6 Questions to Ask Before You Choose a Business Coach

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6 Questions to Ask Before You Choose a Business Coach

If you run a business, lead a team, or head up an organization, there’s a good chance you’ve considered hiring a coach—or at least looking to someone else for guidance. A coach is focused on unlocking your potential. They work with you to improve your performance. As with anyone that you bring into your confidence and your business, you want to make the right choice. We’ve been on both sides of the equation—as coaches and as clients.

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Five Lessons Learned At My First Awareness Training

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Five Lessons Learned At My First Awareness Training

At least once each year, I attend another coaching program. I enjoy getting coaching while I benefit from watching how others work and learn new techniques. Last month I attended a four-day program in NYC that was eye-opening, by definition, because it was my first awareness training.

I was able to do a lot of personal development at the program and will share in this article some of what I learned. First, let me explain awareness training.

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Seeking a Meaningful Career: Matt’s Path to Trajectify

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Seeking a Meaningful Career: Matt’s Path to Trajectify

The last several months of my professional career have been incredibly rewarding as I have taken on the role of Business Coordinator for Trajectify. I am part of an amazing team where my contribution is valued and I have the ability to grow both professionally and personally. This career is a great fit with my values, strengths and personality. Things weren’t always this wonderful for me. Like many others, I have struggled over the years with “what I want to be when I grow up.” In searching for the answer to this question, I’ve come to realize that figuring out my career was much more of a journey than a destination.

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Leadership Lessons from My Mother's Death

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Leadership Lessons from My Mother's Death

My mother died earlier this month. It wasn't something we were expecting. She had been successfully fighting breast cancer. Complications from treatment led to a series of cascading medical issues over several weeks until her heart was no longer able to take it.  I woke up early the day after her death and my mind was racing, so I grabbed a pen and paper to slow down my thoughts. Some of what I wrote ended up being about observations and feelings that I could connect to leadership.

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2019 Trajectify Summer Reading List

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2019 Trajectify Summer Reading List

Here’s that world famous list that thousands have been awaiting. Each year, Trajectify coaches and clients put together recommendations for books that they've been reading. We encourage you to use some of your vacation time and your days away from the office to invest in growth through reading. Wherever your adventures take you, even if it's just in your backyard hammock), use this out-of-office time to learn, reflect, and challenge yourself.

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Four Tools To Improve Your Time Management

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Four Tools To Improve Your Time Management

Time management is the process of organizing and planning how to divide your time between specific activities. Successful time management allows you to work smarter, not harder, getting more done in less time but this is not always an easy process.

Time management, including work-life balance, prioritization and decision making, are elements of the most common struggles for entrepreneurs. It is difficult to make time for the important things when it is even hard to decide what is actually important.

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What If You’re the Problem with Your Team?

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What If You’re the Problem with Your Team?

“Sometimes I’m trying to finish the project you gave me earlier in the week, and I’m nearly done. But you tell me to drop it, that it’s not as important as some new thing you want the team to start on. I like your ideas – and you have a lot of them – but I wish you would let us finish what we start before you tell us to do the new thing. It gets kind of frustrating because I feel like you don’t appreciate that we’re trying to do the things you want, but it’s always changing.” Have you been there before with a team like this? No matter what you might put in your strategic business plan, you will not succeed unless people can learn to work together effectively.

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What is your Double Doink for 2019?

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What is your Double Doink for 2019?

If you happen to be a football fan, you’ve probably now heard about the Double Doink. Let’s have some fun and create a general purpose definition for a double doink: the accomplishment of an improbable feat or an achievement from an impressive effort that results in failure or negative consequences. I’m not sure if I’ve had a double doink yet this year, but I know I’ve had plenty over the course of my career. I’ve been contemplating some of the things that you should do to recover from a double doink. Here are five things to consider after a mistake or failure.

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All the Videos from Trajectify’s Business Growth Conference

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All the Videos from Trajectify’s Business Growth Conference

2018 brought Trajectify’s inaugural live business growth conference which brought together dozens of leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals. We held Trajectify Live on September 13, 2018 at the Science History Institute in Old City, Philadelphia, featuring four Trajectify coaches plus a line-up of guest speakers and presenters while filled the day with insights, lessons and experiences

If you missed the opportunity to join us in September, we’ve got you covered. Here are videos we took of ten presentations from the conference. If you’re interested to attend the next Trajectify Live, please sign up here to be notified about the next Trajectify Live.

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Four Lessons Learned in 2018: A success and failure retrospective

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Four Lessons Learned in 2018: A success and failure retrospective

2018 was an incredible year. I know it’s not over yet, but I’m not going to send an email next week, so let’s get it out there before we’re swooped into 2019. I took bigger risks with Trajectify this year and accomplished a lot, including some big ones. Some of these met our goals or are beginning to perform. Others missed expectations because of invalid assumptions, or bad execution, or unforeseen externals influences. I almost always practice what I preach. Almost. There’s a lot I learn about myself while coaching and working with other business owners and leaders. In all that I’ve accomplished this year, here are some lessons I’d like to share.

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Our Annual CEO Gift Guide

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Our Annual CEO Gift Guide

Amidst the closing of 2018 and the planning of 2019, we wanted to have a little fun. That's not an extravagant holiday party for the Trajectify team. It means some new content! We asked each of Trajectify team to share an idea of what holiday gift to get that successful person who might already have everything they want. Maybe you’re a business owner or CEO and you’re wondering what put on your gift wish list? Or maybe you need to buy something for that special business leader at your company or in you life. From $50K to $50M, there’s something for everyone.

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10 Tips from Leaders to Increase Effectiveness

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10 Tips from Leaders to Increase Effectiveness

Owning or leading a business comes with a lot of responsibilities and stress that even the most prepared can struggle to handle. Leaders set the vision, agenda and strategy, often while juggling accountabilities for major initiatives and decisions that affect performance for both finances and people. They have to serve many constituencies. No one takes on the role of CEO with the idea of it being low-stress. Learning to maintain structure and balance could help alleviate pressure and lead to great effectiveness.

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So Much Learning in Trajectify's Five Years

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So Much Learning in Trajectify's Five Years

This month, August 2018, is the 5th anniversary of Trajectify. Words cannot express how grateful and lucky I am to have been able to build this business and accomplish all that we have. HOW A BUSINESS IS BORN. I decided to leave startup #7, Real Food Works, in May 2013. I had turned 50 a few months earlier and found myself wondering, “what do I want to be when I grow up.” I told myself no more startups. So I embarked on what turned out to be a three month discovery mission that led me to create Trajectify in August 2013.

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Not Falling Into the Chasm, Jamie's Post-Graduation Perspective

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Not Falling Into the Chasm, Jamie's Post-Graduation Perspective

My last semester of college was filled with fear and panic, wondering if I had spent my higher education preparing for a career that was not meant for me. After graduation, college students are faced to take a leap of faith and enter the real world. As we approach the cliff, far from the safety net of secured and structured education, and jump head first into the unknown, it is impossible to not fear what is next. With no idea what I was heading into, the overwhelming feeling of insecurity and possible failure seemed inevitable. To cross the chasm it takes momentum and trajectory, neither of which graduating college students have.

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Peter Shankman, Entrepreneurial Effectiveness and ADHD

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Peter Shankman, Entrepreneurial Effectiveness and ADHD

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to participate in a breakfast program with Peter Shankman. He is a successful entrepreneur, author and investor. You may know him as the founder of HARO (Help A Reporter Out), or the author of “Faster Than Normal,” or have heard his Ted talks or other keynote speeches. He's quite quotable and I've been know to borrow a line from him now and then. I especially like his “I have ADOS - Attention Deficit, Oooh Shiny.”

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2018 Summer Reading List to Relax, Unwind, and Feed Your Mind

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2018 Summer Reading List to Relax, Unwind, and Feed Your Mind

Every year, Trajectify coaches and clients put together a list of books they've been reading and recommending. With summer approaching, vacation time and opportunity for days away from the office ensue. Wherever your adventures take you (even if it's just in your backyard hammock!), use this OOO time to de-stress, reflect, read, and learn.

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How Do You Get Work Done When There's 100 Events In One Week?

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How Do You Get Work Done When There's 100 Events In One Week?

I attended my first Philly Tech Week (PTW) in 2012. There weren't a ton of events, but my notes say I attended 14, and scheduled another 8 meetings in between events.  Pretty intense, especially for someone who leans introvert. That year I also hosted the first Philly Bootstrappers Breakfast during that week (more on that below).

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Mike's Insights on Leadership Communication as He Pushes Himself (and you) To Do More Video

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Mike's Insights on Leadership Communication as He Pushes Himself (and you) To Do More Video

In a recent video, Mike shared three basic and effective essentials to achieve greater leadership communications.  (1) Feel It. You are your company's evangelist, you need to show that passion. (2) Speak It. You need to talk loud and clear. (3) Communicate It. Your words and meaning must be coherent, so write them in advance and practice-practice-practice.

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