Happy New Year 2013, I can’t believe how fast 2012 went by. For me, 2012 was an amazing year. I discovered a lot about myself, my business and my clients. If I can sum it all up in one word, 2012 was the year of “Love.” Allow me to explain…
In 2012 I transformed my coaching style. Rather than telling my partners what to do, I am now taking a more consultative approach and bringing newer, fresh ideas. After 4 years of being an industry leading MSP Business Coach and Consultant, I now recognize that it is my client’s business not mine. I’m able to set the expectation with new clients and reset the expectation with my existing partners. Since I truly love what I do, I can excel at it and make a difference in the lives and businesses I consult with. I also decided that my consulting style needed to be less remote and more hands on, which meant more travel. Last year, I logged over 91,000 domestic air miles to work with my clients. Since making this change and the time investment to be on site with my partners, we’ve seen an increase in productivity and profitability. Through these changes, I fell in love with my business again.
In 2012 I restructured the types of partners that I work with. Managed services providers (MSP) who want to work with me needed to meet a minimum size, revenue and commitment level. Having these minimums in place makes all the difference in the world. It allows me as a consultant to get a better handle how I need to approach their business to help them grow. Through this restructuring, I found a new “Love” for my partners.
When I wrote my year in review for 2011, it was a lot about me and my personal journey of a 160 pound weight loss. In 2012 I took me out of it and made it about those that I serve, my clients, my industry and most importantly, my wife and family. I made 2012 the year about loving the business I am in and loving my life. I can honestly tell you that my wife Loree doesn’t love all the traveling that I am doing, but she knows that I am doing what I love and sometimes she gets to join me on the road…and I love that.
2013 is going to be the year of reinvention in my business. I have already had a new logo created (thanks to Caroline at D’Agostino Designs) and a new website (thanks to Herman and the team at Vertical Axion). I have a number of new partners who I have never worked with before and even have my first west coast partner. This year I will be introducing new services to help with ongoing sales and marketing tasks. I am going to be doing some special projects with industry leading vendors to help their partners become more profitable selling certain solutions. Additionally, I will be serving on the Board of Advisors for Channel Partners and more of my partners are on track to exceed their goals of achieving more than $1 million in annual recurring revenue.
2013 is looking to be another year of love for my business and my life as a whole. I am glad that you get to be part of it with me.
Happy New Year and all the best for success,
Stu
