Take Permission

The Right Tools & Mindset For Success

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Companies become great by being human

Lessons from Apple

Apple will continue to thrive as a company after the passing of their great leader Steve Jobs.  There is no question Jobs brought unique perspective, vision and systems to Apple but he was also great at finding people who shared that passion and skill for a day like this one when he is no longer able to contribute to the company. Steve Jobs was a father, as husband and then a CEO.  His legacy will be grand not because he built a profitable enterprise, but because he improved so many lives in the process.

Steve Jobs was always human
Steve Jobs built a company that ignored the recession and has continued to outpace all competition in most categories they participate in.  Apple wins on spreadsheets because they are the most human company I’ve ever dealt with. [Read more…]

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Never assume something is simple for your customers

My son called me after his first day of preschool to tell me about his hurt knee and he got my voicemail. As you’ll hear, he’s not very familiar with voicemail.

[audio:http://traffic.libsyn.com/andytraub/90b2035d116ae7c32277a6c4740c90e5bc1bf5ad.mp3]

Lesson for the day is… [Read more…]

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Saints are screwed up; Why imperfection is popular

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Missionaries are screwed up
Missionaries are like saints right?  They’re still alive, while saints usually have to be dead to seen as a saint, but missionaries are as close as you come to a living saint.  Is there anything special about missionaries?  They go to far off places and try to love people enough to earn the right to be heard.  I know some and they’re pretty awesome people usually.  Then there’s the “very worst missionary”.  Her name is Jamie and she tells her story at Jamie The Very Worst Missionary.  I’ll be lucky to get you back to read the rest of the post after you click on that link.

Most people cuss
Jamie’s very honest.  She cusses sometimes too but honestly most Christians… [Read more…]

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Business success principles: Simplicity is the difference between failure and domination

Think like a child

My daughter is 19 months old. She can speak, sortof:

“Please” = pees
“Thanks” = tnx
“Mom” = mum
“Dad” = did

She simplifies words.  She’s a simple person.  She also uses simple things.  She’s no good at the Wii, the tv remote, books with pages that easily tear or anything with a keyboard.  Those things aren’t simple, at least simple enough for a 19 month old.

Make it easy

The iPod and iPad we own are easy for her to use.  The user only needs to know where one button is to start the device or go to the main screen.  The navigation device is dependent on contact with human skin so that’s pretty inclusive.  What is simplicity worth?  I think it’s the difference.

It’s the difference between someone returning your product or keeping it.
It’s the difference between closing a deal in one meeting instead of ten.  The more meetings, the less likely you’ll close the deal FYI.
It’s the difference between having competition or setting the standard for competition.

Get a mirror and start stripping

Look at your service, your store, your advertising, your answer when people ask, “What do you do?”.  Leave the details in the training manual and tell me how it makes my life/business/family better.  Look at yourself and strip away the extras. They more often confuse than convert. Everything else is a detail and the devil is in the details.  People don’t like to deal with the devil.  He’s tricky.