Chris Cicchinelli's Blog, page 5

Go the extra mile

Excerpted from The Secret is You by Chris Cicchinelli who charts his two-decade journey transforming Pure Romance into the world’s largest in-home/virtual party company of its kind, while also sharing his innovative approach for empowering women to become successful entrepreneurs themselves. The Secret is You is now available for pre-sale order with an April 2021 delivery. Purchase the book here.

 

Too many business owners sit back and play defense, constantly worried about maximizing profits, competitors infringing on their turf, and so on. But as I’ve always reminded Patty Brisben (founder of Pure Romance), “Let’s play offense and tell our story before they make one up about us. Let’s control the narrative.” At the same time, we have been focused on educating people about what we do and surprising them by doing more than was expected.

Case in point: we got involved in our community early on by putting our money where our mouth was. We always contributed as high a percentage of our income as we could. We made sure we got out there every year and gave away more and more money. The first year it may have been $500 to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Then it was $5,000 at the Pink Ribbon Luncheon.

We started becoming more and more recognized in the Cincinnati community because of our charitable contributions. Then, instead of going to Las Vegas, we started having our annual conference right here in Ohio due to community outreach and economic impact. To our mind, we were selling ourselves as much as we were benefiting and helping to take care of the area.

This kind of effort comes back to treating people with respect and advancing those who share your backyard with you. It also includes helping finance local restaurants and businesses that can benefit from the visitor dollars. The respect for us went up exponentially as we ramped up our area investment.

Does this tell us we live in a particularly materialistic world? Yes. There is a great divide between the haves and the have-nots in terms of the amount of cash you bring to the table. I wish that it weren’t that way, but I’m realistic about it. I figure that if I’m a good person and my faith in my community is genuine, good things will come my way as a result. It’s turned out to be true.

 

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Covid Lessons

As we approach 1 year of the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine, it’s time to examine some “Covid Lessons.” While the past year has been different and sometimes difficult, it has also taught me a lot. These Covid lessons are teachings that I will adhere to long after we’re out of this pandemic, and I hope you will too.

Believe in Yourself

In business, there will inevitably be difficult situations that you must overcome. But, one of the keys to being a successful business owner is believing in yourself! And, while confidence is important, I’ve learned a big part of believing in yourself is identifying what you’re not good at or don’t enjoy. This time of isolation taught me that it’s okay to delegate tasks that don’t align with my strengths!

Be the Leader You Encourage Children to Be

Recently I spoke with my children’s school board about adequately developing kids into leaders. I believe in instilling leadership skills into people at a young age. Kids might not be the leader of their football team, cheerleading squad, soccer team, and even in a Fortnite game, but they will be the leader of their homes one day. One day they’ll have careers and own businesses that require leadership skills.

How do we make sure we’re developing our children as leaders? How do we ensure we’re providing them with the skill set needed to succeed in leadership roles? How do we make sure these kids understand that progress AND setbacks are a part of their leadership journey? By leading by example. The same way we encourage children to be leaders, we must encourage ourselves and show them what it means to be a true leader.

Progress Over Perfection

I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that you’re not perfect. The good news is that progress will always triumph over perfection. The most important aspect of leadership will always be progression. You don’t have to be perfect to be a leader. Learn to lead where you’re at. Continue moving forward and working hard to be the best version of yourself each and every day.

Find Joy in What You Do

Each and every day, I find joy in what I do. Do I have bad days? Of course. I have countless days where I feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders! As a CEO, most of my days consist of problem-solving. Some of those days, I find myself asking, “why can’t they figure out their own issue?”! Covid has taught me that I must remind myself that I’m doing what I love in these moments! Would I be happier in another profession? Probably not! This is my passion and one of the most fulfilling feelings in the world. I find joy in helping others navigate their lives and their financial situations.

All in all, my good days will always outweigh my bad ones. Ask yourself, do my good days outweigh my bad? Am I genuinely finding joy in what I do? If the answer is yes, embrace the good and bad days and remember your “why.”

Look At Life Through the Lense of a Child

Imagine yourself as a 10-year-old living through this pandemic. Every day, you have no idea what’s going to happen- you don’t know if you’re going to be able to go to school because of a Covid outbreak, and when you are at school, you must wear a mask all day. Along with the stressful changes of simply being an adolescent, now you have the burden of navigating a world that people 5 times your age are struggling to live through. Yet, many kids have managed to stay optimistic this past year- my own children included. I am always amazed at their positive outlook on the pandemic- an outlook that keeps me going! They see the light at the end of the tunnel- they know these hard times won’t last forever. Embrace this optimism, look at life through the lense of a child.

Work Differently

Covid forced me to work differently. Before this pandemic, I was traveling ___ days a year. When the pandemic hit, the traveling halted, and I was forced to establish a new routine. Was it easy? Hell no! But I knew that if I was going to thrive and continue running a successful business, I needed to establish a new and equally fulfilling routine. With this new routine, I discovered that I could still show up for my tribe! I didn’t need to be training in a conference room with 200 attendees to be a present leader. So I got to work and found new ways to lead the Pure Romance community. I ran virtual trainings, I started doing Rise & Grind 5 days a week instead of 1, I used digital communication to pivot and continue being a leader and showing up for my tribe. I worked differently.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask for Help

With 40% of Americans still working from home, many people are struggling. More people than ever before are experiencing burnout and Zoom fatigue- I’m guilty! There have been many days when I don’t feel like showing up. But I have to remind myself, my job is much bigger than myself. The community I lead is something keeping many people going. This year taught me to slow down and simplify my life when things become overwhelming. To do less, but make the less so valuable that I end up producing more! To always bring my energy and to be excited about what I do. And when all of that fails, to ask for help. There is no shame in asking for help when needed. You aren’t meant to fight through adversity alone.

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If you or someone you know is struggling, please consider contacting the resources below.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline ‘1-800-273-TALK (8255)’

Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741

Trans Lifeline at 877-565-8860 (U.S.) or 877-330-6366 (Canada)

The Trevor Project at 866-488-7386

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Stay on an even keel even when you’re provoked

Excerpted from The Secret is You by Chris Cicchinelli who charts his two-decade journey transforming Pure Romance into the world’s largest in-home/virtual party company of its kind, while also sharing his innovative approach for empowering women to become successful entrepreneurs themselves. The Secret is You is now available for pre-sale order with an April 2021 delivery. Purchase the book here.

 

I admit it: I sometimes allow my emotions to get the best of me. Nothing will make that happen quicker than having someone go off on a tangent against CEOs and their compensation. Oh man, does that get my blood boiling. These critics never take into account the sacrifices that some of these executives make. Instead, they just gripe that the execs are earning X amount more than the average employee.

What they fail to understand is that people like me didn’t earn much for the first decade while growing the business and that, if you look at my hours versus my salary, I’ve probably made two dollars an hour. I promised myself that if I ever wrote a book, I would make this point that you shouldn’t cast aspersions until you’ve walked in a CEO’s shoes for a day. And if you think it’s not a fair system, put in the time and become a CEO yourself.

Another thing that grates is the idea that as the CEO of a direct or multilevel marketing operation, I’m overseeing some sort of pyramid scheme. No! No! These are real women running real businesses. Our consultants do not just take orders and ship the products out to their customers. They are in charge of the marketing. They’re selling. They control inventory. They figure out their own payroll.

Here is how I tell those same consultants to respond to the pyramid scheme charge: every business—not just traditional multilevel marketing operations—is, in that context, a pyramid scheme. You have a CEO at the top, vice presidents beneath him or her, directors beneath them, then managers, and so on.

I could break down every business in the world and show you that it’s in some ways a pyramid. Mark Zuckerberg runs a pyramid of sorts at Facebook. Sarah Blakely has one at Spanx. Elon Musk has one at Tesla. Jeff Bezos has one at Amazon. Heck, Amazon is the biggest pyramid setup going. The president of the United States must be running the biggest multilevel marketing program there is.

But don’t get me started.

This is a long-winded way of saying that you shouldn’t sweat the small stuff. You should let things roll off your back. Don’t be like me! (Just kidding. Be like me—in most things, anyway.)

(Pure Romance’s legal response as to why we are 100 percent not a pyramid scheme is simply this: “Unlike a pyramid scheme, where individuals make money only by recruiting other people, the primary source of our consultants’ income is retail sales of products.”)

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Treat Your Business Like You Treat Relationships

“If you treat your business like you treat your relationships, it will flourish.”

While not all relationships are equal in importance, it’s no secret that each of them shapes our lives. Many of the choices we make each and every day are influenced by relationships. We recognize their value, which is why we do anything we can to keep them positive and flourishing. But, do you treat your business like you treat your relationships? If you don’t, you should. After all, your business is a significant relationship in your life, even if you’ve never thought of it as such! If you want to be successful in your business relationship, here are a few things to remember:

Have fun

Would you stay in a personal relationship that’s always negative and lacking fun? Of course not! Hold your business relationship to the same standard. Be so passionate about your business that you wake up each and every day ready to go to work and have an enjoyable time. Whether it’s a conference, a new customer, or a team meeting, each aspect of your business should bring you some joy. Find the things that excite you the most in your business, and do them more! Remember, joyful times have a way of bringing and keeping people together- the same applies to your business.Try new things

How boring would a personal relationship be if you did the same things every time you were together? Trying new things keeps relationships exciting! If you want to see your business relationship flourish, you must adopt this same mindset. Always be open to new experiences and never afraid to put faith over fear when it comes to doing something you’ve never done before.

Show your love, and don’t hold back

How can you show love in your business? Easy- through marketing. You are your greatest marketer because you know your business the best. Always show and tell people what you’re doing and why you’re excited about it! Never miss an opportunity to be your business’s biggest cheerleader.

Be generous

Just like you’re generous with those you love, learn to be just as generous to your business! The first step in doing this is to be gracious to yourself. Do things for yourself to show your business the love it deserves. Give back to your business by staying a student. Show up, engage, apply all you learn to your business to make it better. And when you start seeing the fruits of your labor, don’t forget to treat yourself! Get your nails done, plan a vacation, put extra money into your savings account for a rainy day.

Keep your own identity

You likely hold many titles- mom, dad, sister, brother, wife, husband, the list goes on! But, you are more than these things. Ultimately, your most important title is merely being YOU! No matter what roles you play, you can’t lose sight of who you are and what makes you unique and special. Don’t lose yourself to labels or titles- remember to continue doing the things you love and enjoy to preserve who you are.

Just like there are times when you’re frustrated in your personal relationships, there will also be times you’re frustrated in your business relationships. Trials and tribulations are inevitable, but your love for your business should be stronger than any conflict that may occur. Looking at your business the same way you look at relationships will guide your journey to live life by design.

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Business Merit Depends on Representation

If you believe your business has merit, it will show in how you represent it

Excerpted from The Secret is You by Chris Cicchinelli who charts his two-decade journey transforming Pure Romance into the world’s largest in-home/virtual party company of its kind, while also sharing his innovative approach for empowering women to become successful entrepreneurs themselves. The Secret is You is now available for pre-sale order with an April 2021 delivery. Purchase the book here.

 

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had to endure whispers from people claiming Pure Romance wasn’t a real business. It bothered me a lot. It was a battle waged as much internally, in my own head, as it was in my community and the larger world.

Society wasn’t going to change. My attitude had to. And it did. Once that happened, everything changed.

The other thing to remember is that nothing changes people’s minds more than money. When you start making it in volume, that opens eyes. People start to see you as legit. They view your business as real. It’s sad, because as I tell people, nothing has changed except their assessment of who you are. It’s the sustained revenue growth of Pure Romance that helped us to become agents of change, not what we’re selling or our business model. These days, I oversee 186 individual businesses, each worth more than a million dollars.

But it took years for the business community to look at what we do as authentic. That crystalized back in October 2019, when Patty Brisben was inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Business Hall of Fame. Let me tell you, considering where my mother and Pure Romance had come from, that was one amazing milestone.

How did it finally happen? Well, we were a $250 million annual business ($350 million now), and we weren’t using play money last time I checked.

What percentage of companies in the world get to $250 million? A 2009 Inc. magazine story notes, “Research suggests that only one-tenth of 1 percent of companies will ever reach $250 million in annual revenue.” That’s one in a thousand. Plus, we grew every year for twenty years.

My point is that the attention we finally started receiving—the honors from the business community, laudatory articles in the business press—was no accident. We made it happen by comporting ourselves as if we were worthy of being part of the elite. That’s how we saw ourselves, and that was ultimately how others saw us, too. It didn’t happen overnight, and it may not for you, either. But if you stay the course, it’s possible.

 

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