The Meyvn Group couldn’t have picked a better book to be their first read of the 2012 Business Book Club.
Last month, 54 Iowa communities submitted applications to the Wellmark sponsored Blue Zones Project to be considered among the first
demonstration sites. “Blue Zones are areas in the world where people live longer, healthier lives. Demonstration sites are communities in Iowa where Blue Zone principles will be applied with the assistance of national experts and will serve as models to other communities in Iowa.”
Dan Buettner is a National Geographic Explorer who has traveled the globe trying to discover the secret to living longer while still maintaining an active lifestyle later in life. Lifestyle is one of the best chances we all have to live at least a decade longer.
Dan Buettner traveled to Blue Zones in Sardinia, Italy; Okinawa, Japan; Loma Linda, California; and Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica. In this book, he reveals the lifestyle secrets of these communities balanced with scientific data which makes for a recipe on how to live longer, fuller lives.
While reading the book, I was most impressed with the meager possessions of the centenarians in Buettner’s study and yet they still maintained one of the most nutritious diets anywhere in the world. I read Americans today who can’t afford fruits and vegetables for their families because money is tight; individuals in Buettner’s study tended their own gardens and ate meat only on special occasions, perhaps twice per year. It might be time to get back to basics.
What do you think? Have you read The Blue Zones? Did you know that Des Moines is one of the communities that has applied to be one of the first demonstration sites in Iowa?
Offering a free 30 minute consultation gives a potential client the chance to get to know the professional they are interested in working with…”kick the wheels”…It also gives the professional a chance to see if the potential client will be someone they would like to work with. Below are a few tips for the potential client to get the most out of this interaction:
Arrive on time
Nothing says “My time is more valuable than yours” than showing up late. It’s a short amount of time together, so make every minute count.
Stick to the 30 minutes
Even if you arrive late, respect the fact that the professional may have an appointment scheduled after yours that they need to get to. This also shows that you respect their time. Even if you show up late, the clock started ticking whether you were there or not.
Stay on task
The point of the meeting is to get to know eachother professionally. There may be a few personal items that flow through the conversation, however, and that’s alright. But I don’t need to hear you recount a 15 minute story from last summer when you were drunk at the Iowa State Fair.
Take look at the professional’s website
Get to know the professional and the services they offer by reviewing their website and online profiles – because you know that they will have done their homework prior to the meeting.
Write down your questions
Come prepared with what you want to learn at the meeting. Ask specific questions. Know what your goals are ahead of time so you get the most out of the meeting.
Follow-up
Thank the professional for their free time via phone, email or social media. This is the perfect time for a follow-up question or two.
Do you offer a free 30-minute consultation? Do you have anything to add to the list?
Tammy and Melynda of the Meyvn Group are at it again with another year of The Business Book Club. My favorite part of the Club is the facilitated discussion which takes place at Plymouth Congregational Church over the noon hour. Bring your lunch and prepare to participate in a lively discussion. Below are the first three books of 2012 that we’ll be reading:
The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest by Dan Buettner
In this expanded paperback edition of his New York Times bestseller, longevity expert Dan Buettner draws on his research from extraordinarily long-lived communities—Blue Zones—around the globe to highlight the lifestyle, diet, outlook, and stress-coping practices that will add years to your life and life to your years.
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.
Hundred Percenters: Challenge Your Employees To Give it Their All, And They’ll Give You Even More
“Provides the tools managers need to take ‘average’ employees and create a culture of accountable, fully engaged people. Managers will learn to recognize their leadership style and understand how they, too, can become Hundred Percenters.” Laura Christiansen, Vice President Human Resources, VTech Communications, Inc.
Do you ever meet potential customers in person? If you do, be sure that what they see is what they get; your headshot on your website and social media accounts should reflect what you look like today.
Be sure to use the same headshot across your professional accounts. You can deviate a little bit on your personal Facebook page, for example, but if you’re using social media accounts for business, be sure that they are professional.
Professional doesn’t mean scheduling a sitting with a photographer in a studio. Professional means how you want others to perceive you and your business. For example, don’t use a photo taken of you two-fisting-it on a speed boat on Labor Day weekend. Do use a photo taken of you in a natural, comfortable environment wearing what you would wear to meet potential customers. For example, I had my headshots taken in the downtown Des Moines skywalk system using brick buildings as a background…
- Make sure I can tell it’s you. Your face should be clearly visible. You should be the only face in the photo.
- Remember, you’re not a celebrity. People aren’t going to do business with you based on what you look like, but on what you do and how you do it.
- Don’t use stock photos. Believe it or not, I’ve seen it done.
- Use photos that don’t mislead. Do your own hair and makeup. If you wear glasses all the time, wear them in the photo. If you’ve recently drastically changed your hair color (or acquired hair), it’s time to update your photo. Make it easy for people to recognize you when they meet you for the first time…you don’t want them wondering what else you’re hiding…
Can you think of any other tips for online profile photos?
I’ve been a fan of Seth Godin ever since I read my first book, Tribes back in mid-2009. That book inspired me to stop being a sheep-walker 
and instead, be a leader so I started Unemployed in Des Moines and later that year, my own business.
That’s why I was excited to read Linchpin. Godin always moves me to take action.
A linchpin, as Seth describes it, is somebody in an organization who is indispensable, who cannot be replaced—her role is just far too unique and valuable. And then he goes on to say, well, seriously folks, you need to be one of these people, you really do. To not be one is economic and career suicide.
Your work needs to be emotional; you are, after all, an artist now. Put your heart and soul into what you do. Actually care about the work you do and who you do that work with. The people who drag themselves to work to sit in their cubicle to do the least amount possible are dispensable and they will be the first ones let go when the time comes…and the last ones hired when positions become available.
There are no more great jobs where someone tells you what to do. You actually need to think, take initiative, make things happen…If you continue to position yourself and your skills as a commodity, a prospective employer will view you as such and treat you as a commodity. Who wants to be a commodity? That’s no fun! Stand out; do emotional work; make a difference.
What’s your favorite book by Seth Godin?
