Best Laid Plans, etc...

Well ... It's been a crazy couple weeks. First, I wound up getting knocked down by the Flu (a totally new experience for me since I'm used to getting an annual sniffles type of thing that slows me down, but nothing like this with aches and pains and making it tough to think clearly and work). In fact, I got it, along with 5 of my children - compliments of my oldest, Josiah, picking it up at a "camp in" event at church. Thankfully, Jody and Charity survived it all unscathed.

Then, last Friday night (actually Saturday morning at 2:30am) we all piled into our "less than environmentally friendly" conversion van and drove up to Hendersonville, NC to visit with my parents (who are now in their 80's), my sister and brother-in-law and their two children and my closest brother. My oldest brother and his wife also travelled to be there with his son and one of their grandchildren. Great visit! All the kids got along really well - not just with their cousins, but with the own siblings too (sometimes a challenge)  ;-)

Of course, I managed to get myself in a little hot water by checking my emails and phone messages far too often and consulting with my brother-in-law on a new business venture while I was there.  He is an amazing guy - a Psychiatrist AND MBA and a fellow A.D.D. type like myself ... so as co-dependents, we went off "chasing rabbits" and a quick breakfast out turned into a 3 hour consult which made for a less than warm reception upon our arrival back at my sister's house. Whoops! I guess that's the telltale sign that you're doing what you're meant to do ... that you'd do it for hours on end for free ... just for fun!

So, we got back late Wednesday night and now I'm headed for the airport in about a half hour to go to Mannatech's big Mannefest convention in Dallas. They're expecting about 5,000 people and my business partner, Bob is speaking there, along with Robert Kiyosaki, throughout the weekend. It should be a fantastic time ... the Manntech associates I've met are all really wonderful, giving people who seem to be in the business for all the right reasons.

I'd better dash for now, but I wanted to update you as to why it's been quiet on the blog for a couple weeks. I get back home on Sunday and sometime early next week, I'll post a video review for Gravitational Marketing (I did post a written review on Amazon.com if you want to check it out). I hope you're able to spend the majority of your time doing what you're created for today!

All The Best,

Thom

Great meeting the other day ...

Hey, I'm actually getting out of my comfort zone and trying some new things this year. I figured since my business partner, Bob is the maven of networking and referrals, I should actually try to cultivate relationships with the many people I already meet online and in person every day.

Well, a few weeks ago, I met Jimmy Vee at a Charlie Jones (LOVE that man) event here at my church here in Orlando. Wonders never cease - I actually made it a point to follow-up by contacting him and Tuesday, I met with him and his business partner, Travis Miller (another cool cat) at PF Changs.

Okay... first, the food was AWESOME (not  to fixate on food, but PFs is really good and I'm not treating myself too much lately as I've resolved to shed 100lbs this year). More importantly, the company was PHENOMENAL. 

Before our meeting, I had discovered that they were marketers right here in my neck of the woods. I never know what to make of info like that unless I know what type of marketing philosophies and practices are employed. It turns out that these guys are marketing pros (the real kind based on solid, proven and measurable direct marketing principles not general advertising garbage). On top of that, they are actually passionate, honest and mission-driven guys. Wow... 3 honest marketers in the same city ... let alone at the same table at a restaurant ... that's like alternate universe kinda stuff ;-)

At the end of our meal, they gave me their new book, Gravitational Marketing which was just published by Wiley. Tonight, I've got to read a galley copy (not out yet) of David Bach's Go Green, Live Rich. But, I'll crank through Gravitational Marketing this weekend (there's a lot of meat there to get through) and let you know how it is on Monday. (sidebar - Don't go out and buy Gravitational Marketing yet ... though I have a feeling it's fantastic ... Jimmy and Travis are putting together a special campaign for March 19th, so "keep your powder dry" till then.)

Meanwhile... I hope you like my new free flow dialogue. It feels really awkward to someone who's more used to writing articles. But, my wife tells me she prefers the peek into my rather warped mind more than my prose and "faux heady" thoughts. I'll let you be the judge.

Blessings to ya!

Heralding The Age of Authenticity

Okay... starting AFTER this post, expect less lengthy articles like this and much more commentary and questions concerning the things we all deal with every day as entrepreneurs, husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, children, etc... I've got a renewed vision to see this blog be more spontaneous and a dialogue versus monologues from me. That having been said, here's an article that explains the origins of this renewed vision ...

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Heralding The Age of Authenticity
by Thom Scott

Recently, I was blessed with the opportunity to be part of the phenomenal Strategic Profits "Live" Conference. My hats off to Rich Schefren and his team who did a fantastic job of designing and hosting the event, as well as assembling a top-shelf team of experts including my original marketing mentor, Jay Abraham (www.abraham.com), as well as my new friend and Web 2.0 master, Gary Vaynerchuk (www.winelibrary.com).

During the entire 7 days of intense training, whether the topic was leadership, product launches, direct mail or personal branding, one theme rang supreme ... "Growing Beyond Me-Too."

Of course, this was tremendous validation of my "Marketing From The Heart" System which actually leads my clients through the process of becoming authentic and attractive. It was also validation of The Law of Authenticity as expressed by my business partner, Bob Burg and his co-author, John David Mann in their national bestseller, The Go-Giver.

As with any true principle, The Law of Authenticity has ALWAYS been effective. However, the fact that it is included in The Go-Giver as well as my "Marketing From The Heart" System and that every speaker at this conference addressed it is, I believe, indicative of an emerging trend in business. I'll call it, "The Age of Authenticity."

The more I have studied this theory of mine, the more I see past examples of "packaged" and somewhat inauthentic messages that were made possible by one-way media. Even the first generation of businesses on the web utilized static, brochure-like web pages that enabled small, start-up companies to appear as big and impressive as established mid-to-large size concerns. In fact, many rushed to establish a presence on the web in order to take advantage of that “benefit.”

However, 2 changes have occurred that I believe are putting an end to the "Age of Packaging" and ushering in "The Age of Authenticity." The first is that we have become collectively sick and tired of over-hyped advertising. We're weary of people who are different before and after the sale. In short, we're weary of inauthenticity. From politics to television to the business arena, we have begun to see that reality (or at least messages closer to reality) sell better than their overly-packaged counterparts.

Why did this shift in thinking occur? Well, as my dad used to say, "nothing kills a bad product faster than good advertising." Not that all of the products or services were bad ... but by and large they simply didn't deliver on the "magic bullet" messages that were used to sell them. And, even though these hype-filled approaches can still be very effective in the short-term, they inevitably leave clients feeling somewhat ambivalent.

(Parenthetically, many also have a product or service that truly is good and unique and they seek to add value, BUT mimicking others’ approaches, they haven't stood out from the competition. These true value-providers have become increasingly frustrated by their lack of market penetration. In their search to find a tactic that will work, they have stumbled upon a rare and powerful force in communications - the truth!)

The second big change that ushers in this new age of authenticity is the introduction of web 2.0 which facilitates and has popularized two-way communications on the internet. Ask any reality tv contestant... with the camera rolling 24/7, the real you is bound to show up at some point. The same is true on the web ... blogs, video podcasts and other popular mediums eventually betray their authors’ true selves if they are in any way inauthentic. Also, because of the wealth of available information and cool services like Google maps, it's no longer possible to "fake it till you make it," as anyone can quickly pull up an aerial view of my house, among other things, to verify whether or not I really have that Ferrari parked in front of my golf course mansion.

Okay, so we have this new "Age of Authenticity" thing happening. So what? What does it mean to us and how do we put the power of the Law of Authenticity to work for us? Glad you asked - since you may know that I am big on application! Well, believe it or not, so many of us have been conditioned, at a very early age, to become or act like something we're not in order to gain approval, that it often makes being truly authentic more difficult than wearing a "mask." Real authenticity takes the courage to willingly experience the polarization of relationships with those that love you and rejection from those who do not.

While the path to authenticity is often a progressive and evolving journey, one that takes my clients several weeks to navigate, I would advise that if you feel that this is something you need, you can begin your journey to true authenticity with the following questions:

Does the image that I portray to others really express who I am or the essence of my company? Do I like the people I am attracting as clients? Would I hang out with them if I didn't do business with them? Do I try to cover up my past mistakes and setbacks, or do I share these with others to reveal my inner motivations and help them grow through my experiences? Do I attempt to show great proficiency at every facet of my business or personal life, or do I clearly express my giftedness and challenges and seek to find others who can compensate for my weaknesses? How can I embrace the positive side of my quirks and allow others to see them? How can I live my life in such a way that when I am gone, I have left my thumbprint on the world and the lives of those in my sphere of influence? You get the idea.

While I tend to address topics like this through the lens of business, authenticity is obviously a message that reaches into every facet of our lives. It is vital to both our personal happiness and our success and something that I need to grapple with every morning as I face the man in the mirror.