Why I LOVE Shoe Shopping!
My wife loves shoes. My three daughters love shoes. My sister loves shoes. Most of the women I know love to shop for shoes. It's a group activity and team sport. This phenomenon should not surprise a lot of people. Some people are surprised when I tell them I know the...
I Wore Jeans to a Job Interview!
There I was getting ready for a job interview with one of the leading technology firms in the country and I had decided to wear jeans. Premeditated. This was a conscious decision on my part. I have NEVER done anything like this before. So why was I doing it now? I...
"Average" No Longer Exists
I no longer desire to be "average." When I graduated college, I had an average job, making average money and was destined for an average life. Even today I talk to people who say they just want a good job, with good pay...and benefits. There is nothing wrong with...
The Power of Saying "No"
I used to think the busier I was, the better. There is, however, a difference between being busy and being productive. The lazy office worker standing around the water cooler is busy (at least he says he is). Successful entrepreneurs are productive, and they don't...
Who Should You Hire First?
I am not Superman. Like many entrepreneurs, I thought I was. I thought I could do everything: sales, marketing, human resources, business development, research and development, training and management. I surrender! I cannot do it all. Therefore, I have come to the...
LinkedIn Will NOT Increase Your Sales
LinkedIn will not increase your sales. I hate to tell people this, but it's true. When the bottom 50% of your sales team signs up for the LinkedIn, they will probably stay in the bottom 50%. Money will not automatically rain from the sky like manna from Heaven. If...
5 Keys to a Successful Meeting
Let's get this on the table: meetings are necessary. I meet with clients. I meet with employees. I meet with non-profits and other organizations to learn more about what they do. Meetings allow us to learn more about people and the companies with whom we interact....
5 Tips to Create Superstar Interns
I have had personable and driven interns to work for my company. You would expect the best thing about interns to be the cheap labor. However, to make the experience rewarding for both of us, there is a fair amount of effort I must expend even before they arrive. In...
3 Signs CDs Are Dead
All of the signs seemed to show themselves to me at the same time. Just yesterday my boss and I were discussing ideas for a new blog post and stumbled on the topic of compact discs. We started reminiscing on our old CD collections and talked about what music genres we...
How Much Should You Charge?
My very first client was a wealthy non-profit that paid me $50 and a Target gift card. I was so excited to finally have revenue. I thought getting some money, any money, was all that mattered! Like many entrepreneurs, I didn't like talking about money or pricing....
Just Got Fired? Best. Day. Ever.
There are five stages to the grieving process: Denial Anger Bargaining Depression Acceptance The first four are difficult to go through, but they are necessary in times of loss: death of a loved one, relationships and job loss. Keep living long enough and...
The $3,968.42 MBA
I started my company with no experience at running a business. I have always worked for someone else. It was easier that way (i.e. - health insurance, salary, 401k, etc.). I studied engineering in college, so I worked in engineering. However, I longed to go into...