Pursue U

Guest Speaker - Andrea Learned - On Networking

Despite the snow storm and terrible road conditions, the event featuring Andrea Learned was a great time!  Guest blogger, Monica, has already talked about her "take-aways".  Others have commented on how helpful the networking tips were. 
1 - View networking as friend making.
2 - Find something in common with whom you meet - on a personal level.  Andrea always connects with people around dogs or Pilates. 
3 - Remember those personal things about people, and mention them or ask about them when you reconnect.
4 - Keep people in mind as you read articles and books, meet other people, etc.  Then help someone by emailing them the article, book, or person with whom they can connect.
5 - Emailing is just fine.  You don't have to make a phone call to connect.  As a matter of fact, sometimes emailing is the best way to get your thoughts down in a concise manner.  You can always follow up with a call.

The event was a perfect example of networking.  After the discussion was finished, people lingered -  exchanging contact information, helping each other to get internships, inviting each other to events and meetings. 

Andrea emailed me last night after she spent the day speaking to Hewlett Packard managers on marketing to women.  She said, "I'm having dinner with new friends."  See...she's networking!

Tag - I'm It

I was tagged by Andrea Learned, several weeks ago. She is a good friend, hilarious and intelligent woman, marketing guru and co-author of the book, Don't Think Pink.

Then I got tagged again today by Karl Fisch who has created a fantastic blog - The Fisch Bowl for educators and students. He received a grant to improve teacher and student use of technology to achieve curricular goals, to help transform our schools to be more student-centered using a constructivist approach, and to prepare our students to succeed in the 21st century.

So I'm really "it" now. Here's the deal on the game of blog tag. I'm supposed to write five things about myself that the world may not know. Then I tag five others and they become "it". I think this is an interesting experiment in networking, viral marketing, community and conversation. So thanks for including me!

Here's some scoop on me.

1 - I'm a fourth generation native Coloradan. That means my great grandma was born in Colorado after her parents came here in 1899. I have roots.

2 - I have been scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef, on safaris in Zimbabwe and Botswana, horseback riding through the Andes in Argentina, and backpacking through Europe. I love travel and adventure.

3 - My favorite book is Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd.

4 - I have played the piano since first grade and was in a band called The Decibels in 7-9th grade (oh lord, we weren't great). I still play - mostly to lull my kids to sleep.

5 - One of my goals is to play golf well enough to justify the greens fees at Pebble Beach.

Now for the tagging.

1 - Ben Cashnocha. - 18 year old entrepreneur and writer who inspires me and is a must-read for my target audience.

2 - Gretchen Rubin and The Happiness Project. I've studied happiness (and most days have found it!). I like what Gretchen is doing with the blog. Can't wait to read the book.

3 - Aaron Dignan - my brilliant step-son - and his company BrandPlay. He's the guy that developed the PursueU logo and identity. I get tons of compliments on his work.

4 - News on Women - a great site to inspire us with its up-to-the-minute news on how women are making progress in business, science and technology, education and the arts.

5 - The National Center for Women and Information Technology - an organization that ensures women are fully represented in the influential world of information technology and computing. Since I spent 17 years in IT, I'm passionate about this issue. The Chairman of their Board is Brad Feld, a Boulder-based VC and blogger I read regularly. (I think I just tagged two people in one tag!)

Help Other People Out

Last Friday, I spoke to four high school classes on networking.  My two key points were:
1 - You do it already.  If you're on MySpace or the Facebook, you're networking.  If you make new friends, you're networking.
2  - Networking is about helping other people.  Always ask what you can do to help the other person.

Ben Casnocha makes point #2in his blog yesterday:  Life Entrepreneurs Are Always Trying to Help Other People Out.   He says, "Contrary to the belief that much of "networking" is a greedy effort to accumulate contacts who can help you, I actually think, if you're doing it right, it's more soft-hearted and more focused on how you can help others."

What is Networking?

People get freaked out about "networking". They're afraid it's all about asking people for favors, selling, going to uncomfortable events and handing out business cards.

But really, networking is:
- Making friends and keeping them
- Doing nice things for people
- Connecting cool people to other cool people in a meaningful way

The key is offering to help other people.

I heard once that “networking” is just one letter away from "not working". It should be as easy and fun as making friends.

Why is networking important?
75-85% of all hiring is done through networking (who you know, not just what you know). Your ability to network will determine your net worth (Dr. Stan Harris).

So where do you start?
» Know your passions, abilities and goals
» Define what you can offer to others
» Define what you need from others
» Don’t wait to make friends until you need them – start now

And…
» Be the first to give
» Never ask for something without offering something
» Accept “no” when people want to be left a lone
» Don’t lie or mislead
» Make REAL friends - really get to know people
» Don’t treat your friends like agents

Here are some good books to read:

Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi

Pull – Networking and Success Since Benjamin Franklin by Pamela Walker Laird

Rules of the Red Rubber Ball by Kevin Carroll

Even Executives Use Social Networks

Business Week Online did a series of articles on social networking last week.  Here's an excerpt:
"Social networks are changing how corporate America does business. For some companies, the millions of young people who flock to sites like MySpace and Facebook -- they now reach an estimated 45% of active Web users, according to Nielsen/NetRatings -- are too tempting an audience to pass up. JP Morgan Chase is among companies targeting ads directly at the social networking set.

Other corporations use social networking sites and technology to recruit employees. Microsoft recruiters tap business networking sites such as LinkedIn and OpenBC to find candidates. Goldman Sachs and Deloitte are building their own alumni networks to entice former employees to jump back on board. Still other firms are installing social network analysis software to reveal relationships among employees with executives at other firms to help speed the sales process."
Here's the whole story: link to Business Week Online

According to a comScore Media Metrix study, visitors to MySpace.com generally skew older than most of us expected -- with people age 25 and older comprising 68 percent of their user base.  MySpace and the Facebook enable you to make friends and create social opportunities for yourself - parties, people, conversations, pictures.

LinkedIn, with its 6.7 million members, is what I would call a "business social network".  It enables you to make friends and create business opportunities for yourself - jobs, internships, referrals.  And it works the same way MySpace and the Facebook work.  So if you're on either of those, you know how!

Here is a tip sheet Business Week developed for corporations and individuals wishing to leverage technology to build their network: Tip Sheet

Watch for my post (coming soon) about how to use LinkedIn to get a job.

One of the benefits of joining Pursue U is you get invited to join my LinkedIn network! 

Do Women Help Other Women?

  "One of the myths about women is that they don't help each other," said Lisa Gersh, President and COO of Oxygen Network.  She spoke at the Oxygen's Mentors Walk which was also sponsored by Women's Vision Foundation last Saturday.  I was there at City Park slogging around in the rain, as a volunteer.  Lisa made the point that 350 women had shown up in the rain to mentor each other, which was proof that women DO help other women. 

BUT - I've heard from my readers and clients that it's not always true.  Men seem to be more helpful than other women, you've told me.  Women seem competitive and possessive of the position they've worked so hard to reach. 

I think both are probably true, and as always, it's impossible and unfair to generalize.

If you want help from someone else, offer to help them, too. Even if it's a high-powered executive that may not seem to need a thing, always ask, "What can I do to help you"?   If she says, "nothing", be on the look out for an article or book she might enjoy based on your conversation with her and send it to her.  At the very least, send her a thank you card immediately and later, send an update on how her advice or contacts have helped you.   

I find that people are more likely to give if they 1) know they've helped,  2) feel appreciated, and 3) aren't just asked to give, give, give without ever receiving.    Maybe women are sick of being the "helpful, giving gender" and need a little nurturing themselves, even if they are strong and  self-sufficient. 

Ben Casnocha on Creating and Projecting Your Personal Brand

Check out this blog on personal brand:  http://ben.casnocha.com/2006/06/creating_and_pr.html

Who is Ben Casnocha?  Good question.  And the answer is quite interesting.  I found his blog through a Boulder-based venture capitalist.  What's so interesting about Ben is his AGE.  The guy is only 18 years old.  AND he's cute!

Here's a clip from his bio -   I'm an 18-year-old high school student in San Francisco who wants to have an impact on the world. The best way to get to know me is by reading and subscribing to my blog (ben.casnocha.com). I am a senior at University High School in San Francisco, CA. (He just graduated)  I was born on March 1, 1988 which makes me 18 and part of the "Millenial" generation. I like to think deeply about  things, especially when it comes to business, journalism and media, culture & society, politics, and information technology. I am an entrepreneur. When I was 12  I founded a dot-com ComplainandResolve which was a citizen-complaint web site for citizens of California. When I was 14 I founded Comcate, Inc. a leading CRM provider for local governments.

Visit his blog to be inspired and educated.

Reinvent Yourself

Tom Peters suggests you reinvent yourself on a semi-regular basis.   The same is true for businesses, I've found. My experience is that when new competition or market forces enter the scene for a business, it needs to slightly reinvent itself.  It may not change its vision, values, or even goals, but its brand needs to be re-evaluated. 

Similarly, as you grow, learn, gain more skills, change your interests, you will need to revise your brand.  All good brands stay hip and fresh.  Never stop Pursuing You!

Power

If you want to build your brand, you’ve got to come to terms with power – your own. Power is the capacity to influence. In my experience, there are two kinds of power - political power and personal power. Within both types, there can be positive and negative strains.

Political power is the ability to influence through your position and/or money. It's about corporate ladder position, fancy offices, titles, increasing your income, hiring, firing. It doesn't reside in a person, it's obtained when money or position is given to you. In and of itself, it is not bad. It's up to you whether you use it positively or negatively. There are thousands of stories about people who have abused their political power, and that is where the word "power" has gotten a bad name.

Personal power is the ability to influence through your own being. It leverages who you are on the inside. Again, it's up to you to make it positive or negative. People with positive personal power influence through character - through traits like kindness, humor, wisdom, and empathy. This kind of power is rooted in knowing who you are. It's also based on humility. When your personal power is positive, you make significant contributions and build a good reputation. Positive personal power can lead to positive political power. The combination of the two equals extraordinary leaders and remarkable people.

Creating a brand helps you build both kinds of power. It summarizes who you are. It helps you describe your personal power. It focuses you. It creates the message you want to be heard. Through it you are able to have influence and build a reputation. And if you are focused on keeping your brand humble and positive, you will end up with a remarkable reputation, impactful results, and a position of political power.

Back up the Message with Stories

After you have created the message - the 30 second commercial of who you are and what you do - prepare short stories (non-fiction, of course) that illustrate your brand. View it as your brag bag.  Be specific. 

Where do you get the stories?  Think of specific times you have illustrated your brand during class projects, extracuuicular activities, summer jobs, in your family, with your friends.  Until you have tons of work experience, it's ok to use examples from situations that aren't just job-related. 

Another way to look at it is to answer this question for yourself:  What have I learned or done in the last 90 days that relates to my brand? 

Then set a goal for yourself:  In the next 90 days, I will do X to enhance my brand, build my resume and create a good story that backs up my message.  View every situation as an opportunity to collect a story.  Bend every assignment in a way that allows you to have something to talk about.

Use your stories as often as you can– in interviews, with friends, with professors, during your internship.

When you are interviewed, it is likely that the interviewers will use a method called Behavioral Interviewing (click here to read my blog on this topic).  Stories are what they want.  So start collecting them now!