Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends? President Abe Lincoln said this in response to an elderly lady who had chastised him for not calling Southerners, whom he had referred to as fellow human beings who were in error, irreconcilable enemies who must be destroyed. I have always been highly Read more about Embrace Your Enemies[…]

Remember the good old days? The time before and after the last recession and before the pandemic when your employees were too nervous to even consider leaving their jobs? Afraid they wouldn’t find other employment in such a dreary economic environment, they stayed with you in hopes of better times. They were economic “hostages”. Those Read more about 10 Ways to Keep Your Superstars—Before They Leave[…]

I am fascinated by the use of words. If you think about it, almost everything we do in life involves the use of words. It’s how we persuade. It’s how we communicate. It’s how we connect. Even our private thoughts involve words. Why are some words more impactful than others? Better at changing minds. Engaging Read more about Book Review: Magic Words[…]

When we think of bad hiring mistakes, we often zero in on specific hires such as the sales guy that couldn’t sell or the accountant with math issues, or even the customer service specialist with bad people skills. Those bad hires haunt us for years. Sometimes they even prevent us from wanting to make future Read more about The Worst Hiring Mistake You May Never Know You’ve Made[…]

I first reviewed this book in January 2003. Over 20 years later, it remains one of my favorites. I use the tools described in the book frequently. In fact, My SBM Mastermind group just started reading the book this month. I am convinced that the success or failure of small business owners hinges on the Read more about Book Review: Fierce Conversations[…]

Last Sunday, I couldn’t help thinking of my mom, Dorothy Fulton. She lived a glorious 92 years before passing away last spring. Besides all of her amazing maternal qualities, it occurred to me that she also knew a thing or two about small business. Maybe her entrepreneurial mindset came from being the daughter of a Read more about Thanks, Mom![…]

When was the last time you had exceptional customer service? A “10” on a scale of “10”? Great service? Good? I think we have come to expect mediocre service. We just hope they’re nice to us. Pray they don’t insult us. And we make up all sorts of excuses when we get crappy service like Read more about Book Review: Unreasonable Hospitality[…]

This is an article I first wrote twenty-six years ago about customer service, my son, and the national pastime. It is the single best example of Unreasonable Hospitality I have ever experienced. See the book review below. As it is now baseball season, I am pleased to re-publish the article once again.   I often Read more about Lessons Learned at the Ballpark[…]

I first published this article Stay Interviews almost seven years ago. At the time, this was a relatively new employee engagement strategy. It has gotten quite a lot of traction in many companies, big and small, ever since. Are you ready to try it? In the key area of employee retention, this has become my Read more about What Would It Take for You to Stay?[…]

I believe one of the most important roles of the small business executive is “Scorekeeper”. You make sure the score is being kept in your business and that your team members are seeing the numbers they need to see. My experience is that many small business owners see monthly financial statements such as the Income Read more about Five Financial Numbers for Every Small Business Executive[…]