Category Archives: Growth

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Reality and Perception: People v the State of Illusion

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What is real?  What is perception?  These questions and the answers to them shape our work life, our personal life, and the world around us.

In business, perception is the basis of our brand, the root of our strategic vision, and the foundation of our team’s commitment to achieving it.

In life, how we perceive ourselves and others shapes our decisions, our relationships and our ability to succeed.

Last week I ran into an old friend who has been helping bridge the gap between reality and perception for a number of years as both a trial lawyer and later as an advisor to some of the worlds largest and most successful corporations.  We chatted about his newest project, a film that illustrates the importance of answering these questions.

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Making your mark on the wall

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I spend a quite a bit of my time with with innovators and entrepreneurs these days.  As CEO of the Arizona BioIndustry Association or AZBio as we say, I get to connect with teams that are researching and developing products for a better world… Sustainable Health (and health care) , more plentiful food, greener energy… pretty heady stuff.  My job’s not nearly as sexy.  Here at AZBio our job is ground support, providing opportunities for them to connect and engage with each other, pulling together educational and support resources and sharing their stories.  Our job is not to change the world.  Our job at AZBIO is to support them so that they can.

 

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Brand, Reputation, and Delusion

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If you are working on growing your business, you can expect to hear talk about the importance of building a brand.  There are branding companies, branding consultants, branding experts, branding strategists, and so on and so on.  All of them want to help you grow your business by creating a brand presence in the mind of your current and future customers.

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The Best Support is Bidirectional

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As I go about my day, I wear a hat or two or three.  I’m a Mom, a wife, a non-profit executive, a CEO, a board member, an investor and a few other things.  Across them all, it it all ties back to one thing.  I need the help and support of others to get the job done.  This week, at one of my many meetings, a fellow board member shared a thought that has really stayed with me.  “We need to provide value BEFORE we ask for support.”   As I have continued through my week, that message kept coming back to me. Continue reading→

What’s Your CorePurpose? How will you achieve it?

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This week, Tuesday in fact, I have my first BIG meeting as the President and CEO of AZBIO, the Arizona BioIndustry Association.  It’s probably the most important meeting we will have all year – the first phase of our strategic planning process.

There will be other important events and meetings through out the year, but this one lays the foundation for what we will do and who we will do it for.Continue reading→

Help! I’m chained to my desk!

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We’ve all been there. Those times when we have so much to do that we’re just not sure how it will all get done.  Emails are pouring in.  Reports are due.  The phone won’t stop ringing.  New social media communication tools are pinging you from all sides.  A new crisis has just popped up and you have not finished dealing with the old one! Each forms a link in a chain that has you attached to your desk.   Continue reading→

Success Tip: Taking the First Step

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If you are like most entrepreneurs, you have BIG plans.  The success journey can be a long one and you are eager to take that first step.  The question is…which one should it be?  Like a toddler who is taking those first tentative steps, some will be met with words of encouragement and applause and others many have you landing on your backside with a thud.  Either way, if you don’t pull yourself up and step forward, you will never get anywhere.Continue reading→

When change matters, step up, step out and speak up.

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We’ve all been there.  Sitting with a group in the break room, the boardroom or over lunch when the conversation shifts to what’s wrong with our team, our business, our community or our lives.

It’s so easy to point out what is wrong.  Words fly.  The passion is inspiring.  Each idea builds on another .  Then, oops, you look at the clock.  Time’s up and you go back to work and keep on doing things the same way you have always done them before.Continue reading→

Business and the Writing on the Wall

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What does what you say about your business say to your customers? Can they read the writing on the wall?  If customers can’t quickly understand just what you are offering them, it’s likely you may never get the chance. No matter what your business  is or how big or how small, the way you tell your story is  key to success.Continue reading→