Indecisiveness Is Everywhere

Sarah had always been passionate about two things: writing and healthcare. She had a talent for crafting compelling stories, but she also had a deep interest in helping others through healthcare. After high school, she found herself torn between pursuing a degree in journalism or nursing. She spent years going back and forth, unable to decide.

In the end, she tried to combine her interests by becoming a health journalist. However, her indecisiveness had caused her to miss out on valuable learning opportunities, and she always wondered what might have happened if she had fully committed to either path. She struggled to establish herself as a writer in the competitive world of journalism and couldn't shake the feeling that she had squandered her potential.

How to Manage Your Business' Biggest Asset

Businesses have many assets. These could be physical (buildings, inventory, computers), intellectual (trademarks and patents) or financial (cash and equivalents, marketable securities).

But the greatest asset that every company has, hands down, is its people, also known as human capital.

The better a company does at managing its human capital and keeping its people happy and productive, the more successful the company will be.

Managing human capital effectively involves creating an environment where employees can thrive, reach their full potential, and feel motivated and satisfied.

How to Manage Toxic Customers or Clients

In my last article, I shared anecdotes and attributes of toxic customers and clients. Below, I will share strategies on how to deal with them to protect yourself, your people, and your business.

Handling toxic customers and clients can be challenging, but it's important to address their concerns while also protecting yourself and your team. Here are some tips for handling toxic customers and clients effectively:

Stay calm and composed: It's crucial to maintain your composure and not let the customer's toxicity affect your emotions. Take deep breaths, remain patient, and focus on finding a solution.

Are Your Customers or Clients Toxic?

You’ve likely encountered toxic people like this.

The Unreasonable Demander: A small boutique clothing store had a customer who would come in regularly, try on numerous outfits, and then demand special discounts for each item. She would threaten to leave negative online reviews if her demands weren’t met, and her behavior created tension among the staff. Despite the store’s efforts to accommodate her, she continued her demanding behavior, impacting staff morale and overall customer experience.
The Eternal Complainer: A freelance graphic designer took on a client for a logo design project. Despite presenting several high-quality concepts, the client consistently found flaws and requested revisions. The client's feedback was often vague and contradictory, making it impossible for the designer to meet their expectations. After months of revisions, the client still wasn't satisfied, and the project had to be terminated, resulting in lost time and income for the designer.

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.

When not to email

As head of school, I would have my assistant head of school read sensitive emails that I was planning on sending.

As time went on, I would stop sending such emails entirely, and insist on face-to-face meetings.

That's because we do a terrible job of accurately reading intent when it comes to things like email.

We lose sight of tonality. We lose sight of intent.

'When' matters almost as much as 'What'

I recently read (well, listened to) Daniel Pink's book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.

The central theme of the book revolves around the idea that timing matters more than we might realize, and understanding the patterns of our internal clocks can lead to better outcomes and improved well-being.

Here are 3 important takeaways:

1) Circadian Rhythms: We have internal biological clocks called circadian rhythms. These rhythms influence our sleep-wake cycle, body temperature, hormone production, and metabolism. Our bodies are naturally programmed to be more alert and active during the day and to wind down and rest at night. Understanding and aligning our activities with these rhythms can optimize our energy levels and overall well-being.

It's time you hopped offer the treadmill

You keep doing more and earning more. Yet, you’re not any happier than before.

Ever wonder why? It’s because you’re on the hedonic treadmill.

The hedonic treadmill, also known as hedonic adaptation, refers to our tendency to return to a relatively stable level of happiness or satisfaction after experiencing positive or negative events or changes in our lives.

In other words, it's the concept that our happiness levels tend to revert to a baseline despite significant life events or changes.

Tips to overcome call rejection

I'm currently listening to Jia Jiang's Rejection Proof.

It's a powerful story about how the author's personal fear of rejection and desire to please others created an unintentional international movement to help people overcome rejection and get more out of life and their careers.

Which is one of the areas that I will be focusing on in my upcoming webinar training, "Overcoming Call Reluctance."

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