The Pursuit of Excellence

In the pursuit of excellence, there are no short cuts. There is no magic bullet to quickly achieve success. It takes work but there is a guaranteed formula to achieve success with step-by-step instructions on how to get there. However, the “secret sauce” recipe is entirely dependent on your definition of success.

Success should not only be measured by profitability, but by how well you provide for quality of life for all stakeholders, owners, managers, employees, and families. This is the culture of success that I often reference.

For me, success is first profitability and secondly creating a good work culture. What are your goals? Is your goal to earn a lot of money and retire early? Is it to have a high quality of life, be your own boss and make enough money to pay the bills so you can enjoy life to the fullest? Have you given this thought and identified your definition of success?

Over the years, I have had many successful clients who make a great living and have quality of life for all their employees, mainly because they do the small things right. They have that secret sauce and life is good for them. Occasionally, if you mix the secret sauce with great leadership and a workaholic-like dedication, you can turn a fence company into a juggernaut enterprise worth tens of millions of dollars. I have seen it happen first-hand. Look at this too.

Recently, a retired pharmacist who didn’t know much about the fencing industry came to me after he bought an existing fence company in the greater Atlanta area. That fencing company was in business for twenty years, but just barely getting by. (Look what he says about it)

Gary, the pharmacist and new owner of a fence company, was a quick study. He exhibited attention to detail and followed set procedures. He quickly learned his secret sauce for success and in his first year in business, the company earned the most profit ever. He earned well into mid-six figures profit right away and now his wife sleeps much better knowing they are financially secure. Yes, it can be done, if you put in the time and effort, and it’s not all that difficult to do.

Not everyone has the ability, or desire, to mix the secret sauce. Over twenty years ago, I had a client in Utah. Against my recommendations, he practiced management by delegation to the extreme. His definition of success was to run a fence company that would allow him to go fishing or hunting for a week or so every month. That wasn’t a recipe for success, and not surprisingly, the company is no longer in business.

The first step in mixing the secret sauce is to define what you want to achieve. Next, be consistent in what you do and pay close attention to detail. Another key component is commitment to your work. Let’s face it, success does not come easy, or everyone would achieve it. Be consistent, detail-oriented, and commit to your goals and you will achieve them.

Let me caution you, simply setting goals does not ensure success. Establishing good work habits and success-oriented systems and procedures is key. Average leaders make good decisions occasionally, great leaders make consistently good decisions. Your secret sauce is eliminating bad habits and forming good ones.

In a Duke University study from 2006, researchers found that 40% of the actions taken each day are a result of habits, not of conscious decisions. You are a product of your habits, both good and bad.

Every great leader and every great employee within the company achieves success, not in day but because of many, many consistently good, small choices and decisions that have been made over time to become good habits. That is the number one key to success: building good habits and making them standardized company policy.

Once you define what success means to you and begin to implement the daily decisions to reinforce those good habits, eventually you will reach your goals for success. Understand that achieving these small goals will not result in immediate realization of your goals. Good habits are difficult to maintain because the payoff is always off in the future. It takes time for the many good decisions to bring good results. That’s where the consistency comes in. Day after day, make those good choices for your future happiness.

If it sounds daunting, don’t let it be so. Yes, it can be a challenge, but a first step can be to reach out for help. Organizations such as the American Fence Association and others offer many member benefits, including educational schools and training, mentoring programs, national and regional trade shows and more. Also, if I can be of help, please let me know. I would be happy to contribute in any way I can.

The entire “Roadmap to Success” Program is available on CD, along with “The Close” and “The Roadmap to Success” user manual by contacting Profit Builders International at the phone or address below:

Profit Builders International
3421 10th Lane West
Palmetto, Fl. 33221
Website: www.profitbuilder.org
Phone: 941-981-3677 cell: 941-807-7666
Fax 9412-981-3677