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In business (and, for many, in any type of relationship), it can be easy to feel a temptation to filter elements of who we are in an attempt to control or manage to some kind of outcome. Whether it’s with a new colleague or acquaintance, or even among those we interact with daily, this reaction can seem innate.

Perhaps it’s because everyone wants to be liked. Or, maybe it’s because we watch other successful people with strong, protected natures. Maybe the urge to hold cards close to our chest feels as though it creates a strategic advantage of some kind—or, perhaps it’s caused by something far more primal. Continue…

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It seems like everywhere we go, someone is trying to sell us something. It’s no wonder that, when a significant portion of the people that reach out to us professionally have some ulterior motive (usually driven by a monthly or quarterly sales metric), the concept of proactively networking can sometimes feel odd or intrusive. Networking can have a disingenuous connotation because a lot of people don’t approach it genuinely. Continue…

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One of the books that I’m reading right now is Built To Last by Jim Collins. It reviews some of the world’s most historically successful companies, comparing them to very similar (from an industry or product offering standpoint) rival companies. His purpose is to attempt to identify why two seemingly similar companies, operating within and during the same markets, can so often experience such different levels of longevity and success. What makes these companies, across a wide range of industries, so different?

In one chapter, he explains an example that really stood out to me and, without a doubt, has clear implications for the culture of entrepreneurship that many business owners operate in today. Continue…

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Like any professional, there are tons of tools that I use on a daily basis to help me do my job, increase productivity and make sure nothing drops through the cracks. Here’s a list of the primary tools and partners that I consider to be the absolute best. I’ll work to keep this updated. Hopefully it helps you find some gems, while giving them the nod they deserve. Continue…

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I recently wrote a post on networking, titled ‘5 Ways To Beat Networking’s Me First Mentality.’ In it, I discuss why I feel that so many networking experiences can fail, due to a selfish mentality. Many of the dynamics of successful human networking feed directly in to businesses that network with each other as well. One of the ways this happens is known as partner marketing and, if approached similarly, it can unlock entirely new markets, create a deep level of trust and have a massive impact on the success of your business. Continue…