advice Archives – Sunwapta Solutions

Entrepreneurs are risk-takers by nature. Often that means putting aside safety but, it doesn’t have to. Thinking a little more like an investor can mitigate risk and build some security into your business.

In my last article, I talked about Maslow’s hierarchy and its impacts on consumers (or overall market), your customers, and the people inside your business.

A business also has a hierarchy of needs distinct from the people in it.

For example, human physiological needs correspond to the parts […]

23 Jul 2020

How to Fight the Right Fight – Pick a Rising Trend

By Doug Wagner|2020-07-23T00:08:39-06:00July 23rd, 2020|Categories: Business Strategy, Leadership, Mindset and Motivation|Tags: advice, business, business advice, business growth, business strategy, business success, Creating Value, Entrepreneurship, Marketing Strategy, Pandemic, Rising Tide, Rising Trends, small business, small business owner, strategy, success|

“A rising tide raises all ships.” ~ John F. Kennedy

The tide is a metaphor for the overall economy. The theory is that if the overall economy is rising, everyone benefits. Conversely, if the tide is falling, everyone suffers.

Yet, is any of this consistently accurate? Does the tide affect every business the same?

Looking Closer at the Trends

To see the overall economy, you have to zoom way out. When you are at this level, you can’t easily see any details.

To find meaning – cause and effect – you […]

27 Jun 2016

Who is the Hero In Your Story?

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:09:16-06:00June 27th, 2016|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Marketing, Sales, The Good Men Project|Tags: advice, business, business advice, business success, changing roles, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, everyday heroes, happiness, leadership, manhood, marketing, masculinity, Steve Jobs, Storytelling, success, Work|

Who Is The Hero in Your Story

Great leaders and businesses have a story to tell. The best understand who the hero should be.

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Many men have lost their place in the bigger story. We bought into one narrative that has not worked out and are now struggling to find a new one as the world rapidly shifts underneath us. Some are looking for a hero, and some are seeking to become one again. We […]

24 May 2016

How Having Momentum Behind Money and Ego Can Suck Out Your Life

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:10:13-06:00May 24th, 2016|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Leadership, Mindset and Motivation, The Good Men Project|Tags: advice, business, business advice, career, choice, ego, entrepreneur, expert, Expert Culture, happiness, men, money, Newton, small business owner, success, teams, Work|

Man At Airport

Sometimes you can take a path in your business that isn’t right for you. Your choices matter.

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I know more than a few men who’ve started what they thought was the perfect business for themselves. Once momentum kicks in it can get hard to change direction. The biggest trap ends up being the one we make in our heads.

One example is the expert industry. There are variations, but the formula is pretty straight forward. You start […]

12 May 2016

Need More Money? Take a Close Look at How You’re Creating Value

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-12T11:29:28-06:00May 12th, 2016|Categories: Business Strategy, Manifast, Marketing, The Good Men Project|Tags: adding value, advice, business, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, entrepreneurship lessons, leadership, marketing, pivot, sales, small business, success, Work|

When times are tough it is tempting to play a safe game. You might want to reconsider that strategy to win in business.

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In tough times, it is tempting to tighten the belt and keep doing what you do.

Our natural inclination is to reduce the bigger risk by taking fewer risks at all; to seemingly play it safe. If you are the sole breadwinner it feels like every business mistake is taking food out of your family’s mouth.

So we get paralyzed with […]

9 May 2016

The Secret to Great Leadership is Letting Others Win

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:10:39-06:00May 9th, 2016|Categories: Doug's Blog, Leadership, Mindset and Motivation, The Good Men Project|Tags: advice, business, business teamwork, Competition, competitive, Dysfunctional Entrepreneur, entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Great Teams, leadership, manhood, mission, narcissism, passion, seeking recognition, success, winning and losing, Work, Zig Ziglar|

Winning-Competition-Leadership-and-Goats-Butting-Heads

Being competitive can be good or it can be dysfunctional. Effective entrepreneurs learn the difference.

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Most entrepreneurs are competitive by nature. Being a competitive man isn’t a bad thing.

Sometimes, we watch some men take competition to the extreme. Every interaction is a death match to prove they are winners, and everyone else is a loser. I watched a documentary about well-known billionaire developer who always had to win, even against other accomplished businessmen. In making […]

2 May 2016

Be Careful What You Ask For On the Internet

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:10:50-06:00May 2nd, 2016|Categories: Current Events, Doug's Blog, Marketing, Sales, Technology, The Good Men Project|Tags: advice, business, Comedy, exploration, forrest gump, internet, internet comments, Internet Trolls, marketing, masculinity, online bullying, pirates, polar, polls, public relations, science, small business, social media, social media abuse, Work|

You probably wouldn’t let the Internet name your baby. So what could go wrong in naming your $289 million polar research vessel?

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What happens when you are building an expensive new polar research vessel, and you want to generate some visibility for the project? Why of course, you hold a public naming contest on the Internet.

This is exactly what the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) did.

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The new ship, […]

28 Apr 2016

Your Relationship with Time and Money Is Hurting You

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-12T11:43:17-06:00April 28th, 2016|Categories: Business Strategy, Manifast, Mindset and Motivation, The Good Men Project|Tags: 80/20 rule, advice, business, business startups, entrepreneur, happiness, Investing, leverage, marketing, men and money, money, small business, small business owner, smart investing, time management, trade time for money|

Your ability to invest and leverage resources determines your success in business. How do you measure up?

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The Internet has taught us we can be experts in anything we choose. So we try to be experts in everything. Or worse, we learn just enough to fool ourselves into thinking we are experts because we don’t have the time or passion for achieving mastery.

I see this a lot with small business owners.

For example, they figure out how to build their website and do online marketing because […]

11 Apr 2016

Being Self-Aware Enough to Know Your Value is the Path to Creating Exceptional Value

By Doug Wagner|2017-04-03T11:11:02-06:00April 11th, 2016|Categories: Business Strategy, Doug's Blog, Leadership, Mindset and Motivation, The Good Men Project|Tags: achieving happiness, adding value, advice, authentic leadership, business, business advice, business leadership, Derek Sivers, Dysfunctional Entrepreneur, happiness, hidden talents, leadership, manhood, perceived value, relationships, self-awareness, success, talents, teams, Work|

Team of Self Aware Business People - Startup

With people walking the Earth claiming to be the “greatest” at everything, it is easy to lose sight of your personal potential for greatness.

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When I think of personal greatness, I don’t mean the narcissistic “look at me, look how great I am” of an adult child clamoring for constant approval. A little limelight is good for the soul. Tying your sense of self-worth to the […]