In January we had the pleasure of meeting Tim Furlong at an industry event sponsored by the Women’s Council of Realtors (Birmingham-Bloomfield and Greater Rochester Networks). Musician-turned-business coach, Tim is a powerful presenter, as evidenced by the palpable energy he created in the room.
Tim would not call himself a “motivational speaker” in the traditional sense. He is a coach who wants to help you get to the “next level” while acknowledging that everyone’s next level—and everyone’s journey to get there—is different. While he doesn’t consider himself a life coach, he emphasized that you cannot achieve your next level professionally if you’re not doing so in your personal life. His approach is: I want to help you achieve what you want. So, he asked the room “Where do you need clarity?” and “What are you doing to get there?”
(Photo of Tim Furlong with the Women’s Board of Women’s Council of Realtors Birmingham-Bloomfield)
Tim shared a personal story to illustrate his approach. Tim’s former life as a musician means that he’s always listening to music. While traveling by car on I-75 (heading to an unfamiliar city for a conference) his favorite jam came on the radio. He admits to playing air guitar while driving (we’re assuming one hand was on the wheel, the other fretting out the chord progressions) and in the process zoomed right past his exit.
This means taking the next exit and an unplanned detour. The exit ramp drops him in an unfamiliar area. As he’s driving through town, he spots a little diner (he mentions he’s not a fan of chain restaurants) and thinks, “This will be a great lunch spot to grab a bite to eat after his event.” His point in relating this story is that on your quest to where you want to go, you can almost guarantee that you will drift off course. And in that moment, you can either start the negative talk OR you can reroute to your destination because, inevitably an unplanned detour leads to a teaching moment or a discovery.
In all his presentations, Tim starts with “Tell me something good,” because you get to choose how to start your day, you can’t control what happens throughout the day, but you can start it off right. Energy is everything! Detroit Lions Coach Dan Campbell was recently quoted as saying, “Don’t adapt to the energy in the room. Influence it.”
Tim also shared that he goes to Starbucks because of how he feels during and after his visit. For Tim, Starbucks is less about the coffee, and all about the experience. He will spend a little more money, wait a little longer in line, and drive a little farther just for this experience. (We can relate! We are not always the least expensive option for staging, but our consistent 5-star reviews reiterate Tim’s viewpoint!)
So, we plan to take Tim’s advice and make some quarter turns in 2024. What could you accomplish if you did the same? Just little things that can have a huge impact. Small but reliable, doable changes. We’re reminded of the old adage about how you eat an elephant…one bite at a time. And when we are making small changes, we can ask ourselves, “Are we living and breathing our brand?” And how can we incorporate Tim’s 3Cs to make 2024 our best year yet?
The 3 Cs for Success
1) CONNECT with as many people as you can, even if you don’t want to! Pick up the phone! Connect with vendors and build partnerships. Before you can implement C2 and C3, this must happen first.
2) CONVEY your message. Are you being consistent in your brand messaging?
3) CALL to action. Commit to something and ask for commitment and partnerships.
If you practice these 3 Cs you can be a master at anything in your life. Not just sales.
Now Take that First Quarter Turn
Plant your seeds NOW so you wishing in June that you’d started in March! Recommit to your brand! Be the DAN CAMPBELL of your industry!
Tim Furlong is a nationally recognized speaker, facilitator & coach, he refers to his brand as “Edutainment”. With his work, he has impacted nearly every type of organization for almost 20 years. To name a few: The Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, M&Ms Mars, Whole Foods, Michael Kors, and The University of Michigan Athletic Department.
Tim is also the author of the book “Quarter Turns-Small Shifts, Big Impact” (what a coincidence!) and founder of the “Quarter Turns” Executive Coaching Program which enables leaders in any industry to identify small shifts in approach and behavior that yield highly impactful, sustainable results.
