Interview with the "Go Girl", Carol Williams

Carol and I are members of the same referral networking group; Lake Sunapee Region BNI. She works with clients to help them achieve optimum levels of productivity by organizing, developing systems, removing obstacles, and acting as an accountability partner in plan implementation.

DE: Your title is "Productivity Strategist". Can you tell me a little about what that entails?

CW: I provide personalized strategies for my clients to help them become more focused, organized and productive. I do this through a course called the GO (Get Organized) System, through One To One Organizing, small group work sessions, and facilitation/coaching. The strategies I teach reflect the client’s unique goals and objectives.

DE: Do you work with corporate clients and groups of employees?

CW: I focus on assisting individuals and small groups. I can and have performed efficiency/productivity assessments at small companies and branch offices (about 5 people). To date, I have not worked with large companies. However, I am set up to do this as a certified GO System trainer.

DE: So, the GO system can be for one person or a large group? Is there a maximum number for a group to ensure maximum effectiveness?

CW: The ideal GO class consists of 10 to 30 people. I have taught classes of “one” person but it definitely works better with several students. My favorite part of teaching this class is the interpersonal sharing between members. In that way, 6 to 15 people make a nice group. To answer your question, there is no “maximum number” of attendees.

DE: What were some of your previous jobs and responsibilities?

CW: Prior to 2009 I spent my entire professional life as a landscape architect. From 1999 to 2009 I was project manager and second in command to the Principal-In-Charge of the company I worked for at that time. I worked with many related disciplines (architects, engineers, etc.) to achieve the desired goal of the client. I presented in front of public boards and sought future opportunities for the company. I’ve worked for local and national government agencies as well.

DE: How did this prepare you for what you do now?

CW: It prepared me for being flexible, keeping processes moving ahead, staying on time and on budget, motivating others, and public speaking/relations.

DE: What do you find most gratifying about your work?

CW: I love to touch a client in a deep and meaningful way; to give the gift of Peaceful Productivity; to watch the chaos that ensues us all begin to melt away. I love to be part of a transformative process where the person shines once again and rises to the very top.

DE: How can you tell when the transformation has taken place?

CW: “The transformation” takes place when the client releases what’s holding him or her back and replaces these old habits with new strategies that serve them better. Some examples are: getting that raise, applying for and being chosen for that new job, taking better care of themselves (physically and/or emotionally), or  having the courage to say NO to some prospects in order to say YES to those that fit the new vision.

DE: Are there one or two underlying things that hold most people back from being more productive, or does it vary widely per individual?

CW: It definitely varies, but a large part of the problem lies in our culture. We are Doers. In doing, we hardly let ourselves Be. In Being, the gold that lies deep in ourselves emerges. There is a reason why all the great philosophers hit the desert, the woods, the pond. We need time to think. And our CrazyBusy world frowns on that.

DE: I imagine that some clients respond very quickly to your interaction, and that some require more time to learn and practice good habits and new skills. 

CW:  By the time a person decides he or she is ready to work with me, that person is committed. Sometimes it takes years to be ready. I met with a woman two weeks ago that I had been communicating with for about 18 months. Finally she wanted me to do an initial three hour session with her. We could not schedule it fast enough.

DE: Do most of your clients have common issues that lead them to you, or do they possess a wide variety of issues and characteristics that make them unique?

CW: My ideal client is a design professional labeled with Attention Deficit Disorder. My background in design is a natural fit for this profession, and those with ADD respond very well to the productivity strategies I teach. Common issues are: Too much email, too many calendars, too many hats/balls to juggle, hating paperwork, being late.

DE: Have you found that adults with ADD respond well to your training? Do they require alternate methodology?

CW: Great question. My favorite clients have ADD or AD/HD. These are the movers and shakers of the world; the “out of the box” thinkers. Every person is unique, so I do not have “my training”. Rather, it’s a collaborative process whereby we create a vision together, then set up and/or tweak existing systems to achieve that vision. But it does not end there. Then, the “real work” starts: habit building. To better answer your question, many ADD’ers are “visual”. They respond well to color, like to “spread out” and have the “out of sight, out of mind” mentality. We work together to set up files, for example, that can be easily found by both the client and others in the office who may want or need such a file. Also, it’s important that the space around a person with ADD is clear. Clutter distracts.

DE: Have you ever fired a client?

CW: Yes. When I first started my business, I gained a client who was an older woman who really just wanted a friend and a cleaning woman. When she asked me to drive her to the beach, I knew it was time to part ways.

BNI's Givers Gain Philosophy and Servant Leadership

BNI is a referral networking organization with chapters all over the U.S. and in many countries around the world. In the following excerpt of a note to our local BNI chapter, I was recently reflecting on BNI's principal doctrine of "Givers Gain", and how it compares to servant leadership.

"Givers gain" is the primary tenet, or doctrine, behind BNI. The idea is that as you give to people, in terms of referrals, advice, support, education, and knowledge you gain in return. Now, we all know that this is a gradual process, and that the return often takes time and can be very subtle. Those who join BNI to just gain are often disappointed with the outcome because they don't see immediate returns. This can also be a self-fulfiling prophecy, as members can readily see who is in BNI just to gain and may be less inclined to give them referrals. 

The "servant leader" philosophy suggests that the leader exists to serve others in the organization. In that process, the leader gains respect and devotion and develops longer, more productive, more meaningful relationships with the members of the organization. Many companies espouse the servant leader doctrine, and the leader gives of themselves, teaches, supports, and coaches, as opposed to merely making demands and expecting results. Through this process, the company culture flourishes and the opportunities for success are amplified. 

In many ways, this is how we exist in BNI. As servant leaders, we give of ourselves through our knowledge and experience, and our fellow members gain from our leadership and generosity. In the process, we gain in many ways; not the least of which is referrals." 

Interview with Mike Roy; Entrepreneur, Business Leader, Tennis Player

     Mike Roy and I met through the Dartmouth Entrepreneurial Network (DEN) at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business.  At the time, we were both serving as panel judges for the school’s business plan competition, which serves as the culmination of their Intro to Entrepreneurship class.

     Like good networkers do, we kept in touch after that and have continued to meet on occasion for coffee and business talk.  Invariably, our conversations wander from life in New England to his many entrepreneurial pursuits, and to startup ideas.  His wealth of knowledge and experience gained in the corporate world, and then in the entrepreneurial startup arena, makes for fascinating and inspiring conversation.

DE: You spent a long time in the corporate world. Can you give us a taste of some of your companies, assignments, and positions?

MR: I started my career in the northeast at Federal Signal Corporation, a mini conglomerate and Fortune 1000 company.  I entered into sales in the Signal Division (a provider of visual and audible signals to the industrial industry, municipal markets and state/federal governments…they had over 600 products) and moved quickly through expanding levels of responsibility in sales management roles. I was asked to move to Chicago to take responsibility for industry marketing and get my MBA from University of Chicago – Booth.  I was then given new assignments of world-wide responsibility to make Federal signal #1 in all industries that we served. After several years, I accomplished this goal and was then transferred/promoted to the Sign Group as Vice President and General Manager. A fun assignment, where I had full P&L responsibility, a global reach for manufacturing to provide the marketplace with corporate and commercial visual identity.

After 14 years, I had the opportunity to join Digital Equipment Corp a Fortune 50 company to align my interest in technology, marketing sales and business development. Over the next ten years, I led marketing operations for the Central Area, built a national and corporate accounts program for Digital’s top 300 accounts and assumed leadership for the Process Industries worldwide. My time at Digital was fast pace, as technology was changing rapidly and go-to-market models moved as fast from direct to indirect models with value added resellers, system integrators and OEMs. Competition was always fierce, so it was necessary to be ahead of them and have a game plan that could be executed form a leadership position and not a follower. A very worthwhile 10 years!

DE: Can you think of a particular experience or assignment that brought you way out of your comfort zone?

MR: It was my last assignment at Digital when I was also asked to lead the Retail and Utility Industries; not having a steeped background in either, I needed to get up to speed quickly and understand the industries business problems and address them with a value proposition that went beyond the four walls of Digital…this meant I needed partners and I went out and built partnerships that were meaningful and more important significant to the customer. This was unique at Digital where I had a free hand in creating my team, the strategic plan with full responsibility for execution and results. I truly believe this was the lever that altered my “personal compass” from a corporate soldier to an entrepreneur.

DE: How did this have a lasting effect on you?

MR:  I believe it gave me the confidence to take risk,  opened my eyes to a new world that was not bound by organization charts,  delayed decision making and giving me a perspective that leadership is driven by those who want to stand up and make things happen.

DE: In what ways did your experiences in the corporate world prepare you for entrepreneurship, and for the process of assessing the potential viability of startup opportunities?

MR: Corporate life formalized my real world business experiences in technical/business education, organizational / operational readiness, strategic marketing, global reach, teaming for success, budgeting, finance and the opportunity to meet entrepreneurs who became partners and colleagues... this all contributed to a fresh outlook when looking at opportunities, sizing them up and knowing that I can add value if they measured up to my criteria.

DE: What are some those criteria?

MR:  I would say put-on multiple hats when you evaluate an entrepreneurial  opportunity; from product marketing…is the opportunity a niche play,  is it wide across many industries or deep enough in a very large industry to pull new demand as a product/service or will it be taken from competition ; through a financial perspective…does the gross revenue deliver healthy margins to support and sustain organizational commitments  and growth goals personally and for the company; from an operational perspective… how will manufacturing or services be delivered  (internally, outsourced, where, by who); from a marketing / sales perspective… what are the environmental and external influencers to the business, product, and services and at what price point will the market accept as viable to support a business case and value proposition; from the CEO position…  how well will the “A” team (management team) collaborate to achieve a unified goal of success in a given  time frame and is there enough money to do what is needed; from an investor or stakeholder position…does the entire story hold together to achieve gains and how long will it take for the exit strategy to be achieved; and from a customer point of view… why should I buy this product or service from you?

…and if you are confident with the answers then I suggest taking a look at the first presentation of the company to be given outside of the “four walls” and for every statement that is made ask yourself….”so what”…and if everything holds look deeper and then decide if it is right for you.

DE: What prompted your transition from corporate America to entrepreneurial pursuits?

MR: A west coast opportunity at Whisper Communication in an early stage company wireless provider of metered data for enterprise use (early version of the smart meter in1998) with a beta product that was truly unique to the utility industry. Whisper had a compelling value proposition, a management team consisting of “A” players and funded with $50M in venture capital.

DE: What were some of your other initial opportunities?

MR:  They were all early stage companies beyond the idea creation stage that were value driven with a real products/solutions, financially able to stand by themselves for a defined period of time and a first class team that share the same desire and belief for success.

Leveraging my career in consulting was attractive because it allowed me to move across several different industries while spanning technology, marketing, business development and operations. It also gave me the flexibility to start my own company with four partners (a fun time).  As I moved from industry marketing engagements, I was being pulled into other areas like supplier relationship management, business intelligence, wireless vehicular monitoring systems and other software applications that advanced process efficiency.  Opportunities always seem to surface through a personal network that I continually work on for expansion…

DE: What are some of the takeaways from your corporate career, entrepreneurial activities, and consulting experiences that can be applied to general business management and useful to a wide range of business owners and senior managers?

MR:  Manage one’s time…you can never get it back; always align yourself with a product/service that is sustainable for the future, keeps your options open for an exit strategy whether you are in a corporation or in an early stage company; know if you are a risk taker or not…don’t kid yourself about this one; always have enough financial resources to fall back upon if your success timetable is not imminent and , as I said it before, stayed aligned with the “A” team and you will not be disappointed.

DE: Many people feel that the entrepreneurial spirit is ingrained in one’s personality and not acquired over time. What’s your feeling?

MR: No, I do not believe that because real world experiences shape your thinking as to the direction one selects and if you are a competitive survivor and goal orientated you learn to adjust, adapt and be successful whether you select the path as an entrepreneur or corporate leader.

DE: What are you really excited about now?

MR:  I look at myself as a serial entrepreneur collaborating at different levels with several new early stage companies that include an Internet TV/Radio station that has expanded to include a shopping mall, magazine, social networking and gaming site; supply chain sourcing application, a geo-referencing solution, an automated title production platform, a data management suite of tools for the enterprise, and an incubator” for emerging “Green Technologies.

Excerpts of Interview with Otilia Pruna

DE: Where are you from?

OP: I‘m from Romania, a small country in Eastern Europe, with some economical issues at this point.    Like the whole Europe itself, Romania is a great country to visit for its culture, traditions and art and I’m proud of it.

DE: When did you first come to the U.S. and why?

OP: I first came to U.S four years ago. A lot of friends of mine use to come here to spend their summer, working and visiting because every college student is amazed about the “American dream” and about spending few days in New York, walking on 5^th Avenue or Broadway or even more amazed by flying above the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls.

So I took the chance, applied for the Interexchange program – Work & Travel, passed the U.S Embassy Visa interview and here I was: 2006, JFK International Airport NYC, me and my one piece luggage heading to New Hampshire, ready for a three month American adventure.

DE: What did you study in college?

OP: My college degree is Economics, Finance and Banking and I also graduated a Business Development Management Masters Degree in 2009.

DE: Did you have to pay for your college?

OP: Yes, I did. Some of the money that I made here helped me pay for my college fee. I also started to work in Romania, for a small advertising company as a sales agent in my third year of college.

DE: What are you doing while here?

OP: Since 2006, I came here every summer for three months and then go back to school. I used to work for Evans Expressmart, at their Subway Franchise on I-89, Exit 16 in Enfield, NH. This year, I got the opportunity to come back for a one year Management Internship Program with the same company.

DE: What are the major takeaways from your management training experience?

OP: My program started on June, it’s almost 6 months since I’m here, working with a great team at Evans Group. My goal as an intern is to obtain professional skills, knowledge and competencies within the company’s structure and ethics.

DE: What are some of the differences that you see regarding the way that business is conducted in the U.S. and Romania?

OP: The way of doing business is way different from country to country. Romania still feels some communism influences regarding people’s way of taking things when it comes to business. Romania still has big issues regarding corruption, which I didn’t see that obvious in U.S. Hopefully, I’ll get the change to interact more in the future with the American business environment, in order to be able to express a clearer comparison between the two.

DE: What do you hope to be doing when you return home?

OP: I took this challenge of working and spending a certain amount of time in a different society from my country like an international exposure and also a good English language improvement. An internship in a foreign country is a plus in the eyes of every multinational company like Genpact, Home Depot, or Emerson, which are some of the global leaders in business process and technology management located in Romania. I have always been looking forward to be able to build a career based on operational excellence, integrity and professionalism in one of the companies mentioned.

DE: What do you like most about living in the United States?

OP: At this point I enjoy my time in U.S, I like seeing and visiting as much as the time allows me to, and probably the thing that I enjoy the most is that time that I feel I miss home so much, that I find the strength to keep myself healthy in mind and spirit.

I Love the Smell of Strategy in the Fall.

     One of the great things about living in New England is the change of seasons. While we may not love each and every season and its characteristics, there’s something both comforting and energizing about the change.

     For those of us in business, the four seasons provide handy clues and reminders about the challenges, opportunities, processes, and commitments we face as entrepreneurs and managers. From a functional and administrative perspective, I’m used to thinking of spring as tax season, summer as vacation season, fall as preparation for year-end, and winter as time to hunker down and minimize expenses.  Of course, depending on which industries you’re in, the seasons can represent periods of time when you experience vast differences in the levels of revenue that you generate.

     From a strategic planning perspective, fall is the perfect time of year to begin reflecting on your company’s performance thus far. By mid-October, your organization should have clean financial performance data for the first three quarters of the year. I recommend taking this information and, utilizing historical data and trend analysis, developing projections for fourth quarter performance and year-end results.

     Ideally, you will then cross-reference your financial performance data with goals and objectives that have been set forth for the year, and draw conclusions and make determinations based on the review process.

     Some companies have solid processes and commitments in place for reviewing a dashboard of key success factors on a periodic basis. Many solopreneurs and small businesses rarely look at financials and lack the experience and training to utilize them for planning purposes.

     At the very least, we should all take an organized break from the rigor of daily operations and reflect on what is working well with our businesses, and where there are opportunities for improvement. Then, we can begin by developing a simple, actionable plan to address these obstacles and opportunities.

     Even though this is considered common sense and old news for many business people, the vast majority do not practice it regularly or effectively. Those who do take the time to reflect on their goals, competencies, and changing opportunities in the marketplace, however, are far more likely to develop sustained competitive advantage.

     As the holiday season approaches, carve out some time in the near future to review your financial statements as part of your planning process. And, if you need help in this process and can benefit from the participation of an experienced entrepreneur, manager, and accountability partner, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.