The day you decided to stop working for anyone but yourself was probably glorious. No one to tell you what to do and how to do it. Life suddenly had promise, imagining yourself spending every day doing the work you’re passionate about. Until… until the day you realized that instead of your boss dictating how you d...
John Lennon gave us, “Yes is the answer,” and I get what he means. He was talking about saying yes to love, embracing life, and seeing opportunities instead of limits—all important and valuable in building the kind of world we want to live in. But what about saying “No?” Is there a place for that, especially in yo...
Imagine what kind of workplace your business would be if your employees thought to themselves: "I’m excited about my work.” “This is a place where I can achieve my goals.” “I feel safe. It’s okay to make a mistake, and I will learn from it.” “I have some great ideas on how to improve things. I can’t wait to share ...
It was about a year ago today that I was asked by Ilene Gail Frahm, our Board Chair, to become the next CEO of EMyth. The last year has been filled with an immense amount of learning and growth. My appreciation for every single person on our team in Ashland, Oregon has never been greater: they are all incredibly d...
I’m in the upstairs bathroom writing notes on my iPhone when it strikes me—the apparent irony of me sketching out notes for a blog post about work-life balance while in the middle of giving my daughters a bath. I left work hours ago but had hardly left my work behind me. And in that moment I felt so close to the m...
This is a guest post by EMyth client, Morgan Spradling. When I started Highland Cycles in 2007, I wanted to change the way people thought about the motorcycle industry. Over the years, motorcycle repair shops have lost their appeal and have earned a poor reputation. Everyone told me it would be impossible to make ...
How do you inspire your people? You can feel they need something. You see them come into work with tired eyes and watch them half-listen during meetings. You know it’s on you to uplift them or bring them more meaning, something to get their head above water and remember why they took a job with your company in the...
You call your team together to roll out your strategy for the coming quarter. Everyone gathers around and all eyes are on you. You’ve spent at least forty hours over the last two weeks planning, modeling, forecasting, all in anticipation of this day. OK, take a deep breath, and begin your presentation. Five minute...
On It is a monthly podcast where we tell the stories of business owners and how they transformed their companies. Listen to the latest episode on Soundcloud and iTunes. In Part 1 of Jeff Schneider’s turnaround story, his business, Marketing Ninjas, was on the edge of failure. But, Jeff was determined to keep his b...
Turn a prickly pineapple into the perfect vacation piña colada At well-past closing time, you’re staring at an inbox full of emails. With only a day to go until your vacation, it seems like your “time-off” will be spent dodging phone calls from employees. Looks like the golden sand, palm trees, and blue ocean you’...
What happened over the last ten years? For me, it went from door-to-door salespeople and a mailbox full of advertisements to electronic overload. My gosh, my inbox fills up fast. My Facebook feed runs faster than I can run my fastest mile. My phone battery now dies quicker than ever before, and at times, I want to...
Now more than ever, money, technology and personnel are invested in the user and customer experience. In today’s world of instant reviews and feedback, businesses are sprinting to stay one step ahead of their customer to attract their target market, intuit their needs and attempt to exceed expectations.
Are leaders born or made? From business school courses devoted to the topic to books and articles to many a thought leader’s opinion—this question has been debated for a very long time.
On It is a monthly podcast where we tell the stories of business owners and how they transformed their companies. Listen to the latest episode on Soundcloud and iTunes. Jeff Schneider’s business, Marketing Ninjas, was on the brink of failure. He was putting everything he had into it, and getting only chaos in retu...
This is part two in a series. Click here for Part 1. In my last post we talked about marketing and how it starts with you and your Brand Commitment. I left you with two questions to ponder: What do you want your customers to say about your business? And, how do you want your customers to feel in every interaction ...
Frustration is commonly the difference between what you would like to be and what you are willing to sacrifice to become what you would like to be. - Unknown Show me a business owner who hasn’t felt frustrated and I’ll show you someone who is only a few hours into running their business. All business owners know w...
My dream was to work for the best telecommunication company in India. But after a few years of working for that company, my feelings started to change. Every day I was doing the same thing, always working to get a promotion or a hike in my salary—and I was tired of it. I wanted something different so I started Har...