The world is still filled with snake oil salesmen.  And so long as there are snake oil buyers, there will always be someone there to sell. 

I continue to be amazed at the number of books and seminars that are being sold purporting to have the “Hidden Secret” to achievement.  For a variety of reasons, many of us want to believe that success in business can be found in the pages of the next self-help book, but the answer isn’t present in the story that we’re living.  Is it possible to unlock the “Mystery” of business all by ourselves? 

You can now stop your frantic search for the hidden secret of business development – I’ve had it all along and have just been waiting till you’re ready to “handle the truth.” J 

Maybe the secret HAS been a part of the story we’re living. 

I had a week filled with meetings with clients, associates and friends.  I love to hear their stories.  Here are a few of the things I heard just this week. 

Monday – At the Dayton Rotary Club I heard a passionate leader convince his audience that it IS possible to excel in a highly competitive market – you just have to be a creative trailblazer. 

Tuesday – A couple of geek friends started a little business a few years back because they thought they could serve their Dayton customers better than the competition.  They’ve spurred each other on to differentiate their commodity business with highly skilled and personal technical support people.  They now have a huge, loyal customer base from all over the country. 

Wednesday – A good friend works for a medical research institute doing great work to improve health for the future.  Much of the funding comes from a benefactor whose business success was driven by the burning passion to help a disabled child.  Now millions of people will be blessed from the fruits of this altruism and zeal..

Thursday morning – I had breakfast with a successful local businessperson who talked about a major turn-around in the customer mix at his company.  When I inquired as to how this happened, he said, “well, we established some great relationships with people in the customer niche we wanted and it just built from there.” 

Thursday afternoon – I enjoyed lunch with an old friend who told the story of how his company has grown from a one-person local operation to an industry leader in North America over the past 25 years.  What was the secret?  “It’s a great place to work, I enjoy going in every day.  And we’ve built strategic relationships with other companies throughout the continent.” 

Do you see the SECRET in their stories? 

Select goals that align with your gifts, talents and passions – don’t waste time on stuff you don’t like.

Enlighten yourself with best practices from your industry and others – be a trailblazer.

Create an organization that makes it fun for you and your people to come to work everyday – you’ll stay energized.

Relationships are the key to EVERYTHING in life – spend the time and care to make them great.

Encourage your family, friends and co-workers often – you’ll need each other along the journey.

Tell your life story and your business story to all those who will listen – build depth and longevity in your relationships.   

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