It's back to school time!   Or back from vacation time!  Or perhaps both. I love the sense of a fresh start that September brings to both the academic environment and to the business one.  Clients are back from vacations, prospects are ready to finish the year strong...

I know that every year I'm blown away by how quickly we get through the end of June! This year was no exception. How's your year going? Are you on track to meet your business goals? Your personal goals? Mid-year is a great time to take stock and course correct if...

A picture is worth a thousand words.   Years ago when I was working on my MBA, our management strategy professor required us to do a case analysis using no words- just a single image.   He argued that a picture is worth a thousand words.   I'd say he was ahead of the...

Leverage.  Make money while you sleep.  Recurring revenue models. For the small, local service business owner, all of the above seem like a bit of a pipe dream.   Part of our success is working with clients (or patients) individually (or in small groups) and...

Many of my clients are interested in testing and implementing online advertising campaigns.  There are many options available including the three I'll review here as well as Yelp and the new Amazon Services and plenty of others.  I am focusing on Google, Facebook, and...

I started writing this from the Wharton campus in San Francisco.  There's an incredible view of the Bay and the Bay Bridge through the office window.  I can see the Campanile and the Claremont Hotel from there. And then I got distracted.  For nearly two weeks.  But,...

I've been coming back to the idea that it makes more sense to put the short-term focus on behaviors rather than outcomes.   The things you can DO, rather than what you want to achieve from doing them.    So for example, my monthly goals list for April is about 2/3...

Last week I wrote about keeping things tiny (habits), this week, it's about playing big.  Or not. I read Playing Big by Tara Mohr several months ago.  I enjoyed her style and the message but I've been struggling with understanding the message for ME. I have also been...

I've finished two books and I'm half-way through a third about habits.  The research is really taking leaps in this area though honestly, Ben Franklin, knew quite a bit about making good habits back in his day. Through the many pages that I've read, the key takeaway...

Next week we'll be visiting a couple of the colleges that accepted my daughter.   Fortunately, and through lots of hard work on her part, she has some very good options to consider.     As we revisit these campuses, the main thing we'll be looking for is that nebulous...