“Protect your time.”

March 6, 2009 at 10:47 pm (Business, mind+body+soul)
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Was chatting with Liz Nead yesterday who is a wonderful and lovely inspirationalist.  If you have a chance to hear her. Do it! She was enveloped in a current project and on a time crunch.   She was telling me about how she believes in “protecting your time”.  

Protecting your time?  Absolutely BRILLIANT!

We all have passions, ideas, random enlightenment.  What sets you apart from the rest of the worker bees is the dedication.  And that is when and why you need to protect your time.  There are so many time vampires out there for you. Set boundaries and remember to show up.  Make it a point to do so. This may mean an extra early morning or a night in. 

It’s ok to be selfish.  These are your dreams.  And aren’t the point of dreams to make them become realities? 

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be a “wannabe”.  I WANT TO BE a writer, a yogini, a Dezinker, a runner.  It’s when I take time-outs from the real world that I can truly revel in these passions. 

It’s about stepping outside yourself to become more yourself and get your center or focus. 

With it being Friday, I challenge you to ask yourself if you’re a wannabe and how you can really dive into your dreams, passions, and wacky ideas! 

So come with me and jump into the pool of randomness and enlightenment!  :)  

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Being laid off is NOT the end of the world!!!

February 25, 2009 at 3:58 pm (Business, mind+body+soul)
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A Tweep (Twitter Pal), Dave Atkins,  posted a link for a Globe article by Jenn Abelson titled, “For now, laid off and loving it.” 

It got me thinking.

I have technically been unemployed since September 2008.  I have made some attempts to find a new job, but here is

Cartoon from Flickr by Ross Mayfield

Cartoon from Flickr by Ross Mayfield

the thing:  I hated (with the passionate heat of a thousand suns) my old job.  It was a dementor (Harry Potter reference) of an evil and I was HAPPY to get laid off.  I was constantly seeing co-works put down, disrespected, and be under-valued.  And let me tell you, these were wonderful human beings!  So my just taking a job for the pay check days are OVER!

I want to value what I do. Be challenged. Be creative. THINK! I want to REALLY help people and have exciting conversations.

So… About a week ago, Mike Sansone put a ferociously buzzing bee in my bonnet. “I should start my own business!”  Since then I have been formulating a business plan and preparing to take the dive into Design Thinking.  It’s scary and exciting and difficult and challenging and FUN!  I get my business cards next week and am currently working on getting my website up.  Best of all, I will get to think all day, create, and work with amazing leaders in the business world! 

Why am I telling you this? Because I’m unemployed. I’m over the phase of sitting on the couch, watching movies, and writing sad poetry all day.  I’m more motivated and driven than I ever have been and I am EXCITED about my future! I am a firm believer in dreaming.  Even in these hard hard times of our destitute economy, I believe we can still reach for the stars and accomplish anything.  We just need the habitudes!  Don’t know what I’m talking about? Read Angela Maiers’ book, Classroom Habitudes (I will definitely be blogging more about this book in the near future!). Oh, and another thing you need is a great playlist on iTunes in order to maximize your successful thinking!

So….. Jump in and enjoy unemployment.  What have you always wanted to do? Do you even remember?

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How do you greet people?

February 23, 2009 at 5:27 pm (Business, mind+body+soul)
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I walked into Panera this morning and was greeted by a huge grin and a warm embrace from Mike Sansone.  This reminded me of two things. 

The first was David Coleman aka “The Dating Doctor”.  I was at a MGCA Conference  for my sorority, Delta Delta Delta, quite a few years back and saw him speak and took one of his seminars.  In the seminar, he talked about greeting people like you do at the airport.  When you meet people at the airport, there is so much excitement and giddiness

Photo from Flickr by insunlight

Photo from Flickr by insunlight

that it’s impossible to maintain composure.  This is a phenomenal idea.  Think about it.  How do you greet people? Do you take the time to really say hello and shake hands or hug or give them a big grin?  Mike sees me every couple of days if not more and every time we see each other it is like we haven’t been around each other in years.  Such a greeting makes for an even more exciting and energetic conversation!

The second thought that popped into my head was a quote from the Dalai Lama, “We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.” 

Whether it’s in business or in your personal live, a proper greeting makes people feel special and cared for.  Don’t be afraid to add that personal touch. Literally.

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Adding the Personal Touches in Your Business

February 21, 2009 at 7:49 pm (Business)
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“If a business operates from a traditional transaction model they will usually not design with a great deal of empathy. Instead they will design for function but not feel and/or experience.”  – Mike Wagner

It’s great when regular processes work within your company but Mike is right, many of those old beaten paths focus more on functionality alone and less on the wowing the client and listening to what they have to say.  Practicality is ever so important, especially in the current economic condition, but so is adding depth to the relationship between you and your clients.  Many companies are relying on the tried and true to get them through these tough times.  That’s understandable but don’t forget to add the personal touches.

  •  Listen and remember the small things.

    Photo from Flickr by Rich Gibson's photostream

    Photo from Flickr by Rich Gibson's photostream

  • Use those small personal comments in later conversations: “Hey remember when you said ……?  Well I thought about a way to incorporate that in… “. 
  • And remember, it’s not always about the selling, convincing, or persuading; get to know your clients as people too. Take interest in their lives.

Those are excellent ways you can  add to the “experience” and “feel” of your company.  Make it personal.

And that my friends, is how design thinking can help with your company’s issues, by putting creative passion back into innovation!

*Click on Mike’s name to connect to his blog on brands or follow him on Twitter @bigwags

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