Mastery Series: Why we don’t do what we know we should do

“I’ve really got to get to that soon.”  “I’ve got to work on that”.  “Boy, I really need to change that”.  What is it with us entrepreneurs?  Why do we act so contrary to our long term well being and so often?  Why, when there are so many good reasons to change, do we sit idly by?  Our problem certainly isn’t lack of information.  There is plenty of solid information around finances, time management, getting rid of clutter, choosing the right lovers, taking care of ourselves, and fulfilling our goals.  You name it and there’s plenty of information to be found.  We often know what to do but we still don’t do it.  Actually, we sometimes knowingly do the opposite of what we know is best for ourselves.  We’ll choose to ignore or act in contradiction to our instincts and to reality.  It almost seems as if it is part of the human condition.  Our problem is not ignorance.  It’s action.  What keeps us from taking the right actions?

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Attend a Mastery Series Seminar for a more in depth view of this topic.

Event Details:

When:  First Thursday of the month 5:30 – 6:30 PM                                         

                Third Friday of the month 8:00 – 9:00 AM

Where: 500 Winding Brook Drive, Glastonbury, CT 06033

Register: Call 860-781-7005 or email info@theecircle.com

There is no cost and no obligation, just some great stuff that will help you on your road to Mastery!

Promo Video

Thank You Hurricane Irene

I’m recharging my devices on day 7 without power at a local coffee shop.  I started thinking about all the new experiences of this past week.

I could go on about the inconvenience this has caused, but I started to think about all the benefits of this past week.  Benefits I wouldn’t have appreciated or maybe even noticed if I had all the “Conveniences” that I have come so accustomed to.

1. Dark nights enabled our family to sit together,  talk, laugh and relax

2. Candlelight is wonderfully soothing

3. Honed my organization skills (can’t get much done after the sun goes down)

4. Sitting in a coffee shop for a couple hours while I wait for everything to recharge

5. Sunlight is amazing

6. Exercised all week (makes the cold water more bearable)

7. Found that people were very willing to help where they could A very special thank you to:

• The Lodge at Cold Spring for providing emergency meeting space

• Healthtrax for the hot showers

8. Creativity and resourcefulness became a way of life.

• Came to appreciate what free Wi-Fi really meant.

• A cooler can hold up to 2 days’ worth of food

• A grill is used for more than cook outs

     9.  My refrigerator is spotless.  There are some things that cannot be put off, I’d been meaning to get this done for weeks.  OK this isn’t exactly what I had in mind, but it hasn’t been this clean since it was new.

Sometimes gifts come to you in the strangest form.  I will go back to enjoying the conveniences of life shortly, but glad this week showed me another view.

 

Business Owners who Participate in Mastermind Groups (Peer Advisory Group)

Recently, I came across a query from Help A Reporter out that asked folks to comment on their experience of participating in a Mastermind Group (Peer Advisory Group).  I sent this request out to a few of my members to ask them to respond to the query.  To my surprise 8 of the 12 people granted my request to comment, and two were featured in the article.  I feel very blessed and grateful to those who responded, Thank you.

Below is a snapshot of the responses and a link to the article that was published.

Article  Entrepreneurs Share How Mastermind Groups Have Impacted Their Businesses

“We have a phenomenal group that meets up once a month.  I have been able to gain some amazing knowledge from my group.  Having other business owners from completely unrelated businesses, dealing with similar issues and hearing how they have overcome issues has been invaluable.  Seeing an issue from different viewpoints can be eye opening and as long as you are open to listening can help in many ways.  I network a lot outside of my group with other business owners.  Having coffee or lunch is certainly a great way to get to know people and even help hash out ideas or current issues.  Being in a group with multiple business owners who have no vested interest in your business is just a different level of power and opportunity.” Avi Smith-Rapaport President We Care Computers

 

I can’t speak for everyone in our group, but I’ve benefited from the group’s experience in multiple ways – one of the highlights was when I was presenting about a client report that I wanted to produce and forward to my clients.  I was stuck on a section having to do with visually explaining to my clients how their data backups were running.  I was very tied up in trying to get an exact answer to my question, while the group was almost unanimous in simply saying, keep it simple.  Now, rather than trying to figure out complicated math formulas to come up with a number that no one cares about has been replaced by a green checkmark or a red x.  Very simple – would have taken me months to figure this out without them.” Chris Meacham President Now It Works

 

“My Badger’s MasterMind Group has helped Jegas, LLC succeed by being our Pillar of Logical Scrutiny! We Risk together, Learn Together, and We Succeed Together…. that’s how our group operates.”  Jason P. Sage President Jegas, LLC

 

“ I have been a member of our Roundtable for approximately three (3) years.

During that time, our revenues have tripled during a difficult economy.  While our growth is certainly not entirely due to our Mastermind Group, it has certainly provided us the guidance, reassurance, and expertise to facilitate such growth.”  Parker Elmore President Primoris Benefit Advisors, Inc.

“The E Circle is a “business” group that assists me in building my business and to focus on its future potential according to my needs and desires.  It’s making me take me and my business more seriously, in a well needed way.”  Tracy MacKinstry, MacKinstry Financial & Investments Educators Retirement Consulting.

The Entrepreneur Circle roundtable meetings have been a tremendous asset to my business. Simply knowing I have a group of professionals that I can turn to for their business experiences, support and guidance is extremely valuable. The monthly meetings help keep me focused and on track to achieve my goals. Whether you are involved in a new venture or have been in business for many years, I believe The E Circle will help you improve.   Steve Bugg President Insurance Marketing Group

If it weren’t for my E Circle Roundtable I wouldn’t have focused on developing the cross-training and procedures my company needed to provide continuity in the event of sudden staff changes, unexpected death or failing health of the principle, or a disaster. My company is better prepared to handle the unexpected now as a result of E-Circle’s Business Analysis. Lorna Bolduc Principal, Accrete Group, LLC

“My Roundtable has provided an environment that allows me to continually think outside the box and then pursue those thoughts and goals with mutual support and accountability. We drastically improved our marketing programs and substantially grew our firm in our first year as E-Circle members. I strongly encourage any business person to make this commitment a priority item in their business plan.” Bill McCloskey Stateline Senior Services

Keiserism of the Week

Today’s Keiserism is……..

Take the things you learn and blend them into your style. When we copy another’s philosophy, it is the equivalent of wearing someone else’s shoes. They may fit, but you know they aren’t yours and people will start to wonder why you are walking funny.

Related Article: Are You a Cool Kid? Or, Just Trying to Be One?

Grass roots Marketing tips from Tag Team Business Partners

  James Gomes of Tag Team Business Partners, delivered a talk to our group last week.  I found the tips he spoke about to be very worthwhile and thought I’d pass them along.  Thank you James.

 

 

Grass Roots Marketing

10 things you can do, within a week, to better market your business and help build your brand.

________________________________________________________________________

 

1.   Claim your Social Space - Sign your business up for a FaceBook, Linked-In and an industry specific social platform. Get the basics in for now and implement a simple plan to update it weekly.

 

2.   Perpetuate Word of Mouth - Getting people to talk about you is one step. Controlling HOW they talk about you important. Humans are nosy and parrots by nature. Work on your :30 second explanation of what you do and how you help people. It’s concise, unique, clear and ends with a customer benefit.

 

3.   Synergize what you have - Does your website look like your business card, which looks like your presentation, which looks like your office?  Color, Phrase, Style?

 

4.   Become an Authority at Something – Everyone has a specialty. Something that they know more about or do better than most. Perfect that and publish that.

 

5.   Don’t take the Bait – Don’t just buy an ad because you think is the right thing to do. Marketing is not an ad. Marketing is a theme and a consistent blend of all the ways people learn about you.   A plan is needed. It can be simple but what you do needs to fit into a plan.

 

6.   Consider Video – Recent consumer habit research shows that most people are over 200% more likely to be engaged by a video rather than the written word. 200%!

 

7.   Be seen in your customer circles, not only yours – Do you know where your customers are? Do your best to be there. Industry associations are great. Customer associations are better.

 

8.   Put your Best Customers to work for you – Customer testimonials are a great way to build credibility among potential customers. Testimonials in writing is good, in video is better, in person is the best.

 

9.   Remember the Do, Tell, Tell Principle – You have to DO it, you have TELL them that you did it, and you have to TELL them again. Talking about yourself can be hard and unnatural, but you have to look for ways to “publish” what you do.

 

10.   Take a Risk – Start with one. It could be a creative promotion to create chatter about you and your company. Something you wouldn’t ordinarily do. These types of risks rarely hurt you and most of the time, help you.

 

 

Questions, comments and more help:

 

James Gomes

Principal

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TagTeam Business Partners, LLC 

2189 Silas Deane Highway, Rocky Hill, CT 06067

P: 860-436-3900 ~ C: 860-916-0175~ F: 860-436-3904

Email: jgomes@tagteambp.com

 

Website: www.TagTeamBP .com

Social: Facebook , Twitter , YouTube  

Peer Advisory Boards: Discussion Protocol Part 4

In order for your Peer Advisory Board to be effective, 3 very important things need to occur:

1. Communication
2. Listening
3. Action

This becomes a delicate balancing act.  In order for true change to occur all three must take place.

com·mu·ni·ca·tion (k -my n -k sh n)

n. 1. The act of communicating; transmission.  2. a. The exchange of thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals, writing, or behavior .b. Interpersonal rapport.

lis·ten (l s n) intr.v.

1. To make an effort to hear something    2. To pay attention; heed

ac·tion ( k sh n)

1.  The state or process of acting or doing  2.  Something done or accomplished; a deed.  3.  Organized activity to accomplish an objective  4. The causation of change by the exertion of power or a natural process

Communication is relevant for both the individual presenting his/her situation and the board members contributing to him/her.

The Presenter

The Presenter should be clear on his or her objectives and outcome.  They should come to the meeting prepared to state his/her challenge or opportunity.  We recommend that the presenter write out their situation, then meet with someone from their board (buddy) to help them clarify the issue at hand. Preparation in advance allows the most success for the presenter.  Once the presenter has presented their issue, their job is to listen, create an action plan, and take action.  Without action, the presenter will not be able to affect change, and attain results.

The Group

It is essential that the group come prepared to help the presenter create an action plan.  They should also come with the understanding that the presenter is the focal point of the discussion and may start to feel overwhelmed, defensive, or uncomfortable if they are given too much information or advice.  We find the best results occur when the board communicates through sharing experiences, and asking questions.  It is also important for the board members to intently listen to the presenter through their verbal and non-verbal clues.   It is the job of the Board participants to support and help the presenter feel secure enough to present their situation.  The group is not there to judge the presenter or “fix” the problem.  They are there to listen and provide useful information so that he/she may form their own plan of action on their terms.  We have been given advice and told what to do our whole lives, we have a book shelf full of books, and have had encountered many folks that are more than willing to tell us how we should do something.  In my experience the true change comes from the personal decision to take the action, the best action plan is the plan created by the individual.  Therefore it is the responsibility of the board to help the presenter create his/her own action plan, and hold them accountable to take the necessary steps.

All parties come to the table with the intention to help one another grow, change and see their business in a different way.  This can and does occur when the parties involved come to the table ready to communicate, listen, and take action.

Next time we will discuss the importance of assigning roles.

Previous entries

Choosing the members of your Board

Commitment

Organization

Peer Advisory Boards: Commitment Part 2

We have been providing the step by step guide to creating your own peer advisory board.  This post is dedicated to commitment.  The last post was dedicated to choosing the members of your board

To recap, a Peer Advisory Board is a team of carefully selected team of like-minded peers that will provide for you:

• Accountability
• Brainstorm ideas, introduce new concepts
• Guidance
• Work through business challenges

A team is a group of people that work together to accomplish something.  What would a baseball team be without someone at first base?  How could a football team function without it’s quarterback?

The Peer Advisory Board is no different.  Without all members present, the group cannot accomplish it’s mission.  All members are critical to the success of the meeting.  The group was deliberately chosen to provide insight, experience, and wisdom to each other. Without them, everyone will miss out, including the member not present.  Each member has a role to play at the meeting.  The presenter (individual with the challenge) is looking to the group to provide information to help them create a solution. Without their team, they won’t have the benefit of collaboration.  The other members of the group also benefit from the presenter and feedback shared at the meeting.  If anyone isn’t present, that person’s contribution is missed.

How do you create a committed team?

There are 2 ways:

First, upon conception of the group,  each person you choose must understand what they are committing to and the value of participation.  Some red flags would be someone who tells you that they can’t  predict their schedule and they will do the best they can.  Or, “I’ll be there unless I have a chance to meet with a prospect.”  These are not qualified board members. Every member needs to be at every meeting.  Reschedule when a conflict arises, rather than conduct the meeting without them.

Second, fulfill on the value of the group.  Stick to the agenda. Begin and end on time. Keep conversations on track. Assign responsibilities to other members in the group and make sure members come to the meeting prepared.

A committed group will thrive and grow together.  When commitment isn’t present, the group will eventually lose interest and cease to exist.

Next time we will discuss the importance of the pre-set schedule.

Great Article on Peer Advisory Boards

I found this great article today on Peer Advisory Boards.  Thank you Ray@propres.com for writing it.  

Article:  Is a Peer Advisory Group Right for You?

Glastonbury Chamber Announces Strategic Alliance with The Entrepreneur Circle

The Glastonbury Chamber is pleased to announce a strategic alliance with The Entrepreneur Circle.  The Entrepreneur Circle runs peer advisory boards (Roundtables) for business owners.  Roundtables are small groups of business owners that meet to discuss mutual issues and concerns they face in the running of their businesses.  The business owner gets an opportunity to share in the cumulative wisdom and experience regarding the true nature of owning and operating a business.  The Roundtables convene under the guidance of a trained facilitator and follow a defined process that is designed to produce measurable value for the participants.

Fast Company Magazine recently discussed a poll of business owners that participate on peer advisory boards.  64% reported an increase in bottom line profitability.  56% reported an increase in top line sales.  And 60% reported an increase in productivity.  The Roundtables help the business owner enlarge the view of their business, improve their mission and strategy, and discover new ideas they haven’t considered before.

“Having participated in several peer discussion groups, I have found The Entrepreneur Circle’s structured format to be one of the best places to discuss business issues.  My participation in the group has had a measurable impact on the continued success of our organization”.

David Wood President Gateway Financial Group, Inc. (Glastonbury Chamber Member)

The Entrepreneur Circle is offering a 20% discount on annual dues to Glastonbury Chamber members.  For eligibility guidelines and information on membership, please contact The Entrepreneur Circle at 860-781-7005 or info@theEcircle.com

Peer Advisory Boards give you the edge to Succeed

Where do the top leaders in business & politics get their ideas?  Why does it seem so effortless and easy for them to get to the top and stay there?  The answer is simple, they surround themselves with other leaders that are just as or smarter than they are.  The President has his cabinet, he also meets with other leaders of nations.  Leaders of big business have their board of directors, and meet with other leaders of business at regularly scheduled retreats.  These meetings are private closed door affairs.  These meetings and retreats are what perpetuates the success and survivability of nations and big business.  The leaders know they are smart, they know they can lead, but they also know they can’t and shouldn’t do it alone.  They know that in order to stay competitive and keep their edge they have to bring their challenges, opportunities and ideas to the table and discuss them with people they trust. 

Small business owners can attain the same edge, they don’t have to do it alone.  Be in business for yourself, not by yourself!  Business owners have transformed the way they do business due to the collaboration with others.  Closed door meetings are exactly that, a private meeting to discuss in detail the challenges, opportunities, and ideas of your business.  Coming out of the forest and looking at all of the trees allows you to focus on the big picture, not just the one tree.  A true leader makes decision and engages in activity that promotes the big picture.

Peer Advisory Boards are for the winners in business that know they can always be a little bit better.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”  Margaret Mead