My guess is that many, if not all of you, are up to your knees planning, entertaining…shopping. You don’t have much time for reading or reflecting this time of year. But when you do find a moment, take a look at some of these resources. I’ve found them to be inspiring, energizing, thought provoking, and career changing.
And if you know of others please share them with us!
Thought Provoking Videos
TED.com is a fantastic resource. It is filled with excellent free videos and audio clips you can view from your computer or download to your MP3 player. This is the second year in a row I have asked for a trip to one of the TED conferences. Unfortunately, I don’t think Santa is listening.
Video 1: Standing Out in the Marketplace
Video 2: The Power of Community Building
Seth Godin is one of my favorite speakers. He has a remarkable ability to offer fresh ideas that can be easily applied to any business. The videos above are both worth a look.
Video 3: The Importance of Flow
Interesting talk on creativity and flow from psychology professor and author Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi.
Video 4: The Power of Social Media
Alexis Ohanian is the co-founder of Reddit, a social-voting news website. He gives a humorous talk about the power and reach of social media.
I’m a big advocate of new marketing models that cost little and yield big returns, but I am not naive. Sometimes you need to invest more than you think to get to where you want to be. This doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend more money (although in some cases it might). It could mean becoming more efficient in order to free up your time to do work that will grow your business, or choosing to spend more time on professional development in anticipation of future rewards.
I’ve spent a full year or so talking about “new marketing” concepts, resources and ideas. However, if we are to fully explore sales and marketing within our profession it’s good practice to view these concepts from all angles. Let’s balance things out a bit and take a look at some investment principles from “the other side” that can pay off big for you.
Challenging the “This for That” Model
“An honest days wages for an honest days work.”
We’ve all heard this statement at some point, and it’s worth noting here because in many respects, it is misleading and limiting. What I am referring to when I analyze the quote above is a traditional one to one business model. The problem with this approach is that people tend to reach the limits of their earning potential quickly. There are only so many hours in the day and there is just so much that the market will bear for your services. I see a lot of private practitioners struggle as they try and grow their practices under this framework. It can be a difficult proposition.
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I have never met Connie Miller in person but when I talk with her over the phone or through email it feels like we’ve been friends for some time. Such is the gift one receives when they have found their calling. You can just feel the energy emanating from her work, and I suspect this a major reason behind her success. At present, Connie travels all over the world delivering workshops and retreats. I asked her if she would share some of the reasons behind her success, and she was surprised by my request. I believe one of the reasons why she was surprised is that her attempts to grow her business are never calculated. She is not focused on a future outcome or end game. Connie moves with purpose, content in trusting her intuition and confident in knowing that her journey is what matters. And because she operates from within this model she has been able to achieve incredible results.
What follows is her written response to me as I asked her what has made her so successful in her work.
In my mind, there is no substitute for genuineness.
As I sit here in Greece waiting to begin a workshop I thought I would take a minute and answer your question. You asked me what made me successful in my practice? The question surprised me, as I never thought of myself as being a success. In actuality I have been so busy pursuing my passion of teaching and presenting workshops for personal development in the new group process of Souldrama® that I never even stopped to give it a thought. Maybe this is what happens when one is in a state of being and not doing.
Here are a few principles I live by that have served me well both personally and professionally.
Believe In What You Are Doing:
First and foremost, I believe it is important to believe in what you are doing. If we find ourselves bored and burned out, then perhaps it is a time to challenge ourselves to move on to something more rewarding. After running the Center for Codependency for 20 years, I found that my clients were “stuck” either in careers or relationships. This inspired me to find another way and to develop Souldrama, a process that integrates psychology and spirituality. When I found how this moved my clients, it inspired me to keep on learning and growing. I did this by completing my TEP ( Trainer, Educator and Practitioner) in psychodrama, group psychotherapy and sociometry. This took another 10 years after my masters degree. During this training I needed to resolve any old issues that were keeping me “stuck”.
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If you’re looking for a career boost or a shot in the arm then what I have for you today will most definitely do the trick! Below is an online marketing model that is designed to boost your presence in the marketplace. It may not be for everyone, and it will require a lot of work. However, the potential outcomes and rewards are incredibly significant.
The model is based on a framework provided by Gary Vaynerchuk in his new book, Crush It! I’ve added my own twist to show how you can build a powerful online presence and have a lot of fun in the process.
Opening up to the possibilities within the online world begins with attending to your passion and interests.
Here’s an example of what this model might look like for a mental health professional specializing in grief and loss therapy.
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Have you ever had one of those bad days that turned into years? I have and it is not fun. Life’s too short to be doing work you wish you weren’t doing.
Employment issues in the mental health profession are far too commonplace. But, whether you’re stuck in a dead end position or scraping by to make ends meet I’m here to tell you there is a way out.
Making the Decision to “Get Sticky”
First and foremost, I must tell you that the old way of moving up the ladder is just that — “old”. In the past, options were limited because there were an awful lot of gatekeepers and a hell of a lot of rules. I believe that as markets become more accessible we have an obligation to do more.
If you’re looking to expand your career possibilities in a different way I suggest you begin launching a personal marketing campaign designed to do one thing – brand yourself.
The good news is that now is a great time to launch such an endeavor.
The Power of Transparency
Consumers, hiring managers, colleagues – they all are seeking the truth. Something that is genuine and real. Now is your chance to offer them just that by simply choosing to share what you know, love and are passionate about. One of the most powerful ways in which you can accomplish this is through social media. You may not buy into the model just yet, but you will soon enough.
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“Would you like to watch Spiderman? It’s on TV right now.” I asked my son one Saturday morning.
“I don’t watch THIS Spiderman show dad.” My son said as if I should’ve known better. “It’s boring. I saved a different Spiderman show on the DVR. It’s way cooler.”
In that moment, my six-year-old son unknowingly reminded me of the reality that is today’s marketplace. And that little reminder has BIG implications for our profession.
When I was my son’s age (I swore I’d never use the “walking to school uphill in the snow” routine when I got older!) I would have jumped in excitement at the site of any Spiderman cartoon. But there weren’t any available. Instead, I had to settle for Super Friends on Saturday mornings. And I waited every week to see that show! It didn’t matter what super hero was featured that week, or if it was a repeat. With three stations to choose from I was happy to watch whatever cartoon was put in front of me. Not so with my oldest son. My son has choices, and a whole lot of them. [click to continue…]
