Glen Gould

I’ll admit it. I’ve been struggling lately. Being an entrepreneur, business owner, employer, and speaker is challenging. And that’s just my work life. Being an attentive and effective husband, father, friend, cat, dog, and bird servant is even more challenging. All while still not letting the dream of my next marathon die. Whew! In the past I had things pretty well in hand. I had the right…

If you’re in business you know doubt know why grocery stores place high-impulse items in the checkout line. Whether it’s your child or the child inside each of us, big profits are made by selling candies, mints, snacks, magazines, sodas, and yes, gum as an add-on to your order. I can remember the thrill of having my own money and spending it on bubblegum in the checkout line as a youth. My mother…

Happy New Year! The Benefits of Observing a Fiscal Year. A fiscal year is a year in time observed by a person, group, or agency that may or may not coincide with a calendar year. A calendar year is generally January 1 through December 31. A fiscal year may star on any date and end one year later on the date just before the beginning date. Have you ever wondered why some companies and nearly all…

Not long ago I was on stage for a keynote presentation for Subway Development. We reached a point in the presentation where I asked, “What do you do?” From the very back of the room a lonely voice I could barely hear said, “I manage a Subway.” I said, “What does that mean?” She said, “Well what do you think it means?” To which I said, “Ah, yes, you’re right!  If you let me decide what it means it…

Building the Perfect Network System

Flooding Your Pipeline with Quality Leads and Referrals Building Your Perfect Network What does your network look like right now? Mostly people like you Mostly people you see often

The purpose of an elevator pitch or self-introduction is to compel the listener to act on your behalf.  That may mean continuing to listen for their own self-interest or with thoughts of those in his or her own network for the purposes of future introduction. The perfect pitch does both.  It relies on the idea, “If this is good for me it will be good for my friends too.” It is important to…

Choose Your Ideal Client Worksheet

What is an “ideal client”? An ideal client is a representation (or avatar) of the type of client you’d like to attract. It will have the characteristics and personalities of the person you’d like to serve and whom you or your products and services are designed for. Choosing an ideal client is important because, while all clients won’t necessarily fit the model, having a target makes it more…

It’s called a “Purpose Call” because it is what you are called to do. What you were designed to do. Using the questions below you will be able to take passions in your life and incorporate them into an overall purpose for your life. The examples given are short. The intention of this worksheet is to serve to determine individual passions that lead to an overall purpose. You can choose to focus on…

Ten Simple Steps You Can Take To Become EXTRAordinary

What is EXTRAordinary? But one thing that we rarely do is consider ourselves EXTRAordinary. And yet, each of us in our own way desires the recognition of being EXTRAordinary.  One thing is certain: Becoming EXTRAordinary brings greater joy and satisfaction for our efforts.  When we think of people or things that are EXTRAordinary, we quickly refer to those things that are unusual in a good way. …

How to Create a Magical Networking Moment Ten Secrets to a Powerful Self-Introduction 1. It’s About Them 2. Know Your Material 3. Practice, Practice, Practice 4. It’s SHOWTIME! 5. The BIG Bang Theory 6. Thank Others 7. Create a Tag Line 8. Use Props 9. Tell a Story 10. Deliver it Often

Why Local Small Business Matters

On the way to work today I passed a ball field that is on the campus of a school. I pass this field every day on the way to work and I see the banners that festoon the fence in the outfield. But today, somehow, they meant more to me than before.Why? What made this shift? Today, for the first time I noticed that every banner was from a small, local business. No big brands, no on-line merchants, no…

The Strangest Thing About The Strangest Secret

In 1956, Earl Nightingale recorded what would become the first spoken word recording to receive a Gold Record. In a recent interview with Earl’s widow Diana Nightingale (View Interview Here) I learned that he recorded the message for his salesmen before he went on a fishing trip. Earl loved the water and loved fishing but he also took his role as leader very seriously. Leaving a recorded message…

An Interview with Diana Nightingale

If you’re like me, the number of people who have had a hand in making you who you are today are countless. There have been so many serendipitous meetings, resources that appeared at just the right time, and so much divine intervention, there’s just no way to properly account for the power others have had in my life That’s not to say I didn’t make it happen. Had I not been willing to pay…