Recently, we were at a quarterly planning session with a client working on their Q4 strategy. We’ve started to begin these meetings by asking our clients to bring their own list of items that they want to work through which may not fit into our traditional quarterly planning agendas. This company is made up of a husband and wife ownership team. They didn’t have a very long list. There was hiring, staying focused, and overthinking. All are common issues. Because overthinking could have a profound impact on the other two, we decided to begin there.

As the wife began to explain …

“What was your increase in sales since you joined the Bethesda Sales Mastermind?”

“25,000.”

I read it twice, then I called Chris Cunnion, one of our coaches who created and facilitated the program, to make sure I was reading and understanding it correctly. He shared with me that he had confirmed it. The $25,000 increase in sales resulted in a 25x return on investment. Imagine investing $1,000 in the stock market and it growing into $250,000 in just five months. That’s what happened here.

You may recall that I have a passion for stock car racing. I formerly ran the oldest paved oval and first purpose-built road course in the US, located in Thompson, CT. While I left that position in 2018, the sport never left me. You see, racing is something that’s hard to explain. It’s a hobby that gets into your DNA. To scratch my itch, I started my own promotions company in 2019. JDV Productions has produced over 30 events since its formation, and on July 10, we promoted the second running of the Clash at Claremont. The event featured NASCAR’s oldest division, …

Last week, Ashleigh and I were out to dinner with some friends. During the course of the conversation, the wife shared with us a story about when she received an email from her husband. The email had the word “Budget” in the subject line. As she explained to us, she immediately picked up the phone and called her husband. After he answered, she asked, “How much do I have to make for us to never use that word again?” He responded with …

Last year I attended the Reawakening Conference, which was put on by clients and friends of mine from the Anglican Diocese in New England (ADNE). During the Conference, one of the new Assisting Bishops was interviewed about his time in ministry. When asked what his greatest disappointment in ministry was, he replied, “That’s easy. It’s always when you see something greater for someone than they can see or are willing to go after.” …

About two years ago, I was invited to a business owner’s office. He wanted to talk with me about where his business was at and his current workload. He was working 80 hours per week and his wife had expressed to him that she didn’t sign up for an absentee husband. After he shared that with me, we got into the performance of the business and he said, “I’m happy with where we are.” I had only been speaking to him for about 45 minutes and I already knew that wasn’t true. …

I was on a coaching call with a client a few months ago. He was recounting to me the roadmap for him to achieve his goals.
“If I get this many clients and have an additional this many employees then I will be making $500,000 per year,” he told me. He had said this to me several times in the past, continuing to fantasize about earning that much money.
…

A few weeks ago I was on a call with a client and he asked me if I had heard about the superbloom in Death Valley. I hadn’t. He went on to explain it as a phenomenon in which the hottest place on earth and the driest place in North America is blanketed with the vibrancy of an array of colorful flowers. After our call, I decided to look it up. …

Over the past few months since launching bethesdaleadershipgroup.com, I’ve been asked many times, “Why Bethesda?” Many have asked if there is any correlation to the suburban town in Maryland. The short answer is no. It actually has its echoes in a much different place from long ago.
We learn about a pool called Bethesda (or Bethsaida) …

Last month my family and I traveled to Orlando to celebrate our son’s 10th birthday. Part of our trip included a visit to the John F. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The highlight of our time …

As I sat down to write this week’s newsletter, I looked at my calendar to see who I met with and what we talked about. As is usually the case, a common theme emerged: people. On Monday, I talked with a client about how well one of his managers is doing, and yet how …

As you are reading this, the Patriots are either planning a parade in the streets of Boston to celebrate their record-setting seventh Super Bowl or fans—like me—are licking their wounds after a loss to the Seattle Seahawks. I’m sitting down to write this just days after the Patriots won their 12th AFC Championship. …