The CEO Elite

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Don’t Hang Around with Red-Light People

Stopped in city traffic while driving

Strangely, I have had cause to tell this analogy three times in the last two days, so I thought it was a ‘tap on the shoulder’ to share it more widely.

The Tragedy of Yesterday

Yesterday, a young musical artist (rapper) named  XXXTentacion (Jahseh Onfroy) was shot and killed. My daughter brought him to my attention and was following the news of this tragedy, looking through his life, watching how he changed, feeling sorrowful for the man he was becoming. It was interesting to see how she would speak about how he had come from a troubled background, the things he had done and had done to him. Then she would explain how he was making a huge difference to the world by changing himself. Yesterday she was touched by the public outpouring of grief of loss. This morning she came out angry, because of the haters online.

We all know of haters in our world. They don’t trust, don’t love, don’t say positive things, and are usually looking for the worst in any situation. This is what my daughter started reading this morning and it is no way to start a day. In fact, it was encouraging her to witness more of the same, because it was giving people permission to speak more of the same. (Like begets like). So I told her my “red-light analogy”.

Red-Light Analogy

traffic signal redWhen I drive around town I realize there are two states I can be in. The red-light state or the green-light state. When I am in the red-light state, I see red lights at every intersection. I feel like someone is purposefully trying to make me late. Maybe Kharma is working against me today. I feel impatient and the cars around me seem to be filled with aggressive, stupid drivers. When I arrive at my destination I am angry and frustrated. Even if I’m not late, I will apologize and then rant about my terrible experience with all the red lights.

On days when I get a lot of green lights, I feel like I have done something right. Someone out there is rewarding me for the good things I do in life.  Somehow I deserved the green lights. This is also not a green-light day as it assumes that we have no control over how we feel about what we experience. As if it was because someone else gave us a gift of green lights that we can now feel good about our journey. traffic signal green

On green-light days I choose to acknowledge the green lights I see with a smile. I don’t think of them as good or bad, just as an experience of traffic. I choose not to acknowledge the red lights at all. I simply stop because that is what is required of me. I am grateful for the opportunity to drive, for a place to go, transportation to get me there, and for people to meet. Life is about the journey so focusing on what you have and what you are grateful for makes it easier to soften the experiences that make us feel hurt or angry. On green-light days, I get to my destination and think, I don’t remember hitting any red lights today. Hmmmm. Of course, there are no less red lights on my drive than there had been in the past. I just don’t focus on them and that delivers me to my destination in a mood to laugh, share, engage, think, and connect with people that can make a difference in my life and business.

Green-Light Days in Business

If you often find yourself focused on what other people are doing, thinking and saying, about the politics, world economies, the dollar, the leaders, the by-laws, the taxes, etc. you may be feeling discouraged, doubtful, negative, pessimistic, overcome with emotions, overwhelmed by the negative possibilities, unsure of your own future, and helpless, then you are likely focusing on the red lights instead of the green. In this mental state, you cannot focus on growth goals, finding solutions, making powerful connections and partnerships, or building for the future, because your brain is telling you it is a hopeless venture. You have to get your brain on board the green-light route.

When you focus on the people that are doing what you want to do and that are spreading the message that it is possible, you start to see more and more people that are living in a positive light, doing amazing things that support a happy life for themselves or for their family, community, country, and the world. When you train your brain to look for the best things, it sees more of the best things. It is not that the negative things disappear, or that you become ignorant to the challenges of the world, it is just the opposite. You become stronger and more competent at what you do. Your business becomes more sustainable. A world full of competent, positive people running sustainable businesses creates more for everyone.

Honestly, it takes each person the commitment to lead a positive life for themselves that will build a world full of positive and powerful change. Applied to your business, this powerful, positive perspective allows you to attract the resources you need, like people that can help you get to where you want to go.

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You Might Have to Walk Alone

sign pointing in two directions

To up-level and take your friends with you is very difficult as each person has their own view of what their future looks like. It is hard enough to grow and change and keep the same life-partner let alone five. It is also important that we appreciate our friends for who they are and what they mean to us. We don’t go into relationships hoping to change people.

So, as to up-levelling and your inner-five, it is not a goal to get rid of the people around you. You will find that, as you change, some people will not fit with your new views, your new goals, your new connections, your new ideas. You, as a person, will not have changed your core ethics or morals, but you will come at them in a different way. Your friends may not or will not see it that way and you will find yourself sometimes in conflict, sometimes in wonder, and sometimes simply exhausted with the work it takes to explain.

When I was in high school, I had friends that were considered “the cool” people. They were known by most in the high school. I was not cool but they liked me anyway. They also did not aspire to the things I wanted to aspire to. They did not do as well in school and all of them were only focused on grade 12 education. I, on the other hand, was in the academic stream. I loved the sciences and maths, and I did well in them. I was going to grade 13 and university. This made me feel equal to them (I’m not cool, but I am smart). As I started my work in high-tech, my friends and I went our own ways. No one had to say anything nasty or hurtful, we just did our own things independent of each other. We still see each other, and laugh about our shared past, but we don’t work together towards our future goals.

To truly reach a new level that you have not been at before, you must travel with people that want to go there, be welcomed by people that have made the trip, and be understood by people who are open to the idea of the journey required. If your current friends are not willing to walk with you, not already on the path, and not understanding of the possibilities, then you will simply find yourself spending less time with them. No apology required. You are walking different paths in life and that is OK.

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Abundance Is NOT a Destination

If you think you can “get to abundance” by using the tools, teachings, and tricks of the gurus, profits, and spiritual guides you have learned from over the years, you will be wrong. Abundance is not a destination. Without abundance, you cannot have abundance.

SanDiego-DistractingView
Without abundance, you cannot have abundance.

This morning while meditating, at my girlfriends home in San Diego California, I was going through my list of things I was grateful for. As a Canadian that had just left the temperatures of a cold spring (zero degrees Celsius) for the warmth of California, I was truly grateful. But, as I spent more time thinking about the gift of having the opportunity to actually make the trip, I was struck by the idea that I was not moving towards abundance, or trying to reach an abundant life, but that I had abundance and I was taking advantage of it.

You might be thinking, “well that is all good for you, you can afford to travel.” Well here’s my dirty little secret. I help my clients make millions of dollars more than I make for myself. I have 4 kids at home (all teens and older), a commitment to the college for teaching, a husband that is tied to a job, and many payments that make it difficult to allocate money to travel, for business or personal use. It wasn’t that long ago that I had to work hard not to appear desperate when I was showing up at networking meetings or on my sales calls. I needed the work and “being” abundant was not even something I understood.

Abundance is not the things we wear on the outside, it is the feeling we have on the inside. Abundance is not a thing you can pay for, collect, own, or gift to someone else. You cannot give away abundance any easier than you can purchase it.

So if abundance is not a place you can plan on getting to, nor an item you can own, what it is? It is a mindset of gratitude and a state of being that you must master. Abundance is the ability to be grateful for the food on the table, a roof over your head, clothes for your kids, and a way to pay your bills. It is also the ability to appreciate the gift of friendship, a sunrise, a great meal, the best things about your marriage, and love that fills your life. It is purpose and service and accomplishment and fulfillment. Being abundant is about having both the things that you can and cannot purchase.

To become abundant you must first feel abundant. The only way to feel abundant is to be truly grateful for the things you currently have, no matter how minimal you initially feel that is. When you feel abundant you change and you show up differently for your sales calls, networking, in your client meetings, with your friends, and any place you are. Abundance is who you are not where you are. Don’t wait to take advantage of what you already have. Be abundant now and attract more to your life.

Sound too ‘hokey’? Try gratitude every day for a month, be actively focused on your work, and then let me know if you are attracting more to your business and your life.

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Tech vs. Personal Touch – Which Should You Be Using

Call Center Sales

In a meeting recently there was a person that argued that the personal touch was how people should reach out. “I hate when people send me a link to connect. If they cannot take a minute out of their day to call me then I don’t want to talk to them.” It is a pretty powerful statement and many people will feel this way. So how do we successfully use Technology to reduce our workload and make it possible for us to have the time to book calls and make new sales?

First, let me explain the technology that was being discussed when this statement came out. I was telling people to reduce the amount of time it took to go back and forth on an email, trying to find the best time to book a call, or booking their clients, it is better to use a booking software like Calendly, Aquity Scheduling, or TimeTrade. You would send a link in an email to your calendar and they choose the time that fits with their schedule. So here are my thoughts on using this type of tech.

Use Tech Instead of a Personal Call When…

  • People are expecting to connect with you and need to book a time to talk.

When people know you and are reaching out to connect with you it is totally appropriate to use an online scheduling system to book clients, prospects, suppliers, and peers. It saves on back and forth emails or phone tag trying to reach a consensus on the best time.

  • When you are trying to reach someone else.

When you have an issue and you need to speak to your supplier, or you are trying to reach a client, time may be a factor. Call first. If you do not get the person then leave a message with your return phone number and alternative instructions stating you will be sending a link to your calendar to set up a time to discuss your issue.  They will choose what works best for them. If they don’t, you always have the phone to reach out again.

  • When you don’t have their phone number.

Since cell phone numbers are not published in a centralized place, if the person you are trying to connect with has not given you their number and it is not posted on their website, you will be required to start with email. This is not ideal for potential sales leads. I rarely have this, but the time I did was an introduction from a client to someone they thought would be a good lead for me. They only had their first name and email address, so I had little to research on to find more details, like their phone number. Even though she introduced us via email, the person would not connect via email as our first touchpoint. My client could not get them to connect either, so it was less than ideal outcome for me – and based on my success rate for my clients – for him as well.

  • Push Sales – Call centres and telesales.

I don’t know about you, but getting a phone call on Sunday evening at 8:30 to sell me duct cleaning is a little too intrusive for the personal touch. It is a legitimate sales process, but it does not feel personal.

Use The Personal Touch

  • When you are trying to qualify a lead, you should always call first.

These are your sales calls. I would love to tell you that calling prospects and leads are now not required because of online automation, but that is simply not true, especially if you are in a service based business. Think about it, if you were to receive an email from someone you don’t really know, or maybe don’t know at all, and they ask you to “take this link to my calendar” are you likely to do that? No, in fact, you should never click links in emails from people or business you have not previously vetted.  Even though most would be legitimate, this is where viruses come from.

  • When returning someone else’s call.

If someone is expecting you to call, then make the call. An email with a link is not the response they are expecting and may not be appropriate timing for them. If you cannot call and have their cell number, then text them a time you will return their call.

  • When you have a meeting.

When you have booked a time to have a personal conversation, you should be on time and show up where they expect to connect with you (on the phone, in person, or on a video conference call). Don’t email someone 15 minutes before a meeting to let them know you cannot make it. Email is too slow. Some people may have Facebook messenger available to them all the time, but if you have not arranged a process for cancelling or being late, then call. The timing for personal connections is more precise then sending emails, messages, or even texting.

 

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Finding The Way To Success – It Is How You Look For It

buddha meditating

Who knew that meditation was going to help me find success? It was Not because I learned to meditate, but because I learned how to look for success.

For a long time, I was told that meditation was a great way to find my center, relieve stress, get focused, and become more successful. I could not afford, at the time, to hire someone to teach me meditation so I thought I would have to wait until I found another way. Surely I would know someone that could help me find what I needed or teach me.

Then someone said to me, I could find a guided meditation using free apps on my phone. I was so excited. I looked, and I could not find guided meditations that did not cost money. I was disappointed because I was sure this was going to be the way to my success. I mentioned my disappointment to someone else and they then gave me the name of a free app I could download and use. It was perfect because it was only 2 – 5 minutes long, and for someone that did not know how to meditate it was a great learning platform.

After some time I became bored with the same few meditations. I wanted more and I still did not want to pay for apps on my phone. Then another person told me that there were hundreds on YouTube. That may be obvious today, but a few years ago it was not. I started finding one, two, three… I had a few I liked and listened to often. They taught me how to meditate for longer times and in different ways. As I became better at self-meditation I continued to find more videos to listen to and follow. With my growth came an opening that allowed me to see and find more of what I had. I subscribed to one channel and two more would pop up as recommendations. The more I listened the more channels became available. There are literally thousands of sites with free meditation music that I now take advantage of and at one time I could not find one.

There is an old saying that I’m going to paraphrase here, and I think you will get the gist of the meaning:

–To those that have much, much will be given & and expected– 1

You have a lot and there are literally thousands of places for you to share what you have. The way to success is to ensure that you don’t give up looking for what you need.

 

1 Partially based on Luke 12:48