Business Lessons From TV Favorites: Part 2

As requested by many of my followers, this is the second installment of “Successful Business Tips from TV Favorites”. Surprisingly, I’ve had many people mention how they have a new perspective about watching their favorite television shows and its usefulness in finding helpful tips to improve their business.

Two more television favorites are filled with ideas and tools to make your business run smoother.

“The Game” –Although cancelled from the CW earlier this year, BET (Black Entertainment Television) is running reruns of this comedy, which chronicles the lives of professional football players and their wives/girlfriends/mothers, as they try to balance the challenges of life on and off the field. In one particular episode, Tasha Mack, mother/manager of the star quarter back decides to open her own sports management firm (Tasha Mack Management). She hires an assistant, who happens to be her closest friend, Kelly Pitts, wife of the veteran receiver. Pitts is also the president of the Sunbeams, a social organization that serves as a support group for the wives/girlfriends of the players. Mack believes that Pitts cares more about the “Sunbeams” than growing the business. She gets angry with Pitts and forces her to choose between her job at Tasha Mack Management or the Sunbeams.

Lesson 1: Err on the side of caution, when mixing business with pleasure. I’m a strong advocate of giving people opportunities. However, just because you enjoy spending your downtime with your friends doesn't mean it will make a great working arrangement.

First of all, we accept our friends for who they are. We don’t try to change them. But as a small business owner, you are in charge and responsible for herding the flock. If there are employees who get out of line, it’s your responsibility for you to address the issues and reprimand those who insist on going against the principles set for your company. There may be times that you will have to have those uncomfortable conversations with your friends. I have heard many horror stories about business owners who tried to integrate a friendship into a business partnership only to have it end in turmoil. A great friend gave me a book by the name of “The Girl's Guide to Starting Your Own Business”. The writers, Caitlin Friedman and Kimberly Yorio, were friends who started a successful public relations company and wrote the book to help other small business owners avoid the pittfalls of opening a business. In the book, their friendship/business partnership was mentioned. They attributed their successful friendship/partnership to having an understanding of each other's strengths and weaknesses and clearly defining the roles they were responsible for accordingly, in the beginning of the partnership.

Lesson 2- Clearly define the roles, initially.

In the episode, Tasha Mack mentions that she had clearly discussed the requirements Kelly Pitts was to adhere to in her position as assistant. But there was another lesson that Mack clearly needed to learn when considering the requirements of the position.

Lesson 3- Set realistic expectations. Mack demands that Pitts eliminate her duty as President of the Sunbeams to focus more on being her assistant. Pitts and Mack have an argument where Pitts reminds Mack of all the times that she's stayed late, came in early, and forfeited on lunch to get things done.

In the real world, we all lead busy lives. It's unreasonable to ask someone to devote all of their time to your business. Keyword:Yours! While we can ask for some exceptions to be made ocassionally, prohibiting your employees to take part in things outside of work, may lead to work overload, which has been known to cause significant health issues, such as high blood pressure, migraines, and/or depression. It's so important to remember that as a business owner, our businesses become like our children. Do you think it's appropriate for one to ask you to be the sole provider and nurturer of their kids? Personally, I don't think so. Now this doesn't mean that the employees won't care about the business, but the degree to which they take interest will definitely differ.


In a different episode, Tasha Mack tells her assistant Kelly Pitts about an opportunity for her to regain her son, Malik Wright as a client. However, Pitts out-stages Mack to get the opportunity for her husband.


Lesson #4. Recognize when a no-competitive clause is necessary. In a slowing economy this is going to be more prevalent than ever. I had a recent client who had this same issue. She would hire employees only to have them take the knowledge that she had shared to open a similar business. By adding a no competitive clause in your employment contract, you have an opportunity to recognize who is genuinely interested in becoming a part of your team and can successfully help your organization to grow. You can quickly identify those whose ulterior motives are to learn your secrets and quickly move on to something apart from your company.


“The Monique Show” is growing to be another BET favorite. One of the greatest lessons learned was when she did her monologue addressing how other radio talk show hosts were saying distasteful and belittling things about her and her response led me to one of the greatest lessons in the business world.


Lesson #5 – Keep it classy. Monique could have said nasty and irate things in response to the negative things she’s heard. But instead, she chose to say, “I got nothing but love for all of you!” I admire her and thought this is the classiest thing she could have done. Positive begets positive in the long run. There is enough business out there to go around. It’s not necessary to bash an organization in order to make your business seem better. Let your business speak for itself.


Lesson #6 –Address your customers’ suggestions and apply whenever possible. In the same episode, Monique also mentioned that she’d read comments about things that could make her show more enjoyable. One of them was her fans’ request that she not scream so much. So when she stepped on the stage, she didn’t scream and holler. She explained why she had been overly excited in the past episodes, but acknowledged that she’d try to control her emotions better in the future.

She could have been arrogant and conceited and made the decision to do nothing different, all in the name of it being called “The Monique Show”. However, she understands that viewers keep her with a show. These simple changes will not only strengthen her relationship with her current fans, but serves to also grow her viewership. People may be more compelled to give her another chance, because she’s shown that she listens to the people and values their opinions.

There is inspiration everywhere. No matter what you do in your life, it can quickly be applied to your business matters as well. I hope you’ve found these tips valuable. Stay tuned for more weekly “Business Tips from TV Favorites”!

Business Lessons Learned From TV Favorites

In the past, I have watched programs for sheer entertainment. However, I'm quickly recognizing that there are always opportunities to become more knowledgeable about growing a successful business. Many believe that just because one business may not be directly related to their business, there's nothing to be learned from it, nor should you get to know the story. It's for this reason, I've decided to comprise a list of things that I've learned from some popular TV programming.


"Property Shop" is my favorite HGTV program. It follows the life of Tatiana Londono, a successful real estate agent, who becomes a Broker and opens up her own agency. Londono, the quirky but clearly driven curly blond, is a true force to be reckoned with. In a little over a year, The Property Shop has grown from an agency of 4, to 40+ agents with sales in the seven figure range. This show is loaded with tips on how to grow a successful business. But two of the greatest lessons for me were...


* Don't Take Things Personal: Leave the Emotions Out of Business. - In a recent episode Londono was asked to work with a former business partner, who had initially questioned her work ethics and causes Londono to decide to end their agreement. However, after the business partner realizes that Londono is the best, he asks her to reenter their agreement. Londono considers refusing to work with him, because she was hurt that he questioned her abilities. But after careful consideration decides to reenter their agreement when she sticks with the facts, which were it was a multi-million dollar project and the opportunity to prove him wrong. In the end, she sold both units quickly, (after the first open house) and the business partner admitted that she was great at what she does. By making a logical decision based off of the facts, she was able to add to her bottom line significantly, as well as showcase her abilities to grow her client base.


* Focus On The Bigger Picture! -In the same episode of the aforementioned "Property Shop", Tatiana Londono was responsible for selling her business partner's condominiums. She sold one with no problem. However, the potential buyer for the second one, decided that he wanted the condo fully furnished, despite the furniture was created by Londono's business partner and not for sale. Londono convinced the business partner to include the furniture. But when the potential buyer wanted the flat screen television to also be included, the business partner refused to concede. Realizing that both the business partner and the potential buyer were not going to give into eithers' demands. Londono decides to purchase a flat screen television herself to close the deal. Both the potential buyer and the business partner were pleased. In her closing statement, Londono revealed that she thought it was senseless to let a deal fall through, due to a $1200 television. She thought the $1200 was a small price to pay for the $40K+ commission she made. And I'd have to agree with her.


"The Real Housewives of Atlanta" is another one of my guilty pleasures. I know, you're probably thinking "What could they possibly teach me about running a successful business?" However, Sheree Whitfield's experience launching her She By Sheree clothing line is full of lessons to be learned, starting with...

*Know What You Want - I admire Sheree Whitfield  for having a clear vision for her clothing line. For the most part, she has finally launched She By Sheree, an upscale clothing line, to attract the attention of the most fashionable.  Every great idea starts with a vision. So be consise and detailed about what you want your business to become. Consider keeping a journal or making a idea collage to serve as a reminder and inspiration for you and those who work for you.
 
*Be Realistic/Recognize Your Weaknesses -  We have to be realistic about our expectations. In my opinion, I feel that Sheree could have launched her clothing line much sooner, had she had reasonable expectations. Her inability to be flexible on some matters created unnecessary set backs. In the end, she finally recognized that despite she had been an owner a successful clothing boutique in Atlanta and had a strong sense of style, she knew very little about what it took to put a fashion show together. She decided to enlist the services of Dwight Eubanks to help execute her vision. It shouldn't be any surprise that we don't have all the answers. This is why we should be willing to rely on others expertise to help our businesses grow.
 
*Know Your Strengths And Don't Be Afraid to Show Them! - Dwight Eubanks, also known as "Atlanta's Other Housewife" is known for his over the top style. But even I had to admit, he really took control of Sheree's event and made it a remarkable success. He wasn't afraid to take a stance on approaches or decisions he made. His confidence in his craft shows and I'm sure helps to contribute to his successful salon.
Confidence is key. It's perfectly fine for you to showcase your skills, whenever possible. If you're great at what you do, there's no way people can deny it. Dwight offered his services to both Sheree and Lisa WuHartwell early on. It just took Sheree a couple of failed attempts to execute, before she reached out. Small business owners can't afford to make the same mistakes. I know I can't.
 
 
One of the most valuable lessons I've learned while running my business is to allow everything I do to serve as a tool to grow my business. Although watching television is a great past time for me, I don't feel so guilty about watching it because I'm making it count. Hopefully, this will serve as encouragement for you to do the same.