Reib Law April 2019

Reib Law April 2019

REIB LAW

SHATTERPROOF NEWSLETTER

APRIL 2019

WWW.REIBLAW.COM | 940.591.0600

Getting together for a Mastermind session was one of the most valuable experiences of my time in San Diego. With a group of 18 other respected business owners, we shared successes and workshopped one another’s challenges. I always find that when you bring a group of people together who have similar goals, are on similar paths, and have a mentor who’s a few paces ahead of them facilitating, so much can be accomplished.

SPRING BREAK IN SAN DIEGO GOING TO THE NEXT LEVEL AS A BUSINESS OWNER

As a leader, when you step down from being in charge for a day — or even better, a few days — you get to see everything in a new light. You get a break. People aren’t looking to you for ideas, and you get to be led by someone you admire. I didn’t have to come up with the agenda during the conference in San Diego, and it was great! Once you get past someone else running the show, it’s relaxing. It was like my own Spring Break. When you help others solve problems, you also form new relationships with people. You learn new practices from each other, and you find out what’s worked for others, and just as importantly, what hasn’t. There are so many takeaways that come out of every Mastermind I attend. Coming back to the office, I was excited to share what I’d learned. My time in San Diego was valuable, not just in getting a little time away but also in reorienting my perspective and helping me hone in on what I need to do to move my business to the next level. This month, I’ll be busy implementing the priorities I defined in the workshop and during my Mastermind session. I’m looking forward to a busy, productive spring. What are you excited about this season?

A few weeks ago, I returned from Spring Break. It didn’t consist of a cruise to Cancun, but it was nevertheless a refreshing few days away from the office that allowed me to refocus my business priorities. I returned with a game plan and some ideas to share with my team to start implementing right away. The day I arrived in San Diego, it was rainy and cold — not exactly the sunny California weather I’d pictured when I booked my trip. By the next morning, though, the sun was out and it was a pleasant 60 degrees. I woke up early and had a rare hour of time to myself before my first meeting. San Diego is a really cool city, and since I was staying in the heart of downtown, I took the opportunity to explore it. The city felt vibrant and alive; people were grabbing coffee, getting their morning bagels, and moving about their days. It’s not often I have an hour to myself just to wander around, and I enjoyed spending that time taking in a new city. Everything was within walking distance, which made for a great experience. A while later, I headed to my first meeting and immersed myself in the task at hand. I switched into performance mode. Our presenters shared some great information, and I got valuable insight into what I’m doing well and what I can do better.

–Scott

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TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

IS TRANSPARENT SEPARATION RIGHT FOR YOUR COMPANY?

• The company has time to find a suitable replacement, resulting in a smoother transition.

Getting fired is a horrible experience. Losing a job is hard on an employee, and terminating an employee can create a whole mess of grief for a company. In a 2018 article for Harvard Business Review, Investopedia CEO David Siegel laid out his strategy to avoid the troubles of termination by offering a more considerate approach to firing: transparent separation. In a transparent separation, when underperforming employees are informed that their tenure with the company is coming to an end, they are given a time frame to look for a new job before their last day. Employees are asked to keep the arrangement confidential and are expected to maintain job performance. Siegel states that employees who abuse the goodwill of transparent separation should be let go immediately. Transparent separation is a wild departure from the traditional termination playbook, but Siegel insists that the strategy offers some incredible benefits, such as the following:

• Remaining employees feel more comfortable when they don’t have to worry about “disappearing” overnight.

Even with all these positives, Siegel notes that transparent separation may not be the best course of action for every employee termination. For example, if the soon-to-be-ex- employee is a manager whose toxic behavior is harming the work environment, they need to be shown the door immediately. Siegel claims that in two-thirds of cases, transparent separations offered the best outcome both for the company and the former employee. There are potential drawbacks to transparent separation. Opponents to this strategy note the potential damage a disgruntled employee can cause after being told they are losing their job. Some employees may even prefer to collect severance and leave so they can fully focus on the job search. Is transparent separation the answer to all your termination woes? The jury’s still out; there’s no one-size-fits-all solution to any business problem. What works great for one company might not be best for another. But if you think the pros outweigh the cons, transparent separation might be worth considering the next time your company has to say goodbye.

• Departing employees avoid the struggle of trying to find a new job while unemployed.

• There’s reduced legal risk that the company might be sued by an angry employee.

•

Managers are not cast in an adversarial role for abrupt firings.

REASSESSING TIME MANAGEMENT IDENTIFYING PRIORITIES AND HONING IN ON THEM

Have you ever had one of those weeks where you feel like you did a ton but have little to show for it? I know it’s not just business owners who feel this way — almost everyone has experienced it. While I’ve gotten better at managing my schedule over the years, I still struggle with certain aspects of time management; prioritizing is my challenge. There are so many things to do in a day that I struggle to focus on the most important. I’ve made a conscious effort this year to improve my prioritization skills. I started by really looking at how I spend my time. Every night, I plan out the next day by writing a list of what I need to accomplish. I use my iPad to track my time in 30-minute increments and start adding things for 7 a.m. After three days in a row of this routine, I started to see patterns for what I needed to add and what I needed to eliminate. This exercise keeps me focused on the high-priority tasks. It frees up more of my time so I can work on projects I’ve identified as crucial to my business.

this, I’ve gotten more realistic about what I can do in a day. I typically stick to 10 tasks that are related to the three projects I’ve identified as my priorities. Throughout the day, I check off what I’ve done (or list what I did instead). Looking back, I can evaluate and decide how I did in a given day or week and adjust from there. The problem with the old running-in-place strategy is that while you might maintain the status quo, it keeps you from moving forward. You need to find a way to gain momentum toward your goals. I encourage you to begin with a list. Write down several goals every night that you have identified as your priorities for the year. From there, the only tasks that should go on your list for the coming days are those that move you toward your goals.

This means I start every day with a game plan. From 7 a.m. on, I know what my day looks like. As I’ve been doing

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BUSINESS OWNER JOSEPH CORCORAN SHARES HIS FAST TRAC EXPERIENCE

“It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.” –Joseph Corcoran, Kleening Made Affordable THE BENEFITS OF BOOTCAMP When Joseph Corcoran, owner of Kleening Made Affordable and an Access client, made the decision to try Scott Reib’s Fast Trac Bootcamp, it changed his business for the better. Here, he explains what made enrolling in the bootcamp one of the best decisions he’s ever made. Scott gave me the nuts and bolts and pointed me in the right direction. He’s great at that. I’ve been running my business for almost 30 years, so I wasn’t putting out fires, but I needed help planning for the future. I used Scott’s guidance in a proactive way that set me up for security and protection. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. One of the cool things about Scott is that he’s very down to earth. He’s different than most attorneys — you can relate to him, and he’s easy to speak with. He’s not speaking a different language; he gets what you’re asking. When he shares information, it just makes sense.

he answers right away, saying, “Here’s what you do.” He’s a super smart and nice guy.

For me, there were a couple things in particular Scott helped with. He helped me make sure I’m completely protected by creating a secure structure for my business. I’m at the point now where I can hire out different employees for different branches thanks to what he showed me. The other thing, which I learned about when I first started Scott's bootcamp, was that intellectual property matters. At the time, I was in the process of writing a book. Scott was a huge help in learning everything to do with intellectual property, from images, to text, to every other part of my book. I used what Scott taught me for a couple websites as well. He makes it very easy. Scott’s systems were easy to use and made the difference for my company. Everything about it is great. If you’re thinking about the Fast Trac Bootcamp, don’t even hesitate. Put your foot down on the gas and go. You won’t regret this decision.

Interested in trying Scott Reib’s Fast Trac Bootcamp for yourself? Visit Scottreib.com/bootcamp to get started.

In the past, I’ve asked other attorneys seemingly simple questions, and they couldn’t answer them. When I ask Scott,

ROASTED RADISHES WITH RADISH GREENS

INGREDIENTS

• 3 bunches radishes with greens attached • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil • Salt and pepper, to taste

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

"5 PROVEN STRATEGIES TO SHATTERPROOF YOUR BUSINESS" Fact: 1 in 3 businesses have been hit with a lawsuit or threatened with a lawsuit over the past three years. This book lays out five proven strategies that, when implemented properly, will absolutely protect you and your hard-earned assets from any possible legal action. Visit Scottreib.com/books/ to order your copy today!

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 500 F. While heating, trim radishes and wash greens. Pat both dry using a paper towel. 2. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat oil over high heat until shimmering. Season radishes with salt and pepper, add to skillet, and cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer entire skillet to oven rack and roast for 15 minutes. 3. Once removed from oven, return skillet to stove. Over medium heat, stir in butter and add greens. Cook until they are wilted, about 2 minutes. 4. Finish with lemon juice and additional salt if desired. Serve immediately.

Inspired by Food & Wine magazine

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REIB LAW

WWW.REIBLAW.COM | 940.591.0600

PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411

412 S. CARROLL BLVD. SUITE 1000 DENTON, TX 76201

My Version of Spring Break INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 2 2 3 3 4 A Better Approach to Firing? Reassessing Time Management Our Clients Say It Best

Roasted Radishes With Radish Greens

3 Hilarious April Fools’ Pranks Played by Businesses

COMPANIES THAT PARTICIPATE IN APRIL FOOLS’ DAY 3 HILARIOUS PRANKS PLAYED BY BUSINESSES

chocolate as the onions, milk chocolate as the lettuce, vanilla frosting as mayo, and candied blood oranges as the tomatoes. This prank was quite a creative feat by Burger King staff, and merely watching the advertisement spiked glucose levels everywhere.

April Fools’ Day might be the only appropriate time of year for you to prank your friends or coworkers with gags like dipping an onion in caramel and offering it as a candy apple or loosening the tops of the salt and pepper shakers. It’s also the one day of the year when big companies get to join in the mischief as well. Check out these company-wide April Fools’ jokes that left millions of people scratching their heads. NETFLIX’S PSA In 2015, everyone’s favorite online streaming company issued a PSA that warned binge-watchers all over the world of the social, physical, and psychological dangers of watching too much TV. In fact, if viewers watched more than two consecutive episodes of a show on April 1, they were greeted with a PSA from popular actors, like Michael Kelly from “House of Cards” or Taylor Schilling from “Orange Is the New Black.” Some stars even told Netflix users to “Turn off the TV and take a shower. You stink!” BURGER KING’S CHOCOLATE WHOPPER Just last year, Burger King fooled hungry customers by creating the Chocolate Whopper. The imaginary fast- food treat is made with chocolate cake buns, a chocolate "beef" patty, raspberry syrup as the ketchup, rings of white

EHARMONY’S ‘FUREVER LOVE’ DATING SERVICE FOR DOGS

Perhaps the most wholesome prank that’s ever been peddled to the masses was the launching of eHarmony’s FURever Love: Canine Compatibility Companion Service. The dating website claimed that based on the algorithms they use for creating compatible human relationships, they built this service to “create robust profiles for dogs based on key dimensions of their personality.” The biographies they created for the pups’ profiles included canine mate preferences, like “Looking for a tug-o-war partner,” “Must love squirrels,” and “It’s been ruff finding a quality stud to go on walks with.” While these April Fools’ Day jokes were all made in jest, the pranks certainly kept audiences guessing long after April 1 had passed, and it’s not hard to see why.

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MINI-MASTERMIND

TAKE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH AMERICA’S LEGAL COACH! CALL RIGHT NOW TO RESERVE YOUR SPOT AT 940-220-9187.

•

DO YOU OWN A SMALL BUSINESS BUT HAVE REACHED A PLATEAU IN SALES?

THE FIRST 6 APPLICANTS WILL RECEIVE ENTRY INTO THIS 2-HOUR LUNCHEON WORKSHOP COMPLETELY FREE OF CHARGE. APPLY TODAY TO HAVE THE ENTRY FEE WAIVED! Seating is limited, and the workshop will open to the public at the end of the month. Take advantage of this VIP invitation and call 940.220.9187.

• ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT STARTING YOUR OWN BUSINESS BUT HAVE NO IDEA WHERE TO START? • ARE YOU A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OWNER READY TO DISCOVER YOUR FULL POTENTIAL AND GROWTH?

TESTIMONIALS:

Clay Staires, CEO, THE LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE

In all instances, ask yourself this: Are you ready to take your business to the next level?

Speaker, Trainer, Coach, and Leadership Consultant

Business coach and creative- business lawyer Scott Reib invites you to join this mini- mastermind event as he presents the key approach to take your business to the next level.

“I’m very happy with Reib Law and their services. Thanks for keeping my company safe and for not hitting me with a lot of legal mumbo jumbo!”

Jim Steinmark, Managing Partner, CRIMSON TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS

IN THIS MINI-MASTERMIND, YOU WILL DISCOVER:

Executive Advisor, Strategist, Speaker, Coach, and Author

• The 4 cornerstones of proper business building — legal, insurance, finance, and tax — the LIFT foundation

“... Extremely responsive with superb customer service! When I talk to any other business owners, I am very proud to recommend Reib Law.”

• Common mistakes to avoid when starting a business

Susan Bliss, CSI, CCS, CCCA, SCIP, LEED AP

• The key to showing up powerfully and offering your gift to the world with clarity and confidence

Principal Specifications Writer at Spec Services, LLC

• The best self-care practices to support you in your business and your family life

“Competent and complete answers and advice; timely responses, friendly, and helpful attitudes of entire staff. We appreciate their assistance as we grow our company.”

• How to take control of your business by guiding, inspiring, and propelling you to obtain the impact and success you really want

Did we mention your meal is on us? Reserve your spot today. Call 940.220.9187!