I sat down to take the first lecture. And within minutes I knew that something was wrong. I felt it. Despite the feeling I pressed on. Kept showing up to those lectures. I had been brought up to commit and persist. It’s a quality that can work for you or against you. Our parents often teach […]
Purpose
8 Ways to Instill a Sense of Purpose in Your Startup
Starting a new venture and thriving in today’s economy is hard, but the best have figured out that customers and employees need to feel that you have a sense of purpose, to complement the company’s pursuit of profit. A higher purpose motivates people in a way that financial wins alone never will. For a company […]
6 Ways to Boost Your Nonprofit’s Success
Nonprofits are businesses with heart, but they’re businesses just the same. Creating a nonprofit is a labor of love, and it can be a very fulfilling way to live your life, but it can also be devastating if you aren’t able to keep the organization going long-term. If you want to achieve the goals of […]
How to Fill Your Tanks to Propel You Through the Day
Are you a morning person? I don’t think there’s any doubt that productive mornings are a recurring theme among the most successful individuals, so I always like to read recommendations about ways to squeeze the most productivity out of my mornings. That’s why Benjamin P. Hardy’s Medium article, 8 Things Every Person Should Do before 8 a.m., caught […]
3 Life Lessons I Learned the Hard Way
Some of us discover our purpose in life at an early age. It might be writing, playing the violin or the driven and passionate artist. That is unusual and rare. And they are the lucky few. The rest of us have to stumble through life trying to find our “why”. Some of us don’t bother. […]
Businesses with a Higher Purpose Also Increase Profit
Many entrepreneurs still don’t understand that building a business culture today of doing good, like helping people (society) and planet (sustainability), is also a key to maximizing profit. Employees and customers alike are looking for meaning, not simply employment and commodity prices. Every company needs this focus to attract the best minds and loyalty in […]
9 Steps to a Balanced Business: Purpose vs. Execution
I’m a big proponent of building your business based on a higher purpose, rather than financial gain alone. Today I find that some entrepreneurs, are putting all their focus on a social or environmental cause, and perhaps naively expect that purpose alone will lead to a sustainable business. The reality is that purpose must be […]
A Very, Very Important Question
Cleaning out some files I came across one of the many quotes and sayings I’ve cut out and saved over the years. It contains such wisdom that if we’ll only keep it in mind and ask ourselves this question on an ongoing basis we have an excellent chance of attaining that which we truly desire. “Is what I am […]
How Effective is the “Why” of Your Business?
A business without a why is like a leader without a purpose. However, it’s easy to mix up a goal with a “why,” and this is where things often go wrong for businesses. Let me explain. A goal is just a destination—a place you want to go to. Don’t get me wrong; goals are important, critical even. […]
Planning Principle: Do Only What You’ll Use
Efficient business in general means avoiding waste, doing only what has value. Therefore the right form for your business plan is the form that best serves your business purpose. Furthermore, for the vast majority of business owners, the business purpose of planning is getting what you want from the business—setting strategy and tactics, executing, reviewing […]
