Year: 2020

Categories
Make More Money

How to Make Money From Home?

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How to Make Money From Home

Millions of Americans are looking for new ways to replace income after losing work due to the pandemic. Even before the health crisis hit, anxiety and stress over money matters were already stretched. Since 38% of working Americans had less than $1,000 set aside to deal with emergency expenses, few were prepared for an extended economic downturn, according to the PwC 2020 Employee Financial Wellness Survey.

A New York Times/Gallup survey found that people most often have side hustles to pursue a passion, but one-third are driven by financial need. When searching for advice on making money from home, you’ll come across many listicles offering tips on raising quick cash. Unfortunately, most suggestions are short-lived or bring in pennies. It’s tough to find real ways to make money if you’re serious about becoming a solopreneur. With determination and a willingness to up your skillset, these nine ventures offer a more straightforward entry point into self-employment.

1. Making Goods

The market may be flooded with sellers, but buyers are still spending on unique, quality-crafted gifts, home décor, and clothing. You can sell everything from artwork and crafts to baked goods and toys on popular social marketplaces, including Facebook, Etsy, Zazzle, CafePress, and Shopify, as well as numerous online and in-store boutiques.

2. Freelancing

Independent contractors have traditionally served in the creative fields, offering writing, designing, and marketing services. However, accountants, project managers, data entry specialists, legal professionals, and recruiters are all hot fields for freelancers.

3. Reselling

There is a thriving market for affordable secondhand goods, rustic décor, antique treasures, and collectible memorabilia. Easily advertise furniture, appliances, toys, electronics, clothing, and more with online selling platforms, including Facebook Marketplace, eBay, OfferUp, and Poshmark. You can sell your items, source goods from yard sales, or charge a commission to organize estate sales for others.

4. Repair Business

Clients are always seeking local, trustworthy people who are handy with making home repairs or fixing motors, appliances, computer equipment, furniture, clothing, yard tools, or bicycles.

5. Multilevel Marketing

MLM partners launch their businesses by selling another company’s products. While MLMs have gained a negative reputation for having a “pyramid” structure, many people have made more money on the side from these partnerships.

6. Virtual Assistant

Other entrepreneurs, companies shifting to remote workforces, and busy executives hire virtual assistants on gig sites, such as Upwork, Indeed, and Remote. Individuals in this role can provide customer support, organize work processes, oversee technology, or manage calendar and travel arrangements.

7. Remote Education

Online tutoring, skill development webinars, crafting tutorials, and remote courses are a booming business. The e-learning market generated more than $200 billion in 2019, as reported by Global Market Insights. If you have the knowledge to share, you’ll find people are seeking to learn everything from how to play musical instruments to gardening like a pro to expertly speaking a new language. You can work for an online company, take on private clients from your community, or develop your tutorials on Udemy, Coursera, or Teachable. Other educators will even pay you for your ideas on websites like Teachers Pay Teachers.

8. Personal Trainer

Closed gyms and the desire for individual attention are driving up the demand for personal trainers. Focus on helping others create fitness goals, design healthy meal plans, and develop workout routines. You can also post tutorial videos or lead live exercise sessions virtually.

9. Consultant

Put your hard-earned experience to work by advising businesses on the best strategies to achieve their goals. Backed by an impressive portfolio of client successes, you will find more robust opportunities in the financial, communications, computer technology, human resources, and professional development fields.

Think Like a Business Owner, Not an Employee

Whichever entrepreneurial path you decide to journey down, your success in making money while working from home will ultimately depend on your mindset, hustle, and grit. As you plan your business, also consider these essential questions:

• How hard are you willing to work for your business, and can you rebound from inevitable setbacks? Laser focus is vital to success, but long hours, little self-care, and lost connections with loved ones will quickly lead to burnout. Set boundaries, stick to routines to prime your brain for success, and take action each day to get one step closer to your goal.

• Can you push through the anxieties you’ll encounter when making big decisions, learning new skills, or generating new clients through networking and marketing? Our brains are wired to flee at any sign of discomfort, and uncertainty clouds our judgments, often resulting in impulsive decisions or inaction. A 2017 neuroscience study by ThinkAlike Laboratories found that building a framework and support system makes people feel calmer and more confident in their choices.

• Are you willing to continue learning new skills and grow from failures? In the beginning, you’ll worry about getting everything right. Just choose a method, remembering that simpler is often better. Besides, no matter which route you go, you’ll refine that system as you learn and your business grows.

Earning money from home and making more money on the side doesn’t have to be seemingly unattainable fantasies or sources of stress. With the right plan and support system in place and the right mindset, you can make real money and even enjoy the process. Start your journey by answering the questions above and considering how you’d like to earn your income. If you could use some further assistance accomplishing more without added stress, reach out to the Leonard Productivity Intelligence Institute at https://productivityintelligenceinstitute.com/contact-us/.  

Categories
Thought Leadership

How to Become a Leader in Your Industry

Become a Leader in Your Industry
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How to Become a Leader in Your Industry

When it comes to taking the next step in your career, focusing on becoming an authority in your industry is a great place to start. Being established as an expert in a specific niche could lead to a lot of opportunities. However, this naturally involves having an in-depth understanding and up-to-date knowledge of the most significant developments in your field.

You could be well on your way to cementing your industry leadership position by amassing an impressive knowledge base in your field. These helpful steps will build off that knowledge base and earn you widespread recognition as a trusted authority and visionary leader.

Cultivate a Leadership Mindset

Rather than fixating on the status quo or how things have always been done, finding ways to innovate and embrace change in your field builds a leadership mindset. This will allow you to forge new paths and eventually be recognized as an innovator. As advised by Ralph Waldo Emerson, “Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

Study an Industry Leader Example

When you identify another industry leader who you aspire to emulate, study their background and recent projects to gain perspective on where to focus your efforts. For example, if your peers publish articles in certain industry magazines or journals, consider finding a topic to write about and submit for publication.

Plan and Protect Your Time and Schedule

It’s incredibly tempting to become absorbed in the challenges and daily tasks of your professional life. However, there’s a danger that comes with engaging intensely on too many issues; you risk losing sight of your most important priorities and becoming distracted from your ultimate goal.

The key to developing a workable schedule that you’re more likely to stick with is clarifying your objectives daily, weekly, and monthly. Setting a tight schedule and abiding by the timeline you establish requires discipline and practice over time.

Stay Connected to Your Clients

Maintaining frequent and substantive communications with your clients will keep your work grounded and your solutions practical. While studying the literature and developments in your field is critically important to your advancement, this should not come at the cost of being connected to your clients.

Engage With Related Industries

Besides staying connected to clients, maintaining cross-disciplinary ties can give you enhanced perspective and creativity as a leader. Identifying critical areas for collaboration with other leaders may help you leverage innovative and proactive solutions to your field challenges.

Leveraging Neuroscience Principles to Become a Leader in Your Industry

As Dr. David Rock explained in an interview for Inc.com, neuroscience research has revealed valuable principles regarding the brain’s ability to process information. Based on the results of years of study, Dr. Rock recommends that leaders consider the best ways to present information to team members, the public, and other industry peers.

Above all, the most effective strategy you can implement when communicating in a meeting or any other public forum is simplifying and streamlining your message down to three or four essential concepts. Instead of bombarding your audience with a laundry list of objectives or related messages, be pithy. The more direct and concise your message, the easier it will be to digest and remember.

Building a Culture as a Trusted Leader

The corporate culture you create in your quest to become an industry leader can significantly impact your effectiveness. Your team members and employees are invaluable assets in helping to shape and carry out your vision.

The foundation of any thriving corporate environment is a relationship-centered on trust and empathy. This idea may be best expressed in the case of Rosenbluth Travel, which was founded by someone who often used “ego-driven” policies. After managers implemented a culture shift based on caring about employees, this family-owned business blossomed into the world’s largest privately held travel company.

Managers approached communications with their direct reports from a place of empathy and sincere engagement. Over a relatively short period of time, this culture shift filtered down to all company levels. Such approaches create an environment where candor and creativity are encouraged, which could ultimately help elevate your status as a trusted leader.

Key Takeaways on Becoming a Leader

The most significant steps in establishing yourself as a leader take time and focus to see through to completion. Your willingness to embark on this journey without delay will help you build momentum and capitalize on your intermittent successes toward the bigger goal. Choose one of these strategies to develop each week to keep yourself progressing efficiently and effectively.

Categories
Increase Productivity

How to Increase Productivity While Working from Home

Working from Home
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How to Increase Productivity While Working from Home

Whether you’re a seasoned pro at working from home or the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown you into the deep end, navigating the blurred lines between your personal and professional life can be a daily struggle. A recent Mercer survey of 800 employers found that 94% have been happy with their employees’ level of productivity during the pandemic. Behind the scenes, however, many home-based workers are anxiously managing looser schedules, frustrating technology complications and countless distractions that leave them feeling like their wheels are constantly spinning in place.

Working From Home

Learning how to be productive working from home takes some upfront work that pays off in time and effort saved along the way. There are dozens of techniques to boost focus and output; they range from making to-do lists and tracking time spent on projects to working on one task at a time and figuring out your peak performance hours. Although these life hacks to increase productivity are valuable tools for streamlining your work habits, you also need the right mindset to succeed.

Redefine Productivity

How do you define productivity? Take a few minutes to really think about your answer. In action, being productive looks like focus and efficiency. Most of us measure productivity by the quantity of work we generate rather than the quality. Brainstorming, planning, and reflection are essential parts of a successful project, yet we don’t view these quiet activities as being valuable enough to tally as daily achievements.

Highly productive people invest 10 minutes at the beginning and end of each day to identify the priorities and actions that best support their goals. A formal prioritization system keeps you focused on today’s urgent tasks, preventing you from indulging in all the other distractions. Your tangible output will soar when you build these micro check-ins, along with longer weekly planning, project prep, and post-assessment sessions, into your calendar.

Level Up Your Skill Set

There are hundreds of technology tools, applications, and methods that can help in your quest to become more productive. Popular productivity software includes talk-to-text dictation, note-taking tools, time-tracking apps, and web-blocking extensions. Others focus on mapping workflow, assigning team tasks, and collaborating with remote colleagues. Experiment with various systems since your work environment, technical skills, computer equipment, interactions with co-workers, learning style and a range of other factors that increase productivity will determine which tools provide you with the best support.

Another skill that directly impacts productivity is your ability to stay organized. Creating structure in your day gives your brain a clear pathway to focus on, and it frees up time you would normally waste chasing information and resolving problems. Build 30 minutes into your weekly calendar to declutter your desk, file away paperwork or emails, and check-in with your team about upcoming deadlines.

Workplace Jazz Book, Podcast, eLearning Course and Music

Set Boundaries

To stay focused while working from home, you must set clear boundaries with yourself, co-workers, and housemates. Routines calm the brain, soothing the edges of uncertainty and making space for clearer thinking. Even though you’re walking 30 feet to your office, continue to kick-start the day with your typical morning ritual of showering, getting dressed, and eating breakfast.

Defining your workspace is another necessary boundary because it helps cut down on the chaos swirling around you. Entering a confined, work-only space also sends a visual cue to your brain that it’s time to pay attention. This activates the concentration center, elevating your ability to focus. Avoid sitting in places where you normally relax, such as the sofa or bed. Even if your defined space is in the corner of a room, you can put up cardboard dividers, hang a curtain or face the wall to block out temptations. A simple “Do Not Disturb” sign politely lets others know it’s not the right time to interrupt.

Mindfully Unplug

It may seem counterintuitive to step away from your work if you want to achieve more, but brain breaks are necessary to sustain creativity and productivity. While brief bursts of intense attention can pay off, that continued pace quickly leads to burnout, stress, and disconnection from your work. The swiftest way to sharpen your focus is to take a short break. When you find yourself working on autopilot, it’s time to take 10 minutes to grab a snack, go for a walk around the block, laugh with a friend over a joke or meditate quietly at your desk. These few indulgent moments of self-care often produce a second wind or suddenly make a muddled problem seem clearer.

What is one change to your daily habits that you can make this week to shift toward a productive mindset? If you could use some help getting started, check out some of my other tips on increasing productivity or leveraging neuroscience.

Categories
Reduce Stress

Stressed? Here Are Some Ways to Reduce It

Reduce Stress
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“Take rest; a field that has rested gives a bountiful crop.” 
– Ovid 

According to Google, stress is “a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances.” The American Institute of Stress had this to say about stress: “Numerous studies show that job stress is far and away from the major source of stress for American adults and that it has escalated progressively over the past few decades.” According to this institute, 61% of stress was work-related in 2017. I’m sure that percentage has increased since then. I’ve been doing some research so in this article, we’ll discuss some ways that we can reduce stress whether at work or at home. 

Based on what I’ve seen, there are three main steps to reducing stress. The first step is decreasing food and drink consumption, especially sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. All three of these things add to stress. Having a balanced diet and staying hydrated can help. 

The next step to reducing stress is getting physical activity. Exercising, taking walks, yoga, and aerobics are all great ways to release dopamine into your system. It is said that regular exercise brings about more restful sleep and more restful sleep also helps reduce stress. Try doing some physical activity for at least twenty minutes each day.  

The last step to reducing stress is trying relaxation techniques. I do Brain Gyms – brain exercises that rewire you neurologically – and I find that extremely helpful. Practicing grounding techniques are also a great way to reduce stress. An easy relaxation technique is to sit up straight with your feet planted firmly on the ground and your hands on your legs. Simply sit there and become aware of your breathing and your body. I guarantee you it will help. 

Which step resonated with you? I hope you find peace whatever you do. 

Categories
Streamline Processes

How to Streamline Complex Processes

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“Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle.“ –Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Would you like to be able to streamline complex processes and increase workflow? Me too! Let’s look at some ways to do just that together. 

According to Trackvia.com, there are six ways to streamline complex processes and increase workflow. The first step has to do with taking a business workflow inventory. The article has this to say about it: “List each process, write down what you believe the purpose of that process is, and then list all of the people within your organization involved with this process.” 

The second step has to do with ranking your processes. Prioritization is key. I recommend giving each process a star ranking from either one star to five stars. It can be a grueling process, but it’s worth it in the end. 

The third step has to do with breaking down the process. The article recommends breaking down the processes on a piece of paper. I’m a visual person so I know this helps me a lot. This is a crucial step because it helps you have practical steps that you can take day to day to make the process work. It’s a lot like goalsetting. When you break down your goals into tiny, realistic steps, you have a higher success rate. 

The fourth step has to do with soliciting feedback. This is another important step. Like the old adage says, “Teamwork makes the dreamwork.” Getting feedback from supervisors and colleagues helps give you perspective and may give you ideas on how to create better workflow.  

The fifth step has to do with automating your business workflow. I personally love automation. It takes the pressure off of you to remember and implement. I highly recommend using a BPM (business process management) software.  

The final step has to do with refining. Nothing is perfect. Everything needs tweaking now and then so don’t be hesitant to go back and look at other ways to improve streamlining complex processes.  

Which step speaks to you? I’d love to hear from you.  

Categories
Make More Money

How to Make More Money with Your Business

Make More Money
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A wise person should have money in their head, but not in their heart.   

–Jonathan Swift 

Money can oftentimes be a difficult thing to talk about, but it is so essential to our way of life, especially if we have businesses. Entrepreneur.com suggests 15 ways that we can make more money with our businesses. Let’s take a look at 5 of those 15 ways. 

  1. Leverage Legitimate SEO Techniques

    The first way to make more money, according to the article on Entrepreneur.com, is to leverage legitimate SEO techniques. What is SEO? SEO stands for search engine optimization. According to Google, SEO is “the process of increasing the quality and quantity of website traffic by increasing visibility of a website or a web page to users of a web search engine.” I don’t know about you, but I want more visibility on my websites and web pages. Use SEO properly and you’re guaranteed results. 

  1. Create and Share Content on a Blog: 

    The second way to make more money is to create and share content on a blog. I would recommend writing listicles. Listicles are basically articles that list out certain things. They’re very easy to do (I’m doing it right now!) and it’s easier on the eyes as opposed to blocks of paragraphs. 

  1. Connect  with  Influencers: 

    The third way to make more money is to connect with influencers. This can be difficult to do, but the rewards are worth it. Influencers are people with a large following on social media. I recommend simply reaching out to them and asking for their help. Something Jack Canfield always says is this: Ask, ask, ask, ask, ask!  

  1. Setup a Social Media Content Channel: 

    The fourth way to make more money is to setup a social media content channel. The more content you share, the more likely that people will see your channel. Social media is a great way to connect with consumers. Don’t be afraid to share what your business offers whether it’s a service or a product. 

  1. PR Outreach Via HARO:

     The fifth way to make more money is to use PR outreach via HARO. HARO stands for Help A Reporter Out. This is a great resource to get interviews and be established as an expert in your field. I use this service and all you have to do is subscribe to their email listing. From there, HARO will send you daily emails that have tons of queries from reporters. I highly recommend it. 

What step stood out to you in this article? If you want to see the rest of the 15 steps, click here: https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/284913. 

Categories
Increase Productivity

How to Increase Productivity in the Workplace

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“You can’t get much done in life if you only work on days when you feel good.”
– Jerry West

Do you want to increase your productivity in the workplace? In this article, we will talk about how to do just that. Let’s start by defining increased productivity.

According to Chron.com, increased productivity means that you are putting out products more quickly or completing services at a more rapid rate than before. Sounds simple enough, right? Now that we’ve defined what increased productivity is let’s discuss how you can increase workplace productivity.

According to Inc.com, there are 15 ways to increase productivity in the workplace:

  1. Track and limit how much time you’re spending on tasks. (Doing so can help you manage your time more effectively.)
  2. Take regular breaks. (This is so important. Take a walk, stretch, or something like that. It makes a big difference.)
  3. Set self-imposed deadlines. (This helps a lot when it comes to open-ended assignments or projects.)
  4. Follow the “two-minute rule.” (The two-minute rule is this: If there’s an assignment or project that takes two minutes, do it immediately. It’s that simple.)
  5. Just say no to meetings. (A direct quote from Inc.com: “According to Atlassian, the average office worker spends over 31 hours each month in unproductive meetings.” Yikes! That’s a lot of time gone to waste.)
  6. Hold standing meetings. (According to Inc.com, standing meetings can increase group arousal, decreased territoriality, and improve performance.)
  7. Quit multitasking. (I know there are many of us out there who think multitasking is a viable asset, but it doesn’t work in reality. Take the time to work on an assignment or project one at a time. You’ll be surprised how productive you’ll be.)
  8. Take advantage of your commute. (Some of you may not commute, but for those that do, utilize the commute time to send emails or create a daily to-do list.)
  9. Give up on the illusion of perfection. (For those of us who are perfectionists, this can be a tough pill to swallow, but it’s not impossible. Take smalls steps to let go of the need for things to be perfect, and you’ll see your productivity increase.)
  10. Take exercise breaks. (This is also important. Again, take a walk, stretch, do something active.)
  11. Be proactive, not reactive. (It can be easy to react to emails or phone calls and allow those things to determine our outlook for the day. It’s recommended to set a particular time to answer emails and phone calls.)
  12. Turn off notifications. (It can be so tempting to check every beep and ring from our devices, but it’s so crucial to increase productivity to turn off notifications. Set aside time to check your devices and so that you’re not constantly distracted.)
  13. Work in 90-minute intervals. (A direct quote from Inc.com: “Researchers at Florida State University have found elite performers (athletes, chess players, musicians, etc.) who work in intervals of no more than 90 minutes are more productive than those who work 90 minutes-plus.” Those breaks are so important for increasing productivity. Be sure you take them!)
  14. Give yourself something nice to look at. (According to Inc.com, outfitting your office with plants, pictures, etc. can increase productivity by 15%. That’s pretty significant. Make sure you surround yourself with aesthetically pleasing objects.)
  15. Minimize interruptions (to the best of your ability). (Turning off notifications and closing your office door are just a few ways that you can help reduce interruptions.)

Which step do you want to take in increasing your productivity today? Which step resonated with you?

Categories
Brain Hacks

Best Practices for Leveraging Neuroscience

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Have you ever hosted a meeting or training session and wanted to get better at engaging your coworkers or team? It all begins with leveraging neuroscience. What is neuroscience exactly? According to Merriam-Webster, neuroscience is a branch (such as neurophysiology) of the life sciences that deals with the anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, or molecular biology of nerves and nervous tissue their relation to behavior and learning. In this article, we’ll look at ways to leverage neuroscience.

According to the North American Mission Board, there are ten ways to leverage neuroscience:

  1. Emotion – The brain more deeply encodes and more easily retrieves learning that has an emotional component.
  2. Lightbulb Learning – Learning Is more deeply embedded when the learning environment and experience fosters “aha” moments.
  3. Environment – The brain more easily recalls information when in the same environment, it learned the information.
  4. Pre-encoding – Memory is enhanced when a general roadmap or metaphor is given before the presented information.
  5. Humor – Humor activates the brain’s dopamine reward system and stimulates memory and motivation.
  6. Application – When we see how the information applies to us, it’s sticks in our memories better.
  7. Novelty – Unconventional communication techniques or presenting familiar information in surprising ways helps the brain retain information better.
  8. Testing – Frequent testing makes the brain work harder and thus enhances later retention; our brains will retain what they work hard to obtain.
  9. Spacing – Providing breaks and leveraging breaks between review sessions increases retention.
  10. Stories – Telling good stories enhances learning.

Which best practice for leveraging neuroscience sticks out to you? Try to integrate at least two or three of these best practices in your next training session. The result may surprise you!

Categories
Actionable Insights

Actionable Ideas Story

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“Dad?” James asked his father.

“Yes?” his father responded, turning his gaze from the tv to his son.

“I’d like a bike,” James stated, looking hopeful.

“Oh? And how do you plan on getting this bike?” his father questioned with an amused look on his face.

James pouted, replying, “You won’t get it for me?”

His father chuckled, saying, “It would be much more rewarding for you to get the bike yourself. Don’t you think?”

“No,” James grimaced.

His father laughed and said, “James, trust me. It’ll be more satisfying to get the bike on your own than with my help. Why don’t you come up with some actionable ideas?”

“What are actionable ideas?” James asked.

“They are simply ideas that can be put into action. You want a bike, right? What are some actionable ideas you can create that will help you reach your goal?”

James’ brows furrowed in concentration. “I could…” he started after a while, “… I could do stuff around the house for money. I could save up my allowance. I could make a lemonade stand.”

“Those all sound great,” his father smiled. “Why don’t you write down your ideas and then develop to practical steps for each one?”

“Okay,” James smiled back. He scampered off excitedly.

Categories
Thought Leadership

Lead Your Industry Interview

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“So, tell me, Mr. Hawthorne,” Sydney started, “how did you become such a prominent leader in your industry? What’s your secret?”

Mr. Hawthorne chuckled, “I had a lot of help. My team worked with me to make things happen. I couldn’t’ve done it without them.”

“It seems like you really care about your employees,” Sydney noted with a small smile.

“I do. I’m always working with my board of directors to make sure we cultivate a familial culture. I want my employees to come to work feeling as if they never left home.”

Sydney nodded thoughtfully before saying, “Is that all? What about your clients? I’m aware that your company is very hands-on with them. Did that make an impact?”

“Oh, certainly,” Mr. Hawthorne replied with a grin. “We make it a habit at our company to be intimately involved with our clients. They’re our bread and butter. We make it our priority to make sure they’re happy and satisfied with our services.”

“Well, Mr. Hawthorne, if I weren’t a reporter, I’d be tempted to apply to your company. It sounds like you really have cultivated a positive and homey culture.”

“Thank you. When I first started this business, I was so focused on getting things done that I neglected my company’s culture. I wanted so badly to make it to the top that I was willing to do anything to get there. It really hurt our business down the line,” Mr. Hawthorne explained, his eyes staring off into the distance.

“I remember reading about that,” Sydney murmured. “I’m guessing that creating a team and family culture really helped?”

His eyes focused on her face. He smiled, “It did. We picked ourselves back up and really committed to our clients, and reestablished our values. If it weren’t for that, I don’t know where we’d be.”

“I notice you don’t claim the business as solely yours.”

“I make mistakes, but I’m a quick learner. I know this business is more than just mine. Like I said before, I wouldn’t be here without my team. We all made this business what it is today. I’m indebted to my team and my employees.”

“I see. So, to recap: You became a top leader in your industry from your team and your clients. Would you like to add anything before we wrap up?”

“It didn’t hurt to pay attention to the trends out there,” he chuckled. “We played a balancing of being mindful of trends, but not letting them completely dictate our every move. I think all three of those things combined brought us to the top of our industry.”

“Impressive, Mr. Hawthorne. Very impressive,” Sydney commended. “Well, it was a pleasure interviewing you today.” She extended her hand out to him.

He shook her hand, saying, “I hope you get an A on your paper.”

Sydney laughed. “I think I will. I don’t think my professor is going to believe that I interviewed a big wig like yourself.”

“Well, I’m sure it helps that this conversation is being recorded,” he chuckled. “It was great talking with you.” He stood up from his chair.

“Thanks so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule. Not many CEOs would do that,” Sydney smiled, stopping the recording on her phone and getting to her feet.

“It’s a pleasure. Good luck on all your endeavors,” Mr. Hawthorne smiled back.

“You as well,” she replied cheerily, watching him go.

What stood out to you from this interview? How can you follow in Mr. Hawthorne’s steps and lead your own industry? In what ways can you cultivate a culture of family and teamwork at your workplace?