Mike Michalowicz's Blog, page 20

The First Step to Recruiting and Hiring Top Talent for Better Employee Retention and Scalability

To be a truly great leader in your small business, you must know how to recruit and retain top talent for better company culture and create profitability in your organization. 

While it sounds obvious, there are small business owners and entrepreneurs who miss the mark in their hiring process, creating less efficiency and more disruption in their businesses, negatively impacting revenue.

Great leaders build unstoppable teams.

Small businesses don’t offer employees huge ladders to climb. We are underfunded and under-resourced, and yet many entrepreneurs pull it off. Some small companies are stacked with A-players, yet the reason why is not obvious. 

I thought about my colleagues and other small business owners who have remarkable, loyal, and motivated teams. They don’t have employees who kill time until they can clock out or do the bare minimum until they can find a “better” job. They have rock-star employees who can do the job they were hired to do, who love their work, and who seek ways to contribute and solve problems. These employees are extremely dedicated and care as much about the companies they work for as the owner.

A quick start – The first steps. What does top talent look like to you? Make sure that view is serving the big picture. Is the best candidate only someone with experience that fits the text in the job description, or are you open to considering candidates who have the best attitude and potential?

Review your recruiting process. After you’ve assessed your needs, created a job description and reviewed your recruiting plan, it’s time to connect with top talent for the position.Don’t recruit solely on resume bullet points, but on candidate potential. Great leaders know people are far more than their resume. Hiring based on experience and education is limiting—for your team, and for your company’s growth. Rather than match a person’s qualifications to a role, consider a person’s innate, experiential, and potential abilities. People who want to do a job always outperform people who need to do a job. Those are the ones who care about your business. Match employees with the work they do best to improve efficiency. I’m speaking from experience here. Kelsey Ayres started with me years ago to help run my office and as my personal assistant. She quickly helped me build out systems and today is our company president. Since then Kelsey has hired a team of ten people. Each employee was recruited for a specific position, and each one of them has a role that has evolved over time. They have additional responsibilities and tasks. By aligning roles, you’ll scale faster.Communicate. I know this may go without saying. It’s easy to get swept away in our daily responsibilities. You may intend to reach out to someone and that interaction inadvertently gets put on the back burner.  Set the standard for your expectations of future employees starting with your first communication in the recruiting process. Be responsive, available, and maintain communication about your processes and timeline.

What could you achieve if you had a team that cared as much about your company—its mission, customers, growth, future—as you do? The truth is, it’s not a pipe dream. It’s a necessity. So while you’re sorting through resumes on ZipRecruiter, keep these simple tips in mind. You’ll drive profitability, manage disruption, and scale your company because your team cares about your business. 

Wishing you good health and wealth always.

-Mike

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Four Ways to Help Your Small Business Meet New Client Demands

There are few industries that didn’t experience a survival mode moment during the pandemic. Some small businesses were able to pivot and thrive while others shuttered their doors or downsized. What was the deciding factor? New client and customer demands. Their needs, and behavior has evolved, and your small business will have to as well.

Now more than ever, the most important area to focus on in your small business is who you are offering your services to, and how to serve them better than anyone else. Data won’t lie, but it also won’t create business relationships. To that end, you’ll be required to level up your communication with your customers for a granular understanding of their needs and what they will be willing to pay to have those needs met.

An exercise to meet new customer needs. While you may have run reports on who your customers are and how to best provide services to them in the past, let’s delve into your customer and client communication. It may sound basic, but these steps will assist you in understanding exactly who you are serving, what they need, want and ultimately, how to create the level of customer loyalty that will in turn make your business profitable for the long term.

Communication is the foundation of all relationships, and that goes for customer relationships too.

To identify who your customer is and what they need, start with this customer and client communication exercise. The goal is to truly know your customer, so this will provide you with a refresh on your perspective of those needs and do away with assumptions so you can provide an offering that will be bought.

Listen – Have you ever been in a conversation with someone and you find that you’re speaking over each other, even if in agreement? When you leave that interaction, do you feel seen and heard? The best way to communicate with your clients and customers is to say nothing at all at first. Ask questions to determine what their challenges and pain points are that you can offer solutions for. Be present in your listening, and try not to think of your responses as they express themselves. Give them the time and space to explain what they need, and respond only after you pause to create a more intentional response.Invite feedback – and share it with the rest of your team so they can apply it to your services. Asking for reviews and feedback is a powerful way to enhance your offerings and pivot where required in order to serve your business community on a deeper level. Acknowledge your customers, even if there is a stall in movement of your transaction. Everyone likes to be seen. If your customer feels invisible they will go where they are seen. Think about your own experience. Say you enter a retail store. Are you greeted by the employee there? Or, are you ignored? Or, are you not acknowledged until the employee is done with a conversation they’re involved in? Consider for a moment that you are the employee and customers are entering your business. You want them to feel welcome and create a sale, correct? It starts with even the smallest gesture of acknowledgement. You don’t have to drop what you’re doing. If you were working in retail, you could at the very least look up from what you’re doing to mention that you’ll be right with them. Those small gestures will lead to ease of conversation. Remember the customer experience is what will ultimately drive your business, and create a sales cycle that feels as though it naturally converts sales from prospects. Client satisfaction occurs during and after the sale. Following up and checking in will illustrate you aren’t just all about the sale, but the service.Be honest. Always. You’d be surprised to learn how many customers you will gain simply by telling them your offering may not be of service to them at that time. That honest phrase instills customer trust, and they usually look to see what other services you offer. If you’re honest with them, they’ll trust your solution.

Your small business was created to serve. Communicating that you know and understand changing client and customer demands, needs, and maintaining thoughtful communication is crucial.

Yes, it’s business, but remember to communicate with humans, like a human. You’ll build trust, customer loyalty, and one sustainable business.

Wishing you good health and wealth always.

-Mike

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Company Culture – Practices for the Better Internal Communication and Leadership in Small Business

Even if you have a small business, it’s still important to be aware of your company culture. My team has grown over the last few years and as we get more talent, and personalities, it’s necessary to put some effort into creating a company culture where people feel effective, understood, and valued. It’s one of the largest building blocks in great employee retention.

The first place to start creating your small business company culture is by simply communicating. The last thing you want is a communication breakdown, because several other aspects of your business will begin to break down as well.

There are hundreds of skills we consider important in business, and it all starts with communication. This soft skill can be a hard one to master, and can determine the trajectory of your business. Communication within your company is where all roads begin. It’s the foundation for all activity, great and small. As you can surmise, success in your business leans solely on this starting point, and how effectively you can communicate your message. Your business communication affects:

Brand identity ProductivityRevenueManagement of the teamEmployee satisfactionVendor and client relationships

Feeling a little pressure? Never fear! Here are a few suggestions for you to consider applying to your company culture if you haven’t already done so.

Start with communication. I know, perhaps I’m overcommunicating? Communication  is the cornerstone for every day functioning.  Every interaction is a form of communication, which also serves as marketing for your business. Internal, external communication, email, calls, meetings, Zoom, social media, you name it. 

It’s imperative that effective communication for leaders and employees alike exist in your small business. Good communication builds trust and empowers your employees (and customers) with information and resources so they can be as effective at their jobs as possible. Here are some ideas for you to consider implementing in your own small business. 

Meet regularly – Leaders should provide opportunities for team meetings as well as 1:1 meetings. These meetings increase communication, allow for celebration and sharing of challenges, and allow for a chance to make announcements and share new company goals, etc.Offer resources –  Sometimes employees need to improve communication and build skills for purposeful and impactful communication. Presently, our office has a book club and we’re reading Say What You Mean, by Jay Sofer. We discuss the book section by section in a quick book club meeting. Not only do we get to share what resonated, we also get an opportunity to see what our team members relate to, which helps us craft more effective communication skills. You don’t have to read a book necessarily, any exercise that offers similar results will work.Avoid making assumptions – you know the saying.Give context. While I realize you may not be able to give up all the goods all the time, provide enough context around assignments and create a safe space and allowance for questions. When your employees feel empowered, they’ll be more confident while caring through on their profit enhancing tasks.

Remember, a truly sustainable, legacy small  business is built on trust, authentic working relationships and an elevated company culture. Poor communication devalues you and your business. The cost of lost translation: People will know, like and trust you less. But you don’t have to worry about that now that you’ve been reminded. Right?

Wishing you health and wealth always.

– Mike

PACT: 

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How to Effectively Communicate Your Marketing and Stand Out From the Crowd

When you think of the word marketing, you likely connect it with sales and promotions, which I hear aren’t attractive terms these days. You can’t simply stop marketing your small business, but you can change your mindset and marketing strategy. 

The first step? Reframe marketing as communication.

Small business marketing isn’t just about sales. We don’t always realize it, but everything is born out of our communication. Because marketing is the process of creating a relationship with your prospects over time, as with any relationship, efficient communication must be at the heart of your marketing to deepen that business relationship.

Marketing is also about educating your prospects about your offered products in order to create their desired transformation. Your small business marketing should convey that your company is the best solution to a client’s challenges by communicating all of the nitty gritty details of your product in a short statement.

To market effectively, you must guide your prospect through the cycle of knowing, liking, trusting, buying and recommending your services. Keep these first few factors in mind before creating a marketing strategy:

Where to start – nurturing small business customer and client relationships.

KYC. Know your customer. Everyone wants to feel seen and your prospects are no different. Forget ABC (always being closed, for all of those who aren’t familiar with The Boiler Room reference.) Your first step is to gain a deep understanding of who your customer is and create a solution that is of value and offers massive transformation for their unique small business challenges.Trust. Prospects need to believe that it’s your product of service that will provide their transformation. Communicating effectively with them instills trust. If something is a wonderful fit, explain in your marketing what exactly you can improve for them and how. Conversely, if your product or service is not a good fit for them at that time, let them know that as well. That kind of honesty is going to build your reputation as a trustworthy small business.Buy buy buy. Sales are not the end of your interaction. We all love the bottom line, but if you want to build a sustainable small business, we can’t simply process customers through a sales cycle. From that first phone call to the sale, you’re nurturing your client relationships. Always follow up after the sale to see how your client is benefiting from your product or service. This will solidify your relationship so they are repeat customers, and give you the opportunity to see if they need additional support or products.Recommendations. A double edged sword, recommendations are one of the most influential marketing tools out there. In Get Different I write about not relying on recommendations to increase customers in your small business. However, any testimony to or stories of client satisfaction that get out there are incredibly effective when it comes to converting small business leads. Again, this is all about communication. Customers are going to share their experiences, so be sure that your communication during their experience has been elevated from start to finish.

Marketing – Communicating your message effectively with The DAD Method.

When you market you’re showing who you are. Why you can be trusted, liked, hired and recommended. But, your marketing isn’t effective unless people see it. To that end, let’s delve into the main three steps I outline in Get Different and use them as a guide to add to your small business marketing strategy.

A quick story: On the day I launched my first book, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur, no one bought it. Not even my own mother. Feeling defeated, I had two choices: learn how to market effectively, or abandon my dream.

I knew it was a good book. I knew in my heart it would help other entrepreneurs succeed. This led me to an epiphany that has resonated with me every day for my entire career: I have a responsibility to market.

Playing it safe and following a standard book launch plan (this was over ten years ago, it’s a little different now) kept me from the success I hoped for. Looking back on that experience made me realize I needed to approach marketing differently. 

The lack of good, effective marketing is the reason for small business mediocrity and stunted growth. It cannot be overstated enough: You have a responsibility to market effectively. It’s that simple. You became a small business owner because you saw the impact you could have on the world with your offering, and you thought it could serve better than the rest. With the numerous responsibilities that come with business ownership, your main focus should land on marketing your offering in a way that makes you shine among your competition and serve your community of customers.

It’s natural for fear and adversity to arise when running a business. It’s a strange time, to say the least. The idea of getting back to normal is obscure for some. Others may realize that normal wasn’t that great. Add to that, many of us are wondering what’s going to happen next in the current economy, which leads to trepidation when developing your business strategies. The one strategy that is paramount to the survival of your business is in marketing.

There will always be a reason (I like to call these excuses) not to market. You may think now isn’t the time. Perhaps you’re revamping your product. Maybe you’re an introvert. Maybe a health crisis, politics or social justice issues are creating a sensitive time in the world (in which case, yes, time your messaging accordingly). Whatever the reason, you must find a way to get over the fear of failure and market your offering so it cuts through the static and gets noticed. Your business, your livelihood, and that of your family and employees, depends on it.

So what are you going to do? I assume you didn’t get this far because you give up easily. If you want to get noticed and get real results in a crowded market, follow the DAD methodology in Get Different. Based on years of marketing research and experiments, The DAD Method offers a blueprint for engaging and converting your prospects into leads. DAD stands for Differentiate, Attract, and Direct. Without further adieu, here are the three main steps from Get Different to ensure your marketing is engaging – and effective. For good.

Three steps for successful marketing with The DAD Method:

Step 1 – Differentiate. The first step, differentiate, in the DAD framework is quite literal. To get attention and stand out in the constant buzzing of marketing, you must, must get different. You must identify a marketing approach intrinsic to you that stands out in a sea of sameness. Standing out means you shine a light on your strength, and how that strength offers solutions and transformations. Being different doesn’t require a massive shift. It just has to be one small step that is unexpected. Prospects need to be able to differentiate your solutions from all other options. Do not rely on word of mouth for marketing. That’s just lazy. By doing that, you are forgoing your marketing methods and leaving it in the hands of people who have no skin in your game. Don’t cross your fingers and hope people hear about you. Marketing is one of the things in your business that you can control. 

What will make your prospect’s minds stop and pay attention? How can you engage them during the marketing milliseconds? What is your “est”? Are you the smartest or the funniest? How is your business the best? Use that quality in your marketing to stand out among the others. Now, I’m not saying dress up in tight, shiny clothes and create a book release video (like we did), but you can use your unique qualities, the ones authentic to who you are and what your service offers to market the heck out of your product. And get creative, or no one is going to see you. Don’t be afraid to stand out. It’s not natural for everyone, and you may have to leave your ego at the door and take a risk. One that will be worth it.

“Different isn’t doing more of what everyone else does, it’s doing more of what you do.”

Another quick story. This last month my friend John Briggs and I headed to the college football championships. These games are known for fans dressing like maniacs, so who were we to be party poopers? What’s interesting is that all the fans dress radically but there’s a consistency, a common and expected gear. 

We ended up donning huge purple wigs. And you know what? We were the only whackos with huge purple wigs on that day. And you know what else? We ended up on ESPN. Then we were interviewed by USA Today. Then we met about one hundred fans as they asked for photos with us.

The lesson here isn’t to run out and get a purple wig, but to determine what is just different enough to make you stand out? 

And yes. I’m saving the wig. Purple just may be my color.

Step 2 – Attract – How to determine who you need to engage. Your marketing is going to stink if you don’t know exactly who your customer is that will receive the most impact from your services.. Sure, you can be different and you can probably attract them. But for how long? Long enough to get them to that next step of signing up? Nope. They’ll move on to the next shiny object because your message didn’t speak to them personally. Ouch.

Attracting small business points back to communication. There’s a lot of talk about knowing your customer avatar – or your customer profile. People respond to what speaks to their identity, and we are attracted to images and messages that affirm that identity and who we are. Read that last sentence again, because this is the sweet spot. Once you identify your customer, their pain points, and how your offering can serve their needs, you will be able to engage them in your marketing long enough for them to become your next customer. Probably for good.

I can’t identify your customer for you. Your offering is likely different from mine. I will share that sure, we check reports and data to see how our marketing is performing. However, I like to go a little next level (I bet you knew that) so I often survey my customers and have a call to action in my books to create a path of communication. We receive personal responses to these invitations and people share their stories and exactly what their needs are. From there I am able to tailor our offering, and our marketing strategies naturally begin to speak to the identity of our customers. 

Step 3 – Direct. What’s your call to action, and does it convert prospects? Now that you’ve got your marketing message out there, what do you want your customers to do? What is your call to action? Your strategy must compel your ideal prospects to take a specific action you desire, and fast.

Once you have the prospect’s attention and they are engaged, you need to tell them what the heck to do. Marketing expert Jeff Walker says that marketing is every step you take to get the customer to the buying decision, and the sale is the final action on their decision to buy. 

Your clear, singular directive should lead potential customers to the next step. With every marketing offer, provide very clear, concise, and short directions. If the directions are too wordy or involved, you’re going to lose that prospective client. The easier the better – it ensures you will get more responses.

Remember these two things when it comes to marketing:

Every interaction is a communication. Really see and understand who you’re communicating with. Listen. Communicating that you’re engaged with them and communicating your small business solutions will help them.Get different. Stand out. Break a few rules. You, your business, and your clients deserve it.

Wishing you health and wealth always.

-Mike

If you’re entertaining the idea of giving keynote speeches, or even if you’re a seasoned speaker, consider joining John Bates and I to learn how to give the best darn speech ever and increase your revenue.  Click here to learn more now.Before there were speaking events there was one book that put me on the map. Join my co-writer, publishers, and agent in the Next Level Author Workshop to learn how to get your book out there.We entrepreneurs need to stick together! I have created courses, workshops and mastermind groups to leverage the knowledge of entrepreneurs and share information to help you make the most impact in your small business. Check them out here.

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Scale Your Small Business Through Speaking Events and Writing Books

Over the last decade thought leaders and coaches have been on the rise. If you’re like me, you may be inundated with emails and ads for TED talks, keynote speeches and small business books. I mean, those speakers and authors must be the authorities, if they’re information sharing at that level, right? 

At some point, you’ve probably wondered if you should give some keynote speeches and/or publish a book of your own. 

The answer is a resounding yes. 

If you’re an entrepreneur or small business owner you likely have a story to share about how you got to where you are today. And, if you want to establish yourself as an authority in your niche, the two best ways to do that are to speak or write. You should demonstrate you have expertise in your particular field, you earned that. Sharing your journey and your systems with others so they can make their own business transformation is incredibly generous and empowering. (It increases your small business revenue by leaps and bounds too.)

Thought sharing is serving. And I think we all want to do that.

Anyone can make a reel or post a graphic on social media. That doesn’t quite deem you as an expert though. What you need to really stand out is to get some speaking engagements or publish a book. While I can’t get you booked for an event or your book published tomorrow, I can share some lessons I learned as you forge your path toward becoming a small business industry expert and leader. 

The benefits of becoming a keynote speaker and small business author:

My first speech was a bit of a bumble, all things being honest. I learned through experience, and today am a sought after keynote speaker and invited to small business events all around the world. When it comes to writing, it seems that each small business book I write for entrepreneurs inspires another. My motivation is hearing testimony and stories from fellow entrepreneurs who tell me one of my systems saved their business. From there, I became inspired to serve more. The results are the creation of another company, scalability of that company, increased revenue and profitability, and a sustainable business that achieves my desired impact.

If you want to do the same, these opportunities are there for you. Here are some pointers I’ve learned the hard way.

Do’s and don’ts of keynote speaking:

Do:

Keep it interesting – without gimmicks. You are commanding the attention in the room for the time you’re on the stage, be it fifteen minutes or two hours. Be prepared and have an outline in mind of how the flow of your talk will go and exactly what the message of transformation will be.Engage through storytelling. Imagine you went to a keynote just to watch someone’s slide show. Would you feel a connection with that speaker? The most effective way I have connected with small business owners is through storytelling. And as you may or may not know, it’s my story I tell. Not the story where I tell people who have done what to be successful. Nope. The story that most entrepreneurs and small business owners come out to hear me tell is about my failure. It’s a starting point, and all success after that failure is even sweeter. When you share how you overcame pitfalls and how you can help others do the same, you are serving. That’s the sweet spot.Acknowledge that public speaking is a privilege. When I hop up on that stage I am of course a bit nervous. I’m excited about a message I want to share. I can’t wait to connect. I’m ready! I also have to remember to stay humble, and recognize what an honor it is to be chosen to speak, and that an audience chose to come listen. Your keynote speeches must incorporate a high level of reverence. Remember, speaking to an audience is the greatest privilege.Remember it’s a performance. You must see this as a performance. It will modify your delivery and keep you from getting overly friendly or informal. I know. It’s a delicate balance. You want to be relatable, just remember you’re the authority in your industry and that’s why you’re there. Speak to one person in the audience. This is the person who can best be served by your message. Too often we want to speak to the masses, which is a noble intent. But, your messaging will be diluted if you are trying to speak to many needs. By speaking to a few needs, your message will create greater impact and therefore transformation for the audience members who truly need your help in real time. 

Don’t:

Sell. I worry that some speakers, accidentally or not, use their speaking privilege by trying to sell. Even if it fits into the topic, selling during a speaking event isn’t something I endorse. You’ve got their attention the entire time you’re on the stage. Give them something they need there and then. Through this you’ll garner a reputation for someone who cares about people, not money – which will only increase your leads.Speak too fast. I notice when I speak casually with people I tend to speak faster than if I’m on stage. Make sure your cadence is clear and concise. Jokes. I love pranks and well placed jokes as much as the next person, so I’m not going to say incorporating jokes in your keynotes is a bad idea. What I will say however, is to ensure that your jokes are well placed regarding subject and timing. 

Keeping these things in mind will help modify your speech and result in the best delivery of your ideas so they are actionable for your audience. 

I know it can feel like a chicken or the egg conundrum, deciding if you should perform keynote speeches or publish a book. It’s up to you and what you’re most comfortable with. And, it doesn’t necessarily need to be an either or situation.

Do’s and Don’ts of Small Business Authorship:

Speaking of eggs, let’s get your ducks in a row. If you want to get a small business book out there, I will be your biggest cheerleader, pom poms, megaphone and all.

Do:

Know your audience. First rule of the Small Business Author Club (or for any writer) is to know who you’re writing for. When I first started writing I wanted to save all the entrepreneurs and small business owners from all the potential challenges. I was going to white knight it. You know, swoop in, save millions. What I learned is you can’t write one book for everyone. Just as aforementioned, you won’t have optimal impact or spark transformation with blanket statements. Know who you are writing for, what their need is, and give them a solution that’s tangible in order to create their own success story. There will likely be more than one person who benefits. Get that reader statement down pat before you begin writing and your journey will go much more smoothly. Immerse yourself in storytelling. Sure, it’s a business book, but you want your readers to stay awake past the first few pages. How? By connecting. By engaging. By getting vulnerable through storytelling. You don’t have to air out your dirty laundry if you don’t want to, but a little laundry? That can be a great hook! (So can your content, so, you know, balance.)Systems and solutions. Now that you’ve explained you’ve been there and done that, illustrate how you created systems and solutions that your readers can also apply to their own business for increased revenue in their own small business. Get organized and educated. There are divisions to be made. Make sure you know how to create a reader statement, manuscript, if you want to go the traditional publishing route, or choose hybrid or self publishing. Do you have a launch plan? I know this can sound overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Being unorganized, that will be a challenge. 

Don’t:

Get too personal. I realize I said to tell stories and that it’s ok to include personal experiences. Be careful to create a balance here. When people pick up a book about your small business or a system you’ve created for entrepreneurs, a long personal story could get awkward. A short story is fine. Try to keep the emotions and trauma in check. Otherwise, you’re leaning toward another genre of book entirely.Feel you have to go it alone. This is a name that changed my authorship journey: AJ Harper. AJ is my co writer extraordinaire and I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. I’m an ideas person, maybe you are too. When you have a co writer whose expertise is putting the pieces of your idea puzzle together, you simply cannot lose. There are many co writers who do not demand their name be included and some who prefer it. That part is up to you. Know that asking for help only means you’re a caring writer focused on your goal (and not your ego).Procrastinate. There will never be the perfect time. It’s not too soon and it’s not too late. If you’re a small business owner and entrepreneur you’ll always be busy. So, get started. Little by little. I created writing sprints for my team and I so we are guaranteed to have at least a few pages written each day. They don’t have to be perfect. That quest for the perfect time, perfect words and perfect perfect isn’t going to come to fruition. Don’t wait. Do! 

Personal benefits of small business keynote speeches and books:

After you complete a few speaking events or publish a book regarding your small business, you’ll have positioned yourself as an authority, increased additional revenue, inspired others, honed your leadership skills, promoted soft selling, and developed the skill of persuasion. To boot, you’ll feel Improved confidence, increased critical thinking and will be inspired to research more ways to serve through your small business. 

In the end, presenting keynote speeches and writing books are two of the most impactful ways to share your knowledge and help others. And isn’t that what we’re all here for?

I am wishing you health and wealth always.

-Mike

If you’re tossing around the idea of giving keynote speeches, or even if you’re a seasoned speaker, consider joining John Bates and I on …. John Bates & Mike Michalowicz Click here to learn more now.Before there were speaking events there was one book that put me on the map. Join my co-writer, publishers, and agent in the Next Level Author Workshop to learn how to get your book out there.We entrepreneurs need to stick together! I have created courses, workshops and mastermind groups to leverage the knowledge of entrepreneurs and share information to help you make the most impact in your small business. Check them out here.

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You First. Four Ways to Move Forward This Year While Improving Personal Wellness



I get it. We hear the terms self care and body before business thrown around a lot. Work/life balance draws not so hidden snorts from across the room. Unless of course, you really, truly implement strategies in your company to make this kind of lifestyle a reality.

We did.

The above video is from Mental Health Awareness Month, but I want to lend a heartfelt reminder. A popular default of most small business owners and entrepreneurs is to work, work, and overwork, but that’s not a good habit for your mind or body. You must, must, must put yourself – your body, soul, mind, relationships – before all else. Then, and only then can you pour from your full cup.

I’ve fallen into the common rut of focusing on my business and putting my well being last. If you have too, here’s a friendly reminder to stop. My favorite equation today:

Mind over business + body over business = better quality of life (and business!).

Over the last year and a half there has been an upward trend in the need for more mental healthcare worldwide. My hope is for an increased awareness and acceptance of mental health issues, that we’re more open about how we’re feeling, and more receptive and empathetic toward others. I cannot emphasize it enough: You must take care of your mental health to be able to adequately take care of your business, and others.

So let’s get personal. Here’s what I do to nurture my mental health:

Go to a therapist – Yep. I go, and even when I feel “fine” or as though I may not really require it. Speaking with a therapist is such a good way to check myself and refine the tools I already have to navigate through my thoughts and feelings. Over the years, I’ve found that going to therapy is a cornerstone of being of service to myself, and subsequently others and my business.Exercise – I know, based on most of my Weekly Wake Ups, it’s pretty obvious that my work out routine is what keeps me in check. Physical activity and mental health go hand in hand, each boosts the other, but you already know that. I try to keep it interesting, alternating weight training, biking and running. You don’t have to be an olympian. Just taking a walk or a hike is a great way to step away from your business (see what I did there?) and clear your mind.Spend time with loved ones – Carving out time to spend quality time with family and friends is something I used to put on the back burner. What a mistake. Not only were those relationships not being nurtured, but time away from them was only to my detriment. The relationships in my life truly keep me going. Between the laughs and support, I am constantly uplifted by them.Create a ritual – My early morning rituals set my day up so that I’ve already accomplished something before I even leave the house. I work out, have a meditation of gratitude, sometimes I journal and practice guitar. Before I leave the house for the office I’ve already accomplished a few things that feed my soul, and that positions me to feel more at ease throughout the day.

What is your mental health routine? I hope this question becomes as popular as asking each other what their other routines are.

We need you – the world is starving for your success. If you take care of yourself. Take care of your mind, and it will help you take care of the rest of us.

Be good to you!

Mike

P.S. Check out these mental health resources including hotlines here.

 

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Get Real Life/Work Balance. Reset Your Systems – Strategies for Delegation from Clockwork Revised and Expanded



The start of the year we have goals and resolutions, and that’s wonderful. I’ve got them too. But first thing’s first. This month I’m focusing on one step you must accomplish before you’re off to the races: Hitting the reset button. 

Before heading out into the wilderness to crush your goals, you have to look at where your business stands now, and what requires adjustment in order to achieve your benchmarks throughout the year. 

If you’re working with a team, I want to make sure you’re set up to be a strong leader. Instead of that translating to you doing more, I want you to set up systems in your company that help you do less of the day to day functions and focus your energy on your mission and legacy. Start by focusing on these three areas:

Delegate – Let it go, let it go (sorry for the earworm). As a business owner, it’s hard to give the reins to someone else. But! You must hire people you trust, and empower them with autonomy over their roles. Delegate more, so you can work in your business less, and on it the way you intended. When you have a small business, it’s easy to get caught up on the micro-details of the day to day tasks. Alert! Trap! You’re wasting potential and valuable time in your business if you’re not delegating. You cannot grow your business if you don’t let go of the aspects of it that can easily be handled by a team member. Maybe there is business knowledge that you have, which no one else in your company does. Then share it! Knowledge sharing is the ultimate way to empower those you share it with. It may take a little time, but in the long run, you’ll save time and your business will run efficiently. Create systems – Take a look at what you can do to create systems, eliminate linchpins and redundancies in your business. We had our entire team create a systems board for their jobs, videos and all. Now, we can all refer to those boards if someone is out. Our company will never be “stuck” when it comes to delegation. Not sure where to start? Clockwork Revised and Expanded is your go to for delegation in your business. Plan a four week vacation – Moving forward with the first two steps will ensure this is a feasible concept for you and your employees as well.  I know. Entrepreneurs aren’t necessarily open to the idea of a long vacation. The thing is, time away from your business isn’t just for your sanity. If you are creating a legacy business, then you need to know that the company is 100% sustainable without you. The same goes for your team members. By asking each employee to schedule a four week vacation, you will be able to leverage your systems or create new ones defending on the result of that person being away. What should happen is that others can easily follow their documented system, covering for someone when they’re not available. This will ensure that those pesky redundancies and linchpins are not existent, or will illustrate any adjustments required. 

Where will you go this year? I’d love to know, so tell me in the comments!

Wishing you health and wealth (and a big fat vacation).

Mike

 

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Reset Your Leadership Skills – Starting With Gratitude



At the start of every year I go into my office alone and take a look around. I take a moment to absorb everything we’ve achieved. I began this tradition years back. I didn’t realize it then, but it ends up that this ritual of gratitude is a wonderful first step in growing and resetting my leadership skills.

I have gratitude for all the work we’re doing. 

I have gratitude for my team.

When you watch this video you’ll come on a small tour of our office starting with the team wall. I’m looking at each person here and thinking about how they’ve contributed to our company and the entrepreneurial community. 

We also created a “goal tree”, where we put up a leaf for each personal goal we’ve accomplished in our lives. This visual helps me, as a leader, recognize and support the personal goals and growth of my team. Because the happier they are, the happier I am. And let’s face it, our company thrives because of it.

I hope you have a ritual like this. Take a moment once in a while to step back and reconnect and acknowledge all of the good you and your company is accomplishing. 

Thank you, and your team, for all you do. 

-Mike

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Resetting Business Goals in the New Year – The First Step

This week, my company will hold a quarterly meeting. It usually lasts all day, during which time we discuss our achievements, challenges and failures. Usually, we all come in revved up with new ideas to share about how to scale our business.

Awesome. But.

It’s in these moments that I realize we already have most of what we need. A team dedicated to our mission. Revenue streams. Admirable leadership. Helpful products that serve. Solid marketing. A growth mindset. And of course, a mindful culture. What it boils down to is this one question: Are we utilizing everything we’re lucky enough to have built in the most effective manner?

While kind of obvious, we’ll review our revenue and the metrics that back it up. Inevitably, we’ll all start spitballing new ideas to boost that revenue for the next four quarters. Then we usually review our systems to determine if we need to update them. Then we chat about marketing, and what new products we could create and promote.

I bet your meetings are similar. Here’s my peer advice, fellow business owner: Take what you have and elevate it.

Where do you traditionally start this company wide audit, if you will? This month I ask you to join me in starting with your bottom line, your cash. While life and business isn’t all about the money, we need it to grow, contribute, serve and survive. It’s here that I suggest getting back to basics.

Step 1: Get empowered – and knowledge is power! Take The Profit First Instant Assessment. “Noooo Mike. Come on. Please don’t make me do homework.” Welp, it’s time for a little tough love. Get to it. Here’s the link for a downloadable chart. Why am I asking you to complete this? Because even if you’ve filled out this assessment last year, it’s different this year. I get some guff about this assessment. It’s a natural reaction for some – if we have trepidation regarding what the results hold, we procrastinate to the point of paralyzation. However, this exercise is the foundation and the first step to scaling and the sustainability of your company.

If you’re new to implementing the Profit First methodology or simply need a refresher, here’s the Profit First FAQ. And, here are the rest of the Profit First resources. They’re free and all yours! If you have questions, please reach out to Support@profitfirstprofessionals.com. The guides will take a moment to answer a few of your questions and make sure you’re on the right path. (A free service, of course!)

I cannot wait to hear about what you achieve this year. Please keep me posted on your ups and downs. I will celebrate and assist you with both.

Wishing you health and wealth always,

Mike

 

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Meet Team Michalowicz

Once upon a time it was just me in my basement. It was a little dark, kinda lonely, and the hustle was really real. 

Slowly over the years I have built a team that’s dedicated to fellow entrepreneurs and business owners. My team gets jazzed up about empowering via knowledge sharing, giving free resources, and what I hope is inspiring material for you in your business journey.

Because my team has grown, so have my leadership skills. I went from doing everything, to determining how to delegate tasks that felt precious to me, and as if I was the only one that could, or should, complete them. Once I found one amazing team member, others followed so that today, we have a Clockworked business with employees who are All In. Priceless.

Here’s the team that takes my systems and runs with them to optimize your experience as a business owner. And, instead of giving you our biographies, we thought it’d be fun to hear about some experiences that make us who are.

Kelsey – President, World Traveler, Singer of 80’s songs you forgot about

Worst job ever:  Customer service rep. at Vermont Teddy Bear Company. Nothing against the company but just the volume of calls and being the receptacle for people’s complaints.Favorite trip I’ve ever taken: I simply cannot choose a favorite. I love them all, but I will say my trip to Panama as it was my first solo trip and it made me re envision my life and myself, I suppose. Dream adventure: Oh gosh. I’m kind of a dweeb when it comes to adventures. If you mean in the sense of activities, I will say whitewater rafting, but the mild version. Favorite hobby: Reading.

Yours truly:

Worst job ever: My worst job was working for the company that acquired mine. I had no direction. Just “be billable.” My job was to fill in the blank – whatever the company needed at the time.But my grossest job, if you want that, was reconditioning jukeboxes. I loved the job… but it was gross. I would dismantle a jukebox from the 60s or 70s that was at a bar. Then clean it out. The interior of the box was covered with tar from smoke and would use degreasers to get it off. This black tar would just drip out. It was so gross. I knew I would never smoke after seeing that. I was 13 when I started that job, and did it all the way until college.Favorite trip I’ve ever taken: My favorite trip with my family was to Camp Kennebago in Maine. We saw moose. We went for hikes. We boated in a beautiful lake. The views were awe inspiring. And the stories… my god do we have such great stories from that tip.Dream adventure: I want to fly a glider airplane. I just need to devote the time to it… and need to ensure it’s safe. So for now, it is a one day thing.

Amy – Project Manager – Book Derivatives, Office Manager, Supplier of all snacks

Worst job ever: Office Manager for a surgeon with a mood disorder, who changed up his desired office procedures daily. It wasn’t any fun trying to protect my staff from his irrational behavior and belittling ways.Favorite trip I’ve ever taken: European tour of France, The Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland with my husband and sons.An adventure I want to try: I’d love to try out living my life in a tropical location by the water or in a quaint town in Europe for a year or so!Favorite hobby: Decorating. When I’m in a creative mode, I easily forget everything else I ought to be doing (including eating, and that’s saying something for a girl with the nickname Biggie Snacks! Ahem.).

Jenna – Content Creation, Copywriter, hater of abbreviated words and needless capitalizations

Worst job ever: I can’t say one job was the “worst”, because any experience has led me to where I am now and I couldn’t be happier. I will say, when I was nineteen I walked out on a boss that was pretty crummy to his employees. Now, I was living at home and had that luxury – and I found a new job that afternoon.Best trip – My cousins and I hopped on  a tour bus with senior citizens in Italy – and could hardly keep up with them. Rome, Naples, Sorrento, Capri, Amalfi, Pompeii, Vesuvius. I’d go back in a heartbeat!Adventure I’d like to try: Living completely off the grid in the woods.Favorite hobby – Hikes with my son and puppers.

Corde – Project Manager, Fix This Next, Cliffy Clavin of trivia

Worst job ever: Was not the “worst” but the most tedious – I thoroughly cleaned a local hair salon and did their towels on Sunday mornings every week. It killed any plans I wanted to have for the day as it took me close to 5 hours to complete.Favorite trip I’ve ever taken: One of my favorites was when I went to England and Scotland with my brother well before I was married in the mid 90’s.An adventure you want to try: See the Northern Lights / The Aurora Borealis in person.Favorite hobby:  JUST started needlepoint!

Erin – “The Doc” Master scheduler and in house fixer of pants

Worst job ever: CVS CashierFavorite trip I’ve ever taken: Camping road trip in the Baja PeninsulaAn adventure you want to try: Visit Turkish mosques to look at mosaicsFavorite hobby: Sewing

Adayla – Project Manager, Instigator of adventures

Worst Job Ever: Not actually my worst job ever, I loved it so much! HOWEVER, when I worked in wildlife rehab I HATED working with wild vultures, because their defense mechanism was vomiting on you. Being covered in vulture vomit for a 10 hour day was the most uncomfortable and horrid experience ever. Also the stench…Favorite I’ve ever taken: I went to Belize! I was in the jungle, tracking jaguars and doing all sorts of other awesome wildlife research.An adventure I want to try: I spend ALL of my free time from work rock climbing. I want to do a multi-pitch climb on Mt. Mizugaki in Japan.Favorite Hobby: This is a hard one… just kidding… rock climbing is my personality.

Stay tuned for more meet the team posts!

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