Several weeks ago, as the Outgoing Chairman, I was honored to speak at the Manatee Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner.  During my remarks, I shared a story that resonated with many folks in the audience.   At their suggestion, I am sharing an abbreviated summary of my comments in this month's news...

A few years ago I subscribed to a free email newsletter called The Morning Brew. Often, I try new email subscriptions and quickly tire of them; however, The Morning Brew has become a standard part of my morning. The email newsletter covers all the top issues of the day with brevity and cutting humor...

Yesterday was an interesting day and it reinforced what I call 'power in doing'. Yesterday afternoon I was involved in an e-mail exchange with a fellow franchise coach. We were discussing a franchise system and their ability to create successful franchisees.  He shared the fact that is most polishe...

Last week I had the opportunity to hear a leadership specialist share her ideas on personal growth and leadership.  During her talk she discussed the importance of using VUCA as the starting point for all strategic leadership and planning activities. What is VUCA? VUCA stands for Volatility, Uncert...

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to spend some time with my wife's family in France. One evening my niece, who is currently a college student, asked me, ‘What is the American Dream’?  She had a paper that was due in a week on ‘The American Dream’ and wanted my thoughts. Interestingly...

Twice a year I attend a franchising conference where I have an opportunity to meet with hundreds of franchisors, learn the newest trends in franchising, and reconnect with old acquaintances. Last month the conference was in Saint Louis, and it is amazing how franchising is evolving. Key Takeaways Op...

A couple months ago my good friend and co-author of The Franchisee Playbook, Britt Schroeter, shared an interesting take on the passage of time.  Britt, and her husband Bill, have been traveling around the United States for a couple years now while Britt works from the RV.  Britt and Bill are livi...

Once a year I am fortunate to be invited to attend the Leadership Florida conference.  It is an amazing gathering of leaders from across the State of Florida.  As well as reconnecting with a group of amazing people that I feel truly fortunate to be associated with, the event attracts a cadre of am...

The study we have all been waiting for is finally published and available for review!  The original research is titled Determinants Impacting Resale Premium Disparity when Selling a Small Business: A predictive Non-Linear Approach.  By Dr. John Hayes, Dr. David Smith and Dr. Mary Kay Copeland. Som...

People say - Practice what you Preach.  Well, earlier this month I invested in a franchise.  This is not the first time I have been a franchisee.  Over the years, while continuing with my coaching practice, I have joined several franchise systems so you think the decision process would be easy, b...