I was just interviewed on Allegiance Radio today. In this 30 minute discussion, you will hear:
Thank you, Jeff Olsen, for inviting me today. Here is the link for you to enjoy.
copyright 2011, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.
Are you proud enough of your company to broadcast your annual meetings? Are you willing to enroll strangers--not just business partners--in the future success of your business?
Zappos certainly is.
In the true spirit of transparency, my friend Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos, will be live streaming the company kickoff meeeting on Thursday, May 5 from 4pm- 8 pm ET.
Zappos has been a fan of my book since 2009, and it's suggested reading in their business library. One of the areas that Tony and I can agree on is that more companies need to be completely open about what is working in their company, and what is not. For Zappos, core values drive the culture, not the ups and downs of parent company Amazon's stock price. Zappos uses their kickoff meetings to showcase those key points, not just to motivate and inspire teams.
Special guests Scott Harrison, founder of Charity Water www.charitywater.org and Dave Logan, co-author of Tribal Leadership www.triballeadership.net will be speaking at the Zappos Family All Hands Meeting.
You're invited to view this meeting online and take a peek into Zappos' culture. The event will be webcasting Thursday May 5, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Pacific time. If you can't view it live, they will make the recording available.
Click the link below to RSVP.
https://zapposinsights.infusionsoft.com/link/133e8e6ce0/1ecdbe0
How can you incorporate some of their ideas into YOUR organization and drive a more successful growth plan? I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
copyright 2011, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.
Last week, Jigsaw (a Salesforce.com company) hosted a webinar entitled “Four Strategies to Energize Growth and Thrive in the Recovery.”
During the webinar, I examined four essential business planning strategies you must consider as you plan for 2011 growth. You will also hear contemporary examples of B2B companies who have discovered breakthrough service and relationship strategies in competitive market sectors.
Click here to download this 45 minute program.
Copyright 2010, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.
Ten Rules for Modern Mastermind Groups
What is a mastermind group, and why should you care? They may just be the secret weapon to help you outpace your competitors and weather these stormy economic seas.
In the 1930’s, wealth expert and author Napoleon Hill defined a mastermind group as “the coordination of knowledge and effort of two or more people, who work toward a definite purpose, in the spirit of harmony.” Well before he authored Think and Grow Rich, Ben Franklin introduced a similar model.
In 1728, at the ripe young age of 21, Franklin created a club of mutual improvement called a junto (pronounced “hoon-toe”). Franklin was struggling to grow his printing business, and knew he could not do it alone. The junto, which comprised seasoned tradesmen, a bartender, and an astrologer, gave him the boost he needed to thrive. As a side benefit, this group surreptitiously shaped public opinion.
Whatever you prefer to call these special societies, you will notice they have withstood the test of time, and have created fortunes for thousands, if not millions. Today, you can find juntos in Paris, London, New York, and parts between.
Continue reading "The Secret Weapon To Help You Outpace Your Competitors" »
Your business is a living organism – something that has potential to grow and thrive long after you’ve played your role in it. Yet many firms are still smarting from a very tough recession, and feel like they are on life support. The “new normal” has accelerated industry consolidation, longer sales cycles, fee pressures, and tight credit. If you are a seriously growth-oriented B2B company, what can you do to ensure that you swiftly return to wealth creation mode?
Continue reading "Seven Wealth Builders That Most B2B Companies Ignore" »
Chip Conley and his investors were forced to make some tough decisions.
Several months ago, Conley, the CEO of Joie de Vivre Hotels in San Francisco, California, witnessed competing hotels facing potential foreclosure. According to the Wall Street Journal, "there is about $5.6 billion in securitized mortgages tied to hotels coming due this year and next...27.8% cover properties now estimated to be worth less than their mortgage balances." (source: Trepp LLC's Foresight Analytics). Billions of dollars of mortgages are coming due in the coming years. Analysts are forecasting that the hotel industry will not regain its full strength until 2013.
Photo courtesy of Chip Conley
Continue reading "How to Promote "Joie De Vivre" With New Investors" »
I barely survived three "mergers" in my 27 year career. Most proved to be greedy land grabs motivated by impatient investors, stagnation, or bored founders.
Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh's new book, "Delivering Happiness," and his stock sale to Amazon prove to me that some mergers may just be made in heaven.
photo courtesy Jake Chessum
Read this Inc. Magazine article and hear Tony's first hand account of the acquisition. Amazon's willingness to offer a "quitting bonus" speaks volumes of the positive impact of Zappos' culture on other successful organizations.
To what degree do your values and culture drive defining moments in your company?
If you rated yourself low on that question, order your copy of "Delivering Happiness" now. A "rags to riches" story well worth reading.copyright 2010, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.
I just completed a highly interactive, fun half-day growth planning session with several of the titans of Finnish business. The general economic malaise that Greece has generated has clearly instilled a sense of trepidation among many of these leaders. In light of the recent barrage of natural disasters, economic crises, and Senate hearings, how much are these companies willing to take risks and grow?
In Finland, the CEOs I met are deeply concerned about the future of their economy. Rightly so. Although they are very committed to international trade, they are not innovating at a rate that would propel today's startups towards rapid or top line growth. Their economy is heavily dependent on a few large companies, such as Nokia, Onninen, and Stora Enso. My friend Kirsti Lindberg-Repo, a seasoned Adjunct Professor of Marketing at Hanken School of Economics and five time author, has tested this. At a recent seminar, she asked Finnish CEOs "What holds Finnish companies back from becoming the next Nokia?" One response caught her by surprise: "The CEOs themselves do not want to grow." In other words, they are happy running a slow-growth company as a lifestyle business.
Kirsti Lindberg-Repo, Heikki Lehmusto, and Lisa at Kosmo Restaurant in Helsinki
Petteri Kilpanen offers a completely different view. As CEO of TBWA/Helsinki, one of the top five advertising agencies in Finland, he refuses to accept slow growth as the answer. "Three years ago, our operation employed 50 people. We found ourselves competing against many other agencies for advertising campaigns. I decided this was not enough to help Finnish companies. I wanted to shift our focus from providing advertising and marketing strategies to helping them grow their businesses and think bigger."
That's exactly what he and his team accomplished. Over the next three years, the company developed innovative educational programs. They grew 30 per cent annually and expanded to 300 professionals. They proudly work with organizations such as Nokia, Apple, and Nordbank.
Ask these three questions to assess your own tolerance and preparedness for risk and growth:
1. Which projects or growth ventures are draining our company or threatening our growth potential? If you’re like many entrepreneurs, you may have fallen prey to the feeling of “we cannot afford to say no to any client business this year,” and may have inherited your competitors’ nightmare clients.
2. What shiny pennies are destroying our growth potential? Shiny penny syndrome is a chronic habit of becoming easily distracted by new ideas that appear on your “business sidewalk.” It’s easy to be blown off course and seduced by the latest fad (e.g. social media, anyone?) Continually focus on what you do best. Allow for some flex time in your daily tasks, just in case a great opportunity or unexpected situation arises.
3. What stage of growth are we experiencing, and what can we do to scale the next wall? Unless you understand what stage of growth you’re facing, your key performance indicators (KPIs) won’t mean anything. In fact, they will just create busy work. Be clear on the emotional and political dynamics that a startup faces, and how they differ from a rapid growth company or a business facing its end of life phase. Be clear where your company fits on that life cycle map. (you can find the "Stages of Growth" map in my book).
As the economic turnaround continues, you must outline a growth plan that fits your values and vision. And you need to dig deep to find the courage to invest in new top line generating venutures. Without them, you will never see the "Finnish line."
Copyright 2010, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.
Last month, I met with Michel Kripalani, CEO of Oceanhouse Media in San Diego California. What an enlightening conversation! I just had to share it with you. His company offers three of the bestselling apps for the iPhone, and has developed more than 80 of them to date. (More on the way for the iPad).
Oceanhouse Media doesn't just develop new apps for the iPhone and iPad--they truly model the traits of a wealthy company. Michel and his team have successfully balanced intense focus with creativity and innovation. Whether you are a struggling startup or a successful growth company, you will benefit from Michel's pearls of business wisdom.
In this 25 minute interview, you will hear Michel's practical growth strategies and ideas on:
* the changes that caused him to shift from a "corporate" business model to "virtual" business model
* why he transitioned from the gaming market to the self-help and children's education markets
* the distinction between money and wealth
* how Oceanhouse rapidly reached profitability through risk-sharing
* surprising KPI's that keep the Oceanhouse teams responsive to customer needs and market changes
Click here and enjoy the interview. You may just discover a "new app" to grow your business.
http://www.energizegrowth.com/audio/M_Kripalani_032910.mp3
Copyright 2010, Lisa Nirell. All rights reserved.
