How to Master Your Tech for Increased Productivity

You sit down at your desk, ready to tackle your to-do list. But before you even start, your phone buzzes with a notification. A quick glance turns into ten minutes of scrolling. Then, an email pops up, demanding your attention. You switch to your inbox, only to get sidetracked by a long thread that isn’t urgent. By the time you refocus, an hour has slipped away—and you haven’t even started your real work.

Sound familiar? Technology, designed to make us more efficient, often becomes the biggest obstacle to our productivity. Instead of working for us, it pulls us in a dozen different directions, creating digital clutter and mental fatigue. But what if you could take back control? By mastering your tech, you can streamline your workflow, eliminate distractions, and maximize your efficiency.

Simply Ask: “What If?”

Running a small business requires constant creativity, adaptability, and a willingness to think outside the box. It’s easy to fall into routine patterns, but these habits can sometimes limit your ability to innovate and grow. Enter the “What If” exercise—a simple yet powerful tool that can help you break free from conventional thinking, explore new possibilities, and take purposeful action.

Work Harder ON Your Business Than IN It

Picture this: It's 7 PM on a Thursday night. You're still at your desk, buried under a mountain of emails, invoices, and customer inquiries. The rest of the office is empty, but you're stuck there, feeling like you're barely keeping your head above water. Sound familiar? If you're nodding your head, you're not alone. This scenario is all too common for entrepreneurs and small business owners who find themselves caught in the never-ending cycle of working in their business rather than on it.

10 Lessons I Learned from Starting 10 Years Ago with 0 Clients

10 years ago, my role as principal of a K-8 in Atlanta ended and I immediately hung my “Impactful” shingle.

Voila! I was now a coach/consultant… of exactly 0 clients.

Which meant that I had no idea how I was going to...

pay for my family's relocation to NJ, one of the most expensive states in the nation;
make meaningful and consistent income as a new-to-market coach/consultant with a freshly hung shingle; and
put myself through graduate school to complete my doctorate.

Thank God, I managed through that difficult early phase, and can now count many thousands of people who I have been blessed to serve through coaching, consulting, training, keynotes and talks, and my books and articles.

Here are 10 lessons I learned along the way.

4 Networking Tips For Introverts (and Extroverts, too!)

Do you go to networking events?

And are you an introvert?

If you are, you’re probably feeling overwhelmed. How will you manage in a large, crowded space?

Good news! It doesn’t have to be scary or impossible to navigate.

To those who say otherwise, I say “B.S.!”

No. Not THAT B.S.

Here are my 4 “B.S.” networking strategies for #introverts.

Be Still
Be Strategic
Be Seen
Be Sticky

4 B.S. Networking Tips for Introverts