This year Entrepreneur Magazine increased our rank from #260 to #87th best entrepreneurial company in America.
Most people think we got here by being really, really good at making money. Actually, money is a byproduct of our strategy, while LOVE is at its focal point. Let me tell you what I mean.
I am fortunate to have joined The Author Incubator team just in time for the Annual Staff Retreat. The whole team sat around one of those long corporate-y tables, fashioned with swivel chairs and a projector screen backsplash! We all know what this sort of conference room looks like. But this annual check-in meeting was anything but the usual dry staff-reporting extravaganza. There was nothing corporate-y about this meeting.
The Staff Retreat was two-days long. Day one started with yoga and skits (complete with a juice and omelet bar) and day two featured a Holiday Shopping spree from Angela, featuring local metaphysical and self-care businesses in our very own Author Training Academy lobby! In the two days, the team meditated, stretched, picked out a crystal or two, some art work and even skin care products.
So, when did the ACTUAL work get done? For starters, that WAS part of the work! Self-care is a HUGE part of our business philosophy here at The Author Incubator. And, after our self-care, we covered all of the other nuts and bolts of how we’re going to be serving your future readers in 2019- from mission, finance and key performance indicators to project management and goal-setting!
This was one of the most energizing, efficient and productive company meetings I have ever been in. Instead of leaving tired and drained, the entire team left on a high because we have agreed on a plan to double our impact next year, and improve more lives than we ever thought possible.
But it was at this retreat that I realized exactly how it was that Dr. Angela built her team around her vision. She’s been extremely strong on making sure that EVERYONE she’s hired into The Author Incubator team is bought into a key set of spiritual and moral principles. These guiding principles WORK…. OMG… and we thank Entrepreneur Magazine** (as well as the Inc. 500) for validating our success.
**Full Disclosure: There is a fee to apply for this award, but most applicants don’t get a spot on the list and the criteria to participate is intense. We have been under a microscope and the view was good! We were evaluated based on five metrics: impact, innovation, growth, leadership and business valuation.
To be honest, I had never been part of a company that values the employee’s spiritual health and physical health the way that Angela does. The whole staff retreat was developed in such a way that team-building was facilitated, all the while making sure that the whole team was safe, clear, and in alignment with our mission and philosophy.
And now we’re thanking the Universe for the results that our collective mission and business philosophy have gotten for us, our authors, and most importantly all of the readers who are in desperate need of the messages of hope, healing, and transformation our authors are putting in their hands.
Here are the core principles that have gotten us these results and the philosophy we adopted, which have taken us to our ranking.
Core Principles:
- A servant’s heart is required for success.
- Discomfort is necessary for growth.
- Results matter most.
- Magic is real.
- Love is the only strategy.
- The prize never chases.
Business Philosophy:
- Systems enable scale.
- Scale enables impact.
- Discipline creates space for self-care & family time.
- Self-care is required for excellence.
- Fresh blood is the life blood of our business.
- Nothing works without a keenly curated customer base
- Everyone deserves and gets the right tools to do their jobs.
- Every relationship is a win-win. If it’s not a win-win, it’s a hell no.
- We are a Team not a Family.
- We don’t skimp on customer experience.
Rules:
- Self-care first (Burnout is for people who are too lazy or too disorganized to schedule self-care).
- Lead with love (and remember, Love loves boundaries).
- If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no.
Again and again in the retreat we agreed that these principles all boil down to LOVE IS THE ONLY STRATEGY. Our mission is to amplify the voices of Healers and Magic Makers by helping them write, publish and promote their non-fiction books. If LOVE was not at the core of our values as a team, we would not be able to lead all our inspiring thought leader authors by way of example.
We have what a lot of business people would call an “alternative” or even “new age” belief system at the core of our company.
And our results are proof that they work amazingly well.
The title really goes a great length at giving healthy, and I’d imagine rather accurate detail about what this approach has the capacity to brew up. A gggggreat measure of time, big or small, being made record of for the benefit of any and of all. To really carefully bring together the details of a story, meaning, definition, purpose, experience and in such ways that are fun, entertaining, nourishing to every measure of one’s existence… Priceless and truly a powerful meaning to gather while traversing life’s experiences and their purpose, etc. It motivated me to writing/drawing a book with these meanings, in fun ways that, when accurately defined, provide access to useful tools with thought and action that conjure up a great bit of Loving Life satisfaction. Me book’s title be: Learn to Live a Life You Love
We’re glad to have inspired you like this and we wish you well on your book journey.
You all are SOOOOO awesome and such a Huge inspiration!
Aww, thanks so much Angeline! We really appreciate it.
Congratulations Laura and Muses times three merry Christmas and happy new year with hope and love which now we all see 2019 will include many more writer’s especially one like me unable to direct the love I seek to many hearts I am trying to reach with hope and love Angela thank you. Lol
With Dr. Angela’s guidance and a little bit of magic— anything is possible Brian. Enjoy your new year!
What an amazing success story,… nothing short of Magic. I feel blessed to been introduced to your company. I see you climbing to even higher than 87. You truly personify what a servant’s heart look like. Thank you.
Thanks Michael. We’re definitely aiming for #1! But all in due time 🙂
I feel an increase in hope for the future when I read something like this article by Ramses Rodriguez, “Love is the Only Strategy – How We Ranked in the Top 100 Companies in America.” With core principles, a business philosophy and rules that can be boiled down to Love is the Only Strategy, and the success to prove the effectiveness of this strategy, The Author Incubator is a role model for companies around the world.
Why thank you Cheryl! We are happily embracing our role as a leader in new age business models.
Best company Mission Statement I’ve ever read!!
Never thought, or could EVER imagine, something sooooo perfect, existed in our world!!
My hopes and prayers are with you ALL, as you forge into the New Year with your Hearts and Heads in ALL the right places!!
Love to You and God’s Blessings Bestowed Upon You!!
From,
A Simple Ol’ Cleaning Lady,
Having the time of my life, reading, watching Laura’s Webinars and Dreaming about a Fantastic New Awakening for the Whole World!!!
Teddi you are anything but a simple ol’ cleaning lady! Our business is only allowed to thrive because people like you believe in what we do. Thank you and enjoy the Holidays and the New Year!
So encouraging. I can’t wait to Join in.
And we can’t wait to welcome you!
Good business strategy and principles. Spoken from my management consulting background, with love, Joan