8 to Start 2018; Hagerty’s Office Design; Solopreneurs; Jan 30 – Feb 4 Panama

"…insights for scaleups"

HEADLINES:

8 to Start 2018 — my annual pick of the top biz books from last year is published with Huffington Post. I chose two for each of the 4 Decisions from Scaling Up – People, Strategy, Execution, and Cash. And if you attended our ScaleUp Summits (New Orleans May 22 – 23 is next) you've likely heard from most of these authors. See how many you and your team have already absorbed. And to make it easier to digest, split up the list among the team and have each report back the best implementable ideas for 2018. Here's the list (details on why and the best idea from each in the Huffington Post piece):

The Million-Dollar, One-Person Business — and just released this week is Elaine Pofeldt's book about solo entrepreneurs who have created seven-figure plus, ultra-lean companies. Drawing on their experiences, the book details specific strategies these entrepreneurs used to approach and hit $1 million in revenue before adding employees. FYI, you might recognize Elaine's name – she's the writer who helped me craft Scaling Up and ghost writes my various columns. Congrats, Elaine, on this well researched and written book.

Demise of the Cube Farm — form follows function, and nowhere is this principle more critical then when designing office space. Hagerty, the leader in classic car insurance, has engaged in a significant remodel of its work spaces to encourage more collaboration. Being careful to "shoot bullets before cannonballs" they are still in Phase 1 where they are testing different office furniture configurations. Notes Sarah Friess, the company's senior manager of employee programs:

This short TCBN article shares one diagram and details both the employee-driver approach and partnership Hagerty has with Herman Miller, the chosen vendor. It's worth 2 minutes to read. Then start thinking about revamping your own space.

Eliminating Laundry Detergent — to rid the planet of one of its biggest polluters, laundry detergent, a Danish biotechnology firm, Novozymes, is turning to nature for the answer. This NY Times article details how this $2.2 billion firm is turning to mushrooms to create a series of enzymes that can dramatically reduce the amount of detergent needed to get heavily stained clothes clean. Please take 4 minutes to read the details.

Designing with Nature — it's biomimicry approaches like above, along with how nature can guide office designs, that are just two of the many ways companies are beginning to "Design with Nature" – the title of our next Geoversity program in the jungles of Panama, Jan 30 – Feb 4. Join me, along with a couple billion dollar players and leaders of other major and growing firms, including a world-class faculty and the support of organizations like the Smithsonian and Harvard, for this highly experiential executive program.

EXITING: Thinking about selling the business for $40 million or more? Want to get 25% to 200% more than you thought? Request the whitepaper from the Exit Strategies Summit at Harvard from Denise Richmond at (610) 299-6466 or email at [email protected]

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? Click here to watch Gazelles International President Keith Cupp describes the four most important attributes of successful clients. Contact us at [email protected] for more information.
 
And if you're interested in becoming a world-class certified Gazelles International coach, please go to gicoaches.com/becomeacoach for more information. If you determine that we're a fit and wish to join our premier organization, we invite you to contact our Dir. of Coach Engagement at [email protected] or 877.217.2253 ext.700.

TECHNOLOGY:

Create Accountability – Drive Execution
Click Here to Watch a video example.

Align is your cloud based business operating system designed to keep you on your path to executing your goals. See, in real time every person in your organization and how they are progressing on their priorities – alongside how they Align to the Company Priorities! Scale Up your Rockefeller Habits implementation with www.aligntoday.com – on your computer, tablet or phone. $5.00 per month gets you started.

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.