Who Are You After The Game?

March 26, 2012 By

When the game is over, the locker room is empty and the fanfare has come to a halt, there’s a moment of deafening silence…the silence of one’s own heart facing life head-on. From the stadium walks not an athlete, but a man; a man who stands in his street clothes – just him, his personality, his character. When it’s all said and done, he has nothing else. Whatever he owns, whatever limelight is shining on him now, will eventually dim and all he will have left is himself.

The trappings of life; the gold, the glitz, the glitter, and the glamour can fade at a moment’s notice. Just ask one of the 78% of NFL players who find themselves traveling to the intersection of broke and busted within five years of retiring. Only those who are ingrained with a sense of personal accountability will drive to post-career satisfaction and personal victory.

But what about you, the entrepreneur? Without your business, without your enterprises, who are you? What identifies the core of your character?
Maybe it’s time to take an assessment of who you are today, at this moment. Every key person and each key circumstance in your life has helped shaped you into the person you’ve become. You may have chosen to allow bitterness and anger, or self-pity to take root due to life circumstances. Or, you may have chosen to allow life to empower you and strengthen your inner resolve.

Have you been stuck at the intersection of broke, busted, and disgusted? Have you cruised on the highway of gold, glitz, glitter, and the glamour of a successful career? Some of us have driven in both worlds.

I think most of us have in mind what emotional, spiritual, physical, financial, relational, and vocational destinations we see ourselves arriving at; where we’d like to be at a certain stage in our lives. Sometimes I think we focus entirely too much on the destination and forget to enjoy the everyday moments that teach us the lessons that will help us value and cherish those destinations. So, take some time to evaluate where you are right now and who you have become.

“Our business in life is not to get ahead of others, but to get ahead of ourselves, to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterday by our today, to do our work with more force than ever before.”
Stewart B. Johnson

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Game Plan Change – Getting Out of Your Comfort Zone

June 26, 2011 By

Sometimes when an NFL team has been watching game film, studying the strategies and tactics of their opponent, they feel confident they can conquer the field. However, once the game starts, the opponent, who has also been watching game film, could decide on a different strategy.

When this happens, it causes the team to step out of their comfort zone, both physically and in their current knowledge level. If they want to rule and reign on the field, they must re-adjust. This often happens at half-time if they’re getting their butts kicked.

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately since I’ve had my own major game plan change. I started Winning Proof in July of 2008 so I’m approaching my 3rd anniversary. Anyone who has started a business knows most don’t go from 0 to 100 mph in 6 months…or even two years. It takes time for a business to mature and develop and grow a niche. It’s often necessary to supplement with another job until your business is fully supporting you financially.

Well, in California, getting any type of job is easier said than done. After being downsized again, I could not secure a single job to supplement my business efforts in spite of continued effort. My unemployment and all its extensions had run out and it was indeed a scary time. I had many discouraging days and toward the end of 2011, I was living on financial fumes and prayers.

Enter – Game Plan Change

The short playbook version is – I needed a drastic game plan change if I was going to survive. I had visited North Carolina on a vacation a couple of years prior and had fallen in love with the state. Well, it was time to jump start my environment and life situation. In light of that fact, I sold all my furniture and had a garage sale to fund my move and I relocated cross country to North Carolina at the end of March. All I had left was 72 boxes full of my kitchen contents, clothes, and some household items which traveled via van lines. I drove my 1996 Honda Civic with 245,000+ miles across country to a new, unknown land. I had a temporary place to stay with an acquaintance. Shortly after my arrival, my car was in hospice because that long trek proved too much for the ol’ girl.

I’ve been here for a little over 2 ½ months now and some amazing things have happened in that short time. I have a p/t night job, a day job that I love, a 2010 Toyota Corolla, a place of my own, and I’ve had the privilege of meeting a handful of my local sports industry Linkedin connections. My business is alive and well and once again gaining momentum. I attribute all these changes to a boatload of my praying friends in California and a mega dose of motivation and resourcefulness.

The point of telling you my story is to prompt you to look at your current game plan and really analyze if it’s working for you. Don’t be afraid of giving yourself a half-time pep talk and deciding if a game plan change is in order. Step out of your comfort zone and take a chance.

Is it scary? Absolutely! Fear of the unknown is one of the strongest fears you’ll ever experience. I was in a new state, new town, not knowing where stores and hospitals were; not knowing the freeway system…not knowing a soul except for the person I shared the space with.

Is stepping out on faith into a brand new adventure worth it? The answer again is…absolutely! Is a game plan change always in order? Nope. Sometimes we are called to stay and tough it out but only wisdom and maturity can determine when to stay and when it’s time to move ahead.

If you’re considering a game plan change; pray, consult with trusted friends and clergy, and do your research. Blind faith will lead you down a slippery path and into brick walls – do your due diligence to make sure your plan is realistic and will provide better opportunities for you. A healthy dose of genuine faith will keep your eye fixed on the goal line.

So, if your opponents (financial distress, personal stalemate, lack of business opportunity, etc.) are whipping your butt, consider a game plan change. Not only will you gain valuable life-lesson yardage, you just might experience a victory!

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Onside Kick – 2nd Chances

January 14, 2011 By

Anyone who knows football is familiar with the onside kick. It’s an attempt by the kicking team to gain possession of the ball with a short kick that has a predictable bounce. The onside kick is a strategy the kicking team uses when it is behind in the game and it needs to get the ball back. It’s an all or nothing play. The ball must go 10 yards before it can be recovered by the kicking team and the receiving team can recover the ball before that. The kicking team gets two chances to make an onside kick.

An onside kick is usually a last-ditch effort to win the game. It’s a “desperate times call for desperate measures” type of play. The kicking team stacks their players on one side of the field and then kicks the ball to that side. Both sides use what they call their hands team, players who are especially adept at handling the ball.

Enough of the lesson. How does the onside kick strategy apply to you and me as business people? At times, do you find yourself behind in your game; your business and sales are lagging and you think everyone on the earth has lost your phone number? Maybe illness or family issues have followed you into the New Year and your motivation has waned. Perhaps the economy has caused a fumble to your monetary resources and you need an emergency play to get you those 10 yards.

You need to get the ball back…you need to score and soon. How can you move the ball those 10 crucial yards?

1. Stack your resources by making an inventory of your education, work history, skill set, knowledge, contacts, and industry experience. Write it down – all of it.

2. Explore your options by comparing what you have to offer with what you really enjoy doing. If you’re reading this, you’re most likely an adult business person with an expiration date stamped internally. Why waste time in a profession that doesn’t bring you fulfillment? Is that what you were created for? I think not.

3. Position yourself in your market as the go-to resource. This doesn’t mean you have to be the very best in your market; you simply have to position yourself as the go-to person. Bring your hands team value and articulate it favorably in the eyes of your target prospects.

Try an onside kick to get your game back!

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Shifting

November 26, 2010 By

One of the things I love most about football is that it’s a game of wit. Basically, it comes down to each team trying to outsmart the other. That’s what shifting at the line is all about. As soon as the quarterback yells, “set” the offensive line cannot move. However, other players on offense can shift, meaning they’re allowed to release from their set position, move to another place on the field, and then get set again. Defensive players can shift all they want before the ball is snapped.

A smart quarterback is master at reading the opposing teams’ defense and calling changes at the LOS (line of scrimmage). Payton Manning is, in my opinion, the smartest quarterback of all time. There are many other powerful quarterbacks, but Manning is the smartest, followed by Tom Brady. They may not be my favorite QB’s, but I respect their ability to intelligently lead their teams.

How does this relate to you as a business person? Plenty. As you act as the quarterback of your company, you need to “read” current business trends as well as respond and make quick decisions based on those trends. You’ll need to be prepared to “shift” as you see changes in your competition and the economic climate. What is the best way to be a smart company quarterback?

1. Educate yourself. The best way to anticipate trends is to be a proactive trend hunter. Do some online research to discover the latest trends. Most successful businesses are born through spotting trends and meeting a need that those trends reveal. Trend spotters are the ones who make friends with the future and create innovative solutions to perceived needs.

2. Identify and Analyze the REAL competition. As a smart company QB you will in essence, “study game tape” to know your competition inside and out. By evaluating your competition, you’ll gain intellectual access to their weaknesses and vulnerabilities, and thus you’ll be ready to fulfill the unmet needs of the client. You’ll also gain knowledge and power in the process on how to most effectively serve your clients.

3. Position yourself for success. When players shift, they have to come to a stop before the play begins. Use the knowledge gained from the previous two steps to stop and position yourself as the most desirable, most logical choice. It’s natural for clients to shop for the best deal and solution so encourage your clients to compare in the areas where you have a favorable edge. You can prosper and gain a significant advantage even with higher prices if you set yourself apart by providing something the competition does not. When you’ve identified what your competition is not providing, and make that your mission, clients will naturally be drawn to you.

When you’re in the set position at your company’s LOS and you “read” that the defense (competition) has shifted, you have options. Try the steps above; educate, identify, and position. Know and identify the trends and position yourself to capitalize on inevitable shifting. You will become a smart company quarterback who knows how to lead your team to victory.

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The Pre-Game Show

September 11, 2010 By

The pre-game show equips you with information about your favorite team, favorite player and the football league in general. The pre-game show prepares you for watching the game; stats, up-close-and-personal player profiles, and a team history lesson. The pre-game show analyzes the team match-ups and informs you about the utter importance of the specific game you’re about to watch.

The pre-game show analysts include journalists, former athletes, and ex-coaches who chant their opinions about player-to-player match-ups and who they believe will win with friendly banter and stifled adrenaline. Ultimately, they give you, the fan, a checklist of things to watch for during the game, including key injuries and superstars.

How does all this relate to being a self-employed entrepreneur? For you, your pre-game show is all about preparation – preparation to run your business with clarity and efficiency. Let’s move through some pre-game show steps so you can enjoy your “business game” to the fullest.

1. Team match-ups – Just as coaches study game film so they can identify weaknesses and strengths in the opposing team, I study my competition regularly so I know who I’m up against in the business world. What are they offering that I’m not? How well do they service their clients? What is their USP (Unique Selling Proposition) and how do they leverage it to score more clients? Be diligent to study your team match-ups – my guess is that you’ll discover what uniquely sets you apart from the competition and, as a result, you’ll add more plays to your success playbook.

2. Stats Are Learned – Tex Noel, Executive Director of Intercollegiate Football Researchers Association, (www.secsportsfan.com/college-football-association.html) and author of four books on college football’s statistical histories, knows firsthand that stats are learned and that you really can love the little buggers. Tex recently told me that he was not a whiz at math throughout school but has a natural aptitude for historical sports stats.

Do you have to love stats to have a successful business? Not really, but taking a few moments every week to analyze your web stats for page views will be time well spent. Analyze your blog posts and social media sites to see how many likes, comments, and tweets you’re getting. It may seem like a waste of time but just a few minutes will yield a better understanding of how to adjust your website content and cater to your prospective clients’ preferences.

3. Checklist (foresight of what to watch for) I have found the most profound thing to watch for is my own personal growth through self-employment. Paul Hawken says, “Being in business is not about making money. It’s a way to become who you are.”

Since you still have to live on this earth, money ranks right up there with oxygen in importance but it doesn’t have to define who you really are. Football players do not learn the game in theory only – they learn from being on the field; running and hitting and blocking and falling…and getting back up.

You don’t learn about business from reading your business plan or from burying your head in books. While I have gained a ton of knowledge from reading business and personal development books, my real lessons have been “on the field” by running to the right contacts, hitting my mark with quality service, blocking naysayers and negative influences, and falling down in discouragement…and getting back up.

So, let your pre-game show begin. Equip yourself by knowing your match-ups, getting a handle on your stats, and actually playing the game. After all, you’re the star of the show!

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The Scoreboard

July 18, 2010 By

We all depend on the scoreboard at a sports stadium to give us a quick, exact rundown of what’s going on down on the field. The scoreboard, of course, shows the score. The scoreboard displays the team names. The scoreboard measures time remaining and team statistics. The scoreboard, for some sports, often has the starting roster displayed on the outer edges. An official or neutral person will operate the scoreboard, using a control panel. Since I have a condition called, “football on the brain” I must use football analogies to prove my point…once again.

“So what?” you might be asking. Well, I started pondering recently how much we really depend on this electro-mechanical tool and how it makes our hearts either pound like a sledge hammer trying to ring the bell at the County Fair, or sink like the Titanic.

If you had a scoreboard for your business, what would it look like? What would the score be if you were the home team and your competitors were the visitors? Is your heart pounding or sinking?

What would your stats look like? First and ten for social media efforts? Third and long for marketing results? Two touchdowns for two new clients? Uh oh, a difficult client blitz causes you to be sacked and lose yardage. Ineffective networking causes a fumble.

You do need to be mindful of your business scoreboard and what it’s displaying. Take time often to evaluate what’s working and what’s not. What efforts are you expending with little or no results? Maybe it’s time to outsource or do away with a particular activity. Make a list of activities that are high-leverage, high-yield and focus on those.

Take a look at your social media activities – are they expanding or are they stagnant? Choose the most productive of your social media platforms (for me it’s Linkedin) and devote 30 minutes a day to invite others to connect, answer questions, and send notes to a few connections at a time – and don’t always be in “sell” mode. Just reach out and say hello and ask if there’s anything you can do to help them.

Call more plays for focused high-leverage, high-yield activities and watch your score increase. Watch your stats go from good to great. Watch how you “control the clock” and your productivity will dramatically increase.

Take charge of your scoreboard and win the business game!

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Tackle the Ball

May 17, 2010 By

Tackles are big men who like to hit other big men. A tackle dares people to move him out of the way. They don’t. Tackles stand their ground, occupy blockers, and captures any ballcarrier that comes within grabbing distance.

As a business person, whether you are part of a corporation or a soloprenuer, there are always people and things to tackle. Maybe we can take a lesson from pro football on how to handle roadblocks in our way.

Which of the following is in your way right now that you need to tackle in your business?

Do you have a difficult client that requires more of your attention than you have time to give?

Is your company’s bank account running toward the sideline?

Are you having trouble maintaining a work/life balance?

Are you confronted with naysayers who slam your every effort?

1. A tackle stands his ground. Don’t allow pushy clients to hog your time or demand constant discounts. You can be tactful but firm and simply state to your clients, “It’s my company policy to…or to not….”

2. A tackle occupies his blockers. Do you have blockers in the form of well-meaning or not so well meaning family members or friends? Occupy the negative space they provide with a positive word or encouraging email back to them. Consistently do this and the blockers will either change or find another target to block.

3. A tackle captures any ballcarrier that comes within grabbing distance. Do you need to capture new clients? Go after them with a professional vengeance. Do you need high quality vendors? Grab them from referrals – they will thank you. If small thinkers come within grabbing distance to you, capture them with your positivity and tenacity.

4. A tackle slams his opponent to the ground once he catches him. If your bank account is running toward the sideline, slam it by gaining some quick financial wins – make a killer offer to your present clients. Slam your melancholy days by writing down all the progress you’ve made thus far with your business. List all the things you’ve learned and how you’ve grown as a business person.

Roadblocks are an inevitable part of business. How you tackle those roadblocks will pave the way to a more powerful you. Observing how tackles handle their opponents teaches you how to stand, occupy, capture, and slam them – de-power (my own word) them so you can move on to the next play in your business.

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Player Down

January 12, 2010 By

Player down are the two words no coach, player, or fan wants to hear. When Al Michaels, Phil Simms, or any other announcer says those dreaded words, all action stops – our eyes are glued to the field in hopes the injured player gets up and walks off on his own accord. Trainers rush. Medical personnel hover.

Of course, there is the dreaded fear of “the cart.” Definitely not a good sign.

Throughout a football player’s career, he may suffer injuries such as multiple concussions, broken collarbone, broken ribs, broken nose, broken thumb, broken legs, torn ACL/PCL’s, groin pull, hip pointer, turf toe, shoulder dislocation and torn rotator cuff, not to mention all the hamstring, calf and back mishaps that can happen.

As entrepreneurial business people, we believe “Player Down” would never be part of our vocabulary or experience. But it is.

We can and do suffer injuries of the heart due to discouragement and disappointment.

We can suffer broken trust when we deal with not-so-honest vendors or clients.

We can suffer dislocation of our time when we lose focus and go in a direction that isn’t in line with our goals and objectives.

We may even need “the cart” when we’ve experienced a major setback.

Just as a player can’t avoid sudden injuries (after all, it’s the nature of the game), we can’t prevent outside circumstances beyond our control from dealing a crushing blow on our business or personal life. Players have a team of experts immediately at their side, to tend to their injuries and provide the safest, fastest way back to wholeness.

What can we do to recover from our own cry of Player Down?

1. Stop. Be still. Breathe. Acknowledge it happened. Give yourself the gift of time to gather yourself.

2.  Forget the stiff upper lip, be honest that it hurts, try a little transparency and give the key people in your life a chance to uplift and encourage you.

3.  Put one foot forward. When you put one foot forward, the other one will naturally follow…in forward motion. Step out to the library, a new networking group, a cooking class, or just around the block. Do something or go somewhere you wouldn’t ordinarily go, even just for a few minutes.

4.  Keep yourself on the active roster. Travel somewhere you’ve never considered before (even a day trip), change your scenery, eat somewhere new. Get your endorphins involved by daily walking and gym time…keep your body in motion.

5.  Just let it go. Holding onto hurts and heart/trust injuries holds you captive. Re-hashing and re-living setbacks prevents you from using that same energy on new, positive directions. I’m not saying a major devastation or loss is not painful. I’ve had plenty to deal with during my 53 years. But, once you’ve felt all there is to feel about it, what purpose does it serve to stay down?

It’s time to just let it go and move on to living new life chapters, in full color. Greater self-discovery will present itself along the way if you let it.

Once you’ve come to terms with whatever happened; acknowledge, be transparent, keep your forward motion, make sure you stay on the active roster, and then just let go. Really enjoy what new opportunities, people, and discoveries come your way!

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One Play Wonder

December 23, 2009 By

Imagine if a professional football team had only one offensive play. That play was highly successful the first time they used it; worked like a charm. Short screen pass to the right. Then, over and over and over again, they used that same pass for every play, every game.

Opposing teams would know exactly what to do to defend the play. No surprises. No anticipation. There’s three words to describe this one play wonder…boring, lifeless, ineffective.

The same philosophy applies to your entrepreneurial efforts. Are you a one play wonder?

Do you rely on a single method of marketing and selling because you had great results once?

Have you forged a badge-of-honor because you’ve “always done it like this before?” After all, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Do your clients yawn at your “canned” approach to marketing and CRM?

My point is: if you’re using only direct mail…try building your social media network too. If you’re spending hours a day managing your social media network…try outsourcing that task to a freelance site like www.guru.com, www.elance.com. or www.odesk.com and make a few cold calls.

If you only rely on cold calling to market yourself, mix it up and try a combination of cold calling and direct mail. If you use the same tired sales letter for every mailing, supercharge it for more power. If necessary, hire a copywriter to kick it up a notch. If you are used to sending snail mail sales letters, create or re-design a dynamic website or homepage to draw a larger audience.

Can your competition “read” your same ‘ol marketing plays and beat you to the client?

Remember the no surprises, no anticipation reaction of the opposing team mentioned above? That’s what your clients and competition experience when your approach to marketing and CRM is a one play wonder.

Add some spice and variety to your marketing and CRM! You’ll not only see an increase in your client base, you’ll punt your competition to the other side of the field.

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Fanatical Fans

November 16, 2009 By

Last week I was at the Chicago Bears/49ers game at Candlestick Park. I had a pre-game field pass for this particular game and it gave me an entirely different vantage point from which to look at the fans in the stands.

It started me thinking about what makes sports fans all over the country holler till they’re hoarse, paint their faces in an array of colors, sit in snow and rain for hours to watch games, spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars for tickets, and anxiously hold out footballs, jerseys, and other paraphernalia to be signed by their favorite players.

I also thought about what has made me a lifelong Dallas Cowboy fan and the reason I have no less than 10 Cowboys t-shirts, plus jerseys, jamies, sweatshirts, ticket stubs, signed hats from training camps, and even earrings.

Ponder how the following sports fan traits relate to your business success:

1. Loyalty to a group – People have the need to feel like they belong. They need connectivity. Fair weather fans come and go but loyal fans attend games, buy season tickets, purchase apparel, and follow the team on television and on the Internet. They’re proactive in supporting their team.

Think about what loyalty means to you in your business. Are you loyal to your vendors, your clients, and your networking circle? In balancing work and play, are you a loyal friend? A loyal spouse? Are you loyal to your own journey of success?

2. Observing Examples of Excellence – I believe another reason we see fanatical fans is that they realize in a deep way, the effort, guts, determination and sheer hard work it takes to play and excel in their sport. It’s not all glitz and glitter; there’s constant preparation, both mental and physical; it’s moving beyond average into greatness with every single decision.

Think about examples of excellence you’ve observed from people in your own sphere of business and personal relationships. Who has spurred you onward to your own pursuit of greatness? Who has inspired you to move past your challenges and to not allow them to penalize your own determination? Have you thanked them lately for being part of your team?

3. Because of the “great ones” who have gone before – When I think of great ones, I tend to think of the legendary coaches of times past like Tom Landry, George Halas, and Vince Lombardi. Of course, there are players who will forever be etched in my memory for their consistent excellence on the field; players like Emmitt Smith, Roger Staubach, Walter Payton, Joe Montana, and Jerry Rice.

Think about the great business and entrepreneurial mentors of times past as well as current ones. Who can you “adopt” as a personal mentor, whether through books, DVD’s, e-newsletters, or seminars? Whose example can you follow to take your own business success to the next level? Who can YOU be an example to?

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