How to be a “Thought Leader in Your Industry”

I never realized how important it was to be recognized as a “Thought Leader In Your Industry” until I started rebuilding my platform and my products.  So, I wanted to share with you some simple questions you can ask yourself to get noticed in this noisy “ON LINE” marketing world we live in.  Also, a company or an individual can be a thought leader.  The principals are the same no matter what.  The most important thing to remember is that you have to have a “Point Of View” that is different. You have to have a different angle (Point Of View) that brings something new to the discussion.  And yet, it still must be relevant and practical to the industry.  Here are 7 questions that help establish a point of view:

  1. What can you or your company do in the market that other companies cannot do?
  2. What differentiates you or your company’s market position from others?
  3. What innovations do you see on the horizon?
  4. What is your company’s approach to helping the marketplace understand and overcome challenges?
  5. How is technological advancement shaping your industry or you?
  6. What new challenges will your customer’s face in the next 1-3 years?
  7. What is you and your company’s position on how your industry is changing?

By reviewing these 7 questions and developing answers for each, you are well on your way to developing a “Thought Leader Position” that can deliver great content to  your market.

Once you have a point of view established for your thought leadership initiative, you will need great content to support it!  Here are some examples of content packaging that can support your thought leadership position:

  • Podcasts
  • White papers
  • Blogs
  • Videos
  • Membership Sites
  • How To Guides
  • Articles
  • MP3’s
  • Facebook Live Casts
  • Webinars
  • Books
  • Speeches
  • Seminars
  • Courses
  • Online Modular Courses
  • Coaching
  • Mastermind groups

So, even though I am not the best writer and I know some of my blogs have mistakes, I hope to get better and better and I hope that you will comment back to me on what topics you would like to know more from me in the future!

 

 

 

How To Turn Your Life’s Story Into A Product Line…….

"And create a revenue stream while helping people"

Welcome to the third post in this series of “How To Turn Your Life’s Story Into A Product Line”….and create a revenue stream while helping people.  The first two posts were designed to get you to start thinking how you can become an entrepreneur by sharing your EXPERTISE, LIFE’s STORY,  EXPERIENCES, PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND SKILLS.  It is very important that you begin to think of developing your own products/services that people are willing to pay for.   Don’t forget, there are 3 reasons why people buy.  First to gain money, second to save money and the third is to feel good.   These are the basic reasons why people buy products.  So when you learn how to develop your own products and share life experiences, you can actually help people in those three main areas where they are willing to spend money.   People are willing to pay for your experience because it can short cut their learning curve, save them time, money and precious margin and helps them overcome anything!  Therefore, making them feel better! And giving them more time to spend on the beach!

But like any business, there are core competencies, processes and infrastructure that need to be put in place to achieve the desired outcomes.   This is what I teach people how to do and how to gain more clarity, margin and success in their lives and in their work.  So start to think about the presentations that you make at work.  What is your expertise?  What are your passions? What do you like to talk about daily? What do others say your good at?  If people are always coming to you, ask yourself:”Can I turn this into a product or a story to help others succeed? Begin to document what value proposition and value creation you bring to the table.  Then start to do some market research to see if there is a market for what products/services you are thinking to develop.  Don’t forget, if the market isn’t asking for your product today, it doesn’t necessarily mean there is no potential for your product.  However, you also don’t want to spend time developing products that no one is willing to buy as well.  So, that is why a little market research in the beginning of your development is critical.   I am a certified developer for this product and can help you put together a product that helps you share your message while helping others succeed.  Download the Wishlist Blueprint here:  (Membership-Site-Blueprint)

And start dreaming of that Life Style that you want while working on the beach!

Insights into what Top-Performing Companies Should Do….

I wanted to make sure that you’re among the first to receive our new Vistage e-book: Guide to Talent Planning for the Middle Market CEO. This piece grew out of our inaugural collaboration with the National Center for the Middle Market at The Ohio State University and has sparked some provocative conversations among our CEO members.
The study looked at 400 companies with revenue between $10 million and $1 billion. It confirms that a company’s performance has a strong correlation to talent planning and provides insights into what the top-performing companies should do to ensure that they have a strong team in place.

Click Here: (download now)

How to Turn Your Life’s Story into a Product line

"While becoming the WikiLeader of your Expert Space"

In a previous post, we talked about the three steps to creating a product from your story.  The first step is to tell about your struggle. The second is to describe your journey to finding a solution to that struggle.  And the third is give a solution to that struggle.  In those three steps you can tell your story and craft a message that people are willing to pay for.

Lets look a little deeper into how to create what I call becoming the “Wiki-Leader” of your expert space OnPurpose.  When you go through “tough times” you develop unique insights how to get through tough times.  While it would be nice just to get through the shortest way, normally we are given detours and roadblocks that define your struggle.  And we know that everyone likes hearing about how to turn a struggle into a success.  So the first thing to do is to see if what your customers want is what you have to offer.  In this intersection, we can begin to define our product.

The three clarifying questions you have to ask yourself before developing your own product/service include:

  1. What are your passions and what do you like talking about daily?
  2. Could  you see yourself coaching people how to get through what you went through?
  3. What do people look up to you for and what are they constantly coming to you for?

Craft a solution statement to your struggle and journey.  It could look something like this:

If (Target market/customers) use ( Product/Service derived from Struggle), they will overcome ( XYZ roadblocks and detours) and finally achieve (Desired Results).

Watch for further posts and sign up for me emails.

 

CEO’s Remain Optimistic….

"Vistage Small business Report"

February 2017 WSJ/Vistage Small Business CEO Survey: CEOs remain optimistic

After the rapid gains in economic confidence following President Trump’s victory, small firms have suspended any further gains in February. The WSJ/Vistage Small Business CEO Confidence Index was 111.9 in the February 2017 survey, just below the 113.5 in January and the 112.0 in December, but well above last February’s 94.3. The February 2017 survey recorded the largest year-to-year gain in the Confidence Index since November 2013. The small February decline was mainly due to less favorable outlook for the economy, and consequently, a slight decline in the growth rate of their firm’s revenues and profits

 

Additional highlights include:

 

Economy expected to improve. 54% of CEOs said the national economy would improve in the year ahead, slightly below last month’s 60%, but significantly higher than last year’s 19%.

 

Anticipated revenue gains. 77% of CEOs expect higher revenues in the year ahead, the highest proportion since the start of 2015.

 

Favorable profit expectations. 62% of CEOs anticipate higher profits in the year ahead, barely below the 63% recorded in the prior two months, but well above the 55% in last February’s survey.

 

Strong hiring plans. 62% of CEOs plan to increase hiring in the year ahead, slightly higher than the past two months.

 

Investment plans. 48% of CEOs plan on increasing their spending on fixed investments in the year ahead, the highest proportion recorded in nearly two years.

 

Read the full February WSJ/Vistage Small Business CEO Survey results in the attached flyer and infographic.

 

The Q1 2017 Vistage CEO Confidence Index opens on Monday, March 6. When more of your members respond, we’re able to provide a clearer picture of how confident your local members feel about the economy in comparison to national sentiment. Please encourage your members to respond before the survey closes on March 13.

 

 

Best,

Joe Galvin

Chief Research Officer

Vistage Worldwide, Inc.

How To Turn Your “Life’s Story” Into a Product That Creates A Revenue Stream

"Part of you Platform Building Cornerstone"

Have you ever dreamed of having your own business and doing what you love to do everyday?  Are you struggling to gain clarity and confidence to pursue your dreams?  Do you know where you are heading in  life?  Do you have a personal and professional Vision/Mission/Core Values statement?  Well if all of this sounds frustrating and confusing to you, lets start with your “Story” and your “Why”.   I think everyone would agree that we all have struggled to gain clarity and we all have a “Story” and a “Why” to share with the world.  But the challenge is: “How do we do this?”

So let me share 3 simple steps to achieve your Destiny and Purpose in life and here they are:

  1. Struggle
  2. Journey
  3. Solution

The foundation of your revenue stream lies in your ability to share your struggle, journey and solution to that struggle with the world.  People are looking to short cut their troubles and people are willing to pay for what you have learned in life.  So instead of forgetting about all of those difficult struggles in life, go back and see that those struggles are truly “unrealized assets” to your future revenue stream. In my next blog post, I will share with you the next steps…

 

 

 

How to Craft a Mission/Vision/Values statement……

The concept of crafting a Mission/Vision/Values statement is not just for large corporate organizations.  It also serves the expert, entrepreneur and small business.  But beyond the organization, it is important for individuals to craft a personal Mission/Vision/Values statement.  Having a clear vision of where you want to go personally, or professionally requires understanding what values you stand for and how these will impact others or the organization.  Lets go into some detail what each of these statements mean:

  1. The Value Statement describes how you behave or how members of your organization behave.  It is a clear picture of what we believe in and how we will go forward. The value statement is often referred to as “core values”.  The core values, as previously stated, define who you are and what type of people you want to attract.  The basis for you or your organization’s differentiation is it’s core values and value statement.
  2. The Mission Statement describes the purpose of the organization and the reason why the organization exists, but it is critical to see it from the eyes of the customer.  It is what the organization is doing for the customer and the value being created.
  3. The Vision Statement describes what the organization will become (envisioned future).  It describes the “Invisible” connections that exist, but not seen yet.  The vision statement clarifies what the organization will become once the strategic plan materializes.

When individuals and organizations write down their Vision/Mission/Value Statements, they set in place a proven mechanism for achieving their Purpose and Destiny.  Research supports the fact that when goals are developed from a clear Vision/Mission/Value statement, the achievement of such goals improves dramatically.

 

CEO Optimism abounds…


CEO optimism continues to increase in wake of new presidential administration

The January WSJ/Vistage Small Business CEO Survey found that CEO confidence in the economy has continued to rise since the results of the November presidential election. The WSJ/Vistage Small Business CEO Confidence Index rose to 113.5 in the January 2017 survey, marginally above last month’s 112.0 and well above last year’s 98.8. Three months ago, just 23% expected the economy to improve during the year ahead, which rose to an astounding 60% in January.

 

“CEOs are ready to do their part by increasing hiring and investment spending, and eagerly await reductions in taxes and regulations,” said Dr. Richard Curtin, Research Professor from University of Michigan.

 

Additional highlights include:

Economy expected to improve. 60% of CEOs expected the economy to improve in January, nearly three times October’s 23%, and the most favorable economic outlook recorded since the first survey in mid-2012.
Hiring plans. The biggest challenge confronting firms is their need to expand hiring in an already tight labor market. 61% of CEOs said they play to increase hiring in the next year. 23% of CEOs said finding potential employees with work experience has become much more difficult than a year ago, and 25% reported it took substantially more time to train new hires than a year ago.
Affordable Care Act. 45% of CEOs said an Affordable Care Act repeal would help their businesses, 12% thought it would hurt, and 43% said it would have no impact.
Revenues and profits. Despite the upward pressure on employment costs, expected increases in revenues and profits remain at the best levels in nearly two years: 77% expect higher revenues, and 63% expect higher profits. These expectations are much less volatile than prospects for the national economy, acting to bring stability and coherence to small business planning processes.
Read the WSJ/Vistage Small Business CEO Survey

How to Overcome the Election Drama

"And still keep your friends"

Well, here we are in 2017 and the election is over.  Here are 5 key strategies to think about  to calm the conversations if you engage in political discussions and want to remain friends!:

  1.  Stress the beauty of our democracy over individual choices. We have a democracy that the world watches and we always need to respect the process.  IF we focus on the process and downplay the players, you can bring the conversation back to a calmer tone..I always tell folks that if we don’t like a certain President, then the voting booth is the best place to voice your opinion, not facebook!
  2. Recognize that we truly don’t have access to all of the facts about any one situation.  If you don’t know, then it is best not to talk!  Active listening and respect for another is what counts.
  3. Ask yourself:”What issue or sin about yourself if came out, would shock people”. That is why it is very important to examine yourself first as it is very difficult to recognize your own sin, but very easy to focus on the sin of another.  As I have said, I am so happy and thankful that Jesus didn’t judge me the way some have judged our presidents.   The Bible tells us:”He who is without sin should cast the first stone”.
  4. Try to seek understanding first and listen to what others say.  I always like to ask lots of questions as to why a person thinks and feels the way they do. Everyone sees their world through their lens and perspective.  The key is to seek understanding versus just having your opinion heard.
  5. Keeping silent when you see results.  Successful business executives typically employ Rockefeller habits.  Strategically aligning and executing plans to take us from one place to a desired place.  Watch for the speed and execution of goals and strategies. Its about powerful habits directed towards the right goals that successful leaders drive businesses, organizations and the country. When you see someone creating results that are needed, it is better to say nothing and just keep smiling!

Why People Don’t Keep New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year 2017!   Its time again to roll out our New Year’s goals and dreams for the upcoming year.  For many of us, we plan our goals in the previous 4th quarter for the roll out that happens now.  So, how are you doing so far executing your plan?  Here are some suggestions to help you keep on track with your New Years goals and resolutions.

  1. The main reason why we don’t manage to keep our resolutions and achieve our goals is caused by previous paradigms we have developed either from our parents or from our experiences in life.  Our paradigms keep us from achieving all what we have hoped for if they are not aligned properly with what we want to achieve.
  2. Our Paradigms keep us in unproductive habits and addictions.  The way we look at the world can have either a positive or negative effect on what we achieve.  So the secret to achieving more in life and keeping our promise to ourselves is deeply rooted in how we change our habits into productive habits!  And changing habits takes practice and discipline.
  3. Alignment is critical.  We have to  know exactly where we are today and where we want to be tomorrow if we have any chance at reaching them.  Then, we work towards aligning our habits and changing them if necessary to be able to put ourselves into a position of success.
  4. The daily grind of executing the details of our work and the people who try to bring us down have to be dealt with very strategically.  Remember that when you dream big, someone will probably be there to pull you down.  And often times, its a family member or loved one.  But you must resist and keep moving forward.
  5. Surround yourself with people who have big dreams as well.  These folks will provide energy for you to keep going.
  6. Keep learning each and everyday how you respond to obstacles and then try to respond in a new and more effective way each and every time.  Remember, that each day you don’t take steps towards your goals, you are actually moving away from your goals.
  7. Figure out the most productive time of the day for yourself and try to put the most important work during that time.  For me, I try to put 5 hours each day into product sales and marketing.   The remaining hours are spent in less productive work that needs to be handled.
  8. The biggest mistake is to over analyze and try to make everything perfect.  JUST GET STARTED and don’t worry about the criticism. I know my blog isn’t the greatest, but I try each and every day to make strides in my work.  So, just START!