More Than WE Know

I just devoured Scott Ginsberg’s 220 page book Make a Name for Yourself in a single setting and now I’m starting to read it a second time - and I am sure I will be re-reading it again and again.  The book is chock full of valuable ideas and insights that I can’t wait to share with you over the coming weeks.  The hardest part will be deciding which gem to write about first!

I’ve recently become a fan of Scott’s after hearing his story.  You may have heard of Scott already - he’s known as “that guy with the nametag”.  He’s been wearing a nametag 24×7 for the past 2544 days.  (He can claim 24×7 because he even tattooed a nametag on his chest!) 

Scott’s motivation for wearing a nametag is that it made him more approachable. He found that by wearing a nametag, even strangers would start conversations with him!

I’m fascinated by Scott for a couple of reasons.  First, this is such a great Public Relations strategy.  It’s unbelievably low cost (even 2544 nametags can’t cost that much!!), it’s memorable and it’s well-intended. In other words, it’s aligned with the MoreThanWeKnow value of doing well by doing good.  

Scott has been featured in hundreds of outlets such as 20/20, CNN, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, The Associated Press, REDBOOK, FastCompany, The Washington Post, Paul Harvey, The CBS Early Show and Headline News. He even wrote “The Quiz” on approachability for COSMO!

In the nearly 7 years that Scott has been wearing a nametag, he has managed to build an entire career out of it.  At 27, he’s one of the youngest members of the National Speakers Association. 

He’s known as an expert on “approachability” and has written books, online and offline magazine columns, and developed training programs that he has delivered to major corporations such as STAPLES, VERIZON Wireless, Boeing, Prudential Financial, UniGroup, Coldwell Banker, Gundaker Realty, Leo Burnett, Manpower and Hyatt Regency as well as many non-profits.

The second reason that Scott fascinates me is that he has got to be as opposite of an introvert as they come!! The idea of wanting all people, any people to connect with you any time, any where is incomprehensible to an introvert. As we’ve discussed in previous posts, introverts need to pace the amount of time spent interacting with other people because it can be physically draining. 

On the other hand, Scott’s actions and philosophy are fascinating to me, an introvert. I find myself wondering if they can be adapted to suit the needs of the less socially inclined among us.  I’m going to ponder this some more and write some ideas in my next post.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear your thoughts.  Is he brilliant or crazy? How approachable are you? How approachable do you want to be?

For more fascinating reading by Scott, check out his blog.

For more info on the challenges of networking for the less extroverted among us, read:

 Four Survival Tips for the Introverted Entrepreneur

How to Go From Shy Networker to Brilliant Conversationalist

Six Tips to Successful Networking for Shy Entrepreneurs

Challenging Advice for the Shy Entrepreneur

Situational Shyness and the Aspiring Entrepreneur

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I’ve recently discovered the fun of carnivals as an easy way to get to know a variety of new bloggers who write on topics that I am interested in.   

Similar to a networking event, carnivals give you a chance to have a few short encounters with new people, get exposed to new ideas and new opportunities.

The following are some I’ve been enjoying lately - I thought you might enjoy them as well.

Allow me to introduce you:  

The Success Principles carnival is hosted every week at the E3 Success Blog . It collects articles on how to be successful. Bloggers share principles they’ve used and secrets they’ve learned.  

This week, among many inspiring articles, Sue Massey presents How to Write a Business Proposal posted at Business Management Life. She provides a checklist with the four questions that a good proposal should answer - and tips on writing a proposal so clear that even your mother could understand it.

The Carnival of Small Business Issues is hosted this week by Atlantic Canada Small Business Blog.  This carnival focuses on small business issues - marketing, HR, finance, operations, customer service, trade or even trivia that relates to small business. 

Of particular interest to Women Entrepreneurs is the article  by Joel Libava, guest columnist at Small Biz Trends. His article Help For the Time Starved: Service Franchises  explores the booming franchise opportunities available in service businesses that cater to time starved people like us.  

The new Business Success Carnival is doing well, with twice as many articles as in the premier issue. The Carnival was originated by Dominate Your Life. It focuses exclusively on articles related to Business Success.

Women Entrepreneurs who work at home will want to be sure and check out  Ideas to Help Make Your Home Office Functional and Fun posted at ask the CareerCounselor.

The Mom and Women Entrepreneurs Carnival is also in its second issue originated and hosted by Chronicles of a Mompreneur.

An interesting interview with a Woman Entrepreneur is presented by Doris Chua in H.O.W. Feature - Michelle Sweeney posted at A Meeting Place for All Home Office Women. 

Enjoy the carnivals. And be a good guest - if you like what you find, leave a comment, stumble or digg the carnival.

Have Fun!

 I’m an impatient gardener.  I like to buy plants already in bloom, put them in the ground, or even in pots,  and get immediate rewards. I feel quite a sense of accomplishment even though I have actually done very little work. But blooming plants like that are usually annuals; they arrive quickly with a lot of color and show and then disappear just as quickly when the season is over.  Perennials on the other hand, take longer to cultivate and are slower to bloom- but they stay with me season after season.

I try to balance my garden with both annuals and perennials. Both have their purposes and both are needed for vibrant surroundings. Some quick efforts for solace now, to perhaps be forgotten when the season ends, and some to be cultivated slowly over time with bigger and more colorful blooms returning year after year. 

I was thinking about all of this today as I planted bulbs: tulips, crocuses, daffodils and hyacinths.  It takes a lot of faith to plant bulbs.  There is an entire fall and winter between when you plant the bulbs and when you see the results.  It is only when the winter has become unbearably long and bleak and you are just about ready to give up - that the first green shoots make their appearance.

It helps me to think of my networking efforts like gardening. Some of my efforts result in quick returns. I meet someone, we hit it off, we decide to do a project together, and it is fun and invigorating. But sometimes afterward, life gets in the way, the intensity fades and we drift apart. 

At other times, it feels like my efforts are never going to pay off. Perhaps I am not meeting people interested in my business or what I have to say.  It begins to feel hopeless and that I should give up.  And then, someone reaches out and connects - someone I haven’t heard from in a while, or someone who heard about me from a friend, or someone who found me through my writing on the Internet.  And suddenly, all that effort and waiting pays off! 

In reality, either type of connection can lead to long-term relationships. There is a season and a rhythm to networking that we can sense if we take time to slow down and feel it. We just need to keep putting ourselves out there, digging and turning, cultivating our networking garden - being thankful for the quick blooms and having faith in the seasons.

Today I attended a lecture given by Shelly Lazarus, CEO of Ogilvy-Mather. Shelly Lazarus has been named by Fortune magazine as the 26th most powerful woman in business and by Forbes as  one of the 100 most powerful women in the world.  

It was an intimate women’s networking event.  Shelly’s speech was insightful and empowering. I will write more about her actual words in a future post, but for today I want to tell you about what happened right after she finished speaking.  

Immediately following the speech, a few women gathered around her to talk to her personally.  I went up, shook hands, introduced myself, and thanked her for her speech. I told her the profound impact it had had on myself and the women I had brought with me.  She thanked me and we exchanged a few pleasantries about the corporation I work for and her association with it.  I walked away feeling pleased with the connection.

Afterward I spoke to Diane, a friend of mine, and asked her how her conversation with Shelly had gone. She said, “It was great - I introduced myself and told her where I worked. I asked her if there was anything I could do to help her reach her goals.  She told me that she knows someone in my corporation and it is her birthday today. Could I be sure and take her birthday wishes back with me to her.”

I was amazed. The actual request - taking birthday wishes to an acquaintance is a small thing and Diane was happy to do it.  Not only was she sincere in wanting to do a favor, it gives her an opportunity to reach out and meet someone in her organization that she would not otherwise have had a contact with. So, in her way, with this simple request, Shelly acted as a connector for my friend.

The most amazing thing to me was that, even with my focus on networking, it just never would have occurred to me to ask the CEO of a $9 Billion company, and one of the world’s most powerful women,  whether I could do anything to help her.  I would just have assumed that there wasn’t!

This was a major eye opener for me.  It underscores that at its most basic level,  networking really is about reaching out to help others, making connections as people, and being open to wherever it leads. 

The best networking assumes that we all have similar needs and that we can all help each other to succeed.

What limiting beliefs are you putting on yourself and your networking efforts? Are you assuming others aren’t interested in meeting you or that you have nothing of value to offer?  Is that a valid assumption, or is that just something you are telling yourself to avoid embarrassment?

I’m interested in hearing your own networking insights and experiences. Please share either below or directly through the contact form. 

This week I went to a training program put on by the fantastic organization, Women Unlimited.  Women Unlimited promotes leadership among women and places an emphasis on the value of networking.

During one of the program breaks I met Jan Figueira, CEO of Girls, Inc. of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.  I was very excited as I have been interested in Girls, Inc. for some time.  Their mission “Inspiring All Girls to be Strong, Smart and Bold” resonates with me and aligns with the mission of MoreThanWEKnow.

Coincidentally, Jan had attended the program with the idea in mind of recruiting some talented women to participate in Girls Inc. as volunteers, board members, etc.  During a break, Jan and I discussed the possibility of collaborating.  It turned out that due to logistics, it won’t be possible for me to work with her organization directly.  But Jan offered to put me in touch with the leaders of several branches closer to my home and work (in CT and NY).

Jan and I both had successful networking connections yesterday. Even though it was a coincidence that we met, it didn’t happen entirely by chance. This successful networking connection occurred for several reasons:

1)  awareness;  I had been researching non-profit organizations and had in the back of my mind that I wanted to get involved with one that aligned with my vision.  

2) intention; When introducing herself, Jan publicly announced her need for additional support in her organization and her interest in making contacts with women who shared her vision.  

3) action; Jan and I both made time to reach out to each other despite the busy day

4) connection; Jan and I both kept our minds open to possibilities even when the original purpose didn’t work out.  By offering to introduce me to other Girls, Inc. leaders, Jan acted as a connector for her network.

When networking, we don’t always know how our original intentions will play out.  But by being aware of our needs and setting an intent to achieve them, we open ourselves up to opportunities.  When we take action, we create results - and if we are open-minded we can see the possibilities in those results even if they aren’t what we originally had in mind. 

Spend some time thinking about what you need in your network right now. What roles are missing?  Are you looking for partnership, support, new ideas, new opportunities? Whatever it is - make it clear in your mind and then start communicating it to the world.

What are your networking stories? I’d love to hear about challenges and success!