Business Coaching 101

Monday morning, I wanted to get out of my usual place so that I could start up my week in peace. You see, typically I like to reserve Monday mornings for my time. What that means is that I need to plan who I am going to see and what needs to be completed by Friday. So instead of staying put, I decided to put myself in another environment for a change: A Coffee Shop, Murray Street Coffee Shop to be exact.

I have often wondered about these coffee bean entrepreneurs who are the same ones you would find sitting hours at a starbucks. I’m pretty sure they are here for the same reason. I think deep down the human element needs some form of social stimulation even if we don’t talk to each other. Just knowing that people are around is sufficient. I like to change things up sometimes because while I wait for my office to be built out, working from home has its disadvantages. So it begs the question: “Why have a real office if you can just go to a Coffee Shop?”

I have talked to these coffee bean entrepreneurs and most of them are starting out and some are just working independently with a group of others just like them. One guy I talked to is working on a series of iPhone applications and he does it all from his coffee shop. It’s pretty interesting to see these guys in action. Its almost like a matrix of workers that are connected only by email and instant messenger. With this concept comes several inefficiencies. For one, there is no structure like there is in an office. I tend to like a open office much better than a closed office. My old business partner said that he liked open offices because he wants to be able to yell at people. If you knew him you would know why he said that. All joking aside, he has a great point. When you need something you need to tell someone and sometimes technology can be a huge stumbling block. This of course can be a pro and a con. It’s also important that I bring out that you can retro-fit this idea into a coffee shop. You just are not guaranteed a spot if the place is busy.

Ok so back to these guys who sit at these coffee shops. Are you one of them? I wonder how many of you if given the chance would jump at an office if you spent the same amount of money as the $5 coffee twice per day. Basically $200 per month gets you a desk where you get all the same resources: Wifi, Coffee, Satellite TV, and Maybe even an XBOX here and there.

I’m exploring possibilities with others who share the same vision in helping these coffee bean entrepreneurs see the value in having a conference room, a mailbox and a place to call home. The question I have is: “Is there any value to this?” Some would argue that coming to the coffee shop has less to do with business but more about social interaction. OR just a place to look like you are working as you search for work elsewhere. There have been a number of articles written about these types. Of course these would not be good candidates for such a real-estate venture. Then there are places like West Village Starbucks in Dallas Tx. Personally I think its more of a fashion show than anything else. I guess there is a certain appeal to that as well. Just wondering what the motivation is for these coffee bean entrepreneurs. I would love to hear some candid comments as to what you would prefer.

FOR THOSE IN DALLAS LOOKING FOR A YOUNG PROFESSIONALS HAPPY HOUR
I am hosting my monthly event July 7th 2009 at 5:30pm.

Tower Club Dallas
1601 Elm Street Suite 4800

This is a private club so you will need to rsvp for access…
RSVP: 214-432-4405

I really hate how long its been since my last post. It seems like this perception of a recession is really affecting people in a number of ways that I find just plain weird. 

I am not an economic analyst but I think like most of you like me can identify certain trends. From what I have seen so far, it appears as if most companies (and individuals included) spent more than they should have and perhaps expanded more than they should have. This obviously has to come to a screeching halt at some point.

Most of you that know me well, know that I run an Aerial Photography business and that is probably one of the most basic of basic businesses because it has to do with real-estate transactions and litigation issues. I have looked at the transactions and although some may have dropped a little bit its not the problem with the lack of construction or even the lack of litigation. Rather its the people’s fear and perception of what REALLY is happening. As a result people are afraid to spend any money until things are clarified. My job is to work 3 or 4 times harder to get the same cash flow and to generate revenue in new ways that may work better. Its a constant cycle of perfecting and more perfection.

The reason why I’m writing this article is because I started to realize through association, I was doing the same thing myself! It was almost as if my subconscious was saying “DON’T DO IT”.  Then I remembered what Ken Hughes once told me in a cab on the way to lunch. He said that people called him crazy and stupid when he invested in a piece of property then to be considered a wasteland. Now its a bustling masterpiece. I have my hands in a couple of things, Earlier this year some people who I once considered friends decided to make some of the similar comments that I’m sure Ken Hughes had heard before. In fact, I bet Ken still hears it when he talks about his new developments. I had to learn just like him not to listen to broke people.

Sometimes you have to be weird to be extraordinary. It’s so easy to do what everyone else is doing and just get comfortable. What happens after 10 years of being comfortable? Or 20? What do you look back on and think to yourself?  Chances are you won’t look at any of this day to day stuff and think WOW! For most this harsh reality will come to them at the end of their life when they have realized they squandered what could have been.

My parents often said that the youth was wasted on the young. In most cases this is true. The best thing you can do is find a couple of really good mentors who you respect and ask them to tear you apart every now and then. Even our best efforts lead us to disaster if left to our own devices. So give yourself a once over. I’m sure you will find something.

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NEXT EVENT ALERT:

Are you interested in meeting other young professionals in Dallas? Come meet with us at the Tower Club July 7th 2009 6:30pm. We have specifically invited those who have connections within our community. This is a private club and is invitation only. If you are interested in attending please email jeremy.mckane@gmail.com and request an invite.

Special Guest: To Be Announced

If you focus too much time on a specific task or project it’s easy to get creative block. When this happens there can be no remedy but to walk away. So many time I would be working on a website when I had my old company and I would notice that my work would plain stink.

I would run into problems that I know I had the ability to fix and the only way to solve it was to walk away and Come back. I have learned that too much of one thing can totally be a bad thing. As most of you know, I have been shooting film since I was about 12-15 when dad gave me his pentax k1000. For some reason I stopped shooting for a while. I picked up a nikon d1x about 8 or 9 years ago and it occured how much I loved taking pictures. Sometimes you forget the things you love when you don’t allow yourself the time to think about what you really love.

I try to take breaks when I get stressed out since I’m no good to my clients anyway in that state of mind. It does not happen often but I have learned that if you say enough is enough then shut the doors for a couple hours. You will find that on return you will be on average much sharper than before. My release is photography, but since I shoot land for a living I find that shooting people is a refreshing change.

Now don’t misread what I am saying here. I am not suggesting you waste time. Find an outlet that you can use to better yourself! For instance I submitted my fine art photography to D magazine and I was selected along with other artists to exhibit my work at FIG which is the fashion gallery here in dallas. So even your outlet can easily be something that can help you grow.

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I would love to hear your thoughts!