When we hear about the benefits of owning a business, we often hear about those perks that don’t kick for a few years...   ...like the month-long European vacation and the second home in Malibu.   These dreams of wealth and freedom are typically discussed as a reminder of why the struggle is worth it… why we sacrifice sleep and freedom now. It’s like that famous saying:   “Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t so you can spend the rest of your life like m... Read more

When you build good habits, you build a strong business.   Every entrepreneur knows this.   Habits are powerful because they’re easy. The entire point of a habit is that it’s something you do automatically. You don’t think about it. You don’t get caught up on whether or not you’re in the mood or in the right headspace. You just do it.   Now, imagine having this kind of relationship with the types of actions that can move your business forward.   Imagine if you automatically started eac... Read more

  All discussions about management style basically come down to one essential question:   How much oversight is too much oversight?   Most of us know “micromanaging” is a bad thing. We know that employees’ spirits are crushed under the weight of our constant observation, constant interfering, and constant questioning.   On the other hand, we do need to know what’s going on in our business. Are all team members meeting their targets? Do they understand what’s been asked of them? Is their... Read more

  What do you do with a difficult employee who brings in a lot of money?   I recently had a conversation with a small business owner about this. It echoed countless conversations I’ve had before, including a few tough moments when I had to get real with myself.   This business owner’s conflict goes like this:   He has an employee who is an absolute superstar with estimating, creating a scope of work, and connecting with clients. So, you know… all the skills that lead to more business and more mone... Read more

Growing your business typically means expanding your knowledge and learning new skills.   But you know that. If you’re like most business owners, you probably find yourself feeling constantly limited by the skills you don’t have. You know your business would grow faster if you understood social media marketing or learned new sales strategies.   But learning new skills takes time… time you don’t have.   And this is the entrepreneur’s catch-22.   Can’t get ahead if you don’t... Read more

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”   You’ve probably heard this quote before. It’s Maya Angelou and it’s super popular...   ...mostly because it’s super true.   And yet, so many entrepreneurs get hung up on the things people forget.   Is the marketing clever enough? Do I have more experience than the competition? Are my techs charming enough, confident enough, fast enoug... Read more