Many of us strive to develop a reputation as “The Expert” in our field. Nothing wrong with that; it’s a proven strategy for building a successful business. There’s really only one drawback to this approach: you can’t scale the expert. This means that if you ever decide to have people work for your company doing the same thing that you …

It’s tough for us to admit when we’re wrong. We think it’s not cool. We’re told it’s not powerful. We believe that it makes people less confident in our abilities. We fell like it diminishes us in the eyes of our customers. (Being honest about our limitations does none of these things, by the way.) Even if we’re deathly afraid …

When we open our mouth, all too often, we don’t know when to close it back up again. Talking just to hear ourself talk, it used to be called. Sometimes we just don’t know when to shut up, and it happens a lot when we’re not 100% confident in what we’re saying. We figure if we just keep on bloviating, …

Looking for an easy way to make a client happy? Want the key to life-long business success? Need a technique to make your business stand out from the competition? Searching for your own personal, brand-building trick? It’s easy. Just listen to your clients. They’ll tell you exactly what you need to know. They are praised who please: they please who …

One of the biggest concerns (especially for new small business owners) is how to stay competitive with their pricing. They think that if their prices are too out of line with what “everyone else” is charging, they’ll end up losing business to their cheaper competitors. Nothing could be further from the truth. Think about it. If price was the only …

We all know that there are important areas in our life that need to change. If we’re honest with ourselves, we already know that the question is not whether we need to make those changes, but rather do we have the courage necessary to do so. The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you …

Be skeptical, not cynical.

I’m currently reading a book that’s blowing my mind, offering guidance that’s undoubtedly going to make a difference in my business. And it was written in 1915! The book is The Art of Public Speaking by Dale Carnegie. If you’ve never read anything by Dale Carnegie, obviously some of the language and references can seem a bit dated (hell, it’s …

There’s an old saying that tells us to dress for the job we want, not the job we have. The same type of thing can be said about building our small business. We should operate like the business we want to become, not the business we currently are. Actions develop into habits, habits constitute character, and character determines destiny. Dale …

It’s easy to show up. It’s easy to do our job. It’s easy to check the boxes. It’s easy to take our clients’ money. It’s easy to be there in body but not in spirit. It’s easy to be just another person running a business. The hard part is actually trying to do something that matters. Going above and beyond …