Maurilio Amorim

Author: Maurilio Amorim

What a Nomination to the Nashville Business Journal’s “Small Business Award” Means to Me
Awards can be a sign of a job well done. They can become a distraction when they become an end instead of a pure recognition. I have never chased awards for The A Group in our ten years in business. We have won several over the years, however. We have been chosen to be one of the latest finalists for the Nashville Business Journal Small Business of the Year Award. I must say, I’m very proud of our entire team for this one.

From the NBJ’s own website:

“We solicited nominations from profitable businesses with 75 or fewer employees. From there, we let the numbers do the talking, recognizing the companies with the greatest revenue growth over the last three years.The company with the greatest growth in each of five categories will be recognized during an Aug. 16 awards luncheon.”

The A Group was chosen a finalist in the 20-29 employee category in the Middle Tennessee area. I’m proud of this recognition for several reasons:
- We are profitable. We have been from day one. I know a lot of businesses take years to turn a profit. I’m not smart enough to run a business like that. I figured if we were profitable right away, then I wouldn’t have to worry about how to get there later.
- We are growing. Our team has almost doubled over the past 3 years. We continue to provide an innovative, positive, and fun atmosphere for our team members. I look forward going to work.
- The numbers tell us more than just the bottom line. Strong financial growth represents the work we have done on behalf of the many organizations we partner along and serve. We hope to serve them well, and strong financials help us to reinvest into people and resources that, in turn, allow us to serve our clients even better.
What award or recognition that you’ve received means the most to you? Why?
June 25, 2012
Are Facebook’s Days Numbered?
Facebook is facing trouble ahead. IPO issues aside, Facebook seems to be losing one of its primary and most indicative of all demographics: teenagers.

According to an article on USAtoday.com, teens are making a slow exit from the giant social network that claims over 900 million users. Think about it. It makes a lot of sense that teens are looking for another social network to call home:
- Mom and dad are there
- Grandmother just sent me a friend invitation
- My teachers are watching me
- My boss reads and comments on my posts
According to the USAtoday article:

More than eight years after Facebook’s inception, its mass appeal has drawn older crowds who add their kids as Facebook friends. That development could be tarnishing the site’s “cool factor” in the eyes of teens, said Jake Katz, chief architect at YPulse.

Forget the teenagers, I’m ready to find another place to hang out myself. Too many moving parts, timelines, events, networks, blah, blah, blah.

What do you think is the next evolution of social networks? What will the social network of tomorrow look like?
June 20, 2012
Leadership Lesson 1: Fight Arrogance. Know What You Don’t know
Arrogance is a downfall of many talented leaders who start believing in their own PR and fail to ask for help. I just got off the phone with a young entrepreneur who has started what I call a “socially redemptive business”: proceeds from the business fund not-for-profit organizations. I love the energy, vision, passion, and commitment I heard during our phone conversation. But no amount of enthusiasm or sheer determination will help my new friend out when he makes a critical marketing or business mistake. Unlike what we have experienced from our parents or our favorite teacher, life does not grade us on intentions, but on execution. That’s when the voice of wisdom and experience can be critical to a leader. No matter your age, a wise leader knows when to ask for help before it’s too late.

I count as a privilege to be able to advise some pretty amazing people. They are pastors, business owners, executives, and ministry heads. I take this role seriously because I know what’s at stake for them. As I think of the value that competent professionals have had in my life, I thank God for the good counsel I’ve received over the years. But I also have the scars from the landmines I’ve walked on due to ignorance, or worse, bad advice.

Whether you need a lawyer, accountant, marketing strategist, or an IT engineer, a good adviser will help you:
- See the opportunities you might not see from your vantage point
- Avoid the the land mines only experience can uncover
- Ask the questions you don’t even know you should be asking
- Connect the seemingly random “dots” of your pursuit
- Say “no” to something good so you can say “yes” to something great
- Be intentional
- Take calculated risks
- Figure out what only you can and should be doing for the organization
- Protect you from yourself
- Protect your business or ministry from a bad deal that can put an end to it
I usually trust my instincts, but sometimes they are not enough. Good counsel has stopped me from making big, costly, and even disastrous mistakes. I work with large churches. I used to lead one. There’s a prevailing “we are smarter than anyone and we can do everything in-house,” attitude that often plagues these organizations. No one knows everything and you cannot be an expert in every area of your business or ministry. It’s foolish to think you can do it.

Sometimes the best thing you can do as a leader is to ask for help before you screw everything up.

What professional advice has had a great impact in your business or career?
June 19, 2012
More Bad Church Signs

I’m sure whoever created these church signs had good intentions. But as you and I know, intentions aren’t the only thing that count. Instead of something profound and inspiring, why not start the week with the mindless and fun instead? I present to you really, really bad church signs. If one of these happens to be your church, thank you for the smiles and call my office.

Methinks I’ve heard him preach. And they’re not kidding!

So much wrong here. I don't even know what to say about this one.

I’m confused. I’m seeking God at the eleventh hour but I died at 10:30. So the eleventh hour is really 10:15? Is this a plot from the movie “Inception?”

Our Pastor is really boring, but check our communion wine! Score.

Church people can kill you way faster than worry. Trust me, I know.

At least they didn’t call people some other kind of bag.

What’s the worst church sign you’ve ever seen?

June 18, 2012
Socks 101: Bringing Soxy Back

Socks have been for a long time one of the most utilitarian of all male wardrobe options. If you open most guys’ sock drawers you will find black, brown, and perhaps a white pair left from the 80’s if he was around then. But that has changed. Colorful fun socks are making a big comeback. But it’s not only in casual settings. Fun and colorful socks are being paired up with traditional gray and navy suits to add a splash of color and energy to the old stable of men’s business wardrobe.

The colorful socks are reaching beyond the trendy, like the Biebster. Jenna Bush Hagen interviewed her grandfather, George H. Bush, on his 88th birthday and talked about his love of colorful socks. “I’ve always been a sock man,” he said. You can watch the segment here.

What is your take on pairing bright socks with business suits?

June 15, 2012
Advice to Young Entrepreneurs

I started the A Group a decade ago with an idea, but no capital and no investors. Thankfully it worked. It is still working and growing into a vibrant and profitable business that currently employs nearly 30 people. While the growth has not been exponential, it has been steady. We were profitable from day one and continue to be so. We have grown even during the toughest days of the recent recession. There are a lot of lessons we are still learning but a few foundational ones we have gotten right. I’m sharing some of these lessons in this series on entrepreneurship.

A good idea. Nothing is more important than your new venture’s premise for existence. Is this a good idea? That’s sometimes an elusive question. Intuitively I think so, but how can I quantify it? Ask. Ask the right people, however. I know your mom and husband might think your idea is just the best thing ever since sliced bread, but the opinion that truly matters is that of those whom you are going to impact. Often a little money, a good idea, and a lot of hard work will get you going. The opposite is also true: a bad idea with a lot of money behind it will just take longer to die.

Focus. Understand the space you’re going to play well and your target audience. The more comfortable you are with your business, the more likely you are to succeed. What you don’t know will often hurt you. Years ago, an entrepreneurial friend wanted to develop a medical building where multiple doctors would lease space. He asked advice from a veteran developer who immediately told him it was a bad idea. “Too risky. I wouldn’t do it today. And I have a lot more money and experience,” said the mentor. My friend disregarded the advice and went on to build the facility and file for bankruptcy not long afterwards.

Flexibility. Opportunity might shift the scope of your new venture. But it needs to be the right opportunity with the right payoff. Early on at The A Group., we worked on a project that did not fit perfectly in a business model. But we knew that it had the potential of using what we had learned to date and helping develop a new, more profitable business opportunity. It worked and we now have a successful new product line for our technology division.

What best business advice you have received or offered?

June 13, 2012
A Historical Day For The A Group with Dr. Meg Meeker

Yesterday was a historical day for all of us at The A Group. One of our authors, Dr. Meg Meeker, just released Strong Fathers, Stronger Daughters the 30-Day Challenge. The follow up to her best-selling book, “Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters.” ‘The book released under The A Group label, since we helped develop, edit, design, and market it. But that’s not what made history. This morning Dr. Meeker was interviewed on the Today show where they showcased the book.

Dr. Meg Meeker with Kathy Lee Gifford and Hoda on the Today Show set

This is the first time one of our authors on a project we represent makes a live appearance on the Today show. And, to our knowledge, the first time the program features a self-published book. Even though the Today Show has had a long standing policy on not featuring self-published titles, they made an exception this time because the content was compelling and one of the hosts, Kathy Lee Gifford, had read it and became compelled to promote it.

The book is a great tool for dads who need a easy-to-follow plan to capture their daughter’s heart. Like most guys, I appreciate getting the bottom line. “Just tell me what and how to do it.” The 30-Day Challenge does just that. It’s a great book. But it’s a book Meg believed in and that our team helped bring to fruition.

As of yesterday the book was #124 on Amazon! And it also boosted the sales of its predecessor who is currently #17 after being out for almost 6 years. Congratulations Meg!

When was the last time you believe in something so much that you just had to get it done no matter the cost?

June 12, 2012
A Case for the Best Job in the World: My Visit To Metro Ministries

Sometimes I am reminded why I have the best job in the world. This past week was one of those times. The marketing team of The A Group presented Metro Ministries in Brooklyn, NY with our proposed marketing and branding campaigns. While we had immersed ourselves in learning about the ministry, nothing truly prepared us to being in the middle of it all.

On the bus on our way to Sunday School.

Metro Ministries started over 30 years ago by the remarkable Bill Wilson, who after being abandoned by his mother on a street corner at a young age, felt the call to go back to the streets of one the nation’s most dangerous neighborhoods and share the gospel with at-risk-children. Metro Ministries claims the largest Sunday school in the world with over 42,000 children in NYC, the Philippines and now an exploding number in Africa.

But numbers often fail to tell the story of the people they represent. As our team toured Metro’s facilities, we encountered time and time again staff who once were at-risk children themselves whose lives are now filled with purpose as they now mentor children in the same predicament they once were in.

What a great cycle of redemption: the rescued staying behind to rescue the most fragile and vulnerable of us all.

I found myself early last Saturday morning in a school bus riding through Brooklyn, getting wet from a water gun, with screaming kids all around, and loving every minute of it. I’m not sure one could get kids in suburbia America out of bed at 8:30 on a Saturday morning, but these kids were ready to go. After all, beyond all the fun they were about to have with the indoor water slide, they loved being held and hugged by the bus crew and being taught a spiritual lesson that could change the entire course of their lives—even if they don’t know it now. For a great number of these little ones, their time with the Metro crew is only physical contact and words of affirmation they get all week long.

Yes, this is a water slide inside the church. It's too dangerous to have it outdoors.

I’m thankful that I (and my entire team) can come alongside ministries, churches, and organizations that build people up and offer eternal hope all over the globe. There’s not a price tag you can put on the satisfaction of knowing that your work does indeed matter, nor on the smile of a child whose eyes twinkle because you showed up.

How do you feel about your work?

June 11, 2012
How To Tie a Skinny Tie

With the return of the skinny tie to men’s fashion, I’m often asked what’s the best knot for it. Lately I have helped friends, family, and even a men’s apparel store salesman with their tie tying issues (he had trouble with a bow tie, however). Personally I like to use either the four-in-hand or the Half Windsor knot for the skinny tie. The Full Windsor is too bulky and looks out of proportion on a thin tie. Also, I would not recommend the Full Windsor unless you are wearing a spread collar shirt that allows for the larger, bulkier knot. Here are a couple of videos on how to tie two of the most popular knots.

What’s your favorite knot? How do you feel about the skinny tie come back?

June 8, 2012
Becoming a Good Consultant: How to Get There
“I would like to become a consultant. How do I get there?” I get that question quite often. While the answer might not be a simple one, I can tell you it’s more than the proverbial “guy with a PowerPoint presentation from out of town.” While there’s no ultimate consultant’s manual, here are guidelines I have followed in consulting that have served me well :
- You must genuinely like people, or you’ll hate consulting.
- Know your stuff. People’s future depends on that.
- Listen more than you talk.
- You first priority is to solve a problem, not to sell a product.
- You must understand the pain of the leader before you can help him fix the organization.
- Be truthful, be firm, but be kind.
- Some people respond to the potential loss they want to avoid, others to the opportunity they can seize. You better know which one you’re talking to.
- You can only lead as far as your client is willing to follow. Know when to stop.
- Be able to connect the dots between where you client is and where they need to be.
What else would you add to the list?
June 7, 2012