Liz Trocchio Smith
Certified Executive Business Coach
and Trusted Advisor
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Monday, February 29, 2016 Good morning, Starbucks continues to grow relentlessly, with CEO Howard Schultz just announcing plans to open 500 new stores a year over the next five years. Much of this growth will happen in China, where Schulz is undeterred by the recent economic slowdown. While many factors contribute to Starbucks’ immunity to economic trends, most are driven by Schultz. Starbucks’ massive size hasn’t stopped him from realizing…
Monday, February 22, 2016 Good morning, A good friend and colleague of mine, Paul, recently posted his thoughts on leadership qualities in an industry newsletter. He was so right-on with his assessment that I called him and asked him if I could share his thoughts with my readers. Thank you Paul! “In my opinion and in no particular order, these are the essential qualities a person must develop and possess to exhibit…
Monday, February 1, 2016 Good morning, Whether you’re a Fortune company or an emerging business, whether you’re focused on innovation or are desperately grasping for ways to remain relevant, here are some of the non-negotiables that could allow you to redefine an industry rather than follow one. Remember that ideas should have no boundaries, but they do need constraints. Free people from limiting their ideas by saying things like “We could never do…
Monday Morning, January 25, 2016 Good morning, What if changing only one thing could make you more successful? Would you change it? Of course you would. It’s a simple change to do. All you have to do is apply some simple geometry by applying the “try-angle” to your life. The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of, and their response to, failure. This impacts every aspect of their lives. Failure is not…
Monday, December 21, 2015 Good morning, Millennials are beginning to dominate the workforce as their Gen X parents and baby boomer grandparents retire. As always, with the rise of a new generation comes heaps of criticism from those on their way out. The latest influx of fresh-faced college graduates, armed with smartphones and an appetite for innovation, brings with it plenty of targets for that criticism. But within those criticisms lie…
Monday, December 14, 2015 Good morning, With playoffs right around the corner, I came across this article in Inc. and thought it worthy of sharing. Saying you want to be the Tom Brady of your industry or business is like saying you want to be Steve Jobs. Guess what…ain’t gonna happen. The elite of the elite don’t have the same struggles as the “common” business person. When you look at the NFL…
Monday, November 23, 2015 Good morning, I love the early mornings. This information I found on Fast Company will help you see what you are missing if you are not a morning person, but wished you where! You know that waking up early is one of the best ways to be more productive. You know that many of the world’s most successful leaders are early risers. Yet no matter how hard you try, you can’t…
Monday, November 16, 2015 Good morning, Many of us have a small group of people that we reach out to whenever we make a major decision. This typically includes family members, friends, relatives, etc. For example, imagine that you are considering moving your family to another country. Who are the people you would talk to before making this decision? Those people are on your personal board of directors. For most…
Monday, November 2, 2015 Good morning, We’re not middle managers, VPs, or CEOs anymore. We’re leaders. We dive into the dark water with grins on our faces, just so our employees feel comfortable getting their toes wet. They’re unsure, and they’ll get there. But only if we call out their potential and lead with intention. For 40 to 60 hours a week, employees are still humans, with as much natural fear and…
Monday, October 26, 2015 Good morning, While reading the Dallas Morning News this weekend, I came across some leadership advice that is worth passing along. Fortune held their “Most Powerful Women’s Summit” earlier this month in Washington, D.C., where over 450 executives came together to swap stories about their careers as well as their lives. Now just because it is a “women’s summit” doesn’t mean it doesn’t apply to men or that men can’t learn something…
Monday, October 12, 2015 Good morning, We spend a lot of time with some people and we think we know them. It’s interesting to me that most of the time we all wear masks and are who we want people to think we are. But on occasion, something happens and we take that mask off, consciously and unconsciously. Consciously, we take the mask off when we feel good about the people around us,…
Monday, October 5, 2015 Good Morning, We all know the co-worker who talks endlessly in circles, struggling to explain his ideas. On the outside, we’re staring blankly ahead. On the inside, we’re screaming, “CUT TO THE CHASE, DUDE!” Chances are, we’ve stopped listening. The lesson here is delightfully summed up by Albert Einstein: “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Many people face this same challenge….