A New Direction

When we hear the word “Data” the first thing we think of naturally is numbers. And so often we think that the “numbers” make the decision for us.  The fact is the analytics and statistics only tell us part of the story and if the “input” is wrong up front, the resulting “data” will mislead us into making bad decisions. Kevin Hanegan author of “...

Most of us use Amazon.com services.  It is estimated that 65% of the U.S. population uses Amazon at least once a month.  The leadership of Amazon fell on Jeff Bezos and he led and created something that most people use and even if they don’t use it, we all are aware of it’s success.  What does it take to lead and be a leader at Amazon?  Well this week’s guest on A New Direction i...

Nearly all of us have either tried or dreamed about starting our own business and become entrepreneurs.  Why don’t more people become entrepreneurs?  The number one reason is, that it is filled with so much risk, that people cannot take it.  The other reason is because it is a constant rollercoaster sometimes from day to day.  Those that are successful entrepreneurs are far fewer than those...

Whether you are a recent graduate or a have been working in your career for decades we all come face to face with a couple of questions:  “Am I really doing the work in my career that has meaning and purpose? And is this the career I really want to spend my life doing?”  Why is it that the world looks badly at us when we say “But this is not the career I want?” or “Th...

Let me ask you do love your job?  Okay, do find that when you go to work it has meaning?  Do you feel like the work you do serves a bigger purpose?  Well if you are like most people when the go to work they do not feel like their work has meaning or purpose.  What if I told you that you could find work that was both meaningful and had purpose?  Maybe you would say something like, “I don&#821...

Perhaps you are not much of a dancer.  And it is probably even more likely that those of you reading this have never done the Tango.  However, when you watch the Tango it is perhaps the most complicated and intricate of all the dances.  And yet on the outside it is as if the two people are one…but to learn the Tango correctly and be successful to the point that it looks effortless that takes...

If you are like me you remember watching the Wizard of Oz and young Judy Garland playing the heroine Dorothy from a small time in Kansas.  But what if the story was slightly rewritten.  The setting is a small Kansas town and it is a couple of businesses that wondering if they should do a merger and a young HR Director by the name of Dora T. Gayle because of a bizarre “twister” of circu...

The late great women’s basketball coach Pat Summit once was reported being asked about her secret to winning championships, she said, “recruit great players”.  Jim Collins in his book “Good to Great” alludes to recruiting great employees in his quote, “If I were running a company today I would have one priority above all others: to acquire as many of the best pe...

It has been said that “all work and no play, makes Jack a dull boy”.  In today’s society it seems that we just want people to work.  But maybe the real truth is we need balance in our work.  Not just play, but the idea that the workplace is a fun place to work.  Study after study has demonstrated that workplaces that have fun are more productive, more creative, and create employe...

Perhaps one of the greatest challenges we all have is presenting in front of others.  So often when it comes to presenting we major on the minors and minor on the majors.  The major of course making sure you are presenting you authentically.  You can have all the presentation skills down pat, but until you realize that YOU ARE THE PRESENTATION it will not make any difference, because nothing subst...

As a coach I am often called because the owner, founder, or CEO wants to change their business.  There is this belief system that the business is it’s own entity and that you magically can change the business.  However, the truth is if you want your business to truly change then the owner, founder, or CEO is the one who must change first…and that is not always easy.  On this episode of...

How many of you dream of being your own boss?  You know owning your own company.  It all sounds pretty cool until you look at the lives of those who build it from the ground up and all the struggles it takes to get to financial success.  How do you stay resilient when life throws you a curve?  Like your parents dying.  No money.  Feeling Lost and alone.  So what you do you?  Well if you are Elliot...

No doubt about it, obtaining new customers will cost you more than retaining your current clients.  But what happens if your customers do not return?  Or worse yet what happens if your clients leave?  We all know the answer…you are going to spend more money on customer acquisition.  More expensive marketing dollars to try to convert “tire kickers” into customers and then try to c...

We have all heard of democracy,  The problem is we only think of it as a government entity.  The problem is as democracy is outlined most governments that say they practice democracy do not practice the principles.  Founder and CEO of Worldblu Traci Fenton joins us on this episode of A New Direction to enlighten us to understand what a true democracy is and how when applied to the workplace has de...

Everyday we are in a negotiation…in fact we are in negotiations throughout our day.  You are negotiating with your self if you want to continue to read this post.  You may be in negotiation with your spouse, child, boss, co-worker, or friend.  You may be in an industry as an attorney or real estate professional where negotiation is the key to your business.  The fact is negotiation is what w...

When it comes to learning about business there is a great deal to be said about getting a solid college education.  And yes an MBA helps when it comes to learning about business, but perhaps the greatest lessons are learned after school is out, the school of the real world begins.  Rael Bricker is originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, but lives in Perth Australia.  He has a Master’s De...

Let’s be honest the world is changing at an amazing pace.  Technology is moving so fast that as soon as you purchase technology it is already obsolete.   As we come through the pandemic we have watched which companies were able to handle change and which ones sadly could not.   The other fact is that if we are not willing to change, or chose to ignore it.  those businesses will die.   And th...

When it comes to work freedom is the last thing we think about.  Most of the places we work at for instance use some sort of a hierarchy.  But what if you could truly have freedom at work ?  What if you really mattered?  What if your opinion mattered?  What if you were given more choices within your job?  When we think about those questions depending where you are at in the hierarchical chain you...

We have all been through and continue to go through crisis.  For the last two plus years we have been dealing with the pandemic.  We have seen businesses crumble, people scatter, emotions rising.  The truth is leading in a crisis is not easy.  Now we have Russia invading and starting an unprovoked war with the Ukraine.  Talk about leading in a crisis, no one is envious of what Volodymyr Zelensky t...

When it comes to our job search we often get the same old tired advice.  Many job search professionals will want to focus on your resume, cover letter, or your network.  And while those things have value we often miss the most important element in our job search…YOU.  As our authors Cathy Wasserman and Lauren Weinstein on this episode of A New Direction describe it, “we can have a tsun...

We place a great amount of stock in what people say, but perhaps we have that wrong.  We more than likely should pay closer to the body language of the person because that may be more of a give away of what that person is thinking.  Most of us are fascinated with body language when it comes to deception and lying.  Most of us also believe we can detect lying accurately in others say with their bod...

When it comes to marketing the research is clear, your best marketing is telling your authentic unique story.  Why? Because our brains are naturally wired to hear and relate to a story.  Also, because we all have one.  What is more every story is unique which means that your story becomes a differentiator when it comes to your marketing.  The question becomes how do you tell your marketing story? ...

We all love a good story.  In fact, we watch movies and TV shows because we love the storytelling that happens with in them.  But some how in business we get a disconnect between storytelling and our brand.  Sure we will spend tons of money on marketing, believing that it is making a difference.  But we are perhaps missing the greatest marketing advantage each of us have…and that is telling...

We all know the statistics…the number one reason why people leave their job is their boss.  But we also read how managers are frustrated because they cannot seem to motivate their employees to be as productive as they need the to be.   Honestly when it comes to this relationship it appears to be no relationship at all.  The fact is this relationship should be a partnership.  A partnership th...

Most of us do not realize it, but the fact of the matter is most of our behavior is guided by fear and a resistance to change.  We are susceptible to FOMO “fear of missing out”, or we fear that we may lose what we have.  We may jump from relationship to relationship because we have an unconscious fear of commitment, or we may fear we are not loveable.  The media uses fear to keep us en...