Wednesday, January 8, 2020
Today was networking day! It feels like forever since I have been to one of my networking groups because I missed them both in November because I was sick, and I missed one of them in December because the plumber needed to come to my house. I spoke at the networking group I did attend in December, so I was a little preoccupied and stressed because I thought I might deliver a bad presentation. I feel like I have not been there simply to be present for others.
It was a beautiful day and I felt wonderful. The venue had changed this month and there were approximately six seats that were located in the sunshine by the windows. You know I took one of those places so I could feel the sun on my back during the event. I was not cold during the event; however, I was not warm enough to take off my jacket. I was simply comfortable as I was.
Our speaker gave a nice presentation about how we could work our businesses the way elite athletes train. I enjoyed her presentation, however I disagreed with one major point she made. The speaker gave us three Ps; practice, performance, and perspective to work from. She started with practice and asked us how many of us spent most of our time doing work in our business. The speaker said athletes spend most of their time practicing and only a small percentage actually performing. The speaker equated our marketing with the athlete’s performances.
I agree with the speaker about the need to practice and perform our spoken marketing messages. I practiced six weeks for a 12-minute speech last month. However, marketing is not all we do in our businesses. We actually need to perform the work our clients hire us to do whether that be cutting hair or graphic design. Every time you perform your craft you are practicing. Every haircut you give makes you better at your job. You can market your business all you want, but if you do not perform the work, your business will fail.
The speaker’s third P was perspective and I completely agreed with this point. When you complete a task, project, or event, it is important to review it with an open mind and make adjustments for the future. Perhaps your client hates the social media templates you created for them; perhaps your client loves them. What can you take away from this situation that will make the next one better?
Even though I have decided to only offer one service in my business to new clients and I am not making any effort to market that one service, I still like to talk and learn about business. Most importantly, I love the companionship of my monthly friends. Today I felt I was truly able to connect in a way I was unable to in recent months. I felt I was part of the group instead of an outsider looking in.
It was not the group that was different today, it was me. The sun was shining, the room was beautiful, and I was feeling great. I have not felt that way for several months and it makes all the difference. I know the only places to live with an average temperate of 80 degrees every day are humid islands I do not want to live on, so I need to accept the fact more than half of my final days will be cold and uncomfortable.
My piece of advice to you is to review your actions regularly. I reviewed and identified what made today better for me and I can work to keep it going. I am hoping for a clear day next month so I can get a sunny seat again. Even though it was not 80 degrees, it was a perfect day with my friends and my soul was filled.
Until next time,
Susanne
Please check out my GoFundMe page.
Today was networking day! It feels like forever since I have been to one of my networking groups because I missed them both in November because I was sick, and I missed one of them in December because the plumber needed to come to my house. I spoke at the networking group I did attend in December, so I was a little preoccupied and stressed because I thought I might deliver a bad presentation. I feel like I have not been there simply to be present for others.
It was a beautiful day and I felt wonderful. The venue had changed this month and there were approximately six seats that were located in the sunshine by the windows. You know I took one of those places so I could feel the sun on my back during the event. I was not cold during the event; however, I was not warm enough to take off my jacket. I was simply comfortable as I was.
Our speaker gave a nice presentation about how we could work our businesses the way elite athletes train. I enjoyed her presentation, however I disagreed with one major point she made. The speaker gave us three Ps; practice, performance, and perspective to work from. She started with practice and asked us how many of us spent most of our time doing work in our business. The speaker said athletes spend most of their time practicing and only a small percentage actually performing. The speaker equated our marketing with the athlete’s performances.
I agree with the speaker about the need to practice and perform our spoken marketing messages. I practiced six weeks for a 12-minute speech last month. However, marketing is not all we do in our businesses. We actually need to perform the work our clients hire us to do whether that be cutting hair or graphic design. Every time you perform your craft you are practicing. Every haircut you give makes you better at your job. You can market your business all you want, but if you do not perform the work, your business will fail.
The speaker’s third P was perspective and I completely agreed with this point. When you complete a task, project, or event, it is important to review it with an open mind and make adjustments for the future. Perhaps your client hates the social media templates you created for them; perhaps your client loves them. What can you take away from this situation that will make the next one better?
Even though I have decided to only offer one service in my business to new clients and I am not making any effort to market that one service, I still like to talk and learn about business. Most importantly, I love the companionship of my monthly friends. Today I felt I was truly able to connect in a way I was unable to in recent months. I felt I was part of the group instead of an outsider looking in.
It was not the group that was different today, it was me. The sun was shining, the room was beautiful, and I was feeling great. I have not felt that way for several months and it makes all the difference. I know the only places to live with an average temperate of 80 degrees every day are humid islands I do not want to live on, so I need to accept the fact more than half of my final days will be cold and uncomfortable.
My piece of advice to you is to review your actions regularly. I reviewed and identified what made today better for me and I can work to keep it going. I am hoping for a clear day next month so I can get a sunny seat again. Even though it was not 80 degrees, it was a perfect day with my friends and my soul was filled.
Until next time,
Susanne
Please check out my GoFundMe page.