July 24, 2007

Play to your Strengths

When Opportunity Knocks with a Pink Slip in Hand
By: Angus Loten,
Harry Potter creator J.K. Rowling and other entrepreneurs launched successful ventures only after losing their day jobs. Who knew getting fired could be a great career move?

July 17, 2007

Success means taking long term view

Success is owned by employees
Colorado's CH2M Hill, MWH and Hensel Phelps are among the top worker-owned companies.
By Tom McGhee
Denver Post Staff Writer
Article Last Updated: 07/15/2007 11:12:57 PM MDT

Colorado is home to three of the largest employee-owned companies in the nation, according to a new report.

Engineering, consulting and construction company CH2M Hill, engineering company MWH Global and construction company Hensel Phelps are each on the National Center for Employee Ownership's ranking of the top 100 majority employee-owned companies.

With 19,089 employees, Doug las County-based CH2M Hill is the largest employee-owned company of its type in the engineering industry and ranks sixth on the NCEO list.

Employees at the company can buy stock in CH2M Hill on an internal market and the share value is determined by the firm's profitability, said CH2M Hill spokesman John Corsi.

"Employee ownership is a key part of our culture. Every single employee shares in the firm's success. We think it is good for recruiting."

Since the company isn't publicly traded, executives don't have to chase quarterly earnings numbers to keep outside investors happy, Corsi said. "It allows us to have discipline and long-term vision," he said.

Giving employees a stake in a company can help to keep workers involved and engaged in operations, said Corey Rosen, NCEO executive director. But it doesn't guarantee that, he added.

"You need a company that gives employees a lot of input into the way their jobs are done. If you give people ownership but treat them the same as you did before, you actually see a decline in performance because you have raised their expectations but failed to meet them," he said.

Broomfield-based MWH has 6,100 employees and ranked 18th on the list. Hensel Phelps in Greeley has 2,100 employees and ranked 42nd.

Topping the list is Florida-based Publix Super Markets Inc. with 143,000 employees, followed by Iowa-based supermarket chain Hy-Vee Inc. with 46,000 employees.

The National Center for Employee Ownership is a private, nonprofit membership and research organization that provides information on employee stock ownership and other compensation plans.

Staff writer Tom McGhee can be reached at 303-954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com.

Posted on July 17, 2007 9:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 9, 2007

Sustainable Strategies driving 25% stock rise

Last week's UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in Geneva, Switzerland,
brought together some of the world's biggest companies committed to
corporate social responsibility. It also left behind some potentially
powerful tools. For starters, there's a new online tool
(www.gln-openaccess.org/) aimed at helping companies "embed responsible
business practices as a driver of long term, sustainable competitive
performance."

A report released at the summit by Goldman Sachs showed that among six
sectors covered -- energy, mining, steel, food, beverages, and media --
companies that are considered leaders in implementing environmental, social
and governance (ESG) policies to create sustained competitive advantage
have outperformed the general stock market by 25 per cent since August
2005.

There's more: a group of chief executive officers representing some of the
world's largest corporations issued The CEO Water Mandate, urging their
business peers to take immediate action to address the emerging global
water crisis. The chief executives of 153 companies worldwide committed to
speeding up action on climate change and called on governments to agree as
soon as possible on measures to secure workable and inclusive climate
market mechanisms post 2012, when the Kyoto Protocol expires.

And a new report on business-NGO partnerships found that environmental
issues account for a third of all business corporate social responsibility
partnerships on a global level and that education projects are the
preferred corporate social responsibility partnerships at a local level.

Details on these and other Global Compact Summit actions can be found on
GreenBiz.com and at the Compact's site: www.globalcompact.org.

-- Joel Makower, Executive Editor

Posted on July 9, 2007 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

July 5, 2007

Hiring First Employee

Hiring Your First Employee
By Geoff Williams,
Posted: 2006-11-15 13:27:20
There comes a time when every entrepreneur can't do it alone anymore. Is it time to find your first employee?

"Good luck," your boss said, clapping his hand on your shoulder. Then the big cheese was gone, and you looked down at your desk. And there it was. Your employee handbook.

If you've ever worked for another company, you probably remember it. You barely glanced at it, but if you had a question, there was your manual, ready to solve all your problemsùfrom what to do with your 401(k) to where to park your car.

But now you're the big cheese, and you're likely the one with all the questions about the hiring process. So where's your employee handbook? Exactly. There isn't one. Luckily, in the following pages, we've put together most everything you'll need to consider when expanding your business beyond yourself. It's the closest thing to a handbook you're likely to get.

Good luck.

What to Pay
It should be obvious, but here goes: Pay what you can afford.

Jeff Medley, 35, offered his first employee $10 an hour, with no benefits and no cubicleùjust a chair and a table in the den of his house. Today, Medley's Indianapolis business, Netfor Inc., has 21 employees and 100-plus contractors nationwideùall with the goal of offering franchised businesses computer technology support. His company's sales, which have grown steadily every year, will clear $2 million this year, and his roster of clients includes such big names as Mail Boxes Etc.

And what did this new employee think of Medley's job offer, seeing that it had no benefits? "He was OK with that, because when I hired him, I made the promise that benefits were forthcoming, and they were," says Medley, who launched his business in 1995. "In 1999, we got benefits, and now we have one of the best benefits packages in the city."

Paying his employees a modest salary was also the approach 47-year-old Paul Storfer took in 1995, when he launched his Purchase, New York, human resources firm, HR Technologies: "In some cases, people would self-select themselves and say 'I'm not sure I'm a good fit for you,' but in most cases, we were able to establish a salary that everybody felt was fair."

"Salary is always where most [job applicants] fib," observes Barbara Bruno, who runs HR Search Inc., a Chicago employment agency. "They always quote a higher price than what they'll actually take."

But the bottom-line rule of hiring somebody is that your company has to have enough money coming in. Cash flowùmore than cashùis crucial to hiring your first employee, says Mary Wong, a principal and managing partner of HRizen Solutions LLC, a Houston human resources and consulting firm that specializes in helping emerging entrepreneurs. "I dealt with a start-up venture that had a lot of initial venture capitalùseveral million dollars," recalls Wong. "And they thought 'Let's go out and buy computers and phones and 10 sets of desks, and let's hire 10 people to fill them,' but there was no cash flow. As you know, that's probably the number-one killer of a business, and they immediately had to lay off three-fourths of their staff."

Finding Candidates
Medley put an ad in The Indianapolis Star and found three job candidates. He recalls the interview he had over lunch with his first hire, Mike Bankert, who, five years later, is still with the company and now on salary. "I played up the company like I knew it was going to grow," says Medley. "I gave him my vision, and I think he believed it."

If you're going with an ad, be logical in deciding where to place it-whether you decide to post it on Monster.com or in your local newspaper. "Pretend that you're looking for this job, and then select [your placement] that way," suggests Arlene Vernon, owner of HRx, a human resources consulting firm in Eden Prairie, a suburb of Minneapolis. She's been helping small businesses with their human resources needs for more than 25 years, and she's often found good employees for her clients through the newspaper classifieds.

But if you don't have to hire somebody this minute, she recommends trying to find an employee through word-of-mouth. "Go to industry meetings," she suggests. "Hopefully, you're already doing that anyway, and as you're talking to people one-on-one, mention that you're looking for somebody to hire. Ask 'Who do you know that would be interested in a startup?'"

Mentioning that you're a startup is important, says Vernon, because certain personalities work well with the unpredictable nature of a new business, while others don't.

Questions, ask many questions. Ask them of yourself, and ask them of your potential hires.

You need to know exactly who you want to help you grow your business. What you don't need is to hire somebody just like you, says Bruno, whose agency assists in recruiting secretarial, administrative and human resource professionals. "You want their strengths to complement your weaknesses," she says.

But that's the easy part, according to Bruno, who insists that you investigate prospects' references. "Reference-checking is an art," she says. "And it has to be, because in this day and age, sometimes a person's entire resume is a fantasy." There is one crucial question you must ask every reference, and if you phrase it in just the right way, it's difficult for that person to give a vague answer. It's simply "Is this person eligible for rehire?" "If the answer is yes," says Bruno, "you've got a good person. If it's no, then no."

There are three basic guidelines you should stick to in a job interview, says Vernon:

Keep it legal. Because of federal guidelines and laws that vary from state to state, you can get sued if you ask questions that have nothing to do with the job, says Vernon. Stay away from topics such as your potential employee's religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, whether he or she is married and whether he or she wants children. "Just keep it focused on the job," says Vernon, "and you'll be fine." Be honest. For obvious reasons. "Even be blatantly honest," says Vernon. "If there are difficult parts of the job, let them know upfront." Ask tough questions. "Ask them to show you how they would do something," says Vernon. "If you need an administrative assistant, tell them to turn on the computer and get into Word and write you a letter." Or give them real-life examples of challenges they may face working for you and listen to how they think they'd handle the situation, suggests Vernon.

And how do you explain to your first employee that you're hiring him or her to do the tasks that you'd rather not do? "It's all how you frame it," observes Beth Ellenby, owner of Rest of Your Life Productions, a Norwalk, Connecticut, coaching firm for individuals and corporations. Ellenby's business has been running entrepreneurship coaching groups for women in New York City for the past two years. "For some people, the grunt work is doing the accounting. But for [other] people, there's nothing more fun than getting a big box of papers and sorting through them. For some people, they dread making cold calls. Others say 'Let me at it.'" And Ellenby adds that it's impossible to get rid of all the grunt. "When you're only two people, you're both going to have to do things you don't love doing."

Dealing With Paperwork
W-2s. Payroll taxes. Social Security. 401(k)s. Health insurance benefits.

Even if the latter two aren't part of your initial program, the paperwork that goes into hiring an employee can be mind-numbing. That's why the general consensus is: Have someone else do it for you. Do not go it alone.

So where do you go for help? If you're going to offer a health plan, you need to find a reputable health insurance agency to work with. But if you want to get payroll off your hands as well, Bruno suggests hiring a service such as Paychex or Automatic Data Processing (ADP) Inc., two services that can also help you with a 401(k), health benefits and just about anything else you'd need. There are plenty of other good payroll companies out there--just make sure you do your homework. You should be comfortable and confident that it's a reputable business.

What you will spend to have your checks printed and taxes taken out and everything else that goes along with payroll depends on what kind of deal you offer your employee. At first, Medley paid his payroll service about $40 per month--and that's exactly how often he paid Bankert: once a month. It made sense, because Netfor was being paid once per month. But it also saved money. The more often you pay your employees, the more benefits you offer and the more employees you have, the more expensive your payroll services will be.But it's well worth it, says Medley, explaining that somebody he knows well got into trouble with payroll taxes. "And upon learning how badly that can go, you realize very quickly that you want someone else doing your payroll," says Medley, who adds that if your business shuts down and you still owe payroll taxes, the government will come after you--not your defunct corporation. With a payroll service--again, a reputable one--"then your liability doesn't exist," says Medley. "The risk is all theirs."

To offer benefits or not? That is the million-dollar question, especially when you're not a millionaire. Barbara Bruno of HR Search Inc. has been in the hiring business for 26 years. She says you don't have to offer that first batch of employees a health plan or a 401(k), but if you want to be one of the good guys and find good people to work for you, you should find other, cost-effective perks to offer those working at your company. Two weeks of paid vacation is just a given. There is no national law requiring it (though some states do have such laws in place), but regardless, "You have to do that," says Bruno.

You can also offer flex hours, says Bruno, where employees can come and go as they please as long as they're working a set amount of hours per day or week. "You can also offer a casual dress code," she says. "People love to dress down and be relaxed." If you offer to pay $50 to $100 per month of an employee's day-care costs, that's a big perk because he or she will get it in pre-tax form, and you can write it off as a business expense.

And what's the biggest benefit that benefits offer your business? A happy, presumably productive, employee.

Working Together
You're hiring more than your first employee; you're bringing aboard somebody who will help your company grow, who will help create your business culture and who will have to understand that in the seven-course meal of the corporate world, you're still small potatoes. Which is why it's better to think of your employee as a partner, rather than yourself as the captain of the ship.

Medley had little choice but to remain humble. As he recalls of that first year working with Bankert, "I have two kids, and my 3-year-old would come busting down the stairs and run through the hall naked and pop through the [office] doors and yell, 'Look, Daddy, I'm naykee!'"

Fortunately, Bankert "thought it was hilarious," says Medley. The clients on the other end of the phone, however, were not as amused. So Medley had to bungee-cord the doors shut. (Later, his third and fourth employees worked out of his basement.) But even now, with the Netfor staff working out of real office space, Medley says he continues to maintain a partnership atmosphere with his employees: "I've never been a real power-trip person."

Creating a Handbook
So when should you write an employee handbook? You should probably wait until the third or fourth employee, suggests Storfer, who had one of his first hires write his handbook. Medley did the same thing, giving the task of writing it to his first employee. "When it's not coming from the employer's perspective, I think it turns into a more applicable tool. It's not a hierarchical dictatorship tool."

But what about writing it yourself? What about throwing caution to the wind and taking it upon yourself to explain your company's mission and rules without seeming like a dictator? Medley laughs. "If there's an entrepreneur out there who starts a business and has the time to write an employee handbook for [his] very first person, I tip my hat to [him]," he says. "That was always my Catch-22. I didn't have time to write an employee handbook, because I didn't have an employee."

Hiring Resources
If you're still craving more information, reach for that mouse or visit the nearest library and check out these resources:

To read up on interviewing techniques, Impact Hiring: The Secrets of Hiring a Superstar, offers approximately 300 pages of solid and sage advice from authors Frederick and Barbara Ball.

For help with producing an employee handbook, purchase a software program. A quick Web search will list various options, including www.youremployeehandbook.com, which offers personnel policy and procedure manuals for small businesses.

HR.com is a free Web site for those interested in human resources. Here, you'll get advice, free human resource forms and free articles about human resource issues. Get out your credit card and you'll be able to purchase various products and services, such as a human resource agent to do some of the work for you.

To strengthen your knowledge and understanding of the numerous legal elements and government regulations that apply to hiring, click over to the U.S. Department of Labor, where you can get answers to all your questions.

Posted on July 5, 2007 2:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

May 29, 2007

Consumer Environmental Survey

2007 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey
By Cone LLC
Recently, the results of the 2007 Cone Consumer Environmental Survey were released. Brands would be interested in learning about how seriously Americans are now taking the environment, and the implications these feelings have on business practices.

The survey found one-third of Americans (32 percent) report heightened interest in the environment compared to a year ago. This brings the total of Americans who claim to be interested in the environment to 88 percent.

Additionally, consumers believe that corporations owe it to them to engage in sustainable and environmentally conscious business practices. In addition to pollution concerns, Americans are increasingly concerned over product packaging and transportation. With this in mind, consumers say they will either "reward" (purchase) or punish companies based on their actions.
May 2007

Posted on May 29, 2007 11:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

May 22, 2007

Corporate Social Responsibility

What an accomplished insurance executive and strategist had to say about the value of CSR and employee engagement;
Employees want to feel good about their employer. They tend to be happier working for companies that they believe to have either a higher cause, or at least are interested in something other than solely the almighty buck. They want an employer with a conscious, and one that gives back. This helps them to feel better about what they do and who they work for, almost like they are indirectly giving back themselves.
Companies that care about things other than just their business, give the perception to their employees that they care about them too.
Happy, prideful employees are more productive.
They are less likely to call in sick unnecessarily.
They are less likely to file fraudulent Workers' Compensation claims.
As green companies usually have cleaner, brighter, more comfortable facilities with newer equipment, employees are less likely to leave.
Lower turnover saves recruiting and training dollars.
Lower turnover leads to more experienced, more productive employees.
Lower turnover leads to fewer Workers' Compensation injuries, as roughly half of all claims come from employees in their first year on the job. Less turnover means fewer employees in this first year.

Posted on May 22, 2007 2:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

May 9, 2007

Living Your Brand

Living Your Brand
By John Williams
Take a look at who you are and how you want to represent your brand--and live it every day--to make yourself your #1 asset.

A great deal of time and energy are expended to create memorable brands that add value to company marketing strategies and--in the case of public companies--pique the interest of the investment community. While company brand equity is certainly important, the significance of making yourself an integral part of your company's brand shouldn't be overlooked as a key to success.

Here's a simplistic example that underscores the importance of personal branding. Let's say you own a franchise of a well-known quick printing company. Your logo's recognizable, and the attributes of your parent organization are well-documented through a dynamic national marketing campaign. While you may gain first-time business based on name recognition alone, if customers don't like you--if you're unable to positively establish your personal brand--you may never see them again.

As would be expected, personal branding is most important in service businesses, because customers demand a high level of personal attention. Your ability to establish and maintain rapport with your customers will result in long-term relationships as well as coveted referral business. And when customers know and like you, they're more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt if anything goes awry.

The Defining Process
The most important step to creating your personal brand is defining yourself. This includes taking stock of your strengths, values, goals and personality to determine the personal messages you want customers to take away from their encounters with you.

When you consistently present yourself based on the messages you've identified, you'll have created an effective personal brand. Those who interact with you will have a strong sense of who you are and what you stand for, and that can be any number of things, both inside and outside of the business realm.

The beauty of personal branding is its uniqueness. While some of your personal brand attributes may overlap with others', your overall messages should be one-of-a-kind--that's what'll differentiate you and make your personal brand stand out.

Components to consider for your personal brand include: your leadership abilities; your special strengths, talents or achievements; your personality traits; and your distinctive qualities. Think outside the box, and be as specific as possible so your brand doesn't mirror anyone else's.

Getting the Message Out
Once you've determined your personal brand messages, you need a strategy for broadcasting them to your target audience. Visibility and persistence are key to ensuring that your personal brand is communicated to your customers. That means you must live your personal brand at all times; if that's challenging, then you probably weren't honest during the defining process and need to think a little harder about who you are and what you stand for.

While there are endless options for getting your personal brand message out in the world, the most powerful is face-to-face communication. Personal interactions provide the greatest opportunities to make memorable impressions. If your customer base is too large or too spread out for that to happen, you can use other communications vehicles--including e-mail, direct mail and personalized letters--to get your messages across. Remember that all the choices you make, from your language to your font, can enhance or detract from your personal brand, so choose wisely.

In the best circumstances, when you're able to successfully project the image you've defined for yourself, you'll become the most important part of your company's brand. And that's critically important for entrepreneurs who wish to differentiate themselves from their competition.

Posted on May 9, 2007 6:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

April 29, 2007

What is Coaching?

What is coaching?
Coaching is a partnership designed to help you achieve success -- however you define success in your life. Each partnership is different depending on the client's goals. Coaching includes clarifying vision and purpose to addressing behaviors and tolerations that create barriers to success to problem solving and more. The relationship is strictly confidential.

As a client, your coach will help you:

Implement the plan of action, working through the inevitable changes and any obstacles
Maintain a healthy balance between your personal and professional life
Keep looking ahead to take advantage of opportunities that are just now formulating
Bring out your personal best, keeping focused on your needs, values and vision.
Why does coaching work?
Coaching works because it brings out your best. A coach believes you have the answers and is trained to bring them out (painlessly!) Specifically, this is what a coach will do with you during your coaching sessions:

Listen. A coach listens fully. You are the focus. The coach listens to what you say, what you are trying to say and what you are not saying.

Share. A coach will share ideas, thoughts and views on your situation, dilemma or opportunity, speaking the truth from her or his perspective.

Suggest. A coach wants a lot for you. A coach wants you to be healthy, happy and successful. A coach wants you to be on a strong financial track. A coach wants you to enjoy your family and friends. A coach wants you to have a life that inspires others and yourself. A coach believes in your greatness. To that end, your coach will make requests and suggestions to guide and challenge you.

A coach works with you to:
Brainstorm options for effective action
Update or expand your vision and goals
Increase your ability to see high leverage opportunities
Find balance in life between work, family and community
Improve communication and languaging skills
Develop your management and executive leadership teams
How is coaching different from consulting? Therapy? Sports coaching? A best friend?
Consulting. Coaching is not an expert model of consulting. The coach facilitates a process of reflection and action. A coach also stays with the client to help implement the new skills, changes and goals to make sure they really happen.

Therapy. Coaching is not therapy. We don't work on "issues" or get into the past or deal much with understanding human behavior. We leave that up to the client to know and figure out while we help them move forward and set personal and professional goals that will give them the life they really want.

Sports. Coaching includes several principles from sports coaching, like teamwork, going for the goal, being your best. But unlike sports coaching, most professional coaching is not competition or win/lose based. We strengthen the client's skills versus help them beat the other team. It's win/win.

Best friend. A best friend is wonderful to have. But is your best friend a professional who you will trust to advise you on the most important aspects of your life and/or business? Have a best friend and a coach.

Coaching Improves Performance
Productivity
Quality
Organizational strength
Customer service
Employee retention
Cost reductions
Bottom-line profitability
Teamwork
Working relationships with direct reports, immediate supervisors, peers and clients
Job satisfaction
Conflict reduction
Organizational commitment
An average return on investment of 5.7 times the initial investment in a typical executive coaching assignment or a return of more than $100,000.
Maximizing the Impact of Executive Coaching, Manchester Review, Vol. 6, No. 1, 2001. Results based on a recent study of 100 executives.

Posted on April 29, 2007 3:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 27, 2007

Executive Coaches deploy Fit Programs

April 03, 2007

Executive Coaches Help Vet Nonprofit Job Applicants
People seeking top-level nonprofit jobs can now expect to be interviewed not just by nonprofit recruiters and their potential bosses, but also by executive coaches who advise the organization's top executives, says The Wall Street Journal.

The extra step is part of an effort to reduce turnover, the newspaper says.

After interviewing candidates to help her run Family Justice, the New York charity she founded, Carol Shapiro finally found one she liked, but didn't pick the job candidate because her executive coach found the candidate lacking in managerial experience, the newspaper reports.

Another contender who won approval from the coach got the job and joined Family Justice as chief operating officer in late February.

The interview by the coach benefits not just the charity but also the job seeker "because an executive coach can describe what this new boss will really be like," says Marilyn Machlowitz, a New York recruiter who handled Ms. Shapiro's search.

Posted on April 27, 2007 7:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Executive Coaches Shaping Leaders

Executive coaches hired to shape leaders
By Jay MacDonald • Bankrate.com

As the battle heats up to attract and retain the best and brightest talent available, American business is turning for help to an industry it once regarded as highly suspect: executive coaching.

Just a few years ago, when profits and top performers were plentiful, corporate giants pooh-poohed the idea of coaching as just pop psychobabble aimed at eroding their bottom line. The common refrain was, where's the ROI, return on investment? Even those more progressive companies that welcomed TQM, total quality management, and excellence seminars, based on Steven Covey's "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," placed it in the expenditures column.

Today, however, one-on-one executive coaching, not just training, is all the corporate rage. What has made companies suddenly embrace their softer side? You guessed it: ROI.

According to a 2001 MetrixGlobal study of one Fortune 500 company, executive coaching returned more than $5 for every $1 spent, 529 percent, in significant financial and intangible benefits to the company. When the financial benefits of employee retention were rolled into the mix, the ROI was nearly eight to one, 788 percent.

In the 2002 study, "The Economics of Executive Coaching," Harvard Business School Journal estimated that there were at least 10,000 coaches working in business, up from 2,000 in 1996. That figure was expected to grow to 50,000 by 2007. The International Coach Federation lists 8,461 members and more than 132 chapters in 34 countries. Companies reportedly pay fees ranging from $1,500 to $15,000 per day.

"It's certainly a hot item right now," admits Michael Markovits, vice president of global executive and organizational capability, who oversees IBM's in-house executive coaching. "We've done research to show that leadership behavior has a direct impact on climate, and climate has a direct impact on business results. We invest in leadership development because we believe we're going to be a better-performing company as a result."

"Business leaders are recognizing that good social skills are good business," says Peggy Post, great-granddaughter-in-law of etiquette pioneer Emily Post and co-author of "The Etiquette Advantage in Business."

"It's not a sissy subject at all. It's a very timely business topic to help increase productivity, employee retention and client/customer retention. It just makes things run much more smoothly," she says.

Executive finishing school? In these downsized, belt-tightening times? That's right. At the new global dinner table, American business is starting to sit up straight and mind its manners.

Pumping up the EQ
Businesses rely on executive coaches in two main training areas: internally, to groom their junior executives to one day take the helm, and externally, to prepare their leaders to flawlessly represent the company when meeting, dining and socializing with customers and clients.

Posted on April 27, 2007 7:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 18, 2007

Small Business Responsibility

Doing It Right: Providing Daily Meaning
Source: GreenBiz.com

This essay is excerpted from True to Yourself: Leading a Values-Based Business, by Mark Albion.

There's a big difference between providing great benefits and understanding how to produce fulfillment for human beings.

In addition to the company that bears his name, Mal Warwick & Associates, Mal is the founder of three other companies that bring fund-raising and marketing services to environmental and human rights organizations. Now free from daily operations, he travels the world to teach fund-raising, principally in developing countries. A whirlwind of activity, Mal is frenetically committed.

He admits that he never thought about leadership until recently. He started his namesake company in 1979 and began hiring full-time staff in 1983. He didn't see himself as a good leader or manager. His company grew 100 percent a year for several years in the 1980s, a growth spurt for which Mal felt unequipped: "I had no idea what it meant to lead a small company, much less be 'values-based.' I had the strategic, creative and technical skills to be a well-paid consultant, but no experience or training in management, much less leadership."

He quickly learned that his leadership position gave his actions an importance he didn't know he had: "I was truly a workaholic, insensitive to the needs of a staff that wanted some balance in their lives. It took me a long time to understand that my role required me to think about how I might inspire or deflate the people around me."

Mal realized that he had a more multifaceted role as teacher and mentor. He had to be more careful about what he said and think more about how to motivate and support staff. As he spent more time out of the office, these roles took on a greater importance. After all, management is about what happens when you're around. Leadership is what happens when you're not there.

In the 1980s, Mal was also a self-described "control freak," a handicap of most founders. He started off doing everything from opening the envelopes and licking stamps to analyzing results for his clients: "I knew I could do it better than anyone else. No one was as competent as I was. I could have made a lot more money solo, but I wanted to achieve more than I could do alone -- and I wanted my work to go on after me."

Mal joined the Social Venture Network in 1990 and talked with fellow CEOs about success and failure. It was a profound experience: "I concluded that I wasn't successful. I didn't have the kind of organization that could carry on. I saw that to support advocacy work at nonprofits and foster the kind of social change I wanted, it would require a lot more hands on the oars."

Mal's challenge was not simply about moving from managing to motivating. It was more about values, something he hadn't paid attention to beyond delivering a superior product with great customer service to clients whose work he cared about. He did have employee loyalty as his staff was dedicated to the clients and inspired by them. But his staff didn't have those same kinds of feelings about his company. Mal needed to bring those values inside his organization.

Mal asked himself how he might build that commitment through policies and practices. He spent a few years learning about profit sharing, creative benefits programs, and environmental stewardship. But his personal values and politics got in the way.

In many ways, 1988 was a high-water mark, at least for Mal. The company raised $7 million for Jesse Jackson's presidential campaign and got a lot of press, but the campaign almost bankrupted the company. The day after the election, Mal had to lay off forty of his eighty-seven people.

Mal had some personal problems, too, and went into a depression. He cut his salary to $25,000 and became largely inactive in the company from 1989 to 1994. He did some individual consulting and writing but had little energy for the business. When the succession of CEOs he promoted from within each encountered resistance from employees, Mal was forced to confront the issue why he wasn't involved and what it would take to get him to come back to full-time work.

Mal gave his board of directors his conditions: "I told them that I wanted to put into place a comprehensive set of socially responsible business practices that would make our company per se motivating for the staff, just as our clients' work motivated us." He had put in place good benefits, but he needed to do more.

The staff wanted a strong profit-sharing plan, a voice in management, and more environmental leadership. These priorities led to the election of staff representatives to the company's board and to intensive environmental and energy audits. The audits have made the company a showcase for services companies.

As for the profit-sharing plan, Mal proposed to the board that half of the company's pretax profits be set aside each quarter, with 20 percent of that half (10 percent) going to charitable contributions selected by staff. The remaining 40 percent would be divided up largely on an egalitarian basis of one person, one share. What was the board's reaction? "Well, the board flipped out," Mal chuckles knowingly. "'We could have a cash crunch!' I told them that they could be right, but it wasn't worth keeping the company alive if we couldn't make a statement about social responsibility." They ended up settling on 45 percent of profits going to the plan, with 35 percent going to the staff and the same 10 percent to charities.

Mal returned to astonishing results. From a base of no profits, the first quarter checks were $30 per employee. By the fourth quarter of the new profit-sharing plan, the checks amounted to $2000. The company has been profitable ever since. In a peak year, a staff member making a $20,000-25,000 in salary received an additional $8,000 from profit sharing. The plan jump-started the change in culture the staff had been waiting for.

In 2002, Mal began the transition from sole ownership to employee ownership. An ESOP (employee stock-ownership plan) was put in place, with 10 percent of the ownership in the ESOP, 24 percent among key employees -- a democratizing of ownership Mal intends to continue for many more years. Mal knows that it's never too late to reinvent your brand of leadership and reignite your company.

As Mal's story shows, few small business founders think about what it means to be a leader or what their role is in creating a culture that produces fulfillment for others. Becoming more of a teacher and less of an expert consultant and salesperson requires a shift in attention from consumers to employees. But if you want to make a difference in your industry, you must walk toward the talk and bring those values inside your organization on a daily basis.

Posted on April 18, 2007 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

April 16, 2007

Personal Branding

Brand Phobia: How to fight your personal brand demons and win
by Lyn Chamberlin

In the personal branding workshops that I teach, I can feel the air getting sucked out of the room when I ask the group of successful, savvy, world-smart women to begin the process of identifying their own distinctive brand by listing their accomplishments. Eager faces suddenly turn apprehensive. A couple of people make self-deprecating jokes. Then, dead silence. I tell them that, like the cobbler's children who have no shoes, this was not an easy exercise for me to do either. When I liken it to emotional Rolfing--digging into all the uncomfortable places until you've worked out the kinks and devised a brand identity--they all laugh, and with some additional coaxing and cajoling, the pens begin to fly.
There is no magic wand here. No brilliant, earth-changing discovery or patented formula. What happens is very simple: women get the go-ahead to pat themselves on the back, to acknowledge all the accomplishments in their professional and personal lives, and to look at themselves and their enterprises in a new way.

Why is it that the women with the guts to start their own businesses, women who have fought their way to the top of big, big companies struggle so mightily with branding themselves? Why is it that most of us would rather bungee-jump than take credit for our accomplishments, for our talents, for our contributions?

My non-scientific analysis is that we are caught in a self-perpetuating, interconnected web of myths, myths that have been handed down to us in one form or another ever since Eve took a bite out of the apple. Myths such as:

Myth #1: If I Am Good, They Will Come
Myth #2: Marketing Myself Is a Dirty Business
Myth #3: I Can't Control What Other People Think
Myth #1: If I Am Good, They Will Come
Being good is not enough. Being all of the things you are and have accomplished is not enough. Toiling away when everyone else has gone home will not leapfrog you to the front of the pack. Creating the greatest widget will not by itself drive sales. You must find a way to tell your story to people who will listen. And your story must be the answer to a question that your customers, clients, and colleagues need the answer to. Otherwise, it's the proverbial sound of one hand clapping. If a tree falls in the forest, and there's no one to hear it, does it make a sound? The answer, in an increasingly competitive, dog-eat-dog, 21st-century world, is a resounding NO.
We assume that if we quietly build it behind the scenes, they will come. We shy away from promoting ourselves, from taking credit for our successes, from being our own best advertisement. This is the biggest hurdle that we, as 51 percent of the population, must overcome--whether we're at home, in the workforce, or in the C-suite.

Myth #2: Marketing Myself Is a Dirty Business
Successful personal branding means continually standing far enough away to see yourself and your work as if it were not you and your work that you were looking at.

Successful personal branding means taking a 50,000-foot view of yourself and your business, looking down on yourself from a remote-enough planet that your "buts" and "not reallys" and every other self-qualifier you can come up with cease to exist. Learn how to look at what's left of the former you as just another product on a very crowded shelf, where every other can of soup is jockeying for position and trying to knock you off in the process.

Successful personal branding means wearing labels such as "leading" and "expert," "sought-after," "popular," and "well-regarded." It means creating a brand identity that is authentic, consistent, and memorable, one that you own and are proud of.

Myth #3: I Can't Control What Other People Think
You must learn to be the marketing manager of your own brand campaign. Why do we associate Volvo with safety or FedEx with overnight delivery? Because millions of dollars were spent to create that association for us. Nike, Coke, Xerox, and Microsoft tell us how they want us to perceive their products--and we do, thanks to tightly honed messages that are reinforced and repeated over and over again.

Here are several simple steps you can take right now to bottle and market YOU:

Figure out who you are, what you stand for, and why you are different than anyone or anything else.

Create a story that communicates your value and your market differentiation.

Pull the key words that you have used to create that story and weave them into everything that you say, do and publish about yourself and your business.
Tell your story relentlessly, passionately, and unapologetically to anyone who will listen. You will refine and improve it as you go along, figuring out which parts work and which don't.
So don't be afraid to let your pen fly, to begin your exploration of your personal brand identity. Claim your rightful role as chief flag-waver for your company, your product, and ultimately, for yourself.

Posted on April 16, 2007 3:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Walmart deploys Social Fit

Wal-Mart Expands Employee Sustainability Projects
Source: GreenBiz.com

BENTONVILLE, Ark., April 9, 2007 -- Wal-Mart's "Personal Sustainability Projects" will get a boost according to a new announcement by the company.

PSPs are employee-driven efforts through which Wal-Mart and Sam's Club associates develop individual goals to improve their health and wellness and the health of the environment. Throughout 2007, Wal-Mart's 1.3 million U.S. associates will learn about PSPs and have the opportunity to adopt their own personal sustainability goals.

Associates are encouraged to educate their colleagues, customers, families, and communities on personal sustainability and the impact it can have on their daily lives. Wal-Mart also plans to eventually expand the program into its international stores.

"Sustainability has become part of the Wal-Mart culture, and PSPs are one way for associates to become involved - in their stores, their communities and their daily lives," said Linda Dillman, Wal-Mart's executive vice president of risk management, benefits and sustainability. "PSPs are being created by and for associates to help make choices that can have a real impact on their personal health and happiness and on their families, neighbors, communities and the environment. We're excited about what we've seen and learned so far and about what can happen as this project grows."

In July 2006, associates in eight stores in the Denver and Indianapolis areas participated in a pilot PSP program through which they created personal sustainability projects and made a voluntary commitment to meet their goals. Associate PSPs included making healthier food choices, volunteering in their communities and using environmentally friendly products in their homes. After a successful pilot, the program was expanded in October 2006 to 130 Wal-Mart stores and Sam's Club locations in Denver, Indianapolis and Tampa test markets.

Through November 2006, associates have reported the following highlights of pilot PSP efforts:

More than 20,000 associates developed PSPs in the three test markets. In the Denver market alone, 84 percent of associates -- more than 3,400 people -- adopted PSPs.

More than 300 associates quit smoking.

In the Tampa market, 300 associates set up recycling programs in their homes. Paper recycling centers have been established in all stores in the Indianapolis market, and proceeds are donated to the local Children's Miracle Network Hospital. Overall, more than 16 tons of paper, aluminum, and plastic have been recycled as part of the pilot PSP efforts.

Collectively, associates have lost more than 2,000 pounds -- one ton -- by eating healthier and exercising more. Associates have also pledged to exercise more, and together they have walked the equivalent of two round trips between New York and Los Angeles.
As one example of a PSP, Kim Nicholson, a membership sales representative for Sam's Club, persuaded the company to offer a salad and water combination for the same price as a slice of pizza and soda in all Sam's Club Cafes. "Now associates can eat healthy at an affordable price during lunch," said Nicholson.

Throughout the year, "Captains" from the hourly and salaried levels will hold meetings to educate associates on PSPs. Associates choose their own personal sustainability goals and monitor their progress during a core time period of four to seven weeks, and are then encouraged to integrate their PSP into their daily lives on a long-term basis. In-store training and projects will help reinforce the associates' plans. Together, associates motivate and encourage one another to pursue their PSPs.

While individuals will focus on their personal goals, they will also work together at the store level to accomplish sustainability goals designed to improve the local community. For instance, some stores have developed recycling programs or are helping their local community to clean up wildlife areas.

"PSPs are about making and sustaining one simple change in life that you can be passionate about -- anything from riding a bike to work or using eco-friendly household cleaning products to eating healthy meals instead of fast food or recycling at home," said Andy Ruben, vice president for corporate strategy and sustainability. "It's about making choices that make a real difference in both your personal health and the health of the planet."

Posted on April 16, 2007 3:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

February 16, 2007

Start the New Year With a Clean Slate

The fresh, and cold, start to the New Year provides you the opportunity to begin with a clean slate. You have nearly a year to make the lifestyle, career, spiritual, mental or physical changes that you have been wanting to make.

A client recently pointed out his number one goal for 2007. Big surprise here...it is to discover and fulfill his True Calling, but more specifically for him, he will know he has found it if it provides the following which he sourced from Thomas Stanley's, The Millionaire Mind:

You love your work and it excites you every day.

You know that your chosen vocation is one that allows you full use of your abilities and aptitudes.

You get high self esteem from your work.

You are absolutely certain that your vocation will make you financially independent one day.

Don't we all want this? After reading them I realized they applied to all of us who truly want to be doing what we were put here to do.

Whatever your wish may be - begin it now - don't wait. Inertia begets inertia.

It is going to be a year of positive change and growth for Dynimus. We have some major changes coming up that will add tremendous value to your Career Development firm. Stay tuned!

By the way if you know someone who would benefit from one of our Programs please let us know. 90% of our growth has come from client referrals. Just make sure your referral uses your name once they start the Program and you will receive a $100 gift card.

Posted on February 16, 2007 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

February 8, 2007

Interviews

Click a link on the left sidebar to read more about Team Dynimus!

Posted on February 8, 2007 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Meet Jay

Most folks come dragging in to work on Monday morning, but you look wide awake and ready to go. Is that for real?

Quite real! Because I am in my True Calling™ I have the opportunity to use my skills, passions and strengths to do exactly what I want to do which is to advance people's careers. This sounds like an advertisement for our company, but I'm sincere. Whether it is a Monday or a Tuesday or a Saturday, every day is a holiday.

I am energized today, but that hasn't always been the case. In my previous job, there were days when I woke up dreading the knowledge that I was going to put 10 to 12 hours into something that I didn't really enjoy. I would come home at night drained. Even days that I had off were still spent in a state of anxiety, just trying to catch up and get ready for the next work week.

Now waking up in the morning is easy to do. This morning I ran five miles. It gives me a chance to think and get ready for the day ahead. By the time I get back, my blood is pumping, especially this morning in the crisp fall air. I am refreshed, focused, wide awake and ready to go. I have already accomplished something. I have breakfast, read the paper, and see my wife off to work.

Then I get to come in to our office and work with clients. Today I drove into work whistling; other drivers on the parkway looked at me like I was crazy! It doesn't mean I work any less; the work is intense and sometimes involves long hours. But I go home energized.

Going through this program with Nathan four years ago allowed me to enjoy life again, not spend 20 or 30 years doing something just because I made good money that I had to wait for the golden years to enjoy. Now I'd like to help the rest of the world feel that way!

It's clear your passion today is helping others find their True Calling™. Did you grow up knowing what you wanted to do?

I always wanted to work in business. I wanted to wear a suit and tie and work in a high rise because I equated those things with success but beyond that, no.

I was always geared toward sports, and I was always very competitive. I wanted to be the best at what I did. Athletically I excelled; academically I was average which was good enough for me at the time.

My father worked in Aerospace Engineering, and my mother was a Teacher before dedicating herself to her children . I came from a family where everyone went to college, so I always knew that was in my future. Like a lot of people in our culture, I went through high school concentrating on where I would go to college. Once in college, my focus was to graduate from college. After that, I figured I would go to work to make a living.

How did you get from a general interest in achieving and a love of sports to your current passion for career development?

It was a lot like running hurdles, which I did in high school.

( If you want to jump directly to Jay's career story, click here.)

I was born and raised in the Largo, Florida area. My family always loved Colorado, and we took our vacations there every year. When I was in high school, we moved to Colorado. I received a scholarship to run track for Adams State College, a small college in southern Colorado .

I ran hurdles, and I ran because I loved to run. Sports helped to focus me in junior high and high school. I knew I had to perform at a certain level to play, and I learned a lot about teamwork and discipline.

But athletics is a business in college, especially when you're there on full scholarship. It became a chore-working out for two hours each morning, attending daily meetings, and running for a couple of hours every afternoon.

I gave it a year, and then I transferred to the University of Colorado (CU) in Boulder. I loved Boulder , and I had attended Boulder High School. CU was right up the street, and I had always wanted to go there.

I received my undergraduate degree in Arts and Science with majors in political science and history. During my final year at CU, I completed an exciting internship with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science to bring a major international exhibit from Egypt to the United States.

I spent six weeks in Egypt organizing and detailing the exhibit. I planned to join the Special Projects team as a full-time member, but the Gulf War broke out. Egypt shut down the transfer of everything related to Egyptian artifacts and therefore, my opportunity.

It's certainly a shift from ancient Egypt to human resources. Describe that career path.

I took a position as a management trainee. I didn't know anything about the industry, but I was wearing a suit and tie. That job did not work out, so after a year I went to another company thinking that changing the industry would solve the problem. It didn't.

Life had bitten me, and at that point I was pretty lost. Two positions in two years, and I still didn't really know what I wanted to do. I ended up applying for an evening shift at the downtown Hyatt Hotel so I could spend my days looking for a career opportunity.

I worked very hard in my position at the Hyatt because that's my nature. Hyatt invited me to join their management training program, and at that point-two to three years into my career-I found the career opportunity I was looking for and began to focus.

Hyatt's program provides trainees the opportunity to experience each and every department, division and position over the course of a year. What a great way to learn the industry as part of a multi-million dollar, four-star hotel chain. I worked everywhere from finance to culinary arts to human resources (HR). I discovered an interest in HR, and upon completion of the program I was promoted to Employment Manager.

My HR experience with Hyatt Hotels & Resorts lasted for ten years. In those ten years I held a variety of positions with increasing responsibility, including Employment Manager, Benefits and Employee Relations Manager, Assistant Director and Director of Human Resources. I moved to two different cities, including San Antonio, Texas and Seattle, Washington. I like HR, and the travel was an adventure for my wife and me.

But after a while, we needed to come back to Denver. Our family and friends were here, and my wife's mother was terminally ill. Hyatt transferred me to a position as HR Director at the Hyatt Regency Tech Center where I knew I would spend a couple of years and then move to another position in Chicago.

Although the years with Hyatt were good, and I gained valuable career and life experience, I knew it was time to move on. In the hotel industry and in my position, you're on 365 days a year, with frequent moves. I also knew that HR by itself was not the answer. Something just wasn't right about it.

I thought changing industries was the way to go. In 2001, I joined Equity Office Properties as a Regional Human Resource Manager. I went from face-to-face HR management to HR consulting. As a Regional HR Director with responsibility for multiple states, I traveled frequently, working with the HR Managers. Something was still missing in this new position, but before I could figure out what it was, I was laid off.

This was the most traumatic career experience of my life even though it was primarily due to economic conditions.

Part of my severance package included outplacement services. I was fortunate that I was assigned to a gifted career specialist, Nathan Teegarden. I worked with Nathan on finding my True Calling™. Since I had an HR background and experience in recruiting, I worked simultaneously on getting back into the HR field.

Interestingly enough, I found my True Calling™: career development. To me it was a natural extension from HR into career development. Over the next year, Nathan worked with me to help me re-tool for my new industry. He became a mentor and a friend. Since we both held the same passion for career development and the same ethical beliefs, he invited me to join his team.

Since you knew your True Calling™ by this time, was it an easy decision to join Nathan at the Center for Career Advancement (now Dymimus)?

As a matter of fact, no it was not. In parallel to my work with Nathan, I had continued the job search, and my efforts had paid off: I was offered a big position with an insurance company as Regional VP of HR. The job came with a huge salary, large bonus and significant benefits.

I was weighing two competing paths: a familiar corporate position or my True Calling™. Should I take the unknown road or the one with the security and benefits? I felt a lot of pressure to take the high paid corporate position. The other road seemed dark, bleak and unknown.

I decided to take the corporate position and put career development on the shelf. I am an all-or-nothing kind of guy, so in reality I knew that career development would stay on the shelf for a long time once I started my new position.

Literally the morning before I was to start with the insurance company, I woke up at 2 a.m. I knew I was taking the wrong path. I made a very difficult call to a very confused VP that morning to let him know that I would not be coming on board.

Then I called Nathan, and here I am.

Ever looked back and wondered about that decision?

Absolutely! Even post-decision there were times when I wondered if I'd done the right thing. There weren't a lot of people patting me on the back at the time.

There were times of anxiety, particularly early on. Before this I worked for Fortune 500 companies, so entrepreneurship was new to me. But I've found that I can use my past, especially that decision, to help others move through their fears and anxieties.

Sometimes finding out what you were meant to do can be scary. The bigger challenge isn't placing someone in a job; it is helping them believe in what they are meant to do.

Did you do any specific preparation for your new career, or did you just jump right in?

My personality is all or none. I didn't have a bridge job or a fallback. I don't encourage that approach for everyone, but it worked in my circumstances.

My Fulfillment process wasn't typical. We found out early on that career development was going to be an area of interest, so I did some research. Actually, I visited every Denver metropolitan area company that specializes in career development from the multi-million dollar companies to one person consultants. By the time I made my decision, I had researched the industry thoroughly and knew what I was getting into.

I brought a lot of training and experience to the table from my HR background, and I did obtain some certifications, specifically in the use of the MBTI and in coaching. Much of my preparation came through the Center for Career Advancement (CCA), which is what we were called at the time.

I shadowed Nathan when he worked with clients, and he worked with me when I did one-on-ones. We actually created the Career Specialist training program during this time so that future career specialists could benefit from a structured process.

The training program addresses the career specialist part. In addition, I learned how to grow and run a business-everything from branding to advertising to managing. I'm not only working with clients; I'm building a business. I never thought I could do this, but I've set out on a whole new direction.

What do you tell people when they ask what you do today?

First off, I tell them I'm a problem solver. When people ask me what that means, I tell them I help people with their careers. I use the term "problem solver" because most people come in thinking their career is a problem. They see that it's draining their relationships with their family and friends.

I help people find their career focus, their True Calling™, by taking clients through a series of assessments and intellectual discussions. I do that by using our methodology, but we don't use a cookie cutter approach. People are unique, and their Discovery processes are tailored to fit their circumstances. Then I work with them to get them placed into what they should be doing from a career standpoint.

In a general sense, I could say I do career development, but it could be career enhancement or career transition. My recognition comes from advancing other people's careers and seeing the smiles on their faces.

Did you learn anything new about yourself during your own Discovery process? Any surprises?

I had a huge amount of information about myself, being in HR and having been through many assessments. I knew everything from what type of animal I am to what type of color I am!

Our assessments were highly accurate, right on target. But unlike some of the assessments I'd taken, we use and apply the information. The idea of building on your strengths rather than improving your weaknesses was new. Knowing my strengths, knowing how my strengths affect my attitudes, knowing how I process information and knowing how I make decisions-this information allowed me to focus on maximizing my potential rather than just being average.

And the idea of having a passion and going after it was new, too. If you can't hit the ten-ringer, hit the eight-ring. If you go for what you know you should be doing, you'll be closer to where you want to wind up.

How do you use this knowledge of your strengths?

Part of the Discovery process includes creating a Personal Profile. People won't necessarily understand what it means that I am a Myers-Briggs ISTJ, but they will understand that I love being around people and that I'm very structured, very detailed. I'm very much a thinker in my decision making process. I make decisions very quickly, with closure, once I have all the facts. I'm organized and efficient, and once I decide to act, I like to move quickly and get results.

Understanding my preferences helps me know myself, and knowing others' preferences and personality profiles helps us avoid unnecessary conflict.

Do you have time for anything outside of work?

That's one of the benefits of being in my True Calling™. I enjoy a full, balanced life now rather than waiting for the golden years. I'm married to a wonderful, supportive woman. I love sports, both as a participant and a spectator. I'm an avid CU Buffs fan. Going to CU football games is a social event for me. I can share the time with my wife, my family or friends while watching a game.

I don't run hurdles anymore, but running is a part of my day. I'm a recreational runner who does a few races here and there. I'd dropped any kind of exercise when I was in the corporate work world and paid the price. I was carrying an extra 35 pounds and a lot of stress that I've lost since I started running again four years ago. I also enjoy hiking and playing racquetball.

I love to study history. I read a lot of history. I watch the History Channel. Right now I'm very interested in the way history has played a part in the events unfolding today.

My parents instilled in me a love of wines. They're very knowledgeable about wines, and it's a common ground. I can pair the right wine with any meal or make a wine selection sure to gather family members, and that's about the level I'd like to keep it.

What career advice would give to someone going through a career transition?

For the majority of us, our careers will last for at least 40 years. Don't worry about the material things. Instead focus on what you can do for the next 40 years that will keep you happy and engaged in life. You can randomly go out and try to find a job that interests you, but only about 10% of all people fall into something they enjoy.

First and foremost, determine the direction you want to head. Find as much information as you can to back up your direction. And look at why you want to do what you want to do. Use a process like our Discovery process.

Someone that's been in a career for a long period of time has felt what life has to offer. It can be rough it can be beautiful; usually it's both. You can build on that. Those folks are usually more open to pursuing their passions because they've experienced what it's like when you're just in a job.

But to change direction after 15 or 20 years is really difficult. Many people are concerned that they will put themselves so far behind financially and even from a satisfaction or status standpoint. It's a delicate process, especially at mid-life. It's not just about that one individual for most people at this stage of their lives. They have kids, mortgages and other responsibilities. You have to be realistic. Sometimes all that's needed is to make some adjustments to an existing career path. Other times, like in my own case, a bigger change is needed.

Sometimes we can't see our passions and our strengths because we're too close to them. We don't appreciate the gifts we have. And if people are having a hard time figuring it out on their own, that's where we can help. We always find that career focus - that True Calling™. Our Discovery process includes a money back guarantee; that's how confident we are.

Do you have a favorite book?

I'm currently reading a history of Tutankhamen. It contains good life lessons about who you should trust and who you shouldn't, even within your own family.

A magnificent book that really talks to what we do here at Dymimus is The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.

It talks about every aspect of every life.

Anyone from history that inspired you along the journey to your True Calling™? Who would you most like to meet?

In terms of U.S. history, probably Benjamin Franklin would be the person would have liked to meet. I would like to meet some of the early framers of the Constitution like Washington and Jefferson. I would ask them if their vision for the United States is anything like what we have now.

Where do you see yourself in 20 years; still in career development?

I really want to see Dynimus impact thousands and thousands of people worldwide and become a household name. I'd love to be there when it gets that large. It would be very exciting.

Peace of mind is the important thing at this stage of my life-living out my life with family and good friends, good health. Maybe I'll have a little satellite office in Boulder .

I will continue to work hard, and I hope to reap the financial rewards that frequently come with hard work in your True Calling™. But my real rewards come from advancing other's careers, and I see that continuing over 20 years or even more.

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Posted on February 8, 2007 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Meet Nathan

Your passion today is helping others find their True Calling™. Did you grow up knowing what you wanted to do?

When I was really young, I thought being President of the United States would be the coolest thing in the world. Or at least Governor. You have a chance to make a very positive impact on a wide scale. I even interned with the Colorado State Legislature and served as a legislative aide in the House Leadership Office when I was in college. Being in the thick of things was a great experience, as was seeing how business and politics came together. But with few exceptions, at the state level you need another source of revenue to meet your living expenses. That sent me in a different direction where I can still have a potentially huge impact on the quality of people's lives, where the cause and the business are one.

How did you come to run your own international career development company?

My passion for helping others uncover their True Calling™ grew out of my own search for a fulfilling, energizing career. It wasn't a sprint; it was more like running the hurdles.

(If you want to jump directly to Nathan's career story, click here.)

I grew up in Kremmling, Colorado, a small mountain town. My father was a veterinarian, my mother a teacher. When my parents divorced, I moved to Fort Collins with my father. Once I decided to make lemonade from lemons as the saying goes, this turned out to be one of the best things that could have happened.

The larger high school, Fort Collins High School , provided more opportunities and as an achiever, I thrived on the increased competition. I improved my GPA and lettered in several sports. I even received Ft. Collins High School 's Scholar - Athlete award in my senior year.

I particularly enjoyed my business courses, and I connected with the business teachers, but I didn't do any better in those classes than some of the other students. To my surprise, I received an award for Business Student of the Year. That honor opened my eyes to the fact that grades weren't the only success factor.

Did your business award play any part in selecting your college major?

Being Business Student of the Year made it an easy decision to major in Business. I attended Colorado State University (CSU). I minored in Political Science and studied abroad during my college years as well.

What triggered your interest in international studies?

Colorado sends two people overseas each year through a Department of Agriculture (USDA) foreign exchange program. Being from Kremmling, I had 10 years of 4H experience and an interest in adventure, and a thirst for international experience, so I applied.

I went to what was then West Germany and lived with German families in seven of the eleven West German states. I was able to see East Berlin before the wall came down. It was my first exposure to the world outside of the US, and it gave me a whole new perspective.

My experiences in Germany strongly influenced my future direction both personally and professionally. An underlying tenet of our methodology-that all our clients need to view their careers globally even if they work domestically - came directly from my international studies. When I met a woman from Switzerland in Washington DC years later, that time abroad allowed me to easily consider the possibility of a relationship. She later became my wife and one of the best things that ever happened to me.

You graduated with a major in General Business and went to work. Describe some of your corporate highs and lows.

After graduation, I took a job as a Sales Trainee for the Marine Corps of sales organizations: Beecham Products, now GlaxoSmithKline. Beecham introduced me to marketing and selling quality products and services and sent me to Colorado Springs and then quickly promoted me to Phoenix, Arizona as Territory Manager.

Phoenix is the headquarters of Penn Athletic Products, best known for their tennis products. A recruiter sold me on joining Penn's sales staff. Penn put me on the fast track with an early promotion to New England District Sales Manager. I moved across the country to Boston, Massachusetts where I was in charge of all area product sales, tournament sponsorships and promotions for 5 states (New England district).

Two years later Penn promptly laid me off. From fast track to fired - it was quite a shock! My first unexpected career "transition" led to some serious soul searching, but in hindsight it was the trigger that led to my first career breakthrough.

My path led to a great opportunity to turn around the Washington, D.C. office of Adecco, the world's largest personnel firm. My new position with Adecco introduced me to the service industry and one of my most fulfilling projects-designing and delivering the first ever Total Quality Management (TQM) hospitality teams to some of the Smithsonian museums like the National Gallery of Art, the Air and Space Museum and the new (at that time) Holocaust Museum.

After a grueling 18 months, and a successful turn-around, I was spending so much time on the business end that I didn't have the time I wanted to work on the people end. Migraines, shingles and other physical symptoms were strong signals that this was not my True Calling™. It was at this point that I realized the difference between a job and a career: a job is a task; a career is a vocation. I was still in a job.

With urging and support from Adecco's largest DC client, I got involved with my first start-up, HR Management Services, as Vice President of East Coast Operations. This move put me one step closer to my True Calling™. That client became the first client of our new firm.

Our second big account, ISL Worldwide, charged us with hiring and managing the hospitality staff for the 1994 FIFA World Cup. This was the first time ever this international competition of the world's strongest national football (that's soccer to us Americans) teams was to be held in the U.S., and we were a key part of it!

As a start-up we had our hands full. We hired and set-up over 1300 people throughout the country to host the month-long tournament with its 52 games in
nine venues from East to West coast and a record 3 ½ million spectators. We pulled it off successfully, though the highlight of the experience for me was meeting a woman from Switzerland who would later become my wife.

I moved to Switzerland for the international experience and consulted with ISL. For the next two years I became involved in the intricacies of European job search and placement, and created ISL's International Selection and Hiring Policies Manual .

During this time I continued the search for what I now know as my True Calling™. I traveled frequently to the U.S. to visit highly regarded and expensive career consultants in search of answers, but none were forthcoming. I was beginning to think I was the problem.

When we moved back to the States, I took my last bridge job. In 1998 I left that corporate position, my wife and I had our first child, and I teamed up with a partner to start my own consulting company. Four months later my partner and I parted ways. Good friend, wrong partner, compromised vision.

By now I had the entrepreneurial bug. I knew I was meant to start a unique high impact company in my True Calling that would help people from all backgrounds discover and fulfill their True Calling. The company had to be all the good I had experienced in my search, and more importantly, it had to be everything that I did not find that I knew was needed.

I was making big and risky life decisions on a tight budget with no income, with a wife and newborn child at home.

Shortly thereafter, I founded Dynimus (then known as the Center for Career Advancement) and created the True Calling™ methodology and concept. In the process, I confirmed my own True Calling™, and began my life's work with a passion.

A True Calling™ is the foundation of a successful career and, for that matter, a successful, fulfilled and balanced life. Every day I wake up looking forw

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