Dear ScaleUps,
Hope it’s been a productive and purposeful week. Here are some insights/opportunities to help you outlearn/outthink the competition.
When you invent the ship, you also invent the shipwreck.
Philosopher Paul Virilio as quoted in Indistractable
I guess these visualizations really, really work…
Bianca Andreescu, US Open Tennis Champ
Room Cut-off Sept 19 ScaleUp Summit Anaheim --
Attending the ScaleUp Summit? To secure the discounted conference rate for hotel rooms at the Anaheim Marriott, the cut-off date is Sept 19 - go to this link. And let us know if you need anything special. See you in Anaheim in a month.
How a Dashboard Saved Doug’s Life --
This week on ScaleUps.com read how Doug Wick used the same dashboarding system he uses with clients to save his own life - from zero percent chance of survival to cured (know someone battling for their life? Please have them read!). And Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba, retired at 55 worth $41.8 billion. This and more news about scaleups at ScaleUps.com.
Indistractable by Nir Eyal --
Released this week and titled Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life” Nir has done it again - written another beautifully titled and written book on the heels of his runaway hit Hooked. Please go to page 228 and review the “Chapter Takeaways” (he summarizes the main point from each chapter - wish I would have thought of that!). Then pick a chapter/topic and dig in - my two favorites are Ch 34 and 35 dealing with indistractable relationships. SPro and book club members will receive a copy next week; then come hear Nir keynote our ScaleUp Summit May 5 - 6, 2020 in Dallas - mark your calendars for two-days of insightful exec ed.
5 Lessons in Mental Strength from US Open Champ --
Last Saturday 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu beat Serena Williams to become the first Canadian to win a singles Grand Slam tennis title. This Thrive Global article details five mental tactics she used to win, available to any of us. My favorite was writing herself a mock $3.25 million check when she was 15, representing the winner’s check that year at the US Open. She then updated the check each year, as the amount raised, until she received the real check for $3.85 million on Saturday. Her reaction? “I guess this visualization stuff works!!” Here are the five strategies:
- Visualize, visualize, visualize – she did more than just write a mock check
- Write the check – just like Canadian Jim Carrey
- Be present (with every shot) – her meditation routine honed this skill
- Breathe! – deep breathing calms mind and body
- Dream Big and Get Big – something she learned from her mother
Please take 1-minute to scan the details - and then share with your children!!
Mr. Jenkins’ Two-Questions (Biz Biography) --
Scaling to over $100 million and 453 employees, Jonathan Bancroft, President & CEO of Charlotte, NC-based Morris-Jenkins, shares the lessons he learned from his mentor Dewey Jenkins in a book released this week titled Mr. Jenkins Told Me…. At the heart of Morris-Jenkins’s success were two questions:
- “How can we give our customers a better experience?”
- “What can we eliminate, or make easier, so that doing business with us is effortless, happy, and fun?”
Not surprisingly, these two questions are at the heart of what we’re teaching scaleups. First, its not just about the product or service but the entire customer experience. Is every touch point in the business a great experience? Second, the ultimate strategy for every business is to make something easier for the customer. Are you easy to find? Is your website easy to navigate? How does your product/service make a customer’s life/work easier? These two questions are key - ask them at your next quarterly/monthly/weekly gathering.
The Daily Huddle Works (Scaling Up Case Study) --
Eric McDonald shared the following story:
I wanted to relay a quick, funny story with you and show a bit of gratitude. My wife Rachel and I were just on vacation for a week. She learned Gazelle’s methodologies years ago when she worked for a company called Plant Interscapes, and it was years after I had worked with you guys, but your core teachings were still the same.
Anyway, at breakfast, every morning last week, both of our phones pinged at exactly the same time and said exactly the same thing. “Reminder - Daily Huddle”. We’re both people leaders in our respective organizations, and we both, to this day, have a daily huddle with our direct reports. I know you have tons of testimonials, but by my calculations I’ve been practicing a daily huddle for about 20 years now, and her for 10. In case anyone asks, yes, IT WORKS! Thank you!
T. Boone Pickens Has Died at Age 91 --
Both a big thinker and doer, T. Boone Pickens passed away this week from natural causes. Working up until a year ago, I shared, again, from the stage in Mexico City how T. Boone implemented just one-daily routine and turned $2.8 million into $4 billion, which he proceeded to give away. And that routine was the same as John D. Rockefeller and Steve Jobs. He would have breakfast every morning with his senior team to talk and set priorities for the day after an hour of working out (he once challenged Barack Obama, 33 years his junior, to a fitness challenge) and gathering intel from the marketplace. He understood if you want to move faster you have to pulse faster - the daily huddle works!! This Fortune article shares T. Boone Pickens life and philosophies in a series of memorable quotes - please take 2 minutes to take in the wisdom of this “Oracle of Oil” icon of the entrepreneurial world.
CEO-BOOTCAMP: spend 3.5 days with Verne, serial entrepreneur John Ratliff, and 6 other CEOs in a beautiful retreat setting, addressing the constraints holding back you, your business, and your industry. Jan 14 - 17; Jan 21 - 24; Mar 10 - 13, 2020.
ORDER a BOX of 20 SCALING UP BOOKS --
Want to save 50% over the price on Amazon? Go to this link.
EXITING: Looking to sell the business in the next 18 to 36 months? Want to avoid the traps many sellers fall into with today's buyers? You can download the white paper Seven Traps Sophisticated Buyers Deploy Against Unwary Sellers from align5 advisors here
Looking to take a deeper dive? Join the align5 team at the Exit Strategy Retreat Oct 21-24 in Marathon, FL - same amazing venue as CEO Bootcamp! This event is limited to 5 growth company entrepreneurs. All aspects of the exit process will be covered in depth. Additional benefits for attendees and Retreat amenities detailed at the Exit Strategy Retreat site.
COACHING:
Have you ever wondered if working with a coach might accelerate your company's growth, exponentially? Do you have what it takes to move the dial from good to great? The Scaling Up team is prepared to support you. We have helped 40,000 other organizations over the past 30+ years, in scaling up their organizations through coaching, workshops, online training and more.
We would like to offer you a complimentary, personal follow-up from our Scaling Up team to share how we can support you in scaling your organization.
YES! I WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT COACHING & RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY FOLLOW-UP (CLICK HERE)
For questions or more information contact us at [email protected]
TECHNOLOGY:
Create Accountability - Drive Execution with Align, cloud-based software designed to scale up your Rockefeller Habits implementation. www.alignwithscalingup.com - on your computer, tablet or phone. Click here to watch an introductory video.
Better Book Club -- What's your team reading? Increase your books read per team member. Easy, Proven, and in the Cloud at http://www.BetterBookClub.com.