At the start of each new year, I like to pause to reflect, reset and think about what specific goals I want to set for the coming year. To do this, I borrow Simon Sinek’s tagline, ‘Start with Why.”
Why
I work with business owner/operators with revenues between $1 million and $50 million because I think this is the most interesting size of business and the owner/operators are satisfying to work with. Passion is used way too much in business but this is my passion. I really enjoy helping my clients improve their businesses and their lives. These small businesses are the engines of our economy, providing a huge amount of the job growth in the economy. They are also of a size where one can get their arms around the whole business and really make a difference.
Doing Well by Doing Good
I’m a big believer that the best social program is a job. Part of this is the ‘teach a man to fish’ thing but having a job also gives a person a sense of self-worth and the opportunity to better themselves.
In this economy, where finding good employees is so challenging, maybe we should try to put some of those on the margins of society back to work. I’m urging my clients to relax their hiring standards just a little, without reducing their performance standards. That is, hire someone who normally you might not because of something in their background, and then work hard to help them succeed. Wouldn’t that achieve more good than most charitable giving?
Motivation and MAPping
In the area of motivation, if you’re self-employed as I am, you better be self-motivated. One of the books I frequently recommend is Drive by Daniel Pink. Pink asserts that people today are motivated by achieving Mastery, Autonomy and having a Purpose.
I use these factors on myself. I call it MAPping out a plan. I constantly strive for Mastery via continuous learning, while knowing I will never achieve it. Autonomy is something I enjoy as a self-employed person, especially since going out on my own. My Purpose is pretty clear to me and discussed above. Helping business owners improve their businesses and achieve financial independence is a noble purpose.
And as I help clients succeed, I succeed. I love being in this business. I hope you love what you do too. If you don’t, maybe you should make a change.
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