It s a shame I've been sitting on this book for about two years now. A friend of mine gave me Never Eat Alone , by Keith Ferrazzi a couple years ago (thanks Rey), and it s been on my bookcase ever since. It was resting there not because I didn't want to read it, but because I already had so many others in the pipeline. I finally got around to reading it last month and I definitely recommend it. In very simple terms, Ferrazzi explains why networking is important and how to do it. From how to make call lists to planning dinners to personal branding to goal setting, it s all here. He also maintains a valuable blog .
Inevitably there will be times when you have setbacks or things don t go your way. Maybe you didn't get a job you thought you were sure to get. Maybe you lost a job unexpectedly, didn't win a contract, or lost a major client. Your car always seems to break down right after you've had some other unexpected expense. These kinds of situations immediately place us in crisis. They don t feel good, but sometimes they re what we need in order to grow. The beautiful thing about crises is that they force us to take a step back and reevaluate what s going on in our lives and rediscover what we truly want and need. When we get over that initial shock and feeling of disappointment, we might realize that maybe that job wasn't really the best for us anyway. Maybe, just maybe, that wasn't what you really wanted to spend your life doing. Maybe that friend was holding you back instead of pushing you forward. The way I deal with crises of these sorts is simple: If something doesn't go my way professionally, I try to create a situation that would be more rewarding than the situation originally planned. A while ago, I was offered a job that looked very promising. After I accepted the offer, they pushed the start date back three times, later informing me (via e-mail) that they wanted to bring me on in the near future but I should feel free to explore other options. I was extremely disappointed. I felt disrespected and angry, but decided to make the best of the situation and follow my dream of working internationally. I then flew to Santiago, Chile and had great professional and personal experiences I wouldn't have had otherwise. Later, reflecting back on the original opportunity, I realized that working for a company that avoids a start date three times and then can t pick up the phone to explain the situation is probably not where I need to spend my time. Use setbacks as an opportunity to put your goals in order and act on them. In the moment, it s difficult to look at a setback as temporary, but they are. They happen to everybody. It s how you respond to them that will determine how they affect you.
When was the last time you saw a woman portrayed as a whole person? By whole person, I mean a complete, autonomous human being—not the archetypal damsel in distress, sexual object, etc. More often than not I see women portrayed as pieces. I’ll see eyes, lips, hips, breasts, or legs in isolation. What kind of message is this sending us?
When we look at a woman as disembodied pieces, we don’t equate her to a whole person. When we don’t see them as complete people, it becomes easier to objectify them, which can lead to all sorts of negative behaviors. As consumers, we need to become more aware of the roles that various forms of media affect our perception of people, and demand advertising and business practices that promote fairness and human rights. CEO’s respond most immediately to changes in consumer demands. As businesses, we need to respond to the growing body of knowledge at our disposal. Fostering a sense of shame, hatred, and objectification will not be a sustainable business practice as we move forward. Developing a community of stakeholders (not only shareholders) will.
I chose to attend Bainbridge Graduate Institute without so much as a visit to the campus. I decided to apply based on the recommendation and support of three people I trust—three people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world. I did my research. I turned to LinkedIn and Quora to ask professionals what they thought about the school. Many had never heard of it. But the ones who did greatly respected the program and the citizens the learning community develops. Did I say citizens? Yes, I did. How can we expect businesses to be good corporate citizens, if the individuals who go into business don’t know how to be individual ones?
We often refer to ourselves as consumers. When we use language like this, we must be careful not to overgeneralize who we are as people. We are not consumers. We are people who consume. Consumers do not feel an obligation and responsibility towards fellow human beings. People do. I chose to attend BGI because I wanted to surround myself with a group of people better than me who want to use business as a tool to promote positive social and economic change. During orientation, I asked my Leadership and Personal Development professor Mary Kay why she chooses to teach at BGI. You can watch her response here.
In just 37 seconds, Mary Kay reaffirmed why BGI exists and validated my decision. We exist because we want to be the change we want to see in the world. They might call us hippies. They might call us optimists. They might even call us crazy. But as they say, “The ones who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.”