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.
What makes a juicy workplace for you? A few weeks ago, I decided to take a trip to Portland, Oregon for an extended weekend. What was supposed to be a “vacation” turned into one of the most engaging and rewarding weekends I’ve had in a while. The new Bolt Bus route on the West coast allowed me to get a $3 roundtrip ticket between Seattle and Portland. As the weekend approached, I decided to schedule some meetings with some people I know in the Portland community. I’m glad I did. Those meetings didn’t feel like work. Instead, they served as a chance to more deeply connect with some people I respect.
Angela Hamilton is one of those people, and introduced me to the Portland State University’s Social Sustainability Colloquium. What was the topic for this Friday’s presentation? “How can Portland be a model city for fostering a vibrant, juicy workplace.” Yeah, I had to go. What was, for all intents and purposes, a two hour brainstorming session, exposed me to a wide range of thoughts and people regarding a sustainable workplace. For me, a juicy workplace is one where people are free to bring their authentic self. It would be a place where diversity in all its forms is not tolerated but regarded as essential to developing strength, a better product, a better service and better workplace environment.
Let’s forget, for a moment, that supporting local business is great for the local economy, healthy for a community, and especially with regard to food, can aid in health-related issues such as allergies. It’s just plain fun. I’ve recently helped host a couple of “cash mobs” here in Seattle and when I take time to reflect on what went well, what could be improved, and how I feel overall, I’m learning that supporting local businesses simply feels good.
I come home now to three indoor plants I bought at Village Green Perennial Nursery, where I’ve gotten to know the entire staff on a first name basis. In fact, we’ve gotten to be friends. We hang out, go to lunch from time to time, invite each other to different events, and share each other with people we find valuable. Today, we met up at Bedrock Industries. For about 5 months I passed over this place every single day to and from work and never realized it was a business that’s open to the public. Today, I had my chance to walk around. I felt like I was on an adult field trip.
Now on to the material things. While, I don’t place much stock in material possessions, when I look at the plants in my window and my recycled glass coasters, I know the story behind eace piece. When we buy local, we don’t live in disposable culture. We appreciate the time, effort, and skill that goes into what we adorn our lives with.
Let’s forget, for a moment, that supporting local business is great for the local economy, healthy for a community, and especially with regard to food, can aid in health-related issues such as allergies. It’s just plain fun. I’ve recently helped host a couple of “cash mobs” here in Seattle and when I take time to reflect on what went well, what could be improved, and how I feel overall, I’m learning that supporting local businesses simply feels good.
I come home now to three indoor plants I bought at Village Green Perennial Nursery, where I’ve gotten to know the entire staff on a first name basis. In fact, we’ve gotten to be friends. We hang out, go to lunch from time to time, invite each other to different events, and share each other with people we find valuable. Today, we met up at Bedrock Industries. For about 5 months I passed over this place every single day to and from work and never realized it was a business that’s open to the public. Today, I had my chance to walk around. I felt like I was on an adult field trip.
Now on to the material things. While, I don’t place much stock in material possessions, when I look at the plants in my window and my recycled glass coasters, I know the story behind eace piece. When we buy local, we don’t live in disposable culture. We appreciate the time, effort, and skill that goes into what we adorn our lives with.