Business and Career | Words For Hire

Mystery Ingredients and Sharp Knives: Top 7 Business Lessons from Chopped

June 30, 2011 by Karen Swim

Image by J Heffner via Flickr

I am a huge fan of cooking shows that combine culinary skill with a mix of competition. One of my favorites is Chopped. If you have never seen the show, Food Network describes it in this way:

Chopped is a cooking competition show that’s all about skill, speed and ingenuity where four up-and-coming chefs compete before a panel of three expert judges and take everyday items and turn them into an extraordinary three-course meal. Course by course, the chefs will be “chopped” from the competition until only one winner remains. The challenge? They have seconds to plan and 30 minutes to cook an amazing course with the basket of mystery ingredients given to them moments before the clock starts ticking! And the pressure doesn’t stop there. Once they’ve completed their dish, they’ve got to survive the Chopping Block where our three judges are waiting to be wowed and not shy about voicing their culinary criticisms! Our host, Ted Allen, leads this high energy, high-pressure show which will have viewers rooting for a winner and cheering for the losers. CHOPPED is a game of passion, expertise and skill – and in the end, only one chef will survive the Chopping Block. Who will make the cut? The answer is on Chopped!

The intensity rivals any sporting event and always has me on the edge of my seat to see who will be chopped. In the midst of the high drama, there are valuable lessons that can be applied to business. Below I have listed my Top 7 takeaways from the chopping block.

Basket of mystery ingredients – In business we are often called upon to face unfamiliar elements. We may have competitive challenges never faced, complex operational issues, customer demands or even an unfamiliar economic landscape. We are handed a basket that requires us to figure it out and make it work. Many times the chefs on Chopped are required to work with ingredients foreign to their experience. They cannot leave them out, or simply quit so they adapt. Often they will relate it to a familiar ingredient and work from that foundation. They may smell, taste and then quickly experiment to find the best way to tackle the unknown.
Planning under pressure –The pressure is on and you’re required to be innovative and deliver. Now more than ever you must have a plan. On Chopped, the chefs quickly map out a strategy as they review the ingredients. The rest of the time is spent executing that plan. They must think fast on their feet but all realize that without a plan precious time will be wasted and failure is inevitable. Whether you are responding to a crisis or have a looming deadline it is worth it to take the time to plan your strategy. You’ll waste far more time reacting without a strategy and piecing it together as you go.
Adjust when needed – Fire on the stove, dough that doesn’t rise, missing ingredients. In the kitchen and in business stuff happens even when you have a plan. Be prepared to quickly adjust when you’re hit with a glitch or a curve ball.
Taste before you serve– Chefs taste ingredients and dishes while cooking. This is especially critical when working with a new element or recipe. You cannot assume that all the components will combine for a final dish that your customers will like. You should understand the experience your customers will have, test it out and ensure that the quality and experience is consistent with brand expectations. If you are implementing a new website, widget, or policy walk through it like your customer. Know exactly what you are serving, or risk having dishes sent back to the kitchen with complaints.
Use the clock to your advantage – The clock is always ticking in business. There are deadlines and deliverables that must be met. Often we must coordinate efforts across departments, vendors or clients’ internal teams. On Chopped the chefs cannot extend a deadline or ask for a few more minutes. They must deliver on time or risk being eliminated. When the clock is ticking, set a realistic and achievable goal and do what it takes to get the job done. Use time pressures to your advantage to eliminate inefficiencies and focus on what is truly important.
Details matter – In the final round of Chopped, the two remaining chefs are judged not only on their desserts but the entire meal. The sum of the experience can win the game, even if you were not the best on every single course. In a close game, the small details can really help you win with customers and stand out from your competitor. Too often we focus on one course and fail to examine the breadth of the customer experience.
Come to win – While the losers go home with invaluable lessons and often a renewed passion for their craft, all show up to win. They practice, put in extra hours and come to the competition with their A game. If you’re not showing up every day determined to win, then it may be time to reassess. Every day someone will be crowned the champion, whether you choose to compete or not. Why not go for it and have the satisfaction of knowing that even if you lose you gave your heart and soul to the effort?

How Connected is Your Team?

October 18, 2010 by Karen Swim

: Image via Wikipedia

Years ago I worked for a clinical laboratory. As part of my new hire training, I spent a day in each department. I sat and listened to Customer Service Reps handle calls from clients, I rode with one of the drivers to pick up specimens, spent time in billing and went into the lab in the middle of the night to observe the testing. I worked there for almost a decade and never forgot the experience of the training.

By seeing all of the parts that made up the whole I had an acute understanding of my role in the company. I was in Sales and my understanding of the whole gave me the knowledge to communicate with existing and potential clients. Because of the engagement created during my first week, I routinely spent time with other departments and when problems arose I was able to work as part of a team to quickly resolve it.

Numerous studies over the years have validated that when employees feel connected and purposeful, their productivity and performance is high. However, far too often organizations miss this critical step. They may incorporate it into training, as my company did, but fail to nurture it over time. Employee engagement requires an ongoing organizational wide commitment to ensuring that employees feel valued and connected.

It’s human nature to want to feel connected and valued. As you’re creating value for your customers, don’t forget the people that pull together to make that happen. Take some time to make sure that they feel connected and appreciated.

How do you nurture engagement in your company? If you’re an employee, how does your employer make you feel valued?

Empowered Employees Generate Great Customer Experiences (customerthink.com)

Think Big, Act Practical

October 12, 2010 by Karen Swim

: Image by cinnablythe via Flickr

In part 2 of my interview with Solo Business Coach and Entrepreneur, Trish Lambert she tells all about her Fuzzy Bunny Slipper Contest and the lessons learned in putting together the promotion. If you missed Part I, you can read it here.

Contests can be a great marketing tool for solo and small business owners. It’s a fun way to promote your business while giving something of value to your community. So Trish, tell us about your contest?

I have wanted to find a way to really celebrate solo business owners for some time. We should be proud of ourselves for what we achieve and how committed we are. So I conceived the Fuzzy Bunny Slipper Contest (named after one of the elements of the Success in Sweatpants logo). It asks entrants to submit a photo and an essay that answers the question, “Why are you a solo business owner?” in a creative and interesting way. To make the effort of preparing a submission worthwhile, I’ve put together a great prize list that includes: 64G iPad (Grand prize), networking Blu-ray disc player(2^nd prize) , and a Flip HD Mino videocam (3^rd prize) . There is also a bunch of business building products and programs in each prize level, courtesy of our expert panel: Donna Amos, founder of International Association of Solopreneurs; Peter Bowerman, The Well Fed Writer; Mike Michalowicz, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur; Adam Urbanski, The Marketing Mentor and Denise Wakeman, The Blog Squad.

Submissions are open until October 19. Then the entrants need to kick into high gear and get everyone they can to vote for their entry. The 12 entries with the most votes will be passed on to an impressive panel of judges, who will select the winners.

How can people enter?

Go to the Success in Sweatpants page on Facebook and go to the “Contest” tab if you have already landed on it. “Like” the page to get access to the opt in box. Fill this in, and you will get directed to the contest entry page.

Can you share some of the things you have learned from running this contest?

I am learning a lot with this contest. One thing is that you need to be prepared to launch a very aggressive promotion campaign. By “aggressive” I don’t mean “in your face.” I mean that promotional activities need to start well ahead of the contest (a month is not too long a time frame) and they need to continue at a high volume every day once it is launched. I have been amazed at how much promotion is needed to get noticed by people.

Another thing is certainly thought-provoking for me. You know how we are told all the time that we need to think big, go beyond our comfort zone? I think I need to come up with an edited version of that…something along the lines of “think big, act practical.” This contest is definitely a result of big thinking: photo PLUS essay, popular vote PLUS judging panel, “sexy” prizes. And in addition, I plan to create an ebook of all the entries and a 2011 calendar of the 12 finalists. If I had it to do over again, I would have scaled this down quite a bit. Perhaps just a photo contest, with winners selected by popular vote, because I have found that making it as big as I have has also added layers of complexity, both for me and for the entrants. I promise you that the 2011 Fuzzy Bunny Slipper Contest will be much simpler!

Any other words of wisdom for solos?

It is so very important to remember why you started this journey, because going solo is always a challenge. Always. Sometimes the challenges are small, and sometimes the challenges loom above us. Progress can seem slow, results elusive, tasks disorganized. And there are simply those days where nothing is right, you wonder why you went out on your own, and thoughts of spiffing up your resume and going back to the old way flash across your mind.

Remembering why you are flying solo is your anchor any time the going gets tough. When you are in the middle of one of those big challenges, getting in touch with the real reason for all this will help you get through.

And celebrate yourself. You achieve more in one day than three people do back in the corporate world, and you need to stop and acknowledge that from time to time. It takes courage and commitment to be a solo business owner, and we need to keep remembering that!

Well said Trish, thank you!

Do you have promotion or small business questions for Trish? Please feel free to add your thoughts or questions in the comments. Don’t forget to enter the contest and please tell your friends and colleagues!

Trish Lambert is a solo business coach and entrepreneur. Her coaching helps solo business owners to stop spinning their wheels and produce the right results in their business. A fervent believer in no gimmicks, just RESULTS, she helps solos to move forward toward their goals.

Secrets of a Solo Business Owner

October 10, 2010 by Karen Swim

I had a chance to interview, Solo Business Coach and Entrepreneur, Trish Lambert recently. Trish has decades of experience as an entrepreneur and was leveraging remote and distributed work teams long before it became the new work model. She has a particular passion for solo business owners to which she devotes, Success in Sweatpants a division of her long standing business, 4R Marketing. In this 2-part interview Trish shares her passion for solos and offers some words of wisdom for solo business owners.

Your practice focuses on solo business owners, what drew you to this segment of the business community?

A mix of things. For one thing, I became a solo business owner for the second time in 2005, having finally run metaphorically screaming from the corporate world. I know I’m not alone in finding corporate life stifling and unsatisfying, and I have great empathy with other “defectors.” Second, I have probably hit every pitfall and pothole in the process of building my business, and I would like to help other solo business owners avoid at least some of those as a result of my coaching. Another thing is that I think solo business owners are taken advantage of, whether unintentionally or on purpose, by a lot of business experts who are more interested in their own fame and wealth than in following through on the claims they make to attract clients. I want to offer an alternative that delivers on its promises.

What are the key differences between solo business owners and other small business owners?

I think that the key difference is in their objectives. The solo business owners I work with intend to stay solo. They will certainly delegate parts of the business to subcontractors, but they have no desire to hire employees, have a big office, or stockpile inventory. They want to stay solo and maintain a lot of agility in their businesses. They want to have what I call a 360-degree life—that is, they want their businesses to fold seamlessly into the other parts of their lives. Small business owners, for the most part, have different objectives. They may be building something to pass along to the next generation, for example. Small businesses are not as agile as solo businesses because they have an infrastructure with employees, capital equipment, business loans and other things that limit their range of movement in the marketplace.

What do you think 2011 holds in store for small and solo business owners?

I wish I could say that I think we are going to get out of the hole we’ve been in. After all, “they” have said that the recession is over. If that is true, that’s great, but I think it will take some time to trickle down to us. I think the best approach to 2011 for small and solo businesses is to expect another year of the same, and take the right actions to stay in business. If things get better, that is excellent, but I think we need to err on the conservative side.

What are the key things that solos can do right now to prepare for a strong 2011?

This is the time of year when I encourage people to look really closely at their books. What can they do now to ensure that there won’t be a revenue dip in the holiday season or a lull in January? What expenses can they pare down or eliminate so that they are more streamlined financially?

I also encourage people to review their marketing activities. How effective are they? What needs to be changed or dumped? What needs to be added? Can you get more creative in your marketing? Put plans in place to have a big marketing push after the holidays, because people are in “renewal” mode then and they may be more likely to purchase products and services that they would either not buy or would waffle about at other times of the year.

Do you have questions for Trish? Please ask away or add to the discussion in the comments. Trish is currently running a contest for solo business owners and in part II she will share the behind the scenes experience and the lessons learned from developing and executing a contest. I hope that you’ll not only enter the contest but come back and read part II of the interview.

Mid-life Crisis Number 122 and What You Can Learn From It

September 22, 2010 by Karen Swim

When I was 29, I had a full on midlife crisis sans the red convertible. I engaged in endless self reflection and mourned that my 20s were gone. I changed my hair and considered jumping from a plane but I was too busy with work to schedule it. I turned 30 and realized I had wasted the real last year of my 20s being stupid. I patted myself on the back for completing yet another milestone ahead of the norm. One midlife crisis down and I could cruise until menopause, or so I thought.

At 46 I seem to have a midlife crisis every week. I often resemble a deer caught in the headlights as I yet again question my purpose, value and my bathroom scale. And yes, even as I write this I am checking the mirror to see if I now have the acne (or worse chin hair of the later years) to accompany my unexplainable teenage like angst. Oh no, what will the cool kids think?

Unlike the teen years, I don’t have to wonder about the cool kids thanks to social media.

Judging from the tweets, updates and emails I could conclude that the cool kids are stress and problem free. But I am not 16 and now know with certainty that no one is perfect.

So what on earth does this have to do with business? A fair question given that this is a very official “business” blog. Social media has a way of distorting reality. Viewing the world through 140 characters or more can lead you to draw conclusions that are riddled with gaps. Even in the age of transparency, it’s impossible to get the whole story in the time and space allotted.

Rather than using social media as a barometer by which you measure your success or failure, use it to ferret out ideas, challenges or insights for deeper exploration. What worked for another business may not work for you but when ideas or approaches resonate it is worth the time to examine them closer.

When possible reach out to those that have presented something of interest and ask if they’d be willing to share more – what were the challenges, what led to the decision about the strategy – get the story behind the story. I have discovered that with the right approach people are willing to be helpful. Be respectful and don’t abuse their time, or cloak your questions as an opportunity to get free services.

As for me, I have decided that my ongoing crisis is actually a good thing. I am constantly questioning and challenging my own beliefs because I care deeply about my life and place in it. (That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!)

There is an abundance of information available but we still get to choose what we allow in and what we ignore and most importantly how we allow it to impact us. The upside is that every day we have opportunities to expand our perspective and learn from others. Remember the cool kids really are just like us, albeit with better hair.

What about you, any midlife or other stories to share? Does social media ever make you feel overwhelmed or question whether you measure up? Add your comments, this is a no judgment zone.

Groupon Not Such a Bargain for One Business Owner

September 20, 2010 by Karen Swim

: Image via Wikipedia

I have been a huge fan of Groupon, a coupon system for local merchants, since I first heard about it last year. The site provides consumers with a way to tap into group bargains without a group, and local merchants with a way to gain new customers and increase store traffic. Strategically deployed it can enhance visibility for local merchants. One business owner, however, has shared her story of how offering a deal nearly sunk her business.

Cafe owner, Julie Burke used Groupon to offer a deal of $13 of product for $7. More than 1000 consumers bought the deal and the amount of consumers coupled with the failure to account for costs left Burke $8,000 in the red and having to withdraw from personal savings to cover payroll for the month.

According to Burke, she was hesitant about the deal and the revenue share (Groupon would keep 50% of the revenues) but against her husband’s advice decided to do it. Burke does not blame Groupon for her bad experience but shares her experience so that other business owners can learn.

Below are 5 quick takeaways from this business case:

Know your cost to provide your product/service. If you do not have the in-house capability to develop cost data it is worth it to hire an accounting or financial professional to do this for you. VA Firms or Accounting Agencies can provide you with project based help.
Know your capacity. Promotions when successful will result in an influx of business. Do you have the infrastructure, staffing and supplies needed to manage an increase in business.
Never let someone else override your instinct about your business. Burke was hesitant to do the deal but moved forward because other trusted businesses had done it successfully. This is a classic lesson. Just because a bigger, higher visibility, or longer established business does something does not mean that it is right for you and your business. Trust your instincts and judgment.
If you don’t like the terms, ask for new ones. Burke indicates that she was told that the deals could not be capped. The Groupon CEO indicates that is incorrect. People can be wrong. The sales person may have been new, overly eager to sell a deal, or just misinformed. Even if the sales person has the information correct ask for different terms. If you really want to move forward in a deal, negotiate the sticking points even if means pushing to a higher level.
Discount carefully. Discounting to drive traffic seems like a low cost and effective solution but as Burke’s case highlights it may not make sense for every business owner. Discounts may bring in new customers but they may also bring in bargain addicts who will never support your business long term.

To their credit, Groupon’s CEO left a comment on Burke’s post with an apology, explanation and promise to “make things right.” Groupon has done a nice job of leveraging social media for marketing and it’s nice to see that they are also actively listening and responding.

I encourage you to read Burke’s account and see what other lessons you gain from her experience. Please do share your insights in the comments so that we can all learn and grow together.

The dark side of Groupon emerges (econsultancy.com)
Groupon Responds: Too much of a good thing? (groublogpon.com)

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