Deepen a Relationship With the Stroke of a Pen
The last hand-written note I ever received made such a deep impression on me that I kept it. It made such a deep impression because it was 2008, and I was caught up in the heady days of email, Twitter, and texting.
The power of the “handwritten”So imagine my surprise and thrill when I …
Avoid Babbitry and Stand Out From the Crowd
Do you suffer from babbitry?
It means an excessive feeling of self-satisfaction. It also means small-mindedness, smugness, middle-class mentality.
But my friend, novelist Cathy Day, gave me the best definition of all: a person and especially a business or professional man who conforms unthinkingly to prevailing middle-class standards. The word comes from Sinclair Lewis’ novel, …
Networking Without Neediness
How do you meet people at a dinner or networking event? How do you approach a total stranger without coming off too aggressively or being seen as looking to make a contact to better one’s self?
Steve Boyle of No Excuses, No Regrets Basketball, asked me that question via email a few months ago, and …
Should Your Online Persona Be Different From Your Offline?
“What if my personality in real life is different from my online one?” I was once asked during an interview. “Do I need to hide who I truly am online so people will want to connect with me and I can find a job?”
My answer: If you need to hide who you truly are …
The Best Place to Network? Local Coffee Shops
Over the last several years, I’ve drunk enough coffee to float a battleship, all in the name of building my personal brand, and networking with the people I needed to spend time with.
The place I did it? Independent coffee shops nearly all of the time.
I’ve spent so much time in indie coffee shops …
Write Well To Make Your Personal Brand Stand Out
Writing is everything when it comes to building your personal brand. If you can’t write, your brand will suffer. It’s not just enough to be able to string together a few sentences into a coherent thought. You need your own voice, your own style to come through what you write.
Your writing needs to stand…Personal Branding Lessons From The Indy 500
I just spent the day at the Indianapolis 500 as a media blogger (actually I spent a few days at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this month) and was reminded of the hard lessons and life of an IndyCar driver. The winner of the race was Dan Wheldon, a British racer whose only race this year …
Look For Your Next Job While You Have This One
I’ve got a friend, Lyle, who is scared in his job right now.
Lyle is 48, working for a large organization, and figures he is only holding on to this job by the skin of his teeth. Lyle spends his days keeping his head down, not offering any opinions, and avoiding trouble of any sort. …
Giver’s Gain: Leverage Your Network Without Abusing It
Steve Boyle runs a cool nonprofit called No Excuses, No Regrets Basketball (the site is being redesigned right now, so follow him at @SteveBoylenenr if you want more information). The organization is dedicated to motivating players to achieve academic success and to be a better person on and off the court (I’m paraphrasing here).
Needless …
4 Tips Introverts Can Improve Their Networking
One of my favorite jokes about IT professionals is “How can you tell you’re talking to an outgoing IT pro? Because when he talks to you, he looks at your shoes instead of his own.”
I have a friend who fits the computer programmer stereotype. Very shy, not very outgoing, doesn’t like being in crowds, …