“Can I ask what the deciding factor was in selecting us?” I asked. The client, sitting across the desk from me, put his hand to his chin, thinking about it for a moment. “You guys were the only ones that came at us with a unique approach,” he said. “That’s great,” I replied. “But what exactly? Sorry to ask, but I always like knowing what we did or did not do well.” “Sure, no problem. I understand,” he said. “You didn’t make a recommendation or pitch a product. You came to us with questions and a solution, if and only if the results […]

I am very uneasy. The world. Our world. I know you probably feel the same way recently. I’m also very uneasy about the things people are saying, what they express, both publicly and privately. In my business, I have always felt most comfortable being uncomfortable. Living in that discomfort to get to a better result. Embracing it. In life, I suppose I have acted somewhat the same way, too. However, the events of the last couple weeks have changed my view on so many things: what is really important and what is not, the response that one should have. To speak […]

What is Uber? Of course, the ride app takes its origins from the word in the normal lexicon. And the dictionary defines “uber” as “Denoting an outstanding or supreme example of a particular kind of person or thing.” I think, so far, the company is right on the mark. Do you remember when Uber first came on the scene? Will Farrell was in the commercials, doing what Will Farrell does: fancy car, bling, cool shoes, and rockstar looks, making it all fun and approachable. Uber was JUST a car service then. Or so we thought! Today, Uber has grown to operate in […]

“Practice like you’ve never won. Perform like you’ve never lost.” This last week, I had the pleasure of spending time with peers from around the country. It’s always truly amazing to see how different people live and work. There are lots of different ways to do things. All are valid. It’s fascinating for me to see how other highly successful people achieve balance in their lives, starting with how they process and make choices. But in that big room, despite our myriad differences, the one thing that remains the same with all of us is how we practice. Among everyone I […]

When I first got started in business it was all about “faking it until you make it.” It was “act as if.” “Don’t worry about debt, just build your business and the rest will take care of itself,” they would all say. It was advice that was hard to ignore and came at me from everywhere. “Kid, you don’t have an expense problem, you have a revenue problem,” Bob said. As I look back on almost 29 years in business, some of that was true. When you’re in growth mode and starting from the bottom, it’s difficult to manufacture confidence and momentum. […]

“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” -Viktor E. Frankl Most of us are looking to grow in some way, shape or form. We want to become better husbands or wives, better parents, better bosses, and just evolve as human beings. But just like a bud that’s beneath the ground all winter until it blossoms in the spring, growth can be difficult to detect. In fact, growth is almost never visible while it’s happening. And it’s almost certainly never linear. […]

Don’t do business with your friends! We often hear that, posing as sound advice. “A client will become a friend quicker than a friend will become a client.” Or “Don’t mix business and friendship.” It’s been repeated so much, it’s almost ingrained as truth. Almost. But I say, why not? Many of my best friends are clients, and many of my clients have become good friends. Why is it that we should shy away from doing business and having a social relationship with those in our lives? Why are we trying to compartmentalize, or even insulate ourselves? To me, there is no one who will look out […]

When is water no longer wet? When does sweet lose its taste? When do happiness and joy no longer feel like the best feelings one could ever have? Loss can take a lot of that away. Loss can rob us of all of life’s meaning and pleasure, those feelings that are so critical to who we are and the smiles we have on our faces. It is so easy to look across the street and say, “They have it so much better than me,” or “No one REALLY understands what I am dealing with.” But, in reality, none of us […]