Are you paying attention?

Point 1 – Established Track Record. Not only are we 31-years-old with consistent growth, but we just closed out our largest growth ever (32% GROWTH)! Wall Street would eat this company up – but that won’t happen. We are only able to stay true to our program, our customers and the mission statement if we are not clouded by the influence of investors.

Point 2 – Financially Sound. To our first point about Wall Street – We don’t need them! We have developed the infrastructure to grow by another 200% and it is all paid for by cash. When you have a vision and have planned appropriately for that vision that is when something special happens.

We are all very proud of this, but what does it really mean to you? If I didn’t know anything about this company and I was looking to better my personal future, I would spend a little time asking a few questions. Since this growth and stability has been built on helping people live healthier lives – there is something for everyone!

The old phrase is, “only time will tell”. Well time is talking, and this year it is talking about growth! When I was was first introduced to this online shopping club these 12 points of interest were shared with me (View article – Does the concept of working from home intrigue you). Two of these points are related to the financial stability of the company and ring even more true today than they did 5 years ago.

Being Coachable

You have probably heard it most in connection with sports; he or she is “coachable”. While it is certainly relevant to the sports model, have you considered how it also applies in the business environment as well.

It’s not complicated. Listening and learning should be an everyday activity as you grow and develop yourself and your business. Being coachable has a lot to do with linking yourself with one (or a few) trusted mentors. It involves absolute trust in the lessons they provide, just as in sports. Even if it sounds unreasonable or doesn’t make sense, it will as you grow in your business.

We aren’t saying your  ideas and concepts don’t have relevance—they do—but the experience of those you choose as your coaches offers a history of success. That history  is why you chose them.

As you grow and expand personally and professionally, you’ll find a plethora of people and information that are relentlessly trying to influence you and your decisions. This “white noise” must continually be filtered and your coaches can help you sort them into “What is true” and “What isn’t true” categories. This is an ongoing practice.

I have attached an article from INC. to clarify some of information you need to make sound decisions. Choosing your coach or a team of coaches is an indispensable part of your own success. Vett their credentials carefully. What have they accomplished? Do other business people have good things to say about them? Are they focused on you and your goals and not their own? You have an obligation to yourself to be selective and scrupulous in choosing those whose lead you will follow. Remember good leaders are coachable themselves. Now go play the game to win.

 

 

Blame And Responsibility

If you are in business, whether it is one you own or one you manage, you are going to make mistakes. Those mistakes are inevitable. They are part of your business’s and your own personal growth and ultimate success.

It is how you personally respond to those mistakes that can make a huge difference in your effectiveness as a manager or an owner. As this article from the Harvard Business Review states, playing the “blame game” never works.

Those who work with you and for you observe your behavior when a mistake is made either by you or someone for whom you are responsible. If you assume responsibility, you are not taking the blame. After all, you are the boss or manager, so you are responsible. Sometimes the blame does belong to someone else, so it has to be addressed. The way you handle it can be a learning moment for those you work with, so be constructive, not destructive.

A good manager or owner always creates a psychological environment of security so that others are not afraid to take risks because that creates the success of the mission statement. The article suggests that focusing on learning from those mistakes, even rewarding them creates a culture where no one is resistant to innovation. Blaming produces the opposite effect where everyone lives in fear and innovation is at best diluted and at worst invisible.

http://workingwhileliving.com/article/blame-and-responsibility?barbarahay

Anxiety Can Be Your Biggest Enemy

All of us experience anxiety to some degree and from time to time. In our business, the business of marketing, you are marketing yourself and your company’s products or services. If your anxiety occurs often and is significant enough, it can become an overwhelming obstacle. The longer it continues at that level the worse it can—and will—get.

Anxiety will not go away by itself. Like everything in life and your career, you must take positive personal steps to overcome it. Your personal and professional life will suffer immensely if you don’t do something to address it. The below article contains some exercises that can and will help you. You need to retrain your brain.

There are some interesting perspectives here that can really help.
They fall into several categories that begin with:
Don’t even talk to anyone, and then talk to people while eliminating any chance of rejection.
Be curious and ask genuine questions. The answers will follow, easily.
Quiet your mental chatter in that moment. Your self-talk is more powerful than you think.
Have fun play games and even bet your friends.
Avoid over thinking.
Fear is a gift of life. It means you’re still alive; you’re still breathing (even if it is heavy).

Like many lines of work, rejection exists within my business and therefore I am exposed to anxiety-related situations regularly. There is no question that approaching someone that I find attractive as a potential customer can trigger those feelings of anxiety. I HAVE TO overcome them. It is my livelihood. Remember, yes is a good answer, but no can be good because it is one step closer to the next yes. Do some positive things today that will help you overcome and enjoy a better life and career. Don’t let anxiety win. It is the most important battle you will fight.

https://www.nicknotas.com/blog/18-exercises-to-overcome-your-fear-of-meeting-people/

http://makegreengogreen.com/article/anxiety-can-be-your-biggest-enemy?barbarahay

What Is Good Coaching In Business?

In the last decade or so, you have often heard the word coaching used when referring to management interaction. Why does the word coaching come up more and more?

It is a term that was adopted by the popularity of sports and the management of men and women on the court, the field and the rink. Our “adaptation” of coaching is derived directly from those experiences in person and in observation.

The attached article can help you understand more clearly the value of good coaching and what it can bring to your “team’s” success. As the author, Yael Bacharach, tells us: “if you listen, reflect, question and provide the right feedback, you can easily build trust in the coaching relationship.”

What Does The Top Of Your Desk Say About The Quality Of Your Work?

We have all been there. We sit down and realize the condition and organization of the top of our desk leaves something to be desired. Don’t be too tough on yourself it happens to all of us, at least from time to time.

The top of your desk DOES say something about you. Neatness can mean you are goal oriented or driven to succeed. While a messy or disorganized desk can indicate a creative thinker that can find untraditional ways to get things accomplished.

I am fortunate that the company that I represent has leaders that coach feverishly and diligently to the point where they have created a web-based system of organization that is customized for the organization of my business. The result? I am able to keep a routine, which gives me a sense of security unmatched to any other career in which I have been involved. It allows me to duplicate and that repetition makes me better at my job and at leading my people. 

Advantages To The Mentor, The Mentee And The Organization

You will hear it often from professional and college athletes, “one of the things I am here for and enjoy most is helping the younger players on and off the field.” Management (and coaches) appreciate it and many times reward it.

This article explains the advantages and some of the details. Mentoring (coaching) improves the company’s culture as it aids employee growth and development. It adds to professional satisfaction among employees (mentees) and the mentors, themselves. Overall employee moral improves and, as a result, the whole organization improves its’ chances of achieving their goals. These are all good things for you and your business.

I’m associated with a company that structures its’ entire business model on the concepts of mentoring and coaching. Compared to the traditional business structure in which I used to work, this encouragement to help others succeed has made ME more successful and has made my endeavors more satisfying and more lucrative, as well. So find a mentor or someone to mentor. You will improve every day as a result.