Pushing your Boundaries…All Good

Recently I had the good fortune to spend a GREAT weekend in Central Oregon with friends. All of us, including my brother, needed a break from our routines. We ate, played golf, ate some more had wine and laughed continuously. All good, right? Well there was more going on this weekend. One of our friends, had never ran for exercise, or hiked over mountain (fear of heights). On the approach hike she also saw, and photographed a rattle snake. She is deathly afraid of snakes. In one weekend with the encouragement and support of her friends she faced and did all of these things! It was very special for me as she confronted her fear holding my hand all the way down the mountain.

This should remind us all to move toward our fears, no matter what it is. You will be a better person with more confidence when you do. My friend can attest to this as we celebrated her day with a Monkey Face Porter at the pub at the bottom of the mountain. All Good…

Physical, Hard Work…All Good

My best friend Mark and his girlfriend Gina asked me to help him cut down a tree. I needed my back brakes done. Perfect! While I was falling the tree he would do my brakes. We set a time and day and off we went. It was a 35ft tree with 4 different trees growing out of one. Big job. There was danger of hitting other trees and a home. Scary job. My grandson went along to help and thankfully Gina’s family came out to assist! I am happy to say all went well. No one got hurt, I still have excellent chainsaw skills, and we cut everything into firewood. Good hard physical labor makes you feel alive. Having grown up working that way makes you appreciate it more as you grow older. Today my body is feeling it! Muscles, kept dormant for a while are hurting. It feels good. In the end a rotting tree was removed, my brakes were done (both safety issues), people came together for a common goal, and we used our bodies and minds to solve problems, work together and feel alive. All Good…

Loving what you do…All Good

Do you really love what you do?  Is it even possible to love everything you do?  I believe it is.  I love all that I do!  If you can get to the point where you promise yourself that you will love what you are doing in the moment and can sustain that kind of thinking and awareness for three weeks it will begin a new habit which in turn leads to a better way of being.

You may backslide from time to time, but you will notice your complaining will look and feel unnatural.  You will  notice that you like to love what you do.  The beauty of this philosophy is it applies to everything you do, not just what you do for work.  You have the option of choice, one of the greatest gifts we have as a species.  Use it and start right now loving what you do, no matter how trivial the task, which will lead to an overall better way of being.

Volunteering…All Good

What do you do for others in your community? Just about all of us do things for others because we enjoy being of service. There are those companies who are in the news giving millions of dollars, and many more man hours every year. Business is a perfect example of how synergy that is created benefits a common cause for the community. Every business I have owned has promoted giving back. It is my duty as a responsible business owner. Not because I have more to give, but because it is socially responsible.  You need not give to keep up with others who give, it is not a competition.  Those who give the most will tell you the point is to just give, no matter what amount of time or money.  Imagine if everyone could give an hour or two a week to a good cause. The impact would be immeasurable. It has been proven that the majority of those who have been touched by volunteerism from others are more likely to volunteer themselves after such an experience of Goodness! Kids, food banks, elderly, animals, adult education, homeless, and hundreds of others allow us to continue to give. Pick a subject that is near and dear to your Being, and take action so good can be shared by all!

My new format…

Well here we go!  Since I have launched my Sadler Business Coaching newsletter (sign up at  http://scottsadlercoach.com)  and it will focus on coaching and other business tips.  I decided to write my random thoughts on all the good that is as my topic for my blog.

Posts could be daily, weekly or monthly.  The idea is to write from “inspired action” as my coach Jennifer suggests we do with everything.  This is interactive, so if you would like to share your good things please do as often as you would like!  This is to serve as a place to be with the good even if you are in a negative situation now, you can come here to fill yourself on the good that is always present in out lives.

The Good: Today I get to go to work at the Small Business Development Center.  I am there only one day a week, but I am always excited to go.  The work is stimulating, the clients are great, and my co-workers and Director of the center are awesome.

Where is your good today?

Three Rules for Better Strategic Partnering

What is a strategic partnership? It is many things including yet another business cliché. Why do I need them? It is not a good strategy to act as though you need no help in your business (or life for that matter). We all need help in our lives and in business. The key is to know where to go for that particular thing you need when you need it. This is the how. It works because it is based, for the most part, on trust and results. I have many strategic partnerships which enhance my practice and allows me to be more far reaching into the market instead of just sticking to my specialty in the industry.

Typically a client or a customer needs more than you can offer; I keep a stash of business cards so I have them handy as an example, when someone asks about needing an attorney. I relate the prior experience with him and what kind of work he has done for me. I than dig into me briefcase and give them a card and ask them to mention I referred them to him. This is win-win for me since I get to be the connection maker. My attorney, Mark Rutkowski, 503-399-2341 (shameless plug), gets a qualified lead, and my client, gets a highly experienced professional who has been a proven track record with me over the last ten years.

I have a large selection of partners to choose from in virtually all fields. If you are just starting in business or a new geographical area you have to be able to connect into others to share in their partnerships. The most important thing to remember is you are essentially referring yourself when you refer others. You have to know to the best of your ability that it is a good firm, person, or service. It will come back to haunt you if you refer bad service to your clients, friends, and family! Make sure an interview your partners from time to time to make sure you are sending them qualified leads. You do not want to keep them busy on potential customers that are not the target market. At the same time you will want to inform them about what you are looking for in a partnership. They may not be as good at referring as you are, but I do not get too hung up on this. I know if I keep referring, my clients get good service it will come back to me. I always thank referrals from my partners or after a job well done and follow up with the client after to see how they were treated by my partners.

Another great aspect of strategic partnerships is working together on projects. I have a few experts on things I can bring in at anytime to advise me or my clients on different topics as I see the need. It sends a strong message to my clients that I am not afraid to say I do not know. The important thing is to take care of what the client needs, period. Some other ways to use these partnerships: Marketing, advertising, fundraising, professional services, business services, and contracting work, that complement each other. Artist, retail, food or other type of co-op store. Manufacturing, distribution, import/export, retailer supply line partnerships.

The three most important things you can do to utilize these for the highest results.

1. Be a constant connector for your alliance, and clients/customers. Gain a reputation of someone who can help.
2. Know your strategic partners strengths, and target market. Switch partners if things are not going well.
3. Say thank you and encourage repeat behavior from your strategic partners. Deepen the relationship at every opportunity.

I would like to hear from you about how your strategic partnerships are, or are not working. Post your comments here.

All the Best,

P.S.

I have been doing a lot of planning sessions lately due to the economy. If your business or non-profit, needs to revisit why and how you are doing business shoot me an email for a complimentary initial session. I will provide you with a list of recently satisfied clients to talk to as well!