In Praise of “Pearl Jobs” or the Value of Extreme Irritation

out of the fireOften the work experiences that are the most frustrating and irritating yield the most value over the long term.

While you’re in the thick of it, you may not be able to think about anything except your extreme aggravation, but I would like to suggest that you adopt a different perspective.

My second job was a pearl job. I was the assistant to the managing partner of a technical analysis software boutique. We originally had a DOS-based product, and later one of the first Windows-based charting software products for traders, hedge funds, and money managers.

This was bleeding-edge technology at the time, believe it or not. (And yes, I am that old.)

This job stretched me in ways I couldn’t possibly imagine. I went from not being able to type at all (I paid a friend to type my college papers) and having never interacted with a PC to installing software, troubleshooting problems on the phone and at client sites, preparing for annual audits – and SO much more. Continue reading

From CarolRoth.com – Good Boundaries Make Good Clients

boundariesSometimes I really love having Carol Roth’s blog (and bigger platform) to publish a good old-fashioned rant.

Normally, I am a very patient person. It takes a lot of effort to push my buttons – but once you do, that’s it.

If you’re a consultant or coach, you need to read this post. You can check out Good Boundaries Make Good Clients here. Continue reading

New eBook with Microsoft and Carol Roth

80WaysEBookI am incredibly excited to share my latest project with Microsoft and Carol Roth, “80 Easy Ways to Supercharge Your Small Business Growth.

Working with a global brand who is committed to the small business space through Microsoft Community Connections was a real honor.

There are some great tips in here! We curated the best ideas from small business experts and support organizations across the country. (You can download it for free.)

SCORE and Sam’s Club Spring Training 2016

SCORE and Sam's ClubIt was so fun to be part of the sales strategies for small business panel at the SCORE and Sam’s Club Spring Training event on April 26. I was thrilled to be able to address the issues of solo service professionals.

About 250-300 attendees joined us at the conference center in Tinley Park. My colleague, Carol Roth, was the emcee and rocked the stage in a truly fabulous dress similar to this silver sequin prom dress here.

Carol Roth at SCORE Spring Training

The moderator of the sales strategies panel was my friend Mark E. Goodman of e-Conversation Solutions, who was able to talk to small and mid-sized businesses of various types.

My fellow panelist was a concrete manufacturer who talked about owning trucks and pricing out concrete driveways. Surprisingly, he and I were completely in sync about sales and customer service best practices. We complemented each other perfectly.

You’ll be proud to know that I avoided an obvious comment about cement shoes (which probably would have been well received in the Chicago area) as I was on my best behavior.

It was a great time and the audience was very engaged, asking a lot of good questions.

From Entrepreneur to Employee: Interviewed for Entrepreneur.com

Catherine Morgan speakingCarol Roth interviewed me for Entrepreneur Magazine’s blog about how to transition from entrepreneur to employee. I have had a lot of success getting professionals back to corporate after being business owners. I’m getting great feedback on this article!

You can check out “How to Transition Back to Employee After Being an Entrepreneur” here.

From CarolRoth.com – Does Your Pricing Reflect Your True Value

Boosting Bottom LineMy recent post on Carol Roth’s blog, Business Unplugged, is on a subject near and dear to the hearts of most service providers – and something most of us struggle with – pricing. The question you want to ask yourself is, “How can I structure my pricing so that it accurately reflects the value I bring to my customers?” I begin: Continue reading

“Catherine Morgan” Named a Top 100 Champion Small Business Influencer

"Catherine Morgan" Named A Top 100 Champion

“Catherine Morgan” Named A Top 100 Champion

I am SO excited to report that I was included in the list of Top 100 Small Business Influencers. It truly is an honor being on the same list with highly respected companies and small business experts. Woot!

Can you hear me belting out, “We are the champions, my friends. And we’ll keep on fighting ’til the end…”? (Freddie Mercury did it better.)

Here’s some information about the award:

“The Awards, now in their fifth year and produced by Small Business Trends and Small Biz Technology, honor the companies, organizations, vendors, apps and people who have made a significant impact on the North American small business market.”

From CarolRoth.com – Small Business Lessons from Karaoke

singing karaoke Business lessons can be found in the strangest places. I spoke 20 times last year, but singing karaoke makes me anxious.

And I like to sing! There are recordings of me singing on YouTube. So I really WANT to like singing karaoke…

You can read about my recent experience “Small Business Lessons from Karaoke” here. I begin: Continue reading