I got in my car. My intuition told me to go to the Pearl Cup. The one downtown. I've never been there. Downtown has no parking. I begrudged to my intuition, "There won't be parking. I don't want to." I drove to the Downtown Pearl Cup. I figured I was supposed to meet someone. A mysterious crossing of paths. I arrived. I circled the block. Then peered in. There was nobody inside. I came to a stop when my wife called. My intuition chimed in when I was on the phone. "Drive … [Read more...]
Is your hole deep enough?
August 26, 2011 by
Rich told me he had no room for error. He has no money in the bank. If the business he bought doesn't turn around - quickly - his family doesn't eat. Rich is motivated. He's in a pretty deep hole. Joe just had to sell one of his businesses. He wasn't investing in it. The business got pretty run down ... Like an old house that hasn't been maintained. Joe is on the tail end of his business life. He's got the money he needs to finish this ride called life. Joe doesn't have a very deep hole. … [Read more...]
Dictate the future
August 24, 2011 by
I asked the group to close their eyes. I suggested they think about a day in the future (You can do this, too). I guided them with some questions. "Go six months out. Create a picture as vivid and real as possible. What goals have you achieved? What big wins are you celebrating? What is happening on this day 6 months out that isn't happening today? What clients are you talking to? What deals have you closed? What have you created? What's your business model? What's happening with … [Read more...]
What will you find when you get there?
August 15, 2011 by
Get out through the in door or or get in through out door. Either way, no matter where you are, there you are. Are you trying to get out of where you don't want to be? Something will follow you. You. You can't escape yourself. Most of the times we want to get out of something ... it turns out the something we want to get out of is ourselves. That new job won't make you any more valued. That other guy (or girl) won't make you any more lovable. That pint of ice cream won't … [Read more...]
Out through the In Door
August 12, 2011 by
I was down in a depressive funk for the last few weeks. It tends to happen each year as approach my birthday. This year wasn't an exception. I was walking in the morning. Walking in the sunlight is a prescription for the funk. As I walked I prayed. I was asking for a way out. I received an answer. "Stop looking for a way out. Look for a way in." Looking for a way out isn't about finding something new. It's about leaving something old. You're not going anywhere. You're … [Read more...]
Is it time for new decision?
July 22, 2011 by
Tim made a discovery that can change his life. It might change your life, too. Tim and his dad own a business together. A prospect asked Tim's firm if they performed a type of planning service. Tim thought they could meet the prospect's need. Tim's father gave him a list of reasons why they couldn't. A life changing observation struck Tim. "My dad always looks for excuses explaining why something won't work. He taught me to do the same thing." Tim's a hard charger in many areas … [Read more...]
Bye-bye, Borders!
July 20, 2011 by
This morning I was reading about Borders Bookstore on Inc.com. They are closing the book on Borders. Their remaining 399 stores are closing their doors. What happened? They couldn't escape their own gravity. Borders evolved to be the Wal-mart of bookstores. They delivered an expansive inventory that small shops couldn't compete with. They had the same impact on mom and pop book shops that Wal-mart has had on small retailers. The small shops died. The small shops couldn't compete on … [Read more...]
Understanding the gravity of the (business) situation
July 18, 2011 by
Gravity is generated by objects that have mass. The greater the mass, the stronger the pull of gravity. The stronger the pull, the more it influences everything within it's reach. We float weightlessly when there is no gravity. We are like immovable boulders when there is a lot gravity. The longer a business is around the more likely it is to accumulate mass. The mass accumulates in the form of people, processes, culture, habits, inventory, customers, etc. As mass accumulates, so does … [Read more...]
Follow the leader
July 8, 2011 by
I walked down the row of cubes. Someone from my team grabbed me. "They did it again.", they said. We had another team that we worked with. We didn't see eye to eye. We didn't have mutual respect. It seemed each team thought the other team was a bunch of idiots. I got fired up. I'm insulted the other team. I'm sure I "should" all over them. - They should do this, They should do that. I'm damn certain I cursed. I'm sure I poured gasoline on the fire. The fire burned higher. The … [Read more...]
