Congratulations! You’ve successfully built your business through the 4 stages of growth, each with its own challenges and opportunities. You have survived the iffy startup phase where you faced bankruptcy on a daily basis. You then attracted a few key customers to keep the lights on and achieve cash flow in the build-up stage. You effectively navigated all the growth pains to establish a wide market in the build-out stage. And you have finally achieved stability in the enterprise stage.
Through all those challenges you held steadfast to the guiding principles that kept you on course and saw your company through the tough times. But now, with specialization, loss of the big picture, and fading history, you begin to wonder what is the best way to keep your founding spirit alive and in practice. You begin to wonder if your principals and culture will be lost. You begin to wonder if your company will get “corporatized” to the point that it becomes “just another place to work”? Or, is there some way to keep it special, compelling, and relevant to the new generations?
Now, while the economy is basically on “hold”, is an opportune time to preserve your legacy with the entertaining and educational Business Audio Theatre format. Here’s 5 good reasons why now is a good time:
- Impermanence
As much as we would like to think that we will always be there to guide our business, we won’t. The stark fact that nobody lives forever is becoming even more obvious with the pandemic. How much of your culture is a result of you being the watchdog? What happens when you are gone? Or better yet, what can you do now that will preserve your history and the essential principles you want your people to practice in the future? How can you create a permanent record and message that will outlast you?
- Recollection
Why not get it down while it’s still fresh in your memory? It will never be fresher. You can still remember the seminal scenes that made the difference in your business, those watershed, and “Ah-Ha!” moments that were insightful, decisive, and oh so telling. Your memory is still sharp and you can still easily put names to faces and places to events. You have no difficulty recalling the dialogue, the setting, the actions and outcomes. And with Business Audio Theatre, you will have a professional guide to capture it all.
- Collaboration
Others who are key to your story are still with us. They are ready to collaborate the details and add validation to your story. Our script writer will interview the key people in your story to bring the dialogue to life. The nuisances, accents, and intonation of these characters will give your story the credibility it needs to be taken seriously, the local color to be engaging, and character development to be entertaining. Now, while they still remember their past, they can be interviewed by our playwright who will round out the dialogue to make it all the more authentic.
- Re-Messaging
Whether your people will continue to work from home or whether you intend to lure them back to the office, you will need to solve new problems that have emerged as a result of this pandemic. Many of these challenges will continue far beyond the pandemic. What are they? Simply, they revolve around your company’s culture and message. Who are you? Where did you come from? How did you get into this business? Why should I work for you? If at home, how do I know your story, principles, and values? How do you want me to treat vendors, co-workers, and customers, and why? Why should I continue to work for you? How can I identify with what you stand for and justify going back to work for your company?
- Recruitment
Attract and retain the kind of folks you want to work with, the folks who share your values, the people who are motivated by your story and want to be a part of the next chapter. Get your story out there ahead of time. Make it a download on your website. Make it a required listen for all applicants. Make a big part of the interview about that story and its implications to your company’s mission, vision, values, and culture. Reduce your training time by attracting the folks who identify with your story and appreciate the history of the company you have built – before they even apply!
Save Your Story Now!
Business Audio Theatre gives your company a lasting and effective tool that is entertaining, engaging, and educational. Seize the opportunity to have it in place and ready for your employees, old and new. And seize the opportunity at this pivotal moment when we are all wondering how we are going to keep and engage remote workers and prepare to welcome them back to an improved company culture. There’s never been a better time to preserve your legacy than right now!
Who We Are
Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey co-authored the New York Times bestselling business book, The Barefoot Spirit: How Hardship, Hustle, and Heart Built America’s #1 Wine Brand. The book has been selected as recommended reading in the CEO Library for CEO Forum, the C-Suite Book Club, and numerous university classes on business and entrepreneurship. It chronicles their humble beginnings from the laundry room of a rented Sonoma County farmhouse to the board room of E&J Gallo, who ultimately acquired their brand and engaged them as brand consultants. Barefoot is now the world’s largest wine brand.
Beginning with virtually no money and no wine industry experience, they employed innovative ideas to overcome obstacles, create new markets and forge strategic alliances. They pioneered Worthy Cause Marketing and performance-based compensation. They built an internationally bestselling brand and received their industry’s “Hot Brand” award for several consecutive years.
They offer their Guiding Principles for Success (GPS) to help entrepreneurs become successful. Their book, The Entrepreneurial Culture: 23 Ways To Engage and Empower Your People, helps corporations maximize the value of their human resources.
Currently they travel the world leading workshops, trainings, & keynoting at business schools, corporations, conferences. They are regular media guests and contributors to international publications and professional journals. They are C-Suite Network Advisors & Contributing Editors. Visit their popular brand building site at www.consumerbrandbuilders.com.
To make inquiries for keynote speaking, trainings or consulting, please contact sales@thebarefootspirit.com.
