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Is Your Success as a Solopreneur Consultant Worth $100 Per Month?

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

Do you need help launching your own management consulting practice? Did you already establish your firm but need a little guidance achieving the next level of success you know is possible? Are you looking to enhance your market presence with new service offerings? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, then YOU WILL BENEFIT from our next Coaching 4 Consultants Mastermind program, beginning this November.

Learn to recognize and understand the many roles of being a solopreneur and small business owner. Review the steps required to launch your firm and create new service offerings. Learn effective techniques for running a sustainable practice and develop a strategy for growth enabling your continued success for years to come. Read more ›

Posted in Coaching, Consultants, Entrepreneur, Group Learning, Management Consulting, Mastermind Group, Solopreneur Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Doing More With Less: Are You Spreading Your Peanut Butter Too Thin?

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

One of our large aerospace clients used to talk about “spreading the peanut butter too thin” when we talked about what critical tasks needed to get done. We were facilitating some strategic planning sessions with them, and their leadership team always thought they were resource-constrained and spread way too thin to achieve their strategic objectives. Well this morning, I actually ran out of peanut butter while making my peanut butter and honey sandwich for breakfast. That must be a sign that I’m spreading it – and myself – too thin!

In a recent talk, Robert Kaplan, Harvard professor and former Chairman of Goldman Sachs, shared several key strategies for senior executives to make sure their employees were not spread too thin. According to Kaplan, you must set clear priorities for your organization – only 3 or 4 at most, not a laundry list of 10-20+ To Do’s as many tend to have – to make sure everyone on your team is focused on only the most important tasks that deliver real value to your organization and especially to your customers. The key here is defining exactly what the most strategic, highest “bang for your buck” priorities are and then doing nothing – yes nothing! – that isn’t going to move your organization forward in achieving those goals. Read more ›

Posted in CLEAR, Leadership Alignment, Peanut Butter, Prioroties, Resource Management, Robert Kaplan, Strategic Planning Tagged with: , , , , , ,

Do It With Velocity…Before It’s Too Late!

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

Summer is a time for relaxing, taking vacations, and generally speaking having a slower-paced life. Well, guess what…summer’s over! Labor Day is now behind us. It’s time to kick it back into high gear before we start celebrating the holidays and ring in another New Year.

If you read my recent post Composure: Maintaining Balance, then you’ll understand my basic thoughts about keeping it together during tough times and how to rally past those “woe is me moments” as I have come to call them. Well, the second part of that equation is moving on swiftly and decisively – with velocity! – whenever something unexpected or even disturbing happens. Sure, there’s a time for analysis and rigorous planning. Even that can be done with velocity though.

Now is not a time for moving slowly. Life moves too fast these days. Stock market swings, global market fluctuations, even the weather – it’s all changing at such a rapid pace that you need to react much quicker and move much faster than ever before. Our clients aren’t sitting around waiting for us. I’m guessing your world keeps moving too whether you keep up with it or not. Read more ›

Posted in Armageddon, Balance, Bruce Willis, Composure, productivity management, Time Managment, velocity

Hello, My Name is Jeremy, and I’m an Entrepreneur

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

It took me a long time to be able to say that with a straight face and level of conviction that it really meant something. I started my own business – a management consulting firm called Plus Delta Consulting – in 2002 after years of just not feeling like I fit in with any other job I ever had before. In fact, other than being a summer camp counselor or working as a lifeguard at Northwestern University’s boathouse on Lake Michigan, I never kept a job for more than about 2 years until now. Whether it was working in a small start-up or with two of the world’s largest management consulting firms, I knew that it would take something different to feed my soul. I just didn’t know what that was or how I’d construct it. Even when I was honored with the apparent success of being the Founder and CEO of one of the fastest growing private companies in America (according to Inc. magazine) a few years ago, I still didn’t get what it truly meant to be an entrepreneur.

At that very Inc. conference in 2009, Chris Gardner, author of the book and subject of the 2006 movie portrayed by Will Smith “Pursuit of Happyness“, shared his definition of entrepreneurship with a group of us attending a private reception hosted by the Kauffman Foundation, the ones who really know what entrepreneurship in America is all about!

According to Gardner, the essence of entrepreneurship is taking money out of your own pocket to cover payroll. Well, I’ve certainly had my fair share of that over the years, so I guess it’s time to admit it… My name is Jeremy Lurey, and I’m an entrepreneur! Read more ›

Posted in Chris Gardner, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneur.com, Entrepreneur's Organization, Entrepreneurship, Geoff Bellman, Harriet Rubin, Inc.com, Kauffman Foundation, Pursuit of Happyness, Vistage International, Will Smith

Basking In the Sun Like a Pelican

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

For those of you who follow me and Our Blog, you probably know that I am fortunate enough to spend much of my time in beautiful – and generally peaceful – Malibu, California. I drive up and down Pacific Coast Highway (CA-1) most days between my home and office and regular meetings in the city. Usually, I have the pleasure of watching “my dolphins” as I call them swim through the waters and various birds frolic in the wind. Well this morning, I got stuck in traffic on the highway due to a big accident and ongoing construction, so I didn’t just catch a glimpse of the birds out of the corner of my eye as I would if I were driving the speed limit. Instead, I got to sit and watch them for quite awhile as our cars barely crawled on by.

As frustrating as it was to be late for my 8:30am meeting – unlike in my past, I truly strive to be on time at all times these days, so being late has become a real pet peeve that can be more than frustrating… – it gave me a rare opportunity to simply sit and watch a couple of pelicans in particular as they floated on top of the water grabbing an occasional fish for breakfast. Appreciating the local marine life is a true pleasure in my life, as it always gives me renewed perspective. I haven’t always been a “glass is half full” kind of guy. Somehow I’ve come to learn though that life isn’t about being half anything – full or empty. The glass is always full. It’s just a matter of how you look at it and whether or not you choose to see at it that way yourself. Read more ›

Posted in Appreciation, Dolphins, Optimism, Pacific Coast Highway, Pelicans, Scarcity, Sunshine

10 Years Later: A Time for Remembering

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

10 Years Later

Amazing that it was 10 years ago this Sunday that forever changed our country and the lives of everyone around the world. Our thoughts and prayers will always be with those we lost and their loved ones who survive them. May we never forget the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Here in Malibu, California, we are blessed to have Pepperdine University’s spectacular display of flags every year as our visual reminder of this horrific tragedy. And in recognition of this 10-year anniversary, we are honored to share it with you.

God bless America. God bless us all.

Posted in Uncategorized

Plus Delta’s Founder & CEO Kicks Off National Speaker Series for MNODN Chapter

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

MnodnReady to focus on your own professional development and up your game now that summer is almost over? Plus Delta’s Founder and CEO Dr. Jeremy Lurey kicks off this year’s National Speaker Series for the Minnesota OD Network with two exciting programs that you won’t want to miss.

  • Essentials of Change Management, Thur Sept 15th – Explore the key drivers for successfully implementing organizational changes and develop the critical skills you need to effectively lead complex enterprise-wide change initiatives
  • Making It On Your Own: Leading Practices for Running a Successful OD Consulting Practice, Fri Sept 16th – This is a perfect primer for skilled OD consultants who want to launch their own consulting practices and/or now need to develop the critical skills required to run their firms and become successful “solopreneurs”

Both programs are being offered in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area next month, so if you are in the area, sign up now. And if you don’t live or work in the Twin Cities area, contact Jeremy directly at +1.310.589.4600 x4612 or by email at jslurey@plusdelta.net. He can tell you all about these two targeted workshops and schedule additional sessions for you and your organization whenever and wherever it’s more convenient for you!

Posted in Change management, Consulting, Consulting Practice, Consulting Skills, Minneapolis, Minnesota OD Network, OD Network, organizational change, Professional Development, Soloing, Solopreneur, St. Paul, Training, Twin Cities

Putting Fun Back into Your Work and Life à la Tony Hsieh

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

Life is too short to take it all so seriously. And last I checked, you only get to live this life once. There are no second chances or do-overs in life, so you need to create fun in all aspects of your life now, not later – and that means at work too!

Recently, I realized that I was getting really stressed at work and that I simply wasn’t having any fun anymore. It was giving me the worst knee pain I have felt in more than 20 years since I had orthoscopic surgery on both of my knees in high school because that’s where my body tends to manifest stress. Beyond that, I started falling into a horrible pattern of hitting the snooze button 2-3x every morning instead of getting up to do my morning exercises. Now if you’ve ever seen Tony Hsieh, founder and CEO of Zappos.com, talk about why he sold his first company LinkExchange to Microsoft, then you know that’s a really bad sign!

Tony Hsieh - CEO Zappos.com - Innovation

My guess is that if I’m not having fun, it’s much harder for me to be successful in achieving my goals. And when I don’t achieve my goals, I get stressed out and have even less fun in life. Read more ›

Posted in CEO Show, facebook, Fridays, Fun, Mondays, Stress Management, Tony Hsieh, Work/Life Balance, Zappos

The Presence of Change: If Not You, Who? If Not Now, When?

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

Change doesn’t just happen for those who are sitting around on their laurels watching the world go by. Change may happen TO those people when orchestrated by others around them. Change really only happens FOR those who are bold and courageous enough to make a stand for an even better way of doing things though. As George L. Graziadio once said, “If better is possible, then good isn’t good enough.”

If Not You Who?

I recently heard this call to action – “If not you, who? If not now, when?” – while attending the Association for Change Management Professionals conference in Orlando. (Click here to view a short video clip of Daryl Conner’s keynote address yourself.) Well, it’s stuck with me ever since, such that I even shared it with a group of managers and staff during an all-day workshop on “remarkable service” recently. Remarkable service doesn’t just happen on its own. It takes clear intention and a personal commitment from those delivering service to others. In this case, a number of folks chartered with supporting students with their admissions, registration, and financial processes at a private women’s college here in Los Angeles. It is a remarkable institution, and they are remarkable people. Helping them organize themselves more effectively and sharing leading practices for remarkable customer service is just a gift that affords me the opportunity to help them be even better at what they already do so naturally. Read more ›

Posted in Association of Change Management Practitioners, California, Change, Community Service, Corporate Responsibility, Daryl Conner, Healthcare Reform, Orlando, Remarkable Service

Relaxed and Recharged… And Ready to Rally Again!

Posted on by Jeremy Lurey

Last week, I took a much-needed vacation to Maui with my family. It’s been a long time since I really went “on vacation”, and I’m glad that I finally did. I took my kids snorkeling for their first time ever – which after a few scary and uncomfortable breaths even my daughter Amanda totally loved. I went tandem parasailing with my son Dylan, which may be the most peaceful and profound experience simply floating 800 feet up with him that I will ever remember.

parasailing

Amanda’s not a fan of heights, so she took some great pictures of us from the boat. ☺ Whether it was these activities, the beautiful sunsets, or simply the leisurely breakfasts together with my folks each morning we rarely have at home, I left the island feeling so appreciative of the experience unlike any other vacation before – 100% relaxed and recharged, and ready to rally again.

Lanaisnorkeling

I guess I hadn’t realized how much I really did need this trip. I’ve been pushing hard at work and managing all of life’s ups and downs for so long now that I sort of just fell into a groove – dare I say, rut – and got a bit resigned to that’s how life was going to be for awhile. It kind of reminds me of REO Speedwagon’s song, “Keep pushing. Keep pushing on…” Well now that I’ve had a chance to step back, relax, and gain some perspective, I get how unhealthy and downright damaging it is to just keep pushing on. Read more ›

Posted in Marathons, Maui Hawaii, Running, Triathlons, Vacation

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