Never Eat Alone

We all know a Keith Ferrazzi in our lives. Keiths are people who are always "in the know", always a step ahead of everyone else. They seem to know everyone and, if they don't, they know someone who can introduce them to that elusive person.

Keith Ferrazzi is a master networker. He knows how to develop a good network and how to use that network to generate more business in a month than many other people do in a year.

For those who are unfamiliar with Keith, I highly suggest reading his book, Never Eat Alone. In it, he discusses his very humble beginnings (son of a steel mill worker and a housekeeper), how he learned from his father that *sometimes* just asking others will pay off major dividends (in Keith's case, just asking lead to a scholarship to one of the best prepatory schools in the country, which opened up the doors of Yale and Harvard Business School to him via scholarships earned because of who he met, which then lead to him being the youngest partner EVER in the history of Deloitte Consulting.)

Never Eat Alone lays out the steps needed to, as the old telephone company commerical used to say, "reach out and touch someone." And to be sincere about it, not to become that crude, "hey can I give ya my card?" jerk that everyone meets at every convention.

The book preaches Keith's personal form of networking. A form based on being generous, helping friends and colleagues connect, building genuine relationships along the way. It's not about keeping score (i.e. I did you a favor, now you owe me one...) It's about how to get what you want and making sure that the person giving it gets what they want/need, as well.

Keith recommends you "ping" your connections regularly. By "pinging", he means reach out and stay in touch. Find out who is looking for a new job or who needs to hire someone. See if you can make that introduction. Sure there isn't anything in it for you now but, down the road, when something that is in your realm of expertise becomes available, these people are more likely to remember you favorably and most likely will give you a call.

Never eat alone, especially at corporate and social events. Nothing says "failure" better than being "invisible" at these events. You should spend this time cultivating and nuturing your connections, building new ones, and making yourself seen and heard.

In the end, it's all about the relationships you have, the relationships you build, and the relationships you want to establish. Make it happen.

Mary Stewart McGovern
President
Stewart McGovern Enterprises
http://www.stewartmcgovern.com/

*****Check out Mary's new ebook, I've Graduated from College. Now What? Or, How to Go About Starting Your Career and Not Finding Just Another JOB. Now available for purchase on our website, http://www.stewartmcgovern.com/!

The Martha Rules

The other day, I finally got around to reading the copy of The Martha Rules, the book Martha Stewart wrote when she first was released from prison back in 2005. Mind you, this book has been sitting on my bookshelf, gathering dust, for at least a year and a half. I never read it before because I figured it was your typical ghost-written celeb crap that tries to be a "serious" book. Boy, was I wrong!

Martha (or whomever she may have had as a ghost writer - if she had one at all) put together an excellent primer for anyone who is considering starting their own business. Her rules are pretty straightforward, sometimes obvious in their simplicity.

Below are her 10 essentials for being successful in business:

1. What's passion got to do with it?

Build your business success around something that you love - something that is inherently and endlessly interesting to you.

2. Ask yourself, What's the Big Idea?

Focus your attention and creativity on basic things, things that people need and want. Then look for ways to enlarge, improve, and enhance your Big Idea.

3. Get a telescope, a wide-angle lens, and a microscope.

Create a business plan that allows you sto stay true to your Big Idea but helps you focus on the details. Then remain flexible enough to zoom in or out on the vital aspects of your enterprise as your business grows.

4. Teach so you can learn.

By sharing your knowledge about your product or service with your customers, you create a deep connection that will help you learn how best to build and manage your business.

5. All dressed up and ready to grow.

Use smart, cost-effective promotional techniques that will arrest the eye, tug at the heart, and convey what is unique and special about your business or service.

6. Quality is everyday.

Quality should be placed at the top of your list of priorities, and it should remain there. Quality is something you should strive for in every decision, every day.

7. Build an A-team.

Seek out and hire employees who are brimming with talent, energy, integrity, optimism, and generousity. Search for advisors and partners who complement your skills and understand your ideals.

8. So the pie isn't perfect? Cut it into wedges.

When faced with a business challenge, evaluate or assess the situation, gather the Good Things in sight, abandon the bad, clear your mind, and move on. Focus on the positive. Stay in control, and never panic.

9. Take risks, not chances.

In business, there's a difference between a risk and a chance. A well-calculated risk may very well end up as an investment in your business. A careless chance can cause it to crumble. And when an opportunity presents itself, never assume it will be your last.

10. Make it beautiful.

Listen intently, learn new things every day, be willing to innovate, and become an authority your customers will trust. As an entrepreneur, you will find great joy and satisfaction in making your customers' lives easier, more meaningful, and more beautiful.

- Comments welcome.

Mary Stewart McGovern
President
Stewart McGovern Enterprises
http://www.stewartmcgovern.com/

*****Check out Mary's new ebook, I've Graduated from College. Now What? Or, How to Go About Starting Your Career and Not Finding Just Another JOB. Now available for purchase on our website, http://www.stewartmcgovern.com//!