I’ve been on a continual quest to develop unique and powerful ideas that profoundly help others. One of the most often asked questions is, where do such ideas come from? As I was reflected on this question it occurred to me that a few years ago I wrote the article: I Think I’ll Invent Something New — What Are the Best Ways of Developing New Ideas. So in the spirit of improving upon what I already created and since I...

This week’s reflection point: When was the last time you updated the photos on your web site and for your marketing collateral? I find it funny when viewing peoples’ sites that the photos used are nearly vintage ones taken at the time when the light bulb was invented. Okay, not really that old, but definitely not recent! I am often asked what are the best ways to take new photos. I solicited the feedback of my creative design team and...

This week’s reflection point: Have you noticed how most babies get immediate gratification when that pacifier is placed in their mouth? I believe this early habit contributes to shape one’s mindset, which continues into adulthood. Over the years, I’ve observed that quite a few individuals look for what I call the “pacifier effect” or the silver bullet approach. Like babies demanding their pacifiers, adults too (some are clients of mine) search for immediate gratification and especially when things are not...

We are in the midst of the Republican National Convention this week in Cleveland and I couldn’t help avoid the intense media focus on Melania Trump’s speech and subsequent charges of plagiarism. She was accused of stealing verbatim from Michelle Obama’s convention speech from 2008. I listened to Governor Chris Christie defending this during an interview this morning. He acknowledged the fact that he would be thrilled if only 7% of his own speeches are plagiarized. Several years ago I...

Many of us struggle to bring products from that initial idea phase to actual completion. Projects are started and then quickly abandoned, never fulfilling their potential. And as a result, great opportunities for business growth are lost. Recently, the Chad Barr Group completed a project that had long been on the back-burner of my mind—and I want to share the important lessons I learned along the way. First of all, I’m thrilled to announce the debut of three new books...

This week’s reflection point: How will future generations remember you? This is a question many people are too afraid to ask themselves—and as a result, they avoid creating a lasting legacy for themselves and their businesses. I recently came across a quote that went something like this: “Are you going to be one of the many people who coast through life, their genius always sleeping within them?” So why not awaken the genius inside you and share it with the...

This week’s reflection point: What are the best strategic questions you ask yourself and your clients in order to create a successful future? The right strategic questions hold the power to paint, craft, and navigate your remarkable future. While tactical questions answer the how, who, and the when, strategic questions are the ones that answer the why, where, and what. Here are my favorites: Why do you exist and what is your purpose? Where do you see your organization a...

This week’s reflection point: What a week it has been as we Clevelanders celebrate the great championship win of our team, the Cavaliers! This city has been transformed; new energy, excitement and pride. There are so many lessons to be gleaned from this accomplishment and apply them from this remarkable comeback. Here is my list: Dream big and execute your plan Believe in yourself Keep the progress moving forward one step at a time Recognize the bigger cause of why...

This week’s reflection point: I am a strong believer in eliminating or minimizing our weaknesses but I especially believe in enhancing and building on our strengths. There is no better way to recognize our strengths than by simply examining what we are remarkable at. As I was reflecting on the most profound attributes that have made our clients and us remarkable, here is what comes to mind: Deliver strong value Being responsive Lead with innovative thinking Uplift their spirits Share...

This week’s reflection point: You’ve probably heard me say that powerful content creation is one of the key distinguishing attributes of great thought leaders and leading organizations. Whether you use programs such as Evernote or Trello to store your ideas, organizing the content is critical in order to achieve successful results. It all starts with the formulation of the proper categories. Here are the categories I have created for our content development: Topics: The list of all my ideas for...