Culture

It might be time to fire your salesperson

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No-one likes to talk about firing people. Modern business is all about giving staff opportunities, helping them excel in the right role, and incentivizing your employees to do their best. But, sometimes, despite your strongest efforts, they just aren’t stepping up to the plate.

When that happens you need to make a tough decision — Do you continue to provide opportunities in the hope they’ll change, or do they get the pink slip? One area where it’s vital to make that decision fast is in your sales department. It’s your sales representatives who create your revenue, so when they’re underperforming, you need to take decisive action.

Here’s how to tell if you should show them the door.

Look at the sales metrics of the salesperson. There’s nothing like hard data to help you make a decision. Look at the evidence on how your sales teams are doing. Explore the individual measurements and performance data for specific employees. Review this information in context — How do they compare to other individuals or teams? What are the industry averages and benchmarks? This data is the first step in identifying weak performers.

Read through one to ones and personnel reviews.Your business should be holding one to ones and formal reviews with your employees. Take a look at their feedback reports, how their peers and managers view them, and how they present themselves. Keep an eye out for warning signs and indications they’ve been offered previous opportunities to improve.

Talk to their sales manager – or have a chat with yourself if it’s you! The next step is to speak to their line manager or team leader. Find out what they think of the salesperson and whether they have the potential to improve. Learn about the subtext of conversations they’ve had in the past. Find out if their lack of performance is due to their attitude and approach, an absence of skill and training, or for some other reason.

Summarize the key factors behind poor performance. Following your review process, establish the main cause of their poor performance, it could be for one (or more) of several reasons:

• Attitude and approach – They just don’t have the right interpersonal skills, autonomy, or approach to be a good salesperson.
• Lack of experience — They don’t have enough history and related experience with sales to be able to close deals.
• Lack of skill — They may not have the correct level of training to make the most of any natural talent they might have.
• Process issues — They don’t have a proper understanding of the sales process in your business.
• Issues with other team members — There might be friction in your teams with other people or interactions that are impacting their ability to sell.

Speak with your HR department – or this may be you again! When you know the background for the poor performance, it’s time to speak to HR. Learn if there are potential steps you can take to improve performance, or if they’re simply a “lost cause.” In some cases you might just need to provide more training and support, in other cases, the best thing to do might be the dismissal process.

Make sure you follow the dismissal process. You likely have strong policies and procedures around dismissal. Make sure you follow them to the letter and get HR support in place so you meet all your commitments as an (ex) employer.

If you\’re experiencing a decline in your sales figures, it might be down to one or two individuals. It’s important to take a rational, objective approach to learn what’s going on and why. If you do find out it’s due to individual performance, ensure you understand the background and context. Then, you can involve HR and make sure you treat both your employees and your business needs fairly.

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If You Can’t Keep Top Talent, It Could Be Your Culture

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You posted the perfect job ad, read through dozens of resumes and narrowed them down. You shortlisted some great candidates, interviewed them, and found a standout applicant — You knew they could take your business to the next level. So you hired them, with high expectations and excitement for the future.

Six weeks later, they’re in your office with a resignation letter. Through your disappointment, you ask “Why are you leaving?” They respond “I’m not sure I’m a good fit.” Translation — Your company culture might not be working, and you need to do something about it.

What is company “culture?” Lots of experts talk about company culture, but what does it actually mean. Think of it as the “default emotional state” of your company. It’s how working in your business makes people feel. Does their business environment excite, motivate, and inspire them? Does it feel oppressive and authoritarian? Does it present the right mix of challenges, problem solving, and support?

Why does culture matter? Culture matters because it has a huge impact on how your people feel. It impacts morale, productivity, hiring, quality of work, autonomy, and so much more. In fact, the better a company’s culture, the more it contributes to your bottom line. The University of Warwick found that, “Happy workers are 12% more productive than the average worker, and unhappy workers are 10% less productive. In fact, unhappy employees cost American business over $300 billion each year.”

Ask your employees what they feel the current company culture is. You probably already have a pretty good idea of how the company culture feels to you, but you need the perspective of the people who really matter — Your employees. If you’re concerned about your culture, talk to your people about it. Discuss it in one to ones, let them know that whatever they say is fine. Don’t assign any blame — Listen, and understand.

Understand where your company culture comes from. Lots of things go into building a company culture, but the main one is this — It mainly comes from the people at the top of the business. If they’re exciting, inspiring, and approachable, the culture will be too. If they thrive on conflict and authority, that will permeate down through the business. It’s called Leadership and you need to lead from the top down.

That means if you want to change the culture and make your business an awesome place to work, change has to start in the leadership team. It’s a bitter pill, but a necessary one.

Talk to your team about what they want the culture to be. Once you understand how your staff currently see your company culture, and where it comes from, you can work to change it. Talk to people about what their ideal company culture looks like.

What would motivate them to enjoy coming to work more? What changes do they want to see in attitude, approaches, and management styles? How can you make doing their job easier and more pleasurable? Listen to all of it. No-one knows how to improve culture better than your people.

Create a plan. Now you know what your people’s priorities are, you should get a plan in place to change things. You’ll need strong commitment from your leadership team, a project manager who deeply understands culture change, a project team who can get things done, and a review and feedback group who can check actions are having the desired impact.

Actions you can take might include:

  • Improving employment perks — Give your employees the right benefits — Healthcare, time off, retirement planning etc.
  • Give employees control over their time — The ability to work from home, a sensible work / life balance, autonomy to work how they want.
  • Build confidence and trust — Encourage an “open door” policy, positive feedback, and collaboration within and across departments and teams.
  • Provide a better working environment — Relaxed, informal break spaces, a flatter management structure, a relaxed working environment, fun team events and parties.

Enhance your culture. And now, it’s a case of just getting that stuff done. Make changes to your culture, get metrics in place to measure success, track how you’re progressing, and see employee morale and productivity improve.

That way, the next time you spend thousands of dollars on hiring and training, you’ll have the reassurance that your employees are more likely to stay, and your company is likely a “good fit.” And that’s great for everyone.

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Lizard brains, values, trust, and the awesomeness of being you

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Starting a business is one of the most awesome things you can do. You’re making something out of nothing, building new products and services that are going to improve people\’s lives, and creating jobs for people who’ll support your vision. It’s like magic — There was nothing before, and now there’s a living, breathing entity, making amazing stuff.

And every part of this comes down to you. Your views, your beliefs, your values, perspectives, influences, hopes, and dreams — All of those things are indelibly stamped on every part of your business. In short, the things that fire you up, that give you passion that you’re awesome at, are the very same things that make your business stand out. And there’s a simple reason for that — Authenticity.

It’s all about our lizard brains. Back in the early stages of our evolution, we relied on our “limbic system,” one of the most primitive parts of our brain to keep us safe. It commanded fight, freeze, or flight, and the deep instincts we used to survive. As we evolved, we sought out social groups for safety and comfort, gravitating towards others who held the same beliefs as us. Those cultural beliefs are a huge part of who we are now.

That lizard brain never went away, and it still drives us today. It’s why we react so strongly to a well-told story, why we’re moved by the smallest things, why we feel an inherent trust around certain types of people. We’re picking up on subtle cues, and seeking out others who think the same way we do. A respected business thinker, Simon Sinek, has built an entire thought system around this called “Start With Why” and it’s got some pretty good ideas.

People make decisions based on emotion as much as they do on information or data. We use “gut instinct” and “intuition” to choose the right direction, and make snap judgements based on little more than a feeling.

That’s why authenticity is so important. People want to do business with others who believe what they believe. So once you know what you believe, once you can inject it into every fiber of your business and your brand, you can create something powerfully deep and compelling.

So, spend some time digging into what you really believe. The reasons that get you up in the morning and light the fire in your belly. Think about how you can change the world, the value of what you do and how it changes people’s lives. Then, find a way to encapsulate that in your messaging and your brand — Show, don’t tell. Demonstrate what you believe, and you’ll create people who will mobilize to your cause. You’ll get your 1,000 true fans, and you’ll keep building something as amazing as you are.

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Community outreach — How your bank can make a big impact (and get more customers)

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With so much emphasis on online marketing and digital advertising, it’s easy to forget that one of the most powerful ways a bank or credit union can reach people is in the real world. We’re not talking about TV, radio, or print ads (although they can help) — We’re thinking of something a bit more grass roots — Outreach and giving something back, through networking, education, and other activities to help teach people about their financial options.

As a local bank, you thrive when you get out there. It’s a great way to raise awareness, educate customers, help your community, motivate your employees, and let people know you care about them. These events matter because they’re a great way to build trust. By investing your time, effort, and money into community and financial education events, you’re creating powerful change. People get something out of these events, and when they do, they’ll remember it was your bank that helped to make things happen.

Relationships between a bank and its customers can last a lifetime, so creating trust with people is a vital first step to bring them onboard. That starts by sharing something that genuinely useful — Here are some ideas on how you can do that.

Holding free classes, seminars, and forums on money and finance. Generally, people don’t know enough about finance and money to make the best informed decisions. One of the ways to change that is to share easy to understand information and free courses that educate people on how to get the most out of their money, for example:

Encouraging children to save — Aimed at getting young people interested in saving for their future. Showing how powerful compound interest can be over time, and why starting to save now can give you big rewards in the future.

Planning for retirement — Educating people on how important good retirement planning is. Letting them know about their options when it comes to the different retirement plans and funds that are available. Encouraging them to start saving for retirement right now.

Good financial management and budgeting — Teaching people how to use their money wisely, including working out how much you need to live each month, income, expenses, and disposable cash. This can be tied in with saving for the future for life events like getting married, planning for a vacation, having children, buying a house, and making big purchases.

Buying a house — Talking through the process of getting on the housing ladder. Covering deposits, mortgages, moving, and other financial protections you’ll want to have in place.

Protecting yourself and your loved ones — The need for insurance and life assurance. How to manage financial risk and make sure that all the people and things you care about are protected financially.Partner with your local schools, colleges, further education classes and community organizers to create opportunities to teach others.

Professional networking – Get involved with your local Chamber of Commerce and Better Business Bureau. Look for other opportunities to network with business owners and executives.

Ask entrepreneurs about any new plans for expansion or other opportunities. Find out about their financing and provide alternative solutions. Provide advice and support, answer questions and let people know about your products and services. These events are a great way to build up your authority and visibility with other local businesses.

Sponsorship is another great way to increase awareness of your bank and brand, while giving back to your community. There are bound to be lots of local opportunities for sponsorship, whether that’s the Little League, the Humane Society, charity drives, or anything else that gives back. Think about how you can enhance your visibility:

  • Have your employees attend the event as advocates.
  • Do branded giveaways of items people want.
  • Setup a booth providing free financial advice.
  • Be a speaker at the event.

In addition to donating money, you can also encourage your employees to donate their time and effort by giving them paid time off for community projects.

These might all seem like simple approaches, but sometimes going ultra-local really is best. Putting some time, effort, and money into community outreach and helping people gets your name out there, which can be great for winning more customers.

Have you attended an event that you thought was really amazing – let us know what it was and what made it stand out to you.

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When salespeople fail, it might not be their fault

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Being a salesperson is a tough job. Trying to convince the public they really need a product or service is very challenging, and with a cold-call conversion rate some way below 1%, it’s (very) often a thankless task.

You don’t shrink from a challenge though, especially when your business needs to hire great salespeople to survive. So, you read up on hiring theory and practice, read endless resumes, conduct interviews, and hire candidates who are so red-hot their personalities could power small towns.

Three months later, and they’re not exactly living up to expectations. Their conversion rates are the pits, their pitches are more like strikeouts, and the client list you dreamed of is just a wish list. You were told to hire for attitude, and everything else would follow, just what went wrong?

Here’s the truth, and it’s an uncomfortable one — It may not be down to your salespeople. At all.

It’s easy to assume that if you aren’t making sales, it’s your salespeople at fault. In fact, much of the time, it’s the systems, support structures, and training that determine how successful your salespeople are. If your people are failing, explore these areas and see if the problem might lay elsewhere…

Your prospects lists – A salesperson is only as good as the prospects they have access to. Do you have a superb, highly converting prospect list? Do you have the Glengarry leads? Option 1: Spend some time, effort, and money to acquire high-quality, cleansed prospect lists and your salespeople will thank you. Option 2: Work with your team to develop a solid prospecting system using LinkedIn, networking group, associations and centers of influence. Option 3 – a Combination thereof.

Your sales system – Does the software you use to track leads and sales support your salespeople? Is it easy to access from everywhere, does it give them information at their fingertips? Ask your salespeople what they think of the software and how it could be improved. PS – Post it notes do NOT count as a CRM tool and frankly neither do spread sheets.

Your sales process – Your sales process is about more than just the software you use. It’s all of the admin, handoffs, interactions, and other hoops salespeople need to jump through to get things done. If your sales process isn’t as efficient as possible, it can massively drag down your sales numbers. Look at every part of your sales process to see if it could be improved. BTW – all sales systems and processes should be written in manual format and managed to. Sales is indeed….a process whether you are selling widgets or wombats the process is essentially the same.

Your training – Great salespeople are made, not born. Yes, they need to have the right attitude, but they also need the right skills. That comes from training. Provide training on your products and services, the psychology of selling, negotiation skills, and whatever else your salespeople need to become experts. Training needs to be ongoing – it isn’t one and done. During your weekly sales meetings (yes you need them), have debriefs on accounts won and more importantly on accounts lost. What can the team learn?

Your incentives – People need to be incentivized in the right way. This isn’t just pay and salary, it’s opportunities for career advancement, providing constructive feedback, having a good work environment, and ensuring your employees are cared for. Can we say equity? Many salespeople have an entrepreneurial spirit – at least the top dogs do. If your company structure allows for it – why not offer some equity based on performance?

Your management – Is your management process as streamlined as it could be? Remove as many layers from management as you can and give your salespeople more autonomy. Assign well-performing salespeople as mentors to help teach new hires the ropes.

If you’re able to tweak and improve some or all of these areas, you’ll start to see big improvements in conversions and sales. Spend some time, effort, and money on these vital functions now, and you’ll create better equipped, motivated, and trained sales reps who can sell more stuff!

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4 Ways to Use Social Media to Build Brand Awareness

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You’ve heard that social media is a powerful tool for your brand. You’re ready to make content people love to share, but without those first fans, how do spread your message?

Choose the right social media networks

There are hundreds of social networks, but they aren’t all useful to you. Don’t spend your time putting yourself out there on a dozen networks. Find the ones that provide the best results and focus.

Facebook is the most common, but some brands fine it hard to get their content in front of fans if it’s not “sexy.” Instagram is designed for striking visual content and interaction, but there’s no real way to send traffic to another website. LinkedIn is designed for professionals who want to further their careers or find a job. Pinterest is best for visually pleasing subjects that need to be linked elsewhere, like crafts, recipes, and tutorials. Tumblr is for… Well, Tumblr is Tumblr.

Find influencers and exploit their fan base

When you don’t have much of a brand, you need to get your content front of eyeballs. The best way to do that is to leverage the fan base of someone who has already done the hard work.

First, find popular accounts with similar fan bases. Then, collaborate with those accounts so they share your content. You won’t have much to offer in return, so your content has to be stellar (something their fans would love to see) or pay for the privilege.

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Don’t sell too hard

People aren’t using social media to buy products. As much as the social networks would like that to be an avenue for sales, they just aren’t effective. If you’re looking for a clear ROI from your social media marketing efforts, you’re gonna have a bad time.

Social media is about putting yourself in front of your fans with value. At least 80% of your content should be about the customer, not about you. What are their problems? How can you offer information, links, or images that solve those problems? You don’t have to get fancy here. Sometimes the user just wants to be entertained.

Use paid campaigns

Technically, you can build an audience on any social network without investing anything other than time. But who has time? Each social network has their own ad platform. You’ll have to decide which is right for you. In the case of Facebook, for instance, you can pay to have Facebook push your page on other people. On Twitter, you can buy a promoted tweet that forces your content into people’s feeds.

No matter which platform you use, always use their targeting options. Drill down as deep as you can to stretch your money as far as possible. You only want to show your content to people who care.

Post often

At first, it may seem like you’re publishing for no one. Once a few start trickling in, maintain a consistent publishing schedule. Many would-be fans check out your content before committing to make sure you’re worth their interest. If they see you post infrequently or irregularly, they won’t both.

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Be engaging and responsive

Social networks are just that: social. People expect to talk to brands. They want to interact with you because they love your content or product. If you don’t respond, they’ll stop engaging or unfollow from your page/account.

However, if you delight your fans by replying to their comments, liking their content, and making yourself a part of their lives, they’ll reward you by spreading your message to their fans.

Always remember: social media is a tool. And like all tools, it’s only as effective if you use it. Don’t sit around and wait for results. Be active. Be social.

Need some additional guidelines and tips – give us a call!

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Coaches

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Coaches – I’ve got a few. Here’s one thing I learned early on as a serial entrepreneur -it’s not a solo gig even if you are a solopreneur. Well, it can be, but you won’t be successful. The secret: You can’t and shouldn’t do EVERYTHING by yourself…outsource and collaborate. You’ll also want to consider hiring folks that are far smarter than you are – you need a cabinet (of coaches).

In order to feed my entrepreneurial addiction, I’ve hired coaches. Here’s my lineup currently: Business coach, Life coach, HR Coach, wellness coach, and fitness coach. I’ve also hired and collaborated with people that are smarter than I am – but that’s another blog.

My A-Team has been critical to my success as a business owner. I don’t make any major decisions unless I run it by at least one of them.

What my Coaches bring to the table

Business Coach – AKA Robin Bienemann of Crimson Rook – the woman in pink, aka Bubbles to her granddaughters. This woman runs circles around men in their world. She ran manufacturing firms in CA, is an MIT grad and she introduced me to the world of Bourbon (again another blog – but we do a lot of great things with some shared brown liquor). I hired Robin to help me scale Red Barn, to revitalize Agency University which is now called Incrementum and we started a non-profit together – CEBA – Community Enterprise Business Accelerator. Without Robin I wouldn’t have the team I have, and tripled my revenue year over year. Smartest business decision I ever made.

Life Coach – AKA Alicia Davis of InnerOvation – aka the women who reels me in and makes me focus. I hired Alicia thanks to her partner THE Kate Houlihan – insurance guru and wine drinking buddy. I was enjoying an afternoon in Robin’s outside living room with the “girls”. I mentioned to Kate that I just can’t focus and feel like I’m “missing something” in the whole Life Adventure thing. She said I needed an Alicia Intervention. I said “sign me up” – the rest is kind of history. Alicia helped me figure out what was really important in my life and how to get rid of the garbage to find the gems. I’ve learned a lot about myself and because of it, I’m a better business owner and a better boss – oh, and a better person.

HR/Hiring/Team Coach – AKA Marcia LaReau of Forward Motion aka Marcia, Marcia, Marcia or M3.Marcia was referred to me by Robin when I wanted to make my first hire at Red Barn. I need someone to run the show – desperately! Details and organization are not my forte. Marcia spent a fair amount of time learning about Red Barn and my craziness. She wrote job descriptions, interviewed people and found me “My Jenn” – the person who really runs Red Barn Consulting. Jenn was the best thing that ever happened at Red Barn and thank God for Marcia!

Wellness Coach – AKA Ellen Palmer of Ellen Palmer Wellness – aka the woman who helped me figure out my menopausal craziness. Ellen was referred to me by Alicia. It all started when I was telling Alicia how I couldn’t focus and how 30 pounds had appeared in 18 months – I was miserable to say the least. She thought my diet might be part of the issue – so onto Ellen I went. I’m now gluten free and refined sugar free and mostly dairy free. Ellen would love if I was wine free and coffee free – but there are limits – sorry Ellen. Ellen taught me how food really has a profound effect on our bodies. I’m not perfect but I eat fairly clean and abide by the 80/20 rule. Sure, the bad stuff sneaks in every once in awhile – I’m from CT and there’s pizza here – btw GF Pizza just doesn’t cut it. So, I indulge knowing I’ll have a foggy brain for a few days.

Fitness Coach – AKA Sharon Cataldo – aka the women who I share more F bombs with than anyone else. She tortures me at the gym and I love her. I literally met Sharon when I was a baby – my parents rented from hers in a 2 family in Torrington, CT when I was little. I lost track of Sharon until my late teens when I walked into a hair salon and there was Sharon! Lost track of her again after I moved away from CT – only to find her at my gym, Energy Fitness. We were meant to be connected. She is gorgeous, fit, has an unbelievable zest for life – and she makes me work harder than I ever thought I could. Funny thing is, when I work out with Sharon it’s fun –sure I swear a lot, but I love every minute. Thanks Sharon.

That’s my A-Team. Who’s yours? Trust me on this one – if you want to be successful – find some rockstar coaches and find the rockstar team (another blog on how to do that one).

Go get em!
CD

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Delight Your Customers

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We’re all familiar with the 10 commandments of customer service: The customer is always right, know your customers, listen to your customers, etc. But in a world when news and opinions are widely shared on social media and stories go viral on the internet, why not delight your customers.

ReferralCandy, which operates a customer referral software program, compiled a list of 17 examples of how companies gave their customers something to rave about. The online publicity and word-of-mouth buzz these companies generated for customer service is epic.

Here are 5 of the best of the list. Enjoy.

Taco Bell’s “Operation Alaska”

“Yoquiero Taco Bell”A remote Alaskan town craving tacos was devastated when plans to open a Taco Bell turned out to be a hoax. When the restaurant chain heard about the cruel joke, it air lifted ingredients for 10,000 Doritos Locos tacos.

A Porterhouse steak would be nice

Before boarding his plane, Peter Shankman, an angel investor, tweeted to Morton’s Steakhouse Twitter account that he’d love a porterhouse steak waiting for him when he landed in New Jersey. He found one at the baggage claim, free of charge.

Virgin Trains has got your back

A teen trapped without toilet paper on a Virgin train from London to Glasgow tweets for help. A Virgin Trains social media staffer reads his tweet and sends a train employee to give him a loo roll.

Trader Joe’sto the rescue

Trader Joe’s in Wayne, Pennsylvania sent someone out in the middle of a winter storm to deliver groceries to an 89-year-old veteran. The man’s daughter frantically called several stores in the area trying to get groceries delivered. Trader Joe’s, which doesn’t deliver, brought the groceries to the man and didn’t charge him.

Zappos delivers shoes to woman for free

A women checks into a Las Vegas hotel and discovers she forgot to pack her favorite shoes. She tries ordering them online from Zappos, but they are out of stock. When she calls Zappos’ customer service for help, an employee buys her the shoes at another store and delivers them to her hotel room, free of charge.

You can read the full list of customer service feats here.

Need help generating visibility and buzz for your company. Click Red Barn for our contact info.

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Dogs Make the Best Assistants

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Dogs make the best office assistants, really. One of the perks of working for Red Barn Consulting, is being able to work from home. I used to work the usual 8-5 office job, and my dogs hated it. They would start getting destructive because they missed me – and maybe my husband a little too. I don’t know how familiar you are with German Shepherds, but they are one of the most clingy dog breeds. They are so happy that “Mom” now gets to stay home with them all day. And I’ve found them to be very helpful as well.

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They help with a work life balance. My dogs help to keep me on a schedule. Every morning, they wake me up to start the day. They force me to take breaks throughout, get up and move around, and when I need to regroup – we go for a walk or a drive. Casey, our female, has a strict bed time routine, and she will stare at me until I follow her to the bedroom, so no late nights for me.
They are great listeners. Working from home can be tricky when you need advice. There’s no one to bounce ideas off of or to talk out things out with. Or so I thought! My dogs love it when I talk to them. They don’t care if I want to complain about my bad day or talk out the best way to get a task done. Plus, they are adorable when they do that head tilt!

Dogs are a networking tool. Having worked in customer service for many years, I’ve found that having dogs is a great conversation piece and helps with networking. There isn’t just a bond with people who are dog owners, but there’s an even bigger comradery with other German Shepard owners.
They reduce stress. It’s incredibly hard to stay mad or upset when your furry best friend is by your side making sure you are ok. Dogs are fantastic at reducing stress and providing other health benefits. According to WebMD petting your pet can reduce your blood pressure and help you produce relaxation hormones.

I’m an animal lover by nature, even donating monthly to the ASPCA.Their commercials get me EVERY time. And while the dogs haven’t figured out how to fetch the ringing phone, they still deserve a treat for being the best office assistants in the house. Want to check out your dog’s skills in the workplace – June 26th is Take your Dog to Work Day!

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Leadership: What\’s the Real Scoop?

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I’m sitting on a plane to Hawaii right now. A well-deserved….and needed vacation with my better half. Last night before I left, I was chatting with my business guru buddy, Robin Bienemann from Crimson Rook, about leadership. She said: lots of people talk about it (leadership), write about it – but what is it really and how do you transition from manager to leader?I’m paraphrasing as this XX year old brain forgets what I said 2 seconds ago. Sorry Robin. Anyway, it got me thinking – hey there’s a blog in here somewhere. Ergo – today’s latest.

When I think of leaders, I think of the following:

  1. My first business mentor, Art Weber of Sir Speedy Printing in Winston-Salem NC. I started there as a customer service rep through a temp agency making 8 bucks an hour – give or take a few pennies. I was a stay at home mom, looking to get back into the working world – oh and with a divorce on my mind. Mr. Weber pulled me aside early on and told me I had what it takes to make a great salesperson. He changed my world. Mr. Weber ran a tight ship, expected nothing less than perfection. He was, and is, well respected by his family, his employees, and his community. A true leader. Thank you Mr. Weber for the inspiration, the knowledge, and the confidence you instilled in me almost 25 years ago.
  2. My Dad – Bill Hageman. We had a rough relationship but in the end, he was a leader. Involved in his community, teacher, volunteer, and single parent after my Mom died at the age of 45. He never followed – perhaps he was too ornery or stubborn to do so. He instilled in me a sense of defiance, risk taking, and altruism. Dad also died too young at the age of 66 – I often wonder what his retirement years might have been. Would he be running Bernie Sanders’ campaign in CT? Probably, as he always said There’s always someone out there who has it worse off than you do…so suck it up– He took care of those people, and us.
  3. Onto the famous – Richard Branson. I love his leadership style: Employees first, clients second, and shareholders third. For him a job shouldn’t be a chore, but an adventure in life. Something to be savored. He has a zest for life, a passion for his company and let’s, face it –he’s just damn cool. I want my employees to feel like Branson’s employees. Except I would be one cool dudette vs. one cool dude.
  4. Pope Francis. Ok – so the Catholic girl in me survives. I’m far from a loyal one, but I do love our latest Pope. He is so incredibly transparent and true to his word. Even my daughter the self-proclaimed I’m now an atheist after years of catholic school adores this guy. He’s changed the way us non-practicing Catholics view our heritage. I might even head back to church. Chelsea (aka the atheist daughter) might even join me. To be continued…..
  5. Last but surely not least it’s all the visionaries out there. The folks that care about their team and believe in their companies or their causes. The ones who haven’t given up – they decide to be generals and not drill sergeants – the leaders of tomorrow. Keep it up – we need you. In the end being an owner or leader of a team does not make you a LEADER. Leaders are visionaries –managers are doers and implementers. The world needs both – but I can tell you when a company or cause lacks a leader, it will struggle and ultimately perish.

That’s my PSA for the day – hope you enjoyed it.

Aloha!

CD

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