The best way to acquire confidence is to act as though you already have it. Just fake it till you make it. Public speaking is akin to putting on an act for an audience, much as a theater performer will do in a play. Like an actor, a speaker can project confidence with body language […]
The Next New Thing
You don’t need to hire a consultant or stage a fancy brainstorming session. The best source of new business ideas is right in front of your eyes: your ordinary everyday routines. Take entrepreneur Kristina Guerrero. She wasn’t planning to start a business, much less get involved in the pet food industry. Her product idea, a […]
Why It’s Hard to Get Started
Is it possible to become too invested in your work? Obviously, entrepreneurs need to be passionate. But it’s equally important to avoid fixating on perfection, which can delay the start date of a new product or service. The goal should always be to make the first sale as quickly as possible. First-time entrepreneurs sometimes suffer from inertia, letting their fear […]
Small Steps, Big Improvements
On-the-job training isn’t just for newbies. When the pandemic forced many offices to temporarily shift operations into employees’ homes, a lot of leaders were reminded that training employees on new skills and processes is an ongoing affair. Think about your job and how much the landscape has changed over the last 10 years. Rapidly evolving […]
Build Trust Fast
This week, the chief executives of Apple, Facebook, Amazon, and Google were grilled by the US House Judiciary Committee. Members of both major American political parties have clamored for the four Big Tech firms to be investigated for violation of antitrust legislation. The four executives—Tim Cook of Apple, Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, […]
Value People Over Profit
A business’s success is driven by two main currencies: resources and employee goodwill. With economies reeling from the effects of COVID-19, reduced resources are a challenge for many companies right now. But the good news is that high-quality leadership and a clearly defined mission tend to boost goodwill—which motivational speaker Simon Sinek believes is the most […]
Forget Your Haters (and Your Fans)
Is the customer really always right? Businesses often operate under this assumption, but it can lead them to make costly mistakes. Placing too much emphasis on others’ feedback can mean chasing fads instead of pursuing change that would improve the business’s performance. Customers’ tastes change constantly, and sometimes the suggestions companies receive from them would perform terribly […]
End on a Good Note
We’ve all been there. A lackluster Zoom meeting. A presentation that falls flat. A vacation that doesn’t go as planned. If you ever find yourself flopping, here’s a quick tip to salvage the situation: make sure to end on a positive note. The way in which an experience concludes helps to crystallize a good—or bad—memory. Often enough, […]
Turn Your Year Around
A little more than halfway through 2020, it’s safe to say that for most of us, this hasn’t been a banner year for personal goal-setting and productivity. Take heart: challenging circumstances can be an incredible source of personal and professional growth. Using motivational speaker Michael Hyatt’s five-step plan for goal-setting, you can reset your expectations […]
Productivity Is a Tool, Not a Virtue
With many people still working from home, finding the right work-life balance is more difficult than ever. Here’s an important rule of thumb: Productivity is a means, not an end. Hard work should be viewed as a tool for reaching your goals rather than an inherently noble character trait. A professional who gives the impression of being […]
