I was born and raised in West Philadelphia. My family didn’t have much of a lawn to mow, leaves to rake, or a garden to keep up with. So naturally, I turned to landscaping for a summer job during college. I figured I’d be able to work outdoors and get in shape, and as an…
Sales isn’t about ‘closing’ as much as it is about benefiting client relationships by building and monetizing the relationships their growth demands. For my philosophy to make more sense, I’ll share my story and background with you. I was raised in a loving home by a mother who ran a successful card and gift shop…
Life under the COVID-19 emergency continues, though there is now a shift in the discussion as to how and when people will return to work. While some states are starting to open (to differing degrees), it still is a crazy time and we continue to evolve our ways. Part 1 of this two-part series gave…
How do you describe life during the COVID-19 emergency? It’s fair to say this is a crazy time, and literally everyone has made (and continues to make) major adjustments to life. Conversations on a recent ECS team call went off on a tangent, as discussion turned to what we are missing during the pandemic. We…
It is critical to start planning now for how you will return to post-pandemic business operations. While now may not feel like the right time to you, just trust me when I say you should be actively figuring out how you will ramp back up. You need to develop contingency plans, and consider and outline…
At ECS we’ve been fielding a lot of questions on how to handle all different aspects of business in light of our current environment. This is new territory for us all. No topic is more important than HR, as great people are the engine to your business and do truly help fuel our economy. HR…
Our world, at least for the time being, is changing rapidly and dramatically. In-person interaction is retracting or ceasing altogether, depending on where you are located. (And expect things to change again this afternoon or tomorrow morning.) This is an unprecedented step in the business world. For me, the wake-up call hit me smack in…
If you run a mid-sized business, hiring a CFO for the long-term success of your company is one of the most critical decisions you’ll make. A strong CFO will help drive the business to your vision, and will provide you with leadership and guidance necessary for your team to get to the next level. How…
When people strive to raise the intelligence in the room, teams become smarter. Surround yourself with people who focus more on improving others than proving themselves. ~ Adam Grant When I got into business in the 1990s, everything was about climbing the ladder. I was told that I’d have to suck it up as a…
It happens to the best of us. You grow busier and busier. Your work day becomes all-consuming. Your business begins to take over your life. You work 12-hour days, get home exhausted, have minimal time to eat and sleep, and then you do it all over again the next day. Things start to slip, revenue…
