September 2023 - Bay of Plenty Business News

10 BAY OF PLENTY BUSINESS NEWS September 2023
I HATE SAYING, “I TOLD YOU SO”
When people learn of
my various work
activities such as
high-risk repossessions, fraud
investigation, legal document
service and business credit
consulting, they often ask me
what the hardest part of my
work is.
The answer may surprise
you, as it often does them; It
is not being threatened with
weapons, having dogs set on
me, dealing with violent and
erratic meth goblins or being
constantly insulted by angry
debtors; the hardest part of
my work comes from the business
credit consulting where
I have never been threatened,
assaulted, insulted or bitten, at
least not yet.
The reason is that for nearly
two decades I have watched
business owners repeat the
same actions, leading to the
same pain over and over again.
This despite their having
access to the information, tools
and proven solutions that can
remedy it and often prevent it
from ever happening again.
CREDIT CONTROL
> BY NICK KERR
Nick Kerr is regional manager for Debt Free and director of
International Private Investigations Ltd. He can be reached on
021 876 527 and nick.kerr@debtfree.net.nz
As a father I liken this to
watching a child run on to the
road, being narrowly missed
by a speeding car, being rescued,
having the dangers
explained to them and being
sternly warned, then watching
them run back on to the road to
dance with the traffic.
I find this so hard because
I have seen hundreds of business
owners suffer through
liquidations, company collapses,
voidable transactions,
soul destroying litigation and
the decimation that this causes
them, both professionally, and
more importantly, personally.
I have personally seen this
result in suicides, family unit
implosion, imprisonment and
destruction of mental health.
In many of these cases I
have met with the business
owners (I have met with over
13,000 in my career) a year
or two before the catastrophe
occurred and spelled out to
them in relevant and specific
detail what can happen and
exactly how to avoid it , shown
them how to use the tools in a
business-friendly and cost-effective
manner, only to have
them say, “well it hasn’t happened
to me yet – I will let you
know when it does and then
we can look at what you are
saying”.
This is akin to saying, “yes,
I know that I have no fire
insurance on my house, once
I smell the smoke and see the
flames I will put some cover in
place.”
By this time you will have
nothing left to insure and the
call will just be a waste of
everybody’s time.
My desire for businesses
to be protected from a credit
management perspective does
not come from some desire to
make money at others expense,
or to be right, or to be seen as
some kind of business guru
– it comes from literally hundreds
of gut-wrenching phone
calls from people I have met
with asking me to assist them
in remedying something that
I could have helped prevent
from ever happening.
Now maybe it is me. Maybe
For nearly two decades
I have watched business
owners repeat the same
actions, leading to
the same pain
over and
over again.”
I am not always effective in
conveying the risks, despite
having empirical data and relevant,
real-life experience to
prove my point. Maybe this is
a failure that I must own.
I have spent my professional
life upskilling, studying,
gaining access to top experts
and the most effective credit
management tools available,
doing everything I can to be
the most effective advisor I can
and serve those that allow me
to do so.
I’m not asking business
owners to trust in me alone,
trust the facts. The risk is not
subjective when it is proven.
Read the paper. Watch the
news. Google “liquidation”
in the town that you live in.
These are not fairytales; they
are records of recent history
and each one is a document of
real pain and loss.
Do your research, find
someone you can trust who
knows their rear from their
elbow in this regard, and for
goodness’ sake, listen to them!
Rant over.
Just a thought.
You are being betrayed at work
Business owners and employees are being betrayed. Unless rapid
action is taken, they face the risk of massive losses. This betrayal is
sabotaging their careers, businesses, health and relationships. Could
you be the next victim? The unfortunate truth is … you already are.
Everyone believes it will
never happen to them.
But those are usually the
people who will be hurt the
most. You are being betrayed
at your workplace, and in your
home.
This ongoing erosion of
trust is costing you time and
money every single day.
Unless something changes,
this betrayal will also cost you
your relationships, health and
reputation.
You won’t spot the warning
signs until it’s too late. And a
sad truth is that a large number
of professionals go to their
graves without ever realising
just how deep the betrayal ran.
But who would do such a
shallow and damaging thing
to you?
You probably have someone
in mind right now. No,
it’s not them. At least, not
this time. The person who is
betraying you … is you.
The confession
How are you betraying
yourself?
The answer is simple:
You’re pretending to be someone
you’re not. Before you
start getting too triggered and
run to BOP Business News
towers to burn effigies of me,
please allow me to make a
confession:
I was the ultimate artist of
self-betrayal. I created a highly
successful career advising the
leaders of the biggest brands
on the planet … but that success
was built on the back of
a lie.
No laws were broken, obviously.
Unless you count the
universal laws of authenticity.
However, I was betraying
myself, and those around me,
because I was trying to be
someone I wasn’t.
Like an actor in a corporate
pantomime, I dressed, spoke,
behaved and even thought the
way my ‘character’ was supposed
to be.
Did it work? Sure. Did
it make me successful? Too
right. Did it make me money?
Absolutely.
It would be so perfect, had
it not been for the fact I was
betraying myself. I was being
the exact opposite of the person
– and the leader – I wanted
to be.
Holding up the mirror
No matter how professional or
‘together’ we try to appear, our
thoughts and actions betray us.
As the sayings go…
Never trust a skinny chef.
Never trust a broke
accountant.
Never trust an obese personal
trainer.
Never trust a lawyer
released from prison.
Your actions and behaviours
are like a walking billboard,
showing the world what you
think about yourself.
More often than not, these
behaviours are sabotaging
your goals and your talent.
You tell the world: “I pride
myself on being a good communicator”
… but you won’t
say, “No”.
“It’s important to take decisive
action” … but you won’t
back yourself to make a big
decision.
“Family comes first” … but
you spend the evening with
your phone, not your children.
“I really want to love
myself” … but you never
invest in yourself.
“I’m an inspirational
leader” ... but you let the
people distract you from the
problem.
“It’s not about the money”
MINING BUSINESS WEALTH
> BY FREDDIE BENNETT
Guinness World Record Holder, podcast host and bestselling author,
Freddie is known as ‘The Profit Hunter’. He helps business owners
enjoy more time, money and freedom by discovering and extracting
hidden profits in their companies. Freddie@conqueryourmedia.com
… but it’s the money that gets
you out of bed.
When your behaviours are
not in alignment with your
vision and values, you make
less money, have less fun and
enjoy less connection and
fulfilment.
So why do you do it?
Love the way you lie
We choose to let our actions
betray our values because we
fear the risk of shame that
comes with being our authentic
selves. Plus, we prefer to
live in comfort and take the
‘easy’ option, even if it isn’t
aligned to our personal values
and philosophies.
Why stay true and stand out
when it’s easier to follow a lie
and blend in?
There’s no point in torturing
yourself with a goal
you’re not achieving if your
behaviours are not congruent
with your desires.
It’s like when I used to tell
the world I’d be an athlete with
a Guinness World Record to
his name… but I was living on
a Marlboro and vodka-based
diet.
I told my clients to trust me,
but I couldn’t even trust myself
around an unattended birthday
cake in the office kitchen.
My goals didn’t happen
until I changed my behaviours.
Staying true to yourself
Self-betrayal happens when
you do things the wrong way
round. You tell yourself you’ll
start to be that bold, confident,
outgoing, trustworthy, disciplined
version of yourself once
you achieve that next level of
professional success.
But the opposite is true.
You only achieve the professional
success (and the personal
success, for that matter),
after you become that version
of yourself.
To stop betraying yourself
and start living in line
with your personal values
and philosophies, understand
that success is the outcome of
change, not the catalyst.
So change trajectory:
start acting in alignment with
who you want to be. Look at
your career, business, family,
finances, health and fitness.
Ask yourself: “Are
my thoughts, actions and
behaviours aligned with the
outcome I want?”
Stop living in delusion.
Start making a difference.
It’s time to be who you
always said you were going to
be.