BALANCING ACT: BLENDING LIFE, WORK, AND RELATIONSHIPS® A free monthly newsletter about balancing life, work, and relationships based on the books and popular workshops conducted by Alan Weiss, Ph.D.

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Essays

Musings

Developmental Stuff

ORTIYKMWOYBNTO

Balancing Act^®: The Newsletter

(No. 316, November 2025)

BALANCING ACT: BLENDING LIFE, WORK, AND RELATIONSHIPS®

A free monthly newsletter about balancing life, work, and relationships based on the books and popular workshops conducted by Alan Weiss, Ph.D. Past copies are archived on our web site: http://www.summitconsulting.com

ISSN 1934-3116

Balancing Act^® is our registered trademark. You are encouraged to share the contents with others with appropriate attribution. Please use the ^® whenever the phrase “Balancing Act” is used in connection with this newsletter or our workshops.

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Balancing Act^® is in four sections:

Essays
Musings
Developmental Stuff
ORTIYKMWOYBNT-O Department

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Listen to my free Podcast Series on Apple Podcasts or on ContrarianConsulting.com: Alan Weiss’s The Uncomfortable Truth^®. And watch A Minute with Alan^® daily on all social media and my blog.

The WhaleSale™

The revenues from one $250,000 sale are the same as from 25 $10,000 sales. But the margins are far different, because it’s far less expensive in terms of costs and time to manage one account rather than 25. Lisa Miller and I have coined that one sale “The WhaleSale” because it’s much larger than most firms of any kind had envisioned. There is a great deal of money extant to be invested in impressive returns. The key is not to simply charge more, but rather to develop irresistible value and a powerful brand.

Debasing

People are fond of saying “the currency has been debased” then they believe (factually) that their buying power has been diminished. But we also debase the arts, when we provide standing ovations to mediocre performances or obscene purchase prices to inferior modern art. I know, it’s in the eye of the beholder, but just because someone has a lot of money doesn’t mean they have have a great eye. (We’re also debasing sports by making them a smart phone betting excuse rather than the enjoyment of watching great athletes perform.)

No Princess (or Princesses)

I understand the sentiment behind the “No Kings” rallies around the country. I’d like to add to that the fact that the Senators and Congressional Representatives on “both sides of the aisle” are acting selfishly and greedily in refusing to end the ridiculous and dangerous shutdown of the government. They are the ones exhibiting disdain for the people. Perhaps we should be inclusive, and simply have “No Royalty” rallies. (Lincoln Steffins wrote that if we had had good kings we’d all still be monarchists.)

Clocks

I can see generally good ideas about changing the clocks seasonally and not changing them at all. With so many clocks and watches able to change themselves on machines, in our cars, on your wrist, what’s the big deal. Could it be that in an age of Sketchers and recliners, and ear pods that people are just too lazy to want to bother to do it. (Let’s let the crops die, I’m tired of changing the clocks!)

We’ve just survived another Halloween, or perhaps I should say, just enjoyed another. When I was a kid we would go in small groups, some with elaborate costumes, but many with five-cent masks, and comb the neighborhoods in the highly congested city without adult escorts and without having to inspect our loot for razor blades or tampered candy or political manifestos when we returned home.

The holiday originated in Celtic times, honoring the transition to winter. The Catholic Church designated today, November 1, as All Saints Day so last evening was All Saints Eve (All Hallows’ Eve). In these times, kids are escorted by parents with flashlights, and my wife decorates, though very few are brave enough, even escorted, ti walk down a 150-yard driveway between evergreen trees. They take the treats we also leave at the main gate.

As if it’s not enough that kids now need escorts, adults have now taken to stealing others’ pumpkins! The doorbell videos I’ve seen show people in their teens, 20s, and 30s mostly running up, ripping off, and retreating rapidly. Is there a hot pumpkin market? Had the governmental shutdown imperiled pumpkin availability?

Unfortunately, I think it’s another symptom of our times, along with “porch pirates” who steal packages left on doorsteps. There is an inappropriate feeling of being “oppressed” somehow by many in society, and in revenge if something can be taken without consequences, then it’s fair game. After all, many city councils and district attorneys have decided, against all sanity, that shoplifting isn’t a crime and shouldn’t be prosecuted so long as it’s not above a certain monetary value. In other words, steal something worth a hundred bucks or so and it isn’t a crime.

I think it is. Some kids selected their own pumpkins, and some even grew them. But mostly someone paid for them. Maybe we need something to create consequences for theft, even if elected officials want to turn a blind eye.

For us, that “something” is a German Shepherd.

Development Opportunities

The Fishbowl

In January I’ll be starting a year-long, monthly, “live” coaching session whereby one member of the group will be coached by me for 45 minutes on a current issue of theirs, we’ll deconstruct what happened, and then have 45 minutes of Q&A. This is a variation of the very popular “fishbowl” technique I ran a few years ago.

You may volunteer to be the person coached or simply watch. You needn’t attend every session and I will provide video to everyone afterwards along with written commentary. This should build your coaching prowess considerably.

This will be $500 for the year and I’m offering it to you, here, first, because I’ll obviously have limited participation. My offer to you is $400. (An hour of my “situational coaching” on my site is $2,500, so this is a hell of a deal if you choose to be coached or even just observe.)

You can register here: https://alanweiss.com/store/quick-pay/

I can only accept a few more and I’ll cut off registration on December 1, but if you wait and we’re filled, I can only put you on a waiting list.

AI: Alan Intelligence™

My unique AI resource which will direct you to the relevant aspects of my entire body of work to answer your “real time” questions about proposals, value based fees, conceptual agreement, avoiding “ghosting,” and thousands of other issues with text, audio, and video resources, all of which you can download. Please go here to gain lifelong, constantly growing access to my work, including referral to specific pages in my books which you can access online: https://alanweiss.com/ai-alan-intelligence/ If you decide at any time to engage in one of my two elite, personal coaching relationships, I'll deduct the full fee you've paid for this resource.

Zoom Workshops 2025:

2025: Join me November 4th for our next installment, Questions You Always Wanted to Ask (Me). If you can’t attend “live” you’ll still receive the video and the AI Companion transcript.

https://alanweiss.com/growth-experiences/zoom-workshops-2025/ I'll take questions in advance if you'd like to remain anonymous. $450. Consider it AI: Alan Intelligence™ in person!

LEARN MORE

Million Dollar Consulting® Global Online Program

Million Dollar Consulting^® for the World

I’ve provided 14 modules with videos from me, from your colleagues globally, slides, and text. They include everything from launch to self-esteem, proposals to fees, closing business to creating a brand. No upsells! It’s only $115. What do you think about a 10,000:1 ROI? We have over 500 people from 47 countries. https://milliondollarconsultingcourse.com

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Million Dollar Consulting® Global Online Program ADVANCED

Million Dollar Consulting^® for the World ADVANCED

The new program contains over 60 videos and has 15 modules focusing on what to do in the buyer’s office, overcoming crises, financial planning, and much, much more. https://alanweiss.com/growth-experiences/advanced-global-learning-program/

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Million Dollar Consulting® Global Online Program GRADUATE

New: Million Dollar Consulting^® for the World Graduate

Another 12 modules with videos by me and your peers on contemporary issues such as Raising Fees Aggressively, How to Be Consistently Interviewed, Maximizing Happiness, and Managing Multiple projects. Join the people from 57 countries who are availing themselves of this inexpensive way to dramatically grow their businesses in any economic times. How does 100:1 ROI sound? https://milliondollarconsultingcourse.com/graduate-learning-program/

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London: For those of you who read down here, a special offer. I'm planning to be in London in late May offering a 1.5-day program based on my new book The Seven-Figure Consultant (which will be released in February and which I'll send for free to registrants at that time). The program is about the philosophy, leverage, and opportunity acquisition you need to make seven figures annually and sustain it. It is a brand new offering (it is not "Six Figures to Seven"). If you're interested: The fee will be $4,500, which includes a reception evening, a light breakfast and lunch. If you register in November the fee is $3,500. Write me at [email protected] or register here: https://alanweiss.com/store/quick-pay/

Read this far? It's May 18-19.

I'm an Old Cowhand...

When I was managing the North American field force for a consulting firm in Princeton, we had a banner year. As a reward, I hired the sister ship of the Presidential yacht, and we sailed down the intercoastal waterway with an open bar, band, dancing, and so forth. I remember that it was $950 an hour.

As we returned the captain said to me that we’d have to settle up, and this included an $350 docking fee. I resisted, in my poverty mentality, and said, “Look, you have to dock this thing, anyway, what happens if I don’t pay?”

He said, “Well, we drop anchor and stay here for the night at $950 an hour.” I was never a very good poker player….