Tag: California

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Did You Know That 6 Of The 8 Female NFL Coaches Are Working Sunday?

Many purists are borderline apoplectic due so many new coaches in the NFL being women. To be clear, these are women who have likely never played a down of high level tackle football in their life. What could they possibly bring to the table? I’ve been asked that question a lot during my own career about how I can help my potential client and my ability to learn and solve problems has taken me to a lot of unexpected places. From what I’ve read it’s taking many female coaches to places they may never have expected.

When the only tool someone knows how to operate is a hammer everything needs to be a nail. The NFL has always been a game reliant on size, strength and power and these attributes will always matter. In 2021 the NFL has evolved to the point where finesse and problem solving skills are more important than ever. Defeating a complex offensive scheme demands different thinking. Complex game plans on either side of the ball demand thinking in a very different way. Imagine how differently a 5’ 6” police officer must think when they work to enforce the law in any gang infested neighborhood just so they can go home after their shift is over? The thinking that got her the job won’t get her home!

People from all walks of life, all ages, all colors, all sexual orientations and all backgrounds learn to be great lawyers, skilled surgeons, accounting geniuses, and anything else you can think of. Others who have the talent to excel at these professions are complete failures for many different reasons. Some of the common traits of anyone who excels at anything comes down to hard work, the willingness to learn something new and someone who said “What the hell do we have to lose?” From my side of the desk I know more about how to successfully market a business than my potential client does and when they let go they see the results. There are 8 female coaches in the NFL and six of them work for the Tampa Bay Bucs and the Kansas City Chiefs. Coincidence? Finding and retaining world class talent matters now more than ever! I Guarantee I Can Help You!      

My name is Steven Clauson.  I coach people who want help getting where they want to be.  The people I coach are typically already taking action, getting results and ask what’s next and what actions to take to make an even greater impact.  They aren’t afraid to ask for help.  How can I help you?  What actions are you taking?  Those who have a plan and implement that plan lead the pack.  Planning, preparing to win and taking appropriate action means you hear the word “YES” more than ever. Only if you are one of the few willing to take action, do what’s required and play full out are you likely to hear the word yes more often.  People hearing the word “YES” are winners on the playing field because they play full out and dominate.  For these people results matter.  Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or visit www.stevenclauson.com

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The Economic Explosion Resulting From The Coronavirus Vaccine Or Do You Want Fries With That???

CVS, Rite-Aid, Walmart, Sams Club along with just about any place that has a pharmacy cannot get the Coronavirus soon enough and for reasons that may not be clear to everyone. This morning on Stuart Varney I saw the statistic that 41% are ready to get the vaccine as soon as possible, 44% want to wait a bit and 15% said they would never be willing to get vaccinated. While these are the highest acceptance rates I’ve seen I don’t doubt them. Why are so many companies in line to provide this service? The reason is selling fries with that vaccine.

McDonalds became very profitable after training their counter staff to ask “do you want fries with that?” This simple question raised the average ticket by only $1.79 (the cost of a medium fry). While $1.79 may not seem significant on its own merit you must consider McDonalds sees 62,000,000 customers every day! If only 20% are upsold to that means an additional $22 million in sales daily and $8 billion in sales annually! This all comes from asking “do you want fries with that?”

When you know what you can sell your ideal customer and you combine that with what else you can sell them you enter the Zone Of Pure Genius! These companies know that 41% of the nation cannot get the vaccine soon enough. In these stores the place where you will physically get the shot is at the back of the store. They’re betting you’ll do some shopping for other things while you’re there anyway. This is a very solid plan. I’ve already had e-mails from two of these named companies reminding me that they will be offering the vaccine and asking to place me on their list. It gives them a reason to contact me with the expectation I will open and read it. The initial e-mail also contained coupons for products related to colds and the flu. As a friend who is a CPA tells me “whenever the IRS announces a tax simplification measure it is the same as a full employment act for accountants!”

My name is Steven Clauson.  I coach people who want help getting where they want to be.  The people I coach are typically already taking action, getting results and ask what’s next and what actions to take to make an even greater impact.  They aren’t afraid to ask for help.  How can I help you?  What actions are you taking?  Those who have a plan and implement that plan lead the pack.  Planning, preparing to win and taking appropriate action means you hear the word “YES” more than ever. Only if you are one of the few willing to take action, do what’s required and play full out are you likely to hear the word yes more often.  People hearing the word “YES” are winners on the playing field because they play full out and dominate.  For these people results matter.  Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or visit www.stevenclauson.com

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The Latest Trend… Tutor Shaming

Parents Who Pay $100 To Hire Tutors For Their Children Drive Up Demand For Tutors And Increase Inequities…

During the pandemic some parents are hiring tutors in an effort to get their kids a step up on their competition. Some see hiring tutors as increasing inequalities… I think this is the express purpose! These parents intend to keep the playing field uneven for their children for life if possible. A $100 per hour tutor may not help anyone’s child rise to the genius level but consider if you’re hiking with a friend and encounter a bear, you only need to be faster than your friend to survive. Their kids just need to be a little smarter than the competition to excel.

I hired my first business coach when I had no money to do so. I had everything all figured out. I knew where I wanted to position my practice, I knew who I wanted to serve, I knew how many people I wanted to serve and when everything was said and done I was wrong on almost every detail. My first business coach was Chuck Gibson and he systematically upended everything I thought I wanted to do, where I wanted to do it and how I wanted to go about it. I listened. Starting from my very first month in business I was profitable and it only got better. He knew things I didn’t and helped to educate me as we went along. He was 100% correct.

Now I get to be that guy. I love the impact I have on my clients. In the last month a client moved into their dream home based on the profits he created from our work together. I’ve had clients take their first ever family vacation where they actually had a chance to reconnect with their children based on our work and the systems we implemented. I don’t take credit for these results. I expect these results going in.

Business owners often know they have to work on their business and not just in their business. They tell me with their next breath they aren’t sure what to work on or how to work on it. Not knowing what you need to work on is no better than being unwilling to do the work. Abraham Lincoln said the man who can read but won’t is no better off than the man who cannot read. Prove him wrong! My personal business coach lives in Arizona… his name is Martin Howey. Feel free to google his name. Call him if you’d like. Yes, he taught me a lot of what I know. If you want to expedite the process of getting from Point A to Point B you and I should talk. If your business is getting you everything you want (the ability to do what you want, when you want, as much as you want, as often as you want and with whomever you want) why are you even reading this? If not, pick up the damn phone and let’s talk.

My name is Steven Clauson.  I coach people who want help getting where they want to be.  The people I coach are typically already taking action, getting results and ask what’s next and what actions to take to make an even greater impact.  They aren’t afraid to ask for help.  How can I help you?  What actions are you taking?  Those who have a plan and implement that plan lead the pack.  Planning, preparing to win and taking appropriate action means you hear the word “YES” more than ever. Only if you are one of the few willing to take action, do what’s required and play full out are you likely to hear the word yes more often.  People hearing the word “YES” are winners on the playing field because they play full out and dominate.  For these people results matter.  Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or visit www.stevenclauson.com

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The Trip That Seemed So Long Is Actually Shorter Than It Seemed

    Be forewarned… This e-mail will be blunt and in your face. If that bothers you quite frankly I don’t care as long as you pay attention to every word! My sister called me yesterday morning to tell me my father passed away. Even though not unexpected, it was also not easy to hear.
     My father was never the loving guy with lots of amazing advice who would comfort you and leave you with the wisdom of the ages. He was closer to the drill sergeant you’d have in basic training who wanted you to stand on your own two feet before you could even walk. I heard the term “walk it off” more often than I care to think about. I won’t tell you I always appreciated his intensity or that it was easy. Maybe that’s why I moved out between my junior and senior year of high school. Maybe that’s why I named my company Assault Marketing and not Bunnies and Kittens Marketing. Also, the domain bunniesandkittens.com was taken. Maybe that’s why I succeeded.
     So here I am today… a 65 year old orphan. I’m also incredibly fortunate. Two weeks ago I spent the weekend with my father, both of my sisters and my brother at my fathers home watching the COVID version of the Indianapolis 500. At the time I felt it might be the last time I’d have to actually interact with him. Sadly I was right. I made certain I told him what I needed to, made certain to hear what he had to say and be certain he knew that I was there to support him in any way I possibly could. He’d give me a decent grade on that. I did the best I could.
     Losing someone sucks. Losing someone is especially hard when it’s a parent, sibling or child. I learned much from my father I use daily. Another benefit has been listening to and sharing with other men and women stories their fathers and their takeaways. I always thought my childhood was uniquely difficult. I’ve learned I was not unique in thinking I had a difficult childhood. Today I have a much more clear meaning of what Mark Twain meant by “I am an old man and have known a great many troubles but most of them never happened.” In retrospect my childhood was pretty freaking good. 
     It’s funny… I wanted to write about delayed conversations today and I’m writing about a conversation that wasn’t delayed. Good on me. I’m going to write next time about someone who delayed a conversation for 7 years because of fear. He has since seen first hand what having the results from that conversation has meant to him and his family. I’m pretty good at talking to anyone about anything yet my father always intimidated me at least a little. Perhaps you can relate. If you’re delaying a conversation with someone sack up and get it started. Look for middle ground. Mend a fence. Apologize. Hear someone out. Help someone who just might be having a more difficult time than you can imagine.
     If I can help you with your business or by simply listening I will happily do so. Just tell me this one’s on Lloyd!  I’d be honored to talk with you. Pick a time at www.speakwithsteven.com and let’s connect!      

Dr. Steven Clauson
916-230-0176
steve@stevenclauson.com 

Ps: If you don’t already know, I help business owners and entrepreneurs get where they want to be and have a life in the process. If you’re already taking action the next question is what’s next and what actions should you take to create an even greater impact. 

Pps: How can I help you?  Anyone who has a plan and implements that plan will lead the pack.  Planning, preparing to win and taking appropriate action means you hear the word “YES” more than ever. If you’re one of the few willing to take action, do what’s required and play full out are you’re likely to hear the word yes more often.  People hearing the word “YES” are winners on the playing field because they play full out and dominate.  For these people results matter. Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or schedule time with me at www.speakwithsteven.com 

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There Is No Adversity Without A Solution… None!

Having worked at success for the past 35 years I’ve helped many people from many different walks of life embrace the idea of “massive imperfect action.” Some refer to this as fake it until you make it… I don’t agree. Even before I opened my initial chiropractic office I knew I wanted to be unique in my approach along with the level of success I enjoyed.
          Early on when I was seeing very few patients every week, I acted as if I was seeing many more. In my mind I figured out what it would take to move from treatment room to treatment room and take films, do a report of findings, adjust my patient and take chart notes while still doing the other things required to build a bigger practice. My goal was to deliver a certain dollar level in services annually with a 35% overhead and do it all without advertising. I accomplished this and never quit growing. I eventually exceeded 300 patient visits per week in 21 hours. Keep in mind this was accomplished without advertising and was 100% referral based.  In 1995 I injured myself in a permanent manner and sold my practice in 1996.
          Times were not always great. There were times when I focused 100% on the internal aspects of my practice while placing the external aspect on the back burner. There were also times I placed things on the back burner longer than I should have and I paid that price as well. That doesn’t happen any longer. When I see it happen with a marketing client or a coaching client we come to an agreement on either discipline or justice. Discipline are actions you take on yourself. Justice are those actions done to you from an external force. Justice is when you’re caught speeding and get a speeding ticket. Discipline is when you notice you’re speeding and slow down on your own. 
          When a marketing or coaching client leaves things on the back burner for too long a period of time for any reason or they’re looking for a period of extreme growth in their business I help them with a plan to REACT to the reality they created. This plan is not one size fits all. This plan has yet to fail myself or anyone else. I shared this plan with my personal coach to use on me. I learned about this plan in a book titled “Overcome” by Jason Redman. Lieutenant Redman is a retired Navy Seal with multiple awards who was severely injured in the line of duty. He and his family have seen a side of hell most of us cannot imagine. 
          The willingness to walk down difficult roads requires the willingness to think like an adult and in an intellectual manner. This is only for those who demand results and don’t have a pre-designed back door they can escape out of such. Back door escape hatches appear as a rich family or someone who has a pile of money and they are willing to spend what they need to live on. Creating, implementing and living a plan like this requires courage.
          What’s your current plan?  I’d be honored to talk with you. Pick a time at www.speakwithsteven.com and let’s connect!      


Dr. Steven Clauson
916-230-0176
steve@stevenclauson.com 

Ps: If you don’t already know, I help business owners and entrepreneurs get where they want to be and have a life in the process. If you’re already taking action the next question is what’s next and what actions should you take to create an even greater impact. 

Pps: How can I help you?  Anyone who has a plan and implements that plan will lead the pack.  Planning, preparing to win and taking appropriate action means you hear the word “YES” more than ever. If you’re one of the few willing to take action, do what’s required and play full out are you’re likely to hear the word yes more often.  People hearing the word “YES” are winners on the playing field because they play full out and dominate.  For these people results matter. Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or schedule time with me at www.speakwithsteven.com 

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A Business Without An Active Mailing List Isn’t

      If you’ve been in business more than a few hours and still don’t have a mailing list you’re using at least twice every month I wonder what you’re waiting for. After the start of this pandemic I was getting calls from business owners I’ve met with who poo pooed the value of a mailing list…. who all of a sudden wanted to create a database really quick without the raw material to do so. A truly heartbreaking case was a family owned restaurant with great food and a not so great location. When we initially met a couple of years earlier they didn’t want to bother with a mailing list or an active social platform (which could work as a secondary mailing list). Today they have closed their doors permanently and filed bankruptcy. The reason he didn’t want to take the time or spend the money to create this list is they were “too busy” and based on the level of business it wasn’t needed. 
     I’ve seen so many businesses spending money on advertising to get a new customer then balk at spending less money to keep the customer they already have. If a business makes a sale to their customer twice a year on average and they increase that average to three times per year they have increased their business by fifty percent (50%)… How would accomplishing this be a bad thing? People who already buy from you know what it’s like to do business with you and are the easiest to get a return visit from. These same people are easier to get an increased dollar value sale out of as well.
     Few owners make the connection between the value of their business and how it relates to having a database. True Story…  Several years ago I was working with an HVAC company who maintained their customer database within their billing system. They weren’t using the database for marketing purposes. Everything was kept on a tape back-up which was left in the back-up slot in the office computer. Nothing was ever taken off site. I suggested they learn how to restore from a back-up and also recommended the back-up be taken off site. A tragic fire happened late on a Sunday night several months later (not suspicious in any way) and the physical business burned to the ground… A complete loss. Some technicians took their vans home and they were unaffected. Monday morning I had them go to a local office supply store and buy a computer with a tape back-up already installed. They went about restoring the data. By a little after 11 am that same morning they had their database reinstalled along with their A/R and A/P and due to remote call forwarding were already taking calls for service. They had a database, knew how to restore it, knew how to use it and leveraged that information. They continue to use it even today and most of their marketing is driven from their internal database.
     How do you use your database? There are several businesses who have already come out of this and doing better year over year compared to 2019. Great! Top Of Mind Awareness is critically important right now. Create, use or enhance what you have and you can move from a market participant to your market leader. Being the leader is what this is all about! I have a few suggestions so you can move in that direction!        
 If I you want to talk let me know at www.speakwithsteven.com

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What Do You Need To Stop Doing To Get The Things You Want?

The majority of instruction I’ve read about how to be more successful and how to get more of what you want center around things you need to do. These are well intentioned and helpful to a selected few already inclined to take massive action. We love these people and want to be more like them. The reality is most people aren’t. If you’re in the group that won’t add something to your to-do list there may be a better way….

Take a minute and ask yourself what you need to stop doing in order to have the things you really want? Eliminating something is much easier for the human brain to understand. The brain provides less resistance to eliminating an action. If you feel sluggish in the morning try eliminating overeating and eliminating going to bed late. Eliminating just these two things will tend to help you lose weight and get sufficient sleep.

If you want to have a better frame of mind during the day eliminate watching the Evening News and instead turn on a mindless sit-com. My drug of choice is Two And-A-Half Men. I watch a few minutes every night. There is very little other than bad news on the Evening News and eliminating this has been a net positive for my clients and myself. The occasional person I work with who still watches the Evening News has yet to tell me what they get from the News that’s a net positive or instructional.

If you want to stop losing money or market share in your business eliminate complaining about how bad things are. Just eliminating complaining is a big win for your brain chemistry. When you replace complaining with Massive Imperfect Action you may become a force to be reckoned with. While complaining, overeating, being depressed from the News and not getting sufficient sleep may seem easier you need to know there is a better way. If you want my help just let me know!

My name is Steven Clauson.  I coach people who want help getting where they want to be.  The people I coach are typically already taking action, getting results and ask what’s next and what actions to take to make an even greater impact.  They aren’t afraid to ask for help.  How can I help you?  What actions are you taking?  Those who have a plan and implement that plan lead the pack.  Planning, preparing to win and taking appropriate action means you hear the word “YES” more than ever. Only if you one of the few willing to take action, do what’s required and play full out and you likely to hear the word yes more often.  People hearing the word “YES” are winners on the field playing because they play full out and dominate.  For these people results matter.  Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or visit www.stevenclauson.com

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Are You Tough Enough?

If you’re reading this you’ve been here or someplace like this before. You went through 911… Still Standing. You survived the Dot Com meltdown… Still Standing. You outlasted the 2008 mortgage melt down and lived to tell… Still Standing! While you’ve been wobbled more than once you made it through. You paid attention and as a result each one of these made you smarter, wiser and stronger. I’ve had the same experience as many of you. If you haven’t given yourself credit for surviving the time is now! You’re overdue.

Pastor Robert Schuller used to say “Tough Times Don’t Last But Tough People Do!” I suspect the last few weeks have measured your toughness. Still Standing? You’re certifiably tough. What’s your plan to remain tough? Mike Tyson was the first to say “Everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth.” We’ve all been hit… response means everything and determines what’s next.

A client from about 10 years ago called to tell me how bad things were. He’d been knocked down. I told him to Get Up! He misunderstood me so I said it again… Get The Hell Up! His words and actions during what may well be the fight of his life were crippling him and I heard that in his voice. When I asked what he’s done since the shelter in place order he said “everything’s shut down… What can I do?” I gave him a list of 10 things to do that day before he went to bed. I then got his wife on the phone to keep him accountable. I got off the phone with him 9 days later and things are much better while still under the shelter in place order. He has a new plan now.  

This will eventually end. Many businesses, even some of your competition, will simply wait this out. That’s never the way to respond to any threat. If you’ve read the “Art Of War” you know to attack when the enemy is weak. There’s more weakness than I’ve ever seen. I promise I will survive this Pandemic both personally and professionally… I will emerge stronger. You will as well. Those who don’t take and maintain decisive action are bound to suffer the consequences. That result is sad and predictable. We’re in this together. We’re going to thrive together!     

My name is Steven Clauson.  I coach people who want help getting where they want to be.  The people I coach are typically already taking action, getting results and ask what’s next and what actions to take to make an even greater impact.  They aren’t afraid to ask for help.  How can I help you?  What actions are you taking?  Those who have a plan and implement that plan lead the pack.  Planning, preparing to win and taking appropriate action means you hear the word “YES” more than ever. Only if you one of the few willing to take action, do what’s required and play full out and you likely to hear the word yes more often.  People hearing the word “YES” are winners on the field playing because they play full out and dominate.  For these people results matter.  Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or visit www.stevenclausoncom

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Don’t Give A Damn What You Think…

       Stop giving a damn about what you think!  Everything you are worried about is never going to happen.  None of it.  You can have and do what you want starting now.  You can have the income you want, work with the people you want, work the hours you want, work the days you want, have the vacations you want and design the business and life to be exactly as you want them to be.
What most people are best at is setting boundaries on themselves and those around them.  The leading cause of boundaries is a thing called fear.  Fear comes in many forms and can manifest differently on a daily basis.  Fear is crippling to those who embrace it and freeing to those who learn to manage it.
The letters in the word FEAR tell the story we need to hear.  False Evidence Appearing Real.  When I ask someone who wants to accomplish something they have as outside of what they can do I typically get a series of fear related responses as opposed to actual actions they have taken to get where they want to be.  I call it Wimp Junction and this is where dreams go to die.  We have all seen too much death in our lives and the fact is our dreams don’t need to be on the casualty list.
Stop wasting time worrying about whether you can or can’t do something.  How about telling the person who won’t let you off the hook what you are going to do.  In a great quote by Ayn Rand who wrote Atlas Shrugged “It’s not who is going to LET me, it’s who is going to STOP me!”  Go for it!   
       My name is Steven Clauson and I coach people who want to come out of the stands and onto the field or are already on the field and demand to work to their potential.  Are you in the stands or on the field?  Winners are on the field playing full out and dominate.  For these people results matter.  Tired of results less than you know you can produce?  Call me at 916-230-0176 or visit www.stevenclauson.com

 

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Thought Assault…

 

Voltaire, was a French writer and public activist who played a singular role in defining the eighteenth-century movement called the Enlightenment. At the center of his work was a new conception of philosophy and the philosopher that in several crucial respects influenced the modern concept of each.  One of my favorite quotes from Voltaire is “No problem can withstand the assault of sustained thinking.”  This is true of every issue humans have both personal and professional.
Thinking is also the hardest work we ever do and that is the reason so few people ever bother to do it.  So many other things are easier!  Counselors and coaches are a great help because we are not emotionally involved in the problems we hear about.  The lack of emotional involvement means that we never hear that inner voice that tells them to do the easy or comfortable activity. The process is helped along by asking the following question and then listening and acting on the answer you get.  “what if this was someone else’s problem?  What would I advise them to do?”  The follow up to that question is “What are 10 ways I could solve this problem?”  Don’t quit until you have written those 10 ways down and have taken action on at least 1 of them.
I coach people and help them determine what action to take, what to do more of, what to eliminate and then help them to effectively demonstrate what makes them special and why their customer should be using them over any and all other options they might have.  I show them how to produce results that are uncommon for most.  Call me at 916-230-0176 or e-mail me at steve@assaultmarketing.com