I’ll admit it. I’m a business audio book junkie. Forget Shakespeare, these are what I consider the classics…

"Think and Grow Rich"
"Rich Dad Poor Dad"
"Winning"
"Good To Great"

And the list goes on and on. (These are probably a lot of the same ones you’ve heard or read, too) For every long car trip, I bring a famous passenger along for the ride: Jack Welch to Orlando, Robert Kiyosaki to Tampa, Larry Bossidy to Miami and Zig Ziggler, driving around locally in Jacksonville. (He’s best in shorter doses)

There’s always just one problem.

These "passengers" are great talkers. But if I ever try and ask them a question that involves my particular business, they just keep talking. Pre-recorded audio has a place, but it’s sure nicer to have a business guru who can actually listen and respond.

This, in a nutshell, is what Vistage/Vistage’s 1-on-1 sessions are all about. My Group Chair is Bill Hopf. (Or as I call him, Million Dollar Bill Hopf…a little joke on the value I feel he’ll ultimately bring me.) Anyway, every month, as part of my membership I get an hour and a half of Bill’s undivided attention. Like all the other Vistage/Vistage chairs, Bill’s an experienced, supremely wise business mind who excels at listening to what you have to say and guiding you towards the right path.

Bill Hopf might not be a household name (although he is at my household) but he’s provided me with a level of expertise that I value much more than any seven CD set! (With all due respect to your speaking prowess, Mr. Welch)

In my first 1-on-1 with Bill we covered just about everything: Allocating capital correctly, HR issues, what to do with a "toxic client" and so much more. Most importantly I left with a series of action steps to ensure the result of our 1-on-1 would be tangible.

As CEOs we all can feel like we have no one to talk to. (And usually that’s because…image that…we truly don’t have anyone to talk to.) Vistage/Vistage’s 1-on-1’s provide you with an experienced confidante and reliable business coach.

The other thing I like is that Bill isn’t some professor who couldn’t cut it in the real business world. He’s run successful companies. He’s made tough calls. He’s led in good times and bad. When he talks, it’s based in experience not theory.

I’d want him running my company if he wasn’t so darn happy helping other Vistage/Vistage members!

After leaving my first 1-on-1 I had about five pages of notes and felt like a tremendous burden had been taken off my shoulders. "These 1-on-1s are going to be priceless," I thought. I got in my car and the stereo’s CD player automatically resumed. It was the famed business book by Michael Gerber, "The E-Myth."

I turned it off and listed to music instead. Any business CD that day would only pale in comparison.


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