Shopland Health Connections: Recent Episodes
Jim and Laurie Shopland
10 Essential Leadership Lessons:Discover the journey from being a “natural” leader to an effective one with these 10 essential leadership lessons. Learn how personal growth, happiness, and trust can drive team success and business achievements.
Leaders must experience personal change before they can implement public change.
John C Maxwell
Transforming Personal Growth into Team SuccessFor most of my life, I was told that I was a “natural” leader. This phrase intrigued me, but I never quite understood its full meaning. Was I considered a leader because I excelled as a player on my team or because I held the title of captain? Was it due to my loud voice in discussions, or was it because I was eager to please and volunteered whenever asked? As I transitioned into adulthood, my understanding of leadership began to evolve.
In my younger years, I perceived a leader as someone who was always at the forefront, ready to take charge during a crisis or step in when no one else would. This mindset brought me numerous opportunities and valuable experiences in leading others. However, it also led to unhealthy emotions and habits, particularly a developing temper and a tendency to neglect the most important aspects of my life, such as my family.
A decade ago, I decided to take leadership more seriously and embarked on a journey to understand what truly makes a good leader. This exploration of leadership and the application of leadership skills became a passion for me. My interest in leadership can be traced back to my transition from a young athlete participating in sports to an older adult coaching sports teams. I wanted to comprehend my emotions of anger and avoidance and learn how to impart leadership skills to others.
10 Essential Leadership Lessons 1-5Over the past ten years, I have developed a Top 10 list of Essential Leadership Lessons, which I now use to coach leaders to maximize their potential, their teams, and their businesses.
1. Leaders Must Experience Personal Change Before Implementing Public Change
John C. Maxwell’s quote encapsulates a leader’s journey perfectly. Leaders must first lead themselves at least 50% of the time before they can effectively lead others and their teams or organizations. Personal transformation is a prerequisite for public impact.
2. Leaders Integrate Family Values with Business Success
An effective leader does not strive for a work/life balance, which suggests giving equal time to both. Instead, they integrate their personal values with their professional success, being fully present and giving 100% to whatever activity they are engaged in at the moment.
3. Happiness Leads to Success
Contrary to popular belief, success does not bring happiness. Instead, discovering happiness as a leader paves the way for ultimate success. A content leader is a more effective and inspiring one.
4. Leaders Lead by Example and Invitation, Not by Coercion and Control
Modern leaders do not rely solely on their authority to get things done. They lead through their actions and invite others to follow, fostering a collaborative and motivated environment.
5. Leaders Help Others Become Who They Were Created to Be
Recognizing and nurturing the strengths of others is a leader’s superpower. By cultivating these strengths, leaders enable future leaders to prosper and grow.
10 Essential Leadership Lessons 6-106. Leaders Define Boundaries by Developing a Clear Vision
Effective leaders take ownership of what is allowed and what is not in order to achieve desired results. They establish clear boundaries and communicate their vision to guide their teams.
7. Leaders Inspire Effective Action Toward Desired Goals
A shared purpose is more powerful than a collection of individual accomplishments. Leaders inspire their teams to take effective action towards common goals, creating a unified and driven group.
8. Leaders Are Guided by Data
Leaders use data to tell a story and make informed decisions. They understand that data-driven insights are crucial for navigating complex situations and achieving success.
9. Leaders Build Trust to Ensure Investment in Their Cause
Trust is the foundation of any successful team or organization. Leaders build trust to ensure that those around them are fully invested in their cause, whether it be through time, money, or energy.
10. Leaders Establish a Culture of Accountability
Leaders hold themselves and others accountable. They surround themselves with partners and tools that help them stay on course and achieve their goals.
A Leader's JourneyA leader’s journey begins with personal change. They must lead themselves at least 50% of the time before effectively leading others. By integrating their personal values with their professional success, leaders can be fully present and committed to their activities.
Today’s leaders do not rely on authority alone. They recognize and cultivate the strengths of others, releasing future leaders to prosper. In the fast-paced business world, leaders take ownership of their actions, establish clear boundaries, and surround themselves with supportive partners and tools to stay on track.
Leadership is a continuous journey of personal growth and transformation. By embracing these lessons, leaders can inspire and empower those around them, driving success in all areas of life.
Jim ShoplandJim provides leaders and business owners with the tools to support a high-performing operation without sacrificing the joys of life outside of work. His superpower is in finding creative, practical solutions to unique problems, particularly around leadership development, succession planning, company culture, and decision making. The sound advice he provides helps clients get a clear picture of the direction their business is headed in and the steps needed to get it there—while prioritizing the goals of the family and the business.The post 10 Essential Leadership Lessons appeared first on Shopland Coaching.
Letting Go and Embracing a Growth MindsetExplore how the concept of letting go, paired with adopting a growth mindset, can transform your business.
By freeing ourselves from busyness, we can focus on meaningful goals and foster a disciplined, growth-oriented environment.
Eliminating the nonessentials isn’t just about mental discipline. It’s about the emotional discipline necessary to say no to social pressure.
Greg McKeown
Imagine ThisYou walk into your business on a Monday morning. The phones are ringing, the staff and customers are smiling, and your Office Manager is approaching you with an urgent look on their face. They greet you, ask about your weekend, and listen attentively. Then, they proceed to tell you about a major issue your company is facing in the next few days. But here’s the twist—they also tell you how they, with the help of some team members, have already solved the problem. All they need now is for you to sign off on it.
As you read their proposal, a smile spreads across your face. You sign off on the paperwork, satisfied that they’ve come up with the best solution.
How would that make you feel?
This scenario isn’t as far-fetched as you might think, but achieving it requires a significant step: letting go of certain things.
Letting GoI recently worked with a client whose biggest takeaway from our session was their struggle with letting go. As we delved into this issue, we uncovered a lifelong habit of holding onto things because they believed those things were worth more than they were. This is known as sunk cost, one of the biggest challenges we face in our lives.
I, too, have struggled with this challenge, though I called it something different: being stuck. Unable to make a decision and move forward with an idea.
Then my coach asked me, “Do you have a growth mindset?” I was taken aback, paused for what felt like an eternity, and then stammered for an answer.
Do I have a growth mindset?
The question was about my adaptability to change in my life that causes discomfort and growth in my relationships. It got me thinking about all the things I do as a Business Coach and whether I am willing to adapt as I expect my clients to.
PruningTo take it a step further, am I open to change all the time? To be in a growth mindset? Because I believe that if we are not willing to change and move forward, we will eventually fall back.
This is where the concepts of “letting go of the past” and “growth mindset” converge.
If you speak with any gardener, they will tell you that next to the soil, the most important aspect of growing a healthy plant is pruning. Pruning is the letting go in our lives so that new growth and opportunities can flourish.
How does this impact your business?Greg McKeown, in his book “Essentialism,” points out that we are surrounded by noise, most of which is not valuable. Unfortunately, we are often the last to recognize this noise, distracted by our own busyness.
Our busyness is what gets in the way of being more disciplined and focusing on being great business owners. Growth mindset.
What are some solutions?The answer lies in analyzing what you are saying yes to and discovering when you can say no more often. Letting go.
McKeown puts it this way: “Eliminating the nonessentials isn’t just about mental discipline. It’s about the emotional discipline necessary to say no to social pressure.”
Wow, how powerful.
Do you find yourself saying yes due to social pressure?
Free yourself from busyness and let go. Then, review your goals and step into a growth mindset to build manageable, actionable disciplines every day.
Ready to secure the future of your business? Start planning to let go today! Discover the key steps and envision your next chapter.
Jim ShoplandJim provides leaders and business owners with the tools to support a high-performing operation without sacrificing the joys of life outside of work. His superpower is in finding creative, practical solutions to unique problems, particularly around leadership development, succession planning, company culture, and decision making. The sound advice he provides helps clients get a clear picture of the direction their business is headed in and the steps needed to get it there—while prioritizing the goals of the family and the business.The post Letting Go and Embracing a Growth Mindset appeared first on Shopland Coaching.
Why You Need a Plan to Exit Your BusinessFrom the day you start your business, you should have a plan to exit your business.
This statement may seem abrupt, or maybe it is a far-off pipe dream, but consider there are only 3 options when it comes to an exit strategy for your business.
- Sell to someone inside your company
- Sell to someone outside your company
- Close the business
With only 3 options on how to exit your business, the work is really on deciding WHY you want to exit your business.
Whether you think you can. Or think you can’t. You’re right.”
Henry Ford
Risk ManagementHere are a few important reasons to consider why you should have an exit strategy, BEFORE you decide to exit.
Risk Management – What if you were not there to run your business?
Having an exit strategy is a good tool to manage risk. Although you currently plan to take time away from your business, there is always a risk for unplanned time away from the business. If you needed to be away from work for an extended period, you would want your business to continue to function as normal.
Developing a strategy for your business to run while you are not there, reduces the risk.
Business ValuationIs your business worth less when you are running it?
For many small businesses, the value of the company is tied up in you, the owner. Therefore, when you go to sell the business, there is little value if you are not there to continue to run it. And running your business, when you no longer own it, would not be as enjoyable as when you do.
Consider how you can remove yourself and your name from the business to increase its value.
Business VisionWhat is the vision for your business after you leave it?
If you have sold or bought a home recently, you know the priority that is put into staging the home. Getting it ready to sell. If you were the one selling, I am sure it was a ton of work to get it ready and maybe you even hired someone to do it for you.
Maybe you even commented that the house looks so nice now, you don’t want to sell it.
What would it look like if you did the same thing with your business? Image the mindset you would have if you operated your business as if you were going to sell it the next day. The clarity for you and your staff to keep the business clean and reduce the number of loose ends would be amazing.
You may feel so good about it, that you decide to keep the business, operate it as is, and spend more time on vacation.
Personal VisionDo you have a vision for yourself after you leave your business?
Many times, business owners do not consider exiting their business because they have not thought about their own plans. This can be difficult, and perhaps beyond your current comprehension because of the stress your business is causing you. If so, I encourage you to reach out to someone who can guide you through this process.
Perhaps the opening statement “From the day you start your business, you should have a plan to exit your business.” does not seem so abrupt after all.
Having an exit strategy for your business, starting today, is a wise business decision that impacts all areas of the business.
It can take up to 24 months to reasonably plan for you to remove yourself from your business. If you want to maximize the value of your business, it is a good idea to begin planning for you not to be there.
Ready to secure the future of your business? Start planning your exit strategy today! Discover the key steps to manage risks, maximize value, and envision your next chapter.
Jim ShoplandJim provides leaders and business owners with the tools to support a high-performing operation without sacrificing the joys of life outside of work. His superpower is in finding creative, practical solutions to unique problems, particularly around leadership development, succession planning, company culture, and decision making. The sound advice he provides helps clients get a clear picture of the direction their business is headed in and the steps needed to get it there—while prioritizing the goals of the family and the business.The post Why You Need a Plan to Exit Your Business appeared first on Shopland Coaching.
Leveraging DISC for Small Business SuccessAs a small business owner leading a tight-knit team, you understand that your success hinges significantly on your interpersonal skills. Your ability to connect, communicate, inspire, and rally your team is essential for thriving in your industry and nurturing enduring relationships with customers, prospects, and stakeholders. Leveraging the DISC framework when building a small business team offers numerous benefits.
Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.
Carl Gustav Jung
Working with Team MembersHave you noticed how effortlessly you click with certain team members? Understanding each other seems almost innate, and communication flows seamlessly. It’s more than just grasping words; it’s like seeing the world through the same lens.
However, not all interactions unfold with such ease. Engaging with some people demands more effort. Understanding their perspectives, needs, and intentions isn’t always straightforward. You might sense a mutual disconnect, leading to outcomes that don’t quite align with your expectations. These encounters can leave you feeling disappointed, frustrated, and drained, despite your investment of energy and focus.
In situations where interactions with team members is not effortless you may feel uncertain about how to proceed—a bit like navigating without a map. While your destination remains clear, the path forward seems unclear. Yet, by delving into behavioral insights, you can equip yourself with the tools to navigate these interactions with clarity and confidence.
Introducing DISCUnderstanding human behavior is paramount when assembling and leading a cohesive team. One powerful tool for decoding behavior is the DISC assessment, which categorizes individuals into four primary behavioral styles: Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Conscientiousness.
Each style brings unique strengths and communication preferences to the table. Dominant individuals are assertive and results-oriented, while Influencers excel in networking and collaboration. Steadiness brings stability and reliability, whereas Conscientiousness emphasizes accuracy and attention to detail.
While the diversity of your team can be a huge asset, it can also be a huge headache if you can’t effectively communicate with each other. A key to building a successful team lies in understanding the different styles and how they communicate with one another. Understanding your DISC-style can help you bring the best version of yourself to work every day… and foster a harmonious and productive work environment.
Extended DISC®Navigating different DISC styles is not easy. By taking the time to learn about DISC styles and how they work together, you’ll be on the path to building effective working relationships. Extended DISC® assessments are the perfect tools to take individual, team, and organizational performance to the next level.
What is the first step? Complete an assessment and book and appointment.
Book an Assessment & AppointmentWhy DISC?Utilizing the DISC framework when building a team offers numerous benefits. Firstly, it enhances communication by providing insight into how team members prefer to receive information and interact with others. This understanding fosters smoother collaboration, minimizes conflicts, and promotes a positive work environment.
Additionally, leveraging a small business DISC assessment aids in optimizing team dynamics. By strategically assembling individuals with diverse behavioural styles, teams can capitalize on a range of strengths and perspectives, leading to more innovative problem-solving and heightened productivity.
Ultimately, incorporating Extended DISC® into team-building endeavours equips leaders with invaluable insights into their team members’ preferences and tendencies, facilitating stronger relationships, improved teamwork, and greater overall success.
Leveraging DISCIn the ever-evolving landscape of business, the ability to navigate human interactions with finesse is indispensable. As a small business owner, your journey is woven with the individuals who comprise your team. Through this exploration of behavioral styles and the utilization of tools like DISC, you’re equipped to steer your team towards success with confidence and clarity.
The beauty of teamwork lies in its diversity. Each member brings their own unique strengths and perspectives to the table, enriching the collective tapestry of your organization. By embracing these differences and harnessing the power of a small business DISC assessment, you pave the way for enhanced communication, harmonious collaboration, and ultimately, greater achievements.
Extended DISC®Learn more about Extended DISC® assessments and how different DISC styles work together and you will be on the path to building more effective working relationships.
What is the first step? Complete an assessment and book and appointment.
Book an Assessment & AppointmentJim ShoplandJim provides leaders and business owners with the tools to support a high-performing operation without sacrificing the joys of life outside of work. His superpower is in finding creative, practical solutions to unique problems, particularly around leadership development, succession planning, company culture, and decision making. The sound advice he provides helps clients get a clear picture of the direction their business is headed in and the steps needed to get it there—while prioritizing the goals of the family and the business.The post Leveraging DISC for Small Business Success appeared first on Shopland Coaching.
Books for Summer ReadingLooking to read some books to stay up to date on leadership concepts or develop a greater understanding of the current issues facing business owners? Here are my top 5 books for your Summer reading list.
As a Leadership and Business Coach I read a lot of books. I mean a lot.
Do you consider yourself a reader? Originally, I really struggled when I was asked this question. However, I had a question posed to me that helped me to shift my mindset about reading. What can I put down, so that you can pick up a book?
For me it was my phone and my tablet.
Do you spend all your time in front of a screen and just don’t have time for a book?
Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.
Harry S. Truman
What do you like to read in the Summer?Having a book in my hands is relaxing, soothing and a great way to escape from the constant pings and notifications that seem to come at me all day long.
What do you like to read to recharge over the Summer? Romance? Drama? Spy? Comics?
If you are looking read some books to stay up to date on leadership concepts or develop a greater understanding of the current issues facing business owners, here are my top 5 books for your Summer reading list.
You will find a summary of each book below, but here are a few categories for the books.
Vision – essentialism
Leadership – Boundaries for Leaders & Atomic Habits
Business Fundamentals – e-myth & Great by Choice
Top 5 Leadership & Business BooksI recommend all of these books to anyone starting out in business and developing their leadership skills. Make sure these books are on your Summer reading list.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown
Atomic Habits by James Clear
Boundaries for Leaders by Dr. Henry Cloud
Great by Choice by Jim Collins & Morten T. Hansen
The EMyth Revisted by Michael Gerber
essentialismThe Way of the Essentialist involves doing less, but better, so you can make the highest possible contribution.
The Way of the Essentialist isn’t about getting more done in less time. It’s not about getting less done. It’s about getting only the right things done. It’s about challenging the core assumption of ‘we can have it all’ and ‘I have to do everything’ and replacing it with the pursuit of ‘the right thing, in the right way, at the right time’. It’s about regaining control of our own choices about where to spend our time and energies instead of giving others implicit permission to choose for us.
In Essentialism, Greg McKeown draws on experience and insight from working with the leaders of the most innovative companies in the world to show how to achieve the disciplined pursuit of less.
Atomic HabitsAtomic Habits is the most comprehensive and practical guide on how to create good habits, break bad ones, and get 1 percent better every day. I do not believe you will find a more actionable book on the subject of habits and improvement.
If you’re having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn’t you. The problem is your system.
Bad habits repeat themselves not because you don’t want to change but because you have the wrong system for change. This is one of the core philosophies of Atomic Habits: You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. In this book, you’ll get a proven plan that can take you to new heights.
Boundaries for LeadersIn Boundaries for Leaders, Dr. Henry Cloud leverages his expertise of human behavior, neuroscience, and business leadership to explain how the best leaders set boundaries within their organizations–with their teams and with themselves–to improve performance and increase employee and customer satisfaction.
In a voice that is motivating and inspiring, Dr. Cloud offers practical advice on how to manage teams, coach direct reports, and instill an organization with strong values and culture.
Boundaries for Leaders: Take Charge of Your Business, Your Team, and Your Life is essential reading for executives and aspiring leaders who want to create successful companies with satisfied employees and customers, while becoming more resilient leaders themselves.
Great by ChoiceGreat by Choice answers the question, Why do some companies thrive in uncertainty, even chaos, and others do not? Based on nine years of research, buttressed by rigorous analysis, and infused with engaging stories, Jim and coauthor Morten Hansen enumerate the principles for building a truly great enterprise in unpredictable, tumultuous, fast-moving times. The findings in this book are contrarian, data driven, and uplifting.
The e-myth RevisitedE-Myth \ ‘e-,’mith\ n 1: the entrepreneurial myth: the myth that most people who start small businesses are entrepreneurs 2: the fatal assumption that an individual who understands the technical work of a business can successfully run a business that does that technical work
Small business consultant and author Michael E. Gerber, with sharp insight gained from years of experience, points out how common assumptions, expectations, and even technical expertise can get in the way of running a successful business.
Gerber walks you through the steps in the life of a business—from entrepreneurial infancy through adolescent growing pains to the mature entrepreneurial perspective: the guiding light of all businesses that succeed—and shows how to apply the lessons of franchising to any business, whether or not it is a franchise. Most importantly, Gerber draws the vital, often overlooked distinction between working on your business and working in your business.
Jim ShoplandJim provides leaders and business owners with the tools to support a high-performing operation without sacrificing the joys of life outside of work. His superpower is in finding creative, practical solutions to unique problems, particularly around leadership development, succession planning, company culture, and decision making. The sound advice he provides helps clients get a clear picture of the direction their business is headed in and the steps needed to get it there—while prioritizing the goals of the family and the business.The post Books for Summer Reading appeared first on Shopland Coaching.
Lead With Your HeartFor most of my life I was told that I was a “natural” leader. However, I never quite understood what that meant.
Was I a leader because I was the best player on my team, or because I was the captain?
Was I a leader because I had the loudest voice in the room?
Was I a leader because I was eager to please, so I willingly volunteered when asked?
As I grew into adulthood my definition of a leader began to take shape. I thought it was the person who was out in front of the group. Someone who was willing to take charge in a crisis, or takeover when no one else was willing.
This led to some great opportunities and experiences for me to lead others, but it also led to some unhealthy emotions for me as a person. I was developing a temper and was developing a habit of avoiding the most important areas of my life, specifically my family.
Lead With Your Heart
Most of the leadership that shapes our lives does not come from leaders with titles on an organizational chart; it comes from leaders in our daily life role relationships.
Ken Blanchard
ARE YOU A LEADER?Leadership is a process of influence.
When you influence the thinking, behaviour or development of people toward accomplishing a goals, either personal or professional, you are taking on the role of a leader. – Ken Blanchard
Would you describe these roles as leaders?
A mother or a father with their child.
A friend who helps another through a tough experience.
A teacher who shapes the minds of their young students.
A coach who challenges their star player when they break the rules.
When you consider these roles, most of the leadership that shapes our lives does not come from leaders with titles on an organizational chart, it comes from leaders in our daily life relationships.
Most current wisdom emphasizes spending time on changing our actions, or our habits, but if our heart is not in the right place, we will not have the desired impact or outcome.
TRUE LEADERSHIP COMES WHEN WE LEAD FROM THE HEARTWhen we shift our focus from “what is in it for me?” which is a self-focused leader, to “what can I do to help you” which is leading with the heart, we become leaders that have an impact.
How do we determine the type of leader that we are? There are three patterns to examine character and the difference between a self-focused leader and leading with the heart.
Feedback
How do you handle negative feedback? Do you consider it a threat? Do you react defensively?
Succession
How do you handle succession planning? Do you prepare others to take your place?
What have you left behind in the heart and minds of those you teach or work with?
Perspective
What is your perspective on who you think leads and who follows? Do you expect others to follow?
Do you respect the wishes of those that have entrusted you with the responsibility of leading?
EVERYONE IS A LEADEREveryone is a leader and we are responsible to prepare others for the journey ahead.
Leadership is when you take your role to influence the thinking, behaviour or development of a person to accomplish a goal.
Be open to feedback, look for opportunities to replace yourself and walk alongside those that you lead.
When you consider the roles of mother/father, friend, teacher or coach, these leaders shape our lives in daily life role relationships.
When you lead with your heart all other areas of leadership will fall into place, ensuring that you impact the lives of those around you to live out their best life.
The post Lead With Your Heart appeared first on Shopland Coaching.
Moving Forward After Experiencing FailureWe recently had a major setback in our business and I immediately felt like a failure. Experiencing failure is a part of life, and it can be difficult moving forward after it.
Have you ever experienced this? Something happens that is outside your control, yet you internalize all the emotions and think that you could have done something about it. And then your mind starts to go down the path of catastrophe and doom.
Once I paused for a moment, let the emotions sit with me, I then started to turn the corner and recognize that I have been here before. And I came through it stronger.
In my professional life I have experienced job loss, rejection of a business proposals and the ending of client relationships. And personally, I have experienced sickness in the family, broken relationships and even the death of a loved one.
The fact that you have been knocked down is interesting, but the length of time you remain down is important.
Austin O’Malley
WHAT ABOUT THE EMOTIONS?Once I let these emotions flow through me, I realized that it was out of these “failures” that my success was created. Before every success is a failure and therefore, we must fail to succeed.
Experiencing failure is a part of life, and it can be a painful and difficult experience. However, it is also an opportunity for growth and learning.
TIPS TO DEAL WITH FAILUREHere are some tips on what to do after you fail:
- Allow yourself to feel your emotions: Failing can be a difficult experience, and it is important to allow yourself to feel your emotions.
- Analyze what went wrong: Take a step back and analyze what went wrong. Look at the situation objectively and identify the factors that contributed to your failure.
- Learn from your mistakes: Use your failure as an opportunity to learn and grow.
- Stay positive: It’s easy to get down on yourself after experiencing failure, but it’s important to stay positive.
- Set new goals: Use your failure as an opportunity to set new goals and work towards them.
- Seek support: Don’t be afraid to seek support from friends, family, or a professional. Talking about your experience can help you process your emotions and gain a new perspective on the situation. HAVING GRATITUDEAlthough setbacks may come from us not achieving our goals or from circumstances outside of our control, they put us in a place to have to take stock of all that we have.
When we start to focus on everything going on around us, worry about the future, lose sight of our purpose, or worse, when we begin to wish that things had not happened, we end up on the wrong side of being grateful for everything that we have.
Having gratitude, humbling ourselves, re-focusing on the important and continuing the journey are all opportunities to turn a setback into a comeback.
Failing is never easy, but it is an opportunity for growth and learning. Use these tips to help you move forward after experiencing failure and remember to stay positive and set new goals for yourself.
Laurie and I have been in business together for more than 10 years. And having the shared struggle of building a business has brought us closer together.
Ultimately these challenges have led us to the success we have today.
I encourage you to take a full minute to appreciate what you have and how far you have come.
The post Moving Forward After Experiencing Failure appeared first on Shopland Coaching.
Goal Setting TipsIn a recent on-boarding meeting with a new client, they expressed their frustration with not achieving their revenue goals for last year. They fell short and were concerned that they would need to let some staff go because they did not reach the goal.
Deciding to lay off staff is a big decision and before they made the final decision, I suggested we investigate the numbers a little closer. So, we reviewed their sales from last year and found that the revenue was not as bad as they thought. In fact, we realized that their linear focus on achieving the revenue goal led them to miss some opportunities to grow their business in other areas.
When we become singularly focused on achieving the goal we set, we can sometime miss the growth that is occurring with ourselves and our team.
By setting your dreams and goals on paper, you set in motion the process of becoming the person you most want to be.
Mark Victor Hansen
WHY SET GOALS?Don’t get me wrong goal setting is an essential practice that helps us focus on what we want to achieve and develop a plan to make it happen. Setting clear and achievable goals can help us stay motivated and make progress towards our desired outcomes.
Setting goals provides a sense of direction and purpose. When we have a clear goal in mind, it’s easier to prioritize our time, energy, and resources towards achieving it.
You can download our FREE Goal Setting Workbook here.
Goals also help to measure progress and provide a sense of accomplishment when they are achieved. This is important to celebrate.
Effective goal setting involves defining clear and specific objectives, understanding the resources required to achieve them, and developing an action plan to make progress towards them.
6 GOAL SETTING TIPSHere are some tips to help you set and achieve your goals:
- Start with the end in mind: When setting goals, it’s important to think about the result you want to achieve. What does success look like?
- Break down large goals into smaller milestones: It’s easy to get overwhelmed when facing a large goal. Breaking it down into smaller, achievable milestones can help you stay motivated and see progress along the way.
- Make your goals SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
- Write them down: Research has shown that people who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them.
- Share your goals with others: Sharing your goals with friends, family, or colleagues can provide accountability and support.
- Stay flexible: While it’s important to stay focused on your goals, it’s also important to be flexible and adapt to changing circumstances. WHAT IF YOU DO NOT ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL?The greatest challenge occurs when we have a linear approach to goal setting and do not achieve our goal or when it takes longer than we expected to achieve the goal. This can become demotivating and cause us to give up on our goals. See graphic above.
However, when we have a growth approach to goal setting, we become aware of all the other outcomes that have happened because of working toward the goal. See graphic above.
In our client’s case, when we reviewed their revenue from last year, it became apparent that there was significant growth in other areas of the company. So much growth had occurred that they recognized a great opportunity to refocus resources and develop this new revenue stream. And they did not need to lay off any staff.
What was initially a concern about not achieving their goals, became a positive outcome that they could explore to grow revenues even higher this year.
Goal setting is an important practice for anyone looking to achieve success in their personal or professional life. By setting clear, specific, and achievable goals, you can stay motivated and focused on what matters most.
However, be sure to recognize the growth that is occurring when you are working toward your goals. There may be some unexpected positive outcomes that keep you motivated toward your goal.
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4 Steps to Effective DelegationDelegation is one of the best skills we can learn to become better leaders and to develop stronger teams. However, delegation is also one of the most difficult leadership skills to learn. Follow the 4 steps listed below to effective delegation and create more time for the important tasks.
The coaching session with my client starts with them looking haggard and tired. I ask them what is on their mind today and they say, “Jim, I am working too many hours and spending too much time having to check on my staff and correct their mistakes. What can I do?”
I asked the client a few more questions and it becomes clear that they do not have a staffing problem, they have a delegating problem.
Their staff perform very well when there is a tight deadline, or there is a last minute order to get out the door. But the staff are lacking focus and seem not to care about the business during all the other times. Or worst, the staff tend to slack off when the owner is not around.
4 Steps to Effective Delegation
Don’t strive to be a well-rounded leader. Instead, discover your zone and stay there. Then delegate everything else.
Andy Stanley
ARE YOU STRUGGLING WITH DELGATING?Workaholic tendencies are killing us, and the more we work the less effective we are at carrying out the most important tasks. In fact, we strengthen our position as leaders by giving up control and training others to work with us and for us.
Are you a business leader that struggles with delegating tasks?
There are many reasons why we may struggle with delegating. Perhaps, we are reluctant to give up control of an important task. Or we may think that it requires a lot of work to train someone else to do the task well. Sometimes we fear that when we delegate it will fail, and the failure will not reflect well on us. And finally, (I raise my hand to this) some of us are just perfectionists and cannot imagine anyone doing it as well as we will do it.
We know that by not delegating we are limiting our success, as we can only work so many hours in a day and only do so much.
In order to delegate effectively it is going to require an adjustment to our normal behaviour. And adjusting our behaviour is a difficult thing to do.
WHY SHOULD WE DELEGATE?However, if we don’t delegate, we’ll be stuck where we are now, forever.
It is important to free up our time and to learn to delegate to your team. Why?
- When we delegate, we are showing respect for the team by asking for their help. This acknowledges our team and all of the members, and it opens the way for our growth, their growth and for a better customer experience.
- When we delegate, we are saying we trust our team or that we appreciate them enough to make time to train them to help us. This will expand the depth and breadth of our team for future success.
- When we delegate, we open ourselves up for more challenging and meaningful work and we become the best version of ourselves. If we can transition to delegate successfully then we can maximize our success while helping to professionally develop those we are delegating to!
- When we delegate, we are adjusting workload for the team and strengthening the team for the future. We place the work where the most appropriate person can do it and it frees up our time for the tasks that are most important. This provides meaningful and challenging work for all team members. HOW TO START DELEGATINGFollow these steps on how to delegate tasks more effectively and create more free time.
Look at all the tasks that you are currently responsible for and put all the tasks into a monetary value category, either $1.00, $.75, $.50 or $.25 tasks.
• $1.00 tasks are tasks that you cannot delegate and require you and only you to handle them.
• $.75 tasks are important, and you probably need to handle those yourself as well.
• $.50 tasks are less important, and you could probably delegate them to a worthy teammate with some preparation.
• $.25 tasks are tasks that you really shouldn’t be spending your time on and would provide an outstanding opportunity to delegate to a member of your team.
Start by delegating all the $.25 tasks. Then delegate the $.50 tasks as you can and keep working at delegating more when your team is ready.
As you delegate the $.25 and $.50 tasks you create time and space to work on the most important and most impactful $.75 and $1.00 tasks for your business.
Ultimately when we learn that we cannot do our job alone and still do it well, we learn to do less in order to accomplish more. And we form a team around us that accomplishes something greater then we could do on our own.
Delegate something right now, and free up your time for more important work. After all, you can only work so many hours and do so much.
The post 4 Steps to Effective Delegation appeared first on Shopland Coaching.
How to Build a Winning TeamHave you ever watched a group of kids playing a new sport and wondered, will they ever learn this game? I was reminded recently of when I coached our daughter’s soccer team. They would run all over the field chasing the ball. They were like a pack moving forward and backward, and side to side, as the ball was kicked by someone. At the time I had no idea how to build a winning team.
No one knew what to do with the ball, other than to kick it. Occasionally there was a player that had some athletic ability and could run faster than all the rest. They would break away from the pack and sprint off down the field with the ball. Inevitably they would stumble and the pack would catch up to them and get the ball back. Or if they were very talented, they might even score a goal.
As an adult, we would look at this group of soccer players and wonder if they would ever learn how to play as a team.
After a couple of games of playing together, the team would get to know each better. The talented kids would start to dominate the play and even taking the ball away from their own player. This was easier then waiting for a pass. It was not pretty, but it achieved the goal of getting the ball into the back of the net.
Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.
Vince Lombardi
WHAT MAKES A GREAT TEAM?This conversation came up when I was talking to a CEO about their business teams, and how the behaviours of individual team members impacts all the other team members.
The CEO was frustrated that some of their teams were dominated by 1 or 2 members, and there seemed to be very little growth opportunities for the other team members.
In fact, the teams were not functioning as a team at all.
5 KEY ELEMENTS OF A TEAMHow do you get people to function as a team?
Let’s start at the beginning.
What is a team?
A team is a group of people that share promises with each other and collaborate together, to generate action and to achieve goals, through coordination and commitment. Credit to GAPLD
Although somewhat wordy, this definition includes all the key attributes of a team.
If you are a leader that is building a team, or looking to improve your current team, here are 5 key elements for any team.
1. Meaningful & Common Purpose – All teams must have a shared purpose that is meaningful to all members.
2. Strong Commitment to Get Work Done – All team members must be dedicated to the shared purpose and commit to get the job done.
3. Specific Performance Goals – Leaders must set clearly defined goals for the team that are specific, measurable and achievable.
4. Mutual Accountability to Each Other – Trust is what will make a team perform and when all team members are accountable to each other they will achieve the goals.
5. Mix of Complimentary Skills – All teams must have a mix of skill sets that compliment each other as this ensure that the team is focused on all outcomes to achieve the goal.
Download InfographicUltimately, the practices of a good team is not about the bricks (people), it is about “the mortar” that holds it all together.
HOW TO BUILD A WINNING TEAMHow are good teams built? With clarity.
Just as when those kids were chasing the ball all over the field, teams can sometimes feel as though they are doing the work, but not producing the results. This is caused by a lack of clarity for the team and each of the members.
Consider these points of clarity for a new team or a team that is not functioning as expected.
- Is there a clearly defined scope and a set of boundaries?
- Does the team have clear rules or a code of conduct?
- Does the team understand how they will make decisions?
For teams that have mastered the previous three points, ongoing dialogue is required to ensure the functioning of the team.
- What new projects are brought to the team?
- How does the team pass work to others, or get clarify from their leaders?
- How are key deadlines transitioned or handed off to others?
Leaders inspire effective action toward desired goals and they know that a shared purpose is more powerful than a collection of individual accomplishments.
Just as with business teams, once the leader (coach) provides a shared purpose, sets some boundaries and learns each of the team members strengths, our daughter’s team started to work together as a good team.
Which of the five elements are you focusing on with your team?
The post How to Build a Winning Team appeared first on Shopland Coaching.
How to build trust in your teamIn a recent conversation with a COO we were discussing the best way to implement a significant change in one of their departments. This department had operated quite autonomously from other departments and reported directly to the CEO. However, due to recent economic challenges and new technology, the department was lagging behind in generating the revenue that was expected.
The COO was concerned that any significant change to the way the department operated may trigger employees to leave, as they had become quite rooted in how they operated. The COO was not looking forward to the conversations that were required to implement the upcoming change.
We started to work through some of the upcoming changes and how the COO & CEO were on board with the required changes, and how they saw the potential for this department to grow and outperform other departments in a few years. However, there was a hesitancy to implement the changes due to the current employee issues.
As we walked through some of the options, it became clear that there was one particularly area that was an issue.
I asked the COO. “How much trust is there in this department?” The long pause and stare indicated that I had hit a nerve with the COO.
Investment is always driven by trust.
Dr. Henry Cloud
WHY BUILD TRUSTAn important focus for any leader is to build trust to ensure that those around them are invested in their cause. And since trust is not easy to measure, or to create quickly, it must be a daily/weekly/monthly focus for any leader.
In fact, trust is what will make a team perform, not goals or metrics.
Trust is the most important value for any team to perform at its peak.
However, trust is something that is difficult to clearly understand and define.
DEFINING TRUSTIn his book, Boundaries for Leaders, Dr Henry Cloud highlights 5 components to help any organization to develop a clear definition of trust.
Connect through understanding
Working to understand that each team member is understood, that they will say what they are thinking and that they will receive what is said to them appropriately.
Be intentional to help one another
Looking out for each other and for the team’s shared objectives ensures the organization will reach their goals.
Show creditability and character
Developing the team’s creditability and each team member’s character ensures the team will move closer to each other and will give more of themselves.
Believe in the teams capacity
Helping each other rise to higher capabilities, or understanding where there are gaps, will ensure the team delivers on their goals.
Keep track of what was accomplished in the past
Building off of past wins will develop the strength of the team to trust in themselves and know what they are capable of achieving.
These 5 components will ultimately help to define and build trust within an organization and will lead to successful outcomes for teams.
When there is trust within a team they will work together on a shared objective, they will have clear operating values and they will hold each other accountable.
When there is trust within a team they will achieve the goals and outcomes.
INVESTMENT IS DRIVEN BY TRUSTThe COO saw that they could immediately implement a number of these components and start to build back the trust within the department.
The COO was able to gain a clear understanding of how they could move forward with implementing the required changes. They recognized that it did not matter what was being changed, the timeline or the people involved, it mattered that there was trust built up within the department.
Everything that we invest our time, money and energy in, is driven by trust. If we do not trust our leader, we will not invest with them.
How do you define trust in your organization?
How are you building trust in your organization?
The post How to build trust in your team appeared first on Shopland Coaching.
10 Leadership LessonsFor most of my life I was told that I was a “natural” leader. I never quite understood what that meant.
Was I a leader because I was the best player on my team, or because I was the captain?
Was I a leader because I had the loudest voice in the room?
Was I a leader because I was eager to please, so I willingly volunteered when asked?
As I grew into adulthood my definition of a leader began to take shape. It was the person who was out in front of the group. Someone who was willing to take charge in a crisis, or takeover when no one else was willing.
This led to some great opportunities and experiences in leading others, but it also led to some unhealthy emotions for me as a person. I was developing a temper and was developing a habit of avoiding the most important areas of my life, specifically my family.
Leaders must experience personal change before they can implement public change.
John C Maxwell
WHAT MAKES A GREAT LEADER?I finally started to take leadership seriously about 10 years ago and decided to learn more about what makes a good leader. Leadership and specifically applying leadership skills has become a passion for me.
I can trace this passion back to when I was moving from being a young athlete who participated in sports teams to an older adult who coached sports teams. I wanted to understand my emotions of anger and avoidance and I wanted to learn how to pass on leadership skills and to help others to develop them.
TOP 10 LEADERSHIP LESSONSOver the past decade I have developed a Top 10 list of Leadership Lessons that I now use to coach leaders to get the most out of themselves, their teams, and their business.
- Leaders must experience personal change before they can implement public change.
- Leaders integrate family values with their business success.
- Happiness leads to success.
- Leaders lead by example and invitation not by coercion and control.
- Leaders ultimately help others become the person they were created to be.
- Leaders define boundaries by developing a clear vision.
- Leaders inspire effective action toward desired goals.
- Leaders are guided by data.
- Leaders build trust to ensure those around them are invested in their cause.
- Leaders establish a culture of accountability. A LEADER'S JOURNEYA leader’s journey begins with their own personal change and therefore they must lead themselves at least 50% of the time before they can effectively lead others and then lead their teams or organizations.
By integrating their personal values with their professional success, effective leaders are completely present and give 100% to the activities they are performing.
Leaders of today do not rely on their authority to get things done. They recognize other’s strengths and cultivate these strengths to release future leaders to prosper and grow.
To keep up with the rapid change and development of business, leaders take ownership of what is allowed, and what is not allowed, to achieve the results, and they surround themselves with partners and tools to stay on course.
The post 10 Leadership Lessons appeared first on Shopland Coaching.
3 Hiring Traditions To AvoidReimagine your recruitment process and avoid these 3 hiring traditions in order to attract the best talent to your business.
Imagine this: You have run a successful family business along with your spouse for more than 20 years. But you have never seen the challenges with finding employees as you have in the past 12 months.
When the first set of COVID restrictions limited your ability to do business, and most of your staff had to stay at home, you picked up the extra hours, just to keep the doors open.
As the covid restriction were slowly lifted, business began to pick up again, but the employees did not return. However, in order to keep the lights on, you continued to work the long hours and fulfill the orders for your customers.
You hired some new employees, trained them, thought that they would be as good as your old employees, but they ended up leaving, or you became dissatisfied with their work effort.
But you continued to do what you had always done, and worked even more hours, dreaming of getting back on your bike, or taking that family vacation that was planned from 3 years ago.
The extra hours would just be temporary.The extra marketing you had planned would bring in more revenue and you could eventually hire good employees.
So you posted on the job Apps, increased your hourly wage and even threw in some flexible hours. Dozens of people applied, and for those that met your criteria, you reached out for an interview. Only to hire the one person who showed up for the interview, and then have them quit via text after their 2nd day.
Eventually you threw up your hands and wondered if you would ever get that family vacation again. Maybe it was better to just sell or close the doors.
A manager can't breathe motivational life into someone else; all they cando is identify each employee's talents and cultivate them.
Marcus Buckingham
Does this sound familiar to you? Well this was Mike & Lisa when they reached out to us. Frustrated, tired, and unsure on how they would ever get their old life back, let alone set up their business to be sold in the next 5 years.
We asked them one question. “What does success look like for you?” They both answered emphatically, being able to spend more time with their teenaged children.
After a quick analysis of their business it was determined that no matter what they did to increase revenue, it was not going to get them more time with their family. They had to solve their employee recruitment and retention problem.
If you’re interested in attracting the best talent to your business, reimagining your business recruitment process is critical to your chances of success.
3 Obsolete Hiring Traditions To AvoidThese three obsolete hiring traditions are limiting business growth and attracting poor quality candidates.
Tradition #1 We need to “replace” a retiring employee.
If you have a long term employee, more than 10 years, that is leaving or retiring, simply replacing them will put your business back a few steps. An employee with more than a few years of experience, that has not kept up with technological change will have out dated skills. In fact, only 29% of new hires have all the skills required for today’s job, let alone ones needed in the near future.
Tradition #2 – We need to focus on traditional sources & talent pools.
The use of existing online job sourcing apps is becoming over-utilized and time consuming. Many of our clients receive dozens, if not hundreds, of applicants, only to select a few quality candidates, that do not respond or show up for interviews. Many highly gifted candidates are being found outside of traditional post-secondary institutions, as virtual learning offers new opportunities.
Tradition #3 – We can attract talent to our place of work with a paycheque & job description.
Ouch! This one hurts, as the current job market allows candidates to be increasingly selective. Simply raising wages does not work either, as it not only eats into profits, it doesn’t align with the values of candidates. Successful businesses are evolving into structuring “Employment Value Propositions” that highlight things such as career development opportunities, mentoring, meaningful work with a collective cause or proximity to family and lifestyle interests.
Is there one solution? Traditional hiring practices have focused on replacing a leaving employee with another employee. It is like putting a square peg in a square hole. Business is always changing quickly, and as we have seen with the impact of the pandemic and economic stressors, there needs to be a greater focus on what is needed for tomorrow’s successful organization.
Therefore, avoid these 3 hiring traditions and hire for potential, rather than experience. Accept that the pace of technological change is increasing and it is necessary to expand your search to a broader skills market. An expanded search, places less emphasis on academics and elaborate formal experience and focuses on developing existing employees or finding self taught or remote located hires.
The post 3 Hiring Traditions To Avoid appeared first on Shopland Coaching.
Fostering connection with your employees is very important, particularly in the current job market. A tremendous amount of money is spent on hiring and training new employees.
Now is the time to focus on keeping your best employees, before they mentally checkout.
The post How to Keep Employees appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
As a Small Business Owner and leader, do you struggle with delegation?
Follow these steps on how to delegate tasks more effectively and create more free time. After all, you can only work so many hours in a day and only do so much.
The post How to Delegate Tasks appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Our life is already full, but we continue to say yes to more things that take up our time, thinking, hoping, that we can fit it all in.
This busyness is the very thing that is getting in our way of being more disciplined and focusing on being a great business owner.
The post Be a Great Business Owner appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Is it important to have an Organizational Chart for your small business? It can be challenging on how to set up your team.
Traditional Org Charts are based on titles and roles and runs the risk of leaving too many open questions. Perhaps there is a better way.
The post Small Business Organizational Chart appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
COVID has placed a strain on employees like nothing else and now there is a Great Resignation happening.
Why are more people leaving their jobs now, then in any other time in history?
The post The Great Resignation appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Although COVID-19 and supply chain issues have impacted our economy, now may be the best time to launch a new product.
Consumers are always looking for new products and with appealing product design and a powerful brand story, you may just have a winner on your hands.
The post Launch Your Product appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
We tend to devote more time to improving our weaknesses than to building on our strengths.
The key to leadership development is building on who we already are.
The post Build on Your Strengths appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Is your team, your customers, even your brand more entrenched in history than driven by your dreams for a better future?
Get yourself and your team reengaged to create (or update) a simple Strategic Plan.
The post What Are You Building? appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Do you have a tough time letting go of things because you think they are worth more than they actually are? This is called sunk cost and it is one of the biggest challenges we face in our lives.
When we don't let go of the past we get stuck and cannot move forward with a growth mindset.
The post Let Go of The Past appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
When you have a clear definition of your ideal customer it makes it much easier to get in front of them.
Understand the internal reasons for working with an ideal customer, and this will lead you to truly understand who they are and ultimately to find new customers.
The post Find New Customers appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
From the day you start your business, you should have a plan to exit your business.
Having an exit strategy for your business, is a wise business decision that impacts all areas of the business.
The post What is Your Exit Strategy? appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Are you struggling to find clarity in your business?
Business problems continue to come up when the business is misaligned from what it is intended to achieve. When we settle for being pretty clear instead of being really clear, confusion, stress and frustration occur.
The post Find Your Clarity appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Our ability to effectively connect with others is a critical skill required to succeed as a business owner and an entrepreneur.
Some days we are energized and some days we are exhausted by the amount of energy we consume to connect with certain people.
The post Connect With Others appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Being business partners has helped us to solidify our marriage and become much better communicators with each other. Having the shared struggle of building a business and leaning into uncomfortable situations led us to the success we have today.
The turning point was when we decided to not be each other’s sparring partner, but to be each other’s partner.
The post Are You a Sparring Partner appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Risk takers are impulsive, jump to conclusions and don’t listen to anyone else. They are the innovators.
In fact, we are all risk takers and we may come the same end result, but just in a different direction or timeline.
The post Are You a Risk Taker appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Do we need to be more disciplined every day so that we get more done? Or do we focus on our choices and only say yes to those things that move us and our business forward?
Our To Do list trips up our brain when we consider it a failure that we didn’t complete it by the end of the day.
The post Self Directed Action appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
In times of stress we sink to the level of our training.
So is it any wonder that during the pandemic, when we were all under a huge stress load, there were some regrettable investments?
The post A Can’t Miss Investment appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Did you pivot during the pandemic, or was it a catalyst for you to go in a completely different direction?
Some of my clients recognized early on that their business model needed to diversify and they needed to pivot to a new sales channel.
The post Did you Pivot? appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
No matter how much you might like to be everything to everyone, it's just not possible.
Even if you could be, you would be doing a disservice to yourself and your customers in the attempt.
The post Everything to Everybody appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Every great leader starts by defining the culture of his or her team. The culture is determined by spending time thinking about the mission, vision and values of the organization.
Every leader must make time to do this!
The post Leaders Must Do This appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Feel more like a CEO than a scattered employee in your business.
And feel more professional, which comes from your thoughts and creating the exact results you want.
The post Feel Like a CEO appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Do you feel like your entire business rests squarely on your shoulders and your back is breaking under the pressure? You are not alone.
In fact, you are in the majority of small business owners that have become owned by their businesses.
You can fix it! It starts with Leadership. Your Leadership
The post It Starts with Leadership appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Business Coaching offers a safe place for guidance and support and the process is strictly confidential and positive.
In these challenging times, it is more important than ever to have a place to talk and reflect upon things in strictest confidence and professional intimacy.
The post Why Business Coaching appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie walk you through 3 steps to consider when deciding to expand your product into retail. Hint: Be sure to clearly understand the type of customer who would buy your product a second, third and virtually anytime they can get their hands on it.
The post Ep #42: Expand in Retail appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie discuss how it would look one year from today if we didn’t give up and just kept taking massive action. Massive action is the action that you are going to take and continue taking until you get the result (GOAL) you want. The first step is to decide WHAT the result (GOAL) is that you want to achieve.
The post Ep #41: Taking Massive Action appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie discuss the 2 keys to reduce the confusion when determining the price of your natural product. Pricing is the most common hurdle that our clients struggle with to achieve success in their business. We clarify the confusion so many entrepreneurs face in the marketplace when it comes to pricing your Natural Product.
The post Ep #40: Pricing appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie discuss whether CBD (Cannabidiol) is an emerging Natural Product ingredient. Although the Cannabis Act enacted in October 2018 in Canada provided some clarity, it also generated a lot of confusion.
The post Ep #39: CBD Update appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie debate the importance of understanding the unique qualities of your natural product. You need to focus on what is unique about your product and gain a clear understanding of how your product is different than others in the retail market.
The post Ep #38: Unique Qualities appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie discuss your compelling reason and if you are not where you want to be - review your actions and see what you are putting off to another day. What SMALL QUITS are you doing that seem like “no big deal” today - but are accumulating into one BIG quit?
The post Ep #37: Compelling Reason appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie discuss package design; the importance of how your consumer uses your product, how it represents your brand and how it looks on a store shelf. Everything needs to flow together and your packaging should not be created in isolation.
The post Ep #36: Package Design appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie talk about getting comfortable with discomfort. For us to achieve our goals we have to be surrounded with unfamiliar surroundings and situations. If you want to get your product listed in a retail store you will go through some discomfort.
The post Ep #35: Embrace Discomfort appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie discuss what you can learn from knowing your competition. A comprehensive competitive review will provide great ideas that you should implement and some not so great ideas you should avoid.
The post Ep #34: Know Your Competition appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie discuss what you need to know about FEAR and how to overcome it. Fear has a way of stopping us in your tracks and holding us back from moving forward in our business.
The post Ep #33: Overcoming Fear appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie discuss the 3 greatest risks when selling your product in retail. If you are expanding your product, or currently selling, in retail you need to understand these risks.
The post Ep #32: Retail Risks appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie discuss the 3 most important deadlines to implement your Retail Calendar like a pro. If you are selling your product in Retail, you need to master the retail calendar.
The post Ep #31: Implement Your Retail Calendar appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie provide 3 solutions that help you avoid OVERWHELM. It is the start of a new year, we have set our goals, and we are already asking ourselves how we are going to do all of this. Feeling a little overwhelmed?
The post Ep #30: How to Avoid Overwhelm appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Your finances are a huge component of your business and can also be a huge component of how much stress you have. Jim & Laurie talk with the Founder of Financial Story, Elizabeth Ralph, who shares tips and tools to manage your mindset for all level of business owners so that you can become more confident with your finances in 2019.
The post Ep #29: How to Reduce Financial Stress appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
If you are a brand new entrepreneur or a well-seasoned business owner, there are proven ways you can reduce financial stress in your business.
Founder of Financial Story, Elizabeth Ralph, shares tips and tools for all level of business owners so that you can become more confident with your finances in 2019.
The post Reduce Financial Stress in Your Business appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
We often just focus on the goal ahead of us and once we achieve it we create a bigger goal and start working on it without paying much attention to the fact we achieved the goal we set out to achieve. It can feel like we are always moving toward and never arriving. Jim & Laurie encourage you to take the time to review everything from this past year and ask yourself if it was the year you wanted it to be.
The post Ep #28: Year in Review appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
One of our favourite parts of doing A Year in Review is to ask yourself:
How have you grown this year?
How have you evolved?
How will you need to change your mindset to help you overcome the obstacles you faced this past year, in order to achieve your goals?
The post A Year in Review appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Getting in front of your customer is critical. Trade Shows are an effective way to grow your business, but there are strategies you need to take to ensure you get your return on investment! Listen as Jim and Laurie share what to do before, during and after you attend a trade show to get the best results.
The post Ep #27: Trade Shows appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Trade Shows provide an opportunity to have face to face time with your customer - make sure you use it wisely! You need to ensure that your participation is maximized for both sales and connections. We provide 3 keys to a successful Trade Show.
The post 3 Keys to a Successful Trade Show appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
6 steps to GOAL GET. If you are tired of simply setting goals and dreaming about “if” they were to come true and you’re excited to start taking action to ensure they do - this is for you! Listen as Jim and Laurie share their 6 steps they use to GOAL GET.
The post Ep #26: Goal Getting appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Are you tired of simply setting goals and dreaming about “if” they were to come true? Are you excited to start taking action to ensure they do? Everyone sets goals this time of year. The real difference is what actions people take to GET them done. We share the 6 steps to GOAL GET.
The post Getting Your Goals appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Get ready to be inspired as Jim and Laurie talk with the founders of Enviro Glass Straws. Tyler and Leah’s ingenuity is amazing! They share how they saw an unmet need in the natural product market and created a successful and meaningful business.
The post Ep #25: Glass Straws appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
When is the right time to take a risk? Even when you think that all of the bases are covered, there is still a risk. Enviro Glass Straw’s story will help other budding entrepreneurs just starting out to “take the risk” and go for it.
The post More Than Just a Straw appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
There are three common mindset blocks that hold us back from having the success we work so hard to achieve. Jim & Laurie discuss how you don’t have to fall into these mindset traps if you know what to look for and how to deal with them!
The post Ep #24: Mindset Blocks appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Have you ever worried that you won’t find enough customers? Or have you put off “launching” because you just need “a little more time”? These common mindset traps hold us back from having the success we work so hard to achieve!
The post Mindset Blocks appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Are you in the midst of setting goals for 2019 and the strategies you need to implement in order to achieve them? Jim and Laurie talk about the importance of goal setting and how to use your future-self mindset as a tool in achieving your goals.
The post Ep #23: Goal Setting appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Do you get in your car to go for a drive but have no destination or route in mind? Probably not. Yet, so many people run their businesses without setting goals, knowing the destination.
The post Why Do We Set Goals? appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie discuss why you would hire a Natural Product Broker vs a Distributor. Do you need to grow your sales, expand your business or find new markets? Learn about the benefits of working with a Broker.
The post Ep #22: Why Hire a Broker? appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Do you need to grow your sales, expand your business or find new markets? Learn about the benefits of working with a Natural Product Broker and how they can be your sales team.
The post Broker or Distributor appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim answers your most commonly asked questions regarding selling a natural product and all the ins and outs of the business. We sat down and fired away 10 of the most common questions asked by you …our listener!
The post Ep #21: FAQs Part 1 appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
We gave you a chance to ask questions about the natural product business to an industry expert. We peppered Jim with questions sent in from our podcast listeners and Natural Product Academy students. Take a read through the top five most common questions we received!
The post Ask the Expert Part 1 appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie discuss how the annual planning process works in Retail and how you can take advantage of it to launch your new product and grow your existing brand.
The post Ep #20: Retail Planning appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
If you are selling your product in retail, be sure to use the retailers annual planning process to launch new products and grow existing brands. This is your one shot to make a good first impression.
The post Planning with Retailers appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
In order to help you best, we are asking you two quick questions to make sure we're covering the topics that will be most helpful to you. It will just take a minute.
The post Got a Minute? appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie discuss a few nuggets on their approach to the online marketing world. A little of the good, the bad and the comical!
The post Ep #19: Online Marketing appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Marketing online is about knowing where your customer is. You must focus your online marketing strategy to where you have the greatest impact on your customer.
The post Marketing Online appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie discuss how important it is to examine your beliefs around money when starting a new business and hope to make money at it. Your current financial situation will be evidence of your current
money belief.
The post Ep #18: Money Beliefs appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
What are your thoughts about money? Does it come to you easily? Do you think it is hard to get? Do you worry there isn’t enough to go around?
The post Money Beliefs appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Have you ever wondered if there is a secret recipe to taking an idea and turning it into a successful, thriving natural product skin care business?
Jim and Laurie sat down with the Founder of Ellie Bianca, Evelyne Nyairo and they were not at all surprised by what she shared.
The post Ep #17: Ellie Bianca appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Have you ever wondered if there is a secret to taking an idea and turning it into a successful, thriving natural product skin care business? We asked the Founder of Ellie Bianca, Evelyne Nyairo.
The post Is Passion Enough? appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Are you a Natural Product entrepreneur wondering where to start your business? Jim & Laurie suggest you start here with these 3 steps.
The post Ep #16: Start Here appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
What does learning to drive, buying your first house and starting a new business all have in common? They all have steps in place to follow to get started.
The post First Steps appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Laurie answers questions from Jim on why people lack self confidence and how they can use a few simply tools to build their confidence, today.
The post Ep #15: Self Confidence appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Have you ever struggled with low self-confidence? Perhaps envied a person who appeared to be SO confident?
What if I told you, you could start building self confidence, TODAY?
The post Creating Self Confidence appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Do you know your customer’s name? Jim & Laurie discuss the importance of knowing your customer. You need to narrow and focus on understanding who your customer is.
The post Ep #14: Your Customer Name appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
How important is it to know your customer? The last thing you want is to create an incredible natural product and find out no one is interested in it.
The post Do You Know Your Customer? appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Feeling stressed about time? Don't throw your To Do list out the window. Do these 3 things right now to find more time.
The post Ep #13: Find More Time appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Three things you can do right now that will help you feel more confident with your time and your schedule.
The post Creating More Time appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim talks with industry gurus - Kenny and Phil from This Commerce Life. They all share their expertise in the right timing, mindset and expectations of selling your Natural Product online.
The post Ep #12: Your Customer’s Language appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Running your own business is a lot like playing Monopoly.
You need a strategy to get where you need to go.
It is up to you how you are going to play, how you are going to handle the challenges and how you are going to get to your goal.
The post Let the Games Begin appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim and Laurie created the Natural Product Academy to help creators get their concept to consumer, confidently! The inaugural course, Natural Product to Profit Workshop, will help natural product creators validate their idea in 3 live training sessions and help you determine if your natural product will make money.
The post Our 1st Course appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
One third of all products displayed at industry trade shows do NOT return the following year! This is shocking. Why do so many great products get all the way to the final stages of production and fail? This question was the inspiration of our new course: Natural Product to Profit Workshop.
The post Why Do Products Fail? appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie were expecting to expand their business in an entirely different direction until they noticed a HUGE need for the Natural Product creators like you. And they knew they needed to do something to help!
The post We Are Launching appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
You’ve gotta love surprises! Funny how just when you think you have a plan – life throws you a curve ball!
We noticed a trend in the Natural Product industry that showed an alarming number of creators were getting lost between developing their product and getting it to market. And many were also losing money!
It broke our hearts. We had to help!
The post Surprises appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim catches up with some old friends from his retail days, Phil & Kenny from This Commerce Life. They share their stories of not always looking before you jump. Sometimes you go on your gut, jump, and adjust your course as you go.
The post Thinking of Retail? appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Is perfectionism really a bad thing? It can be for an entrepreneur. As an entrepreneur, there is no time to be perfect. You need to act now, learn as you go…GET OUT OF THE LAB! Entrepreneurs often need to “recalibrate” their course to find the “best” options to move their business forward, rather than holding back waiting until the PERFECT one comes along.
The post Perfectionism appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Natural Product sales in the USA passed $200 Billion in 2017! For all you Natural Product creators – there has never been a better time than right now to take your Natural Product idea to market. Jim and Laurie continue to share the additional top three trends that are making money in the Natural Product industry right now.
The post Top Trends in Natural Products Podcast 2 appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Natural product sales reached over $11 billion in Canada alone—and the market is projected to continue growing exponentially! To help you maximize your opportunity within the natural products market, we're sharing the top 5 trends we're seeing that are hitting it out of the park. Imagine the potential if you incorporated just ONE of these trends. We'll show you how to get started!
The post Top Trends in Natural Products appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Over 84 % of Canadians use natural health products. There is no better time than NOW to get involved in this booming industry.
Laurie and Jim reveal 2 of the 5 top trends that are hitting it out of the ball park in the Natural Product industry.
The post Top Trends in Natural Products Podcast appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
When we talk about investing our money - we talk about the ROI (return on investment) and how we can measure it and ultimately maximize it.
When we talk about investing TIME into our business, it doesn’t seem as clear or tangible, yet it is equally important.
How do you think about the investment of TIME?
The post Investment of Time appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim and Laurie talk about the investment of TIME.
As entrepreneurs, we all spend time IN our business, but we don’t often think about how we spend time ON our business and even how important time is OUTSIDE our business.
The post Business Time appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Surrounding himself with the right people proved invaluable as Randy Rosenhek learned to navigate the Canadian Natural Product licensing system, the vast requirements of Health Canada, critical packaging criteria and the ins and outs of the various distribution channels.
Randy shares his wealth of knowledge and insights into the natural product retail business with us.
The post Determination appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim and Laurie welcome - Randy Rosenhek - President of Naturally Canadian Superfoods.
Randy shares his wealth of knowledge and insights into the natural product retail business with us. He describes his transition from corporate life to an entrepreneur and his decision to import a natural product into Canada.
The post Ep #5: realaloe and maui vera appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
The Senate of Canada’s recent approval of Bill C-45 (the Cannabis Act) has swung the doors open to an emerging natural health industry! So, let’s talk about the natural ingredient called CBD.
Does it really have health benefits?
Is there really money to be made in this industry?
The post CBD Cannabidiol appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie discuss the Senate of Canada’s recent approval of Bill C-45 (the Cannabis Act). It has swung the doors open to an emerging natural health industry and the natural ingredient called CBD.
The post CBD appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Do you have a desire to create something that will make a difference in peoples’ lives and contribute something back to the world that will help people live a better life?
We do.
The post Do you know your WHY? appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
What if you had the steps to Validate Your Natural Product Idea? You need to know that your idea is a viable product and that there is a market willing to purchase it. But how do you go about this?
The post Validate Your Natural Product Idea appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie talk about the three steps to validate your idea before you invest any money.
One of the biggest missteps we see with Natural Health start up businesses is jumping into production too quickly.
The post Validation appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Sports and business have a lot in common: Competition, Team Work, Wins & Losses and Coaching. A good coach can make or break the team and business!
The post Business Coach appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim & Laurie talk about how they needed to EXPAND their thinking in order to grow their business. They offer tips on what worked for them individually as well as a couple, so they could set bigger goals for their business.
The post Expand appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
As entrepreneurs we have unbridled energy that fuels our creativity to seek solutions rather than accept the status quo.
The problem is - we have to take risks to make them a reality and with risk comes fear and discomfort.
The post Tangles appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim and Laurie share the excitement of launching their first podcast all due to the love and support of their connections – that’s you!
The post Welcome to our Podcast appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Laurie talks about stepping out and taking a risk…
“The only things you’ll regret in life are the risks you didn’t take”.
The post Get Out of the Lab! appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Laurie invites you to take a day to step back and pause it all… to reconnect with friends and with yourself.
Take the time to recharge so you can have the energy, strength, and stamina to "pour" into the lives you care for.
The post retreat. pause. reconnect. appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Laurie shares the insights of hiring professionals to rebuild their website.
The importance of letting the Pro’s do what they’re good at.
As entrepreneurs we often convince ourselves that we have to be “the jack-of-all-trades” and do everything in our business ourselves and do it well!
The post Hire a Pro appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Jim Chats retail on "This Commerce Life.
This week I was asked to contribute to a colleague’s Podcast on the importance of connecting with a Broker early in the planning process when launching a product.
The post Podcast Guest appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.
Shopland Health Connections is expanding, and we owe it all to you!
You (our fabulous clients) are building your businesses faster than ever, expanding your reach into new and bolder markets and increasing your product lines hand over fist.
The post We’re Expanding! appeared first on Shopland Health Connections.