Today I was eating lunch near my lovebird's cage. He was excitedly pacing the floor, letting me know he wanted out! Sassy is tame and loves to spend time with me, so I opened his cage so he could exit. What happened next gave me an idea for today’s blog.

Since he's a young bird, he initially didn't know how to get out of his cage when I first got him; however, he eventually figured it out.

Today was different. Sassy was scurrying back and forth so frantically he didn’t notice that the opportunity to leave the cage, the open door, was right in front of his face.

How many of us often miss opportunities in front of us, like my bird Sassy, because we’re anxiously searching high and low to find them? I know I’ve been guilty of that before.

Whether you’re looking for a new job, or your next client, there is one thing you can do to recognize and seize those opportunities that are often right under your noses.

Go Slow So You Can Go Fast

So, what does that mean? Here’s an illustration.

I started my business in 2014, and like most entrepreneurs starting out, there were quite a few lean years. I remember feverously going to endless coffees and networking events. I was meeting many great people, but I wasn't getting anywhere.

That's when I decided to slow down enough to learn how to more effectively prospect for opportunities. In Breandan Filbert’s Productive Prospecting Forum, I learned the value of finding great referral partners, nurturing relationships, and creating more impactful social media and blog posts. She’s a great resource!

I also learned through trial and error how to operate out of a center of calm instead of hurriedness. Now I'm much more able to see and capitalize on exceptional opportunities that would have never surfaced otherwise! Believe me, I still have some days of feverous activity, but they are decreasing in number.

Here’s a great example of that. Several years ago, I started regularly blogging. One day I posted a blog about digital transformation on LinkedIn. Someone I hadn't talked to in years commented on my blog post. We connected, and now I have this AMAZING, potentially life-changing digital transformation opportunity in my sales pipeline which looks like it's going to happen. This potential gig would have never happened if I hadn’t slowed down to:

• Take training
• Start blogging
• Respond to LinkedIn comments
• Learned the power of creating invaluable referral partnerships

I have many other examples I could share that has already resulted in business, just because I slowed down so I could go fast. I've learned that I don't need to work frantically each day to uncover new opportunities.

And you don’t have to either!
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Speaking of opportunities, have you been so busy running the business that you’re not grabbing hold of them to improve your operations? If that’s the case, I’d love to have a chat with you!

If that sounds good, click the button below to get started!

This picture brings a smile to my face. It shows some of the worship team members and friends I've had the pleasure of making music with for the past three years at my church. As a worship leader, it's been such a pleasure to serve with them!

I say "serve" because I’ve had the honor and privilege to lead them on occasions when my Worship Pastor was away. And isn’t serving others what leadership is all about?

I’m sharing this because I have learned so much about leadership through leading the band. Periodically, I love to share my lessons learned, and this is one of those occasions!

If you’d like to read previous editions, check out Part 1 and Part 2

This week I’m sharing what I’ve learned through live band leading, which I compare to project execution in the business world.

1. Scan the Room

During the middle of a worship set, it’s helpful to look around the room and see how people are responding. Are they engaged? Are they looking bored? Doing so also involves not just looking outside for clues but sensing what's happening beneath the surface. I also listen to how individual team members do during the set to provide feedback later.

Lessons Learned: As you're executing projects, your "scan-the-room" activities can involve observation of ongoing activities and asking questions of project leaders, teams, and even customers about what they are experiencing. Ask probing questions to discern what's going on at a deeper level to discover what's happening, especially in problem areas. This can often help you uncover issues before they escalate or lessen the impact of current challenges.

2. Make Mid-Course Adjustments

Next, I take action based on what I see and sense. When those in the room are engaging with the music, I might extend the song's length, giving cues to the band as I go along. If those in the room aren’t that engaged, I might end the song early.

Lessons Learned: Once you understand what’s happening beneath the surface with your project teams and even customers, make mid-course adjustments to resolve any newly discovered execution or customer experience issues.

3. Share Feedback

After the worship set, I love to encourage my team members, especially if they hit a couple of rough patches along the way. I also praise individual members for things they did well. Then, I thank all of them for volunteering their time.

Lessons Learned: Be proactive about sharing feedback with your team members. Encourage them if they're struggling and provide support to them as needed. Be sure also to praise them when they do things right. Finally, be sure to thank and even reward your customers for giving you feedback. Doing all these things consistently can lead to happier employees and customers.

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Speaking of support, I would like to thank everyone that has provided such outstanding support for Michael Cantu’s and my book, No-Nonsense Digital Transformation! It's been such an incredible journey. When we launched it, we had no idea that it would debut at the #1 New Release and #2 Best Seller in Information Technology on Amazon.

So, THANK YOU!

We are excited to announce our next leg of the journey—our paperback will be coming out in late February or early March, so stay tuned for a launch date!

In the meantime, if you’d like to learn more, click the button below to get started!

We all have gone through difficult transitions in our lives, some by choice and others not of our choosing.

There’s leaving a place, be it a job or physically moving, where we would love to have stayed but couldn’t.

And then there are the situations where bridges were burning down all around us, and we couldn’t get off the bridges fast enough! 

Either way, it’s not fun, but how you handle these situations can make all the difference in the world.

For instance, you can:

• Learn to recognize and then prevent “burning bridge” scenarios before they start
• Choose to leave situations (good and bad) both intentionally and graciously

By doing so, you can leave those situations with high levels of integrity, self-respect, and goodwill. Here are three things you can try towards this end:

1. Recognize When It’s Time to Leave

How many of us have stayed in a job too long with poor results? It’s happened to me too frequently! Here’s one example:

I had just moved to Kansas City, didn’t know anyone, and had to take any job I could find. I landed a role as an admin at a good company. And I must admit that I admire admins for what they do because I am NOT good at it. I had a great boss, so I could tolerate it at the time. Even so, it was time to leave, but I wasn’t too motivated to make the change. Even so, I was experiencing the following:

• Increasing conflict within myself and with management
• Dissatisfaction with the status quo
• A yearning for something more

Out of this experience, I’ve learned to recognize these signs of when it’s time to leave and then to do just that.

Here’s my advice: Once you recognize signs like this, carefully consider if it’s time to make a move, and then decide accordingly. If you choose to stay, analyze why you’re experiencing these feelings and work towards a resolution.

2. Try to Keep Your Bridges from Burning Down

In this same example, things got intense when new leadership came in. They started me down the path of firing me. Thankfully, I was able to find a great job before they could.

Once I told them I was leaving, I decided to prove that I was not the slacker they thought I was. I prepared desktop procedures for my job, even though they didn’t ask me to. Throughout the whole process, I was respectful. I think all of this shocked them!

Management accepted my two-week notice and gave me the second week off. Woo hoo! In the end, it paid off!

My advice: If you are in a similar situation, be the bigger person--don't burn your bridges. Retaliation and non-conformance will get you nowhere. And you never know, you may have to cross those bridges at a later date.

3. Ensure Continuity

Next, do something like what I did.

Help the next person coming in to fulfill your responsibilities to be successful. A potential benefit is watching abusive leadership reframe what they think of you! Kill them with kindness, I say!


These tips are just scratching the surface. You can do many other things to leave intentionally and graciously. Doing so can bring a sense of satisfaction, self-respect, and higher levels of integrity. And who doesn’t want that?

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Speaking of burning bridges, many companies feel burned by past IT projects that didn’t succeed and now don’t want to step their toes into the water again anytime soon.

That’s one reason why Michael Cantu and I wrote our book, No-Nonsense Digital Transformation! We wrote it with these rightfully cautious leaders in mind.

And we’re excited to announce that we are launching our paperback soon!

If you’d like to learn more, click the button below!

With all the upheaval happening in our world, it’s challenging to successfully navigate change in our personal and work lives.

With that in mind, launching change initiatives in the workplace can cause even greater levels of anxiety and uncertainty. That’s why it’s so important to properly plan for change to ensure your employees are on board with your new initiatives.

You certainly don’t want to subject your change initiatives to chance.

To help with that, here are four tips you can use to help your employees successfully navigate new organizational initiatives:

1. Always Lead with a “Why”

So many leaders jump the gun with their change initiatives without explaining why they are switching things up in the business. Cast a vision to where you’re going so you can bring your employees along for the ride.

Take a clue from a young child. “Why” is a word that is forever on their tongues whenever you ask them to do something! It’s human nature to want to understand what’s behind a request. Many initiatives fail because leaders forget to explain the reasons behind the changes.

2. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate

As you’re leading the organization through change, effective communication of the effort required for a project to successfully transition from where you are to where you want to be is imperative. It’s also about asking for your employees' feedback along the way.

Doing so removes the outward perception of changing for change’s sake and continues to cast your vision so the initiative will experience a greater likelihood of success.

3. Walk a Mile in Their Shoes

Expressing empathy to employees who are most impacted by the changes is ultra-important. Listen with your heart, not just your ears.

Showing you care for them in the midst of upheavals can make all the difference in the world. This can help promote deeper trust in your organization’s leadership and also gain higher levels of buy-in to your change initiatives.

4. Encourage Them to Grow in the Process

Along the same lines, have an open-door policy where employees can talk to you about what they’re experiencing. Allow them room to reflect on the changes they’re going through and coach them through the process. Doing so can open doors to their leadership journey, ultimately benefiting them and the company.


Companies that use strategies like this can help ensure the success of their change initiatives. Properly planning for change, communicating the vision for the planned changes, and supporting employees throughout the process goes a long way towards building a foundation for success.

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These tips are a sampling of the content Michael Cantu and I have included in our #2 Best Selling IT book on Amazon, No-Nonsense Digital Transformation. This book talks extensively about building exceptional teams and creating great cultures, so it isn’t just for digital transformation fans.

Are you interested in learning more? Then click the button below to get started!  

Well, it's a wrap. The year 2021 is in the books, and I know many people who are glad it's behind them!

However, I'm not one of them. Last year was one of the best years I have had in a long time. It was a year for tremendous personal and professional growth, despite all the craziness going on in the world. I've learned for myself that I grow the most when under fire. That certainly was the story of last year for me!

So what has helped me grow during challenging circumstances? Here are three things that inspired my growth, three things I'll continue to do to make 2022 even better than last year:

1. Utilize a Mentor or Coach

I can't emphasize the importance of good mentors or coaches. I have three, and it's been game-changing for me. I can genuinely say that I'm not the same person I was before working with them, and I'm so grateful for their investment in my life.

A great mentor or coach can help you sort through challenges and give you an invaluable outside perspective. They're also great for helping you push through barriers in your mind to more effectively achieve your goals.

Steps You Can Take: If you don't have a mentor or coach, I recommend finding one! Your connections can be an excellent source for referrals to outstanding individuals. And if you are already working with one, fully engaging in the relationship to help ensure accountability is a perfect thing to do.

2. Seek Out and Surround Yourself with Rockstars

My reach into companies is exponential because of the rock star-caliber relationships I have in my life. They make me better at what I do.

A great example is my partnership with Michael Cantu, my process automation strategic partner. Before working with him, I did solo gigs as a process improvement consultant, and they are a dime a dozen in Kansas City. Now I have a steady pipeline of work due to this one relationship.

Steps You Can Take: If you're a business owner or gig worker, your connections can also introduce you to rockstars in your community that can supplement the value you can provide companies. If you're an employee, seek out people in your company with whom you can provide support for each other. If you're a manager or business leader, your employees can be a great source of recommendations for new hires.

3. Push Through Hard Times to Reach Your Goals

In light of the craziness in our world, I've written several blogs on this topic. Here's one about my terrible stint as a wedding singer.

Steps You Can Take: It all comes down to having a don't-give-up attitude, a decision to persevere. Just decide not to give up and go after your goals no matter what comes your way!

 
I hope these ideas gave you some food for thought to help make 2022 your best year yet!

And if you'd like more suggestions, I'd love to hop on a phone or Zoom call with you! I love helping individuals and companies achieve improvement in their lives and businesses.

If that sounds good, click the button below to set up a time to chat!