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

 
Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

 
Hundred Percenters: Challenge Your Employees To Give it Their All, And They’ll Give You Even More

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?

Doug Mitchell and Mike Wagner have brought an amazing concept to Des Moines and have put it into practice!

Doug does a great job of describing what the Secret School of Business is:

The Secret School of Business (SSoB) is not a company nor a system nor an institution. SSoB is a movement. SSoB will be a tribe of active learners (not lurkers).  SSoB’ers feel in their gut that our educational system is broken. It’s not anyone’s fault – it’s that technology and our economy are moving at an order of magnitude faster than “the system.”  People are waking up to the fact that degrees cost 10′s of thousands of dollars and result in major debt. Advanced degrees can be even more expensive and don’t deliver advancement or salary increases. The skills required to compete and thrive today are NOT what is taught. SSoB addresses these facts head on and is doing something about it through user supported and user generated content.

How can you participate? Right now, classes meet usually on a Thursday and will start up again in the New Year. In the future, course materials will be delivered via the web, streaming, etc.

SSoB is a for-profit enterprise, but they’re in the discovery phase of this concept and aren’t sure what the business model will look like. Right now, they’re asking users/consumers of the content to offer a small, monthly donation. Don’t feel pressured to make a decision right now; come to a few classes for free to check it out and then decide.

The neat thing is that the school curriculum is generated by the students. Any student can propose a class or series offering to be reviewed. Right now, funds generated are going towards the facilities and any supplies the instructors need. As the SSoB grows, funds will be paid to instructors and content providers.

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Ace Body & Motor – This is Des Moines’ premier auto repair and collision center located on the northeast side. They’re serving up “service the way it used to be”. Their throw back décor fits their brand completely. This is the cleanest mechanic’s shop I’ve ever been to. Once you meet Larry, he’ll be your go-to guy for life.

Consider buying a gift card good towards oil changes, tire rotation or any other type of vehicle maintenance for anyone on your gift list who owns a vehicle.

Patrick Van Nice Interiors – Patrick Van Nice is one of the Midwest’s most prominent interior designers with more than 16 years experience providing a full range of design services throughout Iowa and across the nation.

Consider buying a gift card towards an in-home consultation for someone on your gift list

Timber Ridge Cattle Company – Pete and Cindy Woltz raise all natural flax-fed beef down in Osceola, Iowa and sell beef sticks, summer sausage and jerky that is packed with Omega 3 and Omega 6. My favorite is the Jalapeno Beef Stick.

Consider buying a gift basket or mix and match your own items to make the perfect gift

Allspice – located in downtown Des Moines’ East Village, Allspice has every herb, spice, chile, mushroom, oil and vinegar you’ll need for any recipe. They’re in the old Village Bean location. Can’t make it to their store? They have a very robust online shopping cart and have recently added a whole page dedicated to gift baskets, just in time for the holiday season.

Consider buying a gift basket or mix and match your own items

Natural Thirst – this is a hidden gem in Des Moines that you all should know about. They’re located in the south wing of the Des Moines Central Library. They sell coffee, smoothies, juices and a few sandwich items. The great thing is that they are 100% organic. They have almond milk, soy milk and rice milk and three different types of protein power to choose from. This place is the real deal, so think of them the next time you are setting up a meeting in downtown Des Moines.

Consider purchasing gift cards for stocking stuffers

Ponderosa Valley Wellness – Becky, Brian and Gretchen are in the business of helping individuals and groups learn how to make healthy lifestyle choices surrounding their nutrition and exercise habits. They’ve also recently become certified “Take Shape for Life” coaches.

Consider buying a loved one a coaching session or two with a professional to help them get the New Year started off right.

What local businesses are you purchasing your holiday gifts from? What local business are you hoping to receive a gift from?

A past social media coaching client, Patrick Van Nice Interiors, has dove into Google+ with gusto. He’s shared with me a way to cross post Google+ posts to a WordPress blog using a plugin.

Google+ is Google’s social network. With approximately 45 million users (compared with Facebook’s 800 million active users), the network recently launched brand pages for business (similar to Facebook Fan Pages).

The reason people are excited about Google+ brand pages is that Google will index these sites higher than others on its search engine and we all know how important it is to appear at the top of page one on search results, right? Another reason is that it renders photos and videos larger than Facebook – Google+ doesn’t have their right sidebar full of ads and recommendations…yet.

Here are point-by-point instructions on how to install the WordPress plugin which will allow cross posting of Google+ posts to your WordPress blog. This plugin will really allow your blog readers who aren’t on Google+ yet access to your content via your blog. Here are a few pros/cons from Patrick:

Pros:

• Comments that appear on your Google+ post should automatically appear on your WordPress blog post
• You can import the posts as published, pending, future or private.
• The WordPress plugin will automatically pull in your most 10 most recent Google+ posts.

 Cons:

• If you want to categorize your post, you need to go into your WordPress blog post and manually add them. Minor issue.
• The title of your WordPress blog is automatically generated by the first line in your Google+ post
• You need to edit your WordPress post by editing your original Google+ Post. The WordPress plugin checks your Google+ page at certain intervals (which you can set) and will override your WordPress edits if you make them there.
• Very little support from the developer if you have problems.

Take a look at Patrick’s set up and let me know what you think. Is this something you could incorporate into your social media strategy? Here’s Patrick’s Google+ brand page and a link to his WordPress blog.

Last Thursday I spoke to a group of unemployed professionals at the Urbandale Public Library about how they can supersize their Linkedin profile to help them stand out during their search. Here are a few pointers I shared with the group:

Include a professional headshot

It doesn’t have to be professionally taken in a studio. I just need to be able to recognize you. The you I would see out networking; not the you I would see at your kid’s soccer game…

If you have a tagline or slogan, attach it to your name

Click the “edit” link on the “edit profile” screen and add your tagline/slogan to the last name field. This way, a more memorable part of you will be left behind along with your comments throughout LinkedIn.

Include keywords in the personal headline field

A recruiter isn’t going to search for you using the words “account manager”; they’re going to search for you using your skills.

Solicit people for recommendation

Better yet, script them out. Make it easy for them to click submit and supply you with the recommendation that you actually want versus what they think you want.

Instead of including your “website” include a more descriptive name

Click the “edit” link on the “edit profile” screen next to “Corporate website” or one of the other generic descriptors Linkedin gives you as an option. On the next screen, choose “other” from the dropdown menu and type the name of your website. Instead of “Corporate website”, I use “Contemporary Business Solutions”.

Add board positions and volunteer activities

“What have you been up to since you were laid off two years ago”, asks a prospective employer. Be sure you include on your profile EVERYTHING you are doing that may pertain to your next work experience. PLUS, you can then solicit recommendations from people you’ve shared these unpaid experiences with since recommendations have to be associated with a work experience.

Customize your public profile link

Nothing looks sexier on your business card or resume like: http://www.linkedin.com/in/j398cslkjnasldoijnfg (read sarcasm). Next to your “profile link”, click “edit” and customize your URL. I recommend that it only include some permutation of your name, but not your profession or place of work since those may change down the road, but you…you’ll always be you…

Do not include your home address

Unless you want to make it really easy for your prospective employer to find out how much your house is worth on the county assessor’s website and then choose not to hire you because your house is worth a lot and they think you need a huge salary to pay your mortgage (yes, it happens). Or better yet, they could just show up at your house. Leave your home address off your profile completely. It doesn’t add any value.

Include your birth day instead of your birth date

Be social and add the day of your birth so people can with you a happy birthday; however unless you want to be a victim of age discrimination before you even get an interview, go ahead and add the year of your birth.

Do include your email address

InMail costs money (Linkedin’s email system which allows you to send messages to people who you aren’t connected with). Make it easy for people to contact you by adding your email address to the “Contact” section way down on the bottom. And be sure it’s not john_doe_1954@aol.com. Get a gmail account, so you appear current, and don’t put the year you were born in your email address either. And please don’t use mchsi.com or qwest.net.

Include a phone number

Be careful here because recruiters/prospective employers can call you whenever they want, so be sure that if you’re going to list a phone number that it is a phone that YOU will ALWAYS answer professionally and that has a professional message on the answering machine. Don’t leave your house phone that your 10 year old answers…get it?

What are some other ways you’ve supersized your LinkedIn profile?

improv wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up by Patricia Ryan Madson is our final Book Club book for 2011 which we will be discussing on 8-Nov at noon at the Plymouth Congregational Church. The Meyvn Group does an amazing job of facilitating discussion that makes the book much more meaningful.

I’m the consummate planner. While I only have one “to-do list” (unlike some people), I’m very religious about it. It helps me make sure things get done.

I overly prepare for speaking engagements and meetings with clients. That’s what you’re supposed to do, right? Be Prepared?

I was a bit confused by this book. I think the main thrust was to lighten up a bit when it comes to your personal and professional lives, but not to let your whole world fall out of balance. Live an unscripted life like an improve actor does when they get on stage.

The Thirteen Maxims (Chapters)

Say yes – to everything. Sometimes, our first impulse is to say no, without having any reason at all. This may keep us from having amazing experiences. Great for personal: Your child wants to play hide and seek; Bad for professional: I’d be doing a LOT of work for free.

Don’t prepare – Don’t substitute list making/planning for getting things done. Sometimes while preparing, we’re not living in the moment and being part of the present. Great for personal: Hoping in the car and driving around for a new restaurant to try; Bad for professional: I’d give an awful hour-long presentation if I didn’t prepare for it. But I also can’t prepare for all of the questions, so I have to be prepared to live in those moments as best I can and improvise answers.

Just show up – Nothing will happen to you in a vacuum. You need to be in the place where things are happening. Great for personal: Create a ritual that gets you prepared to do something you don’t particularly want to do, such as exercising. Great for professional: Some small business owners are introverts and are afraid to network in social settings; perhaps they allow themselves to arrive with a buddy the first few times until they’re over their fear.

Start anywhere – there’s never a “right” place to begin. Great for personal: Been putting off cleaning your home because it is a disaster area? Set a timer for 20 minutes and play your favorite upbeat song and see what you can get accomplished by just beginning. Great for professional: Starting a new business? Bid on a huge project and win? Start anywhere and begin chiseling away. Large tasks can be overwhelming, so just start anywhere to get the ball rolling.

Be average – Some people choose not to do something because they can’t be perfect at it. Others aren’t “finished” with a task until it is perfect (in their opinion). This stalls progress. Great for personal: Life will pass you by if you waste time ironing all of your cloth napkins – just use paper or live with the wrinkles! So-so for professional: I strive to give my clients the best. Shouldn’t we all? Is it alright to “Be nothing special”?

Pay attention – how much do you notice and remember? It’s not about you. Great for personal: I was in a wedding this weekend and knew only the bride and groom. At the rehearsal, I made it a point to meet as many people as possible AND remember their names. For those of you who know me, you know that this is quite difficult. Julie and Todd, Mark and Chris, Jana, Mike and Kim, Tom, Michelle, Ezra and Caleb, Tricia and Kristina. Knowing everyone made the reception more enjoyable. Great for business: The best advice I received early in my consulting/coaching career was to listen. Hear the words people are saying and listen for the things they aren’t. Take notes and repeat back to the person what they’re saying for clarification.

Face the facts – use what is given, build upon it, abide with things as they are. Great for personal: accept people for who they are, if your day isn’t going well, make lemonade out of lemons. Great for professional: laptop doesn’t want to boot up before a presentation. Borrow another laptop and run the presentation from SlideShare where you uploaded it before you arrived.

Stay on course – keep in mind what you are aiming for, “What is my purpose now?” Accomplish more things more quickly by staying focused on the task at hand. Great for personal: fix something that’s broken, help a neighbor, find a creative way to repurpose leftovers. Great for professional: improvise to meet a deadline, assuage a finicky client, or solve a problem with limited resources.

Wake up to the gifts – the glass is always half full, there is always something in any given situation that you can work with; there is always someone or something there to help. Wake up to this reality and leverage it. Great for personal: recognize and give thanks to the things around you. Appreciate what you’ve been given in life. Great for professional: appreciate that you have a job – even if it’s one that you don’t like.

Make mistakes, please – making mistakes is how we function; they are not to be avoided. Do something risky or challenging, something out of your comfort zone. Great for personal: Take all four of your children under the age of seven grocery shopping with you. You may be surprised how well they behave. Great for professional: Throw yourself head first into the world of public speaking. Start small to get some practice.

Act now – begin before there is a plan. What we do moves us forward and gives us more information about how to proceed. Great for personal: not sure what color to paint your walls? Try several on the walls to see which you like best. Bad for professional: don’t make a cold call without first preparing what you will say, don’t attend a networking event because you know you should. Have your introduction prepared to get the most out of your time spent at the event.

Take care of eachother – make your partner look good, do what is necessary to advance your mutual efforts. Great for personal: Maintain a joint front while co-parenting children. Great for professional: As an independent professional, I still “take care” of my fellow independent professionals by bringing them in on projects where I lack the required skills which makes us both look good. This act gives the Free Agent community a good reputation and helps us all.

Enjoy the ride – have fun and enjoy the ride. Great for both personal and professional.

How can you incorporate these maxims into your personal and professional lives?