Lessons from Costa Rica

For the last 11 days, I have been in Costa Rica with my wife, Wendy. We came here as guests of Sun Life of Canada. I had a speaking engagement

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The Entrepreneur as Achiever

Throughout history, human behaviour has been informed and influenced by archetypes. The Oxford dictionary defines archetype as: (1) original model, prototype; and (2) typical specimen. For centuries, philosophers, and, more

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The Drive To Excel Further

What motivates someone who has built an eight figure financial advisory firm to continue growing? For John Nicola, the founder and CEO of Nicola Wealth Management, it is the desire to

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Lessons My Mother Taught Me

My mother died recently, only ten months after my father passed away. The depth of my grief seemed overwhelming. Taking the time to mourn is important. With my dad, I

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From Art to Science. . .

What does it take to build a sustainable business? For Don Leitzell, it was the ability to combine the art and science of business building. Don started his financial services

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Lessons From India

I just returned from a ten day business trip to India. During my trip, I learned many lessons about life, business and people in India. Hopefully, you will find these

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Business Plan: Defining Your Opportunity

Your Business Plan starts with your Business Definition. The four components of the Business Definition are: Vision Mission Values Business Opportunity Your Business Plan is the articulation of your Strategy for growing your business.

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Elements of a Business Plan

Entrepreneurs start a business to fulfill a purpose that has meaning for them. The business becomes an instrument for the entrepreneur to do what s/he wants to do. Your business plan

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Four Systems To Build Your Business

Webster’s Dictionary definition of system includes: “a method or plan of classification or arrangement; an established way of doing something; method; procedure etc. There are four systems capabilities that are integral if

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Creating a High-Performing Business

Creating a high-performing business means aligning five critical elements. Vision – The starting point is the vision or picture of your business at some point in the future. Vision answers the question:

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Three Things to Get Right

Successful businesses get three things right. The first thing they get right is their Ideal Client Profile. A number of years ago, I was at a conference where a senior executive of

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Musings at 4 AM

Many entrepreneurs tell me that they suffer from sleep disorders. I have experienced disruptive sleep patterns since my childhood. Often, I will wake up at 3 or 4 AM and

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