Randy Cantrell | GROW GREAT

We use a variety of terms to talk about it.

Pivot.

Morph.

Adapt.

Iterate.

Adjust.

If we’re wise, given enough time and introspection…we figure a few things out. Just a few things, mind you. The most brilliant among us can figure out many things, but I’ve never stood among those folks. I’m out here hanging with you, and the rest of the people trying to figure things out.

Some of us figure things out enough to make some changes that will alter our performance. Slight or major, we adjust things and the outcome is different from what we’d been experiencing. We’re onto something. And we know it. Hopefully, it’s quickly noticeable.

A rare few stumble toward a level of success they may have never imagined. They soar. Above most all the rest. They go sky high.

Leaving some of us jealous. Envious.

While leaving others of us with evidence that it can be done…and if they can do it, then why can’t we? That’s the fool’s gold in the quest for the key to success. We falsely believe that outliers are the norm and wonder where we’ve gone wrong. All the while, unaware that we may not be going wrong at all. We just need to keep pushing, not forgetting to adjust.

So many variables are in play making the key to success so evasive. So much noise. So many distractions. We’re all kittens in a world filled with balls of yarn!

Natural aptitude. Desire. Skill. Connections. Timing. Experience. These all contribute to our performance.

And then there’s the magic of serendipity.

Or known by a more common term, luck.

Our egos often prevent us from giving luck more credit. It must be us. Yes, that’s it. It’s all us. We’re special. We beat all the others. We did what they could not. There’s no way luck was involved. All skill, baby! Right. Dream on, dude/dudedette.

Up’s and down’s. Toiling. Battling all the adversity. Trying hard to figure it all out and feeling like we’re running into a wall, over and over and over.

I wish I could tell you it gets easier over time, but who am I? A middle-aged guy who has made it a time or two. Assuming that it is money. And assuming that it is money sufficient enough to not have to worry much financially.

That doesn’t mean I can tell you how to do it. Fact is, it doesn’t even mean I can do it again.

The real issue – for the past couple of years – has been HOW do I want to do it? Enter a new word not listed up there at the beginning, reinvent. That’s hard. Really hard.

It begins with another difficult word – redefine. The HOW has been my approach, but when you really boil it down it’s really WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHERE and maybe most importantly, WHY.

Beginning journalism classes learn to ask and answer those word questions in order to fill in the blanks of a story. But those word questions serve each of us. The answers to those define our lives. Professional and personal.

For the better part of four decades I made my living in business, particularly in running the businesses of other people. Retail companies. Managing inventories, purchasing, merchandising, advertising, marketing, sales and payroll. Lots of moving parts. Complex businesses.

Along the way I’ve helped a few other people – namely, business owners – figure out ways to do things better. Years of business problem solving fueled my propensity for strategic thinking.

Sometimes the key to success isn’t to repeat what once worked, but to realize that what you once did and found rewarding…is no longer rewarding enough.

It’s time to break. Walter White decided to break bad by becoming Heisenberg. No, I’m going to start cooking meth, but I am breaking from my previous direction. Today’s show pulls back the curtain to share with you this change.

Mentioned in today’s show:

– Free Agent Nation by Daniel Pink
– BarCodeRadio.net
– LogHomeRadio.com
– LeaningTowardWisdom.com

Episode 140 – How Breaking Bad Changed My Life: When Who You Are Is No Longer What You Want To Do Read More »

Where Have I Been This Week?

Randy Cantrell, Video / By Randy Cantrell

Where Have I Been This Week? Read More »

My Favorite Notebooks: Capturing Cool Thoughts & Ideas

Personal Development, Randy Cantrell, Video / By Randy Cantrell

I love good notebooks. And I’m picky.

I admit it, I’m a notebook snob. It’s not that I have to have a high dollar notebook. None of these are terribly expensive, but they’re high quality. A regular ‘ol spiral notebook that kids use in school just won’t do for me. I need something better.

Let me show you some of my favorites.

1. AMPAD Reporter’s Notebook

2. Moleskine Classic Ruled Notebook (3.5″ x 5.5″)

3. Field Notes

4. Whitelines Wire Black A4 Lined Notebook

5. Moleskine XLarge Ruled Cahier Journal

6. Canson Universal Sketch Paper Pad 9×12″

What do you use to record your cool thoughts and ideas?

P.S. I also love to use Evernote and voice memos on my iPhone, but there’s something more magical about a notebook.

My Favorite Notebooks: Capturing Cool Thoughts & Ideas Read More »

How A Health Scare Can Produce Immediate Focus (And Other Little Lessons Learned)

Randy Cantrell, Video / By Randy Cantrell

This is a follow-up to the last show. Good news!

We appreciate all the kindness, the thoughts and prayers. Thank you!

Fear will help you prioritize on the fly faster than anything I know. Fear of loss. Fear of suffering. Fear of watching a person you love endure hardship.

Fear can create instant focus. If you’re like me, Fear has his hand on a switch not available to most emotions. The switch that controls distraction and obsession. BAM! In a flash, Fear flips that switch and my life has a clarity that no amount of money could have provided mere seconds earlier.

I’m going to try to learn more from this experience.

The challenges are simple to list, but figuring them out, well…that’s gonna take a lot of work.

1. How can I better manage my own ability to focus? Can I gain greater command of it?

2. How can I be more appreciative, thankful and compassionate?

3. How can I better serve others who are suffering? What actions can I take, what words can I say, what steps can I take to soothe the suffering of others?

4. How can I be more mindful, more aware, of what other people may need – in that moment? What cues should I look for?

As with most challenges and trials, I suspect this one has the capacity to make me better. It’s up to me to use it wisely.

How A Health Scare Can Produce Immediate Focus (And Other Little Lessons Learned) Read More »

Trouble, You Can’t Fool Me. I See You Behind That Tree. You Want To Jump On Me.

Randy Cantrell, Video / By Randy Cantrell

No podcasts, no videos, no posts, no Twitter, no Facebook, no Skype.

I’m going to be quiet for awhile. This post and this video explain why.

Ry Cooder is among my all-time favorite musicians. On a record called Bop Til You Drop he recorded this song.

Trouble you can't fool me I see you behind that tree
Trouble you can't fool me trying to get the ups on me
Trouble you can't fool me I see you behind that tree
You want to jump on me

We can all sing that song.

Life knocks us down, drags us out into the back alley and kicks our butt. Regularly.

Joys are offset with sorrow and sadness. Thankfully, sadness is then overcome with joy, laughter and good times.

Life is not a tranquil lake…always. Sometimes waves beat on us and fear grips us.

Who can deny that troubles make us better? Watch the Biography channel sometime and you’ll see a story of tough times, challenges and adversity. And you’ll be reminded that you’re watching the story of a famous name! Fame, wealth and prosperity often emerge from tragedy.

Our own success – measured however you choose to measure it – is often the result of muscles we strengthened during tough times.

If you’re suffering right now, press on! If you’re not, press on, but be prepared. Trouble is right behind that tree waiting to jump on you.

As another favorite musician sings, “We’re all just one phone call from our knees.” *

For a little more than a week I’ve been (more frequently and fervently) on my knees praying for the health of my wife of 34-1/2 years, Rhonda. I recorded this on Thursday, June 7th. As this post publishes on Tuesday, June 12th, we’re in a hospital where she’s having surgery at the hands of a doctor she’s worked for – for 15 years. That’s a whole ‘nother story.

As always, I owe you a big THANK YOU for giving me your time and attention. I know how valuable they both are.

Hold a good thought for Rhonda this week — please.

* When trouble comes I think we belong on our knees. And yes, I do have a man-crush on Mat Kearney. And he knows it. Even if he doesn’t acknowledge me.

Trouble, You Can’t Fool Me. I See You Behind That Tree. You Want To Jump On Me. Read More »

Episode 133 – Take Responsibility For How Your Customers Feel: Communication

Entrepreneurship, Podcast, Randy Cantrell / By Randy Cantrell

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3 faces — Your customer has many faces. Here are just three.

“Let me tell you what this $#@! just said.”

He was telling me about a customer who was complaining. The complaint, according to the business owner, was unfounded and unfair.

I listened. He explained – from his point of view – the circumstances leading up to the complaint. He was fuming about it.

As he read the email from the customer he said, “Here, I’m sending it to you right now.”

I got it while we were still on the phone. Now, I’m reading along as he’s continuing his tale. He’s as angry as I’ve ever heard him. It’s compounded, I suspect, because he’s got two major projects he’s trying to complete and this interruption was unexpected. Life can be pleasant like that…sometimes!

These are common conversations for me as I try to help business owners solve problems. They lament how inconsiderate customers are. Irritated that customers are abusive, mean and too demanding. Anybody who serves customers is subject to the temptation.

Now back to the conversation.

I said, “It appears to me you’ve stepped in it.”

“What?” he said.

“It looks to me like you’ve messed up and now you’re mad about it,” I replied.

“Are you kidding me?” he barked.

“Wait a minute,” I continued. “Let’s step back and look at this a bit more closely.”

We then walked through the real events leading up to what this owner perceived as a “nasty” email. Turns out the email really wasn’t that nasty. Nor was it mean-spirited. The email was an expression of extreme, ongoing frustration. After 10 minutes of walking through the events the owner paused and said, “I’m such an idiot.”

“No,” I said. “You’re just stuck inside your business with your problems, worries and fears. Meanwhile, your customer is stuck with his own worries, frustrations, problems and fears. He’s worried you’re not going to complete this deal on time and that he’ll have egg on his face. Your job right now is to call him – not email him – and reassure him that you understand how he’s feeling. Apologize for whatever you must and guarantee him he’ll be happy.”

For over 35 years I’ve given that same advice because it’s in my fabric. Customer service is a major priority for me. Nothing has mattered more. Nothing.

Some years ago, while leading a retail company I had a sign constructed and hung in the store that simply said,

“Extraordinary Service. No Excuses!”

It caused near mutiny among the troop who wrongfully thought that I was setting them up for a no-win situation.

“How can we possibly live up to that?” they objected.

I explained it to them. I’ll explain it to you in today’s show. This is the first in a series on customer service. We’ll start with what I believe is foundational to superior customer service. Communication.

Leave me a review over at iTunes, please!

P.S. Read this post by Ron Burley. It appeared a few hours after I recorded this episode. Then, a few hours later…I noticed this post by Mikal E. Belicove, entitled “What a Trip to LAX Taught Me About Customer Service.” Proving once again that great minds do indeed think alike, and often at the same time (well, at least on the same day).

Episode 133 – Take Responsibility For How Your Customers Feel: Communication Read More »