Are You Engaged

I notice something more and more when I use Twitter.

Someone will tweet something...anything...and I'll reply to it with a question.
Nothing snarky...more along the lines of "Why would that happen?" or "Where did you see that?"
Very often, they will reply.
The reply may be short, but they'll reply.

We're engaging.

They tweet...I ask...they reply.
Sometimes I even learn something!
It's Nice.

VERY often, folks DON'T reply.
And that always leads me to think 1 of 2 things. Either:
1) some automated system tweeted your "thought of the day"   or
2) you don't appreciate someone questioning your thought

Either way, it's a really weak representation of your personal brand.
Of course, we're ALL busy, but what is the tweet-to-reply ratio on Twitter?
1 percent?  Five?
Unless you are Gary Vanynerchuk or President Trump, you likely don't get a lot of replies to ALL of your tweets. You don't have 30 seconds to type a 150 character reply?

Sometimes I've reached out to folks on Twitter to get their feedback about partnering on a project.
Very often...No Reply.

Makes me wonder...You don't need help with distribution or you are not interested in created (at least) 1 more raving fan?
You may have NO need for my help at all...but wouldn't you like to keep me interested in your product?

Listen - I'm not complaining.
Maybe they're doing me a favor.
In fact, if your competitors are not engaging, maybe YOU should!
Maybe there is a level of personal branding that they don't care about...but if YOU corner that portion of the market, maybe you get more market share.

Nice, huh?

Here is my recent favorite:
I noticed that one of my Twitter followers is pushing a product line. I look into it, and it appears to be part of an MLM ... but it interested me. I signed up as a potential distributor.

Next, I contact my follower on Twitter and say "Hey, I signed up and named YOU as my sponsor. I know we haven't engaged much, but I have a good feeling about you."

He never replied.

By coincidence, about 2 hours later, I noticed that I never got my info emailed to me.
I go back on Twitter and it seems that one of the 2 Owners of the brand is rather active there.
So I holler to HIM.  "Hey there. I signed up as a distributor but never got any info emailed to me. Should I sign up again?"

He never replied, either!

Ok, I'm starting to have a bad feeling about this product AND it's distributors. :)

But you get my point, right?
It's just not a good "look" if people make the effort to reach out to you and you don't reply.

People are busy, sure.
But I would think the vast majority of Twitter users have the alerts set up...or at the very least know enough to check "Notifications" before sharing their next 144 characters of wisdom.


Most folks hate how Twitter can be like yelling into a canyon.
They want to converse. SHARE ideas.
At the very least, know they are being seen or heard!

And other folks think that if you just spray 2 or 3 sentences that make up a pitch or a motivational quote you are valuable and interesting.

#Disagree

Twitter is your personal brand.
You can be as sharp, helpful, sarcastic, interesting, interested and invisible as you wish.
But if you pass up an opportunity to "connect"...to engage...you are missing what could be months or years worth business, business contacts, mastermind partners and otherwise interesting people to learn from.

If you are going to be here, be personal.
Engage.

Who You Callin' a Playboy?

What exactly is a "Playboy"?
Is a compliment?  Is it derogatory?

Urban Dictionary humorously defines a Playboy as " A playboy is a man dedicated to chasing pieces of ass around, while sworn to a life of debauchery. He professes his love to all and commits to no one." 

YourDictionary.com shows a little more class when they define a Playboy as "A usually wealthy man who spends much of his time pursuing leisure and romance"

And OxfordDictionaries.com uses a similar line of thought with "A wealthy man who spends his time enjoying himself, especially one who behaves irresponsibly or has many casual sexual relationships."

So is it a good thing or a bad thing?
That probably depends on your opinion of casual sex.

That being said, the focus seems to be on MORE than just the sex.
Look at words like "debauchery" and "wealthy" ... phrases like "pursuing leisure and romance".

The Playboy is fulfilling ALL of his fantasies. He's living live to the fullest.
He travels, he lives luxuriously, he appreciates the finer things.
(or, at the least, the things HE feels are the finer things).

And...he gets laid.

Why does he get laid?
Because he's confident. He's sexy. He's doing well for himself.

The Playboy isn't finishing a Big Mac on a park bench.
He's eating seafood on an oceanside restaurant, or a steak on a restaurant that overlooks the city.


Playboy isn't drinking cheap liquor out of a bottle that's wrapped in a brown paper bag.
He's sipping scotch in a glass as big as a boxer's fist.

The Playboy isn't wearing a rumpled shirt and jeans with a hole in the knee.
His clothes are crisp, like he just took them out of the dryer.


The Playboy doesn't have that hairstyle that looks like it hasn't been cut, much less combed, for 3 months.
In fact, even on the days when Playboy doesn't shave, his 5 o'clock shadow is still even in length and growing only in the right places on his face.


And this is because the Playboy CARES about how he looks, how he conducts himself, where he's seen and what he's doing.


Is he a little smug?  Not really, he's just confident.
Is he a little stand-offish?   Not really, he just doesn't care to make a fool of himself.
Is he a little opinionated?  Not really, he just has a taste for the "finer things".


And as a result, he has a taste for women.
Beautiful women who want to be in his company.

It's not a bad thing at all.
It's a lifestyle.

So here's to YOU, Mr. Playboy.
With your clean clothes, great watch, perfect haircut and an expensive adult beverage.
Here's to all the things you accomplished to get to where you are...and all the ways you plan to celebrate your successes. 










 

Aim, Fire, Aim Again

I can't tell you how many blogs and videos I've seen in the last 2 weeks that talk about achieving your goals in the new year.

In fairness, I read the blogs, Ii listened to the podcasts, I watched the videos...and I did it with an open heart and I open mind.

Each time, I was hoping for something NEW. Something POWERFUL.

Here's the deal about goal setting - it's like bathing. Or riding a bike.
Once you know the fundamentals, there's only so much "new" you can put on it.

Doesn't matter what you call your process, doesn't matter what color/size book you put it in, doesn't matter if you learned about it on a free website or in a paid seminar.

The truth of the matter is that there are only 4 things you need to know:

1) If you don't write your goals down, and you don't review them daily, you are handicapping yourself. Both halves of this statement are an absolute must, so let's say it again:  Write your goals down, review them daily.

2) You need to have a big enough "Why". Why do you want this goal? Why is it important to you. If you can't give a compelling why, you are handicapping yourself. If YOU don't care about your goals, no one else will.

3) You need a handful of people around you who have DONE it already, who are GREAT at it, and who are willing to hold you ACCOUNTABLE.  I don't care if you call it a Mastermind or a Circle of Influence or "upping your friend game". The only way to become great is to be around great.

4) Take Action Daily.  If you aren't working on your compelling goal every day, then it's not compelling. If you aren't willing to fail, you aren't willing to learn. Take Action, learn from your successes and failure, and then take MORE action.

Really, that's it.
If you are going to pay for classes, seminars, books or lessons on "how to set goals" then I just saved you a ton of time and money.

All kidding aside, you SHOULD pay for the right TOOLS.

• Write your goals in a journal.
• Pay to join a mastermind or get mentoring if you can't get that kind of mentorship for free.
• Buy whatever tool, app or widget that will keep you in front of your goals and on your mission.

But DO it.
Take Action.

Beach, No Snow

There is a small blizzard outside my window today.

Some of my more affluent friends like skiing, snowboarding and then the warmth of a cognac in front of a fire. Personally, I prefer the warmth of the summer sun, the sounds of the ocean and a cold drink near the pool.

So where does my mind wander on a snowy day?


Once good choice is Miami, Florida.
Lots of beaches, gorgeous poolside in most hotels, almost always warm.

In fact, if you like the Hispanic/Latin flavor of Miami, perhaps you'll enjoy Belize.
With Mexico to the north and the Caribbean Sea all along it's coast, Belize is NOT densely populated and there is world of ocean and fauna to enjoy.

Or how about something a little more exotic, like Fiji?
The Coral Coast is one of several fantastic areas to visit, and self-improvement guru Tony Robbins
both lives (part time) and does seminars here.

.

Something new and unique on my radar is Seychelles

Seychelles is a collection of islands north of Madagascar.

Its rather humid, and the average temperature all year round is about 80 degrees (F), so you want to poolside or in the ocean.

One other possibility worth considering is Rome.

I usually equate Rome to history and architecture, followed by food and wine.

By Rome has beautiful resorts, for the days when you don't want to do the historical thing but rather spend the day looking at bathing suits and mixed drinks.

Ahhhh...the sun, the surf, a cold drink and scantily clad vacationers around a pool...followed by a large meal and a nice cocktail. The perfect remedy for a snowy afternoon...  

Print or Digital?

Recently I read an article about how Playboy was considering the idea of discontinuing their print magazine so they could focus on other brand-related projects.

When I mentioned this to a colleague, he shrugged and replied that the move made sense  since everyone was "going digital".

I do recognize that folks find pleasure in watching movies on their mobile device or reading a book on a Kindle. The ability to take media with you from place to place without having something "else" to carry can be appealing for those who want to travel light.

But I have yet to find an instance where I preferred reading an article on my mobile device over reading the actual, printed medium.

I LIKE carrying a book from one room to the other. I like placing a bookmark in it, and seeing just far I've come (or how far I've yet to go) when I pick it up again. I like underlining or highlighting when I'm reviewing a textbook. I like the feel of the pages in a new book.

I LIKE the full size of photos when I read a magazine. This is not specific to Playboy magazine, but you can see the appeal. I like the vibrance of the colors and how they may change in certain lighting. But more importantly, I like that the picture is larger than anything my phone or iPad can display.

I don't want to "scroll" to move up or down an article. I want to turn the page. And if I think I forgot something, I want to HOLD the page as I look back 2 pages. I don't want or need to scroll THROUGH a photo in order to keep reading an article.

I like the way my books and magazines look in a bookcase. Yes, a minimalist will say that they take up valuable space. I ENJOY the space they are taking up. Some folks hang art work or framed Jerseys. I love the library in my home, and I like finding the book I want to (re) read just by scanning the spines.

Am I in the minority? Probably. Today people want to carry less....and they arguably read less. But I enjoy treating printed word as more than just an ends to a means. I don't read because I 'have' to...I read because I enjoy it.  And holding that book or magazine in my hands as I leaf through the pages is part of the journey.

I understand from a business standpoint that there are costs involved in printed media, and if they are not generating a profit then at some point you need to cut your losses. But if Playboy goes the route of "exclusively digital", 'll miss more than just a 16 x 11 centerfold. It will be one more victim in the murder of printed media...and from a higher level it will be a shame.

Positive Mindset Just Isn't Enough

In the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, many folks find a quiet room in the house to do some last minute personal development and planning for 2018. Somewhere between the books they read and the cleaning they do, they will make a “to do” list for themselves. “New Year’s Resolutions”, if you will.

They might even, as some experts recommend, keep the list on the mirror in their bathroom and/or on a laminated card in their wallet. The list will be where you can see it, and think about it.

You’ve opened your mind to what you want for 2018.

Good Start.

You are less than halfway there.

It’s understood that fewer than 20% of people who list their New Year’s Resolutions actually complete them, and a good number of experts will tell you it’s actually less than TEN percent. And by “not completing” I mean “giving up by March 1^st”.

How can this be?  You made a list, you opened your mind, you read a good book….what went wrong?

Action.

Lists are great, but if you don’t act on your list, you’ve done very little.

Too many people pepper their lists with excuses and procrastination.  “I’ll start NEXT week. I’ll do it after X. I first have to wait for Y to happen. This is a busy week, I’ll do it Z….”

No action. No effort. No results.

More folks turn their lists into lists OF lists.

They set a goal, then write about an Action Plan. Then detail their Action Plan. Then go to the library for 3 weekends studying the minutiae of their Action Plan.

Paralysis by Analysis. Procrastination. Over thinking.

Do it NOW.

The problem with over-evaluating is the fear of failure.

But if you don’t fail, you can’t see what works and what doesn’t. You can’t learn from your mistakes or celebrate small victories. 

Without effort, you just have a list, and you aren’t really better off than you were on December 15^th.

Instead of harboring a list of New Year Resolutions, let me make a different recommendation for this Winter:

   1)      Start off with just 2 goals. That’s right, just 2. Two really important ones. 2 things that will absolutely change/improve/impact your life if you were to thru with them.   

   2)      Find a partner/friend/mentor that you can tell these 2 goals about…and INSIST that they keep you accountable through the Winter.

   3)      Every Day, do something that moves you closer to that goal. No planning in this stage. No studying. Just DO something. If you are trying to lose weight, go to the gym. If you are trying to increase sales, do some prospecting. If you are trying to learn a new language, listen to an audio tape of the language.

   4)      Every Night, look back on your day and see your results. If something you tried didn’t pan out, do something different tomorrow. If something you did went well, do it again tomorrow.    

   5)      Allow your accountability partner to check on you whenever and how ever. No getting defensive, no making excuses, no putting things off. When they call, you answer with honesty.

If you can do steps 1-3 this week, you can be WELL on your way to success by March 1^st. And on March 2^nd you will be so pleased with your results that you’ll want to work this way for another 2 months. Maybe another SIX months?  Maybe all year??

Studying and Planning are wonderful, but be sure to ACT. Be sure to keep moving forward with Action, and evaluate your action AFTER you’ve made the effort.

Otherwise, you just wind up on a list.

The list of folks with good intentions, but minimal success.

Here’s to your successful and prosperous 2018!