The Essence of Process

This week I had the opportunity to attend a training program from a new consulting opportunity that I would like to start in 2008. More on this later.



In this two day program we were provided lots of information on how to effectively move organizations through a consultative process. The particular organization I am working with is Church Doctor Ministries based out of Corunna, Indiana. Dr. Kent Hunter has developed a process to help churches grow and carry out the mission of the Great Commission. He is very knowledgeable, passionate, and motivated about the work that he is doing.



Besides being an accomplished speaker, writer and pastor; Dr. Hunter has also developed a process that can be applied to almost any church in any part of the world to help them grow. The processes that Dr. Hunter has in place are second to none. This combined with a strong support staff has made this program into one of the top consultation programs in the world in my opinion.



But it's not all about the staff, Dr. Hunter, or the consultants that carry out the work of the ministry - the real success to this program comes from the detailed, consistent process that is followed for every consultation. It is almost mind numbing the depth of knowledge and information that is gathered through a highly developed process for every consultation.



On the drive home as my mind and heart raced with excitement about the potential for me to be even a little bit involved in this ministry. I was really excited to know that not only would I have great support staff to lean on, I would have great processes in place to help me be as effective as possible.



Process, creativity, passion, knowledge - all things that help make for very effective work. I like the idea of process, many people don't, but what a really great way to replicate what you do well. And waht a great way to replicate success.

New directions for a New Year

OK - so maybe you think it's too early to start thinking about 2008 but it is right around the corner. If the stores can have all the Christmas products out before Halloween I can certainly write about planning for 2008.

Directions - they can be tricky. Whether you are trying to follow them to make a cake or get your husband to follow them to go pick one up, directions seem to give some of us more challenges than others.

It's time to start thinking about about the direction you want to take your life and potentially your business in 2008. There are already some big changes in store for my own business in the coming year. I have a laundry list already started of the things that I want to accomplish, goals I want to achieve and a mission and vision I want to see come to life.

How about you? Are you still focused on trying to hit 2007 goals that you have not even begun to think about 2008? Are you worried about staying on course to finish the year strong that you don't have time to plan for the next? I would encourage you to start now. Start thinking about what you want 2008 to look like and where you want to be at the end of that year.

Make a list, check it twice, you won't be alone...there will be a lot of that going on from now until December 25!
Enjoy the day.

The blog is back - the website is UP!

Greetings loyal readers and friends!
Yes, it's been a while. but have no fear I am still here!
It's taken some time but I needed to do some re-tooling and get a few large projects finished. one being the construction and formatting of my website. Please take some time to visit www.truecompasscoach.com We are still adding, editing and putting new information on there but it's LIVE! thanks to my friend Jeremy Harrison and the fine staff at Spire Advertising and Media.

Please continue to check back in. I have a slew of things to post about, everything from business issues, water in a basement, our three legged dog - Jimmy, and a new direction we are taking True Compass Coaching that is very exciting!

Stay TUNED in here!

Communication - It's not you, it's me, really.....

Lately I have been struggling with communicating effectively with one specific individual. This struggle goes beyond my normal "oh I am sorry my mind wondered for a moment" fight that sometimes takes place between my ears and my brain. I am in a full blown struggle to understand and be understood. It's really quite terrible at times.

When relationships end you typically hear one party make the statement, "it's not you, it's me..." When I heard that at the end of a relationship I always thought what a nice way that was of saying, "I really can't stand to be around you anymore...hit the road." The difference is this is a relatively new relationship that I would like to cultivate.

The struggle to communicate effectively is felt by both of us. The communication barrier is being built one brick at a time as fast as possible by none other than yours truly. This is a case where it really is "me."

The person I am writing of is in a particular profession that I have had some serious issues with in the past. Notice, I say, profession, not person. The person, as I have gotten to know them is actually very likable. In fact, is very fun to be around and I do enjoy our casual conversations. But when we start talking about business, his profession and what he does, I grab my bricks and mortar and back to building the wall I go. All because of the preconceived ideas that I am carrying over to this person. Now, it's nothing illegal or weird, so that's not an issue. But this is a direct transference of something that happened a long time ago that I am placing on this person in the here and now. Wrong? of course it's wrong, I know that.

Now, you may think you would never do that or be that way with any one that you know, but I am willing to bet that at some point you have. I read recently in another friends blog about people running hot and cold with each other and how to perceive that and handle those mood changes. Those are changes in communication style that may be all about you and your perception and not the other party involved.

You may think that you are a great communicator, but do you harbor any type of feelings that become road blocks for effective communication? ANY TYPE, even the slightest issues can prevent you from achieving good communication with another person. I know I am beginning a process to work through this issue, in the meantime I will try not to use so much effort in building the wall between us and more time in getting over myself.

Thoughts on communication issues are welcome!

Where have all the professionals gone?

This post is a bit of rant, but it has really been bothering me lately....

Recently a friend of mine sent an electronic mail inquiry to his HR Director regarding a new position that was soon to be available in his company. This was a new job, with a new job description within the department that my friend worked in. It was very public knowledge that this position was created and many in his department were already discussing who would be applying.

The reply was short and to the point and while it really didn't answer the questions presented in the email there was something else that really irked me when I read it.

The reply was signed simply with the first initial of the HR Directors first name.

That's it? There's all there was, no more.

The note was signed as you might sign a note to your best friend, golf buddy, spouse, etc. In my opinion, not the way a professionally trained human resources director representing a very large multi-division, publicly traded company signs a corporate email. This company is not small by any stretch and my friend is not the best friend, buddy, golf partner, etc. of the individual replying. He deserved better than that type of casual reply from a senior executive in his company.

This leads me to my question - Where have all the professionals gone?

I am a firm believer that casual Fridays have not only led to the downfall of professional looking people but to the downfall of professionally acting ones every day of the week. This is not really a rant on how people dress or what people wear in the workplace. In a former life I trained retail store employees on how to comply with a twelve (yes 12) page dress code. I am done with dress codes.

But this casual attitude in the workplace has contributed to professionals being too lax, too informal, and for too much unaccountability for individual actions, words, and performance.

We learn as business owners that we cannot befriend our employees or get too involved. We must stay at a professional distance so that we can maintain objectivity while evaluating performance. How can you possibly do that when you create and maintain a work environment that focuses on everyone feeling warm and fuzzy and being every one's buddy? When you are signing emails with just the first letter of your name?

There is nothing professional about signing an official company email in that manner. Even if company is huge, and by huge I mean billions in profit, crazy successful, making more money than the owner can possibly give away each year, I would doubt that any official type of correspondence would ever get signed with one initial.

We can't all work for Microsoft and wear jeans to work every day. Although there are some business owners that can do that, if you are just starting out, or working in any type of corporate environment you need to work, dress, act, and be professional. There are companies that have created casual environments but they have maintained standards and professionalism all along the way.

Going back to my question, where have all the professionals gone? I know they are out there, I know there are people that still like to dress and act in a certain way. I have seen them, they still walk among us. THANK GOODNESS!

when the time is right....

As we have move into the heat of the summer I am thinking back to just a few weeks ago when it was Spring. We had such a nice Spring this year, one of the best I can remember.


This was my first Spring in the house that I live in now with a nice back porch. My husband has been working hard on the landscaping and creating the perfect backyard sanctuary. A family of robins thinks very highly of our back porch too and created a nest there this Spring. The babies have hatched, flown the nest, and until recently the nest sat empty in it's location.


What was interesting was watching the babies during the time they were getting ready to leave the nest. They were making one heck of a racket for a few days, chirping, eating, and flopping around. There were four of them so you can imagine how close they were living in that little nest. As the time came for the babies to leave, both the mother and the father appeared. Each taking their time to inspect their little ones. I am assuming this ritual is done to make sure that all of their hard work is not for nothing this Spring.


As each of the babies literally "flew the coop" I noticed that each took their time. One after the other perched themselves on the edge of the nest, took a leap and started feverishly flapping their wings. Experienced pilots they were not, but this was a fascinating sight. As the first three went through what appeared to be a pre-flight checklist with a parent looking on, we noticed the fourth baby not really doing to much but hanging back in the nest.


As the first three left the nest the fourth stayed put. We anticipated that the fourth baby would go soon after the first three. It was a period of days before the fourth bird finally took flight. All the while the parents were coming back to the nest coaching the baby along, making sure it was fed and cared for properly.


This experience with the babies and their nest made me think about all of us who have gone out on our own and started our own business. If you are contemplating starting a business, a career change, or trying something new, this applies to you too so think about this.


I have heard people say that they are waiting for the time to be right. The counter argument to that is if you keep waiting the time will never be right or perfect and you will never really be "ready." I get that a lot now on when my husband and I are going to start a family....."you can't wait for the time to be right for kids, it's never perfect." Yes, I know, I got it. The clock is ticking. Back to the birds.


Here is something to consider along with all of those great words of wisdom. Just like those baby robins needed some time to be mature enough or strong enough to leave the nest you need to need to be mature, strong, and prepared to start your new venture. You have the idea, passion, and you know what you want to do, now take a little bit of time to make sure you know how you are going to do it. There is a fine line we are walking here - so be careful about too much time.


You will never be fully ready or prepared for everything that comes at you in life or in business. It doesn't hurt to take time to make sure you are not going to fall flat on your face on your very first flight out of the nest. I am not suggesting that you not take the risk, I am a firm believer now in taking risks and leaps of faith. I am in the middle of a "leap" right now.


But if things are not going right for you in your job, you dislike what you do and you want to do something different think about that fourth robin sitting all alone in that nest after everyone else had left him. He had his coaches, consultants and other "peeps" their to support him but they left it up to him decide when it was time to jump. That's all I am asking, gather your information, then think about the leap you want to make.


It's important to know that any risk or jump will come with feverish flapping until you get a handle on things. It's better to be confident and prepared when the time comes to make the jump, as it makes the jump much more worthwhile and could mean the difference between falling flat on your face or a wildly successful flight.

Good Customer Service...eventually

On our recent camping trip we had a bit of an issue at the campground we stayed at. On our last night of tent camping a group of young men came in at 11:50 p.m. Yes, right when we were going to bed, in they rolled. They were up pitching tents, talking loud and celebrating our nation's Independence with some adult beverages. I am sure they were all "legal" but the more celebrating they did, the louder they got. On top of the celebrating they were attempting to pitch two tents straight from the boxes they just purchased them in from what looked like Cabelas. Picture tailgating at your favorite sporting event then add assembling two tents in the middle of it all. It really wasn't a pretty site or sound.

They had their car headlights, their camping lanterns, their flashlights and their loud voices bouncing all over the campsite into the wee hours of the morning.

As you will soon learn, I am a stickler for rules. I like rules. To me, rules provide the necessary guidelines to keep people from doing things that ruin things for other people, people like me. It just so happens that this campground had some pretty specific rules against doing all the things this group was doing. But at the time there was no enforcement.

As we checked out from the campground later that same morning I inquired about the rules and if what we had experienced was the "norm." We really liked the campground, location and amenities were nice and it was clean. Best showers and bathrooms we have ever had. It was just that one experience that was about to end any possibility of a return trip.

My inquiry about the night's events led to a long discussion, longer than what it needed to be with the manager of the campground. It seemed that others had complained as well. But it seemed to take a long time for the manager to see it from our point of view. As each camper checks in they are to sign off acknowledging these rules. Rules that are meant to be followed and will be enforced. Their lack of enforcement of their rules ruined our night. But the manager didn't want to listen. Didn't want to understand our concern.

Until we told him that we would not be coming back. You could see the attitude change on his face instantly. We were not longer whiny campers that couldn't handle a couple guys enjoying their summer break. We meant something. Money. Dollars. Sales. Bad Testimonials. Walking out the door. His door. His campground.

"Oh, it was that bad?" he said.

"Yes, that bad, we won't be back, it was that bad," I said.

He got it. He finally got it. He made us a couple offers for future discounts, stated he didn't want to lose our business and apologized for not responding and reacting to the issue. He assured us that those things are not typical for his campground.

Will we go back. Probably. We really liked the location. We would be willing to give it one more chance. We did get good customer service, eventually. It just took a lot of patience and explaining on our end. It should not have been that hard.

Makes me wonder though, why should it be so hard sometimes to get the service that we are promised from people that want our business? Getting good service, particularly after a bad experience shouldn't be, should it?

Can working in your PJs really be work?

Can you really work well in your PJs?
I have been pondering this question for the last few weeks. Perhaps it's not so much that I want to work in my pajamas as much as it is I am wondering if I should have my office in my home.

Recently, I relocated my office to a building closer to home, no, not in my home, but my official office is in a building that I pay rent for in the town that I live in. I love the building and have great relationships with the people that work in the building. So there's no issue there.

But what keeps running through my mind is this. Does it matter where your office is these days? With the entire "World is Flat" concept that follows the idea that everyone is or can be connected no matter where they live or work through better technology...does it matter where in the world you work from?

In search of opinions on this topic I have started to ask around. I have started talking to a few people that I knew would have not only an opinion but a really darn good reason for their opinion. I have first posed this question to Networking Guru, Debby Peters. Debby was quick to answer my question...with a question. Don't you just love those?!

After explaining that this topic had come up from some of my clients and that I had been pondering it myself Debby was then quick to give her answer. "I tell people my office is in Perrysburg, which it is, it just happens to be in my home in Perrysburg." Contining on Debby explained that it was better for her business this way. She can keep her overhead costs down, pass on that savings to her clients and that she really doesn't keep "normal" office hours. Being a self proclaimed workaholic she can work anytime/all the time she wants from her home office then retreat within a few steps to her easy chair with her vast library to read.

Of course, Debby, the Networking Guru, is hardly ever in an actual office...she is out NETWORKING! Good answers from Debby for me to consider.

Moving on...I have posed this question to others but what are your thoughts on home offices?
Do they work?
If you have one, do you have any tricks to share about actually getting work done?
Have you recently moved from a home office to an actual rented/owned office space? Why?

Let me know your thoughts as I continue to ponder this myself.

Back in the swing of things....

The holiday is over and it's time to kick things into high gear this week and get back on track after the July 4th holiday. It seemed like everyone was taking some time off during the last week - so my husband and I decided to do the same thing.

We spent some time together just the two of us. Something that we have not done in a long time. We did something that we have never done alone together. We went tent camping. Just the two of us. We packed, actually I packed, all of the stuff and we hit the road. Watch here for updates on the trip and pictures!

YES - I am adding pictures to the blog. I figured out how to do it! Everyone keeps saying, "you need to add pictures!" So look out world - in the next few posts, there will be pictures.

OH - and for those who have been checking back to see if I have kept the blog updated daily like I said I was going to...it was hard to get a connection in the wilderness of northern Michigan. So you will just have to check back over the next week to get caught up. I have a very long list of blog topics that are just burning to be posted!

Enjoy the day!

What makes you the "go to guy?"

I read an article recently about a very successful financial planner that over time became the "go to guy" for a very specific market. If you had anything to do with this man's niche market, he was the guy you went to for all matters financial. He was indeed the go to guy for not only his niche market but for anyone that could get an appointment with him.

It got me thinking about all the experiences I have had in both my professional and personal life over the last 15 to 20 years. I have known a lot of "go to guys" - both men and women. These are the people that you rely on for advice, counsel, or just rely on when you need them for whatever the issue. I began to make a list of names of my go to people.

There have been quite a few over the years.
Tim, H.K., Tom, Joe, Jim, Steve, Steve, Steve, Lori, Lori, Julie, Nancy......you all know who you are.

A couple things became clear to me... I know a lot of "Steves" and the following -

Yes, my life has been filled with great go to people, but what made them that way? Was it because of my personal relationship with them? No, because they were the go to people for many others. Were they all millionaires, with large fortunes amassed because of their wise business decisions? No, only one on my list was a true millionaire, at least that I am aware of. Was it that they were trained experts, extensively academically educated in their field? Well, to be honest, one of the guys on my list held a PhD. but that's not why he was on my list.

I believe that the real reason all of the people ended up on my list was that they were experts in life experience. It didn't matter what degree they held, what school they went to, how much money was in their bank account, the status that they carried with them, or how many friends they had. What mattered was that when I needed them - they were there with sound advice based on experience.

It was always what I needed to hear, not always what I wanted to hear.

So here's a thought for you, what makes you a "go to" person? Think about this question before you answer - what really makes you a "go to" person?

Into my cave I go...

I have spent the majority of the last two days in my basement. Reading, writing, organizing, planning. If it had to do with planning anything for a business I did it. Why you ask would I take this time to hide from the rest of the world and work on such great summer days.

Planning needs to be done. Planning needs to be revisited after it's done. Planning is essential to the success of my business. Planning needs to be done repeatedly.

The way I figure it July 1 kicks off the sprint to the end of the year for me. There are a certain number of things that I know I need to get done this year and I needed to make sure that the plan I started with in January kept me on track for the sprint for the end of the year. Call this my mid year check up.

Of course as things always go, I needed to make some changes and adjustments to the plan I started out with. It is much better for me to do this now, rather than later. I can't make these changes on the fly so to speak. That would not be good for my business.

I have a series of workshops I am getting ready for, outlines for articles I want to publish and I want to start a series of coaching clubs for my business. I needed to take time and in the seclusion of my basement get this all figured out.

Was this mid-year planning session successful you might ask. Well I will tell you this, I need more days in the basement for planning - I could use at least one more day this week. But you can't bury yourself in planning either. There has to be a balance. As far as being successful, I will let you know at the end of the year!

Yes, mother, I write like I speak....

I had breakfast Saturday morning with a friend of mine. She mentioned that she was reading my blog and enjoyed reading it because it was like hearing me tell the story. She said on a couple of occasions, "I could just hear you saying that."

PERFECT. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. GOAL ACHIEVED!

That is EXACTLY what I wanted people to say about my writing.

Here's a writing secret for you that a lot of the newer business, motivational and self development authors are adhering to. Write like you talk. Yes, I said, write like you talk.

On the other hand, my mother, who is still asking me to define exactly what a "blog" is, struggles with my writing style. In her feedback and commentary she said that she enjoyed reading my blog but that I had to watch my use of dangling prepositions.

WHAT? A dangling what? Okay, Mrs. Walter, my English and grammar teacher from grade school through high school would probably say the same thing. And yes, I had the same English teacher through all those grades - not because of my academic skill but when you only have 69 kids in your graduation class and come from a pretty small school, you have the same teachers over and over.

While I am sure that Mrs. Walter would take issue with my grammar, here is something that I am sure would make her proud. When I was in the 7th grade I walked into Mrs. Walter's classroom, above the chalkboard, in tall letters taped to the wall was the word that would change my life. THINK. Yes, there it was bigger than life. THINK.

Of course a bunch of 7th graders sat there and looked at it and really didn't get it. Mrs. Walter stated the following very bluntly and boldly; "Class you are in the 7th grade now and this is what you will learn from me. People, you will learn how to think." And we did. In fact, on my desk in my office is a little wooded sign with the word THINK in big letters. I look at it everyday and every day I THINK.

There are a lot of life lessons learned from Mrs. Walter but my point today is simple.
I write like I talk, because this is how I think. I don't think in terms of dangling prepositions, grammar and where the periods and commas go. I think in terms of the message I want you to hear and take away. I write like I talk so there is never any confusion about my message. Whatever it is, you have my guarantee it will always be one that I took the time to THINK about.

What do you THINK about that?

Mon Ami - Service at it's finest

During our stay in Port Clinton for the weekend we decided to forgo heading over to Put in Bay and opted to stay in Port Clinton for the evening. We had never been to Mon Ami before and decided that is where we wanted to have diner.

After a quick stop at Cheese Haven, who could pass up seeing the selection of over 125 different cheeses, we headed to Mon Ami.

If you have never been there we would recommend that you stop in the next time you are in the PC area. We dined on the patio, enjoyed a wonderful seafood dinner and a couple great glasses of wine.

Now it may not sound like much but it was really a fantastic experience for us. The service was awesome and we truly enjoyed talking with our waitress. She was exactly what you would want in a waitress - funny, engaging, and not afraid to share a little bit of herself with us. Even though we live only 45 minutes away she was sure to share with us all sorts of great stories about the winery, the islands and how great it is to work at Mon Ami.

YES - she loved her job, her co workers, her boss and her customers. WOW. Oddly enough my husband and I were just talking about an experience we had at a local Toledo eatery where we felt like ordering a glass of water was an inconvenience to our waitress. Not Carrie - she brought water, wine, napkins, extra plates, anything we wanted, she delivered.

We all know that waitressing and any type of food service work is difficult. The hours, the people, the overall general stereotyping of cocktail waitresses and bartenders, but Carrie as well as the rest of her team at Mon Ami seemed to overcome that. They were all pleasant.

Makes me wonder - how can we be better at taking some of the more unpleasant aspects of our jobs and every day lives and turn them into a different experience for us, and in turn, a better experience for our customers and clients. Is it possible to overcome these things and love your job, your boss, your coworkers and your customers?

Bike to the Bay Weekend!

Congratulations to my husband, and all the other riders that completed the Bike to the Bay Ride for MS this past weekend.

I am particularly proud of my husband as this was his 10th year riding and raising money for MS. He has ridden over 1500 miles and without fail participates in this ride every year whether or not he has had time to fully "train" the way he would like to. It seems like every year he runs short on his time to practice and train for the upcoming event - but that does not stop him from moving forward and giving it his all.

In fact this year he set a new goal for his fundraising effort and exceeded his goal. Though he waited until the last possible moment to start his fundraising, he was still very successful and we would like to thank all of our friends, family, neighbors and co-workers that contributed. MANY THANKS!

One more thing - my husband does this, for MS, though we have not personally been touched by this disease. He does this not because he has had first hand experience but because he believes in the cause and he truly believes in taking his passion for biking and putting it to work for something that does so much good for others.

Isn't that something? It goes to show that when you are passionate about something that you think you only do for yourself, you can still help others. My husband bikes for the thrill, the miles, the speed - but he also bikes, along with thousands of others for a cure.

I am proud to have married such a man!

What things are you passionate about that you think you only do for yourself? Have you ever thought about taking that passion in a new direction?

Busy weekend!

I will have a series of posts to cover the last few days. There was so much going on that it would be hard for you to follow each storyline if I wrote them all in one.

In summary though - I had one of those weekends that was just perfect for summer. Lots going on but all very fun, productive and meaningful. I had a couple of meetings Saturday morning then off to Port Clinton to meet my husband after his participation in the MS Bike to the Bay Ride.

Sunday it was home, to a graduation party and then hanging out with family on the front porch.

All in all it was a spectacular weekend.

Distractions....

I get easily distracted lately. In fact, friends of mine are starting to tell me that I my attention span is very - VERY short these days. I bounce from one thing to another.

Here are a few examples -

I read a lot, but I read several books at a time. I am sure this lessons my reading comprehension but at this point I have no standardized tests in my future so I don't have to worry about that. But what concerns me is that I never finish these books - seems like such a waste.

I work on several projects at once - church projects, work projects, home projects - you name it and at any given time I am dabbling in it. I wonder how this effects the quality of the projects I finish. And yes, due to the nature of these projects I do finish them. Especially the church ones, I can't leave the big guy hanging you know.

I talk to several people at the same time - in conversation I will actually be carrying on more than one conversation with people around me. I used to think it was me just being social. But now I have noticed that I find it very difficult to stay focused on one person in a group of people. I have to challenge myself to stay in the conversation and then move on to the next. I am always afraid I am going to miss talking to someone. It seems like a networking nightmare to me.

These are just the distractions I bring on myself - think of all of the other distractions that others bring into my world!!!

I have to work hard to handle these distractions, to stay on plan, stay on target and to stay focused. If not, then nothing would get done. Everyone needs to have a plan or a method of handling distractions.

What's yours?

Happy Birthday

Today is my big brother's birthday.

Happy Birthday to him.

It seems appropriate his birthday should fall on the longest day of the year. Talk about a labor of love for my mother!

Now he is grown and has kids of his own, we look forward to sharing birthdays with them more than our own. It just seems that as you age birthdays come and go, sometimes, many times, without us noticing.

Another friend of ours is celebrating a special professional career anniversary this weekend. A big party is being thrown in honor of the event. But my friend would like to skip out and rather not be the focus of attention. But my sense is a smaller, special acknowledgement of the day would be okay.

Remember when birthdays and special days were always so important and we wanted to feel that special everyday? It didn't matter so much if a big deal was made, just as long as something was done to make us feel special.

What things can you do to put that special feeling back into everyday life and business? What little things can you do with your family, friends, co-workers and customers to make them feel special - at least a little special - everyday?

I think I need to call my brother ....

Which way do you go?

Today one was of those days when you start out early and come in late. I have been on the go since early this morning. Networking meetings, a mid morning appointment, a lunch event and finally a chance to sit at the computer, open mail and do some work.

But it's not over. In just a few hours I will be jetting out the door to another event. Actually, there are a couple other events I could probably attend tonight if I chose to.

Choosing which events to attend and how many to attend in one day can make even the best of planners and organizers crazy sometimes. The world is an abundant place full of opportunity, potential and chances to meet new friends. But how do you keep track of it all? How do you decide which way to go when you seem to be passing yourself coming and going?

You need to have a plan for the direction you want to move in. If you are promoting your own business, working on a specific project or just trying to network to meet new people, you need to have some idea about what direction you want to go in. A road map not only for the meetings you are going to attend - but how do all those meetings fit into your master plan.

My recommendation - map out a course and direction for your day and pause to think about how all of those events fit into your even bigger map of what direction you want to go in with your business. Take a step back and see the big picture. That will help you see which way to go.

What's in your wallet?

I have two businesses and due to the nature of each business, two separate business cards. Today I had the opportunity to attend a very nice Chamber of Commerce meeting, one I had not had the chance to attend in the past. As I was chatting with the people at the meeting, making new friends and getting to know some new people I realized I had a dilemma on my hands.

Actually, the dilemma was in my pocket. As people asked me what I did I couldn't decide which business to talk about first. The concept of having two businesses is new for me and I have to admit, I fumbled all over the place with my introductions and my message.

Lesson learned here - regardless of how many businesses you have or how many different hats you wear, target markets you think you serve or people that are potential clients, have a game plan BEFORE you walk in to a new meeting. Have it in your head what you want these new people to know about you. Only take one set of cards with you and have them handy.

Don't make the same mistake I did and not know where to reach and which card to hand out.
Know what's in your wallet.

The Balance Sheet

Something that my pastor said Sunday has been running through my head the last two days. His message to us Sunday revolved around keeping a balance sheet. In business and in life we all keep balance sheets either in print or in our minds. We know the people that we owe a debt to and those that are indebted to us.

In business of course it is important to keep an honest monetary balance sheet or our business would suffer and we would not be profitable. I am sure though that there are just as many business owners who are keeping mental balance sheets of debts owed to them.

Something along the lines of this ....
I give her all these great referrals and get nothing in return.
Those people never thanked me for sending them that huge account
So and so never replied back to my thank you note after our breakfast meeting.

Sound familiar?
Sure it does. But no one is perfect and no one can ever match unrealistic expectations and really why on earth would you want to keep score with your referral partners? Keeping score with your peers and affiliates is no way to run a business. Some one will always be on the losing side of the balance sheet.

My thought today -
Let go of keeping those balance sheets that only make someone else look bad. Keep the balance sheets that make your accountant happy and keep track of your own contributions and efforts to help others. But don't make doing business with you a quid pro quo event. Otherwise you will most definitely find yourself in the red on your real monetary balance sheet.

blogging

Today I have spent the greater portion of the day trying to get my blog set up so that it "looks good." Now, you can tell me whether or not you think it was worth the time, but I am still puttering around with the template, colors, layout, etc.

Which makes me wonder how often do we get hung up on worrying about the superficial things when really it is the stuff down deep, the real content that matter most in life. Does it really matter what color the background is for this blog or would rather come here and read about some really cool stories, and anecdotes? I don't know the answer - but I think it's a fair question.

How often to we concern ourselves with what something looks like instead of fully understanding the meaning of the message and the feeling?