Emotional Equations 01/23/12

I had the opportunity to hear Chip Conley speak at the Transformational Leadership Council this last weekend. He spoke about his new book Emotional Equations. Chip created this self-help paradigm in order to break down life’s toughest obstacles into manageable facets that you can see clearly – and influence. When Chip suffered a series of tragedies in the space of just a couple years – and his heart inexplicably flatlined after a speech – he began using what he came to call “Emotional Equations” (li...

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Don’t Analyze What’s Wrong–Look for What’s Working! 04/28/11

It’s a fact: change is not easy! So, how do you keep business on the up and up amidst a constant onslaught of challenges that require you and your business to change and adapt? Watch this short video for some powerful tips from my good friend and author of The Solutions Focus, Dr. Mark McKergow. You’ll learn, like I have, that one of the most important things a business owner can do to strengthen and grow their business is to operate on a daily basis by focusing on solutions. Mark always says that if a ...

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The End is Near! 01/20/11

No, not the end of the world, silly . . . I’m talking about the end of the recession. Recently, I wrote about “Business Looking up in 2011″ which was based on a survey of over 5,000 businesspeople and entrepreneurs at www.BNIBusinessIndex.com. The survey was a global survey that was taken by people from every populated continent in the world. The survey found that almost 68% of the respondents say that business is growing or growing dramatically compared to this time a year ago. What the survey...

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50 Best Blogs for Young Entrepreneurs 01/03/11

I am excited to announce that this blog was listed as #26 in the list of “50 Best Blogs for Young Entrepreneurs”! Here’s what they said: “Networking Entrepreneur: Even if you think you’re a pro at networking, check this blog for new tips and strategies as your business grows. Recommended Posts: Make No Assumptions and Clueless When It Comes To Conversing? Four Tips” The list, published by OEDb (Online Education Database), was created as a resource for young entrepreneurs who are lo...

Personality in a Deck of Cards 11/24/10

Everyone wants to learn about their personality style. This is especially true with people who understand the value of networking. But most people don’t like taking boring written quizzes and assessment. Enter “Personality Poker” – what I think is a fun and interactive way to learn about your personality. Personality Poker is played with a specially designed deck of cards. They look like regular poker cards except they also have words printed across the faces. The words are personality descriptors like o...

Give Valuable Information, Get More Referrals 07/05/10

Last week I posted a blog on the benefits of turning to your network for advice. It’s also very important to remember that everyone benefits when you give valuable advice to your network. Think about how you can give your prospective referral sources valuable advice related to your specialty or profession, such as advance notice of a change in procedures that will affect them, tips on how to initiate the changes they will need to make, or other information that can help your network members achieve satisfact...

Need Advice? Your Network Can Help! 07/01/10

Have you ever purposely sought advice from your network members? If not, you should definitely take advantage of this opportunity because we all need advice at one time or another and seeking advice from your network is a win-win situation. You see, people like for others to listen to their opinions and advice. By inviting your network members to talk, you can get better acquainted with their knowledge, decision-making ability, and attitudes. Receiving someone’s advice also gives you a perfect reason to c...

Get Your Act Together 06/28/10

Let’s face it: As a businessperson, you’ve got a lot going on. There are people to see, places to go and a whole lot of stuff to do. Can you do all this, and look and act presentable at all times, too? Quite frankly, getting and keeping your act together can be a little overwhelming for even the sanest of people, so here are some tips: 1. Look the part before going to a networking event. You’d be surprised how many people fall short in the fundamental area of appearance. If it’s a cha...

Become a Customer to Become a High Priority 06/17/10

One of the friendliest and most natural ways to make contact with a referral source is to buy her products or services, whether in large or small dollar amounts. It’s important to note that the purchase doesn’t necessarily have to be from her primary line of business–perhaps a ticket to a fundraiser, a used car, a computer, even a box of Girl Scout cookies from her daughter. By purchasing something from your network member/referral source, you become one of her customers. As a customer, you are...