I have a colleague that I know well and trust implicitly.  I know she gets everything done; however, she tends to do it all at the last minute.  Emails go out late, meetings are confirmed late and plans get changed or pushed back.  Whenever we make plans I know not to expect quick responses to emails I send, suggestions I make or questions I ask.

I had a conversation with a client earlier today.  We had an appointment scheduled for 12:30.  She called at 12:30 on the dot.  The first thing she said was that she was nervous about calling me on time and had been checking her clock every few seconds to make sure that she called exactly on time.  She told me that she was wondering what I would think if she called a minute or two late, or a minute or two early.  Actually, what I’m wondering is why is she so concerned about what I think?

I am writing this article Tuesday afternoon for my ezine.  I always get the article done and it gets out on time but why is this late?  To be brutally honest here…I’m “usually” pretty good about getting my ezines prepared on time but I know that this is going to impact my assistant and frankly, the quality of this article.

The truth is that these little examples are really snapshots of how you do everything.  Where else is my colleague running late?  Where else is she squeezing more in than she realistically can get done?  Where else is my client spending energy worrying about what other people are thinking about instead of just acting? Where else am I not meeting my own deadlines?

As you go through your day, your week, your month I encourage you to look at what you’re doing.  What “little things” do you do that aren’t quite right, even if, actually especially if you’re getting away with it?  Where else do you see examples of those “little things”?

You know as I just wrote that sentence I’m reminded of something I share with clients when we are working on creating systems. I suggest that they look at the systems that work for them and mimic those systems for other uses.  The things that work in one area work of your business or life tend to work in other areas.  I guess this is the same thing in reverse.  The things that aren’t working in one area tend to be broken in other areas.

What can you do to get those little pieces in place?  As you figure that out you’ll find yourself taking huge steps.  I’d love to know your thoughts on this.  Please share them with me.

I went to Cold Stone Creamery.  I had never been there before and was looking forward to it.  I decided what I wanted and placed my order.  I ordered a small because it was exactly what I wanted.  As soon as the word “small” came out of my mouth the guy behind the counter said “A medium only costs a dollar more.”  I declined the offer.  He went onto say, “Are you sure?  You get twice as much ice cream.”  I stayed strong and said “No, thank you.”  He was about to try one more time but I said, “Stop, trying to supersize me.  I want a small.”

Supersizing is in the best interests of Cold Stone Creamery.  It increases their bottom line by upselling customers by a little bit.  When you upsell a little to a lot of customers profits go up dramatically.

We understand what it does for the seller but where does this leave the customer, in this case me?  In this case, supersizing would have left me with a dollar less in my wallet, a bigger waist line, left over ice cream and feeling guilty.

As consumers we all understand supersizing and know, at least logically, that being supersized is not in our best interest.  So the question is why then, do we as entrepreneurs, continually supersize ourselves and what can we do about it?

Let me explain what I mean.

You are working on a new program.  You’re close to launching and then decide to add just one more feature.  You’ve just supersized.  You’ve got more to do.  Your program is no longer nearing completion and your launch date is now delayed.

You are doing market research to get a better understanding of what your competitors offer and how they communicate.  You’ve found five examples.  You keep on researching.  Surely if you know what five are doing, knowing what ten are doing is even better right?  You’ve just supersized.   Instead of taking action and learning from what you’ve discovered you are staying in “research and learning mode.”  You are not acting.  Whatever lessons you may be getting are not being used.

You spend time and energy creating a marketing plan and start to implement it.  The next thing you know you read about an exciting new strategy.  You’ve got to try it.  You’ve just supersized.  The result:  The targeted marketing plan, that you spent time and energy on, doesn’t get implemented or tested and it gets watered down by adding more strategies.

You start your day with a few specific things that you want to accomplish to move your business forward.  You check your email, find a few new opportunities to pursue and a whole slew of interesting articles to read.  You want to learn more because you are sure that these ideas will lead to even more opportunities.  You just supersized.  The plan you had for the day is officially out the window and you’re onto other things.  

I’m reminded of something my Mom often said as I was growing up, “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach, are you sure you want it?”  There you are, sitting at the table, looking at a something delicious.  You pick up the serving spoon, pile more on your plate, and dig in.  You’re full.  You sit there playing with what’s still on your plate because you want to fit it in but it no longer tastes good and it’s making you uncomfortable.  What looked like a good idea at the beginning has left you feeling sick and even foolish.

For many of us entrepreneurs we have a tendency to believe that if a few are great more can only be better.  This is simply not true.  Oftentimes by adding more you simply pull yourself off the track you were on.  You get confused and overwhelmed.

Now let me be perfectly clear.  I’m not saying you have to be satisfied with what you have and that you should never add more.  I’m not saying that those new opportunities aren’t exactly what you need or that you should not add additional features to your new program.
What I am saying is that before you supersize consider two things: 

1. Is this something you truly want to add to your plate and will serve a purpose that is not already being served?
2. Are you going to be able to consume (or do) this and is consuming (or doing) this in your and your clients’ best interest.

I know I’ve supersized myself on many occasions, sometimes I’ve regretted it other times it was exactly right.  When have you supersized yourself and what has been the result?  I invite you to share your experiences with me.

I went over, said hello and introduced myself.  I said that I thought we met at last year’s Be the Change event and asked her how it had been going since then.  She told me that when she was at the event last year she was just starting her business and that this past year she was getting all of her ducks in a row and setting herself up.  Now a year later she is back and ready.  We spoke for another minute or two and we both moved on.

I found our conversation depressing because despite “wanting to” she hadn’t moved at all in that year.

How many times have you waited to get everything “just right” before you take action?  The truth is that it will never be perfect.  If you wait until everything is just right you’ll never start.

My business has grown and changed so much.  If you had told me ten years ago, when I was just starting out, what I would be doing today I would have laughed at you.  In fact, the only reason my business is where it is today is because I acted and took some very imperfect action.  Some of the things I did were great, others not so great.  What I can say is that every step has led me and my business to this point.  I also believe that my business will continue to morph.  I have no idea where I will eventually end up and that’s because I’m willing to try things even though I’m not quite ready, I may be afraid or that I don’t exactly know how it will turn out.

I hope that if I run into this woman again in a year that things will have changed and that she will have taken the steps she needs to get moving.  My suspicion however is that she won’t. 

If I were coaching her right now I would ask her these three questions.  I encourage you to answer them too to help you stop waiting and start acting.  Oh and if you’d like to make sure you really will take action post your answers below and announce your intentions to the world!

1) What have actions have you been waiting for the right time to do?

2) What would happen if you just did them instead of waiting until you have all of your ducks in a row?

3) What can you DO today that you’ve been waiting to do until everything is just so?

These events are amazing brainstorming sessions on steroids!

But there is a problem with them.  Oftentimes it’s too much.  You end up with a terrible case of “idea-itis”.  You have too many ideas and after a day or two of excitement you find yourself overwhelmed, frustrated and in some ways in worse shape than you were before you went.  And let’s be honest here, it doesn’t take an event to leave you feeling this way, does it?

The truth is that there is no way that you can do it all, even if you have a team of people helping you.  The only way to create a thriving and sustainable business is to first, evaluate your options, second, decide which things you will do and which you won’t and finally, getting into action and doing!

Letting go of super cool ideas can be tough so here’s the three step process that I will be using over the next few days with my own to-do list and with those of my clients.

1.    Evaluate:  Gather all of your ideas.  Your to-do lists, scraps of paper and notes and the ideas floating in your mind.  Create two lists, one with quick “no-brainer” ideas that you can do in less than two hours or have someone else do and a second list with your bigger ideas that have multiple steps that require a significant amount of time, effort and energy.

2.    Decide:  Using the following questions to guide you, identify the top five quick things and one (at most two) longer more involved project.  This number may vary based on the amount of support you have.

• What results do you expect by doing this?  Will doing this increase your revenue or client base?  Is it an idea to save you time, energy or improve the quality of your life?
• Does this idea or project fit into what you are already doing and into your larger goals?
• Does doing this project eliminate the need to do something else?
• Does the idea sound like fun?  Are you excited about putting you time and energy into it?  (By the way, this is my favorite question!)

3.    Act:  Decide how and when you will do these few projects.  For the quick things you can either block out a few “mini project” blocks of time on your calendar or simply keep your short list handy for those times when you have an hour or two between things.   For the bigger project I suggest taking a few moments to identify the first few steps of the project and plan to do at least one step every single day.

Here’s the real secret to all of it…it’s not about doing it all it’s about continually moving something forward.

Please share what you will be moving forward today.

In order for me to get myself moving I first need to set the stage and clear away the winter cobwebs with a good spring cleaning. What I’ve noticed is that I tend to do the same things to help my business and life grow as I do in the garden.

Here are four things that you can do this spring for your business, life and garden to make them thrive.

1. Clean up the debris. First you have to set the stage. In your garden you get rid of the branches that fell during storms, leaves that came down after the last raking and the shells from the acorns that the squirrels munched on during the winter. Now is also a great time to take a look at your desk, workspace and to-do list and get rid of the junk. Ask yourself if the things you have around you are things that will help your business thrive or if they are things they just ended up there?
2. Prepare for new growth. You break up the earth and spread fertilizer in the garden. Now is also the time to prepare your workspace, mind and calendar. Are there programs that you want to invest in to help you grow? Are there things that you are in the middle of that you want to wrap up so that you are ready to move on? Are the things you are doing and have around you fostering creativity or stifling it?

1. See what’s growing. You check to make sure that your plants have survived the winter and that you still like what you have growing. Now is the time to look around and make sure that the projects that you have lined up still make sense for you. Was the idea a good one when it was planted? Is it still a good idea? Is it time to let it go? Is it time to give it all you’ve got to make it flourish?
2. Decide what you want to grow and see if it fits. None of us have endless space, and even if you do have room, the space doesn’t always suit the things you want to grow there. So, while you look over the things that you want to do, see if they fit into your plan. Do you have the time, space and environment you need to devote to these projects to make them grow? Does it make sense for you to spend your time and energy on them?

When you give your calendar, to-do list and things a good spring cleaning you will set yourself up for a business and a life that thrives.

But there’s one more piece … do you have the help you need? My garden will not look the way I want it to without someone to help me mow the lawn, move rocks and keep up the beds. My business would not function the way I want it to if I don’t get the help I need there too. Some of the help I use is a coach, a support network, equipment and training in skills that I may be lacking or want to brush up on.

What help do you need to make your business and life run better? What skills do you want to learn or sharpen? Go ahead and share your thoughts below.

1.  I was at a gas station and the attendant washed my windows.   I thought, “Wow, I don’t remember the last time a gas station attendant washed my windows!  I wish this station was closer to my house.”  By the way, in case you’re wondering I live in NJ, there are no self-service pumps here.

Lesson:  Surprise your clients.  Do something special that is not part of your normal package or program.  It could be a small gift, a gesture, a note, quick phone call, email or whatever.  Show them that you care about them and that you are happy to have them as your client.

2.  I was waiting in a doctor’s office when a nurse walked through the waiting room and had a side conversation with the receptionist.  She was mocking a patient and said “I won’t pay my co-pay but I love you guys”.  I thought “Hey, don’t you realize that I can hear you and that I pay your salary?  What do you think about me?  It’s a good thing I have a good relationship with the doctor or I’d never come back.”

Lesson:  Well, there are two here…be aware of what you are thinking and saying about your clients.  If you’re thinking about your clients in a negative way it will always show even if you don’t think they can hear you.  You always have a choice in whether or not to serve a client.  If you decide to serve that client do it with a smile on your face and the belief that they deserve your attention.  Oh and lesson two…remember that your staff is an extension of yourself.

3.  I spent three nights in a hotel.  I registered for their “Premier Guest” program because there was no charge to enroll and got me free internet access.  When I showed up at the hotel there was an envelope waiting for me on a rack that had my key in it.  There were no lines to wait on and nobody I needed to deal with.  When I got to my room I thought, “Hmmm, very convenient but I somehow feel disconnected from the hotel and where is the fitness center?”

Lesson:  Just because you think you are doing a favor for your clients doesn’t mean you’re not short-changing them.  I am sure that the hotel I stayed at believed that I wanted convenience and speed.  With that, they are right.  But by giving me that convenience, they cut out the personal touch.  Take the time to make sure that when you add a feature or benefit that you are not inadvertently taking something else away.

4.  Several years ago I called to make an appointment for my annual checkup with my doctor.  When I got there (almost 2-months later) my doctor told me that I need to make another appointment for a physical.  Turns out that when I called I made an appointment for a “check-up”.  He made me feel like an idiot.  I thought “Huh, you’re joking!  There’s a difference?  How am I supposed to know?  Will my insurance company cover a second visit?  Don’t you train your staff?”  I’m never coming back.”

Lesson:  Train your staff and NEVER make a client feel foolish.

5.  I went to Whole Foods to pick up a few things including my favorite tea.  I found the tea I wanted, it was on the top shelf. I’m 5’1″.  I couldn’t reach it.  There was a Whole Foods employee there.  She was also “vertically challenged”.  Within a minute she grabbed a step stool and got me my tea.  When I went to check out the cash register attendant asked me if I found everything I needed and bagged my purchases.

Lesson:  Be available when a customer has a problem and do your best to solve it quickly and completely.

Bonus lesson:  If you mess up, and you will, apologize immediately and do whatever you can do to make it right.

What are some customer service experiences you’ve had that you’ve learned from?  Please share them with me.

We got a tour of Buffett’s office.  I have no doubt that it was straightened up a bit before the cameras rolled but this is what I saw.

•     An inviting room with a lot of natural light.
•     A large desk with a lot of working space.
•     A phone front and center.
•     A small pile of reading material on the desk.
•     Pictures on the wall representing some of the most influential people and moments of his life.
•     And most notably… NO computer.

For the most part my office is a lot like Mr. Buffett’s (okay, it’s not quite as big).  I have a lot of natural light.  A nice, large desk.  A small pile of paper on my desk of things that I’m currently working on and pictures around me of the most important and influential people in my life.  The real difference is that my phone is a little left of center because my computer and monitor take front and center stage in my life.

How could Buffett not have a computer anywhere in his office?  He’s a gazillionaire and has made most of his fortune in the stock market buying and selling on information.  I spent 15 years working on Wall Street.  I know there HAS TO BE a computer and a TV.  How else could he know what’s going on in the world every single second?

Ahh…but that’s just it.  One of the things Buffett said during the interview was that he is happy if he makes one good decision a year.  He does his research by speaking to people (on his phone) and by reading reports and other information (mostly on paper).  He takes his time to study the landscape, make a few solid decisions and act on them.  And when he acts he sticks with his decision.  He is known for buying stock in a company and holding onto it for the long run.

I am positive that Buffett has missed out on a lot of opportunities with his way of thinking but at the same time his strategy has done pretty well.

Granted, he has many people working for him that consolidate information for him and present him with what he specifically wants, but he does not spend his day distracted by all of the incoming email and the second-by-second news headlines.  He gives himself the space and permission to focus his attention on his decision making process and what works for him.

Here are my top seven takeaways from Mr. Buffett’s interview.

1. Make one really good decision a year you’re golden.
2. Don’t try to do it all.
3. If you miss something it’s okay.
4. When you take your time and make a solid decision stick with it and see where it goes.  The day to day fluctuations aren’t the concern it’s performance over the long run.
5. It’s all about connections.  The most important thing in Buffett’s office is his phone.
6. Don’t forget what made you who you are and what’s important to you.  In addition to pictures of family, Buffett has his Dale Carnegie Speaking Class diploma on his wall.  He swears that this $100 class is what led him to where he is today.
7. Remove the distractions.  Move away from the computer when you need to really focus on something (or at least shut off the “you’ve got mail” notifications!).

Warren Buffett is an incredible man with many lessons to teach all of us.  What lesson are you going to apply to your business today?  Share your thoughts with me.

After my workout, I was standing by the water cooler and looked out the window.  There was a beautiful sunrise.  One of the hotel attendants was next to me and I said, “Look at the beautiful sunrise.”  She was courteous to me, but yet I could see in her eyes that she assumed that I wanted something from her or was complaining about something.  I said, “Everything is okay, I just don’t want you to miss the good stuff.”

So often in our day-to-day lives we end up focused on the things that are not going well, on what we still have to do or more often, what we think we’ll never get around to doing.  We spend our day beating ourselves up instead of paying attention to what is going right.

These past couple of months I’ve been in a bit of a rut.  Sure things are going okay.  I have great clients and I enjoy what I’m doing.  Technically things were going well, yet I kept thinking about what wasn’t going well, the things I wasn’t doing or hadn’t summoned up my energy to do.  In my own rut I lost sight of the all the wonderful things going on in my life…the beautiful sunrise that exists around me every day.

Some parts of my sunrise are personal.  My daughter got into her first choice college early decision (she’s going to Lehigh University, it’s my alma mater!).  My sons are growing up into beautiful, smart, sensitive young men.  I have an incredibly supportive husband who will happily support me in any way that I need support and often knows what support I need before I do.  Oh, and because I was up and at the gym early I ran two miles on the treadmill (I’m not much of a treadmill runner, that’s quite an accomplishment for me!)

Beyond that my business is doing great.  My revenues were up over 110% from 2010.  My clients are growing and doing things in their businesses and lives that are incredible.  I am confident that the work I do brings my clients and other people that I interact with value.

By moving my focus from the things that weren’t doing exactly what I wanted them to do, to areas that were going well I put a smile on my face.  That smile alone is enough to help me turn the rut around.

What you focus on is well…what you focus on.  You get to choose.  Will you focus on the sunrise and the good that surrounds you or on the problems?  Choose the good and the problems become much smaller in comparison and are much easier to manage.

I’m not sure why it’s easy to forget the beauty and wonder around you.  Why is it so easy to downplay all that you have accomplished on the road to where you are?  We need to force ourselves to stop and take the good in.  The attendant at the hotel was so focused on her job and what she had yet to do that when I spoke to her she assumed that something was wrong.  I forced her to shift her focus to see the sunrise.  It brightened my day, I hope it brightened hers too.

My suggestion for you is to take a moment and think.  What is working well for you in your business and life?  What things have you allowed yourself to gloss over or take for granted?  What things have you accomplished that you’re not taking the time to acknowledge?  Now that you know what’s going well, share your sunrises with me on my blog and use it as inspiration for your day.

International Coach Week is February 5 – 11.

To celebrate I’m hosting a live 90-minute group coaching experience for just $7! 

For just $7 you get to join me LIVE and get the personalized help you need to take your business to the next level!

This call is ideal for you if you are an entrepreneur who is:

• Feeling stuck or overwhelmed;
• Wondering how to bring in income quickly;
• Having trouble deciding between the many marketing strategies available;
• Missing deadlines;
• Procrastinating.

I will be coaching participants on a first come, first serve basis and each person will be limited to 7 minutes.  I encourage you to get on the line early and come prepared to answer the following two questions so we can create solutions!

• What is the biggest obstacle you currently face in your business?

• What one thing have you been putting off that would help your business move forward?

Something to keep in mind…

Even if I don’t get to you during the call (or you don’t want to be coached) remember this session will be extremely valuable because you will be able to put the strategies I will be sharing in place in your own business and life.

One last thing…I will be recording the call and all registrants will get the recording but that takes all the fun out of it so do try to join me live!

Looking forward to speaking with you on Wednesday during “coach week”!

Click on the “Sign Up Now” button below to sign up for this call!.

Your coach,

Carrie

P.S.  Do you know anyone else who might benefit from being coached?  Send them the link to this page and have them join us!

My goal is to coach as many people as I can during the 90 minutes so here’s what we’re going to do:

1. I will “laser coach” participants.  That means that each person will be limited to 7 minutes.
2. If you are interested in being coached, come to the call prepared to answer the following two questions:

• What is the biggest obstacle you currently face in your business?
• What one thing have you been putting off that would help your business move forward?

Call Details:

Time:  2:00 – 3:30 PM ET

Date:  Wednesday, February 8th

Call In Number:  (201) 793-0051

Conference ID:  725216#

Please put this in your calendar now so that you make sure to join us.  As a courtesy you will receive a reminder email from me on Wednesday morning as well as a phone call reminder about an hour before the call.

If you are an entrepreneur who is tired of the chaos, procrastination and feeling overwhelmed join me and get the coaching you need to move your business forward!

One last thing… I will stick to the seven minute limit and will coach people on a first come first serve basis.  If you are interested in having me coach you, I suggest you come to the call early.  HOWEVER, even if I don’t get to you (or you don’t want to be coached), this call will be extremely valuable because you can take all of the strategies I will be sharing and put them in place in your own business and life.

Looking forward to speaking with  you on Wednesday during “coach week”!

Your coach,

Carrie