<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[RSS Feed]]></title><description><![CDATA[RSS Feed]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com</link><image><url>http://direct.ecency.com/logo512.png</url><title>RSS Feed</title><link>http://direct.ecency.com</link></image><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:43:44 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="http://direct.ecency.com/@carmensample/rss" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[#entrepreneur — You will never be “ready”.]]></title><description><![CDATA[We are in the process of buying another business and we aren’t ready. We own five businesses and are overwhelmed and overworked. Our finances aren’t perfect, our businesses aren’t perfect, we have three]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/startup/@carmensample/entrepreneur-you-will-never-be-ready</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/startup/@carmensample/entrepreneur-you-will-never-be-ready</guid><category><![CDATA[startup]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 21 Feb 2018 20:07:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/2923mN3pnd7PrxqAS8My84z8QnDpEsSBnKFsBYXvnAmtMxT15mscmXhrGR6qm1fH5gEyqrnLBgBiTdZ1XLQAmKcfRboWgRdwkJuVpnzuGtyPiv?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Where my ladies at? 50/50 is aiming too low.]]></title><description><![CDATA[It is a simple rule that I think we should all live by in our professions: Women and men should be in top leadership positions in proportion to what is reflective of their industries. When I was getting]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/where-my-ladies-at-50-50-is-aiming-too-low</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/where-my-ladies-at-50-50-is-aiming-too-low</guid><category><![CDATA[business]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 09 Feb 2018 21:50:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/Zskj9C56UondJxcjVaienfhVaNb7LJVWG6e787gZsMoEssa9CdqufaPY9XC8dF37twcarBU5aDTADaG5bDseFtyJU1yp5xERfn6Rq3JRxBpnQMD8a79g?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[High-Risk Housing — When there is no good option]]></title><description><![CDATA[We accept that the risk is better than homelessness or institutionalization…and that is all we really need to know. When people think of someone with an intellectual or developmental disability they often]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/disability/@carmensample/high-risk-housing-when-there-is-no-good-option</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/disability/@carmensample/high-risk-housing-when-there-is-no-good-option</guid><category><![CDATA[disability]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 11 Jan 2018 17:23:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/2923mN3pnd7PrxqAS8My84z8QnDpEsSBnKFsBYXvnL9tVJoshonD25RSoHbum5Ety4tDSknyGweq91ULhS8imcwjgjLhMnmLCxNtivs3McoPTC?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fighting Lawsuits…For The Smell of It]]></title><description><![CDATA[This funny thing happened when we became a “large company” — People started suing us. Maybe we looked differently, or spoke differently, or smelled differently……smelled like green dollar bills, perhaps.]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/fighting-lawsuits-for-the-smell-of-it</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/fighting-lawsuits-for-the-smell-of-it</guid><category><![CDATA[business]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 04 Jan 2018 17:24:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/2923mN3pnd7PrxqAS8My84z8QnDpEsSBnKFsBYXvnACPScwRJ6D3HeFLw3TwiKhzrWCysLazGFJh3EGBUQ9xZHKquwv4QVzjqcmBkZqGb8zsTc?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Reconciling the End. Leaving your job gracefully]]></title><description><![CDATA[Endings are a process of emotional reconciliation. Resigning from a job is like breaking up with your partner. There are lots of spoken and unspoken feelings. It feels intense and scary walking into the]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/relationships/@carmensample/reconciling-the-end-leaving-your-job-gracefully</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/relationships/@carmensample/reconciling-the-end-leaving-your-job-gracefully</guid><category><![CDATA[relationships]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 28 Dec 2017 21:44:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/2923mN3pnd7PrxqAS8My84z8QnDpEsSBnKFsBYXvn7DWjLtkbMyfbnNsJoyYnqytCVdMXdduYi85QQacHw5wHWfmCZzmo8rzn4bzWnj1TU6xuk?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why we don’t pay sick time. The Three Truths of “calling out sick”.]]></title><description><![CDATA[I know this blog post is going to get some electronic tomatoes thrown in my direction….. Meh… cue shoulder shrug. That said, here comes the first leadership truth: #1: You look bad when you chronically]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/work/@carmensample/why-we-don-t-pay-sick-time-the-three-truths-of-calling-out-sick</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/work/@carmensample/why-we-don-t-pay-sick-time-the-three-truths-of-calling-out-sick</guid><category><![CDATA[work]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 21 Dec 2017 17:01:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/62PdCouTvNPDuXRaduVYiCb9hxbZWDcAb1acVYBWQ3bUazfKFRjoF4bmx45twkyA2KPVUSHyxwUn3qorNjjMy4sowJ9KuTd68MgVFQEU7w9cea2?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[The ENTOURAGE every CEO needs]]></title><description><![CDATA[What I have learned about an effective entourage is that they are not “followers” — They are actually the leaders that manage the CEO. Entourages aren’t just for divas, though I don’t mind people thinking]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/the-entourage-every-ceo-needs</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/the-entourage-every-ceo-needs</guid><category><![CDATA[business]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 03 Nov 2017 17:29:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/2923mN3pnd7PrxqAS8My84z8QnDpEsSBnKFsBYXvnAMezTTL8DY3qDHBLuNWuBctTzPSamCnpVvth3jUhDNu5QsjSMLN9XMpW8uNCqPe7taf8a?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[“Holding The Line” — The Best Teams Protect Their Leader]]></title><description><![CDATA[I hate being tackled. As the CEO, I am the default quarterback. I am scanning the field and planning my next step. I’m developing a strategy and then pivoting it at the last second to keep my team winning.]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/humor/@carmensample/2iqdjx-business-vikings-expand-and-conquer</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/humor/@carmensample/2iqdjx-business-vikings-expand-and-conquer</guid><category><![CDATA[humor]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 31 Oct 2017 15:59:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/62PdCouTvNPDuXRaduVYiCb9hxbZWDcAb1acVYBWN4XzNkS2J4JC6QpB7e534N7aGgW2x1JfyFLhHY3FtAQavCEDr8Gvie1xQtihiDCDk5Xdctn?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Managing your “Management Brand”]]></title><description><![CDATA[No, I’m not talking about color schemes and font styles. I’m talking about not tolerating bullshit. A “management brand” is the way you manage performance issues as a company. Every company has a brand,]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/3grxkz-business-vikings-expand-and-conquer</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/3grxkz-business-vikings-expand-and-conquer</guid><category><![CDATA[business]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 31 Oct 2017 15:52:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/62PdCouTvNPDuXRaduVYiCb9hxbZWDcAb1acVYBWPo5NxHYPjtFJx25eZdqjXzUhJCh2s3kdnnhUdbxS5tozv5Dn2qZDdqDz2a9pFx5FZypLTHx?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Business Vikings. Expand and Conquer.]]></title><description><![CDATA[We don’t stop when we are tired. We stop when we are done. I recently binge-watched all four seasons of Vikings on the History channel over the course of a week. I stayed up until 3am every night to do]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/5dxapq-business-vikings-expand-and-conquer</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/5dxapq-business-vikings-expand-and-conquer</guid><category><![CDATA[business]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 26 Oct 2017 23:10:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/2923mN3pnd7PrxqAS8My84z8QnDpEsSBnKFsBYXvo5bg3XpDhmVXjzRi9BuPHD7acz6MV1jLW5C6JqnzdukxMWJAnof1DTJWy1mabkhLEuw6va?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Business Vikings. Expand and Conquer.]]></title><description><![CDATA[We don’t stop when we are tired. We stop when we are done. I recently binge-watched all four seasons of Vikings on the History channel over the course of a week. I stayed up until 3am every night to do]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/7wsyyh-business-vikings-expand-and-conquer</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/7wsyyh-business-vikings-expand-and-conquer</guid><category><![CDATA[business]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 26 Oct 2017 22:28:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/2923mN3pnd7PrxqAS8My84z8QnDpEsSBnKFsBYXvo5bg3XpDhmVXjzRi9BuPHD7acz6MV1jLW5C6JqnzdukxMWJAnof1DTJWy1mabkhLEuw6va?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Business Vikings. Expand and Conquer.]]></title><description><![CDATA[We don’t stop when we are tired. We stop when we are done. I recently binge-watched all four seasons of Vikings on the History channel over the course of a week. I stayed up until 3am every night to do]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/6ka1y5-business-vikings-expand-and-conquer</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/6ka1y5-business-vikings-expand-and-conquer</guid><category><![CDATA[business]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 26 Oct 2017 21:25:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/2923mN3pnd7PrxqAS8My84z8QnDpEsSBnKFsBYXvo5bg3XpDhmVXjzRi9BuPHD7acz6MV1jLW5C6JqnzdukxMWJAnof1DTJWy1mabkhLEuw6va?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Business Vikings. Expand and Conquer.]]></title><description><![CDATA[We don’t stop when we are tired. We stop when we are done. I recently binge-watched all four seasons of Vikings on the History channel over the course of a week. I stayed up until 3am every night to do]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/business-vikings-expand-and-conquer</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/business-vikings-expand-and-conquer</guid><category><![CDATA[business]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 26 Oct 2017 21:13:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/2923mN3pnd7PrxqAS8My84z8QnDpEsSBnKFsBYXvo5bg3XpDhmVXjzRi9BuPHD7acz6MV1jLW5C6JqnzdukxMWJAnof1DTJWy1mabkhLEuw6va?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Vacations — The 3 ways they can hold work value.]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you are an entrepreneur like me, you might struggle with vacations. I am the person that gets sad on Fridays because I won’t be able to experience maximum work capacity until Monday again (nerd alert).]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/startup/@carmensample/vacations-the-3-ways-they-can-hold-work-value</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/startup/@carmensample/vacations-the-3-ways-they-can-hold-work-value</guid><category><![CDATA[startup]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 19 Oct 2017 17:26:45 GMT</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[The War for Talent — How working in a 1.8% unemployment market improved my business]]></title><description><![CDATA[Competition raises the bar of service delivery to customers…AND services to employees. It is kind of a nice world in a job seeker’s market, eh? If you are the employer, it feels a bit like you are in a]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/leadership/@carmensample/the-war-for-talent-how-working-in-a-1-8-unemployment-market-improved-my-business</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/leadership/@carmensample/the-war-for-talent-how-working-in-a-1-8-unemployment-market-improved-my-business</guid><category><![CDATA[leadership]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 17 Oct 2017 15:57:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/qjrE4yyfw5pQYiuVvgYiUBP16WHGGN7UNn1BCdGe7f9S3rkPVj4v4P2hArtATTaLg2XvWgVLALS3p8t6DrqypdAL7QTBDK67buYdTeBTFfsdS2TvXQ2stdJ6?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Unemployment Cases — Why I LOOOOOVE to win them so much.]]></title><description><![CDATA[When I started my first company I had no idea what unemployment insurance was. Nobody in my family had ever filed for unemployment as they had all owned their own businesses and it had never even crossed]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/millennials/@carmensample/unemployment-cases-why-i-looooove-to-win-them-so-much</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/millennials/@carmensample/unemployment-cases-why-i-looooove-to-win-them-so-much</guid><category><![CDATA[millennials]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 07 Aug 2017 17:10:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/cyxkEVqiiLyAJMrzqHfWLT7YbdgoprDQGwdeDRwrGNHDhymG1H1H48syHmoG9MWsXuK7DZ9UuNZyC4jGGbi4ECFbJJnv8H2VfXm6WAFK5kvkhNAUnQAcoUY5g587TEuXDPk?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Numbers don’t lie. The FIVE metrics that determine the health of your company (No, Sales isn’t one of them).]]></title><description><![CDATA[Numbers don’t lie. Stop asking your team what problems they are experiencing and start instead focusing them on analyzing the numbers to TELL them what the problems are. To effectively track the health]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/numbers-don-t-lie-the-five-metrics-that-determine-the-health-of-your-company-no-sales-isn-t-one-of-them</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/business/@carmensample/numbers-don-t-lie-the-five-metrics-that-determine-the-health-of-your-company-no-sales-isn-t-one-of-them</guid><category><![CDATA[business]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2017 20:10:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/cyxkEVqiiLyAJMrzqHfWLT7YbdgoprDQGwdeDRwrfzAi9vDhFg6ehzpSvagGhSHBCurDcLd5HyQ6qtmQLfrJmqb6HTWAyB65HZ5u2T8w5gsnv6YyDN2VrEfcCPiNfZ9xTxr?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[The customer is not always right. Don’t be afraid to remind them they are wrong.]]></title><description><![CDATA[My mother was an intense business owner — I learned from the best. I remember a rude customer that walked through her store, belittling all of her staff and fellow customers in front of her. When the customer]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/productivity/@carmensample/the-customer-is-not-always-right-don-t-be-afraid-to-remind-them-they-are-wrong</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/productivity/@carmensample/the-customer-is-not-always-right-don-t-be-afraid-to-remind-them-they-are-wrong</guid><category><![CDATA[productivity]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2017 19:57:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/cyxkEVqiiLyAJMrzqHfWLT7YbdgoprDQGwdeDRwrZ6Bvw88a9benVrshJba8D4ie6yaZmTtLzf48ezEu5a3Ex2eHMPkNCbVVz1wyK6kyKXddVWoVvHpkoYUjpWnoC1WDfRp?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[5 things IT professionals should never say in a Millennial company.]]></title><description><![CDATA[![0_1LX9va1J110q_wSt.jpg]( We are restructuring the way we think of “IT” at Sample Supports. We are building a team of innovators that want to be a part of defining our culture and HOW we work. I’ve learned]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/entrepreneurship/@carmensample/5-things-it-professionals-should-never-say-in-a-millennial-company</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/entrepreneurship/@carmensample/5-things-it-professionals-should-never-say-in-a-millennial-company</guid><category><![CDATA[entrepreneurship]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 02 Aug 2017 20:12:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/cyxkEVqiiLyAJMrzqHfWLT7YbdgoprDQGwdeDRwrXnaZ85HUrBm7meqbh6oSWVXzwfhiLuMzkNcqQkfPM5YkDZFX9bAz6E5wsMv6DLmNEDR7xTpGyJcJKdiYjRqHFbtdqEe?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item><item><title><![CDATA[Attention New Employees: You will SUCCEED if you do these 8 things.]]></title><description><![CDATA[I recently experienced the first time that an employee had been hired, worked in a position for a significant amount of time and then left the company before I had the chance to meet them. An entire employment]]></description><link>http://direct.ecency.com/entrepreneurship/@carmensample/attention-new-employees-you-will-succeed-if-you-do-these-8-things</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://direct.ecency.com/entrepreneurship/@carmensample/attention-new-employees-you-will-succeed-if-you-do-these-8-things</guid><category><![CDATA[entrepreneurship]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[carmensample]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 25 Jul 2017 19:58:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://images.ecency.com/p/cyxkEVqiiLyAJMrzqHfWLT7YbdgoprDQGwdeDRwrZ4wqqPFUFCXMkWcb6kPkAeC56CDY1toRxmwDKpZqXkMHmvYxk5SZ4pfpHXzyZf2aoeqKMnZV2DbzMmM5DQ7m961TQ9k?format=match&amp;mode=fit" length="0" type="false"/></item></channel></rss>