Listen to this short message from host Ken Inlow to hear what Tools For Success is all about, learn how to easily navigate around the site, and discover how you can connect, contribute, and grow! We’re excited you’re here and we hope you find Tools For Success to be an invaluable resource for your business.

To help build the Tools For Success community, please invite your friends, family, co-workers, chamber members, plus other business owners to join you here at our website. We want to feature you and others on the program, so we encourage you to contribute to the show and to invite others to do so as well.

 

 Media Center Welcome Message [2:25m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

For those who think their “widget” is the coolest around and are going it alone with PR, getting publicity is often a confusing, hit-or-miss process.  Incorporating public relations in business plans can be the difference between success and failure.  But recognizing the power of PR is one thing; harnessing it is another.  PR on a Budget proves that it is possible to handle a business or organization’s public relations in a manageable, logical, and cost-effective fashion.

 

 Len Saffir Interview [22:03m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

You may have gone to the right schools, taken the right courses, made all the right moves in your career. But somehow it’s not working. You’re stuck, and nobody will tell you why. The doors of corporate America have opened wider than ever for minorities, but the cement ceiling is still thick.

The competition is brutal for everyone, but especially brutal if you are a member of a minority group. Luckily, there is a way out. Keith R. Wyche, a division president at a Fortune 500 company, has been there and broken through the cement ceiling, making him the perfect mentor for ambitious minorities at all levels of business.

In this book he tells stories of his own experience and those of some of the thousands of minorities he has counseled on how to overcome the (often hidden) obstacles to getting ahead in their careers. In Good Is Not Enough you’ll also gain insight from prominent minority executives at the highest levels of corporate America, such as Ken Chenault of American Express, Richard Parsons of Time Warner, Aylwin Lewis of Sears Holdings, and Lloyd Trotter of GE. Wyche reveals “the unwritten rules” such as:

• Know how others see you—because their perception can become your reality.
• Stay current to remain relevant—being a continuous learner is a must.
• Always have an “exit strategy”—it’s better to have one and not need it than to need one and not have it.

 

 Keith Wyche Interview [26:09m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Mega-bestselling author Ken Blanchard and celebrated business leaders Don Hutson and Ethan Willis present an inspiring story that reveals the secrets to becoming a successful entrepreneur.

In THE ONE MINUTE ENTREPRENEUR, Ken Blanchard (coauthor of the #1 bestselling business classic The One Minute Manager), Don Hutson, CEO of U.S. Learning, and Ethan Willis, CEO of Prosper Learning, tell the inspiring story of one man’s challenges in creating his own business. Through a powerful and engaging narrative, we confront many of the typical problems all entrepreneurs face in starting up their business, from finding new sources of revenue to securing the commitment of their people and the loyalty of their customers. More important, we learn the secrets to becoming a successful entrepreneur, including how to build a firm foundation, how to ensure a steady cash flow, and how to create legendary service. In addition, the book offers invaluable advice, delivered through One Minute Insights, from such entrepreneurs and thinkers as Sheldon Bowles, Peter Drucker, Michael Gerber, and Charlie “Tremendous” Jones.

Today, in the midst of the largest entrepreneurial surge in U.S. history, four out of five small businesses continue to fail. THE ONE MINUTE ENTREPRENEUR offers businesspeople and would-be entrepreneurs a treasure trove of wisdom on how to think, act, and succeed in creating and sustaining a business, no matter what their industry.

 

 Ken Blanchard Interview [23:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Get the Interview Every Time is an informative and up-to-date resource for job seekers who are looking for solid direction from Fortune 500 executives — those directly responsible for hiring. Many corporations have regrouped in the last five years and downsizing has been the dreaded outcome for millions. In this tough business climate, job applicants are finding that just getting in the door for an interview poses an enormous challenge.

So what has happened on the other side of the desk—as employers review huge piles of prospective resumes? What catches their attention? What turns them off? Author Brenda Greene surveyed 50 Fortune 500 employers— including Continental Airlines, Gannett, Kellogg, Merck, Chubb, Georgia Pacific, TIAA-CREF, Fannie Mae and UPS—to find out. The book contains valuable insight into just what it takes to command attention and interest in a crowded field.

Packed with sample resumes and cover letters that represent what hiring managers, directors, and vice presidents want to see, Get the Interview Every Time shows and tells what is expected versus what is rejected.

Readers will learn how to:

· Research the company and its opportunities before sending any resumes.
· Distill all of their talent and experience into a few well-chosen words.
· Showcase their communication skills through a well-crafted cover letter.
· Avoid hype.
· Determine the resume style that looks and works the best.
· Design and submit an electronic resume correctly.

 

 Brenda Greene Interview [20:55m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Praise for Navigating the Financial Blogosphere

“Navigating the Financial Blogosphere is the most enjoyable personal finance book I’ve ever read. I read it cover to cover within an afternoon, and I didn’t want to put it down. It’s fresh, practical, and broad in its topic coverage and should be on the top of every person’s reading list. Russell Bailyn is a super-talented rising star.”
-Matthew D. Hutcheson, Independent Pension Fiduciary, expert Congressional witness on retirement plan economics

“Financial information on the Internet has exploded in volume; the challenge is to find what’s useful and reliable. Russell Bailyn’s book does an excellent job of presenting important personal finance topics in a clear and digestible form, and pointing readers to a wealth of high-quality sources on the Internet. Navigating the Financial Blogosphere is browsable, fun, and very useful.”
-David Jackson, founder and CEO, SeekingAlpha.com

“Russell Bailyn not only explains financial decision making, but like a good research librarian, he tells you where to go on the Web for more information. You’ll want to be close to your computer as you read this book.”
-Joseph Hurley, founder and CEO, Savingforcollege.com LLC

 

 Russell Bailyn Interview [26:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

An innovative guide to how great nonprofits achieve extraordinary social impact. What makes great nonprofits great? Authors Crutchfield and McLeod Grant searched for the answer over several years, employing a rigorous research methodology which derived from books on for-profits like Built to Last. They studied 12 nonprofits that have achieved extraordinary levels of impact—from Habitat for Humanity to the Heritage Foundation—and distilled six counterintuitive practices that these organizations use to change the world. This book has lessons for all readers interested in creating significant social change, including nonprofit managers, donors and volunteers.

Leslie R. Crutchfield (Washington, D.C.) is a managing director of Ashoka and research grantee of the Aspen Institute. Heather McLeod Grant (Palo Alto, CA) is a nonprofit consultant and advisor to Duke University’s Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship and the Stanford Center for Social Innovation. Crutchfield and Grant were co-founding editors of Who Cares, a national magazine reaching 50,000 readers in circulation between 1993-2000.

 

 Leslie Crutchfield: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

“Disrespectful! Discourteous! Inefficient!” These are just some of the adjectives our customers are using to describe the service they receive from us today. With all the resources business owners have available to help improve their customer service delivery, we somehow still keep missing the mark. How can we stop this trend and dramatically change our businesses?

If Service Came from the Heart is not just another book about customer service! It is a refreshing approach on delivering EXCELLENT service. The author takes a look at the heart and attitude of Jesus and uses that to describe how we should truly serve our customers. She uses anecdotes and suggests simple steps that can be used to take your businesses to a superior level.

 

 Velinda Hanna Interview [21:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

If you’re in a management position with a large corporation, are driven by ego, and think it’s all about you, a word of caution: this book isn’t for you! The art of management is the ability to focus on the point-of-service workers and help them to perform well. Provide your employees with a comfortable work environment, the proper tools and resources to do the job, and then get out of their way. Far too often in today’s corporate world managers become the focal point and employees spend more time servicing the selfish, internal needs of management rather than servicing the customer. Did the corporate world forget who brings in the revenue and the reason they are in business in the first place? When you take care of your employees, they will take care of your customers.

If you’re in a management position, maybe your road to success is different than you think.

 

 Sandy Colabufo Interview [19:52m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

How many small businesses have a full-time employee whose official title is Queen of Fun and Laughter? How many have a CEO and COO who dress in matador outfits for a company holiday video version of “Dancing with the Stars?” Beryl is a “Top Small Workplace” because of one secret—its focus on people. Visitors report they feel the “vibe” when they walk in the door.

As a call center company, a business normally known for high turnover, low morale, and a boiler room environment, Beryl created a special culture resulting in low attrition, high customer loyalty, and profits reinvested in employees. What Beryl does behind the scenes to take care of the needs of its internal family sets it apart. It operates with a true spirit of camaraderie; the loyalty of team members at every level; a leadership team that operates with a true servant mindset; and a CEO, Paul Spiegelman, who believes that everyone deserves a chance to feel important. He rewards people frequently, respects their efforts and opinions, and informs them of everything that impacts them. He gave away his car to an employee who walked to work, replaced another’s Christmas gifts when her apartment was robbed, bought a plane ticket for an employee to visit his dying mother, and sits for hours in a Santa costume while Beryl kids climb on his lap. Even the company name, defined as “a family of gems,” illustrates the emphasis on coworkers, the people who created the vibe behind his secret to passion, productivity, and profit.

Read his book about how Beryl changes lives and discover how you can implement the same techniques to make your company a top place to work.

 

 Paul Spiegelman Interview [22:59m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download