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Success Advice

This One Thing Will Make or Break Your Businesses Success

Throughout my career and personal life, I have learned that having the right people around you is critical to your success.

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business success
Image Credit: Midjourney

Throughout my career and personal life, I have learned that having the right people around you is critical to your success. Success can be defined through different perspectives or interpretations.

The achievement of goals, monetary rewards, and being promoted to higher titles or responsibilities within an organization are just some notable accomplishments a person can attribute to success. 

Having the right people around you can create different successes, some more powerful than others. 

The right people can create the most suitable environment for you to work in – a positive atmosphere where people are appreciated, developed, and empowered. The right people in your life can help with a positive mindset to help you accomplish your goals even in the face of adversity. 

Having the right people in your life can work to your advantage, guiding you when the path is unclear and helping you when your mental focus may be depleted. 

Trusted advisors who are honest with you and provide different viewpoints on problems or obstacles can create a scenario where decisions have a higher probability of a successful outcome.

The right people can come in many forms, for example, advisors, mentors, and counselors. Spiritual advisors, partners, a spouse, or close family and friends can also serve in this role. 

In business, a board of directors, oversight committee, and advisory board protect all stakeholder interests and act with the organization’s best interest in mind.

A great advisory board can significantly contribute to the success of an organization by providing valuable insights, expertise, and guidance. 

“Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who will argue with you” – John Wooden

Here are some key characteristics of an effective advisory board.

  • Diverse Expertise: Members bring diverse skills and expertise relevant to the organization’s industry. This diversity includes experience in finance, marketing, technology, legal matters, operations, human resources, logistics, and more.
  • Industry Knowledge: Advisory board members should have a deep understanding of the industry in which the organization operates. Their insights into industry trends, challenges, and opportunities can prove invaluable. Domain expertise can serve a CEO and a management team well when faced with obstacles or setbacks in the business model.
  • Strategic Vision: A great advisory board is forward-thinking and has a strategic vision. Members should be able to provide guidance on long-term goals, growth strategies, and positioning in the market. They should also have contingency plans in place just in case strategies become too challenging to achieve. 
  • Network and Connections: Members with extensive networks can open doors to valuable partnerships, clients, or investors. The ability to leverage personal and professional connections is a significant asset. A great network can accelerate plans and help find new paths to growth.
  • Commitment and Availability: Advisory board members should be committed to actively participating in meetings and providing timely advice. Availability to address critical issues and respond to inquiries is crucial. Advisors must be active and engaging.
  • Integrity and Objectivity: Members should act with integrity and prioritize the organization’s best interests. It is crucial to have individuals who can provide objective advice, even if it’s not always what the leadership wants to hear.
  • Passion for the Mission: A strong connection to the organization’s mission or goals can drive members to go above and beyond in their advisory roles. Passionate advisors are more likely to invest time and effort into contributing meaningfully. 
  • Communication Skills: Effective communication is essential. Advisory board members should be able to articulate their thoughts clearly, provide constructive feedback, and work collaboratively with other members. Communication is essential to collaboration and trust, which is the foundation for sound decision-making. 
  • Adaptability: Industries and markets are dynamic, so advisory board members need to be adaptable and open to change. Their ability to navigate and respond to evolving challenges is crucial. An open-minded, adaptable, and nimble advisory board can overcome changes quickly while maintaining positive outcomes.
  • Problem-Solving Abilities: The best advisory boards are composed of individuals with strong problem-solving skills. They should be able to analyze complex situations and provide practical solutions. They should also be flexible and open-minded to alternative solutions.
  • Ethical Considerations: Members should adhere to high ethical standards. Ethical conduct is critical for maintaining the organization’s reputation and ensuring stakeholder trust. There is never a good reason to be unethical, and corporate governance of the highest standards must always be adhered to. 
  • Experience in Scaling: If the organization aims for growth, having advisory board members with expertise in scaling businesses can be particularly beneficial. They can provide insights into the challenges and strategies for expansion. Advisory board members should have experience with different methods of expansion, for example, through debt or equity, acquisition, organically, or joint venture, to name a few. 
  • Global Perspective: For organizations with international operations or aspirations, having advisory board members with a global perspective can be advantageous. This includes an understanding of diverse markets, cultures, and regulatory environments. Advisors with international experience can navigate the rules of the game in different jurisdictions, like the political, legal, and regulatory environments, as well as the cultural aspects, norms of doing business, and ethics of a specific country.
  • Track Record of Success: Members with a proven track record of success in their respective fields can bring credibility to the advisory board. Their past achievements can instill confidence in stakeholders. Having an advisory board with members who have sold companies, raised significant capital, and achieved a high level of success in the industry can attract investors, partnerships, employees, and new growth opportunities.
  • Continuous Learning: A great advisory board is composed of individuals who are committed to continuous learning. Staying informed about industry trends, technological advancements, and best practices ensures their advice remains relevant.

Building and maintaining an effective advisory board involves selecting individuals who collectively possess these qualities and can work together synergistically to guide the organization toward success. 

Regular assessments and adjustments to the advisory board composition may also be necessary to align with the organization’s evolving needs or goals.

Dr. Vincent DeFilippo, DBA, MBA, is a professor in the School of Accounting and Business at Monroe College. Prior to that he was CEO of a private equity fund in Hong Kong, raising several billion dollars in venture capital for entrepreneurs and publicly traded companies throughout the Asia Pacific Region. His new book Braking Point: How Escalation of Commitment Is Destroying the World (and How You Can Save Yourself), (ViennaRose Publishing, May 3, 2023), is a Wall Street Journal #2 bestseller. Learn more at www.vincentdefilippo.com

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Success Advice

This Overlooked Skill Drives Real Business Growth

It strengthens relationships, enhances decision-making, and fosters trust.

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Importance of listening in leadership
Image Credit: Midjourney

In every successful leader’s toolkit, one skill stands out above the rest: the ability to listen. While good leaders are known for making confident decisions, great leaders understand that those decisions are only as strong as the information they’re based on. And that information? It comes from truly listening to their teams, peers, and even critics. (more…)

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Scale Your Business

Tired of Wasting Money on the Wrong Marketers? Here’s How Smart Entrepreneurs Are Finally Hiring Right

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truthmetric, burning money on marketing

If you’ve ever Googled how to hire a Facebook marketer or best TikTok marketing agency only to spend thousands on someone who couldn’t deliver…congrats, you’ve joined a very expensive club! For many entrepreneurs, hiring a digital marketer feels like more like visiting a casino and gambling with your runway, than it feels like securing a partner who’ll help build your business. Often,  it feels like you’re betting on a stranger to grow the dream you’ve poured your savings into.

And way too often, you lose that bet.

You don’t need another list of the “Top 10 Agencies” with five-star testimonials and polished logos. You need to know which marketer can actually drive results for your business. Not in theory. In practice.

This is where entrepreneurs are learning to pivot. And it’s why a new platform called TruthMetric.com is turning heads across the startup world.

Why Most Startups Burn Through 3–6 Marketers Before Finding the Right One

Here’s the hard truth: most startups don’t fail because of their product, they fail because they can’t get sales or sell it fast enough. And in trying to fix that, founders usually go through five or six marketers, burning tens of thousands before finding someone who truly knows how to convert.

You build your product, get your website live, maybe even launch an ad campaign. But when you search for help and look up how to “hire a YouTube ads agency” or “top Facebook ad expert for Shopify”, you get hit with a sea of shiny portfolios, “ninja” titles, and endless promises.

Three months later, you’re still waiting on your first profitable campaign, and you’re most likely out tens of thousands, feeling utterly defeated…and maybe grinning with an affinity for that upcoming boxing class with a picture of that marketer’s fac……nevermind.

If this sounds like you, it’s time for what one entrepreneur called a strategic shift to scale smarter, not harder.

Introducing TruthMetric.com: The Transparent Marketplace for Hiring Marketers Who Deliver

TruthMetric.com isn’t just another freelancer platform or agency directory. It’s the first hiring solution where you can see three years of real, verified marketing performance before spending a dime.

That includes:

  • Verified ad campaign performance
  • Actual return on ad spend (ROAS)
  • Industry-specific experience
  • Platform specialties (Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, Google Ads, and more)

Whether you’re looking for a Facebook ads expert, a TikTok marketer, or a YouTube growth strategist, TruthMetric.com lets you filter and compare based on what actually matters, results.

This level of clarity is something you won’t find on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr. And it solves what many founders know too well as the New York Pizza Problem: where every marketer claims they’re “the best,” just like every pizzeria in Manhattan says they’re #1. Often without showing you results, you get sucked into this dream of collaboration, until the nightmare commences the moment you fork that first invoice payment. Hence the deception that leads to many business owners losing their hard earned savings and budget to launch their grand idea.

With TruthMetric, you finally get the data to decide for yourself, BEFORE you hire. Now if only New York Pizza shops had the same transparency then maybe you’d finally find the best pizza in New York, perhaps the perfect post work out after a boxing sesh? I think so!

Why Founders Are Shifting to Results-First Hiring

Most entrepreneurs think they need to do it all themselves, until they burn out or burn through their budget. That’s exactly why this founder had to drop the Superman complex and hire a marketing genius.

What makes TruthMetric so powerful is that it turns hiring into a confident move, not a hopeful one. You’re no longer guessing. You’re choosing from proven performers. You know what vertical they dominate. You know their past client performance. You see the monthly results from the campaigns they ran, and the outcomes they achieved.

It’s not just efficient. It’s empowering.

Scaling Quickly Requires Automation and Eliminating the Noise

Founders who scale quickly understand one thing: growth isn’t just about hustle, it’s about systems. TruthMetric is the system for finding great marketers at speed. No more DM’ing ten freelancers or interviewing agencies feeling like you are asking the world of them to just see some prior results. Instead you get to see the information you need to make an informed decision and plug into verified talent, all ready to perform.

This difference allows for you to match perfectly with the right talent quickly. If you’re building your business to run lean and fast, this convenience plugged in with automation can help you scale your small business right alongside your new marketing hires.

Why TruthMetric Is Also a Boon for Marketers, Not Just Founders

This isn’t just a win for founders, it is a gift for great marketers, too.

If you’re a freelance marketer who’s been quietly pulling 10x ROAS for clients while being passed over for flashy agencies, you now have a stage where your results speak louder than your brand.

TruthMetric is a true meritocracy. No fluff. No sales tricks. Just data.

If you’re tired of being overlooked and ready to stand out based on what you actually deliver, this is your home.

The Secret Weapon for Investors and M&A Operators

There’s another angle here that some of our readers might miss.

Investors, private equity firms, and M&A advisors should be drooling at the thought of having a proven talent pool they can plug and play and the ability to use TruthMetric to revive underperforming companies. Imagine acquiring a business or becoming an active investor, then dropping in a verified operator with a history of explosive growth in that niche.

It’s plug-and-play. Scale on demand.

That kind of insight has never been available before. You couldn’t do this on Upwork. You certainly can’t do it through a friend-of-a-friend referral. 

And when it comes to attracting high-performing talent, here’s how to hire top talent and keep them around.

Let’s Really Drive This Home…

If you’ve wasted money on agencies or freelancers who couldn’t deliver, it’s not because you’re bad at hiring, it’s because the game was stacked against you. Trusting dreamy charismatic sales pitches over data was a doomed approach from the start. 

TruthMetric levels the playing field by showing you what no other talent marketplace does and that’s proof.

Real marketers. Real results. Real growth.

It’s time to stop guessing and start hiring based on data.
Visit TruthMetric.com and make your next marketing hire the one that actually works.

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Personal Development

The Real Reason Successful People Are Never Late

More than just good manners, punctuality is a vital professional and personal trait.

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Successful people are punctual
Image Credit: Midjourney

How do you feel when your flight is delayed, throwing your entire schedule into chaos? Or when a patient dies due to a doctor’s tardiness? What about missing a job opportunity because your driver showed up late? And how do you react when someone walks in late without the basic courtesy of apologizing? (more…)

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Personal Development

Why Humility Is the Real Superpower in Leadership

Humble leadership doesn’t mean being passive or unsure of yourself.

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Humility in Leadership
Image Credit: Midjourney

In today’s fast-paced, high-stakes business world, especially in industries like construction and finance, leadership is often mistaken for control, authority, or having all the answers. But the leaders who last and leave the deepest impact tend to operate from a very different place: humility. (more…)

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