But oh my Lord. I’ve been watching a marathon of Restaurant Stakeout. If you haven’t seen this show, restaurateur Willie Degel comes to the aid of frustrated restaurant owners by secretly observing a few days of action in their respective restaurants. Then after watching footage that would make a priest curse, he and the owners confront the staff. Willie not only gets on the staff, but points out the deficiencies with the owners as well.The common thread with most of these companies is lack of leadership. It’s easy to blame the employees for their nasty attitudes. But if the owners set down some guidelines, policies and procedures, and follow up on discipline for employees, their restaurants wouldn’t be doing so poorly.

And for the employees, some of them with the nasty attitudes need to be fired. You don’t allow any employee to be nasty towards customers. Communication and leadership are so important. Business is business. Now one can argue that the show is scripted. But so what. I still find some great learning lessons for small business owners of all kinds..not just restaurant owners. Here are five learning lessons from Restaurant Stakeout:

Lesson #1- Train your employees to be experts in your business. If you have wait staff, they should know your menu inside and out. They should be able to answer questions about menu items without blinking. They should be able to know if special accommodations can be made.

Lesson #2- Empower your staff to make key decisions in absence of management (which there shouldn’t be). Let them know what the company can afford to be flexible on, and what they have the authority to do in case of a disgruntled customer.

Lesson #3- Let employees know that inappropriate behavior and language is never acceptable in front of customers. Then institute disciplinary policies for violators. Regardless of how they may be feeling on a given day, they must always exhibit professionalism. Hold them to it.

Lesson #4- If you check out as a leader, don’t expect your team to take their job serious. If you’re gonna be the boss you have to be all in. No exceptions, no excuses. If you’re not leading you have no right to criticize your staff. They look to you for leadership. Lead them!

Lesson #5- Use employees to their strengths. If you know Sally isn’t a people person, she shouldn’t be in customer facing positions. When hiring people, make sure you understand where they are most effective. Then give them the tools to do their job. For existing employees, do an annual review and get a feel of what their career goals are. Then make sure you’re putting them in a position to succeed.

These are simple business lessons that most of the businesses in Restaurant Stakeout failed at in one way or another and it floored me. Running a business is not a joke. In most cases it’s how the business owner eats. You can’t complain things aren’t working then turn a blind eye to your part in it. Let’s hope these businesses learned their lessons and flourish. Take a step back and look at how you are running your business. Do any of these lessons ring true for your business? Where could you be doing better in your business and with your staff? Please share your thoughts below.

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham
Business ain’t no joke! take it seriously.

Do you like this article and want to reprint or share? You can, as long as you include this in its entirety:

Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org), a Growth Strategies consultancy with brand extensions in media, publishing and small business & entrepreneurial education. She provides Strategic Business Growth consulting services to companies with high growth potential to assist clients in creating processes and strategies to effectively run, grow and position their business for success. She helps clients get paid more by giving away less for free, allowing them to be more profitable and NOT be a broke brand. She is the host Views From the Top Radio Show the publisher of Empower Me! Magazine, and the creator Empower Me Institute, Empower Me! Radio, Empowered for Growth TV & Next Level Business Strategies. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. Check out her new company The Red Shoe Agency.

If you have been in a media black out since yesterday, let me enlighten you. Jay Z has launched his sports management company Roc Nation Sports. His first act was stealing away a major baseball star as his first high profile client. This made news, in my opinion, not because it’s a new venture for Jay Z, but because this particular ball player defected from none other than Scott Boras. I’ll admit this is huge (to me) but par for the course for the empire that is Jay Z. But the coverage has now gone from “wow, guess what Jay Z has done” to “hey it’s not a big deal, he won’t last“. What the hell?

OK I get it. Whenever someone comes up from out of seemingly nowhere and snags something major, people talk. It’s newsworthy. But had Jay Z not been an entertainer, and just some ordinary dude, 1) would it still be news; and 2) would they be so quick to dismiss this guy who has an amazing business track record? I’m not feeling it. It’s OK if he stays in his lane and focuses on artist management but no, no, he’s not allowed to step into the sports arena and step on toes. I call BS.

Neal Pilson, former President of CBS Sports, in his appearance on Bloomberg TV this morning, half-heartedly dismissed this as major news. He chalks this up to Jay Z as being well connected because of his entertainment connections, but not really being a major factor in sports, not even with his part ownership in the Nets. To me, it seemed like he was depicting him as a bored businessman who decided “what should I play with next?”. He also likened him to Spike Lee, meaning just because you always show up at games, it doesn’t make you qualified to step into the world of managing athletes. Now these were not Pilson’s exact words but you watch the segment on Bloomberg and you tell me what it sounded like. I found it offensive and dismissive.

While I’m not a fan (although Empire State of Mind is my anthem) I do admire his business accumen. He went from a hustler from Marcy Projects in Brooklyn slingin’, to an independent rap artist, to a business mogul and has been unapologetic (as it should be). Jay Z is a man who keeps his ears wide open. Yes, he has built up quite an impressive business portfolio and racked up some powerful friends in the process. So what’s the big deal with him taking a logical step in, my opinion, into sports management?

Granted he is not licensed himself and his team already have certified general or limited agent licenses, and he is partnered with CAA. So he himself isn’t a “sports agent“. Because of his part ownership in the Nets (I’m a Knicks Chick myself!) and his agreements to perform in some of the venues owned by major league teams and owners, eyebrows are raised. But I’m sure he’ll take care of that. He’s not the kind of businessman that would knowingly risk his business.

But let’s step away from all the technicalities of this deal to focus on my view of it being a savvy business diversification effort.

As I said, look at this man’s background. Look at all of the things he’s done and accomplished. He keeps his eyes and ears open and his mouth closed. He keeps his inner circle limited. He seeks out what he wants to learn. He makes moves in businesses where he has an interest. He let’s his instincts keep him in check. I’m sure there were a few flops, but you know what, that’s part of the growing process. Jay Z is a bonafide mogul and people can’t stand it. Why, I don’t know. The shade coming from the media, the sports industry and anyone who has come gunning for him (figuratively speaking) is so not necessary.

I’m a student of business people. I pay attention and watch the moves they make. And watching him has been almost better than a formal education. Any time someone, man, woman, black, white, whatever, rises beyond the life they were dealt, I pay attention. Jay Z isn’t the first nor the last, but in my opinion, in building my own business, he’s been one of the best. His influence and accomplishments are enviable (in a good way). He gives hope to those project kids who don’t see a way out. He shows business people like me that anything is possible and that you can achieve anything you want if you work hard enough, surround yourself with the right people, keep your mind right and pursue it all fearlessly and unapologetically.

Jay Z if you read this, which you most likely won’t, I got your back brother. From one NYC projects graduate to another, as someone who they’ve constantly told “you can’t do that” and I’ve shut them down each time, keep doing your thing. You are a shining example of what an urban kid can become if they get their mind right, stand their ground, and build the right circle of influence. It’s all about leverage and working your ass off. I’m watching you, my brother. Whenever people get uncomfortable with what you’re doing, it means you’d doing it right.

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham
Paying attention & taking notes to build my empire, because that’s how I roll!

Do you like this article and want to reprint or share? You can, as long as you include this in its entirety:

Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org), a Growth Strategies consultancy with brand extensions in media, publishing and small business & entrepreneurial education. She provides Strategic Business Growth consulting services to companies with high growth potential to assist clients in creating processes and strategies to effectively run, grow and position their business for success. She helps clients get paid more by giving away less for free, allowing them to be more profitable and NOT be a broke brand. She is the host Views From the Top Radio Show the publisher of Empower Me! Magazine, and the creator Empower Me Institute, Empower Me! Radio, Empowered for Growth TV & Next Level Business Strategies. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. Check out her new company The Red Shoe Agency.

Girl goes to conference.

Girl attends session and sits in front of boys.

Boys make immature comments.

Girl gets upset and reports boys.

Patrollers confronts boys and makes them leave.

Girl goes back and tweets picture of boys and later blogs about the experience.

Tech community gets infuriated; backlash and mayhem ensues with sides divided.

Employers fire girl and one boy.

Fired boy apologizes.

Fury gets even hotter with slurs and charges of racism, sexism, and any kind of ‘ism you can dream of.

Now, of course my version is simplified for the sake of time, sanity and brevity. But you get the gist. I’m not here to analyze the chain of events (I wasn’t there). I really don’t care to voice my opinion (shit happens, I’m aware of it, doesn’t make me oblivious). Plus it’s not productive to continue the back and forth because there is no reason (or cooler heads) that will prevail. There is no winner in this.

The only thing’s for sure is we still, in 2013, have problems in the areas of diversity and professionalism. As I thought about this post, I wanted to carefully craft my words so no confusion would occur and it wouldn’t look like I was taking a side. But you know me, I shoot straight from the hip. So I choose to speak from the heart (as a Black/Latina BUSINESSWOMAN). And I’m pissed off that I’ve been put in a position to have to make that disclaimer.

First, I am not willfully ignoring the racial and gender issues that go on in the business world or in the tech industry. So don’t think I’m out of touch. Been there, done that, threw away the t-shirt. I’ll be 44 years old next week and trust me, I’ve seen a lot more than some of you will ever see, and less than some  of you have experienced. So I get it. But I want to approach this from a business owner’s point of view. Again, I have no dog in this fight.

There was a lot of backlash against the companies that fired the woman and one of the men who made the jokes. Backlash came before the firings (how dare he, he should be fired!) and after (how dare they, he’s a father of 3/she was standing up for herself). So either way, the companies weren’t going to win this battle that they didn’t ask to be a part of.  Point blank, without reviewing the evidence (read: OPINIONS) of what went down, if it had been my business, I probably would have reacted the same way. OK put the pitchforks down and hear me out.

When you go to work for a company, you agree to represent yourself in a dignified manner and agree to not bring embarrassment or harm to your employer. Fair enough to expect in exchange for your salary and benefits. And this representation is not limited to inside the four walls. Take a look at social media policies now. Companies are very clear about how employees are allowed to handle any kind of messaging and engagement on behalf of the company. Clearly, all of this that went down did affect the companies. One of the companies was victim of a DDOS attack (they shut down their website in an attack!). Most businesses, especially ones heavily reliant on the internet to service it’s customers, lose money each hour their websites are down. I don’t know about you, but I don’t play with my money or my reputation.

When you attend an event, on behalf of your employer, and wearing identifying badges of your employer, you have an obligation to conduct yourself in a positive manner. The gentlemen making the jokes did not. Sure, we can debate all day long about the context of the jokes or how childish they were. But we won’t. The point is their inappropriateness reflected on their employer. The woman who reported the infraction too was representing her company. And this is where it gets sticky…ladies, don’t jump down my throat. Although she followed protocol and didn’t have to be subjected to such conversation, she did not have the right to involve her employer (whether unintentional or not) in this.

And this brings us to the major point in this whole battle. Employers you must do better about training and informing your staff. Now this could have been a teaching moment but both companies chose to terminate their respective employees. Not a decision I would have made, but I’m not running their companies. In this extra heightened era of gender discrimination, you have an obligation to make sure your staff, both genders (yes BOTH genders) understand what is acceptable and what is not. You can no longer assume that just because we’re all adults, everyone should know and play nice. Men have to understand that certain conversations are offensive to some women. Women have to learn that not everything is said from a place of malice. Yes there are circumstances where both of these will happen. But it’s up to employers to educate them on how to handle these situations when it’s on company time, and sad to say, when they’re off the clock.

I have specific guidelines about how my team is allowed to represent the Empower Me! brand. Some might say it’s not right and I don’t have the right to control what others do. Well I don’t control what others do. But when it puts my brand in jeopardy  I absolutely have a right. I’ve worked too hard to build this company to let the foolish choices of another person tear it down.

So who’s side do I take in this? The woman? The guy who got fired? The employers? I take nobody’s side. I won’t automatically defend a woman because I am one; I won’t automatically defend a business owner because I am one; and I won’t automatically defend a person because we share the same race. If that makes me a sell-out then so be it. I look at FACTS, not opinions, and I don’t decide on emotion.

If you take away nothing else from this incident, understand that there are still inequities, arm your staff with the right information to make better decisions, and focus on what we can do collectively going forward to make things better.

Tomorrow I’ll be talking about Ethics, Diversity & Consequences and things employers can do to promote inclusive diversity, protect their reputations, and how to deal with unexpected situations caused by employees on Views From the Top. Make sure you tune in at 9AM EST.

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham
Act right even when nobody else is looking!

Do you like this article and want to reprint or share? You can, as long as you include this in its entirety:

Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org), a Growth Strategies consultancy with brand extensions in media, publishing and small business & entrepreneurial education. She provides Strategic Business Growth consulting services to companies with high growth potential to assist clients in creating processes and strategies to effectively run, grow and position their business for success. She helps clients get paid more by giving away less for free, allowing them to be more profitable and NOT be a broke brand. She is the host Views From the Top Radio Show the publisher of Empower Me! Magazine, and the creator Empower Me Institute, Empower Me! Radio, Empowered for Growth TV & Next Level Business Strategies. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. Check out her new company The Red Shoe Agency.

My second question came from David in Baltimore. He wants advice on how to handle being overshadowed by a friend who works for him. He wanted to know how to address the issue without making the friend feel uncomfortable or messing up their work relationship. Check out the advice she gave David in the video.

If you haven’t yet sent in your question, what are you waiting for? Send in your pressing business question and you just might receive a video response from me. I cannot answer emails privately as I get too many. Please do not use my advice as a substitute for getting advice from a paid professional. Send your email to me at info@empowerme.org and put “Ask Adrienne” in the subject line.

I like my audience to get involved. What would you have advised these two viewers? What similar experiences can you share with them? Please leave your comments below.

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham
Come on, ask me your questions

Do you like this article and want to reprint or share? You can, as long as you include this in its entirety:

Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org), a Growth Strategies consultancy with brand extensions in media, publishing and small business & entrepreneurial education. She provides Strategic Business Growth consulting services to companies with high growth potential to assist clients in creating processes and strategies to effectively run, grow and position their business for success. She helps clients get paid more by giving away less for free, allowing them to be more profitable and NOT be a broke brand. She is the host Views From the Top Radio Show the publisher of Empower Me! Magazine, and the creator Empower Me Institute, Empower Me! Radio, Empowered for Growth TV & Next Level Business Strategies. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. Check out her new company The Red Shoe Agency.

Listen, everyone is entitled to their opinion. But for some of you, I’m gonna need you to actually read the book before you comment!

I have my own opinion and would love to get Sheryl on one of my shows for a discussion, as I believe she is an influential and motivating person. But my opinions are not about the book or the author. So watch my video below and share your thoughts below.

 


Til next time,

Adrienne Graham
Come on, ask me your questions

Do you like this article and want to reprint or share? You can, as long as you include this in its entirety:

Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org), a Growth Strategies consultancy with brand extensions in media, publishing and small business & entrepreneurial education. She provides Strategic Business Growth consulting services to companies with high growth potential to assist clients in creating processes and strategies to effectively run, grow and position their business for success. She helps clients get paid more by giving away less for free, allowing them to be more profitable and NOT be a broke brand. She is the host Views From the Top Radio Show the publisher of Empower Me! Magazine, and the creator Empower Me Institute, Empower Me! Radio, Empowered for Growth TV & Next Level Business Strategies. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. Check out her new company The Red Shoe Agency.

My second question came from Tim in Minneapolis. He wants advice on ways to keep from laying people off while his company isn’t doing as well in the economy. Check out the advice she gave Steve in the video.

I like my audience to get involved. What would you have advised these two viewers? What similar experiences can you share with them? Please leave your comments below.

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham
Come on, ask me your questions

Do you like this article and want to reprint or share? You can, as long as you include this in its entirety:

Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org), a Growth Strategies consultancy with brand extensions in media, publishing and small business & entrepreneurial education. She provides Strategic Business Growth consulting services to companies with high growth potential to assist clients in creating processes and strategies to effectively run, grow and position their business for success. She helps clients get paid more by giving away less for free, allowing them to be more profitable and NOT be a broke brand. She is the host Views From the Top Radio Show the publisher of Empower Me! Magazine, and the creator Empower Me Institute, Empower Me! Radio, Empowered for Growth TV & Next Level Business Strategies. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. Check out her new company The Red Shoe Agency.

My second question came from Steve in Portland. He wants advice on how to grow his business. Steve feels like he’s ready to branch out into new markets with new offerings, but doesn’t know how to scale it so he doesn’t misfire with his efforts. Check out the advice I gave Steve in the video.

If you haven’t yet sent in your question, what are you waiting for? Send in your pressing business question and you just might receive a video response from me. I cannot answer emails privately as I get too many. Please do not use my advice as a substitute for getting advice from a paid professional. Send your email to me at info@empowerme.org and put “Ask Adrienne” in the subject line.

I like my audience to get involved. What would you have advised these two viewers? What similar experiences can you share with them? Please leave your comments below.

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham
Come on, ask me your questions

Do you like this article and want to reprint or share? You can, as long as you include this in its entirety:

Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org), a Growth Strategies consultancy with brand extensions in media, publishing and small business & entrepreneurial education. She provides Strategic Business Growth consulting services to companies with high growth potential to assist clients in creating processes and strategies to effectively run, grow and position their business for success. She helps clients get paid more by giving away less for free, allowing them to be more profitable and NOT be a broke brand. She is the host Views From the Top Radio Show the publisher of Empower Me! Magazine, and the creator Empower Me Institute, Empower Me! Radio, Empowered for Growth TV & Next Level Business Strategies. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. Check out her new company The Red Shoe Agency.

As business owners we all eventually get to a place where we are struggling with what to do next. Not struggling in terms of being unable to take certain steps due to lack. But rather struggling in stepping outside that big ol’ comfortable box we’ve been resting in comfortably. I like to liken it to having been in bed all winter night and struggling with whether or not to get out of bed because it’s too cold. You know how it is. You forgot to turn the heat on, so now it’s freezing. But because you’re resting comfortably underneath the covers that are keeping you warm, you struggle with yourself to get out of bed. If you got out, you’d be cold and uncomfortable. But if you don’t, you won’t be able to get anything done. You see how that works?

In this first quarter of the year, I have been presented with some amazing opportunities that will catapult me to a whole other level. You would think I’d be on cloud nine since this is what I’ve wanted. But I’ll let you in on a little secret. It has scared the shit out of me and I sometimes I now feel like a hypocrite. On the one hand, I (lovingly but firmly) push my clients out of their comfort zone. They can’t stand me when I do it, but they love me when they realize the results and accomplishments. But all the while, I’ve been operating like my parents use to: Do as I say, not as I do. LOL How crazy is that!?

I had to step back and completely trust in myself to succeed and fail as necessary. You see, my biggest fear wasn’t can I do it. It was will people be accepting. What I learned was what other people think is none of my concern. My focus needs to be on my clients and my audience. Now that may seem broad, but trust me when I say it really isn’t. I’m fortunate in that I know exactly who my clients are. I don’t spend my time jumping through hoops for people who would never be clients. That would be wasted energy. But it goes beyond that. If I am to give my all, that means I have to push myself to excel so that I can help my clients excel too. And that doesn’t come about by just keeping things business as usual.

As I evolve, so do my clients. They don’t come to me to get what they can get elsewhere, and they certainly don’t come to me to get the same stuff repeatedly. So I owe it to them to keep it fresh, exciting and effective. I had to make myself so uncomfortable to achieve this that there are times when it brings me to tears. What, you didn’t expect to read that? Well guess what, big girls (and boys…don’t let ‘em fool ya) DO cry, we just don’t wallow. We let it out, wipe our faces, and move on to doing the things that scare us most.

So what’s been standing in your way? What’s got you so gripped by fear that you refuse to take the steps you know you need to take? What are you willing to do about it? You’ve got some real soul searching to do. Stop letting outside chatter influence your moves. Stop letting the fear of the unknown hinder your steps. People delay decisions because they worry about the answer or what the competition is doing. Embrace the challenges as opportunities and step out on faith to grow your business.

What are your biggest fears? How are you dealing with them? If there was one thing you could do to eliminate uncertainty, what would it be. Share your comments below.

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham
Ask me your questions

Do you like this article and want to reprint or share? You can, as long as you include this in its entirety:

Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org), a Growth Strategies consultancy with brand extensions in media, publishing and small business & entrepreneurial education. She provides Strategic Business Growth consulting services to companies with high growth potential to assist clients in creating processes and strategies to effectively run, grow and position their business for success. She helps clients get paid more by giving away less for free, allowing them to be more profitable and NOT be a broke brand. She is the host Views From the Top Radio Show the publisher of Empower Me! Magazine, and the creator Empower Me Institute, Empower Me! Radio, Empowered for Growth TV & Next Level Business Strategies. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. Check out her new company The Red Shoe Agency.

My second question came from Anthony in Henderson. He wanted advice on dealing with family members who also happen to be part of the business. Apparently, some of them are an unproductive lot and it’s driving him crazy. He feels like the overall productivity and brand of the company is starting to slip and wants to preserve the family legacy. Check out the advice I gave him in the video.

If you haven’t yet sent in your question, what are you waiting for? Send in your pressing business question and you just might receive a video response from me. I cannot answer emails privately as I get too many. Please do not use my advice as a substitute for getting advice from a paid professional. Send your email to me at info@empowerme.org and put “Ask Adrienne” in the subject line.

I like my audience to get involved. What would you have advised these two viewers? What similar experiences can you share with them? Please leave your comments below.

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham
Ask me your questions

Do you like this article and want to reprint or share? You can, as long as you include this in its entirety:

Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org), a Growth Strategies consultancy with brand extensions in media, publishing and small business & entrepreneurial education. She provides Strategic Business Growth consulting services to companies with high growth potential to assist clients in creating processes and strategies to effectively run, grow and position their business for success. She helps clients get paid more by giving away less for free, allowing them to be more profitable and NOT be a broke brand. She is the host Views From the Top Radio Show the publisher of Empower Me! Magazine, and the creator Empower Me Institute, Empower Me! Radio, Empowered for Growth TV & Next Level Business Strategies. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. Check out her new company The Red Shoe Agency.

I’ve always told clients, viewers, my audience, that you have to be mindful of your brand and you must determine what your brand is before other people determine it for you. And I still hold on to this notion. The last thing you want is to be known as something that is inconsistent with who you are at your core.

It’s interesting, because every few years, I get “known” for something else I’m doing. Keep in mind, everything I do is in direct alignment with my core brand, message and mission. And if there are certain things I do that resonates with a group of people, I’m happy to own it. Over the last few months, a phrase I keep hearing from people I meet is “you lit a fire under my butt/behind/ass“. In fact, I had a great introductory coffee meeting this weekend with a very fascinating woman I’ve been communicating with on Facebook for some time. She tagged me in a post she had written on Facebook about how after meeting me, I lit a fire under her behind. And it got me thinking, lots of people have been saying this to me as of late. Could this be my new tagline?

As I evolve and my business grows, even though it all comes back to growth strategies (in any economy) for business owners, my words become more powerful. I don’t give platitudes or hand-hold. I give it straight with no chaser, but always with love. Yes, I am here to help businesses grow (in any economy) and I don’t accept excuses. I lead by example and through my work on myself and my businesses, I inspire people to want to do more. Sometimes that’s through working with my company utilizing the services we offer. Sometimes it’s through reading one of my articles or blog posts. Sometimes it’s through listening to my radio show or watching my web shows.

Each person has a different takeaway from an encounter with me. Whether a casual lunch or a focused business meeting, people walk away with this sense of reignited passion and belief that they can do whatever they set their minds to. And almost always they walk away with a to-do list. So I guess, yeah, I can accept that I light a fire under people’s asses. It’s a good feeling too.

Having a clear understanding of how other people view you and what they say about you can help you clarify and define your brand. When you really think about it, it’s not what you say about you that matters, it’s what other people say about you. Let that sink in for a minute.

So what’s you descriptive tagline? Are you paying attention to how people view you and how they are talking about you when you’re not around? Share your thoughts and experiences below.

Til next time,

Adrienne Graham
I always carry a match…I light a fire under people’s asses

Do you like this article and want to reprint or share? You can, as long as you include this in its entirety:

Adrienne Graham is the Founder & CEO of Empower Me! Corporation (www.empowerme.org), a Growth Strategies consultancy with brand extensions in media, publishing and small business & entrepreneurial education. She provides Strategic Business Growth consulting services to companies with high growth potential to assist clients in creating processes and strategies to effectively run, grow and position their business for success. She helps clients get paid more by giving away less for free, allowing them to be more profitable and NOT be a broke brand. She is the host Views From the Top Radio Show the publisher of Empower Me! Magazine, and the creator Empower Me Institute, Empower Me! Radio, Empowered for Growth TV & Next Level Business Strategies. Her writing and shows focus on Career Management, Networking Strategies, Entrepreneurial Success and Small Business Management. Check out her new company The Red Shoe Agency.