Here’s One Skill You Need to Master to Remain Competitive

The old saying, “What got you here won’t get you there,” applies to your professional life today. The world is quickly changing as well as the competitive landscape. Whether you are running a business or trying to increase your career equity, ramping up your skill set is important.  If there is one skill that stands …

Here’s How to Live a Low Stress Life

In the game of life, too much stress can hold you back and drive you to burn out before you reach your goals. According to a recent study, more of us are experiencing serious stress than ever. Left unchecked, it can harm us psychologically, physically and professionally.  In preparation for a series of lectures on …

Here’s How to Build a Strong Company Culture

When a company culture is strong, performance is consistent from management quality to customer experience. Why? Because in a strong culture, we know exactly what to do, even when “the boss” isn’t around to tell us. It creates a sense of belonging, purpose and pride that can only boost everyone’s ability to give their best …

Let’s Make Every Day Thanksgiving!

I have to say that Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the year, not because of the turkey and football, but because of the gratitude it triggers in so many. The day is a celebration of thinking abundantly and sharing our gratitude with those we appreciate. While it’s the perfect day for gratitude …

Presentation Materials from Connect 2018

It was my pleasure to speak to you today at the Connect Conference in San Antonio. I’m so happy to serve you in growing your business and protecting your client base. This short page will give you resources to help you make the leap from Optional to Essential. BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS As I said, “readers are …

How to Reinvent Yourself, Stay Relevant and Love Your Business Life

No matter what you do for a living, being fresh and interesting is critical to continued success. It keeps you top-of-mind for opportunities and improves the equity of your personal brand. In my case, as an author and professional speaker, I need to reinvent myself every so often to remain relevant. For those of you …

How to Succeed For the Rest of Your Life

Last year, an Uber driver was talking me up as he drove me to the airport. I’d just finished giving a keynote address at a conference and still had my badge on. He asked me what I speak about, and without hesitation I replied, “How to be successful at work.” This piqued his interest. “Driving …

The End of Empowerment & The Return of Prescription

Yesterday I attended the first day of CEB’s annual Sales & Marketing Summit.  It’s a must-attend for all B2B sales and marketing leaders, offering the most current view into the buyer’s world and the best practices that come from following hard data.  The opening keynote by CEB’s Brent Adamson blew my mind as he revealed …

Three Great Fall Business Reads

It’s that time of year when publishers release copious amounts of business books.  You’ve probably seen them popping up in the airport book shops.  As a voracious reader and blurb-giving-author, I have the opportunity to review dozens of them between July and September.  My interests range from sales & marketing to leadership to futurism to …

Google & SEO | This dog finally has teeth

(Guest post by Brandon Wentland.  Image courtesy of Prashant_sh) Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a complicated, technical, and sometimes shady practice of massaging Google’s search algorithm in your favor.  It is a big deal because top ranking for key terms can mean hundreds, thousands, or even millions of dollars of revenue gained. SEO has evolved …