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…

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…

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…

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! 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? 

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?

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…

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. 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…

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. 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.…

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?

“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…