Welcome to Misti's Insights
Unlabel: Selling You Without Selling Out by Marc Ecko
Welcome to the second installment of “Misti’s Clip Notes,” my new monthly book review. Marc Ecko’s Unlabel: Selling You Without Selling Out is technically a book about branding, but it’s far more about authenticity than anything else. Ecko shows how it’s not enough to...
How to Get People to Tell You the Truth
"While feedback can be hard to take, it’s even more difficult to give to someone who’s unwilling to hear the message." — Misti Burmeister As leaders, we know it’s important to give timely, constructive feedback. But it’s just as important to receive it. As Rich...
3 Reasons You’re Not Attracting Top-Notch Talent
"The key to attracting employees who are passionate, dedicated and insanely curious about what it takes to succeed is being as committed to their success as you want them to be to yours."— Misti Burmeister When I first connected with Karen over email, I assumed she...
Why They’re Not Doing Their Jobs
"Relationships take time, but without that effort, you’ll never get the results you want." — Misti Burmeister With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, most of us have relationships on the brain. But consider this: Have you ever met a new love interest and...
The Geography of Bliss by Eric Weiner
Two of my closest friends recently set out to travel the world. Along the way, they send out very long newsletters, detailing their trip. When I received the first one, rather than read the whole thing, I forwarded it to my partner, Yvette, and requested she give me...
The Cure to Ending Gun Violence
"The science is clear – relationships are at the heart of happiness." — Misti Burmeister What is the key to ending all the shootings that currently plague our country and have people living in fear? Is it restricted gun control? Probably not. Eliminating violent video...
Are You Tired of Repeating Yourself?
"Imagine if, rather than complaining about complacency, lack of collaboration, and lack of enthusiasm, leaders made an effort to consistently communicate their passion." — Misti Burmeister Do you get tired of talking about your passions? About your vision, or the...
Why Customer Service Training Is a Joke
"Rather than waste money trying to fool your customers, why not take exceptional care of the people who interact with your customers?" — Misti Burmeister Most leaders know that customer service is key to retaining a solid customer base. In fact, companies spend...
Why Most Rewards Don’t Work
"The most effective rewards, incentives or opportunities we can give to our employees are the ones they truly want."— Misti Burmeister What’s the best way to reward an employee who has gone above and beyond? The short answer: It depends on the person. A quick Google...
Why Passionate Employees Quit
"To discover the values you represent, take time at the end of each day to ask yourself the following question: How did I spend my time today?"— Misti Burmeister Shaun Callahan is a passionate, music-loving “people person” with strong connections in Baltimore,...
How the Affordable Care Act Can Strengthen Your Business
"People want to be part of courageous companies. They want to follow leaders who are willing to show their cards and ask for help."— Misti Burmeister With the start of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) looming, most business leaders are fretting about the financial impact...
Don’t Get Stressed—Get Inspired
"Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer others (our family, friends, teams and customers) is to invest our time and resources into developing our own abilities."— Misti Burmeister While I keep hearing, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year,” I think the...
The Ties That Bind: The No. 1 Way to Connect With Your Team and Customers
"Shared experiences, particularly those that are especially meaningful to us, create trust, teamwork and community."— Misti Burmeister I’ve always wanted to serve food at a homeless shelter on Thanksgiving, but on the rare occasions I haven’t been traveling during the...
Pancakes and Praise: The Key to Problem Solving
"If you know about a challenge and don’t share it, no one can help you discover solutions."— Misti Burmeister After braving the Black Friday crowds, my three shopping partners and I stopped for breakfast at IHOP. Just before the hostess seated us, I noticed they were...
Why Volunteers Quit
"Leaders, in both non-profits and for-profits, lose out when they fail to align assignments with the talents, interests, and needs of their teams."— Misti Burmeister Soon after retirement, Bebe found herself bored and incredibly lonely. Seeking to “be with people,”...
Are You Saying “Sorry” More Often Than “You’re Welcome?”
"When we focus on money over mission, we risk losing both our customers and our talent."— Misti Burmeister In my recent blog post, “Give Your Customers a Reason to Thank YOU," I discussed how the little things we give or do for our customers translate into exceptional...
Are You Waiting for Someone Else to Do Your Job?
"Leaders who provide clear feedback end up provoking greatness."— Misti Burmeister When someone needs help, it's easier to stay out of it, to mind your own business and not get involved. But is that the best thing to do? I recently found myself stuck in traffic at a...
Give Your Clients a Reason to Thank YOU
"When leaders show gratitude and generosity to their teams, the excitement trickles down to customers, and everybody wins."— Misti Burmeister Each Thanksgiving, we kick off the holiday season considering what we have to be thankful for. For leaders, this is a great...