FMWalsh and Associates » Blog

Want to keep your sanity??

fiona — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 22:06:34 +0000

Today’s advice comes from Kathy Button Bell, vice president and chief marketing officer for Emerson Electric Co., in an interview with The New York Times:

“I think patience, by far, teaches you what to do. The mistake people make is they try to do everything. Dave Farr, our CEO, says that if you have a to-do list of 10 things, rip it and do three. Just do three…

Read the rest of her advice here.

Entrepreneurial Motivation!

fiona — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 18:26:09 +0000

Just read one of my favorite articles in Bloomberg Business week: America’s Most Promising Startups

Love some the ideas, some of them not so much. But I always find this slide show good for a big dose of motivation!

Being comfortable isn’t the best thing for you

fiona — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:42:26 +0000

Lately I have been listening to John Maxwell’s- A Minute with Maxwell – video series and really enjoying it. Anyone who has worked with me knows that I am a big fan of Maxwell’s books on leadership. And I am really getting a kick out of these daily videos. They challenge me, they get me to thinking, they often confirm what my gut has been saying.

Today’s video is all about discomfort – something most people normally run the other way from. Maxwell talks about the importance of embracing discomfort to reach your potential. Watch it here.

Let me know what you think.

What does everyone think about me?

fiona — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 20:58:14 +0000

“As for worrying about what other people might think – forget it. They aren’t concerned about you. They’re too busy worrying about what you and other people think of them.” — Michael Le Boeuf

I burst out laughing when I read this quote, having just come back from a networking event, where just before walking in the door, I got caught in a downpour and my hair was really bad. Instead of relaxing and enjoying the event, my hand kept creeping up to ‘fix’ my hair ( a truly hopeless cause) and a good part of my brain activity was preoccupied with what people were thinking of the image I was presenting……. what a waste of energy and thought!

So next time you find yourself on that treadmill of obsessing about what other people think, remember this quote. No one is paying all that much attention to you – they’re busy listening to that voice in their own head!

The F-Factor

fiona — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:54:57 +0000

Gotta love this. Trendwatching’s latest report focuses on how the influence of friends, fans, and followers on consumers’ purchasing decisions continues to become more sophisticated and thus more powerful. Learn some great information on how to use social media to build your brand and your sales!

I always enjoy the reports these guys put out and this one is exceptional. Read it here.

What Are Your Assumptions?

fiona — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 19:34:24 +0000

“Begin challenging your own assumptions. Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won’t come in.” — Alan Alda

Assumptions trip each of us more often than we realize. They can impact what you take on, what you let bother you, how you interact with certain people. We all think of ourselves as making logical decisions based on fact, but the truth is that most of the time we make decisions based on assumptions and those assumptions are usually not logical. They’re emotional. They’re based on past experiences which may not always apply anymore. They can be based on habit – we’re just used to classifying things a certain way and we no longer realize what a habit it has become.

Shake yourself up a little – see what assumptions you make today and question whether they are truly valid. Perhaps you need to do a little window-washing?

What words are you using?

fiona — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 01:33:59 +0000

We fill our days with words yet do we spend much time really thinking about how we might say what we want to, more effectively, by choosing different words? Watch this.

Wondering about social media?

fiona — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 17:04:59 +0000

Thanks to Rob Werner, my friend over at PocketPollster who sent me this eye-opening presentation on Social Media.

See it for yourself here. I was surprised by some of this information!

Why in Such a Rush?

fiona — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 15:00:42 +0000

I recently read a great article from Flying Solo that proclaims some of the most successful entrepreneurs became so later in life. This is such an enlightening change of thought as we live in a culture where we try to accomplish everything right now. Colonel Sanders began KFC while he was in his sixties, and Ray Kroc launched the first McDonald’s franchise when he was firfty-nine. Most results we are looking for in business come when we least expect them, so just enjoy the ride! Remember, you don’t need to accomplish everything right at this very moment, you have lots of time ahead of yourself to create successful businesses. You can read the whole article here: In Praise of Blooming Late.

Looking for new customers?

fiona — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 16:00:21 +0000

What do you want for Christmas?… new customers? Well, you’re in luck! As a business development specialist, one of the main questions I get asked is “how do I find new customers?” Here is a coles notes version of my answer:

Become crystal clear on who your ideal customer is
Discover where your ideal customers hang out
Get in front of your prospects
Follow up on your leads

To read more about the process to finding new customers, check out my latest article in Make it Business Magazine.