Here’s another short post for you. The other night I drew a quick sketch. It was an attempt to diagram how to create your own luck by finding opportunity as a connector. (Below is a hand-drawn diagram.)

In the diagram each node represents something, like:
• Individuals
• Businesses
• Niche Markets
• Demographics
• Abstract things like ideas.
• ???

If you follow the lines between the nodes you’ll see a gap. This gap is where the magic of connecting occurs. It’s the spot where you can find a niche for yourself in the world. And when you begin to see all the gaps out there you’ll see how abundant the world can be!

Create your own opportunity by:
• Identifying the gaps
• Brainstorming all the ways a gap could be filled or connected.
• Find the people who can help you fill that gap or make that connection.

Give it a try. Networking events are interesting place to play the connecting game. Even if just to yourself.

How many ways can you see to link the various people in the room? Odds are, there are many thousands of dollars of business being ignored. It won’t take long for you to see that even in today’s economy, you can create all the luck you’ll ever need.

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The modern business card. A critical tool in your networking and marketing toolkit. Handed out to everyone, everywhere.

For myself, the business card I currently use breaks most, if not all, of the rules for creating and using business cards. It is only given when asked for. No useful tips on the back. No company name. No tag line. Just my name, phone # and email. (The email is obscured because I only use that email with people who know me.)

Why does this business card work for me?

The foundation of my business is creating authentic connections with entrepreneurs and decision makers. By the time the relationship develops to the point where we can do a project they already know what I’m about. No business card will take the place of me doing my part in building the relationship.

The old business card was a distraction. It followed the “rules” and I was doing more selling or justifying and less connecting. This simple card stands out by not being like every other card in the pile. It helps me connect in a quiet way. Engaging people in an authentic manner, attracting the people and opportunities I want to attract.

Try it out. Identify what’s getting in the way of people getting to know the real you. Tear down those barriers. Break some “rules.” Be authentic.

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Wondering where you should be spending your time looking for great connections? There are a lot of networking events, charity functions and other social gatherings out there. How do you decide which ones will give you the best odds of meeting the right people for your connecting goals?

Here’s my simple process of how to make the most of your connecting time:
1. Pick events or functions that are inherently interesting or attractive to you.
2. Find out when the next event or gathering is and sign up.
3. The day of the event note how you feel about going. Tired? Maybe a little reluctant to go out?
4. Great! The less you feel like going the more likely you are to make a great connection! Now, go!

Works for me 80-90 percent of the time. If, when the day arrives I’m tired or just not feeling motivated, I can count on making a great connection with someone.

Give it a try next time you feel like staying home. It really does work.

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Had some thoughts I wanted to share on creating authentic connections with other people. Inspired by one of Stuart Wilde’s books I was reading at the park today.

Dropping inner struggle creates a calm space for authentic connections with others to develop. Identifying internal struggle requires you to have an authentic awareness of yourself. The calm creates a balance people sense and are attracted to subconsciously. They are attracted to the safe space you create inside yourself.

Being authentic with yourself allows the other person the choice to relate with you as you really are or move on.

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For the last few days, I’ve been feeling the need to write a post for this blog. Nothing was really coming to me, except the same old things you can read about at just about any blog on the planet. At best, all I could come up with was a vague notion of doing something with attraction marketing as a theme.

So, this afternoon I went to my trusty assistant, Isabelle, for some help. For some background, Isabelle is seven, my daughter, and has ambitions to own a bank, be an artist and raise horses.

After explaining my situation, we had a brief conversation about attraction marketing. We discussed how there were different ways for people to find out about a business. Also, that it was a lot like when you want other kids to play with you at Park Day. (Park day is a weekly gathering of local home school students.) What do you do or how do you act so that they want to play with you? Instead of you having to convince or persuade them.

The first two ideas, Be Nice and Be Helpful, were examples from me, with which she agreed. The last three, Be Happy, Be Funny and Be Thoughtful, she came up with on her own. We included a drawing, thinking a visual aide might be useful to readers. (She did the drawing, I did the writing.)

It really isn’t that complicated, is it?

Attraction Marketing Thoughts

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Seth Godin nailed another one in his book “Tribes”.  This short section on curiosity is sticking in my brain. It just won’t let go! So I’m going to pass it along and hope to get some peace so I can head off to bed.

“It’s more about a five- or ten- or fifteen-year process where you start finding your voice, and finally you begin to realize that the safest thing you can do feels risky and the riskiest thing you can do is play it safe.

Once recognized, the quiet yet persistent voice of curiosity doesn’t go away. Ever. And perhaps it’s such curiosity that will lead us to distinguish our own greatness from the mediocrity that stares us in the face.”

What if one of the expressions of your natural genius, your voice, the gift you were born to offer the world, was your innate curiosity? Just waiting to be recognized and nurtured.

In my case, I’m naturally curious about people, their stories and their social ties. So much so that I fit, perfectly, the description of Connectors in the book “The Tipping Point” by Malcom Gladwell. Yet, I’ve ignored, under-valued and neglected that part of me for years and years.

Now that I’m making my curiosity a conscious part of my life things are happening. A lightness is coming back into my life. No more struggling to find where I fit in the world. My actions are becoming focused and more effective. To not be this way feels incredibly risky. Even though it is the “safe” option.

I believe Seth is right. Once you hear your voice, there is no going back. Are you ready to listen to that voice? The one that whispers, asks questions and is always curious.

Here are a few ideas to help you get started.

• Spend some time alone. In nature helps. Reflect on your life.
• Find common threads in the various careers, hobbies and interests.
• Ask others what they see as your gifts.
• What magazines and books do you like to read? Why?
• What are you both good at and, this next part is important, enjoy?
• When you take a vacation, what is it that you enjoy doing and why?
• What movies and characters do you identify most with and why?

No matter how quiet. Your curiosity is one of your gifts to the world. And there’s a whole tribe of people waiting to share it with you. Discover your greatness.

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Eban Pagan offers foundational advice when it comes to the “inner game” of marketing your business. On-line or off-line. Fantastic advice from mindset to naming your product or business that’s easy to follow and implement. All based on the psychology of humans.

Part I

Part II

Part III

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Check out Spike Humer’s post A Fear of Our Own Possibility.

Fear and unlimited potential. In his post, Spike talks about taking action as a remedy to fear. Here’s another observation about taking action. Action attracts opportunities to expand your potential! Taking action on those opportunities attract even greater opportunities.

At the foundation of it all there’s one simple, courageous thing you can do to change your life forever. Make the free-will choice to grow and pursue your own unlimited potential. Then follow it by action.

Spike ends his post with the question, “Care to join me?”

You bet, Spike. Let’s do it!

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I’ve written this post as a bit of an explanation of where I’ve been for the past year. Some of my friends, family and colleagues have wondered what I’ve been up to for a while, now. Apologies are due. While I haven’t been totally reclusive I have purposefully withdrawn a bit.

So, here’s the story:

About one year ago, I signed up for a 14 month mentoring program being run by Jay Abraham and Spike Humer. The program was focused on learning to find and structure joint ventures and other business growth strategies. We started with mindset and are ending with putting deals together in the real world.

What I am specifically doing is building and managing a portfolio of business projects I’ve engineered. Primarily using tools and techniques from the mentoring program.

My commitment to this program resulted in some rather unexpected and definitely transformational experiences. A few highlights from the last year:

• The first four or so months was almost completely focused on mindset. Nothing about deal mechanics. I learned how much I’ve been getting in my own way. So I decided to play to win, instead of playing not to lose. In all areas of my life.
• If I can’t keep a commitment to myself, how can I trust myself to keep commitments to others? It all starts inside yourself.
• Opportunities to create massively profitable deals where everyone wins are not only possible but they exist all around us. You need to develop clarity in your perception of reality. I can see now, and I’m taking action.

This list is only scratching the surface. More to come in later posts.

It was surprising to me how many inner transformations I’ve experienced, so far. Material success itself may not require such shifts to achieve. Casual observation suggests holding onto success and enjoying life along the way does require inner work.

In the end, what did this one commitment do for me? Do for my family? Was it worth it? I’ll say this, the changes and growth I’ve experienced are worth multiples of what I paid. Both financially and in the time spent.

As for the rest, time will tell. So far, so good. Without that commitment, though, the last 12 months were destined to be another year of frustration.

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Just wanted to let you know I’ve added a page of Resources to this site. You’ll find a list of books, ebooks and audio products I’ve found to be very helpful in my professional development. It’s a work-in-progress with enough on it, at the moment, to be useful.

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