Eureka! I’ve got it!

“Our worst days are actually our best days in disguise. If we are willing, that is where the learning and growth is for a beautiful tomorrow.” – Adèle McLay

Have you been in situations where things aren’t going well and you just can’t put your finger on what the problem is?

Not happy in your job. Business isn’t booming as you’d hoped. Relationships are struggling. Stress levels are worrying. Life seems a constant struggle.

Well, I’ve been in similar situations lots of times throughout my life and I’ve come to realise that what seem like the worst moments, for me, are actually the most significant, the most growth filled times, so long as I’ve been prepared to embrace the discomfort.

I’ve had another of those times recently where things weren’t working out in one of my businesses. I established the business several years ago, and thought I had the vision and business plan correct. Then life intervened and things didn’t flow. Not much was working as I’d planned. For an achievement junkie like me, that is sooo annoying. So I parked that business for a bit!

Life and opportunity intervenes when we least expect it

But just recently the universe has been sent me a pile of messages (and more frustration).

Plus that annoying ‘Niggle’ came back. For me, the Niggle is that little voice in the back of my mind that brings things from left (or right) field onto my mental horizon. It throws more curve balls my way. It tells me that more learning and growth is on its way….so long as I go the distance with the struggle I’m having. I can tell you that it’s really not at all comfortable in those moments.

But, getting pretty used to the Niggle, this time I felt really excited… what might happen next? What’s about to change?

I started thinking more deeply about parts of my life and businesses.

I started putting myself into situations that are not normal for me, but felt right in the moment.
I also spent time refocusing on me. My purpose in life. My vision for my life. And perhaps most importantly, my personal values.

I had little planning sessions with myself – checked in with ‘me’ again – something I hadn’t done in a while.

And the answers came ….with a hiss and a roar (well, actually it was a quiet revelation)

Even while I was loathing the weekend seminar I was attending (I didn’t resonate with the style of the presenter, so it was REALLY hard going!), I persisted… and persisted… right to the end.
And then the final piece of the jigsaw fell into place. The light bulb moment happened as a quiet revelation at the end of the second day while I was nursing a massive headache after the tortuous event….. Yes, it’s weird when growth happens!

Eureka! The future is bright

I got it!! The business that I set up two years ago was heading in the wrong direction. It wasn’t fitting my values, and the things I personally love to do in business. I was pushing myself as the ‘square peg’ into ‘the round hole’ of the business plan I’d established. It was never going to work!! I just didn’t see that at the time I created the business.

So, with renewed energy and total focus, I’m in the process of re-inventing that business.

To say I’m excited is an understatement. I can’t wait to bring this renewed vision into reality… (more on that at a later time).

What about you? Is your problem a gift?

We all hit hiatuses in life. We all have really difficult times. We all smash into obstacles and it hurts. Some of us have really ugly times, times we think we won’t recover from.

It sounds silly, I know, but problems in life and business are gifts. They have the potential to support us to create a new and better tomorrow. A beautiful tomorrow.

It will only happen if we are prepared to sit with the discomfort, the pain. Now. Acknowledge it. Think about it. Learn from it. Analyse it with truth and commitment to our passions, values and heart – our love and respect for ourselves and all others whom we treasure in our lives. Then we must take massive action to create the change we want to see in our lives.

You see, if we don’t push through what we loathe most in life, what we fear most in life, what we don’t want in life, if we remain living in struggle, or settle for a life of simmering, we’ll never ever have what we most want in our lives.

I know that as a fact from deep and very personal experience over the whole of my life.

My wish for you is a lifetime of E-U-R-E-K-A moments too. Life changing moments that lead to more love, joy, passion, excitement, adventure and success – as you define it.

ACTION: I’d love to hear about your Eureka moments in life. Moments that led to massive and beneficial change. Let’s get a conversation going and inspire others to travel through their pain towards Eureka.

Could some guidance from me be helpful to you? If so, please arrange a free 30 mins Skype strategy meeting with me. Here’s my calendar to book a meeting. I’d love to support you in some way to gain ‘seductive clarity’ in any aspect of your business or life.

Business Success Tips : Meet Utam Bhudia

Utam Bhudia
Video Producer

Meet my friend, Utam Bhudia. He’s a young entrepreneur, having established his own video production company just over one year ago, after a short and relatively unsatisfying career in banking.

As you might expect, Utam is passionate about video, and its importance in business. He’s competing in a highly competitive and contemporary industry because video is a critical marketing tool in business and it’s getting more important by the day as the digital world continues to take over the way in which we do business.

In our interview, not only does Utam share his short, slightly rocky and successful entrepreneurial journey to date, he also gives us great advice on why we must embrace video in business, and how to go about doing it.

This is an interview not to be missed if you are serious about growing your business through digital marketing, keyword and search engine optimisation.

Enjoy this week’s insightful interview with Utam.

You can listen to the original Interview with Utam Bhudia here:

To connect with Utam Bhudia:
W: www.adtube.uk.com

Adèle hosts an interview series entitled:

• Successful Entrepreneurs’ Stories : Adèle McLay Interviews…..
• Business Success Tips : Adèle McLay Interviews …..

…where she interviews successful entrepreneurs from around the world, asking them to share their entrepreneurial stories, and other business ‘subject matter experts’ who share business success tips. If you would like to be art of Adèle’s success community and receive the interviews and much more directly to your inbox, please click here.

Listen to more Subject Matter Experts and be inspired in the Business Success Tips: Adèle McLay Interviews….. YouTube and Podcast series:

Other articles on What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs:

Seven Secrets of Super Successful Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship vs The Meaning of Life
Mega Entrepreneur Defined!
Supercharge Your Profitable Business!
Leadership Qualities
What Makes Great Entrepreneurial Leaders?
All Work + Little Play = Boring!
Entrepreneurial Success without Fulfilment: Who Wants That?
Millionaire Mindset
NZ Entrepreneurship Success

Sleeping our way to Success

Yes, it’s a corny heading, but hopefully it got your attention.

We need more sleep to achieve success

Have you noticed that lately there’s been umpteen studies done on the importance of sleep and how the deprivation of it adds to our stress levels and affects our long term health.

Once upon a time, I was in the ‘sleep is for wimps’ camp as I worked hard in business to achieve the success I was seeking. I wasn’t alone. We all did it… it was the one dimensional success model of last century. Defined by money, power and status, we worked and played hard.

If there’s one thing that I’m now certain of, it’s that we can have all the money and success in the world, but if we don’t have our health, what’s the point?

Health and wellbeing have to be a priority

In her fabulous book, Thrive, Arianna Huffington makes an excellent case for more sleep based on her personal experience. Over the years Arianna worked herself so hard that she fell unconscious at her desk one night and seriously hit her head in the fall. She could have lost her life….for what? Yet another achievement!

Academics around the world are finding that sleep deprivation is a ‘ticking time bomb’ for our health. But are we heeding the lessons from all the research? Probably not.

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust in London has demonstrated that increasing numbers of people are suffering from disorders that are linked to sleep deprivation: diabetes, obesity and heart disease (to name but a few). Scary stuff, don’t you think?

Surrey University has recently published research demonstrating that 700 genes are altered when we don’t get enough sleep – less than six hours per night. Perhaps it’s hardly surprising that we suffer due to lack of sleep.

I don’t know about you, but when I don’t get enough sleep, I feel grumpy, less energetic, less alive, and less ready to hit the day. My mental acuity is reduced… my temper can be sharp. All and all, it’s a lose/lose for everyone – me and those around me.

How can we get more sleep?

There are lots of reasons why we don’t get enough sleep. Our lifestyles are a huge contributor. Commuting to work, family demands, business and career stresses and pressure, our obsession with technology in all its forms – TV, social media, on demand – you know what I’m talking about.

How about starting with a couple of simple ways to get more sleep? As they say, ‘less is more’. Here are four of the tactics I use to help me get around seven hours sleep per night. I hope they help you too.

1. Stop eating and drinking at least three hours earlier. I try to ensure dinner is done and dusted by 7pm so I have a clear three hours of digestion occurring before bed. Unlike babies, I can’t sleep properly on a full tummy. I don’t drink alcohol, so this is not an issue for me, but for others it is… over to you as to when you stop drinking each night before bed.

2. Log out of your social media world at least one hour before bed. As much as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Snapchat are fun to ‘play’ in, updating our lives or catching up on those of others, doing this just before bed ignites our brain. It stimulates us so that we’re still wired when it’s time to ‘hit the sack’. Instead, make a promise to yourself to ‘turn off the tech’ one hour before bed and start winding down with a book, music, quiet time or even better, have some family time.

3. Go to bed half an hour earlier than you want to fall asleep. My sleep patterns are 10.30pm to 5.30am, so I try to be in bed most nights by 10pm. In that time, I relax in the quiet of our bedroom. It helps me to unwind. I routinely fall asleep by 10.30, which is great!

4. Phone turned off or at least on silent – better still, leave it in another room. The sound of our phones ‘pinging’ each time another email comes through or Facebook newsfeed is updated by someone connected to us is likely to wake us – it certainly wakes me. At that time, the worst thing we can do is look at our phones, as that will awaken us more and we’ll be wired for the rest of the night (I know this from bitter experience). Resort to old technology instead – invest in an old fashioned alarm clock to wake you in the morning.

There are lots of other techniques available to get more sleep. The key is to get more if you’re having six hours or less per night. Start slowly, add an extra 30 minutes of sleep a day, and see how you feel. Eventually your body will want more and will thank you for honouring it with more. Plus, you’ll be happier, friendlier, and more mentally alert in business and life. Perhaps most importantly, you’ll be healthier. That for me is the biggest reason to get more sleep.

ACTION: How about sharing your own ideas for getting more sleep at night? I’d love to know what you’re doing.

7 Beliefs of Extraordinary People

Think of the most extraordinary or successful people you know or admire. In all likelihood, they are just like you, me and most others … ordinary people with an X factor.

I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, working with, coaching and interviewing the most extraordinary people over the last 30 years; people who are successful in the widest definition of the word. Yes, some are hugely successful entrepreneurs, business leaders, sports people, and celebrities. Others are people who are living on their terms, ordinary people with extraordinary lives.

Their journeys have not been easy or straight forward. There have been twists and turns, stops and starts, successes and failures, happiness and heartache, yet they have risen above all that to be, have, achieve and give all that they desire.

I’ve noticed common threads, common beliefs that have helped them be the people they are. You can model those beliefs to create the success in life you want. Great eh!

Belief 1: 100 percent accountability

Life is full of tough bits, but successful people find ways to get around them or over them. What they don’t do is get resentful, give up or sit back in a fog of self-entitlement and wait for their luck to change. They understand and accept that life is a journey. They are 100 percent accountable and responsible for everything in their lives.

Belief 2: People are paramount

On one hand, this has become a truism of modern life: people matter. On the other, most of us forget it, every day. Often we take our loved ones for granted. We do what we need to, in order to keep the home fires burning or to fulfil our social or business obligations, and we forget that this is a dimension of life in which we can either succeed, or… not. Extraordinary people recognise that people are critical in all parts of their lives – business and personal.

Belief 3: Constant learning

Success in its widest definition is built on staying dynamic. Not settling. Continuing to learn. Often as adults we forget how exciting it is to learn and grow, and how vital this is to a meaningful life.

Successful people also grow by being productive. They create; they don’t just consume. It might be pottery or cupcakes or electronic music. It could be something more amorphous: setting up a Corporate Social Responsibility Committee at work or putting together a library of kids’ books for the local children’s hospital. Any process that incorporates learning, problem solving and creativity into our lives enables us to grow.

Belief 4: No such thing as failure

Personal growth only happens when something changes, and change is often painful. It means we risk failure, which is very often painful. But failure is a fact of life for anyone who is dynamic, and failures are fast tracks to growth. Successful people don’t view them as failures. They see them as opportunities for learning. We should try to fear failure less. How about ‘failing forward’ as I call it?

Belief 5: Everything happens for a reason

As much as this is hard to take when times are tough, we are where we are in life right now, for a reason. There are lessons and learnings to take from our current experience and situation. There are new horizons on offer because we are at this juncture. When we learn the lessons we move forward, often in new and unexpected ways. Successful people understand that, and look for the lessons on all dimensions, so they can move forward, fast.

Belief 6: Commitment and focus

As Shakespeare said: “Nothing comes from doing nothing”. One of the fundamental traits of successful people is their ability to deploy laser-like focus on achieving their goals, no matter the distractions, challenges, bumps and bruises along the way. For as long as the goals remain relevant to them, successful people remain committed and focused. When we really focus on something, we turbo-boost our efforts and we see more clearly how to do the work.

Belief 7: Happiness and gratitude

Happiness is a decision we make; it is not derived from an event, nor is it dependent on somebody else. Happiness is not a stroke of luck. Too many people say, ‘I’d be happy if ……’ or, ‘I’ll be happy when ……….’ Pinning our happiness on something that has yet to come to pass is a sure-fire way to miss the happiness available to us in the here and now.

The practice of gratitude is absolutely fundamental to replenishing our energy reserves. It is one of the key ways in which we choose happiness for ourselves and it also boosts our ability to empathise with others and live in a more open-hearted and generous way.

Extraordinary people know that happiness in the now and gratitude is core to their sparkle in life. In some way, it also outwardly contributes to their X factor, the magnetism that we’re often attracted to.

You’ve made it. These are the 7 success beliefs of successful and extraordinary people. As promised, they are not unique to others, they are simple strategies that work and can be mastered by us all. Are you up for it?

ACTION: Which of the success beliefs do you hold close and practice already? Are there other success beliefs that you see in the people you most admire in your life? Let me know in the comments below. I’d love to read your thoughts and ideas.

Your Sizzling Life

The life of your dreams is waiting for you to bring it into being.

Close your eyes and summon it up. Paint a mental picture of success in every aspect of your existence. You’re living with passion and energy, you’re in control and running the show on your own terms. You feel truly alive. Your life is so exciting, so buzzing with energy, that it sizzles. It fulfils you and nurtures you, inspires and challenges you.

It’s a life full of love, laughter and extraordinary achievement. You wake every day with the desire to get out there and do more, know more, be more. Even when you’re down you’re never out because you have a sparkling vision of what a sizzlingly successful life means to you, and you have strategies for making it happen.

The rewards are more joy, more connection, more energy, more purpose – a super-charged existence that you experience in technicolour.

Now, open your eyes. Get ready to bring this gorgeous vision right into your everyday world. You have to believe it so you can work it. And you’d better believe that your sizzling life isn’t a pipe dream, a saccharine-sweet fantasy that only exists in your head. In fact, the sizzling life happens when you get real, when you refuse to accept defeat, when get back up again, even though you’ve been knocked sprawling.

Sizzling is what happens when you fear you can’t go on fighting to bring your dream into reality but still you take just one more step, and then another. It happens every time you say no to the old ways of thinking that kept you stuck and choose to believe in the life of your dreams. Your sizzling life happens when you achieve the things you’ve been working towards for years and your family, your friends, your team, are there to watch you winning, with tears in their eyes. The sizzling life is what happens to us and for us when we stop struggling, reject mediocrity and choose to be truly alive, passionate and extraordinary.

A sizzling life takes guts and vision, hard work and determination. You have to craft your strategies in order to live a sizzling life. But when you choose to step centre stage and take responsibility for remaking your world and creating the life of your dreams, you will be unstoppable. I believe in your sizzling life. It’s time to make it a reality. Let’s get started.

ACTION: I’d love to hear how you are creating a life that for you is sizzling. How about sharing your experiences and thoughts below?

Sizzling in Business & Life. Are you?

We have the power to shape our lives, and to use the extraordinary untapped power we have to be focused and effective, to perform at a far higher level.

I believe we can have it all. Not in the tired old sense of trying to be everything to everybody, multi-tasking our way to a state of exhaustion, but by focusing on what makes us feel truly alive, passionate and extraordinary, and doing more of that and less of everything else.

We each have our own perspective on the world, and with persistence, hard work and self belief, there are no limits to what we can achieve.

When we are clear on our purpose in life, when we have a vision for our life, when we are clear on our values, when we have plans in place to achieve our vision and purpose, we have the potential to sizzle! We will be mega performers, laser focused towards the achievement of our vision – our dream life. For me that means Destiny Represented Evocatively, Actively and Magnetically!

Why do so few attain it?

So if a life of mega performance and achievement – a sizzling life – is available to every one of us, why is it that so few of us attain it? If we were fortunate enough to be born in the developed world then most of us live in an environment of abundance, with our basic needs met and more resources than we could ever need or want at our disposal.

Why then do we still feel unsuccessful?

Why do some of us struggle constantly with professional setbacks, health problems and relationships turned sour? Why do others of us settle for being comfortable, for mediocrity, for simmering when we could be sizzling?

I’ve always been fascinated by the question of what makes the difference between a life of struggle, a life that barely simmers, and a life that really sizzles.

We’ve all met people who have suffered unimaginable things yet managed to overcome their pain and their past to create a magnificent life. I’m not necessarily talking about superstars who’ve broken records or made a fortune.

I’ve known lots of perfectly normal people whom I admire for their ability to live a full-throttle life of love, laughter and achievement, and who have extraordinary abilities to pick themselves up even after disastrous setbacks and recreate their sizzling lives. How do they do it?

I’ve been asking myself those questions and exploring the answers via intense study of psychology, spirituality and personal development for more than 30 years, initially as a young university graduate, then as a banker, business adviser, entrepreneur, mega-performance coach and more. I am fuelled and inspired by the answers I find in the stories of others, whether they’re my clients, my friends or strangers I meet.

We all can….

I have come to realise that people who live sizzling lives are just like you and me. The only difference is that they think more strategically and take massive action to put those strategies into practice. They become mega performers in business and life as they live with vision, purpose and connected to their personal values. Fortunately, their habits and skills can be acquired, which, as a mega performance coach, is where I come in.

You might be thinking this is all very wishy washy and not very corporate or entrepreneurial.

Let me tell you that unless we as entrepreneurs or our employees have a clear purpose, a compelling personal vision for being in our businesses, reasons that work for us and them beyond receiving a monthly pay cheque, we will never see or own or their sizzle – we will never experience mega performance in ourselves or our employees.

Why? Because we and they won’t care enough to put in the effort, as it doesn’t matter enough; there’s no or little life or emotional connection, and that’s a problem.

But align our employees’ and our own life purpose, vision, values and goals with our respective roles in our businesses, and lives and businesses change. Mega performance and success is much more assured – for all; them, and us as the business owners and managers.

Now in my book that’s something worth aiming for!

Action: Are you sizzling with the joy of life in your world – business and pleasure? Are your employees sizzling in your business too? If not, why not? It’s time to sort that out so that you and your business thrive, and your employees do too.

Two Teenagers Teach Communication

Meet Amy (left) and my daughter, Gemma. I’m so proud of these two 13 year olds. Why? Because recently, together they were willing to learn some really important life lessons, lessons that I hope will support them throughout the rest of their lives. I also hope they’ll be leaders in school, university and later in life, teaching others the lessons they’ve learned.

And what did they learn?

The art of effective communication to resolve conflict.

Sadly, conflict in relationships occurs all the time. Very few of us are immune to relationships being challenged or, worse, going sour. As a result, friendships wane. Marriages end. Grievances occur in business. Countries go to war.

In my opinion, relationships should be joyous, heart warming, mutually beneficial and nurturing for all. They may not be forever, but while they exist, they should be happy and harmonious.

When things go wrong, I believe there are 5 steps we should follow to move us forward to get us over the hump of the communication and conflict challenge.

Here’s what Gemma and Amy did to restore their friendship.

Step 1: Acknowledge the difficulty
Whether it’s a love, friend or work relationship, when things are difficult, be brave. Be prepared to admit to yourself and the other person that something is wrong in the relationship for you. Don’t just ignore what you’re feeling. You’ll feel a certain sadness, a loss, a lack of energy. Trust your gut instinct. Speak to the other person.

Step 2: Listen… then be heard
Listen to the other person’s point of view, in silence. Don’t interrupt them. Let them speak and feel heard. You will get your turn. While you might not agree with any or all that they say, let them say it. Let them feel valued and listened to. Then you do the same. Speak your truth, gently and kindly.

Step 3: Talk and find common ground
Find common ground. It’s always there if you look for it. What are the things you can agree on?

With Gemma and Amy, the common ground was acknowledging how important their friendship was, and how sad they were feeling that they were not communicating. They missed each other’s friendship. They also worked through the issues they had, ticking off the points they could agree on.

Very often the issues that challenge and destroy relationships are few but are heightened as they grab our attention. Whereas when we work at it, the things that are good in the relationship are far more in number, but get lost in the anger, sadness and devastation.

Step 4: Keep talking and find a way forward
There will be areas you don’t agree on. He says/she says. He did this/she did that. You know how it goes. Attitudes and behaviours may need to change. Trust may be an issue. Forgiveness may be required. That’s normal.

Create a simple plan for how you will move forward with the areas you can’t agree on. Find middle ground. Compromise. Give and take. Nothing is perfect all the time. Movement is important. Desire is critical.

The key is the importance of the relationship to both parties. If it matters, then it should matter that the conflict is resolved. Together both parties must willingly find a way forward to preserve the beauty of what you have by finding solutions to the grey or difficult areas.

Step 5: Take action
Start rebuilding the relationship, the trust, the joy that you once had. If both parties are working on it, the integrity of the relationship will be restored.

Keep talking. Make a date for lunch or dinner; take a walk in the park. Play! Have fun together. Take small steps. Many small steps on the right pathway will achieve the desired end goal – the beauty, comfort and joy of the relationship.

Lessons from our girls
Gemma and Amy went swimming all day yesterday and now have plans to spend loads of time together during the British summer holidays.

They’ve learnt a lot about themselves and each other. They’ve been brave through tears and anger. They’ve moved on. They’ve become role models to their peers. They’re teachers to adults. I love them, their innocence and bravery.

Most importantly, I totally respect Gemma and Amy for taking a stand on the importance of their friendship, and for being willing to be guided in conflict resolution at such a tender and vulnerable age.

Who knows if they will remain lifelong friends? Who cares! For now, they have the beauty, playfulness and happiness of their friendship. I think many adults can take great lessons from these wonderful young women.

Action: How about sharing below the beauty of the relationships you have in your life, be they in love, friendship, work, business, or community. Relationships are one of the key foundations in life.

Generosity. What’s the Why?

One of my key values in life is generosity. I believe in being open-hearted and giving.

Giving of myself – being loving and kind.

Giving of my knowledge – teaching and guiding others.

Giving of my time – being fully present with people.

Giving of my resources – donating and sharing.

Giving of my humanity – being empathetic and offering friendship.

Occasionally I’ve questioned the value of generosity that I hold so dear – mostly after I’ve felt that somebody has abused my generosity or kindness. I’m facing that dynamic at the moment, having encountered some people at a different stage in their life’s journey, and where generosity of spirit doesn’t seem to mean much.

In those moments, for me the key lesson is to continue giving willingly and without expectation, and to remind myself that the joy and beauty is always in the unconditional giving.

Generosity has served me well thus far, therefore, I’m certain it will continue to do so for the rest of my life.

In stepping back from this current situation, I’ve been reflecting on the life and business benefits of generosity. And they are plentiful.

I’m a believer in creating ‘Brand Love’. To be successful in business, we MUST create emotional connections with our community; we must stand apart from our competitors; we must get noticed (for all the right reasons). Our community MUST feel our generosity towards them as well as our love and respect for them.

In my mind, the only way to do that is to give, give and give some more. Give our expertise, our knowledge, our time (albeit carefully managed), our encouragement, our personality, our frailties (own up and correct our mistakes, after all we’re all human), our professionalism. All that leads to an outstanding customer promise, which, over time when done consistently, results in Brand Love. The businesses that are loved have cheerleaders who support and encourage their long term success. Starbucks has a worldwide army of cheerleaders, and of course, so does Apple. What business brands do you love?

When we give without expectation of receiving, so much more comes back in return, and often in ways we may never have expected (and when we least expect it). I experience this phenomenon almost daily. It’s thrilling. It’s heart warming. It causes me to want to be even more generous in all parts of my life.

Have you heard the saying that: “Reputation is what people say about us when we’re not in the room”? A generous person is spoken highly of by others when they’re not around. After my mother passed unexpectedly in October 2014, the adoration that poured out for her was unparalleled. During her lifetime, she gave love and she taught people to love unconditionally. That was her lasting legacy; her reputation; her generosity.

Equally, the reputations of the unkind and mean spirited catch up with them. Others vent their frustration, and they gossip. Reputations get damaged, and at times, shattered. At the end of the day, reputation is all we have in business and life, isn’t it? Is it worth being mean spirited, unkind and cold-hearted? Personally, I think not.

Perhaps the biggest win of all is being able to look oneself in the mirror and enjoy the lightness of the heart and soul that reflects brightly back. Now, in my book, that’s a good enough reason to value and practice generosity.

ACTION: I’d love to hear what you think about the value of generosity. Please leave a comment, and let’s get the conversation going. I’m sure there will be healthy debate and learning.

Business Success Tips : Meet Kevin Roberts

Kevin Roberts (CNZM)
Global Executive Chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi

Kevin Roberts knows branding, marketing, business (big and small) and much more. He’s a formidably creative and visionary thinker. He’s a man to listen to!

Click here to read of his career history. It’s awe inspiring! I was thrilled and privileged to have had the opportunity to interview him recently.

Our conversation was very wide ranging. Here are some topic highlights.

Business must be either big (and I mean seriously big) or small (and that means really small – niche) to be successful. Anything in between will be dead and buried in a few years. What’s the vision for your business?

Why will 75 percent of the companies listed on the Standard and Poors 500 (a USA stock market index) will be out of business in 12 years time?

Brands are the commodities of today; the ‘new normal’ – that’s code for ordinary! Is your business ordinary?

Make your business a Lovemark! Irresistible in the eyes of your community, filled with Mystery, Sensuality and Intimacy. Are you scared or excited at the thought of creating a Lovemark? Check out why you MUST do this to thrive.

And then we talked about one of my favourite subjects: Personal Branding. Kevin and his Saatchi teams around the world have branded politicians, celebrities, business people, sports stars and more. He’ll explain why YOU must be branded too. Business people must be personalities as we are drawn to personalities. Personalities can become Lovemarks too.

In Kevin’s opinion, opportunities for success have never been so great for small businesses. Why?

This is a MUST listen to interview. I took loads of notes; I hope you do too. Enjoy!

You can listen to the original Interview with Kevin Roberts here:

To connect with Kevin Roberts:
W: saatchi.com
W: www.saatchikevin.com
W: www.lovemarks.com

Blog: www.krconnect.blogspot.com

Newsletter: www.saatchikevin.com/subscribe-main/

Adèle hosts an interview series entitled:

• Successful Entrepreneurs’ Stories : Adèle McLay Interviews…..
• Business Success Tips : Adèle McLay Interviews …..

Listen to more Subject Matter Experts and be inspired in the Business Success Tips: Adèle McLay Interviews….. YouTube and Podcast series:

Other articles on What Makes Successful Entrepreneurs:

Is Your Business Irresistible?

“Mystery, sensuality and intimacy are the future of successful businesses! Businesses must be irresistible to be successful.” – Kevin Roberts, Worldwide Executive Chairman, Saatchi & Saatchi

Remember when you fell in love? Think of the emotions you felt at that time.

You probably loved the mystery, the unknown aspects of the person you fell in love with. Those slowly unfolded as you got to know them better over time.

Do you remember loving hearing their stories of life before you? Then you became part of their story, and they became part of yours.

What emotions were activated when you fell in love? Was your breath taken away?

Did you feel like you couldn’t imagine life without the person you’d fallen in love with?

How about intimacy? Ahhh, those moments of pure pleasure!! Remember them?

“What an idiot” or “She’s fallen off her rocker” – is that what you’re thinking? – Why write about falling in love, when this is a business blog?

Well, I’m being totally sane….and very serious in my comments.

Business is so competitive these days. Everything is branded. A brand is the new commodity or the new normal, therefore there’s nothing special in being a brand.

What we need in business is “brand loyalty beyond reason”, according to Kevin Roberts. “Loyalty beyond price, beyond product, beyond design!” We want to create brand love; we want to be irresistible to our customers.

Apple is not irreplaceable, yet it is irresistible!

How does your business measure up? No business is irreplaceable. These days, due to the internet, we’re all a ‘dime a dozen’ – another business like ours can so easily be found.

So, we need to be irresistible to our customers. Kevin calls it becoming a ‘Lovemark’. Be a Lovemark not a brand. “Create mystery, sensuality and intimacy with your customers and target audience”, says Kevin.

It’s about creating a movement of people who connect with you and your brand – your Lovemark.

So how do we do it? Firstly, look out for the interview I did this week with Kevin Roberts (it’ll be in your inbox on Sunday, 12 July) where we discuss these topics at great length.

But to get you started…

Create mystery with your customers by telling and sharing stories. People want to be part of stories, so let them. Create opportunities for your community to create and be a part of your story and the evolution of your business.

Create sensuality. As Kevin says, we live life through five senses: sight, sound, smell, touch, taste. Most businesses use two of them when marketing – sight and sound. How can you use all five senses with your community?

Create intimacy through empathy and give your customers what they never dreamed possible. Go beyond their expectations. When the industry norms are ABC, do XYZ instead. Stand out, get noticed. Get to know your customers, their dreams, aspirations, needs, wants, and their fears. Understand your customers, add value to their life, and wow, you’ll become a Lovemark for them.

Now you may be thinking: “What a load of rubbish – this Lovemark stuff is for big business”.

No, it’s for everyone – big or small. Fail to understand this and you’ll be left behind as other players in your industry are doing all this.

I love Kevin’s winning company quotient. IQ + EQ + TQ + BQ wrapped around CQ.

IQ – is hire well. Recruit the best as you need them to compete.
EQ – create an emotional vibe across your business. Value your people and your customers.
TQ – make technology work for you; let it be your slave.
BQ – be ‘bloody quick’ as business changes fast and you need to too. Be agile. Be willing to change.
CQ – is customer quadrant. Wrap IQ + EQ + TQ + BQ around your customers are you will be a winner.

So, let’s all focus on becoming a Lovemark for our community. That’s what I focus on in my businesses and with my clients. I help them to achieve brand love with their customers and community. It’s really exciting stuff.

Stand out and be proud. Be irresistible. Be a Lovemark and have a legion of cheerleaders who are loyal beyond reason. Now, that’s a successful business in my mind.

ACTION: I’d love to hear more about how you create irresistibility for your business in your community. How are you a Lovemark for them? Please leave a comment below and share your story.