Company Of One With Dale Callahan

Want to know how coaching works? I know I did before I got into my first coaching session. I had just shelled out a good amount of money and was coming into my first coaching call, wondering if it was going to help move the needle. Since I started coaching, I get a lot of people asking me about how coaching works. There is a curiosity about coaching - especially what we often call executive, career, or startup coaching - which all tend to look the same as how they operate - just with different desired outcomes.  Recently a client told me that he was getting lots of advice from others (people who had expertise in the field), but yet, nothing was holding him accountable. So today, I wanted to give a picture of how coaching works, who it can help, and why it might be worth the investment of your time and money. How Coaching Works Remember the old adage - "You get what you pay for."? This adage tends to be true for advice as well. Good coaching has four critical components: It helps you define success. Mo

Adjusting Your Goals Midyear? So, we are at the halfway point of 2020. Wow-what a crazy year. Some of you have suffered. Loss of income, furloughs, a decline in business. Others have prospered powerfully. So this is a great time to rethink 2020. What has changed? What is going in a new direction? For me Stepped away from Associate Dean of the university. Now refocusing efforts into new areas. Focused on growth in coaching. Doing a lot more one-on-one coaching than I have in the past few years. Working on a new book deal. Changing fitness goals. Adjusting Your Goals Midyear 1. Clarity What do you want to happen? Who do you want to be? This is a struggle for a lot more people than you would think. I am one of them. Money? Travel? Doing something special? Living in a new house? A new car? I find most material things trivial these days. How would the Lord have me serve? If so - am I just to sit around and wait on the answer? No - I have to step out toward a goal and pray for direction. I need to be

Use your curiosity to market yourself. How? Asking questions makes you look like you care and it also gives you the opportunity to connect with others - letting them share their expertise with you. In other words, you are asking people to tell you about what they do. And, per the book How to Win Friends and Influence People - this is a powerful tool to get people to like you. So how do you do it? Use Your Curiosity to Market Yourself on the Job 1. Learn How Things Work at Work  The result is that you connect with people and expand your presence at work. Learn about where the processes flow. As your team hands-off work, where does it go next? 2. Find People Doing Interesting Things at Work Just exploring because you are interested. Makes you known by others and add value. This is especially useful in large companies. For example, if in engineering, be curious about what the real estate division does. Ask questions, get a tour, go to lunch. 3. Show Up at Meetings You Might Otherwise Miss Showing up in larger

These 11 steps to a better LinkedIn profile will help you be found by recruiters and will also help you brand yourself to future and current employers. While a lot of people spend time on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms, LinkedIn is the one platform that is more connected to professional impact more than others. 11 Steps to a Better LinkedIn Profile Your LinkedIn profile is likely to be the first thing people see about you. Do the following steps to create or refresh your profile. 1) Good Headshot Photo It should show your face well, be professional (as it applies to what you might want to do – no need for a suit and tie if you're going to be a professional skydiver). Best to get it made by a professional photographer – but at very least a well-lit headshot from a friend's iPhone. 2) Your Name This is no place for nicknames unless you are professionally known by them. 3) Professional Headline The headline is not your job and title. Instead, make it information that will draw your potentia

Become more valuable to your boss in just a few simple steps. If you followed the last podcast, How To Calculate How Valuable You Are To Your Boss, you can now learn how to make that data work for you so that you can become more valuable to your boss. If you have not done that work, you can either jump back and do episode 180 (How To Calculate How Valuable You Are To Your Boss) or make your best guess and move ahead. Either way - we are going to dive into ways to make you more valuable at work. Today we will dive into the things where you add the most value at work. So if you found them by doing the work (from Episode 180 How To Calculate How Valuable You Are To Your Boss) or you just know what you did as the most valuable - here are the steps to make it work. What you need before you start A list of the things you did to add value to your employer over the last year. You might have that from working on Episode 180 or from just a list you made. Organize the list according to what added the most valu

How to calculate how valuable you are to your boss. Sounds like a big promise? Does it sound like math? Both are true - but I can handle the promise and the math is pretty simple - so you can handle it.  While we measure value in a lot of different ways, the most powerful way to show value is by showing your financial impact to the company.  You only have two reasons for being on the payroll. To make the company money. By this I mean you directly contribute to the revenue. If you are part of bringing the product and/or service to the customer, you are about making money. If you are in sales, product development, or production (you create the product or service) or have a role interfacing with the customer, you are likely revenue-generating. To save the company money. These would be people who are making the company more efficient and profitable and possibly those who keep customers coming back. Project management, much of accounting and finance, quality, safety, or any kind of other back-office administr

17 Ways to Market Yourself. Yes, I said market yourself. As we move through the four roles of your Company of One model (See Episode 174: Grow Your Own Company of One) we are now focused on your CMO or your Chief Marketing Officer. You might notice some overlap - which is normal. The last few episodes dealt with how to become better at operations - or your COO role. As you might expect - operations and market overlap in many places. But the key focus areas are different: The COO is focused on delivering value to the customer.  The CMO is focused on communicating value to the customer - how it can or how it was delivered.   So today we will focus on the 17 Ways to Market Yourself - a quick and powerful list to help you get amazing results. 17 Ways to Market Yourself 1. Define your expertise. Who do you help, how, and what benefit do they get from your help? For example, ”I help technology professionals connect their tech experience to their personal brand and company so they can maximize their income a

Three tools for powerful focus and incredible results. Sound like a big promise? Perhaps - but these three proven tools have a long track record of results in companies like Google, Intel, Youtube, and MyFitnessPal. The three tools are 1) Four Disciples of Execution, 2) Objectives and Key Results, and 3) Entrepreneurial Operating System. Each of the three tools is similar in that they drive focus and results. You only need one of the three, but since each tool works better in specific environments, we will take a look at all of them spending more of our time on the first tool, since it is most likely to have a positive impact on your Company of One. "Ideas are easy, execution is everything" -- John Doerr A Quick Recap In the last few weeks I have been going over the Company of One model: Episode 174: Grow Your Own Company of One - An overview of the model itself covering the 4 roles - operations, marketing, finance, and research. Episode 175: The Three Kinds of People at Work. Which one are you? - Th

Become Better at Your Job? I know that you are likely thinking, "I am already good at my job!" I hope that is true. But, can you become better at your job? I think we all know the answer is yes - we can always be better. Why should you? If you can become better at your job you will have greater work satisfaction, improve your relationships with your coworkers, be more productive, impress your leaders, and grow your income. If nothing else caught your eye - I hope the idea of increasing your income did. Is this selfish thinking? Sure. But the whole point of working is for income - so the idea of maximizing income should be part of your mission. Since you are a Company of One, you should operate like one and look for ways to grow profit. (See Episode 174) Only Two Ways to Make More Money I forget where I heard it, but I remember someone telling me that there were only two ways to make more money. To work more hours. To become more valuable. If you are paid by the hour, working more hours will

Seven things you must know about your boss. Too often we think that our job description is supposed to tell us about our job. Of course, we all know that is does not, and it is often the joke - or the point of contention. But forget your job description - after all, it is more about protecting your employer legally than it is about you. So what is your real job description? Your Boss = Your Customer In episode 174, I covered the Company of One concept. In this concept, I explained that the customer is the person who hands money to you in exchange for the services you perform. So, your boss is your customer. But let's get a little more specific. The customer is any person who can impact the flow of money into your pocket. This means that your boss, your boss's boss, your co-worker, your vendors, etc. Yes - it gets complicated. But it is always complex. Think of a car dealer trying to sell a new car. You and your five-year-old son go into the dealer to look. Your five-year-old is not the person who is going

There are only three kinds of people at work. I am not talking about the normal grouping of the three kinds of people you might have heard of before: Those that make things happen. Those that watch what happens. Those who wonder what happened. (By the way, I might add a fourth - those who have no idea anything happened. But that is not my point today.) But, I have noticed that we can divide three kinds of people in another way  - how they think, and what they have been taught to do. These three kinds of people are: Victims Followers Leaders I have found, and you have likely noticed yourself, that these three groups dominate the economy, politics, and certainly the workplace. Let's focus now at work. So today, we are continuing our discussion of the Company of One concept (from episode 174), but taking a moment to deal with MINDSET - something so critical to becoming a profitable Company of One. What are you? A victim? A follower? Or a leader? The Three Kinds of People at Work Victims Alway

Ready to grow your own company of one. Since the title of this podcast is Company of One, many of you are asking lately, "What do I mean by the "company of one?" So today, I want to help you understand this concept and grow your own Company of One. Why? It will help you see some of the misconceptions about the work we have been taught. It will bring your freedom. It will help you make more money. Grow Your Own Company of One To explain the company of one, we will look at a company we all know. The Business Model Let me us Walmart to help depict this model. We all know of Walmart. But have you ever thought about the critical thing that happens in Wallmart? In fact, the only thing Walmart focuses on. It happens as a relationship. When you hand over money in return for goods/services. This exchange of money for goods and services is what we call doing business. This model is typically called the business model. In this model, the person who hands over the cash is the customer, and the one that takes

How can you further your career during the COVID crisis? Or put another way, how can you use the crisis to grow? While there are many people who are out of work or on limited hours, the separation and time warp we are living in has pushed us all to do some things differently. Besides wearing masks, washing our hands, and social distancing - this crisis should be giving us some new unexpected skills and some new perspective.  So can you use this time to further your career during the COVID-19 crisis? I think so. In fact, if you pay attention, you might already be enhancing your skills. How to Further Your Career During the COVID-19 Crisis 1. Think Strategically Rethink the goal. Where will you be in the next crisis? A bit of strategic thinking on your own career can help you strengthen your thinking muscle as you get back to work. All jobs and careers need evaluating from time to time to make sure you and your team are on track. Practice it now by thinking about where you want to be in the next 5 years. 2. Bet

Is fear stopping you from starting your business? Before you answer this question, make sure you look clearly at all the common signs of fear. If you think it is something else holding you back from your startup, you might not be doing the right things to get past it. Today we want to look at the common signs that fear is controlling you. Like anything else, identifying the core problem is half of the solution. Is Fear Stopping You from Starting Your Business? Here are common signs of fear that I see every day in startups. What kind of business should I start?  Do not know what to do. This statement is a sign of indecision - usually coming from fear. What are you afraid of?  That you do not know enough? That someone will laugh at you? That you might have to work? The problem is, you already have tons of ideas - most are right in front of you. They are your calling. To find an idea, go through the calling exercise. Is fear stopping you? How to get past it: Download my ebook on calling.

Our ugly startup story is something I have told many times - usually when I am speaking at an event. But, since I recorded the 9 steps to generate $30,000 per year, I have been talking to many of you about how you can start something. A lot of misconceptions and overcomplicated ideas out there. I wanted to open up and show you what a startup looks like for real (not the idealized things you see in Facebook Ads). So today I share our ugly startup story which will include lessons learned and how we might do it differently today. Our Ugly Startup Story - The AskDrCallahan Startup Story First, we were led to homeschooling our two daughters. The story was a three-year path from "we have never heard of homeschooling" to starting up. Get more details here. About us. The PAIN.  The path into the business came from learning about PAIN. Friends, who were homeschooling and finding their kids also going into high school, were afraid of math. They simply could not teach high school math (their words - not ours.) This was

How you can serve and thrive in a crisis? This is a question being asked by many people. While the current COVID-19 crisis has created a lot of panic and financial stress, this is a great time to rethink how you can serve more and thrive doing it. I have heard many pundits, podcasters, and coaches telling us they will teach how you can serve and thrive in a crisis - but I often hear generalities about retooling. What does retooling mean? How do I do that?  So if you have lost your job, find yourself too dependent on the paycheck, or just realize this is the time to act - this is the podcast for you.  How You Can Serve and Thrive in a Crisis [Outline] Step 1 –  Get Control and Get A Plan Get control of you – your mental state. Wake up on time to work. Get ready for work. Your job NOW is to find people to serve. Make a schedule for the week - including workouts and work (get to that later) Realize you CAN make this work. Others can – you are not helpless. Go for a walk or do something physical

Learn how to make $30k on the side. Think about it - $30,000 a year extra (that is $2500 per month) is not chump change, but many people have no idea how to make $30k on the side. But I coach people to do this all the time - and as you might guess - simple steps. Not easy - but simple. Here’s how to make $30k on the side in 9 Steps (Podcast Outline) Identify what you love to do.  Uncover fun ways to make money doing what you love.  Discover who is doing it now.  Learn from their experience.  Who do you want to serve? Define your audience. Get crystal clear about the people or companies who need what you have to offer.   Define what they want. Want is the KEY word here.  Develop a product or service to fit their needs.   Set a value-based price, so the product/service sells itself.  Serve your customers and make your money.  These steps are simple (not easy). They require mastery Relentless commitment and An unshakable belief in you.  Schedule your FREE 45-minute discovery session w

Making money in a crisis might sound counter-intuitive - but be clear that there is always an opportunity to serve. A crisis is no exception. So if you are willing to serve others and looking for ways to start making money in a crisis - you are in the right place. But I know what you are thinking. Making money in a crisis is just plain greedy. Others need FREE help. Maybe - but before you judge too quickly, listen in.   Making Money in a Crisis (Podcast Outline) Money is NOT always the issue.    It is OK to charge people during a crisis. Many have the means and want your help. There are unique opportunities while people working from home: Babysitting Pet care Tutoring (any subject, any grade) Helping those with health care needs - Diabetic or other issues Food delivery Errand running Showing them how to use tools such as Zoom etc. - Art teacher could not use virtual tools, so had to cancel classes.  Setting up in house workstations - computers, desks, etc. (VPN is a term some ar

Want to know how to get more of what you want? Last week we talked about the question: ”Is it OK to want more?” so today we will tackle how to get more.  Let's dive into where we left off and how to get what you really want. The secret that always works. It works for individuals, companies, and teams.  My example of how to get more will use a popular weight lifting app-  StrongLifts First the simple formula. To reach a goal and get more, you have to have a few tools. First is the goal Second is a simple set of actions to follow that are preplanned. Third is a set of measures - so that you know you are making progress. Fourth is the time to work on the goal Here is how Stronglifts works. Goal - Get stronger (simple) Actions - Turn on the Stronglifts app and follow directions. (No thinking now) Measures - Tracked in the Stronglifts app, you can see your progress. Tracks one thing, weight lifted for each exercise.  Time - Go to gym every Monday/Wed/Friday at lunchtime     How to Get More -

It is OK to want more. Really. I will tell you why in a minute. But the statement I keep hearing is “I want more”  I want more out of my job. I want more out of my career. I want more out of my degree. I want more out of my life. We all get restless at times and feel like everything is moving but yet not much is happening. We feel like it might not matter anymore. Like we have no place to go. Like we have used up all of our mental energy in what we are doing, and there is nothing more to do.  Then we might say “I want more”  I want more. Is that OK? (podcast outline) In a recent post by Marie Forleo, she showed a sign in a window saying “I want more.” While many of her followers related to the statement, some stated that is was not OK to want more. Ideas like You need to be content with what you have. If you get more, others will have less.  If you are already wealthy (define wealthy) you should stop wanting more because you are taking from me.  But, all of this is part of scarcity thinking, T