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Do you have a difficult customer who demands more than you’re willing to give, requires more skill to manage, and who pushes all your buttons?  (Me too.)

Do you sometimes wish they would go away (but, then you’re telling revenue to go away), or would you rather find a way to turn them into a wonderful, loyal customer who refers you to all their friends (this is the way to go, baby!).

This week’s guest, Marilyn Suttle, is the author of “Who’s Your Gladys? How to Turn Even the Most Difficult Customer into Your Biggest Fan”.  She will share how you can not only effectively manage your difficult customers, but will describe the things you can do to convert them.

Marilyn learned that the basic skills that great parents use with their kids can work with customers, too.  She then started a jamming career helping organizations to improve their customer service.  

So, who is Gladys?  If you’re perspective is right, Gladys is your friend.  She’s good news.  And she’s a complainer who is in your face.  Why is that good?  Because what she’s bothering to tell you about is probably on other customers’ minds, too – they just don’t care enough to speak up (and they may go away without you knowing about it).

Welcoming your customers as guests into your world helps to provide great customer service, too.  When the phone rings with a complaint, it’s not a problem – it’s a person to connect with.

Marilyn shares proactive examples of great customer service design, too.  I like the story of how Singapore Airlines designed a space on their planes with the input of some core customers.  These are 20-hr flights, so customer comfort is important!

Toward the end of our interview, Marilyn does share that there may be some instances that the right move might be to let a customer go.  Make sure you know the difference!  If they compromise your values or act unethically, then give them the boot (or refer them to your competitor!).

Entrepreneurs, Small Business Owners, Professionals, and Managers all have challenges of obtaining results and achieving goals across multiple dimensions and put their health and happiness at risk.

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Do you feel like some parts of your life are working great, yet others are a mess?

Consider how “busy” has become a way of life or a badge of honor.  If you lead a full life, are driving hard toward your goals then you risk burn-out or knocking the important elements of your life out of balance.  The “tire on which you roll through life” will go flat.

The good news is you can easily fix this situation.  This week’s guest, Walt Hampton, Senior Mentor for Life Leadership International, will show you how to rediscover joy in your life, discover more fun, freedom, and fulfillment, and will help you achieve success without the stress.

Walt shares the secrets of living a balanced life.  It starts with recognizing that this requires daily effort.  It’s not hard, but it’s not simple either.  Think of the habits and routines you’ve allowed yourself to fall into.  How many of them give you a sense of fulfillment?  One message from a favorite author of Walt’s, Robin Sharma, is that the way you start your day really determines you day’s outcomes and the quality of your day.

Walt starts his day at 4:30 am and spends time working on himself before he engages his clients or his “work”.  What are some of his core routines?  Outdoor exercise such as biking or running, journaling, reading, and meditating are great ways to work on yourself.

How do you know that you might need some more attention on yourself?  If you feel stressed, tired, or too busy then listen to that signal.  A life in balance is a life in flow – things are working without stress.  They are effortless.  As Walt describes from his days as a high-altitude mountain climber, if it feels hard, then you’re probably on the wrong route.  The same applies in our lives.

Listen in to the great wisdom that Walt shares in this interview and you’ll be inspired to make some conscious choices regarding how you spend your time and invest in yourself.

Be sure to leave a comment below to let us know what your thoughts are!

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Do you wonder what separates average from great results?  Our inner cheerleader – our Positive Mental Attitude – has proven to be part of the answer to this question over and over, yet many people struggle to maintain a Positive Mental Attitude day in and day out.

Maryanne Ross is a living example of how any of us can thrive once we’ve learned how to harness the power of our Positive Mental Attitude.  She shares her story – from fork truck driver, to middle management, to entrepreneur and small business owner.  The edge she had all through her career was her Positive Mental Attitude.

Maryanne does a wonderful job describing the difference between a Positive Mental Attitude and the opposite – a negative attitude.  I think you’ll find that even the most positive of us slip and have a negative thought now and then.  She shared a statistic that 80% of the thoughts we think are negative – imagine if you should change this percentage even slightly in your favor the advantage you’d enjoy.

One of many other principles for maintaining positive attitudes and great results is gratitude.  Another is having great mentors.  She demonstrated both during this interview.  Maryanne graciously credits the mentors she’s had during her life for guiding her on the path that led to her many great successes.  My challenge to you is to be sure that you have mentors in your life, too – people who have been through the challenges you’re likely to face, and can help you come out on top.

One thing that is important to remember – we can choose the attitude we “wear”.  Maryanne describes this as Mental Apparel.  Too often, we spend more time deciding what clothes to wear than what attitudes to wear.  Choose to wear a positive attitude.

As you listen to this interview, consider the times when you were faced with a challenge and chose to have a great attitude through the experience.  Were you satisfied with the result?  What about when you chose to have a negative or critical attitude through the challenging experience – how did that work out for you?  I hope you find that choosing to hold a positive outlook no matter what will shape your experience to be more enjoyable and satisfying for you.

Small business owner Mark Miller shares his philosophies to achieve more fun, freedom and fulfillment.

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Are you tentative in life – take a conservative approach and act cautiously? Do you wish you had a little more courage to drive toward your dreams more aggressively?

This week’s guest, Mark Miller, will inspire you to get the most out of life, starting right now. Mark’s philosophy is to “Life Life Wide Open”.  But what exactly does that mean?

Just like we see with peoples personal definitions of success changing over time, the same is true for Mark’s definition quote unquote “Live Life Wide Open”.  Whereas this once meant “how fast can we go…?” It now has more to do with being wide open to possibilities.

One lesson that translates from the idea of living life wide open meaning “living fast” is from an example that Mark shared.  Imagine riding your Harley or snowmobile through the woods and you come upon an obstacle in the trail.  If you focus on the obstacle you will hit it; if you focus on the way out you’ll be safe.

The same is true in business where entrepreneurs and small business owners encounter problems and challenges on a daily basis. If you focus on the way out, the way through, on the positive and on the results you want then you’ll achieve your goals.

Mark shared some more great advice for entrepreneurs and small business owners that he learned from Michael Gerber include “work on your business not in your business”.  Mark also recognized the need to work on himself with extensive reading, training and mentorship to really have lasting impact that translates to business and life success.

Mark has amazing life experiences to share that will help you achieve your goals.  He’s been guided by some of the best mentors, and his life and results are fantastic and motivating.  I know you’ll enjoy this interview.

Be sure to leave a comment below to let us know what your thoughts are!

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Thankfully, there is another way.  In this week’s interview, we’ll hear our guest, Shayla Roberts, talk about how to “Play” in your “Optimal Operating State” and discover how easy it can be to get the results you want.

Shayla Roberts is professional innovator, creating programs, products, and services to facilitate human development.  She has written a number of books, including “Bold Moves: JUMP to Outstanding Self-Managed Action” with co-author (and former i-saga guest) Allan Milham.

(She is also a musician and recording artist – a rather successful one at that.  I have some of her music and absolutely LOVE the relaxing atmosphere it creates.  You can find out more at www.ShamanHeart.com )

Our discussion follows the format in Bold Moves, and the “P” in JUMP is rather important, as it describes where we all want to ultimately end up.

What if you were to ask yourself, “In this moment, what would I like to do next?”  What answers show up for you?  Shayla can lead you though the potential answers to this and many other questions that might come up for you.  Does the answer reflect your Optimal Operating State?

It does if you find that your are truly happy, that your life is effortless, and you’re in a place of mastery.  This is where real creativity comes from – a genuine capacity to solve problems.

Remember, you have the ability to decide how you want to live your life.  Shayla guides you in this interview toward a life of abundance and possibility.

Click Here for more information about Bold Moves.

Be sure to leave a comment below to let us know what your thoughts are!

Tiffany Wright is a walking encyclopedia about raising capital for your small business (or, large business – the principles are the same).  Tiffany is the author of Solving the Capital Equation: Financing Solutions for Small Businesses.  This book came from answering her clients’ questions over the past few years, so you know it is full of info that you want to know.

If you’re a small business owner or entrepreneur then this interview is a must!  Have you ever wondered if you had enough working capital to cover your expenses for the next few months?  What about how you will fund that really great project that will certainly bring you loads of revenue?  Is there financing out there for you?  What are your options?  Can you easily get it?

Listen to the replay of this interview if you need to know these answers! 
[audio:http://www.i-saga.net/audio/tiffanywright9556646761147-001.mp3]

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