A Long Time Coming, But Jim Wiley Is Free At Last

Jim Wiley is Chairman, CEO and Chief Investment Strategist of The Wiley Group, an organization that is short on history but very, very long on experience. "I've been in the investment business for more than 25 years, most of it with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, one of the largest and most prestigious financial services firms in the world. While I had as much autonomy as a firm like that can give you - and you can't beat that experience as an education - if you're an entrepreneur at heart you can't help but chafe at all that control."

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Spike's Trophies
CBI Group
Wiley Group
Cenero
Modern Graphics
CBIZ
CEO Think Tank

• Congrats to Spike's Trophies for staying true to their LEAN commitment and delivering on their BRAND PROMISE of Speed and Dependability. In their busiest season production is up, defects are down and people are staying enthused and motivated. They've been implementing LEAN concepts since the beginning of last year and it's really paying off in their operation. Plus - they've been getting some wonderful kudos from their customers!
• Congrats are also in order for Chris Burkhard of CBI Group - the winner of the 2010 Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Over the years, Chris has grown his business by establishing a well thought-out business plan and backing it up with a lot of hard work. In addition, he has found time to be an active member of the New Castle County Chamber Board and participate in numerous programs that support entrepreneurial activity. Great stuff!
• And in less than eight months as an independent registered investment advisor, the Wiley Group has emerged as a fast-growing regional firm drawing new investments through its commitment to low volatility and complete transparency. In October 2009, Jim Wiley, chief executive officer, chief investment strategist and founder of the Wiley Group, ended a long relationship with Morgan Stanley Smith Barney and has brought assets under management from approximately $200 million to more than $240 million, a 20 percent increase!
• In this age of trying to manage time and expenses, the folks at Cenero have been doing some awesome things with their video conferencing technology - including developing some easy-to-use and cost-effective solutions for having meetings without the "travel" hassle. Check out this link for more info!
• Modern Graphics would like to welcome and introduce its new Director of Business Development, Joe Kudla. Formerly Director of National Accounts at LeapFrog Educational Toys and Games, Joe was instrumental in growing the company from $3 million to $700 million in just six years. Joe brings more than 20 years of combined experience in retail sales, manufacturing and branding to Modern and its diverse client base.
• Joe Ellis from CBIZ recommends the SUMMER S.T.A.R. Program (Sales Tracking, Activities & Results Program) - a 4 week program designed for the sales professional who wants to build their pipeline with 40 qualified leads over July held by Business Development University. For more info contact Lisa Peskin at lisa.peskin@businessdevelopmentu.com.
• And finally, we've been re-tooling our own marketing - with the help of some of our wonderful clients and partners. Thanks to our alliance partner, the Greater Reading Chamber of Commerce for pulling together this great video of the Rockefeller Grads program in action!

Did you know that only 4% of businesses survive the transition from a small business to a growing firm? And only 4% of those reach the $10 million mark?

John D. Rockefeller created the most successful company in the world, Standard Oil. Rockefeller's secret was that he developed a disciplined approach to business. This approach is now called the Rockefeller Habits and is the basis for the work that we now do as certified Coaches of "Mastering the Rockefeller Habits." Michael Andre, a Partner with Gateway Ticketing Systems has told us:

"We've been in business for 20 years; we developed our own processes that were not keeping up with the growth and evolution of the company. This program has given us a structured methodology... [and] practical methods to run the business. I highly recommend the Rockefeller Habits to other business owners!"

Intrigued? Check out our complimentary introduction to the Rockefeller Habits Grads Program, done in conjunction with the Mid-Atlantic Employers' Association:

Mastering the Rockefeller Habits Sample Workshop - Monday, July 19th from 8:00 to 11:00 at MEA

By mastering these habits, companies have seen their cash flow double, their profits triple the industry average, and their leadership teams have gained time and become strategically aligned resulting in year after year growth. Check out what you're missing!

In my conversations with CEO's and entrepreneurs over the past few months I'm hearing four refrains - each with its own unique challenges.

• "The economy is coming back but not as fast as I'd like. Money continues to be tight and slow to come in." OR the following - often accompanied by a grimace...
• "The projections that we made in December were probably a little too aggressive. We're probably going to have to revise our numbers." OR in some cases - said with some relief...
• "Business slowed down for a bit but is finally picking back up. But I'm still worried. Having seen so many businesses that haven't made it, how will we ensure our success going forward?" AND even...
• "My people still don't get it. I thought that I'd get more out of them given the downturn but I'm still struggling to light a fire under some folks."

Do any of these scenarios sound familiar? Read on for our challenge...

We've got other events on the docket for 2010 as well! If you want additional information on any one of them, contact us at info@ceothinktank.com or 856-627-2773. Hope that you can join us for one - or all - of these exciting opportunities. And please tell - or bring - a friend!

As always, we welcome your thoughts and comments on this newsletter, or others at info@ceothinktank.com.