Chandler

Posts Tagged ‘Entrepreneur’


If you focus on only one thing, pick this!

June 11th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment 1 Comment »

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About five years ago, George Thompson, President of Headcan Health Education Media, gave me a reprint of a Harvard Business Review (HBR) article that he was exuberant about. We were focussing on client satisfaction and the article—The One Number You Need to Grow– cut right to the chase (you will have to pay Harvard Business Review if you want to read the whole thing). George’s enthusiasm and the message still resonate. In fact, I believe I have integrated the notion into my very core.

Simply stated, one can take a very blunt and important measure of customer loyalty by asking two simple questions: the first about the quality of their customer experience and the second about whether they would purchase again/ recommend you (your product or service). The results of these two questions enable you to zero in on your most valued customers and leverage your sweet spot.

Today I was reminded of this concept –repeat customers who are willing to recommend your product/ service—as I read a report from Upwardly Mobile, Inc. This US group has created an online career management system by reverse engineering the networking steps taken by elite professionals (those earning $200K+) to build their careers.  See their just released report on networking and career advancement. The key message here is that networking is not optional for career/ business success. Furthermore, it is about farming all the time rather than hunting in desperation when the economy drags your sales down or you find yourself job searching.

It strikes me that it all comes down to the same thing. For long term success, it doesn’t matter as much that you have 300 people in your LinkedIn network (though the optics are good) or that you have many customers with whom you have a shallow relationships. What matters more is whether these people will actually stick their neck out and recommend you to others.

Whether you are building and nurturing your network or focussed on client satisfaction and loyalty, here are a few points I believe in:

  • Help your network/ customer base without attachment to results or payback;
  • Be attached to what your network/ customers do for you; if there is no return over time, stop investing in them (hey, if Seth Godin can give contradictory advice, why can’t I?);
  • Refer clients to your competitors (if your competitor will serve them much better based on a specific need they have that you won’t serve as well);
  • Be brave. Once you feel there is some trust, ask your contact/client/customer if they will recommend you. If they aren’t comfortable recommending you, find out what their discomfort is and what you can do to turn it around.

And remember: to accelerate your business/ career/ life, there is only one number you need to grow. Don’t wait for a rainy day.

Risk/Reward: The Entrepreneurs R & R- Post 2

June 10th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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How one philosophical engineer makes his mark

A 15 hour work week and days off in between to kayak and rejuvenate or be with one’s daughter. This is the schedule of Dan Quinz, philosophical engineer and entrepreneurial business owner of Acacetus Inc., a small Montreal consultancy working on embedded systems.

Dan places a very high value on freedom, solace and being an amazing dad. His rewards seem obvious but what has been risked and what is the secret to a 15 hour work week?

For starters, Dan is no ordinary engineer. He built his first circuit at the age of 9 and his first computer at the age of 11 in his basement. His career has spanned about 35 years. Some rough math shows he has invested over 60,000 hours practicing engineering and related fields. If it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert, Dan has done it 6 times over. This was not risk so much as extreme dedication and sacrifice. Though in looking back, Dan says he was driven by passion and internal drive and didn’t see it as sacrifice then.

En route to racking up those 60,000+ hours, Dan eventually saw that marrying engineering and applied philosophy would help him deepen his understanding of the world we live in. Naturally curious, he reads widely from many disciplines and names this as one of his key success factors. He once solved a highly technical robotic control issue by modelling it to behave like an ant colony. Unlike the Ph. D educated researchers he was working with at the time, Dan felt he could take risks and trust his intuition and this provided the free thinking space needed to solve the problem.

Now, rather than being “the technical solutions guy”, he is more often hired as a mentor coach for entire engineering teams and executive management. His in-depth knowledge of philosophy and psychology has him so attuned to people, and engineers in particular, that he is able to observe/ assess and gently guide teams to synergy, innovation and vastly higher productivity.

In Gladwellian fashion, if we step back to look at other advantages that have favoured Dan, we find that in 2005, listening to his intuition, he set out to create the perfect tool to enable a car’s computer system to talk to a PC. Shortly after building his prototype, he found himself working on a contract where his solution would be the perfect one. He offered it up as a trial and a few days later was asked to quote on manufacturing thousands of units. He now sells and licenses it in the US and other countries which helps Acacetus be diversified.

But lest you conclude all this has paved his way to financial freedom (and his 15 hour work week), I will stop you at the pass. Dan once had an opportunity to license an operating system he had designed to a client for whom he was consulting. In his position of trust, he could have recommended his proprietary solution but he knew the impact for the client would be neutral at best (i.e. his client didn’t need it). At $1-$2M units a year this client was selling, he would have earned very well. Enter integrity. Saying no to this deal increased the trust of his client tenfold and shortly after he was invited to advise the president of a $400M US parent company on the brokering of a deal with a large (non bankrupting!) car manufacturer.

It is not who you know, but who knows you. I make sure the people who can best help me attain my goals know me well. I do this by serving them best and being honest at all times.

Even when it means walking away from millions.

Taking one more step back in Dan’s life reveals an ended marriage and an isolated childhood. These can hardly be considered life advantages. For Dan though, being alone created a lot of space for study at a young age. His marriage (ending with a custody battle), taught him to turn anger and despair into curiosity and resilience and showed him that no matter what, he would always uphold his integrity. These lessons had a high price tag. That Dan even shared them with me speaks volumes about his authenticity.

Today, Dan is a technically brilliant, emotionally mature, insightful and compassionate leader. His favourite reward is watching people develop and seeing the smile on their face when all of a sudden “they get it”!

And as for risk/ reward, Dan put in his time, listened to his intuition and had the courage to innovate over and over again. He continuously reinvents himself and his business processes. And now he chooses to limit it to 15 hours a week!

Risk/Reward: The Entrepreneurs R & R- Post 2

June 10th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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How one philosophical engineer makes his mark

A 15 hour work week and days off in between to kayak and rejuvenate or be with one’s daughter. This is the schedule of Dan Quinz, philosophical engineer and entrepreneurial business owner of Acacetus Inc., a small Montreal consultancy working on embedded systems.

Dan places a very high value on freedom, solace and being an amazing dad. His rewards seem obvious but what has been risked and what is the secret to a 15 hour work week?

For starters, Dan is no ordinary engineer. He built his first circuit at the age of 9 and his first computer at the age of 11 in his basement. His career has spanned about 35 years. Some rough math shows he has invested over 60,000 hours practicing engineering and related fields. If it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert, Dan has done it 6 times over. This was not risk so much as extreme dedication and sacrifice. Though in looking back, Dan says he was driven by passion and internal drive and didn’t see it as sacrifice then.

En route to racking up those 60,000+ hours, Dan eventually saw that marrying engineering and applied philosophy would help him deepen his understanding of the world we live in. Naturally curious, he reads widely from many disciplines and names this as one of his key success factors. He once solved a highly technical robotic control issue by modelling it to behave like an ant colony. Unlike the Ph. D educated researchers he was working with at the time, Dan felt he could take risks and trust his intuition and this provided the free thinking space needed to solve the problem.

Now, rather than being “the technical solutions guy”, he is more often hired as a mentor coach for entire engineering teams and executive management. His in-depth knowledge of philosophy and psychology has him so attuned to people, and engineers in particular, that he is able to observe/ assess and gently guide teams to synergy, innovation and vastly higher productivity.

In Gladwellian fashion, if we step back to look at other advantages that have favoured Dan, we find that in 2005, listening to his intuition, he set out to create the perfect tool to enable a car’s computer system to talk to a PC. Shortly after building his prototype, he found himself working on a contract where his solution would be the perfect one. He offered it up as a trial and a few days later was asked to quote on manufacturing thousands of units. He now sells and licenses it in the US and other countries which helps Acacetus be diversified.

But lest you conclude all this has paved his way to financial freedom (and his 15 hour work week), I will stop you at the pass. Dan once had an opportunity to license an operating system he had designed to a client for whom he was consulting. In his position of trust, he could have recommended his proprietary solution but he knew the impact for the client would be neutral at best (i.e. his client didn’t need it). At $1-$2M units a year this client was selling, he would have earned very well. Enter integrity. Saying no to this deal increased the trust of his client tenfold and shortly after he was invited to advise the president of a $400M US parent company on the brokering of a deal with a large (non bankrupting!) car manufacturer.

It is not who you know, but who knows you. I make sure the people who can best help me attain my goals know me well. I do this by serving them best and being honest at all times.

Even when it means walking away from millions.

Taking one more step back in Dan’s life reveals an ended marriage and an isolated childhood. These can hardly be considered life advantages. For Dan though, being alone created a lot of space for study at a young age. His marriage (ending with a custody battle), taught him to turn anger and despair into curiosity and resilience and showed him that no matter what, he would always uphold his integrity. These lessons had a high price tag. That Dan even shared them with me speaks volumes about his authenticity.

Today, Dan is a technically brilliant, emotionally mature, insightful and compassionate leader. His favourite reward is watching people develop and seeing the smile on their face when all of a sudden “they get it”!

And as for risk/ reward, Dan put in his time, listened to his intuition and had the courage to innovate over and over again. He continuously reinvents himself and his business processes. And now he chooses to limit it to 15 hours a week!

Celebrating Coaching Certification

June 4th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment 4 Comments »

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If you are reading this, there is a chance you have been part of my journey to coaching certification in some way-small or large.  Thank you. 

If you are reading this and you have not been part of my coaching journey so far, may our paths cross in the blogsphere and beyond.

I am happy to share that I have earned the designation of Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) by the Coach Training Institute (CTI).  I am a few forms away from being among the select 3700 coaches worldwide who are credentialed by the International Coach Federation (ICF).

My learning and self discovery en route to coaching certification has been an extraordinary experience for me.  I have been rewarded with amazing clients and coach colleagues.  I delight daily in seeing my clients shape courageous actions in their lives and businesses. And I am continually inspired by my many coach colleagues with whom I share a vision of bringing a higher order of consciousness to the world.

Tango at the South Street Seaport, NYC, as taken recently by Christian Boulay (Montreal)

Tango at the South Street Seaport, NYC, as taken recently by Christian Boulay (Montreal tango dancer)

When my clients reach a milestone in their lives, I coach them to pause and come up with a way to celebrate. So often in life, we brush off our successes and immediately set our sights on what is next. This Sunday I will move the furniture, put on my tango shoes, and raise a glass with friends and colleagues as I host a Tango BBQ to mark my certification in coaching.

What are you celebrating in life and business?  How will you mark the occasion?

Business Problems = Personal Problems in Disguise!

May 14th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment 2 Comments »

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Math problemThe notion that business problems are personal problems in disguise I believe can be traced to Thomas Leonard, the father of modern life and business coaching. It’s simple.  Businesses are run by people. And as you know, people have problems from time to time. On the surface, it is easy to accept that some business problems are personal problems but all business problems???

Before you dismiss this idea out of hand, put yourself is this business owner’s shoes and explore with me some examples.

The hypothetical scenario:

You are a 40 year old owner of CityBike, a retail operation in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, that is about to expand to online sales of custom manufactured urban bikes.

Obvious connection between business problem and personal problem:

You hired a Director of Marketing a year ago to help you grow. He is going through a marriage breakup. Your company repositioning/ website revamp, slated for end of March to launch your new line of custom manufactured urban bikes, is now slipping into late May (if you are lucky). In this case, his big personal problem= your big business problem.

Less obvious connection between business problem and personal problem:

In 2002, you predicted a huge upswing in bicycle commuting in cities and this vision compelled you to start your company five years ago…a retail bicycle store. After four years of steady growth, you pressed go on manufacturing your own urban bikes to sell online and in your retail operation. This was your original vision but it took you four years to truly commit to it. In the meantime, a much bigger competitor has just come out with an urban bike that is selling like hotcakes, even during the recession. Your fear of committing to your business vision= your current business problem.

Downright subtle connection between business problem and personal problem:

Early on, there were some issues with the accuracy of the bike production samples from your Chinese manufacturer. This added frustration, time and expense that you didn’t anticipate. Surely I won’t try to make this a personal problem too? Well, I might. After all, your Chinese suppliers are people too! Who knows what was happening with your Chinese engineer and her team when she was developing your prototype.

Bottom-line:

You’ve built a very solid business. You are employing people. You are contributing to the economy and what’s more, you are helping protect the environment and improve people’s health with your urban bikes. Certainly, you cannot predict or prevent all personal problems (yours and those of your employees, suppliers, customers etc.) from impacting your business but you can learn to spot them earlier and learn to coach yourself and your people through them.

As we increasing makes links to personal life in the business world, one day I will be able to write a post entitled Business Success= Personal Success in Disguise!

From Red Velvet Cake to Red Velvet Ropes

May 8th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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Yesterday’s topic was company values (see The Value of Red Velvet Cake). Today I am on to the value of having a red velvet rope to keep non ideal clients out!  Yes. You heard right. The idea belongs to Michael Port, business coach, and author of the widely read Book Yourself Solid.  

Port conjures up the velvet rope you may encounter when you attend a high end, invitation only party. You show up and the bouncer only lets you past the velvet rope if your name is on the guest list. Port’s idea is to treat prospective clients’ metaphorical entry into your business this way too.  He recommends becoming crystal clear on who your ideal client is in terms of their qualities (not their pocketbook) and going so far as to fire your “dud” clients–the ones who drain your energy and prevent you from being your very best with your ideal clients.

velvet ropeFor my business coaching practice, you will get past the the velvet rope if you are:

  • a creator-you already know that it’s up to you to create the business and life of your dreams.
  • a natural partner-you are living proof that partnering on ideas, projects, goals and desires is a surefire way to manifest them.
  • fully alive- you are awake to possibility and your energy is palpable.
  • a connector- you get great joy out of connecting people to ideas and other resources.
  • a believer- you already know the power of business coaching, you have faith in the process and you know things will work out great.

If on the other hand, you are a victim of circumstance, a sole operator (in the sense that you are scared to involve anyone lest they steal your ideas), flat, a disconnector and a skeptic…my velvet rope will not be opened for you.  Of course, it’s not likely that you will try to crash my party anyway.   

Difficult Conversations for Business Owners

April 24th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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businessmen-in-conversation1You have made a decision to let a longstanding employee go because she no longer adds value to your company; your number one supplier is slipping badly and if they don’t improve, you are going to contract with another supplier; you need to tell your wife you are going on a week long golf trip with your buddies (and you neglected to consult her…ok this isn’t a business issue per se but business and life all blend together anyway, don’t they?).  Whatever the situation, knowing you have to face it and have a conversation makes your stomach turn inside out. 

There’s good news. You can take the sting out of these dreaded conversations and greatly increase the probability that the outcome will be good.  Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most came out of the Harvard Negotiation Project about a decade ago.  Lest you think it is outdated, I can tell you I dug it out last week to help me through a difficult conversation and it made all the difference.  While the book itself is a little cumbersome, the approach has worked for me everytime I have used it.

I am confident that without planning my difficult conversation, I would have gone into it angry and blaming.  I expect I would have come out of it angry and blaming too!  Instead, I followed the wisdom of discussing what matters most and came out with much more than I expected. While it makes for a less interesting blogpost, I won’t give details to protect the innocent! What I will give is a list of tips on having a difficult conversation.  This represents a blend of things I borrowed from the book and my coach training:

  • Prepare.  A difficult conversation by nature means the stakes are often high. Invest time planning what you want to say, what your impact might be and what you want to achieve. 
  • Check your motivation. What are you hoping to achieve?  How can this be about learning, sharing and joint problem solving instead of finger pointing?
  • Outline three conversations. There is your version, their version and a “third version” which is more objective. Walk thru each version as you see it. For the third version, come up with a more neutral “factual” version that strips away the emotions and baggage of the first two stories.
  • Be face to face. Make a point of getting in front of the person. It shows you are serious and gives you both access to a lot more cues than email or telephone conversations.
  • Share and invite. Share your purpose. Invite the other to join as a partner to sort out the situation.
  • Explore.  Start from the third story and then get to your story and theirs.  Bring your curiousity. Acknowledge feelings behind arguments. Drop defensiveness.
  • Distinguish intentions from impact.  Tease things apart.  Their intention was likely good.  Maybe the impact of their action/ or inaction was not. They may feel the same about your intention and impact.
  • Invent. Come up with options that meet the most important concerns and interests of you both.  Borrow from labour relations and use interest based bargaining to go for a win-win.

It’s not rocket surgery or brain science as my good friend likes to say.  It’s plain old common sense. It’s just hard to see in the heat of the moment. 

Here are some other takes on how to have a difficult conversation:

http://humanresources.about.com/od/interpersonalcommunicatio1/qt/feedback_com6.htm

http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/dowling/2009/03/7-tips-for-difficult-conversat.html

http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/10things/?p=297

A Procrastination Buster for Entrepreneurs- Part 1

April 19th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment 1 Comment »

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So you have a long “to do” list and a few of the same pesky items keep showing up week after week. You just can’t seem to knock them off your list.  Maybe your reoccurring list looks a bit like this:

·         Update contact management software (but you hate IT stuff!)

·         Call people you met at recent Board of Trade breakfast (but what will I say?)

·         Decide yes or no re: PR proposal (is it PR I need or should I spend $ on direct mail?)

You get the picture.  Whatever the tasks, we all have our so called reasons for not getting them done, whether due to fear, indecision, boredom or dislike.   

So try this.  Set up an accountability partnership.  I define this as a regular check in with a colleague or friend for the purposes of support and accountability.  I have a telephone accountability partnership with a friend and fellow business owner who is based in Toronto (in fact, our partnership was her idea). We meet every Monday for an hour via phone. If it seems like a lot, I assure you it is one of the most valuable hours in my week.

 Accountability meeting (30 min for her/ 30 min for me).

  1. Check in on where we stand relative to the commitments we made from the previous week.

  2. Decide on key things we will commit to for the week ahead.   

  3. Have fun. Challenge each other. Champion each other.

Every week we challenge each other to do what is “closest to cash” or sometimes what is closest to our hearts’ desire.   We care about each others’ success and happiness.  For this we are willing to push each other quite hard which isn’t always comfortable yet is usually very rewarding for us both.

So if you want that great feeling that comes with momentum and support, less procrastination, and greatly increased productivity, set up an accountability partnership of your own. 

Here’s what I recommend:

  • Choose your partner well.  Partner with someone you trust and respect, who is reliable and shares your work ethic.  Pick a coach-like person who is a great listener and  challenger and is curious.  Ensure there is mutual benefit. One sided partnerships are like clapping with one hand…not very effective.

  • Design your partnership. Agree on your joint purpose for meeting, when you will meet, for how long, what the agenda will be, how you will keep each other accountable.

  • Take it seriously.  More than just busting through procrastination, you are setting up a structure that will give you support and guidance and help you achieve what you want (i.e. getting more clients/ customers, raising your profile, learning to delegate, having more fun in your business etc.)

  • Have fun.  You are creating a really powerful tool to help you in life and business.  Keep it alive by making it playful.  Celebrate your successes together. This may well become the highlight of your week.

An accountability partnership doesn’t replace being coached but it sure is a great set up for busting through procrastination and reducing isolation.  In my case, I have a top notch business coach and a wonderful  accountability partnership.  I wouldn’t have it any other way!  

Stay tuned for procrasination buster #2 in my next post.

Risk/ Reward: The Entrepreneur's R&R Series-Post 1

April 17th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment 2 Comments »

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Photo credit: Lisa-Elaine Arseneault

Photo credit: Lisa-Elaine Arseneault

Crazy Dream-Beautiful Reality

I just had coffee at Shäika,  my corner cafe. It has oft been my reward and my respite when I need a change of scenery from my home office. I have long loved this place and today my fondness grew, for today I interviewed co-owner and operations manager Christina Sciascia and learned first hand about the making of Shäika.

It started as dream of Dave Moloney and Christina S. They were a couple at the time. They saw a neighbourhood badly in need of a great cafe and they plunged ahead.

We were a bit crazy. We saw this great location in a very run down building and we jumped into it. We have since transformed this community.

Christina laughs shyly. I believe her shyness comes from knowing she’s right and yet almost not believing how much impact their business has had. Her romantic partnership with Moloney ended but the business partnership is going strong. In August, Shäika will celebrate five years as the lifeblood of Notre Dame de Grace (NDG).

In the beginning, their vision was to create a vibrant neighbourhood meeting place. Check! Today, the cafe has a pulse all its own. The clientele is eclectic—new moms, students, locals, business people, and lovers. That Christina cannot describe a typical customer is, to her, a testament to having achieved their goal of being a meeting place for everyone.

According to Christina, many a great relationship has had its genesis at Shäika. Bands have formed and business collaborations have evolved. William McNally, a local musician, even wrote a song called the Shäika Shuffle.

And then there is the most important relationship of all. Without even realizing it, Christina neglected to mention it but my coach’s intuition told me to ask her more questions.

He came in for coffee every day before work. He lived in the building. At first, I thought he was so straight laced but I got to like his dry sense of humour and starting realizing I was looking forward to his morning coffee run. But I didn’t think about him romantically at all! At the time I was still performing music so he started coming to see me play. He would always bring a female friend. After a few months of this, I invited him to bring her for brunch one weekend and he said he’d come but won’t be bringing his female friend (I really thought she was his girlfriend). That’s when I started to realize he’d been in love with me for months! We started dating and a few months into it I knew he was the man I would marry.

Fast forward 9 short months and he was her husband; they now have two young boys. And Christina seemed to realize in telling me her story how much Shäika has formed this part of her life.

Like the changing art on Shäika’s walls, Christina is a musician turned operation manager and mom. She is most proud of her transformation from laissez-faire musician to an organized manager of 12+ staff.

I have a new way of respecting people that I didn’t have before. Our staff makes a wonderful team. They all think differently and we all arrive at our logic in different ways. I didn’t have a tolerance for this before.

 With her heightened management skills, she has learned the importance of creating business processes, trusting her intuition, hiring better and taking direct and timely action when a staff member is disrupting the team. These were hard lessons. She seems happy to have learned them and happy to have them behind her.

So what does this dynamic woman want to be telling me over coffee five years from now? She says she’ll still be at the table and wants to tell me that Shäika is host to big name evening entertainment and that the neighbouring Empress Theatre (formerly Cinema V) is in full swing with live music, dance and cultural events.

This woman is committed to building community and it’s not hard to see why the community is committed to her.

Photo Credit: Lisa-Elaine Arseneault

Photo credit: Lisa-Elaine Arseneault

Risk/ Reward: The Entrepreneur’s R&R Series-Post 1

April 17th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment 1 Comment »

Tags: , , , , ,

Photo credit: Lisa-Elaine Arseneault

Photo credit: Lisa-Elaine Arseneault

Crazy Dream-Beautiful Reality

I just had coffee at Shäika,  my corner cafe. It has oft been my reward and my respite when I need a change of scenery from my home office. I have long loved this place and today my fondness grew, for today I interviewed co-owner and operations manager Christina Sciascia and learned first hand about the making of Shäika.

It started as dream of Dave Moloney and Christina S. They were a couple at the time. They saw a neighbourhood badly in need of a great cafe and they plunged ahead.

We were a bit crazy. We saw this great location in a very run down building and we jumped into it. We have since transformed this community.

Christina laughs shyly. I believe her shyness comes from knowing she’s right and yet almost not believing how much impact their business has had. Her romantic partnership with Moloney ended but the business partnership is going strong. In August, Shäika will celebrate five years as the lifeblood of Notre Dame de Grace (NDG).

In the beginning, their vision was to create a vibrant neighbourhood meeting place. Check! Today, the cafe has a pulse all its own. The clientele is eclectic—new moms, students, locals, business people, and lovers. That Christina cannot describe a typical customer is, to her, a testament to having achieved their goal of being a meeting place for everyone.

According to Christina, many a great relationship has had its genesis at Shäika. Bands have formed and business collaborations have evolved. William McNally, a local musician, even wrote a song called the Shäika Shuffle.

And then there is the most important relationship of all. Without even realizing it, Christina neglected to mention it but my coach’s intuition told me to ask her more questions.

He came in for coffee every day before work. He lived in the building. At first, I thought he was so straight laced but I got to like his dry sense of humour and starting realizing I was looking forward to his morning coffee run. But I didn’t think about him romantically at all! At the time I was still performing music so he started coming to see me play. He would always bring a female friend. After a few months of this, I invited him to bring her for brunch one weekend and he said he’d come but won’t be bringing his female friend (I really thought she was his girlfriend). That’s when I started to realize he’d been in love with me for months! We started dating and a few months into it I knew he was the man I would marry.

Fast forward 9 short months and he was her husband; they now have two young boys. And Christina seemed to realize in telling me her story how much Shäika has formed this part of her life.

Like the changing art on Shäika’s walls, Christina is a musician turned operation manager and mom. She is most proud of her transformation from laissez-faire musician to an organized manager of 12+ staff.

I have a new way of respecting people that I didn’t have before. Our staff makes a wonderful team. They all think differently and we all arrive at our logic in different ways. I didn’t have a tolerance for this before.

 With her heightened management skills, she has learned the importance of creating business processes, trusting her intuition, hiring better and taking direct and timely action when a staff member is disrupting the team. These were hard lessons. She seems happy to have learned them and happy to have them behind her.

So what does this dynamic woman want to be telling me over coffee five years from now? She says she’ll still be at the table and wants to tell me that Shäika is host to big name evening entertainment and that the neighbouring Empress Theatre (formerly Cinema V) is in full swing with live music, dance and cultural events.

This woman is committed to building community and it’s not hard to see why the community is committed to her.

Photo Credit: Lisa-Elaine Arseneault

Photo credit: Lisa-Elaine Arseneault

An Entrepreneur is Like a Great Tanguero (a.k.a. tango dancer)

April 8th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment 4 Comments »

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So you might readily agree that one could draw parallels between tango and sex. I go so far as to say there are parallels between tango and business and specifically that there are common characteristics between tango dancers and entrepreneurs. And it has nothing to do with sex.

Hear me out. For starters, is there any dance more complicated to learn than Argentine tango? Is there any business more challenging that an entrepreneurial venture?

Leadership

There is no tango without a leader; there is no new business venture without an entrepreneur.

Improvisation and multi-tasking mastery

In tango, the leader must lead the dance, navigate the busy dance floor, and keep time with the music, all the while connecting with his follower. And Argentine tango is an entirely improvised dance. There is no blueprint to follow.  It is made up in the moment. The entrepreneur juggles planning, operations, finance/ accounting, marketing and human resources, to name a few. No one hands her a set plan to follow for any of this though successful entrepreneurs usually write their own plan and improvise as they come up against new things.

The art of attraction

The best tanguero offers the entire package: skill/ technique, a sharp appearance, grace and respect. The successful entrepreneur is always skilful, presents himself professionally and believes in his product or service. He ensures that customers, employees and investors want to dance with him…and preferably repeatedly.

Finely tuned Intuition/ instinct

The seasoned tanguera dances like she has eyes in the back of her head. She can sense her next move even before it’s invited and yet she knows not to step until she feels the lead. She trusts her partner and herself. The best entrepreneurs are so in tune with their vision, their stakeholders and their business climate, they can feel in their bones what they should do and when to do it. And they know that even if their interpretation is off, they will learn from it for next time.

Responsibility/ Partnership

 You’ve oft heard “it takes two to tango”. Well, it truly does. And whether you know it or not, both partners must maintain their own axis (balance) at all times. Both partners are creators in the dance just as the entrepreneur is the creator of his destiny. “Off axis” moves require a supportive partner. The astute entrepreneur knows when he is off axis and has fostered partners to lean on during those times. In fact, the true entrepreneur will intentionally take himself off axis to explore areas for growth!

And finally PASSION

 Did you think I would forget? Without it, the tango is not worth dancing; in business, no passion means the shop doors might as well close because no one will want to walk through them. So if you are a passionless tango dancer or business entrepreneur…dear me… either find your passion or get a job and learn the waltz!

P.S. For fun, check out this enterprising dance school in the UK that is bringing tango to businesses.

P.S.S. Happy 1 Year Anniversary to MonTango. These folks have made dance their business. I wish them many more successful years.

Business Impeccability

April 3rd, 2009 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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Impeccability, being without fault or error, is something to strive for in business.  And it doesn’t have to take on the heavy “absence of sin” definition.  So, go ahead…succeed wildly and make lots of room for mistakes too. In fact, fail and fail again.  As long as you learn each time and ask yourself how you can be more impeccable the next time, you are golden.

Here’s my top ten list on Business Impeccability:

Intentions matter. Get clear on what you want for your business, your customers and your employees.

Mentor. Share your gifts.

Pay on time.

Educate yourself every chance you get.

Coach and champion your employees. And get your own coach. You need a champion too.

Celebrate your successes (and failures) with those who helped you. Take time to stop and assess what you learned.

Admit when you have screwed up.

Be punctual—for meetings, on deliverables, returning phone calls—on everything. If you are going to be late, CALL!

Listen deeply…to your employees, your customers and to your own intuition.

Entertain what you would rather avoid.  Go to the difficult places with customers and employees.  There is honey there.  You and your business will be rewarded for it.

“Impeccable” has 10 letters.  The perfect number for a top ten list. Now that’s impeccable! 

Faberge Shampoo

March 11th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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Since the beginning of February I have been conducting my own market research on entrepreneurs.  My objectives are straightforward: to find out the true needs of the entrepreneur, what they know about life and business coaching, their likelihood of using a coach. 

Once again, I reached out to my network to send me entrepreneurs to interview.  As always, they did not dissappoint.  The oft quoted Faberge shampoo commercial comes to mind… “And they told two friends..and so on..and so on”. In fact, 70 percent of the entrepreneurs I interviewed were not known to me before.  More than 15 entrepreneurs whom I have never met gave me a half hour of their precious time to help me build my business.  This is the power of a network. 

I feel incredibly fortunate to have people in my life who do not think twice about lending a helping hand.  My mentor, Angelo Pesce , sent out a letter to his network asking that they consider participating in my research or help me find appropriate candidates (M or F, aged 30-45, passionate/ ambitious, in a business start up or small to med sized business, product or service industry); his letter alone yielded four entrepreneurs who have interviewed with me.  Two of these have never met Angelo. And so it goes.  All of a sudden I am interviewing the president of an Ottawa IT company whom I may never have encountered. What’s more, he has offered to reach out to his network to put me in touch with some of his contacts.

My friend and colleague Tanya Geisler did the same.  And so did Ricardo McRae whom I played soccer with about 5 years ago in Toronto. And so did my friends Milla and Anita. Anita’s friend James, a self described serial entrepreneur, set me up with another very connected entrepreneur in Montreal and also offered to help me buy a new computer and set it up. And so it goes. 

Some of my friends, colleagues and clients recoil in shock when I challenge them to ask the people they know for help. For me, the proof is in the pudding. 

Next time you need help with something. Just ask me. I will help you. And if I can’t, I will find someone who will.

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