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May 24
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Weird Flex, but OKAY – The Spillly Testimonials

By Business Coaching Consulting Motivation Uncategorised No Comments

It’s been a rollercoaster 2-years for everybody, and we’ve all had to deal with a crazy and truly unpredictable shit-storm.

But one thing that I can be extremely chuffed about is the adoration and exaltation that I’ve received from my superb, ingenious and downright magnificent clients.

In stroking my massive ego, they’ve made me feel all warm and giddy inside and I couldn’t have asked to work with better people on my journey as a business coach. So, much, much thanks goes out to them!

Endorsements From Every Angle! 

I was recently caught in an avalanche of awesome testimonials by some of my favourite clients and they had a few tear-jerking things to say about how I operate as a business coach.

Apparently, I’m deeply understanding and extremely easy to get along with – being seen by my clients and referred to as a mentor, friend, confidant and a no-bullshit kind of guy.

You hear that? Damn right. I won’t tolerate any kind of shit, be it from a bull or a horse.

Getting back such stunning feedback and praise provides one of those things that we all most certainly love to receive: recognition.

Recognised for my ability to offer practical solutions; high levels of openness and transparency; a deep understanding of my clients’ journey (we’re talking ocean-floor depths); and most importantly: trust.

Any business owner needs someone that they can trust, (and trust me) it gets lonely at the top, where there’s always an abundance of starving, lurking and opportunistic piranhas.

You could say that (although my clients have already beat you to it), I act as an energetic, informative, tactical, straightforward vault of information with a mouth attached. Or a sort-of business therapist, if you want to be boring about it. Never betraying the trust of a client, especially with the amount of highly-confidential information that is hermetically sealed in my big, bald head, I’m tied to an oath similar to that of Omertà.

Waterboard me, whip me, castrate me – try your worst, I’ll never speak.

Definitely one of the coolest compliments I’ve received is that I’m like a smorgasbord – multifaceted in my approach, with so much insight to offer and straight-up delicious (okay, I squeezed in the delicious part, myself, but you get the point).

And another common, cool and creative comment about my coaching-style is that I always bring an authentic energy to my clients, so contagious that it energises them for the rest of the day. How cool is that? These people are amazing!

I appreciate every single one of these clients, friends, colleagues, comrades that I work with and coach – they make me fall deeper and deeper in love with what I do.

So, cheers to them! Cheers to you! And cheers to us seeing the next couple of years through!

Peace.

Dec 15
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6 Reasons Why You NEED A Business Coach TODAY

By Business Coaching Entrepreneur Motivation No Comments

It certainly isn’t easy to start a business, run it successfully and become the ideal entrepreneur that you know you’re capable of becoming. Our ever-changing world can be unpredictable, often demanding time, effort and energy – which all need proper allocation to ensure that you remain efficient in every aspect of running your business.

One thing that is certain – an unavoidable truth that every business owner is aware of – is that improvements can be made in your business, social and personal life with the help of a business coach. No bullshit.

And you know that a business coach will make all the difference in the world if:

  1. You Feel Like You Could Develop And Grow As A Leader and are in need of powerful tools and techniques to improve your relations and ability to motivate staff, as well as yourself.

I’ve been there before and it isn’t always easy to grow without proper nourishment. Being that it is lonely at the top, you find yourself in a situation where you don’t know who to look to for new ways to grow and evolve. It can be hard to juggle the many things that you find yourself wrapped up in, so finding new techniques and methods to turn you into a better leader is often the last thing on your mind.

That’s why I come prepared with modern, relatable and easily digestible advice, bringing speed and nourishment to your development. I have the experience, tools, knowledge and techniques to bring you closer to your staff and to that status of an impactful and proud leader.

  1. You Need Someone To Push You And Make You More Accountable as you would feel more driven and find comfort in having somebody around to keep you on the right track.

It’s not uncommon to find that having a friend or partner around with the same interests helps to extract the drive to accomplish more. It’s sometimes hard to be in a position where you feel stagnant and have the final say. I have people that I do running with that push me to try harder and create a sense of accountability if I dare to be lazy or feel like giving up.

You’re certainly not alone if that’s how you prefer to operate. Yes, it can be difficult to find somebody that truly understands your position, that you know you can trust and relate to, but there is a silver-lining. As someone that knows the importance of an exemplar, I can do exactly that for you, while pushing you to excel and take responsibility for your actions or inaction.

  1. The Struggle Of Work-Life Balance Is Real and you’re struggling to find that perfect ratio in order to keep you from tearing at the seams.

Time acts as a commodity when running a business and it can be difficult to figure out when to take a break or to keep pushing. I’ve made the mistake of pushing myself too hard when I was a business owner, literally to the extent of causing harm to my mental well-being.

Therapy helped with that and I now know how valuable creating the right balance is when dealing with that stress. I can relate in many ways. Don’t wear yourself thin and let someone like me help you make sense of the pressure that you feel yourself dealing with. I’ll help you understand your goals and ambitions, offering a course of action to help you achieve them.

  1. You Have Plenty Of Ideas And Great Vision, but need an objective soundboard to give you critical feedback and constructive criticism, because when you’re all the way at the top, it becomes harder to find people without ulterior motives to bounce ideas off of.

Whether it’s an employee that you think you can trust, or even a family member, the sad truth is that most people act in their own best interest. You’re in a position of power and people are aware of that, so they tend to stroke your ego, instead of being authentic.

Having to deal with sycophants can be a real pain in the ass. I know it all too well. That’s why I prefer to be blunt and avoid sugar-coating my feedback to clients. At the end of the day, we all deserve transparency and the truth. It can be refreshing to receive clarity instead of an arse kissing at every corner.

  1. It’s Hard To Determine What’s Really Important in your daily activities, what you need to focus on and what to do next.

Keeping your finger on the pulse at all times can prove to be difficult. As a business owner, it’s hard to rely on your staff to keep all of the different verticals in check, so you need to be aware of and involved in everything that goes on at all times.

Finding order within that chaos can be challenging, especially when you’ve taken on such a tremendous responsibility. That’s where I come in. I’m fully aware of every aspect of your business that needs attention, so I create and implement processes in an organised and uncomplicated manner that gives you the relief that you’ve been craving.

  1. Your Motivation Is Starting To Dwindle and you need a catalyst to give you more clarity, joy and hope in what you do.

As time progresses, you find yourself with less and less motivation, enjoyment and interest in what you do. You might not know what the next step to take is and require a change of pace or direction to keep you hooked. I know that feeling all too well. It took me years of doing the same routine until I snapped and my motivation shattered.

Finding new and interesting ways to make things exciting is something that I have also struggled with in the past and it’s something that I’m always helping clients deal with. Sometimes a refreshing new perspective, strategy or change in pace is needed and I can bring you that energy and relief.

By refreshing your perspective and re-igniting your passion, I bring new perspectives and approaches to catalyse your personal development. You’ll see and feel business through a shiny, new lens.

Bonus Reason #7:

+ Your Company Lacks A Differentiating Factor that will advance your growth and separate you from the pack.

Everything that you do has the chance of reaching a point where it becomes stale and sometimes it can feel like there’s an expiration date looming in the near distance. You find that everything is coming to a stage of mediocrity and your business feels boring and needs a certain something to help it stand out from the competition.

It may seem like your business is similar to milk at this stage; it was delicious, full of promise and packed with nutrients, but all milk spoils and begins to stink after a while. And I can change that. I’m not saying that I’m Jesus or anything, but I can certainly change your business from bitter milk to a fine wine; even tastier, far more beneficial, sought after and on a path of maturation, rather than expiration.

If you seek moments of greatness, sparks of excitement and enthusiasm, a fresh perspective, and more enjoyment around running your business – then I think it’s time…

… It’s time to get off your ass and mount that stallion; take charge and embrace the speed, comfort and strength that you know you deserve.

I’m certain that you could do with some real coaching, from a real business coach that knows how to keep it real. Make sure you get in touch – you know I’m what you need:

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dec 01
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Death Or Disability – Don’t Be Selfish.

By Consulting Motivation No Comments

We all try to avoid the inevitable. And even if it’s just a case of thinking about it – death will always deal with a grimace. Although the decision to retire and comfortably wither away with age is one that we all keep close to us – you never truly know what life might have in store for you.

With the world that we live in, it would be naive to assume that being invincible is an option. At any given moment, unforeseen circumstances might take control of the steering wheel and change your life in ways that you could never have predicted.

So, being that life is short and unpredictable, have you taken the necessary steps to ensure that your family, loved ones and those dearest to you are financially and legally secure, should something happen to you?

If not, then it’s time to start gathering your documents and compile your death checklist.

Time Waits For Nobody. So Why Would It Wait For You? 

One of the very first questions that I make sure to ask new clients is whether or not they have access to all of their necessary legal documentation, should something fatal or life-changing happen to them.

And being a business coach, I’ve come to find that a significant portion of large business owners tend to avoid consideration of their personal risks – solely focusing their time and energy on business risks, instead.

But if something had to happen to them, what would happen to their family?

As a business owner, it’s extremely important to know whether or not you have your last will and testament on standby; if you have shareholder certificates between partners (provided you have partners); and if you have insurance for things like income protection and product liability.

Witnessing, first-hand, how so many successful entrepreneurs ignore the importance of having access to that documentation is quite shocking (and irresponsible), to say the least.

It not only puts your business at risk, but your family, as well.

If you don’t have a written will upon death, then you run the risk of your business being terminated and the assets liquidated to settle any debts, with little left for your family; your profits and losses are transferred according to the decision of the country/state you live in; and shares are given to either a spouse, children or valid family member with the responsibility to pay inheritance tax.

This could lead to issues for partners that now find themselves in business with people that they don’t know, whether experienced or inexperienced, and can cause problems between families and shareholders with regards to the valuation of the business.

While it’s essential to have the correct documentation on standby, should something go wrong, it becomes necessary to know which documents you need to have access to. So I’ve developed a checklist of those documents you need as a business owner:

Copy of Your Will –

Where is your will? Is it up-to-date? Does your lawyer have a copy? As I mentioned above, there are certain risks that come without having an updated will ready.

Unabridged Birth Certificate –

Is a birth certificate with the names and identity information of both parents or legal guardians. It becomes important if you have children that might want to travel overseas or if you’re planning to send them for schooling or to relocate.

ID –

Having a copy of your ID or at least making your family aware of its whereabouts is helpful for any legal situations that might arise. It will be used to prove who you are when dealing with the registration of your death, funeral matters and handling your estate.

Marriage Certificate –

Similar to the points made for the requirement of an ID – it’s highly important for when dealing with your will, estate, funeral and registration of death.

Marriage Contract –

This can affect your will and the distribution of assets to your spouse. Depending on whether or not you sign an antenuptial agreement, the marriage contract will help in determining how your assets and debts are shared.

Death Certificate –

Will come to affect certain legal processes if you are to pass away. It serves as the necessary proof for your family to claim life insurance, settle estates and even arrange the funeral

Recent Tax Assessment –

To help define the amount in taxes that need to be paid for that final tax year. There are generally two forms of tax that apply to the deceased: Estate Duty and Capital Gains Tax. The Estate Duty is a tax that applies to the deceased individual’s property and Capital Gains Tax applies to any profit made from selling an asset.

Passwords for banking and devices –

Passing away means that your passwords also get buried with you. In order to give your family access to any money in your bank account(s), they need your security information. And in the case that you have all of the necessary documentation on the death checklist, and it sits on the cloud or in a safe – there needs to be a place to get access to it. Your passwords and pin codes are important.

Bank Details –

If you haven’t set your account(s) as Payable on Death to a beneficiary, the legal process behind it can become difficult. Your account can ultimately be drained through paying debts and fees, preventing any family from ever seeing or using it. It’s wise to keep them informed, or leave information for them to access those accounts, should anything happen.

List of monthly debit orders –

Nobody wants to be surprised when dealing with monthly notifications of gym memberships, purchases or anything else that might be charged from your account(s) if you should pass away or become disabled. This can be a painful reminder or even a hassle – so keep a list and avoid surprises.

List of insurance, investments and funds –

if you’ve made any investments or have any funds or insurance that might be helpful when dealing with the handling of your estate, then keep a list of them that can be kept together with all of your other important information.

Copies of insurance and funeral policies –

The same applies to the legal procedures taken to deal with your estate. It’s important to help prove what insurance policies you’ve taken out. It will also help with arranging and paying out your funeral costs. Remember to leave a contact name and number behind of the person that handles everything.

Lease Agreement –

To determine the terms of your lease. Landlords are able to keep charging rental fees depending on the length and terms that you’ve signed, so keeping that agreement with the rest of your documents can be helpful for your family to either pay it off or to take legal action.

Proof of Medical Aid and Gap Cover –

In the case that you become disabled or deal with a crippling event, then both medical aid and gap cover documents are absolutely essential. If it’s a case of death, then providing proof of those policies will help your family with making a claim from the medical aid.

Title Deeds for Properties –

Should you pass away, then having your title deeds collected and kept in an accessible place will be helpful to your family when you leave them property(ies). It also helps to avoid transfer duty costs if you’ve left your property to an heir.

Partnership Agreements –

If you die without a legal agreement between your partners to keep operating, then the business will usually cease to operate and dissolve. Unless you’ve stated that your partner(s) must maintain operation of the company, then you forfeit the hard work that you would’ve put into the business for your family.

Although it might be scary (or crappy) to think about, it’s your responsibility to ensure that all of the important documentation is readily accessible, should something happen.

Get it all sorted. Make the effort. Your family and partners deserve it.

It took me quite some time to compile this important list and I’d appreciate it if you took the time to gather and accumulate all of those documents.

If you need any advice regarding the list, running your business or making good decisions – then give me a call, send me an email, drop a message [before you drop dead]:

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com

Aug 31
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Driving Your Business To Success In A Tesla (Or V8)

By Business Coaching Entrepreneur Motivation No Comments

Putting your foot down hard on the accelerator and going full steam ahead when running your business is quite a common theme amongst entrepreneurs. Most of the time, emphasis is placed on driving the business with your pedal to the metal – barely ever slowing down or stopping to smell the roses.

Obviously, it’s great to be that invested, inspired and driven to become successful and achieve extraordinary things in the quickest way possible – but going full speed isn’t always beneficial or effective.

Just like a race-car driver, you need to hit the brakes at times to comfortably make sharp turns around those difficult bends – and by counting on speed alone, you might just cause an accident.

I believe that slowing down, or sometimes coming to a complete halt, will do you and your business great justice. So loosen up your seatbelt and prepare to slow things down a bit.

Think About Your Business – Don’t Just Push It 

In order for you to get to break-neck speeds and drive your business to achieve success in the fastest possible time, you end up pushing extremely hard; making as many sales as possible, spending resources and money on getting better results, and ensuring that you keep your eye on the prize – never stopping for anything.

Being in the driver’s seat usually means that you want a bigger, faster and more powerful car. You want to be better than the rest and reach your destination before anyone else does.

But the problem with that is that you end up spending very little time looking at the best ways to win; rather focusing on getting to the finish line through sheer speed alone.

So what pace should you be going at to achieve better success in your business? What is the ideal vehicle to choose on your journey?

Well, you could probably choose a Prius and end up last, knowing that you’ve made a great impact on the environment; or you could pick something with a V8 engine, where you get powerful acceleration, reach amazing speeds and take yourself to victory faster than anyone else. Both are great choices, depending on your motives, but I recommend that business owners pick a Tesla.

Why not just pick the V8, though?

While it certainly seems like a great choice to choose the V8, the time it takes to fuel-up isn’t exactly good for your business. The engine is much bigger, so the fuel consumption is greater – which also means that you need to stop quite regularly before you get back on track and keep moving. But stopping isn’t the issue; the time spent on your stops, is.

When you stop to fill your petrol tank, those moments give you time to let the route sink in – providing you with clarity, innovation and thought. With the rush that you’re in to make it to the end, you barely have enough time to think about using better techniques, tactics and strategies – or to find more fulfilling and fruitful paths to success.

Having a fast car with a high speed is great and arriving at your destination faster than anyone else gives you a wonderful feeling, but it’s not always the most strategic approach to your business (nor is it economically or environmentally friendly).

And over time, with maturity and growth, the realisation that you no longer need such a powerful, fuel-hungry machine begins to sink in.

It’s only then that you start to understand the risks that come with being too fast and your desire to be number one. You begin to see the importance of hitting the brakes from time to time, slowing down to appreciate the views and putting some of your brightest ideas to the test.

If you’ve already chosen the V8, I recommend a trade-in. It’s time to swop out that roaring beast for a sexier, more modern and sought-after car: A Tesla.

But, why a Tesla? Because they are far more economical, safe for the environment, desirable and just as fast as a V8 is. You’re given the opportunity to speed up when you want to while enjoying the luxury that it offers you – you also make a much better impact on the world around you.

Hold on. Don’t you have to wait a lot longer to actually recharge the car before you can get back on the road? Precisely. As a business owner, that’s exactly what you want; time is extremely important and rushing into things can be dangerous, so taking much longer breaks during your journey will be far more rewarding for your business.

You’re unable to properly think about your business if the only thing that’s on your mind is winning. Thinking about your business means spending more time on strategies, developing your working environment, and giving more attention to people, policies and processes. These are the things that far too many business owners ignore and don’t give enough attention to on a day-to-day basis.

Slowing down to gather your thoughts, work on areas that need attention, and develop your abilities doesn’t make you a loser. In fact, it makes you a smarter, enjoyable and more remarkable driver that people can appreciate and look up to. It makes you a winner.

There’s absolutely no need to rush. The journey that you take in running a business is a beautiful one. Growing yourself, enhancing the lives of others, discovering new strategies, techniques and tactics to make you the best leader that you can be will be far more rewarding than sacrificing everything just to make it to the finish line.

Think about using a Tesla in your approach to business and scrap the idea of using a V8. You can still speed up whenever you feel the need, but there’s far more time for you to think about the important things and grow.

Clear up your passenger seat and make some room for me.

I can act as your GPS, giving you the right direction, guidance and information on all of the greatest routes and pit stops to visit along the way.

It’s about the experience, the journey, and not always about the end. I’ll send you my location via Whatsapp or Email you directions to come pick me up:

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com

 

Aug 17
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Growth Is More Than Just Profit!

By Business Coaching Consulting Leadership Motivation No Comments

Morihei Ueshiba, founder of the martial art Aikido, once said: “Life is growth. If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead.”

And I couldn’t agree more.

Growth is fundamental to our existence as human beings and even more so as business owners. It takes discipline, focus and ambition to initiate growth in not one, but all of the many facets in our lives.

Seeking challenges and development on a personal level strengthens us in many ways; it moulds our understanding and sharpens our intellect, it builds our intuitions and perspectives, it breaks down barriers and gives way to opportunities, and it brightens our pathway to an often opaque future.

While business owners are hard-wired and driven to achieve growth in profits and revenues, seeking growth in other crucial areas of business and life is just as important.

So what other areas should every one of us be nurturing and focusing on?

Let’s take a look.

Five Important Areas That Should Always Be Growing 

As a business coach, I engage with many different clients that have a staunch focus on growing their businesses mostly towards a better top-line and profits but find that not enough interest is placed on personal growth, staff growth, networking and credibility, and the processes that drive success within their business.

Businesses should inherently be on a journey of growth, while also providing value for their shareholders. It’s important for many different areas to constantly be in a state of growth and development for not only the staff, the clients and the entrepreneur, but the owners, too.

It’s so important for every business owner to constantly be challenging him/herself, building on new and existing areas that are always in need of progress.

So what areas should we work on growing and improving?

Personal Growth:

The number one investment that anybody can make is in themselves. Putting in the energy, time and effort to enhance and develop yourself is one of the greatest things that you can do for your business and for your life.

We all determine what personal growth means for us on an individual level and what I might deem important for my growth might differ from the next person.

Whether it’s spending money on education, learning and exploring new skills, reading more to better your understanding, or spending time with interesting people that you don’t generally interact with – each and every one of us should constantly be striving for personal progress.

There are different areas of personal growth that you should always look at improving and enhancing, such as expanding your network and engaging with other entrepreneurs, or specialists in different fields to build beneficial relationships; taking courses or lessons to advance your existing skill set and any other interests that you might have; and working on your lifestyle to either spend time discovering or enjoying your passions and interests, as well as taking care of your health in terms of diet and exercise.

One of the absolute best ways to develop yourself and your business is by having a business coach, so keep that in mind when you’re looking for a place to start.

Your People: 

Taking the time to grow and develop the people that work for, and with, you is just as important. Your employees are absolutely critical to the success of your business and investing in them shouldn’t be considered an expense.

If your staff are constantly growing in terms of their skills, network and knowledge, then your business will become far more efficient and productive.Giving promotions or raises isn’t necessarily enough to motivate them to get the most out of their roles, but educating, training and exposing them to new areas of growth will go much further in creating a far more enjoyable and powerful work culture.

It’s important to realise that supervisors, managers and other staff members also need to develop their approach to leadership to get the absolute best out of their team, as well as themselves. Take good care of your people and they will do the same for you.

Processes and Policies:

Having outdated processes and policies can slow down your business and the functionality of your staff and your returns. Seeking new ways to improve your processes through the use of technology and other tested strategies will enhance productivity, employee and customer satisfaction, as well as reduce risks.

Tasks and processes that often require a lot of repetition waste plenty of time and effort. If certain processes can be automated or approached more effectively, then looking into modern methods should be prioritised to get the best out of your staff.

The same applies to the satisfaction levels of your employees and your client-base; if employees are able to focus on more important processes within your business, then they can produce much better results for your company and for clients.

By avoiding outdated technology and processes, you also avoid far more risk. Human error, fraud and slow information transfer can be harmful to your business in terms of both security and revenue. Growth in this area should be a high priority for you, as it will make operations far safer and smoother for everybody involved.

Clients:

Spending the time to grow your relationships and interactions with clients is highly beneficial for any business.

The experience that your clients have with you will either make or break your brand identity. Evaluating which of them you love and which of them you hate can help tremendously in your approach to growing the relationships that you have with them.

Loads of research and literature exists to prove just how important customer/client satisfaction is for any business and ensuring that you constantly strengthen your interactions with them is absolutely essential.

Remember that existing clients are more likely to spend more with you and that word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool in this day and age, so treating them in remarkable and unforgettable ways will go far in the development and growth of your business.

Exposure and Credibility:

Making the effort to develop your credibility and the perspective that outsiders have of you and your business is a very important facet of being an entrepreneur.

If people are to see you as unreliable, inconsistent, or unremarkable, then you’re sure to have problems. The first thing that comes to anyone’s mind when talking about your business can ultimately shape its success.

You need to constantly be building your credibility and exposing yourself to different audiences in strategic and impressionable ways. Leaving a good and lasting impression on anybody that you interact with, whether staff, clients or strangers, will strengthen your position in their minds and improve the perspective people have of you and your brand.

Growth in this area can come in the form of achievements that your business has made, through positive and impressive testimonials, as well as your ability to be authentic, reliable and consistent.

Seeking growth in areas other than just profit will make you a much better business owner at the end of the day.

So make sure that you focus on these different aspects of your business and embrace the benefits that come with the nourishment and care that you provide to your clients, staff, processes and yourself.

My role as a business coach is to give you all of the necessary tools, supplements and nutrients that are essential for your growth as a business owner. Let me be the person to bring about those improvements in your business, as well as your life and I’ll see to it that you attract success in everything that you do.

When you’re ready to bloom, then be sure to get in touch:

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com

 

 

 

Jul 30
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5 Reasons (Other Than Money) Why Entrepreneurs Work So Hard

By Business Coaching Entrepreneur Motivation psychology No Comments

I rarely find entrepreneurs that don’t work incredibly hard in their businesses. They often make major sacrifices by spending loads of time away from family and friends, neglecting their health and giving up on moments of leisure (holidays, gatherings, etc.), in order to be the best at what they do.

Working hard to become successful and run a great business is generally for one major reason: making profit. Usually, making as much money as possible to have the freedom, security and comfort that financial stability can bring you is a huge motivator.

But I feel that it’s not always quite as simple as that.

I’ve come to discover that there are 5 more reasons (other than cash) that motivate entrepreneurs.

Let me enlighten you:

5.A Sense Of Guilt

Some business owners feel that if they’re not working, then they are being lazy, unproductive and aren’t making a valid contribution to society. People that deal with guilt generally have an internal narrative that reminds them of their obligation to work harder for themselves or for someone else (be it for family or to keep a promise).

There are many people that use guilt to drive their ambition for success and quite often do very well in running a business or in developing a strong career path.

And although it certainly does motivate them to do things, or at least get things done – it’s not exactly a healthy reason to work harder. Guilt often creates a sense of shame, especially if something doesn’t get done or get done right. Yes, we all need to be responsible and hold ourselves accountable, but shame can end up bad for your health and negatively affect your output.

4.High Levels Of Competitiveness 

Some people are highly competitive and absolutely love to win. Losing is never an option, so doing whatever it takes to be the best at what they do is a huge motivating factor. While competing for profits is one thing, competitive business owners see a challenge in almost anything.

Winning can be subjective, though; it’s relative to each individual and will differ from person-to-person. But the highly competitive entrepreneur is often never satisfied with one metric of success, rather they constantly seek out new benchmarks to measure achievement.

When you interact with someone that loves competition, you come across questions like, “How many people do you have in your business? What are your profits like? Who are your biggest clients?”. And usually, questions like these are aimed at gauging the level of success a person has, so that they’re able to determine the best route to take in order to become the better leader.

Being competitive can be great and help you in reaping many rewards, but there are a few disadvantages that come with the desire to always come out on top. There’s a fine line between the enjoyment of playing the game to win and negative motivators like jealousy, envy, and obsession. Sometimes being overly competitive can also mean that you secretly want others to fail, that you don’t want others to be on the same level as you, and that you don’t care who you hurt to get what you want.

3.Being A Perfectionist

Some people are addicted to perfectionism. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder can sometimes play a role, but certain individuals can’t progress until they believe a product, service or task has reached the point of perfection.

The thing is that it takes a lot of hard-work, energy and time to try and attempt perfecting something. I’m not saying that being mediocre in everything that you do is alright, but putting too much effort into a product or service can sometimes do more harm than good. While causing you heaps of stress, which can lead to emotional outbursts, perfection is highly subjective and not always worth the attention that you give to it.

While it might seem admirable to give everything your all, it’s not always effective. Sometimes giving a product or service that is too polished can be off-putting. Also, by trying to make something perfect, you put yourself at greater risk of taking criticisms too seriously which might end up in feelings of failure and resentment.

2.Being A Control-Freak

I’ve come to find that plenty of business owners are driven to do the important work themselves in order to have complete control of the outcome(s). They love either being in control or take complete joy in controlling others. If they aren’t actively involved in the business (pulling the levers, engaging with the work) then they feel pained by a lack of control.

While I often suggest that giving clear briefings, delegating the work that needs to be done and evaluating it afterwards can give you just as much control – there are some absolute control freaks that simply can’t give up that sense of power. This insatiable need to be in control all of the time can be traced to the desire of being right all the time. It creates discomfort in others and displays deep-seated issues of trust.

It might seem like doing the work yourself would be a better approach and your pride might tell you that your involvement is crucial to the success of a product, service, process or operation, but there are plenty of disadvantages that come with being overly controlling. If there’s one way to annoy the living shits out of your employees, then revising their work over and over again is certainly a great option. You end up making people feel inferior and like they aren’t good enough. It can also create resentment and diminish the respect that people have for you.

1.An Addiction To Dopamine & Adrenaline 

This one has become more and more apparent, especially in business owners that work from home. These people are often motivated by the stress of getting work done – they thrive under pressure and quite often produce excellent results. Working hard and through long hours, they function well on the adrenaline and dopamine that comes with the pressure that they deal with.

The idea of producing great results under pressure is called eustress. Eustress is often associated with growth, productivity and skill development – but with any form of stress (whether good or bad), there is a chemical/hormonal reaction that takes place within the brain and body. When dealing with situations that involve pressure, there’s a release of adrenaline, dopamine and cortisol (to name a few) into our bloodstream and it’s not always healthy.

Dopamine is usually released upon achievement of a goal and leaves you feeling great – like a drug, this can become addictive. With adrenaline and cortisol – the two negative hormones that are associated with stress (and eustress) – you end up doing more harm than good. Adrenaline, our fight or flight hormone, causes the body to react to these situations (sweaty palms, frustration, mood shifts) and can have negative effects in the long-term. Cortisol, the stress hormone, is a slow-releasing chemical that can negatively affect our immune systems, blood pressure and digestion (along with others).

With a cocktail of hormones coursing through your veins, it can inevitably have negative effects. And one of the biggest issues is that of depression. Long-term, these chemicals will bring harm to the mind and body; short-term, you can be left with feelings of sadness and hopelessness.

Being that addiction plays a role, when you do end-up taking a break or vacation, then the lack of hormones will affect your mood and energy-levels; you’re basically going cold turkey and it will take up to 2 weeks for your body to stabilise.

Motivators Come In Clusters

Most business owners that are motivated by these different factors usually relate to two or more of the reasons listed above. Some people are driven by guilt and perfection, some by control and competition – each person has more than one motivator.

As a business coach that comes into contact with so many different personalities, I recognise some of these traits in some of the entrepreneurs that I assist.

Making them aware of what motivates them is crucial for self-awareness and understanding why they do the things that they do. In helping them realise these things, I’m able to advise and guide them towards better thinking, reasoning and action.

Knowing how these reasons affect you and why they might be unhealthy will push you towards becoming a better business owner, leader and human being.

As the saying goes: “Check yourself before you wreck yourself.”

Being a business coach means that I not only want what’s best for your business, but for you, as well.

I’m driven by the desire to make your life better, your business better and your approach far more effective.

You deserve a coach that takes every single thing into consideration and not one that is purely motivated by profits, control, competition, guilt, stress or perfection.

You deserve compassion, strength, wisdom and guidance.

So take what you deserve:

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com

 

 

 

Jun 21
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Charity Or Capitalism – What Drives Your Business?

By Business Coaching Entrepreneur Motivation Strategy No Comments

Empathy is a beautiful thing. It shows compassion, understanding and often presents itself in the form of charity.

Giving back to others, whether they come from a difficult background or struggle to afford certain things, is inspiringly profound and I’m fortunate to have so many clients that are always seeking to act in charitable ways.

But, at the end of the day, running a business based on capitalism means that giving out freebies can be problematic. Keeping an eye on the losses, the leeches and missed opportunities is essential to the growth and success of your business.

That being said, I believe that it’s important to determine whether you’re in it for profit or for charity.

Are You In It For Profit Or To Give Back? 

I tend to find that a large portion of my clients land up in a position where they’re guilty of providing services and doing work that they know they’re losing money on, or they end up keeping staff that they shouldn’t (those that are too slow, unproductive, etc.)

So a question that I ask many of them is, “are you a business or a charity?”

If you’re a charity, that’s great. I recommend going ahead and starting a non-profit organisation and making the world a much better place.

However, from a capitalist-based perspective, if you really want to do charitable work, then it’s often better to make a lot of money and then spend a portion of it on giving back, or even starting a large business that affords you the time and freedom to commit to charitable work.

As a business coach, it’s only right to remind you that running a business, which is aimed at bringing in profits for the shareholders, and trying to do charity at the same time is not a very smart move.

If you really want to commit to doing charity in some form, then perhaps telling your staff that 5-10% of the work that will be done is going to be pro bono, so it’s measurable and accounted for.

At the end of the day, I want my clients to be as profitable as possible.

Don’t get me wrong, I love that there’s so much empathy within my client-base and I respect that they want to do good in the world, but they aren’t doing themselves, their shareholders, or their staff any favours by wasting time, effort and resources.

The difficulty lies in looking carefully at your clients and staff – identifying who the charity cases are and making the decision to either keep them or let them go.

If you’re losing money, then it’s probably time to summon up the courage and do the inevitable. Getting rid of the charity cases will improve efficiency, free up time for new clients and allow for faster growth.

You need to be clear with yourself around where the charity starts and where it ends.

This might end up pissing you off, but at the end of the day, you have smarter choices and options to choose from if giving back is a priority of yours.

Remember that starting and operating a business isn’t easy and in order for you to keep on a trajectory of growth, certain sacrifices are absolutely necessary. Keeping a client that can’t pay at times or that needs you to bail them out of sticky situations will bring about more harm than good; the same goes for an employee that doesn’t quite grasp the role that they have in your business or that ends up slowing down the momentum with backlogs.

Decide what you want in the years to come.

I understand the ethical dilemma that you might be facing, but if you open up your perspective and look at it from Spock’s point of view: “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.”

This simply means that you should focus on driving your business to greater heights and then affect change at a larger scale, rather than catering to the handful of clients or employees that act as charity cases and slow down your business.

Or don’t.

The choice is entirely up to you. I’m not saying that it’s a smart choice, but you decide.

And if you are acting as a charity, willing to give away money without any return, then count me in; I’ll gladly be a business coach that does nothing and still gets paid.

I’m kidding.

It will drive me insane.

I’ll end up sharing more strategies, tactics and advice with you; I’ll seek any opportunity to help you become the success that you dream to be; I’ll give you the time, effort and energy that you require as a business owner and leader to become the very best.

It goes against my very fabric to do nothing and walk away with pockets full.

I’ll prove it to you:

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com

May 26
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7 Great Reasons To Start A Business Today!

By Business Coaching Entrepreneur Lifestyle Motivation No Comments

Sure, starting a business is no easy task and it certainly comes with its struggles and challenges, but the bulging benefits of starting one are far too many to ignore.

From the freedom and autonomy that comes with becoming an entrepreneur, to the skills, experience and purpose that you’re able to develop along the way – starting a business will open up new, empowering horizons that you never thought possible.

Freedom And Autonomy

 In starting a business, you’ll find that you take away the pain of working for a boss or within a hierarchy that might have an uncomfortable culture to deal with or operate in.

You allow yourself to feel the independence and freedom to do as you please when creating the environment of your choice. Have you always wanted to be a better leader, have a better system for employees, or a peaceful and productive environment to work in?

If that’s the case, then by creating your own business, you take control of the steering wheel and make the decision to operate in a better way for everybody. This will give you a strong sense of control in your ability to create change and mould something incredible for people to respect and admire.

You’re free to be who you want to be and make the right changes, while enhancing the lives of those around you. You’re free to play golf all day or spend time with your family and go on extravagant vacations.

Achievement And Pride

By taking that level of control in building out a business, whether big or small, you’re left with a level of pride around the hard work that you’ve put in to achieve something memorable and impactful.

You can rest with a clear conscience around the fact that you’ve taken the risk, effort and time to create something from nothing. The improved self-esteem that will come with that drive and ambition will give your ego a facelift and have you feeling like a king or a queen.

It goes without saying that humility is always one of the best traits to keep in touch with, so avoid arrogance, but embrace the fact that you will certainly be dripping in confidence and come out looking and feeling sexier than ever. Just like building anything from scratch, you’ll be proud and feel great about what you’ve achieved and succeeded in doing.

A Healthy Bank Balance 

It pretty much goes without saying that running your own business will help you in achieving far more financial freedom than you would by working a normal job.

Obviously the responsibilities that come with paying employees on time, taxes, rental fees and other costs will take away from your earnings, but when going about it the right way – you have a world of potential profits to look forward to.

The money that comes with running a successful business can help you build even more businesses, retire early or live the lifestyle of your choice. It ties back to having a sturdy level of freedom and autonomy in your life, which gives you peace of mind when doing what you want to do.

Skills And Development 

As great as the freedom, money and pride that come with running your own business can be, you’re able to develop a wide range of skills and abilities that you simply can’t put a price on.

While building your business, you learn more and more about the different approaches, models, strategies and tactics used to take your business to the top. This allows you to view everything around you in a completely new way; seeing opportunity in places you wouldn’t have expected, spotting marketing strategies that you were unaware of before, developing your insight and mind’s eye to take on and navigate through uncertainty.

You grow in ways that you wouldn’t have expected and as you explore new avenues of interest, you begin mastering the many different facets that come with all of this dynamic and constantly progressing information.

Learning how to use technology and infrastructure to your advantage; understanding how the laws around particular industries and markets operate; and the knowledge of your own potential and limitations provides insight into the person that you are.

Meaning And Purpose

We live in an age with so much to offer, with plenty of paths to choose from and without any direction or purpose it can be disheartening and somewhat demotivating when we run into existential crises; left confused and battered by unfulfillment.

By starting a business where your passion can be the driving force or even in discovering new interests through this process, you find purpose in the world and see that it’s far easier to navigate through life knowing that you’ve left a positive impression and footprint for everyone to see and feel its impact.

This sense of meaning can bring about wonderful changes in confidence, self-esteem and balance in your life as you know that you’ve done something meaningful on this earth, while taking away loads of skills, insight and a developed character.

It’s difficult to find meaning and purpose, so starting a business can certainly be rewarding in that sense. You’re kept busy with growth and improvement, becoming more fulfilled by the day.

Causes & Charity

One of the more philanthropic and selfless reasons to start a business is the fact that you can make a significant contribution to the causes and charities of your choice, especially as a reputable business. You’re able to make more impact and a greater difference in people’s lives and contribute to the movements that you see fit.

Fighting for a particular ideal can give you plenty of joy and happiness in different areas of your life, again raising self-esteem and confidence in yourself.

Your business can also act as a sign of hope and relief to the different charities and organisations that seek to make a difference and better the lives of people. PR might not be on the top of your list when doing good for others, but you will naturally become recognised for the good that you do and it will be far more rewarding to yourself and others.

If you’re a person that wants to help make a difference in huge and meaningful ways, but find it difficult to do this on your own, then starting a business can push you to make better changes for those that you see fit.

New Experiences 

Working on your own business will bring about new experiences and viewpoints on reality and the world around you. Opening your doors to new situations allows for better personal growth and a deeper level of understanding around the way that life works.

With these new experiences, you’re always kept busy and constantly engaging with so many new perspectives, leaving you with knowledge and wisdom on a wide variety of subjects.

You will encounter numerous personalities that you need to work well with and understand, industries and markets that operate in certain ways and people from all walks of life that open more doors of opportunity to you.

This will force an evolution and a valuable change in your emotional intelligence as you begin to view people and situations differently than you had before, allowing more experiences and moments of magic to come into contact with.

Bonus Reason No.8 

There you have it, 7 great reasons to start a business.

But, there is an 8th that I’d like you to be aware of.

If you start a business, you’ll have the opportunity, nay, the advantage of the advice, knowledge, experience and insight of a brilliant balding bearded business coach.

Not all business coaches come with that alliterative function, so I’d definitely recommend checking him out.

He has what it takes to have your business blossom with all of the right strategies, tactics and research you could ever need; he is trustworthy, credible and driven; he is motivating, energetic and creative.

As I unmask and reveal to you, while no more referring to myself in the third person, that I, Spillly, am the best business coach for you, do yourself a favour:

Start a business and get into contact with me.

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com

Apr 20
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Take The Time To Make A T.I.L.T List

By Business Coaching Creative Motivation No Comments

Constantly striving to keep your mind active, dynamic and engaged in learning can be heaps of fun and by dedicating a portion of your day to educating yourself around new constructs and concepts you’re able to grow exponentially as a human, broaden your perspectives, enhance problem-solving skills and transform your life, as well as others.

Developing an insatiable hunger for information will elevate you, opening new avenues of thought and best of all: Have you appear as the smartest person in the room.As a business coach, I need to always be ahead of the game and have pertinent knowledge around as much as I possibly can in order to guide and advise my clients in the most effective way – so, over the years I’ve been working on my TILT list and recommend that you start yours today.

Things I Learnt Today – T.I.L.T 

Everytime, I have an interesting and new client (all of my clients are interesting, don’t get me wrong), they constantly motivate me to learn new things, pushing me to seek out as much information about the topics and concepts discussed in our meetings as possible.

All of my clients are either constantly reading new information, exposing themselves to different industries and always learning and experiencing new horizons – so there’s never a shortage of new knowledge to be confronted by and consumed.

They would often teach me things that I had never heard of and so I’ve developed a tendency to engage in extra reading or studying the different ideas and concepts that were brought up after each coaching session. To make things easier, I write down anything that I want to familiarise myself with on a list that I go through on a daily basis.

So I dubbed that list the TILT list – Or the list of Things I Learnt Today.

Even on days that I don’t want to learn something new, I realised that forcing yourself to make that effort is very important for personal growth and development.Plus, as a coach that engages with so many different clients, I have to constantly be ahead of the curve and more informed than them – I have to ensure that I know as much, if not more, than they do about the topics, concepts and constructs that are discussed in our sessions.

Engaging in deep learning is fundamental to the growth process of any human being and so I make sure that I do that at any given opportunity. When I’m presented (or confronted) with new information – be it a quote, a simplistic or complex business problem, or solution – I learn as much as I can about it and reflect on what I’ve learned before the day is done.

Doing this has become helpful in numerous ways; not only do I ensure an ever-expanding repository of knowledge within my brain, but I’m able to share advantageous knowledge, insight and guidance with everybody that I come into contact with.It’s a very simple idea to wrap your head around and to begin implementing into your daily regimen.

We’re engrossed in an age where information is readily available to us through the tap of a finger and it would be ridiculous not to take advantage of that immediate and quick access to data.

I take absolute pleasure in introducing the idea of creating a TILT list to my clients whenever I have the opportunity and if you haven’t already done something similar – I urge you to start one today.

There are certainly no negatives that come with delving into the endless supply of educational material that we intercept on a frequent basis and there’s plenty of literature out there to prove exactly why it will make you a better and more productive human being.

Don’t believe me? Ask Google. Witness the benefits as they begin to bombard you.

What’s that? You want some more for your list? Was that not enough for you?

I don’t know if you know this, but I have loads of knowledge and experience around making you and your business achieve miracles and make that memorable impact that you desire.

There’s literally so much information and practical insight that I’m even giving it away for free. Imagine what I can give to you through my exclusive coaching sessions. Imagine.

I’ll make it easy for you and bring you one step closer – these are my contact details:

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com

 

Apr 06
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The T-Shape Entrepreneur – Developing Skills On The Periphery

By Business Coaching Entrepreneur Motivation No Comments

One of the greatest benefits of finishing university or college is that you walk away proud and armed with a new skill set, newly qualified and capable of filling a particular role in that field, but what you’ll come to find is that you are limited in your ability to actually turn that skill into starting a business.

With that new qualification, whether it’s in law, design, coding or whatever you spent the time, effort and resources on, starting a business around that skill will bring about a whole new set of learning that needs to be undertaken in order to succeed in it.

When I talk about this to clients, I use the imagery of the letter ‘T’, where you’re given a horizontal and vertical line that represents your current capability (the vertical line) and the new skills required to become a great entrepreneur (the horizontal line).

 

Thicken Your Horizontal Line To Become The Best Entrepreneur, Possible 

By taking a look at that ‘T’ shape, you’ll come to find that the vertical line starts out longer and more prominent than the horizontal; this represents the expertise that you’ve acquired in your studies and it’s up to you to either thicken or lengthen it, or begin working on the knowledge required to actually start and successfully run a business.

If your plan is to strengthen the vertical line, then you will end up paying more attention and giving more time to developing the profession that you chose to study. As you strengthen this line, your experience and ability in providing that service or skill will be of better use to those that need that role filled.

This motivation to keep developing that skill is indicative of a great employee and when searching for people to fill a particular role in your business, that’s exactly a trait that you would want in an ideal candidate.

As that vertical line gets thicker and longer, your horizontal line remains small and diminishes in size. This is perfectly fine if you want to be a great addition to a company and become an expert and achieve mastery in that field, but doesn’t work very well if your goal or plan is to become an entrepreneur and start a business.

If your quest or objective is to start and run a successful business, then you need to pay far more attention to the horizontal line and start developing knowledge in other fields.

As I’ve mentioned, you walk away from your studies qualified to fill a role and without the knowledge required to turn that qualification into an actual business. Running a business requires far more knowledge in a variety of fields, such as accounting, HR, sales, marketing, business strategy and far more than what you gained in your studies.

By taking the time and effort to thicken the horizontal line, you begin to focus on the peripheral skills needed to operate a business – which is necessary to achieve success.

 

Spend Less Time On Your Vertical Line 

If your aim is to start a business around your skill, or any other skill for that matter, you need to learn to focus on the other aspects that a business requires to be successful.

To achieve more, you need to begin educating yourself on the other fundamental pieces that make up a business and become multi-faceted in your abilities and expertise to understand the symbiotic relationships and processes that are present in the operation of one.

Even though you’ll have to come to terms with neglecting your vertical line, you produce the effort required to develop new areas that will ultimately enhance your identity and character – leaving you far more aware and knowledgeable around company operations and culture.

It will be far more difficult to run a company on just the basic skill that you’ve acquired, so exercising your ability to thicken out and lengthen your horizontal line is of the utmost importance in building, managing and structuring the business that you aim to create.

I recommend focusing on these other necessary requirements to make your horizontal line stand out and that doesn’t exactly mean that you should neglect your current skill or profession; you just spend less energy on enhancing that which you know and more on that which you don’t.

Being an entrepreneur isn’t the easiest thing to do, but by focusing on the right things you’ll take yourself much further than attempting to do it with just that qualification in your field.

So thicken up that horizontal line, get to learning and improve your knowledge on the many factors that will come with understanding the business you want to run. Your journey only begins once you acquire the skill and although it’s challenging, you’ll thank me later.

Or! You can thank me now and begin thickening out that horizontal line with a business coach which has the experience, knowledge, shortcuts and expertise to get you on track faster than going at it alone.

If you’re planning on starting a business and don’t quite know where to begin or have a vague idea of what needs to be done; I can be of great assistance to you.

Let me in and let me advise you on the steps to take to speed up that process. You can call me, text me or email me – I’m always happy to help.

 

+2783 253 3339

brent@spillly.com