Isn’t Social Media Just Shameless Self-Promotion – YES IT IS – That’s Why You Need to Be Using It to Shamelessly Self-Promote Your Business

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We live in a very anti-social, social media world.

No, that’s not a typo – social media is anything BUT social.

Think about it – how many “friends” do you have on Twitter that you actually know? And by know, I’m not talking about sharing tweets.

Let’s put it this way, how many “friends” do you have on Twitter that you’d invite into your home for dinner? Not a coffee shop, not some sleazy bar, or worse – street corner – your own private residence.

Asking myself that same question, I currently have 4,376 followers on Twitter. Of those amazingly awesome folks following me, I’d guess I probably really only know a couple hundred, when you consider friends, family and business associates.

Of those 200 people, I really only know about 50 that I know well enough to invite into my own, personal, private, living space.

So, out of over 4,000 “friends” on Twitter, I really know about 50 of them. Do the math – I only really know 1.25 percent of my Twitter followers.

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According to statistics, that’s about right. Studies show the average Twitter user only really knows between one to two percent of those who follow them.

One to two percent – that means, on average, 98 to 99 percent of those happy smiling faces that follow you on Twitter are complete strangers.

Doesn’t sound all that social at all.

Twitter is just like walking down a busy street, yelling: “look at me.”

BINGO!

Social media is just shameless self-promotion, that’s why you need to be using it to shamelessly self-promote your business.

If everyone is using Twitter, facebook, YouTube, Google Plus, Vimeo, Pinterest, Instagram, even Linkedin to shamelessly promote themselves – then you need to be doing that too.

I know – that’s not very social. Walking down a busy street, yelling: “look at me” is hardly the behavior that’ll win you long lasting friends you can count on when you really need them.

But that’s the new world order, thanks to smart phones, tablets, free WiFi, and coffee shops filled with people, none of whom talk to each other -- even at the same table!

Talking?

That’s old school.

Besides, no one cares about you.

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They are too busy taking selfies to show off their new hat, tweeting about what they had for lunch, or posting a really nasty review about the waiter that kept putting his finger in everything he brought to the table.

No one cares about you.

They are busy shamelessly self-promoting their own self interest.

However, the smart social media entrepreneur knows that social media isn’t about making friends, fans and followers.

No.

It’s about doing something that gets you noticed by the most self-absorbed generation since – well okay – there never has been another generation so interested in themselves, that they will walk into on-coming traffic, because they were eyes-down, self-absorbed into their mobile device.

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You have to use social media as a business person to get into the eyeballs of your customers, so in their own self-interest, they share your posts with their friends. And their friends share it with their friends, and so on, and . . .

That’s the real power of social media in business.

Despite it being wrongly named “social” – it really should be called “self interested media” or “anti social media” or anything but social.

Social media is just shameless self-promotion, but that’s why you need to be using it to shamelessly self-promote your business.

Has Linkedin Become Just Like Every Other Social Network?

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Social media is a great addiction of mine.

I enjoy checking out my Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, Tumblr, Instagram . . . you see why it’s so addictive?

When each one of these first started, people actually posted quality, interesting things that might be useful.

Believe it or not, there was a time when there was more than celebrities getting themselves into hot water, useless quotes from long since dead famous people, pictures of gorgeous women in skimpy outfits, and cat photos dominating the social networks.

As each of the social networks matured, they unfortunately deteriorated into much of the above – don’t believe me?

Skim through the trending content on any given day, and you’ll see pretty much all the above mindless drivel.

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There still are some jewels in the rough on social media. Great infographics that turn complex processes into easy to follow steps. Sometimes even the latest news breaks first online, instead of CNN, BBC or CBC.

However, Linkedin – that’s always been the professional network, where people only post content relevant to their career or business, and use it to connect with those business people.

That may be changing, sadly.

Oh, I have yet to see the mindless crap that passes for content on the other social networks appear on Linkedin.

However, Linkedin is very different from just a handful of years ago.

When Linkedin began, it was a great place for professionals to network, to build connections, to reach out to one another for legitimate career or business opportunities.

I’d send out an Inmail, or email to one of my Linkedin contacts, and receive a response, which would lead to a discussion, and possibly an opportunity.

Recently I noticed, my Inmails and emails to my contacts were being ignored.

Now, that doesn’t seem to professional to me.

At the very least, a professional would send a polite response back saying “not interested.”

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To be clear, I wasn’t selling anything. I’m an entrepreneur, and as I build a business, I often explore Linkedin, and reach out to people whose profiles may be a good fit with the business I’m building. I may be looking for business partners, employees, or even someone that might be interested in working for us on a contractual basis.

I’m not recruiting others for some borderline legal Multi Level Marketing (MLM) scam, nor am I asking for any investment.

I’m just reaching out to people whose profiles match with what I’m doing, to have a professional chat and see if there is a good fit.

That’s all.

And I thought I was expressing that in my communications.

But still, out of a handful of Inmails and emails sent, only a couple generated any response.

So, I began asking people why they don’t respond to messages on Linkedin.

I asked people who responded to my messages. And I asked people that I actually know over the phone, if they too ignore messages from others on Linkedin.

The results of my informal survey were sadly stunning – there is so much SPAM, scam and other junk communications coming across Linkedin, that most people treat it just like any other social network.

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They post stuff, hoping it gets lots of traction, but ignore anything directed at them from anyone they don’t actually know.

That's beyond tragic.

Because, if everyone is being bombarded with so much crap, they ignore everything from anyone they don’t really know, then the one good thing about Linkedin is gone forever – the ability to really connect with others professionally.

Linkedin has become nothing more than another Facebook. They might as well add the option to poke people on it, because it’s so dominated by SPAM, what’s another annoyance?

Perhaps this great social media experiment we’ve all been participants in has taught us one lesson. If you want to really get to know someone, pick up the phone, and call them.

Starting a Business? Five Things to Put Your Start-Up Funds in First

Let’s face it, when you start a business, money is tight. So where do you put your limited amount of funds to get the ball rolling?

Here are my top five places to invest whatever money you have at the beginning, because without them your business may never fly.

1. Name Search and Incorporation

What’s in a name?

Plenty if you’re running a business. Names are more than a way of branding your business, they are legally required for tax purposes. Incorporating your business is a small price to pay at the beginning, rather than personally be wiped out financially by a law suit which holds you personally accountable for your business, instead of your incorporated business.

On the flip side of this, I actually find it hard to start a company without a name. I suppose it’s just my logical brain in action.

Take time to brainstorm several possible names for your new business, and then conduct a corporate names search to ensure no one else has a similar name. In most North American jurisdictions, it’s illegal for you to operate a business under a name which is currently in use within the same business sector or industry. Though it’s usually best to make sure no one currently uses that name in any business or industry sector – I often make up words for my company names.

Once you establish a name for your business – that isn’t already in use – register it so no one else can use it. Then get a good business lawyer that specializes in start-ups, and incorporate that business.

This way, you have your name, and the legal paperwork to back everything up.

2. Logo and Slogan

Starting a business really can be a fun and creative process – first you have to brainstorm a name – now you get to go all artsy and design a logo and even a slogan.

Many people don’t think they need a logo for their new venture right away. Who’s going to see it, as I’m still developing the business plan?

However, a good logo separates you from your competition, gives you a professional image, and both are extremely important elements in the ultimate goal for our first five places to spend money on your new venture – networking. If you don’t have a logo, a catchy one-line slogan that summarizes what you do, and the rest of my top five list here, you’ll be constantly struggling to tell people who you are, and what you do at networking events. And when you start out, networking is really important, because real entrepreneurs help each other.

3. Website and Email

You don’t need a fancy website with all the bells and whistles when you’re starting out. But you do need one that at least has some basic info – like your logo, slogan, and how to contact you.

Getting a website forces you to register your company’s name for a domain name – which is really important. Some people I know run their chosen company names through the WHOIS database to ensure they can secure the matching domain name. If the domain name is already taken, they won’t name their company that.

I’m old fashioned, and love the dot-com domain extension. To me, that’s the one most people are going to try first on Google and the other search engines if they don’t have it in front of them. 

However, if you have the money, it doesn’t hurt to register the most popular domains for your company – the “dot” org, net, biz, info, and co. If you’re in Canada, you might also add .ca to that list, or .us for American-based companies.

This protects your business from copycats, or worse, others using your company’s names, or even ones really close to it, and just creating a different dot-something or other using your company’s good name.

Once you have your web domain setup, and a basic website, you can also get a professional email address. Although Google’s gmail is a fantastic program, when I see john@gmail.com I just know I’m dealing with an amateur. There’s no harm in looking like a big impressive company, so use firstname.lastname@companyname.com as your email address – or whatever your professional domain is.

Remember, an email address and domain name aren’t just for communications – but for PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONS.

4. Office Phone and PO BOX

Unless you want your customers and everyone you do business with to call you at home, I’d get a separate phone number and a PO Box for the mailing address. This way, you protect your family and yourself from anyone that happens on your business contact info. A separate phone line is important, even if you’re running your start-up from your home, because the last thing anyone that is going to do business with you wants to hear, is your kid answer the phone, and yell: “Dad, phone!”

5. Business Cards

Once you have your registered legally incorporated business name, a logo and a slogan, a website, email address, phone number and a PO. Box, you’ve got all the basics to put it on a slick business card, so you can hand it out to potential customers, business partners, or anyone that you want to take you seriously as a professional.

Even in start-up mode, business cards with all the correct professional information are very important – what else are you going to give someone at a networking function that might be able to help you get your business off the ground?

Looking for a Job? Any Job? I’ll Never Hire You

I do a lot of networking, it’s key for entrepreneurs – or really anyone – these days. From social meetups to professional ones, to just bumping into strangers at a ballgame, or while out for a bite to eat, you really never know who you may meet, or more importantly, how you may help each other.

Lots of the fine folks I meet are either underemployed or unemployed. Kudos to them for being brave, and when I ask what they do, they tell me directly that they are looking for work.

When I was – well – younger – looking for work was almost shameful.

“I’m in between jobs,” many would say, as they were ashamed, even embarrassed to be looking for a job.

Everyone had a job, and if you didn’t, others would wonder: “what’s wrong with you?”

Looking back, that’s probably not the right attitude, but that was the prevailing way we thought of ourselves, our work, and our lives back then.

There isn’t anything wrong with being out of work. It happens, people outgrow companies, and companies outgrow people. It’s the nature of our human-driven social structure.

These days, more people are looking for work than ever before. Not because there is this sudden influx of jobs. No. Sadly, it’s quite the opposite. The economy has shifted across our global working world, tossing more than a quarter of the planet’s population out of work.

So, looking for a job is no longer a shameful thing, and it certainly is a lot more of the commonality people have at many networking functions.

Being underemployed or unemployed is so common, the immediate standard response to someone looking for work has become: “so, what are you looking for?”

Or at least, being an entrepreneur that may hire someone, or know others that may be looking to hire people, I always ask that.

“Anything,” or “I don’t know,” or “something better, anything better, than I’m doing now,” are the worst possible answers.

Looking for a job? Any job? I won’t hire you.

I don’t have just any job at my company, and I bet most business owners would agree with me on this.

PASSION is one of the most important things I look for in bringing anyone aboard my team. 

PASSION is falling in love with a specific job, industry or career path. Studies show that those who are passionate about what they do, will do it far better than those who aren’t.

Though PASSION is important for many other reasons too.

In creating the perfect workplace, I want to only hire people that WANT to be there. I don’t want people working for me that dread getting up in the morning, because they have to go to work. I want people that leap out of their lover’s arms, because they just can’t wait to get to work.

Well, okay, maybe not that passionate. But close.

People that hate their jobs, bring down the entire workplace. Negative attitudes about the company, the management, the work, or even the furniture are more easily contagious than positive ones. Even to those that don’t agree – because when someone lacks passion for their work, they usually have an abundance of passion against their work.

Negative colleagues spread rumors, talk behind other’s back, mock management, don’t arrive on time, and may even slack-off at their tasks.

And worse, negative colleagues can turn positive, passionate ones into negative ones, so even those that love what they do and where they do it could become slackers spreading stories.

So if we ever meet and you’re looking for work, and I ask you what you are looking for, you’d better have any answer other than: “anything.”

Because if you tell me “anything” you’ll never work for me – nor be recommended by me to others.

We’re not children, I’m not asking you what you want to be when you grow-up. This isn’t recess – it’s life.

And if you really don’t know what you are passionate about, and what you want out of life, you’d better find it – fast.

Following-Up – The Single Most Important Thing You Aren’t Doing

I went to a monthly business networking event last week.

Personally, I enjoy getting into the headspace of someone other than me. 

Professionally, there are so many entrepreneurs either going through the same issues I am, or already having gone through them, they have learned how to solve many of the problems I encounter daily.

However, when I follow-up and actually call or email those I’ve exchanged business cards with, I’m amazed how many are glad I did. Not that I’m anything special and they were just waiting by the phone for my call.

I have an ego, but it ain’t that big.

Most are happy I followed-up from the networking event, because most people don’t take the time or make the effort to do just that – to follow-up.

Not that it takes a lot of effort, picking up the phone, emailing, instant messaging, texting or connecting with someone on the social networks isn’t like putting a family on the Moon. You can do all of those things from any smartphone – well, other than putting a family on the Moon.

Still, after the business cards have been given the once-over, and placed in each other’s respective pockets, often that’s the end of that.

According to statistics, 80 percent of the business cards we hand out end up being tossed out. Put another way, only 20 percent of your business cards will make it into someone’s filing system.

That is a missed opportunity of epic proportions.

Not that every person you meet in your 70 or more years on this planet will have anything significant to add to that life.

But how do you know who will or won’t add something to your vast life of experiences, when all you’ve had is a mere moments with someone when they first handed you a business card?

I keep all the business cards people give me. If I were to lay them out on the floor, edge-to-edge, I’d probably need a football stadium’s worth of floor space.

People change jobs, companies move and even go out of business. But that’s why following-up is so very important.

If you put off following-up, even more than a week or two, you may have missed an opportunity beyond your wildest dreams.

You never know, that pushy person that was creeping you out may know someone that can help you grow your business.

Well, okay, pushy people selling questionable products or services may not be someone to follow-up with.

Sometimes you just have to use your better judgement. However, for the most part, if you get a good vibe from someone, and do the business card exchange, you should make the next move and call or email them.

It doesn’t take much effort, the time invested is well worth it, and the person on the other end of the phone or email will be happy you called or wrote.

Ultimately, the benefit of reaching out to those you’ve exchanged business cards with is you’ll build a network of people that will help you grow your business, as you help them grow theirs.

This doesn’t mean selling them your products and services. It drives me crazy when I meet with people and that’s all they want to do – to make a sale.

Offer to help others in any way you can. And chances are, others will offer to help you too.

That’s the nature of real networking.

And that’s the best way to grow your business.  

Struggling to Find Work? Don’t Flip-Flop Hop-Skip and Jump Your Title

I attend many social and business networking functions, and I’m always amazed and saddened by the number of people at these events out of work and looking for their next job.

A handful of years ago, I’d guess fewer than 10% of the attendees were unemployed. Now, it’s more like 80% are either unemployed, or severely underemployed.

What shocks and horrifies me more is the reason why so many people are struggling to find work.

As I go through the LinkedIn profiles and resumes sent to me, I see many have flip-flop hop-skipped and jumped from job to job, to job.

I’ve seen several LinkedIn profiles where each person has worked for no more than four months at any one employer.

Traditionally, a work history with such brief stints at any one company would be a big red flag. A warning beacon about a person unable to hold down a steady job.

Today, it is a sad sign of the new economy, as companies of all sizes hire on short-term project-based contracts, instead of thinking of the bigger long-term picture.

Want a career, with benefits, a decent salary, and job security? Don’t come to North America – we don’t have that here.

Gone are the days when companies of all sizes – of any size really – hire qualified people on staff.

Gone are the days when companies hire people period. Most companies these days don’t hire anyone, instead they just contract out their work to temporary staff

Temporary staff – AKA you -- are only paid for the hours you work, so any statutory holidays you must take (because the office is closed) or you voluntarily take (so you don’t burn out) are unpaid.

The temporary employment agency that recruited you tells you, there is occasional overtime. However, your “employer” (the agency’s client”) tells you that they don’t pay overtime, yet they expect you to put in those volunteer hours on your own dime.

There is no job security. Your contract can be terminated without any notice, rhyme or reason.

And you are constantly lead to the promised land, as both your temporary agency and their client tell you they love your work, and are considering hiring you on staff, with benefits.

That’ll never happen. They tell that to everyone. It keeps you motivated, and makes them appear to care about your well-being, which they don’t.

They didn’t put you on a temporary contract to try before they buy. Nope.

They put you and most of the other unfortunate hard working folks around you on temporary contracts, so that they can get rid of you.

And they will get rid of you.

You’ve probably already gone through this routine, which is why your resume flip-flops and hop-skip and jumps around so much.

Despite my own understanding of this new world of work, I’m still hesitant to hire someone that hasn’t held a job longer than a couple of years.

Perhaps I’m old fashioned in my aging years. However, a piece of me also knows that many of those titles are manufactured just because.

I know people who have created their own one-person consulting businesses. They tell me they are proud entrepreneurs. They’ll never work for anyone else, ever again.

Yet these very same people change their title on LinkedIn and probably on their resume, every time they land a new contract.

That’s not very entrepreneurial – in fact it reads just like everyone else looking for work, as they flip-flop hop skip and jump their titles.

What’s worse, is it shows how confused and desperate many have become. So much so, that they confuse creating their own job, with being hired on a temporary contract.

So long as you are on any form of employment contract with anyone, you are not an employee, nor are you an entrepreneur working for yourself.

Instead, you are a piece of paper, being filed, stamped, and stomped all over.

So long as you are on any temporary employment contract with anyone, you are no different than a stapler, or any other office resource.

And that’s the real problem with our new economy of temporary contracted out people. Because when you’re nothing more than a stapler, and another stapler comes along, willing to work for less than you, you’re suddenly out of work.

Yet you’ve shown your commitment and dedication by updating your social media profiles, your LinkedIn, your resume, maybe even your business cards.

Don’t Flip-Flop Hop-Skip and Jump Your Title unless you really are an entrepreneur and there isn’t anyone that can fire you but you.

Having a work history that changes every few months isn’t very professional, shows a lack of judgement on your part, and could end up costing you your dream job.

And this is coming from someone that understands the new world of temporary work, and goes through a lot of resumes and LinkedIn profiles as I build my business ventures.

Business Networking Is NOT a Sales Call

The most important thing any entrepreneur does, aside from taking action on their ideas, is meeting people.

Networking – the idea has sent a chill up the spines of many – putting yourself out there for public viewing isn’t an easy task.

Though some mistakenly take networking as an opportunity to make a sale.

I hate it – no – I despise it – when I exchange business cards with someone, agree to meet up with them to talk business, and the first thing they do is force me to watch a sales presentation, then immediately after try to close a sale.

Although in a sense, you are always selling something, WHAT you are selling during networking isn’t your products or services.

YOU are the only thing that matters during a networking event, because it is YOU that is being sold.

How knowledgeable, resourceful, helpful, encouraging and inspiring YOU are is what really matters. Because networking is NOT about making a sales call, it’s about assisting others with their business.

WTF? You ask yourself – how do I grow my business, by helping others?

The greater your professional circles, the greater your business success.

Although you may not have an immediate need for someone in the business of widgets, you never know who that person knows that can help you in your business.

It isn’t always what you know, but WHO.

There’s a story, about a man, hired by IBM to create an operating system for their then-new line of personal computers, the original IBM PC. This man was a computer genius, and created the IBM Disk Operating System (IBM-DOS) which launched the original IBM PC and later the IBM PCjr to stardom in the 1980’s.

However, like many genius’, he didn’t get along well with his bosses over at Big Blue. So he left, and brought with him some associates he made at IBM, to create a rival operating system as he went down his own career path.

That man was Bill Gates, and that rival operating system was Microsoft’s MS-DOS, which IBM itself started using with it’s PCs, and later MS-Windows, which run the majority of the world’s computers today.

Bill Gates would never have built Microsoft without his prior experiences, knowledge and contacts from his days at IBM.

And you’ll never build anything in the business, or personal world either, if you try to go it alone, without anyone’s help.

However, you’ll be alone in the world, if every time you go to a meetup, a networking function, or even a personal function, shove your business card in front of everyone you meet, and try to sell them your products and services.

That’s NOT very helpful.

But if you offer to help others as you meet them, you’ll be amazed and delighted with just how far in business – and in life – you’ll go.

SO next time you think about pitching someone, think again. And just ask them: “how can I help you?”

SEX -- Now That I Have Your Attention -- Personal Branding is All About Sex Appeal

Once the domain of corporations and their slick marketing campaigns, branding is no longer limited to just that -- but encompasses you too.

You are a brand -- and if you aren't -- you better create your own personal brand because everything depends on that personal brand.

Perception, whether true or implied, is how we accept the world.

So how you present yourself, even when you aren't there to do so in person, is how others see you.

Think about anyone you know, and you'll develop a mental picture of that person. That's their personal brand -- or rather -- that's the personal brand they are representing to the world.

It wasn't always like this, we used to accept people on their face value and a handshake.

But since the explosion of the social media universe, when our images, our thoughts, even our voice can speak when we aren't there, now we base our decisions about liking, unliking, or despising someone completely on the way they appear to us, even before meeting them.

Human Resources professionals have been doing this for years. Statistics show that over 80% of those responsible for hiring people, Google job applicants BEFORE calling them for a phone screen interview.

So those pictures of you drunk dancing on top of the bar at your friend's party might actually prevent you from getting your next job. Unless drunk table dancer is the job you want.

Is this fair?

Hell no!  We all make mistakes. Just so long as we learn from those mistakes and move on, instead of hitting our heads against the same brick walls every time.

However, creating and managing your personal brand -- the way the world sees you when you aren't around -- isn't hard. You just have to always be aware of how you present yourself to the world, and you have to have sex appeal.

No, I don't mean taking it all off and flashing the cameras.

PUT YOUR CLOTHES BACK ON!!!

The first step to creating a personal brand, is making you appealing to others, usually by wrapping a catchy descriptive slogan around who you are, what you stand for, and why anyone should pay you any attention.

Coke is it, and Timex takes a lickin' but keeps on ticking, and you -- well -- you . . .

PSST. . . this is where you insert your catch phrase that tells us in as few words as possible who you are.

Personal branding is all about asking yourself questions, to dive deep into who you are, and creating the message that you want to convey to the world when they hear your name.

Some key questions to ask yourself to help you build your personal brand:

• How do I make people feel?
• How do others benefit by having me around?
• What words do others use to describe me to their friends? 
• What industry am I in?
• What's my job or ideal job?
• Who are the people you want to respect your personal brand the most?
• What can you do best for those who you want to respect you?
• Why me, instead of everyone else? What makes me special/different?

Ask yourself these questions, and create a short catch-phrase which sums up your answers. That's your personal brand. Or at least, the start of a great one.

The Five Most Powerful Words In Business

Business is all about people and problem solving. 

It doesn't matter what your business, it's made up of people, solving problems. Be it a doctor healing the sick, a burger joint feeding the hungry, or a bicycle courier getting your product to the customer, all businesses are made up of people solving problems. 

It's all about giving others a hand.

So it makes sense that the five most powerful words in business are:

How can I help you?

These simple words, when strung together as above are more powerful than any supercomputer program.They are more powerful than anything you'll ever Google. And they are more powerful than anything anyone else tells you.

Because all business is about people problem solving. 

I was reminded about the power of these five teeny-tiny words when I was at a networking event and after the usual small talk, my new connection asked me:

How can I help you?

I'm always looking for help from friends and colleagues, but when someone you just meet says those five little words, they powerfully resonate louder than anything you've ever heard before. 

Because hearing them from a complete stranger isn't common in our inclusive individual universe. 

At first I was in a state of delighted shock. Then I remember reading how the best way to network in business, is to offer to help wherever you can. 

Being bewildered.

Even if it means offering to help the competition.

YES -- even the competition.

Before his death, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates became friends, yet they both ran highly competitive companies against one another.

Though you don't have to be networking with the competition to see the power of these five extremely powerful words.

Try it for yourself the next time you meet a potential customer, client or colleague. Ask them

How can I help you? 

At first they may look uncertain, bewildered even. The look of bewilderment disappears quickly to that of joyous understanding and warmth, as your offer -- if genuine, as it should be -- is warmly accepted. 

The request won't be rocket science, and will be something which forges and strengthens your working relationship. Which is the whole point -- to build a stronger relationship with those you work with -- or against -- or want to work with or against. 

And remember, what goes around comes around. 

So if you can help, do. 

You'll WOW the person you helped, and they will reciprocate back tenfold. 

That's human nature. 

All just because of five little words.

Despite Our iSociety, If You Want to Grow Professionally, You've Got to Do It Face-to-Face

I use the Azumio Heart Rate Monitor
iPhone App to measure my heart rate.

I love my iPhone.

I really do, it is my life. 

I wake up to my own custom alarms, check my heart rate when I wake, when I work, and before I go to sleep. It even reminds me to drink enough water throughout the day, tells me where and when I'm supposed to be, keeps me from getting lost, and warns me when the skies are about to open up so I know to take cover from an approaching storm.

Apple's iPhone was the spring that bounced in a whole new world -- one so dependent on personal mobile tech, we sometimes -- correction -- we OFTEN -- forget there are others in our world.

And that's really tragic, because rarely do we as individuals excel. Although everyone remembers Steve Jobs, none of your Apple devices were created single-handedly by him. Even Mark Zuckerberg's concepts didn't solely create the Facebook timeline we so love to hate today. And do you really think Sir Richard Branson could have created a record store, an airline, a telecommunications company and now a spaceship all by himself?

We live in an iSociety dominated world.

If you want to grow your brand, your business, or even just yourself, you've got to get out there and mix and mingle in the real world, with real people.

I'm not talking about cheating using instant messaging services like Skype, and don't even get me started on the dangers of limiting yourself to 140 characters in a tweet, or some poorly shot 'selfie' on Instagram.

Don't be afraid to spill some coffee, and get some sticky sugary crumbs all over that mobile device, because the only way to be anything in this world, is to step outside our self-created iSociety to live, work and play with real people.

I'm doing this now, as I do what many do when they start-up a new company, I'm linking in with people in the real world that I think may be the right people to grow that business. I'm reaching out to people that catch my eye, and making the owners of numerous coffee shops orgasmic with delight as I take the time to meet with as many people as I can, to chat in a relaxed unhurried cafe, to learn about someone that has what I need, and see if I can help them with their needs.

And that's really what business is all about -- helping each other.

Even Skype and other forms of video calls don't solve
the problems created by our mobile world.

Be it joining forces to create the next big thing, mentoring each other, or even just referring someone to another person, there really is truth to the saying: 

It's not what you know, but who.

Which is where our iSociety fails -- how well can you really ever know anyone just from the online world?

Emoticons are cute, but don't convey the whole gamut of facial expressions, which can vary from culture to culture.

Spill coffee together to really get to
know someone, to grow your business
and you.

Video conferencing solves that problem, but not very well, because body language is just that -- body language, encompassing the whole body. So someone's face may say "tell me more" but it's out of context without the rest of the body, which may actually be saying just the opposite.

And regardless of how advanced our tech becomes at bringing us closer together, there's something to be said for the shared experiences of being in the moment with someone.

I can share with you the experience of being on a rollercoaster, using my iPhone's camera and mic, and a WiFi signal. But unless you are ON that same rollercoaster, you won't experience it the same as I do, with all the bumps, and jolts, and LOOK OUT FOR THAT . . . 

Grow yourself today, right now. Invite someone you've only ever had virtual online connections with to join you over a coffee.

You'll be glad you did.