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Each Month, Rich Allen of Tour De Profit shares his NetWorth Tip of the Month with the Legends. Follow along for updates every month and peer back at the archive below.

April 16, 2019, Is It Time for You to Scale Up?

One of the biggest threats to our success as business professionals is to settle into our Comfort Zone.  We’re all guilty of it – we get good at what we do, we like the routine and consistency, we can do our “thing” with our eyes closed.  Is that where you are right now? I know I was – until my coach slapped me on the head and called me out on it!  That happened a few months ago, and ever since, I’ve been ON FIRE with enthusiasm, fear and anxiety – a real adrenaline rush!

I’m taking my game to a higher level.  I’m focused on impacting 100X more business owners over these next few years.  I’m doing things I NEVER thought I would do.  And I’m having more FUN than I ever thought I would have!  How about you? Read More.

March 19, 2019, Focus, Limit and Double-Down

Most of us are negatively impacting our success by spending way too much time doing things that are not our “core talents”. The day to day activities of business and life are distracting us and sucking away our precious time and energy. But this doesn’t have to be our reality. We can break out of our current limitations if we follow a simple model – a model that will guide us to the right answer. Here’s a model that will help you change what to focus on and how to spend your time. This model is a simple Venn Diagram. It’s powerful and centering. Read More.

February 19, 2019, The Road Less Stupid

Have you ever picked up a book and immediatley thought to yourself - Dang, I wish I had thought of that title? Well that happened to me a month or so ago. I picked up a book titled "The Road Less Stupid" by Keith Cunningham, and since the very first day I got it, I haven't been able to put down or stop listening to it! Read More.

January 15, 2019, The Best Investment You Can Make in 2019

It’s a new year and the stock market has just come off a year of extreme volatility.  There’s uncertainty in the market and in the economy.  So where is the best place to make your investment going into 2019? I got the answer this morning as I listened to Darren Daily, the daily 6-minute inspirational tip from Darren Hardy.  (If you aren’t following Darren every day, you’re missing out on some great personal improvement advice.). Read More...

November 20, 2018, What If...You Focused on Your Upper Limit Challenge?

What if…You Focused on Your Upper Limit Challenge? This month I want to present you with a “What If” question.  It’s probably the most impactful what if question you should be asking yourself right now. What if I focused my time and attention on my upper limit challenge rather than spending time fussing, worrying and complaining about  the lowest performing member of my team? If you’re like most people (whether in business or life in general), and you are honest about it, you spend far more time finding fault with things around you (people, processes, rules, decisions, etc.) than you do thinking, strategizing and working on ways that you could get better at what YOU do!  Am I right?  Be honest with me!

October 16, 2018 - Team Engagment Is CRITICAL

We're in the middle of an extended economic growth period. Business growth continues to be strong and we are at full employment. Everyone who wants to work is working and jobs are more plentiful now than in any time in the recent past.So why does that matter to you as a business owner? Because everyone on your team could leave today and find a new job tomorrow! "That won't happen to me" you say - But Read More to find some scary stastics from a recent employee engagement  survey.

September 18, 2018 - Membership has BIG Benefits

If you’re getting this Net Worth Tip of the Month, you’re among a very special group of business professionals.  We all know that simply being associated with the Texas Legends has HUGE benefits. One of the benefits is the ability to hang with cool people on a regular basis.  Another is the regular, non-basketball events we are invited to attend.  Perhaps the biggest of benefits are the business connections and business relationships we have all developed through the Texas Legends network. Read More

August 21, 2018 - Take Time to Think

I recently took a 10-day vacation to Minnesota with my wife, Drew. It’s a special place for us and we have many friends in the Stillwater, MN area. Each morning we would get up, have a European breakfast on the patio and spend 2-3 hours enjoying the view of the St. Croix river. My wife challenged me to use that time to put away my electronics, take a pen and pad of paper, sit under the trees and just THINK! The first hour was very hard! I didn’t enjoy it at all and I really didn’t do anything worthwhile. But then I began thinking about my business and writing notes on every thought that came to mind. By the time we left our vacation, I had several pages of powerful notes AND I discovered a very slight change I needed to make in my business to unlock the vault of success! Read More

July 24, 2018 - Hire Like A Pro

We are blessed to be doing business in the hottest market in the country. We are the envy of many who live in other states. But with this blessing comes a serious challenge – how can we attract, find and keep the kind of talent we need to run and grow our businesses? Now is NOT the time to lower your standards when it comes to hiring! In fact, I would argue it is the time to step up our game when it comes to our hiring practices. And don’t fall for the old adage “Hire Slow, Fire Fast”. It is not a recipe for success! Read More.

June 19, 2018 - Communicate For Results

Have you ever been in a meeting where 5 minutes into the presentation you're already bored to death and 20 minutes later you still don't know what you are to do, know or learn? Unfortunately, it happens all too often. In fact, YOU may have been the guilty party - doing just that to someone or some group you're speaking to! It is likely because the presenter has no clue how a great presentation is to be built. So they're just pulling together some hard-to-read powerpoint slides and "winging it". But I'd like to share an inside tip into some of the BEST storytellers in business - Steve Jobs, Joel Osteen, and many of the most watched TED talk presenters. Read More.

May 15, 2018 - Your UNIQUE Marketing Message

My son Rhett and I decided to go deep-sea fishing last weekend in Savannah GA. So we did what most uninformed buyers do - we did a google search for Offshore Fishing Charters. We found several options, but the one that caught our attention was Miss Judy's Charters. To be honest, we were skeptical about going fishing with a woman, but we were intrigued by her marketing tagline - "Kicking Fish Tail Since 1956". Read More

April 13, 2018 - The Silver Bullet For Business Success

You've often heard that there is no "silver bullet" in business. But I want to challenge that thinking. I believe there is one strategy that can be the "competitive differentiator" for most every business if executed well. This "silver bullet" is the idea of Continuous Improvement - the concept of establishing a systematic approach to review every part of your business on a regular basis with the goal to make it just a little bit better each time you work on it. Many think that small businesses are "too small" cor CI, but I disagree. Read More

March 15, 2018 - 5 Selling Tips from Steve Jobs

One of my mentors is Darren Hardy. AS a past publisher of Success magazine and CEO coach, he has interviewd some of the titans of industry. I routinely learn from Darren and am sharing one of his lessons here with you today. The lesson is simple - if you want to be a MASTER salesperson, then you need to learn from the master himself - Steve Jobs! Steve is arguably the best pure sales person in recent years - the Michael Jordan of selling. - Read More

February 15, 2018 - Your Legacy

Several events have happened recently that make me realize we are only "in the game" for a defined amount of time - and we don't know when we're going to get "benched". The Richardson SWAT team member who was killed recently never imagined this would be his last call. My father-in-law passed away exactly 1 year to the day that he had his first stroke. And I'm sure you have someone you know who was taken "out of the game" well before their time should have been up. While it is sad to think of these situations, I am inspired when I think of the LEGACY some of these men and women have left behind. And it makes me ask the question - "Am I building my ideal legacy every day?" - Read More

January 18, 2018 - Insane Productivity

Have you ever wondered how the uber-successful people can accomplish so much while you are always feeling stressed out and over-committed? I sure know I have! So recently I decided to enroll in a course called INsane Productivity by Darren Hardy. The goal was to learn the principles and techniques used by the ultra-successful to achieve so much more than the average person. I'm only half-way through the course, but I've already had a big "Aah Ha" that I want to share - that is, most of us have Digiphrenia and Acquired ADD! - Read More

December 21st, 2017 - Your Wildly Important Goal for 2018

Back in September of 2015 I introduced you to a very powerful book - The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Sean Covey. It has proven to be a game-changer for many of my clients over the past years. The premise of the book is that if you want to make significant change in your business, you need to FOCUS your attention on the One Thing that you truly want to improve. This is your Wildly Important Goal - Your WIG. As we put a bow on 2017 - the question for you is - What is YOUR WIG for 2018? - Read More

Novebmer 16th, 2017 - Be A GREAT Shepherd

As we close in on the end of another year, I want you to take time to think about how you can become a GREAT Shepherd! We live in a place where you team members have MANY options when it comes to earning a living - why should they stay with you rather than looking for "greener pastures"? The answer should be - because you are a GREAT Shepherd!: Read More

October 19th, 2017 - Your Written Plan

Here's a staggering statistic: 85% of the worlds' wealth resides with those who have a WRITTEN PLAN for success! Thats's INCREDIBLE! It's as if there is one simple thing you must do to be successful - create a written plan for your success! This may be the most powerful truth in business. If you want to be successful, you simply MUST take the time to thoughfully put your plan of action together, put it down in writing, and then commit yourself to following your plan! The BIG question for you is....Just WHEN are you going to get this done? Read More

September 21st, 2017 - Work Hard to Retain Good Customers!

Over the Labor Day weekend, my wife and I spent time updating our vision for our future - where to live, where to travel, what to accomplish, and how to manage our finances. It's an exercise I would HIGHLY recommend to any married couple. As part of this discussion, we agreed to stop spending money on several subscriptions and services that we had been paying for but not fully utilizing. So on the following Monday, I send cancellation notices to 6 different companies after having been a customer for many years with all of them. The result: CRICKETS!  Read More

August 18th, 2017 - Set The Bar High

I want to share a great lesson I got from one of my mentors, Taki Moore. He hit me in the nose with two realities that I think you may relate to you as well. He told me, #1 - You are Wearing Too Many Hats, and #2 - You Spend Time Doing STuff You SUCK at! Ouch, that hurts! But then he shared some wisdom that I thought you could use as well! Here are 5 Keys to "Working Your Genius" - that is doing what you are BEST at, and having a small team (your pit crew) do the rest: Read More

 

July 20th, 2017 - Set The Bar High

My wife is excellent at relationships. She seems to be the go-to person when someone is in a difficult relationship or needs someone to help them process their feelings. I often hear her say "don't settle" to both my young adult kids and I'm sure those she talks with hear it time and time again. I think her advice is solid. So Why is it that when we get into business and we have folks on our team, we are so willing to "settle" for average performance? With the difficulty in hiring these days, I've heard business owners suggest that they'd rather have someone who was average than have no one! But that's a big mistake! Read more...

June 15th, 2017 - The Challenger Sale

Whether we want to admit it or not, we are ALL in sales! Some are very comfortable with the idea of being in sales while others wish the NEVER had to "sell". But since it is a critical part of each of our roles, then why not be GREAT at it, rather than just try to get by with whatever skills we have (or don't have). I'm a big fan of always learning when it comes to the game of selling. And recently I re-read one of my favorite books on the art of selling - The Challenger Sale, by Matthew Dixon. In his book, he outlines the 5 categories of B2B sales reps: The Hard Worker, The Problem Solver, The Relationship Builder, The Lone Wolf and The Challenger. Read More...

May 18th, 2017 - Priority Determines Capacity

What would you do if you knew just how much time you had left? Would you change the things you focus on if you knew there was a specific and defined amount of time you had left to get done what you felt was important? It is a reality that none of us know how uch time we have left being able to do what we're doing today. We don't know what tomorrow will bring. So why do we PROCRASTINATE on the things that matter most and spend our time on activities that really don't make a lasting different? Read More

April 20th, 2017 - The Art of Digging Deep

What do you think about when I mention the word "selling"? Do you immediately envision a used car salesman, or a pushy phone caller? Or do you think of someone professionally helping you solve your most difficult problem? How do you think about selling and your beliefs about sales have a big impact on whether or not you will be good at the art of selling? And one thing is certain - you can't be very helpful in solving someone's biggest problem if you haven't asked enough questions to know what their REAL problem is! Read More.

March 16th, 2017 - The Most Powerful Question

Often times we find ourselves in situations where we just don't know what we should do. It may appear that there are a few options we could take - some perhaps easier than others. But the right choice is difficult to see from where we stand. I have found that there is one question that we can ask that will clear away any confusion or for. I consider it to be the most powerful question that we could ever ask. Here it is: What would my successor or replacement do? - Read More

February 16th, 2017 - Knowledge vs. Wisdom

Let me ask you: What is the difference between Knowledge and Wisdom? Aren't they pretty much the same thing? Actually, no - they are VERY different! There's the equation I use: Knowlege + Experience = Wisdom. If you need help in any part of your life, wouldn't you rather get it from someone with Wisdom, not someone who simply has Knowledge? For your bad back, for your tooth ache, for your marriage or for your SEO, your hiring needs, or your tax returns? We ALL want to work with someone with WISDOM, not someone who just has Knowlege! So, how do we become someone who has WISDOM, not just Knowlege? Read More

January 19, 2017 - Network Like a Pro!

Welcome to 2017! It's a new year, with new opportunities, new excitement, new energy and new goals. It's time for all of us to double-down on our efforts to GET KNOWN! That's right, the #1 thing that keeps most of us from being more successful is the fact that not enough people know who we are or that we even exist! So my Net Worth Tip of the Month is to make a commitment this year to STEP OUT of your comfort zone and MAKE TIME for meeting 10 times as many people as you did in 2016! Read More

December 15, 2016 -Slow Down to Speed Up!

Think about the last time you encountered a roadblock, setback, problem, issue or frustration. It might have been with a customer or with a team member or perhaps even some technology. If you're like most people I know, you probably jumped right on the issue, wrestled it to the ground and found a soloution or fix. It's normal reaction for high-performing individuals who consider themselves to be a go-getters!  Read More

November 17, 2016 - The Bottleneck is ALWAYS at the TOP!

Have you ever seen a bottle where the bottleneck is anywhere but the top?  Probably not! That's because the most restricted part of any bottle is the bottleneck. And the SAME is true in business! The limit on any business is ALWAYS at the TOP of the business - you, the business owner! So if you want your business to grow bigger, you've got to first grow yourself. If you want your business to be better, you've go t obe better yourself. Read More

October 20, 2016 - Plan for Success

Here's a staggering statistic: 85% of the worlds' wealth resides with those who have a WRITTEN PLAN for success! That's INCREDIBLE! It's as if there is one simple thing you must do to be successful - create a written plan for your success! This may be the most powerful truth in business. If you want to be successful, you simply MUST take the time to thoughtfully put your plan of action together, put it down in writing, and then commit yourself to following your plan! The BIG question for you is... Just WHEN are you going to get this done? Read More

September 15, 2016 - Geometry for Business

I recently heard a church sermon on "The Good Life" that made me think. And the more I thought about it, the more i realized that the same prinicples apply to being succesful in business. It was all about gemoetry - specificially 3 shapes that were important to "master" if you want to be successful and enjoy "The Good Life". The 3 shapes are quite simple - a point, a line and a ciricle. And the application of these 3 gemoetric shapes in your life and your business may just be the key to success you've been searching for! Read More

August 18, 2016 - Getting Known

I have a very strong opinion that the #1 issue facing most small business owners today is that not enough people know that their business even exists! That’s right – I think this is a bigger deal that the quality of their product or service, or the price they offer, or the success of their competitors. For many of us reading this Net Worth Tip of the Month, the single biggest hurdle we must overcome is to become KNOWN by more people! Would you agree? Read More

July 21, 2016 - How do you SURPRISE Your Customer?

We all like a good surprise. It's what makes birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas so much fun. It's what we do often and with great joy when we are dating. But soon after we get married, we begin to lose our interest or our passion for great surprises! Why is that? Is it because the "thrill" is gone? oOr do we just starting taking our spouse for granted? How about with our customers? Are we guilty of the same thing? Being excited at first, then taking them for granted and being "Routine" after a while. Read More

June 16, 2016 - Do you REALLY Know Your Ideal Customer?

How would you respond if I asked you to "Define Your Ideal Customer"? Would you tell me the demographics - age, sex, income level, neighborhood, industry, position, etc. Or would you tell me about the thoughts, feelings and emotions they have each day and each night? Most of us only know our customers at a surface level. We don't REALLY know our customers - we just know what we can see, only what others can see. But in order to speak DIRECTLY and INTENTIONALLY to our Ideal Customer, we must truly know them. We must get inside their head! Read More

May 19, 2016 - The Price of INDIFFERENCE

Did you know that 85% of customers leave or switch providers because of “Perceived Indifference”? It’s true! The most common reason that you are losing your current customers is they don’t think you really care if they stay or not. I recently had an experience that made it VERY CLEAR that this was the case. I had been a customer of this business for nearly 10 years – but when I was presented with a new opportunity, it became very obvious that I was no longer all that important to my old service provider! Are you making the same mistake? Read More.

March 17, 2016 - Are You Operating at 10X Levels of Action?

Getting people’s attention these days is very difficult. That is unless you’re running for a political office and you’re willing to pick a fight with your opponent. If you’re simply trying to be a good, upstanding business owner, chances are no one is going to listen to your “pitch”. The biggest problem for most businesses today is OBSCURITY – not enough people even know you exist! That is, unless you’re willing to do what most business owners won’t – to put forth 10X levels of Action so you can DOMINATE your competition. Read More

February 18, 2016 - What Valentines Day Teaches Us About Habits

What did you do on Valentines Day? Did you buy flowers, write a card, call your mother, take your honey to dinner? Many of us went above and beyond our normal everyday activities in order to make someone's day "special". But since we know how good that makes them feel, why don't we treat every day like Valentines Day? Probably because we haven't made it a HABIT. So just what is a HABIT? Some suggest it is something that you do for 21 days in a row or more. But it's more significant than that. Turns out it is the intersection of our Knowledge, Skills and Desire. Read More.

January 21, 2016 - What is Your 2016 "Bold & New"?

It's a NEW YEAR! Out with the OLD, in with the NEW! So the big question is ... What is YOUR "New" for 2016 - and is it no only new, but also BOLD? If you're like many folks sitting around you, you're starting off this new year doing the very same things that you did LAST year. Nothing is changed. Nothing is new. You're following the same old routines, using the same old strategies, talking wit the same old folks. Now don't get me wrong - there are some things that you don't want to change - like your spouse, or your children, or your good habits. But there are others that NEED to be changed - freshened up, polished or re-built. Read More.

December 17, 2015 - 5 Gifts of Successful People

If you're not constantly reading you're missing out on some of the greatest knowledge and wisdom you'll ever find. Let's be honest, you won't find it on Facebook or on Sports Center of the nightly News shows.

I'm constantly reading. Right now I'm in the middle of a great book titled simply "ask" by Ryan Levesque. I'm sure you'll see a "tip" from that book very soon. But recently I was talking with a guy at our men's bible study and he reminded me of a book I read several years ago - Wild at Heart by John Eldredge. No it's not a business book. But it does contain one of the "secrets" of successful people, whether in business or in life. Read More

October 15, 2015 - The Lifetime Value of Your Customers

I spent this past weekend in Stillwater Minnesota enjoying the fall colors, seeing old friends, and just enjoying time with my wife. We spend the weekend at our favorite Bed & Breakfast - The Ann Bean Mansion. While I was at the Ann Bean, it struck me that they truly understand the lifetime value of their customers - and they teat us like VIP's as a result. It made me reflect on how I treat MY customers and it made me think about how you treat YOUR Customers. Do we treat them as if they are truly as valuable as their lifetime value would suggest? Read More

September 17, 2015 - The 4 Disciplines of Execution

I LOVE reading great business books. There is great wisdom to be found by reading. Having written one and currently working on #2 myself, I know the hard work that goes into the process. A few of my favorites are To Sell is Human by Daniel Pink, Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell, E Myth Mastery by Micheal Gerber, and Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely.

But today I want to introduce you to a POWERFUL book by Sean Covey titled The 4 Disciplines of Execution. It is probably the most clear and concise outline of how to truly set and archive your goals in your business. I would consider this to be a MUST READ for anyone in business today.  Read More.

August 28, 2015 - Don't Be Afraid to Take a Position!

Which fast food  restaurant gets the highest customer satisfaction scores from their customers? Some may think the mighty McDonald’s, or Wendy’s or What-­‐a-­‐Burger. But the most avid customers belong to Chick-­‐fil-­‐a. What I find  intriguing about this is that Chick-­‐fil-­‐a also has the most avid haters among all fast food restaurants. People either love and admire the company or they despise and hate them – there are very few people who are luke-­‐warm, or don’t really care.

I believe Chick-­‐fil-­‐a  is an example of what we should ALL strive for  – to matter deeply to our customers and to our ideal prospects, and to be ok with having some haters, some who either disagree or dislike our positions, approach or beliefs. I’d  rather  be  surrounded  by  PASSIONATE  fans  rather  than  find  myself  swimming in a pool of folks who don’t really care one way or the other. How about you? - Read More

July 23, 2015 - A Step-by-Step Guide to ALWAYS Hiring the Best!

If you intend to grow and flourish in today’s market, you MUST be able to hire  talented,  motivated  team  members  that  FIT  in  perfectly  with  your  current  team. You can’t afford to “settle” on average or mediocre talent and fit. So  why are you doing your hiring just like everyone else? Why are you fishing from the same talent pool using the same bait as your competition?

As a famous personal counselor once said… “STOP IT!” - Read More

June 18th, 2015 - A Powerful Customer Service Mindset

We are blessed to live in a community that is home to several first-class sports teams. Along with our very own Texas Legends, we have the Dallas Stars, FC Dallas Soccer, and the Frisco RoughRiders. Each team plays at the highest level in their sport and treats their customers and fans as VIP’s.

This month’s Net Worth Tip comes courtesy of the President & Co-Owner of the RoughRiders, Scott Sonju. Scott has a passion for outstanding customer service and instills in his team a “servant mindset”. He does this by using a simple yet powerful acronym that is required of every staff member. - Read More

 

Archive

May 21, 2015 - 7 Characteristics of a Trail Blazer

April 16, 2015 - The Ultimate Business Tune Up

March 18, 2015 - No Brown Days

February 19th, 2015 - Your Bottleneck

January 15th, 2015 - Setting BIG Goals

December 18th, 2014 - Celebrating Success

November 20th, 2014 - Measuring Performance

October 16, 2014 - Keeping Score

August 22, 2014 - Your Marketing Strategy

July 17, 2014 - Your Value Proposition

June 19th, 2014 - Set Your Standards

May 15, 2014 - Share Your Story

April 17th, 2014 - It All Starts With DISCIPLINE