When we were kids, trolls were scary creatures that lived under the bridge in grand fairy tales. We were scared of them, but we (hopefully) knew that they were make-believe. Today, trolls seem to be all around us. They do their best to push our buttons; to get under our skin; to provoke a reaction. They exist for the sole …

It’s all around us; everywhere we go and in everything we do: the race to the bottom. Who can do, sell, or provide the least amount they can get away with? What’s the bare minimum amount of work I can do and still be able to make the sale? Will I still meet spec? Can I do less and still …

How do we know if we’ll pass the test of time? Our new business; new relationship; new ideas; will they pass the test of time? The key word here is “test”. Thinking back to our school days, we all remember getting ready for a big test: the reading, the note taking, the studying, the test prep, the stress and anxiety. …

We’ve all heard the old axiom about using the right tool for the job. If we’ve ever worked with our hands, we know that the right tool makes the job easier, saves us time, and can keep us from getting injured. Then why is it so hard for some of us to use the right tool? All too often, like …

True gifts bring people closer together. An unconditional gift, one given with nothing expected in return, can change everything. It creates conversations and spreads ideas. It opens doors and creates forward motion. Seth Godin When starting something new, whether it’s our own entrepreneurial journey, a job working for someone else, a personal or professional relationship, or any situation where we’re …

Starting a new business is hard. We all want hundreds of clients right off the bat. Many, many people to pay us for our product, our expertise, and our passion. The problem is that we can’t effectively market to many, many people when we’re just starting out; when we’re a nobody. So, what’s our alternative? How about marketing to just …

Most of us are open to trying new things. Especially in our businesses, we’ll do something new in order to improve our bottom line. We’ve just got to make sure that it’s already working for someone else. We want that certainty factor; the knowledge that someone is already doing it and they’re seeing success. Hardly any of us want to …

No matter who we are, entrepreneur, small business owner, corporate executive, or just a regular Joe, we all experience adversity, and it often comes our way courtesy of our friends, family, and customers. Whenever we’re faced with these problems, it’s all too easy to go on the offensive, belligerently defending our position. The problem with becoming so defensive is that …

Back when we were in school, our math teachers were constantly telling us that we had to “show our work.” At the time, it was nothing but an aggravation to us. We thought “what difference does it make, as long as I put down the answer?” Now, we realize that they wanted to make sure we understood the underlying concept, …

People respond to value. Provide it, and they will reward us. The tricky part is that most of us perceive value differently. It may be a fair price to one client, a thorough job to another, a warm, inviting tone to a third, or a product that’s beauty rivals a Renaissance painting to someone else. Value is in the eye …