Just wanted to share a great webinar I reviewed today about Twitter and how to cultivate a following using Twitter. Chris Abraham and his team get social better than most companies I have reviewed. Be sure to follow him via Twitter. @chrisabraham and be sure to tell him I sent you @socialfiend.
Great presentation. It's time well spent if you plan on implementing any kind of brand strategy via Twitter.
Important note, whether you plan on using Twitter now or in the future, much like domain names it's important to mark your territory and get a Twitter account that represents your brand before anyone else does. @mycompany is best to save for future planning if it's not of current interest, @myname is also good if you plan on having a personal account.
Enjoy!
socialFIEND - Online Marketing Minute - Webisodes
Friday, May 1, 2009
Monday, April 13, 2009
Referral Marketing to Build a Huge Twitter Following, But Why!???
Thanks to my fellow Titterites I visited an interesting website: http://tweetergetter.com/socialfiend.
TweeterGetter and it's inventor Gary McCaffrey have an interesting proposition, invite your current Twitter followers to this site and together we will build a list of over 19,000 followers for you.
After visiting the site you ask, Why? It's simple really, by introducing your current friends to investigate and launch an invite of their own you become connected via referral to those folks who also jump into to invite their friends to TweeterGetter and so on and so forth. Via referral marketing those who opt in are bringing new Twitterers to TweeterGetter but also filling in spaces below you in an ever growing stream of new followers.
This tool is exactly how all network marketing systems function. By simply inviting two, five or ten people to get started with http://tweetergetter.com/socialfiend, I am effectively beginning my own network under whomever invited me to TweeterGetter.com.
I get this custom invite to continually build my personal list of followers and continue the chain:
"Hey check this out...
I just found this site that shows you a
way of getting 1000's of new followers
on twitter, I just started using it
myself and its starting to work
already.
http://tweetergetter.com/socialfiend
Thought it might interest you.
socialfiend"
So why do this... Well I live virtually through two cardinal rules:
1. Pervasive is Good - the more places I can be found where my message is of high value, authentic, informative, congruent and genuine the higher my perceived integrity, value and trust with my public.
2. To leverage and multiply yourself everyone in business must build an army of ambassadors of good will; who know you, like you and will willingly refer their contacts and friends to you.
This list building solution is simply one example of making new introductions possible. The real question is what do you do once you have a list of 19,000 followers and how can you realize real value from your new network...
Happy building!
Kenneth "socialFIEND" Knapp
TweeterGetter and it's inventor Gary McCaffrey have an interesting proposition, invite your current Twitter followers to this site and together we will build a list of over 19,000 followers for you.
After visiting the site you ask, Why? It's simple really, by introducing your current friends to investigate and launch an invite of their own you become connected via referral to those folks who also jump into to invite their friends to TweeterGetter and so on and so forth. Via referral marketing those who opt in are bringing new Twitterers to TweeterGetter but also filling in spaces below you in an ever growing stream of new followers.
This tool is exactly how all network marketing systems function. By simply inviting two, five or ten people to get started with http://tweetergetter.com/socialfiend, I am effectively beginning my own network under whomever invited me to TweeterGetter.com.
I get this custom invite to continually build my personal list of followers and continue the chain:
"Hey check this out...
I just found this site that shows you a
way of getting 1000's of new followers
on twitter, I just started using it
myself and its starting to work
already.
http://tweetergetter.com/socialfiend
Thought it might interest you.
socialfiend"
So why do this... Well I live virtually through two cardinal rules:
1. Pervasive is Good - the more places I can be found where my message is of high value, authentic, informative, congruent and genuine the higher my perceived integrity, value and trust with my public.
2. To leverage and multiply yourself everyone in business must build an army of ambassadors of good will; who know you, like you and will willingly refer their contacts and friends to you.
This list building solution is simply one example of making new introductions possible. The real question is what do you do once you have a list of 19,000 followers and how can you realize real value from your new network...
Happy building!
Kenneth "socialFIEND" Knapp
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Easy Video Producer is an awesome product! And best of all it's FREE!
EVP is an awesome product. After 15 years as a commissioned sales executive, I know that personal, face to face sit down meetings are key. I also found it hard to transfer my offline success online. Until, I started using WEB 2.0 tools to my advantage.
However, those only work once you have captured the right details, and built up trust through, written communications. For most of us this is hard to accomplish. We wind up having to learn to communicate in a medium that is not comfortable to the majority of us, and hard to instill confidence in your customer or potential partner.
Easy Video Producer has broken that barrier for the average person. We simply hit record and leave a message for a friend. All those important facial expressions and tones are conveyed immediately to the visitor and does increase sign ups to your list.
Every person that depends on customer relations to earn an income should be using this medium to share and brand themselves as the person you want to build a relationship and/or do business with.
Imagine showcasing your products with a live videos right from your home office. What if you could do just that for FREE? Click through to Easy Video Producer to get your copy of Easy Video Producer for FREE right now! Get busy and get marketing online the right way.
Follow these simple steps to find success in online marketing:
1. Build a list
2. Gain trust - video testimonials help with this
3. Present value - givers gain
4. Ask for the sale - 90% of sales peoples never ask
5. Repeat - maintain credibility, be consistent, be honest, be a professional with integrity.
Happy Selling,
Kenneth "socialFIEND" Knapp
You can visit the site at http://www.easyvideoproducer.com/clickthru.php?id=14751
However, those only work once you have captured the right details, and built up trust through, written communications. For most of us this is hard to accomplish. We wind up having to learn to communicate in a medium that is not comfortable to the majority of us, and hard to instill confidence in your customer or potential partner.
Easy Video Producer has broken that barrier for the average person. We simply hit record and leave a message for a friend. All those important facial expressions and tones are conveyed immediately to the visitor and does increase sign ups to your list.
Every person that depends on customer relations to earn an income should be using this medium to share and brand themselves as the person you want to build a relationship and/or do business with.
Imagine showcasing your products with a live videos right from your home office. What if you could do just that for FREE? Click through to Easy Video Producer to get your copy of Easy Video Producer for FREE right now! Get busy and get marketing online the right way.
Follow these simple steps to find success in online marketing:
1. Build a list
2. Gain trust - video testimonials help with this
3. Present value - givers gain
4. Ask for the sale - 90% of sales peoples never ask
5. Repeat - maintain credibility, be consistent, be honest, be a professional with integrity.
Happy Selling,
Kenneth "socialFIEND" Knapp
You can visit the site at http://www.easyvideoproducer.com/clickthru.php?id=14751
Easy Video Producer is an awesome product! And best of all it's FREE!
EVP is an awesome product. After many years as a commissioned salesman, I know that the personal,face to face sit down is key. I also found it hard to transfer my offline success online. Until, I started using WEB 2.0 tools to my advantage.
However, those only work once you have captured the right details, and built up trust through, written communications. For most of us this is hard to accomplish. We wind up having to learn to communicate in a medium that is not comfortable to the majority of us, and hard to instill confidence in your customer or potential partner.
Easy Video Producer has broken that barrier for the average person. We simply hit record and leave a message for a friend. All those important facial expressions and tones are conveyed immediately to the visitor and does increase sign ups to your list.
Every person that depends on customer relations to earn an income should be using this medium to share and brand themselves as the person you want to build a relationship and/or do business with.
Imagine showcasing your products with a live pic right from you home office.
Written by Jim Allen
You can visit the site at http://www.easyvideoproducer.com/clickthru.php?id=14751
However, those only work once you have captured the right details, and built up trust through, written communications. For most of us this is hard to accomplish. We wind up having to learn to communicate in a medium that is not comfortable to the majority of us, and hard to instill confidence in your customer or potential partner.
Easy Video Producer has broken that barrier for the average person. We simply hit record and leave a message for a friend. All those important facial expressions and tones are conveyed immediately to the visitor and does increase sign ups to your list.
Every person that depends on customer relations to earn an income should be using this medium to share and brand themselves as the person you want to build a relationship and/or do business with.
Imagine showcasing your products with a live pic right from you home office.
Written by Jim Allen
You can visit the site at http://www.easyvideoproducer.com/clickthru.php?id=14751
Let's talk viral marketing - Building lists through video works!
As an internet marketer I am interested in keeping up with new ideas and trends in internet marketing. Since I have been on the internet for a long time doing things like creating my own internet city, website promotion, making money on the internet, I have seen the internet change by leaps and bounds.
Today, in order to be relevant in internet marketing your website or blog has to do more than just be a static webpage, now you have to have content and different methods to share that content such as having your own blog, perhaps forums, and now the biggie, video. With increasing access to broadband, video is now possible for virtually everyone to use. Video has become the new must have have, not only for internet marketers but for everyone who has a website.
Local Biz Owners who have a website can especially benefit from video. With video, there are new opportunities to get out your message, advertise your business, make video postcards, send video e-mails create how-to the ideas are endless.
We website owners however, are thinking gee we want to get in on the video thing, but it is something else we have to learn how to do, another learning curve, and for many of us the idea just sort of fizzles.
I am excited because I don’t have to miss out this time, because I lack the expertise to create and broadcast videos or perhaps I just don’t have the time.
I found a unique new software I thought I would check out, to see if I could use it. I was hoping it would be easy to use, to create video and then put it on my website. I also wanted the video to look good, something I wouldn’t mind people watching and/or downloading to pass it around.
Well I couldn’t believe it. This software made it drop dead easy to make videos and to put them on my website. I actually was able to make a quality, professional looking video in less than 5 min. This sounds crazy I know, but I did it.
If video is something you have been wanting to do but felt really intimidated by it up to this point, you might want to try this software for yourself, because the best part is you can use the software and it doesn’t cost you anything. That was important to me because I didn’t know if I would be able to use the software, and I didn’t want to pay for something I wasn’t sure I could even use.
Happy Selling,
Kenneth "socialFIEND" Knapp
Today, in order to be relevant in internet marketing your website or blog has to do more than just be a static webpage, now you have to have content and different methods to share that content such as having your own blog, perhaps forums, and now the biggie, video. With increasing access to broadband, video is now possible for virtually everyone to use. Video has become the new must have have, not only for internet marketers but for everyone who has a website.
Local Biz Owners who have a website can especially benefit from video. With video, there are new opportunities to get out your message, advertise your business, make video postcards, send video e-mails create how-to the ideas are endless.
We website owners however, are thinking gee we want to get in on the video thing, but it is something else we have to learn how to do, another learning curve, and for many of us the idea just sort of fizzles.
I am excited because I don’t have to miss out this time, because I lack the expertise to create and broadcast videos or perhaps I just don’t have the time.
I found a unique new software I thought I would check out, to see if I could use it. I was hoping it would be easy to use, to create video and then put it on my website. I also wanted the video to look good, something I wouldn’t mind people watching and/or downloading to pass it around.
Well I couldn’t believe it. This software made it drop dead easy to make videos and to put them on my website. I actually was able to make a quality, professional looking video in less than 5 min. This sounds crazy I know, but I did it.
If video is something you have been wanting to do but felt really intimidated by it up to this point, you might want to try this software for yourself, because the best part is you can use the software and it doesn’t cost you anything. That was important to me because I didn’t know if I would be able to use the software, and I didn’t want to pay for something I wasn’t sure I could even use.
Happy Selling,
Kenneth "socialFIEND" Knapp
Monday, February 2, 2009
Can Twitter, Facebook, Blogger and MySpace net results on your bottom line!?
"Please note this is a not meant to be a comprehensive look into the world of social networking or a comparative analysis of social platforms. This is a basic how to for folks looking to leverage Web 2.0 technologies in their sales and marketing practices." Now back to my article...
The answer in a word is, YES! But the important point to make is "HOW" can they impact your sales and marketing strategy to positively influence suspects into becoming your prospect by entering your sales system or approaching you directly?
Here are some basic tactics I have used and perhaps you may see others employing in their day to day lead cultivation campaigns.
Social Networks: Although there are many platforms from which to choose, the overall goal of each system is to connect to and communicate with friends, family and new contacts. For the average widget salesmen these systems can cause a bit of confusion between what is personal and what is professional. In today's Enterprise 2.0 space personal and professional in certain cases must coexist. Which may force some folks into keeping their personal lives offline if coworkers or a boss are watching (there have been plenty of documented cases of people getting fired for what they type in blogs or post in social communities). Here are a few tactics that may work to cultivate a professional following and will introduce folks to your company or product quickly.
Plaxo Pulse - a personal rolodex of sorts that has grown into a full blown social network. This system is typically used by professionals to keep in touch with each other and make contact with other professionals regionally. I like Plaxo for it's ability to keep my contact info current even when some of my contacts change companies. Anything to save time. ;-)
Facebook, MySpace etc... Social communities seem to be limitless today. The goal for sales professionals is to locate a network that is likely to be rich with target suspects, meaning you hope to find lots of people you can potentially sell to overtime. Your challenge will be to locate them and approach them in a way that is not obtrusive, rude or salesly.
Important things to remember when you look to leverage a social community for something as selfish as God for bid personal gain or income. Remember to be honest, open, fair and approachable. Let people know in your bio you are a sales professional or business owner. Tell folks why you joined the group and what you hope to get out of it. Don't be vague, use false names, spam the system with your URL or ads.
I suggest finding ways to help people with your knowledge, share advice, give pointers, ask delving questions that seek to share your expertise while possibly uncovering folks who may need your help as a professional. For instance on LinkedIn you might consider starting a group that discusses something relevant to your business practice like, "Property Investment User Group". If you are a real estate attorney and mortgage broker this may net you a nice group of professionals who will seek your advice and professional skill set over time. You might also try posting questions in LinkedIn or Yahoo Answers like this one: "What scares you the most about property investment in today's economy?" or "What's the biggest headache you have in your current portfolio?" both of these questions will most likely connect you with people looking to invest or folks who already own many properties or would like to. Connect and nurture these relationships and you just might find a few new customers in your future.
Sharing quality content exudes value in the consumer's mind. Also remember the guiding tenant, "Money Follows Value!" If you seek quality customers, then offer your suspects and prospects lots and lots of value! This one principle will cultivate a powerful funnel of prospects overtime if you take the time to create meaningful, impactful and valuable messages, info gifts or videos that are interesting and compelling to your target market. In order for this tactic to work you will need to understand your target market, who they are, where they live online and what is meaningful to them.
Tell your friends and family what's happening in your business. Any time a system allows your to pulse, tweep, update or share let your friends and family know what matters to you. If your company just launched a new product let your network know about it and how you played a part. You can always post specials, coupons and close outs. try giving something away just for your network! Givers get as they say.
Look for other professionals you can network with. A referral network is one of the most powerful solutions to breaking into to meaningful accounts and companies in your area quickly. Work with everybody including your competitors and complimentary solution providers in your area.
Twitter - "If I had more time I would have written less." I love this quote. It rings in my ears every time I log into to my Twitter account to hit up my Tweeps. but how does a sales professional use Twitter to cultivate a never ending stream of leads and suspects? Let people know why you use twitter. For instance Twitter can enable fun solutions or even important useful solutions such as: "whatshakin" if you follow this Twitter account you will be automatically notified when any 2.5 earth quake strikes globally. Over time you may notice trends in seismic activity or simply have the latest news when your co-worker get shakin in the office.
Other things Twitter can let you see and understand... check out products like TweetDeck and look at the Tweet Scoop function to see a tag cloud of topics that are buzzing right now. Talk about knowing your market. You can test theories once you have a big enough following. Try twittering about a hot topic on Twitter and watch the result via Tweet Scoop. Can your topic become the biggest buzz on the system? Or by clicking on a hot topic of choice you can see who is saying what about your topic. You can locate and follow folks who might be big users of your product or perhaps influencers of your target market, now check and see if they manage a blog. Perhaps they may be willing to post or write an article covering your subject matter?
Blog, blog blog. If you consider yourself an expert in a field of endeavor talk about it. If you can find an interesting aspect of what you do. Focus on broad applications of your knowledge, be careful though if you write about very technical topics you may filter out the average online user and thus limit your market in this sense. You may end up preaching to the choir instead of cultivating new prospects.
The message here is marketing opportunities abound online and the vast majority of them are free if you only take the time to structure a proper strategy for taking your message and persona online.
Some basic caveats you should keep in mind...
Be specific - don't be vague and run around your topic. Let people know what you do and how you do it. Talk about your role and responsibilities.
Be honest - don't lie or mislead your public. To maintain integrity you have to be honest and open with your readers.
Telling isn't selling - don't simply talk about you and your product. Talk about subjects that may be compelling to your readers and target market. Try to think about issues, problems and challenges your target market may face when thinking about your product or service.
I hope you find some useful ideas above. Remember to have fun and be yourself. 80% of the sale is you and only 20% is about the company you present. People buy from people they like.
Happy selling!
Kenneth Knapp
Regional Sales Manager - LA and OC - California
www.airband.com - day job
hobbies - martial arts
http://bjjtalk.blogspot.com
http://www.kungfusansooriverside.com
The answer in a word is, YES! But the important point to make is "HOW" can they impact your sales and marketing strategy to positively influence suspects into becoming your prospect by entering your sales system or approaching you directly?
Here are some basic tactics I have used and perhaps you may see others employing in their day to day lead cultivation campaigns.
Social Networks: Although there are many platforms from which to choose, the overall goal of each system is to connect to and communicate with friends, family and new contacts. For the average widget salesmen these systems can cause a bit of confusion between what is personal and what is professional. In today's Enterprise 2.0 space personal and professional in certain cases must coexist. Which may force some folks into keeping their personal lives offline if coworkers or a boss are watching (there have been plenty of documented cases of people getting fired for what they type in blogs or post in social communities). Here are a few tactics that may work to cultivate a professional following and will introduce folks to your company or product quickly.
Plaxo Pulse - a personal rolodex of sorts that has grown into a full blown social network. This system is typically used by professionals to keep in touch with each other and make contact with other professionals regionally. I like Plaxo for it's ability to keep my contact info current even when some of my contacts change companies. Anything to save time. ;-)
Facebook, MySpace etc... Social communities seem to be limitless today. The goal for sales professionals is to locate a network that is likely to be rich with target suspects, meaning you hope to find lots of people you can potentially sell to overtime. Your challenge will be to locate them and approach them in a way that is not obtrusive, rude or salesly.
Important things to remember when you look to leverage a social community for something as selfish as God for bid personal gain or income. Remember to be honest, open, fair and approachable. Let people know in your bio you are a sales professional or business owner. Tell folks why you joined the group and what you hope to get out of it. Don't be vague, use false names, spam the system with your URL or ads.
I suggest finding ways to help people with your knowledge, share advice, give pointers, ask delving questions that seek to share your expertise while possibly uncovering folks who may need your help as a professional. For instance on LinkedIn you might consider starting a group that discusses something relevant to your business practice like, "Property Investment User Group". If you are a real estate attorney and mortgage broker this may net you a nice group of professionals who will seek your advice and professional skill set over time. You might also try posting questions in LinkedIn or Yahoo Answers like this one: "What scares you the most about property investment in today's economy?" or "What's the biggest headache you have in your current portfolio?" both of these questions will most likely connect you with people looking to invest or folks who already own many properties or would like to. Connect and nurture these relationships and you just might find a few new customers in your future.
Sharing quality content exudes value in the consumer's mind. Also remember the guiding tenant, "Money Follows Value!" If you seek quality customers, then offer your suspects and prospects lots and lots of value! This one principle will cultivate a powerful funnel of prospects overtime if you take the time to create meaningful, impactful and valuable messages, info gifts or videos that are interesting and compelling to your target market. In order for this tactic to work you will need to understand your target market, who they are, where they live online and what is meaningful to them.
Tell your friends and family what's happening in your business. Any time a system allows your to pulse, tweep, update or share let your friends and family know what matters to you. If your company just launched a new product let your network know about it and how you played a part. You can always post specials, coupons and close outs. try giving something away just for your network! Givers get as they say.
Look for other professionals you can network with. A referral network is one of the most powerful solutions to breaking into to meaningful accounts and companies in your area quickly. Work with everybody including your competitors and complimentary solution providers in your area.
Twitter - "If I had more time I would have written less." I love this quote. It rings in my ears every time I log into to my Twitter account to hit up my Tweeps. but how does a sales professional use Twitter to cultivate a never ending stream of leads and suspects? Let people know why you use twitter. For instance Twitter can enable fun solutions or even important useful solutions such as: "whatshakin" if you follow this Twitter account you will be automatically notified when any 2.5 earth quake strikes globally. Over time you may notice trends in seismic activity or simply have the latest news when your co-worker get shakin in the office.
Other things Twitter can let you see and understand... check out products like TweetDeck and look at the Tweet Scoop function to see a tag cloud of topics that are buzzing right now. Talk about knowing your market. You can test theories once you have a big enough following. Try twittering about a hot topic on Twitter and watch the result via Tweet Scoop. Can your topic become the biggest buzz on the system? Or by clicking on a hot topic of choice you can see who is saying what about your topic. You can locate and follow folks who might be big users of your product or perhaps influencers of your target market, now check and see if they manage a blog. Perhaps they may be willing to post or write an article covering your subject matter?
Blog, blog blog. If you consider yourself an expert in a field of endeavor talk about it. If you can find an interesting aspect of what you do. Focus on broad applications of your knowledge, be careful though if you write about very technical topics you may filter out the average online user and thus limit your market in this sense. You may end up preaching to the choir instead of cultivating new prospects.
The message here is marketing opportunities abound online and the vast majority of them are free if you only take the time to structure a proper strategy for taking your message and persona online.
Some basic caveats you should keep in mind...
Be specific - don't be vague and run around your topic. Let people know what you do and how you do it. Talk about your role and responsibilities.
Be honest - don't lie or mislead your public. To maintain integrity you have to be honest and open with your readers.
Telling isn't selling - don't simply talk about you and your product. Talk about subjects that may be compelling to your readers and target market. Try to think about issues, problems and challenges your target market may face when thinking about your product or service.
I hope you find some useful ideas above. Remember to have fun and be yourself. 80% of the sale is you and only 20% is about the company you present. People buy from people they like.
Happy selling!
Kenneth Knapp
Regional Sales Manager - LA and OC - California
www.airband.com - day job
hobbies - martial arts
http://bjjtalk.blogspot.com
http://www.kungfusansooriverside.com
Monday, September 22, 2008
Time is precious, don't waste it.
Many friends and contacts often comment that I am the busiest person they know. They wonder how over the years I have found time to manage a challenging sales and marketing career, works side projects, raise two fantastic children with my amazing wonderful wife and make time for personal endeavors aside from entrepreneurial and work related tasks.
I wanted to blog for a moment about time management and taking time for yourself. You can't make time, you must take time for yourself.
I have met thousands of professionals across a wide spectrum of professions over my fifteen year career. Many of them are type "A" personalities who as business managers and leaders must focus much of their time on day-to-day responsibilities at the office. But yet many of them find personal time to delve into the space within to grow as professionals and people regularly.
Although time in the office serves to progress projects, focus team and drive revenues it does little to enhance life and experience aside from work. The truly exceptional professionals I have engaged who most impress me have found time for themselves as well as their families and career. It's a challenge yes, but the rewards far exceed the challenges in my mind.
So what, you may ask, am I referring to...? Life, worldy endeavors, well rounded experience, challenges above and beyond those that impact your pay check and career. I'd like to highlight a few executives I have encountered who may focus away from the office on running marathons, road racing or mastering Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or other physical endeavors. These select individuals take personal development to physical and mental levels few experience.
Did you know that .001% Americans completed a marathon in 2007? (http://www.marathonguide.com/features/Articles/2007RecapOverview.cfm), of just over 222,000,000 adults as of 2007 one one thousand of one percent have even completed a 26.2 mile race. No wonder most of us lose our breadth running to get the phone when it rings. ;-) But one of the most impressive CIO's I have ever met takes time out annually to challenge himself for a personal best in Marathon.
The number of participants in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournaments if we estimate 100 tournaments held nationwide per year with 500 participants (50,000 total) each we get .0001% of 296,410,000 American's as of our 2005 census. Or just one ten thousand of our population competes annually in this style of competition.
It's no wonder so few earn so much in America. The greatest leaders I have met in business, those who have obtained the highest office and manage the greatest number of subbordinates usually focus some time weekly on endeavors aside from their career. They spend time at the gym, doing Yoga, teaching or learning martial arts, competing or creating.
So what does that teach us of leadership and great leaders? I would suggest it tells us many leaders endeavor to first master themselves, to challenge self before challenging others. They strive to be the best person they can be to help others do likewise.
I recently had a conversation with a networking contact who shared a story regarding his CEO of a Southern California based tech firm. This leader routinely joined his employees in physical endeavor. Annually he joins a team of three others in a Muddy Buddy run. In which teams of five (5) individuals set out together to conquer just over three miles of extremely hilly terrain and multiple obstacles including the dreaded mud bog to beat out hundreds of teams for the podium. Fun yes, but a physical and mental challenge just the same. The team in question is now ranked fifth overall and has their sites on top honors this year.
I also enjoy thinking on one of my contacts who prides himself on the number of days he spends on the ocean sport fishing in coastal waters, not contracts signed or deals completed. His most precious numbers relate to the largest catch, days out of the office and tournament victories. And yet he is a much needed asset to his company and one of their most talented business managers.
Personally I focus on submission grappling and mastery of martial arts to occupy my time away from family and the office. Some may say that personal hobbies take too much time away from important family duties, it's personal time that could be better spent. But I would argue there is no more important time spent than the time we spend perfecting ourselves. I call my training, therapy. It's gives me focus and allows me to fully relax through exhausting my body weith new physical challenges weekly. Isn't this truly our life, our time our experience? And don't our endeavors make us stronger, wiser, healthier, more focused individuals for our companies, families and friends?
I would encourage anyone who happens upon this diatribe to discover yourself within so that you might share more without. Take up a new art form, learn a new talent, challenge yourself to excel in a new capacity.
Some of the most talented folks I have run across compete in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu not to be world champion. Personally, at 39 the hopes of me beating 70 or so younger competitors to take tops honors at Mundial would seem an impossible goal, but yet I have competed twice in the World Championships with the simpe goal of improving each time I step on to the floor of competition more prepared than my last year.
Take up a challenge, set a goal. I lost 50 lbs when I took up BJJ just over two years ago. I've placed over six times in competition and placed first recently at a well known tournament just this year.
Go for it! Spend your time wisely and wreap rich reward from discovering more about yourself than the fact you can type 90 words per minute with two fingers. ;-)
Here's to you and your greatest challenge, perfecting self!!!
Best Regards,
Kenneth "socialFIEND" Knapp
I wanted to blog for a moment about time management and taking time for yourself. You can't make time, you must take time for yourself.
I have met thousands of professionals across a wide spectrum of professions over my fifteen year career. Many of them are type "A" personalities who as business managers and leaders must focus much of their time on day-to-day responsibilities at the office. But yet many of them find personal time to delve into the space within to grow as professionals and people regularly.
Although time in the office serves to progress projects, focus team and drive revenues it does little to enhance life and experience aside from work. The truly exceptional professionals I have engaged who most impress me have found time for themselves as well as their families and career. It's a challenge yes, but the rewards far exceed the challenges in my mind.
So what, you may ask, am I referring to...? Life, worldy endeavors, well rounded experience, challenges above and beyond those that impact your pay check and career. I'd like to highlight a few executives I have encountered who may focus away from the office on running marathons, road racing or mastering Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or other physical endeavors. These select individuals take personal development to physical and mental levels few experience.
Did you know that .001% Americans completed a marathon in 2007? (http://www.marathonguide.com/features/Articles/2007RecapOverview.cfm), of just over 222,000,000 adults as of 2007 one one thousand of one percent have even completed a 26.2 mile race. No wonder most of us lose our breadth running to get the phone when it rings. ;-) But one of the most impressive CIO's I have ever met takes time out annually to challenge himself for a personal best in Marathon.
The number of participants in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournaments if we estimate 100 tournaments held nationwide per year with 500 participants (50,000 total) each we get .0001% of 296,410,000 American's as of our 2005 census. Or just one ten thousand of our population competes annually in this style of competition.
It's no wonder so few earn so much in America. The greatest leaders I have met in business, those who have obtained the highest office and manage the greatest number of subbordinates usually focus some time weekly on endeavors aside from their career. They spend time at the gym, doing Yoga, teaching or learning martial arts, competing or creating.
So what does that teach us of leadership and great leaders? I would suggest it tells us many leaders endeavor to first master themselves, to challenge self before challenging others. They strive to be the best person they can be to help others do likewise.
I recently had a conversation with a networking contact who shared a story regarding his CEO of a Southern California based tech firm. This leader routinely joined his employees in physical endeavor. Annually he joins a team of three others in a Muddy Buddy run. In which teams of five (5) individuals set out together to conquer just over three miles of extremely hilly terrain and multiple obstacles including the dreaded mud bog to beat out hundreds of teams for the podium. Fun yes, but a physical and mental challenge just the same. The team in question is now ranked fifth overall and has their sites on top honors this year.
I also enjoy thinking on one of my contacts who prides himself on the number of days he spends on the ocean sport fishing in coastal waters, not contracts signed or deals completed. His most precious numbers relate to the largest catch, days out of the office and tournament victories. And yet he is a much needed asset to his company and one of their most talented business managers.
Personally I focus on submission grappling and mastery of martial arts to occupy my time away from family and the office. Some may say that personal hobbies take too much time away from important family duties, it's personal time that could be better spent. But I would argue there is no more important time spent than the time we spend perfecting ourselves. I call my training, therapy. It's gives me focus and allows me to fully relax through exhausting my body weith new physical challenges weekly. Isn't this truly our life, our time our experience? And don't our endeavors make us stronger, wiser, healthier, more focused individuals for our companies, families and friends?
I would encourage anyone who happens upon this diatribe to discover yourself within so that you might share more without. Take up a new art form, learn a new talent, challenge yourself to excel in a new capacity.
Some of the most talented folks I have run across compete in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu not to be world champion. Personally, at 39 the hopes of me beating 70 or so younger competitors to take tops honors at Mundial would seem an impossible goal, but yet I have competed twice in the World Championships with the simpe goal of improving each time I step on to the floor of competition more prepared than my last year.
Take up a challenge, set a goal. I lost 50 lbs when I took up BJJ just over two years ago. I've placed over six times in competition and placed first recently at a well known tournament just this year.
Go for it! Spend your time wisely and wreap rich reward from discovering more about yourself than the fact you can type 90 words per minute with two fingers. ;-)
Here's to you and your greatest challenge, perfecting self!!!
Best Regards,
Kenneth "socialFIEND" Knapp
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