I've interviewed a lot of people lately.
It is very interesting to observe the similarities and differences among the applicants. One question I always ask brings this out like no other – the question about the future and what is important to them. As a potential employer, I really want to know where each applicant wants to be in a few years.
 
So different, and yet so much the same.
Almost every applicant responds the same way to the "future" question. Virtually all of them talk about "room for growth". They want to know whether there is an opportunity for them to grow and advance within the company and move up the corporate ladder. My answer to this question isn't always what they want to hear, because I have a fundamental problem with the theory of advancement within an organization.
 
Why do I think differently?*
It's not that I don't think we should all want to improve and better ourselves – in fact, my whole life is focused on that.  I just happen to disagree with the way advancement is handled in corporate America today. In the old days, climbing the corporate ladder meant starting out sweeping floors, moving up to the mailroom, and then being promoted up through various levels culminating eventually in SVP or C-level Executive positions. This is the practice and reference point for virtually all of my applicants. They all want to know if they can be hired as my assistant and one day be the President of the company.

My answer? "Probably not".
My response to these applicants during interviews is a discussion of each person's "Unique Ability," and how I see personal career growth occurring. You see, Michael Jordan didn't start by being the water boy, then advance to the stat keeper and eventually earn the right to play. No, he was probably shooting baskets almost before he could walk. MJ had a Unique Ability to play basketball, and that's exactly what he did. He found his Unique Ability and stuck to it. The more he played the better he got, and his career advanced steadily.

How I see growth for my employees.
My theory is that the people I hire will work very diligently for MCC, and in doing so, together, we will discover their Unique Ability. Once we do, they usually stay in the capacity best suited to them personally and to the growth of the company. But what about personal growth? My vision for my employees is that as they work within their Unique Abilities, they will become better and better. As they improve, I give them more responsibility. They will respond to me by producing greater results, and I will reward that with increased compensation – all in a repeating cycle.

Labor of love.
Your Unique Ability is something that you love to do. When you do it, it doesn't feel like work. It doesn't make you tired, but exhilarates you. The more you do it, the better you get at it, and the more you want to do it. Unique Ability is not a stepping stone - it's more a sharpening stone that hones great careers. This is why I said "no" to the lovely young woman who applied to be my assistant but really wants to be President. My feeling is, if her Unique Ability is to be a great assistant, then that's where I'd need her the most.
 
So, a quick note to all MCC applicants: If you want to work for me, do what you love, and love what you do. I'll look forward to watching and being part of your professional growth cycle. And even if you don't come to work for me, if you don't already have a solid idea about your "Unique Ability," I encourage you to look for it. :)

___________________________________
NOTES:
 
*Full Disclosure: This theory was originated by @JasonFreid of 37signals but I have expanded on it to include something that is very, very important to me, Dan Sullivan's principle of Unique Ability.

**My adaptation of Dan Sullivan's principle of Unique Ability

Observations at the halfway point.

In 2010, I wrote an entry entitled, "How I work, Part I." I described my work day in detail from 4:30 am on, identified my most valuable asset as "time," and discussed how I manage it. I wrote about how I organize, sort and prioritize my projects. I also discussed my dedication to working at peak efficiency by hiring trusted managers, and delegating assignments to them. While I left that blog post promising to devote my next "Work" to "Creative Thinking During Drive Time," I want to first address a more central lynchpin of "How I Work," and with your permission, return to "drive time creativity" in the future.

Focus and Re-focus.

From the very start, focus has been a critical ingredient for me. In this article, I am taking the "focus" discussion to the next level. In general, the word "focus" connotes extraordinary levels of attention, effort, concentration, single-mindedness and motivation. "Focus" is the center of business, for me and for most successful entrepreneurs. It's critical, and yet there is one level higher.

Once the foundations of my business were focused and set in motion, the key for me became to "re-focus," every single day. That's right. Every day, based on what happened the day before, I ask myself, "What can I do today to move the plan forward, and how can I learn from the mistakes that I made yesterday?"

General Mills: Timing and planning are everything.

Forgive the pun, but I view my role as being similar to that of an Army General. Every entity within my command is filed in a notebook I carry with me all the time. It contains my privately held missions for my companies and for myself, and has one tabbed section for MCC, one for MRR, one for a "Top Secret Project", and one personal section.

For each entity, the first page reads: "What is the mission?" and "What is the plan?" These simple questions force me to re-focus every day on what MCC and the other entities will do that day, that week, or that month to complete tasks that will lead us to achieving our mission.

Numbers talk. Count on it.

Once I have a plan in mind for each entity, I include a set of metrics on the next pages, as I believe firmly that "That which is measured, improves. That which is measured and tracked improves exponentially." I have developed a series of metrics that resemble pilots' gauges, and I watch them carefully to determine whether we are on track to achieve our mission in each entity.

Pushing the envelope.

Finally, I end each entity's page with a question to myself, "What can I do today to move the plan forward?" This is a very powerful question as it removes excuses and procrastination from the workday. It allows me to be proactive with my time and ensure that I am staying both focused and re-focused.

A final word on entities.

The most important entity file I have is for myself and my family. The mission statement includes a picture of health and happiness. Without first achieving this, nothing else matters.

How it works in real life.

I "re-focus" every morning at 4:30 am. After re-focusing for about an hour I exercise for about a half hour. By 6:00 am I am prepared for the day, full of confidence and stress-free. To some it may appear to be a grueling schedule, but it works for me, and I have no plans to change it anytime soon.

Guess again. No, guess again.
I like to think MCC Recycling is one of the most unique companies on the planet. We definitely have our own ideas about how to succeed in business, and who we want to hire to help us do that. Our hiring practices are like no other. And it's true, there are literally only two things you must do to work with us:
 
1. Show up every day on time
2. Have a great attitude
 
You read it right, so pull your jaw back up off the floor.
I know you think I might be kidding, but I am as serious as can be. At MCC Recycling, we don't stick to traditional job descriptions – we might start out with one, but after that, positions evolve around the "Unique Ability" of each staff member. We hire people we feel will succeed, and then let them run with it. Salespeople sometimes become desk people, and outside people sometimes become inside people – as long as they are good people, we have a place for them.  
 
MCC is like a box of chocolates. You never do quite know what you're gonna get.
I hired an assistant who turned out to be a dynamite sales rep. I hired a foreman who became a terrific operations manager. Every day, I take stock of who's doing what and why. I ask questions. Are they happy with what they're doing? Are they as productive as they'd like to be? What would their ideal situation in the company be?
 
Listening for the Unique Abilities yields results.
From their answers to my questions, I move people around in the company to positions in which I know they'll be happy and succeed. How do I know where to place people to maximize their Unique Abilities? They actually tell me - and I consider every person and every factor. Why? Because I know that a happy worker is a fulfilled worker. A fulfilled worker is a productive worker. A productive worker makes MCC Recycling successful, every day. 
 
More than just good luck.
We are succeeding in an economy in which so many are failing. This is not a fluke or sudden stroke of good luck. It's because my partner and I really pay attention to our staff, to our customers and to our marketplace. We have installed programs, systems – and people – whose job it is just to listen and really hear how the environment is affecting our business – and let that guide us in strengthening our company.
 
We're hiring. In a recession. And for all the right reasons.
The more we grow, the more jobs open up. This week, we are hiring a Customer Satisfaction Representative. Not to be confused with a traditional customer service rep, MCC's Customer Satisfaction Representative will have only one function: Visit our current customers, find out whether they are happy with our service, and discover how we can make them even more happy!
 
Come in and apply for the job of Customer Satisfaction Representative or Sales Manager – you never know - a month later you might end up running a whole division!
 
Competency aside, all you have to do is show up and smile.

Before you criticize, walk a mile in their shoes.
There is not a single job at MCC that I have not done. From approving the weekly payroll to answering phones, from sales calls to truck-cleaning – I have done every job in this company, and then some.
 
This is how I know that every job has a great deal of merit and worth, and I am slow to criticize, and quick to praise.
 
I've walked the walk. I've talked the talk.
Now I live the life as an owner and manager. It took me some time to be able to let go and delegate responsibility. I went out in the field. I learned how to sell, how to listen and how to react. After years of success doing this, I have learned how to teach others to sell MCC services as I would. I let them learn for themselves without being overly critical – and without demanding the impossible.
 
I am a better manager because I was a salesperson for 5 years.
 
I did it. Now I delegate it.
A little bit of trust is a wonderful thing. I like to think of car cleaning experience as an example. I like my SUV to be sparkling clean, and so every once in awhile, used to take 3 hours of my own time to get it beautifully, perfectly clean.
 
Yes, it always looked great when I was done, but the time investment seemed extraordinary to me. One day recently, I picked up the phone and hired a professional to come clean my car for me, inside and out.  Since I have done this job many times before, I was a little nervous. Would he do as good a job as I did? How long would it take? How much would he charge?
 
I decided to leave the guy with my car and pray for the best. When I returned, the car was incredibly, spotlessly shiny. For a very reasonable amount, he did a better job than I could have done myself. What an incredible value and lesson for me. My time is worth so much – it only makes sense to delegate this activity to someone who may actually do BETTER at it than me.
 
I choose to apply this lesson on every level of my company, from now on. 

Recently before hiring a new employee I asked him for three character references.  I called all three of his references in the evening when I knew the people would be home.  All three of the candidate’s friends had very similar things to say about him.  “He is a hard worker”, “He is dedicated to his job”, “He will show up on time”, etc.  However it was another character trait that all three mentioned that really had a profound effect on me.  They all described him as someone who would do anything for a friend.  “Whenever we’ve ever needed him, he was there, no question asked.”  “If you’re in a bind he’ll go out of his way to help you.”  These were the words I heard about this man.

After speaking with the third reference I sat in my car in the parking lot and thought how fortunate I would be to have this man on my staff.  I then began to wonder if my own references would describe me this way. I wondered, “Do I offer this level of loyalty to the people that are most important to me?”

I hope someday after I’m long gone that people will speak as highly of me as they do of this man.  In fact, I need to take this farther than "hoping" that this will happen.  I'm going to ensure that it will.    

MCC:  Looking good. Actually, looking great!
As the first quarter of 2011 comes to a close, I look back with great satisfaction. January 2011 was MCC’s single greatest month in company history (in revenue).  We set aggressive growth goals and are very close to achieving them - just waiting for some negotiations to close. 

I believe that MCC’s Q2 will be terrific as well; possibly even more than Q1. Our pipeline is full, and opportunities seem to be cropping up everywhere. As the economy slowly begins to turn, our clients’ thoughts have turned back to furthering environmental agendas, and discovering new ways to make them more efficient on every level. As this happens, MCC is ready, perfectly positioned to be of service.
 
There are many challenges involved in running a recycling business, but it is a young, sustainable industry with plenty of room for growth in many directions. We are very excited to be in this business at this time, and feel fortunate for every opportunity coming our way. 

MRR : Ahead of its time.
It was an exciting quarter at MRR/MyRecyclingReports.com. I have been working closely with my graphic designers and strategists on MRR’s spectacular marketing website. I am delighted with how it’s shaping up, and can’t wait until it goes live. 

Creating MyRecyclingReports.com continues to be a refreshing and interesting experience. As of today, we are refining our Home Page and looking forward to filling in the inner pages. Everything has to be crafted perfectly to make sure it reaches the right audiences and motivates them to join us.

In developing MyRecyclingReports.com, I’ve come to realize that it’s way ahead of its time. It may take a while before the industry truly recognizes its enormous power, potential and value. However, good things come to those who wait – and to those whose products and services are outstanding…

…and we are in a good position on both scores. MyRecyclingReports.com represents a true revolution in our industry, and I am doing all the right things to let the marketplace know about it. I am confident that it will evolve not just into a remarkable industry tool, but into a sustainable business with steady growth!

Q1 Blog Goals:  Lucky 5
One of my goals this quarter was to publish five blog posts. This is number five - Done!

MPM: My personal Q1
It was also a great quarter for me personally.  This quarter, we welcomed a new salesperson at MCC, leaving me more time to take a more traditional top executive leadership role in my company.  Along with this new role came new realizations. I was able to hone my Unique Ability(ies) – the activities at which I excel – and love doing the most.  

I consider myself very fortunate, as I was born with the gift of auto-inspiration. I am driven to move forward every day.  To constantly make progress.  To innovate and see the future.  I love to teach, speak, write, strategize, innovate, inspire, and assist. I love working with my staff, keeping them as excited about each day as I am.  In sharing my experiences with them, I feel most gratified when I have succeeded in truly motivating them.

My Unique Ability(ies) shine in a public or group setting – not when I’m alone. Like a snowball, I need inertia and proper conditions in order to grow.  When I work with my employees, my partner, my top vendors and my entrepreneur buddies, these talents really shine. The challenge? To work within my Unique Ability(ies) as much as possible, as I believe this is the path to happiness. I hope to discover more concrete ways to accomplish this during Q2.

I am always filled with new ideas stemming from my Unique Ability(ies). I am toying with new ideas - a speaking career, more frequent blog posts, a magazine column, a book, my entrepreneur support group or even a teaching job.  Any of these would be absolute bliss not just for me, but for the mutually beneficial relationships and success stories that come to people I meet along the way.

Q2 on the Horizon
They tell me I’d better squint, ‘cause it’s ‘gonna’ be bright! Here's to a great second quarter.  Cheers!

¹con·fi·dence
1. a : a feeling or consciousness of one's powers or of reliance on one's circumstances.
                                                                               (Merriam Webster)


Confidence is power.
I am much more confident now than when I founded my company 5 years ago. I have taken the time to carefully protect and nurture my confidence, and adhere to strategies that keep my confidence high at all times.

With confidence, people can accomplish anything they can dream of.  Without it, it’s highly unlikely. Why? Business problems will always be here. The famous song lyric, “Mo Money, Mo Problems” is actually quite accurate. However, the more I work on protecting my confidence the less I worry about these problems. I view them differently.

Problems as opportunities.
With confidence, I view seemingly insurmountable problems as great opportunities in disguise. With confidence, my team and I move through challenges quickly. We smile and view issues almost as if in hindsight -  we know we will clear each hurdle, so we let our confidence ride high.

An “unsuitable” example.
Here is a simple example of how confidence created a wonderful situation for me. Usually, I dress formally when meeting with new or potential customers, with a full business suit. While I know that suits are considered proper attire, they don’t always do much for my confidence, as I am not comfortable wearing them.

About 4 years ago, I broke the “suit rule.” It was one of those gorgeous, warm summer days that we all dream about. Not a cloud in the sky. And it was Friday. I woke up that morning feeling quite confident, and planned to make some business calls.

I decided to dress a little differently.
To parallel my mood, I pulled on a great pair of jeans - not “working in the field” Carhartts, but a really sweet pair of jeans from Express. To top it off,  a completely uncharacteristic yellow polo shirt - usually, if I wear a polo at all, it’s white or blue, embroidered with the MCC logo. I left my house on that brilliant, sunny summer Friday, dressed perfectly…for a Saturday bar-b-q. I felt like a million bucks.

Long story short…
I signed one of my greatest customers that day - we are still doing business today, and enjoy a wonderful relationship. I often think about how easy it was to close that deal. In retrospect, during recent training in business confidence, I realized what had happened. I felt great that day. I was confident in my jeans. I was confident in the weather. I was confident as a salesman. I felt there was nothing I couldn’t accomplish!

The results speak for themselves.
I believe that we all deserve to feel like this as much as possible. Look around - the people who are most successful and happy in life, also seem to be exceptionally confident. Whether they’re wearing a great pair of jeans…or not.

True or false?: “Sales is a difficult game.”
I hear it every day. “The sales game is a tough game.” “It’s almost impossible to make a sale in this economy.” “I’ve read every book on sales – none of them help.”  “You know nobody’s buying…right?”

Wrong! For me, selling is actually quite easy.
A zillion books have been written on this subject. However, an old real estate philosophy sums it up best: “If you want to sell a house, you need a ready, willing and able buyer.” The logic is that if you’ve found a buyer who meets all three of these criteria, you will close the deal most of the time.

My view on what these three terms mean.
READY: A ready buyer is someone for whom the timing is just right to purchase a home. A ready buyer may have just gotten married and wants to create a new household. A ready buyer may be planning to expand the family with a new baby and needs more space. A ready buyer is an Empty Nester – or an older couple who want to downsize to a smaller home.

An example of a buyer who is not ready is perhaps someone looking at homes as a diversion from other obligations. A person in the throes of hosting a big Holiday Season with many guests – is not ready to buy a home. A person who is “just looking” is not ready either. Nor is someone who just lost a loved one. These people have more pressing issues to address, and a home purchase is not a top priority. They may want to. They might be able to afford it. But the timing is off. They’re not ready.

WILLING: A willing buyer is agreeable to buying a particular home for the agreed upon price. “Yes, I am willing to pay $500,000 for that house in Cranbury, NJ.” The term “willing” actually has a lot to do with value. That specific home at that price creates enough value for me that I am willing to buy it. If the price was $600,000 the value drops and I am no longer willing to complete the transaction.

ABLE: An able buyer is one who can afford to purchase and close on the home. A broker might have a ready and willing buyer who can’t get financing and therefore is not able to close.

The trick to making the sales game easy?
Only work with prospects who exhibit all three qualities: Ready, willing and able.  If you have a prospect who has only two of the three qualities, you can use every sales technique in the (zillion) book(s), and you still won’t close the deal. You will, however, waste a lot of time and precious resources.

Why am I so sure?
If you’re a salesperson, think back to a time when you closed a deal very, very quickly - and it seemed easy. Chances are they were ready, willing and able. For sales you lost over the years, think back once again. I know I do – about a "prospect" I called once a week for a year. With every phone call came more excuses. Looking back, this person didn't have all three qualities. I wasted my time, but I learned a valuable lesson.

Ready, willing and able, MCC style.
At MCC Recycling we have our own variation on the ready, willing and able buyer.
I teach my salespeople to look for prospects with the following three qualities:
1. They must have a problem for which we can offer a solution (ready).
2. They must believe that our solution creates enough value to justify the cost (willing).
3. They must be in a position to make purchasing decisions (able).

If my salespeople identify the right contacts within targeted client companies, they will close deals. Lots of deals. And so will you.

I love it when they tell me their sales jobs are easy.

What is commoditization?
I’ve been reading a lot about modern commoditization theory, and how it affects businesses everywhere.  In commoditization theory, a business’s products or services are evaluated exclusively in terms of price, because a similar if not exact product or service is available elsewhere in the marketplace.

The role of the Internet in commoditization.
Over the past decade, the Internet has dramatically increased the commoditization of products and services across the board. Before the advent of the Internet it was difficult to communicate with multiple vendors outside a given local service area. Companies didn’t face much more than local competition, and consumers didn’t have as many options.

Multiple choice: Empowering consumers via direct access.
The Internet has changed the way consumers purchase goods and services, with direct, instant access to a global marketplace. Amazon.com is a great example of this – and I know because I’m a huge fan and customer. I love the freedom  of shopping for anything I can dream of, knowing that I will always get a great price. While Amazon.com is a great tool for the consumer, I imagine it has slashed manufacturers’ profit margins, worldwide.

MCC and the struggle against commoditization.
At MCC Recycling, we work very hard to avoid the commoditization of our services. This seems a bit ironic, as we buy and sell commodities – scrap metals - every day. It would devastate our business if our services were to be commoditized. If our margins were to be slashed to dangerous levels then everything else would suffer in proportion. Our equipment would not be maintained; our facilities would degrade; and we would not be able to invest in our people, our intellectual property and our future company strategies. In turn, our competitors would do the same and ultimately the service to the customer would suffer and wither.

Avoiding commoditization with UP and UR.
When working with my sales team I’m known to instruct that “We need a UP or a UR or else we’re playing on price.” To be more specific, we must always work towards developing a Unique Process or a Unique Relationship. Otherwise we’re essentially bidding price on every job.

A UP or a UR - or both - can be extremely beneficial. A Unique Process (product, service or technique) is when a competitor cannot or is not willing to do what you are doing. It may be that we are specialists in our field, we own some great intellectual property, or that we are just so dynamic and playing ahead of the curve that our competitors can’t keep up with us. A Unique Relationship is also a valuable asset. UR is a situation where our service might not differ that much from the competition, but we have a close relationship with a decision maker because we create value for him/her. Personally, I love having a UR with a customer.

UR the company you keep.
An example of a great UR? My commercial insurance brokerage is fantastic. They provide excellent service, personal access to partners and they do what they say they are going to do. They’ve completely eliminated the annoyances normally associated with the insurance business. They add value by handling many extra tasks for me, which frees up my precious time. This relationship also stands out for me in stark contrast to the inadequate service I received from previous brokers.

In return for the outstanding service, I don’t shop insurance prices. I’m sure they are not the cheapest around. But I don’t mind, as they are earning a fair profit for outstanding performance. I feel they deserve their fees, and will stay in business for a long time, which only benefits me further.

While their process is not unique, they have gone miles out of their way to cultivate a unique relationship with me. If you are a customer or potential customer of MCC Recycling, I hope that both our process and our relationship are strong, unique and create value for you.

If not, please let me know.

Scott Morgan, the business editor at the US1 Newspaper in Princeton, NJ has published a very nice article on myself, MCC Recycling Services and MyRecyclingReports.com. 

Read the article here (pages 38 & 39):  Life In The Fast Lane: Trash or Treasure? How About Both?

Thanks Scott!

Comments? Let's talk on Twitter @michaelpmills

We’re looking for someone who loves the environment, loves recycling and loves working at an exciting, fast growing company.

They might call you a tree-hugger, a hippie or a hardworking fool.  We want to call you part of our team.

You will be responsible for loading and unloading tractor trailers and sea containers filled with recyclable material.  You’ll weigh, record, report and save the planet.  You’ll definitely get dirty and feel tired, but at the end of the day you’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment.

You’ve done this job before and you're an ace on a forklift.  You don’t mind the cold and you’re able to work unsupervised.  You’ll be responsible for a team of 2 or 3 others. 

This is a full-time position.  Starting pay is $15/hour. 

How to apply:

Email a cover letter and work experience to info [at] mccrecycling.com

I remember the day vividly.  I was sitting and discussing business with Martin, my attorney.  I brought up the fact that we had just put the finishing touches on a new web application that would bring  MCC Recycling – and possibly many recycling companies – to a newer, higher level of efficiency.

I described  how our new app would accelerate the ways in which we communicate and report critical data to our customers – always a very tedious, time-eating process  which we had completely revolutionized and packed into the touch of a button!  

Martin and I quickly realized that it would only be a matter of time before other recycling companies heard of this new service we were offering, and might want to compete with it or try and copy it. We spoke about how to protect the app – and recognized there really wasn’t any way to completely accomplish that.

And then it hit me.

“Martin,” I said, “this online web application is so revolutionary and useful, I can’t stop other companies from trying to copy it. I can see that it might not take long before it’s no longer an exclusive offering from MCC Recycling.  But…what I can do is create a company that allows other recycling companies to buy the product from me at incredibly low cost.

Living as we do, in a free market economy, everyone is free to invent products and services, use them and sell them.  My job is to be the first to offer this particular service to the marketplace, and to always be the best one of its kind, anywhere. Just like the iPhone.  It was the first, and it is still the best.  Apple can’t keep competitors from creating smart phones, but they can keep innovating to make sure theirs is always on top.

Make it irresistible.

We spoke further about the investment and the price.  To date, I have more than $50,000 invested in my online web application, including all of the new features currently under development.  Other recycling companies will know (or research) what it costs to develop a product such as this one. Recycling companies hearing of MCC Recycling’s wonderful new online web application have a choice to make.

They can start from scratch, re-invent the wheel, hire a developer for $50,000 or more, spend months and months of time and man-hours to create their own systems…or for about $99 a month, they can sign up for and buy an account from MyRecyclingReports.com .

It’s a no brainer, right?

In less than one hour, I had created the concept for MyRecyclingReports.com .  When I walked out of that meeting - about one year ago today - I was running on adrenalin! Time, research, expertise and momentum were all on my side.

Especially momentum.

Ah, momentum.  For the first 2-3 months of the project we were operating at warp speed.  I was meeting with developers, graphic designers, copywriters, strategists, and talking about the features and design of our new app, which we decided to call MyRecyclingReports.com . 

Every day was exciting, fun and progressive.  By the end of each week, we had moved ahead and gained momentum.  Things were going well. Everyone on the project was loving it - even though we had no customers, no prospects, no venture capital, and no real site up to view. It was pure momentum that kept us going.  We were gaining in size and speed every day.  Like a snowball rolling down a hill, there was no stopping us.

Until one day it did.

Our project stopped cold on the day our functional spec was finished. We sat down and looked at the cost estimate and we paused.  We questioned ourselves.  We wondered whether anyone would ever sign up for and pay us for this app. And we decided to take a week off from the project.  We decided to put some thought into this before we wrote the check. In our defense, it was a big check.  

Weeks went by, and then months.  Our programmers, designers and copywriters wondered what happened.  “You were so excited.  So pumped.  What happened?”

Nothing, really. Really!

The truth is, nothing happened after we broke our stride.  We lost our momentum and haven’t done much since.  And it has been one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had. Which brings us to today. I am happy to announce  that this blog post represents  the re-birth of our project.  Today is the day I blow the dust off that snowball and give it a little push down the hill.  If we keep at it, one day at a time, our momentum will build again.

The lesson we learned here is that you don’t need deadlines, giant project diagrams, team assignments, victory dances or even budgets.  All you need is momentum, created by ingenuity and determination – an endless, slowly building movement that you push forward a little bit, every day. 

These days, around our office, we like to say, “What can we get done TODAY?”.  Not this week, not this month and certainly not by the end of the year.  What about today?  What can we get done by 5 o’clock?  As little or as much as it may be, it will move us forward.  Even if it was a mistake, or it didn’t work out, we’ll learn from it.  And we’ll move forward.

With  m-o-m-e-n-t-u-m.

Something ventured, something gained. But not what you think!
Two weeks ago, the phone rang. It was a business colleague I admire. He’d been reading my blog, and wanted to get together and discuss a venture he was working on.  

Intrigued and excited, I met with him over an afternoon beer.  He told me about a project that he and a few partners were working on. I believe his sole objective was to get my perspective – and to have a new set of eyes review his project. We talked for an hour, we brainstormed, I offered some opinions, and then we returned to our offices.

I really enjoyed that meeting.  In fact, I left the meeting feeling very excited. Why? First, I was excited for my friend. I was excited that he had invited my opinions on his project. I was grateful that he has so much respect for me, he wanted to hear my comments.  

None of this excitement had anything to do with personal gain.  You see, I made it very clear that I am not an investor or a venture capitalist, and I wanted nothing in return for my time and ideas.  I wasn’t looking for 10% of his company, or for options, shares or the possibility of gaining anything in the future from his success.  For me, I was happy enough just to sit with him for an hour, and to be working within my unique ability.  

My unique ability. Your potential asset.
My unique ability is a talent for dreaming…inventing…creating business ideas…and working with people as their ideas come to fruition, and turn into profitable companies. When I thought about our meeting, I realized I wanted more opportunities to exercise this creative ability.  Brainstorming business ideas doesn't feel like work to me – it exhilarates me -  and I often lose track of time. Hours can go by and I sometimes don’t realize it.  

The coolest part is that the feeling is the same, whether I am working on one of my ventures or on someone else's.

So, I have an idea.  I am going to start an entrepreneurs' round table. Eventually I'll need a better name than that, but that's not important now.  What is important is the basic structure of this alliance I'm envisioning. I will organize monthly meetings of like-minded entrepreneurs – we can get together someplace comfortable where we can eat, drink and have privacy to talk freely.

Just a couple of Golden Rules...
The rules will be quite simple.  All current or potential entrepreneurs are invited to participate. There will be no confidentiality agreements and no non-disclosures.  There will be no investment opportunities, and no one can ask for venture capital from other group members.  We will trust each other with our ideas – everything is held in confidence, on an old-fashioned honor system.

We will listen to each other's ideas, projects and obstacles.  We will all offer advice, exchange ideas, and work together to bring new ideas to the table.  The only requirement is that you come with your idea.  It can be just an idea, or it can be an existing profitable company.  Our objective is to build a network, a support group and to gain each other's trust as advisors for a long-term relationship.


…and an eye towards your future.
I don't have any other details worked out yet. At this point I'm anxious to see what levels of interest l might have - I'd like to start with a minimum of 3 or 4 people. If you want to be a part of this, get in touch with me.  Email, call, text, Facebook, even send an old fashioned smoke signal if you have to, but don't miss out on the opportunity to take your creation to the next level.  

Come on! Come dream higher with me!

Here's something I've noticed ever since the economic downturn: people who are quick to tell you how wealthy they are, are also quick to tell you how poor they are.

Like most entrepreneurs, I started my company from nothing.  I had no savings and no venture capital.  I've built everything I have (with the help of my extremely devoted partner) from the ground up.  This has made me very humble, even as I become more successful.  When I was first starting MCC Recycling Services I was very quiet about how large (or small) we really were.  I didn't feel that it was anyone's business and therefore kept the numbers to myself.  Now that I am successful and our company has grown, I have found that I am still extremely tight lipped about personal and business finances.  I have a tremendous amount of respect for many people (both wealthy and not) and the last thing on my to-do list is broadcasting my finances to them. 

On the contrary to the above description (on both before and after accounts) I have met many people who are very quick to tell how well they are doing.  When things are good, they're going to let you know it.  They'll flash cash, broadcast their wealth and basically just sound obnoxious whenever you are around.  Then, when shit hits the fan and they lose it all, they are very quick to tell you that too.  That is the surprising part to me.  I would assume that these people would be so embarrassed that they wouldn't want to talk about it.  However they're the first to tell you that their once thriving business (which was probably bullshit anyway) is now defunct and they're selling their assets to pay the bills. 

Fascinating opposite personalities.

Entrepreneurs hardly ever leave enough time for accounting. We get so involved in our specialties, sales efforts, daily operating issues and customer service, we are often too busy to pay attention to critical business issues.

Big mistake. Especially in the recycling business.

Many of my recycling competitors run junk equipment and offer terrible service. This is usually not because owners are oblivious, but because they look the other way when it comes to basic business principals…and Gross Profit Margin.

Obsessed with sales, sales, and more sales, they let everything else fall by the wayside, paying no attention whatsoever to Gross Profit Margin. Then, they close their eyes and hope for the best. Kind of like eating a whole box of chocolates at one time, then hoping it won’t show up on the scale later on. What they've completely missed and mistakenly overlooked is the magic number:

Gross Profit Margin.

My basic definition of Gross Profit Margin is simple. Sales minus COGS equals gross profit. COGS includes all variable costs. Gross Profit Margin is expressed by the gross profit as a percentage of sales. I assume that the gross profit must pay all of the fixed costs and then when all the bills are paid, what's left, is net profit.

In my opinion, lack of attention to this number is actually putting many people out of business! Owners fail to recognize that when business is bad it's due to one of three problems: Overhead is too high; volume is too low; or Gross Profit Margin isn't healthy. For my competition it’s always the latter.

Rise up, cut the fat, and get your Gross Profit Margin healthy!

Owners, raise your top line, trim some fat and keep a closer eye on that Gross Profit Margin number – it should be 40% at a minimum. This will leave you some coin at the end of the day – and that’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? Then, take better care of your existing equipment, buy some new equipment and step up your level of service.

Take a bite out of the Apple example.

Apple, Inc. is my favorite company – I’m a Superfan. They make great products and sell them at a premium price – and I buy a lot of these products for my business. How do I justify these premium expenses?

Easy. I'm not paying for the product I'm buying now, I'm paying for the product that I'm buying next year! How so? In 2007 I stood in line for 8 hours and paid $600 for the first generation iPhone. I could have stood in line for 8 minutes and paid $50 for something else, but then we wouldn't have the iPad in 2010. When I paid $600 for the iPhone, I wasn't really paying for the phone, I was paying for the innovation that was yet to occur. Apple uses their healthy Gross Profit Margin to invest in their own innovation - and their own innovation is what brings us these magical and revolutionary products each year. We could have paid $200 for the iPhone, but then there never would have been an iPad. We could pay $500 for a MacBook, but there never would have been a MacBook Air. When we pay these prices we're not fattening the pockets of the Apple executives and shareholders, we're actually investing in our own future of technology.

The Apple pattern at MCC.

At MCC Recycling Services, we have patterned ourselves after Apple. By maintaining a healthy Gross Profit Margin, MCC is able to invest in our own innovation every day. Simple concept, but so often overlooked.

In the meantime, my competitors barely have enough money left over to wash their crappy trucks, let alone invest in new products for their customers. At MCC our on-time rate for service pick-ups is 97%. Why? Because we run new trucks that don't break down, and we hire quality drivers. And we can afford to do this because our Gross Profit Margin is healthy.

When a customer pays more for MCC service they're actually investing in the future of our performance. Everybody wins.

Here's another example: In 2010 I created MyRecyclingReports.com. Of course, MCC was the first customer and user of the service. MCC's customers benefit from the wonderful convenience of using this web application every day. In the middle of one of the worst economic times this country has ever seen, while my competitors are fighting to stay alive, we are pouring tens of thousands of dollars into…

…innovation.

And it's our own healthy Gross Profit Margin that allows us to do this. Just like paying slightly more for that iPhone, my customers have invested in their own future. And it's paying them dividends every day.

The take-away?

Owners! Watch your Gross Profit Margin like a hawk. Walk away from cheap customers and re-invest in your own company. It's the best long-term play you'll ever make.