How many times have you said you would do something for a client or colleague, and you didn’t deliver as promised? Ugh, it’s certainly not a great feeling, especially if you lost their trust or even their business.

There is a better way! You can help prevent similar situations from occurring again by doing two things. I’m sure you’ve heard these “two things” many times before, but I know for me, I like to listen to things repeatedly to remind me of their importance.

Here they are:

Under-Promise and Over-Deliver

There are a couple of ways to go about this:

1. Deliver More than What's Expected

Here’s a good example:

I worked with a local manufacturer to develop a Voice of the Customer process for product development purposes. We had developed the process and realized that automating it would be optimal. At the time, we hadn’t planned on doing this. The CEO asked me to look for process automation platforms that would work for our application.

When we investigated the currently available platforms, there were no cost-effective options. My client wrote off the idea; however, I saw how important this was to them, so I told them I’d try to create a semi-automated one.

For a very reasonable price, I created a PDF process map with links that sent them to whatever documents or systems they needed in the process so that they’d have everything they needed right there at their fingertips.

The CEO was so thrilled with the result! It wasn’t anything they expected, and that made me very happy as well!

2. Deliver Earlier than What's Expected

This idea is self-explanatory, but here’s another example:

Whenever I’m buying something on eBay, I’m always thrilled when it’s something I needed yesterday, and I get it much sooner than promised. If you can do this with your clients, they’ll most likely love that as well!

3. Deliver More and Earlier Than What's Expected

Who doesn’t like getting something beyond what they expect before they expect it? Providing both aspects with your deliveries, especially regularly, will help drive customer satisfaction and customer loyalty.


So, in the end, the philosophy of under-promising and over-delivering your products and services to customers can reap enormous dividends for your company. And who doesn’t want that?

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One thing that makes me super happy these days is the workflow automation platform I sell called Accelerate. If it had been in existence when I was working with my client back in the day, I would have highly satisfied them even more!

If you’re not sure what these platforms are like and would like a quick-read introduction, then check out our brand-new book, No-Nonsense Digital Transformation. It provides an excellent overview of these platforms and discusses their benefits.

If you’re interested in learning more, click the button below.   

Whew, what a week it has been! A LOT of effort goes into launching a new book, but it’s definitely been worth it.

And Michael Cantu and I are excited to announce that our book, No-Nonsense Digital Transformation, ranked as the #1 New Release and #2 Best Seller in Information Technology on the first day! We're pretty pumped!

Now I can rest a bit.

Ah, but wait, I have a newsletter and blog to create, and it’s Friday night at 6:00 pm. What do I do now?

Well, I’m going to try something different this time since no tips nor lessons learned (that I typically write about) are coming to mind. Instead, I’ve decided to write a free flow of consciousness from this brain of mine to yours. I'm not even sure what words will come out as I type this, so this could prove interesting—for you and me! 

One thing I do know—my heart is overflowing with gratitude. I am truly a blessed woman. I recorded a podcast today, and the host asked me what I'm grateful for on my entrepreneurial journey. It got me thinking--

First, I've had so many people who have helped me out on this book journey and my whole entrepreneurial journey, in general. There have been quite a few lean times over the past seven years of Kent Business Solutions being in existence. Thankfully, I’ve had so many coaches, mentors, referral partners, and colleagues that have been my cheerleaders. I'm grateful for all of them, some of whom are reading this now. Without all of their help, I'd probably be working a 9-to-5 job, which is not my cup of tea anymore!

I'm also grateful for the personal growth I've experienced over the last seven years. One thing I do know, I’m not the same person I was when I first started. I’m more confident, grateful, wiser, and now I’m having the time of my life! It’s certainly not been an easy journey, but I wouldn't change anything. The lean and challenging times of being an entrepreneur can either make you or break you, and you can get better or bitter. I've chosen the upside, and it's made all the difference in the world!

Finally, I’m grateful for meaningful work that challenges me every day to be my best self and help others in the process. Helping others is what life’s about, and I’m thankful I have the opportunities to do just that.

So, that’s where I’m at tonight, at 6:40 pm on Friday, November 19, 2021. I hope you enjoyed my stream of consciousness from my brain to yours!


With Thanksgiving around the corner, I’ll leave you with this one question:

What are you grateful for in your life?

If you’d like to share your answer with me, leave a comment below! Or, reach out to schedule a chat! Click the button below to get something on our calendars.

By: Kathy Kent Toney, CEO & Founder of Kent Business Solutions

How does a business leader transform their culture for success?

Many executives, unfortunately, don't have an answer to this question, but knowing the answer is all-important, especially when undertaking digital transformation initiatives.

A recent study by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) discovered that organizations that emphasized culture were five times more apt to achieve breakthrough performance than those that ignored culture. Yet, many business leaders are unsure of how to create these types of cultures.

That’s why my strategic partner, Michael Cantu of Accelerate, suggests the following three things a business leader can do to help transform your culture for success.

By the way, if you’re not a fan of digital transformation, these ideas can help any organization!

1. Encourage Your Team to Talk About Everyday Matters

Let your team members know there won't be any repercussions for talking about what’s on their minds. Companies do best when they’ve created a culture where employees can come to management anytime and talk about their concerns or ideas.

2. Create an Expectation You Will Be Asking Your Team for Feedback

Ask your employees regularly for ideas on the best way to do something. Doing so helps them understand that their feedback is vital and requires them to participate within the business actively.

3. Act Upon Those Items

It's a good idea to talk with your employees about why you can't necessarily do what they're requesting right now. Then, make sure you give them a why. You would still want to keep their suggestion as a viable option and revisit it over time.

Other Things to Think About

Radical Acceptance

One over-arching aspect companies would do best to keep in mind is practicing radical acceptance of their employees. Everyone has differing thoughts and ideas, and many people are afraid of voicing their own opinions or beliefs. This discipline involves accepting each team member's uniqueness.

How to Handle People Stuck in Their Ways

Have one-on-one conversations with employees who appear that they don’t want to change. During these meetings, it's crucial to create a safe place for them so you can discover reasons for their unwillingness to comply. You may be surprised to learn that some are willing to change. There may only be a disconnect in leaders’ minds.  

Next, ask them how you can help them become more adaptable to change. Some answers may be out of their control, but it's helpful if you can redirect them to what is within their power.

If they refuse to change, consider looking for replacements. Bringing in others who champion the type of culture you want can help make your DX efforts run smoother than otherwise.

Before you start replacing people, Michael Cantu has some advice:

“I’ve rarely seen anyone that has been closed off when you talk to them, from a managerial perspective, who didn't open up when they realized their job could potentially be on the line. Either they have started looking for another job—because they don't want to change and do what's required—or they stepped up.”

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Are you interested in learning more about this topic? Well, you'll a perfect opportunity to do just that!


Michael Cantu and I are excited to announce that our new book, No-Nonsense Digital Transformation, will be launching on Amazon on Wednesday, November 17!  We talk about this very topic in the book, including how to build exceptional teams that deliver what's promised.

One final note: if you purchase before November 17, you can still catch the pre-buy sale price of $2.99. Don't miss your chance! Click the button below to get started! 

Wow, what a week this has been with the launch of Michael Cantu’s and my new book, No-Nonsense Digital Transformation!

The results have been pretty incredible: at its peak on Amazon, our book was a #1 New Release in Information Technology, #2 Best Seller in IT, and #4 in AI & Semantics. There’s still room to grow sales because the official book launch is November 17, 2021.

Still, I must admit I wanted to be a #1 Best Seller, and I was disappointed that didn’t happen. I kept questioning whether I could have done something different to achieve the #1 Best Seller ranking.

Then I realized how silly I was acting!

That’s when I decided to leave those thoughts in the dust.

Out of this experience, I thought I’d tell you what steps I followed, to share strategies that might help you more effectively deal with disappointment.

1. Look at the Big Picture

When I zoomed out to look at the big picture, I saw how fortunate I was to have done so well.

This book was our first one. We were learning the ropes as we went along, and the results were beyond what we had initially expected. Now we’ll be more prepared to launch the next book!

In the end, seeing the big picture made it easier to let go of my expectations and the disappointment attached to them.

Lessons Learned: When we zoom out to look at our situations as a whole, this helps curb the tendency to get stuck focusing on just one piece of the pie. And when we can let go of that pie piece, we’ll experience more freedom to be fully present in our circumstances.

2. Be Grateful

This step builds on the first one.

It was so exciting to watch our numbers climb the first day! It helped me realize how blessed I am to be able to bring this book to the world. I’m also blessed to have friends, family, and mentors who have supported me, cheered me on, and helped with the launch. Gratitude became a natural outcome as I reflected on the good things that had happened.

Lessons Learned: Latching onto disappointment and stewing over what could have been often takes away from the good things life offers. Being grateful for what we already have gives us a greater capacity to let go, bringing more enjoyment and beauty to life.

3. Talk to Good Friends

I talked with a couple of friends about this situation, and one suggested that it was too early in the process to arrive at any conclusions. The other said I needed to let go of achieving the #1 position, using the kindest words possible.

By the way, she inspired Step #1!

Lessons Learned: Our friends can often give a different perspective than we would otherwise see. It’s a great go-to strategy, particularly if we’re not in a place to practice Steps #1 and  #2.


I hope these steps prove helpful for navigating through disappointments. They certainly worked for me!

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If you’re interested in learning more about the book, click the button below to get started!

How many of you sometimes find it difficult to slow down and collect your thoughts when under stress? Or, you get so excited that it negatively affects your ability to sleep? Or, on occasion, you experience both but at the same time?

Well, that’s where I’ve been living off and on lately, for a good reason!

Michael Cantu and I are excited to announce that the pre-buy sale of our long-awaited book, No-Nonsense Digital Transformation, is tomorrow! We are pumped, to say the least!

There is so much involved in publishing a book; stress levels (and excitement) have been challenging to manage at times! Thankfully, there are several things I’ve been doing to help stay grounded. Since these are fresh on my mind, I’d like to share them with you!

1. Practice the 5-Senses Grounding Technique

When I’m too excited about something or am stressed out, and my brain is going 90 mph, practicing these grounding techniques helps me. I’ll find a quiet space to focus intently on these five steps, moving slowly from one to the next.

5: Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you. ...
4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you. ...
3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear. ...
2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell. ...
1: Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste.
When you finish, you’ll hopefully feel calmer and more present in your circumstances.

2. Share Your Life with Friends

If you’re anything like me, I work from home with no one but my dogs and bird to keep me company during the day. The isolation can sometimes get to me.

Since I am an external processor, I make it a point to reach out and share my life with friends to have in-depth, authentic conversations. Doing so helps me to stay more centered. And even in times of excitement, it’s so fun to share your recent experiences with friends. That can even uplift them!

3. Journal

I’ve been journaling since my late 20’s, and it has been a lifeline for me. If you have a myriad of emotions you’re experiencing, working through those with pen and paper can be therapeutic. It’s certainly been that way for me.

And there’s proof of how powerful journaling can be. Studies show that journaling can reduce the adverse effects of stress, decrease the symptoms of chronic health conditions, improve clarity, and help with problem-solving.

If you’re not sure how to start, there’s no set formula. Just start! You don’t have to think about what you’re going to say. Just let the words flow.


I hope these tips will help you reduce your stress levels! If you have a chance to try them out, I’d love to hear how they worked for you!

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If you’re interested in learning how to buy our book, email me at [email protected] or click the button below to schedule a short chat. Either way, I’d love to hear from you!