Marcus Lemonis is a CNBC reality star who’s also got the credibility that comes with being a multi-millionaire investor and businessman. He started young, founding a successful lawn service business at age 12.
By age 22, he had nearly won a seat in the Florida House of Representatives, but his passion for acquiring RV dealerships is where he made his big mark. He now oversees a company, Camping World RV SuperCenters, which employs more than 6,000 across the U.S.
With a track record like that of Lemonis, it’s only natural to ask what he would do to turn your business into a more profitable venture. His reality show documents his campaign to take over struggling businesses and turn them into successful companies. In fact, he’s done it more than 100 times. Lemonis brings to the table an objective viewpoint that the companies he takes over weren’t able to do on their own.
However, your company doesn’t need a Lemonis-like figure to achieve this objectivity; it’s something you can achieve if you ask yourself what a new management team would do if it took over your business tomorrow. It’s a challenging question to pose because it implies making drastic changes, ditching the current method of operating and opening up to new ideas. Deliberately boosting morale in the workplace may also be a good place to start, focusing on tangible steps that build a positive team atmosphere.
The problem with the status quo is that it’s difficult to kick. Most organizations become comfortable with their business processes and feel it’s too risky to change them, even if they’re failing. When your brand and your brand reputation need enhancing, hanging on to the old way of doing business will not help. You need to look for precise challenges and find ways to address them – these are defining moments that can mean the difference between progress and failure.
When you ask the question, “What would Lemonis do?” you’re basically asking what an objective leader would do. There is a level of uncertainty that comes with making decisions, and the role of a leader is to make the decision and take action, even if it’s risky or seems risky. If you’ve thoroughly researched where you’re having problems in your business and have some ideas on how to fix them, making those leadership decisions doesn’t have to be a complete gamble. If solving business challenges means you need a new view toward reputation management, crisis management or your online reputation, a smart, savvy PR firm may be the resource you’re looking for to help kick-start this change.
Following through with your answer to a question like “What would Lemonis do?” takes courage and willpower, as well as taking a chance on change. Businesses do it every day across the nation, and you might be the next great story to be shared. You don’t have to take this journey alone.
Contact the professionals at Axia Public Relations to find out how to implement the first steps.
by Jason Mudd, APR
Jason Mudd, APR, is the CEO of Axia Public Relations and an Emmy-Award-winning accredited public relations practitioner, speaker, author and entrepreneur. His public relations portfolio includes work for established national and emerging brands such as American Airlines, Dave & Buster’s, Brightway Insurance, Florida Blue, H&R Block, Hilton, HP, Miller Lite, New York Life, Pizza Hut, Ray Charles and Verizon.
Topics: public relations, PR tips
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