NxtJen Strategies

It’s easy to underestimate how long it will take to do something. Here's how to keep it from holding you back.

Last week I talked about marketing budgets, this week we are exploring business development budgets and various ROIs in BD. The longer video walking you through the budget sample I have available on my website can be found here https://lnkd.in/gkWkC2V7 (click on "budget spreadsheet").

# The Hidden Costs of "Two Truths and a Lie" in Business We've all played "Two Truths and a Lie" as an icebreaker. But what happens when this game sneaks into our professional lives? In presentations, we often showcase our successes. Sometimes, though, we might stretch the truth or paint an overly rosy picture. It could be a slight exaggeration or an inference that's not quite accurate. Sometimes, it's a team decision we're obliged to support. But this "game" can have serious consequences: 1. Loss of Client Trust: If these "lies" are ever exposed, that client may never fully trust you again. Your credibility could be permanently damaged. 2. Internal Team Dynamics: How does this affect trust within your own team? When colleagues know about these embellishments, it can erode the foundation of trust essential for effective collaboration. 3. Ethical Slippery Slope: Once you start bending the truth, where do you draw the line? It becomes easier to justify larger deceptions. The pressure to win is real, but honesty and transparency often lead to stronger, more resilient business relationships – both externally and internally. What are your thoughts? Have you encountered this during presentation prep? How do you balance the need to present your companies best attributes with maintaining authenticity? #ProfessionalEthics #BusinessIntegrity #LeadershipChallenge #CoachingForTheWin #CallJen

The key to becoming everyone's go-to person isn’t what you think. My grandma used to say… “When your lips are moving, you aren’t learning.” It took me years to really understand what she meant. We often think being the go-to person means having the right answer or being the loudest voice in the room. But what I’ve learned is that it’s not about what you say. It’s about how well you listen. When you truly listen—without interrupting, without planning your response—you create space for people to open up and share what’s really going on. And here’s the power in that: you learn what their real challenges are. You gain insight that helps you solve the right problems, not just the ones you think need fixing. If you want to be the person people count on, say less. ——— ♻️ Repost if listening has helped you grow. Follow me (Chris Laping) for more on intentional leadership and growth.

Let's talk CREATIVITY BOOSTERS (aka How to Make Your Muse Stop Hitting Snooze) Schedule a "No BS Brainstorm Session" 🧠⏰ Carve out time in your calendar for pure, unadulterated thinking. No phones, no emails, no "quick questions" from Karen in accounting. Just you and your fabulous ideas having a party. Take Your Brain on a Field Trip 🎨🌈 Expose yourself to new experiences. No, not THAT kind of exposure (put your clothes back on, Frank). We're talking museums, a hike through nature, or even that weird interpretive dance show your artsy friend won't stop going on about. The Morning Phone Fast (aka "Sorry, I Can't Hear You Over My Brilliance") 📵✨ After waking up... Don't PICK-UP your phone. 🛑 Stop putting everyone else's ideas 💡 into YOUR HEAD and give their creativity a run for its money. The cat memes can wait. Let your own grey matter percolate before you drown it in social media drivel. Now for the CREATIVITY KILLERS (aka What's Making Your Muse Ghost You) Quit the Task-Juggling Act, Circus Freak 🤹♀️ Multitasking isn't impressive, it's the creativity equivalent of trying to eat a sandwich while riding a unicycle. Spoiler alert: You'll end up with mustard on your shirt and a bruised ego. Ditch the Negative Self-Talk! Your inner critic is not the Miranda Priestly of your brain. Tell that voice to zip it, or better yet, use that duct-tape you've been wanting to put on the slow talker from last weeks meeting. The Million-Dollar Question 💸 What fabulous, out-of-the-box, totally bonkers thing will YOU do today to wake up your creative potential? Start a impromptu puppet show with office supplies in the break room? Write a haiku about your boss's toupee? Share your wild ideas and creative hashtags below! Bonus points for GIFs and the appropriate use of the 🦄 emoji. #CreativityOnCrack #BrainstormAndChill #InnovationNation #ProductivityButMakeItFabulous #TooMuchCoffeeForJenToday

This image vividly depicts a chaotic, cluttered workspace that could indeed represent the busy, creative inner workings of someone's mind. My mind to be exact. This mesmerizing image captures the beautiful chaos of the creative process - a jumble of ideas, inspirations, and half-finished projects all vying for attention. From the walls covered in artwork to the overflowing desk and scattered objects, it's a perfect metaphor for the constant ideation and mental juggling act many of us experience daily. Add to that the guitar I'm trying to learn to play. The pictures of family I keep around me to remind me to put down work and pick up life more often. The books I've bought to read but haven't yet. The mementos of places I've been and the successes that bolster me towards my next adventures. Just as this room is bursting with potential stories and creations, so too are our minds filled with possibilities waiting to be explored. It's an important reminder that creativity isn't always neat and tidy - sometimes the most brilliant ideas emerge from what looks like disorder to others. What does the inside of YOUR mind look like? Share your thoughts with me in the comments! #SharingSomethingPersonal #CreativityUnleashed #MindfulChaos #InnovationStation #INeedANap

My thought for the day..."Unfulfilled potential isn't a tragedy; unexplored potential is." Here's why it resonates with me: ➡ Trying and falling short is part of growth 💠 Every attempt to fulfill our potential teaches us valuable lessons. 💠 Failure is not the opposite of success; it's a stepping stone. 💠The resilience developed in our attempts are often more valuable than immediate success. ➡Real loss is in never taking the chance to discover what we're capable of. 💠Our comfort zones can be deceptively comfortable, but they're often the biggest barriers to our growth. ➡ Every attempt to fulfill our potential teaches us something valuable 💠Even if we don't achieve our initial goal, we often discover new paths or opportunities we hadn't considered before. #PersonalGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #Motivation #EmbraceChallenge #LifelongLearning #CoachingForTheWin #CallJen

People "should" on us so often, its hard to find a place where all your Should's should go. Like: Things you Should do with with your kids. Vacations you Should take. All the ways you Should ... blah blah blah. We're all familiar with to-do lists, calendars, and productivity apps. But what if the list you really need isn't about what to do, but what NOT to do? 🚫 Enter the "Not To-Do" List 🚫 This powerful concept helps you: 1. Eliminate time-wasters 2. Avoid distractions 3. Focus on what truly matters By consciously deciding what you WON'T do, you create space for what's important. Try it: 1. List activities that drain your energy or don't align with your goals 2. Be specific (e.g., "No meetings after 3 PM" or "Don't check email before noon") 3. Review and refine regularly Remember: Sometimes, the key to productivity isn't doing more—it's doing less of the wrong things. What "should" be on your "Not To-Do" list? (sorry, I couldn't resist) #Productivity #TimeManagement #WorkSmarter #NotToDoList #IShouldCallJen

🧱 Tired of lugging unwieldy blocks of knowledge into your presentations? Let's look intently at that pile of information we affectionately call "Who we Are" and "Our Project History" and consider how we design it to create meaningful messaging. 💡 Thought for the Day: Many presenters stack information like building blocks throughout their presentations, creating a cluttered room of disjointed "knowledge" for their audience to navigate. True presentation artistry, however, lies in arranging those blocks into navigable stairs—elevating both your message and your audience and giving them a pathway to follow you on. Key Takeaway: Your presentation should be a stairway, not a stockpile. Are you and your team cluttering up the room or creating pathways to understanding? 👉 Action Step: Take a critical look at your next presentation. Identify three "blocks" of information you can transform into "steps" for your audience. 💬 Share your experience or thoughts comments below! #PresentationSkills #CommunicationTips #LeadershipInsights #CoachingForTheWin #CallJen