In my last blog article, I recalled a story from the early days of Proforma, and how a client’s request for 12 spiral rings led to earning a million-dollar customer with 50 percent gross profit. Here’s a story of another million dollar win. Back in those early years building Proforma, my practice was to get up... Read More
“The customer is always right.” Many read into this popular phrase as an understanding to always say yes to their customers’ requests but they couldn’t be any more wrong. You do not need to do everything they say to make them happy in the end. It’s important to say no to your customers so that... Read More
What’s your first reaction when receiving negative feedback? It could be a bad Yelp review for your newly opened restaurant, a list of things done wrong during your annual review, or a less than satisfied employee on Glassdoor. Regardless of the medium, negative reviews and feedback are a part of a professional career for everyone.... Read More
Now that you are in a position of authority at your job or in your home, your biggest challenge is probably making decisions that everyone can be happy with. While compromise is an important part of leadership, you’ll also need to know how to employ the science of influence in order to get the job... Read More
The train, the park, the car wash, the library—it seems like everywhere you go lately, there are fidget toys for miles. News outlets are reporting that fidget toys can ease stress, promote productivity and improve memory. Even Forbes ranked the fidget spinner as the No. 1 office toy for 2017. And, a product called the... Read More
Typically, I like to incorporate some sort of “life lesson” into my blog posts. Something I truly believe in or tips that could be useful to someone else. But for this blog post, I would like to share / recommend a new lifestyle I am interested in attempting. Let me begin with where I got... Read More
People often think of “Going Green” as a huge endeavor, a process that is too expensive and too difficult to achieve unless you are a large wealthy corporation. In a perfect world, every office building would be constructed with double paned windows to increase insulation, hand dryers to reduce paper towel waste, water saving ultra-low-flush... Read More
Finding purpose in all we do is sometimes difficult so it’s important that we acknowledge our guided values and interests to create purpose while enjoying our livelihood. What we do on a daily basis may not seem that important but in the long run it will be. Whether we see ourselves as someone who leads... Read More
As a long-time fan and performer of improvisational comedy, or “improv” for short, I wasn’t surprised to hear that the same communication techniques that I use on stage were also being used in the workplace. For those who don’t know, an improv performance is completely unscripted. A scene begins with a suggestion from the audience,... Read More
Time is a funny concept to talk about. It’s one of the main driving forces behind most facets of our lives; morning alarm clocks, work schedules, social calendars, they all serve to keep us on track with the important day-to-day tasks and engagements that we face. We seem to surround ourselves with countless ways of... Read More
