Bruce Outridge

Fueling Your Passion

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Bruce

Do you ever get in a rut and the days just seem to go by? Some people don’t even realize they are in the rut, they just go about their business not thinking about tomorrow. What about the guys who get to the end of that work life and find they have nothing left to work for. At that end of life things change in a different direction, you start holding on, afraid to let go not wanting to give up that position that you have created for a lifetime. This happens to many of us, we trudge through life not sure where we’re going. If you’re lucky you notice it in time to make changes, if not then you hope for the best.

This happened to me in my driving career I had reached a high level of satisfaction with the company. I had a number of years of seniority, good vacation time and benefits. I never drove trucks older than two years old and was dedicated to my own trailer. I was on dedicated runs that gave me secure miles and income. Everything a professional driver could want, except for one thing. I had stopped growing. Up to that point I had been working hard to make a name for myself as the best professional driver I could be. I kept the truck polished, delivered on time, and was not afraid to step up and take that extra load to help the team. Once I hit that mark of having all the attributes I was trying to gain the boredom process began to set in. At that point you have two choices, you can continue to follow your current program and keep a stable lifestyle and income or you can turn the whole thing upside down and try to find a way to make yourself grow again.

Now when I suggest you turn your life upside down that is meant tongue and cheek. I don’t expect you to quit your job, put your family in the street and hang out at coffee shops. I do want you to look at what fueled that fire when you started in your career and try to capture that spirit again. Many times this can be done by creating a bucket list of things you hoped to achieve through your career and personal life. Maybe the best place to start is in your own operation, what can be improved, what can be changed, what can be discarded? Have you been on that dedicated run too long and need to move into other areas? Are you thinking about getting into the safety department or some other administrative department? Maybe now is the time to start asking some questions and improving where needed. The only person that can fuel that passion is you. Like any fire that fuel for the fire starts at the bottom of the fire and that’s where it has to start with you. Sometimes making a change requires drastic measures, just like starting a fire sometimes requires lighter fluid!

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is a business and leadership consultant with over 30 years experience in the transportation industry. For more information on programs for owner operators and professional driver please visit www.outridge.ca

Are You Afraid Of Promoting Yourself?

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Bruce

Leave a Comment

As entrepreneurs branding can be done in a variety of wears. Some like to shout their name from the rooftops and others sit quietly in the corner. I do a mixture of both depending on the group I’m with. One thing to remember is that no one will tell people what you do like you will, so be proud of what you do and don’t be ashamed to promote yourself.

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is a business consultant, author, artist, and speaker. More information can be found on his websites at www.outridge.ca and www.bruceoutridge.com

The Older You Are The Farther the Goal.

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Bruce

Leave a Comment

I was listening to a song on the radio the other day by singer / songwriter Brad Paisley. In the song he talks about what he would say to himself if he was looking back to the days when he was 17 years old and writing a letter to look out for the dips in life that cause so much pain. One line in the song talks about the goal of any 17 year old to be Friday night and whatever party was going on at the time. I am sure that was the same for many of us and it certainly was for me. I found it funny how things change in our lives such as goal setting, viewing the future, and so on. Have we changed from those days really?

In my day in high school certainly the goal was to get to Friday night and the party. Looking a week out was not even in the cards. As I got a little older my goals stretched to two to four years down the road. I think that is normal for most folks and many of us that teach goal setting teach 6 months to 5 years depending on the situation, but is that far enough? Where I see many entrepreneurs lacking is that their goals don’t go far enough. They may go out five years but those are working goals. To really hit your vision and keep yourself motivated for the long term you need to go out 10, 15, or more years. What will your life be like then? What types of milestones will you have hit at that point?

Many entrepreneurs because they are focusing on 5 year goals stop if they feel that will be too hard to keep going, when really you have just started. Think about it this way, you’re 40 years old starting your business. You have the recommended 6 month, 1 year, and 5 year goals set. You think that is long term. If you are going to retire at 65 that is 25 years from the time you started your business. So five years is not even a quarter of the way. If you take 5 years to get your business started you will think you’re a failure, give up, and miss on the 15 years of success you could have had. So think of goals setting as far as you can. The 5 year goals are operational goals, they are not achievement goals. Those visions of success at the end will be the same visions keeping you motivated in the beginning.

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is a business and leadership consultant. More information can be found on his website at www.outridge.ca

Is the Way You Operate Your Business Killing Your Business?

Posted on June 14, 2012 by Bruce

Leave a Comment

So you’ve completed your education, you’ve put in years of experience, and you’ve built a name of someone who has the knowledge that can really help others be successful in their lives. I know because at every moment they will tell me how successful they are, how many boards they sit on and how busy they are. On the outside this looks inviting and something we all would like to attain. Some people are good at connecting with other people and that’s why they are so active in the community. Once you get past that part of the process however, once you start working with someone you see how they truly work, and if that doesn’t match the integrity shown during the meeting phase, it could be hurting you more than helping you.

You’ve met with people, established a connection, and begun the actual work process. This is when integrity really hits the road. You now have to produce as you promised you would, and to be honest this is where I find many business owners fall off track. They promise the client information, or work details, and then never get back to them. When asked they talk about how busy they are, and how many things are going on in their lives. That is very understandable, we all have very busy lives, but the integrity of your business is riding on how you perform when you get the contract. Many times I am blown away by people attending events and going out of their way to meet people trying to bring in clients for their business, but when they get the business they don’t take care of the clients. I don’t know about you but that seems backwards to me. Working in that manner shows you are more interested in quantity than quality. Maybe that’s why they need so many clients. What’s better, having twenty clients that that will not recommend you or ten clients that shout your name from the rooftops? I will go with the latter number. So how do you make sure you are not killing your business with lack of integrity?

Do what you say you will do! If your time management skills need improving then improve them through a course or self improvement program. Prioritize so that clients already on board come first, with finding new clients in second place. Your first part of your marketing plan should be having happy clients so you can get solid testimonials and recommendations. By focusing on producing quality workflow for your customers you won’t have to attend so many functions to meet new ones, your existing ones will be sending people to your door.

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is a business and leadership consultant. For more information on his services please visit his website at www.outridge.ca

Are You Causing Safety Issues Because of Poor Time Management?

Posted on June 8, 2012 by Bruce

Leave a Comment

Everyday our lives seem to get busier, filled with more duties, and linked to the point there seems to be no breathing room. Not too often do I have to venture out in traffic at peak periods. My former life in trucking started the day at 3 am most mornings and traffic was a regular part of my life. Now that I am self employed I can arrange my hours to better suit my schedule. However once in a while for a meeting or event I have to leave the same time as everyone else in my city. I always leave earlier than most to the point of extreme so I don’t have to rush. There is nothing worse than arriving at a meeting at the last minute rushing in all out of breath and unfocused, not a good first impression.

The other day however I was amazed at the people driving that seems to be in such a hurry to get to work. Some were tying their ties, on the phone, or half a sleep. The point was that I must have got cut off half a dozen times because they are running late. Time management is essential and keeping your cool is equally important. It may be in your best interest to leave earlier and go to the office and get some work done or do like I do and go early in the morning and find a coffee shop and do some writing or work. If you slow yourself down you will see how much rushed the rest of the world is. Don’t be part of the problem, be part of the solution.

About the Author

Bruce Outridge is a business and leadership consultant. You can learn more about his products and services at www.outridge.ca