FuelingMind, BodyandSoul HowtoPractice GratitudeatWork Systems BringYour StrategiesAlive BeingAJoiner– GoalversusResult March2022 Magazine
PAT ALTVATER Here’s What To Do When You Are Worried Elite Experts Network AFP Marketing PatAltvater.com Do you worry about the future, especially at times when nothing seems to be going your way? For some people, one of two things happen: the first possibility is that we spend so much time worrying about what might occur at some point in the future, that we are paralyzed from acting OR in contrast, when we are worried, we begin pushing, pushing, pushing to attempt to force something to happen. Nothing positive comes from either of those scenarios, right? We tend to sabotage ourselves needlessly because in reality, we are in control, whether it feels like it or not. What I found is that before you can begin to move forward again – you need to REMEMBER that you are in control of your thoughts and those thoughts create your reality. One way that I believe works well to get back to forward momentum is the use of visualization. I love visualization because it is the purest way of turning your thoughts into reality. Visualization works when you see your BEST self, living the life of your dreams. It’s important to visualize correctly, though, to get the results you desire. Be sure to visualize the essence of what you want, not the HOW you think it’s going to happen. Spend a few minutes each morning and evening picturing the core of what you want for your life and then never doubt it or try to figure out how it is going to happen. Just stay alert for opportunities and then take inspired actions; you’ll be well on your way. Wishing you the BEST life has to offer. I hope that the articles in this month’s issue will inspire and motivate you. Don’t forget to take advantage of the links to connect further with our contributors.
Personal Growth Strategies SOAR to SUCCESS CONTENTS Magazine 04. 10. 18. 16. 14. 12. 32. 30. 34. 36. 21. 29. 22. 24. 26. 38. 40. Core Business Strategies Business Acceleration Strategies How to Practice Gratitude at Work By Lisa Ryan The Power of NO! By Megan Patton Seven Skills to Implement This Year By Jack Klemeyer Why Your Organization Needs Strategic Account Growth Plans By Mark Allen Roberts The Power to Choose By Janet Kendall White Being A Joiner – Goal versus Result By Diane Helbig How The Right Cloud Solution Can Help Your MSP Minimize Downtime By Jeanne DeWitt 7 Sure-Fire Steps to Create Your Own Digital Product By Holly Kile No Luck Needed By Melanie Rembrandt Book Recommendation Reinvention Uncensored Fueling Mind, Body and Soul By Pat Bennett Do You Have the Proper Grip on Your Business? By Fred Altvater Systems Bring Your Strategies Alive By Karen Cupp Our Favorite Videos Our Contributors Cover Feature: Mike Malatesta Helps Business Owners Soar to Success
Mike Malatesta Helps Business Owners Soar to Success
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article Mike Malatesta, author, and the creator of “How’d It Happen” podcast, started his first business in 1992, seven months after being fired from a company he had dreamed he might lead one day. Over the next twenty-two years, he helped run, lead, and grow a startup business that he sold for more money than he ever imagined. “Over 30 years as an entrepreneur I’ve started and sold two companies. I’ve made good acquisitions, as well as, bad ones, and gained a lot of experience.” Mike sold his last business at the end of 2021. Currently he invests in over 100 private companies and is personally working only on things that energize him. His book, Owner Shift: How Getting Selfish Got Me Unstuck, was released at the end of November 2021. “It was quite an interesting process to write it. And it’s been an amazing process to get to talk about it with so many people and reflect on it myself, as people are talking to me about it. I’m hearing things I didn’t think about or things that they’re seeing that never occurred to me.” He is very involved in his podcast, “How’d It Happen” with over 250 episodes recorded in the past three years. “The podcast is something I will continue, because it’s such a greatway to satisfymy own curiosity and share amazing stories of success with other businesspeople. My mission is to inspire, activate and maximize the greatness in everybody who listens to it.” Mike also enjoys working closely with other business owners to share his knowledge and business expertise. His coaching business, Owner Shift Coaching, developed from the book, helps entrepreneurs and leaders imagine the futures they desire and make those futures happen. His book, Owner Shift: How Getting Selfish Got Me Unstuck, isforentrepreneurs who have experienced some success, but have a feeling of being stuck and uncertain about what to do next. “I wrote this book for entrepreneurs that find themselves with several years invested into a business and are beginning to wonder; How did I get here in the first place? Where
with my coaching, I’m trying to encourage everyone, especially entrepreneurs, not to get stuck. It’s a natural feeling, but don’t stay there.” Of course, the Dream stage gets it all started. Confidence levels run high because you believe your business is the greatest thing ever and there are no problems, only opportunities for success. The Grind is the reality of needing to do all the things necessary to make the business work, even the unpleasant tasks. In the Grind stage little details make a difference. After a time, these small details begin to add up and wear on the individual. am I going? What am I doing? Do I enjoy this anymore?” Mike told us that many of the comments he received about the book from readers said that it was not related only to business. It had a wider appeal in relation to life in general and making shifts, when necessary, to continue to progress through life’s journey. In the book this journey is divided into four stages, the Dream, the Grind, the Break, and the Breakthrough. “Many business owners don’t make it through the Grind or Break stage to the Breakthrough. In the book, as well as
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article “You begin to think, ‘Not Again.’ You are doing less and less of the things you loved about the dream. You are forced to do the many ‘other’ things and you’re the only person to do them, but you’re getting farther away from your dream.” In the Break Stage, the Grind has essentially taken over and the Dream is long forgotten. Confidence suffers and the future looks very dim. There is no clear vision of what the future holds, and you worry that all you have to look forward to is more grind! For every entrepreneur that feeling is very scary. It does, however, make them reconsider and redesign their business, or life. Breakthrough is much different than the Dream because the focus is now on what you want and how to create a
plan to get there and move forward to Breakthrough. “The one thing I like to tell people, or at least I like to plant with them about the Break Stage is that while it feels horrible, there’s a real silver lining to getting there. And that silver lining is that you designed a system inside of your business that was perfectly constructed to break you. So that means you can also design a system to get you out.” There are great coaches and organizations such as, Strategic Coach, Vistage YPO, or EO, who can help you meet other people struggling with the same issues you are facing and help you work on your issues. “The one tip I can give business owners stuck in the Break Stage is, Get Help. Talk with another entrepreneur and discuss the problems you are facing. Don’t expect someone else to give you the secret answer, but just the act of talking with someone, rather than keeping things bottled up inside, can help the light bulb go off in your head.”
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Feature Article Mike lives on a lake in Wisconsin with his wife, Jamy. He enjoys boxing and works with a trainer twice each week. He considers himself the consummate student and is passionate about continuing to learn new and exciting information. Mike Malatesta has been there, done that, in the business world. He continues to be involved in all avenues of business and loves to help other business owners become successful. To learn more about Mike’s podcast, book, or coaching, visit his website: mikemalatesta.com. We enjoyed our conversation withMike; you can listen to the podcast on iTunes or watch on YouTube. 3 Keys to Soar to Success When Soar to Success asked Mike what three personality traits he found in most successful people, he said: 2 3 1 Belief: “There are so many things that you can overcome if you believe that you can, and I don’t mean like silly belief, I mean, belief that you’re willing to work at. It’s just such a strong muscle that I think is a huge advantage.” Self-Awareness “There is a lot of power in being aware of who you really are. How do other people see you, what are you good at, as well as, what you are not so good at. Self-awareness is so important, I still wonder about it, as I make breakthroughs in my own journey. You can fool a lot of people, but you can’t fool yourself. Be okay with knowing who you are and not knowing every answer, because you don’t have to.” Curiosity: “If you are curious, you can attain much more in life, or in business. We’re all born with a tremendous amount of curiosity. As a youngster of three, or four years old our curiosity begins to decline, because we hear NO, all the time. You hear that negative response so many times your natural curiosity begins to wane. To maintain that curiosity is really, really important.”
People who excel at work don’t wait for good things to happen BEFORE they are grateful; they are thankful BECAUSE of their work. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not the job, the boss, or the commute that makes or breaks your workday - it’s you. No matter what is going on, you have a choice. You can choose to whine, By Lisa Ryan H o w t o Practice Gratitude at Work moan, and complain to everyone within listening distance, or you can try to find the good. In challenging times such as these, with staffing shortages, supply chain issues, a current of rudeness and frustration that seems to be
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies permeating society, and the fear and uncertainty that goes along with a worldwide pandemic, it takes a bit of focus to remain positive – at least most of the time. Herearefourways togetyourselfonthegratitude track at work. Keep track of good things. At the end of each workday, write down three positive things that happened. Even if you had a horrible day, you could always find something good. Leave this list on your desk to start your next morning off on a positive note. As a bonus, you can also start your morning off at home with a gratitude journal and set a positive expectation for the day. Recognize the good works of others. It’s easy to get wrapped up in our own “stuff” and not take the time to acknowledge your colleagues’ efforts. Pay attention and catch your coworkers in the act of doing their job well - and sincerely praise them for it. Let them know specifically what they did to make a difference and thank them early and often – and in a variety of ways: thank you note, food, verbal expression, etc. Put it inwriting. When you send a thank you note or a few words on a post-it note, you give your coworkers tangible evidence of a job well done. It will make their day - and yours. When you tell someone, you appreciate them, you create a beautiful memory. When you write it down, you create a treasure. Keep a file. When you receive complimentary emails, letters, or notes, keep them in a file you can easily access. These notes will undoubtedly come in handy on days when you need a boost. You may want to print out emails of sincere appreciation and congratulations. Letting people know that you appreciate them takes a little time and a little thought, but it’s worth it. No matter what your role is in your organization, you can change the culture, one “thank you” at a time.
The Power to Choose by Janet Kendall White
A few resources to read or listen to: • The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen Covey • The Travelers Gift – Andy Andrews • Who Owns the Ice House – Tolbert and Schoeniger • The Power of Habit – Charles Duhigg • How Great Leaders Inspire Action, Simon Sinek TED Talk • The Strangest Secret – Earl Nightingale SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies What is the most important real estate you own? The six inches between your ears! I was taught that saying many years ago and have not nor will I ever forget it. I was also taught that if we don’t control our minds, our mindswill control us. Not just as a leader but everyone has the option to work and build the capability to control our thoughts. In today’s world where we are bombarded by stimulus much of which is negative, it is so important to do regular and frequent “check ups from the neck up”. Check your thoughts but alsowhat you are feeding yourself on a regular basis. Is it positive? Is it helping you reach your goals and influencing you to lead and influence others in a positive way? As part of the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative Program four things are included in the Power to Choose section: Influence, React vs Respond, Locus ofControl, andVision. We have the power to choose what and who influences our thoughts. We have the power to choose whether we respond or as Stephen Covey would say own the gap between stimulus and response. We have the power to choose to growwhat is in our control and influenceandwehave thepower tochoose to envision what we want for our life and go after it. We can choose to have and take a proactive approach versus reactive. My encouragement is to do a checkup from the neck up now. √ √ What are you listening to on a daily and weekly basis? √ √ What are you watching? √ √ What are you reading? √ √ Who do you spend most of your time with? √ √ Do you have a current personal vision and goals that you are going after? √ √ How is your language? Is it reactive or proactive? Set a calendar reminder to do regular checkups using the above questions. We all need to adjust our habits at times. Sometimes that which is comfortable is not the best and it is time to develop a new habit. You have to be bad before you are good, you have to move outside your comfort zone inorder to thenhave thatwhichwas outside your comfort zone become comfortable. My encouragement is to do a checkup from the neck up now.
Why Your Organization Needs Strategic Account Growth Plans By Mark Allen Roberts I just heard a speaker at a recent conference share for the first time in history, that more salespeople missed quota than hit it in 2021. At first my gut says…Covid -19. That may have had some impact, but the reality is salespeople hitting quota has been sliding since 2016. Why are salespeople failing to achieve the sales plans of their organizations? How can we fix this common sales problem and grow our sales profitably? Should all accounts receive the same focus, or should we develop strategic account growth plans for our larger customers? When top-performing salespeople develop and work strategic account growth plans, we know they outperform their peers without any plans. A strategic account development plan offers your sales teammany benefits. Revenue growth Increased profit Increased net profit by customer Increased share of wallet by key account Improved relationships at key accounts More relationships with new stakeholders at key accounts New product placement Defensive tactic from competitors stealing business Access to your key accounts’ leaders Without an account development plan, your sales results are at the mercy of market highs and lows, buyer dispositions, and your competitions’ ability to execute. Without account development plans every day, your salespeople are basically “winging it.” If they don’t have a plan, they are not creating any momentum and not achieving sales velocity with your key customers. The question becomes - do you want to develop a strategic account growth plan collaborating with your largest accounts and proactively grow the business? Or do you want to live day to day with customers demanding your time? There are not enough hours in the day to firefight all their demands. Do you want to live in a world of acting on the urgent and reacting, or writing your destiny? We have all heard the quote: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” —— Benjamin Franklin
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies When I coach salespeople and ask to see their account development plans, I get that deer in the headlights look. They often share they don’t have the time to write a plan. I’m too busy to write growth plans for my large accounts. Or my favorite…I have a plan its just not written down. Salespeople are like customers; their perception is their reality. However, once they develop strategic high-profile account development plans, work their plans and experience the sales growth…they are sold! As sales leaders, we must create a new perception. We must move our sales teams from reactive to proactive revenue growth with strategic account development plans. Just as we want and need our salespeople to evolve from “reps” to “strategic trusted advisors,” we need to teach them how to develop strategic account development plans and coach them to execute those plans. When I teach and coach salespeople, anyone for that matter, I like to use analogies to help what I am sharing stick. Developing strategic account growth plans is much like solving Rubik’s Cube. Most salespeople do not know how to solve this three-dimensional problem. What else do we know? When you have a plan in place, you can ensure you’re growing key relationships, giving each customer the appropriate amount of time and attention that creates value for them. If you’re ready to get started on creating your own strategic account management plans, please visit my blog. Next month’s article will share the critical components of a strategic account development plan and how to pick the accounts that warrant one. If you can’t wait until next month, give me a call, and I will be happy to help you.
Even though the year is new, your teammay be experiencing the hang-over of the pandemic and all the surrounding strife that it has caused. This hang-over might show up as burnout, confusion, frustration and a sense of being lost. The good news, as things begin to return to a modicum of normality, it’s time to focus on what we can do to make ourselves even better. According to the Gallup organization these seven skills should be the core of your implementation focus this year and beyond. Gallup has been Seven Skills to Implement This Year By Jack Klemeyer researching the world’s top performers for at least three decades. In this extensive research they discovered these skills that are required for success in any role, any profession, in any industry from front line worker to the corner office. There are probably sophisticated ways to assess these seven skills, but you can use your common sense and apply a rule of thumb to evaluate yourself and thus becomemore successful in your role. We’ll look at these seven from the viewpoint of being a successful manger.
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies 1. Build Relationships – focus on creating partnerships, build trust, share ideas to accomplish the work. A leader touches a heart, makes a connection before they ask for a hand. Gallup says it this way, “Consider new and creative partnerships across your organization that could lead to extraordinary success.” There are three questions that Chris Hogan, formerly of the Dave Ramsey Company taught me. Ask your folks: a. “How are you doing?” b. “What are you working on?” c. “Where do you need my help?” 2. Develop People – help others become more effective through strengths, expectations and coaching. Yes, that includes accountability. There is an old African Proverb that says, “If you want to go fast go alone but if you want to go far, go together.” 3. Lead Change – embrace change and set your goals that align with the stated vision of your company or business. Although change comes to everyone these days, it’s important to remember, change will happen; growth is optional. Leading change gives you the opportunity to ask important questions like: How are you feeling about your job? What do you need to be successful?What kind of support would be helpful? 4. Inspire Others – encourage others through positivity, vision, confidence, challenges and especially recognition. Give timely, specific, and relevant feedback to your folks. Because of the stress and strain of the last couple of years it is even more important to recognize others and make them feel important. 5. Use Critical Thinking – gather and evaluate information to help you make smart decisions. Being in a leadership position allows you to be “in the know” of all the happenings and plans in a company. It’s important to bring your team’s questions and concerns up to the leadership team. Your people need their opinions heard. 6. Communicate Clearly – share information regularly and concisely. As John Maxwell says, “Be a river not a reservoir.” Gallup discovered through their research that… “frequent manageremployee conversations are key to employee engagement.” Communicating, really communicating is an art and needs practice. Focus on getting really good at communicating clearly, concisely and sincerely. 7. Implement Accountability – hold yourself and your team accountable and responsible for performance objectives. This one is especially true if you’re a solo-entrepreneur. Managing ourselves is our biggest management and leadership challenge. If you happen not to be in a leadership role, managing and leading yourself well is a sure way to stand out from the crowd. The fastest way to generate personal ownership in someone, yourself or your team, is to allow them to do work they love to do and naturally do well. When there’s work to be done, ask, “Who’s gifted in this? Who would jump at this opportunity?” These seven will give you a focus point for the rest of this year and the end result can only be you and your team, your company becoming even more successful.
Such a simple word, yet so hard for many of us to say. However, the word “no” must become part of our vocabulary if wewant to set an intention for our business, create goals and maintain focus throughout the year. There are two parts to saying no – internal and external. Internal to our business or our work life, we must identify what isn’t working, what behaviors may hinder our growth, and what current activities are not critical to the success of the business. As we approach our new planning season, we have an opportunity to look critically at our business through the lens of the year just coming to an end. What worked, and what did not work? For the things that did not work, can you pinpoint why? Are there things that we have learned about our business this year that helps us decide what we will no longer do or no longer tolerate in our business? By Megan Patton The Power ofNO!
A simple exercise is to take a look at what is not working in your business. Then, determine what you must stop doing to make the problem go away. Finally, what will you do differently now that you have said no? Saying no to current unproductive, or possibly destructive behaviors will allow room for improvement. Saying no to a difficult client can open the door for a new client who is better aligned with your own mission. Saying no to a cumbersome process can pave the way for new efficiencies in your company. There are lots of reasons to say no; I encourage you to find your NO! We canapply theNOprincipleexternally, toour personal lives and obligations as well. Many of us are asked to domany things – takemeetings, jump on zoom calls, be present at networking events, volunteer in the community, at school, church, etc. It is easy to get overbooked very SOAR TO SUCCESS / Business Acceleration Strategies quickly if we don’t use NO judiciously. Of course, I am not suggesting that we turn down every request for help that we receive, rather, I urge you to consider each and every request cautiously and with an eye towards balance. Have an intentional approach to handling requests. What fits in with your individual priorities? Focus on your personal mission and say yes to things that align with what you believe in, and that you have the time for. Say no to everything else. If it does not align with your personal mission or your company direction, it is easier to say no, than to agreewith something that could potentially pull you off course. One of the simplest words, yet often, one of the most difficult to say! Practice with this and see how it enables you to find and hold your focus throughout the year.
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Book Recommendation Choose By Ryan Levesque According to author, Ryan Levesque, one of the biggest reasons why so many new businesses fail is because in the quest to decide what business to start, most of the conventional wisdom is wrong. Instead of obsessing over what--as in what should you sell or what should you build--you should first be asking who. As in who should you serve? The what is a logical question that will come soon enough. But choosing your who is the foundation fromwhich all other things are built. When you read this book, you’ll discover a step-bystep process that is designed to minimize your risk of failure and losing money up front. My favorite parts of the book were 1) the stories of everyday people who have used the process to launch their own successful businesses, 2) the testing methods provided for researching ideas and market viability and 3) how well this fits into the theories in Levesque’s other book, ASK. There are still bonuses availablewhen you purchase this book, so go here to get it. Even if you already have an existing business, if you don’t have a steady stream of clients coming in, you will benefit by reading this book. Want someone to do the research for you? Check out my Reinvention Uncensored interview this month with Tracy Rickman of FranNet. (Hint: her philosophy is instead of obsessing over what… obsess over the lifestyle you want). By Pat Altvater About the Author Ryan Levesque is the CEO of The ASK Method® Company and author of the #1 National Best-Selling book, ASK - as featured by Inc. Magazine as their #1 Marketing Book of the Year and by Entrepreneur Magazine as their #2 Must-Read Book. The ASK Method® Company was ranked #462 on the 2017 Inc. 500 List and named the #7 Fastest Growing Company in Austin, TX. Ryan is also CEO & co-founder of bucket.io™ - the leading marketing funnel software entrepreneurs are using to build interactive quizzes, assessments, and surveys to segment their audience into buckets and create a tailored buying experience online.
Fueling Mind, Body and Soul By Pat Bennett If it doesn’t nourish your mind, body or soul, get rid of it. I’ve come to this conclusion after months of personal and professional overload. It’s caused me to feel burned out which isn’t a positive place to be. As a business owner, wife, mother and friend, the stress of juggling too many balls had taken a toll. Taking time for me was no longer optional, but a necessity to regain balance, health and harmony. When your body, mind, and soul are healthy and harmonious, you will bring health and harmony to the world – not by withdrawing from the world, but by being a healthy, living organ of the body of humanity. B.K.S. Iyengar I started my plan to recover my balance by incorporating these self-care practices: Sleep hygiene. Was I getting enough quality sleep? Absolutely not. The pandemic caused me to live life differently, and, like a baby, I got my days and nights crossed. I stopped checking my phone before bedtime and started winding down one hour before I wanted to retire for the night. I left the phone in another room, turned off the television and started reading (finally got to read the stack of books I’d been accumulating). If my mind started racing, I’d jot down a few ideas on a bedside notepad and not dwell on them while I was trying to fall asleep. I’m now drifting off to sleep within 15 minutes and getting a decent night of sleep.
Morning Routine. I usually start my morning with a cup or two of coffee. Sometimes, I didn’t eat breakfast until 11 o’clock due to Zoom calls, customer deliveries or other distractions. Not eating breakfast regularly contributed to fatigue, brain fog and crankiness. Keeping ingredients on hand to make overnight oats, a protein smoothie or a granola bowl with fruit and yogurt has helped me immensely. Giving my body fuel is essential for it to perform at its best. Movement. Admittedly, Iwasn’tmoving around as much as I should. Sitting more on Zoom calls didn’t help. I dug my sneakers out of the closet and returned to walking in my neighborhood at least everyother day. The freshair and sunshine helped. On bad weather days, I jump rope in my garage. Moving more has resulted in getting better sleep, thankfully. Can’t wait for spring to get back on my bike. Passion Project. I asked myself what I was passionate about. Almost two hundred days ago, I began a daily practice of gratitude which reminds me to be grateful for even the smallest things, like a ripe pear to eat, friends who check in on me, strangers who are kind, or recalling a pleasantmemory. I’ve posted daily on Facebook and the reactions have been remarkable. The posts have been shared and have generated an upbeat attitude of gratitude. I’mmore attuned to the signs of burn out creep and will continue to battle this beast with my arsenal of self-care tools. SOAR TO SUCCESS / Personal Growth Strategies
In golf one of the most basic aspects of a solid golf game is holding the club correctly. Your hands are the only connection your body has with the golf club and thus, your grip, is one of the most important facets in creating a well-executed shot. By Fred Altvater Do You Have the Proper Grip on Your Business? Isn’t that also important in your business? Do you have the Proper Grip on your life and work? An entrepreneur, trying to operate a one-man/woman shop can be become so overwhelmed with a hectic schedule that the basics of running a successful business can be overlooked. The constant demand to meet new clients, digest new information and trends in your industry, concerns about your bottom
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Personal Growth Strategies line, or attending networking meetings can block out core business items needing daily attention. Plus, if you are so consumed by business issues, your family may suffer. Oneofmystudents,who isabetter thanaverage golfer, began struggling with his driver. He was striking all the other clubs correctly, but this driver was creating issues on the course. We struggled to find a correction and eventually a simple adjustment to his grip, solved his issue. He began striping high arcing shots to the back of the range. If your personal life is a mess, or a cause for concern, it may be getting in the way of your business performance. Do you have a proper work/life balance? If you are constantly worried about missing a child’s activity, or the lack of quality time with a spouse, your attention todetail in your business may suffer. Important business decisions made while distracted about other issues in your life may come back to haunt you. Is there a simple fix? Yes, GET A GRIP! To prevent this from happening to you, take a few minutes to write down five key items that needtohappeneveryday tomakeyourbusiness a success. Keep it simple and don’t worry about the outcome, just focus on completing these few key tasks every day and the rest will take care of itself. These are the basics. Just like the proper grip in golf, the proper grip of your entire life and business is important to be successful in both.
Systems Bring Your Strategies Alive By Karen Cupp Living a life by design requires more than wishful thinking. It takes developing an action plan, strategies for growth, and adopting resources you need to keep moving forward. The greatest secret to personal growth and high productivity is adopting and developing systems for everything. Michael Gerber the author of the E-Myth says that “systems permit ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results predictably.” What is a system? It is a process for predictably achieving a goal based on repeatable practices. These repeatable practices are well defined and developed with the end in mind.
As an avid collector of interesting quotes, thoughts, concepts, and ideas, I found I lacked a system. My office was cluttered with stacks of “yellow tablets” with random bits and pieces of interestingwisdom. I lovingly calledmy process of filing “the piled higher and deeper method.“ I once told my children “When I die, they will discover that I was crazy, or I was brilliant.” I finally created a system. When reading an article, I would tear out the page, note the topic on the top and denote where it should be filed. When I read a book, if I found an idea, phrase, topic, or quote, I would make a note in the front of the bookwith the page number and the topic. My assistant would then find the pages, type the material, and save it in a computer folder under the specific topic. After defining the system and testing my theory, I began to go through each “yellow pad” and scan them myself, saving the content in a general folder. I dropped the folder into the google drive shared with my virtual assistant, Melanie, who would then review and type the documents and store them under the designated topic. This action alone has cleared my desk and my mind of clutter. My second system was for thinking. When I drive, mymind is freed to think of ideas or listen to podcasts. If I ran across a topic that I wanted to save, my struggle was how to document this content while driving. That was the case until I found a recording app on my phone that could record and transcribe. It is called voice recorder. This simple app allows me to use my thinking time wisely and save those valuable nuggets of thought for a later time. Strategies and systems have freed me to be more organized and more productive in my writing, teaching, and speaking business. These strategic systems have allowed me to create more content and spend more time sharing my knowledge with others. SOAR TO SUCCESS / Personal Growth Strategies
SOAR TO SUCCESS / Reinvention Uncensored Pat’s Profiles: Tracy Rickman Franchise Consultant with Fran Net Connect with her at: https://frannet.com/ franchise-consultant/ tracy-rickman/ https://www.linkedin. com/in/tracyrick/ What a thrill it was for me to interview my most recent guest on the Reinvention Uncensored Video Show, Tracy Rickman. Tracy is a Franchise Consultant with FranNet and theMarket President of theNorthernOhio territory. Watchmy interviewwithTracyas sheexplainshowshereinvented herself as an entrepreneur after deciding to leave her full-time position, that was requiring more travel than she wanted to do at that point in her life. As you listen to Tracy speak about what she does now, you’ll notice how the joy just exudes. It’s apparent that Tracy has found the perfect situation for herself and loves to help others do the same. There are several things you can learn from Tracy Rickman by watching this video: 1. Knowing the lifestyle a potential business owner desires is most important 2. Having an advisor when thinking about starting a business is crucial 3. Researching before starting a business or purchasing a franchise will make a difference One thing I especially liked about my interview with Tracy was her genuine interest in helping people get into businesses that work for the life they want to have. Does your business provide you with the lifestyle you are yearning for? If not, maybe it’s time to look up Tracy. Reinvention Uncensored
How The Right Cloud Solution Can Help Your MSP Minimize Downtime With digital transformation sweeping through virtually every industry on the planet, many companies are making the switch to cloud computing. Among the reasons for this switch is the higher level of reliability and reduction of downtime when using cloud-based digital assets. This provides a compelling reason for many businesses to make the change, along with flexibility and lower overall cost. But what about when cloud services have downtime? This can be extremely frustrating for customers who have made the switch to improve reliability, as well as for cloud providers who serve those customers. Let’s take a look at how MSPs can provide reliable cloud services and keep downtime to a minimum. By Jeanne DeWitt How To Address Downtime With The Right Cloud Solution 1. Hire a dedicated cloud provider. Modern IT teams are expected to secure home networks for remote workers and deploy security solutions quickly, all while flawlessly keeping assets up and running. The right cloud provider can alleviate these worries by handling hosting, individualized backups, and 24/7 access to the resources your MSP needs to succeed. Make sure to spend some time searching for a cloud partner who is genuinely dedicated; larger cloud providers are often more interested in your end clients then you. The right cloud
provider fit will handle your needs on an individualized basis. 2. Communicate with your cloud provider. The last thing you want as an MSP is for your cloud provider to be radio silent when you need their assistance, but unfortunately this is often the case. The right cloud provider will keep you in the loop if something goes wrong and will have a defined process in place to solve issues efficiently. When interviewing a cloud partner, make sure to gauge their ability to put your needs first. A partner who is excellent at communicating with your MSP is one that will be able to professionally work through any issues that arise. 3. Work with your cloud provider to make sure that security is top-notch. Having good cybersecurity in place helps prevent assets from going down at your MSP, but SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies strong security practices also keep cloud systems protected if they happen to go down. Have a conversation with your cloud provider about the security strategies in place so that when downtime arises, it can be addressed without worrying about a targeted attack prolonging the issue. Not all cloud providers offer security help, but a dedicated cloud provider will work with your MSP to bolster security and increase the safety of your backups and processes. By following the suggestions above, you can vastly improve your MSP’s overall productivity and continually provide your customers with cloud services that are reliable and resilient. We believe that Cloud Services For MSPs provides the best dedicated cloud solutions for MSPs; please reach out to see if we’re the right fit for your MSP.
So many business owners and sales professionals join organizations to network andengage. Theirultimategoal is togainbusiness. How successful they will be depends on how they interact. Let’s explore the goal versus outcome conundrum so many people find themselves experiencing. Join the Chamber, the trade organization, special interest group, and more! We are all told of the value of joining. Often times we are told to join because that’s where our target market will be found. And then we’re disappointed when we don’t realize new business. When renewal time rolls around, we don’t renew because we ‘didn’t get anything out of our membership.’ Really? Why not? I submit there By Diane Helbig Being A Joiner – Goal versus Result are two things at play. The first is that we had the wrong expectations. The second is we didn’t understand what it takes to gain business from these memberships. Expectations There is an expectation that simply being a member will result in business. People have been misled to think that there is a loyalty calculation between members of any business organization. Of course, they are disappointed when that membership, in fact, doesn’t turn into new business. My question to those people is this – did you change your buying habits toonly buy fromfellow members of the organization, simply because
they were members? If your answer is “no,” then why would you expect them to suddenly buy from you? Membership alone doesn’t change the fact that you are a stranger. There is no trust, or even familiaritywithyouor your company. Peoplehave no reason to even think about doing business with you. Effort The truth is it takes involvement and effort to make a membership worthwhile. You need to attend events, both in-person and virtual, with the intention of starting the relationship building process. You can join a committee or volunteer to help at an event. When you meet someone who you connect with, schedule a follow up coffee or call. Sales is about relationships and trust. Joining an organization provides you with access to SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies people who you may, or may not, want to build a professional relationship with. They may turn out to be great resources, or great referral sources. They may turn out to be jerks! Getting to know them and where they fit in your world will provide you with the foundation for growing your business. You may find new clients. But only after you’ve created a level of trust. That trust doesn’t happen automatically when you are accepted as a member. Until you get involved, meet people, and nurture relationships, you are a stranger. You will remain a stranger throughout your membership. When it’s time for renewal, ask yourself how much effort you gave. How involved did you get? How many relationships did you build? You have the power to create a membership that has impact. Use it. ©2022 Helbig Enterprises
Sure-Fire Steps to Create Your Own Digital Product One thing to really take to heart is that everything you do is for your audience. If you aren’t studying your audience before you develop a product, you’re doing it wrong. It’s much easier to study the audience, give themwhat they want, and put it in front of them where they hang out, rather than to create a product and then try to find the audience. If you start with the audience, you’re going to be more successful. Validate and Test Your Idea The first step is to determine whether your idea is good for your audience or not, by asking them. Develop a sales page for the product even though By Holly Kile you have not created it yet. Perfect the sales page, adding everything you want to include in this product based on your research into your audience and their pain points and problems. In thesalespage, describehowthisdigital product solves their problems. Remember to focus on benefits over features. This can be confusing but think about describing how a feature benefits them instead of just naming the feature. Start aWaiting List for Interested Parties Once you have the sales page done, start a waiting list of interested parties. Promote the 7
sales page so that people can sign up to be notified when the product is launched. You can even charge people first if you plan to create the product soon. You don’t want to collect money too far in advance, though, as people might get upset. You will know if you have a lot of interest because people will sign up for the wait list - which by the way, adds them to your email list. Add Value and Build Your Audience with Free Content Start adding free content to your blog that educates, informs, and engages those who would be interested in that digital product. Consider hosting free webinars to build your list and add on to the waiting list too. In many ways, this is promotion before you have the product, but it will work wonders. KnowHow You Plan to Create the Digital Product Do you plan to create the digital product “live” as you go, such as by delivering educational information via webinars, or a recorded course that can be delivered via a platform like Teachable.com? Are you going outsource any of the creation? KnowHow You Plan to Promote Your Digital Product The other component you need to include in your strategy is how you plan to promote the digital product. You’ll be promoting via the waiting list SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies and free content, but you’ll also need to promote in other ways such as via social media ads, Google Ads, and more. Create a Preliminary Trial Product The first time you create the product, you’ll want to consider this first draft a trial product - whether you deliver it live to compile as a digital product that can be sold again later, or whether you create it first and then deliver it to the waiting list. Yes, you’ll earn money from selling it, but you can improve it for future buyers to make it even more perfect. Get Feedback and Tweak Once you deliver the trial product to your wait list audience, set up a survey to send to them to gather feedback. Feedback is important here because you’re going to want to tweak the product to perfect it based on the feedback you receive. This is going to make your productmuchmore desirable tonewbuyers. Now You Can Finalize Your Product Once you do that, you can finalize the product and start marketing it and selling it. You can even send the updated version to those who tested it first, thanking them for helping, and offering them a percent off coupon for your next digital product. Knowing what goes into creating the product, you can come up with your strategy. All that information will ensure that you create a digital product that is in demand. Knowing what goes into creating the product, you can come up with a strategy to create a digital product that is in demand.
Meet the new teammember who can catapult your success… Have you heard the latest buzz about hiring a Fractional PR Director, Fractional CMO, Fractional “Fill-In-The Blank”? Who is this? Basically, these are skilled experts who manage key areas of your business without the headaches or expenses that can come with full-time employees. In this case, “Fractional” refers to a “consultant” who works with several different businesses or organizations at one time. By Melanie Rembrandt No Luck Needed… just a Fractional PR Director, CMO or CFO to get the job done!
So, what are the benefits of hiring a Fractional PR, CMO, CFO, etc.? As a Fractional PR Director, let me give you the key benefits on this hot trend and how it can help your business. When you hire an outside consultant like this, you: • Avoid hassles and wasted time. You know all that time you spend finding, hiring and training new executives and dealing with excuses, sick days, video calls, office drama, personality clashes, and other issues that arise with employees? Gone! Simply hand thework over to your professional and experienced, fractional consultants to manage. Then, you can concentrate on your core, business responsibilities. • Save money. Fractional consultants can help you save resources and get a lot more for your money. Specifically, they don’t require you to pay for their office space, medical benefits, technology licenses, training materials, supplies, and all of the other expenses that come with an employee. Instead, you simply hire your Fractional PR Director, CMO, CFO… and say “Go!” • Gain exclusive expert knowledge otherwise unavailable. One of the top benefits of hiring a fractional executive is that you get to SOAR TO SUCCESS / Core Business Strategies work with an in-demand, professional and have access to their expansive network of contacts. You receive expert knowledge and strategy that may be completely unavailable or too expensive to obtain otherwise! • Enjoy results. Get ready to relax! Your fractional consultant is an experienced expert who offers a work guarantee, communicates, finishes tasks, and provides regular updates so you know what is going on at all times. You can rely on them to provide results. And if things don’t work out, you can simply move on to someone else who fits your needs better once your agreement ends. Your Fractional PRDirector, CMO, CFO, or other expert is out there! Right now, it’s competitive to find and hire top talent. However, there are many independent experts available who work with a few, chosen organizations. To improve sales, communications, and other key areas within your business while saving time, money and hassle, find your Fractional PR Director, CMO, CFO, and more… before the competition does! Fractional consultants can help you save resources and get a lot more for your money.
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Our Contributors Author, entrepreneur, IT expert and speaker, Jeanne DeWitt has over 30 years of IT experience helping businesses navigate their way through the ever changing world of technology. Starting CPU, Inc. back in 1986, along with her partner David Hood, she has now become an international, goto-source for expert advice in the IT Industry including Cloud Services, Infrastructure Security and Support, Cybersecurity, VoIP Phone Technologies, Enterprise Resource Planning and Business Continuity Planning. Connect with Jeanne at her website, Hire An IT Expert as well as on Diane Helbig is a business and leadership advisor and trainer, author, award-winning speaker, and podcast host. As president of Helbig Enterprises, Diane helps businesses and organizations operate more constructively and profitably. Diane’s no nonsense, straightforward approach cuts through the noise and allows her clients and training participants opportunities to realistically and enthusiastically implement the plans they devise. Diane is the author of Succeed Without Selling, Lemonade Stand Selling, and Expert Insights. She is the host of the Accelerate Your Business Growth podcast. Diane is a member of the Newsweek Expert Forum and NSBA Leadership Council. Connect with Diane at Helbig Enterprises and on Watch Jeanne’s Video Series Watch Diane’s Video Series Watch Deb’s Video Series Jeanne DeWitt Diane Helbig Debra Reis is a nurse, teacher and author specializing in holistic health and supportive therapies. She is the director and an instructor for the Certification in Clinical Aromatherapy program for the Institute of Spiritual Healing & Aromatherapy and nationally known expert in the area of essential oils for cancer care. Deb is also a Nia Black Belt instructor with current research and recent publication in the area of Nia benefits for women with a breast cancer diagnosis. She is the founder of the Supportive Therapy Engagement Program (STEP) to assist organizations to implement and integrate supportive therapies into a patient treatment plan for better outcomes. Connect with Deb at DebraReis.com and on Debra Reis Janet Kendall White is founder and CEO of Berkshire Group, Inc., a WBE and WOSB certified, and award-winning organization for Everything DiSC® and The Five Behaviors™. For more than two decades Berkshire Group has helped organizations grow through strategic planning facilitation, leadership and culture development and process improvement. Janet is a soughtafter speaker and facilitator locally and nationally and has been featured in Entrepreneur, Fortune and Bloomberg Business Week. Connect with Janet at Berkshire Group, Inc. and on Janet Kendall White Stella Nsong is the state director of the Ohio Elder Care Planning Council and the creator and care designer of the unique program called Assisted Living At Home. With over two decades of experience as a registered nurse, she practices as a certified professional geriatric care manager, elder care consultant and a certified Delay The Disease instructor. Stella is a bestselling author, speaker, trainer and health care columnist. In 1990, she won the Gold Medal for practical nursing in Georgia. Connect with Stella at StellaNsong. com and on Stella Nsong Melanie Rembrandt is an award-winning publicist, content strategist and speaker who helps overwhelmed entrepreneurs have more time to thrive! If you want to boost sales, awareness and credibility fast with an experienced, Fractional PR Director and a unique combination of targeted, SEO copywriting and public relations, get more information at Rembrandt Communications, https:// www.rembrandtwrites.com and on Melanie Rembrandt Watch Stella’s Video Series Mark Roberts is a senior level sales and marketing leader with over 35 years’ experience driving profitable sales growth in market leading organizations. He is the founder and president of OTB Sales where he helps clients diagnose and improve sales effectiveness and hire and develop their sales talent to improve sales results. Mark is an author, public speaker, sales trainer, sales strategist and sales coach and writes the popular business development blog, www. nosmokeandmirrors.com, ranked #1 in fixing sales problems. Connect with Mark at OTB Solutions, LLC and on Watch Mark’s Video Series Mark Roberts
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