Thanks to TAB Member Michael Anderson, President of Clientworks in Nevada City, CA for showing me this feature in the New York Times. I want to make a similar video of you and your company for this blog AND the new York Times.  Say the word and I’m on my way….

The second  installment on this subject of getting weird in business just appeared in the Nevada City Advocate. Since the first one never appeared online, I’m posting it here. In the August edition,  I talk about my own business inner weird. Go get an Advocate at your favorite coffee spot in Nevada County or read it online.

I want to hear from you about YOUR inner weird. Come on I know you have weird!

Embrace Your Inner Weird

This week I am working with a publishing business that is ready to take their business to the next level.   In an effort for them to prioritize all of their opportunities we are brainstorming their strengths and weaknesses. One person claims that a weakness for them is that they are pretty darn weird. I ask, “But isn’t that also a strength?” They look at each other and start nodding. And without missing a beat I say, “In fact, isn’t being weird one of your greatest opportunities?” Which is followed by much laughter and excitement.

I spend 25 years in the music industry. Not only was I pretty darn weird, I embraced a catalog of weird.  When I started selling music, Dead Kennedys and Green Day were weird. Today Lady Gaga is a perfect example of embracing weird. You may be reading this saying, “But I like Hank Williams (weird) and the Beatles.”  (crazy weird) or even  “I listen to Mozart.” (King of weird!)

But here is what Green Day and Lady Gaga know that Hank Williams and Mozart couldn’t have known:  We now have access to the whole world and all the people in it. We don’t have to reply on just the people in our neighborhood.  People all over the world are craving and feeding their inner weird. Weird is not a barrier to success it is a rock through the window of mediocrity.

As I watched this publishing company embrace their weird, I was excited and jealous, because I realized that I am like many business people: terrified to embrace my inner weird.

I was very touched last winter at See Jane Do’s “Passion into Action” conference.  That whole day was about embracing your inner weird and changing the world while you do it. In one workshop the assignment was to turn to our neighbor and speak our passion. I hemmed and hawed and finally admitted that my passion was pretty darn weird and I am terrified that anyone hear it.  Ouch!

Given all the barriers to business success in 2010, can we succeed if we don’t get brave and let it fly? And if that is true for me, and a publishing company, is it not true for you too?  Being weird not only catches attention, it is the biggest opportunity for all of us. I plan to get brave starting today. I will embrace my inner weird and challenge you to embrace yours.

Doug Summers, CPA is the gracious host of our monthly – free – Executive Learning Lunches. Yesterday I presented “3 Steps to Hiring Great Employees”  to a full house. This is an automated three step hiring process meant to streamline the sometimes painful process of hunting for, interviewing, and hiring employees. Everyone left before I grabbed my camera but Doug gave a few words on the subject.

The lunches are the 3rd Tuesday of the month brought to you by RWS, CPAs and The Alternative Board. There is always a professional presenter.  On Aug. 24th we will be holding a facilitated Business Round Table. Think about your  biggest business challenge, then come to the table to see how other local business owners feel about it. Just let me know you’re coming so that we have cookies for you….

Here are a few people who stayed long enough for me to video their reaction to the first Executive Learning Lunch sponsored by ,Robertson, Woodford and Summers CPAs and The Alternative Board. The subject: Bob Alteri, certified business discussing, “What is My Business Worth?”

The Executive Learning Lunch is free and happening on the third Tuesday of each month. Stay posted for upcoming subjects.

Dateline: Grass Valley, CA

A full house met at Robertson, Woodford and Summers, CPAs to eat sandwiches and learn from Bob Alteri, certified business appraiser on the subject, “What is My Business Worth?” Clients of RWS and members of The Alternative Board were joined by other curiosity seekers and were pleasantly surprised by the results. Here is Bob speaking about the lunch and his qualifications.

The Executive Learning Lunch is free and happening on the third Tuesday of each month. Stay posted for upcoming subjects and participants reactions.

This seems to be the topic I’ve been working on the most in the last few months. TAB Members tell me that they hate interviewing, resume reading and the entire hiring process. In addition, they often have hired the wrong people making costly mistakes in timing and possibly with their customers and staff.

This month (June) in Inc. Mag, Jason Freid’s column addressed this topic. While I don’t agree with Jason about his disdain of meetings and I don’t even agree with all his hiring practices, I do LOVE much of what he says is awful about the process of hiring. Here is a clip…

“During interviews, we love when potential hires ask questions. But all questions aren’t equal. A red flag goes up when someone asks how. “How do I do that?” “How can I find out this or that?” You want people who ask why, not how. Why is good — it’s a sign of deep interest in a subject. It signals a healthy dose of curiosity. How is a sign that someone isn’t used to figuring things out for him- or herself. How is a sign that this person is going to be a drain on others. Avoid hows.”

You can read his entire article at Inc.com

I will be doing a free Lunch and Learn on July 20th dedicated to setting up a 3 step hiring system for your business so that you only hire the people you really want to work with.