Two Ears, What You Can’t Get More Of, A Crying Inbox, and Zucchini

Happy July! If you're in the U.S., I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Independence Day holiday. That's a holiday close to my heart. The desire for freedom still rings true within my heart and other like-minded souls.

Plus, every entrepreneur wants it!

The whole reason you started a business was to be independent, to have creative license to test your ideas, and the burning desire to make your mark upon the world, which is the reason I started this newsletter.

If you’re new to THE EDGE, welcome!

My mission is to not over-complicate things. You have enough on your plate without a dense newsletter that will give you heavy marketing lessons that will take a long time to comprehend let alone implement.

This newsletter is divided into four parts:

The Leading Edge: Focusing on YOU, leadership & authority building

The Sharper Edge: Focusing on your business, sharpening the axe to get things done

The Cutting Edge: Focusing on your environment, productivity tools/hacks, and de-cluttering your space

The Italian Edge: I’m a foodie. I’ll be sharing some of my favorite recipes and food-related items in this section.

Congratulations on filling your tank. You’re going to receive a lot of good ideas for free!

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Two Ears and One Mouth

I did it again. And I always feel awful when it happens.

I wasn’t listening to Mickey, my husband.

Instead, I was checking my smartphone for updates and then got pulled into Instagram. Instagram is my addiction. I can easily go from watching adorable 4-year-olds skiing with their parents to beautiful tiny homes to amazing music videos within 30 seconds.

What’s really embarrassing is that I’ve had training on how to actively listen.

This leadership skill is often woefully undervalued. Everyone wants to know how to effectively communicate with their team but there isn’t a lot of training on how to effectively listen to them.

Even when I was a communications major in college, there wasn’t one class on how to listen. I had classes on rhetorical theory, voice and articulation, persuasive speaking, communication, and corporate culture—but nothing about how to truly listen.

Here are some ways to actively listen:

Being fully present in the conversation – This is the first thing I trip up on. I’m guilty of multi-tasking and too often, I do it with my ever-so-patient husband. Put away your phone or other digital devices and give your full attention to the person speaking to you.

Showing interest by practicing good eye contact – When I was in college, there was a guy I would talk to occasionally but for some reason, he could never look me directly in the eye. His eyes would go all over the room as he was talking to me but never landed on me. It was unsettling. One of the best lessons my father ever taught me was to look into his eyes when I talked with him. As a little girl, I would often look around. And maybe I had a wee bit of intimidation when it came to talking to him. But it was an excellent lesson. Resist the urge to look around when someone is talking to you. When they see you can directly look at them, it lets them know they’re being heard and you consider their thoughts worth your attention.

Noticing (and using) non-verbal cues – Did you know that 65% of a person's communication is unspoken? Nonverbal cues can alert you as to how a person may be feeling. For instance, if a person is a fast talker or speaks softly, they could feel anxious or fearful. If they talk slowly, they could be carefully choosing their words. One trick I learned to help people feel more comfortable with me was to match their communication styles. If they talked fast, I tried to speed up my words. If they were more thoughtful and spoke slowly, then I slowed down, too. Leaders can use this especially when they need to have more difficult conversations.

Asking open-ended questions to encourage further responses – This is one of my favorite communication skills. I love asking questions because I genuinely am curious about why people do what they do. So instead of asking, “Did you finish that project yet?” An open-ended way to ask would be, “Tell me about this project we’re working on. What have you discovered?”

Paraphrasing and reflecting back on what has been said – In the training I received for active listening, this was called “mirroring.” You simply repeat what the person just said to you. After someone vents, for instance, you reply, “Wow. So it sounds like you’re really frustrated because the buyer keeps ghosting you.” It may seem like a waste of time (especially if you’re like me and just want to move on to a solution as quickly as possible), but believe me, it can do wonders. Whatever is bothering someone is rarely what really is bothering them. But you need to give the person time to excavate their emotions. When they feel respected and safe, then they start to open up about what’s really bothering them.

Being patient – A tough challenge for any leader is to allow space in the conversation. When you listen to understand rather than to respond, you’re going to include pockets of silence. Leaders resist the urge to fill in those pockets with their own stories and instead wait for the other person to continue communicating their thoughts. The more this happens in a conversation, the more trust is built.

Withholding judgment and advice – This is familiar to anyone who has attended a 12-Step group meeting like Alcoholics Anonymous. Those meetings are filled with people sharing some of the most intimate emotions but no one in the group interrupts or gives advice. They just listen. When you present a neutral position, it allows the other person to feel comfortable sharing their thoughts. The more comfortable they feel, the more they will share what’s really going on with them. That place of trust is where leaders want to be in order to understand someone.

All of these tips not only work great with team members but with clients and prospects. Too often, salespeople want to jump in and sell their solutions without really investing the time to understand their prospect’s needs. When your prospect feels heard, there’s a good chance they’ll be much more open to hearing about how you could solve their problems.

Productivity Tips: Time Allocation

I recently told my email list that I live by my calendar and planners. I have not just one planner on my desk, but several. I have notebooks for notes, a daily planner, a project planner, a goal-setting planner, and a few more. Calendars are my close friends.

Jim Rohn, American entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker, famously said, “Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.”

“Time is more valuable than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time” - Jim Rohn

One of the most valuable lessons Mickey taught me when I started freelancing was to carefully record my time as I worked on projects. I wasn’t charging by the hour, but by tracking my time, I was able to see how long it took to complete a project. As a result, my project quotes were accurate, and rarely did I go over the time I allotted for a client’s project.

All we really have is time. Here are a few ways to become more efficient with it:

1. Set Clear Goals and Prioritize Tasks: Start your day by defining clear goals and identifying the most important tasks that align with those goals. Prioritize them based on urgency and importance to stay focused and ensure you're working on the most impactful activities. I like to set aside time on Sunday and write down my weekly goals. I review them daily and add or delete tasks as needed.

2. Use Time Blocking: Allocate specific time blocks for different types of tasks. By dedicating focused time periods to specific activities, you minimize distractions and create a structured workflow. For example, reserve blocks for emails, meetings, strategic planning, and execution. I like David Allen’s approach in his book, Getting Things Done. Do it (if it can be done in less than two minutes). Delegate it. Or defer it.

3. Delegate and Outsource: Recognize tasks that can be effectively handled by others and delegate them. Outsourcing non-core activities or hiring freelancers can free up your time to focus on high-value tasks. Use platforms like Upwork, Freelancer, or Fiverr to find reliable professionals. One helpful service I use is Scribbie for transcription. I upload my client’s interview about their book and can get it transcribed. That serves as my starting point for the first draft.

4. Adopt the 80/20 Rule: The Pareto Principle states that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. Identify the tasks that contribute the most to your business's growth and prioritize them accordingly. Focus on activities that yield the highest returns and minimize time spent on less impactful tasks.

5. Minimize Distractions: Turn off notifications on your phone and computer during focused work periods. Consider using productivity apps like Freedom or StayFocusd that block distracting websites or apps. Designate specific times for checking emails and limit social media usage to avoid getting sidetracked.

6. Utilize Productivity Tools: Incorporate productivity tools and apps into your workflow to streamline tasks and enhance efficiency. Some popular tools include:

??- Project management tools: Asana, Trello, or Monday.com for task organization and collaboration.

??- Communication tools: Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Google Workspace for efficient team communication.

??- Time tracking tools: Toggl, Harvest, or RescueTime to monitor time spent on various tasks.

??- Note-taking and organization tools: Evernote, OneNote, or Notion to capture ideas, meeting notes, and important information.

7. Automate Repetitive Tasks: Identify repetitive tasks that can be automated to save time. For example, use tools like Zapier or IFTTT (If This Than That) to automate data entry between different software systems. Implementing chatbots on your website can handle frequently asked questions without manual intervention.

8. Practice Effective Email Management: Set specific times to check and respond to emails rather than constantly interrupting your workflow. Use email filters and folders to categorize and prioritize messages. Unsubscribe from newsletters or promotional emails that clutter your inbox.

9. Take Regular Breaks: Breaks are crucial for maintaining focus and productivity. Use techniques like the Pomodoro Technique, where you work for 25 minutes and take a 5-minute break, to maintain energy levels throughout the day. Short breaks can help recharge your brain and enhance overall productivity.

10. Continuously Evaluate and Adjust: Regularly review your productivity strategies and identify areas for improvement. Experiment with different techniques and tools to find what works best for you. Stay adaptable and open to change as your business and priorities evolve.

Remember, productivity is not about doing more tasks but about doing the right tasks efficiently. When you implement these time allocation strategies and utilize productivity tools, you can maximize your productivity and achieve your goals effectively.

Is Your Inbox Crying Uncle?

I delete most emails. Still, I keep too many of them, knowing I will never revisit them to read the entire email.

I go through my Gmail account often and delete a bunch of those emails when I realize things are getting crazy in my inbox. I simply copy the sender’s email, do a search for all emails from that address, and then batch delete the lot. I always feel better after doing it.

The number of sales pitches I get is ridiculous, especially when you consider that about 90% of them are from people who never checked my website. They get quickly deleted.

I’m not going to reinvent the wheel, here. There are a lot of great articles online about how to de-clutter your inbox. I use folders to organize my important emails. They make it much easier to find what I’m looking for instead of trying to find the right email address for a search.

Here’s a good article about de-cluttering your email. I know you’ll feel better, too, after doing it!

How to Declutter Your Email Inbox for Good

The Italian Edge

It’s summertime! And you know what that means, right?

Zucchini!!

Gardeners know that when they grow zucchini, it really grows. As a result, zucchini is plentiful during the warmer months.

There are many ways to fix zucchini, but this is one of my favorites. It’s a wonderful side dish for grilled meats and can even become a main dish for vegetarians along with a side salad.

I only make a few additions to the recipe below – onions, an extra garlic clove, and I mix good Parmesan cheese with the breadcrumbs. Mmmm…. Parmesan…

I’m going to make this recipe this weekend.

From Allrecipes: Zucchini and Potato Bake

Buon Appetito!