Build a great company on a powerful foundation!
THIS WEEK 
I had a chance to hang out with a bunch of inventors, writers and artists at the Quid Novi Spring of Innovation. What a cool idea! We had a chance to talk about what’s currently happening with innovation in northern Colorado and the rest of the world.
It’s clear to me that innovation has a slightly different twist in values-based businesses than it might in others.
LIZ RYAN, Founder of Human Workplace, 
recently wrote a great article entitled “What is a mission-driven culture?”
I’d highly recommend it.
She’s talking about many of the same concepts that I cover on this blog – but this article focuses on the jobseeker’s point of view, rather than the company’s. There’s some great things to learn from this.
THIS WEEK I heard about 
The Dream Manager, a book by Matthew Kelly. It sounded so interesting that I’ve added it to my reading list.
The underlying concept seems to be that it’s extremely helpful and inspiring for a company to evoke its employees’ dreams and aspirations. Check out this extremely short video to get an idea. Some organizations have a designated “dream manager” whose job it is to bring that out and capture the benefits of an energized workforce.
But I wanted to take the idea in a new direction.
DURING THIS SEASON OF LENT we have a great opportunity to step back and work a bit more on the big picture. I’m not talking about business planning, or even visioning and direction-setting.
It’s more about recognizing the hard work ahead.
How do you take advantage of Lent at the personal level? Many will use it as a time of introspection and spiritual development. Giving up chocolate or coffee might help you do that, but Lent isn’t about denying yourself pleasures and “feeling bad” now so you’ll “feel better” at Easter.
MODERN WOODMEN OF AMERICA 
is a community-minded financial services company in the US. Founded in 1883, they are structured as a 501(c)(8) “Fraternal Beneficiary Society,” a category I’d never heard of. This is a designation for organizations which are primarily intended to provide insurance-type benefits to their members.
Modern Woodmen has a rich legacy of service, including widows and orphans, those suffering from the Tuberculosis outbreak a century ago, education, and eye care.
I had a chance this week to talk with John Weidenfeller, the local Regional Director in Northern Colorado. He’s been with the organization for ten years now, opening up the Fort Collins office a few years ago. He’s a strong supporter of the values of this company, and has committed himself to leading a group which is aligned around those principles.
FINDING 
YOUR DEEP VALUES can be like falling in love.
Love is elusive, one of those “I’ll know it when I see it” type of things.
What I’ve described as deep values also can be elusive, because it starts with what you live and breathe every day. For me, I’ve decided that being of service is crucial to my life and my business. People generally have two reactions to this:
MATT SHOUP is the owner of 
M&E Painting, a fast-growing enterprise here in Northern Colorado. Many in Fort Collins are aware of Tim Farnsworth, Matt’s sign guy on the corner of Harmony & College.
But the story of Matt and M&E is much deeper.
Matt started this residential re-painting specialist company in 2005 with his last $100, after getting laid off from a job in mortgage banking. With a passion for customer service and to develop a company of character, he launched in and has been experiencing steady growth ever since. M&E is now a multi-million-dollar company.
I first spoke with Matt back in 2011, and it’s fascinating to see how he’s developing personally, and how this affects his business. It was great to catch up this week and learn more of his story.
YOUR BUSINESS screwed up. Publicly.
You had that blowup with the big customer, and they’re threatening a lawsuit. The press is snooping around and is going to eviscerate you on the front page of the business section.
Things are getting ugly and the pressure is on.
Like it or not, this is bound to happen to you a few times during your lifetime. Read the rest of this entry »
TODAY I HAVE questions but no answers.
I’ve been doing some work recently with another coach, and have found it to be highly valuable. It’s been probably ten years since I’ve worked on my own statement of purpose. I’d like to think that I’ve developed and grown since then.
Here’s the current version of my purpose statement: Read the rest of this entry »
OK, I’LL ADMIT IT: Sometimes my own foundation feels a little uncertain. Despite the fact that I’ve been building this momentum for 15 years now and have been seeing considerable success in the last year, I still have my moments of doubt.
I think it’s part of the human condition.
What do you do when you’re starting to doubt your values and principles? Read the rest of this entry »
The Values-Based Business 