LEAN FORWARD  

Eric V. Holtzclaw is founder and CEO of Laddering Works, a marketing and product strategy firm. He advises clients on the development of customer-centric products, services, marketing messages, and experiences. Eric has spent more than 20 years founding multiple start-up companies, including one of the first profitable Internet enterprises. Eric speaks regularly on evidence-based customer research, consumer trends, leadership, and entrepreneurship. His book, Laddering: Unlocking the Potential of Consumer Behavior is scheduled for release Summer of 2013. His weekly radio show, The 'Better You' Project, shines a spotlight on entrepreneurs' individual business journeys and successes. @eholtzclaw @eholtzclaw


Forget Your Industry's Best Practices

While "best practices" sound ideal, they're not enough to make your business succeed. You need to innovate.  Read story

Why Networking Doesn't Work

Working a room and shaking dozens of hands? Forget it. Re-think your networking to make lasting connections.  Read story

What's Your True Definition of Success?

Don't let other people determine how you think about success. Define it for yourself.  Read story

Why You Should Never Compromise

Forget about trying to appear diplomatic. When you compromise, you willfully give in to mediocrity.  Read story

Why You Should Trash Your Existing Systems

It's easy to blame the systems for your company's problems. But maybe you need to look at how the people fit into those processes.  Read story

Want to Start a Company? Stay as Ignorant as Possible

Forget cramming to learn your new industry inside and out. When you're starting up, ignorance makes you more creative, unique, and effective.  Read story

Fear Is a Four-Letter Word

The No. 1 factor that prevents entrepreneurs from starting a new company or meeting goals is fear. Simple ways to check your fears at the door.  Read story

9 Tips for Handling a Q&A Session

You aced the presentation--don't let the Q&A take you down. How to be ready for anything they throw at you.  Read story

How to Banish Office Politics

No company is immune from infighting and gossip. How to keep politics from damaging relationships and impacting your bottom line.  Read story

Secret to Increased Productivity: Don't Come to the Office

If your employees don't work from home, you're missing out on tons of benefits. Guidelines to make a work-from-home program work.  Read story

Hire Grandma: 5 Ways Older Workers Benefit a Business

Forget Millennials. Older workers stay late, cost less and bring real wisdom to a workforce.  Read story

How to Make $400 Million in 10 Years

5 ways to infuse your business with entrepreneurial spirit and encourage explosive growth, from Chattanooga incubator Lamp Post Group  Read story

You Control the Fate of Business in 2013

Stop hiding behind taxes and the government. All it takes is one simple choice to keep business moving this year.  Read story

Think the Fiscal Cliff is a Big Deal? Think Again.

Everyone's talking about the fiscal cliff. Please. Let's talk about small business' real problems.  Read story

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

Businesses are like relationships. Sometimes you just need to move on. But how do you know for sure?  Read story

When Company Leaders Go Astray

Not all press is good press. Just ask McAfee. What should a company do when its leader, founder or endorser goes off the rails?  Read story

Why You Should Schmooze Like Don Draper

Forget GChat. To really connect with customers, vendors and staff, sometimes you've gotta go old school, whether that means deep sea fishing or ordering ever...  Read story

Why I Never Post Job Openings

Instead, I give candidates permission to stalk me. They should find out what I'm up to, track me down, introduce themselves, let me get to know them. It works.  Read story

Bounce Back From a Bad Hire: 10 Tips

Once you realize you've made a bad hire, don't get mired in regret. Instead, focus on what to do next.  Read story

Why I--a Serial Entrepreneur--Voted for Obama

A serial entrepreneur argues that President Obama deserves his second term, since his policies have started to improve the economy.  Read story

Motivate Millennials: Take a Cue From Video Games

In my view, millennials are no more difficult to manage than past generations. Just look at the job from their perspective.  Read story

Speaking Gig Coming Up? Better Read This

Hey, Joe Biden. Look out, Paul Ryan. Here's four expert speaking tips that might even help you sharpen your strategies at the debate tonight.  Read story

On the Anniversary of His Death, 4 Leadership Lessons from Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs died on October 5, 2011. Today, as I am frequently, I am reminded of his tremendous example to entrepreneurs everywhere.  Read story

Why You Don't Want Your Next Hire to Be a Rock Star

You don't need someone just like you for every open position. Here's why you should recruit solid day-to-day operators instead.  Read story

Hiring Millennials? Here's What You Need to Know

Sometimes millennials are the best candidates for the job. Here's how to find and hire the right ones.  Read story

Why'd You Start Your Business? 3 End Goals

Before you do anything else, figure out why--in the first place--you launched your business. You need to know now what you want to get out of it.  Read story

Already a Decent Speaker? Here Are 5 Expert Tips

Every great leader must be adept at making presentations. Here's how to perfect yours.  Read story

8 Steps to Make a Great Speech

Conventions got speechmaking top of mind? You, too, can deliver an impressive presentation--at or above an eighth-grade level.  Read story

Power of Financial Transparency With Employees

Make sure your staff understands how money flows through your company. You'll improve the bottom line.  Read story

3 Cool Web Tools to Deepen Relationships With (Other) Entrepreneurs

Use technology to build stronger, more meaningful (virtual or real-life) relationships with small business owners. Here's three examples I love.  Read story

Get Your Cash Faster: 7 Shrewd Tips

Cash flow is the most important financial item for a small business owner to pay attention to. Here's how to speed it up.  Read story

Brand Messaging: Don't Get Lost in Translation

When people don't understand you, they tune you out. Make sure your customers get what you're saying.  Read story

Benefits for Same-Sex Couples? Not Complicated (to Implement)

As a small business owner, I worry about many things when it comes to human resources. Offering benefits to same-sex couples is not one of them.  Read story

My Secret Company Growth Strategy: Encourage Conflict

You'll be surprised at how quickly conflict--if you handle it right--can propel breakout company growth.  Read story

Management Strategy: Promote Employees After They Step Up

Here's how to encourage your staffers to identify by good work--not titles.  Read story

Turn Into a Rockstar Speaker: 7 Social Media Tips

If you're presenting--and you should be presenting, if you're trying to grow your business--social media can help you stand out.  Read story

QR Codes? Don't Bother. 5 Reasons

QR codes take too much consumer time and effort. My prediction: They'll go the way of Betamax tapes and Zip drives, other short-lived, overhyped technologies.  Read story

Power of Consistency: 5 Rules

Are you stopping short of the finish line? Consistency is the difference between failure and success. Here's why.  Read story

Keep Your Best Employees: 5 Steps

Looking to attract and retain the talent required to take your company out of start-up phase and onto the next level? Be open to change.  Read story

Cut Your Own Checks? You Don't Have To

As a small business, focus on what you do best. Leave most everything else up to high-speed connections, software-as-a-service vendors, and the "cloud."  Read story

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