Up Market |
- Have You Shared Your Mission And Your Story Lately? Hot Tip From David Siteman Garland
- Pennies and dollars
- Why Buying Another Clock Won’t Get You There On Time
- Do You iFast?
| Have You Shared Your Mission And Your Story Lately? Hot Tip From David Siteman Garland Posted: 27 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT
I wrote an article about David earlier this year called ‘There’s No Such Thing As Competition Anymore,’ which you can check out here. David just put up an awesome new post to his blog today called Don’t Be Afraid To Remind Your Peeps Of Your Story And Mission. He opens by saying:
David goes on to give an example of the mission and the story behind The Rise To The Top (which I recommend reading in the original post as a great example). This struck me not only as excellent advice to pass along, but also as a great thing for me to do for Project Sweet Spot (thanks for the reminder, DSG!). So here goes… Project Sweet Spot’s MissionOur mission is to inspire and educate anyone who wants to step into their unique Sweet Spot – to build a thriving business on their particular purpose and passion – but don’t yet know how to do it. Through our interview show, we find real people who've done it – living examples and powerful role models – and share the compelling stories and practical lessons of how they did it, and how exactly you can make it happen for yourself. Through our coaching services, we guide you step-by-step to get clear on the real reason you’re on the planet at this time, and how to practically design, package, market and sell your unique gift to your ideal clients within months, in a highly aligned and profitable way. We are building a community of people around our mission, making it possible for more and more people to step into the experience that work is fun, and that money is a natural by-product of the fulfillment of your true purpose. The Story Behind Project Sweet Spot: Why I Do ItI was always looking for where I fit, right back to university. None of the traditional paths seemed right for me. Thought I’d become a doctor but couldn’t imagine narrowing that much to the exclusion of learning about everything else that interested me. So I applied to law school since everyone said that was a good “general education,” but after being accepted by the top law school in Canada, I declined. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it (thank goodness). I ended up going to get an MBA since it seemed to keep the most doors open, and studied “International Policy.” None of the main tracks (Finance, Accounting, etc.) held any interest for me. Ended up working for several multinational corporations in project management and then marketing. Not bad as far as corporate jobs go, but I still had this nagging feeling that there was “something else” I was meant to do. Not just that I wanted to do, but that I was meant to do. I looked around at the people in the work world I was in at the time and mostly observed people who didn’t like what they were doing, who were not experiencing much joy or growth or fulfillment, vying for higher and higher positions that didn’t really excite them, yet resigned that it was the only track to follow. They were trapped by the money and seeming lack of alternate possibilities. I just knew there had to be a better way. After over 7 years in that world, I left. I didn’t know what I was going to do next, but I knew it had something to do with “human potential.” I’d started studying personal and spiritual growth, and got my coaching certification. A whole new world opened up for me, where work was meant to fulfill a greater purpose, and money was a by-product of fulfilling that purpose. I also traveled. A LOT. And everywhere I went, I seemed to have this radar for people who were doing what they were truly meant to be doing, in all kinds of walks of life. They loved it and it showed. They were exceptional at their crafts, and had great word of mouth reputations – whether they had restaurants, or B&B’s or kayak companies… whatever it was, their passion was palpable, and their products and services top notch. There was love in the details. I wanted to BE one of them, and I also wanted to SHARE about these people – to show others who were stuck in work that drained them that it’s possible to do what you love, to delight the people you’re meant to serve with your craft, to make a positive difference for others AND to thrive financially and otherwise in the process. These people were, to me, the real role models worth looking up to. Their lives were their message, and I wanted to tell their stories and show others that it’s possible for them too… that they didn’t have to be stuck in work that didn’t bring them alive. That’s how Project Sweet Spot was born: as an expression of my own purpose, passion and unique talents, something I could offer to the world that I was doing anyway for my own enjoyment, and that I decided to turn into a business. I believe that everyone is born with a unique purpose to fulfill, and the clues to that purpose is in what lights them up most, what’s deeply meaningful for them, what they are truly best at doing, and what allows them to live the lifestyle that’s right for them. In my ideal world, everyone is fulfilling their unique purpose and thriving in the process. That’s why I get up every day and do what I do. Project Sweet Spot is devoted to making that vision a reality, and to providing the inspiration and education to anyone who wants to create that reality for themselves. Now it’s your turn. What’s your mission, and the story behind your story? Photo credit: David Garland’s Google +
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| Posted: 27 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT
I’m not sure this is true. In fact, I’m pretty sure that if you watch the dollars, you don’t have to worry so much about pennies. Big brands don’t sweat the small expenses. They don’t hassle about a return, or a little coupon fraud or the last penny per square foot on the rent in a prime location. In fact, they understand that there’s a powerful honest signal sent when you don’t worry about the tiny expenses. It shows confidence. My first business was running a ski club from my high school to a nearby ski area. Most of the other clubs rented expensive coach buses. I rented school buses. That one shift saved thousands of dollars. As a result, I had plenty of money to spend on snacks for the bus, no hassles about refunds if you broke your leg… it was easy to be generous because I’d saved so much on the bus. So many small businesspeople are crippled by their relationship with money. I know… I used to window shop at restaurants and then go home and eat Spaghetti-Os. The thing is, if you run out of money you lose the game. That’s a given. But what’s the best strategy for not running out of money? I don’t think the answer is to worry insanely about little expenses (saving $20 on your blogging expenses in exchange for distracting ads, for example.) In fact, too much worrying about cash is the work of the lizard brain, it’s a symptom of someone self-sabotaging the work. The thing to do is invest in scary innovations, large leaps, significant savings. Instead of renting a skimpy booth at the big trade show and scrimping on all the extras, why not rent a limo and drive the key buyers around town, or sponsor the awards luncheon? When you skimp all the time, you signal that you’re struggling. Image credit: terrypresley  |
| Why Buying Another Clock Won’t Get You There On Time Posted: 27 Jun 2012 02:00 AM PDT When I was young, I was always late. I’ve spent half a lifetime working to develop punctuality and it seems to be improving. Aggravating the problem was how I handled being late. The lesson I learned when I made the following change has led to a major reduction in my business stress. When I was late, all I did was hurry more to try to be less late. Of course, people were always waiting, and once you’re late, being less late than you might have been really doesn’t help much. You know what does help? A phone call. If you’re late, make a phone call. “Sorry, I’m going to be three/five/fifteen minutes late. Your time is valuable, and I’m very sorry I didn’t plan better.” To date (20 years since I started the habit) the only reaction I ever remember is, “No problem; thanks for letting me know.” In fact, I get “No worries; I’m late as well” as often as not. If you make a mistake (and lateness is a mistake), admit it as soon as you’re aware of it and do what you can to fix it. Clients, prospects, even suspects don’t expect perfection (if they do, you can’t work with them anyway.) They expect mistakes now and then. What they care about is how you deal with the mistake. Of course, they won’t excuse incompetence, but you might be surprised how much good will you get by being forthright. Why We’re Like ThisIt’s almost impossible to avoid seeing a timepiece almost everywhere you look. Nearly every adult in some countries wears a wristwatch. Your cell phone’s display probably includes a readout of the time. Right down there in the corner of my computer screen is another. Driving down the street, even if you didn’t have another clock on the dashboard you’d hear the time announced on the radio at least once an hour. We’re a society obsessed with timekeeping. So how on earth can anyone ever be late? It’s pretty obviously not about time. Less obviously, maybe, is that it’s about manners. Here’s my confession. When I was young, the reason I was always late was because I was arrogant and selfish. My chronic lateness had two sources: I never really wanted to stop what I was already doing to get to what I was supposed to be doing, but worse, I honestly believed others weren’t as important as me. There I was, doing something really meaningful, and if we started the next thing 15 minutes late, I was sure they didn’t mind waiting. It took years of unpleasant interaction and a major change in my self-image to decide that punctuality was a way of showing my consideration for others. Of course, first I had to have that consideration. Those of us who are chronically late fall into a handful of personality types defined by psychologists, but the short version is that if we’re chronically late, we don’t respect others; we don’t think they’re as important as we are. Dale Carnegie is not impressed, and neither are those you do business with. When others realize that you don’t value their time it’s a short step to thinking you don’t value them—and an even shorter step to them not valuing you. If you know you have a problem with punctuality, treat it like any other gap you might discover in your professional abilities, and patch it. If you can read a book and get the concepts, check your local library or search the internet for resources. If you’re the type who can enlist the aid of friends to make the change, do it. If you’ve tried before and can’t seem to overcome the lateness habit, consider finding a life skills coach to help you sort out causes and solutions. And for those of you who are glad I’m not talking to you right now, try one of these experiments:
Hopefully, you won’t find any surprises. If you do, come back and read this again; it’s more meaningful once your eyes are open. (Excerpted from my first book, The Commonsense Entrepreneur)  |
| Posted: 27 Jun 2012 02:00 AM PDT
I'm not sure if it's because I'm "afraid" of what will happen if I unplug. Am I so self-absorbed that I fear people will forget about me if I disappear for a week or a month? Or am I so addicted to social media and blogging that I simply need a "fix?" I don't really have answers to those questions. What I do know is that I get burned out with social media just as much as I get burned out with other things. The quality of my work suffers. The quality of my social relationships suffer. And it simply stops being "fun." We were never designed for 24/7 information streams. We are literally not capable of processing that much information. I say this as an admitted news junky — I know exactly what happens to my stress levels when I read the news every day. Do I really need that constant stream of negativity in my life? Obviously not. Yet all too often social media isn't much different. For the last couple of years I've been reading about iFasts. The idea that for a full month you simply walk away from social media. Blogging. Twitter. Facebook. LinkedIn. (Do you feel anxious yet?) But I've never been able to commit to it. It seems like a good idea, one I'd even benefit from. Yet I just can't seem to get off the fence. The way I see it there is a major pro and a major con for doing an iFast. Con: Social media is about relationships. We don't take "fasts" from our families and friends. (Well not without getting into big trouble!) If you've built good relationships with people, is that unhealthy? So why would we take a fast from people we hang out with digitally? Pro: We can only do so much. Let's face it, we are limited in what we can do. I can only write so many articles before I run out of ideas. I can only post so many tweets before I start telling you what I had for lunch. I can only follow so many news stories, before it becomes knowledge and not practice. By taking a fast I would be able to recharge and come back with even better material. As I've said, I don't have an answer to this question. So consider this a different type of column than I typically write for Upmarket. Consider this a conversation, not an answer — a conversation I'd like you to join. Do you think an iFast is a good idea? Would it make you more creative? Or would it simply make you miss out on the fun? Photo credit: Clemson  |
One of my favorite Sweet Spotters is David Siteman Garland, host of the hugely popular 
“Watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.”
In every other area of my life I have natural rhythms. I know when to be excited and when to be calm. When to play and when to work. When to sleep and when to be alert. But when it comes to social media I can't seem to pull myself away. There is no rhythm because there is only "on."| You are subscribed to email updates from Upmarket To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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