A few weeks ago Time Magazine featured an article by Rana Foroohar about Steve Jobs and his lessons in leadership. Most often in American business, leadership is defined by the bean counters focused on running a super efficient business. Jobs, on the other hand, put engineers above all in the corporate hierarchy.  He focused on the products, not the profits, for motivation.
I thought this was a very interesting article and wanted to share it….

Technology has been a consistent bright spot in the U.S. economy over the past few years, and no company has epitomized that better than Apple.  Perhaps that’s why business schools and leaderships coaches have been talking in recent months about what management lessons should be taken from Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs, which provided an anthropological look at the habits of the most famous CEO since GE’s “Neutron Jack” Welch.  In it, Jobs is revealed as both an autocratic bully and a business genius who executed the most successful corporate turnaround so far this century.

Perhaps the book should be required reading for future MBAs, since the management arts associated with Jobs’ story aren’t what you might think. “Business schools often ask me what Steve Jobs teaches us about leadership,” says Isaacson.  “It’s not that he parked in the handicapped spot or that he was nasty to people.  It’s that he took total responsibility for his products from end to end, that he put products above return on investment and that he wasn’t a slave to focus groups.”

Those are lessons that American business, which has for decades focused more on the bottom line than on real innovation, should heed.  While there are plenty of people in Silicon Valley who envy Jobs’ cult of personality, experts like Mike Useem, head of the leadership center at Wharton, say he probably succeeded in spite of it: “Jobs built a good team, but he would have gotten even better people if he’d been less tough on them.”  Yes, research shows there are plenty of narcissists in the corner office, but it also finds they tend to be bad managers.  In fact, to the extent they succeed, it’s usually because of other qualities, like long-term vision and relentless execution.

Jobs had both, but more important, he had the entrepreneurial impulse to put engineers above bean counters in the corporate hierarchy. As Jobs told Isaacson, “My passion has been to build an enduring company where people were motivated to make great products.  Everything else was secondary.  Sure, it was great to make a profit, because that was what allowed you to make great products.  But the products, not the profits, were the motivation.  It’s a subtle difference, but it ends up meaning everything.  The people you hire, who get’s promoted, what you discuss in meetings.”

Focusing on product meant taking the long view – another key Jobs leadership lesson.  After the dotcom bubble burst in 2000, most of Silicon Valley stopped spending.  Apple, meanwhile, started ramping up research and development, hoping to invent a lot of innovative new products that would put it ahead of competitors after the downturn.

It worked.  Out of the recession came the iPod, the iTunes store, Apple stores and even a new operating system, OS X.  “Steve spent a lot of time stressing to me how the seeds planted during that downturn, sometimes over the skepticism of his board and investors, grew into the products that turned Apple into the world’s most valuable company,” says Isaacson.  Jobs didn’t worry, he says, about explaining to the Street “why building a bunch of glass shrines with only 12 products in them was a good return on investment.”  He probably also would have shrugged off questions about the company’s business practices in China, as he had in the past.

The truth is that investing during a downturn is almost always good business.  Samsung trumped Sony in the 1990s by investing more in R&D; China’s solar industry has leaped ahead of competitors by piling on investment since the financial crisis.  In the U.S., there is still $2 trillion worth of cash sitting on corporate balance sheets.  And there are too few CEOs willing to make the same kind of bold investment choices Jobs did.

That’s the dilemma facing business schools today.  Jobs stands out as an exceptional leader not so much because of his in-your-face style but because American business has come to be dominated by bean counters seeking hyper-efficiency rather than by innovators focused on real growth.  And that, more than anything else, is why schools like Harvard, Wharton and Stanford are distilling what Jobs had to teach business.  “We’ve largely tapped out efficiency gains in corporate America,” says Nitin Nohria, dean of Harvard Business School, which is shifting its curriculum to focus more on Apple-like product-driven innovation and less on financial engineering. “We need business leaders who can help answer the big questions of the day – how technology can help us create jobs and what role business should play in society.”  While the Apple founder probably wouldn’t have had much to say about the latter, it’s hard to think of a better poster child for the former.

Please let me know your thoughts and make a comment!  Post on your Facebook….

Lesson #1:  Use a simple, powerful image.  Google and others used a simple black box or screen blocking images.  As you can see from their examples, images don’t always need to be complicated or detailed to convey a very powerful message. You may want to ask yourself what powerful image can you include in your marketing message or your marketing materials?

Are you using arrows, underlining and other handwritten doodles that can spice up your marketing without changing a single word.  They can draw added attention to your products and services or point out benefits of your products.  You might even try using the same black box technique Google used to cover something you will be unveiling or an upcoming fun event.

Lesson #2:  Get others to join in.  Yes, someone led the charge with the Anti-Sopa Blackout and that was Reddit.  They quickly asked other sites to participate and created “buzz”.  Often info-marketers get their Affiliates to join in when they launch a new product. If you don’t have Affiliates or are an offline business, you could still use this same principal to bring more awareness and new customers to your own business.

How about teaming up with another company or marketer in your area or niche for an event where you each invite your own customers and then you both, cross-promote.  Pick companies that have similar target audiences and be sure that you feel a connection with their products and how they market.

Lesson #3:  Tell people what you want them to do.  While this might seem obvious, you’d be surprised how often people forget to do this.  Check out your website, your newsletter or whatever you may use to connect with your clients and let them know exactly what it is you are wanting them to do.  Do you want them to share with their social media tribe, contact you, sign up for your e-mail list or simply “like” you on Facebook.  Tell them exactly what it is that you want them to do and you will be doing both them and yourself a favor!

Lesson #4:  Options are okay.  Yes, there are times when you don’t want to give multiple options, because it creates confusion, however options are good.  Some people want to receive content by audio, others love video and then there are those that stick with html or they prefer text.  There is the debate of long vs. short copy. The fact is that we “learn” differently and we have preferences in how we want content presented to us.  Give options.

Lesson #5:  Share the goods!  You can add “share” buttons for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google +1 and other social media sites on your emails, web pages, blogs and just about everything on the web. You can share your “stuff” with your colleagues, friends, family or business associates.  People and organizations were going crazy sharing the “black-out”.  My assistant Jessi, said she was e-mailing her representative and asking others to do the same, as she was extremely passionate about the Anti-Sopa Blackout.  Don’t hesitate to ask others to share and you do the same. Share the goods…share the passion!

  Would you “LIKE” below! As always..I appreciate YOU!  

My friend Lewis Howes and James Wedmore have outdone themselves when it comes to the ever popular niche

“VIDEO MARKETING” and how to get fabulous RESULTS with YouTube.

Their video will show you how to DRIVE traffic on YouTube without spending a lot of time or money on your video marketing efforts.

It is a three step process that will give you the basics and not waste your time and effort in getting your video’s to convert for your business.

I love SIMPLE and here it is!  3 simple steps….Watch the Video here:

    CLICK HERE

You’ll discover exactly how to set up a profitable Video Marketing Campaign & leverage YouTube’s 3 Billion Daily Views to funnel your share of targeted traffic straight to your website.

This is an AWESOME way to start the New Year and move your business to a whole new level.

P.S.  Please do me a favor and share this post and leave a comment!

I LOVE this video. I have posted it before, but i am doing so again.

When we change the words, we change the world.

What words are you using today?

Becoming conscious of what you are saying, thinking, writing, and expressing is LIFE CHANGING.

Take a moment, to just be aware of the words you are using. Let me know if it makes a difference for you TODAY.

Happy Holidays to you!

Love to have YOUR comment and pass it on!  Join me on Facebook and Twitter……

Did you know that Facebook is looking to file for an IPO sometime in April 2012?

A public offering could reach, get this “up to $100 billion” and raise $10 billion, according to the latest news on-line.

Facebook’s revenue is predicted to climb to $4.3 billion for 2011, which is double from the $2 billion revenue from 1010, according to eMarketer.

Facebook’s advertising, which is a huge chunk of its revenue — $3.8 billion — surpassed its 2010 figure of $1.86 billion!

By 2013, Facebook is expected to earn $7 billion in advertising revenue, “according to eMarketer.”

Okay, so you get the big numbers…..but do you get how this could benefit YOU when it comes to your business, NO MATTER WHAT BUSINESS YOU ARE IN!!!!

YOU need to know how to monetize Facebook.

The past few years have been like kindergarten when it comes to learning about Facebook!

YOU need to know the how to use Facebook to YOUR advantage.

“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” Alfred Toffler

YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO IGNORE FACEBOOK

IT IS the….
• Largest Social Network with over 800 million members
• Every single day Facebook users “comment or press” the “LIKE” button more
than 2 billion times
• Facebook users are posting over 30 billion pieces of content every month
• Facebook is now the “most-visited web site in the world” hitting one trillion
page views this past June

I truly believe that continuing to learn is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves. Social Media has been a challenge for many of my clients, but once they get started they love it and want to know more.

I believe Facebook IS the #1 Vehicle to connect and to grow your business, today!

Many of you have e-mailed or posted me asking, “How do I get started on Facebook or how do I learn to monetize my business?”

I must admit, I am still learning myself.

It takes a lot of “keeping up to keep up” with the changes on Facebook.

Since several of you have ask about a way to learn how to use Facebook in their business, I am excited to share this “resource” with YOU.

IF you are wanting to jump on board or you are on-board, but need to UPGRADE your skills my friend, Amy Porterfield has just released as AMAZING program that will take you from beginning to end on how to use and monetize Facebook! YEA….

   Check it out!

In the meantime, join me on Facebook and let me know what you are up to and let’s connect!

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in square holes. The ones that see things differently. Their not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them. You may disagree with them. Glorify or villify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius.  Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

Yes, I know I have used this quote before, but if you have something that you LOVE then you want to use it often and remember it every day!  This quote came from an old Apple ad and we are reminded with the passing of Steve Jobs that he was one of the crazy ones.  Crazy enough to think he could change the world and HE DID!

Thank you Steve for your inspiration!

Thank you Steve for your committment to excellence!

Thank you Steve for your brilliance!

Thank you Steve for your courage!

Thank you Steve for your inspiration!

Our world was changed by your presence and your genius……

Please leave your comments below and share with your friends on your favorite Social Media!

There was an interesting read recently from “Monumentus Media which said that on Facebook “asking users to “like” gets a 216 % higher interaction rate.” It seems odd to be asking people to “like” me or my blog or my products, however, calls to action are what is needed to get a response, aren’t they?

One of my mentors, Ali Brown, promotes her products  (i.e. tele-series, products, etc.) a lot. It doesn’t bother me because I know Ali and she provides a ton of content, and quiet frankly, I appreciate her good marketing sense. Over time, we have established a relationship and I look forward to receiving her information. Her call to action provides me with an opportunity to decide if what she is offering resonates with me and what I might be wanting at that particular moment in time. 

We buy ads-isn’t that asking people to like our stuff, also?  When is it okay to promote yourself?  Lots of people do it and get away with it.  Some do it and are labeled trolls.  Where is the balance?  Have you found it?  Mine stops at the guy that sends me a mobile message asking me to buy his “whatever” or join his class when I have NO idea who he is or how he got my cell number.  I know he is doing nothing but promoting and pushing a product….NO.  Period.

So the questions then becomes, “When is it okay to use Social Media to promote a product or yourself?”

Here are some quick tips…..

You’ve provided value and gained trust. How you might ask? You’ve been interacting over time and provided lots of great information. By then, your friends and followers know and trust you and can make a decision if they want to take the next step and learn more about what you have to offer.  So you add your call to action!

You’ve provided connection in several ways. People have started making comments, asking you about your services, or you have had comments on your posts or tweets asking when you might be offering a service tele-series, commenting on something you have written, or asking for additional information.

You FEEL like it is time to move to the next step by offering your product or services. Yes,you might decide yourself that ….it’s time!  You “know” it is time to move forward by offering your clients a way to take the next step with you! It may be via a private strategy session, a tele-seminar series or a video series. You will know, trust your gut.  The bottom line is that your business is about making money, as well as serving others. You are sharing your gifts and talents and are hopeful those that are learning from you will be able to move their own services and talents to the next level. A call to action says I have something that I want you to do next and here it is. They are probably waiting for it and you’ll never know until you take the chance and put it out there.

NOW…here is my CALL TO ACTION :  Click on the “LIKE” button and join me on Facebook!  (Thanks…YOU are awesome!)

To steal a quote from Bob Dylan, the times they are a-changing, in the boardroom and the little black book alike. In fact, in a recent study conducted by the New York Daily News, an estimated 25% of the US population uses online dating sites, and those were just the ones who owned up to it. Match.com also collected data suggesting that as many as 1 in 5 relationships start online, that’s more than the number of relationships started in bars, clubs and social events combined! And with companies steadily allocating more time and money to their social media strategies, are you getting with the times or just getting left in the dust? All may be fair in love and business, but with the trending progression towards our corporate and social lives happening online, are you making the most of your Facebook fan page?

The first thing you have to realize is that both in social media marketing as well as online dating, the initial amount of information and content at your disposal may seem overwhelming. But using the new set of tools and tactics at your disposal (not unlike falling in love) takes energy and effort, but also like love, the rewards make up for it twofold. So with that in mind, how can you apply this clearly successful method to your company’s Facebook fan page?

1. The Object of Both Pursuits is to Get Found.

By participating in either of these activities, you are taking an active position in the molding of your own Internet-fueled destiny. This is a fantastic jumping-off point; romance just like business plans must learn to evolve alongside humanity and technology alike. I’m sure I don’t need to reiterate that before this point in time there were never as many ways to communicate with your potential consumer/love interest, and inbound marketing is the most succinct business strategy to reinforce that.

2. Standing Out in the Crowd is Imperative.

Just like the need for fresh conversation in those first, awkward online encounters, no one begins their business plan with the intention to do what’s been done. But naturally, with any good business, like the most attractive person in your pool of contenders, comes competition. Here’s where your social media strategy comes into play, even if your product is widely known, using new tools, like your Facebook fan page, to maximize your reach blazes a trail for you, by using current and noninvasive strategies and giving you a killer head start from your competitors.

Make sure the content of your fan page is engaging and conversational. It’s a less formal medium and you shouldn’t shy away from the lack of limitations this entails. Always bear in mind that this is the best way to establish casual and approachable reflection of your brand.

3. Being Too Self Promotional is a Huge Turn-Off.

Remember when I said be conversational? I’m going to take this chance to reiterate it, I cannot stress enough that your Facebook fan page is not the place for a hard-sell. Like other inbound marketing platforms, it is simply another way to engage (marriage pun anyone?) with your prospects. Don’t lose sight of the main reason why people are visiting your fan page in the first place, to size up and get to know your company; In dating terms: you wouldn’t consciously overwhelm someone you’ve just been emailing back and forth with.

4. Show Don’t Tell the Benefits You Could Offer.

Yes, I realize this might seem to totally contradict the advice above, but social media marketing is a strange beast  that must be completely understood to fully reap the benefits. So when creating content to update your company’s fan page, instead of begging for their patronage, play a little hard to get. By providing your leads with the resources and information they need to generate organic interested, you’re page will evoke the sense that investing your product or service was their idea. Which, by the way, is idyllic.

5. Link To And Incorporate External, Relevant Content. 

A great way to establish credibility with your demographic is by demonstrating your level of involvement within your field. Like the all-important stories you tell about your mutual friends to wrack up cool-points on a first date, linking to related articles or tying your industry to a current event is a great way to capitalize on buzz that’s already happening.

The best part of this strategy is the fact that most of the work has already been done. The information is all there, all that’s left up to you is to repackage the article/YouTube video/case-study to bolster your brand’s Facebook page reach, and in turn your general industry presence. You wouldn’t strike up a conversation on a date about the current events in the stone ages, so what good would it do to run your company’s Facebook page that way?

6. Be Current, Be Consistent: Update, Update, Update.

If you only choose to pay attention to one section, let this be the section. Online dating (and love of all forms) as well as social media marketing techniques, requires constant care and attention to see the full extent of their benefits. Just like the intuition to get to know someone before you Blackberry message him or her exclusively, your customer base wants to get to you before they commit.

Regular and topical updates to your fan page will keep things fresh, and engaging, it will also demonstrate your company’s value over time. But furthermore, inbound marketing, like online dating, should be a pleasant experience for both company and consumer, so by following these intuitive steps, you should set the tone for a lasting love affair.

Article by Gagy Skok from Hubspot

My daughter, Ashley , left on fourth of July for New York to attend NYU for a month. She is taking a certification program to get her Antiques and Fine Arts Appraisal Certification, a five-year certification process. (Check her site at http://www.thevintagegirls.com)

I am really excited for her.  As you know, I really believe in investing in the future through learning as much as you can about your niche, your gifts, what it is that you are here to share with the world.  Ashley is following that path. (Go…Ashley!)

Here’s the time warp…

Ashley has been on her own for over fifteen years. She is very capable, smart and savvy! Mom, however has reverted to the “Ashley is going off to camp” mentality. I know, it is ridiculous, but I still feel like my little girl is heading to the “big city.” I am having to do some of my own “mindset work” on knowing what’s the truth and what’s not.

Well, the truth is she is an “entrepreneur” doing her thing, on her journey and she will be fine. The other side of that is I am the Mom, she is my only child and the Mom role never ends.(My Mom is 92 and I still feel on some level that I am her little “grown-up” girl.) It’s all part of this thing we call the life journey.

Speaking of journeys…as you read this I know that YOU are on your own “Entrepreneur Journey”…and the thing about being an entrepreneur is that we create our on time-frames, work schedules, play schedules and creative time.

I have been working with several clients that have decided to take the leap and start creating their on-line businesses this summer. One is writing an e-book and the other is producing a new audio program that she can get up on her website within only two or three days! The great thing about being an “on-line” entrepreneur is that you can make a decision in the afternoon and tomorrow be well on your way to a new product. (I think that is more than amazing!)

I have been working on a new product myself and having a “creative” blast. “S.O.S. Secrets to On-Line Success System” which is a 5-set CD “How To” system taking your business idea “your gift” on-line. A step-by-step system starting from how to get a url, website, branding, marketing, audio, video, e-mail marking to finding resources for graphics, logo’s, editing, writing an e-book, and much much more.

This product came from a place of total frustration. I NEEDED a “system” that was really easy to follow that even a novice could follow and get up and running in short order. I am knee deep in audio’s and rewrites, but I am enjoying the moment,  because I know this system will catapult your learning curve!

SO…were back to learning curve.

Don’t give up on your dreams. Don’t stop learning. Ask yourself if you were to look back on your life based on what you know today, what would you do differently?  It’s never too late to make changes, plan something new, rewrite the blueprint that you are currently living? Live your life to the fullest as you jump out into the abyss with a new idea, an old idea made new, or whatever you need to do to be what you are….an Entrepreneur. (and maybe a Mom too!)

Join me on Facebook and Twitter!

As you probably know, there are tons of historical people that have used the form of a journal in multilple ways. Some early on were called diaries and today are called journals. In fact, you probably see all kinds of blank journals for sale at Barnes and Noble or other retailers, that indicate the popularity of such. Here are some reasons to use a journal or diary that my friend Glen Stansberry has recently written about. Since I am an avid “journal-er” and have done so for over 15 years, I really relate to this topic and hope you do too.

Richard Branson has written bestsellers based largely off of his years of recording his daytime thoughts and working experiences into journals. Reading Branson’s thoughts motivated me to keep a loose log of work and life experiences as well. The ritual has helped me immensely, probably more than any other work or time management “hack.”

My process is pretty simple: At the end of each day I’ll recount what worked, what didn’t, and some other random things that happened during the day. There isn’t a lot of structure, just merely stream of thought that lasts about fifteen minutes. Sometimes I’ll vent in wordy prose, other times I’ll just make a quick list. I’ve found that it’s not so much what or how I write, but rather that I do it. The results have been profound for me. I’d recommend this practice to anyone. Here’s why:

1. The Release

If anything, it feels good to unwind and recount the bits of the day. There’s something about the finality in writing something down on paper that makes it more real, and makes the memories stronger. I doubt I’d be able to remember half of what I did throughout the day if I didn’t recount them. It also helps with answering that recurring question of “Where did the day go?!”

2. An Honest Overview

If you’re like me, you keep lists of stuff that needs to be done throughout the day. I’ve had days where the morning started with 15 things on the list, and ended with 13 left undone. Ouch. Yet being able to recall the day allows me to see some of the other things I did get done that weren’t on the list.

3. See The Wins

We often forget the things that we got done during the day for lots of reasons. We’re taught at an early age that what we do isn’t as important as what we didn’t do. After all, what we don’t get done often impacts us more in work and other social settings. This causes us to automatically shove the stuff we did accomplish into the back of our minds, and fret about the undone. However, focusing on what we have done—the wins—in our day rejuvenates. Going to bed looking at what was accomplished can be a massive motivator to help start the next day, and can keep us from closing the day on a sour note.

4. Minimize Your Mistakes

One definition of insanity is repeating the same process over and over again, while expecting a different outcome. Similarly, it’s easy to plow through each work day like the last, without giving a second thought to the events of the day. This is especially true for our bad days. On our worst days, we simply want to unwind and not have to relive the nightmare that was the previous working day. But it turns out the worst parts of our days are important to remember as well (even though it stings). Reverse engineering what went wrong is helpful to ensure it doesn’t happen again, and work journals are perfect for this.

5. A New Perspective On Your Day

The most helpful part of this exercise for me is getting perspective on what my days end up looking like. After a particularly bad day last month I reflected, stiff drink in hand, on all the events of the day. This helped me to see that my day wasn’t as bad as I had remembered it. In fact, it was a really decent day, minus a couple setbacks towards the end. In my mind I had made these setbacks out to be more important than they were. The day wasn’t a total loss after all! Perspective is everything.

As our days move by us faster and faster, it becomes that much more important to take a breath, and reflect on what happened during the day. Without the perspective of our days, we can’t really take satisfaction in our big wins, nor can we learn from our mistakes.

This article was written by Glen Stansbury Creative Marker at http://www.wisebread.com