Why I Give 200% Every Time I Connect

Relationships > Connections

I've said this a hundred times, and I'm going to keep saying it until I can't say it anymore. Relationships are what really matters, NOT connections. It doesn't matter how many connections I have if I'm not having meaningful and memorable conversations. I don't care about the quantity, I care about the quality. Here's why.

Understanding The Economy

In today's digital age we're becoming more and more iso-connected (explained here in a bit). This means that at the drop of a dime ANYONE can talk about me or my businesses. And if I butcher a relationship, you can bet they're going to talk sh*t about me. Whereas if I've catered to that person, gone above and beyond with them, and really listened to them they're going to rave about me. Now, just to be clear, I'm not being nice just to get a good rep.

Being iso-connected means even though we're able to talk to anyone in just the push of a button, we're also having less and less phone/face-to-face interactions. And for me, I actually care about peoples stories and happiness, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes (The WIT Principle) to help them with whatever they need. Even if it means dedicating a few hours of my own personal time working on something for them. And to be honest, I think this is what sets me apart. But I didn't always put in my all to building relationships.

Accepting Myself

Initially, I thought LinkedIn was a business platform, and as such, I was trying to conform to the resume "standard" I had seen. I was even reaching out to people in an almost robotic tone, rather than trying to build those relationships. BUT it just wasn't fulfilling.

At the end of the day, I just ended up feeling robbed of all my energy and depleted of all satisfaction. It was then that I realized that I just needed to embrace who I am, and inject that into my use of the platform.

I'm that guy who cracks bad dad jokes that make no sense. I'm that guy that has the voice that gets squeaky when he gets excited. I'm that guy who is learning as he goes. I'm that guy who loves talking to people and learning their stories. I'm that guy, and I truly think that in order for me to be happy I MUST embrace those parts of myself and share them with the world.

Which is exactly why anytime I'm talking to someone I'm 100% vulnerable, and give 200% of my focus (which isn't much thanks to my ADD) to them.

Actionables

I hate reading and learning things that I'm not able to take immediate action on, so below I've put together a couple of actionable lessons you can apply from this article RIGHT NOW:

1. Revamp your profile to inject your personality into it. I'm talking about jokes, stories, pictures, and anything else that really captures the essence of who you are.
2. Take a look at yourself from an outside perspective to find those traits that really make you uniquely extraordinary, then start embracing those things in your conversations with people.
3. And the next time you get a new connection ask them something personal like "When you open your door to head out for work each day, do you take your first step with your left or right foot, and why?". Really get to know them and listen to their story.
4. If you haven't already, spark a conversation with me so we can learn from one another!

I hope you enjoyed my brain pickings, and as always...

Cheers!