Outwitting the Devil
I always considered the forces of good and evil manifested in Judeo-Christian religions as being a titanic struggle for human souls between God and the opposition, the Devil. Depending on which had the most significant influence on your life will determine whether you would be rewarded after death by ascending to enjoy everlasting peace and […]
Put Customers Before Shareholders
To create shareholder value, business managers need to put customers at the head of the stakeholder list. Employees and the community should also come before shareholders’ interests. This is not to disregard the interests of shareholders, as they are the beneficiaries of the business. Instead, we must concentrate on building the company, not the interests […]
Raising Money in Uncertain Times
For the most part, venture funding has been robust over the last ten years, the best since the dot.com boom of the late 1990s. This latest boom was driven by the unusually high valuations for tech startups doing seed rounds and initial public offerings. Profitability was not the objective; instead, growth was king. As with […]
Selection is Key to Winning
I have said many times that if you follow the proper steps and execute them effectively, anyone can be a successful entrepreneur and run a successful business. However, I also follow that statement with an important caveat. Selection is critical. I mean that the selection of a business concept, value proposition, product, or service determines […]
Stop Yelling in the Wrong Room: Picking the Right Business Communication Channel
Have you ever tried to break up with someone over text? Or send a “LOL” during a serious meeting? Yeah… awkward. In business, choosing the wrong communication channel can feel just as cringeworthy. Imagine sending a 10-paragraph email to someone who barely reads subject lines. Or, better yet, calling a meeting just to say, “Hey, […]
The Answer to Business Success is 34
In the radio series and first novel, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, a group of hyper-intelligent beings specially built a supercomputer called Deep Thought to answer life’s ultimate question of life, the universe, and everything. Deep Thought computed and checked the answer, which turned out to be 42. The problem was no one could […]
The Hidden Job Market: Why 70% of Job Opportunities Are Never Posted—And What You Can Do About It
Suppose you’ve been diligently applying for jobs online but are struggling to get responses. In that case, you might be missing a critical piece of the puzzle: most job opportunities—about 70% of them—are never publicly advertised. Instead, they are filled through internal promotions, direct referrals, and networking connections. This phenomenon, often called the hidden job […]
The Joy of Being Wrong
I borrowed the title from Chapter three of a fascinating book written by Adam Grant called Think Again. The title “The Joy of Being Wrong” seems counter-intuitive; however, the book prompted me to think again about the value of being wrong. When we are growing up, we have an aversion to being wrong and particularly […]
The Ripple Effect of Gratitude: Why Acknowledgment Is Personal Thanksgiving
Acknowledging others isn’t just a gesture of politeness—it’s an act of personal thanksgiving that can transform your mindset and relationships. When you make a habit of recognizing those around you, you’re actively choosing to focus on the positive contributions others make in your life, and this gratitude enriches your own sense of well-being. By acknowledging […]
There be a Dinosaur
Many years ago, at the start of my professional career, I had the opportunity to be the Secretary-Manager of the Stockgrowers Association. The Stockgrowers was a representative organization representing about 8,500 members – predominately ranchers, cattle breeders, and feedlot operators – in Saskatchewan. The organization based its views and attitudes on self-reliance, free enterprise, and […]