The lessons you can learn from competition are significant
My Olympic fascination started in 1976 when the summer games took place in Montreal. As a 12-year-old, I was glued to our black and white 12-inch TV for the duration of the Olympics between chores on our family’s hobby farm. I imagined myself on the track pole vaulting 20 feet in the air, swimming on…
Reaching out to wayward customers will reinvigorate your sales and allow you to do a lot of market research
Grant was on the ground yelling as I came around the corner at high speed on my mountain bike at dusk. He had flown off his bike instead of hitting a moose standing on the trail. I skidded to avoid him. I could still see two moose, a cow and her year-old calf, on the…
Implement a plan, hold your sales team accountable, and keep updating and changing your sales campaigns
Debra was flustered. She had taken over a business with the intent of growing it but had come to the realization that increasing sales might be easier said than done. She recognized that because of the added overhead expenses of her operations, sales would have to grow 50 per cent from current revenue to ensure…
The results will lead to an outstanding future for your business
Help is a word that’s foreign to many entrepreneurs, so when a caller says they need help, I listen intently. I received such a call in November 2019 from an entrepreneur who had bought into a company and realized that the management team was struggling. “Dave, I need an outside perspective on how to move…
When someone asks what you do, they might really be asking: Who are you?
Norm was a faller. For three years, Norm fell big trees in the wilds of British Columbia. He was so good at his job that he could drop a tree exactly where he wanted and taught others to do the same. Norm could have let his job define who he was and lived the hard-working,…
Find someone you can trust to communicate what you’re going through
On a recent Sunday afternoon, I went over the handlebars of my bike, bent my front wheel and landed on my head. My son Caleb wasn’t surprised – in fact, I’ve noticed he worries about me when we go riding. And I admit I’ve had my share of accidents on my mountain bike. The thing…
A Strava-like mentality can take your business to a whole new level
My cycling buddies have been using the phone app Strava for years to track their rides. While this isn’t novel, the appeal of Strava is that, like Facebook, you can see what your friends are doing and comment on their activity. Unlike Facebook, there’s honesty in postings because your whole activity is measured, not just…
As tourists start their migration toward Canada, there’s hesitancy about the industry's readiness to manage the tsunami of people
Canadians are ready for the borders to reopen and will flock to sun destinations next winter like never before. The number of people who have said that they’re ready to “get out of Dodge” and “fly the coop” is an indication that there’s a pent-up demand for travel and excursions that has been bolstered by…
The big one: Are you willing to make sacrifices?
People reach out to me weekly for advice on whether they should diversify their business and sell an additional product or service. There also seems to be a flurry of entrepreneurial types who see opportunity as a result of the current changes in the economy. They believe they have the next great business idea that…
Lockdowns, inventory disruptions, staffing issues and cash-flow challenges have sapped many entrepreneurs of their passion
The economic climate has changed the way business owners think about their businesses. While my firm worked with companies before the pandemic, helping them to prepare their businesses for transition, there seems to be a flurry of interest from owners ready to exit their businesses. There are several reasons why people are thinking of selling…
Your success in life and business is dependent on consistency and congruency
A client of mine was buying a new business. The company they were purchasing had been successful, but the pandemic had caused it to fail and the value was only in the equipment. When I asked why they thought the business failed, they told me they believed the owner hadn’t been consistent through the pandemic.…
Entrepreneurial diarrhea can leave leaders and their teams exhausted, sapping their energy and consuming valuable resources
“I need your help!” were the first words out of John’s mouth when I walked into his office recently. “We’re starting a new business and I want you to help us figure this out.” As I looked at John, my first thought was: “Oh my god, he hasn’t got this business running properly yet, and…
Experiencing a life beyond our limited imaginations
Early last year, I received a call from Sergey Shchepotkin asking if I would be his assistant coach for the University of Northern British Columbia’s women’s basketball team. I met Sergey when he coached my daughter’s basketball club over a couple of summers and I helped him out at a couple of tournaments. I was…
The list of expenses for business owners sometimes feels never-ending
Profit is one of the most misunderstood and misconstrued words in the English language. Customers often think that profit is anything between a company’s cost for a product or service and the customer’s purchase price. Employees think profit is the difference between the selling price and the cost, less their wages. In reality, profit is…
Managers are worried about accountability and employees are wondering if they will have a job next year
Life seems very serious at the moment. Everywhere we turn, people are challenged with discouraging news about health, the economy, job losses, rising home prices and inflation. Add in mental illness and a raft of other concerns that sometimes seem contrived to keep us worried, scared and paralyzed. This seriousness has pervaded our workplaces, homes…
Whether it’s a manager having trust in a staff member, employees having trust in their leader or leaders having trust in their decisions
As a child, I had a tremendous fear of falling. I would climb a tree and couldn’t trust that the branch wouldn’t break. I climbed cranes, cliffs and buildings, and was always afraid that my footing would slip and I would fall. Perhaps that fear was grounded in the fact that I had already fallen…
Be clear about what you will need to sacrifice to achieve your plans
One of my biggest regrets is that I didn’t stop home for a quick visit more often when my kids were young and my wife was stuck at home minding them. Because I was so tied up in managing and growing my business, I missed family meals, vacations and days off. If you’re a leader…
Unfortunately, organizations regularly set goals for their employees and rarely celebrate when they are achieved
How often do you celebrate your successes? When was the last time you took the time to reflect on an achievement or treated yourself because you accomplished something that didn’t seem possible before? If you’re like most people, you’re so caught up in the daily routine that you probably don’t stop and celebrate. We work…
You have to believe in yourself
Believe it or not, your performance is limited. However, the limitations on what you can with your life, your job or your sport are primarily defined by you and not by outside factors. Take for example Roger Bannister, who ran the first sub-four-minute mile in 1954. He had been told – as had all athletes…
Numerous studies have shown that regular daily exercise can reduce stress, improve mental health and increase immunity
My brother Rob – a 50-something entrepreneur living in Ireland – annoyed me the other day when he told me he’s on track to be the same weight and almost as strong as he was when he was in his 20s. Rob and I have had ongoing competitions since the day Rob was born, which…
Business leaders should help build up capacity through mentorship and coaching, then start looking to spend at Indigenous suppliers
Jeff and William approached me in the fall of 2019 about helping with their ecotourism business. They started the business in 2014 and wanted help growing it and getting more clients. They felt if they could share their traditions and culture with the world, they could provide meaningful jobs for the youth of their community.…
The cry for help from managers in the public sector is growing. As the lockdowns continue, accountability is slipping
Jan was on the verge of tears as we discussed the challenges with her team. “It doesn’t matter how many times I ask Sylvia to get the work done, she always has an excuse for why she can’t deliver,” she said. “On top of that, she doesn’t want to come into the office and wants…
While it’s difficult to determine whether prayer works for our customers and staff, research shows that praying is good for our health
Sometimes I catch myself thinking about my clients or staff and saying a quick prayer for them. It’s a habit I’ve fallen into over the past 35 years of managing people and running businesses. I wonder if it makes a difference. The reason I can’t say definitively whether prayer works is that I haven’t seen…
Treat others the way you would like to be treated, know why you’re selling and put together a good plan that you’re willing and able to follow
Like many entrepreneurs and sales professionals, I’ve been selling since I was a teenager. Over the years, I’ve hawked worms, newspapers, pins, chocolate bars and books door to door, knives and lamps on street corners, vitamins and herbs in retail and online, and, eventually, advertising, as well as coaching services and training to companies. I…
Life’s too short to occupy most of it with frustration and busyness. Tackle the stress by prioritizing, delegating and meditating
Many of us feel crunched for time. We have a variety of activities and tasks that seem to need our attention on a regular basis. Whether it’s getting kids to school, managing family activities, preparing meals, as well as getting our jobs done, sitting in on video meetings, or dealing with an ever-growing stream of…
Some board members think their position gives them extra power and privileges
Jenny was in tears. As the executive director of her organization, she was at her wit’s end and said she was ready to quit. She confided in me that one of the directors was going directly to one of her staff members, telling him he would be fired unless he complied with the director’s request,…
Performing at our best all the time can seem like a challenge unless we move the goal posts and focus on learning, fun and clarity
There were only three days left before I had to have the program ready for my team. I had been putting off working on the project until it seemed like the last minute. I could feel the pressure building internally and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to deliver. Working to deliver…
Many companies are trying to figure out how to sail into a brighter future as 2021 begins. Unfortunately, most businesses simply ride the tide of the prevailing economy, rising or dropping depending on that wave. They float with the current and put little effort into changing their direction when they’re off course. And many leaders…
Our mistakes in judgment help us learn and hopefully grow
When I was a brash and self-assured 21-year-old, I announced at a family dinner with my aunt and cousin that I would be a millionaire by the time I was 30. I had found investors and had just started a business. I thought I was invincible, living in the big city, and figured I could…
Being rooted and attentive to a guiding motto, principal or goal can keep us from being distracted
It was icy and the pickup truck on the road in front of me started sliding out of control as it rounded a corner on our way back from the ski hill the other day. While others in the car with me were shouting distracting instructions, in my head I could hear my father’s voice…