Category: personality

Mon: 02 Nov 2009

3 Big Ideas from Big Communications’s Lisa Stern

3 Big Ideas from Big Communicationss Lisa Stern We had the pleasure of taking the current team of Bizdom entrepreneurs (whom I am calling Team Hammer Pants, since they can’t come up with a team name of their own) to Big Communications, to meet with Lisa Stern, the Founder.

Lisa gave a great overview of the founding story of Big, as well as a description of their culture. I could easily write a dozen entries on Lisa and Big (hell, I could write one just on how great their offices are – they are absolutely beautiful), but I want to focus on 3 Big takeaways from their story and culture.

3 Big Ideas from Big Communications

1. The business you find success in may not be the one you start in.

Big originally started purely doing video production. Now they handle communications for health care companies. This isn’t to say your initial idea is unimportant and therefore unworthy of proper research. Rather, the lesson here is that you’ve got to follow the natural wave of your business and fish where the fish are – build on the success you earn, rather than the success you wish you had.

2. Passion means emotional investment in what you do.

This was a point I tried to emphasize at my TEDx presentation. It’s not about doing what you love, but rather loving what you do. I’ve heard lots of people talk about ‘passion’ and seen people confuse obstinacy and unfounded pride with passion. Having passion doesn’t mean that you can magically will something to happen. Instead, it means bringing an emotional investment to what you do – finding the love in what you do. When I asked Lisa what she’s currently passionate about she said “I’m really passionate about how we staff projects.” Trust me, no one says “When I grow up, I want to staff projects!” But she’s found the interest and passion in that task, and that’s a beautiful thing.

3. Vision is about having a goal you’re moving towards

Another great insight into an oft-cited entrepreneurial trait: vision. Vision isn’t about having a grandiose vision about what success will look like (yachts or being on Oprah), but rather about having a very specific goal you’re moving towards.

Bonus idea: Not really a bonus idea, but rather a combination of the final two, and it’s this – any old passion or vision won’t do. You’ve got to have a specific type of passion and vision to be a successful entrepreneur. I meet a lot of people who are very emotional (what they think is ‘passionate’) and have a well defined vision for themselves (usually of them on a yacht with Oprah), who think as a result they’re entrepreneurs. I can give you a well defined vision of what I’d do if I won the lottery (it wouldn’t be Oprah or a yacht), but that doesn’t mean I’m going to win it. I’m extremely passionate about fantasy football, but that doesn’t mean I should make a career out of it.

What do you think? Will any old vision or passion do? Or do you need something more?

3 Big Ideas from Big Communicationss Lisa Stern

3 ways of being better than everybody else

Easy quick no brainers to be better than everybody else*

1. Have a kick ass email signature.

Make it easy for people to contact you. So automatically put your email address, phone, twitter, website, etc. in your email signature. That way, someone wants to contact you after reading your email, all the info they need is right there. A discreet quote is fine, but not necessary.

2. Apologize for interrupting people.

Time’s short, so you may need to cut someone off and get to the chase, but do apologize and give them a chance to continue.

3. Say thanks, and please.

Extremely effective in business communications. Someone does you a solid, thank ‘em. Need something from someone? Be courteous enough to ask nicely.

4. Bonus Tip: Know how to end conversations.

It’s classy and clean to make it clear that the communication is over, whether that’s phone, face to face or email.

*better at everyone else at communicating, which is the key to everything. While these may seem like simple random tips, these will put you ahead of a ridiculous number of people.

What other simple things can you do that put you over the top?

3 ways of being better than everybody else

3 sure signs you’re bullshitting in your pitch

3 sure signs youre bullshitting in your pitch If you had a business partner, would you want them to be truthful with you or bullshit you? If you’re in the “bullshit me, please” camp, let me know – I’ve got a great lead on a Florida swamp land investment. If you’re in the “just tell me the truth” camp, then you’re probably like 90% of most people – and unlike 75% of the pitches I’ve seen recently.

It never ceases to amaze me that someone who’s asking you for an investment – who’s essentially asking you to become their partner, will start the relationship with an unhealthy dose of bullshit. These snake oil salesmen act as if somehow, after the relationship is entered into, the bullshit won’t be revealed and stink up the whole deal. Some people assume ‘fake it, ’til you make it’ is the rule to apply here. Trust me, if your ‘beta ready software’ turns out to be a sketch on the back of a bar coaster, your partner will not appreciate your moxie and aggressiveness. And shame on you if you’re reaction to this is to claim ‘caveat emptor‘ or expect your partner should’ve caught your BS during due diligence.

3 sure signs you’re bullshitting in your pitch

1. Abuse of the royal we.

Back when I was a lawyer starting my own law practice, there were lawyers I knew who advised me to call it “Daniel A. Izzo & Associates” on the theory that it’d make my practice seem more established (on the subtheory that the fax machine was an associate of mine). I did not follow this advice. I was a solo practitioner. I didn’t want to misrepresent this with a lie, however acceptable or commonplace. I hear lots of entrepreneurs saying “We” in their pitches when they really mean “I” or “me.” Look, if you’re a one man show, you’re a one man show. You aren’t a “we”, you are a “me.”

2. CEO, President and Founder.

I find that most of the pitch-stage or development-stage entrepreneurs I come across, don’t really know what ‘CEO’ stands for, much less what one does. If the company consists of you. Or you and your three buddies, you don’t really need a CEO. You don’t really need titles at all. If you call yourself ‘CEO’ you’re just revealing your immaturity. You might as well call yourself “Superman Lightning McQueen” which is what my son calls himself when he’s playing superheroes. It has an equal basis in fact.

3. “In development” or “in process”

This one’s a bit more gray, but I often find it is used as a replacement for “I don’t know”. For example, saying “Our business model is still in development” when you mean “I’m still figuring it out.” ”In development” implies someone is off somewhere working on it, not that you’re still noodling it over.

Honesty is the best policy.

Yes, I seriously wrote that. Honesty is the best policy. People invest in people (whether that investment is time, money or other valuable resources.) When you engage in these bits of puffery, you reveal yourself as a bullshitter, and a pretty sloppy one at that. Don’t do it.

Have any stories of people who overrepresent themselves or other examples of signs of BS? Share them in the comments.

3 sure signs youre bullshitting in your pitch