sure where I need to go. You can help me determine the direction because this endeavor is about helping YOU.

Oh, and by the way, today is my wife’s birthday. Her name is Rhonda and you’ll find her website at Doll Dresses By Rhonda or RhondaCantrell.com. She sews.

My work continues at Leaning Toward Wisdom where I’m aiming to serve public education, but here at BulaNetwork.com – I’m coming up on this crazy intersection. I’m asking you for directions. I hope you’ll help me out and not treat me like Clark Grisold lost in the hood.

Today’s special episode is a short birthday message to my wife, but mainly it’s a request for your feedback and help regarding which way to take this blog and podcast.

Here’s a collection of the four roads representing the directions I can take to better serve you. You may even have one not listed here. That’s okay.

1. Life/Personal Development coaching

2. Business coaching

3. New Media coaching

4. Communication coaching

I can take this in whatever direction best serves you guys. This blog and podcast has been a mixture of three things: business coaching, personal development and social commentary. How can I give you more value? How can I better serve your needs?

One idea I’ve been toying with is to set up my blog and podcasts with those four categories (or whatever categories you feel would be most helpful). That way I could limit each post or podcast or video to one of those categories. Otherwise, it would turn into a mash of different stuff and void the whole reason for setting up these categories. You could more easily focus only on the things that interest you. What do you think of that idea?

I’m not all things to all people. I may not be your cup of tea and I’m cool with that. But, if I am your cup of tea – I need your help.

Things mentioned in today’s show:

Rhonda Cantrell, my wife, sews custom made doll dresses, primarily for Himstedt dolls
Daddy bloggers and podcasters Daniel Clark and C.C. Chapman
• Heather Armstrong is Dooce.com, Queen of the mommy bloggers (but you knew that already)
Tom Peters, king of the massive slide deck

Leave a comment below.

Send me Results [at] BulaNetwork [dot] com” target=”_blank”>an email.

Leave me a voice mail at (214) 736-4406.

Thank you for listening. Thank you for giving me your feedback. I’ll be back next Thursday, but first…it’s birthday party time!

 

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Episode 92 – Chasing Numbers, Losing Opportunities And Remaining Unknown

Podcast: Download


Bigger is better. I know ’cause I’m in Texas.

You know it, too though. More Twitter followers. More Facebook likes. More blog subscribers. More podcast listeners. More is better. When it comes to numbers, higher is better. Right?

Well, it depends.

It depends on what those numbers represent. More often than not, they don’t have any significant meaning. That’s not to say they don’t represent a real person, but that real person may have no interest in you or what you do. Rather, it’s safe to assume that each number presents a real person interested in their own stuff, their own agenda.

We have to realize that the people we follow in social media are not the people most likely interested in what we do, or in buying our stuff. It’s likely that your social network consists of people who interest YOU. You follow them. If per chance they follow you back, we’ll that doesn’t mean they have any interest in YOU or in what you do. That’s not some cynical view. It’s just reality.

I follow Tom Peters because, since the publication of In Search of Excellence, Tom has been on my radar. I developed a fondness for him and his work. I’ve purchased every book he’s written. I’ve paid money to see him speak more times than I can count. I’ve even touched more than the hem of his garment, I’ve experienced a handshake with Tom on just about every occasion where I’m gone to hear him speak. Tom has no idea who I am, nor should he. His crowd is vast – the result of numerous books and speeches, and years in the making. He can’t possibly know everybody who is his customer.

Fact is, I rather like Tom Peters. I like what he says and how he says it. And you know what? He’s far more liberal in his leanings than me. But still, I find him a provoking character who fosters my thinking. I rather enjoy that. Most people aren’t indifferent about Tom. I suspect people are attracted to him or repelled by him. He’s likely okay with that.

The fact that I follow him means I’m interested in him. If he were to follow me back (and he hasn’t), it doesn’t mean he’s interested in me – other than reciprocating, which isn’t necessarily meaningful. It’s just polite, but totally unnecessary.

Almost everybody I know is chasing numbers. They want more subscribers and followers. Daily that’s their focus. They never stop to think, “Will these people ever buy anything from me? Are these people interested in ME?” In almost every case, the answer is, “NO!”

The numbers don’t necessarily represent opportunity. They may, but they may not.

Today’s show is about the numbers – specifically chasing the numbers. Make sure you’re reaching the people you need to reach – the people who need you!

Thanks for listening to me. My goal is to be true to my purpose here – to help you build a better life, a better business. Let me know if I’m hitting or missing the mark.

 

Episode 92 – Chasing Numbers, Losing Opportunities And Remaining Unknown Read More »

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