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Devil’s Advocate – Why You Need One

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You might think that a Devil’s Advocate is a bad thing, but it’s one of the best things for your business. Let me explain.

Scenario: A new project or service is being developed and a core group of people are going to be working on it. Sometimes the idea is the brainchild of a boss or department head, and they hand pick their team to work on it. They don’t accept ideas from outsiders, and they are certain it’s going to be the next best thing since sliced bread.

Outcome: They spends time, energy, and even company money to implement the idea and NOTHING CHANGES, or THINGS CHANGE FOR THE WORSE. They get some horrible feedback from clients, etc. Then you start to hear the grumblings from employees saying they knew it was a bad idea or that it wouldn’t work, or they would have done it this way, etc.

When you have a small group of people working on one thing over a long period of time, they develop the same perspective on what is going into the project or what is being taken out. They are all dedicated and loyal to what they are working on, but when the time comes to launch it, they are expecting, whether they realize it or not, for everyone to feel exactly the same way.

Sound familiar? It happens everywhere, and it doesn’t matter if the reason is that the people are too like-minded, or that the boss or leader of the project just won’t listen to anyone, or if the employees are just “yes people” and don’t want to rock the boat or put any extra energy into thinking about the idea. Regardless of the reason, it can be crippling for your business.

The idea of a Devil’s Advocate might sound really negative, but it’s not, well, not if they have the right mentality. As long as they aren’t focusing on just the bad things (a Negative Nelly), and they can offer some alternate ideas instead (they come with solutions, not just pointing out the problems), and they spark others to think outside the box, then having a Devil’s Advocate on your team is a win-win.

Here’s the tricky part though, the big cheese needs to be willing to listen. We’ve had several clients over the year say that they need a change, they are open to new ideas, etc. BUT at the end of the day, they just didn’t listen. They would buck every new idea with why it wouldn’t work, they wouldn’t get their team excited about the new ideas, or they would agree to the idea but then 5 minutes later, they are off on their own path again creating chaos.

How do you know if a Devil’s Advocate (DA) is successfully doing their job? In all actuality, it should be subtle. There should NOT be huge disagreements, people stomping off getting angry, or a project being put on hold until people cool off. A DA just responds to ideas by asking more questions. They ask What If scenarios. They offer some suggestions on doing things different – would it have the same or better outcome. They spark others to think about the actual cause and effect. Their job is to get everyone thinking. If everyone agreed all the time with the first idea that came up, I’m pretty sure we’d still be in the Stone Ages.

It’s how Cindy and I work daily. She might be the one who still signs my paycheck, but if I just Yes’d her on every idea, piece of content, or strategy, I’d never be challenging her or myself. It’s not about being difficult or pushing back, it comes from a place of love and knowing that maybe if we dig a little deeper or consider a different angle, something GREAT will be born instead of something that’s just OK. Now, we make sure we are always moving forward, because progress should never stop, but taking time along the way to make sure we are still doing it the best way at the moment is crucial.

Do you have any great Devil’s Advocate stories, please share, I’d love to hear them? Comment below or send me an email at jenn@staging.redbarnconsultingllc.com.

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Entrepreneurs need Alfred

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[NEWSFLASH] Not all Entrepreneurs make great CEOs and not all CEOs are great Entrepreneurs. People confuse the two titles a lot because in the small business and even in the middle market world the CEO and the Entrepreneur (Founder) are one in the same – but it’s a tricky and often tumultuous road.In fact, most Entrepreneurs don’t make great CEO’s unless they have a dynamic #2 working side by side with them. Alfred (CEO) to their Batman (Entrepreneur).

Here’s why: Most Entrepreneurs are visionaries, big picture, quick thinkers and are often shiny object people with a huge instant gratification trigger that leads to easy boredom. Entrepreneurs lead by vision and inspiration.

Take me, I’m a classic entrepreneur (right now I’m also the CEO but thank GOD I’ve got my version of an Alfred in Jenn). I love launching new businesses. It’s the thrill of it all. I love the plotting and planning, the dream of what could be and the launch. After about a year in, it becomes a rote process and I get bored and I want to build something new. Fortunate for me Red Barn Consulting allows me to do a TON of creative things and launch programs within the company. I’m no dummy – I’ve learned how to control my launch impulses so I can give my company time to mature, and I have a #2.

Effective CEO’s are also visionaries and big picture, quick thinkers BUT they have staying power and lead by inspiration AND process. The process part is HUGE. They are leaders with acute management skills. They can see the operational process mapped out in their brain and know how to put the right people in the right seats, protect the bottom line, and strategically take the company to the next level. Most CEO’s are more risk averse than entrepreneurs – they need to be.

Although I’m very good at mapping operational processes out for my clients and even for Red Barn, I’m one of the first offenders at not following the process. Just ask Jenn, she will tell you. Entrepreneurs aren’t the easiest to work for. We tend to get hyper focused on something and won’t let it go until we get what we want – strength and weakness btw. We also have a hard time with minute details, finishing tasks that bore us… the list goes on, but you can see where I’m going. Without a powerful #2, your business becomes a #hotmess quickly. Been there, done that.

Great CEO’s are deep thinkers, are fine with minute details and can stick it out for the long haul. Jenn is classic CEO material, I’m classic wild and wooly Entrepreneur. Neither one trumps the other, because both are needed for a business to launch, scale, and succeed.

If you are new to the entrepreneur world, and you relate more to me than Jenn, realize early on that you will need someone to run the ship. Find your Alfred.

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Do you have what it takes to be your own boss?

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Are you sick and tired of working for someone else? Putting in long hard hours just to benefit the owner of the company and shareholders? Working the 9 to 5 grind week after week with no end in sight? Yup, we’ve been in your shoes. We know how it feels. Depending on the culture of the place you work at, you feel like just another cog in the wheel. So, are your finally ready to be your own boss and start your own company? GREAT!

The first thing you need to know about being your own boss is that it isn’t all rainbows, glitter, and unicorns. It is liberating and exciting, but it has its pros and cons just like anything else. Before you ride off into the sunset to start your own company, make sure you know what you’re in for.

Setting Your Own Schedule. I think this is one of the biggest draws to being your own boss. You have the freedom to create your own schedule. However, you may find that like so many other business owners, you are working longer hours than you anticipated. You still have the flexibility to determine when your day starts and ends, when you take vacations, and handle all your personal obligations.

Creative Freedom. You determine what your products and services will look liked, when they will be available, and how you want to deliver them. If something isn’t working, you have the power to revise those offerings to ones that customers may respond better to or terminate them if they no longer interest you in providing them anymore.

Creating Your Own Core Values. You get to set the tone for how your company is see. What’s most important. You can align it with your own personal values and infuse it into every aspect of the company.

Money. You don\’t draw a regular paycheck, not like you would if you were an employee of someone else. You get paid with what is left after expenses, taxes, etc. And you are solely responsible for generating your income. If your business idea flops or you don’t follow the right steps to create a successful business, you could lose your entire initial investment. BUT you also aren’t limited to what you can earn. If you work hard and set yourself up for success, it\’s possible to generate great wealth when you run your own enterprise.

Tax Benefits. Business owners can take advantage of a range of tax benefits despite paying higher Social Security and Medicare rates. They are allowed to accelerate or delay particular expenditures, hire family members and write off a greater variety of business expenses. These options can dramatically reduce the tax burden.

Health Benefits and Retirement. You’ll have to pay for your own health insurance unless you have a spouse who works at a company who provides them. If you are purchasing them yourself, you’ll find that you are paying higher premiums vs. what you paid as an employee. You’ll also be responsible for contributing to your own retirement account without any employer match.

Being your own boss can be both satisfying and terrifying. If you put in the hard work and dedication, you can achieve success in being your own boss. Just remember that it does come with its advantages and disadvantages – and you have to look at them all. The best way to make sure you start out on the right foot, is to have a mentor or coach, who can help you set yourself up for success and make sure you are ready to take the leap. Being your own boss can be far more rewarding than you can imagine.

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Accountability – What’s your excuse?

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When you think about accountability, most people think it means taking responsibility for your mistakes. Admitting when you messed and taking the blame for any fall out. That’s now wrong, but it’s only a part of really and truly holding yourself accountable for your actions.

Meriam Webster defines accountability as the quality or state of being accountable; especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one\’s actions. The way I interpret accountability means also taking responsibility for why you aren’t happy, working your dream job, or living the life you truly want. Making excuses or inactivity is still an action – and it doesn’t mean you can’t be held accountable.

Let’s be brutally honest with each other for a minute. We all make excuses, probably every day, for why something isn’t done. At work, you might have 6 different open projects swirling around your desk, and something slipped through the crack. You own up to it, apologize, and make sure it gets done ASAP. At home, you might have forgotten to move the clothes from the washer to the dryer because the kids needed a ride to practice or had a band concert, so now you have to run them through another wash cycle. Both situations could easily be blamed on being overworked or having too much going on – but we own up to making the mistake or not paying attention or not scheduling our time correctly.

BUT why do we make excuse after excuse when it comes to achieving our goals and dreams? Think about it for a minute. Have you had a goal that you’ve always wanted to achieve? Maybe it’s starting your own business or traveling the world. Neither of them is as complex as finding a cure for cancer or creating world peace. So why haven’t you done it yet? In your mind you make the same excuses over and over again. The timing isn’t right, you don’t have $50,000 saved in the bank, something less important popped up and you decide that for some reason that should come first. Excuse after excuse.

It’s time to start holding yourself accountable for your goals. Just because you’ve never said them out loud or shared them with anyone, doesn’t make them any less real or important. So why do we constantly make them feel like they are less real and less important? Because we aren’t holding ourselves accountable.

We’ve been working with a business coach at Red Barn and one of the big things he preaches is time blocking and scheduling. You want to take that dream vacation – do it. Look at your calendar right now and block that time off. You don’t necessarily have to book the vacation today, but if you never block it off, something will always come up and keep you from doing it. You want to start your own business – awesome. Create a contract with yourself and include the key dates – date you start your business, date you quit your job, dates you will have the business plan done, business paperwork filed with the state, etc.

Life is WAY too short to keep putting your dreams on hold. Don’t let others dictate what’s important in your life because you aren’t taking accountability for what you really want. No one is going to check in with you to see if you’ve booked airline tickets yet or met with a business attorney. So, start putting dates on your calendar, and start living the life that’s really going to make you happy. No one wants to look back 20 years from now and feel like they missed out on opportunities.

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The Consultant Gig – can you make it happen?

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Lately, I’ve been chatting with more than one “Mid-Life Re-brander” – those who have lived in Corporate America for a bit, gained a ton of knowledge and skills, and now in their 50’s and 60’s wants to leave and become a consultant.

The reality is, most won’t do it because it’s tough and scary leaving a 6-figure job and benefits to face the unknown. I know – I’ve been there, but I did it. The solution is, you need to test the waters – dip your toes into the world of Consulting. Find a few clients, try your skills, and see if you are good at it, and more importantly do you like it! The secret is doing this while you still have a 9-5 gig.

Disclosure: Some companies forbid side work while in their employ, so you need to check out your employment agreement and non-competes. Typically, if you aren’t taking money away from them, you are fine. Better safe than sorry, if you are at all iffy, contact an attorney and ask.

Here’s how to get started and get to 100K+ in revenue fairly quickly:

  1. Super Powers. What are you great at and love to do. What can you get lost in for hours? This is obviously a key component of success. You need to clearly define what you will be offering.
  2. Your early adopters. Once you figure out what your “offer” will be, you need to hone in on some early adopters who have a specific pain point that your offer solves. Make a list.
  3. Create a mini business plan. This doesn’t have to be a novel but you need something! What will your offer look like to your early adopters – what will the deliverables be, what will the cost be, what will the turn around be, and how will you do the work, so it won’t interfere with your job.
  4. Begin approaching your early adopters and sharing your idea with some key people in your network.
  5. Sign up 1 client. Test your new offer, tweak as needed. When you feel confident you delivered as promised and you enjoyed the process – go for Client #2. Rinse & Repeat
  6. Pick a Date. You’ve tested the waters and decided you can make this work. Set a date that you will exit your 9-5. Write it down.
  7. Pick a Dollar Amount. Determine how much you need to make in recurring income per month before your due date. Now work backwards to ensure your price point and working capacity matches. This is money you NEED versus what you WANT.
  8. Make sure you have a viable pipeline to add to the workload once you leave – you should have at least 5-7K in recurring income by the time you leave your job, and then be able to increase that immediately with new income streams.
  9. Bridges Secure. Don’t burn bridges with your current employer – in fact they may be an ideal client! (PS. I did this and secured $60K in revenue my first year in business at Red Barn). If you are great at your job, your boss may not want to let you go. Having you as a 1099 will cost them less and you can still be a viable team member – allowing for a slow transition out if that works for everyone!
  10. Go Time. Stick to your date unless there are real extenuating circumstances such as illness.

The 10-Steps may seem simple, and in fact the process is, but don’t be fooled, there is a lot of hard work involved. Early mornings, weekends, and nights working on and in your new business model. It’s far easier easing into the Consulting world than leaping in without a cushion.

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Client retention issues? I bet I know why.

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I often get calls from business owners telling me they need marketing because their sales have “dipped”.   I dig a bit deeper asking questions about why they think revenue and retention have dropped.  I get the following:

  • My competition is eating me a live
  • I need better employees
  • My customers don’t value me like they used to
  • I’m not competitive anymore
  • No problem – I just need marketing!

When I get these type of responses, it’s the red flag zone for me.  99% of the time there is a deeper issue and marketing is the last thing they should be focused on right now.

My next step is to head to their office – I want to be there first thing in the morning when employees are showing up.  I want to just watch, listen… and learn.  What I typically find is an unhappy situation, a morgue with Stepford Wife type employees who fake being happy there.  Where’s the boss?  In his/her office drinking coffee, with the door closed.  It’s Monday and there is work to do.  The Grind. The Misery.

In my line of work, the #1 reason most companies fail to thrive is due to their culture and the lack of a leader who understands the importance of TEAM.

When you hire the right employees into the right culture with a leader who embraces a culture of learning and mentoring– your customer experience will soar.

It all comes back to the Core Values of the company – the driving principals. The Ten Commandments – it’s how you act internally and how you project yourself externally.  When there is a disconnect with the Core Values of the owner and those of the employees – it becomes a hot mess and those dissatisfied employees become a cancer – which then trickles down to the customer experience.

If your retention and revenues are dipping – please take a hard, holistic look at your business and ask WHY.  WHY are customers not sticking?  It’s rarely because of price or your competition – it’s because of their experience with you and your brand. They left because they didn’t feel the love and someone else was loving them more than you were.

Employees matter.  Culture matters.  Most importantly, how your employees express your culture to your customers matters.

Until you fix this – don’t spend a dime on marketing. You are tossing dollars out the damn door.

Client retention issues? I bet I know why. Read More »

Entrepreneurs: Mindfulness Matters

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I’m a serial entrepreneur. I learned the hard way, that my lifestyle isn’t always unicorns and glitter dust (as Jenn would say).  Being an entrepreneur takes grit, patience, hard work and looking risk in the eye and saying, “Just watch me”.

To love what I do, I’ve created a mindset around that.  I understand that every single day there will be challenges – and that’s all they are, challenges.  Will I fail at times?  Absolutely – but those are opportunities to learn and grow.  I’m not going to lie, I don’t walk around gloriously happy 24/7, life gets to me like any honest human. The difference is I don’t get stuck there.  It doesn’t bring me joy to dwell on what I don’t have, or what I wish I could have.  I look at the possibilities and I’m mindful of looking forward.

Practicing mindfulness is something I learned that most successful business people practice – in fact it’s what most truly HAPPY people practice.

It took me years to get here.  I used to compare myself to others, long for this perfect company with perfect cash flow and perfect employees – thinking everyone BUT me had them.  I call bullshit on that one.  Perfection is not only a myth, it’s an evil gremlin that messes with many a mind!

With the help of hours of reading, and working with coaches here’s how I came to be in my mindful utopia I call my life:

  1. My Three Words. Each year I choose 3 words that will define my year. I live by them – mindfully.  I choose them mindfully and I work at it.  This year they are: Teach. Gratitude. Peace.
  2. I journal – I used journal ALL the time. In fact – I have journals from just about every day I was at UConn. (scary I know – but a hoot to read!).  Each morning I manifest the day I want.  So, it’s positive thought – what do I want?  I also write down something around my Three Words. See#2
  3. I have serious ME TIME each and every morning. 5-7am is all about me. I ease into my day.  This was a game changer.  I drink my coffee AND… either read the paper, paint, exercise – or even go back to bed.  Whatever makes me happy – it doesn’t matter what I do, except to “Just be”.  That time is sacred, and on rare occasion do I mess with it.
  4. I surround myself only with people with my same core values and mindset. Why be around people who stress me out?  That’s the PEACE in my three words.
  5. I am a constant learner – I read, have mentors, surround myself with brilliant people. The only way to grow is to learn.

Folks, when I tell you I struggled with never really being happy for years – even though I had everything I needed – it’s the truth. I was never able to “just be” and enjoy the moment. Mindfulness changed all of it.

If you are a business owner struggling to have that work/life balance – trust me, just try my formula or make your own.

  1. Take time for you
  2. Be Grateful for what you have
  3. Focus on what you want versus what you don’t want
  4. Be Mindful of your actions and who you surround yourself with
  5. Money is not the most important thing – EVER. It will come and go – your friends and family are what you should treasure.

Namaste

CD

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The fear of trying

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You’ve probably heard a quote like “if you’re going to fail, then fail fast.” I used to be afraid of failing, let’s be real, no one wants to fail. But working at Red Barn has taught me that, hey, sometimes you fail, and that’s OK if you fix it and learn from it. It’s a tough transition, especially if you work in Corporate America where when something goes wrong, it turns into the blame game. It’s a nauseating feeling always trying to cover your ass in case that finger turned to you. It became more than a fear of failing and more of a fear of even trying something new. But now, I’ve learned to embrace learning and trying new things because the fear of failure isn’t so stifling.

Before I started at Red Barn I had NO marketing experience. Sure, I used Facebook and LinkedIn, but that was about it. I’d never written a blog, sent out an e-newsletter, or used any design software. But I had to learn these things, and being remote, Cindy couldn’t hold my hand and walk me through things. I relied heavily on 2 very good friends – YouTube and Google. Trust me, if these 2 don’t know how to do something, then it’s not meant to be done.

I learned how to make updates to a website, edit art files in Adobe Creative Suite, create e-newsletter templates, create and implement Drip email workflows, the list goes on and on. Have I messed stuff up – ABSOLUTELY! Go ahead – ask Cindy – she’ll tell you. Most of the time I was able to fix any issues before they went live or to a client. That’s why we proof each other’s work – those extra set of eyes are key.

Here’s a secret that I learned from my mistakes and it wasn’t to stop trying! First – take accountability for your actions. Pointing the finger to someone else doesn’t fix the issue. Own it, fix it, learn from it, and move on. Secondly – follow up! This can save you a ton of headaches. Here’s a great example – We have a client that we schedule blogs for that post on a specific day and time. I send the link ahead of time to the client to share on social media and via an email to their clients. Well, I went in to check to make sure the first blog posted as scheduled and to my surprise – for some technical reason, it didn’t post! Had I not followed up, the client would have posted a dead link on their social media and in their email. I was able to fix the issue before it created a problem. It was no one’s fault, but you can bet I would have felt horrible if the client felt any negative effects from the error.

Trying new things is what makes my job exciting and fun. If I was afraid every time I had to try out a new software or implement a new marketing idea, I wouldn’t get very much done. Trying and failing is just part of the learning process. Sometimes you try things and get a win right off the bat – I LOVE when that happens. But most times you must try things a few different times before you get it right. It’s a process as Cindy likes to say. I play around with something, test it, make it live, test it again, make more tweaks, test it again, and so on and so on until it’s perfect. Another Cindyism – progress not perfection. Trust me, you learn a lot about yourself when you self-teach, and I get really excited when I teach my self new things and can put them into action.

So, my PSA for the day – Don’t be afraid to try things. Pull the trigger so that if you do fail, you fail fast and have time to fix it and learn from the mistakes.

If you have any great failure turned success stories, I’d love to hear them!

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Efficiency – is it a curse or a blessing?

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It’s often a running joke at Red Barn that I get shit done – and fast. I really can’t help but be efficient. I’m not quite sure if it was something I learned as a child or something I was just born doing, but as far back as I can remember, I’ve always been motivated to just get things done. Lately, it’s made me wonder if there is such a thing as being too fast, too efficient…

I can remember being back in the 6th grade and every morning we’d have an assignment that we’d have to start working on while everyone got settled, attendance was taken, volunteers would collect homework or items for the office, etc. I would rush to put my coat and backpack away, get out the book I need for the assignment, and work as fast as possible to get the assignment done, correctly of course, so that I wouldn’t have to work on it later or as homework. Having watched this pattern for weeks, my teacher actually said something to me about being too concerned with getting my work done. (Shocking, right! Well, I did go to Catholic school, so things were much smaller and a lot different than public school) So, the next day I volunteered to collect everyone’s homework instead of getting a jump on the morning assignment. Do you want to know what I learned – Nothing!

Other than my teacher, no one cared that I was the one collecting assignments instead of doing my work. No one cared when I got the assignment done as long as it was done by the due date. And the funny thing was, no one else took advantage of the extra time they had when they didn’t volunteer. Ok, I lied, I did learn something, but I didn’t realize it until many, many years later. I’m just wired different than most people. And for the most part, it’s OK!

I have come to terms with the fact that I just work at a faster pace than more people. I just can’t procrastinate – it’s not in my DNA. If I have a to-do list, I can’t relax until I’ve check off all the tasks. I love that sense of satisfaction that my work is done. If I can get it done today – I will. It’s just how I operate. BUT, I can’t help but wonder if my efficiency, and let’s be honest, lack of patience is getting on other people’s nerves or creating frustration for myself?

I sometimes find myself getting frustrated when it takes people more than 5 minutes to respond to an email or that it takes them 2 hours to complete a task that I know should only take an hour. I know, I know – who would want to work with me?!

It’s something I’m working on – being mindful of my time, other people’s time, and working on letting go some. I’ve started saying NO to things that I don’t want to do, more in my personal life vs. work. But at the end of the day, I can’t help but be me. In my defense, I do warn people that I’m crazy! But I also think my dedication to my to-do list, checking email, and be overall responsive is what makes me so good at my job.

So, the morale of my story is this – be who you are! My efficiency has made me who I am today, and you don’t get to be the Ops Beast by sitting on your haunches – pun intended! My apologies to anyone that I’ve annoyed or had to poke to move faster. It was nothing personal!

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Never have I EVER…. Automation!

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It seems like lately technology has gone into hyper drive when it comes to marketing and sales – even life itself. 

Chatbots, Artificial intelligence, Alexa, Drones…and even in the world of marketing: Automation. 

I’m old school and tend to not be an early adopter of automation.  I had a paper calendar up until 3 years ago when I finally started using my iPhone calendar.  (I know – right?)  I still read the Sunday paper – as a paper and not on my phone, I still get magazines…the list goes on. 

One thing I have adopted though is automation for our marketing and sales processes. Why?   

Self-serving mostly.  I guess the same reason I still read real magazines – I like to. 

I’ve never liked cold calling – EVER.  I would find any way around it. 

Email Marketing – WIN 

LinkedIn – WIN 

Networking – WIN 

Lately – I’m all about Facebook ads, webinars, lead magnets, landing pages, funnels, CRM tagging, automated workflows – can you say flow charts on steroids? 

The point is – it makes my life easier and I close more deals.  More importantly I get to be super and I mean SUPER targeted where my message goes and who sees it.  I’m not wasting time on someone who doesn’t fit my target client profile. 

Automation using tools such as Active Campaign or Infusionsoft. Creating courses in Thinkific and using tools such as Zoom, Click Funnel, and Zapier.  (ps – not getting paid for those plugs).  It’s all about tapping into the genius of automation – stuff other people have already thought out and I don’t have to! 

Do I still do email marketing – of course!  But I’m far smarter about it now. 

LinkedIn – you bet!  But it’s not just my resume. 

Networking – Oh yea. But I’m more about the mastermind groups than the big ole networking by tossing a fishing net.  

Times are changing.  Embrace the technology that WORKS for YOU! If you still like to curl up in your jammies and read the REAL Sunday Times vs. reading on your iPad – then do it.  No harm, no foul.   

What’s your favorite automation tool or technology hack? 

Cindy 

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