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Like a lot of entrepreneurs, when I first opened my business, I literally took on any customer who could breathe and sign their name to my contract. Really, that was the criteria. And, to be totally transparent, it wasn’t just at the beginning…it continued for too many years, until I “grew a pair” and realized […]

This is Part 1 of a series about the biggest mistakes I’ve made in business—and what you can learn from them.  OK, here’s the short version of my story I started a company in my basement – funded by a week-long yard sale and cashing in my 401K. Grew it to $40M…and sold it. Sounds […]

For most of my life, when I heard the phrase “lonely at the top,” I thought of it as a sarcastic remark by someone AT the top, condescending to those they led, pointing out the fact that it was the few, the elite, that made it to the “top” – whatever that was. Later, as […]

If you are reading my words, it is likely that you are a business owner or business leader in some capacity. That means that YOU can make a huge difference. I love what Margaret Mead had to say on this subject: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. […]

The point of this writing is definitely not to suggest what our practices will be going forward, but how we as leaders should lead through this unchartered territory. No matter the situation, empathy and simple human kindness will be essential. As I’m writing this, it’s April 29, 2020 and our nation is in the grip […]

In my last blog post, I commented on the fact people don’t leave bad jobs, they leave bad bosses. So much has been written about THAT phenomena, but not so much about the fact that sometimes people leave good companies, good bosses and good co-workers because it is the right move for them. How can […]

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” —Maya Angelou I’ve thought about those words almost daily since a recent conversation with a friend.  Two years ago, her company had been acquired and the transition had been tough. […]

In the midst of the 2020 COVID-19 crisis, my current profession of author-speaker, and leader of a company that helps women-owned businesses reach the revenue benchmark of $1M, is considered non-essential. If you get Webster’s input on that, it means I’m not absolutely necessary and I’m not important. Where does your job fall in the […]

If you’ve read my book, Lunch with Lucy, or any of my blogs already, you’ll know I believe that empathy—the ability to see a situation through the eyes of another—is a vital trait for business leaders to develop and to nurture in others. But during especially hard times, our “fight or flight” impulses can take […]

“Big.” “Unsolvable.” “Huge.” “Audacious.” If you’re thinking of starting a business, it’s likely that you’ve been told that you’ve got to find a solution for some seemingly insurmountable problem in order to have a successful launch. But maybe they’re wrong. Who am I to suggest that this popular wisdom might not be right for you? […]