In the fall of 2007, guest visits were declining, sales and profit trends were negative, and the stock price had dropped from $34 in 2002 to $13. The brand was stagnant, and relations between the company and its franchise owners were strained. Cheryl Bachelder was serving as a member of the board of directors for Popeyes’s food chain, when her fellow board members turned to her and said, “We need you to be our CEO.” She grabbed the reigns and went to work. Today the share price is $52, nearly 17% compounded annually over the past 9 years, and the business is…
Where do you draw your line? A few years back my wife noticed a persistent beeping noise coming from the garage. Upon further investigation she realized that it was originating from the control panel of Buddy’s invisible fence. Buddy was our family pet at the time, a high-energy yellow lab. The beep is a warning signal that is transmitted whenever the electronic fence has been compromised. When the boundary was broken, Buddy’s shock collar no longer worked, and he had the ability to escape the confines of his half-acre playground, without a sharp pain to his neck. But here’s the…
Where do you draw your line? A few years back my wife noticed a persistent beeping noise coming from the garage. Upon further investigation she realized that it was originating from the control panel of Buddy’s invisible fence. Buddy was our family pet at the time, a high-energy yellow lab. The beep is a warning signal that is transmitted whenever the electronic fence has been compromised. When the boundary was broken, Buddy’s shock collar no longer worked, and he had the ability to escape the confines of his half-acre playground, without a sharp pain to his neck. But here’s the…
Do you sometimes feel like the regulators are running your practice instead of you? Like your business lacks direction? Trying to find purpose in your role as an Advisor? If so, you may have entered the “drone zone.” Everybody knows what a drone is – a flying robot known as an “unmanned aerial vehicle.” These flying machines got their name from the real drones – male honeybees. A few hundred drones live in a colony (hive) with about fifty thousand females called worker bees and one queen bee. Drones gather no nectar or pollen and have no stinger. The…
Do you find yourself with no time to think? Running at an unsustainable pace? Need a retreat? You’re not alone! General Oliver P. Smith was a highly decorated combat veteran and Commander of the 1st Marine Division in the Korean War. In November of 1950, he was given orders to go as fast as he could north to the Yalu River, the border of China and North Korea. Rather than move at the pace commanded, he continuously slowed his division’s march to the point of near insubordination. But he didn’t just drag his feet. All along the way he established…
Do you find yourself with no time to think? Running at an unsustainable pace? Need a retreat? You’re not alone! General Oliver P. Smith was a highly decorated combat veteran and Commander of the 1st Marine Division in the Korean War. In November of 1950, he was given orders to go as fast as he could north to the Yalu River, the border of China and North Korea. Rather than move at the pace commanded, he continuously slowed his division’s march to the point of near insubordination. But he didn’t just drag his feet. All along the way he established…
Want to help your clients retire with a great ROL (return on life)? Then help them with something other than their money. Help them with the things money can’t buy; purpose. An article from Inc., states that 91% of happy retirees are either “very” or “extremely” comfortable with their sense of purpose. On the other hand, 89% of unhappy retirees are either “slightly” or “not” comfortable with their sense of purpose. The Advisor of the future will help people attain their financial goals and their life goals. If Stephen Covey was right when he said, “Start with the end in mind”,…
A recent Eaton Vance survey of 1,000 FAs, released in February of this year, shows that 71% don’t understand the Department of Labor Fiduciary Rule. If you’re a Financial Advisor, it’s time you understand it. Yesterday the Obama Administration released its fact sheet on the DOL’s Fiduciary Rule that “cracks down on conflicts of interest in retirement savings plans, ensuring that retirement savers get investment advice in their best interest” (their words not mine). The rule is supposed to help Americans save more for retirement and reduce fees and commissions. Opponents say the rule is altogether unnecessary, a death sentence…
“Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce. Special orders don’t upset us. All we ask is that you let us serve it your way!” These lyrics to the catchy Burger King jingle said to the world in 1974, “Forget McDonalds and their rigidity…we’ll make your burger just like you want it.” This resulted in a healthy increase in gross sales and profits for Burger King. McDonalds soon followed suit, becoming more flexible with their orders. Do your clients get it “their way” or “your way”? With so many choices out there, it’s a question more relevant today than ever before. When…
What can a Financial Advisor learn from a first grader in a bear market? Empathy! I was a Financial Advisor for over twenty years. I can tell you there are few things worse than the feeling you get when markets begin to tank. You’re reminded that you’re not in control, a fact that brings no comfort in the midst of your slip-sliding circumstances. It just feels terrible. Blair Walsh is one of the best place kickers in the NFL. In his four year career, the former Georgia Bulldog has missed only one time from 29 yards or less. Well, not…