Santa Crazy!

Posted December 26th, 2012 in Business Systems & Processes, Clutter Control & Office Organization, Time Management & Productivity | 0 Comments

So, the weirdest thing just happened to me.

Santa called and said he wanted to talk to me about his business.

Seriously.

He said he’d heard that I could help him be less crazy before and after the Christmas rush. That I could help him find time. And help the business of toy giving to go more smoothly.

Santa said one of his elves (you know – pointy ears, pointy shoes, dressed in striped short pants) mentioned he recently did business with one of my clients and that client was bragging about how our work together had revolutionized his business and his life.

So, of course I made time to talk to Santa and his team of elves (even though officially I’m on vacation). I did it because Christmas is my favorite holiday – and I didn’t want Santa to put me on the naughty list for next year.

I thought some of the pointers I gave to Santa and his team might help you, too, so I’m sharing them below:

  1. Your brain is not for remembering - Santa does keep a list, but it’s handwritten. And when he’s meeting all the boys and girls, have you ever seen him take notes? I haven’t. So what happens after the malls gig is over is Santa sits in his sleigh in the mall parking lot and makes notes on that handwritten list – all from memory. Santa would do well to hire a personal assistant elf, create a database, and have said assistant elf take notes in the database while the kids are perched on lap – real time. No more jotting notes from memory – and perhaps forgetting important wish details!
  2. It is easier to keep up than to catch up - Santa knows he’d get better gas mileage with his sleigh if he weren’t quite so…jolly and round. If he could organize his workouts and his meals each day, he wouldn’t be trying to starve himself and workout the few weeks just before Christmas. I mean, gorging on cookies one day of the year is fine. The other 364? Veggies and cardio, Santa. It’ll get you way better gas mileage and will put less wear and tear on Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, and the rest of the reindeer crew.
  3. Go slow now to go fast later - Santa and his elves always collapse from exhaustion right after Christmas. It’s a lot of prep work and a critically important big day. They deserve a vacation afterwards, right? However, in the crazy flurry of activity each year, Santa notices things that would make next year go more smoothly. And the elf team notice things that would reduce the craziness by planning ahead. Except they don’t write them down in the moment or even the day after the big event. So, part of my meeting with Santa and the elves yesterday was capturing those important details for next year. Checklist with notes? You bet!
  4. We cannot know it all, read it all, keep it all, remember it all, do it all, have it all, or be it all. It is worth reminding Santa about the power of delegation. Sure, he’s the one to deliver the toys, but he has an entire team that can help make the toys, load the toys, and program his GPS with all the children’s addresses. He doesn’t need to be ironing his suit or shining his shoes. And he can certainly delegate the cooking to someone else. This leaves Santa to focus on the best and highest use of his time – delivering joy to all the good girls and boys.

Much of this advice applies to you, too, if you take a moment to think about it. You’re trying to do it all, really fast, and without even knowing about the most efficient and effective habits and tools.

At my January retreat, which I created exclusively for you and your business partner (if you have one), I’ll be focusing on these important details.

And it’s worth my reminding you about the special investment and bonus goodies expire at 5 pm on December 31, 2012. That’s Monday, in case you forgot.

If you were even sort-of considering attending my retreat, I’d highly encourage you to reserve your seat now. Do it today.

You’ll get all the great advice I gave to Santa and more. Plus, I’ll show you how it applies to your business. After all, if you want more free time and you want a business which runs like a well-oiled machine…2013 is totally your year.

Click here to claim your seat right now. And just so you know, Santa’s coming, too.

Sincerely,

Angie

TV Star in the Making

Posted December 20th, 2012 in Business Systems & Processes, Small Business Ownership | 0 Comments

I’ll admit it…I was a tiny bit nervous about interviewed for a television show. Would I know what to say? What if I accidentally said a swear word? And the important stuff – what to wear? Makeup? I don’t really “do” a lot of makeup. I did go get a haircut.

And I didn’t wear stripes. Both the producer and my dad mentioned this as a no-no. Too distracting, those stripes.

This whole thing happened because I took a “How to Start a Business” course at CPCC (my local community college) waaaaaay back in 2003.

I’ve kept in touch with the folks over there, and this summer they called and asked if I’d like to be featured on their “Great Ideas” program where they interview local entrepreneurs with connections to CPCC.

Uh…yes, please!

Despite my nerves, the show’s host, Sherese Duncan, made the interview process really easy. She asked great questions and the whole thing basically turned into a friendly conversation about my business. I even forgot about the hot lights we were sitting under.

So, if you want to catch me, TV star in the making, you can watch my interview this Sunday, December 23, 2012, at noon to WTVI-PBS Charlotte. And don’t be shy about writing to let me know what you think. The irony here is I don’t have TV, and even if I did, I’ll be out of town, so I won’t be able to watch it.

Thankfully, once the new year hits, they’ll have the episode airing on CPCC TV (which in Mecklenburg County is TWC Ch 17). Then finally the episode will go up on YouTube. I will share the link(s) once they are available.

Doing this interview was a really fun time. After all, I got to talk about one of my favorite subjects – small business. And one of the things Sherese and I discussed at length was small business owners and their need for more time. It’s one of the themes we’ll dive into over and over at my upcoming January business retreat, too.

I invite you to click over and check out the details of the retreat. If you want to be a rockstar in your business…and/or you really want more time, more energy, and a business that runs like clockwork, this retreat is the answer.

Sincerely,

Angie

P.S. I’ll also be interviewed in the new year on the NPR/WFAE radio show, Charlotte Talks with Mike Collins. Mark your calendar for Monday, January 7th, at 9 am EST. But until then, click over and plan to join me in January for the retreat.

How do you want to feel?

Posted December 18th, 2012 in Mindset & Energy Awareness | 0 Comments

I’m feeling better, thanks for asking! The doc said it might not have been the flu. Could have been a bronchial virus. The solution? Rest. And rest I did!

Enough about me. Let’s talk about you. How are YOU feeling these days?

Are you feeling like the half-dozen business owners I’ve met recently?

Each of them have told me how they want to feel.

The conversation starts, though, like this:

“Angie, I’m feeling tired. Worn out. Burned out. Stressed out.”

That’s a heavy burden. Being the boss is supposed to be exciting, full of freedom and choice. Maybe a little hectic and fast-paced, sure. But rewarding…so rewarding.

Right?

For these business owners, something is missing. And if you take a minute and think about it, something might be missing for you, too.

It’s awesome, though, because when I can get you talking about how you want to feel, something changes. It’s like there’s a *snap* and a connection.

  • Angie, I want to feel peaceful when I walk into my office
  • I want to feel confident that my staff knows what to do and when to do it
  • Freedom. I want to feel freedom to grow this business…or a new business…or to ride my Harley every afternoon…or just go home and have dinner with my kids
  • I want to delegate more. To not feel like I’m the one who has to do it all
  • And I want my employees to feel like they have ownership of their work and the decisions they are perfectly capable of making
  • And finally, I want to be in control of my email. To use it as a tool rather than being stressed out all the time by it

My request for you this morning? Take just a moment and connect with how you want to feel. What’s it like to be the owner of a business where it’s all systems go? Things are working, and working well. You have a great staff – motivated, inventive, creative, and curious. Clients are happy and well-cared for. The bills are being paid and plenty of money is coming in the door.  And you…you might be relaxed, feeling like you’re really in the flow, learning, growing, and happy. Satisfied and happy.

Nice, huh? And the best part is – YOU decide.

Once you know how you want to feel, I can help you get there. This is the solution.

Sincerely,

Angie

P.S. If you know of a business owner (or two!) who also wants to feel differently in their business, please take a minute to forward this email to them

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