Summary: <p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt; color: #000000;">Many business owners believe they should maximize their profits by keeping their expenses as low as possible. In this episode, Ken Lizotte and Kathleen explore when, how, and why to invest in yourself and in your business and how that leads to sustainable profitability. As you find out, spending money to develop skills or expand your business can actually set you apart from the competition. It is what both these successful thought leaders have done, so listen in and find out how to bust this myth wide open.</span></p><br> <p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">Key Take Aways: </span> </p><br> <ol style="color: #000000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;"> <li> <br> <p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Anticipate expenses.</strong> As Ken says, when you do your annual budget, set aside some resources for marketing and personal growth courses or coaching.</span></p> <br> </li> <br> <li> <br> <p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Trust your gut</strong>. Not all investments, coaches or training programs are for all people. Do your research, and then trust your instincts.</span></p> <br> </li> <br> <li> <br> <p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Learn from your mistakes.</strong> Part of being a business owner is taking risks and sometimes failing. When you realize that you have made a poor investment of your time or money, change course. It can be difficult to realize you have made a mistake, but the sooner you do and the quicker you change course, the better off you and your business will be.</span> </p> <br> </li> <br> </ol><p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">Guest Bio:</span></p><br> <p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">Ken Lizotte is the author of seven books including his most recent <em>The Speaker’s Edge: the Ultimate Go-To Guide for Locating and Landing Lots of Speaking Gigs </em>(Maven House Press) and <em>The Expert’s Edge: Become the Go-To Authority that People Turn to Every Time</em> (McGraw-Hill). He is the Chief Imaginative Officer of emerson consulting group inc., a Concord, Massachusetts, consulting firm that transforms speakers and consultants into “thought leaders” by helping them write and publish their ideas as articles and books. Kathleen has worked with Ken since 2010.</span></p><br> <p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;">Ken lives in Concord, Massachusetts, with his wife Barbara, daughter Chloe, and Golden Retriever puppy Beckett.</span></p><br> <p><span style="color: #000000; font-family: helvetica; font-size: 12pt;"><strong>Special Announcement:</strong> Check out Ken’s latest collaboration, <strong>“</strong><a href="http://amzn.to/2whKI1W">What Would Henry Do? Essays for the 21<sup>st</sup> Century</a>” with Introduction by Ken and featured essays by 40 scholars, activists, authors, and celebrities including President Jimmy Carter. Published by Thoreau Farm, the birthplace of Henry David Thoreau as a fundraiser. </span></p>
