November 18, 2016 by

What Does It Take To Run Your First Marathon?

What does it take to run your first marathon?

Very much like running your first business.

Let’s start with the fact that the assumption is you want to run a business with staying power. Not a hit and run quick buck – which almost always is some type of a scam – business but a long-term real business.

Rule #1 – It is a marathon! Not a sprint! It is my guess almost anyone can sprint for ten meters. A lot of people can sprint for twenty five meters. How about going all out for as fast as you can for 100 meters? Any takers? This is not how to run a marathon and it is certainly not how to run a business.

Unless you are already working in the business you want to run – there will be a learning curve. You must become a sponge for the important information and be able to edit out the noise. Even when you are ready to start your business learning and growing, having a coach to guide you along the way and challenge you at times is going to be critical.

Rule #2 – It is your first marathon! Speak with people who have run a marathon before and ask them questions about everything from nutrition, training programs, pacing during the run, what shoes and gear to wear, ask about anything. Similar advice goes for starting your own business. Many people have been in your shoes before – seek them out and leverage their knowledge in terms of not only the things that worked – the things that did not work too.

Do you have accountability partners and possibly a support network? You do not need to be an elite runner to have accountability partners for your training, your nutrition program and everything you are doing for running your marathon. There are running clubs all over the world who set up and match up people based upon their running pace and goals. A support network may be a coach for running and training and a coach for your mental approach to everything you are doing.

Rule #3 – You do not have to do everything by yourself – other than run the marathon, of course, other people may run alongside you for encouragement! In starting your business let everyone in your circle of friends and family know what you are doing. You never know who they know.

There are many more people who will never even try to run a marathon vs. how many people do at least try. In fact even less actually sign up, train, show up and run and finish their first marathon.

Rule #4 – Your attitude will get you through it. Have the best possible attitude throughout the process. Throughout your training everyday you run. This will further prepare you for what it is going to take to complete your run.

In starting your business you must really want your business to succeed. The numbers are staggering how many new businesses fail within their first three years.

In closing, our entire family is bursting with pride as our son, brother – Bryan completed his first marathon – the 2016 New York City Marathon in a time of 4:32. We all were there to see him run. We each selected different sections and rode the subway to overtake and catch up along the route. Bryan set out a goal to complete his first marathon and he did it!

bryan NYC Marathon

Bryan Tublin

Mitch Tublin is an advanced certified coach, trainer and business consultant based in Stamford, CT.

Filed Under: Accountability, Business Planning, Business Strategy, Inspiration, Mindset, Small Business Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
May 5, 2016 by

A Success Model To Think About

soul-cycle

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/thenickster/

This article is about a success model to think about. Take the aspects of the story which you feel translate to your business. Believe me there is something in here for everyone.

Have you heard of SoulCycle? These are branded spinning studios where everything is about soul. You can learn more about them here.

First consider the sleek and clean look – white walls, their branded yellow colors on the bikes and other aspects of the studio. Of course the instructors wear black – more or less!

Oh and they are not instructors – they are rock star instructors who guide the riders. The wording does not call the locations spinning studios, instead – indoor cycling reinvented.

Let me stop here for one moment. Right now you should understand this is no fly by night business. This has been going on for over ten years and the following and demand is increasing not decreasing. Branding is well thought out across the board.

There are a number of class types which are all named Soul something and there is a description. A good amount of space and wording goes into great detail about how to purchase, reserve, wait list, cancel, switch and when traveling book at another location.

An offer is available for a 101 for those who wish to try it out.

Allow me to stop here for a moment. What is happening here is SoulCycle has in essence created their own language and culture. They have intentionally built this in order to form a community. In fact on their web site they have a place for their community to share and hang out. Peer pressure will keep people coming to workout. A community will bring people together for fun, support and a place to feel wanted.

Create relationships with people. Think marketing, branding, environment and culture.

The pricing is displayed right on the web site. The model utilized is buy a series of class units and the more you purchase the lower the cost is to you per class. A time limit is placed with each option. This is the reason a great amount of detail is given to how to reserve a bike, how to wait list, how to cancel and more. The 101 is a low cost item to allow a newbie to sample the goods. Consider for a moment how this type of pricing structure might fit into your business model. There isn’t any small type or hidden secrets. Everything is out in the open and described in great detail.

In summary, take a look at your business model, read through these examples again, see where a few changes in your branding, marketing and community building might make all the difference in the soul of your business. Would you like to have some help with it?

Contact Mitch Here

Mitch Tublin is a business consultant, coach, trainer and speaker who is based in Stamford, CT.

Filed Under: Business Planning, Business Strategy Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
April 21, 2016 by

Do You Inspect What You Expect?

Do You Inspect What You ExpectDo you inspect what you expect? This is an age old statement which transcends everything! Do you practice it in your business and in your life?

Here are a few examples:

  1. In sports you have recently become the Head Coach of the baseball team. It is a very competitive team in the Cape Cod Summer League where college age players continue to compete over the summer. Do you assume everyone on the roster knows how to lay down a bunt? Or do you run through the roster and take time away from pitcher work, position work and other areas and have everyone face a live pitcher and lay down a few dozen bunts?
  1. You are the Manager in an area of the business where you have fifty people reporting to you. Two brand new hires started working for you last week in fairly entry level roles. Do you give each of them assignments with deadlines and then hold them accountable and meet with them to review their work? Or do you assume they will finish on time and their work will be good enough to utilize?
  1. The Annual Report for the Corporation is in the final stages of preparation. How many people are assigned specifically to review and approve of each of the sections for accuracy? Or is it assumed the people who are assigned to prepare the Annual Report will conduct their own review of their work before releasing it?
  1. You are the person in charge of one of the two key events each year for your group. There will be close to 2,000 attendees, multiple presenters, break-out sessions, meals and more surrounding the event. How many times to you run through the event timeline with: the Hotel Staff, with the Sound People, with the team you have put together for the event? Do you conduct the run through one time? Do you conduct the run through three times? OR do you conduct the run through as many times as it takes?

The point is always ‘Inspect What You Expect’. This is at multiple levels. In fact the other day my car had to have the inspection done on it by an authorized service station. They must conduct hundreds of these a week at the station. When the inspection was completed, the car was brought around and off we went. The next morning something didn’t look right in the front of the car. It turns out the hood was never closed properly!

Fortunately the hood did not blow open somewhere while driving! Clearly it was my responsibility to double check that the hood of the car was closed properly after the safety inspection. Always remember to ‘Inspect What You Expect’. Often the easiest and most obvious items are the ones you overlook and then regret the most.

Mitch Tublin is an advanced certified coach, trainer and professional speaker based in Stamford, CT.

 

Filed Under: Business Strategy, Inspiration, Self Improvement Tagged With: , , , , ,
April 8, 2016 by

Do You Measure Yours?

Do you measure yours?Seriously, do you measure yours?

Measuring and comparing are essential to moving up, growing and becoming more successful. One example my coaching clients often hear from me when they respond to my question: “And when will you start this…?”

With the answer: “One day soon.” OR “One day next week.”

“Really? Take a second and show me on your watch where it says, one day soon or one day next week? How about a specific date, and a specific time?”

Basically if you cannot measure it – it didn’t happen! If you are not able to measure it – you will not make it happen and no one is able to hold you accountable! Seriously, do you measure yours?

How many meetings have been ended where action items were not assigned to anyone? Or even if action items were assigned to people no one was assigned to hold each person accountable. Plus the date and time for execution was not part of the assignment either?

This is the difference between a meeting taking place to fill up calendar space and a top notch, first class meeting taking place! Therefore the question is: Do you measure yours?

  • Do you measure your actual results?
  • Do you measure how you spend your time?
  • Do you measure what your time is worth?
  • Do you measure what you actually earned per hour for the first quarter of 2016?
  • Do you measure your time better spent and available to be utilized on higher payoff activities?
  • Do you measure how many people you typically must call on or contact in order to obtain an appointment? A signed deal? A signed check?
  • Do you measure the results you are achieving this year compared to last year?

Okay a small reprieve to permit some recovery time, like in spin class, a little rest.

Doesn’t everyone look at the number of people someone has on their LinkedIn profile when they are checking them out? How about on Facebook or other social media? This is measuring – isn’t it? Now you know your numbers for your social media platforms – right? Oh, by the way, the break is over.

What are your conversion numbers from your social media presence? In terms of engagement and moving into your web site or customer relationship category.

All of this is measuring yours!

Start to assess what metrics will provide you with the information to assist you in obtaining the results you desire.

If this sounds too daunting of a task – begin with your time. Track your time and what you are doing with it. Begin here for a month – track and record what you are doing every fifteen minutes of each and every single day.

At the end of each week color code your time against high payoff activities or time spent on things only you must do and no one else is capable of doing. For everything else either hire in someone to do these items, stop doing them and replace your newly found time with high payoff activities.

Measuring yours is a critical part of becoming great at what you do and may be applied to teams and groups as well.

Mitch Tublin is an advanced, certified coach, business consultant and speaker based in Stamford, CT.

Filed Under: Accountability, Achieve Goals, Business Strategy, Time Management Tagged With: , , , , ,
June 4, 2015 by

Top Ten List of Things to Remember as Summer Approaches

David Letterman had his final Top Ten List on his last show 5/21: 

In honor of that, here are the Top Ten List of Things to Remember as Summer Approaches (for entrepreneurs and small business owners).

NUMBER 10 – All networking does not stop in the Summer! Summer is actually a great time to go out and network.

NUMBER 9 – Is your clothing looking a little ragged? Summer is a great time to upgrade your wardrobe. You need to be able to dress the part and look professional.

NUMBER 8 – Unless you play Basketball in the NBA, or some other professional sport, you want to look as professional as possible. A long unkept beard may work as a professional athlete, but less so in other areas. First impressions matter!

NUMBER 7 – Meet a networking contact or two for lunch each week. You should be doing this anyway! It’s finally nice outside (after a very cold winter), pick some place outdoors.

NUMBER 6 – You are almost halfway through the year – have you achieved your goals? If not, how can you reach them – create actionable steps. If you have, set some new goals for the 2nd half of the year!

NUMBER 5 – If you gave up on working out at the health club on January 2, get outside and go for a long walk every morning or evening. Leave the phone home and ask someone to join you instead – in person.

NUMBER 4 – Create a list of books you want to read over the summer. Obtain the books. Begin to read them. (Okay you are right these are three things.)

NUMBER 3 – Get creative in your business – step outside of the box and have some fun.

NUMBER 2 – Go out to eat with friends and family and enjoy ‘al fresco’ dining.

NUMBER 1 – Plan to take some time off and relax. And most importantly, turn off the devices!

Thank you David Letterman – we will miss you.

Mitch Tublin is a business consultant, advanced and certified personal and executive coach and a professional speaker who resides in Stamford, CT.

Ready to go to the next level? Work with Mitch for the next ninety days as your personal coach >> CONTACT MITCH HERE <<

Filed Under: Business Strategy Tagged With: , , , , , ,
May 28, 2015 by

Unrealistic Expectations

expectationsThere are numerous studies which state that 8 out 10 entrepreneurs who start a business fail within the first 18 months. Bloomberg for example makes this case – meaning 80% of these businesses are toast within a year and a half.

There are numerous reasons why this happens. When asked, many of these entrepreneurs will say they ran out of money. Although in fact this may be true, my thought is there were a few things which happened earlier which might have changed the outcome.

A question one of my coaching clients might be asked at some point by me: “What amount of money would you like to set this year or next year as your target?” More often than not an answer might be something along the lines of: “One million dollars!” My response is: “Okay, great, by the way how much is the most you have ever made in any one year in your entire lifetime?” The silence is deafening! Allow me to re-phrase the question: “Have you ever earned over six figures in your own business of any type ever before?” For many there is still silence. A few might say once or twice they have achieved it.

My next question is: “Would you consider a more realistic or achievable target of possibly 50% more than your best one year total ever working in your own business instead?” The point of this conversation is to not allow the thought of a near term unachievable goal become the driving force behind the operation.  It is not my intent to become a dream killer. It is to allow the dream to become a reality.

If the “One Million Dollar” mark has to be there then let’s move the target date to achieve that type of number out a few years so it becomes a more realistic and achievable goal. A sure way to doom the enthusiasm of an entrepreneur and their team is to set the bar so high they will have absolutely no chance of hitting it.

In a world where everything is able to be measured and reported rapidly and easily, it would become quite obvious to everyone, unless the business was a miracle business opportunity, that the far reaching unrealistic expectation would never be achieved. It is far wiser to select a stretch goal with a bit of wonder and fear attached to it which would still be attainable than to set an unreachable goal.  The entrepreneur and their team would be able to see the results moving toward the goal and potentially shift one or two things along the way to improve results in order to achieve the goal. This is how momentum and a driving spirit are created and maintained. This is one item to consider early on in setting up your business and revisit at least once each year.

Mitch Tublin is a business consultant, advanced certified personal and executive coach and a professional speaker based in Stamford, CT.

Are you ready to Chart Your Course™ for your life or for your business? Mitch is ready to work with you either for a Full Chart Your Course Day or over a period of time. It is your choice. >> CONTACT MITCH HERE <<

Filed Under: Achieve Goals, Business Planning, Business Strategy Tagged With: , , , , ,
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