I wasn’t really aware that I could actually affect profound change until, freshly separated and needing to feed my 2 children, I was asked to lead a failing sales team, to which I would later be head hunted in two countries because that sales team excelled at what I had taught them. That was the beginning of a career in motivational speaking and training on ‘Mindset Awareness’ for me.

It is best to describe why I love what I do by first stating what I believe and know for sure in the journey I have undertaken to understand and deliver excellence.

Firstly, Success is never about you; it’s about what you do to empower others.

Secondly, Leadership doesn’t just happen; it’s a deliberate act of will.

Any success achieved in life starts out with a ‘can do’ mindset, therefore fear is a betrayal of that. And so, that’s where I start.

You can’t play the whole game at once; you play it one step at a time.I absolutely know these 2 things about business:

1) You won’t know if your qualified to do something until your doing what it is you wish to qualify in and,

2) there are two kinds of players in life, those who strive to play their game with skill, focus, control, desire and strive for excellence with the nerve and audacity to win; and those who do not. I work and play with those who do.

I learnt long ago that if you wish to win, you must first start by knowing the rules of the game and then go out and play it. Playing it safe doesn’t always deliver the best possible game plan; you must be prepared to take some risks to win. Sitting back doesn’t get you in the game, playing does! This is where I come in.

I am paid to push, prod and produce results, to develop changes within the company and to encourage and deepen the ‘step up mentality’. I get the job done and so do those I work with. I truly believe you can achieve your goals well before you arrive at the envisaged destination. With a ‘can do’ mindset anything is possible in life.

‘Business is like a game of golf; you need to know the rules of the game before you can play well’. You need a team who are on the same green, knowing all the rules and focused, armed with a great tee off and direction to deliver their best shot. This is foremost on my mind when working with clients. I am both the coach and the caddy, allowing them to play the game to their ultimate ability, supporting their vision, looking for the best moves and getting them all aiming in the right direction.

“Business is like a game of golf; you need to know the rules of the game before you can play well. – Chanty Lang-Vermaas

I enjoy working with professionals’ whose aim is usually further then their reach; these are the hungry ones, the forward thinkers and players. I love leaving my clients with motivated executives/teams with a more profoundly aware mindset in their tool bag. Watching others step up to their potential is what keeps me excited and still stepping up in my own game. When I’m bringing out the best in others I know I’m really bringing out the best in me too.

Just like golf to succeed you must be flexible, do what it takes to change and get the results you want. I play with my right hand and putt with my left. I found it hard to putt with my right so I changed hands. Business is like that; sometimes you must adjust to unorthodox methods to get your best shot played. I observe my clients, how they approach their game, their mindset, how they focus, their skills, and, their motivation; from there I can see what their potential is and how to assist them in obtaining excellence. When you step up, others will step up too.

There’s a defining moment in everyone’s life when fear takes a step backwards and self-belief steps forward. This is called courage, and it arrives when you hear yourself say I’m unsure; but you step up anyway. Those moments empower us all. I am privileged enough to induce and witness courage daily.

I will bend, coheres, unleash, confront and encourage companies, teams and individuals to lead, embrace and achieve their greatest version of themselves. Whilst everyone is fearful of the unknown and change, everyone is equally empowered by the known and embraced.  When I see that light go on in the eyes of my clients knowing they ‘get it’, it engulfs me with great satisfaction. I know things will never be the same for them. They have awakened the master within.

Winning is also about loosing. Loosing shifts your focus and allows you to let go of what holds you back or no longer serves you or your business. Knowing when to let go allows you the right to claim future successes. If something no longer serves you, it will no longer nourish, enrich or create growth, therefore why cling to it? I assist companies in knowing its ok to change and create fresher newer opportunities and to widen their field. You don’t necessarily need to stay with the tried and true to succeed; in fact it can be a hindrance.

My company Business-Spirit does not use nor endorse the generic program mentality. I know that ‘one size DOES NOT fit all’! None of my clients’ problems are off the shelf so why expect the solutions to be! All my clients are individually accessed for their unique requirements to enable, enrich and empower positive change and progress. My business focus is on the client’s direction and is the main emphasis in individualizing every program. I have made sure these programs are built around structures best suited to encourage optimum outcomes; and are best ‘tailor made’ to the uniqueness of the individuals and are therefore NOT ‘off the shelf‘ products.

My training program Finite Visioning Strategic Management Program or Finite Visioning for short was the flagship program I created for my first sales team over 30 yrs ago now and the one that had them producing those earlier excellent results. I still use that format today, the only difference being the needs of my clients. This 4 day program incorporates presentation skills, listening techniques’, sales mentality and leadership awareness, each person leaving with the skills needed to communicate clearly, concisely and with a lot of fun to get deals done.

My business has led me in helping companies and individuals worldwide to reach their highest potential, thus boosting performance leadership and inspiring team spirit. I enjoy applying my ability to intuitively know what lies within others and to draw it out. I call it casting shadows into light.

My clients tell me I leave them Chantified with ‘hot teams’, who are more motivated and focused and hungry to play at the top of their game. That’s a nice compliment, however, it helps to have great clients to begin with to produce those results.

It is said that to win you only need to show up. That may be true if you only wish to be a spectator. However to win; you must play.

And play I do, and that, is why I love what I do. I can’t imagine doing anything else.

I am always asked how do you tell a Hunter from a Farmer when it comes to delivering the goods? 

This is my response to that question:

When training starts I always begin by asking the following question: 

In fifty words or less, tell me about your values with regard to business, and please include those in your personal life. These responses soon point to whether they’ll fit into your companies vision/mission statement or not. 

They should match yours without question! Like attracts like. 

 “The most valuable asset you have in business are your employees; what they’ll provide you with; is profit” Chanty Lang-Vermaas

Hunters and Farmers

I strongly believe it all depends on how you view a ‘hunter and a farmer’. 

This is my interpretation of the two:

Hunters are usually people who are motivated to produce results only when they’re feeling the pinch and therefore focus only on a short term solution to a long term request; they deliver only when necessity requires it of them. Hunters are usually big talkers in an interview; they have an air of arrogance about them, which usually moves beyond a healthy level of confidence and usually exhibit an all shine and polish veneer. Hunters in my opinion will eventually fall short of the mark when expected to step up and deliver; for me hunters are all about the kill, not about the long term results, i.e:. tracking, preserving and maintaining constant sustainability and deliverability on a long term basis; regardless of the climate. A kind of tortuous and the hare scenario. 

For my money, the latter description above are more indicative of the farmer attitude when is comes to bringing long term commitment to the table. Farmers tend to be people with a long range mentality which shows up in their delivery value. Farmers are committed to planning a year ahead, goal outcome oriented, willing to see pass issues facing them and will instinctively go beyond what is expected of them to bring home a bountiful harvest. In short; they never give up, they research, put in the hard work and are quiet drivers, thus commitment and persistence is their motto. Bringing the crop home IS their focus!

Whilst it can be said that both have there place in your business, I have found that farmers will tend to stick with the same vision you both hold long term, whereas a hunter will do so until they find another field more appealing. Farmers tend to care for their crop, hunters tend to gravitate toward their next adventure.

We all know it costs a fortune to hire a new staff member; with all the investment in hours of training to get them up to par, so wasting money on people not up to your expectations is an endless drain on your resources.  

Therefore paying attention to the initial stages of hiring is vital to your long term ongoing economic sustainability in the field of your business practices. Don’t go for a quick pick solution with a HR company. Take your time and be ultra choosey, after all, its YOUR time and money you’re investing.

I also use the most powerful tool at my deposal when interviewing potential staff; my first instinctual impression!

It never fails me, and has been around a lot longer then any profiling technique available today. For me, first impressions count and they pay off big time! Listen to them or you might just as well set fire to those dollars you’re spending to hire someone. 

And finally, when I’m asked about branding and hiring potential staff members who will carry a companies branding in a positive light for them, I believe strongly the following tells you everything: 

A persons personal attire and posture represents their branding attitude, and therefore speaks for itself in volumes, after all staff, are a companies branding, how they carry themselves will determine how they drive business to your door. First rule of business: people buy people first; everything else is a bi-product of that, don’t forget that.

“The best way to close a client; is to bargain with your ears” Chanty Lang-Vermaas

Hiring someone is no different to the above quote; just replace client with potential staff member and you’ll have what you’re looking for!

With the right mental aptitude you’ll find your Diamonds in the Rough and distinguish the Hunters from the Farmers.

Until next time

In Abundance

Chanty

As a baby boomer I find some of my generation are being left behind on the social media scale, stating all to often how complicated it is to understand, thus some are unwilling to go surfing outside the bay because they feel its beyond their reach or comprehension.

Whilst I can relate to that, it doesn’t however allow me to stretch myself beyond my own shoreline; so being unafraid to wander beyond the wading pool myself, I lunged forward, head on in to the breaking waves of what I like to call the ‘New Wave Tsunami’. This unstoppable wave is of course now led by our Gen Y’ers, and is thus followed by anyone trying to keep up with these very business social savvy technological forward thinkers.

I love the Gen Y’ers (I have two of them myself) I call them frontier builders, unlike my generation, they’re not about machines running on auto pilot, but rather form their thinking based more on ‘building business relationships’ and not just in doing business. To Gen Y’ers it’s not all about how much they earn, as it is about how many relationships they can develop in the process of doing business, thus their income becomes a bi-product of that

I swear I thought everyone knew about Social Media, however, I was proven wrong.

I actually had a debate with a client of mine the other day, about the value of social media and how it has opened up the world of e-commerce and business everywhere. He disagreed fervently at first, (this came from someone who truly thought he was a forward thinker). After calling him a dinosaur, brave girl that I was, he narrowed his brow and said ok then, prove it to me, was he kidding? So I did!

I showed him what was actually happening out there in the ‘real’ world with all the social media formats available, using my own links to all my sites as an example; he was floored to say the least. He was starting to look more like a stunned mullet washed up on a foreign shoreline, then the CEO of his company. Where has he been I was thinking? And so, I lead him thru the wonderland of the tsunami social media. We talked in depth; it didn’t take much convincing after that to get him to hire a new Gen Y staff member to blog away on all the sites he thought would benefit his company. I finally got thru to him, social media not only had value, it was imperative to his company’s survival!

When I left, he was salivating!!

I told him I’d write about this in my next company blog, he smiled and said; be kind when you do it Chanty, and so I have. He’ll be reading this when it’s posted.

And if you are one of the few (like my client) who thinks the above won’t add to your profit line, then please, let me be the first to congratulate you on holding fast to your dinosaurian roots laying embedded in the reef.

Social Media is all about communication; it gives you more coverage for fewer dollars spent with more profits in the coffers, the eventual selling point to my client.

Social Media has helped me enormously in looking for and providing insight and understanding businesses, it has assisted me in building the following:

• Trust: The most important starting point for any business. It takes time for some people to trust you on an individual level or as a company; some will trust their gut instinct and others will dissect you like a lab rat. This is where social media out shines anything else, its fast, thorough and immediate. It allows people get to see what you’re thinking, how you present yourself and how you handle yourself when communicating to the wider community. Being seen is being heard.

Remember the golden rule of trust, “People buy people before they buy your product”.

My personal rule is to build a foundation of trust with any ‘potential’ clients. I prefer to work with people who have an open mind, it’s far more rewarding for both of us. However, I am pretty picky with who I want to work with therefore, I am no different to my clients in that regard. I have actually turned clients away who come seeking me out, simply because I could tell their mindset isn’t open to change. I’m neither into wasting my time nor launching myself unnecessarily head first into a coral reef.

However, having said that, if I see a glint of possibility hiding behind the initial resistant, I’ll take them on. If I think I can surf a tsunami, I’ll step up to the challenge.

• Communication: The right form of communication builds bridges, not dams, and is a priceless extension of you and your company’s values. Adding your website and providing valuable links (your own or a reference link to another) is a great communication tool and is smart thinking, providing you with a platform to publish your views and get your ideas out there. Social media is a powerful tool for communicating, especially so when you contribute to another’s; it builds credibility. Communication isn’t just about using your vocal cords; it’s about using your awareness on all levels and using it ferociously. I also use Skype to have meetings with my clients, coaching/mentoring sessions, for collaborations and radio interviews with great success.                                                                                                                                                                               
• Networking: If you’re not networking, you’re not working your net wisely. Networking one to one isn’t always possible these days, what with family commitments, deadlines, lofty workloads or travelling for business, social networking in person isn’t always a viable proposition to us all, this is where social media works brilliantly. Placing an article or blog onto your website helps you to get exposure without the interruption of unnecessary meetings. All forms of social media open doors to communities far beyond our own corridors. By becoming a part of this ‘new wave tsunami’ which isn’t really new, allows us the chance to comment on, add value to or bring insight onto the table of another, and visa versa. Blogging adds value.

I write this not on behalf of all those social media savvy aware, but for the few, who think I am wasting my time and energy on Twittering, Facebook, WSJ, Mashable or LinkedIn, to me it’s time well spent and knowledge well sourced and it pays off.

“Time spent developing oneself, is value added to another” Chanty Lang-Vermaas

As a relative novice in this field I am now discovering the joys of surfing on this New Wave Tsunami and in doing so I am connecting to great businesses and individuals in the process.

Of course, time spent on the Internet cannot replace the fundamental human need for physical bonding, but if you’re not making use of Social Media then you’re certainly missing out on opportunities.

 “If your not networking; then you’re not working your net wisely” Chanty Lang-Vermaas

Time to venture into the Tsunami, until next time swim hard and stay strong

Chanty

What amazes me the most about these people is the incredible ‘mindset’ behind those belief systems. What a powerful place that is to be. I know the greatest risk they took began in the foundation of their initial dreaming. This is, what lies behind their success.

This ‘fountain of belief’ is so enormous that is bears no barriers in the crossing. The only barriers found, should they appear, are done so on the outside of that belief and are thus known as a ‘lack of’ mindset. When you believe yourself capable of something it becomes so, there is no other action taking place other then that mindset!

Therefore those amazing people knew innately that to be thinking outside that belief system would not serve them to obtain their dream. They decided instead to stick with a solid idea and they moved toward their aspiration! Those steadfast people did not yield to the ‘lack of’ belief in themselves, they saw only the path ahead and forged forward, they stayed steady and focused on that mindset, full stop!

They succeed were others fail because they continue to hold true to their internal compass, unwavering they sail forward into unknown horizons in search of their dreams, until they become the reality. This commitment to succeed is unflinching.

You see, a ship well steered holds within its hull a full bounty and a crew well versed in sailing itself into harbors; it’s directional compass is moving toward. Chanty Lang-Vermaas

They are relentless, regardless of what appears on their radar, they embrace their inner voice even in the face of ridicule. Success is their reward and justifiably so.

Hooray to those who believe!

We all have this ability. However, how many of us nurture that belief in ourselves to bring it into the light of our existence?

Some of us fail to raise above our inner dialogue of ‘what ifs’ and ‘can’t do’s’ and thus surrender to the deluge that is our fears. Left wanting, we look to discourage others and lack the praise and grace within us to congratulate those who come to show us the way.

Where our focus goes, energy flows. We become what we focus on!

If you aren’t happy with what you see, then perhaps you are heading toward the perilous rocks of your doubts and fears. May I suggest you take hold the helm of your thinking and be mindful of your compass and the direction it is pointing in, because, when you have nothing to reach for there will be no reason to climb and the reef will beckon you near.

Isn’t it better that we see the greatness in all things and in giving gracefully of ourselves thru praise and support we also get that which we need in return? When we recognize the greatness in another we give also recognition to ourselves. Praise be to those who see!

When we acknowledge our strengths we give birth to possibilities and in the doing we set our sails toward a strong wind and are thus cast upon a course for abundant harbors. Chanty Lang-Vermaas

Creating desired outcomes is important well before you’re at the destination. Changing your mindset and the way you present yourself are the first indications of a successful outcome. It also represents who you are and what you think about yourself.

Be bold, be daring, be unflinching, be audacious, be outstanding, be your true self!

Let me quote something I read by James F. Twyman  from ‘The Moses Code’

‘The ego is constantly concerned with trying to ‘get’ what it believes it doesn’t have, while the soul seeks to ‘give’ everything it needs, thereby realizing that those things were already present within. Where you live means very little if your mind and soul are oppressed. Your ego seeks to enslave while your soul, wishes to set you free.

Who you are and what you believe is helping you to achieve what you already have in your life, just look around yourself right now, go on, what do you see? Write it down. If you don’t like it change it, you alone have the power to do that, you are after all the captain of that vessel your walking in. It will, do what you tell it to.

Your mind is a radar looking for a lighthouse to navigate by. Be a good lighthouse keeper to yourself. Chanty Lang-Vermaas

If you want to know where your future lies, then look at where you’re at now, that will be your greatest indicator of where you’re heading and if you’ll succeed in achieving your dreams or not, remember, sometimes your desire requires you to go beyond your comfort zone.

If your directional compass is strong so will your journey be. 

Until next time

In Abundance

Chanty