5 Lessons in entrepreneurship from a Alain Bernard, previous 4x Olympic Medalist in swimming.

• Talent will only get you so far.
  True success lies in getting up and doing the repetitive thing over and over and over again. Every time searching for the small improvement that combined, will make the difference.
  
  
• Make sure you surround yourself with the right people.
  Those that believe in you AND will tell you the truth when you need to hear it.
  
  
• Beware of the communication filters that distort information.
  Always ask yourself, what is the simplest and most precise way to transmit the message.
  
  
• Plan ahead.
  Extreme effort is not sustainable in the long run, make sure you know your timelines. Then chop your project into tiny pieces and get to work.
  
  
• Know WHY you are doing it!

A huge thank you to Alain Bernard for sharing your wisdom and lessons learned with us!

Join us at an upcoming MasterMinds event and upgrade your own entrepreneurial skills!

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The first thing people say about Eric is: "Big heart, big smile."

Eric is a part of the Grow My WHY MasterMind group since April 2023. 
Without fail he brings his good humour, his clever insights but also his questions. If the answer was not satisfactory he will keep nudging until it is clarified!

Here is what else you need to know about him!

Behind the visible traits often described by others, hides an executive with 20 years leadership experience developing teams and getting results.

He has been through the plateau many corporate managers experience after their early success. Facing and overcoming this has given him the drive to help others avoid and the same pitfalls.

Eric helps corporate managers get the promotion they deserve.
Connect with him either on LinkedIn, or have a look at the website here.

Next time you see Eric at an event, why not ask him what app or AI gadget he is currently trying out. He will be sire to have an interesting story to...

Take a good look at your business foundations and solidify your margins and profitability structure.

Date:                         13th of January 

Time:                         09:00 to 11:30

Location:                    The B-inspired Clubhouse Nyon

...

I speak 4 languages fluently, and in all of them a speak with an accent…

I speak Dutch and French with an English accent

I speak English with an Irish accent (No idea where that came from, but I often get asked if I’m Irish)

I speak a strange blend of Spanish with a mix of an Andalusian accent and South American vocabulary. Probably an English or Dutchish accent...

For a long time, I found this a little embarrassing. I don’t speak any of them perfectly.

• Where do I belong?

But in the end, isn’t it the surprising facts people discover that make us interesting in the first place?
So many of us come from everywhere and nowhere, and it’s one of our biggest strengths.

It reminds me of the discomfort often felt professionally,

Those that are generalists feel they don’t know enough about something specific.

Those that are experts in their field feel their vision is too narrow.

What are the...

"Communicate and Connect"

That was the theme of the workshop Helen von Dadelszen and I delivered for about 70 people from diverse backgrounds in Barcelona.

Communication goes through:

The non-verbal

Communication style preferences

Our voice and presence

All of this was delivered with a healthy dose of improv and hilarity

Here are a few of the key take-aways people had:

“Everyone has their own communication style, and you have to listen and observe in order to identify the best way of communicating and be understood.”

“When people are under stress, remember that’s not really who they are as a person, they are using a coping mechanism. Connect on the human level instead.”

"I've learned about us and our group spirit. Alone we go fast, together we go far."

“Letting go of fear can be fun”

Looking for a fun and insightful team building to foster connection and...

As we reach the end of year rush, here are a few things to ask yourself:

What were your goal at the start of this year

Where do you stand today

What have been your biggest learnings so far

What can you implement now to finish your year strong

Here are a few questions that we asked ourselves during our MasterMinds “Social Monday”

This happens every 5^th Monday of the month and it’s a chance to get together and reflect on and discuss a common topic that affects us all in our community.

Here are some of the takeaways:

Narrow your focus to one or two very precise objectives for the remainder of the year to finish strong.

Do some targeted networking this year end -> but before you do have a very clear “mini pitch” so people truly understand what they can reach out to you for. 

Schedule marketing efforts well ahead of time to free yourself up for the critical thinking you need to do rather than the “busy work” that...

Pieter has been part of the MasterMinds November 2023 and is part of "The Originals" who meet twice a month on Mondays at 09:00 in Nyon. 

Fun fact: He grew up on a tulip farm in the Netherlands where he developed a passion for making videos. When he moved to Switzerland in 2019 it was the right time for him to create Tulip Films.

He helps his clients tell their story effectively by using video as an impactful marketing tool. This allows them to reach theirs goal by offering a Swiss army knife of video production skills. From the very first idea to script and from production to online video distribution and every step in between.

As a man from a flat country like the Netherlands, he totally fell in love with the Alps. So every week you can find him at least once on the trail or on a via ferrata, its were he goes to relax and refresh his mind. 

Connect with him either on LinkedIn, or have a look at the website here.

Our members stories...

There's a new type of event in B-inspired town: The Role Playing Games!

There is a world of difference between knowing theoretically what to say in potentially uncomfortable situations like networking, a sales call or a contract negotiation for example - and actually saying it in a natural way.

Most of us know the theory well enough - the problem comes when we are on the spot and we struggle to get the words out in a way that sounds as good in reality as it should do according to the theory.

That's why we launched the role playing games!
It evolved out of a hot seat session where we spent the time role playing the cold sales call. As a result we all felt enlightened having leant from each other and seeing in a very practical way the different approaches.

Why are these conversations hard?
Typically what these situations have in common is that we have a perceived imbalance of "power". One person has something the other wants. And you want them to give it to you. In...

Seize the grey November months to join a feel good challenge. The 12 days of Kindness


A few years ago, I created a very simple kindness challenge, inspired by the run up to the Christmas period and slightly triggered by how we put a special focus on giving around the Christmas season..... But what about the rest of the year? 

When I posted this on LinkedIn it sparked a bit of debate in that sense to my surprise.
Something along the lines of: "Why do we need a challenge to help us be kind? We should be kind all year round." Clearly that was not what I was aiming for, in the end it sparked the thought process so it's still a win!

The Kindness challenge is a sequence of short emails, one a day for 12 days. In them you receive a fresh idea every day to do something nice for those around you. Ideas that won't take up too much time, energy or mental power. Here is an idea to get you started:
Send your parents or a loved one flowers  

You can register to the email sequence here...

HAVING a strong network, and LEVERAGING it can be two different things entirely. If you're anything like me, here is how the difference makes itself obvious.

I know a lot of people, I provide support willingly, I refer strong professionals to each other with great enthusiasm.
But I rarely know (or dare to), channel that in the direction of my own business.

It's one if the things I want to break through together; The PERCEIVED taboo of the dreaded "self promoting".

The term sounds negative in itself. I instinctively get a little "icky" feeling about it.
But the truth is we probably don't talk enough about what we do, and/or we are not clear enough as we feel conflicted in doing it.

Let's start with banning the term"self promoting" and reframing it with "speaking of what we feel passionate about".
Once we've done that, here are a few ideas on how you can leverage our network and increase your business growth through the opportunities a strong network can bring you....