Small Business Leadership and Sales Blog

I wanted to express to you my excitement with using a tool that has enabled to be more productive, while being mobile.

Our company right now is spending a large amount of time making our company more efficient.

Mobility with technology has never been more at the forefront of our culture. For a couple of years now, I have used a product -- or shall I say, a service -- from Copytalk. Copytalk.com is, essentially, a dictation service. What it allows me to do is dictate a message of all of the details and follow-up items of the meeting from my phone, in my car, before traveling to next appointment.

I can dictate so that no balls are dropped!! The work delegated, (via CopyTalk) can begin by my team back at the office – before my return.

Hello!!! Are you thinking this through Productive people?? This is a MONSTER time-saver idea!! Don’t miss it.

Additionally, when a small business owner or manager is mobile and she has an idea for her team members as an agenda item for a team meeting, at the press of a button she can dictate out her message while keeping her hands on the wheel.

I strongly encourage all people in leadership positions to spend time discovering Copytalk.com. They're located out of Sarasota, Florida and would be more than happy to discuss how their service can increase the performance of your group or enterprise.

My helpful CopyTalk person is Deanna Faris at 866.267.9825 x419

Tell her the Ragin’ Cajun sent ya!

As always, we encourage our readers to share your “productivity” ideas with us here.
All of us can benefit when one of us cares enough to share!!

Until next time.
Peace, Love and Gumbo!!

Marvin LeBlanc 

For all businesses, employee performance is the integral factor and perhaps the building block that leads to their success. Employee performance can be greatly improved with the right kind of leadership. Here are the 5 fundamentals I believe are essential for building performance. All leaders must practice the following fundamentals with unyielding determination:

• Commitment to showing other the due respect. Leaders always value the opinions of their teams and followers. Why? The answer is that it gives them a sense of contribution and a feeling that they are important members of any team.

• All successful leaders put in hard work and long hours more so than everybody else because they have a greater calling i.e. a responsibility to make sure everyone is on the right path and working towards goal achievement. The leadership goals to effectively manage a team like, planning, organizing, directing, controlling, and administration take a lot of perseverance.

• Individual goals take a backseat in relevance with the goals of the team because it is only through teamwork i.e. cooperation and co-ordination can organizational goals be achieved. The basic goal of a leader is to ensure that everyone is working in harmony towards the achievement of the organizational goals rather than individual tasks.

• A leader never slacks off. Leaders never make excuses not to do a work or for not having to fulfill an objective. They work relentlessly day in day out until they have achieved what they had set out to do. And that is the key to successful leadership. Not giving up and ascertaining goal achievement is bred into the minds of leaders.

• Leaders take full responsibility of whatever they direct their teams to do and however they plan to carry out tasks for goal achievement. They are willing to be held accountable for any consequence of the actions that they prompt, and that in fact is what inspires their team to follow them unquestioningly.

"The future's so bright I gotta wear shades" is a great saying for people who are surrounded with positive energy and filled with real momentum to be successful. For your small business success, it is important to know that there are two primary types of people in the world. These people include givers, and then there are people who can be labeled as takers.

Before you finish your gumbo at lunch tomorrow, you can become a happier person by recognizing the givers and takers in your life.

Givers are people who will take the time to contribute positively to you on a personal and on a business level. Givers can be those loyal customers who will stick by you even when times are tough. Or the givers may be your mentor who lends comforting advice and guidance when it is needed. Another type of giver is simply a spouse, a friend, or a family member who will let you lean on them and will carry you through challenges or obstacles that you might face in your daily life.

Takers, on the other hand, do almost the exact opposite. Some takers are pessimists that always find the down side to any direction or decision. Other takers are needy people who are constantly down and out and require a lot of nurturing on your part. Still other takers are those who are out to take advantage or find the deal or steal of the day. These types of people can wear even the most hardy of us down.

Remember in school when your teacher assigned homework? Today's homework is for you to list ten people in your life, and then categorize those people as either givers or takers. No one is in-between. As you might have guessed, if you have just a few takers and mostly givers, you are more than likely a much happier person.

Your goal should be to find more people who are willing to be givers, and back away from those people who are your takers to achieve small business success. Once you find the right mix of people you will be able to lead a happier life - and that could happen as soon as you finish your gumbo at lunch tomorrow if you desire!

We all have a date with destiny. Along that journey, why not make it a little more pleasant by surrounding yourself with more positive people and more positive energy. For small business success this is key.

Please share this article with your friends, famiy and co-workers who could use a dose of positive energy! 

Hello Marvelous people!

Many of you may have already read my 1st book, "Come Hell or High Water" (Life Lessons from Hurricane Katrina). In it I discussed the Five Impossible Laws and one of those laws touched on the fact that it is impossible to over-communicate.

For leaders, communicating and effectively "speaking" is an endless challenge never to be fully mastered.

Regardless of whether or not you ever speak from a stage, know that to some degree we all "speak" professionally. May these nuggets of wisdom in Mr. Popovichs' article aid you in conquering your own stresses and anxieties.

Drop us an email and tell us how you will put these ideas into action. Marvin@MarvinLeBlanc.com

Stress and anxiety are factors that a professional speaker will have to deal with in their careers. As a result, here is a list of techniques that a person can use to help manage the daily stresses and anxieties of their speaking profession.

Sometimes, we get stressed when everything happens all at once. When this happens, a person should take a deep breath and try to find something to do for a few minutes to get their mind off of the problem. A person could take a walk, listen to some music, read the newspaper or do an activity that will give them a fresh perspective on things before you give your speech.

A technique that is very helpful is to have a small notebook of positive statements that makes you feel good. Whenever you come across an affirmation that makes you feel good, write it down in a small notebook that you can carry around with you in your pocket. Whenever you feel depressed or frustrated, open up your small notebook and read those statements. This will help to manage your negative thinking before your presentation.

Sometimes, we can get anxious over your upcoming presentation. Before the big day comes, imagine yourself giving the speech using your mind. By doing this, you will be better prepared to perform for real when the time comes. Self-Visualization is a great way to reduce the fear and stress of a coming situation.

In dealing with your anxieties at your speaking profession, learn to take it one day at a time. While the consequences of a particular fear may seem real, there are usually other factors that cannot be anticipated and can affect the results of any situation. Get all of the facts of the situation and use them to your advantage.

Take advantage of the help that is available around you if you get really anxious in your presentations. If possible, talk to a professional who can help you manage your depression and anxieties. They will be able to provide you with additional advice and insights on how to deal with your current problem. By talking to a professional, a person will be helping themselves in the long run because they will become better able to deal with their problems in the future. Remember that it never hurts to ask for help.

BIOGRAPHY:
Stan Popovich is the author of “A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods” – an easy to read book that presents a general overview of techniques that are effective in managing persistent fears and anxieties. For additional information go to: http://www.managingfear.com/

What is a Meta Decision?

A meta decision is an umbrella-type decision that impacts all of the smaller decisions that come thereafter. It is made with the intention of impacting or replacing a number of future decisions. Thus, meta decisions are crucial to organizing because they save the mental anguish and time involved with making hundreds of individual decisions one by one.

How Can You Use Meta Decisions to Get Organized? You can use meta decisions with clothing (“I will not keep anything that I have not worn in the last 2 years”), magazines and newspapers (“If I have not read it in the last 3 months, it gets donated or thrown in the recycling bin!”), e-mail (“I will check email for 1 hour in the morning, 1 hour after lunch, and 1 hour in the evening only.”), requests for social events (“I will commit to 3 social events this month only.”), etc.

Let’s take paper for example. You can make a meta decision to purge any business paperwork that is over 7 years old. Then, all you need to do as you are sorting is look at the dates. Anything that is older than 7 years automatically gets purged. This takes the guesswork out of reviewing and making a decision regarding each and every document. Essentially, using meta decisions is a clever way to establish rules and set boundaries.

Try it! I guarantee it will free up some of your mental clutter, allowing you to purge more of your physical clutter.

If you find this article useful, please share it with your network, friends, family and co-workers. 

Peace, Love and Gumbo,

Marvin LeBLanc LUTCF, CNP

To have success in business, mentors can give the inspiration needed to achieve.

General Ferdinand Foch of France once quoted

“The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.”

Through mentors people can be inspired and their souls set on fire with drive and determination for success in business.

If you think you can achieve success in business and be inspired without a mentor, you are being naive. Everyone needs a mentor to some degree to keep direction and retain motivation.

Perform your own self-evaluation and consider these four things honestly:

1. Who are your mentors? What people have inspired you in your life? From childhood through college and into adult life, there are numerous people who have given you than extra push to achieve and become inspired.

2. List your mentors by name and recall how they inspired you. Mentors can take different approaches. What may seem like a small thing to one person could mean a life of positive experiences for another. From a simple pat on the back from your football coach, to that encouraging message from the local church leader, or that gentle yet firm lecture from your teacher – mentors can affect you in many ways.

3. When have you last been in contact with your mentors? Can you reach out to them and rekindle your relationships again? You can initiate by making a simple “thank you” call and telling them how they have changed your life in a positive way. Or you can find out how they are doing and show concern for their well-being.

4. Be open to seeking out new mentors. There are more people willing to help you than you may realize! At work there are always good supervisors and managers who are seeking out people eager to be mentored. Even fellow coworkers or those in people in your social network may be willing to give some inspiration and guidance to help you on your way – all you need to do is ask and be open.

Never believe you have all the knowledge that you need. There are always opportunities to gain knowledge and inspiration from the mentors in your life. Keep an open mind and welcome the inspiration to ignite your soul.

From my book “Come Hell or High Water” chapter 8 is devoted to mentors. Pick up your free chapter and learn more!

Hello Marvelous People:

Today we can learn a lot from Veraunda Jackson.  Sometimes in life you must quit.  There are situations, people, activities, commitments that just must come to an end. Review this list of situations where it is okay to quit! 

1. Quit arguing with people about the same old foolishness! Respect their position and keep it moving!

2. Quit telling people your secrets when you know they are not going to keep them! And if you keep telling them, then quit getting mad when they tell your secrets!

3. Quit trying to pull people on your journey who don't want to travel with you. Either they believe in you and value you...or they don't!

4. Quit complaining about things you can't and won't change!

5. Quit gossiping about other people! Minding our own business should be a full time job!

6. Quit blaming each other for things that in the big picture aren't going to matter three weeks from now! Talk solutions...and then implement them!

7. Quit eating things you know are not good for you! If you can't quit...eat smaller portions!

8. Quit buying things when we know we can't afford them! If you don't have self control, then quit going to the stores! Quit charging things, especially when you don't NEED them!

9. Quit staying in unhealthy relationships! It is not okay for people to verbally or physically abuse you! So quit lying to yourself! It is not okay to stay in the marriage for the children! Ask them and they will tell you that they really would prefer to see you happy and that the misery you and your spouse/partner are living with is affecting them!

10. Quit letting family members rope you into the drama! Start telling them you don't want to hear it! Quit spreading the drama! Quit calling other relatives and telling them about your cousin or aunt! Go back to #5 minding your own business should be enough to keep you busy!

11. Quit trying to change people! IT DOESN'T WORK! Quit cussing people out when you know that they are just being the miserable and jealous people that they are!

12. Quit the job you hate! Start pursuing your passion. Find the job that fuels your passion BEFORE you quit!

13. Quit volunteering for things that you aren't getting any personal fulfillment from anymore! Quit volunteering for things and then failing to follow through with your commitment!

14. Quit listening to the naysayers! Quit watching the depressing news if you are going to live in the doom and gloom of it all!

15. Quit making excuses about why you are where you are or why you can't do what you want to do!

16. Quit waiting on others to give you the answers...and start finding the answers for yourself! If what you are doing isn't working for you...then quit it!

17. Quit settling and start making your dreams a reality!- Quit being afraid and START LIVING YOUR LIFE! CREATE THE LIFE YOU WANT! If you want something different than what you have had in the past...you must quit doing what you have done before and DO something different! JUST QUIT IT ...... and START DOING something to create the experience you want!

Make Marvelous happen in your life!  If you need some assistance getting "unstuck" with your team or your business please contact me at marvinleblanc@aol.com

Peace, Love and Gumbo! 

Marvin LeBlanc, LUTCF, CNP

The New Orleans Saints have arguably been one of the premier NFL teams in recent history. The success of the New Orleans Saints stems from a set of core values that keeps the focus on winning ways.

Just as the New Orleans Saints have a focus on winning ways, so should your business. There are key areas that can help a business to sustain high performance excellence. Most successful businesses today hold tight to some core strategies that keep them moving forward and performing well.

At the heart of establishing winning ways for business success is a sound performance leadership-training regimen. With sound and consistent performance business success can almost come naturally. Your company should implement a performance leadership-training program as your first step towards business success.

Within performance leadership training, business success will be achieved using several strategies:

• The right people – Finding the right talent is the foundation for success. With people that not only have the skills to perform the job, but people who are driven towards success, your business can realize significant performance improvements. The right training will help you to identify real performers and how to recruit the best talent for your business budget.

• The right nucleus – At the heart of business success is a nucleus of values and processes that are tailored towards high performance. Streamlined systems that keep the focus on delivering results for your customers keep the wheels of success greased for continuous improvement and excellence.

• The right strategy – Even the best performing sports car needs a driver who knows when to accelerate and when to brake. With the right strategy for success, your team will know when to take the field, what tactics to use, and how to execute properly to make sure sales are made, shipments are shipped, and profits are booked.

Marvelous Performance Systems has a series of performance schools available that can be customized to suit your particular business needs. The schools can be structured for private meetings, private coaching, classrooms or keynote speaking to point your company team towards business success. We can work with you to put together a program with your specific goals in mind and that is unique to your particular industry and business.

Help performance come back to your workplace and achieve real success. Click here for your free small business downloads! 

Dear Marvelous People:

Our message today is entitled “The Power of Habit." For decades I’ve been involved in study groups and I highly encourage you to find a good study group in your field of endeavor as well. The book  “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg, recently inspired our Study Group Leader, Mr. Brooks Tish to be inspired to make positive personal behavior changes.
May you be inspired as you seek out your own positive behaviors and habits.

Marvin LeBlanc, LUTCF 

Brooks writes:
A few days ago, while discussing “The Power of Habit,” I promised (warned) that I would send something personal from my experience from the book.

Those of you who have been members for three or four years are aware of much of my health history, which has been compounded by being too short for my weight. My dear friend Mike Stoiber, in a total spirit of love and concern, approached me during a recent Tracker2 meeting and asked “Brooks. Have you ever considered losing weight?” I told Mike it was a high priority but tough due to injuries to my left ankle and my right knee it was tough to exercise. As much as I watched my diet nothing happened without exercise.

The first of March I dug a little deeper in the willpower well and stopped eating anything with flour or sugar, even most fruits. I knew that exercise was important. This is where “Habit” came in. I found an unused reporter’s notebook that was left over from my 16 years of writing for newspapers and magazines. I started a diary of when I walked, what time of day, the wind, and how far I walked. I visited my knee specialist and had him inject some cortisone under the right knee cap to help ease the pain.

I exceeded my weight management goal of 20 pounds in March by ½ pound. We have a doctor’s balance beam scale in the master bath so it is easy to see half pounds. Before I knew it, I was emptying out the dishwasher for my wife Dorothy. For some reason that chore really bothers her. It takes her half an hour to stress, drink another cup of coffee and slowly put the clean dishes away. So I started doing it. It takes me three minutes at most. One small success leads to another small success. Remember one of the “universals” we often discuss at the study group? Everything matters to everything else.

Today’s entry: I started my walk at 9:10 this morning, in a light drizzle with a three knot wind, and walked one mile.

This book was selected for a reason—to help us find ways to change habits, to become more accountable to ourselves, personally and in our offices.

Even if you are unable to be with us in our upcoming study group, please find a small notebook and pick out a habit you would like to change, design a plan, and keep notes. It is motivating.

One more thing. It is hard to help your team members change an office or personal habit until they see their leader lead by example.

To a great small habit change.

Brooks Tish

As a small business owner you have a lot on your plate. At the end of the day, you rely on yourself to complete many business tasks. And although your tasks are immense, there is one area that you cannot skip.
Specifically, you must pay attention to funding your retirement – now.

Why? Well because sadly, many business owners do not ever get around to starting a plan for retirement. No plan! No retirement!

“Without a plan, you are forfeiting the right to ever retire in the latter part of your life!” – Marvin LeBlanc, LUTCF,CNP

Ouch! Harsh, I know. Did you really get that last sentence? Because if you don’t embrace it, then you can forget about ever retiring. I’m sorry. Someone had to tell you.
Amazingly, we push the subject of “Retirement Planning” to the bottom of our "to do list". However, it's importance should really place it at the top of the list.

May I share with you this short, enlightening article by Laura Petrecca - USA Today (click and read carefully) Many small-business owners aren't prepared for retirement

Many small-business owners aren't prepared for retirement May this article inspire you to put ACTION into your Financial Plan. I would love to have a chat with you to see how you plan to manage your ACTIONS and manage your Retirement Plan. Give me a call or drop me an email! Make yourself the priority! Today!

As always, your insights and feedback are important to our blog community. Do share your helpful ideas so that all of us can have a positive learning experience