culture

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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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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You’re Wasting Time

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Productivity is your thing. You worked through the weekend…You wrote emails, put together a sales meeting agenda, and answered phone calls. So what if you were late for your friend’s birthday party and the lawn didn’t get mowed. You were still productive. Were you really? Research shows that working long hours actually saps your productivity in the long run. You might think you’re getting work stuff done by clocking in more than 50 hours a week, but the truth is you’re wasting time.

An interesting Stanford University study that looked at the productivity of females working in munition factories spread all over Britain during World War One proves the point.

The author of the study, John Pencavel, found that the output of the women who toiled more than 70 hours a week differed little than if they had worked 50 hours a week.

That’s right. All those long hours those women spent – Sunday was their only day off – loading gun cartridges didn’t matter to their output in the long run. In fact, the study found that productivity begins to fall after working 50 hours a week.

Yes, I know working piecemeal in a munitions factory during wartime in 1914 isn’t the same as working in an office, but the study proves that clocking in long hours in any line work is counterproductive.

Aside from zapping your productivity, working long hours can lead to fatigue, obesity, brain damage, stress, and even a news article. So how does one work less and still stay ahead of work obligations? There is plenty of advice out there. Business Insider ran a story highlighting entrepreneurs who manage to get things done by working fewer hours.

By working less you’ll get more and better work done, a Slate piece suggests. The thinking is that when your energy is depleted from working long hours you are prone to make bad decisions and mistakes.

So, next weekend, turn off your cellphone. Go for a bike ride, spend time with your family, take a yoga class. And mow the lawn.

Unplug…Have Fun…Get more work DONE!

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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.

\"Jenns

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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Leadership: What\’s the Real Scoop?

Leave a Comment / Culture, Uncategorized / By / / , ,

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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You Might Need a Digital Detox

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Would you rather clean your toilet than your email inbox? Do you find yourself checking your cellphone when it’s not ringing? Does a walk on the beach do little to relieve your work stress?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be in need of a digital detox. But don’t try to tame the technology beast alone.

Sign up for a weekend at Camp Grounded in Anderson Valley, California,“where grown-ups go to unplug, getaway and be kids again.”

The camp, which gained national attention last year, invites campers to trade in their technology——- that means cellphones, computers, tablets, clocks, and live off the grid for a weekend in the woods.

Activities offered at the camp include meditation, swimming, a talent show, and archery. Corporate teams are encouraged.[/x_custom_headline][cs_text]It sounds extreme, but some of us just can’t unplug.

Consider some of the statistics Camp Grounded complied in its digital Camp Grounded manifesto.

  • Sixty one percent admit to being addicted to the internet and their devices.
  • The average American dedicates 30 percent of leisure time on the web.
  • Fifty percent of people prefer to communicate digitally than in person.
  • Sixty seven percent of cellphone users check their device even when it’s not ringing or vibrating.
  • Heavy internet users are 2.5 time more likely to be depressed.
  • The average employee spends 2 hours a day recovering from distractions.

If sneaking out at night at Camp Grounded—- which is actually encouraged—- to gaze up at the stars is not your style, Conde Nast Traveler offers several more luxurious vacation options to un plug.

From a safari camp in Tanzania to a resort nestled in the Andes in Peru, the places are remote and technology is sketchy. Just don’t pack your phone.

PS – we didn’t get paid by Camp Grounded or Conde Nast Traveler – we just think the Red Barn Team needs to unplug once in a while. Company Retreat?? Maybe

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