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.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Menrva Labs Founder Michael B. Maine Offers Free Personal Branding Workshops In Downtown Seattle
Seattle, WA - April 2, 2012 - In order to help connect people with their passions, appropriate networks, employment opportunities, and greater happiness, Michael B. Maine, founder of Menrva Labs, is developing a free personal branding workshop series that is open to the public. The workshops will be held monthly beginning April 16, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. at One Union Square. They are designed to engage attendees to identify their strengths, passions, and essence to empower them to acknowledge their true value proposition.
The turn of our economy caused a tremendous number of people to find themselves unemployed. The strong competition within the job market has made many job seekers more deliberately evaluate the value they offer to an organization and the people around them. With job and financial security now in question, people have discovered that being laid off, while never a pleasant experience, may have actually saved them from perpetual dissatisfaction by allowing them to pursue endeavors they are more passionate about.
“In an age,” says Angie Jordan (MBA Candidate, 2013), “where networking is becoming the primary way in which business is done, I think it is critical to be able to easily and confidently speak about one’s personal value and how that can benefit others. I look forward to refining my ability to do that at this workshop!”
Maine says, “The idea is that each person should leave each session with a better understanding of who they are and what they have to offer, as well as the tools and mastery of those tools to effectively deliver that message.” When asked why the workshops are free he states, “I never want access to be an issue.”
Michael B. Maine created Menrva Labs in 2009 with the mission to promote social change by increasing social awareness. Menrva Labs provides socially conscious marketing services to individuals, small businesses, and non-profit organizations.
Contact:
Michael B. Maine
mail@michaelbmaine.com
www.michaelbmaine.com
Ph: 214.699.1758
The Assignment
This quarter at BGI, we have been asked to maintain a blog on a specific topic. At first, I thought, “I’ll just write about marketing or personal branding. After all, I write about these topics all the time, I’m putting together workshops about them, I’m working on a book, and I hope to convert these efforts into revenue generating activities sooner rather than later.” However, after thinking a little more deeply, I found two major flaws in that thinking:
The Flaws In My Thinking
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First, I used the term just to describe something I’d be writing about. Although I am passionate about real marketing and personal branding, and will continue writing, blogging, and speaking about them, I found that I was looking at this as task—as an exercise—instead of it as an opportunity to play and experiment in other areas.
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Secondly, I need to expand the scope of my abilities and knowledge. It’s great to have intimate knowledge in specific areas, but it’s also good to be able to converse around a wide range of topics. One of the things I like doing most is learning from other people’s experiences. Broadening that scope of topics of which I’m aware is prerequisite to being able to continue growing from others.
My New Blogging Topic
So, what am I going to be blogging about? I’ve landed on change creation/management. When people ask me what I do, I typically say something along the lines of business, marketing, and communications strategy. Sounds good…but what does it mean? I think change creation/management more completely captures my essence and what I do. When I worked with Albagli Zaliasnik & Cia in Santiago, Chile, I did more than develop their marketing strategy. I worked with partners, administrative assistants, attorneys, and clients to develop organizational goals and plans to realize those goals. Together we created a cultural shift: communication became more transparent, business grew internationally, and employees became more involved.
It’s What I Do
I’ve been thinking about how to describe what I’d like to do when I exit this MBA program. Working with people as individuals and as part of an organization both appeal to me. When it comes down to it, I want to work with people to empower them to be the change they want to see—in themselves, in their organizations, in their communities. Whatever you label that work, whether it be life coaching, executive coaching, or whatever, it’s about creating and managing change.
What’s Next?
Now that I know what I want to blog about it’s time to learn about the topic so I can share information we find valuable. Thank you for taking interest and following. Expect book reviews, videos, infographics, how-to’s, personal experiences, and the experience of others. I hope you engage along the way. Until next time…peace.
Other Stuff On The Web
If you want to read blog posts only related to change creation/management (the posts required for class), this is the URL for that. http://michaelbmaine.com/home/category/bgi
If you are interested in knowing what’s going on with Menrva Labs, upcoming events, and everything else I’m blogging about, just come to the homepage at http://michaelbmaine.com.