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Be Remarkable – A Recap

December 16, 2011 in A Better Way of Business, Be Remarkable with 2 Comments

Today I want to do the same thing I did for the One Thing Series, create a single post that has links to all the Be Remarkable posts.

I’m doing this because I want to continually remind everyone that we should all be looking for ways in which we can be remarkable. Also, I want to highlight these people and businesses that I have come across so far that are simply, remarkable.

In order of appearance:

LCB Woodturning by Louis Bickett (note, the link from Pops’ name is to his newly established Etsy store! Check it out!)

Mammaw’s Day Care

Justin Williams, Williams Dairy

Italy’s Pizza and Pasta at Hamilton Mill, GA

Chickfila at Hamilton Mill, GA

Please note that as I find future people and businesses that I think are remarkable I will be highlighting them and how what they do can be adapted by you.

Keep your eyes out for future posts!

~Ivan

Be Remarkable! Chickfila at Hamilton Mill, GA

November 11, 2011 in Be Remarkable, Video Blog with 1 Comment

In today’s episode of Be Remarkable! I talk about Chickfila right off the Hamilton Mill exit of I-85N in Gwinnett County GA.

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The Chickfila at Hamilton Mill is remarkable on any given day of the week I can walk in and at least one person will know me by name. And these aren’t people I knew and hung out with before I started eating there, they’re simply the best front line employees I’ve come across in a restaurant. Be it Dimitri, Mark, Seth, Victoria (aka Vic), or Brittni, they all know me by name. They ask how Skye’s doing (and why I might be there without her) and they ask how Alexander is doing, as well.

Overall, because of the AWESOME people they have working there, Skye and I eat there at least once a week, and have done so for pushing three years now. Many times we’ve eaten there more than once a week. And frequently it’s just so we can see our friends.

~Ivan

Be Remarkable! Italy’s Pizza and Pasta in Hamilton Mill, GA

October 28, 2011 in Be Remarkable, Video Blog with 2 Comments

In today’s episode I talk about Italy’s Pizza and Pasta right off the Hamilton Mill exit of I-85N in Gwinnett County GA.

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Italy’s Pizza and Pasta is not only remarkable because they serve the best pizza I’ve ever had (either purchased or home made, they’re the best), but because Oliver and Luigi have created the best atmosphere I’ve experienced in a restaurant. From the first time you visit, to each successive visit, Luigi and Oliver make you feel like you’re a part of their family. They take care of you. The staff sees to your needs. And you can TELL they want you to be there.

Everyone with a store front or a location where clients can come in can and should learn from Luigi and Oliver, especially when it comes to creating an inviting and welcoming atmosphere.

~Ivan

Be Remarkable – Justin Williams – Are You Enterprising

October 14, 2011 in Be Remarkable with 1 Comment

Justin Williams and his daughter, Audrey

Justin Williams is REMARKABLE!

Justin and I met while we both attended the University of Georgia. We became fast friends within seconds of being introduced. Through the years of knowing Justin, and his family the Williams, I have been blessed in more ways than I can count. Justin’s parents, Everett and Carol Williams are what I like to call  MY “second set of parents”. Better people, you can not find.

When I started the Be Remarkable series, I KNEW Justin had to be in it!

Why? Because Justin is ENTERPRISING!

According to Dictionary.com, enterprising means:

1. ready to undertake projects of importance or difficulty, or untried schemes; energetic in carrying out any undertaking

2. characterized by great imagination or initiative

I can not think of a better way to describe what Justin does as the Farm Manager at Williams Dairy, Inc on a daily basis.

Check out this video:

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Did you hear that? By being enterprising, undertaking difficult and important tasks with gusto, Justin has saved his farm 10′s of THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IF NOT 100′S OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! Those savings carry straight through to the BOTTOM LINE!

So I ask you, are you enterprising? Do you take on the difficult tasks you encounter while being self employed with gusto, or do you stall, hesitate, and say “I’m not skilled in that area”?

Justin Williams is remarkable in many ways, but his enterprising nature is something we can all learn from and attempt to apply in our businesses.

~Ivan

For an in depth look at the Williams Dairy check out this article in The Georgia Trend magazine.

How are you or your business being remarkable?

October 6, 2011 in Be Remarkable with 2 Comments

As you’re hopefully aware, I started a new series that airs on Fridays titled Be Remarkable. Where I’m showcasing people and businesses that I think are doing something remarkable.

And it got me thinking. How are you being remarkable? What are you doing that causes other people to talk about you, even if you’re not present?

It can be something in your personal life. It can be something in your business.

But what are you doing that is remarkable?

Share. Please. Maybe it can be a topic for a future Be Remarkable post…

~Ivan

009 – Be Remarkable – Mammaw’s Daycare

September 30, 2011 in Be Remarkable, Passion, Video Blog with 7 Comments

Today’s episode of Be Remarkable is brought to you from the front porch of Mammaw’s (Skye’s Grandma) house where she has run a daycare for 38 years! She’s currently 82 years old and is STILL keeping kids!

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Because Mammaw has found what her heart’s desire is, watching kids, she has had more demand for her services for 38 YEARS then she has been able to supply.

When’s the last time you have had more people asking to work with you or buy your product than you could supply FOR 38 YEARS?!?!

The take away from this is simple, go after what you LOVE and the business and money will follow!

~Ivan

008 – Forget Benchmarks, Do Your Best!

September 29, 2011 in Be Remarkable, Motivation, Video Blog with 1 Comment

I’m obsessed with stats. Especially stats for this site.

I’ve referenced this before in Quantity vs Quality. If left to myself I will try to analyze any and all numbers available to me from 360 degrees. I enjoy it. It tells me things people won’t always say to me. I kind of obsess over them.

So last week I went into Free Agent Academy and posted about the success I’ve been having here at A Better Way of Business’s site (more on this in a future post). I was hoping to receive some comparison data to see if I am doing as well as I think I am when compared to others.

Instead of getting comparison data I received one of the best compliments I’ve gotten to date regarding my business.

Check out this video where I talk about it:

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Victoria Jone said, “You don’t need a benchmark, you just need to rock – and you do!”

HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!?!

I think it’s REALLY awesome! Made my day.

And a VERY valid point for us all. Are you comparing yourself to a benchmark, that may not be on the same plane as you, or are you simply trying to do your best?

I learned a long time ago that I will tend to do WORSE than I’m capable of if I compare my results to the results of others. I guarantee that if you perform the same analysis you’ll find that you’re doing WORSE than you’re capable as well.

Remember, forget the benchmarks, DO YOUR BEST!

Or as I’m fond of saying now, BE REMARKABLE!

~Ivan

004 – Be Remarkable – LCB Woodturning

September 16, 2011 in Be Remarkable, Video Blog with 13 Comments

This is the first episode of a new series titled, Be Remarkable.

In this series I’m going to highlight people and businesses that are doing just that, they are being remarkable.

Whether or not it is in how they are building their product, how they are interacting with their customers, how they pour their heart into what they are doing, I’m going to highlight people doing things in remarkable ways.

My focus is not just small businesses. In this series you will see a variety of people and businesses; however, every episode of Be Remarkable will show case a remarkable action that can be implemented in YOUR business. So whether I’m highlighting my father, a local landscaper, or the breakfast crew at my local Chickfila, there will be something remarkable that you can take away and apply to YOUR business.

I’m VERY excited to start this series by show casing none other than my Pops, Louis Bickett. Since his retirement 10+ years ago Pops has been a wood worker. He started making furniture and more recently transitioned into wood turning, or as he likes to say, “Making square things round.”

I don’t want to spoil what is so remarkable about LCB Woodturning, so please, enjoy the video:

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So Pops is remarkable because he is SO GOOD at what he does that potential clients COME TO HIM and ASK HIM to make pieces for them. Pops doesn’t turn wood for a business, he does it because he loves it, but when and if he does turn LCB Woodturning into a business he’ll have clients lined up asking to buy his pieces.

I ask you, are you so good at what YOU do that clients come to you, instead of the other way around? Because most of us have to go looking for clients and ask them to do business with us.

~Ivan

You have seen this name FREQUENTLY here at A Better Way of Business, but I want to thank Justin Lukasavige for the inspiration for this series. Check out this post by him over at coachradio.tv to see what I mean.