jbeals

The Rule of Thirds: How to Truly Listen

"Let a fool hold his tongue and he will pass for a sage," wrote Publilius Syrus more than 2,000 years ago in ancient Rome. Such wise advice from ages ago has never been more relevant. In the modern professional world, we are suffering from a listening... Read >

Sales Secrets from Baja California

To unearth the age-old secrets of sales and marketing, I journeyed 2,600 miles to Cabo San Lucas on the extreme southern tip of Baja California Sur. Actually, it was just a vacation. But during what was a carefree trip spent mostly on the beach and ... Read >

Managing Your Online Brand in the World's Best & Worst Marketplace

"Had a very long day today. Got into an argument with my boss and a client. All I want to do is drink a glass of wine and take it easy, but I have to do laundry tonight. Arrrgh!" This is the text of a post I once read on a friend's Facebook page. She w... Read >

10 Ways to Realize Hidden Opportunities

"Great moments are born from great opportunities," said the late Herb Brooks, one of the world's most famous hockey coaches. Brooks certainly seized opportunity during his career. He agreed to coach the 1980 U.S. Olympic team that beat the "unbeata... Read >

Big Marketing Power in a Little Word

Your English teacher isn't going to like this. Don't get me wrong; the grammar and composition you learned in high school English class are critically important, but those rules don't necessarily apply all the time. Allow me to explain. Your old ... Read >

A Powerful Sales Technique Courtesy of Honest Abe

If you ask any historian to name the greatest leaders in western civilization, there's a good chance the 16th president of the United States will make the list. He willed his country to victory in the gut-wrenching Civil War, issued the Emancipation Procl... Read >

Should You Be a Big Fish in Two Ponds?

On a dark and stormy night... Yeah, I know what you're thinking. No serious writer would start his article with such a tired old cliché. You probably think I'm some boorish amateur. But seriously, it is a dark and stormy night. And kind of lonely t... Read >

Networking as Your Sole Marketing Vehicle

As people realize we like them and respect their opinions, they share information about themselves that can be helpful in analyzing whether they can use our products or services. So says Canadian businessman Michael J. Hughes, who is known as "THE Netw... Read >

Lessons from a Shopping Mall

On a cloudless summer day in suburban Chicago, a woman put her two children in the car and drove to the shopping mall. There she met one of her best girlfriends, who also came to the mall with her kids. The group of two moms and four kids spent the who... Read >

"What Side of the Ball Do You Want to Play On?" The Importance of Listening

At the beginning of 1991, Marshall Faulk was a wanted man - wanted by many of the nation's most prestigious football schools. He had just finished a stellar senior season as a star high school player in New Orleans, and college coaches were camped outsid... Read >

How Not to Work Evenings & Weekends

Jane Schulte is really quite remarkable. She's an entrepreneur, who runs two successful businesses. She grew her company, PRISM Title, from eight to 60 employees in only 18 months. She has published four books, two of which are award winning. She speak... Read >

It's Better to Be Different than It Is to Be Better

From an outsider's perspective, she was leading the ideal life. She made the Dean's List in law school and was in her tenth year practicing at a respected firm in the middle of Toronto's bustling financial district. If that wasn't enough, she had four ... Read >

Healthy Living Is a Prerequisite for Success

Nearly 300 years ago, a British physician, preacher and intellectual by the name of Thomas Fuller said, "Health is not valued till sickness comes." Such sage historical wisdom still holds true today. Those who hope to achieve the highest heights in the... Read >

Ten Ways to Market Yourself in 2011

Here we are in the first month of a new year. This is one of those years where many professionals are feeling more optimistic than they were at this time 12 months ago. That's refreshing. It's a much better feeling than we had at the beginning of 2010.... Read >

"We're Getting Ready to Play Notre Dame, But All I'm Thinking about Is You"

Tucked away in the extreme northeast corner of the Lone Star state is the sleepy town of Hooks, Texas, population 2,900. Located just outside Texarkana along Interstate 30, Hooks isn't known for much and certainly doesn't stand out on the map. But th... Read >