Waa, waa, waa, waa, waa…

The day that old morning sun rises in the west
And they pass a law in L.A. banning artificial breasts
When cars can run on water, gasoline and oil ain’t worth jack
Right then, that’s when
I’ll take you back

It’s like music
To hear you bawling
Waa, waa, waa, waa, waa

Brad Paisley

Ok, I’ll admit it.  I’m a complete friggin’ idiot.  I should have bought Kleenex stock 2 years ago (along with, Viagra, Cialis, Cymbalta, and oceanic spill containment systems); and the entire fleet of Tiger Woods “How I Play Golf” DVD’s.  Whoda’ thunk it.  Hmm.  I should call Bret Michaels and see what he would do.

I’m ticked off.  (Big Surprise)

They’re seems (is) to be quite a bit of whining and crying going on today.  I finally figured out why they call it “Baby Boomers”.

One “could” assume that tears are absolutely and relentlessly gushing due to lost revenue, stricter government control, mandates, operating costs, lack of qualified drivers, insurance costs, Hours of Service, EPA regulations, EOBR’s….”I got rid of my Safety Director because I thought I could handle it myself, my daughter is pregnant and my kid needs braces” syndrome…it’s a disease and everyone is looking for a magic pill.  Thank You Viagra!!!

The reality is, the majority (80%) aren’t crying anymore over their businesses suffering from their own inequities AND laziness.  They’ve experienced their own “epiphany”, where it’s “just OK” that their business sucks, because, well, it sucks for a lot of other people…so it’s just OK (Social Proof is an amazing concept).  What are they crying about?  The Biggest Loser.  The Next American Idol Winner.  The Final Episode of Lost.  Crying for The Next Survivor???   I’m lost.

Not much else to say.  A mentor of mine once told me “the only difference Johnny, between wealthy successful business owners and those struggling is the size of their TV’s.  Successful people build libraries, while the majority buy the biggest and latest TV’s.”  Take a look around you.  It might be time to find new friends.  Don’t worry.  You’ll be ok.  Trust me.

I will say this.  That, pretty much, any person, young or old, male or female (whether she’s been with Tiger Woods or not); pretty much gets in life whatever he or she (or You), accepts.  If you run a trucking company today, and it sucks.  And you’re whining about it.  *sit down* It’s your own damn fault.  Get over it, or move the hell out of the way.  You can stand still today and “wait for things to happen”.  Surprisingly, there’s no regulation against it.  You “could” also, maybe, possibly…DO s.o.m.e.t.h.i.n.g.

Those defying the path of the majority, are (have been) reaping the rewards of “pack separation” and true, gritty, balls-to-the-wall entrepreneurism.  Kick Ass and Take Names (for some this is genetic). They (and I) discourage acceptance by the majority, anything less than “crushing the competition”, and of course the almighty “Victim Status” (also available in serum bottles in Stores Everywhere).

Unstoppable companies are surrounded by an “insiders circle” of ruthless and status-defying individuals that truly “get it”.  Everyone “get’s it”.  It’s about the Mindset (yep, that’s some deep stuff).  Not the company.  Not titles.  Not even management (most Board Rooms are the cause for failure).  They accept nothing sloppy.  Demand the best from everyone.  Do things fast and do them right.  Did I say Fast?

Ignorance is disappointing.  The Biggest, Baddest, Ugliest problems a business faces today, are indeed, the easiest to fix.  Their completely obvious, which is why most business owners “can’t finger em’ out”.  It only takes 1 person (that “gets it”) to decide if it’s OK to fix them.

But WAIT!  Before you run off to shut off Oprah, and apologize to yourself, remember this.  The people in the trucking industry today, that are truly “crushing it” while still enjoying life, on their own terms…are you ready for this?  It’s a Secret, so don’t tell anyone.

They actually W.O.R.K.  They literally do something that is called “rolling up their sleeves”.  Seriously, you should try it.  It’s actually pretty fun.

It takes sweat equity today.  There is no Easy Money.  Opportunities are plentiful.  The field has been leveled.  Market differentiation is a golden nugget.  CSA 2010 is nothing less than a BIG ASS, Wide Open opportunity to exploit your Strengths.  If you have any…

What Are You Waiting For, Really?

It’s Hunting Season…

As we’re reluctantly racing into another (grueling for many) Holiday Season, which year after year, has an uncanny way of weeding out the sickest and most desperate businesses; something additionally profound takes place.  In the midst of dodging the gools and goblins that October graciously brings, for those that skirted through unscathed, brings upon the frightful post era of incoherent turkey day feasting followed by a fresh and hearty “New Year!”; for more than none, another year of the same, or for more this year than ever, much, much less.  Err, that’s bleak.  No, it’s true and real.  Always has been and always will be.  This disturbingly represents a significant percentage of our industry (“industry” is a scandalous scapegoat for personal failure).  What’s more disheartening is that it’s by choice, not circumstance; because it’s about the results, not the objective.  Many people are offended by this truism.  It’s cyclic.  It’s a good thing.

Out of the chaos and noise, far from the big city, in a land far, far, away is a lurking and elusive creature that draws about 80% of us “close” to its secret hiding place; about 15% do “OK” and 5% of us really, truly find it.  Not by happenstance as the 20% that never went might say.  We all come for different reasons and motives.  And, we all bring a different weapon of choice.  The hunt can be strategically planned out, through thoughtful planning and implementation; or it can be a “sit and wait”, “let’s see what happens” session.  Strategic Hunters, those that continually invest in themselves, use the best equipment, latest tactics, and find (intentionally and deliberately) the Right Spot, without fail, win BIG every time, without fail.

Profitability (prosperity) in the trucking “industry” is an elusive creature.  It’s the Ultimate Big Game Hunt.  All hunters yearn for the trophy on the wall and cash flow that will crush any competitor and allow for investment in fulfilling lives and memories.  What do the successful hunters have in common?  A lot of hunters have great weapons, might even have great strategies, and may even be lucky enough to “get close” to The Spot; but they just don’t make it.  They don’t have laser beam focus, speed to action, persistent patience and unassailable determination.

They also have bigger TV’s than they do libraries.

Equity is in the relationship.  Investment in knowledge creates sustainability.  Taking a different road in, with someone “mastering” the hunt vs. “dabbling”, defying the status quo may be a risk (not for the entrepreneurial spirited); albeit calculated, tactful, and more rewarding, more frequently, than any other way.

 

Happy Hunting.

Seriously, WTF?

So I’ve been burning the midnight oil on the road now for about 4 weeks, from San Diego to Baltimore and a whole lot of places in- between, consulting, coaching and mostly spending productive (exhausting) time with Mastermind Groups.  I had the great opportunity to meet with Two Time World Champion George Foreman last week (note my left uppercut), who is not only a champion fighter, but what most don’t know, one seriously bad ass entrepreneur that won’t back down from anything he believes  will help someone in a very good way; against all odds.  He hit my note and the timing was impeccable.  I’ve been working diligently on (fighting for) an idea I’ve had for awhile now, that my clients, colleagues, followers, friends and ambassadors have been begging for.  What was stopping me?  Me.

Johnny and George Foreman

George said “Where’s The Fighter”?  More than ever, we all need to ask ourselves this. Escalating fuel prices, insurance costs, flat rates (at best), zombie employees, and a whole lot of fatigue have got a lot of folks licking wounds in bed with no motivation or direction that seems will really let a shimmer of light in.  George is a testament to stopping, taking two steps back, gaining clarity and then stepping back in furiously, with fire in your belly, swinging with everything you got, and a little more, with no other thought than your gonna win this damn thing.

I’m pumped.  I’m launching.

While waiting for my return flight, a curious new acquaintance, who so coincidentally is working for a large southern based fleet asked me, “Where’s The Freight”?

Seriously, WTF?

How to not be “The JERK” at your next party…

In this blog, I’ll be delving further into the infinite benefits of “viral social media”, how to easily and efficiently “connect the dots between the most important social media platforms” and how to use these techniques to capitalize on the insanely vast amount of marketing opportunities “up for grabs” in our trucking industry today.

First, let me say that I’ve come to the conclusion that apparently, common sense is not that common. We tend to make things A LOT harder on ourselves than they need to be. We worry (first) about “how can I do this”, “how will I have time to do this”, “is this new stuff really worth the time investment”…blah, blah, blah. This industry is still vintage in many facets. Technology is changing so rapidly that it’s literally putting companies out of business overnight. It’s worth sitting up and giving one ear to this if you’ve been skeptical of social media. Your business could eventually depend on “out of the box” strategies that differentiate it from the competition. And if it doesn’t depend on it just yet, it’s like any new business strategy, it’s REQUIRED, regardless of economic conditions.

There is an ever-present aura of fear in business today and what I have learned is that there is zero profit in fear. In order to successfully envision, take action and produce quantifiable results (i.e. boost net profits); the mind has to be conditioned to think “fearlessly”. There cannot be any question about “possibility”. Do you recall my SPEED + ACTION post? Don’t be an “over thinker”. I was just as guilty but I am learning (fast), trying and applying. Testing, testing and more testing. I have received great feedback and direct questions from my previous blog entries which led me to this philosophical “right brain” blog introduction; frankly, YOU need to get YOUR head in the game and “find the zone” as quickly as you can; and, get that head trash out that is preventing you from laser-beam focus. Don’t wait. Harness the opportunities before they’re gone.

Try to think of “social media” in the context of “social”, meaning FRIENDS (i.e. relationships). How many parties (work or personal) have you attended in the last couple of months, where someone comes up and starts talking to you immediately about what they do (essentially hard selling) with the distinct gut rotting feeling they are trying to SELL directly to YOU? If you’re like me, this pisses you off, right?

What you really prefer when you meet someone is to learn HOW they know who YOU know, who THEY are, and make friendly, fun, relaxing, and sometimes if you’re lucky, intellectual conversation. It’s not about “prospecting”. Skepticism is at an all time high. Besides, you know at some point, when you’re standing over by the grill, having a cold beer, someone is inevitably going to ask “Hey, what do you do?”

Now it’s OK to tell them “what you do”, but be brief. If they’re interested, they might ask you for a business card, email address, or phone number. Now you have a warm lead or valuable connection, with a relationship established…and you weren’t an a$$hole either! They KNOW, LIKE and TRUST you. The big lesson here is, don’t stop “creating valuable relationships”. They’re the bridge to future opportunities and profit.

In my next blog I’m going to go into more detail on how you can start leveraging three social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

How To Create a FREE and Profit Generating Blog in Less Than 5 Minutes

In this blog I’m going to share some “insider secrets” on ways you can start leveraging your own “BLOG” as a way to create market differentiation between yourself and your competitors. Take notes. This is FREE and powerful stuff, that if done right, will pay off BIG.

The blog is probably the biggest thing to hit the online world since the birth of search engines (i.e. Google, Yahoo, etc.) but enough about ancient history. A blog is basically a website with a couple differences. The first and biggest difference is that you have the ability to instantly add or delete information. It’s as basic as having a pencil and piece of paper (with eraser). You need NO experience. The second difference is that you can “feed” your blog to other sites, so those sites will automatically be updated with your new information (i.e. your own website, affiliate, sister company, etc.); through RSS feeds (Real Simple Syndication). This is nothing you need to learn, it will do everything for you. Think K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple Stupid. And lastly, your blog allows YOU to communicate with YOUR readers (i.e. prospects, employees, drivers, dispatchers, Safety Director, etc.) by allowing them to post their own comments on your blog (if you choose to allow this).

Remember, YOU don’t have to write your blog. Just understand how it works, implement the idea, and delegate it. Let others blog as well. You can also use a digital recorder (I prefer the Olympus DS-40) to record your thoughts and have it dictated; or, use voice recognition software (Dragon) that dictates it for you. Are you running out of excuses yet? If you made it this far, you can do it. All the naïve ones quit reading after the first paragraph.

Starting a blog is as easy as getting a US DOT number. It’s THAT easy. There are no excuses today with the likes of Typepad, Blogger (easy to use), and WordPress (the latter I prefer; slightly more advanced capabilities but still user friendly). Because anyone can START a blog, it’s that much more important to put in a real, genuine and consistent effort (remember, some of this CAN be outsourced). The immediate benefits of a well laid out blog with fresh content (HINT: fresh, i.e. once per week) include increased traffic to your website, improved sales through increased SEO (search engine optimization) that you can’t get easily to your website through Google, new audiences and niches (think freight and traffic lane diversification), links to other blogs, Facebook (Business Fan Page), Twitter, Youtube and LinkedIn (more on these later).

You can set your blog up in less than 5 minutes by doing two things:

First, establish the reason for creating your blog. Remember, you CAN create more than just one (i.e. separate blogs for separate departments {safety, HR, dispatch, operations, maintenance} which could be used internally or be open to the public). There’s value in having multiple blogs for increased exposure, SEO; and again, NO charge.

• Are you trying to drive sales traffic to your existing website?
• Is the blog going to be used for customer service, dispatching, safety training, or HR?

Next step, decide which blogging service you prefer to use. I would prefer one of the three I mentioned above. Decide. BAM! Congrats, you’re done creating your first blog.

There is a lot more to blogging, and I could talk for hours as I do with my Mastermind Trucking Groups, but keep it basic right now. Just take action and implement it. Don’t wait, or you know you won’t get to it. Will you?

Here’s My 5 Secret Strategies to Ensure Your First Trucking Blog Remains Successful:

1. Keep it fresh. Don’t start a blog unless you can devote a little time to it each week. It doesn’t have to be more than 20 minutes per week. If you don’t have that, you probably have 20 minutes in your vehicle while singing to yourself, to record some random musings (fun to listen to later), and either download or have your assistant, spouse, kid, etc. type them up for you. HINT: If you’re messing around with it, be careful who you have type it up for you.

2. Exploit and promote yourself. Why wouldn’t you? Marketing is everything and everything is marketing. Put it OFFLINE as well as online; in magazines, publications, marketing materials, newsletters, business cards, paycheck stuffers, anniversary cards (well), etc. For more advanced users, but still very basic, “ping” your blog through “pingomatic”, promote through technorati, blogwise, and blo.gs. OR, (get ready, this is an innovative idea) have someone else do it FOR you!

3. Connect with people. The blog is very “human”; much more so than your website and allows you to communicate and connect with people where your site will not. It’s a place to meet people, converse, become friends and colleagues, venture in partnerships, and most importantly, to build trust and integrity. Make it a place that people WANT to come to. A place where they can get good, valuable information that they can immediately put to use in their business.

4. If being you means being controversial, then for goodness sake, jump in with both feet. Being normal is being boring. Differentiate yourself and challenge the systems, industry norms and opinions. It’s YOUR blog, be yourself. Business today can be REAL “stuffy”. Who wants to be around “stuffy”? Leave something on the table.

5. Make sure your content is GOOD and relevant to your target audience. You’re not going to please everyone and you don’t need to. Provide valuable information, links to other sites and resources and the good ones will keep coming back. To keep traffic up, it can’t just be a relative topic, it must be valuable, informative, ready to use, and yes, even controversial at times (of course within reason).

In my next blog, I’ll be delving further into the infinite benefits of “viral social media”, how to easily and efficiently “connect the dots between the most important social media platforms” and how to use these techniques to capitalize on the insanely vast amount of marketing opportunities “up for grabs” in our trucking industry today.