Articles by Mike Crandall

Although they may not officially be real words, they get used every day in human interactions, both professionally and personally, and they tend to be some of the most costly words that get used in everyday life.  Way too frequently we end a meeting, leave an appointment, or hang up from a phone call and…

Think about the word “wisdom” for a minute. We use it, in some form, all the time in both our professional and our personal lives. Often, we refer to certain people as “wise” or say that they are full of “wisdom.” Countless times we look to get “wisdom” from others. We seek it out, looking…

“Gentlemen, this is a football!” That is one of the most famous and often used sports quotes in history. However, most don’t know its real history or how to apply it to their businesses and lives. In July 1961, Vince Lombardi kicked off the first day of training camp for the 38 players on his…

If you have always, 100% of the time, accomplished everything you ever wanted in your life, please stop reading. However, if you are like 99.9% of the population who have been frustrated with what you have (or haven’t) accomplished, keep reading. This will help you have a better year.   This is the time of…

We are at that interesting time on the calendar where people start counting the days until the end of the year. Some do it because they are excited about something coming up. Others do it because they are looking forward to it being over and getting a fresh start in the new year. Regardless of…

Have you ever met the person who says, “I am a great listener,” then doesn’t stop talking for the next 20 minutes as they proceed to tell you how great of a listener they are? Likely you have, and internally thought this person has no clue. There seems to be an abundance of these people…

The title is not a misprint – “The Golden Rule” you were taught growing up is killing you, especially now as an adult. Each of you will now fall into one of four groups – Those who are offended and quit reading Those who are offended and continue reading out of curiosity Those who are…

Recently I spoke at a conference for small business owners where I was asked to deliver a keynote on growing sales. This is a common topic we work on in our firm, so it is not uncommon for us to share information on it. If you really think about it, all leaders who pretty much…

Recently I had a speaking engagement with several hundred business owners in the room. I asked the question – “How many of you have had a meeting, phone call, etc., in the last week that was a waste of your time?” – 100% of the hands went up.  Likely this has happened to you as…

Clearly we are in a unique time. Although many of us have been through difficult times in business (9-11, the 2008 financial collapse, etc.) – none have been like this new COVID-19 world we live in. Although the time is difficult and a significant challenge on most levels, if we do the right things, in…