Empowered

by Dominica Lumazar

  Matt set out to find the balance of being generous and putting the wind in his employees' sails, while also providing his employees with what they needed to succeed within the company. Rather than trying to come up with some grand idea the crew may or may not have wanted, as Matt’s business consultant, I suggested we simply ask them what they wanted or needed. Their answer was simple: they wanted pizza once a month on a Saturday and donuts every Sunday. Since the request came in, Matt has held up his end of that deal, and it has now created a mutual level of respect where the crew knows if they work hard, produce great work, and continue to work safely, the weekend will be full of delicious treats.

  Matt wanted to show his employees that he genuinely cares, and the simplest way to do so was by sitting them down and asking how to make their work experience more enjoyable. He didn’t just buy them pizza and doughnuts, he did so much more. Matt’s simple gesture created an opportunity for him to build a relationship with his crew. By holding up his end of the deal, he has established trust and proves to his crew each week that he has a vested interest in their well-being.

  As a business owner, sit down with your crew, be sure to include your managers (they lead by your example), and ask them what you can do to make their job more enjoyable. Happy employees who feel valued and trusted work smarter and harder. If carried out correctly, the end result will equal higher revenue and a happier workplace for everyone.

  Additionally, Matt has over forty employees and was eager to learn each of their names. When the bookkeeper gave him the paychecks every other Friday, he would go around to each employee and say, “What's your name?” He would then sift through the stack of checks, while the employee patiently waited. He would say the employee's name again, shake their hand, and thank them for all their hard work and contribution. It took only a few weeks before Matt knew everyone’s name. This is a great strategy that any business owner with a small to midsize company can put into immediate action.

  When you take the time to learn your employees' names, they will start to feel heard and seen by you. This is not only important from a human kindness standpoint, but it also shows your employees that you’re paying attention to them and the quality of their work. They will feel valued and know that what they do is important, regardless of their role within the company. They will start to be more accountable and offer suggestions when asked. Giving your employees an opportunity to have a voice can shift your business into a level of success you never thought possible. Regardless if it’s an entry-level position or management, don’t just hear your employees but truly listen.

  You might be surprised at the positive impact a small gesture can have. Small things, such as going around to each of all your employees at the beginning of the shift, shaking their hands and saying good morning can have a positive impact, and it takes all of five to ten minutes to do it.

  From a productivity standpoint, the crew at AJ’s had always taken staggered lunch times so that there was never any downtime during production. Seemed to make sense, right? However, this created great confusion for the managers trying to keep track of everyone's schedules, all while doing their best to have the cars completed at the correct times. The crew are all friends and would always arrive late from lunch, which took away from detail time and resulted in confusion for the employee taking over during the break.

  To avoid mistakes, and for the overall health and comradery of his crew, Matt made the executive decision to shut down the detailing yard for the crew’s break times as well as their lunch, so that everyone could spend this time together and socialize. The guys looked forward to this time together. The result? Increased daily production and significantly minimized mistakes.

  If you run a production style company, you may want to try this out for a month and see how it impacts your bottom line. You might be surprised by its positive results, not only for your employees but for your business as well.

  Where is the respect within your company? If the employees don't respect the business owner, then it’s a sinking ship. Again, they don’t have to like you, but they must respect you. You have to make sure there's always a mutual level of respect between the business owner and employees. A big part of what I do is establish that relationship between the two and make sure there is no hierarchy. I don’t mean a chain of command isn’t important, but when a business owner thinks they are better than their employees, it can be very challenging for everyone. To his credit, Matt, the owner of AJ Professional Detailing, always has his hands in the grime and soot of the detailing process, constantly asking his crew what he can do for them, and how he can make their work experience better. He is the perfect example of what it takes to be a good leader and continues to impress me every time we meet.

  Technology and Your Business

  If you want your business to continue to grow, it’s time to step into the 21st century. Learning basic computer skills will allow you to fully engage with your customers and allow you to lead with confidence. It's something everyone has to do in order to strive toward more success, and it's going to simplify the way you run the business, and better yet, simplify your life.

  Here are just a few ways technology can support your growing business:

  You can make your company easy to find with a website.

  Social media can increase traffic and social credibility.

  You can use a smartphone to stay connected to your team and customers.

  You will have a higher level of security on your confidential business documents.

  You can streamline your payroll.

  You can simplify your invoicing.

  You can use apps to keep track of overtime and inventory.

  You can use a Point of Sale system that allows you to receive your money the next day.

  You can use your bank’s mobile app to cash checks.

  Just because you may have been doing something the same way for the past thirty years doesn't mean you should continue doing it the same way. When you go digital, you will become more organized and start to identify where those extra revenue streams can be generated. The technology piece can be intimidating for many business owners, but it doesn't need to be. It can actually be fun. You don't necessarily have to know everything, but you should at least have a general understanding. Then, as you build your team, you will have a clue as to what needs to be accomplished. Allow technology to simplify the way you run your operations.

  Competitor History

  What are your competitors doing? What has worked for them? Mirror them if they're doing something you know is wildly successful. Of course, add a little extra flair to it and be sure the campaigns are different. But if there's something you know is working, model it. If you’re just getting a pizza place up and running, or if you’re getting your own online consulting business started, take a look at your competitor’s target audience.

  If you're going to be a fitness coach, who are some fitness coaches that you follow? Go ahead and look at all their websites, take the time to review their social media, notice how they interact with their customers or their clients. Do they have a YouTube channel? Watch their videos, identify what you feel works, and go ahead and model that. You can take bits and pieces from all your favorite people and make it your own, and make it better.

  Never underestimate how much research must be done in order to launch yourself into success. It’s important to look at your competitors as a positive entity rather than a negative one. If you’re paying attention and reviewing their history and past campaigns, they could potentially save you a lot of time and money during your startup or transition phase. To all the competitors out there, we thank you!

  Company History

  Action Steps

  From a revenue standpoint, my goal is to make sure the business owner and the company is getting a return on their investment with me and my services, but also that my services are for the betterment and health of the overall business. I want to make sure they're continuing to grow and their re
venue is higher than the previous calendar year, the previous quarter, or the previous month. By taking the time to review your company's history, you will start to identify patterns that require correction. Now is the time to bring your history to the forefront and put your growth plan into action.

  Can you continue to build and grow?

  Where are the areas you want to grow?

  How are you going to do that?

  Chapter 4

  Mindset: How Our Thoughts and Emotions

  Affect Us and Our Work

  “Future successes can be diminished by carrying baggage from the past.

  Let go of the excess baggage.”

  — Reed B. Markham

  Growing up, my mom would always tell me, “You are what you believe.” It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I really understood the gravity of that statement. Countless thoughts run through your mind every moment of the day: when you wake up in the morning, when you turn on the shower, while making breakfast, driving to work, walking into work, on and on...

  Stress can affect your body in some very uncomfortable ways, such as an upset stomach, headaches, and even depression. Research shows negative thoughts can also greatly affect our physical and mental health. According to the Mayo Clinic:

  Indeed, some studies show that personality traits such as optimism and pessimism can affect many areas of your health and well-being. The positive thinking that usually comes with optimism is a key part of effective stress management. And effective stress management is associated with many health benefits…

  Health benefits that positive thinking may provide include:

  Increased life span

  Lower rates of depression

  Lower levels of distress

  Greater resistance to the common cold

  Better psychological and physical well-being

  Better cardiovascular health and reduced risk of death from cardiovascular disease

  Better coping skills during hardships and times of stress2

  It’s next to impossible to be an empowering, encouraging leader when we feel negatively about ourselves and our surroundings. How can you focus on improving your business when you aren’t feeling well? It is important to identify the root causes of your negative emotions and determine what changes you need to make in your personal life.

  Life Outside of the Business

  We all have struggles in life beyond what is going on with our work. Don’t ignore your personal well-being in your pursuit for business success. Taking care of your health and personal relationships will help you to be a better leader. Burnout in business is very real. If you’re feeling this way, it’s OK. However, it is necessary to get back to a healthy, positive, results-based personal life you can then infuse into your business.

  Take the time to really evaluate how things are going in your life. Look at your day-to-day. What's not working for you in your personal life? Are you eating well? Are you exercising? Do you have a supportive relationship at home? Are you taking the time to connect with loved ones and focus on hobbies? Once you’ve identified the areas of your life you’ve neglected, come up with a plan. Maybe take your significant other out for a nice meal or plan a coffee date with friends. Schedule a hike or a day trip to the beach.

  If things are going well in your personal life, but you still feel burnt out, you may just need to incorporate small breaks into your work week. Put together a plan to take an afternoon off, perhaps a midweek break. You deserve it!

  Emotional Aspects of Business

  When I'm sitting with a CEO as they talk about their business, they often feel very defeated. They will tell me they're in survival mode. They're doing everything they can to get the next dollar, keep things afloat, and not have to infuse their own money into the business. They want it to be self-sustainable. So, I talk with them about the importance of leading in a way for profitability and not for survival. We must shift our mindset into positivity mode. When you're coming from a survival mindset, life often gets depressing and negative. It can seem like you’re on a never-ending merry-go-round. So how do we shift into positivity?

  A Positive Mindset

  Look at the entire company culture, its history, and the numbers, and draw out what is positive. Present these findings so it's very clear what steps need to be taken next. I personally enjoy getting out a whiteboard for this task. Be sure it’s completely blank, then start jotting down all the positives, and watch that list grow. When there's a legitimate plan in place and it feels purposeful, our overall emotional health flourishes. When you have a plan, you create fuel for the business and you know things can continue to move forward in a positive way.

  If the CEO or business owner has a negative connection with the business or they're feeling defeated, oftentimes the business will go under. Your drive and passion are why you started the business in the first place. Remember that feeling when you earned your first few dollars under your new business name? Take time to look back on all that you’ve built and what you’ve accomplished along the way. Don’t become jaded by the daily tasks. No one said this was going to be easy, but I promise if you stay the course, it will be worth it. So, if you're not feeling encouraged, if you're not stepping into your full leadership potential, then it's very challenging to get to the next steps of being profitable. If this is how you’re currently feeling, I encourage you to accept where you’re at and know you can, and will, climb out of this.

  Emotions and Addiction

  In my experience working with successful entrepreneurs, business owners, and CEOs, there's usually some sort of addiction going on. Whether they're addicted to their work, alcohol, power, social media, money, gambling, chasing after the next big deal, or addicted to something that is simply not adding value to any aspect of their personal or business lives, it's very obvious to me when something is not working. I often see that the addiction stems from personal issues that are impacting the business side of their lives.

  Chances are, you’d like to get a few more hours of sleep a week. CEOs are no stranger to dealing with sleep deprivation. So, they might have a lack of sleep, and then they unwisely combine that exhaustion with alcohol. It’s not uncommon for business owners go out to dinner on the expense account and drink with colleagues or clients. When it comes to one's overall personal health, this isn’t a great combination.

  Once you exceed one drink, you're left feeling pretty crummy the next day, and then you're not motivated. If you're in a position of leadership, and you're not feeling fully within your potential to be the leader of your business, how do you expect to lead other people? I'm all in favor of having the occasional glass of wine or a few drinks on the weekend, if that’s your thing. But as a regular habit, it can be challenging to be motivated after a few drinks kick in.

  If you’re like me and love what you do, you may find you take your work home with you or even to the grocery store. Some even take their work with them into the restroom. Thanks to smart devices, we seem to always be connected or plugged in, one way or another. We live in an age of instant gratification. We can find out the weather, say happy birthday to a friend, send a business email, and even order those new shoes we’ve been wanting all with a few clicks. I know for me, especially as a new mom, Amazon and I have become very close friends. I mean, who doesn't like having Christmas every two days? But in all seriousness, it’s vital we unplug ourselves so we have an opportunity to recharge. Not just our phones, but our minds and bodies as well. A digital detox can be just what the doctor ordered.

  How can you restructure your week so your plan will replace negative addictions with positive habits? Maybe you go to the gym or go for a run. Maybe you spend more time with your family or relax into the end of your day with a good book. Do you have emails piled up? Well, guess what, they will still be there tomorrow. Put down your smartphone, close the laptop and have a conversation with your kids or significant other. We only have the time we have in this life. Let’s be present for it and stop missing out
on the most important moments in our lives.

  Identity Shifting

  You are not your business. Your business does not run you. You have the choice to run your business or not. Some business owners feel they have to continue in a particular business they no longer want to be a part of. There's nothing wrong with starting a business and then not having a passion for it. If that’s where you are now or have been for longer than you want to admit, it’s OK. Recognize when it's time to make a shift and turn the CEO position over to someone else. You can still be the majority shareholder of your company, but not necessarily be fully involved in the day-to-day operations.

  Consider making this change if coming into work every day or doing the same thing day in, day out doesn't make you happy. Make a change if you're not feeling as if you can contribute at your full potential, or when something else comes up that you're passionate about and you'd rather spend time doing.

  It's all about recognizing and being honest with yourself about when it's appropriate to make that shift. Don’t worry about disappointing anyone. If you have guilt associated with making a change because you started the business, or maybe your family's involved and you feel like you can’t let them down, forget all that. You get to decide how you want to be seen in the world. As long as you’re not harming anyone, including yourself, do what is best for you.

  The Delicate Dance of Boundaries: Save Money, Stress, and Time

  Keeping healthy boundaries is essential to support the success of your personal health and well-being. Being the leader can result in feeling as if you’re being pulled in various directions. At times, you may feel it’s appropriate to interject some personal information into a business conversation to really drive home a point. Be sure you’re reading the room correctly and do your best to not overstep this boundary with a client, an employee, or customer. Be clear with your body language, your tone of voice, and be quick to listen and slow to speak. As the leader, everything you do or say will have an impact on those around you. With being the leader comes great responsibility.