How to Be a Better Leader for Your Business

We are each a leader in some way, but just because you call yourself a leader doesn’t mean you’re actually livin’ it and doin’ it. And even when you’re not leading, you need to be following the right leaders. You’re definitely going to want to listen to this podcast because we are going to be talking about the qualities of leadership that you can build in yourself and that the leaders you should follow have inside. Our guest is Tim Spiker, founder of The Aperio, a leadership development brand. Tim has over 15 years of experience in leadership, and he has some real truth to share. 

One of the biggest things you should take away from Tim is the “who not what” principle. Tim says that leadership is not about what people do, but about who they are. How do people feel when they are around you? You can’t expect to lead people who don’t like and respect you as a person. Think about a big, beautiful tree: you don’t see the roots, but the roots are what make the tree what it is. Leaders, like beautiful trees, are grounded below the surface, and that’s what makes them successful. 

Leaders are made up of two main qualities: they are inwardly sound and others-focused. They are inwardly sound because they are not easily thrown off course. Their stability encourages people to trust them. When you are trustworthy, the engagement of those around you increases, which leads to better results. If you wonder how you can build people’s trust in you, ask yourself how you can become more trustworthy first. Again, your ability to lead has everything to do with who you are inside. Remember also that good leaders are unselfish. They want others, especially those in their charge, to thrive. 

If you are looking to build the qualities of a leader in yourself, start with focusing on others. Develop genuine curiosity in the lives and perspectives of other people. Ask them follow-up questions. Then, focus on improving yourself by asking for feedback from others on what you could do better. This takes courage, and keeping yourself from becoming defensive is so hard, but you’ll learn so much if you do! If right now you are looking for leaders to follow, make sure that they are others-focused and inwardly sound. There is so much more to learn about leaders worth following, so I hope you’ll join us by listening to the podcast! 

How to Run a Profitable Business & Increase Productivity

If you’re wondering how to drive your revenue and how to do work that actually makes you proud, then you’re going to love our podcast today! Some people think that you have to sacrifice your sense of purpose to make money, but they are so wrong! You can be fulfilled and successful at the same time. In fact, doing what you feel called to do can make you even more successful. Today, we’re bringing in Lisa McLeod, the global expert on selling with purpose. Together, we’ll talk about your noble purpose and how it can be a huge asset in your career.

Purpose, profit, and productivity are all connected. According to Lisa, the top performers in sales are usually the ones who have a purpose. These are the individuals who care about more than just the money. They care about the individuals. We’ve all had experiences with slimy car salesmen, and let's face it, none of us have enjoyed them. Those people don’t care, and we can tell. These people are not the top performers, but we associate them with everything sales. The real salespeople are the ones who care about their jobs and customers, and they are the ones who are truly successful. Their sense of purpose gives them a competitive edge that leads to greater success.

A purpose can be a hard thing to find and maintain, and there are a few things we do that make these things even harder. Even though we are wired to want to make a difference, we get caught up in numbers or money instead. We focus too much on closing a deal and not enough on helping someone get what they need. The more we focus on making a difference, the better we are doing at accomplishing our purpose.

One thing you absolutely need to have in order to fulfill your purpose is empathy. Most of us women have an easier time tapping into it, but men can do it too. You may use stories to encourage empathy because stories help us connect with each other. Stories generate emotion in listeners and in tellers. They will help customers, clients, and even you feel connected through empathy. Empathy can turn your purpose into impact. If you would like to share our journey as we discuss the power of purpose, please listen to the podcast!

How to Create a Business Plan

I hope that y’all are ready to get the rundown on how to really become an entrepreneur because, if you’re listening, and something is holding you back, we’re going to change that today. Our guest is Sean Castrina, a serial entrepreneur. I know you hear of serial entrepreneurs a lot, but Sean is different. He has started more than 20 different companies in the last two decades, and he still looks to launch a new venture annually. Because of all this experience, Sean really understands where and how good businesses start, so that’s what we are talking about today.

You all know that the small business world is risky and that so many small businesses fail. Why is this? To Sean, it probably starts with the initial idea. Some of us get so excited about our ideas that we don’t stop to think if they’re even good ideas. Bad ideas don’t work. It is hard to tell which ideas are bad or good when we’re just so eager. Because of this, we need outside input. Start asking people if your ideas sound good. There is nothing wrong with testing the market with your ideas before they become a reality. In fact, this will save you time and money because you’ll know if there is any demand for your idea.

As you make your good ideas a reality, you should really follow some kind of business plan. If you can’t build a home without a blueprint, then how do you expect to build a business without a plan? Every plan has critical components, and there are questions you must ask yourself to get started. Sean has his own list of good questions, but the more questions you ask, the more you will know.

Even though you’re beginning as a humble small business, you can still think like a Fortune 500 company. Think big, dream big. You got this. Once things get rolling, don’t allow your business to stop growing. You’ve got to keep feeding it. Eventually, things will grow, so don’t be afraid to have confidence in your vision from the start. There is so much more to learn from Sean, so if you entrepreneurs are looking for even more amazing beginner’s advice, start here with our podcast!

How to Manage Your Money as an Entrepreneur

If you’re a small business owner or if you’re thinking about opening a small business, understanding financing and credit are so important. It is crucial that you understand what you are doing when you are running or thinking of running a small business. Our guest today, Gerri Detweiler, is an absolute expert on all of the things that you need to know. Even though these are the not-so-fun things about running a business, Gerri actually makes it fun and enjoyable to talk about them. She and I are talking about some of the things you need to know about credit and financing. 

If you’re in need of financing, there’s a few things you should know. 2020, crazy year that it was, changed a lot about financing. The usual processes are taking much longer, and lenders are much stricter with their requirements. They are asking for higher credit scores, higher revenue levels, and more time in business than they did previously. You should know that they will look at your business credit scores, and in some cases, your personal credit scores too. Be aware of these things and make decisions with them in mind. 

So many of you have wonderful dreams, and you give up so much for them. When you want to fund these dreams, there are other ways to go about it besides second mortgaging your house. Before you do anything crazy, make sure you have a business mentor that you can talk to about your ideas! An easy thing you can try is crowdfunding. There are a lot of other options too, and you should definitely look at all of them before acting. 

When handling your finances, you need to keep them clean and organized. Get a separate business bank account and credit card and do not ever use them for things other than business. Keep your personal and business finances separate. Trust me, it will save you from huge headaches. Also, try not to use your account overdrafts. Lenders may look at your accounts and see overdraft usages as risky behavior. 

You should try to look at your finances at least once a month. Take time to reconcile, or ensure that your records are accurate, every month. Checking your accounts every month is super beneficial because it helps you learn a lot about your business and what has happened to it on the financial side. If you don’t take time to look at it, you could miss lots of opportunities or problems. All of this stuff is so important, so I hope you take time to listen to the podcast to learn even more! 

Main Topics:

What to expect when applying for financing

Ways to fund your business

How to position your business for financial success

Things you should look at consistently

Key Takeaways:

“As soon as possible, you want to set up the systems so that you can build credit and use credit in the name of your business and move away from the personal financing of your business.”

“I never try to shame people because you don’t always know what you don’t know.”

“I recommend that business owners make sure that they stay on top of both their business and personal credit.”

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