The Success Coach Blog

Who are your 10-15 Top Advocates for you in your Business or your Career? How do you stay connected to them?

2012-01-23T07:15:00.000-08:00

Here is How to Build Your “Top” Advocate Strategy

Attend networking events and have other people introduce you

Target contacts with access to resources and people

Set up a networking or mastermind group

Identify your Top 10-15 contacts

TOUCH them every month (or more often if appropriate:

articles
calls
monthly gift
invite them to events
personal notes
friendly voicemails
attend events they are likely to be at; arrive early
connect them with clients or partners
send them a subscription to a favorite magazine
have coffee or lunch to discuss an idea or working relationship

Review, evaluate and update your list every 3 months

30 Ways to Network More “Effectively” and “Enjoy the Experience”

2012-01-16T06:41:00.000-08:00

30 Ways to Network More “Effectively” and “Enjoy the Experience”
by Douglas Campbell III
CEO The Success Coach

As networking options continue to grow in the business and non profit world, a coherent strategy is more important than ever. As you read this, circle the FIVE ideas that make the most sense to you – and implement them today.

1. Set up realistic goals when you attend a meeting. Meaningful conversations with 2 or 3 people are frequently a goal for me.
2. Take a networking quiz to assess where you are and how difficult networking is for you.
3. Know the 10 myths of networking and learn from them.
4. Write down the 10 things people should know about you.
5. Craft an appropriate message or “pitch” with 3 lengths that people will remember.
6. Honor business cards. Look closely at the card, and make notes on the back of the card to remind you of the date, event, what you discussed, and note any follow-up action you need to take.
7. Call people you have met that you would like to share ideas over coffee even if they only partially overlap with you business. Partnerships come from all directions.
8. If you meet someone that you have previously met, learn and record 2 new pieces of information about them – family, interests, recent travel, etc.
9. Join networking groups that fit your schedule. There are groups that meet in the morning, over lunch, and in the evening. The size of the group may also be important to you.
10. Get in a leadership position in a civic group such as Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions or another group. You will meet city and community leaders and learn about local happenings.
11. Join a committee in your local chamber that plans or develops events. There is also an ambassadors committee which welcomes new members. I ran the Small Business Council and launched several new programs for business owners in a local chamber.
12. Join a second or third chamber to expand your reach and meet new people.
13. Volunteer and work for a local non profit that is important to you. You are giving back, and you will be visible at their annual events.
14. Rotate organizations that you are actively involved in every three or four years.
15. Develop a list of 50-100 types of professionals you need to know to expand your business or organization. Systematically work to meet 1 or 2 in each category of professional.
16. Attend meetings of trade associations where you will meet or see target professionals, even if you only can make it once or twice a year.
17. Check the Sunday papers for a list of the events scheduled in the coming 2 or 3 weeks.
18. Call people you know who are written up in the papers and congratulate them. They are flattered and glad to reconnect.
19. Nurture relationships with editors and writers at events you attend. Share ideas or thoughts with them to provoke their thought process.
20. Write practical articles for the paper with a byline and contact information at the end of the article.
21. Write letters to the editor if you have a point of view that needs to be emphasized. Send it to several papers whose circulation overlaps.
22. Teach a course at a local university. This positions you as an expert, and you will learn from the process.
23. Run a teleclass (teleclass.com) on a topic of interest where you can share your knowledge.
24. Visit major trade shows in New York such as the automobile, toy, gift or software shows, for new contacts and/or new ideas.
25. Read a new book on networking every year and save them as references. Power Networking by Sandy Vilas and Donna Fisher (1992) and Make Your Contacts Count by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon (2002) wer3e meaningful ones for me.
26. Join or set up a mastermind group with your peers that meets at least monthly. A professional speaker friend meets every month with 4 other speakers from the New England area for a day.
27. Set up your own networking group and make it unique. I have a group that meets with leading entrepreneurs, authors and speakers in southwest Connecticut.
28. Invite people who meet the criteria for the group to come and join. This allows you to reach out and network with successful, high-powered people that you would not ordinarily contact.
29. Engage in a debating society to sharpen your mind and meet people in a different setting.
30. Learn and grow by participating in a spiritual group that meets weekly. Sharpen your focus to define your calling and mission in life.

Networking is a discipline that you have to work at continuously. Challenge yourself to give, give and give and help others. You and your business will be paid back with abundance.

Steve Jobs: The Book

2011-12-02T13:15:00.000-08:00

Walter Isaacson is a gifted writer, and his portrayal of Steve Jobs in the new bestseller is very different than the previous books I have read of his on Ben Franklin and Albert Einstein.
It was a very difficult task given the personal challenging background of Steve (he was abandoned by his parents) and his up and down personality. He frequently berated people and always expected their best. He pushed people to do more and innovate beyond what others saw was possible. He was a perfectionist of the first order who refined and reworked until it was perfect in his eyes. He didn't believe in market research only in delivering great innovative products to the customer. The strategy led to blockbuster products including the mac, ipod, ipad, itunes, and pixar to mention a few.
He changed the rules of industries and caused lasting disruptions in so many ways. He was uneven with his family (favoring his son over daughters) and a workaholic. His diet was vegan and very unbalanced over his life - this led to some of his health issues. He was constantly a fighter (with the need for control) with other major figures such as Bill Gates and key founders and leaders at Disney and Pixar. Many he reconciled with later in life.
Most of all he focused on implementing his visions. He drove people to make them happen; he invested time and money while he expected their best all the time. Is he a role model for innovation? No, but we can learn from his continuing focus on his visions, the wide net of friends and resources he built, and his excellent products that challenged the status quo and redefined industries.
A salute to Steve!

We Survived the Irene Storm

2011-09-06T18:03:00.000-07:00

The Irene storm blanketed the East Coast with high winds and plenty of rain. It was 6 days of anticipation, and then 6 days without power. Usually the weather predictions are off target (about 90% of the time). This one was on target, but, fortunately, the intensity was less than projected. 370,000 were evacuated from New York City and mass transit in the city shut down at 12 noon on Sat about 10 hours before the storm hit. Over 1 million people lost power in the tri-state area. A significant storm.

There was a run on fill-your-own sandbags at the transfer station, and they helped prevent major floods down our driveway before and after I cleared the drains at 5:45 when there was light outside. Ice, flashlights, batteries, and generators were nowhere to be found for a couple of days. Just like camping - only it got old after 3 days!

The storm brought people together and reinforced how many conveniences we have and have come to rely on in modern life. I am not sure the round the clock hyper weather coverage is a step forward - it hurts business and frays a lot of nerves. We were spared, but many towns and families were seriously disrupted. Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they work to rebuild their lives, towns and neighborhoods.

Yale is Focusing on New Businesses

2011-07-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

I recently went to the Angel Investors Forum & Yale Entrepreneurial Institute event to hear presentations by 3 student teams. They were well presented and innovative. Each team was passionate and had attracted mentors who had 20+ years of experience and who had invested in the businesses. A working prototype and/or revenue generating business was also the case with all three. Several students were planning to take a year off and pursue their ventures.

Roammeo.com was an event consolidator that had launched in New Haven with mobile applications. Booksavr.com was lowering the cost of books at colleges and offering seveal options for students and management systems for professors. A third project focused on cooling servers with a unique approach that had applied for several patents. Well done teams!

Idea Man by Paul Allen

2011-06-28T12:05:00.000-07:00

I just read Idea Man by Paul Allen. It offers his view of launching Microsoft and some insights into Bill Gates. It also covers buying 2 sports teams - Blazers and Seahawks and building a new stadium in Seattle. One chapter covers building a team and partnering with Burt Rutan to win the private space race and $10mil for the first ship to reach space twice (62 miles high) in 5 days. It chronicles the story of his guitar playing and passion for launching Hendrix & EMP music museum in Seattle. He invested in Dreamworks with the big 3 in Hollywood. He also has launched a Brain Research Institute in Washington state. He evens reviews how he lost $8bil in the cable business. It clearly has some interesting insights intermixed with a very big ego.

Where Good Ideas Come From

2011-05-02T08:23:00.001-07:00

Steven Johnson's book by the same name (Where Good Ideas Come From 2010) is very inspiring and informative. It chronicles all of key innovations from 1400-2000 in a glossary; where they were created and by whom. In many cases there were multiple creators. It is claearly a fascinating look at the evolution of the modern world we live in. He also captures the creative energy of the early coffee shops, liquid networks, and the slow hunch (i.e Darwin's theory of Evolution) which lead to his epiphany, and serendipity which frequently leads to breakthroughs. I suggest you track it down.
DC3

Australia Rocks!

2011-01-21T14:09:00.000-08:00

It’s hard to believe that 3 weeks ago I was diving on the Great Barrier Reef in northern Queensland, Australia. The cyclone did not affect us, but it disrupted life completely just over the mountain to the west in Rockhampton and later Brisbane. Suncorp, my daughter Caroline's company, froze all new hires her and laid people off including her due to uncertain insurance payments. She has found a new job in the health care field, but it was sudden and disruptive.

Yes,it is a marathon trip, but well worth the journey. Caroline moved in late March to Melbourne and lives in trendy St Kilda area near the tram and a 25 minute walk from the water. The economy is strong with 6% growth and a strong Australian dollar. It feels like the hey days of 1960s in the US with a positive attitude and a more open and free society.

Melbourne and Sydney are great cities with panoramic vistas, and happy and engaged people who really enjoy life. All jobs seem to be worthy and quite well paid including waiters, taxi drivers and tour guides to mention a few.

It made me realize how many excessive regulations and systems we have and are now implementing in the US. We have bogged down business opportunities and start-ups and created many uncertainties. This makes for a more pressured society and life. If you do get away for a period of time, you will feel it quite quickly. Alas hopefully we are getting more in balance and ready to address big issues in the US.

Australia is a bucket list item - go and partake and check it off your list.

.

Jack ... the book

2010-07-25T08:13:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Jack Welch's book which he and a professional writer patched together almost 10 years ago. He ran GE for 20 years and was an out of the box CEO appointment by Reg Jones ,his predecessor. Welch has a relentless ego and an overload of self confidence, but he did drive GE to many new heights. His four major pushes over 20 years were globalization, services, digitization and e-business - all were relatively early in their evolutions. Welch was demanding and disruptive, at times, and yes dominating. It is an interesting question as to how well this style would work today. He went through the same process as Reg did - winnowing a list of 27 successors and making them compete over a couple of years. Jeff Immelt ultimately won, but the other 2 finalists left the company and took over Home Depot and 3M. Many top results-oriented business leaders have come out of GE, and the company has stayed on top for over 6+ decades.

Jack also won several golf championships at Sankaty Head on Nantucket - time to go off and play golf.

I am now reading Google - The Story of Search (2006)- guess I just need to catch up on my business reading.

High Talent Creatives (The HTC Group)

2010-06-29T18:47:00.000-07:00

For 10 years I have been highlighting great business pioneers in monthly High Talent Creative meetings in SW Connecticut. From Sobe to Edgar Online to Boardroom to Exposures - all fascinating success stories with some challenges and ups and downs along the way. We recently met in April with Will Haughy who launched Tegu (www.tegu.com) with his brother - a magnetic wooden block system that was profiled on the Today Show in Jan. The only problem was that due to some unexpected challenges in Honduras (2 presidents among others) they only received their first product shipments in April.
Maud Purcell (www.thelifesolutioncenter.net) shared the story of her new center in June which brings together a range of professionals to help families and professionals by providing professional services (nutrition; counseling, coaching, legal, health etc.) all in one place. A new idea where professionals tag team clients and work closely together out of the same center.
Next week Bonnie Marcus (www.bonniemarcus), who has created a multi-million dollar stationary business and recently licensed some of her unique designs, will meet with the HTC group. She has accomplished all this since 2002 while raising 3 children who are all under 6. Inspiring!

Where To Go From Here book - review by UNH & book signing video

2010-01-08T15:05:00.000-08:00

Here is a review in the University of New Hampshire magazine (Fall 2009).

http://unhmagazine.unh.edu/f09/bookreviews.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1I9vVU8-9w Book Signing Greenwich CT Fall 2009

Author Where To Go From Here: Reinventing Your Career, Your Business, Your Working Life (2009) is available through Amazon as a book or ebook through the author.

New Beginnings

2010-01-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

It is a New Year and season. Have you taken the time to set SMART goals that are measurable and realistic? Have you or are you going to reach out to old friends and clients? Are you ready to meet and make new ones? Is it time to launch new initiatives and programs? Spring is just around the corner (somewhere) and people and clients are open to new ideas and trends. Be ahead of the curve.
We (Gwynne & I) just spent a glorious week in Moorish Spain south of Madrid and down near the Costa del Sol. A highlight was taking in the museum show celebrating the 150th anniversary of Washington Irving's stay and writings on The Alhambra in Grenada. He was a New Yorker, who lived and wrote about Columbus and The Alhambra while touring Spain and doing research, and who became revered for his work. The audioguide was full of his gentle and detailed descriptions and insights into this amazing place.
It was inspiring because his life work had such impact on the area. In his later life he lived at Sunnyside on the Hudson river north of New York City - a place I now need to go back and revisit.
We can always learn and grow in so many ways. It is part of the coaching and mentoring process to embrace lifelong learning and share knowledge. As I sat on the bus going to Malaga - birthplace of Picasso - I conversed with an employee of the University of Grenada. The classes are still (boring - my words) lectures with no interaction. As he said "los estudiates no hablan en las classes, tendran miedo" (students do not speak in class, they would be afraid)." In the US we are blessed to have so many fine universities and educational choices and programs. Our system at this level is the envy of the world and draws students from all its four corners (an odd description that is frequently used). What are you passionate about?

Coaching Top Performers to Even Higher Levels of Success -- in their Business and Their Career

China Ocober 2009

2009-10-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

I spoke at a Career Transition conference in Stamford CT to 200 people on Wednesday on short notice. The speaker was sick and I filled in - very well received. I wore my new yellow panda tie and led off a story about riding the fastest train in the world (Mag Lev 267mph) and ascending the tallest builing in the world (the Bottle Opener) - both in Shanghai China on last Friday.

China was vibrant and thriving. People were bustling and dressed in Western clothes. Kids and families were healthy, and western society norms was clearly in evidence. There are new highways everywhere, and clusters of apartment buildings are rising everywhere. The government owns all the land (and leases it for 70 or 99 years) and has bought out dilapidated housing and farms and rebuilt areas with great haste.

Crowds were everywhere especially given the 60th anniversary celebration on October 1in Beijing (everyone then gets a week off) the day before we arrived. Our group of 16visited The Great Wall, the Forbidden City, major gardens and canals (Suzhou - 9 million people)) and West Lake (an enormous lake in Hangzhou - 13 million) and many other sites. Shanghai is the future of the country - very modern and thriving. You can even find European restaurants if you really digg around. Unfortunately we were fully programmed.

This country is focused, competitive, happy and healthy due to increased prosperity, and on the move. It is very strategic and clearly addressing some of its pressing needs - imporving the lives of the middle class and a major greening campaign is under way.

I will share more thoughts as I process what I learned from my experiences.

Ever have a milestone week?

2009-09-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

This has been one of the best weeks I can remember in many many years. Hopefully you will have an incredible and memorable week very soon too. Savor it when you do. This was an Aha! week to extrapolate from the chapter 6 in my Where To Go From Here book. Here is a video of the book signing at Just books in Old Greenwich http://tinyurl.com/yc2wjr3. I also gave 3 other speeches which were very well received including a keynote kickoff for the Norwalk Chamber of Commerce. I played golf on a couple of fabulous golf courses - even posted my best score on one of the toughest in Connecticut.
We also attended a wedding on the water with a phenomenol band where the trombone player danced up a storm and played. Next week I am off to China for a 10 day visit with a business group.
In life you grow new branches on your tree and expand your hosizons from new people you meet, new exeperiences you take in, important accomplishments you complete, and new learnings you make along the way. We have so much to be grateful for. Go for it - expand your reach today!

Your Aha! Moments - Speaking Engagements & Sept 22 Book Signing

2009-09-21T05:35:00.000-07:00

What Are Your "Aha" Moments?

Perhaps have recently experienced – an “Aha” moment.

This is a moment that clarifies what has been, and hasn’t been, working for you thus far. After this moment, there is a new clarity in your business or on the job. For some people, it’s the moment when they identify what they were really meant to do in life. For others, it’s the moment when they figure out why certain workplace environments never really made sense for them. And for

still others, it’s the moment when they get clear about how to move on from a particular professional relationship with a specific person. This clarity can be from either a positive or a negative experience.

For all of these people who encounter what I call the “Aha” moment, there is a common element: Identifying their own best use.

** The first goal you scored in hockey, lacrosse, or soccer or match you won... after months or years of practice

** The first time you solved a long-standing, energy-draining problem – with a breakthrough of your own

Speaking Engagements & Noteworthy Events

Sept 21: Networking & Reinvention Saugatuck Congregational Church Westport CT 7:30-9:30PM
SEPT 22 BOOK SIGNING, Talk & Wine and Cheese Just Books Old Greenwich CT 7-8:30PM
Sept 23: Small Business Development Academy Keynote (with Cliff Ennico) Norwalk chamber of Commerce Norwalk CT 6-8:30PM
Sept 24: Where To Go From Here: Reinventing Your Business And Your Working Life Darien Chamber of Commerce Darien CT 7:30-9AM
Sept 29: Where To Go From Here & Reinvention Stanwich church Greenwich CT 7:30-9:30PM
Oct 13,20,27 Nov 3,10,17,24 Dec 1 Barnabas Project Noroton Presbyterian Church Reinventing Your Career (based on Where To Go From Here book)

List your "Aha" moments Now

For more info, send for a pdf of this chapter in Where To Go From Here.

What is Your Risk Profile?

2009-07-10T09:03:00.000-07:00

I outlined four broad categories of risk and examples of each in Where To Go From Here: Reinventing Your Career, Your Business, Your Working Life (2009). It may be asueful guide for you to help determine where you should spend your time and energy. If you in the no risk category or low risk, then you should focus your business or career reinvention on larger companies or known ventures or people. If you are in the medium risk or high risk, then you can look at new ventures, franchises or the latest trends for inspiration and ideas. What is your risk profile?

The Litchfield University Club

2009-06-26T04:03:00.000-07:00

I spoke to this 114 year old club at their Annual meeting in Torrington CT. It was started and run by Mr. Delmonico as an eating club, and in 1914 it started giving out scholarships to area students. Today it gives out over $65,000 per year to leading area students for college. It was interesting to hear how many people had moved to Northwest and Northern Connecticut to reinvent themselves or make a major transition in their lives. Everyone enjoys the people and the beauty of the area, which has changed very little over the years. A hidden gem of an organization!

Joey Reynolds radio show interview 6.17.9

2009-06-18T10:29:00.000-07:00

I was on Joey's show - WOR710 late evenings -for the 2nd time last night talking about my book Where To Go From Here: Reinventing your Career,Your Business, Your working Life. A key manager from the National Venture Capital Association just book a copy in Arlington VA, and I am getting great kudos from readers. Maybe you should check it out on Amazon. My speaking and promotion efforts pale (ask for my ezine) pale compared to Jonathan Littman (8 books; innovation expert) and Marc Hershon (branding expert; BlackBerry)who were also on the show talking about their new book I Hate People -www.ihatepeoplethebook.com. They were cruising around Times Square in the I Hate People vehicle, handing out literature and door hangers, videoing some youtube clips, and lounging in their morning article in the Wall Street Journal. We had lots of fun.

Joey was in great form as always and had many amusements and stories to share.

What are you Primary and Secondary Values

2009-06-11T17:40:00.000-07:00

SIX WORK VALUES
 Learning
 Bottom-Line
 Aesthetic/Harmony
 People
 Individual
 Tradition

MANY OF US have trouble explaining what our own guiding values are. We know they’re there, we know they matter, but we have a hard time putting those values into words. That’s problematic, because we make better life choices when we have a clear sense of what our own values are.
The following simple exercise, which I developed for Where to Go From Here: Reinventing Your Career and Your Business, is designed to help you get a clear fix on your own primary and secondary values. It’s based on principles of psychology and personality assessment that have been in use for nearly a century now, and are widely accepted by counselors, therapists, and others who must help people to understand their own predispositions and priorities. After you complete the short questionnaire and tally your results, I’ll help you to identify your likely primary and secondary values – and give you a sense of what they say about you.
When you know your own values, you’ll have a better sense of what works for you – and doesn’t work for you – in your career, and you’ll become more confident in making choices about what should happen next in your working life. The more exercise you give that making-choices muscle, and the more comfortable you are in using it, the better off you will be.
Note: The questionnaire that follows is a much-condensed version of a far more comprehensive assessment tool I use with my own clients. It is meant only to give you an initial indication of your values profile, not a definitive summary. For information on how to conduct more in-depth assessments, such as communication and competencies assessments, see the first page of the Resources section at the end of this book.

What Are Your Primary and Secondary Work Values?

For many people, workplace or career dissatisfaction is rooted in an environmental mismatch that puts them in situations that don’t take full advantage of their capacities.

Send for a pdf of this exercise to doug@thesuccesscoach.com

1628 Theory from Where To Go From Here:Reinventing Your Career, Your Business, Your Working Life

2009-06-03T15:36:00.000-07:00

I didn't use this title in the book, but I am teaching/facilitating a group discussion at a local church, and it seems to ring true for most people. The inforamtion and exercises can be found in Chapter 5 - Your Personal History. The theory is that activities that you were naturally drawn to and passionate about between the ages of 16 and 28 will come back to you in mid or late career.

High School
College
First Job
Second Job

I tutored American Indians in Chicago and now have had a tutoring business with my wife for 25 years. I petioned the President of Lake Forest College to be the golf coach when they were going to drop the program - I am now the Wilton CT high school golf coach. I wrote a book on The Law of the Sea with a college professor - I just wrote Where To Go From Here: Reinventing Your Career, Your Business, Your Working Life (it has been on the to do list for a few years). I majored in Spanish and International Relations at the University of New Hampshire, and I now travel with a non profit twice a year to El Salvador and Ecuador to consult on microlending for the poor.

What are your 1628 experiences that you loved and have neglected?

20 Ways to Effective Networking & Build Your Business

2009-05-26T10:03:00.000-07:00

20 Ways to Effective Networking & Build Your Business

Options for effective networking are many and varied in the business and non profit world, and a coherent strategy is more important than ever. When you read this article, circle four or five ideas that make the most sense to you – and implement them in the next 10 days.

1. Establish realistic goals before you attend a meeting. Meaningful conversations with 2 or 3 people are frequently a goal for me.
2. Respond to a networking quiz to assess where you are and how difficult networking is for you.
3. Learn from the 10 myths of networking.
4. Write down the 10 things people should know about you.
5. Study business cards. Look closely at the card, and make notes to remind you of the date, event, what you discussed, and any follow-up action you need to take.
6. If you meet someone that you have previously met, learn and record 1 or 2 new pieces of information about them – family, interests, recent travel, etc.
7. Visit and experience networking groups, especially if you are starting out, that fit your schedule. There are groups that meet in the morning, over lunch, and in the evening.
8. Reach for a leadership position in a civic group such as Rotary, Kiwanis, Lions or another group. You will meet city and community leaders and learn about local happenings.
9. Become actively involved in a committee in your local chamber that plans or develops events. There may also be an ambassadors committee which welcomes new members. I ran the Small Business Council and launched several new programs for business owners through 2 local chambers.
10. Work for a local non profit cause that is important to you. You are giving back, and you will be visible at their annual events.
11. Develop a list of 50-100 types of professionals you need to know to expand your business or organization. Systematically work to meet them.
12. Attend meetings of trade associations where you will meet or see them, even if you only can make it once or twice a year.
13. Check the Sunday papers for coming events in various towns.
14. Call people you know who are written up in the papers and congratulate them. They are flattered and glad to reconnect.
15. Teach a course at a local university. This positions you as an expert, and you will learn from the process.
16. Read a new book on networking every year and save them as references. Power Networking by Sandy Vilas and Donna Fisher (19920 was a meaningful one for me. Make Your Contacts Count by Anne Baber and Lynne Waymon (2002) is a recent comprehensive book on the subject.
17. Join or set up a mastermind group with your peers that meets at least monthly. I set up a 4 person group of members whose businesses and interests overlap, and we are adding a fifth member.
18. Set up your own networking group and make it unique. I have a group that meets with leading entrepreneurs, authors and speakers in the area.
19. Engage in a debating society to sharpen your mind and meet people in a different setting.
20. Learn and grow by participating in a spiritual group that meets weekly. Sharpen your focus to define your calling and mission in life.

It is important to continuously work at Networking as part of your professional development. Make it a discipline that is “fun” and challenging. Who can you meet? How can you work together or add value to their business or practice? What is your leadership strategy for non profits? Encourage a give, give and give philosophy to help others. You and your business will be paid back abundantly.

Send me your thoughts and comments. What has worked for you?

Where To Go From Here: Reinventing Your Career, Your Business, Your Working Life

2009-04-21T07:13:00.000-07:00

Dear Business Owners, Talented Professionals, High Talent Creatives, and Friends:

I just finished Where To Go From Here: Reinventing Your Career, Your Business, Your Working Life.

This blog will share key ideas from the book and reinvention and Top Performers coaching world as we go forward.

In today’s business world, we are always reinventing. Whereas, change is opportunity has been a constant theme in the past two decades, now the need to better understand yourself and reposition your company, i.e. to reinvent, is paramount to success in your business, your career or your working life.

This book is a resource. It ……

o Is Timeless – the principles and ideas apply to Top Performers who have reinvented their businesses or their careers (or are in transition)

o Focuses on assessing yourself, your Personal History, your Values, and your Risk Profile

o Includes targeted ideas presented in a different, yet concise way from unique personal knowledge gained from 12+ years as an executive coach and 30+ years as a multiple business owner

o Offers the 1628 theory - when you reinvent in your career you go back to what you were naturally passionate about in high school, college, your first and second job ( and there are related exercises)

o Outlines the Advocates theory - an advocate is someone who knows you and can explain your business as well as you can. This will lead to great referrals. List the ones that come to mind, including those in professions that overlap with yours. How are you reaching out to them?

The book also contains valuable information about Networking, Professional Development Tools and How to Work with an Honest Broker.

To purchase Where To Go From Here: Reinventing Your Career, Your Business, Your Working Life and to learn more about Douglas and “The Success Coach,” please visit www.thesuccesscoach.com.

Are You Ready for an Honest Broker Quiz?

2009-01-30T07:58:00.000-08:00

Take this quiz and see how you do - top-performers use coaches and are open to continuous improvement.

Are You Ready for an Honest Broker?

Circle the number that “fits” you (5 being the Highest)

1 2 3 4 5 I am ready to share and discuss challenges I am facing or will face in a straightforward manor

1 2 3 4 5 I am willing to try new approaches and follow through on new ideas

1 2 3 4 5 I will do the homework and listen to my Honest Broker with the understanding that I am the ultimate decision maker

1 2 3 4 5 I will be reliable for appointments and meetings (with an occasional exception that is career, business or working life related)

1 2 3 4 5 I will focus on “bad habits and time wasters” to become more efficient

1 2 3 4 5 I am ready for an Honest Broker to be part of my “team”

1 2 3 4 5 I view an investment in incorporating an Honest Broker into my life as worthwhile and valuable

1 2 3 4 5 I will share expectations and opinions with the Honest Broker including when I am disappointed

1 2 3 4 5 I need “key” confidants or an Honest Broker that I can rely on

1 2 3 4 5 I feel like I am on a plateau or “stuck” in place and need to break out

Review Your Results:

36-40 review your options; set clear rules and expectations with an Honest Broker
41-45 you are ready – go for it!
46-50 you are READY for big changes and big breakthroughs