Physician, Heal Thyself

Posted By Michael D'Elicio ~ 21st January 2009

I once had a friend who was a fantastic cook.  She had been trained as a sous chef at a 5-Star restaurant, and had opened up her own restaurant with her mother.  I used to love eating there, where she would mix Mexican cuisine with New American masterfully and with relative ease.  But when I’d go over her house to hang out, she’d microwave her own dinner.  Her attitude was, “I gave at the kitchen.”

If you’re a small business owner or consultant, you probably have become an expert at solving people’s problems – all people, that is, except for yourself.  There are scores of reasons, some valid and some just excuses, but we always tend to deprive ourselves of the very services we perform day in and day out for others. And if this doesn’t (or can’t) apply in a literal sense, we are all guilty of sacrificing our own business’s needs in favor of taking care of our customers.

Today, I’d like us all to consider what we need to do to mind our own stores, specifically in terms of marketing.  What can I do right now that will move me closer to where I want my business to be?  What aspect of my marketing strategy is being neglected?  And finally, am I communicating to the public my products/services in a way which reflects my values and my personality so that they stand out, or am I phoning it in, satisfied to blend in with mediocre efforts?

Life’s too short.  Treat yourself to business makeover.