In the quest for achievement and getting your business to the next level, it’s easy to obsess about if you’re doing the right things. Sometimes doing nothing at all can create new opportunity.

The conventional viewpoint is the path to accomplishment and achievement is the result of consistently doing many things right. True enough, success is the result of productive actions–eventually. However, getting there (where ever that is for you) is not always a nice straight line. The road to any accomplishment can have many detours and side trips. After a period of time, and experiencing no results, it gets more palpable to believe you might be wasting your time and resources barking up the wrong tree or digging holes for gold in the wrong places.

How do you know what activities are on course or off course toward your goal of accomplishment? You don’t know and you can’t know. And that’s where your intuition comes into play–the part of you that knows the unknowable yet trusts the process anyway. Maybe no action at all is the effective thing to do.

Let’s put this idea of “no action” into a business context by sharing a story with you that illustrates what we’re talking about here. Recently, a management consultant colleague of mine was sharing with me the severe downturn in his business when he really wasn’t sure where his next client was coming from. Here’s the story:

“In the fall of 2008 everything on my calendar cancelled as the world went into financial panic. After about 15 minutes of, “Oh shit…!!” and thinking I needed to hustle up some work, I realized that I really wasn’t enthused about that and didn’t find the energy to do that day to day. So, I centered myself and asked, “What if this is for me?”

Somewhere in the panic of not having control over his future by not knowing where his next gig was coming from, he stopped and listened to his inner voice asking the question:

“What if this is for me?”

He went on to share that because he had the available time, why not get into a few projects that were an important part of his future but not directly related to finding a new client. One of those projects was writing a book (no small under-taking)!  He continues his story:

“The process of writing my book has lead to all kinds of opportunities I would have never thought of. And the biggest amount of work with a client company I’ve had to date showed up. I just successfully negotiated by far the largest contract of my career. I believe that happened because I let go of any need to hustle up work. I let go of any need to push to make some money (at least for a while). I didn’t really set out to let go of working for money, it just sort of happened as I put my full energy into the book”.

Think about that for a minute. Here’s a person who needs clients and cash flow. By any measure the “right” thing to do was put more energy into selling a new client. Instead, following his intuition (which had other plans), led him to put the focus on something completely unrelated to selling in new business.

As a result of stepping back and taking no action on the reasonable course– my colleague secured the largest contract of his consulting career!

Note to self: chill, relax, be open, think bigger! Here’s the “aha moment” and take away experience my colleague shared with me:

“Once again I was reminded, and validated, that this is a benevolent universe designed to work. What I need to do is show up, recognize what shows up, cooperate and participate with that, let it go when it’s time and repeat the process.

The timing hasn’t necessarily been mine. But time and again I’ve seen (usually in hindsight) that the timing and outcome was much better than had it gone “my way”. This process has required huge amounts of trust and faith, but after a number of outcomes that justified the trust and faith, I can now say that I moved into a knowing (beyond trust and faith). I may not always be in the knowing but I will never forget that there is such a place and I’ve experienced it”

Next time you’re thinking about making the right moves doing things “your way” to solve a particular business challenge, step back, do nothing, listen to your intuition ask you the all important question:

“What if this (circumstance) is for me?”

Creative people walk a fine line. That’s especially true for those creative people who are building businesses around their talent and their desire to create success doing what they love to do. The razors edge of creative freedom to do it your way and having the marketplace accept your work is a very fine line indeed.

Recently my son Brad sent me a YouTube link to a 1974 animated short film adapted from Nobel Laureate Hermann Hesse’s classic 1927 novel, “Steppenwolf.” This is “The Tractate on the Steppenwolf”, a description of the protagonist beautifully played by Max Von Sydow. This animation is by the artist Mati Klarwein, (who was also responsible for classic album covers for Miles Davis and Santana).  I encourage you to check it out. The text still stands the test of time, and beautifully supports the theme of this post.

There’s a fine line, a razors edge between the beast who craves the freedom of wild creative expression and the human who craves to fit into the marketplace at all costs.

The beast within.
For those who identify themselves as creatively and artistically expressive, the beast within is your inherent nature being an outlier- wildly expressing your passion, your fire, your untamed desire, your creativity and innovative thinking. According to Hesse’s classic, when the beast within is let out, the human part (marketplace) labels this passion “brute” and  “beast” and “spoils all pleasure in his happy and wild wolf’s being”.

Do you tame your beast and conform to the “bourgeois” status quo marketplace?  Of course, the answer may lie in an endless search for balance between these two dynamic tensions. The balance however, can sometimes feel like the middle of the road. And nothing is more frustrating to your creative nature than clawing your way to the middle!

I don’t believe you can build a business that will sustain your creative energies over the lifetime of your career unless you allow your beast its moments to run free. It’s easy to be frightened of the beast and settle for the voice of the marketplace. So many entrepreneurs in creative professions get comfortable way too soon.

The beast dies, then the fire goes out trapped in the belief the customer is always right and then take another order. All vanilla and routine.

Throw away a thousand advantages to protect your liberty.
For those brave enough to let the beast run free, they will experience moments of happiness and satisfaction with such strength and conviction that “the momentary spray of their ecstasy is flung so high over the wide sea of suffering that the very light of it touches others with its enchantments”.

Now that’s what I call competitive advantage!

Go ahead take a walk on the wild side.

In an era of abundant choice, every entrepreneur must differentiate their value proposition from the slush pile of competitors. In the above video, you can learn some ideas useful for creating competitive advantage in your creative business.

Back in May 2011, I was invited to speak to the AIGA Santa Barbara Chapter on the subject of business development. The venue for the talk was a tasting room and wine cellar in dowtown Santa Barbara. The audience consisted of creative professionals from the Central Coast region of California, and included independent designers, advertising agency principals, web developers, writers, photographers and illustrators.

I have been in the creative services business for nearly 30 years. I know first hand the business development challenges that face independent creative professionals. It’s a constant struggle to find clients, serve them well and get paid what you’re worth. In the video, I offer some advice and six strategies that can help you reframe your thinking about business development and creating the success you desire in business. You can also download my FREE booklet on the subject here.

The world is moving and changing so fast, it’s nearly impossible for one mind to keep up. In a time of much confusion and disruption, the secret to creating a significant life is: one thing.

I’m reminded of the pivotal scene in the movie “City Slickers” when cowboy Curly, holding up one finger, tells Billy Crystal’s dismayed character “Do you know what the secret to life is?”

The answer is one thing– nothing more, and that’s what you have to figure out. Take Curly’s advice. No sense burning daylight my friend.

One thing– you must focus all your unique talents, capabilities and resources on one thing.  Discovering your one thing and committing to pursuing it in the face of all difficulties and challenges is the measure of a life well lived. Your one thing is the only thing that will bring you life-long fulfillment, joy and satisfaction.

For many creative entrepreneurs and solo professionals, this “one thing idea” can be problematic. Creative people are naturally predisposed to curiosity and distraction. They enjoy the diversity of doing it all. At the early stages of business success, it’s tempting to cover as much ground as you can in order to create as much opportunity as possible. But you won’t discover your great work attempting to be all things to all people. Nor will you be able to do it either.

You have to focus on one thing and get famous for it. So famous in fact, you’ll always have more opportunity than you have capacity. Build your personal brand around your one thing. When you do, opportunity will find you, not the other way around.

Your one thing is your life’s great work.

A house divided against itself cannot stand. This timeless expression of wisdom applies to your mental energies too. You can’t divide your attention, your time, and your money across a spectrum of activities and build the deep and narrow expertise that will define and distinguish your great work. You can’t be great at everything. Don’t even try.

Make the decision to follow your heart because there is no better alternative.

Doing your greatest work, making your significant contribution to the world requires the art of sacrifice. Once you free your mind from the temptation of chasing random opportunities, you’ll have the clarity and confidence to open up and trust your one thing.

On the trail of discovery of your one thing.

Discovering your one thing is not an easy matter.  It’s not for city slickers – it’s rough, rugged and scary. You’ll have to be willing to venture far out into the rugged frontier of your own life without a map. And as you explore the trail, far past your own conventional wisdom, be patient. Your one thing will take it’s own sweet time revealing itself to you.

Along the way, you’ll face intense inner resistance. The discovery of your one thing will challenge you to elevate your own thinking, your beliefs, your associations, and the quality of your presence.

Here’s a hint–your one thing will involve your greater contribution to serve the good of others.

Your one thing will always involve your higher nature, your inherent talent and skills. It comes from within you, and you are a genius at doing it. No one else on the planet can do your one thing. The one thing will always require you to do what really matters to you.  Only then can you serve the good of others and fulfill your destiny.

As we like to say around here – your one thing is found at the white hot center of who you really are. Once discovered, you won’t want to do anything else. You won’t be able to do anything else.

That’s why the resistance is such an awesome clue for discovering your one thing. In every area of your life, if you are experiencing resistance, you’re going in the wrong direction. Turn around and go the other way.

Go ahead and put all your eggs in one basket.

Whatever it is–to discover your one thing, you have to be all in. You’ve heard the expression “99% is a bitch and 100% is a breeze”.  Once you make the irrevocable decision to follow your heart’s desire, the unseen forces will conspire to help you along the trail. But you have to be all in regardless. Nothing less will do.

Think about it. What clues do you already have about your one thing?

It’s such an easy thing for creative entrepreneurs and solo professionals to fall victim to–placing more value on the deliverable and not the manner in which the value is delivered.

Being brilliant at solving problems and creatively expressing solutions that satisfy client’s is the name of the game. But doing great work is not enough to give your business a competitive advantage. You (and your team) must be equally skilled in the art of consultmanship. Let me ask you a few basic questions:

Do you (and your team) deliver on everything you promise?

Do you (and your team) initiate difficult conversations that keep your client fully informed and prepared on important details of the project’s progress or challenges?

Do you (and your team) bring new or additional insight, advice and ideas to support and elevate your client’s role within their organization?

If your answers aren’t an emphatic yes, then you might want to consider putting more focus on your consultmanship–the manner in which you (and your team) behave and treat your clients while you are engaged in creating solutions for them.

The manner in which you deliver solutions determines your competitive advantage–not just the quality or usefulness of the solution.

Clients have many alternatives to you when seeking a solution. Solutions are a given. Clients care about something more important–being recognized within their organizations for having the good sense to hire you in the first place. Clients pay for trust and security, not just deliverables.

To gain a competitive advantage with your client, you (and your team) have to deliver in spades on the trust component. You earn their trust, and when you have their trust, you’ll also have their respect for the value you are providing them. Your client would never think about considering anyone else but you because it would not be in their own personal interest to do so. To get this going for you in your business development, you (and your team) must be expert at consultmanship.

Here are some practical suggestions for improving your level of consultmanship skills:

At the beginning of the project conversation, never ask “what’s your budget?”.
Rather you need to be asking your client questions about their pain or need first. When you listen carefully, the client will always reveal to you the value of the solution to them.You’re there to provide insight, advice and guidance, building a rapport that builds the client’s trust in you (and your team). You’re not there to simply take an order. Anybody can do that!

Naturally, you have to determine early in the conversation if the client has the minimum money you require to solve their problem. But if your client believes and trusts in you to ease their pain and deliver the desired outcome, they’ll come up with all the money necessary to hire you. Remember the client determines the value of the solution, not you. When you get this down, your fees will rarely be  considered “too high”, and chances are, you’ll command a premium too.

Managing expectation is your responsibility.
Never over-promise, always over-deliver. You’ve heard that a million times. Before you begin any project, it’s critical you and your client have a shared vision and expectation about what success will look like at the other end. When you (and your team) say you will do something, you better do it and put some sugar on it too. It’s easy to find yourself saying “sure, no problem, we can throw that in the deal” over-committing yourself (and your team) to curry favor to win business. Remember the old expression “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”.

You disappoint your client on any level just once, and you will secure the fate you deserve. Rarely will you get a second chance to be trusted. Say no early and often!  Use discernment and careful judgement about what you say yes to.

Everything you do must be of the highest professional standard.
This means the quality of your presence, the quality of your materials, your communications and delivery systems. Your client needs continued reinforcement in their decision to hire you. Your actions and behavior is how you reassure them along the way of their good judgment to hire you (and your team). Your behavior will also influence and elevate the quality of your client’s presence and stature within their organization. It’s all about them not you!

Provide more use value than you are paid in cash value.
At the end of the day, your client must have the perception your solution has provided them more use value (benefit) than the money they have paid you.  This is a fundamental principal of competitive advantage, prosperity and wealth. When you (and your team), by the nature of your talent and contribution to your client’s desired outcome, are valued more than money, you will command premium pricing and favored status.

Never send a bill that’s a surprise to your client.
You must never under any circumstances place your client in a position to question your bill.  When a client receives your invoice, it will always reflect the agreement you have previously made. Nothing will kill a business relationship faster than a surprise invoice–nothing is more deadly to your future.

Consultmanship is the critical skill you (an your team) must master in every level of the client engagement.  How you deliver is as important (arguably more) than what you deliver.

Consultmanship is more than good customer service. It’s a heightened awareness of what’s important to the client over the course of completing the project. It requires a method of delivery without the client ever having to ask. You’re there to lead. And leadership is service in disguise. The process of working with you (and your team) must rock your client’s world.

Year end is a fitting time to check in, take the pulse, and add up the score. With that in mind, allow me to share the Official White Hot Center 2011Year End Rant.

For many people following a vision for a bigger future, it’s common practice at year-end to check the score, assess the situation, take your pulse, make plans, and set goals for the next round of accomplishments in the year to come.

If you’re the type who engages in year-end ruminations and goal setting, it’s a good idea to begin the process by asking yourself these questions:

•     why am I following this vision?
•     why am I still driven to keep going?
•     why do I want this desire?

Having clarity about these answers is essential if you’re to continue to engage and pursue your vision for a bigger future with joy, passion and lightheartedness. After all, the whole idea here is to be creating your life in an easy and relaxed manner-in a healthy and positive way!

You need to stay deeply connected to the purpose behind all your desires for accomplishment. Without purpose driving the desire for accomplishment, you’ll never appreciate any of your accomplishments.

With that in mind, allow me to share the Official White Hot Center 2011 Year End Rant. It has been a particularly challenging year. I sum it up this way:

I feel like a racehorse trapped in the barn.  I’m kicking hard to bust out, expending precious energy needed for the race. And make no mistake I want to run (and win) some more races. Here I am with all this talent and capability, yet everything I am doing sounds like one hand clapping.  I feel frustrated, anxious, irritated, blocked and stuck.

Right now, I’m asking myself the tough “why” questions.  Why am I doing this?

Like you, I have a vision for my life and I’m committed to achieving it.  I’m asking “what’s working, what’s not” with all the year-end introspection and reflection I can muster. I’m once again connecting to my answer to “why do I want this?  My answer keeps me in the game!

The risks and challenges involved in the creation and realization of any vision will always bring you back to your purpose–your reason for being here and doing here. Risks and challenges will always be present for entrepreneurs. They’re baked into the experience of being the type person who creates value for others first.  There are no guarantees things will work out–even when you play by the rules and do the right things.

For many of my colleagues and clients this has been a challenging year too. Our economic malaise is a shadow cast over everything right now. There is a heavy worry tax paid on every business development activity. It’s getting more difficult to connect and be in front of the right people who represent the best opportunity.

Knowing why you’re still stoked to be in the game is essential to keep you in the game.

Despite any evidence that nothing is working, everything you desire to bring to the world begins within you. When you know why you’re engaged in something really important to you, it gets easier to believe everything required to make it happen you already have within you. You can’t create anything from “out there”.

In spite of the challenges of  this past year and those to come next, I am, more than ever, committed to my vision for a bigger future. My purpose provides the  reason why I continue to keep moving, learning and growing each and every day:

My purpose is to share my talent, expertise, knowledge and wisdom helping creative people BELIEVE and SEE their vision for a bigger future. I love to create and express ideas, forms and structures people can use as maps and vehicles for their success journey.

I’m so happy and grateful NOW that I am creating the success I desire doing what really matters to me. I love working and collaborating with successful people who value my contributions to their success. All that’s required for my success available to me at all times. I am creating the life I desire in an easy and relaxed manner, in a healthy and positive way.

There you have it. Why not make 2012 the best year yet? To all the good readers of the growing White Hot Center blog, I wish you a joyous Holiday Season and PROSPERITY in the New Year!

Thanks for all your comments, support, trust and confidence you have given my work here. To your inspired success,

Thomson