Archive for Leadership
3 Lessons from a Billion-Dollar Leader
Posted by: | CommentsI recently listened to Lisa Ashby at the January meeting of Women for Economic Leadership and Development (WELD). Lisa is a billion-dollar leader – she runs the Scientific Products division (a $1.2 billion division) of Cardinal Health.
What I was drawn to was Lisa’s conversational, inviting style – and I would imagine that is how she leads her team of about 200 people. It was also very evident she knew her business up and down, inside and out.
I’ll share with you 3 key points from her that she identified as critical to her success.
Ask for what you want. When you see something that might create a new career path or new business opportunity, don’t wait around for it to happen. Go for it. ASK. So many times we wait for people to notice something about us or to make the offer. But it’s not going to happen. It’s your responsibility to make it happen.
Choose. Be a decision maker, and choose what you want. And sometimes choosing means saying no to something that just isn’t the right fit. This applies whether you are a business owner deciding a new product path or narrowing your target market, or making your way along the corporate ladder.
Take risks. I think this one is a natural if you’re working on the first two. Taking risks is all part of it. It’s much easier to sit back and keep doing the same thing, but those who are most successful realize the value of calculated risk. Not everything will be successful, but as Wayne Gretsky says, you miss 100% of the shots you never take.
![[Post to Twitter]](http://amyfranko.com/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter-big4.png){kind=icon}
3 Steps to Achieving Any Goal
Posted by: | CommentsIf you’re stuck on reaching a goal in your business and procrastination sets in, you’re not alone. It is one of the top reasons why we don’t flourish in our businesses.
If it were so easy everyone would be doing it right?
In the 4 Ways to Flourish Telesummit, Million Dollar Income Acceleration Coach David Neagle provided a great formula for becoming unstuck.
David Neagle shared a specific tool for reaching any goal in your business or personal life.
First, define your need, being as specific as possible. This is different than the big picture for your business; instead, it’s getting to the very goal you’re trying to reach in this moment. What David reminds us is that whatever we need is already here. This can be hard to accept or believe, but it’s true. When you put the need out there, the answer is there – waiting for you to find it.
Second, take a blank sheet of paper and draw a vertical line down the center so you have two columns. Title the left column “Why I Can’t.” Title the right column “How I Can.” Beginning on the right side, list all of the ideas that come to your mind about how you can achieve the goal. But here’s the thing – simultaneously, your subconscious is going to tell you all the reasons why it can’t be done. Pay zero attention to that subconscious mind and continue writing the ideas down, no matter what.
Third, take action on each of your ideas. Don’t skip one, no matter how tempting! The answer is in your action. David says:
“The universe is trying to get you the thing that you need, more than you think you need it. But if you talk yourself out of doing one of those things, or you are afraid to do it, or it’s calling up some kind of fear for you, or you procrastinate – then you are not going to get the thing that you want. But if you [take action on each idea] you will take care of whatever your [need] is immediately.”
Your success is about reaching one goal at a time, and this simple tool can help you reach your next goal. This was just one of the great ideas that David shared, along with 3 other amazing entrepreneurs, during the 4 Ways to Flourish Telesummit.
Your call to action? Decide now to order the Four Ways to Flourish Telesummit Package. For only $47, you’ll receive the audio files and professional transcripts from David and the other entrepreneurial leaders Sue Painter and I interviewed.
When you compare just one hour of these experts’ time with the price point of this series, I know you’ll see the value in taking action! And the truth is, you really can’t buy an hour of time with a few of these folks at any price!
Develop This and Boost Your Income
Posted by: | CommentsIn listening to James Roche in our Four Ways to Flourish Telesummit, he said something that really stood out to me.
Four Ways to Flourish is part of my "why" in serving women entrepreneurs!
He sees 1 quality in those who are able to move from some success in their business to truly growing – 6-figures, 7-figures and beyond.
What is it? Focus.
That ability to hone in on only the most important, income-producing elements of your business, and seeing them through to completion. I’ll be honest – I consider myself only a practitioner on this one, but working each day toward excellence.
Here are a two things I’m doing that have me squarely on the path:
I’m putting my team together. First I created a list of the tasks and services my business needs to run smoothly. Next to each task or service, I’ve listed 1-2 people or companies that can provide that service. I’m also in the process of hiring my first assistant to ultimately become the “point person” for daily operations, so I can focus on the creative side.
I’m creating my business and life schedule. If you’re anything like most entrepreneurs, your calendar has appointments and commitments spread all throughout the week – but no true focused blocks of time on revenue-generating activities. And you’re working late hours to finish what you’re not getting done during the day. I’ve now committed each week on Sunday evening – creating my schedule for the week and creating blocks of time dedicated to focus time, flex time, and open time so I can better manage my business.
James has achieved excellence in focus, and openly shared specific strategies and tactics with our listeners.
To learn more from James and our other speakers, order the Four Ways to Flourish Telesummit Package. For only $47, you’ll receive mp3 files and professional transcripts from all of these amazing entrepreneurial leaders.
When you compare just one hour of these experts’ time with the price point of this series, I know you’ll see the value in taking action! And the truth is, you really can’t buy an hour of time with a few of these folks at ANY price.
These Million Dollar Women Know (and they’re telling)
Posted by: | CommentsToday’s eWomen Network meeting in Columbus was packed with some awesome tips from three powerful million-dollar women business owners – Kathy Eshelman from Grade A Notes, Catherine Lang-Cline from Portfolio Creative Staffing, and Sally Hughes from Caster Connection.
All very different businesses, but common threads in how they have created their success. I took so many notes, I’m now trying to organize them all! (Quick disclaimer: I was furiously scribbling notes, so I think I’ve attributed them to the right person – if there are any mistakes here, they’re all mine.)
Here were some of the big themes and takeaways I learned.
Personal strengths in building a successful business:
- Friendliness. Genuine friendliness serves you – in networking, in meetings, in relationship building. Never underestimate how being truly friendly can make the difference.
- Persistence. No matter how ridiculous something seems – if you believe in it and want to make it happen, you have to be willing to do what it takes. Sally spoke of losing business to a competitor in China. Instead of sitting back, she hopped on a plane to China and figured out how to make her product better and more competitive.
Actions that made the difference in going to the next level of their businesses:
- Learn the business/industry, and then play big! Sally spoke of taking about 6 months to really learn what she needed. And then who did she call on first? She went straight to GM. No messing around there!
- Tell people what you need. You can’t just think in your mind about what you need and expect to get it. You have to verbalize it. For example, Kathy wanted to build her visibility in the Columbus region, and voiced that to a colleague at the Ohio Chamber. The result? That chamber colleague learned of an opportunity to be profiled in the Columbus Dispatch, called Kathy, and she landed on the front page.
- The sooner you learn to delegate, the better. I’ve heard this one many times, but it bears repeating – and women entrepreneurs still struggle with this. All three women talked about the need to let go, and find trusted resources for support.
- Keep your head up. Pay attention to your competition, your clients, and your resources. Stay informed about what’s going on – in your company and your industry. Be prepared to take action.
- Learn to sell. There’s a difference between marketing and selling. Catherine described how she and her business partner are great marketers – they created lots of awareness and buzz for their company, but they needed to turn that awareness into revenue – by asking for the business. Many people stop at awareness, and don’t ask for the sale. What if that prospect doesn’t have a need at that time? The next question is “Who do you know that may need our services?” Another tip? This one from Kathy – when you ask for the sale, be quiet and listen for the answer. So many times we keep talking, and then talk that person right out of saying yes. It’s awkward at first, but you’ll get used to it. :-)
There you have it ladies. Some million-dollar advice . . . I hope these tips made you feel like you were there!
Why did you go into business for yourself? Share your story!
Posted by: | CommentsThis blog post, “Are Men More Likely to Be Entrepreneurs than Women?” came across my Google Alerts this morning. I say the answer unequivocally is no way! The overwhelming majority of new businesses are started by women.
Check out the Four Ways to Flourish Telesummit - all part of my "why" in serving women entrepreneurs and solopreneurs!
I’ll still never forget the day in November 2006 that I called my manager to resign. That was one of scariest and most exciting days of my life!
I had a successful career in sales, and although I worked a lot of hours, I loved it. I had lots of freedom to set my own schedule, travel to see customers, and run my territory like a business.
So why did I leave?
Being in technology sales didn’t thrill me. I didn’t leap out of bed every day and say “Hey! I can’t wait to sell computer hardware today! Bring it on!”
As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to work for myself. I’ve always wanted to put a stamp on the world in my own way. To make a BIG difference. My favorite slogan of all time? Nike’s “Just do it.”
I grew up in a family of 5 daughters. And that I think that fostered a couple of things -
- A real independent streak. Some might even say I have a competitive nature. ;-)
- The decision to work with women entrepreneurs.
And this is my why: You see, I want every woman out there – who’s courageous enough to start her own business – to make it on her terms. To create her own stamp on the world, own her sense of self, and have her own wealth. I want to take the fear out of building a business that matters.
And you know what else? I think it would be SO COOL – when I learn about a person or an organization with a need – to be able to say without hesitation, “Hey! I want to support you, and I can do it. I can’t wait to write a big fat check or volunteer my time to help you make a difference. Bring it on!”
What’s your story? I want to hear!
What’s YOUR very best?
Posted by: | CommentsThis post was in my inbox this morning, “Your Very Best Will Change Your Life.”
I don’t usually watch videos or read blog posts first thing, but was drawn to the title. I’ve been following Doyle Slayton’s salesblogcast.com for a while now. I first met him on LinkedIn and he always has great quality content – make sure to check out his other posts.
So for a Monday morning, thought “my very best” might be a good way to start. I encourage you to watch it, bookmark it, then watch it again. ;-)
The line that stood out to me – as a solo professional:
“You are the most influential person on this team, if you walk around defeated, so will they.”
You are the most influential person on your team! And when you’re a one-person team, self-leadership is critical. How you lead your own life reflects your ability to affect all of the “theys.”
Who’s your “they?” For me, it’s:
- My family
- My clients
- My colleagues and friends
- Networking/membership organizations
- My virtual team
Think about your own self-leadership, and all the “theys” you come into contact with each day. Are you at your very best?
Shift from goodness to greatness
Posted by: | CommentsIn your business are you:
- Floundering around a bit without focus?
- Enjoying some success, but it isn’t as consistent as it could be?
- Wondering where your next client is going to come from?
- A jack of all trades?
Do any of those questions sound like I’m talking directly to you?
You could be a good entrepreneur, but you need to shift into greatness to take your business to where you want it to go. This article came across my Tweet stream, “25 Skills and Classes Necessary to Become a Great Entrepreneur.”
I’ve distilled what I think are the key points for you in terms of traits and skills. Read the full article though, it has great information on classes you might want to take.
Traits
- Passion - the best entrepreneurs have a fire inside for what they do. They can’t imagine doing anything else and it drives them to conquer any obstacle. Sit back for a moment, close your eyes, and picture how you spend your days. Does that describe you?
- Independence - the best entrepreneurs have strong ideas and they revel in independence. But I’ll add to that – also embrace collaboration. Become inter-dependent – knowing when to strike out on your own, and when to collaborate with others for the best possible outcome.
- Leadership – are you a leader? It’s sometimes assumed that because you’re an entrepreneur, that you’re also a leader. Your clients and colleagues look to you as an authority. If you’re not comfortable viewing yourself as a leader, I suggest you work to get there. It might mean hiring a leadership coach or investing in some other education, but it will be well worth it.
Skills
- Learn quickly, effectively, and efficiently. This means also learning from mistakes. Great entrepreneurs are quick studies, and they absorb information. I personally follow a lot of entrepreneurial leaders on Twitter, to see what they’re up to, what they’re reading or doing. Learn from mistakes – your own and others. It’s just as important to learn what not to do from watching others.
- Command the language of business. Would you trust or hire a person that doesn’t have excellent communication skills and comfortable use of business language? If communication skills are a weak area, join a group like Toastmasters to improve. To learn the language of business read your industry journals, follow others in your field, and become educated on business trends.
- Leverage your time. This is a big one, and I’m just as guilty as the next person. I see it as two things for the purposes of this article. First, we’re on a shoestring sometimes, especially just starting out. I’m in the process of interviewing virtual assistants, and wish I would have done it a year ago. It’s a mindset shift to let go of the tasks we don’t do well and let someone else take them over. But it’s so critical for growth. Second, it’s getting out of the time for money mindset. It’s looking at what you offer and scaling it, so what you earn isn’t directly proportional to the time you invest. For example, after learning from others (see #1), I’ve made a business decision to make Book Yourself Solid coaching a group offering. I can serve more people and leverage my time for the best possible profit.
- Become technology savvy, or at least get comfortable with it. Technology is a great equalizer, and the Internet alone has allowed people to dramatically shorten the earning curve. It’s imperative that you get comfortable using the technology that’s out there. If you aren’t comfortable implementing and managing it, hire it out (see #3). You may need someone to help you design a strategy right for your business, and then a separate person to help with the nuts-and-bolts-implementation. I wasted a year trying to do my website myself, big mistake! I hired it out, and it was up and running in a few weeks. (Again see #1.)
Do your clients view you as a leader?
Posted by: | Comments“Leadership is not magnetic personality, that can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not ‘making friends and influencing people,’ that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations.”~ Peter F. Drucker
That’s a powerful quote! Are you that person for your clients?
Do your ideal clients – current and potential – view you as a leader?
While some people may have natural leadership tendencies, leadership is a skill that can be learned and developed. To some extent your clients look to you for leadership – they are trusting you to help them raise their vision and performance to the higher standard.
Below are four leadership qualities that as a solopreneur you should learn:
- Develop a servant mentality. This skill is a big reason why you have to know your ideal client. There are people in this world we’re meant to serve, and others we’re not meant to serve. A servant leader emphasizes traits like collaboration, credibility, empathy, and trust with their clients.
- Continually grow your expertise. A leader is never finished learning. Make sure you are investing in your own professional and personal development. This can be done by taking classes, reading books, coaching, and mentoring. Grow your knowledge beyond your area of expertise. A true leader doesn’t view himself or herself as a guru, but a student.
- Inspire your clients. In your presence, your clients should feel inspired to act and believe they can accomplish their goals with your collaboration. So many people are afraid to go after their dreams and don’t believe in themselves. Be the empathic, caring person that gives hope and realistic guidance.
- Share your knowledge with others. Everyone has success and times when they’ve stumbled; share those stories and the lessons learned with others. This helps them learn and it forges an honest connection with those you are serving.
These qualities will make a difference in your relationships with your current and potential clients. You’ll attract those clients you’re meant to serve because they will view you as a leader and partner in achieving their business dreams.
Ditching the “stuff mentality” in your business
Posted by: | Comments
Are you throwing everything but the kitchen sink at your business?
I came across this article in USA Today yesterday and it caught my attention because it focused on a topic that’s important to me – simplicity.
As you can imagine, the article focused on that nasty little 3-word phrase I hate, “in this economy.” Why do I hate that phrase? Because it’s over used and it has become a catch-all excuse for everything. And it’s an especially deadly phrase for the entrepreneuse, because it can paralyze us if we’re not careful.
But, if there’s one good thing this economy is teaching people – and many not voluntarily – is that we are happier with less stuff.
Why? For the last several years, the landscape in this country has been one of accumulation. The more stuff you have, the more important and successful you are, right?
But here’s the thing – all that stuff is just clutter. Clutter in our house, our car, our whatever. But it also clutters our mind and our life – and the important stuff hides underneath it where we can’t find it.
And that, ladies, translates directly to your business. When you’re focused on the “stuff,” it distracts you from what’s important – building a business that supports and reflects what you value in life.
Do any of these sound familiar?
- You joined 10 social media sites in the last week because if you don’t, you’re leaving money on the table.
- You spent thousands on [name your thing here], because it was going to propel your business to the next level.
- You refuse to define a target market because you don’t want to narrow yourself – again, leaving money on the table.
- You’re going to every networking event in town, regardless of whether your target market even hangs out there (see above).
- You’ve just spent your life savings at Amazon buying every business book in sight.
- You’ve set so many yearly and monthly goals that Wonder Woman couldn’t achieve them.
Just reading that list gives me an anxiety attack! And I’m pretty much guilty of them all at one point or another.
Here are some things that have helped me simplify. This is a work in progress! I’m learning everyday.
- I have a small white board in my office with 2 columns on it. My yearly goals on the left, my monthly goals on the right. One annual goal is always a revenue goal and the other annual goals must support it. My monthly goals must support my annual goals. I keep it to less than 5 goals on each side.
- I’m paring down my marketing strategy to be primarily internet-based and low-cost. My one big investment this year? My website. And it actually does more than act as a fancy brochure. If your website is nothing but an electronic brochure (no content-rich resources or opt-in box), fix that pronto. I’m also becoming more selective in the social media sites I participate in, and how they fit into my business strategy.
- I’m actively building my expert status in one area – helping savvy, self-employed women become booked solid.
- I’m thinking through my high-ticket, educational purchases. Let me tell you, the economy isn’t stopping me from investing in myself. I’m heading to the eWomen Network conference in August, and studying with online business expert Alicia Forest in September – neither one of those are inexpensive. But they are targeted investments in building my expert status and credibility (see #3). Choose thoughtfully, but try not to let fear rule you – you have to invest for where you want to go, not where you are.
- I’m keeping my workspace organized and clean. Or I’m trying to at least. If you start in one place, start here. A clean, organized workspace will do wonders in motivating you to “de-clutter” other areas of your business!
Direct Outreach to a Best-Selling Author
Posted by: | CommentsA core self-promotion strategy within the Book Yourself Solid system is direct outreach. Direct outreach is many things, but I see it as your “list” of well-known people within your field or the target market you serve. Over time, your goal is to develop loose relationships with those people.
But wait . . . they’re too busy, too well-known, too many people want their time, right?
In one situation I learned not only is that not the case, but the author I was reaching out to enthusiastically welcomed me and thanked me for helping spread her message to my audience.
One of my favorite books about women and communication is Lois Frankel’s best-seller Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office. Dr. Frankel has a thriving coaching, writing, and speaking business, with over 30 years of experience. She’s been interviewed by the Today show and Larry King Live (just to name a few).
I wanted to bring the concepts of the book to women business professionals in my area. So what to do?
I did the one thing I knew how to do . . . create a class! I taught a complimentary class to a group of local professional women, with great reception. I knew I was on to something. After garnering some testimonials, I wrote a 1-page letter to Dr. Frankel outlining my wish to teach the concepts in her book, including the testimonials.
I didn’t know where the letter would land. But sure enough, it landed right on her desk! After a follow-up phone call and discussion with her assistant, I received an email from Lois herself. She thanked me for my professionalism and enthusiasm and granted me the permission I was seeking to teach her concepts. She was warm, friendly, and genuinely appreciative that I reached out.
The lessons here?
- I’ve come to believe that many well-known thought leaders welcome calls and emails from their audience and take it as a sincere compliment.
- I could have let my own fears stop me from reaching out, but I did it anyway. I knew Dr. Frankel’s message was one my audience needed to hear, and if I let fear stop me, I wasn’t serving my clients to the best of my ability.
- Do your homework before reaching out. You may not teach a class like I did, but make sure you’ve researched the author and that you’re naturally spreading that person’s message as part of your own work.
- Look for other opportunities to build the relationship. This experience led to a wonderful phone interview with Dr. Frankel, where we talked about the concepts of Nice Girls in the context of women business owners. (Which I’ll share with you soon!)
Make that list of well-known people you want to reach out to – one at a time, develop and implement a plan to contact them – whether it’s to comment on their blog, post a review their latest book, or to let them know you follow and appreciate their work.