Author Archive

I’ve been in writer’s jail for nine weeks. This past Sunday at precisely 8:25am, I completed the 41st and final chapter of my new book on networking. The title is Networking Ahead: your GPS for driving business and professional success.

The book is due out in September. If you want to reserve a copy of the book now, email me at Kathy@MarketingMotivator.net

The truth be told, I’ve been thinking about and talking about writing a book for several years now (you too?). I finally pulled it out of my head and on to paper.

Are you curious as to how I got it done?

How I actually got my manuscript completed: A story of collaboration, encouragement, accountability and daily discipline.

1. Collaboration. I created a collaborative partnership with Eitan and Stacey Battat of Kiwi Publishing. We have been meeting face to face for two hours every two weeks for the past six months, helping each other on our projects. I’ve been providing marketing consultation on their cool new project Thin Threads. Check it out. They have been consulting with me on my book.
2. Encouragement. I shared my goal and enlisted the support of others who care about me and my success. This milestone would not have been achievable without the help and push from close family and business associates. I am grateful for my husband Byron, my mastermind friends, Rahna, D’vorah, Marge and Tonya, and my publishers Eitan and Stacey Battat of Kiwi Publishing.
3. Accountability. About 3 months into the project, I found myself in an acute state of writer’s procrastination. With the deadline looming, I reached out to my publisher and friend, Eitan Battat and humbly asked for his help. I begged him to hold me accountable for writing this darn thing. He asked me if I preferred the carrot or the stick. (here’s a good related article I wrote last year: http://marketingmotivator.net/motivating-yourself-in-challenging-times/) While I loved the idea of rewards, I knew that a penalty would be far more motivating for me. He then asked me to take out my credit card and hand it over to him. We agreed that if I did not submit 5 chapters every Monday at noon, he would charge my credit card $55. Then he and Stacey would go out to their favorite restaurant and enjoy lunch together…at my expense. If I made ALL of my weekly deadlines (9 in total), he and Stacey would take me and my husband Byron out to dinner at our favorite restaurant. We shook hands and now my money was where my mouth was. This was a powerful incentive. As a result, I made ALL nine deadlines. Which leads me to the daily discipline…
4. Daily Discipline. In order to write 5 chapters a week, I made a plan to complete one chapter per day Monday through Friday, with some extra time on the weekends to finish up. I set my alarm clock for 5:30am and got up and commenced writing at 6am everyday – including Saturdays and Sundays. Some weeks, I was done by Friday. Other weeks were harder and I was burdened with writing all five chapters in one day – Sunday (hardly the day of rest!). That was not my best writing. It was torture. A little bit each day was far more enjoyable and resulted in fresher thinking and better writing. The benefits of daily discipline.

“A year from now you may wish that you started today.”

This motivating quote from Karen Lamb is so true. Time passes quickly and we have dreams, hopes and goals that we all want to accomplish. But there is just too much talking and not enough action. Get motivated and start taking action on your dreams. Find the people in your network who will collaborate with you, encourage you, hold you accountable. The daily discipline part is up to you.

I look forward to reading YOUR book!

I found this insightful article by Caroline M.L. Potter on networking between friends and the mistakes that you can easily make if not careful. I give it the thumbs up and wanted to be sure that you had the chance to see it. I have re-posted Caroline’s article here complete and unedited. I especially like her clever title and point number 5 on her list of no-nos.

Between Friends: 5 Networking No-Nos

by Caroline M.L. Potter, Yahoo! HotJobs

The rise of social networking has broken down barriers between our personal and our professional lives, and many people are benefiting. But when you turn to one of your buddies for a professional assist with a career opportunity, beware of these networking-with-friends mistakes.

1.Starting with the ask. Even if you’re desperate, don’t begin your conversations with a cry for help. Networking and career expert Liz Ryan explains, “A common networking-with-friends mistake is to start networking from the perspective of ‘Here’s what you could do for me,’ rather than a place of ‘I want to hear about what’s new with you!’” Friendship is a two-way street. Once your friend feels heard and senses your interest and compassion, she is likely to offer to help you … because of the friendship ‘glue’ you’ve established.”

2. Expecting everyone to know your business. Your professional activities and accomplishments are very important–to you. No matter how exciting or upsetting your job or job search is, most of your friends won’t recall all the details. Ryan observes, “Many people will say, ‘Here’s the latest thing I’m up to,’ forgetting that our friends can’t possibly remember everything we told them the last time we saw them.” It’s your job to briefly recap where you’re at, thus putting your current news into perspective. For example, she says, “Remind your friend, ‘I’m not sure you remember that I’ve been doing home-and-office organizing these days, and just this week….’”

3. Cannibalizing friends’ online connections. Are you drooling over the fact that a friend is “Linked In” to a high-level Apple exec? You can tell your friend about your desire to work for Apple, but don’t ask for an introduction right away. Instead, Ryan recommends that you fill your friend in on your needs or goals, and then wait for him to offer to forward your resume, for instance. You can politely say at that point, “That would be wonderful, and would you by chance also be comfortable introducing me to [the exec]?” If the friend balks at your request, respect his feelings and don’t raise the issue again.

4. Asking for a recommendation without reason. Your friends may be able to speak to a lot of your best qualities and provide character references. But unless you’ve worked with them in a professional capacity, avoid asking for a professional recommendation. “It’s jarring to get a request for a LinkedIn endorsement from someone we know only as a friend and not in professional life,” Ryan says. Don’t impose by requesting what would surely be a weak endorsement from someone who isn’t really acquainted with your work. According to Ryan, this will jeopardize his or her credibility–and possibly your friendship. If someone asks you for an unwarranted endorsement, she suggests simply saying, “I wish I knew your work well enough to recommend you”–and then moving on.

5. Being a friend in need, not in deed. Everyone lets some connections slip away over time, but don’t reconnect if you’re obviously only seeking a favor. Ryan explains, “My friend Melissa got a call from an old workmate of hers from 20 years ago. ‘It’s been ages, and I’d love to hear what’s new,’ he said. Melissa and the long-ago colleague met for lunch; the two of them hadn’t even placed their drink orders when he said, ‘So, can you get me a job at your employer?’” Check, please! “If you haven’t seen someone in a long time, it’s highly inappropriate to invite them to lunch only to hit them up for job leads. Networking is an activity that needs to be focused on the other person, not on your needs,” Ryan states.

To read the full article by Caroline M.L. Potter, click here or you can Follow Caroline on Twitter - she’s a hot doghnut

Listen to this audio interview with networking expert, Kathy McAfee and Pete Winiarski, president of the Institute of Success and Goal Achievement on the topic of effective networking and relationship building for business, career and life success.

• Have you ever felt awkward or uncomfortable networking or following-up with people you’ve recently met?
• Would you like the tools, strategies and motivation to do it with confidence and gusto?
• How can you create more fun, fulfillment and freedom in your life by better leveraging your personal and professional networking?

Now more than ever your best investment is in building your professional network.  Listen to this stimulating conversation about how you can create a robust professional and personal network that works for you.

Kathy describes that the real purpose of Networking is Relationship Building – a purposeful exercise to build mutually beneficial relationships.  That’s an interesting perspective given all the 1-way “transactional” conversations you might hear when you go to a networking event.  Or, think of all the requests on Twitter or Facebook to click here to buy now – without the relationship first.  (This is one of the biggest mistakes people make.)

Kathy gives you a new perspective on networking and shows you how it can help you realize more fun, freedom and fulfillment in your career, business and life.

Kathy lays out the basics of networking for us, and points out that many of us are happy to help others but few have the courage to ask for help.

Here are two exercises to consider doing now that will help you determine the power of your network.

1)    How many people do you know? List them all out – break this up by category if it helps you, such as work, family, college, neighbors, etc.  (Note: this is not the number of friends on Facebook or Twitter, but real people you know by name.)  Did you come up with more than 250?  If yes, you’re doing pretty well.

• Get started by downloading  this worksheet My World_networking master list

2)    Who are your top 50 people – the influential people in your network who are motivated to help you out?

Catch the details of this interview and discover how easy it is to become a powerful networker!

 

 Interview on Networking with Kathy McAfee and Pete Winiarski: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I am currently attending my 25th college reunion at Stanford University. It is day #3 of a 4-day extravaganza. Stanford really knows how to host a grand event.

I had the opportunity to attend two special events facilitated by classmate Andy Chan. Andy had run career services for Stanford Business School for several years until he was recently whisked away by Wake Forest University to build an exciting new platform of integrating personal and professional development into the college experience.

1. Career and Life Visioning workshop
2. Career Networking event

While attending Andy’s group networking event, I made several terrific new contacts that I am keen to develop into potential relationships. I also gained a few new insights from Andy about networking, what it is and what it isn’t and how to do it even better. I felt compelled to share what I learned from Andy with all of you.

Here are some pearls of wisdom about networking from Andy Chan:

1. networking is about building relationships one person at a time;
2. it’s takes a curious mind – ask a lot of questions about the other person, listen carefully and have a “helping heart.” Look for ways in which you can help each other;
3. gather information while you network with other people;
4. networking is like gardening – it takes time for beautiful things to grow;
5. be strategically thoughtful about introducing yourself and deciding in advance who you want to connect with.

Networking Insights for Job-Seekers

Andy also introduced the EPA method of networking when you are looking for a job.  Rather than the difficult task of calling people to tell them you are out of work and looking for a job, Andy suggested that you ask your networking contacts for:

1. E = Experience. “What your experience, what do you think would be required to do a job like that?”
2. P = Perspective. “From your perspective, what is the most important attributes to bring to the table?”
3. A = Advice. “What advice would you have for me in this situation?”

Andy also suggests that job-seekers ask very straight-forward questions, such as “Be honest with me, do you think I have a shot at this job opportunity?” If they answer no, then ask “What experiences, knowledge or other skills do you think I need to acquire to be a serious candidate for such a position?”

If Andy is correct and networking is like gardening, then why do so many people approach it like shopping for take-out food at the grocery store or drive through fast food. They next time you feel hungry for new connections, remember the gardening metaphor. It’s time to till the soil, plant the seeds and nurture your relationships over time. Then and only then will you reap the true rewards of an influential professional network.

For more tips on networking, please visit our resource page.