I am proud to admit I am a “peeping Tom” of business and of life. The quote by Sydney J. Harris below explains it:

“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” 

My entire life I have been fortunate to peep into the proverbial windows of others. As a lifelong learner, I have never been afraid to observe through other’s experiences.

Once a quarter, my team comes in from all over for a quarterly planning session. We have hired a consultant who follows and works with us on Traction. If you are unfamiliar, please check out the book entitled Traction by Gino Wickman.

In eighteen months, this process has taken our company to a whole new level; from sales to profits to team development to focus.

I wish I could take credit for that phrase, but “The fortune is in the follow-up” was first introduced to me by a prospect for our catering software.

That line has multiple applications, from closing a sale to customer service follow-up before and after the sale.

How many of your buying decisions have been made because of a friend’s referral? Electronics, cars, movies, restaurants, and vacation spots are just a small sample of purchases you may have made because of a friend or trusted colleague.

Personally, I bought every single one of the aforementioned because of a referral.

Last night I received an email from a new client asking me about what the delivery charge should be for his catering service.

Yesterday I had a consult call with a pizzeria franchisor interested in helping her franchisees increase catering sales.

She asked me the silver bullet question: “Where can I get a list of all of the catering buyers in our markets?”

As a lefty, I have always done things backward. As a kid, I read magazines from the back cover to the front, reading the ads and skipping the articles.

Birthdays and milestone events like class reunions and weddings bring out a desire in many people to spruce themselves up with plastic surgery and other aesthetic services.

In all of the catering consultations I do for prospective clients, I get one question asked more than any other, “How do I get a list of everyone in my city that orders catering?” 

Lately I’ve been on a documentary kick. Usually I spend my time watching shows about chefs or the best food to eat in different cities.

But a few weeks ago I watched Madman: The Steve Madden Story. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know who he is. He is the shoe designer and founder of a chain of shoe stores with sales over a billion dollars a year.