The Real Truth About Managing Remote Teams

My daughter Avery had an assignment in her first grade class. She was supposed to see if she could send a paper turtle to every continent in the world. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] The first challenge what was Avery going to name her nomadic turtle? Avery…

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What Are The Five Signs It’s Time To Sell Your Company?

A couple of years ago I was advising a CEO. “Mark” had bootstrapped his company to profitability. Mark’s company began by providing consulting services. Then Mark’s company provided IP to its customers along with consulting services. Mark’s company had grown to become a multi-million dollar revenue company. But Mark had become increasingly worried lately. [Do…

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What Is It Really Like To Be A Startup CEO?

My heart is beating too fast, and it won’t slow down. It’s 3AM, and I can’t sleep. Again. I get out of bed, and I walk to my office. I am shivering even though the temperature in the house is 72 degrees – nerves. I turn on the computer, and I check my email. [Do…

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How Do You Know It’s Time To Hire Your First Employee?

I’ve been working with “James” for about one year now. James is the CEO of a really cool company. Over the past year, I’ve had the pleasure of watching James grow his business to a pretty substantial level.  Now, it’s finally time for James to hire his first employee. There’ve been the usual growing pains…

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Why Your Startup Culture Is The Key To Your Success

A good friend of mine just a joined a hot startup here in the Silicon Valley. The company is on fire.  Plus, the startup culture is awesome. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] The executive team has previously been uber-successful. Revenue is getting near what I call escape…

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How Often Should You Follow Up With Investors?

“I haven’t heard back from ‘Robbie,’” I told one of our existing investors, Gill. “It’s been a few days, and I’m beginning to worry.” “Stay on him,” Gill said to me. “He (Robbie) tends to get really busy.” [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I  can help. Click here.] “Okay, I will.” Robbie was…

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Where Do You Learn The Most About Being A CEO?

‘If I knew you weren’t going home for Thanksgiving, I would have asked you to have Thanksgiving with my family,” One of my college roommates, Paul, said to me. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. “Thanks Paul,” I said. “I need to study. That’s why I didn’t go…

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How Many Hours Should You Work As A Startup CEO?

“I must be doing something wrong,” I said to myself. “I’m not working 100 hours a week.” We had just received our initial funding the month before,  and I was working maybe forty hours a week. Maybe. [Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here.] Now I was in the…

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How Do You Build A Great Team?

“Brett, you look like you’re a million miles away,” my co-founder, “Randy”, said to me. Do you want to grow your business? Maybe I can help. Click here. Randy was right. I wasn’t focused at all on him. I was waiting for Tina, our Controller and HR Manager, to come into my office. “Where’s Tina?”…

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