Chandler

Posts Tagged ‘Leadership’


Steve Jobs Communicated from the Inside Out

October 11th, 2011 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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Simon Sinek has codified how the world’s most inspiring leaders think, act and communicate.  And he concludes that they do exactly the opposite of everyone else.  In his 2010 TED Talk, Sinek draws his Golden Circle to emphasize how inspiring leaders/ companies communicate from the inside out. First why, then how, then what.  Says Sinek,

People don’t buy what you do. They buy why you do it.

As we collectively mourn the loss of Steve Jobs, Sinek illustrates his code with Apple. Apple believes in challenging the status quo (why they do it); they do it thru beautiful design and easy to use technology (how they do it); they happen to make great computers (what they do).

Just this morning I was informally coaching a small business owner friend. She was rushing to write a proposal for a very large Canadian company.  Winning this business would be by far, their biggest account to date.  As I listened to her talk about how she and her partner rushed to create a demo product and crunched the numbers so they could offer a great price …(what they do), I was struck by how, in rushing to explain what we do and how we do it better than everyone else, we really miss the heart of the matter.

The alternative Sinek offers is to get really grounded in why we do what we do. I would add that gaining a deep understanding of why our prospective client does what he does can be profound.  What beliefs do we have in common?  This is the sweet spot where magic can happen. I believe that we all need strong champions and challengers in order to live our best life.  This is why I coach leaders.

Why do you do what you do?  Things will get a whole lot more compelling for you and everyone else once you take the time to figure this out.

The Farmer AND the Dell- My Bigger Game

October 6th, 2011 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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It’s happened before. It has been happening again lately.  It goes a little like this:
  1. I don’t post anything in my blog for a while (this time is was a long while as I had a baby in March);
  2. I get inspired by all kinds of things that I could write about, but I don’t;
  3. And time passes;
  4. And more time passes. More inspiring ideas swirl around in my head and don’t get written up;
  5. And then my INTIMIDATION GROWS: What do I have to say that someone else hasn’t already said?
  6. And so does my SECOND GUESSING: Is blogging a good use of my time now that I have a baby and a business? Who is my target for these posts anyway?
  7. So I find a nice COMFORT ZONE called “Sons of Anarchy” (I watched two seasons over the past few weeks after Lali was in bed, telling myself I deserved a rest)
  8. And that feels great for a while but under the surface, I know I want to PLAY A BIGGER GAME.
The process it took to become a mother was my bigger game for a few years.  Being the kind of mom I want to be will continue to be a “very big game” for me. I have never felt the kind of joy, love, responsibility, potential and vulnerability that I feel now as a mother.
And yet, I find myself looking for my next compelling pursuit, something that will compliment my role as a mom, a business owner and a coach. I want it to be something that inspires me, and will inspire my daughter and others.  And I know that staying in my comfort zones too long is not the answer.
I have one idea that is only half baked.  It is such a big GULP that it has me running for cover. It involves falling in love with a [smart and sexy] farmer/rancher (like Pioneer Woman) and together building an executive retreat centre where the world’s top executives come (with their families) for the best leadership training in the world, delicious meals and good old fashioned farm work (Yes, coaches, I know I am collapsing two big ideas together…the farmer AND the dell…it is just how I want to see it).
Penelope inspired me. Sadly, it would seem that life on her farm is not going well just now. A few years ago I volunteered on a wonderful organic farm for the better part of a month.  I saw first-hand how much work is involved.  So I know I am romanticizing life on a farm.  Nonetheless, the vision keeps popping up.

The PIG at Les Jardins des Sophie (he became ham that fall).

The only piglet around me these days. She is much less suspicious than the farm pig was...with good reason.

My friend is going to bring Season 3 of Sons of Anarchy soon.  It feels good to have taken this little step outside my comfort zone while I ponder whether I will succomb to another season of Sons.
Maybe you know the farmer I need to meet?  Maybe you know the setting I need to visit?   Or maybe I will marry an architect or contractor and flip houses instead?  Or become Canada’s most sought after executive coach?   Those are other ideas I have.  It’s my bigger game after all.
P.S. And as for breaking through the blog block, I have done it.  It took me all day between client meetings and baking pumpkin loaf but I am about to press publish and it feels great. Whether it is a worthy investment of my increasingly scarce time is a topic for another post, or not.

Under New Management: When A New Baby Rocks the Boat!

April 15th, 2011 in Uncategorized comment 5 Comments »

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Lali Chandler, New CEO, Chandler Coaches

Recently, there have been some pretty significant changes at Chandler Coaches.  Namely, there is a new CEO on board and she has a reputation for being pretty demanding.  Lali Chandler took her position on March 5, 2011  Since coming on board, staff report large scale changes at the company.

For one, there has been no client service provided since she made her debut!  This was a planned stoppage and will continue for the coming months while the new leader and her staff adjust.

Since joining, Chandler has replaced the entire senior management team with her own recruits.  Most hail from Canada though one relocated from the US to join Chandler Coaches.

See below for introductions to the new team.

(I am writing this post with Lali in a kangaroo wrap on my chest. This post is really just a trial to see if I can continue to blog as the mother of an infant.  It is my third attempt to complete the post over a two day period.  And while it looks promising that I will be able to press “publish” soon, I am learing that things can change at any moment. My new little CEO is demanding in a way that only infants can be.  Happily, she is adorable and charming which makes “working” for her a labour of love. And I am going to press publish in the next minute or so even if this post is not well edited..it is that or nothing for now.)

For some related posts that are not tongue in cheek ( am having trouble finding good articles..there must be better ones out there?):

That’s my baby: who said business and motherhood don’t mix

A Day in the Life of a Business Woman, Wife and Mother

As promised, here is the new team:

Piggy Craig, formerly of Scotia Bank, is CFO

Lammy Geisler, Director of (Milk) Production, recently relocated from Toronto

 

Hinton Hair, VP Marketing Communications

Mickey Mouse Allen, formerly of the US, accepted the position of VP Sales and Business Development

How to Hibernate a Small Business

February 27th, 2011 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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My coaching business has been in hibernation for one week.  This is intentional as I am due to have a baby around March 4th (that’s in 5-6 days).  I have been planning my “leave of absence” for a very long time.  At times I have worried that creating a baby and a business at the same time were completely incompatible.  At other times, I have felt strongly that they are complimentary projects. 

It only occurred to me as I write this post to search for guidance on the net how to put a business on hold. Surprizingly, my search turned up only a few articles (a rarity these days!):

  1. Can You Put Your Business “On Hold” Due to Health Reasons?
  2. Putting Your Business On Hold
  3. Mothers in Business: Growing a Business Sometimes Follows Your Children’s Path

Given the paucity of information, I will share some questions I feel need to be answered in formulating a plan to put your business on hold:

  1. How long will your business be “on hold”??  Are you going on vacation? Extended travel? Are you sick? Are you having a baby?  If the timeframe can be clearly defined and articulated, it is important to do so.  If the timeframe is indefinite, you will need to decide what you are willing to communicate, to whom, and what the consequences might be.
  2. What does “on hold” mean for your business? Will all operations cease for a period of time?  Will you still be able to meet some orders or provide some services?  What can your customers/ clients / prospects / employees expect while you are away from the business?
  3. What boundaries do you need to set for yourself? What lines in the sand do you need to draw in order to execute the plan you intend?  How will you walk away from your business if that is what is needed for whatever your reasons?
  4. What do you need to communicate to others (to set boundaries and expectations for them)? What is your official line?  Who needs to know about your plan ( i.e. your clients, colleagues, associates, employees, suppliers etc.)?  When will you tell them?  Where else will you share the news (i.e. on your website, in your blog, on your company voice mail, in an autoresponder in your email etc.)
  5. Who will support you? Who will support you to stick to your plan?  Who do the work if your business is still going to provide some products or services? 
  6. How will you manage your finances? What other sources of income will you have (i.e., private or government insurance, savings, line of credit, loans)?  Will the business have ongoing expenses even while on hold? Are there new ways to generate income during the on hold period (i.e. referral fees)? Are there any tax filing requirements during the time you will be away from the business? Who will handle this?
  7. What will your current clients and prospects tolerate? Do you have a loyal client base who will accept your leave and come back when your business is back in full tilt? Can they go without your product or service for the period your business will be on hiatus?  Would it make more sense to refer them to another business you trust will provide them what they need? Will new prospects who want to work with you/ your business be patient enough to wait or will you lose them to the competition?  
  8. What can you maintain? Is there a middle ground that keeps you in the business just to the degree that you can handle (i.e. Can you still post to your business blog? Can you still respond to queries? Can you still attend some industry or networking events?).  It is important to know what you still can do while still taking care of your other needs (i.e. looking after a baby or family member, getting treatment. convalescing, travelling etc.)
  9. What is your “come back” plan? While you cannot necessarily expect to turn on the revenue tap the minute you come back to your business, you can plan how you will get things rolling again. Will you come back gradually or all at once? Whom will you contact to let them know you are back? What type of promotional offer could generate the right kind of business faster? Are you able to pre-book any business for when you are back before you leave the business? Might you consider partnering with another business for referrals?  Will you need to do other work to generate income during the ramp up period?
  10. How will you course correct? In case you need to do this again in future or want to help a fellow entrepreneur go through this process, how can you keep track of what you’ve done well and your mistakes (your key learnings)?  How can you make course adjustments even while you are on leave?

In my case, I am taking a six month leave from my business.  I may coach on a very part-time basis after 3-4 months depending on how I feel and whether or not I have a baby that is easy to care for. For the first 3-4 months, I will not do any coaching and I have clearly communicated this to all my clients as well as IMPACT Consulting , a Toronto coaching company for whom I do corporate leadership and business development coaching.  While it took me a long time to commit to walking away from my business to take a maternity leave, I am now fully on board and I don’t expect to have any difficulties focussing on motherhood. I started telling clients very early (i.e. last fall) that I was pregnant and would be going on leave. An interesting thing seemed to happen with many of them…they accelerated their own processes in order to be in a good place re: their coaching objectives by the end of February when I planned to wrap up.

For a while, I considered bringing in associates to work under the Chandler Coaches banner.  In the end, I decided I would prefer to simply refer work to other coaches whom I trust so that clients would get great coaching and I would not be managing others/ doing invoicing etc while on leave. As my pregnancy has been planned for a long time, I have put in place a plan to manage my finances while on leave. 

Some of my clients plan to come back to my coaching practice when I am back. Others have finished their work for now.  I will need to continue business development efforts to generate new leads and follow up with existing prospects and former clients. 

I am sharing my plan here on my blog and may adjust my work voice mail.  In my case though, I am not going to be travelling or in hospital while on leave so I will be able to correspond in a timely way with anyone who contacts me for business.

Time will tell what I am able to maintain. For now, I would like to continue blogging and I may make it to a few coaching breakfasts etc.  I am not setting high expectations for myself and at the same time, I want to leave the door open for some part-time coaching before the end of six months if I feel like I am up for it.

So that’s my plan.  In truth, I would love to be so inspired by my new little baby that I follow in Pam Slim’s footsteps and have an extremely creative business period post baby.

For now, while I wait for labour to start, I have time to ask you: Have I forgotten anything for my own business hibernation? Does my 10 point list need anything else? Have you got any real life “business on hold” stories to share? I would love to hear from you. ———

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Learn to Write/ Write to Learn

January 23rd, 2011 in Uncategorized comment 2 Comments »

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A special homemade cake for Rowan's 4th birthday, January 2011.

I haven’t posted in more than a month and I cannot tell you how many times I have planned to post and how many ideas I have had about things I wanted to write about.  I was fully intending on writing about what I am most proud of in 2010 like I did last year.  And now it’s January 23rd and I haven’t done it.  It’s truly ironic because there are so many things I feel so good about in 2010 (like finally succeeding to get pregnant, growing my coaching business substantially, spending some fantastic times with my family and friends, and making this kick ass cake for Rowan). 

My close friend (and fellow coach) Tanya Geisler helped me break my writer’s block this past week through a simple reframe (she’s a very good coach): 

What if your blog was just for you? What if you stopped writing what you think your readers want to hear and simply wrote about what you are learning?  

Shear and simple brilliance!  Shifting my focus to making my blog a journal of what I am learning (on any subject from leadership development to making complicated cakes) gives me a lot of freedom to simply write.  I was telling Tanya that I enjoy recaping sections of business books I am reading as it helps me to solidfy my own understanding of the topic.  Tanya again: 

Great! Write to lock in your own learning.  There are sure to be others who will appreciate that.  But let their enjoyment be a by- product and drop the pressure to write for them. 

Last Monday I attended a presentation by C.C. Chapman, author of Content Rules at 3rd Tuesday in Montreal (and yes 3rd Tues was on a Monday as Toronto got him on the Tues.).  I didn’t get much from his talk other than “write about what you like and be yourself”. I have heard this message before. Combined with Tanya’s reframe though, it started to sink in.  

And so it shall be. I will be writing about what I am learning and taking the pressure off writing specifically for small business owners or corporate leaders or woman going through transition.  Maybe I wil change my mind in a while.  Maybe my blog will start being all about mompreneurs as offered by my friend Deb Hinton (my baby is due in less than 6 weeks).  From where I sit at the moment though, with a decent sized belly, some heartburn and no baby in my arms yet, I actually hope not… but I won’t make any promises. Life as I know it is about to change!

Measuring What Makes Life (and Business) Worthwhile

December 16th, 2010 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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n this TED Talk , Chip Conley, owner of Joie de Vive hotels on the US west coast talks about gross national happiness (G.N.H), a concept started in Bhutan and now used by 40 countries.  He encourages businesses (and countries) to place much more emphasis on measuring the intangibles. 

Measuring the Tangibles in a Coaching Business

With a little discipline, it is rather easy to measure:

  • $ per coaching client or lifetime value of a coaching client;
  • length of time in months that a coaching client stays;
  • average hourly rate earned per client;
  • Revenue per month/ year etc.

 

Measuring the Intangibles in a Coaching Business

It is more challenging to think of intangible measures and more challenging still to figure out a way to count them (and as one person commented about the TED talk below…if you can measure does that make it tangible?):

  • how often my clients say the coaching is helping them (either during the session or after);
  • how many people are referred by satisifed clients;
  • how often I learn something really useful from a coaching client (I can tell you it’s often!);
  • how often I feel good after a coaching session.

 

Do these metrics make sense through the eyes of “gross business happiness”? Have a look at Chip Conley in his talk on TED and let me know your thoughts on how I can change my business metrics to focus also on happiness and other intangibles. I would love your ideas.

The Momentum of Giving

December 15th, 2010 in Uncategorized comment 2 Comments »

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Picture this: you are a barista at a Second Cup attending to your customers on a typical Monday morning.  One of your regular customers walks in and asks for her regular coffee and then you notice she`s accompanied by a photographer, a camera man and a few other people..and they are all looking at you. 

Anita Nowak and Raquel Lanziner. Photo by Dario Ayala, Montreal Gazette photographer.

The regular customer, my friend Anita Nowak launches into a little story about how she and a group of friends get together each year at Christmas to raise money for charity and how this year, $1675 was raised for the David Suzuki Foundation.  Raquel, the barista, listens attentively and gradually realizes that the cameras are there to photograph her as Anita tells her that our group has decided to redirect $600 of the funds to her so she can have an MRI to diagnose the back pain that has stopped her from being able to ballet dance.

Raquel, overwhelmed with the news yet still full of grace, comes around the counter to hug Anita (I got one too!); she cannot believe this is happening to her. She thought she would have to wait 6 months to a year for the MRI; she really didn`t know what she was going to do because just last week she was among 3 people invited to a special workshop in Banff for summer 2011 but her spot would be given to someone else if she couldn`t dance. 

Susan Schwartz, Gazetter reporter, was there to capture the story.  And because of Susan`s story (and Anita`s media savy), the story continued to gain momentum.  There is a follow up story in this morning`s Gazette. 

Since the story ran in yesterday`s paper there have been the following highlights:

1) Susan Schwartz received this email (which shall remain anonymous):

Drinking my morning coffee, reading the paper, and you hit the spot. Please allow me to share in the glow of goodwill and kindness of Anita and friends. I would like to make up the $600 to the wonderful Suzuki association, AND important to me, pay Anita’s ticket (we stayed longer than we thought and Anita got a parking ticket). Good Karma needed and deserved here…while I am no scientist, there apparently is research that shows that the true act of giving creates real positive hormonal responses…I’m finishing writing this letter to you feeling pretty good, with a smile on my face, and it’s a wonderful way to start the day…please pass my warmest regards to Anita and friends…maybe next year, she will allow me to send a small token of my respect to her group’s organization of choice.

2) Montreal physician Sheldon Elman, CEO of the Medisys Health Group, called to offer an MRI for Lanziner at no charge;

3) Physician Jeffrey Brock, CEO of a company called MedExtra, emailed to offer to review Lanziner’s MRI and propose a treatment plan, also at no charge.

4) Sgt. David Sedgwick of Westmount Public Security emailed Anita: “In the spirit of the season, and to keep the ‘good karma’ intact, I’d like to offer to take back the parking ticket that you received” .

5) At 1 p.m. yesterday Raquel had her MRI at Medvue.  Dr. Elman phoned her later with the results: a herniated disc, which she is confident can be managed with rest and other conservative treatment.

Today, Raquel is flying home to Vancouver for the holidays, armed with the knowledge that her back problem is curable and she will dance again!

Finish Strong in 2010…and Play a Bigger Game in 2011

November 30th, 2010 in Uncategorized comment 2 Comments »

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What would you like to be telling me one year from now (on November 29, 2011) in the major areas of your life, career and business?  Here”s what I would like to be telling you:

I am the mother of a healthy 9 month old baby and I love being a mother; I am working with amazing coaching clients and my business didn’t suffer because I took 6 months of maternity leave; I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight and have never felt better/ healthier; I have met a great guy and we really enjoy spending time together.

This past Friday, several business owners and professionals came together to “Finish Strong in 2010…and Play a Bigger Game in 2011″.  Denise Desmeules and I facilitated the workshop and coached participants to create their own vision.

Since the process works so well, I want to share it here as my holiday offering to you. It’s a 6 step process to Finish Strong in 2010…and Play a Bigger Game in 2011.  Granted, it’s easier to do with a coach in a concentrated focus session or workshop AND you can definitely do it on your own:

  1. Acknowledge what you are proud of in 2010- I am proud of my tenacity in becoming pregnant and my courage in business. What are you proud of?
  2. Take a snap shot of your current reality- there’s a great tool called the Wheel of Life (I have also made one called the Wheel of Business) to help you quickly rate your satisfaction with all the important areas. This simple exercise can be very telling. What’s calling your attention?
  3. Transport yourself into your bigger future- I recommend actually moving to a new physical location (leave that current reality behind) and envision yourself one year (or two, or three..you decide) into the future.  This phase has no limitations and a dreamy quality. Let yourself go!  In each of the areas of your wheel,  what do you want to be saying at x date in the future ? Write one sentence about each area in the wheel.  Remember…present tense only!  By now, one or two areas are likely really standing out as the areas you need to focus on. Pick one area for now and work through the rest of the steps. You can always come back and worth through steps 3-6 for other areas. Bonus step:  You might want to draw your bigger future.  This can be an image, a symbol, a metaphor or a bunch of powerful words on a piece of paper.  The point is to let your creativity run and capture your dream in picture format rather than just words. 
  4. Get clear on the benefits and costs- this step is muy importante! List out what acheiving your bigger future will bring you.  On the flip side, get good and clear what it will cost you not to realize your bigger future.
  5. Reduce the tension through action planning- the first step here is to state a S.M.A.R.T. goal and then brainstorm possible actions before you narrow the field.  From your brainstormed list, pick a few actions that resonate with you and will truly help move toward your bigger future. And for goodness sake, pick a timeline and tell someone who will help you stay accountable to yourself (again, coaching is great for this AND you can do it with a colleague, a friend, a partner…as long as it’s someone you trust).
  6. Enter the land of commitment!- the final step is as important as every step before it.  Simply stated: who do you need to BE in order to achieve your bigger future?  Receptive? Tenacious? Open-minded? Free? Passionate? You get to decide what quality will serve you best.  Again, I recommend actually drawing a metaphorical line in the floor and stepping over it.  Once in the land of commitment, you have a much greater probability of creating your bigger future.

 What are you proud of? What’s your current reality? What do you want? What will you have when you get it? What will it cost you if you don’t get it? What steps do you need to take to get where you want to go? And finally, who do you need to BE?  Your future is waiting.  How can I help?

_________

P.S. By doing steps 2 and 3, you create a gap between where you are now (your current reality) and where you want to be (your bigger future).  This is good because nature seeks to resolve this tension according to Robert Fritz. Think of an elastic band stretched between your two hands. The tension reduces when your two hands come together. Same deal for your current reality and your bigger future.  The closer they come together, the less tension there will be.

P.S.S. It bears mentioning that when I use “bigger future’ it doesn’t mean bigger = more. Your bigger future might mean less responsibility, fewer material goods etc. 

Thumbs Up for the Direktor Grundsatzfragen

November 12th, 2010 in Uncategorized comment 9 Comments »

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Riddle: What has 7 words or less, usually starts with what (and less often with how, who, where or why), and has a great impact?

Wait, wait, wait!  Before you answer, I will give you a bunch of examples:

What’s your dream?

What are you proud of?

What’s possible?

What’s true for you?

What do you want?

What stops you?

What are you making more important?

What are you tolerating?

What do you want more of?

How could things be different?

What’s next?

Okay.  What’s your answer?  ( If I could figure out how to do it, I would type the answer upside down and put it at the bottom of the page like they used to do in the Highlights magazines of my childhood).

The answer is POWERFUL QUESTIONS!   Asking powerful questions is a fundamental coaching skill. I am convinced the world would be a better place if everyone learned the Art of Powerful Questions.   This well written article includes a story about how some large German companies like Bayer place such a high value on powerful questions that they actually employe a Direktor Grundsatzfragen (a.k.a. the Director of Fundamental Questions). If I spoke German and wanted to work in Germany, I think this would be a such a great role.   Plus, it is almost as much fun to say as Fahrvergnügen.

What’s possible if you awaken your inner Direktor Grundsatzfragen? (I know. That’s 9 words, or 10 without the contraction).  Sometimes you have to break the mold to be really powerful! 

If you’d like me to send you a PDF that is chalk full of powerful questions, comment here or email me at lisa@chandlercoaches.com 

Bonus question:  What skill goes hand in hand with powerful questions?  Coaches are not eligible to answer :)

Are You Telling Yourself Rut Stories or River Stories?

October 12th, 2010 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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You and I do not just have a story, we are our stories. Our stories shape, limit, and define our way of being, the way we think, and the way we interact with others (Masterful Coaching by Hargrove).

Often times our stories keep us from reaching for our “impossible future”.  Enter coaching!  In coaching (well, when done masterfully), we help people surface, question and redefine their stories when their current story is called into  question by others or breaks down in some way.

At the moment, I am reading Robert Hargrove’s book Masterful Coaching and I have to say I am really digging it. Now I don’t expect you non coaches to rush out and get a copy but I am going to share a little part of it here to see if there is anything you can relate to.

Image by Raiiya, Photobucket

Hargrove divides people’s stories into “rut stories” and “river stories”. River stories are stories of personal growth and transformation.  Rut stories are the opposite.

They fit into  five+ categories: 

 

The “I Need Other People’s Approval” Story- people may not broadcast this story aloud  but they often construct a whole series of pretenses and defences in order to look good or gain approval. The consequence: the intention to look good often displaces the intention to be good.

 The “Artful Victim” Story- likely the most common…it involves people skillfully using defensive reasoning to create an open-and-shut case as to how other people or circumstances are doing them in. The consequence: they often get stuck in this story, forfeiting all their power to other people or the situation, and then being unable to create what they want.

The “I’m Affraid to Lose What I Have” Story- this one is told by people who put off their visions, dreams and aspirations in order to seek or keep their security. They complain about their lives not being satisfying but create lots of reasons for standing still. These people are generally non players in the workplace though they may look like they are playing along. The consequence: spending a whole lifetime getting reading for everything to fall into place until to realize that, like sour milk, they are past their expiration date.
 
 The “Tranquilizing” Story- sometimes when people do not achieve a result, are incompetent at a task, or do something that gets them into trouble, they come up with reasons and excuses. The purpose is to tranquilize them and make them feel better about themselves. The consequence: people do not highlight their own incompetence (which limits their learning), errors are covered up (which can lead to more errors) and reality is distorted (which leads to individual and collective illusions).
 
The “Why Bother?” Story- People who tell this story say they cannot create what they want because their possibilities and choices are limited: “I don’t have time”, “I don’t have authority”, “It’s not in the budget”.  Often times the story is a cover up for them wanting to stay in their comfort zone or for not wanting to take responsibility. There is often an underlying attitude of resignation.  The consequence: people get stuck in this story and lose the ability to see the possibilities and options that they actually have.

Now, in case you think I am on my high horse here, I assure you that I have stories I tell myself (and others) in most, if not all, of the categories above.  Those who know me well could say better but if I had to pick I would say my primary rut story is likely in the “I need other people’s approval ” story. Damn.

What’s your primary rut story?  What are the consequences in your life? What would be possible if you turned it into a river story? How can a coach help you?

Risk/Reward: The Entrepreneur’s R&R- Be Training

September 23rd, 2010 in Uncategorized comment 2 Comments »

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Sherry Shaban, Owner of Be Training

On Easter weekend, my fit brother and his fit fiancé (now wife) came to visit. Before their visit I had been pondering (ok lamenting) what I could do to increase my overall fitness.  Their visit gave me the idea of boot camp as they were regular attendees at one in Halifax.

My fittest times in life have been when I was part of a soccer team or some type of group training program like The Running Room. I no longer had the courage for soccer and who really likes running anyway?  So the idea of an outdoor group training program appealed.  Well, actually it terrified me but I knew it was what I needed to push myself beyond what I was doing at the gym.

A quick search on the internet turned up two options for Montreal. I contacted both and got a very prompt and friendly email back from Sherry Shaban, Owner of Be Training.  And so began my relationship with this small but growing fitness and wellness training company in Montreal.  I am certain there were snow flurries during our first workout at Jeanne Mance Park but it served to make us all feel proud and courageous to be there.  Every work out took some courage but it got easier and easier and I always felt a huge sense of satisfaction finishing a session.

Of course, Be Training is more than just boot camp. It is a unique in-home, in-office and in-park training company offering personal training for adults and children, nutritional planning and comprehensive wellness programs.  You won’t find this gang in a gym or studio.  That is because Sherry, a certified athletic therapist herself, believes in using very minimal equipment and the body’s own weight for resistance training instead of expensive machines that only work one muscle group. While Be Training may have a central location within the next year, Sherry insists that it won’t look like a traditional gym.  At boot camp, park stairs, benches and the ground where all that we needed to get a heck of a workout.

A Be Training client getting personalized and safe prenatal training

Sherry’s attributes her success so far with surrounding herself with a highly educated and motivated team.  Her staff are all certified athletic therapists enabling them to customize programs and train people who have injuries, mobility restrictions, are pregnant etc.

 Sherry sees the world as possibilities. She says,

The sky is the limit when it comes to achieving your goals. People find a way to do what they really want to accomplish.

Don’t bother telling her why you didn’t lose the 10 pounds you “wanted” to lose. She’ll counter that you couldn’t have really wanted it or you would have done it.

She’s a living example of what is possible. She launched her company while she was pregnant with her first daughter who is now 20 months and she has since had a second daughter (now 4 months).  When I started boot camp in April, Sherry ran some of the sessions.  At 7 months pregnant, she could do more push ups than most of us in the camp.

Sherry is not easily discouraged in business.  When I asked her what has been harder than she ever imagined she wouldn’t even respond as she said she finds way to surmount whatever obstacles fall in her path.  She was willing to share what has come easily:

People’s trust in us has come easily. They find us on the internet and they try us out or they are referred by a current client. We haven’t lost a single client since we started.

This is because clients who commit to Be Training get fit fast, look great and feel fantastic. In my case, I also made some nice friends. 

Impatience to grow the company faster than it’s growing keeps Sherry awake some nights (that and her 4 month old baby girl). She is learning that things take time to build in business and she’s learning to adapt the plan when reality proves that it needs to be altered.

Nonetheless, this personable, ambitious and dynamic woman has goals for Be Training and I would put my money on her attaining them. Over the next few years, Be Training will offer a month long “vacation-like” boot camp replete with meals and wellness education and within the next year she will have a studio location. Sherry says,

We aren’t in the personal training business. We are in the life transformation business and we will do what it takes to have people create their best lives. 

I am all about creating your best life.  And Be Training is one good path to transformation.

Risk/Reward: The Entrepreneur’s R&R- Gay Compatible

July 23rd, 2010 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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For years, Stephan Frigon wracked his brain to come up with an idea about how he could make money on the net. One morning three years ago, he woke up with his idea: an online platform to help gay men find relationships. 

Stephan is a straight entrepreneur who worked for years in manufacturing businesses.  Ironically, I met him via e-harmony a couple of years ago. While we didn’t hit it off for a relationship, we have helped each other in business here and there since.   When  met him 2 years back, I couldn’t have predicted that he’d become  “the saviour” for the gay community!

Stephan first step in business building was market research to test his business idea. He discovered that Manhunt and Gay411 already existed and are very effective for those who want to find a sex partner …and fast.  To his delight, what they lack is what he is now providing: GayCompatible, an online place for gays to meet a compatible partner for a long-term relationship.  Where the other sites target younger males who focus on appearance and porn-like sex, Stephan is targeting the 30+, well educated, high income earning gay male who is looking for a life partner.

GayCompatible launched in April of this year.    The membership is over 1000 already with the majority being Canadians, though some come from as far away as France, Australia and Poland.  The potential market in North America is 33 million (3 million in Canada alone).  And that doesn’t touch the rest of the gay world.  A yearly membership is $200.  You do the math.  Stephan is 99.8% sure he has created a winner.

It has taken 3 years of research and development and $200K+ to date to launch the business (plus all his own unpaid time) . Somewhat analogous to e-harmony, gay compatible has a matching questionnaire that 3 Quebec psychologists custom developed and tested for Stephan’s site. 

Stephan’s biggest mistakes came from his naiveté about how much effort it would take to program the web platform; it took far more time and money than he anticipated.  He followed the advice of a family advisor who convinced him to buy a similar web platform and modify it. This solution didn’t work and it cost him months of time and a lot of money. 

Stephan will run and advertising campaign this fall on Out TV in Canada and Logo TV in the US where he has the potential to reach 48 million gay and lesbian viewers in the US alone.    

A year from now, Stephan says he would like to be telling me he has a few thousand subscribers.  This would be growth of 300% in one year.  Somehow it wouldn’t surprise me a bit!

For the gay men in your network who are tired of the current online dating scene, send them to GayCompatible.  From what Stephan says, they will thank you.

And if you are looking for an investment opportunity, email Stephan directly: sfrigon@galemco.com

 

Are You on the Flywheel or the Doom Loop?

July 4th, 2010 in Uncategorized comment 1 Comment »

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Pam Slim applies Jim Collin’s Hedgehog concept to help you find your career passion in her recent book Escape from Cubicle Nation.

The comparisons below are taken from Good to Great and apply to business. 

Good to Great companies (GTGC) follow a pattern of build up to breakthrough (an accumulation of steps, one after the other, turn by turn of the fly wheel; it is an organic and evolutionary process).

Good to Dead companies (GTDC) [my wording] skip the build up and jump right to breakthrough, implementing big programs, radical change efforts, and chronic restructuring always looking for a miracle moment or new saviour.

GTGC confront brutal facts; GTDC embrace fads and management hoopla.

GTGC have a hedgehog concept and consistently stay within the three circles; GTDC are inconsistent, lurch back and forth and stray outside the three circles.

GTGC have the right people who follow disciplined thought and action; GTDC jump to action without disciplined thought and without getting the right people on the bus.

GTCG harness appropriate technology to their Hedgehog concept; GTDC run around like Chicken Little, fearful of being left behind the latest technology.

GTCG have internal alignment because their momentum is infectious; GTDC expend energy to align and motivate people to their changing visions.

GTGC let results do the talking; GTDC sell the future to compensate for their lack of results.

It’s been proven that companies that apply the concepts of GTGC eventually reach breakthough.  What path will you choose?

Are You (Your business) Heading Toward Greatness or Doom?

July 4th, 2010 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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Good to great transformations don’t happen in one fell swoop says Jim Collins. Collins uses the concept of a fly wheel (a massive metal disk mounted horizonally on its axle, 30 feet in diameter and 5000 lbs).  The first pushes to turn the wheel take a lot of energy and the wheel inches forward. Add lots more energy and many more turns and at some point—breakthrough! Momentum kicks into gear and the heavy weight turns the wheel on its own. 

Think of it.  World Cup players don’t put on their soccer boots for a few hours a week and go out to score history making goals. Instead they practice, compete and are coached for years (these are all turns of the wheel). Sadly, even the momentum of the flywheel didn’t assure victory for the Brazilians, Italians or Argentinians this time ’round.

The flywheel is pertinent to you and your company.  Perhaps you dream of being an “overnight successes” on the net.  You think that a brilliant marketing campaign, a great peice of press coverage, a lucky break or innovation will catapult you and your company to riches.  This is foolhardy thinking at best.  Overnight success is rarely, if ever, overnight success.  We just don’t pay attention to the steps that were taken to get there, preferring instead to focus on the tipping point. This kind of thinking will usually put you in Collin’s doom loop rather than the fly wheel. Though with this kind of thinking, you might not even get to be good, let alone great.

So how do you get on the fly wheel and avoid the doom loop?   You’re not sure?  I wasn’t either.  Fortunately, Collins has a comprehensive comparison list.  Take an inventory.  Face the brutal reality.  What path are you on?  Do you want to be Good to Great or Good to Dead?

Faith and Brutal Reality- The Stockdale Paradox

June 4th, 2010 in Uncategorized comment 6 Comments »

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Jim Stockdale as posted on www.achievement.org

Admiral Jim Stockdale was a prisoner of war (POW) in Vietnam. Jim Collins writes about him in Good to Great. Stockdale was imprisoned for 8 years from 1965 to 1973 and tortured over 20 times. As a prisoner he did everything in his power to create conditions that would increase the likelihood that he and his fellow prisoners would survive unbroken (i.e. he created rules to help people survive torture sessions, an elaborate internal communications system etc.). He was much loved by his fellow prisoners and went on to win the Congressional Medal of Honour in the US.  When Collins interviewed Stockdale, he asked him “Who didn’t make it out?”

“That’s easy”, said Stockdale, “The optimists….they were the ones who said, and ‘We’re going to be out by Christmas’. And Christmas would come. And Christmas would go. Then they would say ‘We’re going to be out by Easter’. And Easter would come. And Easter would go….they died of a broken heart.

Stockdale’s message:
You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they may be.

Where in your life/ business do you believe you will prevail in the end?  For me, I know I can build a successful and enduring coaching company. It is happening right now. Every day I see evidence of it. And the brutal reality is:

  • It takes effort every day to develop business and coaching is hard to explain and sell to those who haven’t tried it;
  • Professionals and business owners take a long time to make a decision that they need a coach and many might never make the investment;
  • Being an entrepreneur is lonely at times;
  • It takes a significant investment of time and money to train as a coach and build a business from zero; leaving a lucrative sales management job impacted my revenues;
  • A lot of coaches give up before they “make it” or make up the difference by training and consulting.

 

Today a business owner client of mine cried during our session and told me how thankful she was that I made the decision to train as a coach. She said that if I hadn’t become a coach and been connected to her, she wouldn’t be where she is today, living her life in such a profoundly different way.

I don’t hear affirmations like this every day but it sure helps me keep the faith that I will prevail, regardless of the difficulties. And I am willing to confront the brutal facts of my current reality. 

Collins says that if you are able to operate from both sides of the paradox, never letting one overshadow the other,

You will dramatically increase the odds of making a series of good decisions and ultimately discovering a simple, yet deeply insightful concept for making the really big choices.  And once you have that simple, unifying concept, you will be very close to making a sustained transition to breakthrough results.

So where will you prevail? What are the brutal facts you need to face? How will you live in the duality of the paradox?

Everyone Needs a Coach

May 14th, 2010 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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According to Google CEO Eric Schmidt, everyone needs a coach.

Every famous athlete and performer has some who can watch them,
see what they are doing and give them perspective.

(more…)

How Big is Your….Human Map of Connections?

March 13th, 2010 in Uncategorized comment 3 Comments »

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As published in the NY Times from The L Word

I am just back from the kitchen. I made a pan of date squares for my dear friend Milla who had to put her cat Felix down yesterday. In truth, while I would have made something to bring her anyway, I made the date squares to avoid screaming &*%#! because I wrote this entire post already this a.m. and lost it somehow when I went to add this image. So, you could say this post has some bad karma around it.  Ironicallly, it is about good karma. So: Take 2.

What do dates squares have to do with my friend, her cat and this image? A lot. You see my original post was about “webs of indebteness”or reciprocity.  I believe it is what makes the world go ’round. The concept has been on my mind for 2 weeks since Danny Iny got me hooked on Copyblogger and I read about the power of focussed generosity. 

The past 2 weeks have been a perfect storm of ideas swirling in my head:

1) I recently read Seth Godin’s Linchpin (along with the rest of the world) and started looking around me to identify the Linchpins I know;

2) This reminded me of Gladwell’s Tipping Point and I started collapsing the notion of Linchpins with connectors. For me, Linchpins are often connectors;

3) I  met up with a coaching colleague Britta Heintzen who is passionate about mind mapping; even her website is done in mind maps (I love it when people walk the talk);

4) I flew to PEI to surprize my mom on her 60th birthday and had some time on my hands to draw a map of all my connections. This entertained me for several hours and my really nice seatmate Mark (who hosts Friday night Kareoke in Kensington, PEI) seemed to be intrigued too. I am calling it my human map of connections (HMC). Mine is not scientific like the human genome but it took a good measure of geekiness to perservere.

5) I told my friend Jennifer about my HMC and her fascination prompted me to write this post.  She sent me the image above as I was complaining that my laptop and camera have stopped talking to each other so I cannot show my own HMC; apparently a whole season of The L-Word was centred around The Chart. In this case, someone had “the chart” tatooed on her back. It chronicled who had slept with whom (does everyone want to be a The Girl with a Dragon Tatoo now?)  My HMC didn’t do this but perhaps I could do this on an overseas flight sometime.

Part of my Human Map of Connections, if you could see it showed my friend Tessa introducing me to Liz before I ever thought of living in Montreal. A while after I made the move to Montreal, Liz took me to a special Laughter Yoga thingy that her friend Anita had organized for International Woman’s Day. At this event, I met Milla, Kathy and Tasha among others. Milla and Kathy started a book club and invited me.  Jennifer was also invited and so on and so on …You see, I wouldn’t have had images for this post if it weren’t for Tessa’s generous introduction more than 4 years ago.

I have done the math.  Based on the introduction to Anita, a natural connector, I know at least 40 people I may never have met.  And knowing Anita, there are more to come. 
Snce I moved to Montreal 4 years ago, I know 200+ more people.  I have generated many of these connections myself through coaching, tango, volunteering and Toastmasters.  And I am a connector too. Nevertheless, I am blown away by the impact connectors have had on my human map.  May they continue their art and may we all continue to be indebted to each other. 
P.S I am leaving now to take the date squares to Milla.   This post has taken me entirely too long to write and I promise to never again be smug because I have written a good post early on  Saturday morning when other people are sleeping. Never.
 

    

 
 

Are You Digitally Disasterous or Digitally Distinct?

February 11th, 2010 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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I am somewhere in the middle: digitally dabbling.  This is according to the results of this Online Identity Calculator I used earlier today to assess my online identity.  This article by Meg Guiseppi, CPBS, MRW, CPRW  of Executive Career Brand (as posted on www.workbabble.com) tells you why you too should find out how you rate, and do it regularly. And while Meg focusses on executives, when you are a business owner it is very important to test your company’s online rating regularly as well.

In executive job search, having accurate, brand-supporting search results associated with you is essential. Recruiters and hiring decision makers rely on online searches to uncover and qualify candidates like you.

If they can’t find you online, they may never find you, and you may miss the chance to be considered for those jobs.

Conversely, if they find anything to discredit you, you’re probably dead in the water, too. But don’t worry. You can work to build up positive results which will push those disreputable ones down to page 3, 4, or lower of results for your name, rendering them ineffectual. But remember that nothing on the Web is ever permanently deleted.

William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson, Reach Personal Branding founders, broke out 5 possible online profiles in their book Career Distinction: Stand Out By Building Your Brand:

Digitally disguised

Your vanity search does not match any web pages. There is absolutely nothing about you on the Web – you have no online identity. You’re hidden from those who may be looking for you.

Digitally dissed

There is little on the Web about you, and what is there is either negative or inconsistent with how you want to be known – your personal brand.

Digitally disastrous

You have plenty of search results, but they have little relevance to what you want to express about yourself. Results for others sharing your name may be in the mix, too.

Digitally dabbling

There are some on-brand results for you. Even though there aren’t many results, the information about you is relevant and on-brand – nothing negative. From here, you can easily move to the next level.

Digitally distinct

There are lots of results about you that reinforce your brand – the right message about you is out there. This is the nirvana of online identity! You’re among or approaching the superstars in the world of online identity. But your work isn’t done. Google results can (and do) change overnight. You need to keep an eye on your online identity and keep building up the good stuff. There’s always room for improvement.

To quickly run your own digital check-up, try the Reach Personal Branding’s Online Identity Calculator. It’s a nifty little tool to assess how strong your online presence is.

When you take the quiz, you’ll be asked to type “your name” in a Google search and note the total number of search results, how many are NOT about you, and how many accurate, on-brand results ARE about you in the first 3 pages.

Among the 7 questions provided, you’re asked which statement best describes the career level for which you are aiming:

        ■   University/College Student or Recent Graduate

        ■   Entry-level (1-5 years’ experience) or Individual Contributor

        ■   Manager with 5-10 years’ experience, Director, Consultant or Small Business Owner

        ■   VP, Highly-regarded Consultant or Acknowledged Thought Leader

        ■   C-level Executive, Partner, Board Member, Celebrity, Renowned Consultant or Expert

When you submit your answers, your digital ranking compared to the expected number of accurate results for the career level you chose is revealed – digitally disastrous, digitally distinct, or somewhere in between.

The quiz is free and takes about 5 minutes to complete. The results can be eye-opening and impel you to get busy. And if you “pass” the quiz, you’ll be given the code for the “I’m digitally distinct” badge shown above to place on your website or blog.

Need some help building your online brand identity and positioning your unique value proposition? Check out my posts:

The Personal Branding Worksheet: 10 Steps to Defining Your Authentic Personal Brand

Health Insurance for Your Personal Brand – The 3 Cs

2010 Top 10 Executive Personal Branding and Job Search Trends

© Copyright Meg Guiseppi, 2010. All rights reserved. Used with permission from www.workbabble.com

The Perspective of 11 Year Old Johanna

January 24th, 2010 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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I haven’t been able to post anything since the earthquake in Haiti.  I contemplated writing my response to the devastation .  I thought of trying to make sense of it somehow or to write about it through different perspectives through the eyes of a coach . That all felt very contrived.  

Today I am able to post something because the words of an 11 year old girl found their way to me.  Johanna is the neice of my friend James. She says it so simply and eloquently.  Goes to show that “through the eyes of a child” is a perspective we had better not forget.

Writing, images and arrangment by Johanna, Age 11

What I Learned This Week: The Hero’s Journey

November 26th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment 7 Comments »

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Most of us go on hero’s journeys in our lives and businesses. The idea of the hero’s journey or monomyth originally came from Joseph Campbell and had 17 steps.  I learned about a 7 step version on a group coaching call this week and raced to draw it for you (I still love that grade 6 feeling of using markers and Bristol board). 

So dawn your metaphorical cape and tights.  As you read through these stages, think about your current business and life journeys.  Plot where you are right now. I would love to tell you where I think I am in my life and business journeys, but I would rather keep you guessing.

The promised 7 steps of the hero’s journey:

1) Innocence-your life or business is ticking along. It might be dull but it’s safe and things are working.

2) Call to Adventure- you start to hear a calling to make a big change and it gets louder and louder (i.e. quite your job, buy the competition, climb Aconcagua…this is a plug for Coach Ian Renaud and his Project R.I.R.E…it is in French only)   

3) Threshold Guardians- as soon as you decide to heed the call, guardians or protectors are sure to emerge. Their goal is to send you back to innocence (i.e.  your wife who doesn’t want you to resign, your mortgage, your own sabotaging voices that tell you that you are crazy and you will surely fail)

Many people return to innocence at this stage, too scared to go on.  Or as my mentor coach says, “they buy a big screen TV” and forget about the call altogether (although life becomes shades of grey even if the TV is in HD).

4) Road to Adventure- you made it past those powerful threshold guardians. Congratulations. You are on a journey of challenges, excitement, intrigue, and learning (i.e. you are building your business, traveling the world).  Times are good.  You feel free and full of hope.  

5) Principal Ordeal- and then…seemingly out of the blue, you start feeling confused and trapped.  You have come too far to go back to safety and yet you don’t know how to go on.  This stage is not called the Principal Ordeal for nothing.  It will really test your metal.  You don’t know how long you will be stuck here and how you will go on, but go on you must (Hint: you need to get really quiet when you are here…the answers are inside you somewhere). 

6) Flight/ Return- Yippee! Somehow you got silent. You found your way out of the fog. Your purpose is clear again and you know what you have to do to get the proverbial treasure back home (i.e. redefining your business offering, moving to a new city).  Whatever the ordeal is for you, you found a way out of it and now you are on your flight to freedom again having “slayed the dragon”.

7) Celebration and Service- You made it. Perhaps you are hometown hero. Perhaps it is just a quiet victory.  Whatever the case, you get to celebrate your success and share your treasures/ learnings. Revel in the victory and innocence of this time of celebration. Serve others. And keep your eyes and ears open.   If you are true hero, your next call to adventure won’t be far away!

Where are you in the hero’s journey of your life or business? Tell us by commenting.

Risk/Reward: The Entrepreneur's R&R: Grab Life with Entrepreneur of the Year Rivers Corbett

November 24th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment 6 Comments »

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Rivers Corbett is a force.  His entrepreneurial story is epic.  He’s a charismatic, experienced business leader and his passion for helping entrepreneurs is contagious.  Read on to find out why the interview with Rivers was special for me.

We will pick up the story around the time when Rivers borrowed $1M as a young man to buy out his father’s hodge podge of businesses (an old marina, convenience stores, a nursing home and a wholesale meat operation).  The loan enabled him to return to New Brunswick, the province he loves, as an entrepreneur with an income right off the bat.  In hindsight it was a good decision although it was not without its pain including a hostile takeover by the board of directors of the nursing home.

All those original businesses have since been spun off or closed. Rivers’ main business is now The Chef Group which just celebrated its 10 year anniversary. 

The Chef Group is like the Ford modelling agency but for chefs in the Atlantic provinces.  We create culinary adventures and push the envelope on food delivery and food education.

Even the Chef Group story is epic as Rivers lived through embezzlement by his now ex business partner which was uncovered just last year.  Fortunately, The Chef Group (now with 15 full-time employees) has come out strong and this year’s focus is on maximizing efficiencies to increase profits.  

For an entrepreneur like Rivers who likes to chase shiny lights, buckling down to focus on efficiencies to increase ROI takes discipline.   Fortunately, Rivers knows how to keep focus on his main business and indulge his passion for new business by helping other entrepreneurs through coaching and mentoring.

Named as Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005 by the Fredericton Chamber of Commerce, Rivers is a life- long advocate for entrepreneurs as he believes they are the backbone of our economy.  Beyond the award, his most proud moments came when he reached a million in revenue for the first time and successfully battled depression twice.

What’s come more easily than he ever imagined is his willingness to expand his risk.  He’s had colossal successes and failures in business and each time his confidence has grown through his learning. 

I can now say with confidence that I will never have to be employed by someone else again.  The money for my kids’ education is in the bank.  I could never have gotten to this place without taking the risks I did.  Each time I had to manage my fears in order to move forward. Now it gets easier and easier to take smart risks because the rewards are so great and I know I will survive.

Rivers has three themes that have served him well as an entrepreneur:

1)      Attitude-he works a lot on personal development and surrounds himself with positive people including a business coach

2)      Cash- he is always looking for access to cash (i.e. credit) for a day when he needs to put it into play

3)      Team- he creates a team not only among his staff and suppliers but also among his family, friends and business supporters like his coach

I have booked Rivers for 39 minutes to share his top 8 things you have to do to survive and thrive in business beyond year five.  Join us for this complimentary teleseminar on December 9th at 8 p.m.  EST.  Click here to register for 39 Minutes with Rivers Corbett. 

Rivers and I have also teamed up to offer a mentor coaching program for start up entrepreneurs called The Business Success Train. I couldn’t think of an entrepreneur I would rather partner with for his depth of experience and passion are so compelling.  It doesn’t hurt that we share maritime roots. We are both so very excited to help start-up entrepreneurs (from year 0-5 in business) through our Business Succcess Train program……join us on the train to your success!

Risk/ Reward: The Entrepreneur's R&R- Savon Populaire

October 29th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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Chai soap

Savon Pop Chai Soap

I am hitting on a theme lately: woman entrepreneurs who have given birth to new businesses around the same time as starting their families. I just interviewed Alysia Melnychuk, owner of Savon Populaire, a Montreal based organic cosmetics (soap etc.) company. Like Kim Fuller of IDG Communications, Alysia started her business just before the birth of her eldest child more than six years ago. And like many entrepreneurial moms, she used her maternity leave time to further develop her ideas so that when she returned to work she was rearing to go.

And she has been going strong ever since. Even the birth of her second child almost 5 months ago hasn’t stopped her. Though this time, she wishes she could pull back more. Her biggest challenge has been finding a way to replace herself. Her solution, by necessity, has been to farm out various aspects of her role to four different people on a part-time or project basis. Not surprisingly, no one person had her entire skill set. Parcelling out her roles and caring for a small baby has necessitated that this entrepreneur truly assume her company management role, leaving technician type soap production issues to others. As it is, she is putting in 20-25 hours a week still (often at night when her children go to bed).

It is hard for me to let go because I pride myself on creativity in our soap making and on quality. This is forcing me to do it and it’s good practice.

Her current situation also made her question her ability to continue with the current company set up. And selling is not an option as Alysia is too excited to walk away as the company is poised for a growth spurt. After very careful consideration, her answer is to create a co-operative.

Over the coming months, Savon Populaire will become a co-op with 3 partners who have an equal voice. There will be a lot more “letting go” to come for Alysia. Fortunately, her passion for creating body friendly, environmentally friendly products and her love of working in collaboration with people instead of in a boss/ subordinate role will continue to drive her. Savon Populaire will be all the better for it as one of the new partners is a herbalist who brings many innovative ideas and know how. Happily, the third partner is a current employee who is being groomed to step into a partner role.

The biggest risk Alysia ever took in business was to start the company in the first place. She did it with no capital and no cash flow. There were some very lean years at the beginning where Alysia’s resourcefulness is all that kept her company going. She told me of how she retrofitted a clothing iron to be her product sealer in order to save $300. It seems there have been many ingenious moves like this. She’s most proud that she has created something that now has worth in terms of brand equity and company assets that she could sell.

Alysia’s biggest failure (and greatest learning) came from realizing that remaining foggy on details where money is concerned is a recipe for big problems. Her initial naïveté didn’t serve her well and she’s now very careful to stipulate clear terms when money is involved.

Soon Savon Populaire will move from their Montreal Parc Extension workshop and manufacturing shop to new larger retail location (TBD) with local shopping traffic and launch a whole new product line. With two new partners, a new retail location, a new product line and a great deal of enthusiasm for what is possible, we can expect to see great things coming from Savon Populaire in 2010.

Savon Pop logo

Risk/ Reward: The Entrepreneur's R&R: IDG Communications

October 26th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment 1 Comment »

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Kim Fuller PhotoKim Fuller is the mother of three. Her oldest is a corporate communications company called IDG Communications. After giving birth to IDG ten years ago, she went on to have two sons, aged 9 and 6.  It was Kim who said her business is like a child that she “raised” from conception to maturity.  She makes parallels to the dedication required, the thousands of hours spent, the messiness, the nurturing and the tough decision making along the way.

Having two real children while building her communications company was the biggest risk she has ever taken. Interesting, she links her biggest risk to what she is most proud of: controlled and steady growth.   Kim says that the attention her children demanded required her to be steady and cautious about how she grew her business.  And the controlled growth is what created a rock solid foundation that she and her team are building upon ten years later.

And rock solid it is. Now the clients are more prestigious.  And they come with bigger budgets, wider scopes of work and bigger expectations.  Meanwhile, IDG Communications stays quiet about their successes.  You won’t see them self promoting at awards shows. They are too busy serving their clients and creating deep business relationships that ensure that the marketing work they create truly works for their clients.  Some of their most rewarding work is done through Phil Communications, a division of IDG Communications focussed on the not-for-profit sector.

If up until now you are thinking that Kim is a quiet, risk averse mom, make no mistake. She’s a driver! She told me about wanting to reach a place of stability in business and then quickly self-corrected when she realized how the entrepreneur part of her would actually find stability quite uncomfortable.

Her biggest lesson came in year two when a major account ended and necessitated that she let go most of her staff to stay afloat.  She not only learned to diversify, she also learned to stand up for herself and the company. The big account was keeping the company busy but was too demanding to be profitable. In asserting her company’s needs, she lost the account but opened up many new opportunities to do things differently.

Finance has been a challenge for Kim who has a degree in Fine Arts and not Accounting! To respond to this gap, she surrounded herself with smart people and a management accountant who is integral to her business success.  Ten years later, she may still be a creative at heart and she knows her ways around her books too.

She’s most amazed at the trust her staff place in her decision making ability. I reminded her it is not by accident that she garners trust. She has proven herself time and time again and her people know they can count on her.   She calls her current team a “dream team” which says to me it is time to systematize business processes to ensure that if key people leave, the business is not vulnerable. 

These days, Kim is more business development (BD) and less art direction and creative. BD is the hat that is needed and she’s more than capable of wearing this hat.

2010 will see IDG launch a new offering that helps their clients through the marketing process. Her team likens it to a microbrewery who carefully crafts their brew with careful attention to every step.  I won’t reveal more.  You can check out their offering early in 2010.

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Are you ready to Tungle (in the time jungle)?

October 21st, 2009 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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I had the pleasure of interviewing Tungle CEO Marc Gingras a few months back.   Tungle is a free calendar accelerator… that helps you schedule meetings online and publish your free/ busy calendar (so your clients and colleagues can see when you have free appointment slots, for example, without having to call or email you).  This short video on Tungle’s capabilities will impress you:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/v/Qhf74wUJHK0&hl=en&fs=1&]

While Tungle is a great fit for any business professional, I see a fantastic opportunity for coaches and therapists who run a busy practice and want to make client appointment scheduling much easier by having clients book their own appointments online.

For Marc, Tungle is his way to positively change the world.  His goal is to have all business people using Tungle to schedule their meetings.  His biggest obstacle is the status quo.  Changing people’s entrenched behaviours is challenging so his team works to make Tungle easier and easier to adopt. 

The key to running a successful business, according to Marc, comes back to people almost everytime: having the right people in the right positions, creating a “get it done” attitude at Tungle, and aligning all the people (management, employees, the board and investors) toward the same objectives. 

Getting the right people is not about technology, marketing or the competition; we need people with the right attitude and we have to put them in the right spot so they can shine.

Sometimes the people who are great at the start up phase are not the people who can build a successful mature company, Marc has learned. 

Letting go of one of my initial start up people was the hardest thing. The reward is that the company turned around 100 percent so my decision was the right one and it was confirmed right away.

He’s proud of the team he has built and how he has transformed Tungle from a successful start up to a successful company.

Marc started his web career in 1998.  During the time the tech bubble burst, he was managing a team of 30 at another company. While he feels that he let them down as he didn’t see it coming, he knows he won’t get caught like this again.  He’s  rounded out his finance and R&D expertise with sales and marketing know-how, surrounded himself by amazing people and now pays close attention to financing and budgets.  Business lessons are painful AND effective!

And now what would Marc like most? Having more money to enable things to move faster and having more people using Tungle to reach a tipping point toward Tungle’s objective of having all business professionals scheduling their meetings through Tungle.   

Be a part of this tipping point. Save yourself time every time you schedule a meeting .  Avoid the time jungle. Tungle. 

Bonus: Marc’s book recommendation for CEO’s on the move: From Good To Great by Jim Collins

Coach Buffet: A Satisfying Soup

October 16th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment 2 Comments »

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CANCER (June 21-July 22)

Soup is your metaphor for the week, Cancerian.  Symbolically speaking, it’s the key to your personal power and a model for the approach you should take in everything you do. On the most basic level, you might want to eat some soup every day.  That will make potent suggestions to your subconscious mind about how to mix lots of ingredients together so that their value and beauty as a totality are more than the sum of their parts. Not just in the kitchen, but in every area of your life, blend little miscellaneous things into one big interesting thing. 

You might think it flaky for a business coach to start a post with her kooky horoscope.  Not so in my books.  Metaphors like this are rich and are not to be overlooked.

In my case, the biggest soup I have been cooking lately is Coach Buffet. My co-chef is Tanya Geisler.  We hosted our first ever Coach Buffet in Montreal last night.  And late late, after everything was wrapped up, with our mouths yawning and our eyes half closing, we read evaluation after evaluation. The verdict: Coach Buffet #1 was a resounding success.

The recipe:

Creativity to dream a vision the guts and drive to make it happen

A business partnership and coaching every step of the way

12 great Montreal life and business coaches who formed the “Coach Buffet”

Participants (professional and business owners) who, as early adopters, showed up fully…hungry for coaching and possibility

Friends and family who supported us through our first event (i.e. for registration, time keeping, photography/ design, spreading the word, access to venue and encouragement)

Openness to the miscellaneous things that will make this “soup” better and better and better

Back to the horoscope. I haven’t been eating soup daily.  Frankly because I like making it for others far more than I enjoy eating it myself.  Coach Buffet was this for me.  We made the metaphorical soup and while others feasted, we were nourished.

Now, metaphors aside. We are building a scalable business franchise model. You will hear more about Coach Buffet.

Coach Buffet Toronto takes place on Tuesday, November 17th. Register online.

CoachBuffet

All you can – - -?

October 13th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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They are Chinese and Indian many other ethnicities.  You often find them in hotels and on cruise ships.  They are often overflowing with plenty, and some would say they are wasteful. Many people overeat at them.  What are THEY?

guests-hotel-buffet_~HTL106Buffets, of course.  They sound like a great idea when you are really hungry and you often regret it very quickly after when you have eaten too much and realize the food all tasted the same.

Why, you might ask, am I discussing the merits of a buffet in a blog focussed on coaching for small business owners and professionals?  Some of you know the answer because I have been talking about it incessantly for a number of months now! Yep. Coach Buffet. It’s a new kind of buffet. Coaching is on the menu and we are serving possibility. 

CoachBuffetMy partner Tanya Geisler and I are launching Coach Buffet as a new format for coaching (and a new business venture for us) to show professionals and business owners the power of coaching and to help prospective clients and coaches find a great coaching match in a very short time.

So if you will be in the Montreal area on Thursday evening (Oct 15th) and want to deal with a real life or business issue in a fun and meaningful evening out, join us at the buffet!  Our line up of Montreal coaches—whose flavours range from start up business coaching to intuitive life coaching–will leave you feeling full of possibility and no regrets.   

Coach Buffet hits Toronto on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009.

Lead From Your Primary Aim

September 28th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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Over lunch I read three disperate things and somehow decided they were all connected (or that if they weren’t, I was going to find a way to connect them!).  Aim…Aim is the common theme I see.  And the three things I read are:

1)      Chapter 12 of Michael’s Gerber’s The E Myth Revisited (E stand for entrepreneur) outlining the importance of  “your primary aim”

Gerber insists that before considering building a business, we must ask ourselves these questions:  What do I value most?  What kind of life do I want? What do I want my life to feel like? Who do I wish to be there?  Great people have a vision for their lives and they work “on” it each and every day. Like Gerber, I am a firm believer that one’s “primary aim” is the vision necessary to bring a business to life and one’s life to the business. I guide my coaching clients to develop their primary aim/vision.  I have one too. I call it into question often. It frustrates me to no end sometimes when I don’t know how to live it. Nonetheless, I am happy to have it be my guide.

2)      An announcement for a new book my coach colleague Lynn Harris has authored called Unwritten Rules: What Women Need To Know About Leading In Today’s Organizations;

While I doubt Lynn’s books follow the same tack as Gerber’s given the different focus, I am betting that the leaders she interviewed had unfailingly articulated their aims to become women leaders long before they became women leaders. I am betting their aims were clear about what leadership would look like, taste like and feel like to lead long before they were in the actual positions they now hold.

3)      A short blog post called The biggest spiritual challenge of your life is opening a business.

Perhaps this one is a bit of an outlier.  The way I see it though, it is precisely in the doing of business ownership/ leadership and in being a business owner/ leader that one is faced with huge spiritual challenges that send us reeling from time to time.  Many of the challenges are practical.  Some are existential. The true leader will go to the hard places to find answers.   The true leader will frequently sharpen his/ her aim. 

Carlos Castenada (as quoted by Gerber) said this,

The difference between a warrior and an ordinary man [woman] is that a warrior sees everything as a challenge, while an ordinary man sees everything as either a blessing or a curse.   

Be the warrior.  Lead from your aim.

Risk/Reward: The Entrepreneur's R&R- It's Synkro and You're Invited

August 10th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment 2 Comments »

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M-Girl Annie Cremont

M-Girl Annie Cremont

She describes her Synkro event as a Tour de Force…an opportunity to make people feel good and dance more. And it is. And so is she! She’s the M Girl– Annie Cremont–owner of ExperiencesM and creator of Synkro.

Part of Synkro’s charm is its mystic. My friend and coach colleague who invited me to Synkro in May said she had no idea what to expect but she “expected” it to be very unique based on her exchanges with Annie. You can say that again! I was amazed how quickly M-Girl and her team created a “let your hair down” space for the room full of 30/40/50 somethings. And that was just the beginning. We danced, and danced and danced. And at the end of the evening, I felt like I had been coached and cleansed. My head was clear and my heart was calm.

Dancing makes people feel good. It helps them get in sync with their mind and body. It is my personal mission to make 1 million people dance in the next three years.

I know she will succeed. But in case you think Annie is another Where the hell is Matt?, she’s not. While they both have big visions, an international focus, and a love of getting people to dance, Synkro is a a fully integrated, tested program that helps initially self -conscious people to get in touch with their own unique rhythm as a form of communication.

It is the perfect program to open or close a big conference or corporate meeting. It is also a perfect event to raise money for health and wellness because it helps people be in touch with themselves.

At a recent convention in Phoenix, Arizona, for the National Speakers Association (NSA), a show case for North America’s top speakers, many eyes were turned her way. She believes her timing to enter the US market is perfect.

As the economy comes out of recession under Obama’s leadership, the US is more open than ever to doing things differently. The US needs to dance!

Synkro Bookmark image M-Girl knows what she is talking about and she knows how to sell her concept. In 1999, fresh out of business school at HEC, Annie created Station M, an advertising and marketing agency. That gave her almost a decade of experience and a very large network. In 2008, she made a life altering decision to wind down Station M operations and pursue her dream to develop Synkro.  She followed her gut when she realized that the 2-3 minute dance portion she added into each presentation she did on selling was the highlight for her and her audience.

Annie Cremont, the M-Girl, is a spectacular example of someone who is following her dreams and living her life aligned to her values. She radiates energy; she is smart and generous and she is going to make a million people dance by 2011.

If you would like to have a Synkro experience in Montreal, check out Annie’s special invitation for Monday Auguest 17th. She’s running a pilot and the costs are on her.  If you miss out on the 17th, you can register for her next live Synkro which will be held at Gallery Art Avenue in Old Montreal on September 30th.

Subscribe to M-News or join Synkro group on Facebook

Sharing Makes A Better "Idea" Soup

June 27th, 2009 in Uncategorized comment No Comments »

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I recently had an idea for a really cool coaching concept and I shared it with my friend and coaching colleague Tanya Geisler. Now we are partnering on the idea and getting more excited about it each time we meet about it.  In parallel, the notion of hoarding (things, information) versus sharing has crossed my radar a few times (and you may have read that historically I haven’t shared well!) so I decided to examine it a bit more closely. But first let me make a distinction: I give my ideas with ease and frequency and truly delight in sharing them.  Giving away things (i.e. possessions, money) is harder for me.

Royality free image from Fotosearch

Royality free image from Fotosearch

A few days ago, I read The Wisdom of Sharing in my DailyOM email. In short, a traveller comes into a town that is besieged by famine. The villagers are suspicious that he will beg for food. Instead, he sets a large pot to boil and proceeds to make a “stone” soup by dropping a large stone from his bag into the boiling cauldron. He “sniffs the brew extravagantly and exclaims how delicious the stone soup will be”. As the villagers get curious, he mentions how good the soup would be with a little cabbage. As you can imagine, bit by bit the villagers bring cabbage, carrots, onions and beets until there is a substantial soup that feeds the village.

In times of constraint, it is human nature to hold back and protect what is ours. And yet, when it comes to creating a rich idea soup, it is hard to make it alone. I did a quick search for a “hoarding vs. sharing scale” to see if one existed. I wanted to assess myself. Why can I share my ideas with detachment and not do the same with my things? Instead, I stumbled upon a hoarding scale used by professional organizers to determine whether or not their clients’ hoarding is actually pathological  (it’s free but you have to fill out some info before this site will share it). Hoarding, whether possessions or ideas, is about accumulating or keeping something hidden or private. It gives us a sense of safety and and security and enables us to pat ourselves on the back that we are being prudent and responsible. But isn’t the safety and security we feel a bit of an illusion?

The wise woman who writes copyblogger says that hoarding ideas is the same as throwing them away as your reputation is built on what you are doing now. I could have hoarded my coaching concept idea and kept it swirling around in my own head. For a while, I suspect I would have felt clever and creative. And then I predict it would have gone the way of the dodo bird, bumped off the back burner of my brain by my next brainwave. Instead, now I have a partner whom I love to work with on projects and we are developing an action plan for a September launch in Toronto and Montreal.  Just today she came up with a brillant name for our concept and we have committed to dates for pilots in both cities. 

I will share the concept here soon too. In the meantime, I will continue to work on sharing my things as often as I share my ideas…that’s the stretch for me. What’s yours?

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?

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.