When Sarah Levitt interviewed me for The Making Magnificence Project and asked what has shaped my life and my journey as an entrepreneur, this is what I told her:
04 May
The $100K Lost and Found
Would you be able to scan your quarterly profit and loss statement and know if something was amiss? Would you be able to instinctively sense that something in your numbers didn’t make sense? Would you be able to point to why it didn’t make sense?
The numbers in your business are a sign of the health of your company. As a business owner, paying attention to and being familiar with those numbers is a key driver for your business performance.
27 Apr
It’s Not About You: People Will Listen When You Provide Real Value
People often tell me that they get tripped up when it comes to content creation and trying to validate their work because they question whether what they have to say is good enough and if it provides real value. I always tell them the same thing, it’s not about you.
13 Apr
Be Like Rory: Why You Should Celebrate Your Colleagues’ Wins
If you watched the Masters on the weekend, chances are you saw Rory McIlroy hit his golf ball out of a bunker and sink it on his final green of the day. This feat put him in second place behind the winner, Scottie Scheffler.
What you may have missed was the split-second shot of him (shown on TV) cheering when Morikawa did the exact same thing to secure the third spot.
This wasn’t a made-for-TV moment—this was a snapshot of a human being who is at the top of his game and can still cheer for and celebrate his competition.
06 Apr
Trust is Like a Glass of Water: Advice for Building a Successful Business
Many years ago, my younger sister came to me for professional advice to guide her as she started her career.
30 Mar
How to Write a Book
On April 1st, I am going to start to write my next book and I thought it might be helpful to share with you the seven-step process I will be following. April 1st is a key date because it is the start of a 100-day project that members of The Strategy Lab are participating in to reach whatever 100-day goal they have set.
My goal is to write a book.
21 Mar
You Can’t Compare: How to Create a Powerful Brand
Recently, a client of mine asked me for some advice related to video content and YouTube. They referenced how my other client, Alan Weiss, does things. My advice to them was pretty clear… You can’t compare.
Alan Weiss began creating YouTube content 14 years ago. He has thousands of subscribers and hundreds of thousands of views. His reach is far and wide compared to anyone who is starting today which means you can’t compare to him.
The strength of an established brand is more powerful than searchable titles, keyword-rich descriptions, and compelling visual thumbnails because once you have an established brand with wide visibility, people stop looking for the topic of the video you created because they are looking for you.
In other words, Alan doesn’t need to follow 2022 best practices to be found online because he is already established.
But you, my friend, are not… Yet.
People who already have a large following don't need to follow best practices to be found online. However, if you are not established, you do. Click To TweetAnd, if you’re not established and you’re trying to create a powerful brand over the next decade or so, use the resources available to you to fast track your reach and visibility.
Here’s what I mean…
1. Use titles on blogs, podcasts, and videos that are clear, not clever.
woman reading blog online on computer
While clever copy is fun and I love a good word nerd, clever is not what people are searching for when they ask Google to help them solve a problem.
2) Use rich keyword descriptions when you write to reinforce the topic you’re writing about.
While I am not an SEO expert, I do understand the power of words and how keyword-rich copy can help people find you. Think about your own habits when it comes to search—you type things into Google to find answers to problems. Google matches your query with the words that are written on web pages. If your words don’t match the query, you don’t get found—it’s that simple.
3) Use all the “stuff.”
What I mean by “stuff” is set up your profile on your blog, upload your image to Gravitar if your photo doesn’t show up when you post on comment online, add your social media URLS to your website footer, and ensure all of your social media channels are nicely branded and point to your website.
When you create content and publish it on your website or social media, all of this stuff helps people connect more deeply with you and demonstrates that you’re savvy enough to set things up the right way.
4) Use what you know and do it regularly.
Experts create a body of work around their expertise and then they share that expertise through their website, their mailing list, and on their social media channels. If you only produce content (written or video) once in a blue moon, you’re not visible enough. If you only mail to your list when you need to sell something, you’re missing the critical step of creating value for others and you’ll never be someone like Alan Weiss.
Experts create a body of work around their expertise and then they share that expertise through their website, their mailing list, and on their social media channels. Click To TweetAlan recently celebrated his 76th birthday at the Rainbow Room in NYC with a crowd of family, friends, and colleagues. He blogs daily, has a podcast, has a YouTube channel, and releases at least one book a year (one coming soon with me!) and best of all, he produces all of his own content. That’s right, there are no ghostwriters blogging for him, it’s 100% his expertise.
If you want to compare to someone like Alan, don’t compare to his contrarian and often clever language—compare to his consistent ability to show up and add value for others. That’s the only way you’ll end up with a brand as strong as his.
What makes your business stand out from the rest? Leave me a comment and let me know.
16 Mar
Leadership Matters
At some point during the evolution of your small business, there’s a good chance you’ll find yourself getting whacked repeatedly in the face with problem after problem. This will continue until you realize just how much your leadership matters.
Leadership isn’t a title. It’s a way of being. It’s a decision you make whether you’re a leader or a contributor in how you treat each other and in how you treat your clients.
