The Foundation of Clear, Confident Decision-Making
I see the same pattern over and over again: business owners trying to make a strategic decision but starting with the wrong question entirely. It’s easy to think that the decision you need to make is the right question, but that fails to account for some critical assumptions and doesn’t connect this decision to the […]
Thinking Strategically Part 3 – Priorities & Execution
At this point in the process, you’ve already done the thinking most business owners skip. You’ve paid attention to what actually happened. You’ve captured lessons instead of rushing past them. You’ve slowed down long enough to separate noise from patterns. Now you’re standing at the point where strategy either becomes real — or quietly disappears. […]
Thinking Strategically Part 2 – Lessons Learned & Analyzing the Data
Once you finally have the space to think — whenever that is for your business — you need a clear starting point. That starting point isn’t a goal-setting worksheet or a long planning retreat. It’s Lessons Learned. Not complicated. Not formal. Just a structured way to understand what actually happened so you can stop repeating […]
Thinking Strategically Part 1 – Timing
Every year, December rolls around and business owners start feeling pressure. “I need to set goals.” “I need a new plan.” “I should get organized before January hits.” It’s the same energy behind New Year’s resolutions — the idea that if you don’t make a decision before the calendar flips, you’re already behind. But strategy […]
10 Ways Every Business Should Be Using AI
Using Artificial Intelligence or AI as Delegation, Not Replacement AI isn’t about robots taking over jobs. It’s about taking the repetitive, low-value work off your people so they can focus on the things that actually move your business forward: serving customers, solving problems, and making decisions. Think of it like delegation. The tasks still need […]
Why Marketing May Not Be Enough When Revenue is Down
Why Business Owners Double Down on Marketing When Sales Slip Many businesses have a peak season and a slow season. Knowing this model helps with planning for both the busy time and the slow time. However, when a business is missing the mark during what should be peak season, or overall revenue is down, it […]
Use AI in Business — But Use It With Discernment
AI Is Here to Stay AI isn’t optional anymore. Whether it’s ChatGPT, Gemini, or the next tool on the horizon, businesses that refuse to adopt AI will get left behind. The question isn’t if you’ll use it — it’s how. And the answer to “how” comes down to one word: discernment. Why Discernment Matters […]
Do You Change Your Own Oil?
Many business owners assume that if something needs to be done in their business, they must personally learn how to do it. They assume they need to take courses in graphic design, online marketing, accounting, taxes, etc. All things that need to be done but are not directly related to the product or service that […]
The ‘Should’ Trap
The word should is one of the most common ones that comes up when someone is complaining. Employees should know what to do. Customers should understand how the business works. Family members should help each other. The problem is that shoulding isn’t a productive use of time or energy. The should zone is outside […]
Evaluating Your Risk
One of the scariest things about being in business is having to do things without knowing the outcome for sure. It might be that your side hustle has grown to the point where it really isn’t feasible to do it and your current job too. It might be that you need to set better boundaries […]
Expanding Your Network
I’m a member of a Business Networking International (BNI) Chapter. I have been a member for over 10 years, and one of the benefits I’ve received is expanding my network. In fact, when my clients need help finding the right professional for a situation, I usually have a contact for them. This is a valuable […]
Consistent Action Builds Dreams
It is easy to be excited about an idea when you are thinking about the big goals you want to achieve. It’s easy to imagine the happy ending when you have a fabulous business, your product has been manufactured, or your team is working in perfect harmony. However, the journey forward will require stepping outside […]
Intentional Recognition
Whether you have a brand new employee or one that has been with you for any length of time, providing regular feedback and recognition is one of the most important things for you to do. Yet, too many bosses prefer a “no news is good news” approach to employee communication. The idea that people “just […]
Conquering Procrastination
One of the most common things people ask for help with is time management. When I dig down, I find that many clients are actually trying to fix procrastination. But, in most cases, procrastination isn’t really a time management problem. Instead, it is more about motivation (or lack of motivation) to get something done. […]
Hard Stuff
If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I’m not a fan of the grind mentality. I don’t think working harder than everyone else is as effective as working smarter. I believe in rest and self-care. I believe in making sure that a minimum of 80% of what you do consists of things you […]
An Extra 340 Hours Per Year
Each day starts and you do a task that takes you about 10 minute to complete. Someone suggests you give that task to someone else. You think, “It’s just 10 minutes, it is easier (faster, smarter, better) to just get that done myself.” If that was your only 10 minute, every-day task, your approach […]
Working Genius
As a psychology major, I’ve explored a number of personality tests. At this point, I’m not usually one to get excited about a new one. Recently one of my clients found Working Genius and was so excited about it she wanted to use it with her team. That meant that I, as the coach to […]
The Power of Ten Minutes
Every January most of my clients set annual goals (except those on a different fiscal timelines) and most have pretty big things they plan to achieve in the next twelve months. Their goals are SMART, important, appropriate and such. But that isn’t what will ensure a goal is achieved. The reality is that all […]
Building Your Team
If you are a business owner, you probably have areas where you don’t have all the answers. There are times when you need another perspective. It is easy to think that you can’t form a team to brainstorm, problem-solve and provide feedback because your internal staff is small – or might be just you. […]
Top Five Hiring Mistakes Employers Make
I often meet people who tell me they have tried to hire employees and “people just don’t want to work.” Here’s the thing – being an employer is a skill like any other. If you try it once (when you are new and inexperienced at it) and then give up, it is a skill you […]
Do More of What You Love
I was recently in a meeting with a group of business leaders. We were playing a home edition of Family Feud and the question presented was, “What is the first thing you would do if you won the lottery?” Common thoughts were to pay off debt, give to charity, go on vacation, buy a new […]
Understanding Consistency
As a person who eats very specifically, I often get salads when I’m meeting someone for lunch or when I’m picking up food to eat at the office. There are two places in town that I like to use – both offer a variety of delicious salads. Both offer consistent results. You might assume that […]
Building Boundaries
A while back, we talked about the importance of having your own personal rules. Simply put, your rules help you establish everything from when you will work to what projects you’ll agree to do. Need a refresher? Check it out here! In helping my clients establish their rules, I’ve learned that many have no […]
Reasonable Rules
When I was a new coach, I quickly learned that a segment of my clients would say yes to just about anything they were asked to do. They answered the phone regardless of when it rang, day or night. They agreed to work early, late, and even in the middle of the night. They would […]
Benefits of Changing Your Perspective
Most of us have heard of seeing the world’s glass as half-full or half-empty. The first is perceived as optimism and the latter is considered pessimistic. But, is it that simple? Like most things in life, probably not. There are more nuances to how we perceive life and where we put our attention is a […]