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Until last year I had never heard of LeBron James, the basketball superstar who just made front page news by choosing to go with the Miami Heat. His name first came up when I was driving up the California coast with my coaching co-leader Brad Isaacs who described his deep attachment, awe and enthusiasm for this basketball star. Need I tell you that although Brad now lives and works in California, he hales from Ohio, where LeBron has been playing and winning since he began his career. Having a superstar from your home state has a huge impact, which Brad made abundantly clear.
When I was growing up on Easton Avenue in White Plains, NY, my mother referred admiringly to the smart girl across the street: Jane Levy. “Jane Levy goes to Mount Holyoke College.” That admiration was not lost on me. When it came to looking at schools, Mount Holyoke was on my list. I enrolled there three years later.
What do these two anecdotes have in common? And what does this have to do with being an entrepreneur?
I heard one person whose opinion I value talk about something he was passionate about, and I remembered it, even though I’m not interested in the NBA. I paid attention because Brad told me, I heard him, and made a connection. I’ll call him today to acknowledge his pain.
Although my mother wasn’t passionate about Jane Levy or Mount Holyoke College per se, what she admired in someone, what she held in high esteem, was important to me.
The advertising industry is based upon creating these powerful associations in us consumers. As entrepreneurs, the brand experience we craft is one we hope will be passed on by our satisfied clients and customers. Social media have underscored how influential word-of-mouth (or word-of-mouse, as I’ve recently heard it called) is.
These two stories make that connection for me again today. When someone I value speaks with enthusiasm, I take it in and use that information when the time is right. As a business owner, I want to create the kind of experience, success and devotion that clients enthusiastically pass on.
I consulted my BLOGWORTHY file this morning for inspiration. I often rip out articles from magazines and newspapers I read and tuck them into a file folder for future use. (I’m giving away my demographic, eh?) As I was thumbing through that collection checking for resonance, the one that jumped out at me was an article by Michael Lewis from O Magazine, the June 2009 issue. It was a piece on parenting. The sentence I underlined read, “We’re all just groping, then lying about it afterward.”
Yup, all those parents who claimed their children slept through every night and who never encountered sibling rivalry among their offspring. I was never able to make those claims because me and lying aren’t compatible.
I hear parallel claims today in my entrepreneurial sphere. Business owners I meet who are “having their best year ever” and whose phones are ringing off the hook. That may or may not be true. I don’t actually care whether it is or not, nor do I compare myself to their assertions. Time has a way of outing impostors, so it’s not up to me to challenge anyone else’s claim.
What I loved about this line was what Lewis exposes about us all (when we’re being totally honest). We’re all just groping. The more creative and persistent that groping is, the more successful we’re likely to become. Once again, it comes down to feeling good enough about yourself in the day to choose what methods you’ll pick today. In the good ole days it was going after the low-hanging fruit. Now, it’s planting the seeds, or figuring out which land to stake out your new garden in.
This is an entry of optimism and encouragement. I say, “grope away” and put any face on it you need to in order to keep groping tomorrow.
July 4 is my birthday, and I plan it very carefully. Having been at sleepaway camps for much of my youth, my summertime birthday often got glossed over. So, as an adult, I carefully construct my day to be everything I want it to be. (Note the underlying lesson here…)
Among the festivities for my celebration was a birthday breakfast with s special group of friends. I’m lucky that the world is “off” on my birthday every year. I get very good attendance. I chose to have the breakfast at Sticks and Stones Farm which I’d written about a few weeks ago. I was totally charmed by the facility and loved the rustic quality and totally unplugged feeling you get when you’re there. I didn’t want any distractions from the celebrant.
The chef at Sticks and Stones is Annie Stiefel. The breakfast was sumptuous, organic and colorful as well. I can’t say enough about the overall experience. Annie emailed me the next day to find out if everything was okay and was there anything to be improved. She wanted to know.
I wrote her back a rave review and that I was reminded of something my very first evaluator said to me after my Icebreaker Speech in Toastmasters. I had prepared and rehearsed a million times. I took my entry into the public speaking arena very seriously. Every evaluator in Toastmasters is charged with the mission of praising what you did well and offering one or two areas to improve upon. “I do have some criticisms to offer Jane, but it’s like picking fleas off a gnat’s ass.”
That was in 1993 and I never forgot the way he put his disclaimer, even though I have forgotten what he told me to work on. It surely made it easier to hear, and I couldn’t wait to sign up for my next speech. I told Annie the same story. The overall experience was one I’ll always treasure, and the minor details that might be improved upon can wait.
It’s not easy to claim a life as a painter, especially after 34 years of being the person behind the scenes. But that’s exactly what my good friend and client Mary Quinlan has done. She spent her entire career encouraging young people to express themselves artistically as Art Department Chair (and one-time Teacher of the Year) at Norwalk High School. Upon retirement Mary dove into her own art business, a fearless move, joining one of my Mastermind Groups and making a commitment to not only painting regularly, but also creating an artist’s statement, designing a business card and identifying herself as a painter. No small feat. As a result, Mary has been exhibiting her work in group shows annually, winning coveted places in juried shows, earning cash awards, and most important–(drum roll, please) SELLING! her work. Mary is now stepping out for her first solo show opening this week. She is being featured at Barbel, Inc. — a fine jewelry store located at 143 Elm Street, New Canaan, CT. Here’s the image that has gone out to viewers of the Art Guide. What fearless act will you take today to bring you closer to YOUR dream?
