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The Best Business Advice Ever . . . in 50 Words

December 12, 2007 by Liz

Have you been following the b5media Business Apprentice Team Challenge? Up to now, two teams have been advising a fictional entrepreneur called Kay on her business decisions. Last week, while I was gone, my team — the Aces — won again. They are a brilliant group. You can catch up on what’s happened so far at b5media Business Apprentice updates.

This week it becomes every blog on our own.

Our Task: Give Kay the best business advice we’ve ever heard . . . in 50 words. –Liz

Some Advice for Kay

My father listened more than he talked. After a large sit-down at our house, a friend once remarked, “That meal was over an hour. The only word I heard your father say was bread. He didn’t even ask for the butter.”

When I told my dad, his reply made me laugh. He said, “I don’t like butter much.”

My dad left home and school in 1919. He was 12. Everything he knew about business and life he learned from paying attention to the world around him.

It was my dad who taught me to view the world as a lifelong business school.

The Best Business Advice Ever . . . in 50 Words

Each morning when he drove me to school, my dad would point out people we saw and tell me what he observed. When we got the place where he dropped me off, we had a small ritual — a sort of script we would go through. I can’t say quite how it started, and I no longer remember it word for word. But it went something like this . . .

Dad would park the car, turn to me, smile, and ask, “What’s the score?”

I would answer the same every time, with words I had learned from him — bits at a time — over the years. To this day it’s the best business advice I’ve ever heard.

Learn your business from your customers. Understand their minds, their hearts, and their lives. Do what you do to make their lives easier. When a problem comes, leave them a place to stand and stand tall beside them. . . . And remember, everyone is your customer, even your dad.

Then his eyes would light with smile. He’d offer his huge, work-worn hand, shake mine, give a nod, and say, “It’s a pleasure doing business with you.”

I’d answer something like, “Oh dad, you’re too cool.”

All I would add is cherish the rituals and traditions. They make moments remarkably unforgettable.

What’s the best business advice you ever heard? Is there a story that goes with it?

If you think my dad’s advice would serve a young entrepreneur, would you give Successful-Blog a vote in the poll in the sidebar at TAXGIRL?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz!!

The Mic is On: We're Talking about December Travel

December 11, 2007 by Liz

It’s Like Open Mic Only Different

Here’s how it works.

It’s like any rambling conversation. Don’t try to read it all. Jump in whenever you get here. Just go to the end and start talking. EVERYONE is WELCOME.
The rules are simple — be nice.

There are always first timers and new things to talk about. It’s sort of half “Cheers” part “Friends” and part video game. You don’t know how much fun it is until you try it.

… December Travel

We might talk about:

Places we go in December
Travel stories
Places we’ve been
Travel fiascos
Places we dream of visiting
Places where visions of sugar plums dance in our heads

And, whatever else comes up, including THE EVER POPULAR, Basil the code-writing donkey . . . and flamenco dancing (because we always get off topic, anyway.)

Oh, and bring links about December travel to share!

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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Open Mic 7pm Chgo Time: We're Talking about December Travel

December 11, 2007 by Liz

… December Travel

We might talk about places we go in December, travel stories, places we’ve been, travel fiascos, places we dream of visiting, places where visions of sugar plums dance in our heads, and whatever else comes up — even flamenco dancing.

Oh, and bring links to share!

The rules are simple — be nice.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related article
What is Tuesday Open Comment Night?

The Most Powerful Force in the Universe

December 11, 2007 by Liz

In Business and in Life

It’s been said that only two things motivate us — fear and love.

Every cause, every effect, every random act of kindness, every apparent generosity can be traced back to a fear that something will be lost or love that wants to be shared. It seems reasonable and in keeping with humans as I know us.

Through my life, I’ve found other pairs of words to describe this same concept.
In his Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey talked about deprivation and abundance. Allan Cox, in his new book, Your Inner CEO, describes the looming threat and the guardian presence. I’ve often spoken of dealing from a point of weakness or a point of strength.

Each pair of words really points to the same thing. We can be motivated by a need to protect ourselves or by a feeling of open participation.

We Get to Pick

Even with our best effort and imaginings, we have no control over many things that happen around us. (Maybe we could, but I’ve yet to meet anyone who’s quite that evolved.) We have total control over how we respond to all of that input. It’s in that response that our motivation most counts. Here’s what I mean.

Living in Fear, Deprivation, and Weakness

When I respond with fear, people sense that I’m holding back. I know it too. I can’t bring all of my potential to a situation. Part of my brain is taken up with strategizing how I’ll respond when something goes wrong. If a friend has offered help, fear makes it easy to believe that friend thinks of me as someone in need. Life is about self-preservation.
When I respond from deprivation, I can’t enjoy a success of my own or of that of someone I admire. I’m always looking for what I’m lacking. If a friend gets a promotion, I think that could have been, should have been, never will be me. Life is about whether I get my piece.
When I respond from a place of weakness, I look for the slight in the words or the actions of the people around me. I’m protective and defensive, and I often find what I seek. Life is about whether people care about me.

Living in Love, Abundance, and Strength

When I respond with love, people sense I’m fully present. By definition, all of my potential is focused on the moment and the people I see. If a friend has offered help, I can answer with gratitude and partnership, believing in the good intentions that fuel the gift. Life is about enjoying the people I’m with and what we’re doing.
When I respond from abundance, I can enjoy every success I see, because I know that the universe has plenty for everyone. I can give what I know, because I know more will come back to me. If a friend gets a windfall, I can celebrate, knowing that my turn is still available, and my time will come. Life is about sharing good things with everyone.
When I respond from a place of strength, I overlook a slight misstep, and I forgive the signs that we’re all human. I know that most unkind events are merely how I interpret them and not really about me. Life is about understanding people, not them understanding me.

That last sentence of that last point is the key.

When we live in a world of fear, deprivation, and weakness, our world shrinks. We become the center. When we live in a world of love, abundance, and strength, the world expands and our lives revolve around other people.

It’s such a lonely existence to be the center of the universe. It’s an unhappy state to always be protecting things from what we imagine could be. Holding tight to one place means we never move forward.

Peak performance in business and life requires from love, abundance, and strength.

There is no difficulty that enough love will not conquer . . . — Emmett Fox

Love is the most powerful force in the universe.

How will you use it to change your business and your life?

–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz to reach your potential.

Six Steps to a Remarkably Powerful, Personal Network

December 10, 2007 by Liz

It’s NOT Who You Know

My recent trip to the UK has me thinking about networking. I’ve never really liked the term, it makes pictures of strangers and stress in my head. So I think in terms of meeting people instead.

We live and interact with people. People help, support, and reach out. They interfere, compete, and ignore. Relationships with people can make the road to our dreams easier and the load on shoulders lighter. They can also thwart our plans and fill our heads with dust.

People who know where we want to go and how hard we’re working to get there can be a most powerful force. Love, friendship, camaraderie, influence, credibility, trust, authenticity all add up to relationships.

Every business is relationships and relationships are every one’s business.

When Fewer Is More

A living network is more than a list of contacts or friends that we’ve exchanged cursory messages with. A true network is people who know us and people we trust with our reputation. If we choose them well, our network of influencers expands our knowledge and our reach exponentially further and deeper simultaneously.

Networks like that take time to build and require attention. Two main qualities describe a network that is remarkably powerful.

A remarkably powerful network is limited in size. Small is flexible and makes it easy to stay closely connected.

A remarkably powerful network is varied in experience and expertise, but in agreement on high standards of quality in all things.

You might have heard “It’s not what you know, but who you know.”

That’s not exactly true.

Six Steps to a Remarkably Powerful, Personal Network

A living network can open doors and make connections to people we only wish we knew. Follow these six steps to build and care for a living network that will powerfully support you as you move forward in your personal and professional life.

Know what you know and know its value. What you know is important. Don’t overvalue it. Don’t undervalue it. Simply understand how common or rare your knowledge and your unique skill set are. Know where they are useful and think through who might be delighted to find someone who does what you do.

Build relationships not an address book. Relationships grow in value and mature with age. They also require time and attention to do so. Choose people you would bet your reputation on — people who share your standards and have similar goals. People who set the bar where you do will connect to other people you’ll want to know.

It’s about who knows what you know (and who knows what your skills are.) Learn to explain your expertise easily to people who have influence. Influencers naturally talk about folks who are great at what they do. Influencers get asked for recommendations. If no one knows what you do well, it won’t matter who knows you.

Be the first to offer help. Be interested in everyone you meet. Ask questions, listen actively, and be first to offer a favor without strings. People remember sincere curiosity and true generosity, especially from someone they’ve just met. Every generous act is an opportunity to share your expertise with those who might help you. Do it unconditionally and they’ll remember both the work and you.

Watch for and welcome every wise teacher you encounter. Wisdom and experience are a prize. True teachers show themselves by offering advice, expecting nothing in return. Mentors who come your way, offering experience and connections, see something in you. Let them help you discover what that is and what it could be if you let it grow.

Take every opportunity to reach out and to stay connected. Know that listening and speaking with friends is how we keep their interests in our hearts and minds. Stay interested in them and most of them will stay interested in you.

Keeping an eye toward reality and respect is how to develop a remarkably powerful network. This relational group will be a much smaller subset of the network of folks that you know. Still, as they say, we reap what we sow. A network built from relationships that are carefully tended is likely to become a remarkable group of lifelong friends and colleagues.

With a powerful personal network, it seems so much easier to become all our potential will allow.

Sometimes fewer is also more. Are you looking for a few good connections?

Be irresistible.
–ME “Liz” Strauss
Work with Liz on your business!!

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Light, Time, People, and Places

December 10, 2007 by Liz

about light, time, people, and places.

It’s been a most amazing week. I waited at the airport for a plane that was hours late to meet a friend — Ann Michael — a dear friend I’ve known for a lifetime of less than two years. Together we waited for another plane that was also hours late to travel a country that is this country’s history.

Ann and I stayed in a London hotel arranged by a friend that she’s known for years. We got coffee each morning from Starbucks. She and I have shared coffee at Starbucks in at least three other cities. She walks to one by her home. I know I’ve done it with her. I walk to one down the street from me.

A fine businessman, blogger, and friend, Kevin Dixie, took us to lunch at the OXO tower. We explored ideas while sitting by the river and traversed Soho to meet up with a friend of Ann’s, Richard Charkin, — a publisher who recently changed jobs. He shared one of the best stories in publishing. Ann says she’s known Richard all of a few hours in real time. I could say the same about the real time spent in the company of Kevin — still from my observation the fiendships are strong and real.

The next night was dinner and blogger’s movie premier with famed marketing blogger, John Dodds. He’s yet another with whom little real time has been logged but the friendship can’t be denied.

In the middle of the trip, Ann and I both met up with friends we have known longer than a decade. Then she came to meet one of mine who knew many of hers. The connections they had in common were amazing.

I had lunch with Hsien Hsien Lei — I first met her in the comment box in 2005. I finally got to meet Mark McGuinness, a most patient man, who’s doing some magical things mixing creativity and business. Ann and I enjoyed breakfast with Benjamin Ellis, his insights into the corporate world of UK business were fascinating.

We sadly we unable to connected with Karin, one we so hoped to meet, but we vowed that we would make it together somewhere, somehow, some place in the future. Yessirree!

Friday night at the Geek Dinner, I was fortunate enough to talk to some folks I admire, Hugh MacLeod, Dave Winer, Mark Earls, and Nick Butler aka Loudmouthman. Certainly a high point was a chance to visit the Guardian for coffee with Jemima Kiss, who joined us later; that trademark smile of greeting from Robert Scoble; and the surprised look of recognition on the face of Dave Sifry when I said hello. The freezing photowalk through London with Sifry and Scoble later was unforgettable, but could have done with more beer. The conversation when we finally sat down was worth the cold hands getting there.

Why am I telling you all of this?

The last night, which I spent in Oxford in the home of friends I’ve known for almost two decades, I went out for a breath of air looked up and saw the stars. Orion — too often hidden these days by city lights — was there waiting for me.

Until that moment, home and you had felt far away, but not anymore. Then it seemed that all time, all people, and all places were written in light on the indigo over my head.

My thoughts said, “I’m home, in the past, in the present, in the future . . . people and stars . . . it’s by our light . . . the light in our eyes, the light in our minds, the light in our hearts that we have meaning and we connect.”

I knew then that we would live forever.

That’s what I’ve been thinking ever since.