Happy Friday! I’m writing this from last week, because right now I’m recovering from a week of golfing in the Sandhills of Nebraska with my dad and two friends. Back at it Monday with a wicked sunburn and loads of stories.

How to Take a Week Off

This golf trip took a month of prep to make possible, and it was worth every minute. On my last show before vacation I walked through the system, because “I’m too busy to take a week off” is the most expensive sentence in small business. You’re going to take time off whether you like it or not. Skip the rest and your body will schedule it for you, as sick days or burnout.

The system is five steps:

Claim the week...open your calendar, pick it, and the stuff in that week moves, not the other way around.

Clean it out...cancel and reschedule everything, and watch how 99.9% of people respond with “good for you, when should we meet next?”

Keep the story told...my LinkedIn posts and this newsletter were done before I left, so the business stays open while I’m gone.

Volley everything over the net...I spent last week hitting every email and deliverable back to partners and clients so projects keep moving without me.

ACTUALLY TAKE VACATION! No laptop. Gmail and LinkedIn came off the phone.

Abbie says there’s no such thing as a photography emergency. She’s right and there’s probably no emergency in your business that can’t survive five days without you either.

When I take a real vacation, it’s like taking my brain out and putting it on the charger. Turns out it charges faster with beer and golf. Who knew?!?!

Claim your week today...July and August are sitting right there wide open.

Today’s Sponsor

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Three Things I’m Thinking About This Week

• Gamifying Customer Loyalty - Customer loyalty programs have been around forever. Our wallets are full of coffee punch cards and keychain dongles. Chipotle caught my attention by gamifying their customer loyalty. They’re tracking customer visit streaks, monthly challenges, and even local leaderboards. How could you engage your clients in a FUN way that might reward their loyalty?

• Ride the Wave - During one of our Idea Slams this week, SBOC Member Becca Schmidt shared some advice passed on to her from a previous business coach. She shared that it’s important to “ride the wave” of an exciting new development/opportunity and NOT ACT immediately. Let the decision wait until the rush of excitement passes. You’ll make much better decisions. Great reminder, thanks Becca!

• Never Skimp on Your Audio - I was reminded again recently how important a great sounding microphone can be when making a first impression. Now, I’m an old school radio nerd so you KNOW I’ve gone way overboard with my microphone and office A/V setup. That said, it never ceases to amaze me how engage people are on zoom calls when the audio sounds GREAT. And, if you’re trying to hold someone’s attention with a video the audio still reigns. An OK looking video with great audio will be tolerated. A terrible sounding video is an immediate skip. Review what you’re doing with your microphones and upgrade - it’s important!

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Now, GO SELL SOMETHING!

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