Up Market |
- Leadership & Limbo Land
- Young Entrepreneurs the Time is NOW!
- How Social is Your Business?
- Your Prospects Don’t See the World Like You
| Posted: 29 Feb 2012 06:00 AM PST
Earlier this week, someone sent me a quote by Jack Canfield that reads "Everything you want is outside your comfort zone." I had to stop and think about that one, because I wasn't sure I agreed with it initially. Lots of things I want are in my comfort zone because – well, they make me feel comfortable. I have already struggled through that initial period where I didn't really know what I was doing to finally arrive at the place where I can successfully perform with a minimum of effort. But if I'm really honest with myself, I have to say that what beckons to me is outside of my comfort zone. It is that which I dream about but am not sure how to do – the off-road adventures that diverge from the paved path I have become accustomed to traveling. And there's danger there – real or perceived, the wheels could come off at any moment and I might find myself stranded and quite uncomfortable. But as I look back at my life, I realize that those phases of discomfort came before some of the greatest accomplishments and most gratifying turns my life has taken. In talking with others, it seems many feel the same. Some of us, like the leader I talked with the other day, regularly seek out new growth. Others find that it is ushered in through a variety of doors that seem to be closing and opening or a period of increasing dissatisfaction or restlessness that leads them to ponder what's next. Over the last few weeks and months it seems many of my clients have either experienced or are on the brink of undertaking dramatic changes in their lives and careers that will give way to entirely new worlds of possibility and unchartered territory. I can relate to them, as I feel I am transitioning between two worlds myself – one that is known, predictable, and somewhat effortless and another that feels daunting, overwhelming and mysteriously promising. I call this place limbo land. Limbo land is akin to chaos. Merriam Webster defines chaos as "a state of things in which chance is supreme; the confused unorganized state of primordial matter before the creation of distinct forms." I imagine it is what the caterpillar experiences in the cocoon as everything it has once been completely dissolves to become something entirely new. It is a period of undoing and non-doing that flies in the face of everything we are accustomed to. Rather than moving full speed ahead, it is a time for reflection, integration and renewal. Yoga instructors often emphasize that it is the four to five minutes of a pose called Shivasana at the end of the class that are the most vital. During this time, the sixty to ninety minutes of engaging and stretching muscles give way to a period of laying flat on your back, letting go of everything and allowing your body to melt into the floor. It is during this time that all the benefits of the previous activity take root. We see this practice in nature. In the winter, many trees lose their leaves and the grass and plants – even our hair grows slower. Various animals hibernate. It's a great time to slow down long enough to look back over the year and reflect on where it has taken us and how it has prepared us for is to come. As we take stock of all that we have mastered, we can begin to welcome what is glimmering on the horizon and honor the ways in which we ourselves are evolving. From this period of thoughtful reflection, we can revel in the progress we have made and gratefully prepare ourselves for the adventures to come. Photo Credit: Krug6 |
| Young Entrepreneurs the Time is NOW! Posted: 29 Feb 2012 03:00 AM PST
High school and college students know they are graduating to high unemployment. They know that more college graduates than ever move back in with their parents. They also know that this is one of the best times to be a young entrepreneur. I visited an undergraduate class last week and a high school class today. The students were interested, engaged and ready to learn about starting and running their own business. Many students said that their parents are entrepreneurs and want to help in the family business. Other students said their interest in entrepreneurship is due to the fact that one of their parents lost their job, and as one young lady put it, "I don't want to have someone tell me I'm fired. I would rather start my own company and do so well that I could help other people have job security instead of uncertainty." These students are always shocked to hear that I did not have a cell phone in high school and that I listened to music on cassettes, but one shocker I love to deliver is that I did not have the option of studying entrepreneurship in high school or in college. They just cannot believe it, and I love that. They see entrepreneurship as vital, and that alone is progress to me, but there is so much more to celebrate. The best news for our whole nation is that DECA, FBLA, and other organizations for enterprising students are being led by teachers and educators that know the value of teaching entrepreneurship, and they are doing it. Felicia Caruthers is a Department Chair at Tuscarora High School in Leesburg, VA, and she believes so strongly in the value of business and entrepreneurship education that she has created a board of advisors to support her vision. She invites business leaders to come in and speak with students about owning a business. Her mission is to help students learn about business and give them an opportunity to see the "real world" through interaction with business leaders across the country. She uses the learning from these sessions to fuel her team's projects for DECA competitions and for their own individual success. When I was in school I do not remember any outside business owners coming to my high school and even to my business school. What an opportunity these students have with the new trend of entrepreneurship education. We need to support these students and support these teachers. The time for entrepreneurship to become a required course in every high school is now. |
| Posted: 28 Feb 2012 05:00 PM PST
TIME reports that 83 percent of Pinterest users are women while men make up two-thirds of Google+. Facebook evens out slightly, at 55 percent female and 45 percent male; Twitter is predominantly male—all things to consider when developing your own social media strategy. If your business hasn't entered the social sphere yet, make it a priority. By occupying places where most Internet users already hang out, you become part of an ongoing conversation and make yourself accessible to an increasingly technological client base. After all, 53 percent of people who use social media follow at least one specific brand. Plan to dive in by using social mediums such as Facebook and Twitter to announce new products, fund raise, and respond to customer inquiries. You can drum up interest by posting behind-the-scenes photos and stories, as well as offering give-aways and contests. This enables you to be more transparent, and respond immediately and directly to customer concerns or praise. And don't worry, as a business owner or entrepreneur, you won't be alone out there in the Twitterverse. Of the 48 percent of small business owners and self-employed entrepreneurs who boosted their sales through social media, more than half of those also saw their marketing costs decrease. Photo Credit: Spencer E Holtaway |
| Your Prospects Don’t See the World Like You Posted: 28 Feb 2012 01:30 PM PST It’s a common misconception to assume that others see the world as we do. That they see the same opportunities, the same vision and the same setbacks. An even more common mistake is to assume that our friends and family members, given their closeness to us, see the world as we do. But they don’t. Because one’s perception of the world is based on their own experiences, beliefs and fears. As some like to call it, “the story” they tell themselves. The degree to which you understand their reference points will determine how easily you will find marketing and selling to them. The pitfall, I suppose, is that sometimes we enhance an already flawed “story” because that story is what sells. It's proven. Focusing on one's fear of being obese to sell your next weight loss regimen. Creating a fear of disaster so that people swarm the supermarkets and buy out the entire store. These are real challenges to anyone willing to stand on a soapbox of any sort and talk. The opportunity is in finding your own moral fault line. The one you don’t cross. For marketers and sales folks, the easiest road (but not always the most successful) is always to induce fear, persist with aggression and sell with the ever so prevalent "cheapest and fastest" line. It's always there, waiting for the professional to use it at any given moment. That is a race to the bottom, utterly futile and wretched in my opinion. The other option involves reaching. It's about earning someone's respect and trust and nurturing it for the long haul. But it begins with understanding who you're talking to and realizing that they are not, for better or worse, just like you. |
Recently I had a conversation with an exceptionally talented leader who went to great lengths to take on a floundering high-profile project because he wanted to turn it around. When I asked him why he continually went out of his way to be a part of increasingly difficult and expansive initiatives, he replied, "You know, if you aren't growing you're dying."
Teaching entrepreneurship in high schools should have happened years ago, but one thing is certain – now is the time for entrepreneurship education to help our country equip and empower our next generation of innovators. I've seen this to be true at every turn as I have traveled between high school and college campuses while leading 
Since Facebook and Twitter opened to the public in 2006, businesses large and small have built highly engaged communities, boosted sales, and raised brand awareness. More than 80 percent of Americans (245 million people) use at least one form of social media, according to MediaBistro's | You are subscribed to email updates from Upmarket To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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