Simon Sinek is an inspirational motivational speaker. You may know him for his talk on How Great Leaders Inspire Action or his latest book, Find Your Why and the enlightening Ted Talk which followed. I love taking time out to listen to his talks and interviews as I feel whenever I listen to him speak, I always learn a new lesson or am reminded of a thought-provoking subject which really resonates with me.
 
A few days ago I stumbled across a YouTube clip by Evan Carmichael which was a bit of a Simon Sinek mash up. The hour-long clip was a recap of Simon Sinek’s 10 rules for success.
 
If you have the time to watch the clip, I highly recommend it. If you’re short on time, here’s a summary of Simon Sinek’s 10 rules for success:

1. Break the rules.
   “The rule is this – you can go after whatever you want, you just cannot deny anyone else to go after whatever they want.”
2. Train your mind
   It’s important to differentiate the difference between being excited and being nervous. The interpretation or perception of being excited or being nervous is the same stimuli, so instead of saying that you’re nervous, say you’re excited. It’s a very effective change in habit, as it makes you want to rush forward, instead of pulling back, yet it’s the same experience.
3. Be patient
   Too often you come across young millennials who become disengaged in their job, early on in their tenure at the company, because they feel they aren’t making an impact. They treat the sense of fulfillment as if it were a scavenger hunt. We have an entire generation which has an Institutionalised sense of impatience. Do they have the patience to go on the journey to maintain love, to feel fulfilled or do they just give up and go onto the next chapter?
4. Take Accountability
   As much as you may not want to admit it, sometimes it’s you who’s the problem. We’ve seen this happen all too recently with the global financial crisis in 2008. They blamed everything else except themselves. Take accountability for your actions. You can take all the credit in the world for the things you do right as long as you also take responsibility for what you do wrong. It must be a balanced equation.
5. Outdo Yourself
   The infinite player understands that sometimes you’re ahead and sometimes you’re behind. Sometimes your product is better and sometimes it’s worse. The goal isn’t to be the best every day, the goals aren’t to outdo your competition every day. Finite players play to beat the players around them infinite players play to be better themselves. Wake up every day to see how you can create your company to be better today than what it was yesterday. Create your product to be better today than it was yesterday. How do you outdo yourself? It’s about making sure the work your producing today is better than you did before. You are your competition and that is what keeps you in the game longer and ensures that you find joy, because the joy comes from advancement, not your competition.
6. Stack the deck
   Put yourself and your company in a position of strength. Choose to be in an environment where your strengths are recognized. Where you are present in an environment around people who want you to be there.
7. Be the last speaker
   Nelson Mandela across the world is universally regarded as a great leader. He was the son of a tribal chief and when asked how he learned to be a great leader he responded with his memory of going with his father to tribal meetings. He learned 2 things. Always sit in a circle. His father, being the tribal chief, was always the last to speak. The skill of allowing everyone in the room to speak before you provide 2 things. 1. It gives everyone in the room the feeling that they have been heard, offering everyone the ability to feel they have contributed. 2. You can hear what everyone has to say before you give your opinion. It provides you with the opportunity to simply sit there and take it all in. You need to ask questions so you can understand what they mean. Why they have the opinion? Why are they speaking from where they are speaking? It sounds easy, it’s not. It’s important to practice to be the last to speak.
8. Be Authentic
   Say and do the things you actually believe. By doing this, you build trust and it creates symbols of who you are. You attract people who believe what you believe. The more you can give of yourself and give what you believe, great things start to happen.
9. Find your passion
   Where does passion come from? Passion is the feeling you have when you’re engaged with something that you love. The goal is to find something, both at home and work, that you’re truly excited about. Finding the things that you love to do and being able to make a profession out of it, is the goal.
10. Start with why
    When asking yourself what is your why, you’re asking yourself what’s your purpose, what’s your cause? To make a profit is a result, it’s not your why. The goal is to sell to people who believe what you believe. Read our previous blog on What’s your Why for more insights.

1. It’s all in your demeanour:
   Your demeanour is the way in which you behave. If your behaviour comes across as a confident person, people will believe that you are confident. It’s in your poise, maintaining eye contact, staying true to yourself, your appearance, your tone and doing what is right.
2. The confidence formula:
   Jeff Thomas has a theory about what it takes to project self-confidence. It’s all in a very simple formula: Confidence = Calm + Certainty. Sounds so easy right? It really is that easy. Stay cool and be certain of yourself, your actions and your words.
3. Practice:
   “Confidence is like a muscle, it gets stronger the more you use it”. If you can practice being the confident version of yourself on a daily basis, you will become that person. It’s all in the saying “fake it till you make it”. A huge benefit of working out of a coworking space allows you to do this on a daily basis without it making you feel uncomfortable are silly. Each time you go to grab a coffee or walk to the balcony for some fresh air, there is a like-minded person present which you can practice on.
4. Know your why:
   People believe and buy into the story you tell not the product or service you are selling. You need to know and understand your purpose. What’s your why? Once you know your purpose and have a powerful story behind your why you will feel and be so much more confident in selling it.
5. It starts with you:
   You need to believe in yourself, your business and the value in which you are creating through your product or service you are selling. You need to harness the self-belief to really take you confidence to the next level.

 
For many people, confidence can take a lifetime to build, with it taking only a few moments to shatter into a million pieces. It’s so important to eliminate the excuses and have the conviction to power through any situation which may arise. I’ll end with a power quote by Thomas A. Edison “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

1. Write a to-do list: 
   A “to-do list” gives you direction for the day. It helps with your time management and typically minimises procrastination. It is important to keep your to-do list achievable. There is nothing more de-motivating than having a list filled with items which you know you won’t have time to achieve. It is about the quality of your actionable items over the quantity of them. Be strategic in what you spend your time on.
2. Do what you dread first thing in the morning:
   Once I have prioritized my to-do list, I complete the most important and toughest task first. The longer you have the hardest task or the task which you don’t want to do on your to-do list the more you will procrastinate throughout the day. It’s important to set achievable goals to complete the tasks which you don’t enjoy doing.
3. Allocate time in the day to get some exercise & eat healthy:
   Healthy life = healthy mind. Food is your brains fuel to work. Although an easy and sometimes cheaper option, carbs and fatty foods are a poor choice as it gives you a spike of energy before providing a massive low leaving you lethargic and lose focus. Eating a healthy lunch, with low GI foods, allows your energy levels to be maintained for the rest of the day, providing you with a clear mind and motivation to do what you need to do.As difficult as it can be, you have to take time away from your desk. This provides clarity and kicks up your energy levels. Go for a 10min walk after lunch. Grab some fresh air and come back to your desk refreshed and ready to work.
4. Make time to have a conversation with someone in the office:
   As a start-up business, this may be difficult if you are working from the home office. This is where a coworking space becomes so valuable. It is important for you to get a different perspective on what it is that you’re working on. Having an easy 10min conversation whilst grabbing a coffee or a bite to eat, can spark something in your mind which takes you in a direction which you battled to achieve.
5. Limit the time you check your phone – particularly your social channels
   For some of you, social media is your job, this doesn’t mean checking your own personal social feeds is a good idea during the work day. This is a procrastination tool of note and can be incredibly distracting for your day. I try to limit checking my phone to once an hour. I have my phone on silent all day, so when a message comes through I do not here it. I have my phone calls set to vibration so if it rings and it’s a business call, I don’t miss the call. Being in such a connect world, it is difficult to switch off and break the habit of checking your phone but you and your business will thank you for it later.

There are many blogs out there which talk to the scientific tactics to stop procrastination. These 5 steps have helped me break the habit of being a procrastinator which procrastinates and my business thanks me for being more focused and productive.
If you are in or near the Sutherland Shire come and say hello at Inspire Cowork, we’d love to meet you. Contact us today.
 
 

1. Innovating makes you a leader in your industry or profession:
   A great innovator that I am sure to come to the mind of most people, is Steve Jobs. What he did with Apple is truly commendable and it all came down to two words: Think Differently. With the world becoming increasingly competitive it is vital for businesses to innovate in order to stay ahead of their competition. By staying ahead of your competition, you will find that your competitors will follow suit. It’s the name of the game. You have your leaders and you have your followers. Be the leader.
2. Innovate by asking what the user needs and wants:
   Being a UX designer by trade, we always look at the user experience. By definition, UX design is the process of enhancing user satisfaction with a product by improving the usability, accessibility, and pleasure provided in the interaction with the product. This is the formula we have used to grow our space.With our recent expansion, our position of being the Sutherland Shire’s largest coworking space has been cemented. Using the process of UX design, we created a space which always had the user experience at the forefront of any decision. With 50 coworking desks and 22 office studios, we had to ensure the space felt intimate for our members but at the same time has a positive atmosphere which encourages productivity, networking, and collaboration. We succeeded in creating a working environment which is professional, productive and practical by questioning the status quo. It was important for us to create an environment for entrepreneurs, freelancers, and the remote workforce, to go to an office space every day and feel comfortable in their workplace.Once your product or service meets the needs and wants of the user, you’ll inevitably find success.
3. Innovation allows you to disrupt the system:
   The ability to disrupt yourself and your brand are crucial. When you look at companies like Uber, Airbnb, and Facebook you automatically think of industry game changers. They came in and completely disrupted their entire industries. By questioning the status quo, It allows your business to move into spheres it would never have imagined possible. It is imperative that your business develops leaders who are driven to disrupt at every stage in the supply chain. By cultivating leaders to do so, encourages them to innovate and take your business to the next level and beyond.
4. Innovating turns you into a storyteller:
   Stories have a profound impact on enabling creativity. With creativity usually comes innovation. Whether it be selling your idea to your boss, your board, or most importantly your customers, you need to be able to sell them the story. It’s an elevator pitch at a heightened level. Being a storyteller will not only help you sell your business, it will be the success of it.
5. Innovation requires you to be humble and courageous:
   Many businesses find innovating difficult as it requires you to let down your guard. By letting go both mentally and emotionally you inherently become vulnerable and that scares many people, as it should. It takes a lot of guts to come up with an idea and go with it. Spending the capital, hours and possibly reputation to make it work. It also can be the meaning of success for your business. Be courageous in your endeavours and remain humble when you succeed.

If you are in or near the Sutherland Shire come and say hello at Inspire Cowork, we’d love to meet you. Contact us today.

If given the opportunity to work locally for less money, would you do it? Working local doesn’t always mean less money, but for most of us living in Sydney, we usually know that the top paying jobs are in Sydney’s CBD or in the business industrial parks which are located in areas with limited residential access. This means a long commute for us living in suburbia.
For me, working in North Sydney and living in the Sutherland Shire, my daily commute is a long one. I have been very fortunate to have negotiated with my company to work 3 days a week out of Inspire Cowork, the Sutherland Shire’s largest coworking space, which allows me to benefit from working local.
Here are my top 10 reasons why working local is better.
Reduce your commute to work
We’ve all done it or are doing it! That dreaded daily commute to work. Whether working local saves you 30mins each way or an hour each way, the time at the end of the week adds up very quickly. Reducing your daily commute allows you to have time for you. 
Better quality of life
Living closer to work gives you a few extra hours a day at home with family or time to meet up with friends. It allows you to engage in your hobbies, join a local sporting team or use the time to further educate yourself. Setting aside time for yourself, your passions and hobbies makes you more productive in the workplace and happier in life.
Support local businesses 
Working local allows you to support your local business. Whether you are buying a sandwich for lunch or stopping off at the grocery store to pick something up for dinner, you are buying local rather than on your commute home.
Save money
We all know that commuting is expensive. Whether you drive to work and have to pay for petrol and the wear and tear on your car, or the cost of public transport, it hurts the pocket. Additionally, as you are waiting for your train or bus there is always the temptation to buy a coffee and a pastry in the morning or a drink or snack on the way home.
Less stress
Commuting can be incredibly stressful. With the work day getting longer, the consistent issues with public transport and the terrible traffic on the roads, working closer to home will alleviate so much pressure and stress. A study conducted by Canada’s University of Waterloo discovered a direct link between your commute time and well-being. It was found that commute lengths are linked to a sense of time pressure. People who spend the most time on the road experience higher levels of stress as they constantly feel hurried and out of time. 
Fitness
If you work local and close enough to bike, walk or run to work, it gives you a great opportunity to get your workout in before and after work. With this, not only do you gain your fitness, you also save money. You will arrive at work already mentally stimulated and your productivity will sky rocket. You will get home relaxed as you have time to de-stress and put your mind at ease before walking through the front door.
More sleep
If you’re anything like me, I need my sleep to function. When I commute to the office I need to be up before the crack of dawn to be at the train station before 7:00am to make it to the office by 8:30am. When I work from the coworking space I only need to wake up at 8:00am to make it to the office by 8:30am. Depending on the kids, this usually gives me an extra 2 hours of sleep in the morning, or an extra 2 hours with the kids.
When I have enough sleep I find that I am more productive, much more creative, my decision making skills are on point and my concentration is sharp.
Flexibility
Working close to home allows you to get things done in your personal life. Whether you decide to go before work, on your lunch break or after work, you have the opportunity to visit your local doctor, shopping centre or bank etc. It also allows you to drop your kids off to school, or if you forgot something at home you can quickly race back to pick it up.
Home in time for dinner
For those of you with kids, you know that it’s not often you get to be home to sit at the dinner table with them and enjoy a meal. I’m very fortunate that when I work from the coworking space, I am able to do this. When working from the office, if I’m lucky to leave by 5:00pm I only get home by 7:00pm. Dinner then gets pushed back till about 8:00pm.
Have a routine
Having a routine is so vital for your mental stamina. It provides you with structure, creates positive habits and increases your efficiency. It is important that your routine isn’t only getting up for work, commuting to work, working, commute home from work, eat dinner and go to bed. This has an adverse effect of what a routine should bring to your life. A routine which has a positive impact on all aspects of your life is important to your overall well-being.
Are you ready to quite the daily commute? Get in touch and I’ll share the steps you need to take to work remote.

1. Keeps you focused and alert:
   It’s no secret that exercise increases the blood flow to the brain which in turn sharpens your awareness and improves your mental capacity. I find that when I wake up at 4:30am to go for my morning run or gym workout, I am more focused and engaged throughout the entire day. When I choose to have a sleep in and skip my workout, by 1pm I feel lethargic and lack attention.
2. Exercise helps to prevent illness:
   I always say when I feel like I am coming down with a cold or flu that I’m hitting the gym to ‘sweat it out’. Though this may not work all the time and there is no exact science to it, it certainly helps and typically combats the cold or flu symptoms. Exercise can also provide both physical and mental relief from stress and keeps your body fighting fit.
3. Exercise makes you happy:
   When you exercise your body releases endorphins which interact with the receptors in your brain which triggers a positive feeling in your body. With that a neurotransmitter named Serotonin causes that happy, unbeatable feeling you get when you exercise. It helps improve your state of mind, dealing with complex issues making it easier and more constructive to make a decision.
4. Increases energy:
   Exercising when you don’t have any energy sounds counterintuitive, but choosing to hit the gym when you feel like this can actually provide a boost to your energy levels. With higher energy levels, you will feel more responsive in the office, performing at a consistently higher level within your job.
5. Gives you time to think:
   With no distractions, just you, music playing in your ears and your feet pounding the road there’s no better opportunity to think of all those great business ideas floating through your mind. I find that when I run, it gives me a chance to think about certain situations occurring in the office or play different scenarios in my mind for new business ideas. With the fresh air, oxygen in your lungs and endorphins pumping – your next big idea may come within those 30-45mins.

At Inspire Cowork, not only do we understand the benefits of exercising but we encourage it. We have partnered with Fitness Republic in Miranda which is only a few flights of stairs away from the office. With 24-hour access, classes, cardio room, weights room and showering facilities, there really isn’t much room for an excuse. If you are a member of Inspire Cowork we have negotiated some incredible rates for you! Just speak to us to find out more.

When selling a service or product you’re inevitably going to have an unhappy customer at some point.

Complaints are good because it means your customer is giving you the time and chance to retain them as a consumer:

So how do you effectively deal with an unhappy customer and ultimately retain them as a loyal customer?

1. Respond don’t react

   As difficult as it can be you must put your emotions aside. It’s understandable that business owners and loyal team members take complaints personally but it is how you respond to them which can make your business better. It is important to note that when you do respond to a complaint – be careful not to come across as patronizing. There is nothing more infuriating as a consumer when you have someone on the other side of the conversation being nice and thinking they are saying all the right things because that is what they have learnt in a 101 customer handling course and it comes across treating you like you’re a child.

2. Listen Actively

   It’s no coincidence that Listen & Silent are spelled with the same letters. It is also no coincidence that we were born with 2 ears and 1 mouth – listen twice as much as you talk. To listen actively, you must provide your full attention to your customer and pay attention to what they are actually saying.

3. Use the customer name in a genuine manner

   Your customer wants to know that you know who they are. By using their name discreetly and in a genuine manner, it reassures your customer that you have been paying attention and know who they are. There is no need to go overboard in the name usage, it is vital to open the conversation with the name, close the conversation with the name and use it at least once but no more than twice within the conversation.

4. Make notes

   Acknowledging and making reference to what your customer has said is very important. It allows you to control the conversation, and it also tells the customer that you are listening and you care. Don’t be a hero and think you can remember everything. Take notes! If you are dealing with the consumer face to face, first ask for permission to make notes before you begin to write. This will make them feel comfortable and at ease, knowing that you are taking their feedback seriously.

5. Compensation

   Compensation does not always have to be about giving something away. It’s about bettering the customer’s experience and retaining them as a consumer. Some of my most valued customers who I have built the strongest relationships with have come from a customer complaint which resulted in not giving away the house. Know your product or service, know what you’re willing to provide as compensation for certain issues and have confidence in the way you deliver your message.

6. Hold yourself, team and business accountable

   There are plenty of articles out there which tell people the best ways to complain to get something for free. These people you can typically pick up straight away as the complaint is textbook. Although you still need to be cognizant of all complaints and make sure you take every complaint seriously by holding accountability and investigating the issues presented. Avoid challenging the complaint and always offer follow up if you need the time to look into an issue.

7. Be flexible

   If you don’t have a solution right away, consider how you can make the customer content for the short-term. Sometimes it is as easy as communicating with the consumer, other times people want something, whether it be a free coffee or lunch. Again, if you know your product or service and what you are willing to negotiate on, this will make the conversation win-win for both parties.

8. Follow up as quickly as possible

   If follow-up has been promised, ensure you are prompt in your follow up. Not only is it awkward getting back to an angry or upset client or customer days after the initial complaint, but it also shows a lack of urgency and care for their feedback.

9. Say thank you and send a follow-up email.

   It is always important to thank the consumer for their time at the end of the conversation. If you have an email address available, it is always advisable to send a follow-up email, apologizing for their inconvenience and thank them for their time. It is also best to recap the complaint with the outcome and solution of the conversation. An email is also a good idea as the consumer will then have all your contact details if they don’t have so already.

10. Move on

    Don’t dwell on the complaint. You can’t take it personally. If you have a team, you should have a way where your team are empowered to make decisions to handle a customer complaint and a reporting system where everyone in the team is informed. Complaints allow for your business to improve as they usually highlight a glitch in the system. Take note, fix the problem, move on.