Over twenty years ago, the fabulous thought leader, Tom Peters, introduced us to the notion that we all needed to protect our vocational future by taking responsibility for the development of our career and our personal brand. He was one of the first to suggest that we could no longer rely on the benevolence of our employer.  Tom’s seminal article on this subject, published in the Harvard Business Review, led to a series of books elaborating on this concept…first his own book, Brand You 50, followed then by books like Peter Montoya’s The Brand Called You and Wilson’s & Blumenthal’s Managing Brand You.

Fast forward to twenty years later.  The need for each of us to manage our personal brand is as strong as ever.  What has changed is that the internet has given each of us publishing/broadcasting power to the extreme.  Each of us has access to power equivalent to the The New York Times (through blogging and social media), and to CBS (through YouTube et al).

Hyatt’s book is a seminal piece on how to use this internet enabled power to advance one’s personal brand. He champions platform building as a means of providing each of us with the following potential benefits:

1. “A platform provides visibility. The word platform itself is a metaphor for a stage on which you are elevated above the crowd. It makes it possible for everyone in the audience to see you. This is especially important in the noisy world I’ve described.”

2. “A platform provides amplification. It enables you to be heard above the roar of the crowd. The noise. Modern sound systems leverage natural acoustics and make it possible to speak before tens of thousands of people. Today, modern media—especially social media—provide an opportunity for you to extend your reach even further.”

3. “A platform provides connection. Traditional media platforms make possible a kind of one-way conversation. You “know” the talk show host, the performing artist, or the conference speaker. But social media has taken this to a whole new level. It makes possible two-way conversation—in other words, engagement.”

I loved Michael’s book. Like his blog postings, his writing is well organized and well crafted. He covers the subject thoroughly, from the strategic to the tactical.  And, he shares his own triumphs and shortcomings in a way that provides inspiration that any reader can accomplish what Michael has…so long as they put in the disciplined effort that Michael has.

Perhaps best of all, I loved that Michael book is devoid of the self-aggrandizement that has regrettably become the norm in so many non-fiction books.  Michael lets his wisdom speak for his life success.  And, his is wisdom well worth listening to.

In a day where publishers, booking agents, etc, care as much about the size and quality of your platform as they do about your book, past speeches, et al, this book is a must read AND A MUST DO!

After you have absorbed the wisdom of Michael, I hope you will share with me how his platform insights can be used to accelerate your own success. Connect with me and let’s talk platform building on Google+.

Dave Carpenter is a prolific author, inspiring speaker, and well-known consultant  to professional service firms. Besides writing regularly for this blog,  Dave’s writing can be seen in leading business and personal development  publications. Dave is also the leader of the Accelerate Success mentoring program  where he mentors high performers in a unique program designed to do great things for the favorite charity of each participant.  If you are (1) a high performer who believes you still have untapped potential, and  (2) passionate about a favorite charity, you may want to learn more about this powerful program. You can also follow Dave on Twitter, on Facebook, and/or on Google+.

I hear these concerns from people from all walks of life. From lawyers, doctors, preachers, tradesmen, etc., etc.

When I probe as to why they have their concern, I often learn that the concerns emanate from the fact that the vocation is no longer fulfilling their needs and desires.

Now here is the interesting thing.  In the vast, vast majority of cases, it quickly becomes apparent that it is not really the vocation that is the problem.  The real problem is the situation in which the vocation is performed.  An individual is having difficulty making their vocation work for them.  The individual is working for teh wrong company, or has the wrong partner in their business.  Or, the individual is serving the wrong clients. Or, doesnt have enough business. Or, whatever.

Instead of focusing on fixing the situation, the individual puts all of his or her psychic energy into

Now, with a MBA in finance, years of financial consulting work, and having been the leader of one of the country’s largest financial advisory practices, valuation comes relatively easy for me.  But, for many start-up entrepreneurs, valuation theory is tough stuff.  But, the valuation lessons from the Shark Tank show that you don’t have to be skilled in classical valuation theory to negotiate shark invested waters.  Early stage valuation is generally not, per se, about discounted cash flow (“DCF” is the bedrock of classic valuation theory).

The five elements that you will see the Sharks use most often to quickly size potential value is some combination of the following:

Market size – Obviously, the larger the market, the larger the potential profitability, and therefore the larger the potential valuation.  Most entrepreneurs get this correlation.  But, many lose credibility by suggesting that “every one is a potential buyer for this product or service.”  Sizing the market is all about being realistic with the size of the market.  Everybody who could buy a product will not do so…so size your market realistically.

Profitability – Ultimately, the value of a company will be the discounted sum of future cash flow.  Cash flow will be driven by profitability of the business.  The Sharks get this in spades and are quick to zero in on incremental profitability for every unit sold. “How much will the item be sold for? How much will it cost to produce?” Sad to watch so many presenters on Shark Tank fail to have crisp answers to questions about profitability.  Every investor wants to understand how market potential will get translated to bottom line (profit) success.

Barriers to competition – The larger the market and the greater the profit margins, the more attractive your market space will be for competitors.  Investor Kevin O’Leary carries the flag on this issue, week after week. Count on him to ask “what is to prevent someone from doing the same thing?”  Thoughtful entrepreneurs will be ready for this issue. Patent protection, where available, will show that you are at least sensitive to the issue of creating barriers to competition.  But, patents take a lot of time and money to be finalized, so savvy entrepreneurs will have identified other means of protecting their competitive advantage.  Companies in my Venture Accelerator are strongly encouraged to create — and maintain — serious barriers, beyond just patenting, to competition.

Evidence of progress – Progress does not always strictly equate directly to the creation of value.  But, evidence of progress tends to have investors appreciating that the entrepreneur deserves some value for what has been accomplished. Now, progress is not to be confused with mere effort. Saying you have been working on your start-up for say “sixteen months” is not likely to translate to value for investors. However, having a succinct list of major accomplishments will be helpful in establishing a foundation for valuation.  Ultimately, valuation is predominantly about tangible, financial results.  In a start-up, accomplishments can serve as a proxy, albeit a relatively weak one, for such results.  Know your major accomplishments and work a succinct description of them into your presentation to potential investors.

Investor exit strategy – Every investor ultimately wants to get a return from their investment.  Savvy early stage investors, like the Sharks, are very facile at figuring out how they will get their investment principal, and a fair return, back.  The Shark investors love to use royalty payments as a way to make a claim on every unit sold, thereby setting up a way to get their money back and a return (and then still own a piece of the company).  Of course, large royalty payments are a drain on the cash flow of a start-up, so it is in the entrepreneur’s best interests to proactively offer up a way that investors will get their return (of principal and a fair return on invested capital).  When you are silent on how an investor will get their return, you leave it to the potential investor to tell you how they will get their return.  Seldom will you like what they propose when you do leave it to them to propose the investor exit strategy.

Extent of control needed – Sometimes, investors approach valuation from the other direction. Instead of focusing on what percentage ownership of the company they deserve based on some valuation fundamentals, sometimes investors will decide they need controlling ownership from the get-go.  This decision is often driven by a perception that the entrepreneur can’t be “trusted” to to effectively direct the business.  When this situation occurs, early stage investors will back into the valuation by taking the amount of money you are seeking and divide by their required ownership to solve for the pre-money valuation.  Don’t be giving potential investors the sense that you must be controlled.

Entrepreneurs seeking early stage funding would be wise to be prepared to address each of these areas…ideally even before the issue is raised by the investor. Early stage valuation is very subjective and skilled handling of these elements could make a huge difference in the valuation you are able to achieve in early rounds.

I would love to hear how Shark Tank has refined your approach to valuing your start-up. Connect with me and join the the venture conversation on Google+.

Dave Carpenter is a prolific author, inspiring speaker, and well-known consultant  to professional service firms. Besides writing regularly for this blog,  Dave’s writing can be seen in leading business and personal development  publications. Dave is also the leader of the Accelerate Success mentoring program  where he mentors high performers in a unique program designed to do great things for the favorite charity of each participant.  If you are (1) a high performer who believes you still have untapped potential, and  (2) passionate about a favorite charity, you may want to learn more about this powerful program. You can also follow Dave on Twitter, on Facebook, and/or on Google+.

Shark Tank features five wealthy investors, including billionaire Mark Cuban, who listen to the entrepreneurs short pitch, then ask some pointed questions, and then either make a bid or pass on the opportunity.  The investment level is generally in the $100K to $300K level, although occasionally deals are for more money.  Typical pre-money valuation for the companies range from like $200K to $1MM.

Like all “reality shows,” there are some made for TV type moments.  But, I find the show to be very representative of the investor dance with early stage companies.  Here are four learning points, for entrepreneurs, that come through vignette, after vignette.

• Your personal likability is as important as your product or service – Investors are, first and foremost, investing in YOU!  Smart investors cherish their time and most investors want to invest their time with people that they will enjoy being around.  Investing in a business with a great product (or service) and a royal PitA owner has zero interest for savvy investors.  On Shark Tank, you will see the investors, who see this situation, propose a 100% buyout. Proof they want nothing to do with the entrepreneur, even though they like the product.

• Personal commitment to success of the venture is critical – Investors don’t want to be baby sitters. They want to know that their business partner is going to get up every day thinking and doing with respect to the business.  Hearing about other passions in your life is a big turnoff for most investors.  The Shark Tank investors, like most successful investors, are very focused, driven, high performers. They have little use for entrepreneurs who do not demonstrate being equally driven.
  

• Being able to show progress, of some kind, is very important – No matter what stage of your business, investors want to see evidence that you are successfully overcoming hurdles. They want to know that you have attempted to get revenue traction. And, that when you encountered roadblocks (which you will!), you have found a way to keep moving forward.

• You don’t have to be a business genius, but you do have to understand business basics - You are asking investors to invest in a business.  Successful businesses are run by people having some basic business acumen.  Not having a grasp of profit margins, costs, etc. is a sign, for investors, of likely business failure.  Get smart about business basics. You need not have an MBA, but, at minimum, you must be knowledgeable about basic business concepts.

What is amazing is that these four basics show up as causes of investor disinterest, week after week. And yet, each week a new investor shows up and displays behaviors inconsistent with these basics. Week after week!

Entrepreneurs (and those contemplating being early stage investors) tune in.  Set aside your judgment about a given product or service. Instead, focus on the process of investor inquiry. Watch these savvy investors test for these basics. Every single pitch!

Don’t let any one of these four basics derail your quest for funding. Not with one single potential investor. Master these basics and accelerate your success!

After you have watched a couple of episodes of Shark Tank, I hope you will share with me how the show has sharpened your fund raising skills. Connect with me and join the the venture conversation on Google+.

Dave Carpenter is a prolific author, inspiring speaker, and well-known consultant  to professional service firms. Besides writing regularly for this blog,  Dave’s writing can be seen in leading business and personal development  publications. Dave is also the leader of the Accelerate Success mentoring program  where he mentors high performers in a unique program designed to do great things for the favorite charity of each participant.  If you are (1) a high performer who believes you still have untapped potential, and  (2) passionate about a favorite charity, you may want to learn more about this powerful program. You can also follow Dave on Twitter, on Facebook, and/or on Google+.

Everything in life goes better when we are able to maintain a sense of inner peace. We see better. We hear better. And, we appreciate better all that life serves up to us.

For me, inner peace is so important that that it is one of the three pillars to my Living in the Zone, the philosophy that is the foundation for my Accelerate Success mentoring program.

Because of how important inner peace is to me, I use a wide array of tools and techniques to make sure that I maintain a sense of inner peace…no matter what is going on around me.  And, one of my most important tools is the fabulous CD 101 Ways to Transform Your Life by Dr. Wayne Dyer.

I cherish this CD. For me, it is magical! Truly magical!!

It is near impossible to listen to this CD without beginning to feel more grounded…more at peace with the world and everyone in it.  Wayne’s narrative is so soothing, and his thoughts are so profound.

Best of all, the 101 ways are so diverse that every time you listen you will find yourself resonating with a different thought…fueled by what is, at the moment, going on in your life.

I am such a fan of this CD that it is among the tools distributed to each participant in my Accelerate Success mentoring program.  It really is that powerful!

Dave Carpenter is a prolific author, inspiring speaker, and well-known consultant  to professional service firms. Besides writing regularly for this blog,  Dave’s writing can be seen in leading business and personal development  publications. Dave is also the leader of the Accelerate Success mentoring program  where he mentors high performers in a unique program designed to do great things for the favorite charity of each participant.  If you are (1) a high performer who believes you still have untapped potential, and  (2) passionate about a favorite charity, you may want to learn more about this powerful program. You can also follow Dave on Twitter, on Facebook, and/or on Google+.

Few people in business need to be more capable of being able to tolerate hearing “no” than the founder of a new venture. Even the most successful of founders will hear “no” far more often than “yes” from capital sources, from executive recruits, from joint venture partners, from clients or customers, from vendors, etc. Venture owners must become skilled at persisting even in the face of receiving a crescendo of “no’s.”

Fortunately, there is a simple and inexpensive way to quickly build your tolerance for hearing “no.” My dear friends Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz are renowned experts on this subject and have developed some super resources.

I strongly recommend you purchase the Go For No CD and book. Listen to the one hour CD and you will never again hear “no” in the same way. Then, read the book to learn the details on how to use “no” as an ally, rather than as an impediment to your success. If you want to go beyond the wisdom in the book, you can also order the Go For No course.

After you have absorbed the wisdom of Richard and Andrea, I hope you will share with me how their insights have helped accelerate the success of your venture. Connect with me and join the the venture conversation on Google+.

Dave Carpenter is a prolific author, inspiring speaker, and well-known consultant  to professional service firms. Besides writing regularly for this blog,  Dave’s writing can be seen in leading business and personal development  publications. Dave is also the leader of the Accelerate Success mentoring program  where he mentors high performers in a unique program designed to do great things for the favorite charity of each participant.  If you are (1) a high performer who believes you still have untapped potential, and  (2) passionate about a favorite charity, you may want to learn more about this powerful program. You can also follow Dave on Twitter, on Facebook, and/or on Google+.

There is no end to potential investors. Individual investors, funds and other entities with money to invest are plentiful. But even more plentiful are individuals, funds and other entities masquerading as potential investors. (Discerning the difference between these two groups is imperative and my recent post, Qualifying Potential Investors, explains the importance of discerning between these two groups.)  The combination of these two groups means you are likely talking to a number of potential investors…and you are probably getting frustrated at how slowly those discussions are going.

Welcome to the phenomena of slow dancing. Slow dancing when you need funding quickly can be so frustrating, and so counter-productive, which is why you need to understand why even qualified potential investors so often are into slow dancing.

The five most common causes of slow dancing by investors are:

• Waiting on information from you – I wish I had a dollar for every complaint that I have heard about investor speed where, upon probing, I learn that the entrepreneur still owes the investor additional information. If you have not provided all the information that has been reasonably requested, don’t be complaining about slow dancing. You are the cause of the slow dancing and any complaining is just diverting your focus from completing the information that has been requested.

• Waiting for resolution of market issues - Your venture is not being developed in a vacuum. Frequently, potential investors will delay so they can see how other relevant situations will play out. There are a host of impactful issues, for any venture, where resolution of someone else’s situation may bring more clarity to your situation. The problem with this cause for delay is that there is always new information that would bring additional insights. Left unattended, this kind of delay can go on, and on, and on.
  

•  Desire to get more experience with you - Waiting for external developments is often coupled with the desire by investors to see how your venture will develop over time. An extended slow dance provides an opportunity for the potential investor to gauge the speed with which you can progress how you handle setbacks, and how you hit your marks. These are all legitimate considerations for potential investors. But, dragging-out the observation period unnecessarily is unfair, especially when the entrepreneur stops pursuing other investors because of the depth of the expressed interest (think of the situation as like a slow dance where your dance partners is whispering sweet admiration’s in your ear as the dance goes on and on).
  

• Absence of unanimity of their team -
  
• Negotiating ploy
• Fear of making a commitment

You can’t speed up the dance if you don’t first understand the cause(s) of the slow dance.  And, you can’t understand the causes if you don’t focus on the investor’s needs and issues, more so than your own need for quick funding. When the dancing slows, take the time to understand the likely causes of the slowing.

With most investors being inundated with funding inquiries, understanding investor mentality is more important than ever. If you are struggling raising money, it may be time to learn more about the current market for venture funding. Perhaps it is time to step back from “spraying and praying” potential sources and learn about the unique aspects of the current market. On March 1. 2012, my special report, Getting Your New Venture Funded in the Challenging 2012 Market, will be published. The first 500 readers of this blog requesting a 50% off coupon will be provided with a special discount code. Request your code today even if you are not ready to pre-order this publication, so that you are not shut-out of this exclusive offer which rewards regular readers of this blog. Get your coupon code (no obligation).

If you have questions or comments on slow dancing, I hope you will share them with me on Google+. Connect with me and join the the venture conversation on Google+.

Dave Carpenter  is a prolific author, inspiring speaker, and well-known consultant  to professional service firms. Besides writing regularly for this blog,  Dave’s writing can be seen in leading business and personal development  publications. Dave is also the leader of the Accelerate Success mentoring program  where he mentors high performers in a unique program designed to do great things for the favorite charity of each participant.  If you are (1) a high performer who believes you still have untapped potential, and  (2) passionate about a favorite charity, you may want to learn more about this powerful program. You can also follow Dave on Twitter, on Facebook, and/or on Google+.

By now, you should have a high quality plan (completed in Step 23) that you have tweaked into a thoughtful “final” plan. You hopefully have gotten some constructive feedback from your Board of Advisors (Step 25), with potentially more feedback still to come. You have taken the plan to the next level by creating your Magnificent Milestones (Step 26). And you have identified your support structures with your selection of an All Star Support Team (Step 27), your scheduling of Supporting Events (Step 28), and your Supporting Elements (Step 29).

(If you are a couple steps behind, please, please don’t give up. Finish up as soon as you can. You are so close to the finish line.)

Through your diligence in completing the steps to this point, you have demonstrated the awesome power of combining focus and discipline. I so honor and respect what you have accomplished. While others were buried in year-end holiday activities, you had the presence to stay focused on something that has the power to change your life. And while others will be celebrating with New Year’s resolutions that they picked up over the last week, you have something 100X more powerful than any mere New Year’s resolution.

For tonight, I hope that you will just celebrate your accomplishments from 2011 (summarized by you back in Step 3 ), as well as your latest accomplishment of building a quality personal plan.

Over our journey together in the last month, I expect that you have come to know me well enough to know that I believe that the plan is just a part of the key to your success in 2012Starting tomorrow, it is time for you to get some ACTION traction. A plan without action renders your plan a mere pipe dream. You deserve much better.

Dream It! Plan It! Then, Do It!

In the coming days, I will be sharing with you some keys to getting the most from your plan. I hope that you will return to this site to pick up these pointers, or subscribe to receive posts automatically (either by RSS or by direct email, which you can quickly do to the right of this post).

Well, enough of my chatter. Tonight is YOUR night. I want to leave you with one gift of appreciation for getting to this point with me. Here is a special prayer for you to carry with you throughout 2012.

Finally, I trust that if you conclude that you have benefited from the 2012 Plan process, then you will consider staying with me in 2012. Subscribe to this blog, and/or connect with me on one or more of the major social media platforms. You can follow me on Twitter, on Facebook, and/or on Google+.

I am committed to sharing wisdom and support for you throughout 2012. I want to be celebrating with YOU, next New Year’s eve, the fact that you made 2012 your best year ever.

I am hoping our journey together has just begun.

Best wishes for an enjoyable evening and a super succesful 2012.

Please note: If you have arrived at this step first, it is not too late for you to join other high performers who are collaborating to follow the bite size steps that are unveiled here every day. Get started here.

This blog post was written by Dave Carpenter.  Dave is a prolific author, inspiring speaker, and well-known consultant  to professional service firms. Besides writing regularly for this blog,  Dave’s writing can be seen in leading business and personal development  publications. Dave is also the leader of the Accelerate Success mentoring program  where he mentors high performers in a unique program designed to do great things for the favorite charity of each participant.  If you are (1) a high performer who believes you still have untapped potential, and  (2) passionate about a favorite charity, you may want to learn more about this powerful program. You can also follow Dave on Twitter, on Facebook, and/or on Google+.

By now, you should have a high quality draft plan (completed in Step 23). You hopefully are starting to get constructive feedback from your Board of Advisors (Step 25). You have taken the plan to the next level by creating your Magnificent Milestones (Step 26). And you have begun identifying your support structures with your selection of an All Star Support Team (Step 27) and your scheduling of Supporting Events (Step 28) you plan to attend in 2012.

Before our final celebratory step tomorrow, I want to ask that you do just one more thing. I want to ask that you pile on even more support for yourself. You either have or will soon have your All Star Support Team and your Supporting Events. But, because life can be bumpy, I want you to add in yet a third level of support.

Your success with your plan in 2012 is as much a function of the support that you put in place as it is even the quality of your plan. Please, please, please put in place the depth of support that will enable you to quickly get back on track as soon as you fall off track. And, all of us – no matter how well disciplined we are – are capable of falling off track from time to time.

Your third level of support is to add physical items that will be constant reminders of what you have committed to accomplish in 2012.

What kinds of things will serve as an effective reminder for you? For some, it could be the creation of a dream board or vision board (a collage of images of things you want to accomplish in 2012). For others, it could be a theme song. For others, it might be the selection of a mantra that you might post in a conspicuous place.

What will work best for anyone of us is different for each of us. So, I can’t be more specific as to what to put in place as effective reminders for you.

Just to get your mind thinking of possibilities, I will share with you some of my support elements. I do so not to suggest that you should do the same. I just want you to open your mind to a wide range of support elements.

Because I am such a visual person, I carry with me a leather portfolio that has 8½ x 11 cards that are laminated (for protection because of all the use that they get) and contains key elements of my personal plan. In addition there are pages with items like my personal Success Creed, the lyrics from the song “The Prayer,” a list of Debbie Ford’s terrific Spiritual Antidotes, and a list of Dan Sullivan’s fabulous Laws of Lifetime Growth. I have a laminated listing of the phone numbers for all of my All Star Support Team. I have a listing of role models that I have chosen for each of the items of importance in my plan. And the portfolio includes depictions of some of the biz models I use to drive my various businesses. All in all, there are twenty of these double sided laminated cards. (I leave little to chance; the cards are on green stock to emphasize the “GO” image that works for me.)

When I am home, the leather portfolio sits atop the desk in my office. And, it travels with me as I crisscross the country to serve my consulting clients. The point is that my plan is not gathering dust on a shelf…I carry it with me all the time. And, I regularly study it for it is my roadmap for success.

My freinds chuckle at my laminated cards, but they have long served me very, very. very well. (And, made me good friends at FedEx/Kinkos where they have inudustrial strength  laminating machines.)

Providing additional back-up support is my monthly reading of Success Magazine. I am a huge believer in this magazine, and I love the accompanying CD that, every month, contains helpful interviews with successful people from all walks of life.

You probably will not be surprised to know that I support myself with a theme song – Step by Step by the fabulous Michael W. Smith. I wear out this CD…and I mean that literally. (You can watch Michael perform this song on video here.)

I could go and on. What you hopefully are beginning to understand is that I surround myself with items that are constant reminders of what I am trying to accomplish. If and when I find myself getting bumped off the rail (plan), I am surrounded by powerful reminders and images that help me to quickly get back on track.

The size and quality of your All Star Support Team, of your list of Support Events, and of Support Elements will have a HUGE impact on your ability to turn your 2012 Plan into reality…to achieve the success that you deserve in light of your incredible strengths.

This last step before our celebration tomorrow can be easy one to put off. Please don’t. Start putting in place the support you deserve. As just one example, for only $30 you can subscribe to Success Magazine and get twelve monthly reminders of the success you deserve (plus a whole lot of wisdom). For a buck, you can download an uplifting theme song to your IPhone. (Heck, at no cost you can subscribe to this blog so as to get support throughout the year. )

Remember, the more support you have around you in 2012, the more likely you will be to keep ongoing, even in the face of adversity. And, all of us will encounter some adversity in 2012. What you want to do is build in support levels before adversity happens. You want the support levels to cushion the blows promptly. You don’t want to just wait to you hit adversity and then hopefully have the presence of mind to go get the right support.

Well, there you have it. As a result of your diligence in following this step-by-step process, you have a thoughtful plan and hopefully you now have in place three levels of tremendous support. Tomorrow, we will celebrate together. Don’t miss my final message for you.

Then on New Year’s eve, I look forward to celebrating your significant accomplishment of creating an inspiring personal plan for 2012, one that includes Magnificent Milestones, an All Star Support Team and some events to help you accelerate your success.

The finish line is just one step away. Finish strong and finish in style.

When you have completed Step 29, you can access the final step here .

Please note: If you have arrived at this step first, it is not too late for you to join other high performers who are collaborating to follow the bite size steps that are unveiled here every day. Get started here.

This blog post was written by Dave Carpenter.  Dave is a prolific author, inspiring speaker, and well-known consultant  to professional service firms. Besides writing regularly for this blog,  Dave’s writing can be seen in leading business and personal development  publications. Dave is also the leader of the Accelerate Success mentoring program  where he mentors high performers in a unique program designed to do great things for the favorite charity of each participant.  If you are (1) a high performer who believes you still have untapped potential, and  (2) passionate about a favorite charity, you may want to learn more about this powerful program. You can also follow Dave on Twitter, on Facebook, and/or on Google+.