I read another great book which I would recommend to anyone interested in exploring Free Agency and monetizing their passion. In Crush It by Gary Vaynerchuk, you’ll learn how to use the power of the Internet to turn your hobby/passion into a real business.
I enjoyed how Gary shared with us his rise to fame which began as a helper in his immigrant parent’s wine shop which led to the creation of the nationally recognized Wine Library TV over several years – and he used the Internet to get it there…In this book, Gary talks about the exact steps he took to transform his life by building his personal brand. He wants readers to have the tools necessary to do exactly what he did using their own niche.
Gary talks about using video as his primary vehicle to get his personal brand out there with his blog/website as the hub. He also uses Facebook and Twitter to build community. If these platforms are foreign to you, fear not, for Gary explains how to leverage them to their fullest.
The purpose behind Crush It is to recognize that the Internet 2.0 and social media have revolutionized the advertising world and has really leveled the playing field for anybody wanting to monetize their passion and gain access. The four Myths Gary dispels in his book:
- I’m not passionate about something sexy or popular like wine, so these lessons don’t apply to me.
- My business already has a Twitter account and a Facebook page, we’re set in the social media department.
- I’m happy at my job so this book is irrelevant to me.
- I need to quit my job to take advantage of this book’s entrepreneurial lessons.
In Crush It, Gary Vaynerchuk shows how anyone can build a career around what they’re passionate about. Are you ready to get started?
Now that the Meyvn Group’s Business Book Club is on its summer hiatus, I have the chance to read some of the business books I have laying around. I recently picked up Me 2.0 by Dan Schwabel.
Even though I read the October 2010 Revised edition, I felt that some of the points made were outdated. In his book, Dan Schwabel shows job seekers and professionals how to leverage the power of digital media to manage their personal brand. So you can see why the content can quickly become obsolete.
There’s no security in a job (and there hasn’t been for some time now). The only thing that differentiates you from your competition (which is everyone) is your personal brand (unless you want to become a comoditized widget which definitely won’t afford you any job security or a living wage). And now, in the age of Web 2.0, you are in a position to develop and manage your own online personal brand.
Me 2.0 gives you all the tools necessary to develop and manage your own personal brand online. It’s a great beginner’s guide to branding and social media that includes case studies and excerpts from Dan’s personal journey on how he arrived at where he is today.
How are you managing your online personal brand?
Whether you’re in sales and making cold calls to drum up business or a graphic designer following-up with a client on a project, you’ll make a GREAT impression if you practice professional telephone etiquette:
Identify yourself – Don’t assume that the person you’re calling will recognize your voice.
Ask if now is a good time to talk – Most of the time, I only answer the phone if I seriously have the time to take the call; but on that rare occasion when I do answer the phone, the caller gets extra points if they first ask if now is a good time to talk. I can then tell the caller that I have 5 minutes to chat and they can tailor their message to fit that time, or we can find a time that works best for us to talk for a longer period of time.
Longer conversations – If you have a phone call to make and you know the conversation is going to take 20 minutes or more, consider scheduling this phone call in advance and email a short agenda. You will have the undivided attention of the person you’re calling and they will also be more prepared for the call since you’ve indicated what you want to discuss.
Stick to the topic at hand – Everyone’s time is valuable. If you’re initiating the call, have a clear idea of what you hope to accomplish/learn and be concise with your language.
Voicemail Message – Start your message with your name and phone number, indicate the reason for your call, the action you would like the person you’re calling to take and wrap up the message with your name and phone number. Speak slowly and clearly when sharing your name and number. Nothing’s worse than having to listen to a voicemail 2-3 times.
How do you like to make and receive phone calls? Any tips that I’ve missed?
As part of my continuing education as a Free Agent, I read at least six business books per year. Most recently, the Business Book Club read Hundred Percenters: Challenge Your Employees to Give It Their All, and They’ll Give You Even More by Mark Murphy.
From the back cover: 
Right now, 77% of leaders believe their employees are not giving 100%. And they’re not far off in their assessment, because 72% of employees admit they’re not giving 100%. Plenty of people are doing fine work, getting by, and delivering products and services to customers. But disappointingly small minorities are coming in every day saying, “Let’s push the envelope, let’s be great, let’s do what nobody thought could be done.”
The truth is finally out: employees cannot be bribed or coddled into giving 100%. People become Hundred Percenters not because they had it easy, but because a leader cared enough to push them to new heights.
Hundred Percenters teaches new leadership practices to inspire employees to passionately give 100% every day. You will learn how to:
- Set clear expectations
- Deal swiftly with toxic employes
- Eliminate demotivators
- Focus employes on value-added work
This book was difficult to get through for me because I felt the author could have made his point with fewer words, but I stuck with it. This book was given a resounding “thumbs up” by the attendees of the Business Book Club. Some members mentioned that they had already implemented some of the tactics outlined with much success.
How are you inspiring those around you to be “Hundred Percenters”?
I work with several clients who are trapped by their email. By trapped, I mean that they spend more time staring at their Inbox than getting actual stuff done. Emails often get lost in their Inbox because it’s so full. Below are a few tips to help:
Check your email twice per day
This is a great tip I took away from Tim Ferriss’ 4-Hour Work Week. Your productivity will improve immensely if you take this approach. Set up an auto-response letting the sender know when you’ll be checking email and if it’s an emergency, let them know they can call you.
Don’t check your email unless you’re going to do something about them
I’m guilty of this. I sit down to check my email just to see what’s arrived; rather than checking my email when I have time to take action. A lot of time is wasted by reading emails twice.
Clean out your Inbox
My Inbox has 4 messages in it right now. These are messages that I have to take action on. Once an email has been acted upon, it gets filed in a folder and is removed from my Inbox. No time is wasted looking through messages that don’t require action.
Use filters
Take the time to set up filters that automatically handle incoming email based on criteria that you specify – you’ll thank me later. For example, set up a filter that sends incoming e-newsletters to your “e-newsletters” folder. This email should not be coming into your Inbox since it does not require immediate action. Another popular filter handles messages that you’re cc’d on. I’m usually cc’d on an email that is a “nice to know” communication which doesn’t require immediate attention. When I have time, I’ll take a look at my “cc’d folder”.
Do you have a time-saving email tips?
