If I Were Tiger's Agent

I've been asked frequently over the past week, "What would you do if you were advising Tiger Woods? How would you fix this?"

Well, you can't really 'fix' the PR nightmare that has become Tiger Woods life, but if I were trying to mitigate the damage and get him back on track, these would be my simple suggestions:

1. As we say in the South - 'Fess up'. Tiger has yet to really acknowledge and apologize for his atrocious behavior. I know there was that vague, hokey statement about 'trangressions', but PLEASE! Apparently he's had sexual relationships with every woman in his path who is not legally a relative, so he seriously needs to come out with a heart-felt apology that addresses the depth of this breach of trust. Hiding might seem safe, but right now he needs to look his fans in the eye and talk straight.

(For those of you who are sitting there thinking that Tiger should have privacy and shouldn't have to answer to the adoring public who has financed his billion dollar lifestyle, I say that celebrities choose their career and happily earn their cash off of public adoration. Granted adoration by millions is fun, and this situation is anything but; however, you can't just turn it all off when something bad happens. If you don't like the public watching your every move go be a fireman or accountant!)

2. Align the public persona with the real Tiger. These issues only arise when the public is led to believe one thing about a celebrity and then sees behavior that conflicts with that carefully crafted image. Tiger has been spouting for years about 'family' and 'loyalty' and a 'quiet, normal life'. Public anger is not about affairs with multiple women (most celeb males have those!). The anger is about hypocrisy. I respect George Clooney. He doesn't want to have a wife and children and he's been very candid about enjoying the company of beautiful ladies, so he simply has not gotten married. What a novel thought? His image is aligned with his true identity and the public adores him because of it. As an added bonus, he doesn't have to skulk around and pay people off and hide his girlfriends.

As Mike Taibbi with NBC put it, "Whatever faith I had in Tiger Woods is gone. Not because he betrayed his wife: because he betrayed me. I bought his brand. By being one of millions of dedicated fans, in a way, I helped him earn those billion dollars. And I got conned. Turns out he’s just a great golfer but a jerk like so many other men can be. Jeez!"

3. No encores. Going forward, Tiger needs to make sure that this ugly episode does not repeat itself. The public will forgive almost anything, but you can't push the envelope and become a repeat offender - there are limits. Tiger needs to get his game back on the course and get his family life in order. And don't get me wrong, by getting his family life in shape I don't mean saving a fake marriage at all costs by bribing his wife or trying to maintain a stronger facade. I mean taking stock of his life and setting a new course that accurately reflects the man he is. Being fair to Elin, taking care of his children (whether they are in his home or not) and bagging some tournaments.

So there you have it... my 3 steps to revitalize Tiger Wood's brand.

The Definition of Success...

I'll let this stand on it's own.

"To laugh much; to win respect of intelligent persons and the affections of children; to earn the approbation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give one’s self; to leave the world a little better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm, and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived–this is to have succeeded." Ralph Waldo Emerson

Take Your Company Public: Hire A Turnaround Consultant First and Make Your Capital Raise Simple!

By James Scott

We do a lot of turnarounds and often help companies prepare for IPO's, capital bids and buyouts. This really is a critical issue. Know what investors are looking for and get the help you need to whip your company into shape BEFORE seeking funding.

Most companies who are on the venture capital trail are not set up properly to attract investors. When an investor looks at your business plan and private placement memorandum they are looking for certain things. Of course funding sources look for the obvious, a solid business model, positive cash flow, industry genre with solid future growth, recession proof business (if there even is such a thing) and minimal debt.

Countless companies are turned down for funding because they lack the basics such as: an advisory board, board of directors, solid executive staff with a well groomed pedigree, reasonable share price, business plan and PPM that spell out the risks for the investor and an original marketing strategy that covers all the angles. These are just a few of the most common mistakes that companies make out of naivety and by not taking the time to hire an expert to properly structure them to make the entity appeal to investors.

Seasoned expansion and turn-around consultants can step into a company and immediately zone in on the issues that will hinder a client's investment magnetism. Often times it only takes 2 to 3 weeks to completely reorganize a company to make it stand out like a beacon in the turbulent finance industry. If you are seriously considering the idea of raising capital with a private placement memorandum, traditional institutional loans, venture capital or a public offering don't be penny wise and dollar foolish.

Spend some money and hire a consultant who is completely submerged in the finance industry to take control of the elements of your corporation that are seen as 'black eyes' to investors so that you can achieve the capital you're seeking.

The reality is, raising capital for your company is easy and straight forward if you've taken the time to examine your business objectively and sought out the expert analysis of an industry expert consultant who will run your company through a formula and make the necessary changes to increase your ability to raise capital.

Details Matter... 'Thaw the Chicken'

Sometimes you have the big picture, you have the equipment, you know what you're trying to accomplish, and you know how to technically get a task done - but something is missing... some tiny seemingly insignificant piece of information thwarts you in your attempt to accomplish an aim. Details really do matter!  Enjoy this funny story and think about whether there are details that may be holding you back or making a mess of your attempts to reach a goal.

Back in the mid-1990's scientists at NASA developed a gun for the purpose of launching dead chickens. Why, you might ask?  By hurling a chicken at the windshield of a jet or the space shuttle at that vehicle's maximum traveling velocity, the space agency could simulate the frequent incidents of collisions with birds, and therefore determine if the windshields were strong enough to withstand high-speed airborne fowl strikes.

British engineers, upon hearing of the gun, were eager to test it on the windshields of their new high-speed trains. However, upon firing the gun, the engineers watched in horror as the chicken corpse shattered the windshield, smashed the control console, broke the engineer's backrest, and embedded itself in the cabin wall.

Shocked and puzzled, the engineers sent NASA the results of the experiment, along with the designs of the windshield, and begged the US scientists for suggestions and assistance in getting their obviously sub-standard windshields up to snuff.

NASA sent back a brief response: "Thaw the chicken."

Do you have 'unthawed chickens' in your world right now?  Little details that are mucking up the waters and shattering your experiments?  Minor points of logic that you may be missing?

Think about it.