The EO Blog

Tips for Parting Ways with a Staff Member

14 April, 2023

Letting go of a team member can be a grueling decision. However, it may be your only choice if you’ve noticed that their work is not up to par, their behaviors negatively impact the rest of your team, or when economic changes adversely affect your business. Follow these tips to handle this difficult situation with diplomacy.

Decide who stays and who goes

During performance evaluations, it is often quite apparent who hasn’t been performing as expected. At other times, you may need to keep a close eye on the inner workings of your business to see which employees are no longer pulling their weight or have become quiet quitters. These are just a few of the reasons you may need to consider terminating an employee.

Once you’ve decided to let an employee go, the next step is implementing the process to ensure that the dismissal is carried out legally and with respect to everyone involved.

Provide written warnings beforehand

Guided by your company policy, follow the correct protocol to ensure the employee in question is not caught off-guard by your decision. It’s critical to make sure the employee has received the requisite number of warnings before you commence with terminating their position. Also, they should be given a chance to correct their actions after receiving those warnings.

An example could be an employee who has repeatedly missed deadlines or has been caught engaging in inappropriate behavior. Let’s say your company policy requires three written warnings before taking further disciplinary action. In a best-case scenario, their manager would meet with the employee to discuss the situation in detail at the time of these warnings and inform them of the outcome (job termination) if performance didn’t improve. Once the employee has received three such warnings, if there’s still no improvement in performance, firing the employee will be the next course of action. Because you have followed your company’s policy and procedures and informed the employee about the outcome if their performance doesn’t change, the employee should not be caught off-guard when you proceed with firing them.

Explain the situation face-to-face

The best way to fire an employee is with a face-to-face conversation rather than by phone or email. That way, you and the employee can part ways in a dignified manner that is respectful of the situation.

An example would be when an employer must make the difficult decision to lay off a number of workers due to budgetary constraints or an economic downturn. A face-to-face conversation will allow the employer to reassure the employee by sympathizing with them and understanding the impact of this decision. The employer can explain the reason behind the decision and the options that the employee might have, such as professional recommendations and references.

Face-to-face meetings also provide an opportunity to ask and answer questions, reducing the chances of misunderstandings. When managed well, such conversations can turn former employees into advocates. Though difficult, conducting this conversation face-to-face is the best way to let an employee go because it offers a chance to be considerate and respectful to the employee and provides support during and even after the transition process.

Review contractual obligations

Suppose the staff member in question breached the employment contract that he or she signed with your company and is now liable for damages as stipulated in the contract. Or perhaps the employee began working for a competitor in violation of the non-compete clause they signed. In these cases, it’s critical to make sure that the contract is legally enforceable to claim the damages that are due to you.

You must also consider the issue of severance pay. This will be guided by your company’s policy on job termination or any specific contractual obligations, in addition to being informed by state laws governing such payments.

Have a contingency plan

Suppose the employee you plan to terminate occupies an instrumental position in your company. In that case, it’s wise to start preparing for this vacancy sooner rather than later to ensure their replacement can pick up where the previous employee left off.

For example, a Chief Information Officer (CIO) is an instrumental position that plays a significant role in strategy formation, technology decisions, and collaborations within the organization. If they are leaving your company, the organization must fill this instrumental role as soon as possible to ensure smooth operations continue. You might even consider an internal candidate who is ready to take on the role. It is a best practice to start preparations earlier rather than later to have a seamless transition and continuity of the company’s operations. Otherwise, the CIO’s departure could create a leadership vacuum where essential decisions are delayed or neglected entirely.

If you hire externally, you’ll have to conduct the necessary onboarding processes and expenses that come with hiring someone new. Be sure you are thorough in your interview and hiring process. You do not want to fail to fulfill an important role twice.

Letting go of a staff member isn’t something leaders look forward to doing. However, it is sometimes necessary to build your ideal team so that your business will thrive. Once you’ve made the decision to let someone go, make sure you follow all the necessary steps to ensure their departure goes smoothly and without incident.

Contributed to EO by Elena Stewart, a certified life coach specializing in the teachings of Brené Brown, Danielle LaPorte and Marie Forleo. Through one-on-one coaching sessions and career mentoring, Elena helps entrepreneurs and business leaders jumpstart their careers and reach their full potential.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Best Practices PEOPLE/STAFF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Tags: best practices Brene Brown Elena Stewart entrepreneurs' organization job termination

Are You Sabotaging Your Brand by Neglecting to Define Its Vision and Values?

12 April, 2023

Consumers have virtually limitless choices on the market today, yet somehow the truly exceptional brands stand out.

How? With clearly defined vision and values that build deep connections with customers.

What are brand vision and values—and why do they matter?

A brand vision starts with the brand’s identity and market stance, then defines the trajectory of its future course. Brand values, the foundational beliefs of the brand, guide these actions, such as diversity, solidarity, environmental awareness, or transparency.

Together, brand vision and values provide:

A sense of direction. If you don’t know where your brand is going, you can’t form a clear view of the steps you must take now to get there. Your brand strategy should be based on a clear mission and vision that establishes the perception you want your customers and employees to have.
Market differentiation and brand memorability. The importance of a clearly defined brand vision becomes obvious when you’re planning your brand strategy. It forms the foundation of market differentiation and ensures your brand is memorable to customers. Without a clear vision statement and values, the meaning and personality of your brand may not stand out. Customers won’t have anything to connect with.
Decision-making guidance. A brand with a clear vision and strong values reminds employees of what the brand stands for and what it’s working toward. This guides both short- and long-term decision-making and helps your business get closer to its goals by keeping employees aligned with the organizational values.

Brand vision and values example

The Swedish furniture brand IKEA is a good example of a strong vision and values. The vision statement is:

“To create a better everyday life for many people”

IKEA also has six key values:

Togetherness. Togetherness is at the heart of IKEA culture. We are strongest when we trust each other, pull in the same direction, and have fun together.
Caring for people and planet. We want to be a force for positive change. We have the possibility to make a significant and lasting impact—today and for the generations to come.
Cost-consciousness. As many people as possible should be able to afford a beautiful and functional home. We constantly challenge ourselves and others to make more from less without compromising on quality.
Simplicity. A simple, straightforward, and down-to-earth way of being is part of our Smalandic heritage. It is about being ourselves and staying close to reality. We are informal, pragmatic, and see bureaucracy as our biggest enemy.
Give and take responsibility. We believe in empowering people. Giving and taking responsibility are ways to grow and develop as individuals. Trusting each other, being positive and forward-looking inspires everyone to contribute to development.
Lead by example. We see leadership as an action, not a position. We look for people’s values before competence and experience. People who “walk the talk” and lead by example. It is about being our best self and bringing out the best in each other.

How to define your brand vision and values

Brands don’t come together with hopes and good intentions. You will need a plan, clear direction, and strong understanding of your current brand perception. Developing your vision and values will give you a foundation to move forward into business growth.

Here’s how:

1. Create a brand vision statement, values and guiding principles

The brand vision statement is demonstrated in mission and vision statements. These statements help you define your brand goals and determine your brand perception for both internal and external audiences (employees, prospects and customers).

In short, your mission statement defines your brand’s current position, goals and how to reach them, while the vision statement relays where you’d like your brand to be in the future. By combining them, you can outline the journey between the present and the future.

Your brand values illustrate what your brand stands for, the standards of behavior you uphold, and the common threads in your thinking. Begin with a list, then narrow it down to three to five main brand values.

2. Plan and enact your strategy

With a clear understanding of your brand vision and values and the current brand perception, your next step is to decide how to make your brand image a reality. It’s important to use accountability to drive change—identify your goals and how you can accomplish them, including the team members and resources you will need.

Track your brand’s progress to maximize opportunities with current trends, make real-time decisions with data, and find ways to make your strategy more successful.

Build a strong foundation for your brand

A brand’s vision and values demonstrate where your brand is and where it wants to be, forming a blueprint for achieving your goals. With these assets in place, your brand can transform from a business to something meaningful and long-lasting.

Contributed to EO by Kyle Johnston, founding partner and president of award-winning brand, content creation and creative agency, Gigasavvy in Orange County, California. After spending the last 20+ years in Southern California, Kyle recently moved his family to Boise, ID where he continues to lead the agency through its next phase of growth.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Best Practices PR/MARKETING STARTUP

Tags: entrepreneurs' organization Gigasavvy Kyle Johnston

How to Build the Ultimate Follow-up System

7 April, 2023

Contributed to EO by Adi Klevit, an EO Portland member who is the co-founder and CEO of Business Success Consulting Group, a team of experienced professionals who provide business owners, entrepreneurs and key executives with strategic implementation, process improvement and documentation, and long-lasting systems necessary to support business expansion. On her podcast, Systems Simplified, Adi interviewed Camela Thompson, Marketing VP at Caliber Mind, who is an expert in systematizing vital sales and marketing functions, including client follow-up. Following is a summary of their discussion.

Follow-up systems are vital for effective sales in any business. Statistics from 2022 tell us that only 2% of customers convert after the first point of contact, but about 80% of sales leads convert by the 12th follow-up. However, most salespeople give up after one attempt to contact the potential customer. This shows the power of follow-up, and it also tells us that follow-up can be difficult to implement properly.

During their podcast discussion, Adi and Camela covered why processes are critical and how they can minimize loss and increase profit—even if the business owner is a creative. Then, they got into the nitty gritty of forming a follow-up system.

Why are processes important?

Camela shared a story that perfectly illustrates why processes—particularly follow-up processes—are vital. When starting the Caliber Mind podcast, Camela landed a big guest right away, but immediately lost him because she didn’t have a process in place.

Since that initial experience, she implemented a follow-up process and has created an entire system around scheduling guests, pre-interviews, the interview itself, and post-interview follow-up. This has allowed her to produce a fantastic podcast, The RMR Podcast.

As you read this post, consider when a process could have been used in your business to save a situation. Perhaps you had a presentation that didn’t work because you didn’t have a system for building, testing, practicing, and ultimately presenting it. Perhaps you went to a festival to sell products but had no process for retaining information about those who bought from you, so you never saw them again.

There are many ways in which processes can help your business succeed where others have failed.

Using processes to minimize loss and increase profits

Processes work for both creative and business-minded entrepreneurs. A creative may worry that a system might squash their spontaneity. But, instead of thinking of a business system as limiting, consider how you can use processes to minimize loss and increase profits.

For example, if your company creates custom cakes, you may go with the creative flow when it comes to cake decoration. However, the five processes below will empower you to make beautiful cakes while minimizing loss and increasing profits:

Recipes
An ingredient-buying process
Set up or mise en place
Client contracts
Delivery

More processes could be implemented, including marketing processes, client follow-up, client confirmation, customer service, refund, and other systems. All these free you up to be creative in your area of expertise.

This is just one example. You may be a freelance data analyst, own a hotel, have several galleries worldwide, or sell art online. These businesses require you to have processes in place so your entire business doesn’t run based on what’s in your head.

How to build the ultimate follow-up system

Adi and Camela talked about the optimum follow-up process for any business. This conversation revealed the fundamental outline for building such a system:

0. Identify what isn’t working with your current system.

Here are a few common areas that companies miss:

No follow-up after a potential customer interacts with a chatbot.
No automation sequence set up after someone subscribes to a newsletter.
No interaction with your CRM to share any conversations with a chatbot or other automated reply system.
No or slow follow-up/ poor moderation on a social media channel.
A failure to communicate between marketing and sales.

Explore this by testing your existing system or even surveying clients and asking them to try out your system. Many people enjoy pointing out what’s not working and telling companies how they can improve.

1. Run through the ideal situation.

Ideally, for most businesses, you want a follow-up to be immediate, thorough, and to close the majority of, if not all of the clients, who reach out. So, walk through what that would mean. Does that require on-call staff? Do you need to hire a service that replies immediately, 24/7? Do you need an autoresponder that informs potential clients precisely when a real person will get to them? If you are B2B, do you do a few minutes of research before follow-up so you can hone your conversation to what they are most likely to need?

Understanding the ideal will help you get there more rapidly than trying only to fix bugs in your existing system.

2. Document what is successful right now.

This is when you get your staff on board with the overall systematization of your follow-up processes. Share what you are trying to do, what you hope to accomplish, and how that will help them. There are many reasons your staff will want to help you document and improve the follow-up processes. Maybe it will result in more sales—which means more bonuses. Perhaps an increase in sales will allow you to hire an assistant for your sales lead—and having processes in place will make it easier to train that assistant.

3. Fill in the gaps between what is working now and what would be ideal.

This may involve building new systems and implementing automation. Or, it could be as simple as creating an autoresponder that tells a potential client precisely when a real person will get back to them —and then ensuring someone answers customer enquiries within those hours.

4. Edit the documentation to include the new processes you have built.

Now that you know what needs to occur to ensure your follow-up is successful, work with your team to edit the documentation. Working with your staff on this allows them to provide feedback and even begin implementing on the fly.

5. Test the new processes to ensure they work the way you envision.

Run through everything that you do to make sure it works. The last thing you want is to install a chatbot that doesn’t work.

5a. Modify the processes and edit documentation until it works as you’d like.

Of course, once you find any additional bugs in the new process, you will need to modify your system to work out any kinks.

6. Implement the follow-up processes

Now that you have a tested, workable process, make sure to implement it! The point of creating and documenting processes is to implement them, not have them sit in a drawer. Since you got employee buy-in at the beginning, the team can share the work of implementation.

7. Schedule regular system reviews to ensure the process continues producing the desired results.

Test your processes every six months or so to ensure they continue to work.

That is how you set up a business system for follow-up or anything else that needs a process in your company.

If you want additional specific suggestions for follow-up processes, listen to the full interview for more inspiration! This post originally appeared on the Business Success Consulting Group blog and is reposted here with permission.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Best Practices BUSINESS GROWTH Sales WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Tags: Adi Klevit Business Success Consulting Group Caliber Mind Camela Thompson entrepreneurs' organization eo portland Systems Simplified

Recognizing Remote Workers: 3 Easy Yet Impactful Ideas

5 April, 2023

Since the pandemic began in 2020, many companies have moved toward hybrid and remote working arrangements. Yet even seasoned leaders find it challenging to recognize and appreciate their virtual employees fully. Is it any wonder that Gallup research shows worker engagement levels keep shrinking? It’s a problem, especially in a tight labor market where finding and retaining talent takes a lot of work and resources.

Though there are various ways to improve employee engagement across remote teams, employee recognition programs can help. Case in point: When asked by Pew Research why they recently left jobs, 57% of respondents cited “disrespect“ as a minor or primary reason. It is easy to imagine that some unhappy individuals might have been persuaded to stay had they been acknowledged for their contributions by the leadership.

Of course, it can take a lot of work to understand how to show appreciation for workers who go above and beyond, particularly if they are scattered geographically. You need to design and nurture employee recognition programs that are impactful in online settings. Below are three proven strategies engineered to ensure remote staffers feel like the essential contributors they are.

1. Recognize virtually: Start meetings with sincere praise

Instead of launching right into business during your weekly Zoom team check-ins, begin by highlighting the excellent work you have seen or heard about. For example, share a customer’s review about a team member. Or, you could publicly thank someone for picking up extra tasks for a colleague who took a few days of unplanned PTO.

Initially, this might seem unusual. The practice will become part of your team’s culture with time and consistency. Open the floor to peer-to-peer praise during your meetings. Keep the kudos to approximately five minutes, but always launch into your conversation with some positivity.

2. Monthly recognition: “Employee of the Month” swag for remote staff

In a conventional office setting, you might name an “employee of the month.” Why not carry on the tradition remotely? Rather than handing the employee a gift or allowing the employee to park in a great spot, send out some merchandise.

You do not have to spend a fortune but do put some thought and effort into identifying what your employee will enjoy. A coffee lover might like a basket filled with unique coffee blends from around the world. A foodie may appreciate a box of gourmet treats. The point is to make the employee of the month feel valued as both a coworker and an individual.

3. Surprise appreciation: Granting remote staff extra time off

Has your remote team been working diligently on a long project? Have you all been burning the candle at both ends for weeks? Surprise your direct reports by offering some unexpected time off.

This doesn’t mean you have to give them a week or even a day to kick back. (That would be great if it’s workable, but understandable if it is not.) Even a few hours off on a Friday afternoon can give them the time they deserve to recharge. Tell them that they have earned this reward, and be very specific about how they are integral to your organization. This will allow them to connect the dots between the efforts they put forth and the recognition they are receiving.

If you are tired of wondering whether you are engaging your remote teams effectively, take heart. Recognition programs can have a significant impact on the motivation and productivity of remote teams. Often, it can be a relatively quick and reliable way to get everyone on the same page and keep operations moving forward. By incorporating these three proven strategies, you can ensure your remote staff feels valued, appreciated, and motivated to contribute their best work to your business.

Contributed to EO by Mike Szczesny, the owner and vice president of EDCO Awards & Specialties, a dedicated supplier of employee recognition products such as crystal awards, branded merchandise, and athletic awards. Szczesny takes pride in EDCO’s ability to help companies go the extra mile in expressing gratitude and appreciation to their employees.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Company Culture PEOPLE/STAFF

Tags: EDCO Awards EDCO Awards & Specialties entrepreneurs' organization Mike Szczesny

Are Return to Office Mandates the Real Reason Behind Quiet Quitting?

31 March, 2023

A behavioral scientist shares the data to prove it and offers best practices to minimize quiet quitting and lower productivity concerns amid a hybrid return to office.

Quiet quitting—a term that has become all too familiar for business owners—refers to doing the bare minimal tasks of your job description well enough that you don’t get fired. Introduced in March 2002, it only started to gain traction as an issue of concern among business leaders when US government data on productivity, released in August 2022, showed a sharp, unexpected drop in Q1 and Q2 of 2022.

Is remote work responsible for Quiet Quitting?

Many traditionalist leaders rushed to attribute this drop in productivity and rise in quiet quitting to remote work. For example, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink attributed the drop in productivity to remote work. He called for requiring employees to come to the office to address this problem.

Yet the claims of traditionalists don’t add up. If quiet quitting and the resultant drop in productivity stemmed from remote work, we would see a drop in productivity right from the start of the pandemic, when office workers switched to remote work. Then, when offices opened back up, especially after the Omicron wave at the end of 2021, we would see productivity going up as workers went back to the office from early 2022 onward.

In reality, data shows the opposite trend. US productivity jumped in Q2 2020 as offices closed, and stayed at a heightened level through Q4 2021. Then, when companies started mandating a return to office from early 2022, productivity dropped sharply, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

So what explains the drop in productivity associated with quiet quitting? According to Ben Wigert, director of research and strategy for workplace management at Gallup, forcing employees to come to the office under the threat of discipline could lead to disengagement, fear, and distrust. Gallup finds that “the optimal engagement boost occurs when employees spend 60% to 80% of their time—or three to four days in a five-day workweek—working off-site.” No wonder, then, that mandates forcing employees to come to the office full-time could result in quiet quitting.

How to solve Quiet Quitting in the mandated return to office

When I show this data to my consulting clients, they often ask what they can do to address this problem. First, I remind them of a joke from the famous comedian Henny Youngman: “The patient says, ‘Doctor, it hurts when I do this.’ The doctor says, ‘Then don’t do that!’’’ Then, I share that the best approach for the future of work is a flexible team-led approach, where team leads determine the work arrangements that best serve the needs of their team. Team leads know what their teams need, including how to maximize productivity, engagement and collaboration.

However, it’s not always easy. They might face an inflexible Board of Directors, or the C-suite might be united in demanding that employees return to the office for much or all of the workweek. What then?

In that case, I help them identify best practices for returning to the office that minimize quiet quitting concerns. You might imagine that it’s as simple as increasing their pay. And indeed, a conversation about compensation should always accompany a return-to-office initiative.

What I find works best is to pay for fees associated with specific office-related costs, rather than a general salary increase. In other words, pay the commuting costs of your staff: IRS per diem for miles traveled, public transportation fees, etc. Pay for a nice catered lunch. Pay for their dry-cleaning costs.

Such payments help address the initial discontent and reduce the attrition typically associated with the mandated office return. But they don’t address the quiet quitting that results from people coming to the office and doing the same thing they would do at home, except with a two-hour commute.

That’s the scenario that leads directly to quiet quitting. We know that people are much more productive on individual tasks that require focus at home. A Slack survey confirmed this impression: 55% of respondents preferred to do “deep work” at home, while only 16% cited the office as a better place for deep work.

Make the office a collaboration destination

Instead, make the office a place for socializing, collaboration, and in-depth training, especially for newer employees. To address socializing needs, it’s valuable to organize fun, team-building exercises and social events as staff come back to the office to build relationships.

To facilitate collaboration, it’s critical to consider how in-office staff works together with those working from home. A number of my clients have staff who come in on different days of the week, requiring hybrid collaboration and meetings. To facilitate such collaboration between in-office and remote staff, it’s imperative to improve AV to facilitate hybrid meetings that empower effective collaboration.

There’s no replacement for face-to-face experiences for in-depth training around soft skills, such as effective in-person communication, conflict mediation and resolution, and ethical persuasion. My clients find that if they offer valuable training regularly once their employees return to the office, there’s a reduction in quiet quitting and a boost in employee engagement and productivity.

While a mandated return to office will inevitably lead to some quiet quitting and loss in productivity, smart leaders can ameliorate this problem. Focus on helping employees socialize, collaborate, and get great professional development and mentoring—thus showing them the value of the office—will reduce quiet quitting and boost performance.

Contributed to EO by Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, CEO of the boutique future-of-work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts, who helps leaders use hybrid work to improve retention and productivity while cutting costs. He wrote the first book on leading hybrid teams after the pandemic, his best-seller Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams, as well as seven other books. His cutting-edge thought leadership comes from over 20 years of consulting for Fortune 500 companies from Aflac to Xerox and over 15 years in academia as a behavioral scientist at UNC-Chapel Hill and Ohio State. A proud Ukrainian American, Dr. Gleb lives in Columbus, Ohio.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Best Practices Crisis PEOPLE/STAFF Productivity

Tags: Ben Wigert Disaster Avoidance Experts Dr. Gleb Tsipursky entrepreneurs' organization Gleb Tsipursky Larry Fink

Get Ahead of the Game: 4 Steps for Assessing Your Digital Marketing Needs

29 March, 2023

A digital marketing strategy is a nonnegotiable element of a successful company. Billions of people use the internet at any given time during the day. Your business’s success hinges on reaching the right audience at the right time, which is why the value of digital marketing cannot be overstated. However, if your company is new to digital marketing, it can take some time to identify your specific needs.

If you are planning your digital marketing strategy for the year, it’s important to know where to start. You can begin by assessing your digital marketing needs so that you can budget appropriately. Here are four steps to determine what your digital marketing needs are and how much budget you’ll need to meet them:

1. Assess the size of your target audience.

Organizations come in all shapes and sizes, and so do their audiences. Before you can set your digital marketing budget, you need to determine the size of your target audience. The size of your audience will affect your digital marketing budget. For example, if you’re a global brand with millions of customers, you’ll need a larger budget to reach all of those people. On the other hand, if you run a small business in one city and are trying to reach a specific age group, your total spend will be much lower.

2. Determine which social channels you will use.

Now that you have a good idea of the size and location of your target audience, you need to decide which channels you can use to reach them. For instance, nearly 40% of Gen Zers use platforms such as Instagram and TikTok to find answers to their questions or stay up-to-date on current events. If you’re hoping to target this demographic, you’ll need to allocate marketing spend for Instagram or TikTok ads.

3. Assess whether you will need outside vendors.

If your organization has a very small in-house marketing team with little digital marketing experience, you may need to hire a few vendors to hit your digital marketing goals. You might just need a graphic designer to create branded ads for your digital channels or someone to help place your ads and track performance. Alternatively, you may need a full-service digital marketing agency to execute your strategy. Outsourcing may cost more in the short term, but it could lead to a higher return on investment overall.

4. Take a look at what your competitors are doing.

Another way to gauge your digital marketing needs is to see what your competitors are doing. Take a look at content produced by businesses in your industry that are similar in size. What are they doing well? Have they seen an increase in clients or sales? Answering questions like this can help you decide what to do with your digital marketing strategy and budget.

If you are new to digital marketing, figuring out where to start can be difficult. However, once you nail down the size of your audience, the channels they prefer, and other factors, you can develop the rest of your strategy in a way that is sustainable and produces results.

Danny Shepherd is co-CEO of Intero Digital, a 350-person digital marketing agency that offers comprehensive, results-driven marketing solutions. Danny has more than 20 years of experience directing paid media strategies, optimizing SEO, and building solutions-oriented content and PR. He leads a team of experts in web design and development, Amazon marketing, social media, video, and graphic design.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: PR/MARKETING STARTUP

Tags: Danny Shepherd entrepreneurs' organization Intero Digital

How to Successfully Ride The Emotional Highs and Lows Of Entrepreneurship

24 March, 2023

Contributed to EO by Chantel Cohen, an Atlanta EO Accelerator participant who founded CWC Coaching & Therapy to help entrepreneurs and professionals alike find a healthy sense of work-life integration and create the lives they always imagined. Through the Become One Again™ Method, Chantel helps clients enhance their relationships with themselves, their partners and their businesses with the goal of alleviating the associated mental stresses that come with high-demanding careers. Due to her unique approach, Chantel has hosted individual and group coaching sessions and workshops for clients including Google, Coca-Cola, CARE, Lenovo, and Coursera.

The journey of an entrepreneur is never easy. It is filled with challenges, failures, setbacks, as well as joys, thrills and celebrations. We asked Chantel Cohen, an entrepreneur, LCSW and Certified Executive Coach, how to successfully navigate the inevitable highs and lows an entrepreneur experiences throughout their journey. Here’s what she shared:

No matter how successful you are as an entrepreneur, you will always have fairly dramatic highs and lows. Why is this different from someone with a “regular job”?

Compared to those with a “regular job,” entrepreneurs struggle with a unique set of challenges. In my experience, they often let the same passion that drives them toward success consume them entirely. They associate their self-worth with the success of their business and, as such, take on an excessive amount of responsibility. Starting a company is always an intense journey full of highs and lows, but there are things entrepreneurs can do to keep themselves from spiraling out of control. I’ve based my entire career on helping people navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship!

What are your “Five Things Needed To Successfully Ride The Emotional Highs and Lows Of Being An Entrepreneur”?

1. Be intentional about cultivating self-love. A big part of this is breaking the habit of basing your self-worth on the success of your company. Your personal value has nothing to do with your business value!

2. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your mental well-being is a muscle that requires constant attention and often the help of someone who can show you how to do exactly that. And remember, you don’t need to be in crisis mode to take advantage of mental health services.

3. Prioritize your relationships. As entrepreneurs, it’s typical for us to invest most of our energy into our businesses while neglecting our intimate relationships. But you don’t have to sacrifice your love life to be successful.

4. Focus on your minimums, not your maximums (this I learned from Jay Shetty!). This starts with a simple question: what do you need minimally in your life in order to meet your needs outside of your business? All too often, we make the mistake of trying to have it all instead of focusing on what we need at a minimum.

5. Don’t shy away from tough conversations. Aside from you, no one knows your business as intimately as your team. It can be tempting to downplay the impact of your emotions on your responsibilities and interactions in the workplace. However, it’s important to trust your team enough to tell them the truth. This doesn’t mean you have to tell them any intimate details about your life, but it does mean being more honest when answering the question “How are you?”

We are living during challenging times where resilience is critical. How do you define resilience?

To me, resilience is less about bouncing back from difficult times and more so the motivation to take control over your perspective on any obstacles you may be facing. It’s the capacity to face problems with a new awareness, allowing ourselves to adapt to change as our future shifts toward different complexities and uncertainties. I think the key to resilience is knowing the difference between perfectionism, which is often paralyzing, and high standards, which are more motivating. In my experience, people who focus on perfection are less resilient than those who strive for excellence in a healthy way.

What experiences have contributed to building your resiliency?

Taking a physics class at UCLA! All joking aside, it taught me that passing is sometimes good enough. We don’t need to excel at everything we do.

Do you tend to keep a positive attitude during difficult situations? What helps you to do so?

I do try to stay optimistic during difficult times, but it requires mindfulness and intentionality. I’ve found that meditation helps keep me grounded whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed. I especially like to follow walking-based meditations or take a few moments to recite mantras in order to let go of any anxious thoughts. This allows me to actively change my mindset and reframe challenges as opportunities.

Why does a leader’s positive attitude have a positive impact both on their clients and their team?

As a leader, you are the one who sets the tone for the interactions within your business, and your energy can easily cause a chain reaction. If you are injecting optimism into your business, your people will naturally be more engaged and motivated. This will lead to a ripple effect on your clients, who will be able to feel the passion and enthusiasm of you and your team. And, as therapists, being optimistic is critical for our clients. We need to show them what life looks like once you’ve overcome your struggles. We become a beacon of hope for them to work on themselves.

What inspirational quote motivates you to pursue greatness?

I really resonate with this quote from Tony Robbins: “Success is doing what you want to do, when you want, where you want, with whom you want, as much as you want.” I feel very strongly about being the architect of my own life, and this is what led me to start my own business in the first place.

This article first appeared in Authority Magazine on Medium and is edited for length and reposted here with permission.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Entrepreneurial Journey HEALTH WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS WORK-LIFE INTEGRATION

Tags: accelerator Chantel Cohel CWC Coaching & Therapy entrepreneurs' organization EO Accelerator eo atlanta Jay Shetty

How to Tell Your Partner You Want to Quit Your Job and Start a Business

22 March, 2023

Are you considering a leap into entrepreneurship? Many professionals quit their jobs to launch new businesses during the Great Resignation. However, giving up a reliable paycheck to start a business is a risky choice, even with convenient access to expert business counsel and other tools that the internet affords.

Leaving a job to start a business can be overwhelming. In 2022, 50.5 million people changed or quit their jobs—more than the 47.8 million who did so in 2021. Some jobs are easy to leave, but breaking away can be difficult.

Have you reached the tipping point where it’s time to let your spouse or life partner know that you’re leaving your job–but find it difficult to start the conversation? Or have you tried talking about your dreams of something more fulfilling and ended up fighting instead?

It can be tempting to either avoid “the talk” or resign yourself to the miserable job until you can’t take it anymore. Or, you can turn the conversation into a healthier and more productive one, even if your partner has concerns. The goal is to reach a point where you both feel good about the outcome.

Tips for communicating entrepreneurial intentions to your life partner

As you’re preparing to venture into entrepreneurship, focus on what you can do to facilitate understanding from your spouse or life partner. Here are some steps to help you build bridges rather than destroy them:

1. Be honest.

Be honest with yourself and your partner about your reasons for quitting your job. Writing out your reasons is an excellent way to show your partner that it’s not just a spur-of-the-moment choice. A written list can also boost your confidence during the discussion.

Sometimes our partners don’t genuinely see how unhappy we are at work, especially if it looks like a perfect job on paper. Explain why starting a business is so important to you. Furthermore, when you have a clearer idea of your next step, you can show and explain why that next career or business is essential as opposed to the old one. That comparison alone can make a huge difference both for you and your partner.

2. Listen to your partner.

As with everything else in a relationship, it’s important to make sure your partner feels heard and understood on the topic of a career change. Simply taking the time to listen and give your partner room to ask questions or voice concerns can ease tensions tremendously. When your spouse feels heard, they will be more likely to offer support and guidance as you navigate this career change.

3. Make a solid plan.

It’s possible that your spouse will be more concerned with the how of your decision, which can trigger your fears that your business plans won’t succeed. Setting aside the “hows” early on is essential, but don’t ignore them altogether—that can create conflicts later on and stop you from pursuing your dreams. This may be tricky because the “how” is often precisely what your partner wants to talk about. Ensuring that your partner knows you have a business plan and are committed to it will go a long way toward gaining their support.

It’s a smart move to make a plan that addresses how you would handle some of their concerns. For example, would you commit to saving a specific amount of money before leaving your job?

4. Protect your emotions.

Your career change is a huge transition that can come with many ups and downs. Whether you feel sure about your next move or have no idea what to do next, you may experience times when you feel down about the whole process. Figure out ways to relax and take care of yourself that enable you to think clearly, such as listening to music, exercising, or getting out in nature — maybe even with a Yellowstone river rafting adventure!

5. Practice gratitude.

The whole process can cause stress and strain for your partner, so express gratitude for any support they have given you along the way. It’s important to determine the best ways to show your partner gratitude as well. Is it enough to just say thank you, or do actions speak louder than words? Try to find specific, actionable ways that show your spouse how much you appreciate them in a way that resonates with them.

As an entrepreneur, making that leap doesn’t scare you; it excites you. The thought of creating something from nothing or joining a team to build something from the ground up has driven you from fantasy to determined action. All you need to do is convince your partner. Do so by clearly stating your plans and motives upfront, then reiterating how going into business together may even benefit you both.

Contributed to EO by Patrick Sipp of Flying Pig Adventures, who gets his clients back into the outdoors, where the spray of the river, the warmth of the sunshine, and the immensity of the world around are clear and present. The company’s most recent trip includes horseback riding and river rafting by Yellowstone National Park. Patrick is a family man who has turned his passion for the outdoors into a gateway for his guests to experience adventures unlike anything else.

Categories: general STARTUP

Tags: entrepreneurs' organization Flying Pig Adventures Great Resignation Patrick Sipp

How To Leverage Video Content To Enhance Internal Communications

17 March, 2023

The way you speak and express yourself provides vital context to internal communications (IC), making it easier for your team to understand the message. Therefore, no matter what your organization is up to, video content can enhance your communications strategy.

Internal videos can make a positive impact in most areas of operations—from helping coworkers figure out complex new software via charming animated explainer content to kindly reminding them to adhere to new policies and processes with a funny, informational video guide.

But creating compelling video content to use internally can be tricky. You need to generate practical pieces to get results, but you also need to understand what the medium is (and isn’t!) suitable for.

Let’s examine the ins and outs of using video to enhance internal communications, and how to make the most out of your video communications.

Waving hello: Do we really need better internal communications channels?

By delivering crucial announcements on behalf of management, creating a transparent recruitment and onboarding process, and allowing two-way communication between a corporation and employees, IC is one of the most critical factors that most successful companies share.

With one clear goal in mind—ensuring adequate information circulation—companies have tried every communication format available, from telegrams to online meetings. Adapting video content to help fulfill and enhance this process is the next logical step.

How video can overhaul internal communications

Whether you’re preparing new employees for their first day at work, training them for a possible medical crisis, or sharing company values to nurture brand loyalty, video content is the most effective medium to deliver your message in memorable ways.

When it comes to internal exchanges, staff need to know what you’re trying to convey, how that message relates to them, and what steps they should follow based on the information presented in the video.

That’s the premise behind an effective internal communications pipeline. But what makes video content the smart choice?

The fact is, we’ve grown used to never-ending email chains and online meetings as a part of everyday business. But a high-quality, 60-second corporate training video can engage your workforce and get results like no Slack thread ever could.

To video, or not to video: That is the question

If you’re wondering whether your message is worth a video, consider its relevance and potential impact.

Companies turn to video content for a handful of reasons which all benefit from the quirks and perks of a clean-cut production. Internal video content shares similarities with online courses that are readily accessible to all team members. Not only will they learn something new or get updates on relevant topics, but also they’ll always be able to go back and view said videos if they forget something.

By creating an engaging video that brings essential topics to life, you avoid the drawbacks of text-based comms and ensure crucial information is heard and acted upon more consistently.

Bridging physical distance with video

Video content accomplishes a lot toward building a cohesive brand voice able to spread worldwide. By creating a clear way to distribute company-wide announcements, even across different branches, your content will reach those working from home and in different time zones as effectively as if they were right next to you.

Great videos go a long way toward nurturing interest despite the absence of in-person interaction. Moreover, if you want to make your message the talk of the town, videos can make announcements memorable. Most employees will remember a nicely produced, short-form video designed to speak to them on a personal level long after they are done watching.

Lastly, getting accurate feedback from your team shouldn’t be taken for granted. Videos can help generate opportunities for a two-way, individualized conversation, even in remote work settings, offering emotional context that might translate constructive criticism better than a long, heavy-worded email.

Get your point across: Tips on making the perfect internal communications video

While it can be easier to ignore a few emails, a good internal communication video is designed to nurture a certain degree of engagement. So, let’s review a few tips that make internal videos pop and generate the attention and reaction your company needs for this type of content.

Determine what you want to achieve with your video. Are employees in need of a soft skill boost? Are you looking to expand your team and onboard the latest draftees? From FAQs and announcement videos to corporate recruiting and training, the medium acts as a flexible tool you can customize to your needs.
Remember who your target audience is, and that crafting a perfect video for internal communications equals adding a dash of humanity to otherwise dull content. Consider adding emotional touchpoints that resonate with viewers. A bit of humor can spruce up monotonous content, and a heartfelt conversation gets people paying attention.
Leverage the power of clips of leaders and team members, even selfie-styled, recorded with a cell phone or webcam. Something as simple as brief clips of employees answering questions or delivering information where it’s needed can go a long way.

It’s time to start leveraging video content to keep information circulating within your company and overhaul the way your staff communicates.

Rely on personalized, simple and straight-to-the-point video messages to enhance your internal conversations—you won’t regret it.

Contributed to EO by Victor Blasco, an audiovisual designer, video marketing expert, and founder/CEO of the explainer video production company Yum Yum Videos. Besides running the business, he’s a lifelong student of Chinese philosophy and a passionate geek for all things sci-fi.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Best Practices Company Culture PEOPLE/STAFF Productivity Video

Tags: entrepreneurs' organization internal communication Victor Blasco Yum Yum Videos Yumyum videos

EmpowHER Your Mindset: How Women Entrepreneurs Can Overcome Negative Thoughts To Stay Motivated

15 March, 2023

In March, EO recognizes and celebrates women entrepreneurs with its second annual EmpowHER virtual conference, which focuses on the specific challenges women in business experience. Women entrepreneurs will learn from experts how to navigate the three pillars of every woman entrepreneurs’ life: business, family and self.

Miranda Naiman, a 7-year EO Tanzania member and an unstoppable force for good, is the founder of Empower, a disruptive consulting firm that passionately provides talent, advisory and insight services to clients across the African continent. Miranda is Board Director of CRDB Bank Plc and Board Chair of the African Women Entrepreneurship Cooperative that empowers hundreds of women from across the continent. She is Board Vice Chair of CCBRT Hospital and an active member-leader of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization where she serves as Chair of Global Learning. We asked Miranda to share the importance of mindset for women entrepreneurs:

Antifragility has become the beacon of entrepreneurship in recent times. As business owners, we are not only expected to bounce back from adversity but have now increased our capacity to thrive as a result of stressors, shocks, volatility, rejection, mistakes, faults, attacks, or failures.

A quiet moment of instimacy with any entrepreneur will confirm the obvious: It’s extraordinarily hard work. That, juxtaposed with the adrenaline rush we get from closing deals, nurturing teams, building brands and scaling to new markets. Thank God for EO Forum, where we get to share our 5% life highs and lows with fellow entrepreneurs in a confidential environment of zero judgement and no advice. Experience-shares enlighten and shine guiding light in the recesses of our minds when we may feel trapped and alone.

Overcoming negative thoughts is part of what makes us human; we are imperfect, after all. Controlling—and eventually eradicating them altogether—is a crucial piece of work we need to do; in my humble opinion, it is the highest form of self-care to have a healthy, balanced mindset.

Here are seven common—and unhealthy—questions we may ask ourselves on those dark days, and in the spirit of experience-sharing, my way of dealing with them to mark seven years as an EO member:

1. Do I deserve to be here?

The short and simple answer is: Of course you do! However, it’s important to recognise that Imposter Syndrome is a legitimate mental state where an individual doubts their skills, talents, or accomplishments and has a persistent, internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud. I stay focused on my why and remind myself that I am qualified, valuable, and contributing positively. My core values of Stay in the Light, Feed the Family, and Service Before Self are my true North. Everything else falls into place from there.

2. How did she get there?

Comparison can inevitably lead to jealousy. When you waste energy looking left and right instead of staying focused on the path in front of you, you will lose ground. I learnt early on in my entrepreneurial journey to “run my own race” and never succumb to comparison. We are all uniquely brilliant irrespective of what the next person is doing. I relish celebrating others’ wins—it gives me joy and motivates me to keep forging forward.

3. Is there something wrong with me?

Self-deprecation only works if you are a stand-up comedian entertaining a crowd. All other attempts to attack, unpick or unravel yourself merely cause self-harm. STOP crippling yourself; catch yourself when it happens and reverse the narrative: I accept myself wholly and unconditionally.

4. It’s lonely at the top

A cliche realisation but an honest one. The more hats you don, the more thinly spread you become, thus making it harder to connect and forge deep connections with people. Where awareness goes, energy flows; it is your choice where to invest your time, energy and attention—growth will mean fewer, deep relationships and limitless acquaintances. Know the difference and cultivate deep connections that matter to alleviate loneliness.

5. I can’t juggle all the balls

Societal pressure—on women in particular—can be unforgiving. Being an entrepreneur juxtaposed with being a wife, mother, sister, daughter, auntie (my fave!), board director to multiple organisations, coach, mentor and volunteer can weigh us down. All these glass balls are important, yet we shouldn’t be afraid to intentionally put one of the balls down (even temporarily) for our own sanity. Juggling should be enjoyable and mutually beneficial; if not, you might be holding a lead ball.

6. I’m a terrible Mum

I won’t be the first or last woman to say that mum-guilt is real! Those of us raising children while scaling businesses will face numerous situations where we are wracked with guilt. Work-travel; getting home late; missing school appointments, you name it—these things will happen. Quality over quantity is how I navigate Motherhood. Love deeply, be truly present in your child’s company, and communicate intentionally.

7. I’m in the way

Founder’s block will begin to lurk after a number of years—what got you here won’t necessarily take you there. Having founded Empower 14 years ago and working passionately with my partners and team to diversify and scale the business to market-leader, it will soon be time for me to step aside. Recognising the need to allow “fresh blood” to lead the business to higher heights presents a unique opportunity to reinvent yourself. Watch this space.

Don’t miss the third installment of EO’s 2023 EmpowHER virtual series on 21 March. EmpowHER invites women entrepreneurs to hear inspiring stories from fellow founders—including Randi Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media and former head of marketing at Facebook; Aanchal Bhatia, founder of Sydenham Clinic; Hannah Vasicek, founder of Francesca; and Helle Thorning-Schmidt, former prime minister of Denmark—during a series of virtual events that are free and open to EO members, EO Accelerators, their companies, and prospective EO members. Register today!

On 21 March, former Prime Minister of Denmark, HE Helle Thorning Schmidt, will share her unique perspective on how women face certain professional barriers others don’t. She will speak to the imperative need to learn to recognize biases in ourselves so that we can overcome them and become truly inclusive leaders. This seminar is free and open to anyone, upon registration. Sign up here to EmpowHER today.

For more insights and inspiration from today’s leading entrepreneurs, check out EO on Inc. and more articles from the EO blog.

Categories: Entrepreneurial Journey Inspirational WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Tags: empower EmpowHER entrepreneurs' organization Helle Thorning-Schmidt imposter syndrome miranda naiman

INSIGHTS FROM

LEADING ENTREPRENEURS

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Decide who stays and who goes

Provide written warnings beforehand

Explain the situation face-to-face

Review contractual obligations

Have a contingency plan

What are brand vision and values—and why do they matter?

Brand vision and values example

How to define your brand vision and values

1. Create a brand vision statement, values and guiding principles

2. Plan and enact your strategy

Build a strong foundation for your brand

Why are processes important?

Using processes to minimize loss and increase profits

How to build the ultimate follow-up system

0. Identify what isn’t working with your current system.

1. Run through the ideal situation.

2. Document what is successful right now.

3. Fill in the gaps between what is working now and what would be ideal.

4. Edit the documentation to include the new processes you have built.

5. Test the new processes to ensure they work the way you envision.

5a. Modify the processes and edit documentation until it works as you’d like.

6. Implement the follow-up processes

7. Schedule regular system reviews to ensure the process continues producing the desired results.

1. Recognize virtually: Start meetings with sincere praise

2. Monthly recognition: “Employee of the Month” swag for remote staff

3. Surprise appreciation: Granting remote staff extra time off

Is remote work responsible for Quiet Quitting?

How to solve Quiet Quitting in the mandated return to office

Make the office a collaboration destination

1. Assess the size of your target audience.

2. Determine which social channels you will use.

3. Assess whether you will need outside vendors.

4. Take a look at what your competitors are doing.

No matter how successful you are as an entrepreneur, you will always have fairly dramatic highs and lows. Why is this different from someone with a “regular job”?

What are your “Five Things Needed To Successfully Ride The Emotional Highs and Lows Of Being An Entrepreneur”?

We are living during challenging times where resilience is critical. How do you define resilience?

What experiences have contributed to building your resiliency?

Do you tend to keep a positive attitude during difficult situations? What helps you to do so?

Why does a leader’s positive attitude have a positive impact both on their clients and their team?

What inspirational quote motivates you to pursue greatness?

Tips for communicating entrepreneurial intentions to your life partner

1. Be honest.

2. Listen to your partner.

3. Make a solid plan.

4. Protect your emotions.

5. Practice gratitude.

Waving hello: Do we really need better internal communications channels?

How video can overhaul internal communications

To video, or not to video: That is the question

Bridging physical distance with video

Get your point across: Tips on making the perfect internal communications video

1. Do I deserve to be here?

2. How did she get there?

3. Is there something wrong with me?

4. It’s lonely at the top

5. I can’t juggle all the balls

6. I’m a terrible Mum

7. I’m in the way