Podcast E23: Stop Telling People What To Do
Thought leaders for years have told people what to do. They write books, shoot videos, and create online training programs. Consultants on the other hand do all of the heavy lifting for their clients, implementing the solutions. But what if the key to creating more value for your customers/clients – and for your business – […]
Podcast E22: Don’t Grow Your Network; Nurture It
Marketers will tell you the importance of growing your network. But what if the key to long-term success is about nurturing your network? In today’s episode we explore some power of creating deep relationships versus a large number of transactions. A question I am often asked is, “How can we market our business to attract new […]
Invisible Solutions Named One of the Best Business Books of the Year by Foreword Indies Book Awards
In 2020 I made a strategic decision to hybrid publish Invisible Solutions (vs a traditional publisher, such as Penguin who published my two previous books). This gave me complete control over every aspect of the book: the content, the title, the cover design, the interior layout, the book quality, etc. I doubt a traditional publisher […]
Podcast E21: Scaling a Service-Based Business
Scaling a service-based business isn’t easy. Especially if you are a solopreneur who doesn’t want to hire employees or have expensive overhead. Short of cloning yourself or working 24 hours a day, what’s the solution? A question I am often asked by my professional speaker, consultant, and training colleagues is, “How can we scale my […]
Podcast E20: Stop Worrying About the Novelty of Your Ideas
It gets easy to fall into the trap of equating novelty with innovation. But they are not the same. Value and relevancy are what matter with innovation. In this episode, we explore how to make sure you are solving the real problem. Instead of focusing on your own strengths, identify the needs of your customers. […]
Podcast E19: What Innovators Can Learn from Magicians
In this episode, I share three useful tricks every innovator should steal from magicians. Then I share one of my favorite lenses – #24: VARIATIONS. The three tricks to steal are: Don’t trust the brain Start with the impossible solution. Performance is as important as the method. I also share why simplification is often the […]
Podcast E18: Best Practice are Stupid
When looking for solutions to your problems, it seems logical to turn to best practices for answers. But what if best practices are stupid? What if they are not the key to innovation or problem-solving and may lead you down the wrong path? In this episode, we explore three reasons why best practices may be […]
Podcast E17: Surface vs Deep Structure and Innovation
In today’s episode, we explore how concepts from linguistics can impact innovation. In particular, we dive into the distinction between surface structure and deep structure. Understanding these concepts will help you be better at strategic alignment, innovation, and problem-solving. We first define surface structure (the words used to convey a meaning) and deep structure (the […]
Podcast E16: Never Do More With Less
In this episode, we first explore a myth of productivity. Although most organizations are busier than ever and they want to “do more with less,” this is often the opposite of what is effective. Instead you want to “do less, get more.” Focus on the leverage points of your business and you will get greater […]
Podcast E15: The Power of Changing Just One Word
In today’s episode, we explore how changing just one word in a problem statement can unleash an entirely new range of possible solutions – including new business models. We explore 3 lenses in particular: #15: SUBSTITUTE – change a word, including but not limited to synonyms. #10: HYPERNYM – use a word that is less […]