Big Bad Boss

"A bad job with a good boss is better than a good job with a bad boss"

I've been lucky because I've always loved my jobs and my bosses have been excellent, but I know that's not the case for everyone. It's almost impossible to fix a bad boss but you are in control of your situation. You can't put a price tag on your piece of mind, so maybe it's time to consider a new career.

Are You A Problem Solver?

"Learn to sell"

In business you’re always selling, whether it's to a  prospect, investor or employees. To be the best salesman put yourself in the shoes of the person you’re selling to. People buy from people they like, trust, respect and believe. Trust doesn’t come from a 45-minute PowerPoint or 30-minute demo. Don’t just sell your product, solve their problems

Millennials, Gen X’s or Baby Boomers...Does It Matter?

Everyone is talking about Millennials making up 50% of the work force by 2025, but does it really matter? As the baby boomers retire someone has to replace them. Millennials have had technology since they’ve been born, but the world is moving that way. Technology helps us be more efficient, connected and improves our work life integration. The bottom line is if you can’t do you your job they fire you. You get another job and hopefully it works out. Will it be any different for Gen Z? Please tell me why it matters what generation you come?

Perfection Smerfection

"Striving for success is energizing, striving for perfection is demoralizing"

Have no fear of perfection because chances are you'll never achieve it. There's no secret to success but the consistency to pursue your goal is a key factor. Success isn't just about what you accomplish, it's also about what you inspire others to do.

Childhood Lesson

"I’m not trying to tell anyone not to watch TV, but if you’ve ever spent a long winter afternoon playing shinny with the whole neighborhood, or a summer playing baseball with anyone who shows up at the diamond, you will know that kids who don’t have the chance to organize themselves and solve their own problems and feel the exhilaration of sport for its own sake are missing out on something irreplaceable."

Millennials, Gen X’s or Baby Boomers...Does It Matter?

Everyone is talking about Millennials making up 50% of the work force by 2025, but does it really matter? As the baby boomers retire someone has to replace them. Millennials have had technology since they’ve been born, but the world is moving that way. Technology helps us be more efficient, connected and improves our work life integration. The bottom line is if you can’t do you your job they fire you. You get another job and hopefully it works out. Will it be any different for Gen Z? Please tell me why it matters what generation you come?

What Office?

"Work is no longer a place you go, it’s a thing you do"

Do you need a office to work? Does having a office make you more efficient? I agree some people need it, but most people can work effectively away from the office most of the time. If you love what you do you'll never work a day in your life.

I'm also reminding everyone that the quotes I use do not include the author and I use them to inspire me everyday. 

Culture Club

"Motivation comes from working on things we care about, but it also comes from working with people we care about"

People will forget what you did, they’ll forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. Try to work for someone who believes in you, because when they believe in you, they’ll invest in you. For you managers or business owners don't hire smart people and tell them what to do, hire smart people so they tell you what to do.

NEVER FORGET THAT RELATIONSHIPS MATTER.

3,2,1 Action!!!!!!!!!

"I’m not a product of my circumstances, I’m a product of my decisions"

You make a lot of decisions during the day, not all of them will be correct or well received. Actions follow your thoughts and decisions, so don't look where you don't want to go. Act the way you want to become until become the way you act. Communicate consistently about what's going on with the company because happy employees make happy customers. Being a great leader means inspiring your staff and if you want to avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing

Face to Face

"Good things come to those who wait, but it’s only what’s left from those that hustle"

There’s no short cut to success, it's built on hard work and dedication. If you think sending a few emails and making a few phone calls are all you need to be successful, you're going to have a short career. There's tons of information at your fingertips, view their profile on LinkedIn and find out all the information you can before calling. Try to set a meeting or meet for coffee because Face to Face wins every time.

First Things First

"Effective Leadership is putting first things first. Effective management is discipline, carrying it out"

You have recognize that every out-front maneuver you make is going to be uncomfortable. If you hire people just because they can do the job, they’ll work for your money, but if you hire who believes, they’ll work for you with blood, sweat and tears. You aren't going to save the world on your own, but you might inspire a group of leaders that help.

Talk the Talk

"The more technology advanced our society becomes, the more we need to go back to the basic fundamentals of human contact"

Avoid bad people and the tempting IN-Box Zero. Skip email on occasion, pick up the phone and have a conversation from time to time. You'll learn more in a 10 minute conversation than entire days email exchange. The connection you make by talking to someone is priceless. Never forget that people buy from people, so losing the human touch could cost you business.

Busy Beavers

"Don’t confuse activity with progress"

In today’s world we are over inundated with emails, texts, phone calls and personal issues. Just because you're busy it doesn't mean you're productive. Slow down, focus and prioritize on what's important, because working smarter is more efficient than working harder. Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

"What you do speaks so loudly that I can’t hear what you’re saying"

Your actions will tell people what you believe, sometimes you don't have a chance to explain them. Act the way you want to become until become the way you act. You never get a second chance to make a first impression

Pay The Price

"Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true."

Follow your dreams and maybe one day your dreams become reality. Don’t let what you can’t do interfere with what you can do. Hard work doesn't always pay off, but slacking or doing the minimum off always does.

Determination

"Act with a determination not to be turned aside by thoughts of the past and fears of the future"

Everyone makes mistakes but it's the fear of making mistakes that hold you back. Learn from the past, prepare for the future, perform in the present. Mistakes are the proof that you are trying.

Never Give Up

"Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up"

When someone tells you that it's impossible to do something, what do you do? Once you've determine what you want, you've made the most important decision. The most certain way to succeed is to try one more time and remember you have to know what you want in order to attain it. Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. 

Change Favors the Prepared Mind

"Progress is impossible without change, those who can’t change their mind can’t change anything"

To be successful you must adapt, change favors the prepared mind. Even if you make a mistake, it's still progress if you learn from it. Don't stand in the way of your own success.

Thoughts Become Your Destiny

“Remember to keep your thoughts positive, for your thoughts become your words; remember to keep your words positive, for your words become your actions; remember to keep your actions positive, for your actions become your habits; and remember to keep your habits positive because you habits become your destiny”

Keep It Simple

"In business you’re always selling to prospects, investors and employees"

To be the best salesman put yourself in the shoes of the person your selling to. Listen to their needs and solve their problems. Don't complicated the process, keep it simple and get to the point.

TPOH

"Never let things you want make you forget the things you have"

You've worked hard for your accomplishments and never lose sight of what's in front of you. Happiness is enjoying what you have, while you pursue what you want. Life is simple, try not to complicate it. As Bobby McFerrin sang "Don't Worry, Be Happy"

Deliver Solutions

"People don’t measure you on how hard you tried, they measure you on what you deliver"

Everyone is busy and works hard, but set yourself above the rest by working SMART. Don't try and sell your client something he doesn't need, know what he wants and deliver a solution. Selling is simple, don't make it difficult.

Get To The Point

"The key to a good sales call is have a great beginning and a great ending, and to have the two as close together as possible"

Brevity is one of the keys to a great sales call. Know what your client wants and get to the point, don't waste his time.

Wonderful World of Working from Home

I’ve been lucky enough to work out of home for approximately 14 years and I wouldn’t change a thing. A lot of things I learned through trial and error, but once I figured them out I became extremely efficient. I would like to share a few things I’ve learned over this time.

How to Work Smart

This phrase should be used more often in the work world. I can get the same amount of work done in half the amount of time. I’m not saying there aren’t distractions at home but they’re different distractions that you can control. It’s so much easier when you’re in control.

Get Comfortable

The main benefit to working out of your house is you don’t need to wear dress clothes. Not only will you save money by not updating your wardrobe as often, but working in shorts and a T-Shirt is very refreshing. If you have a webinar call, I highly recommend putting on a dress shirt and make sure your background is appropriate.

Never Work at a Coffee Shop

They joy of working from home is to avoid outside distractions while working. If you need noise in the background watch BNN on TV or listen to music. Don’t put on a TV show that will distract you from working, make sure it’s something that’s just noise. If your tired of working at your desk, work somewhere else in the house. Sitting in your den, bonus room or kitchen table for a few hours is a great change of pace.

Be Organized

It’s very is easy to have a cluttered work area and keeping it organized improves your efficiency. It’s refreshing when you know exactly where it is, this also applies to your cloud storage. Having your files labeled allows you to not waste time searching and makes life a less stressful.

Walk & Talk

I love walking around the house while I’m on a phone or conference call. It keeps me more engaged and less distracted. I keep my notepad in a central location and if I need to take notes. I also stand at our island in the kitchen during calls. Moving around is more comfortable than sitting in a chair for an hour.

Get Out

If I don’t have any meetings I leave the house for an hour. I require human contact and to have a chinwag about something other than work. Playing a game of squash or working out over the lunch hour is extremely refreshing. It’s a great way to break up your day and set a positive tone for the second half of the day.

Watch What You Eat

This is a tricky one as your access to snacks and food is only 10 steps away. If you’re going to snack, try and make it healthy. I know it’s tough but you can get into a bad junk food rut. The only time I eat out at lunch is with a client or if I’m meeting a buddy. I try to make all my lunches at home, omelets, Denver’s and soup are a mainstay for me.

Take A Break

This doesn’t mean moving to the couch and watching a movie but put in a load of laundry, go shovel the driveway, mow your lawn or vacuum. This doesn’t take a lot of time but getting away from your computer for 10-15 minutes sometimes provides needed relief.

Routine

Having a routine is the key to your success in working from home. In the mornings we get the kids ready for school and then walk them over. While there eating breakfast I turn on the computer and take care of any urgent issues or phone calls, but once this is done my attention turns back to the girls. Your family time is priceless and nothing should get in the way. The same goes for when I pick them up around 5pm. We all have cell phones and can deal with urgent issues quickly, and if it’s not urgent return the email after supper or after the kids go to bed. Once the kids are in bed I spend some time working because I without any distractions I can get a ton done. Sometimes I send out the emails but most of the time I send them out in the morning. I do this because I don’t want to bother people during their personal time. Just because I’m working doesn’t mean they are or want to.

Most importantly make sure you tell no one you talk to your cat, I’m just happy Bubbles can’t repeat any of the information I share with him. LOL

I hope you enjoyed some of my tips that make me successful in working from home.

Learn From Your Mistakes

"It’s not about money or connections, it’s the willingness to outwork and outlearn everyone when it comes to your business. If it fails you learn from what happened and do a better job next time"

No need to explain this quote