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Motivation

Nov 17
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brent spilkin spillly podcast

How I Built This: Brent Spilkin, your business is successful when it serves the owner (You) #podcast

By Business Coaching Coaching Entrepreneur Mentoring Motivation No Comments

Listen to this interview to find out why I believe: “Your business is successful when it serves the owner in the way the owner wants – whether it’s to build a bigger team, leave a legacy, gain more exposure in the media, make more profit, or even to play more golf.”

Thanks to Charles at Flying Kite for the opportunity to be on his new podcast.

“When I can eliminate limiting self-beliefs in a person and put a structure in place for them to measure growth, make money, and have fun – I get great satisfaction from it!”

If you just wanna engage or want more info on this podcast, contact me brent@spillly.com

Oct 23
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Being retrenched? Your CV is not enough.

By Business Coaching Entrepreneur Freelance Motivation Recruitment No Comments

The CV
is dead.

–

Long live
the CV.

The way in which your parents “brought in the bacon” for 30 years, for the same company, no longer exists.

The workforce of today and tomorrow will find income without a long format Curriculum Vitae with their online presence, a direct sales approach and their searchability being the backbone of success with a strong balance of IQ, EQ and change quotient.

Stop using the front door to get in the building.

Our half-day customised master class will cover how the world and South Africa are moving towards a remote gig economy and where the Internet and online platforms will provide global work opportunity that we have never experienced before.

Brent Spilkin literally wrote the book on freelancers with his book “What the Freelance – the mini MBA for Freelancers.”  The research and findings of this text book has lead to a new approach to working for clients rather than working for an employer.

This master class will leave you with practical tools and insights into getting out the mindset of CVs, recruiters and “let’s hope I get that interview,” and into a new way of proactively seeking the kind of work and freedom you always wanted but never knew possible.

HERE IS A THOUGHT SHIFT: Less of unemployed and more self employed

These are some of the key lessons you will learn and apply:

  • Where to work?
  • How to get work I want?
  • Tools, tricky and tips.
  • Platform thinking.
  • Risk analysis.
  • Growing your network and using Social media effectively while owning your narrative and Media channels.

 

Who are you next?

  • Leader?
  • Entrepreneur?
  • Contributor?
  • Designer?
  • Strategist?
  • Consultant?
  • Provocateur?

Find out more Today If You…

  • Are being forced out of your job and don’t know what is next.
  • Are fearful of going at it alone or if that is even really an option.
  • Are eager to learn proven job-search strategies that work in today’s economy.
  • Are bored with your past choices and are exploring career opportunities.
  • Are ready to start the next phase of your life and career.
  • Have started your own side gig and need to push this a lot harder.
  • Feel that the millennials are doing stuff that scares you [and are taking the jobs you want!]

Come define your future. Make this a positive choice not a crisis.

For more info contact us or send us a WhatsApp message.

 

Oct 22
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Get. Shit. Done.

By Business Business Coaching Coaching Entrepreneur Mentoring Motivation No Comments

The single biggest contributor to success in a business is your attitude towards everything and everyone and your ability to Get Shit Done.

As a business owner you are responsible for multiple tasks and responsibilities and GSD applies to every aspect of your business. Getting Shit Done entails asking questions when you are unsure and learning from the process and your mistakes. Getting Shit Done is believing in urgency, excellence and delivery. GSD is often referred to as “Hustle” but it’s more than that in your business. It’s the grit, the mental toughness, your emotional capacity and your passion to be recognised for greatness, recognised for always delivering what you said you would, on time, on budget and without fuss.

 

Constant improvement and putting in the extra effort with suppliers, staff and clients alike will pay off in more than just dividends; you will attract and retain better quality, higher paying clients and MATTER to the people your business touches.

 

Set your goals, push the boundaries, and achieve success and always over-deliver. Copy Paste. Copy Paste. Copy Paste.

 

Getting Shit Done means you do the work you dread, submit the taxes your hate, have the hard conversations with your stakeholders, the harder conversations with your clients and the most difficult conversations with yourself.

 

Your talent will only take you so far, but the ability to learn the skills required to grow an organisation of one, that will get the important tasks done professionally, deal with clients maturely and communicate effectively is what will set your business apart from your talented peers.

 

Having a high GSD factor will allow you to work on the big picture and vision in small bite-sized achievable chunks, looking at the long road ahead and never feeling that it’s too far to go. Building your GSD factor is work. It needs to be developed and exercised like any other muscle in your body. If you keep pushing yourself to do the hard things, the hard things become easier and you build tolerance to them and this will allow you to grow through the mental barriers you had subconsciously set yourself. Achieve more.

 

Getting Shit Done means you question everything. Question your processes. Question your clients. Question your prices. Question yourself. Will power ebbs and flows and your motivation levels will never be at 110% every damn day so stick to a schedule. Be regimented in everything you do and avoid distractions that are shoved in your path every minute. Get off Social media. Stop reading rubbish and only consume for improvement. Get off social media. Learn from the best that have done it and have the most valuable lessons to learn. Get off social media. Set small habits and expand on them over time. If you want to cheat then make it part of the habit and routine. Cheat only when your calendar says you can.

 

Consistency is the fuel of getting shit done. Pick a pace and tone that works for you and your clients and be consistent in everything you do from the way you answer your phone to the automation and frequency of raising your invoices.

 

Starting a business is easy. Growing a business is painful. Growing a great business is extremely tough and takes resilience. Getting Shit Done is Godly. Your clients, suppliers and consumers will not remember the work you delivered in the months and years to come. They will remember the way you delivered the work, your level of professionalism, the way you presented yourself and how you communicated with them at all touch points in their business.

 

Getting Shit Done is what will make your business a success. Getting Shit Done is what will make you a success. Get. Shit. Done.

Aug 23
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WeWork host the August edition of Business, Bikes and Breakfast

By Business, Business Coaching, Coaching, Entrepreneur, Motivation, Motor Bikes One Comment

The Jo’burg team at WeWork helped successfully pull off the coaching element of last week’s Business Bikes and Breakfast event!

The prior months group voted on “Social media strategy” as the August theme and after doing a fun ice breaker event on top of Northcliff Hill we pulled into the Link building [scaring the security guards] where coffee and coaching was served!

All pics by Brandon

Apr 23
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Business, Bikes and Breakfast – a Radical Accountability Program. Jo’burg April 2019.

By Business Coaching Lifestyle Mentoring Motivation Motor Bikes Photography No Comments

This month 10 business owners shared insights into their big ambitious business goals and how to start with a strategy to deliver this.

Some of the tools used included a Value Proposition canvas and a customer window matrix.

Unsure what these are? Contact us to find out more brent@spillly.com

All pics with love from Brandon.hinton.jpeg

Feb 04
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Business, Bikes and Breakfast Radical Accountability Program #BBBRAP 1 Feb. 19

By Business Coaching Mentoring Motivation Motor Bikes Public Speaking No Comments

Business, Bikes and Breakfast Radical Accountability Program #BBBRAP 1 Feb. 2019

After months of planning and building the methodology, the first Business Bikes and Breakfast Radical Accountability Program was held on 1 February with 14 delegates each riding their motorcycle our from Parkhurst, Johannesburg to Parys in the Free State.

It rained. It rained a lot. Let’s be clear, it was wet but the riders were in good spirit even after half the crew took the wrong highway off ramp and got lost on a dirt road that was not ideal for Harleys and Ducati Panigales.

Breakfast and coffee was served at the Dog and Fig Brewery just outside of Parys whereafter the group coaching program was facilitated by Brent Spilkin, aka, Spillly.

The program started with a fun introductory and memory exercise and some deep reflection on 2018, the year gone by. After this some perspective was given on the highs and lows of their year, we ran planning and deliberation on what 2019.

Using the #BBBRAP redline worksheet, each biker looked at their personal lives and business life and devised 4 crucial plans to improve these over 4 periods. These were shared, under no obligation with the rest of the participants, leaving pride off the table and vulnerability in the open.

It was a new experience for all with friends and memories being made as well as driving away with some clarity and purpose for the coming months.

Here is what a few delegates said:

“Over all a really open and vulnerable experience. Spillly also has a way of communicating in a way that makes sense to me plus invites me to get to down to the ‘nitty gritty’ if where the challenges lie…in me!!! Great way to meet new people. Often those people are a mirror to your own experiences, both personally and professionally, so you kind of all help each other out.”

_______________________

“Spillly helped me finally put a strategic plan-to-action down to paper on things that had been dwelling in the back of my head for months – such a refreshing and inspiring way to start the year. That’s for not only being a good coach Spillly, but a friend in this process too.”

_______________________

“This platform allowed me to reevaluate aspects of my life from a personal and business perspective and in turn, opened my mind to making positive changes. Best of all, I was able to do it with like-minded business people.”


Each Biker walked away with some insight into themself and appreciated taking the time out the office to focus on growth and improvement across all elements of their life! They also had a working document to reflect back on, as well as a few stickers and a unique BBBRAP poster for the days ride.

Friends were made and bonds of trust established – all crucial for the next ride out on 1 March 2019!

“REFLECT | WRITE | PLAN | SHARE

Here are a few images of the day thanks to Joe at Bonafide Studios.

Oct 26
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Change your goals from Success to Significance

By Business Coaching Mentoring Motivation Public Speaking

This week I had the privilege of hosting the launch event for Mike Saunders‘ book, The Five Year Mark. The book is about all the lessons learned in the first five years building Digitlab, a digital agency. You can read my review and my learnings here but those are not the most salient points for me. It was what Mike said when I asked him about the next 5 years and his level of pride in what he has built in the past year, that stuck.

What he said was [in much better English than this] when he started the business, his view of success was to take from the world as much as he could [money] and measure his success against this metric, but over time he has moved the needle of achievement from “Success to Significance.”

Mike wants to be significant. That can mean a legacy business. That can mean helping people grow in their own lives and businesses. That can mean helping someone who is desperate on the side of the road make it through another week. Significance is different from person to person and from interaction to interaction but if Mike is significant to you, then that is his new definition of success.

I like this outlook. A lot. I also believe that if he is significant in peoples’ lives and in business that the old metric [money] will come, in spades as the byproduct. Its not often you meet people who say things like this that you actually believe. Its often just a marketing message, but I believe Mike. You should too. Buy the book.

Apr 06
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Email Is Ruining Your Relationships

By Business Coaching Mentoring Motivation No Comments

I started working in my business in 1995. I had an “old fashioned” telephone with push buttons by my side and next-door in my bookkeepers office, stood two facsimile machines. I say ‘facsimile’ because I know what that is and I’m proving a point… more of that to follow.

 

Lets be clear. No Internet to be heard of. No Facebook. No email. No cell phones. We had the yellow pages and written CRM lists. Our invoicing and accounting package ran off a Pentium processor with a dot matrix printer attached via cable. It was slow but reliable.

 

Life and business was actually way simpler and way slower. As tech caught up with our need for speed and the Internet moved into our communication reach, our once heavily focused cold calling and telephonic relationship-based business started moving to the written word and my first email address [for the whole company] was set up. This in my opinion was the beginning of the end. Everyone from customers, suppliers and staff now started building a culture of “covering my tracks” and putting every last word in 11 point Calibri. Again, it worked for the most part very well. Productivity did improve and information flowed exponentially faster. But this was at the cost of relationships. Here is my visual estimation of how that looked:

 

So, as we started typing away, we stopped calling people and then the Hiroshima of communication was dropped – cell phones. As soon as short message system [SMS] became a ‘thing’ the written word became more powerful than our voice. We lost tone. We lost pace. We lost the sound of LOL and we started losing eye contact. Internet 2.0 brought us social media and along with mobile domination and Wi-Fi proliferation the problem was escalated.

 

We stopped making calls. We stopped taking calls. We huff when our mothers call and cant understand why they just don’t text us. We aim for the impossible Inbox Zero and are suffering from email fatigue. Add to that Slack fatigue, Whatsapp fatigue, Skype fatigue, Text fatigue, Social media fatigue, messenger fatigue and now Story fatigue.

 

We don’t LOL anymore ‘cause it’s lame. FFS. We have stopped laughing in text – never mind in real life. But there is light at the end of the tunnel. It’s called the telephone. It’s a place where you can address an issue in 2 minutes rather than bouncing a string mail back and forth 20 times to resolve something simple. It’s a place where you are not cc’d, Bcc’d or even forwarded useless, untimely information. There is no spam *gasp* in your conversation and you can in worst-case follow up with a simple bullet point email to “cover your ass!” [If need be.]

 

The phone is your friend. It’s the place you spent hours chatting to girlfriends, boyfriends and family in your youth. A place where you can laugh and even entertain the quiet moments, between words and thoughts. It’s the place you can enjoy people ‘umming’ and ‘ahhing’ to your voice. The phone gives you instant satisfaction and recognition.

 

This is a call for action. It’s a call to return to the decades before Snapchat and pick up the phone. Cut through the bullshit. Take a chance. Can you hear that ringing?? Answer the call.

 

 

Recent Update: It has become clear that more and more of my clients now are responding to mail with a call and making more calls in order to re-establish a missing feeling and ACTUALLY speed up the pace of their business. Voice is and always will be, quicker than your fingers.

Feb 13
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STOP re-inventing the wheel.

By Coaching Entrepreneur Motivation Skills

Across all of my clients, all of whom are business owners, there are similar frustrations relating to their businesses and growth challenges. They have all adopted the “innovation “ hype and are desperately looking for new ways to re-invent their companies, products and systems.

 

There is nothing wrong with innovation but not a single company has checked all the basic boxes that every company, regardless of service or product, should have.

 

You see, every retailer, manufacturer, agency and professional needs to have accounts, measurement, sales and/or marketing, procedures and systems for themselves as well as legal compliance.

 

There is an unwritten law that states that 80% of every company is the same and the remaining 20% is made up of product, service and culture. 80% is the same. Eighty percent!

 

So why are you spending so much time on getting the 20% right when the 80% will keep you alive and thriving for longer? Getting your accounting in order, your sales in order and your internal communication sorted will allow you to sell an average product with B-class employees for a long time, freeing up cash to allow you to work on the 20% that matters in the long term.

 

Now I’m not saying you should employ B-team staff and sell second-class services but having an amazing product offering and the world’s greatest team won’t automatically mean you will have a successful business.

 

What you don’t know, you don’t know, but why are you spending so much time, energy and often money, trying to work out new systems which have been refined a million times over by a million other businesses? Stop trying to re-invent the wheel when all you should be doing is peddling faster and beating the opposition.

 

Your business has the following major functions in some respect regardless what you call the roles:

 

  • Finance and accounting

  • Reporting

  • Human resources and culture

  • Sales – New business and retention

  • Marketing

  • Public relations

  • Production

  • Procurement

  • Distribution

These make up the 80% I mentioned earlier. If you can get these running well for your business and best arrange the right people around this, you have a business that will make money often in spite of the product and related market. There are very few, truly unique businesses out there, yours included, and that is okay. I would rather back a “me-too” business that has great structure, concise reporting, a strategy that is implemented and staff that get things done than a business that has the smartest business model and service, that lacks the other 80%.

 

Take a look at your 80% and ask yourself:

“Why am I always trying to re-invent this wheel when I could ask someone to show me how to do it?”