Preparing For My TEDx Audition
Last week Tuesday I auditioned for a spot on the speaker roster for the 2018 TEDxYYC event. It was an awesome and incredible process and everyone I auditioned with in my time slot was on point! They were excellent! And I realized when I watched them, that I was ready to audition, but so were they. Everyone brought a good game to the audition. This post is all about the... Read more
Is Sleep the Silver Bullet?
In the high performance business culture, rest and sleep is often equated with laziness. So many 'motivational' business people are all over the internet saying you should only be sleeping 4-5 hours a night. I too am guilty of supporting this advice. But, this may be bad advice. Many people favour production over sleep. Chances are, if you're reading this blog, you're one of those people. You're likely the kind... Read more
The Future Is Bright
The future is as bright as you make it. I know it sounds cheesy and I know it sound cliched but it's true. I never truly understood the power of belief and focused effort until I started my own business. Henry Ford is credited with saying, "Whether you believe you can or you can't, you're right.". I always thought, "Sure, that's easy for Henry Ford to have said!" How wrong... Read more
Going For the Kill Strike
We have a funny way of viewing negotiations don't we. Most of us see it as something to be avoided because of the potential for conflict. Some of us see it as just something that just has to get done. And then there are others that see it as a battle to the death, delivering a kill strike to our victim and ultimately becoming victorious. I think sometimes we get... Read more
7 Most Common Negotiation Mistakes
We all make mistakes in negotiations. My big one is pushing too hard too fast. But there are some mistakes that I see reoccur over and over again. These are the most common negotiation mistakes I see across multiple industries. Mistake 1: Not Asking for More Than You Expect to Get This is the golden rule of negotiating! And yet so few of us actually apply this rule. “Always ask... Read more
How Are You Investing Your ‘Free’ Time?
I was going to announce some fairly special news today, but I'm going to save it for later. Instead I'm going to talk about something that generated significant debate among a group of friends I have. I was asked the other day where I find the time to put out the content that I do and juggle the demands of my business, podcast, blog, and being a dad and husband.... Read more
Can You Just Ask?
I used to have a friend and colleague that used to say, "Half of the getting is in the asking." Can you get something simply by asking? Is it really that easy? It's a good question. And the answer is "yes",....but its also, "no". I think the issue lies in that we don't ask enough. Not only do we not ask enough, but we really don't ask, period. We assume... Read more
Say ‘No’ In Negotiations
This post was going to be about the simplicity of asking for something but I got all revved up today about a topic that I hold very near and dear to my heart. So, I'm going to write about that topic instead. Strike while the iron is hot as they say. Anyway, I'm getting off topic. Here's my rant: LEARN TO SAY "NO"! Negotiators don't say 'no' enough. Why do... Read more
How Do Americans Negotiate?
Americans are some of my favourite people. They're direct, creative, and most importantly, they believe they can always cut a deal (even when they can't - most Americans reading this right now are probably saying something like, "You don't get to tell me that I can't, I'll show you!"). In my experience, styles of negotiation are very regional in America. People on the west coast tend to be laid back... Read more
Tapering Concessions In Negotiations
You know what sucks?!? Conceding. But you know what sucks even more than conceding? Conceding more than you have to or should. It may surprise you to find out that there's actually a method to conceding that reduces the amount of money/risk/warranties you might lose. And that same method conditions the other party into believing there's not much more to gain and creates perception that asking for more isn't worth... Read more