Double Double Cameron Herold Chpt1
Double Double Cameron Herold Chpt1
Double Double Cameron Herold Chpt1
Vision/Painted Picture
Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, the mind can achieve. Napoleon Hill
The goal of doubling your companys size in three years is easy to accept. Who wouldnt want to do that? But accepting this goal and realizing it are two different things. To achieve it, you need to prepare for fast growth. And to do that, you need to develop a detailed vision of the future. Many people create goals for the future but dont really have a vision of what their company will look like at that point. If revenue is supposed to triple or quadruple, what will that do to the company? How many people will need to be on board? Will you still be in the same offices? Will you have more than one location? Will you be providing different services? What might some of those look like? If creating a picture of your company is worth a thousand words, creating what I call a Painted Picture of your company is worth big money. Creating this Painted Picture is the first step in doubling the size of your company. It may seem like a simple task, but experiencing that vision requires something more than looking at your business numbers. Most entrepreneurs discover that it requires a set of skills that is very different from those they normally use. How to develop these skills and envision the Painted Picture is the essential lesson of this chapter. One caveat must be taken into account before you devote time and energy to creating a vision of your company three years out. It is not enough simply to create a Painted Picture. Everyone in your organization must focus on
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the same Painted Picture, and that Painted Picture must be in sharp focus. If you and your employees are not all seeing the exact same vision of what your company will look and feel like three years hence, there is no chance it will ever happen the way you see it in your mind today.
Vision/PainteD Picture
People likewise find their work rewarding when they feel they are contributing toward a common vision. The Painted Picture allows everyone in the company to feel like they are a part of a bigger plan. And they can see with the same clarity what everyone else in the company, including the CEO, is seeing. Everyone senses they are on the same pagebecause they are. When you have leaned out and grabbed hold of a clear vision for success, youre more likely to achieve your desired goal. Thats why its essential that you focus, develop your vision, and communicate to your employees, suppliers, shareholders, and even your clients what your business is going to look like at every stage of its growth. Im not talking about a To Do list, a five-year plan, or a vision statement. Vision statements tend to get written by getting a whole bunch of corporate people in a room pulling together the words that best describe their business. Then they create a one-sentence vision or mission statement for the company that no one cares about or reads ever again. A Painted Picture is so much more. A Painted Picture comes about when an entrepreneur, founder, CEOwhatever you call yourself plants one foot in the present and then leans out and places the other in the future, in the what could be. I find three years the best period to cover when creating a Painted Picture. This timeline is short enough to be seen as realistic and achievable, yet long enough to allow you to realize innovative and expansive ideas. As a result, employees can incorporate the blueprint into their overarching and day-to-day goals, all the while enthusiastically striving for the picture of an even more successful future you have painted for them. At the end of the process, your Painted Picture will consist of a threeto four-page document that describes your vision for what your company will be three years out at double its present size. This may seem like an easy thing to produce, but it isnt.
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do you want to be there? What materializes in front of you as the epitome of success? Dont worry about how youre going to build it; just focus on describing what you see over the next three years. One helpful exercise is to imagine that youre filming every aspect of your business: your employees, customers, supplier relationships, and so on. Play the film in your mind: what do the big picture and the details look like three years out? In order to answer these Painted Picture questions, youll need to free your mind from the day-to-day worries of running your business and allow yourself the freedom and concentration to visualize the future, just as Olympic athletes visualize their performances. Here are a few steps to get you started on the right path. Although you are writing just three or four pages, they are the most important three or four pages you will ever write.
Vision/PainteD Picture
put pen to paper. There is magic in just writing it all out by hand first. I got a sketchpad with unlined paper. Initially, it was hard for me to think abstractly because Im so left-brained. I turned the sketchpad sideways so it was in landscape mode and started writing down my ideas about what my business would look like three years in the future.
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mind-mapping. I organized them by such areas as marketing, finance, IT, operations, customer service, employee engagement, and so forth. In summary, a Painted Picture is a written document roughly three pages in length that describes in vivid detail what a companys highest-ranking executive envisions that company will look and feel like three years out, without detailing how each part of the vision itself will get built or put in place. It describes what the future looks like, not how youll get there. Ive included my Painted Picture on page 12, and you are also welcome to read a copy of it on my website (www.BackPocketCOO.com).
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What I Do
Why I do what I do is clear: I love helping entrepreneurs turn their dreams into reality. How I go about doing it is also clear: I speak at high-profile conferences attended by entrepreneurs and CEOs. I am a highly soughtafter speaker, by organizations like the Young Presidents Organization and Entrepreneurs Organization. Speakers bureaus enthusiastically book me for top clients. My coaching programs assist CEOs and their teams in growing their companies. Companies ask me to be on their boards. Companies and their employees benefit monthly from the content I share in webinars. My books, CDs, and DVDs are helping entrepreneurs make their dreams happen all over the world. I listen to my inner voice to help me filter my decisions. I call on and trust my gut. Im feeling jazzed about working with entrepreneurs to make their dreams happen, even as my own dreams are unfolding. Im making it fun, and time and money are abundant. My company is growing because entrepreneurs keep telling each other about me. Companies feel compelled to hire me because why Im doing what I do resonates with them. I only work with clients that fit with me, and I have a Bucket List of things Id rather do than work with clients who dont. I share my list with anyone who asks, which helps me cross off my goals.
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How I Feel
Im already successful. I feel successful every day. I dont get caught in The Gap, because I no longer focus on the horizonI am already there. Everything else I do and acquire and achieve is a bonus. Im happy in the present. Im able to spend time taking the kids to school, have time midday to spend with my wife, and take frequent two to three hour lunches with friends mid-week. People keep telling me that I look so relaxed. I feel lucky to be doing what Im doing. My days are fun-filled and relaxing, and my time is my own. Im excited in every interaction I have with entrepreneurs. I feel appreciated by the people I work with. I comfortably accept the praise people give me, and I let it sink in. I know I make a serious difference to the success of each of my clients. I feel confident working with companies ready to go public, so I can share in their successes. I continue to view life through a pair of rose-colored glasses. Im exactly where Im supposed to be.
Programs
I have figured out whats working, what Im good at, and Im sticking with it: Speaking: My content is about my leadership and growth expertise. My presentations are inspired by Seth Godin, with almost no words on the slides, and delivered as a conscious stream of thought. I frequently speak to Young Presidents Organization chapters internationally, as well as conferences run by Inc. magazine, Fortune, American Express, and TED. I cap how many speaking events I do, which raises my fee. Workshops: I regularly book half-day and full-day workshops with companies around the world while Im in their cities at speaking events. I also run one- and two-day Growth Camps in Vancouver and Whistler that attract companies and employees from all over North America. DVDs, CDs, and Books: Attendees at speaking events regularly purchase my DVDs, CDs, and books for their employees, because they know its easier than trying to reteach what they just learned.
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Webinars: My webinars have hundreds of subscriber companies and thousands of subscriber employees. Coaching/Mentoring: My coaching clients stay with me for an average of twelve months. Those who leave do so because they no longer need me to guide them or to hold them accountable to their goals. I never coach more than twelve clients in any one month. My fees get raised each year for new clients, while rates for existing clients are grandfathered in. Startup Mentoring: My program for startups attracts five new clients per year. Clients pay fees and equity to have me participate in their growth; this way, they can also benefit from my continued advice and have my name on their board. I am a sought-after mentor and coach to companies that have been funded by venture capitalists and angel investors. It has become a no-brainer for them to have me on their teams. Boards of Directors: I am regularly asked to sit as a board director for public companies.
Brand/Image
My brand resonates with people. When they meet me, they get it. I am well liked and respected. People are overheard saying, I need a Cameron Herold. My look has a casual, confident, Robert Graham feel to it. People who know me say, Wow, this is such a great fit for you! My web presence and marketing material reflect all this.
Sponsors
My work attracts high-end, reputable sponsors who advertise on my laptop and iPhone. Sponsors also provide me with clothing, technology, luggage, and car leases to get their brands in front of my clients.
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Leadership
Clients say that I hold them accountable for doing the things they need to do to grow their companies. Clients,I coach love setting their goals with me, as it helps drive their companies productivity. Companies value having me on their teams as a senior leader who they normally couldnt afford. Clients consistently say that my leadership has saved themor made themmillions of dollars.
Communication
I dont have a filterand Im admired for that. (I have learned, however, to stop swearing on stage.) People trust me because I say whats on my mind. I think out loudand am respected for that. People say Im a breath of fresh air. I dont sugarcoat things. I say what other people are thinking.
Customer Service
My clients say that I deliver everything I promised them. My client companies feel lucky to have me helping them. They feel like they have paid handsomely for my services but received great value in return. They feel like they get great value from every interaction with me. They say that I have the safety of a Volvo, the agility of a BMW, and the sleekness of an Aston Martin. They wish they had me full-time, but are thrilled to have me for the time they do.
Systems
I outsource work to virtual assistants in places like India and the Philippines, where I get quality work done at a fraction of the cost. I have learned how to build my company with no full-time employees on the payroll, but with several people who work full-time on commission. Ive worked hard at systemizing everything I do in my business.
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Media
The media regularly turn to me as an expert. Media outlets cover what I do, and Im frequently asked to be a regular columnist in newspapers, magazines, and blogs. This media coverage is shown on my website, which in turn builds credibility with clients and builds my personal brand.
Profitability
I continue to make a lot of money doing what I do. I have equity and stock options in many of my clients companies, allowing me to benefit from the upside I have helped create. I am semi-retired and continue to look for ways to grow my revenues while continually working less. I am on track to have enough passive income streams and savings by age fifty that I can begin working more on social entrepreneurship. One client was so thrilled with the results they got from my services that they bought me an Aston Martin to say thanks.
Fitness
Fitness is key. I filter the clients I work with by selecting ones whose CEOs are active in sports and pursue passionate life goals outside of work. I work out or play with them while traveling to speaking and mentoring engagements. All Growth Camps include periods of active rest.
Balance
I add extra days to international trips so that I get to enjoy the country. My wife and/or kids come with me on at least two trips per year. Ive begun to take the family on one global trip per year. My annual ratio of dollars earned per hotel-room night continues to increase. I still take most Fridays off. I arrange tweetups while on the road at speaking events so I dont have to eat alone. My fun factor in traveling has increased. I do at least one active event on each trip.
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Mentors
I connect to those who have already figured it out. I do what they do, so I dont have to figure it all out myself. Im known as a connector because of how many people I know and regularly call on, leveraging social networks like LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and A Small World.
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I dont care if competitors see it. I want the whole world to see it. The more people who know with clarity what my company looks and feels like, the better chance there is that people will be able to help me make it happen. (Please share my Painted Picture with your friends for me, too.)
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Hey, I know someone at Harvard who approves the cases; would you like an introduction? Naturally, we said yes. If wed never committed to the idea by writing it on the wall, it may never have happened, or perhaps it wouldnt have happened as easily. Either way, what we conceived and believedgetting into a Harvard case studywas actually achieved. Another example of our mantra in action began one day when one of our marketing managers, Andrea Baxter, came up to a group of us and said, Can you imagine our company name on Starbucks cups? I must admit, I thought she was a bit nuts for suggesting such an idea, but I didnt say anything. When she continued, Dont worry about howitll happen. As long as you can see it three years from now, Ill make it happen! Then I really knew she was nuts, but I loved her passion and conviction. So, when a few months later she told us the name 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, along with a related quotation, would soon be on ten million Starbucks cups across North Americafor freeI knew once again that our mantra, conceive, believe, and achieve, workedand in more ways than one. Starbucks had originally told Andrea that she could put a note from our founder on the cups but not the company name. In response, Andrea told Starbucks: No, you have to put the company name on the cup! Thats part of our vision. It says so on our wall! She sent Starbucks a picture of our Can You Imagine? wall and convinced them to include the company name. Her belief in the idea helped us achieve our goal of getting 1-800-GOT-JUNK? on ten million cups of Starbucks beverages. It was great advertising for the brand, it cost us nothing, and it also helped create more buzz about us as an awesome company to work for in Vancouver. When Katie Dunsworth came up with the idea of our office becoming a famous tourist destination, we thought she was crazy, too. However, six years later, we were offering tours at the office every Friday, with twentyfive to thirty businesspeople in attendance. Katies dream had become a reality. Its not quite a famous tourist destination yet, but if visitors keep telling other people and the company keeps telling the media, soon the Junktion will be a premiere office-tour destination. So, to make the best use of your Painted Picture, take the following actions (some of which I have covered already in the examples youve just read).
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Enlist support.
When you finish your Painted Picture, share it with your employees, suppliers, bankers, and lawyers. Youll then start to see people align with your goals, and the picture will become a reality. Its incredibly beneficial for your employees, who will use your Painted Picture as a means to understand their role in the grand scheme of things. Ive even seen business areas within a company form their own version of a Painted Picture that then dovetails with the overarching one. Overall, sharing your Painted Picture with in-house people will prompt them to make decisions subconsciously that are in alignment with your blueprint. Then others outside the company with whom you share your Painted Picture will also consciously help you make it happen because they see the employees are energized by the clarity of it as well.
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them. Then, go around the room and have each person read out the areas they circled. This exercise provides alignment for the whole team before the brainstorming process takes place, and it is a useful tool to assist you in planning and prioritizing future projects. At MCI, a Geneva-based global association, communications, and event-management partner, whose Painted Picture is shared below, employees actually read one section of the companys Painted Picture prior to the start of every meeting at which more than two people are in attendance. They are maniacal about staying focused on their vision so that all decisions and discussions are aligned with it.
RedBalloon
RedBalloon, the leading web provider of gift experiences throughout Australia and New Zealand, did a great job with their Painted Picture. They made it jump off the page by having a designer use creative typographycool fonts, animation, colors, and varied type sizesto keep the reader engaged and excited.
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MCI
The CEO of MCI, a global association, communications, and event-management partner, filmed a fantastic introduction to his companys Painted Picture. What you see is Sebastien Tondeur standing in front of a screen on which the company graphics appear as he explains what the MCI Painted Picture is and why he has written it. Go to http://snipurl.com/5t7g3 for an entertaining look. Sebastiens company was operating in twenty-five countries when I first helped him write the Painted Picture. Afterward, he brought me to a company meeting to speak with the leaders of each countrys division so I could explain the idea behind the concept of a Painted Picture to them. It was a great way to introduce the idea and instantly start to trickle MCIs Painted Picture down to all eight hundred employees. What I have witnessed firsthand in the workplace is that the visualization techniques taught by Olympic coaches are as applicable to the business world as they are to high-performance athletes. In creating a Painted Picture, you shouldnt worry about how; instead, focus on the end result, the vision of success. By involving employees in implementing your Painted Picture, youll essentially be enlisting people to help make that vision of success a reality.
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While your mind is racing with ideas, why not start writing them down right now? Start jotting down the initial ideas you have for your company. Whats it look like three years from now? Once youve committed to sketching your vision for the future, to painting your picture, youll be well equipped to reverse engineer your own success.
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher and author are not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.
Published by Greenleaf Book Group Press Austin, Texas www.gbgpress.com Copyright 2011 Cameron Herold All rights reserved. Distributed by Greenleaf Book Group LLC For ordering information or special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Greenleaf Book Group LLC at PO Box 91869, Austin, TX 78709, 512.891.6100. Design and composition by Greenleaf Book Group LLC and Alex Head Cover design by Greenleaf Book Group LLC Publishers Cataloging-In-Publication Data (Prepared by The Donohue Group, Inc.) Herold, Cameron. Double double : how to double your revenue and profit in 3 years or less / Cameron Herold. -- 1st ed. p. ; cm. A BackPocket COO guide. ISBN: 978-1-60832-099-8 1. Industrial managementHandbooks, manuals, etc. 2. New business enterprises ManagementHandbooks, manuals, etc. 3. EntrepreneurshipHandbooks, manuals, etc. 4. Success in business. I. Title. HD62.5 .H47 2011 658.4/21 2010939899 Part of the Tree Neutral program, which offsets the number of trees consumed in the production and printing of this book by taking proactive steps, such as planting trees in direct proportion to the number of trees used: www.treeneutral.com Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 11 12 13 14 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 First Edition
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