WOW , how time keeps flying, in business, in Challenges, in life… My last input (I missed a couple) is: Hire An intern to have a fresh look and come with insights on how to keep momentum. What new ideas can we experiment with? What have we become blind for? Which current strong points should we expand more?

In the light of “pick your battles” and use your time as efficiënt as possible, I never do or did Cold calling. There are no benefits for me. I recognize what is said in the other comments. I stay away. HOWEVER, I van Imagine that Cold calling is a very good trainings excercise for people that want to move on in sales or find it hard to have ” sales conversations”. This a… Read More

For this topic, technically I think it is covered pretty much. What I like to add, is to be consistent. When you figured out how you want to be seen, make sure it is genuine. And continue in that line. If you want to be approachable, sensitive, personal, etc… don’t put on a suit on camera. And vice versa. (Not that people that put in a suit are not those things. If you a… Read More

Make time for it. Don’t make assumptions and always do check, double check whether the assignments and desired outcomes are clear. Tell what makes you happy and what don’t

Knowledge sharing Tips and tricks How to’s

What would Nisandeh do? 😀 Great!

You need (some) capital, but you can invest in companies or bricks (rent), in order to receive a regular income.

Dance…. I love that Idea of yours, Bina. In general, it would be nice if people dance more.. even when the music stops playing

Talk…to your (business) partner, Friends, ..I this way you can detox from your unhelpful thoughts. Read,… This excercises your brain in several ways Take a Bath… There is not a lot to do besides studying your mental state. Good for body and soul.

Connecting with other entrepreneurs works for me as well. Seminars, theme events, etc help me to work on my business. As does reading Brooks, which I should do more, really.

With problem solving I love “the 5 why’s”. It gets you very surprising insights. For being more creative in coming up with ideas, I have dedicated myself to this Challenge 😉.. so excercise, excercise, excercise…

Put your communication away to send later. Re-read after some other activities (so that you were able to detach). Get all emoticons out and all adjectives

I love your #4 Ine! It helped me in the past. Thanks for reminding me.

It’s all about taking the first step. Then tell yourself, is this “good enough’ for now”? The first 70/80% is perfect. The rest comes later. And dare to experiment when you’re in doubt on how to proceed, or when it is not clear yet.

Ask for endorsements to build your expert role.

Make your goals actionable. Also think about what happens when you will not reach your goal. How bad is it? And if you’re perfectly fine with it, have you set the right goal? Sometimes you take another path on your way to your goal. Don’t feel like everything is lost when your goal slips through your fingers. Embrace alternative goals, they might even be better!

Reading today’s confronting lists I have 3 topics that really stick…thanks. 1. Stop comparing 2. FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) 3. Related to #2 keep consuming content… Education is one thing, but blindly trying to understand and knowing everything is another thing ..

Cool your #2 Bina!

How to be/stay creative How to manage all your list/ intensions How to fix broken relationships How to forgive clients or suppliers How to forget How to remember more How to be genuine How to keep a good flow (of mind) Young

# check in now and then # send birthday messages # send holiday messages # send “remember this?” messages

I read some very good additions, some of them confirm my thoughts, others enrich them or show me another perspective on the same basic Idea. I think developing a skill that is able to look beyond tomorrow could be a helpful one. How will things evolve in the (near) future? What impact does that have on the lifes of people? What are then possible (new) needs? And what d… Read More

For me it helps to: – be fit… For me rhis means: 1. Eat healthy 2. Have a good night rest 3. In a regular basis excercise your body. When body and mind are in shape, it is much easier for me to focus. – #6 on Nisandeh’s list works different for me. After periods of focus I need to check out without the thought of ” I must”…like the short to do list. On holiday I… Read More

# Cold calling # improve your website # design a marketing campaign # customer support # blog handling # write content

# make up with people you’re in a bad vibe with # find the sun # buy new clothes or perfume # do some sport # go out

I agree with the items in the list. I did the excercise the other way round today and had a huge overlap. I know my extreme sense of justice (rechtvaardigheidsgevoel) gets in the way..and how to overcome that? Step away from your ego Ask the customer when (s)he will be satisfied (without doing promises just figure out what they want or how to help them overcome their frus… Read More

Operational excellence… Overdeliver and always ‘surprise’ your customer. High quality and service and no ‘hassle’ will play-off in many ways, like mouth to mouth promotion and publicity.

I really don’t use Facebook, nor planning to. I stick to LinkedIn for what it’s worth. Thinking of making a start with Insta. Not my top prio

#family time #put kids to bed #clear my head or get some work done #check on boys every night and whisper a very short talk to them while they are asleep #write down thoughts on a notebook next to my bed when they are blocking me to fall asleep

The first thing and hardest is: Accept the situation! – Stay away from a “blaming attitude” – Stay away from ” if only I had….” It’s too late and nothing can be done to change the past. From there on it is ok to feel down, angry, sad, dissapointed, and so on… If cursing or hitting a sack helps you…let it all out… From there on try to get back on your feet or… Read More

Make sure your experience is relevant for what you do RIGHT NOW (like in your ‘old CV’). What you did 15 years ago is not as interesting as what you do right now. Don’t throw all your skills or products at the readers, but focus on where you make a difference. I still have to follow up on these points 😱

Thanks for your #2 Ine!

# Reflect # Take a walk # Kiss your kids (or loved ones) goodnight # have some “me time” # think of what went well and what to be thankful of … # take a shower 😉

I saw a sign which I think was brilliant and says it all. It was like: If you have any complaints tell us, if you are happy tell others!

Winter: 1. Get up at 7 2. 5 – 10 minutes body workout 3. Shower, last minute Cold. 4. Prepare breakfast for family 5. Have a tea 6. Scan email and agenda 7. Start with difficult work/ intense work, meetings as much as possible in afternoon. Summer: 1. Get up at 6.25 2. Go swimming 3. Cold shower. Rest same as winter

# write a White paper # perform a small study and publish it in a relevant online magazine or site # become a speaker on webinars, seminars, fares, company events. # share your (clients) results – keep track in a kind of curriculum # be yourself and authentic # don’t say what others want to hear, speak your mind and always give YOUR opinion.

A complete list today where #8 sticks… This is where I see a big difference in mentality. # Imagine what it looks like when you have reached your goal. And Imagine how you would feel. # Don’t complain when encountering drawbacks. Although sometimes it feels unfair, everybody has them. Recover and move on…. # There is no easy wat out, and postponing will not may thin… Read More

Hi Ine, you used your 5 minutes welk today! Very nicely put to words. I read it with great interest. Thanks for your pencil today!

For me #2 was life changing. When I was struggling with the thought of starting my own company 18 years ago, someone asked me what would be the worst that could happen?…to start for a Boss again…so I had my own answer. Next to that I add: continuously educate yourself. Don’t be dependent on Just 1 skill or trade. When that goes down, you have other opportunities. Ha… Read More

For me in my role as Agile teamcoach it would be something like; * Gaming companies ( who take care of parts of the program) * Competitors, why not? When large companies have big transformations, it is hard to populate IT with a team of your own consultants with only ‘aces’. * Colleagues with specialties in other areas. * Training institutions (maybe guest lectures) … Read More

Good question! What is a good environment? You will know best for yourself .. The most important is that you consider it. For me, I am easily distracted. One example: studying in Amsterdam 3 years…result almost zero…changed to a campus in the UK .. straight A’s and zero retakes. For the people part, this might be more painful. Definitely not a walk in the park. I do n… Read More

1. Choose your environment wisely 2. Choose who you hang out with wisely These to Will help you in pursuing what you are after. It doesn’t help you when others comfort you and saying ‘ it doesn’t matter that you did not….’ , only to feel ‘less bad’ themselves procrastinating. 3. When you “do nothing” it doesn’t mean you are procrastinating. Keep that in mind. Don’t feel … Read More

What a content! Long list with great questions. There is one that Intry to use: In the Line of…what are you still missing or what needs to be added… When would you say yes …to me…my service…my product… And then you can figure out whether there is enough’ ground… and bargain a little more.

Your #1 is really a good one. Might save you lots of time. Thanks Ine!

Thanks Aramik, for your decent reply. And the invite. See if I van fit it in somewhere to learn 😉

Sounds great Aramik, one question reading your post. Where do you get the time to execute this? For me it’s just me, myself and I…. And video is the first to drop since I am not familiar with it. Love your tip on the 3 E’s!!

Phew … # make it personal # include real life experiences as examples to support what you are writing about

# Make sure your head is clear. Don’t rush from one meeting to another. Take a couplet of minutes to breathe and prepare. # In order to be calm ‘arrive early’. Be the first one there. # Adjust your speed of talking to your conversation partner. Tune in to their speed. I think there is some YouTube material on that. # Build up your story, first make them feel comfortable,… Read More

# create a buffer # this one is tricky: don’t lease (depending highly on your situation) # don’t insure what you can affort to replace or pay for yourself. People, especially in the Netherlands tend to “over-insure”. # similar to Gerdi’s suggestion, pay your taxes in advance # buy ‘second chance’ or even ‘second hand’.

First of all, happy birthday to Nisandeh! Love your life conviction of giving!! It inspires me. For the list: * Don’t panic… It will result in making the wrong decisions. * Don’t give up. The situation usually will not last forever. * To be able to do the previous one #2 (and the next one #4) you should buffer before a crisis hits you. In this way there is less panic, yo… Read More

It’s a bit harder further in the Challenge coming up with new stuff after having Read all your ideas. # a White paper? # a game….. challenge 😉

Reduce cost, improve cash flow, increase profit (margins)…it’s kinda in the same corner. # Do the maths. Similar to Nisandehs’ #8 and #9…grab your calculator and take EVERYTHING into consideration when calculating profit margins. Do not fool yourself with thoughts like “I have to do this or that anyway” so that you do not have to add it to the cost price. After this… Read More

A lot of great ideas! Just one to add: Investigate opportunities and possiblilities for mergers or acquisitions.

Much said already like #learn to forgive and to be thankful (geest) * Be a great dad. Although I know I will get in conflicts, I want ro deal with them in a mature way. * Share my life experiences and lessons. * Be my true self, pure, take of my mask(s) and dare ro show my real self all the time. (Hard work) * Be vulnerable. As the previous one, don’t be afraid of it… Read More

# what are you most proud of? # which lesson Will you never forget? # what was your biggest mistake and how did you deal with that? # If you could start your business again (back in time), would you do it the same, and why (not)? # as I mentioned in an earlier post, in fact any question will do. Trigger them. And they will start talking. Also have an ‘active listenin… Read More

I love your #6 and #7 and to help people with that! #see a coach or mentor once in a while #motivate to maintain new behaviour at least 60 days’. After that, it had becone a habit 🙂 # make it a challenge 😉 and tell others # I can keep stating this: Just DO it # Don’t be too hard on yourself. There’s always a next time…and also Rome is not built in 1 Day!

* gain trust * Ask what needs to be done so that ‘they’ Will buy your product/service… When Will you buy? What needs to be added? What do I need to do in order to … Etc .

Totally blank today. I notice that when something overwhelming happens to you early in the morning, that it blocks your creative brain… Having said that: * Think of something ‘overhelming’ meaning something crazy, silly…something too much which draws attention (where suitable). * As already mentioned, user your Social media to support this * When the brainfreeze … Read More

Thanks Aramik, How I did it for a client was sitting together: 1. Identify repetitive (manual) processes/actions in your business and list them out. 2. What do these processes/actions currently cost you (time/money)? 3. What could be possible solutions for the items you identified? 4. What does it cost you implementing these solutions? And how much time will it take you … Read More

* I move around entrepreneurs, business owners, etc… have conversations with them at all sorts of places (kids’ school, birthday parties and so on), ask some genuine questions AND really listen to what they are (not) saying. I do not “jump on top of them”, there are always moments when I can share my genuine interest in them and their paths. I noticed that it is quite ea… Read More

Hahaha,… no. 5 is brilliant!

* Try to connect with my purpose (again) * Visualise what it will look like once I have achieved my (small) goal usually gives me new energy * The Idea that I can be proud of myself, although that one is not my best quality * Finishing the next thing creates room and time for other (nice) things!

One more: I try to avoid back-to-back meetings as much as possible. This way I can “check out” of the past meeting and start new things with a clear head. Also it gives me time to administrate stuff from that meeting, so that work is not piling up at the end of the day. I have trouble keeping to this rule, due to (lame excuse) other peoples agenda’s and emergency issues….. Read More

* Get up early/earlier than the rest of the family (Maybe ask for this Challenge to be sent 30 mins earlier…see if it helps) * Make my to do list SMALL(er). If only 3 items fit in a day, I make it 3. Or 2. It will give me a better feeling when I finished just a few things than having finished “almost 6”. * Only add to my shortlist once finished something, or remov… Read More

Thanks Nisandeh, I had to stretch a little to sign up for this Challenge and add it to my routines By just doing it (my top tip to others) I have learned so much already. Thanks again. And see what responding to comments of your readers does with engagement. WOW 😉

* standardise and automate. Look at your processes and repetitve jobs and are which ones of them van be more standardised to do it faster, or automate and not do it at all * Team up with other companies to get volume discounts. * Look at your contribution costs.. (e.g. do you really have to work with do many different Banks) * I preach that people ‘focus on their powers… Read More

* Give yourself a face (photo, where applicable) * User a sitemap * Always respons to comments on your site Thanks for all the suggestions. I know I have some work to do on my site … All these priorities…

Today’s topic is not my strong side. Some of what I come up with is sort of what you mention Nisandeh, but phrased differently: * Write a “7 ways to,….improve/change/get (rid of)” * Give your opinion on a news article or studies * Maybe better, summarize a book or studies and add your vision on that * Share your struggle/path on how/why you came to your product/servi… Read More

Oef… * The customer is always right, even if (s)he’s niet Avoid arguments or discussions, most of the time you win more by ‘losing’ the argument. This way you distinguish yourself from your competitors. * Overdeliver. Deliver your product or service earlier, faster, richer, more complete than agreed upon. * Always communicate. Give An update on each step in the pr… Read More

Thanks for the list. I added: * Educate yourself. Whether IT or knowledge or (leadership) skills, taken time tot follow courses or trainings. * Take time periodically to reflect on your product(s) and the way you run your business * Interview or learn from someone that is your example