The Time Is Now: Why AI Adoption Is Accelerating for Small Businesses in Greenville, SC

A new Harvard Business School study, “Performance or Principle: Resistance to Artificial Intelligence in the U.S. Labor Market,” confirms what many business owners are already noticing — resistance to AI is fading fast.

Across the country, companies are moving from curiosity to confidence when it comes to using artificial intelligence. And here in Greenville and the Upstate of South Carolina, small and medium-sized businesses are beginning to harness AI to streamline operations, improve customer engagement, and gain a serious competitive edge.

From Hesitation to Implementation

For years, many business owners hesitated to adopt AI because they weren’t sure it could deliver consistent, trustworthy results. Harvard researchers called this performance-based resistance — a hesitation rooted in uncertainty about accuracy, cost, or reliability.

But as AI tools have become more reliable, easier to use, and more affordable, that resistance has given way to enthusiasm. Business owners now see that AI isn’t replacing their people — it’s amplifying what their people can do.

In fact, the study found that when AI is shown to outperform humans in certain routine or analytical tasks, support for adoption more than doubles. In other words, once business leaders see AI in action, they want more of it.

Why This Matters for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

If you own or manage a growing company in Greenville, Spartanburg, or Anderson, you’re in the perfect position to capitalize on this shift. Large corporations have already invested heavily in automation and analytics — but small businesses are just now beginning to tap into AI’s power.

Here’s where the biggest opportunities lie for SMBs today:

• Customer Engagement: Use AI chatbots and marketing tools to respond faster, personalize communication, and stay connected 24/7.

• Process Automation: Streamline payroll, scheduling, invoicing, and reporting — so your team can focus on high-value work.

• Sales and Growth: Analyze customer data to identify new opportunities, improve targeting, and forecast more accurately.

• Decision Support: Turn business data into insights that guide smarter strategies across departments.

With the right guidance, you can implement AI quickly — without disrupting your existing workflows or overwhelming your staff.

The Greenville Advantage

Greenville’s entrepreneurial ecosystem makes it an ideal environment for AI adoption. Our region’s mix of innovation, skilled workforce, and accessible technology partners means local businesses can move faster than larger organizations weighed down by bureaucracy.

Whether you’re running a service company, a local manufacturer, or a healthcare practice, AI can help you work smarter, not harder. And the businesses that move first will shape the competitive landscape of the Upstate for years to come.

Get Your AI Readiness Review

Now is the time to explore how artificial intelligence can reduce costs, increase productivity, and unlock new growth.

Through my AI Readiness Review, I work with small and medium-sized businesses across the Upstate to identify quick wins, build implementation roadmaps, and help teams confidently integrate AI into everyday operations.

👉 Learn more or schedule your review today at JohnAConstantine.com

What is your why?

I believe a key to happiness is the discovering your “why”. If you don’t have a, “why”, you may find yourself aimlessly meandering through life check out my latest video on how leverage my “why”.

The Power of a Little Light

I first handed Robert an MPOWERD Inc. Solar light in early 2018 during a trip to Rwanda. I didn’t hear much back as communication can be difficult sometimes. But I could never have dreamed how big of an impact that simple little device would have on his life.

Here is what he told me yesterday after we exchanged big hugs. “This light has changed my life. Because I had light I could study in the night I was able to learn more. After taking national exams, I received very good marks and I now have a scholarship”.

Since giving Robert his lantern, ARCpoint Labs customers have donated hundreds of lanterns to kids that live without electricity. That means that hundreds of kids are able to study in the evening and improve their education as well.

I’m so proud of the man that Robert is becoming and I can’t wait to watch him change the world. And he was so excited to know that his story inspired all of you to step in to change the lives of so many!

Message me or go to www.givealantern.com to learn more.

The Unemployed Professional: Fellowship of Suffering

There is something powerful about having walked in the shoes of someone that is currently suffering. The pastor of our church in Atlanta, Andy Stanley, did a sermon on this very topic a couple years ago called, "In the Mean Time" (click here if you wish to watch the message) in which he describes a situation of parents losing a young child. Having three beautiful children myself, I can’t imagine that there can be anything worse than that.

But that is the point of the lesson. I can’t even imagine. I can't relate. If I am ever in a position of being a friend to someone walking through this tragedy, I can support them as a close friend. I can be a shoulder to cry on. I can listen. I can just be there. I can provide bible quotes and words of inspiration. I can pray with, and for, the family. But I cannot relate. I cannot fully understand. I cannot see the world through their eyes. In that area, I fall very, very short. 

It isn’t until someone who has been where they are shows up. Someone that has felt that level of pain and suffering. It is the moment they can look them in the eye, give them a hug, and tell them, 'I understand. I know what you are going through. And look at me… You will get through this." Those that have been down the path already can assure them, "You will never forget. You will never be fully healed, but you will survive. You will heal. And I am living proof." That is the moment that they can begin to feel comforted. Those words of wisdom can come from a complete stranger, and in a very real and concrete way, they can provide more comfort than family, friends and pastors in their time of need. This is call the fellowship of suffering.

I've been writing a lot recently to support those that I have met who find themselves in job transition and I recently gave a devotion to a networking group about this topic. I believe that in finding a room full of people going through a similar struggle, you will find support and understanding that you might not have anywhere else. This is a principle that applies, across the board, for anything you are going through. And with the right perspective, you can move past just about any struggle and begin to see the reason you are going through a trial; the purpose for the pain. 

The fellowship of suffering is a three part process towards healing. Step number one is receiving healing words from someone that has walked the walk. We have already discussed the first point; if you are currently going through a trial, you will receive more comfort from someone that has walked the path already than just about anyone else you will encounter.

Second, if you are the comforter, the one that has been there before, you too will receive an emotional lift through the very act of providing support. Isn't it the case that you feel better by serving others? We know this of course, but, at least for me, sometimes I narrow down service projects to the typical.... go to a nursing home. Clean up a neighbor's yard that cannot do so themselves. Serve meals at a food pantry... All these are amazing opportunities to serve those in need, but sometimes those that are in need do not outwardly look as though they need help. However, with the right previous set of experiences, those are the ones that you can have the biggest effect on. That alone is a powerful knowledge; to know that you can comfort and serve simply by having walked the walk, and by being there for the "next generation of sufferers".

The third part is one step deeper. It is the realization that you may have walked through a specific set of events specifically because you are needed to help others through your experiences. In knowing that your experience is now providing you the power and the unique ability to walk someone else through a struggle, you now can begin to provide a purpose for your pain. 

The question is asked all the time. Why do good things happen to good people?

What if the answer is because it is those good people that will, in turn, do something with that pain? 

You hear stories of this all the time. A celebrity such as Michael J Fox, who has Parkinson's Disease and becomes an outspoken ambassador for the cause. A support group for those suffering from drug abuse that is led by a recovering addict. Or maybe a regular suburban dad and husband, that found himself in career transition who found a passion for serving those who were walking the same walk. 

I have enjoyed this phase of my personal and professional life. As I change my mental status from unemployed to employed I am thankful for the opportunity to have fellowship with those that I have met over the last few months. I have never met a more capable, passionate, giving, talented and articulate set of people than I have at C3G, One Thing for Men and the other networking functions I have found during this season of my life. It has been an honor to relate, receive, and give back to these folks. I have been on all ends of the fellowship of pain with my new friends. I have received comfort, I have given comfort, and through my website class and this blog I have been able to put a purpose to my struggle of job search. 

If you have suffered loss. If you have seen tragedy in your life. If you have gone through a struggle, I encourage you to seek out those that are now going through a similar season. Serve them. Comfort them. Be the one to look at them and tell them, 

"Look at me. I have been where you are. I understand. You will get through this as well."

I continue to encourage each one of you to keep climbing. 

John

"I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like Him in death.” – Philippians 3:10

Timely Transitions: By Rebekah Clough

Transitions are hard. You expect one thing and get another. The difference between what you expect and what you get is typically called “DISAPPOINTMENT.” I’m learning to call it “JOY.”

My story…

As a college graduate, I planned a life-long career as a sign language interpreter. Most things were going as anticipated, until I burned out my arms by excessive use (think Carpal Tunnel pain throughout both arms). I experienced significant loss that I could no longer use my God-given ability. This loss impacted me physically, emotionally and mentally.

Since then, I’ve worked in a few different jobs, trying to find my next career. In the process, I’ve met some wonderful people, both colleagues and bosses. I’ve also discovered some skills that I would have never unearthed, had I remained as a sign language interpreter.

So, all of this has helped me reframe my thought process about job transitions. While they are challenging (and even frightening), they can be insightful and generate great personal satisfaction.

Steps:

1)   I have learned that life is a journey, not a destination. 

I love the quote, “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, but learning to dance in the rain.” That has inspired me even in the darkest times of my career.

A few years ago, my husband and I were both laid off at the same time. We chose to see the time together as a gift, instead of just a set-back.

Nature is one of the best reminders for me of transitions. The changing seasons, realizing ALL seasons are needed for growth—not just Spring and Summer. I love this poem that emphasizes the value of each season. Every Season of My Soul. Also, a great resource for bringing healthy perspective to change is Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud.

2)   I have reached out to friends and family.

I have realized — and perhaps you will realize the same thing — that being vulnerable is hard, but necessary.  You may realize the folks that you thought would help you most, don’t even respond. But you may also find people – who you least expect – become your biggest cheerleaders. My recent coworkers have become my biggest advocates, and that has meant the world to me.

3)    I have learned the value to do one hard thing every day.

I often dread doing something hard, but find that not only am I energized by it, I feel better about myself, and humanity in general. Laying aside our insecurities is frightening. For some, picking up the phone to make a cold call, going to the dentist, confronting someone, wondering what others think, if you strike up a conversation in the elevator. What is your hard thing that you must “gather up your courage” to accomplish?

Recently I was an attendee in an auditorium during a Christmas program and realized there was a deaf person on the front row, obviously confused because there was no interpreter. I saw the need and was compelled to meet it. However, was I willing to gather my courage and stand up in the middle of the program, in front of everyone, and move to the front row to give this guy a gift?  I struggled with it, but did accept the challenge. What I found: great satisfaction seeing my interpreting come alive again, and even more satisfaction hearing this guy had attended this Christmas program for 10 years and had never understood the story. He was incredibly grateful. I knew I had connected with a person and done the right thing. That is very empowering.

Find some great people – anywhere – and also expand your network in the process. Pick just one hard thing each day, and you will find that your cumulative courage inspires you to be stronger each day.  

4. I have learned to take inventory of my skills.

I realized that I have multiple talents and skills. And I’m sure you do too. Look at the things you do that may not be “tangible” for your resume, as well as the things that are.

For example, I’m good at managing projects and making sure they are completed. That’s a tangible project management skill. But I’m also good at encouraging others to meet their goals. I’m sure some people would call that “coaching”, but I like to consider it being a good colleague.

I also found that I have some skills that I can develop for future jobs. For example, I’m good at budgets and cutting costs. So recently, I’ve taken accounting courses to get formal training.

Thus, look at your wide range of skills. Some can be listed on Linkedin or developed for your next career. Others can be skills that bring you great personal satisfaction. Either way, they help define you and what you can bring to your next company. Here is an assessment that I've found helpful because it evaluates four different areas: skills, interest, personality, and values. https://www.crossroadscareer.org/careerdirect/

As much as transitions are frightening, I’ve learned to manage them a lot better and understand that disappointment can really become joy. To do so, you and I must learn to reframe our thinking.….We don’t always get what we want. But the happiest folks are those who are happy with what they have. 

About The Author:

Rebekah Clough is new to blogging, but excited about trying new things. She likes productivity, people and spending time in a coffee shop, with a good cup of tea.  She has tremendous faith in people and God, and believes life is to be lived well.To learn more about Rebekah, click here

The Unemployed Professional: Abundance Theory

I was not gifted with a natural talent to play tennis. Combine that with the fact that I didn't pick up a racket until my 7th grade year and my chances of ever playing varsity on our high school team, which was ranked 2nd in the state and was full of kids that had been carrying a racket since they were walking, was slim to none. I worked hard and became "above average" by my senior year, but there were overwhelming odds against me ever being good enough to make the varsity team. There were simply too many above average kids. For some reason, the knowledge that I would never play a varsity match never deterred me from continuing to push. At the time, I couldn't put it into words, but I always had it in my mind that there was a chance. I kept that attitude for all four years of highschool and I was finally given my big chance at one of our last matches of my senior year. I can't remember if we won or lost that day; all I remember is thinking, "I knew there was room for one more!"

Years ago, Steven Covey, author of "7 Habits of Highly Effective People", coined the phrases, "Scarcity Theory" and "Abundance Theory" Scarcity theory is the belief that there are a limited number of opportunities and not everyone will have the chance to participate. If you tend to view the world through a perspective in line with scarcity theory, it will have an impact on the way that you respond to your surroundings. Conversely, abundance theory is the thought that there is enough room for everyone. Everyone will find their place and everyone will add their own value. There is always a spot on the team for another player. This is a mentality that, once again, will have an effect on the way that you see the world. And both will be a huge factor in how the world sees you. 

When you sit down in front of a potential employer, do you want to project an air of confidence? Do you want to be able to negotiate your salary effectively? Or do you wish to walk in the room with the sense that this is your one chance to pay your bills? That if you don't get the offer, you have no idea what your next step is? Every time I walk into an interview, I want to authentically feel as though I am in control. I want to be able to project an air of confidence that says that I am very thankful to be in the room, but I don't need this interview to be everything because another opportunity is right around the corner. I want to project a sense of "abundance" in the job search. 

So now, as you think about your current situation of transition, it is probably obvious to you which theory you are currently subscribing to. And if you are on the side of the fence where you are starting to believe that there are not enough jobs to go around, that you need to grab whatever you can, and that when you do land that interview, you NEED that specific job, you are losing the perspective that you have options. You are forgetting that you have choices, and you are falling into the trap of scarcity thinking.

So how do you give yourself a sense of abundance? I have come to realize that abundance might not necessarily rely on actually have a long list of job options on the table. It might just come down to the act of staying busy. And in that act, you start to present yourself with choices of how you are going to spend your day and who you are going to spend your day with. And choices, are what will give you an ongoing sense of abundance. A perspective in line with abundance theory will give you confidence to actually land that position!

For some people, it can be as simple as flipping a mental switch to change your perception on your current opportunities. For these people, an adjusted perspective will be attained by thinking back on the last few days or weeks and looking at all the different conversations, networking opportunities, and potential target companies that have "popped up out of the blue" as they sometimes tend to do. However, for the rest of us, this will take some work to adjust our perspective to see the world through the eyes of abundance theory. Below are a couple quick suggestions on how you can potentially get there. 

1. Find the employment networking events. Whether it is a paid group such as Kettering, or amazing free groups such as C3G at Northpoint Church and the support provided at Roswell United Methodist Church, you will gain additional contacts and new opportunities to meet with people that know people that might be able to help. If you are in Atlanta, check out Joel's List for a comprehensive list of networking opportunities. Search these groups out in your local city. The more meetings you go to, the more people you will meet. The more people you will meet with, the busier you will be. The busier you will be, the more opportunities you will find. It really is just that simple. Remember, even if none of this leads you to a job, that might not be the point. The point might just be to switch your perspective to one of abundance. 

2. While at these events, commit to introducing yourself, shaking hands and providing your elevator pitch (don't have an elevator pitch? Click here to build yours) to at least 10 people in the room. Set a "quota" for yourself to gather 5 business cards that you will follow up with to ask for a coffee. Even if they are not the people that will get you a job, they probably know people that might be able to help you. 

3. Work towards at least one, sit down meeting with a new contact per day. For those that are not extroverts, this will seem very daunting, but I'll tell you, having meetings each and every day will do a world of good towards your feeling of abundance.  

4. When you are sitting down with these new contacts, don't be selfish. Listen. Actively think through how you can help the person across the table from you. Make an introduction for them. Teach them something they don't know. Maybe they just need you to be an ear for a few minutes. The active of giving of yourself to everyone that you meet will serve you well. I promise! 

Here is the secret and my parting thought: An active networking life will make you busy. While you are busy you will find that your confidence will improve. Leverage that confidence while you are in front of your future boss. You will be the person that they need you to be in that moment. This will make them feel comfortable offering you the job you are chasing. And if not, move on to the next networking event or coffee, one on one and continue to prepare your perspective for the next opportunity. There are plenty of them out there!

 “Happiness is a state of activity.” -Aristotle 

Keep Climbing!

Keep Climbing

John

About me: 

My name is John Constantine and I am a executive leader of sales and marketing. As a sales leader I have driven organic growth from $4M-$65M through building a highly successful sales team. As a marketing executive, I have directed rebranding initiatives, developed websites and print collateral and designed/implemented various marketing campaigns using digital tools to score and track leads. In everything I do in my corporate life, I drive growth through supporting and improving the efficiencies of the sales team. Personally, I am passionate about giving back to the world; whether it is a church plant in Colombia, South America or helping to develop the go to market strategy for a hospital in Rwanda, Africa, I feel that we are called to service. Additionally, I extend my desire to go above and beyond in a very real way through my mountaineering and backpacking treks. In 2016 I summited Mt Rainier in Washington State and now I train for an Alaska expedition in Denali and a possible fundraising climb of Kilimanjaro.  

To learn more, go to http://www.johnaconstantine.com/

Sign up to receive my Blog!

The Life of the Unemployed Professional: The Pitch

After over a decade in sales and marketing, I have learned that a story is everything. A compelling, interesting, meaningful story will engage your audience, draw them in, and can make them fall in love with you. 

On the flip side, an unorganized list of bullet points, a rambling narrative without direction, or an unrelatable tale can do more harm than good. 

An elevator pitch is a statement that tells a high level summary of who you are and what you offer within 20 seconds (or the time it takes to ride in an elevator). As any good sales person will tell you, this is key to getting past the first introduction and can either make you or break you.

Articulate. Concise. Descriptive. Smooth. Flexible. These are all the ways you can describe a good elevator pitch. But that doesn't really help you. You probably know this already. What might be helpful is a couple best practices in developing your own elevator pitch that will draw people in, make you relatable and get you past the initial hello.

Lets start with Articulate. 

Think about your audience for a moment. There will be moments when you are with "your people". Industry functions, trade shows, company parties. These are all times that you can use your big MBA words and industry jargon. But then there will also be those times that you will be around the rest of us. Us simpletons that have no idea what it is that you do and will not understand the acronyms that you use all day, every day. This is such an important distinction. In fact, this is best practice number one. Think the engineer talking to the attorney. Two smart people; just smart in different areas. Being articulate is more than flowery words. It is about being relatable and understandable by the audience you are in front of. 

Concise: 

As you work towards taking all the years and all the experiences you have gone through it can seem overwhelming to narrow that down to just a couple sentences. In developing mine, I listed out all the different areas that I have experience in. I allowed this list to continue to growth over a few days. What are you good at, what do you enjoy? List out as many as possible. Reference your resume, ask those that are close to you; get yourself a list of 20. 

Next you will find that some of those skills start to lump together into a general category. For example on my list, inbound lead generation, digital marketing and email marketing can all be summarized into Lead Generation or Marketing Automation. I have to remember, though, unless I am speaking to fellow marketers, that might not mean anything to my audience. So alternatively, I call it "finding the right potential customers and and making sure they are a good fit." Categorize all your skills into the top three high level skills you have and adjust those skills to the audience. Remember, no more than 20 seconds!

Descriptive: 

There are two best practices when it comes to being descriptive. Allow for understanding and make it about the customer. What is wrong with this statement?

"I analyze BI and look for trends that become content I push using marketing automation software to pre-identified targets and key KOLs to generate leads for a field team."

Crickets.... right?  This is an extreme example, but we all do it. We all have acronyms or terms that make perfect sense to us, but have no meaning to those outside of our world. Additionally, This is about what I do, not about what my clients get out of it. Compare that statement with the one below: 

"I am a sales and marketing leader that uses new and innovative tools to better identify the potential customers that are more likely to buy. and Those leads are then passed over the to sales team so that they have more direction on who to target and who will purchase." 

See the difference? I have taken industry jargon, transitioned it to a generalized conversation and included the benefit the audience gets from the work. 

As a side point here. Sometimes we try to be smart instead of relatable. We all do it. Somehow, we feel that if we are able to use the biggest words possible so that no one understands us, we will come across better than if we are relatable and understandable. Overcome the urge to show off your big brain and just be a nice, articulate person. 

Smooth:

Practice, Practice, and more practice. In front of a mirror. To your spouse or best friend. To your favorite barista at Starbuck. The more you say it, but more comfortable you will be with it. Do you know how you get smooth? you guessed it. Practice. Enough said on this one. 

Flexible: 

Adjust your pitch as needed and be flexible to learn what will work the best. In marketing, we call this A/B testing. A practical example of how we use A/B testing is in email marketing. Did you know that almost every email that fills your inbox from some company has had two versions, slightly tweaked, of the same email? Companies send both versions to a segment of their intended audience and they watch the response. How many opens, how many clicks to a website, so on. If you get a better response with version A over version B, then you move forward with version A. Then you make a slight tweak again, send two versions out and watch what happens and, once again, go with the most successful version. 

You can do the same thing with your elevator pitch. Use two different versions. Try them both out at a party. If one seems to connect better with your audience, run with it! Ditch the other version and now you have a slightly better version to move forward with. 

An elevator pitch is your first impression. It is your chance to connect and show that you are someone that should be recommended. That you are confident and will be an asset to any company. Remember, Articulate. Concise. Descriptive. Smooth. Flexible. I feel like that should have been an acronym. 

Keep Climbing

John

About me: 

My name is John Constantine and I am a executive leader of sales and marketing. As a sales leader I have driven organic growth from $4M-$65M through building a highly successful sales team. As a marketing executive, I have directed rebranding initiatives, developed websites and print collateral and designed/implemented various marketing campaigns using digital tools to score and track leads. In everything I do in my corporate life, I drive growth through supporting and improving the efficiencies of the sales team. Personally, I am passionate about giving back to the world; whether it is a church plant in Colombia, South America or helping to develop the go to market strategy for a hospital in Rwanda, Africa, I feel that we are called to service. Additionally, I extend my desire to go above and beyond in a very real way through my mountaineering and backpacking treks. In 2016 I summited Mt Rainier in Washington State and now I train for an Alaska expedition in Denali and a possible fundraising climb of Kilimanjaro.  

To learn more, go to http://www.johnaconstantine.com/

Sign up to receive my Blog!

The Life of the Unemployed Professional: The Friend and Family Connection

You are more than just bullet points on a resume. You are color and life. You are the summary of your previous life experiences. All of this makes you.... you. 

This has been the first time that I have been on the "market" for a new position. I have always been fortunate to have been recruited away from a current role to the next step. As I am approaching my sixth month as an independent free agent after the downsizing of a start up, I find that the "full time job" of looking for my next consulting gig or my next leadership role, is not that different than how I spent my time as a sales and marketing executive... only a lot less time on conference calls. 

When you break the job search down, I am my product. My job is to get my product in front of as many potential "customers",  (hiring managers) as possible. As I have honed the process of marketing myself, I have collected the top 5 ways that I have found to market the product of John Constantine the most effective way possible. 

Over the next few weeks, we will take a deep dive into the following areas: 

1. Talking to Family and Friends

2. Developing Your Elevator Pitch 

3. Networking in Your City

4. The Importance of the Face to Face Meetings 

5. Look Out for Others More Than You Look for Yourself

Today, let's jump right into number one. 

I recently ran into a close friend at Starbucks while we were back in Indianapolis for the holidays. First an awkward man-hug/handshake (because that tends to happen to me... I'm a hugger...) and then the question "Hey man!! How are things?" ....

I let my pride do the talking. "Great! We are loving Atlanta! We have great neighbors, have found an amazing church, kids have adjusted well, We have a new unicorn that provides us with rainbows and butterfly toots anytime we want, its an AMAZING life...."

I didn't actually say the unicorn part but it would have fit with how well I stated things were at the moment.

I also exaggerated how well the consulting firm I'm working on was going at that point. We walked away from the conversation with a less awkward man-hug this time and he said he was happy for how well things were going for us. And there it was... A lost opportunity. In his mind, things were going so well, I didn't need anything from him. 

So.... I'm a bone head... While we have found an amazing church, our neighbors and neighborhood are fantastic, and our kids act as though they have always lived in Georgia, the part I overstated; the consulting firm was not actually a business yet. In fact, I had a couple proposals out, but I didn't, yet, have one paying client. And I needed more leads. 

Now here is the rub. This buddy of mine is very well connected and I missed an opportunity to tell him about how I could use his network. I let my ego take over. Now, I was going to need to back track, swallow my pride, and go back to him for help, which I imagined being more awkward than that hug-shake thing. When I called, he was more than happy to help! In fact, he connected me with two people right away. The moral of the story is this; I almost let a great opportunity pass me by because I didn't want to let him know I could use his help. 

Haven't you found that you do the same thing? Especially with those that we are close to? We sugar coat everything. We hide our concern. We are too prideful sometimes to ask for help. It is as if we feel as though we need to wear a mask and not allow those that are close, come behind our wall, join our team, and walk along side us to help.

These situations happen to us all the time. We have an opportunity to tell someone what we are looking for; an opportunity to allow them to serve us, and we let it pass us (and them) by. In the sales world, it is called "asking for the sale". As long as sales peeps have been selling stuff, it has been a best practice; once a prospect has reached a certain point in the sale's cycle you say something along the lines of,  "So you know what we are capable of. You know that we are a good fit. Are you ready to sign up?" It seems crazy to be this forward to those that are not in this type of role, but the secret is that it works in the sales process and it works in these situations as well. 

Ok, Now, let me be clear. I am not suggesting that you become Debbie-Downer. Don't turn into Eeyore from Pooh and talk about the sky falling. (I think I'm mixing up my childhood stories but you get the idea) There is a simple way that you can talk to friends and not make them feel sorry for you. Instead they can align with you on your goal of getting back to work. And then you have the opportunity to ask for help.

Here are a couple things you can keep in mind before you find yourself in these situations.

Number one: Know what you are going to say in advance. Don't allow yourself to get surprised in these interactions. Come up with your conversation piece you will use when you randomly run into someone at the grocery, in the gym, or at church.  Make sure that it is authentic and honest, but positive at the same time. This is called the elevator pitch and....

Don't use the same one that you will use in your professional life... they might not have any idea what you are talking about if you use key MBA buzz words and industry acronyms. 

"I have over 13 years of executive experience building companies as a sales and marketing leader.  I have led the charge from $4-65M in a national sales leadership role building a sale team as well as the systems that support that team. I'm also an experienced executive marketer building brands, creating products and then releasing them to the world. I'm looking for a few small to mid-sized companies that might need corporate experience but can't afford a full time Chief Sales or Marketing Officer.  I come into companies and make the current process of growing better as a part time consultant and an extension of the leadership team." 

That is mine. Develop yours! More to come on developing your perfect elevator pitch in future blogs.

Number two: Practice it at home.... Out Loud, not just in your head! The truth is, I say this to people all the time and rarely do people do it because it is weird. But it works. Practice it on your spouse. Practice it in front of the mirror. Practice it to the guy sitting next to you at the stop light in traffic who has his window down. Practice makes perfect, as they say.  You know this... the more your practice your interactions before they occur, the better off you will feel during the interactions. The more confident and nature you will become and the more that they will want to help you.

Number 3: While talking with friends and family, think about their network. I have made it a best practice, in almost every interaction with someone, to ask if there is someone they know that might be a great new connection for me. You know, just to grab coffee with. We will talk about this in later writings, but the more people you meet with, the broader your network. The broader your network, the more famous you are. And the more famous you are, the larger your pool of potential employers.

Finally, Number 4: Follow up. While your friends and family love you and want the best for you, connecting you is not their top priority. And between their own busy and full lives it has a tendency to slip their mind. If they offer, though, it means they want to help. Do not feel bad about following up with a reminder. And do it quickly. For example, if you are talking with your brother at a family birthday and he says he has a buddy to introduce you to, send a follow up text later that night: "Hey Bro! Great to see you today. I appreciate your willingness to hook me up with ______. talk soon!" You might be saving them from feeling bad later if they forget. 

Those that are closest are your biggest fans. They believe in you and they want to help you. In fact, they will feel amazing about themselves if they actually are able to help. The only thing stopping them might be your ego.

Don't let your ego rob those you love from feeling amazing about helping you!

Prepare in advance.

Don't hesitate to ask for the help.

Always be positive.

And follow up proactively. You never know where it might take you.

And as always, keep climbing.

John 

About me: 

My name is John Constantine and I am a sales and marketing executive living in suburban Atlanta. Throughout my career, I have been able to drive growth repeatedly in a variety of capacities. As a sales leader, I have built, expanded, and improved high performing teams to promote expansion and profitability. As a marketing executive, I have led teams in the creation and launching of new brands and products. I have managed inbound lead generation campaigns and created online and print branding standards that stand out from the pack and engage employees to take pride in their organization. As an executive of strategic initiatives and a field operations leader, I have implemented programs and processes that have differentiated my organizations and provided predictable revenue forecasting to the C-suite; all the while increasing productivity and accountability of the front-line team members in the organization. I now leverage these experiences to help other companies stand out and manage growth. 

To learn more, go to http://www.johnaconstantine.com/

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The Life of the Unemployed Professional

I am going through a life journey that is full of twists and turns, but it sure is exciting. Don't get me wrong. Occasionally I wake up with the "I'm freaked out about the future" sweats in the middle of the night and wonder about what is right around the corner, but every day, I am out there, meeting new people and networking to either identify a new consulting opportunity or possibly land my next corporate position.

Come close... I want to tell you a secret.... I am LOVING this process helping those that are in the same boat I find myself. I have found that I get very passionate about helping those in transition learn to love the process of identifying the next stage of their career. Like a kickstand to a bike, I enjoy propping those up that need support and allowing them to stand tall and proud, regardless of their situation. 

This morning I want to share two simple truths that smarter people than myself have shared but that I believe passionately. Hopefully this will help you if you find yourself in a transition or you are living through the semicolon of your career. Lets consider this the start of a conversation. 

Truth #1: I met a guy recently that said it perfectly. "Anxiety comes from the chaos, not the fear of the future." This couldn't be more true! As I network and talk with others, it seems that, generally, we all believe deep down inside that at any stage of life, we will eventually be ok. Or as my mother used to tell me... "this too shall pass...". I also believe that, as a Christian, if we are faithful, we will be protected. So it is not the fear of the future that "enriches" your life with those nights of unrest. It is the chaos. It is a lack of organization. Not having a plan for the next day or a list to check off; that is what generates the sleepless nights! Get organized! We can talk about how in a later installment. 

Truth #2: As I hear people's stories I continue to find that, just like me, all these people are more than just bullet points on a resume. They are color and life. They are back stories and dreams of amazing futures. They are tragic as much as they are heroic. In each interaction, I discovered something important. I have valuable skills that can assist those that find themselves in a life stage of transition. I can help them tell their amazing story and if I don't use my skills for this purpose, I am doing all of them a disservice. Whether it is teaching a free web development class, or writing about how to make companies and recruiters chase you, I can assist those that find themselves in transition to move on.

I'll tell you what! You have skills that can help those around you too. As you sit and meet with people, think through how you can add value to them; not just how they can add value to you. If you give, you will receive. You want to know where my consulting clients are coming from? Friends of people that I have offered to help.  

So here is the thing: I have found a formula that gives me a new perspective. I have established goals that give me milestones to chase. And I have learned skills from over a decade of sales and marketing leadership that I can share with you and you can implement during your search. You see, finding a job is a sales and marketing process. And sales/marketing today is not all about personality and likability. It is about track-ability and accountability. We will talk about that later too. 

As part of my journey to give back, I am going to start writing about what I am learning in this process. Each week I will provide you something simple like a truth or a tool that can be used or a perspective that might change yours. Maybe one of these will be what you need to get to your next stage. I'm also hosting another free website build class on February 9th. If you are in the North Atlanta area and would like to join, you can register here. 

We are on a journey for sure. But stay tuned and we will land softly together.

Keep Climbing!

John

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A Lesson From a Couple Kings On Selfish Ambition

“If you do say that I was a drum major, say that I was a drum major for justice. A drum major for peace. A drum major for righteousness.” - Dr. Martin Luther King

On April 4, 1967, two months to the day before the shooting that took his life, Dr. Martin Luther King gave his famous "Drum Major Instinct" Sermon in Ebenezer Baptist Church, right here in Atlanta GA. The sermon is based on the idea that ambition, maybe even selfish ambition, is not a problem alone. Only when used for the wrong purpose does it become a problem. 

In a marching band, the drum major is the person out in front, leading the charge. They are the center of attention and the one leading the show. Dr. King points out that all of us have the desire, in some way to be a "Drum Major" in certain areas of our lives. He points to a story from Mark 10: 35-45, when James and John approach Jesus, and request to sit at His right and left hand in heaven. Jesus doesn't turn around and bash them for their ambitious thoughts though. In fact, you could argue that Jesus feeds into that selfish ambition by mapping out how to get ahead in his new world order. 

“You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”(Mark 10:42-45)

If Jesus would have said this today, He would ended it, #servantleadership. About a month ago, our church preached a message on this sermon of King's, and I am so glad they did. It has reminded me, as I continue to build on my own personal career and that I do not need to feel bad for having an ambition to get ahead. However, if my ultimate goal is to get ahead, I am to serve those that "the world" might have me believe are supposed to serve me. I am to help them get what they ultimately desire, and in doing so, I will get where I ultimately wish to go.

Today as we celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, let us remember this great lesson he shined his spotlight on just a few months shy of 50 years ago. Servant leadership is the way to the top. There is nothing wrong with a desire to make it to the top. Good for you if you want to get there. But how you get there is the important piece. Treat those around you with respect and dignity. Serve them, and you too will get to where you ultimately wish to go. 

Keep Climbing!

John

Click Here to listen to this powerful message from Dr King. 

About the author:

My name is John Constantine and I am a sales and marketing executive living in suburban Atlanta. Throughout my career, I have been able to drive growth repeatedly in a variety of capacities. As a sales leader, I have built, expanded, and improved high performing teams to promote expansion and profitability. As a marketing executive, I have led teams in the creation and launching of new brands and products. I have managed inbound lead generation campaigns and created online and print branding standards that stand out from the pack and engage employees to take pride in their organization. As an executive of strategic initiatives and a field operations leader, I have implemented programs and processes that have differentiated my organizations and provided predictable revenue forecasting to the C-suite; all the while increasing productivity and accountability of the front-line team members in the organization. 

 To learn more, go to http://www.johnaconstantine.com/

Build Your Own Personal Website Too!

This morning I was fortunate enough to be trusted by dozens of professionals with their time as they work to set themselves apart with a personal website. Their desire to go above and beyond the "norm" and be different was evident in the time that they took to learn, their attentiveness in the class, and the initial steps they took towards a final product. I look forward to seeing their final websites!

A personal website is becoming more and more popular. Consulting firms specializing in assisting candidates through career transitions recommend them. Whether you are a sales rep looking to stand out from your competition, as a candidate in a hiring process, or as a freelancer looking to highlight your professional skills, a personal site is valuable and is becoming more and more popular. They are not expensive undertakings and are down right cheap if you can get over the apprehension of building it yourself.

The improvement of the tools available for you to use to build your own website is leading to a new perspective that you can have a professional looking website that represents you more than a resume or a LinkedIn profile alone can. As a previous hiring manager of sales and marketing people, it were the individuals that marketed themselves effectively that would get the position. Personal websites would accomplish this goal.

I have received much positive feedback from the site that I built and it has been an invaluable marketing tool as I find myself on the job market. The feedback on the first class this morning was so positive that I will be offering another class in the near future.

If you are interested in learning how easy a personal website is to build and possibly signing up for a course that will teach you how, CLICK HERE.

Lessons from the mountain #4: Problems can make you sore or make you soar.

Welcome to the final installment of my four part series, "Lessons from the Mountain". If this is your first time here, I welcome you to visit my previous posts. I have been highlighting the lessons that were learned through my mountaineering experience that seem to be applicable on the ground in the business world as well. Each week, I have highlighted a simple little truth that hopefully will allow you to maintain a positive perspective; regardless of what you are going through at work! 

Lesson #4: 

All struggles are only problems if you allow them to be. You can view struggles as reasons that you may not be successful or they can be opportunities for personal growth and the catalysts for developing the tools that will guarantee success. I cannot yet quantify all the different areas I developed and how much I grew during the year of training and throughout the actual climb, but I can tell you that I am a different man. I have grown mentally, emotionally, physically and intellectually through the process.

So it is with your struggle at work. All struggles are opportunities for growth. I don't know who said it first, and if you know, tell me so I can give credit where credit is due, but it has been said, "You never find the best version of yourself inside your comfort zone". I can personally attest that I have found the best version of myself, and it was somewhere up on that mountain during the hardest of struggles. 

I encourage each one of you to continue to push forward, embrace the awkwardness of personal growth, and look forward to the better version of yourself that you will find on the other side of whatever struggle you are working through today, this week, this month, and this year. You will like the results; I know I do. 

Keep climbing and check in again next week as I start a new series!

John

About the author:

My name is John Constantine and I am a sales and marketing executive living in suburban Atlanta. Throughout my career, I have been able to drive growth repeatedly in a variety of capacities. As a sales leader, I have built, expanded, and improved high performing teams to promote expansion and profitability. As a marketing executive, I have led teams in the creation and launching of new brands and products. I have managed inbound lead generation campaigns and created online and print branding standards that stand out from the pack and engage employees to take pride in their organization. As an executive of strategic initiatives and a field operations leader, I have implemented programs and processes that have differentiated my organizations and provided predictable revenue forecasting to the C-suite; all the while increasing productivity and accountability of the front-line team members in the organization. 

 To learn more, go to http://www.johnaconstantine.com/

Lessons From The Mountain #3: A Mountain Lesson on Work Life Balance

Over the last few weeks, I have been highlighting the lessons that have been learned through my mountaineering experience that are applicable on the ground in the business world. Each week, I have discussed a simple little truth that hopefully allows you to maintain a positive perspective; regardless of what you are going through at work. I hope you enjoy week three. Feel free to comment and share. 

Lesson #3: 

Save some for the return. While on the mountain, it is so easy to set your sights on the top and convince yourself that the summit is your goal. But what any seasoned mountaineer will tell you is that the summit is only halfway. Your goal is always making it back down and making it home. In every case of climbing, the return trip is the hardest and most demanding but the most overlooked. You have expelled your energy on the way to the top and now, with your energy depleted, you run the risk of a misstep, a simple error or a fall that could cause serious injury; possibly death. You need unbelievable focus despite what you have just achieved. This is often the part of the climb that is overlooked while driving forward, step after step towards the top.

It struck me as I was making my way down Mt Rainier this year that this is a great analogy for the balance between my home life, and my professional life. For way too many years, I focused almost exclusively on the "summit" of my career, be that a title, a project, or a dollar figure. And the return trip, my time at home, was neglected. I hadn't left enough in the tank for the ones that loved me. For those of us that are naturally prone to "workaholism", this can be easy to do and, if we are honest with ourselves, this is a common pitfall of all of us. 

All too often, we get tunnel vision around our careers, and we forget that we are to be just as focused on the return; our personal life. Emails creep into dinner. Conference calls interrupt our kids' soccer and baseball games and and our thoughts are filled with the dealings of our profession while they should be focused on the beautiful (or handsome) person we are walking through life with. We have distractions and those distractions erode into the focus that we should be giving to those that we love. As in mountaineering, this lack of focus and weariness is where the injuries can and do most often occur. 

This is not to say that our professional goals should be decreased and our drive should disappear. In fact, for those of you that are christian, it is written in Colossians 3: 23, "Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men." It is a biblical principle that we are to be motivated, and driven, and that we should seek excellence in all that we do. We should still drive for the top, but we need to learn to train ourselves to achieve our own professional summit while leaving enough for the personal trip home. The return trip should not take away from our drive towards the summit. You just need to prepare adequately for the round trip; the full package.

Here are a couple quick ways that you can save some in the tank for those you love. 

1. Quiet your world for 5 minutes before walking through the door. Give yourself 5 minutes of time with no traffic, no calls, no email, no distractions to think about the things that you are most looking forward to as you walk through the front door, our out of your home office. Communicate what you are most looking forward to, to your family. "Tonight, I can't wait to....  .... with y'all!"

2. Invest and train in your personal health. If you are going to operate at your best in all you do, you can't do it without proper training. Exercise is not just about looking better in your suit. It will calm your mind, increase your stamina and allow more focus into your life. Summits can never be reached without proper training. 

3. Talk openly at home when you have a heads up that work will increase for a time and that times of stress will be coming. Explain why you need to take this extra work on and align personal goals through this season with professional ones. Often, we know in advance that a season of extra work is coming, but we fail to communicate that at home in advance. We see that budget season is upon us. Or that a new client will be coming on board, or that someone key is off work and we all need to step in to assist in the extra work created. Get your spouse involved in the process and communicate those times in advance and together as a team you can manage through the rough times. 

4. Practice your profession. Just as I was the weirdo jogging up and down the hills of my neighborhood with my pack on while training for the mountain, so you should be practicing your profession. Not great at reading a P&L, ask for help. Don't have the product knowledge you feel you should? Take someone out for coffee that knows. Don't know how to manage an Excel file properly? Take a class. The list of opportunities for training and improvement are everywhere and an increase in knowledge will decrease the emotional energy you expel on stress of the unknown leaving more for those that are at home. The longer you operate as if you are not living up to your true potential, both at home, and at the office, the more emotionally drained you will be. 

As you go through your day today, remember, the time you spend at your desk, on the phone, in the board room or with your customers, is just half the journey. You need to have balance in your life. If you use up all your energy during your day gig on your way to the summit, you will have nothing left in the tank for those that you share life with at home. What are some best practices you have learned to keep some energy in the tank for your return trip?

Keep climbing and check in next week as we end this series with the importance of a positive perspective. 

John

About the author:

My name is John Constantine and I am a sales and marketing executive living in suburban Atlanta. Throughout my career, I have been able to drive growth repeatedly in a variety of capacities. As a sales leader, I have built, expanded, and improved high performing teams to promote expansion and profitability. As a marketing executive, I have led teams in the creation and launching of new brands and products. I have managed inbound lead generation campaigns and created online and print branding standards that stand out from the pack and engage employees to take pride in their organization. As an executive of strategic initiatives and a field operations leader, I have implemented programs and processes that have differentiated my organizations and provided predictable revenue forecasting to the C-suite; all the while increasing productivity and accountability of the front-line team members in the organization. 

 To learn more, go to http://www.johnaconstantine.com/

Lessons From the Mountain #2: The Person With the Heavy Pack

Over the next several weeks, I will be highlighting the lessons that I have learned through my mountaineering experience that are applicable on the ground in the business world. Each week, I will highlight a simple little truth that will hopefully help you maintain a positive perspective, regardless of what you are going through at work! 

As I have developed and grown in my career over the years, I have learned that problems come and go, but a positive perspective can always stay consistent. Whether you are developing and building a new sales team, managing a sales team through seasons of decreased spending, building a marketing team, a re-brand or working to improve efficiencies with new processes and initiatives, the struggles change; but the thought processes and perspective used to work through any issues stay the same. 

As many of you know, I recently summited Mt Rainier Washington state with a team of amazing guys, and through that experience, I have come up with suggestions to overcoming problems in the corporate world. 

Lesson #2

It is never too early to prepare. Climbing Mt Rainier was not a two day journey. It was a journey that started over a year in advance. Gear was purchased, physical training plans were developed and implemented, and mental preparedness was enhanced. Each month, we saw ourselves get stronger and more confident. We grew as a team through the training process and we learned how to use the tools that were needed. When I say training, I don't just mean running a few miles or doing some lifting. It was our goal to go above and beyond what we knew we would face. Knowing that we would be carrying up to 50 lbs. of gear up the mountain, Despite the looks from my neighbors, I would hike through my neighborhood for hours with 75 lbs. of rice in my backpack, so as to make the 50 lb. bag feel light. We were going to have two days of intense climbing for close to 14 miles. So over the weekend, I would jog up and down hills for a total of 20+ miles over the two days. It wasn't going to be enough to just train and prepare for the exact weight and distance that we knew was coming; it was essential to be well prepared for even heavier and longer trials.

For you in your pursuits, you can be sure that some obstacles are going to come; a team member that is playing a critical role will leave, a budget item will not be approved that you believe is a necessary component.

There are several ways and circumstances that can and will derail a project. In each of these situations, with proper planning, the most painful part, the unexpected, can be avoided. If it can't be avoided, you will be prepared to work through it. Cross train your team. Hold meetings where staff can talk about their projects amongst each other. Perform activities that gel your group into a team with a common goal. Finally, work with others (staff, peers, mentors) to brainstorm and map out a "Plan B" for all budget items and potential hurdles. By thinking through as many potential outcomes as possible, and training "above and beyond" you will meet trials with more than enough stamina, and be glad that you invested the time to prepare for the unknown.

Keep climbing and check back in next week as we discuss saving some for the way down. 

John

Case Study: Creating the Dream Medical Center from African Dreams

Summary:

Through the process of researching the Rwandan healthcare market, identifying the needs of the population and gaps in current services, and finally, aligning those needs with the expertise of the staff and the resources available to the Dream Medical Center, we were able to increase the forecasted profitability, decrease the projected time to get to a monthly cash flow positive position, and consequently, allocate more funding to other missions programs of Africa New Life such as child sponsorship, feeding centers, and pastoral training.

Background

The country of Rwanda, and its healthcare industry in particular, is uniquely positioned to experience a boom as the emerging middle class starts to consume healthcare similarly to what we see in the United States. Now, with over 20 years between Rwanda today and the 1994 genocide which left an estimated one million people dead and the rest in mourning, the nation has made a remarkable comeback; full of awe-inspiring stories. Now the country stands as a one-of-a-kind lesson in healing and forgiveness.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs states that if one's basic needs are met, such as water, food, clothing, shelter, and stable employment, only then can a person begin the process of pursuing luxuries that were once viewed as unattainable, or even unnecessary. So it is with the people of Rwanda and adequate healthcare services, especially preventative health services. There is an emerging middle class of Rwandans who have seen, through growing access to global media, the available services and solutions in other parts of the world, and they are now beginning to demand those services in their home country.

Learning the Market

In conducting our market research, we sought to first understand the current state of the population's general health.  Even more, we questioned how that level of health compares with what we see in our own market, the United States. What are the biggest needs, and what can we leverage from a known landscape like our home country? This would expose for us the gap between what exists and what is needed.

Predominately we found that the country of Rwanda has different healthcare concerns than we do at home. Major epidemics in the U.S., such as diabetes and heart disease, aren't issues in Rwanda. In that region of the world, the population is virtually free of many health concerns that we have in the west which often stem from a lifestyle of limited exercise and poor dietary choices. However, in the area of women's & children's healthcare in Rwanda, there is still much room for improvement, and much work to do. Child mortality in Rwanda, while lower than other developing countries, is still very high at 5.2% compared to the current rate of 0.58% in the U.S.  Factors that likely contribute to this elevated child mortality rate include lack of education on sex, family planning, and proper prenatal care. We quickly identified this gap in service as an opportunity for the Dream Medical Center to provide much-needed education to the local population.

Diagnostic services are also in dire need. Because of a lack of laboratory services and the widespread prevalence of inaccurate lab results, people die all too often of treatable illnesses such as malaria. If a patient is correctly diagnosed with malaria, treatment is fairly simple. However, the false negative rate (patients that are actually positive but present as negative) for malaria, while difficult to quantify exactly, has been estimated to be as high as 50%. This leads physicians to treat the symptoms instead of the underlying disease, allowing the malaria to progress to a fatal stage. This is especially an issue in vulnerable persons such as infants and the elderly.

Finally, through conversations with our target market, we discovered that appropriate bedside manner from physicians is virtually non-existent in the country. This is true to the point that in extreme cases, if a patient questions the physician’s treatment plan, or requests additional professional opinions, they can and will be discontinued from the care of that physician; leaving the patient searching for a new treatment provider. In most facilities, two way communication is not practiced, thought it is very much desired by in the country. 

Matching capabilities with the market needs

The Dream Medical Center is fortunate to have an exceptionally talented executive medical director in Dr. Sam Kagali.  The combination of his medical expertise and overwhelmingly positive feedback from patients sets him apart and makes him a tremendous resource to the organization. He is also a devoted Christian and applies his faith openly to his practice which, once again, sets him apart from other physicians in the country. Most physicians tend to operate with a hierarchical mentality that ignores patient feelings, minimizes the desires of the patient, and elevates the physician to "demi-god" status within the facility.

It is anticipated that one of the largest competitive advantages that the Dream Medical Center will have is the compassionate care that they will provide to their patients. With an ear to listen and a willingness to take the time to properly serve those that come to them, they will differentiate themselves from the other hospital networks in the country. By operating with this mentality, the Dream Medical Center can become a facility that is known as the "Hospital that Hugs" and when given a choice, the highly sought-after middle and upper class target market will chose the Dream Medical Center over other available options.  As a service-based organization serving a population with a choice, this became a very large focus of the messaging we developed and the go-to-market strategy.  

Additionally, services such as prenatal 3D ultrasounds and administration of epidural anesthetic during childbirth, which are available throughout the U.S., largely do not exist in Rwanda. By offering these two services as part of their standard of care, the Dream Medical Center will set itself apart and be seen in the region as a technologically advanced facility. This differentiation expands the target market beyond Rwanda to its East African neighbors, including Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, and more.  Through simple market research, interviewing the target demographic of middle class women of child-bearing age, we found that there was a relatively large cash price for each of these services that women were willing to pay at the point of care. This will assist with the cash flow issues within the startup phase of the Dream Medical Center, as well as increase overall revenue. 

It is important to note that while we recognize the need for reliable diagnostic services, as previously stated, these services will initially be limited to include a small laboratory with essential capabilities during Phase One of the Dream Medical Center's launch.  The limited resources of the Dream Medical Center, which is funded by the nonprofit, Africa New Life, have necessitated the decision to focus in on the women’s and children’s division as Phase One.  Once this phase is complete, expanding laboratory services will be a key initiative. 

Results

When the business plan and pro forma forecasts were adjusted to reflect a sharpened focus as a women’s and children’s hospital, and the additional services of epidurals and 3D ultrasounds were included, it became clear how great of an impact these adjustments will make on the future of the facility. First, the addition of cash-based services with collections at the time the services are rendered will assist in overcoming the issue of the time lag associated with getting "into network" with the insurance providers. Similarly to the U.S., third party payers dominate the healthcare landscape in Rwanda and providers must be accepted into a health insurance network in order to be reimbursed as such. Based on the experience of other facilities that we met with, this will take roughly nine months from the time the first patient is seen. This originally led to an anticipated cash flow deficit in which the hospital would spend up to 9 months performing services and receiving zero reimbursement for the work being performed. Through the addition of these two, cash-based services, which do not have a fee schedule attached to them, the Dream Medical Center will reach their break-even point on the facility much quicker.  In fact, the forecasted monthly cash flow positive timeline was decreased from just over 3 years which was initially predicted, to a new timeline of only 13 months.  Additionally, by adding an estimated 13% additional revenue with very minimal start up and reoccurring costs, forecasted EBITDA increased by over 40% once the two services and the hospital are fully operational.

 About the Author:

My name is John Constantine and I am a healthcare executive living in suburban Atlanta. Throughout my career, I have been able to drive growth repeatedly in a variety of capacities. As a sales leader, I have built, expanded, and improved high performing teams to promote expansion and profitability. As a marketing executive, I have led teams in the creation and launching of new brands and products. I have managed inbound lead generation campaigns and created online and print branding standards that stand out from the pack and engage employees to take pride in their organization. As an executive of strategic initiatives and a field operations leader, I have implemented programs and processes that have differentiated my organizations and provided predictable revenue forecasting to the C-suite; all the while increasing productivity and accountability of the front-line team members in the organization. 

 To learn more, go to http://www.johnaconstantine.com/

Lessons From the Mountain #1 : Problems Can Make You Sore or Make You Soar

Over the next several weeks, I will be drawing from my mountaineering experience to share lessons that I've found to transcend altitude and environment, offering wisdom we can apply to any endeavor.  It is my hope that these simple truths will speak to you and encourage you as clearly in your professional context as they did to me on that snowy mountain trail. 

Let me start by stating the obvious: problems, issues, and struggles are a way of corporate life. In fact, the more success you achieve, the more problems you are sure to encounter.  And not only does the volume of these problems increase with success, the magnitude of each problem swells with every step up the ladder as well.

As I have developed and grown in my career over the years, I have learned that problems come and go, but a positive perspective can always stay consistent. Whether you are developing and building a new team to capitalize on a wave of success, leading a team through seasons of decreased spending, managing a team during a downsizing, working through a complex project plan or working to turn around a team with new processes and initiatives, the struggles change; but the thought processes and perspective you can leverage to work through any issue stay the same. 

As many of you know, I recently summited Mt Rainier in Washington with a team of amazing men, and through that experience, I have come up with suggestions to overcoming problems in the corporate world through a positive perspective. This week I share lesson number one. 

Lesson number 1: You have to truly believe that the solution is never too far away. On Rainier, we climbed for almost 36 hours straight. Uphill. With very little rest and even less sleep. However, with each step, we could see that our goal of the summit was just up ahead. For most of the climb, we could physically see it. At times it even seemed like it was just out of reach. This visual motivator was very helpful in pushing us forward to our goal of the top.

Sometimes all you need is just a perspective on the goal that allows you to see it just beyond your reach. In the corporate world, this illustration can serve you well. You will have struggles and sometimes the path towards success can seem overwhelming; too far away to believe that you will ever get to the goal. However, if you can visualize the summit, plot your milestones, and trust that the solution is just around the next bend, you can find the motivation you need to stay on track.

Also, as on the mountain, don't forget to stop and look around from time to time. Sometimes we get so caught up on the goal that we forget that our current view is pretty amazing as well. 

Keep climbing and check in again next week!

John Constantine

To learn more about John and his professional career, click here. 

Enjoying the view above the clouds on our way up to the summit. Take a moment, and enjoy the little milestones you have accomplished with your team on the way towards your ultimate goal.