Company of One

Are you thinking about moving from employee to entrepreneur? Over 50% of Americans want to start a business. And when you get to those in their 20’s and 30’s, that number increases to about 65%. Other countries have similar statistics. So if you are thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, you are in good company. But, how do you prepare to move from employee to entrepreneur? I am currently helpin...

Everyone is an entrepreneur - technically speaking. The question is, what kind of entrepreneur are you? And perhaps more important, what kind do you want to be. You make money to live, and depending on who you are and what you want, how you make money and who you serve is the key question. This is a quick look at some pros and cons of where you are that I hope will help you think a bit about where...

A few years ago I took a leadership position at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Not in so many words I was told, “You have no money, no people, and no resources, but congratulations, you are in charge.” When I speak to leaders at all levels, I get the impression they have the same problem. Recently I was speaking to a group of school system CIOs who are all working with limited resources...

Should you follow your passion or not? In my talks I often state two things: 1) the most successful people have passion for what they do and  2) to find the best work for you find ways to connect the work you love to money. After the talk, some will mention authors that argue against the “find your passion” mantra. For example, Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs tells people that “finding your passion is ter...

It is an epidemic. Everyone seems to want to start a nonprofit. They want to serve the inner city, the poor, the boys without fathers, those who cannot read, and many other causes. Yet, when I hear nonprofit, my heart sinks. It is not that nonprofits are bad, but something about our society is being said when we all want to be a nonprofit. If you are thinking a nonprofit works for you, here I will...

Building a network is one thing, managing your contacts is quite another. With so many platforms (Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook, email, etc) to keep up with, it is hard to reminder the last time I checked in with the key people in my network, much less what we said. But worse than that, I noticed that I would meet some great contact, and by the time I got back with them a year or more had past. The...

If I asked you what you were working toward, could you tell me? A recent conversation startled me. A very bright and well educated man I was coaching told me of his dream to start a non-profit to help stamp out illiteracy. He had a true heart for those who were held back because they could not read. But, his short term goal was to move up in his company. Sensing that I was not hearing him right, I...

Are you running yourself to death? The typical family with careers and kids spend most of their time running and working. They run to get their kids to school. They run to work, which is running all day. Then they run home to get their kids and take them to their endless array of sports and activities. All in the name of providing for our kids and "living the dream". Hurry, Hurry (Courte...

I spend a lot of time coaching others. I tend to start the conversation with some basic questions. Where do you want to be in a few years? Where are you now? What are the obstacles in your way from getting to where you want to be? What is the major obstacle? After doing this for years, I can conclusively say that most of us have no idea what we want, where we are going, or how we are going to get...

I am the kind of person you likes to hide. I would rather not have myself out there to be seen by all. I would rather do my job and go home. (Or at least that is how I was.) The idea of developing a personal brand has always felt like me selling myself, and a little slimy. But, I am now discovering that it is not slimy, but many of those who are preaching the need for a personal brand make it slim...

I remember getting up on Monday morning with a sense of dread. I was going to work and hated every minute of it. I was stuck in a day job. I would wonder, “How had I gotten here?” After my great education from a top engineering school, I was suddenly stuck in a mundane, boring, and yet very stressful day job. How could I get from my day job to my dream job? What was my dream job? To help YOU answe...

If you are not loving your job, you can always quit and find another. But, for some of us that option is either a hard choice or something that will happen over time, not tomorrow. So, whether you are working on a new job or waiting for an event like retirement, the trick is to find out how to be happy at work - today.   Courtesy Flickr/Creative Commons | DVIDSHUB [/featured-image]Click to Listen...

Are you preparing for a change? A change in career? Perhaps even an entrepreneurial venture? Are you preparing to make the change successfully? Do you even know how to prepare? Today we talk to Eric Roberge with Beyond Your Hammock. Eric focuses on helping people create new possibilities by showing them how to prepare before they make the leap. And, his specialty is working with professional entre...

If the first American dream is home ownership, the second is getting a book published. When someone learns that I have published a book, they immediately begin to tell me about their book. Some are just ideas. Others are books actually in the works, or even finished. But for all, they ask me how to get a book published. Although I have published a few books,  I am no expert. Today I introduce you...

Most people go after a new job the way we have always done it. They find an advertised opening, send a resume, and wait. They might also throw in a few job fairs. The end result is that they end up talking to HR, if anyone at all. This is a entirely frustrating and even humiliating experience for most of us. But, some have found ways to pierce behind the veil of job ads and HR using tools such as...

I have been doing a lot of work on my new course Networking for Introverts (soon to release) lately. As I explore and search, I see a lot of common misconceptions that the extroverts of the world are better at networking and making personal connections. Wrong. In my experience, introverts can be the best networkers, with a little preparation. Introverts have an easier time learning to focus on oth...

Have you ever learned a lesson only to realize someone else was modeling that same truth for you for years and you never saw it? Maybe it is just me - the slow learner. My lesson is about networking and connecting. We have all heard the networking secrets. First we have: it is not about what you know, it is about who you know. I bought into that and tried to know the right people, which was frustr...

Do you have a fear of networking? When I was in college and looking for a job, I was told networking was the key to success. So, I put on a suit and tie and headed off to a local networking event. Fear set in. On the way to the event I could hardly grip the wheel of the car from nerves and sweating hands. I was having trouble breathing - even forgetting to breath. But I made it to the event, only...

Last week I went to Dallas to assist Michael Nichols with the Boost Leadership Conference. It was a great time to connect with him and others (most who are part of my mastermind group), but in the conference I learned a few things about leadership and relationships. I thought I would share some of my take-aways with you. Michael Nichols with Dennis and Shelby Scheidt - You Have More to Give[/featu...

Office politics creates more personal frustration than work and work schedules will ever create. Today I will share five ways to deal with office politics - five practical things you can do not matter how nasty the situation. While I doubt there are any big secrets here, I have found the only way to relieve the personal stress is to take action. Immediate and decision action. So, here are five act...

Did you know you can start a business for less than $1000? When we started our homeschooling business, we spent about $7000. But, of that $7000, most of the money was not needed and mistakes we made going in. Instead, when I look at what we really needed to do and spend, the total would have been less than $250. But, when others come to me eating to get started, most think it will cost them over $...

Ever thought of starting and online coaching business? Maybe if you are like Lauren Gaggioli you will. But her path to online coaching went through some unusual and disappointing turns. Did your first career move work out? Did what you planned to do in college make you a living? In today’s podcast we talk to Lauren Gaggioli about her career path and how it has led to her developing an online coach...

Recently I was asked this question by a client, “Do I need a business license to sell online?” If you go to the bookstore and pickup a book on how to start a business, you will invariably find that they tell you to first get a business license. This is a mistake in most cases. Today I will tell you when you might and might not need a license and when you should start trying to find out how to get...

How do I know if my business idea is winner or a loser? Whether developing a new product, service, or entire business, we all wonder if it is a hit or a miss. And we should! The question is often answered with long and detailed product and market analysis. Larger companies may take months or even years to get an answer. But we can do this much faster by addressing 5 simple issues. Photo courtesy o...

In todays podcast I will tell you why you need to build an email list. And, why you need to start now. If you have created your website, as I described in establishing authority episode 52, now it is time to take this next step. Do not make the mistake I did, and so many others also did. Start now. I will tell you how and why. Photo courtesy of Flickr/Creative Commons/Bart Everson [/featured-image...