Author Archives: Steve Coxsey

Multiple Profit Centers 101

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Barbara Winter may not have invented the idea of multiple profit centers solely, completely on her own. But she helped make the idea clear and accessible to many people by pulling together many of the details and considerations. She first talked about multiple profit centers DECADES ago, long before she wrote Making A Living Without A Job, which was nearly twenty years ago.

In a recent blog post she provides a fantastically concise, cogent overview of the power of incorporating multiple profit centers. It’s a quick read so check it out by clicking here. If you’re intrigued, pull out your copy of Making A Living Without A Job and review that section.

Don’t have a copy? Not yet? No problem! Click here and order one today!

Don’t TAKE Plenty of Business Cards… COLLECT Plenty

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You hear it from business development and marketing coaches and consultants everywhere, again and again.

When you go to a networking event, a presentation, a group event, or any place you can talk about your business, take plenty of business cards with you.

I think they’re wrong. (Are you really surprised?) Don’t misunderstand. If someone asks for your card it’s great to have one to give. But taking plenty puts you in the mindset of trying to pass them out. That’s how they wind up in the recycle bin later that night as people clean out their pockets.

Instead, go with the mindset of collecting business cards. Not every business card from every person, but a business card from each person you want to contact later. That gives you a specific mission at the event.

What’s the point of passing out business cards? It’s to give people a way to remember your name and have your contact information so they can follow up with you. As they stand in front of the recycle bin shuffling through the cards they collected, they’re looking and thinking, “Am I really going to e-mail this person?”

~Toss~

Or they put your card in the “keep” pile, a sticky, crumpled collection held together with a rubber band and thrown in a drawer, easily forgotten.

Since the point is to have people remember your name and continue the conversation, it’s better to take charge and not leave it up to them. Instead of approaching each person with the thought, “Is this person likely to hire me?” or, “Does this person maybe know someone who will hire me?” think, “Can I help this person in some way?”

If you approach each conversation listening for an opportunity to be helpful, you have a reason to follow up afterwards. When you hear a way you can be helpful, ask for the person’s card. Jot a note on the back about the kind of information you can send, like the name of a reliable plumber or directions to a hole-in-the-wall restaurant or an article you just read with some unique investment advice. It doesn’t need to be about your business or your expertise. Just be willing to help.

When you send the e-mail or make the phone call you get another chance to connect. Because you care you come across as more likeable. That makes the other person more interested in learning about you. You can offer to meet for coffee or lunch to learn more about the other person. Notice I didn’t say pitch your services to that person. Include your business information in your e-mail signature and be ready to talk about your business – when the other person asks.

Be a person worth knowing. Be interested in other people. Let people get to know you. Then they’ll be comfortable working with you or sending their friends and family to you. Walk into any event planning to be that person.

Worker Bee

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This surprised me at first. I coach and train people with themes like “don’t follow the herd” and “free yourself from the hive mind.” I mainly work with people who are leaders or are becoming leaders, stepping up to take charge so they can bring their ideas to life. Adaptable, flexible, and creative are abilities I want to keep improving in myself and help other people develop and improve.

So when I first realized I was a worker bee, and I liked it, I was surprised.

This year is my third year on the board of directors of a non-profit agency in my area, and my fifth volunteering as a committee member. As this commitment started winding down (I’m letting it wind down because it’s far enough away that meeting for an hour and a half takes up to four hours of my time with travel) I looked for a different volunteer opportunity.

My younger son started middle school this year so I decided to look for an opportunity there. It’s also his first year in public school, after spending his elementary years in a wonderful Montessori school. It’s a huge adjustment for him. The public school structure and format are completely new to him, the school is enormous compared to his two-room elementary, and, well, it’s middle school.

It’s a big adjustment for me, because I knew the administrator and the business manager and my son’s teacher very well. The Montessori cycle keeps a child in the same class for three years, and with some changes as the school downsized my son had additional years with one teacher.

I also knew two of the teachers in the youngest classroom because they had worked for us at the preschool my family owned. The Spanish teacher, who was also the art teacher, became a good friend, as well. They are like extended family. No, forget that! They are like the extended family I wish I had. They are special people who have been a huge part of my son’s early life and left an impact on both our lives. Heck, a lot of them are even friends with my mother since she volunteered and substituted at the Montessori school.

At the Montessori school I volunteered with “student store,” as I recount in Demystifying Marketing. I went on field trips. I even helped teach creative writing for a few months one year.

So when my son left his second home, the wonderful Montessori school, and headed off to the gargantuan new school in the brand new building with six hundred other students, we both lost an important part of our lives. I wanted to have some kind of connection to his new school, even though it couldn’t possibly be the same. And I was looking for a volunteer opportunity with little driving involved.

When the volunteer opportunities were listed “library” seemed like a manageable commitment so I checked it. At the orientation I signed up for a couple of shifts to give it a go.

I found out I like it. I can choose to volunteer once a week to once a month. I can even take a month off if I need to. I go in for two hours and fifteen minutes, and the total drive time round trip is twenty minutes or less. It’s a new library in a new building so sometimes I help organize shelves. Sometimes I help label shelves. Sometimes I put returned books back on the shelves, and sometimes I put the books back in the correct order.

I also laminate and cut out laminated pieces. Yes, they trust me with the machine with the heating coil and the heavy rollers!

Sometimes I check out books when students come to the library, and sometimes I check books in.

None of this is very difficult. Most of it takes little thought. I do a simple organizing task or laminate and cut out a stack of printed pieces. I don’t have to figure out much. I don’t have to solve challenging problems.

And I like it!

For the two hours and fifteen minutes, I have a list of things to do. By the time I leave, either I have finished a project or two, or completed one section of a larger project. The work is mainly about putting things in order. Books go in order on the shelves, labels are printed to direct people to the right shelf, cards for math class are covered in hot plastic and trimmed to be useful materials. I don’t have to figure out what to do or how to do it. I just follow a list.

I definitely wouldn’t want to do that every day. I would go nuts if most of my work were this way. But for a couple of hours two or three times a month, it’s a peaceful respite. I think it might be similar to walking a meditative labyrinth.

At the end of my time a task is done, order is restored in one corner of the universe, and entropy is resisted once again.

And I leave refreshed and ready to tackle some prickly challenges with my adaptability, flexibility, and creativity, in true Trailblazer style.

Do-It-Myself

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I’ve noticed a theme in the self-employment blogosphere and ezineosphere lately.

Is ezineosphere even a word? It is now!

The common message from several business consultants, marketing experts, and coaches is…

Don’t do it yourself!

I’ve read a lot of posts and articles lately on the importance of getting help with some tasks so you’re free to shine you’re beautifully shiny shine in other tasks.

Makes sense. Except when it doesn’t.

I just spent a frustrating few hours – maybe three or four cumulative over the past twenty-four – wrangling with my autoresponder to send out my latest newsletter. It may be that there were updates to the system that I have to get used to. It may be that I haven’t sent out a newsletter since we were in the long hot siege of endless days over 100 degrees. But it was pretty d@*&!# hard to get everything right this time.

The last hurdle, or hassle, I had to overcome had me stumped so I had to call customer support. The guy reminded me I didn’t pay for a support package, but he helped me anyway (thanks, dude), because my problem was:

“I can’t send my newsletter!”

Turns out there’s something glitchy in the way the editor panel deals with HTML code when you paste it in. The hard line breaks disappear, and then the system warns you that your HTML lines are too long. It takes your breaks and then says YOU screwed up!

Did you just get confused by that last paragraph? Then I’m doing well making my point. You see, after these hassles, one suggestion would be for me to hire someone to take my words and format my e-mail and send it out. But if I did that, I wouldn’t understand why there was a problem or know how to prevent it in the future.

Other than my insatiable curiosity wondering how things work, I could probably be fine outsourcing my newsletter publication. Okay, probably not fine, but I think I could handle it. The thing is, I work with a lot of solo entrepreneurs and I have lots of colleagues who are solo entrepreneurs. I help people learn how to do basic marketing things so they can use the confidence that comes from new skills to stand up to their fear and uncertainty.

I coach and train around the theme of Trailblazing, for goodness sake! That’s about being adaptable and flexible, ready to take on new challenges so you can take charge in your own life. While it’s possible for people to get help (or hire it) for all the areas of their projects and businesses they don’t know how to do, it’s more empowering to learn some new things along the way.

So I like being in charge of formatting and publishing my newsletter. That means when I’m talking to someone who wants to start a newsletter, I can talk about what I do. It’s not that advanced and it doesn’t involving hiring someone, which most people at the start-up phase aren’t ready to do.

And if I keep things simple enough that I can manage them, then I’ll be teaching self-employed people skills that are simple enough that they can manage them, too.

I do wonder if it’s a justification. Am I being too controlling, or maybe too cheap?

Could be! But mainly I want to be able to tell someone, “I know you can do this. Let me show you how.”

What do you think about hiring help versus doing things yourself? Join the conversation by leaving your comments.

The Karen Vignette

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The return of cooler weather has stirred my appreciation of whimsy and reawakened my hope. Not abstract political hope, like “maybe things will change,” but real, true hope that comes from a hint of proof that important things are beginning to happen.

By important things, I mean, No, my brain did not bake completely in the heat wave. As the siege of heat ends, I again have room in my mind for more thoughts than just seeking shade. Yes, I can still catch the quirky moments. Maybe, just maybe, Pedro Almodóvar is directing scenes in my life again.

Standing in the slow-moving line this morning at Einstein Brothers’ Bagels, I was trying to practice ideas I’m reading in Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting out of the Box. “That droopy faced, hunched over young woman in line is a person, not just an object in my way. Maybe she’s not spreading her miserable mood and seeking pity. Maybe she just feels bad today.” People, not objects. People, not objects.

Then, finally, it was time for the two objects – I mean people – in front of me to give their orders. They were a man and woman, probably a couple based on both their mutual disinterest and their familiarity with one another.

The order taker asked, “Name?” and the gentleman replied. I didn’t hear, and neither did the order taker. He looked directly at the man and hummed, “Hmm?”

“Karen,” the man responded. The look of surprise disappeared nearly immediately from the order taker’s face as he bent down to write the name on the order. The man smiled a little, pointed at his female companion, and then slowly reached out to touch her lightly on the shoulder, in a playful way, as if to say, “Today, we will be you, not me.”

Or maybe he was just gesturing to show the order taker that he was not, in fact, named Karen, but his companion was.

Several minutes later, the orders were slowly being filled by the people – not objects – behind the counter, people with perfectly good reasons for going slowly, I kept reminding myself, thinking about the self-deception book. Eventually Karen and company got their bagel sandwiches. The guy delivering them to their table asked if they had gotten their mocha cappuccino yet, and they hadn’t. He went behind the counter to make it and Karen headed across the room to get forks and napkins.

The mocha maker called out, pretty loudly, “Hey, Karen! Do you want whipped cream on your mocha?” Karen turned, looked at him, and then spun towards her companion, sitting at the table across the room, and swept her hand towards him, as if introducing him on stage. As if to say, “You wanted to be Karen today, so now you get to be Karen!”

He looked back at the mocha maker and replied, “Yes,” strongly and clearly.

I had to hold the chuckle back and only smile a little, because they were complete strangers in a public setting. Even though it was staged with three people at distant points in the restaurant, even though it resembled theater in the round, it was not meant for my amusement. At least not by the actors. I think the scriptwriter was enjoying giving the spectators a good time at their expense.

I have no idea if this scene translates well in writing. I have no idea if other people would enjoy the humor of it if they witnessed it as I did. Maybe I’m just a story nerd, enthralled by things others find mundane. But I want to capture it and share it, because in doing so I capture the whimsy that gave me hope by telling me the siege of summer is over, life is not just a heat endurance test, and there is time to relax and enjoy now that fall is on the way.

Have a great day, Karen!

Trailblazing Media July 7, 2011

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Enjoy this week’s episodes of Trailblazing Media!

Trailblazing TV was simulcast with the first segment of Trailblazing Radio. Both shows are titled “Embrace Freedom.”

Here’s the introduction to the TV show:

“Simulcasting is hard work! This video performance is a little more raw than usual because it was recorded along with the first segment of Trailblazing Radio. The topic for both shows: What does it mean to celebrate life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Beyond financial freedom, and beyond the freedom to quit a miserable job? Watch the episode and then go to TrailblazingRadio.com for the second segment. And enjoy the behind-the-scenes look at the production of the radio show!”

It was surprisingly challenging to be recording the radio show and TV show at the same time. I use notes for the radio show to keep me on track, but I usually record the TV show with no script. Using the notes interrupted my comfort with the camera, and having the camera interrupted my connection with the microphone. That means it was a great new experience and a chance to learn!

Watch the TV episode here.

The first segment of Trailblazing Radio is the TV show, where I discuss how my beliefs about freedom guide my work and the way I serve people. In the second segment, not available on the TV show, I talk about how my beliefs around freedom guide my personal life and even my political views.

Politics? Yep. Questioning people’s political cheerleading has cost me Facebook friends, but I think political views are worth questioning and discussing.

Click here to listen and then leave a comment about what freedom means to you.

Since the featured resource for the radio show is the e-book Worklife Liberation, it’s a great time to remind you about the month of shows on Tapa Palapa on that same theme. Take the time to listen to all four of them in order, and enjoy the mix of light-hearted fun and serious discussion that co-host Francie Cooper and I include in each episode.

Click here for all the episodes on this topic.

I appreciate your comments. They let me know when my ideas are helpful and give me direction on ways to serve you better.

May you know the joy of sharing your strengths,

Steve Coxsey
The Trailblazing Coach (TM)

Trailblazing Media June 30, 2011

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The Traveler isn’t published this week so I’m posting my Trailblazing Media updates here.

The latest episode of Trailblazing TV is available. It’s called “Experience is Earned.” Here’s the introduction:

“We don’t do something flawlessly from the beginning, again and again, and call that experience. Experience means facing challenges and tough times. It means struggling and experimenting and overcoming. When we do that things get messy. Crap piles up. So what should we do with all of it?”

I discovered after I recorded that I accidentally turned on HD recording in widescreen format. That means this episode has a 16:9 ratio and is a little less clear. I had to shrink the HD video to keep it within the size limits, but then Vimeo expanded it to fill the screen so the resolution isn’t as good as I would like. But that means – while recording a tip about the messiness of gaining experience, I was mucking along gaining experience – – accidentally!

To see the episode click here.

The latest episode of Trailblazing Radio takes a controversial stand on the Law of Attraction and what it seems to be missing – especially according to strong research on what it takes for people to accomplish their goals and get what they want.

Episodes of Trailblazing Radio are around 10 minutes long so you can listen easily on your computer or download a show to your iPod or other MP3 player and listen on your way somewhere. Leave a comment with your thoughts on the Law of Intention compared to the Law of Attraction.

Listen to this week’s episode by clicking here.

If you didn’t get a chance to hear each weekly episode of Tapa Palapa as it was produced the summer is a great time to catch up. Tapa Palapa is a little more light-hearted than Trailblazing Radio because of my effervescent co-host Francie Cooper. You’ll laugh as you listen and come away with some really useful ideas. Check out our monthly theme on the greater good, called “Life is Bigger Than You.”

Click here for all the episodes on this topic.

I appreciate your comments. They let me know when my ideas are helpful and give me direction on ways to serve you better.

My you know the joy of sharing your strengths,

Steve Coxsey
The Trailblazing Coach (TM)

Trailblazing Media June 23, 2011

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The Traveler isn’t published this week so I’m posting my Trailblazing Media updates here.

The latest episode of Trailblazing TV is available. It’s called “Dwell in the Question.” Here’s the introduction:

“If you rush to come up with a solution you might skip over identifying the real problem. It’s a lot easier to rush to pick a solution to some problems than it is to saute and simmer in the frustrations and conflicts that define those problems. But that’s where you have to stay, discomfort and all, to get the question right.”

No, it’s not a screen test for a cooking show! It just seemed the best way to add a visual to the concept of immersing yourself in something and becoming aware of all the parts contributing to the sauce – err, conflict.

To see the episode click here.

Trailblazing Radio is filling the schedule while Tapa Palapa is on summer break. The latest episode is about another important resource you need to manage in your Trailblazing life – time.

The format of Trailblazing Radio allows me to focus on a narrow topic and give you a couple of useful tips. But it’s still a short program. The current episode is 10 minutes 15 seconds long.

Listen to this week’s episode by clicking here.

The summer break is a good time to catch up on past episodes of Tapa Palapa. It’s a little more light-hearted than Trailblazing Radio because of my effervescent co-host Francie Cooper, but it’s still full of useful ideas. I recommend that you listen to our shows on “Play is Serious Work” as we head into summer.

Click here for all the episodes on this topic.

I appreciate your comments. They let me know when my ideas are helpful and give me direction on ways to serve you better.

My you know the joy of sharing your strengths,

Steve Coxsey
The Trailblazing Coach (TM)

There Is A Season

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Perhaps I’m unoriginal. Perhaps I’m obsessing and can’t let go of this thought. Perhaps I’m just perseverating (look that one up!). But the topic of flexibility has grabbed hold of my mind and demands to be heard.

For last week’s episode of Trailblazing TV I chose the topic “Practice Flexibility.” The tip is about ways to keep trying new approaches so you can stay adaptable.

A few days later I was talking with Francie Cooper, Life Coach, my friend and co-host of the Tapa Palapa internet radio show. We realized we were both thinking a lot about flexibility and adaptability. It was the theme showing up for our clients and it was the theme banging on the doors of our own lives. We decided to name our season finale show “Go Gumby!” and talk about ways to stay limber to prepare for changes, both expected and unexpected .

For this week’s episode of Trailblazing TV I had the topic chosen days in advance. It’s been a time of change in my world. A lot of people around me are going through significant transitions, some heading up and some heading down in their work lives or in their relationships. On top of that, my son graduated from his Montessori school, so he heads off to middle school in the fall. Sadly, it was the last year the school will operate because of changes in the community and a city street project that is going to take a big piece of the property.

These events leave me a little melancholy. To everything there is a season. But the positive side of that is the possibility for improvement and renewal that change brings. That’s why I called this week’s episode of Trialblazing TV “Everything’s A Play Project.” I realized as I was editing and formatting it that it’s a message about being flexible and adaptable, too.

With Tapa Palapa going on hiatus for the summer while Francie is busy with other projects, I started looking at ideas for recording a podcast of my own. I “dug through” my computer files and found the recording I made in November as a sort of pilot episode for a podcast. It was shortly after Francie and I had planned our first month of themed shows. I had suggested improvisation as a theme in our discussion. We decided to go with a different theme so I wanted to capture my thoughts on the value of improvisation. Improvisation, of course, is about flexibility and adaptability.

For me that’s full circle. As Francie and I were starting our first season of Tapa Palapa, I had improvisation on my mind. As we finished up, we both had flexibility and adaptability on our minds. We ended where we began. Since things have beginnings and endings, we all need to be ready for change.

You can listen to my “Twisting Road Travelcast” by clicking the triangle below, or chose to play it in a separate window or download it to your computer. If you use an iPod or other MP3 player, that’s the way to get the file so you can transfer it to your device.
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In the show I talked about a video interview by John Williams, author of Screw Work, Let’s Play!. If you click here to go to the original post of the podcast you can see that video.

I also mentioned an e-book I was formatting. It contains ten of the most surprisingly good (surprising to me!) articles I wrote for people new to marketing. They reduce the concepts into everyday language that marketing newbies can understand. I finished it shortly after recording the podcast and put everything in place so I could start giving it to anyone who signed up for my newsletter. That’s the standard thing to do – give away something to entice people to give you their e-mail addresses.

But to everything there is a season. I’m not doing the standard thing any more. I decided to do the Trailblazing thing. I’m giving it away with no strings. You don’t have to sign up for anything. Just go to AnythingButMarketing.com and you can download it there. If you decide to sign up for my newsletter while you’re there I certainly won’t mind!