By Mario Pecoraro, Chapter President of EO Albany and CEO of Alliance Worldwide Investigative Group

Having grown up working with my parents in their private investigations firm, I learned early on the value of a good work ethic. I knew that my goal would be to grow the business into a global organization, and I’ve gained many valuable lessons along the way. I think the key to success is to look at obstacles as opportunities, and always be willing to learn.

I started my own company, Alliance Worldwide Investigative Group, in a spare bedroom nine years ago. I’m proud to say that my company now includes 35 employees and multiple locations in New York and Florida, USA. I believe the core values I and my company follow, as well as the guidelines from the book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits: What You Must Do to Increase the Value of Your Growing Firm, by Verne Harnish, have been instrumental in providing an average overall annual growth rate of 25% from 2006 to 2013. Those core values include:

1. Integrity First – We emphasize always being honest and truthful
2. Successfully Engaged – I am a strong believer in measuring result metrics; all divisions report on key performance indicators. We make sure the work we are engaged in is successful, and if not, we switch gears until they are.
3. Positive Attitude – A positive attitude goes a long way in assembling a successful team. We look for people with a positive outlook who encourage each other. I never hold back praise if one is deserving of recognition. Happy people are more likely to get results, and this corporate culture breeds success.
4. Passion for Excellence – People who are passionate about what they do naturally tend to exceed expectations.

The tenants of the Rockefeller Habits have also been fundamental in shaping my companies’ philosophy. These include recognizing and acting on high-payoff initiatives, keeping everyone in the organization aligned, creating customer loyalty, driving the company to the next level and advancing ahead of our competitors. We have daily morning huddles, where we repeat our companies’ brand promise until we live and breathe it.

Our brand promise, by the way, is that “We inspire Confidence by providing Actionable Intelligence, Detailed, Timely Communications and On-Time Performance.” We measure KPI’s and have quarterly themes that include competitions and rewards to spur sales and growth. All of this has worked for us, and I hope you find the same habits in your own business.