A friend of mine once said, “If we could get every single business person in the world, every single entrepreneur, to play their part, we could get on top of most of the worlds problems.”
That friend was Richard Branson, and I took his message to heart. It made me think about what I could do through BNI to make an impact on the globe and sent me on an introspective journey about being a business owner and the responsibility we had to serve not only our customers, but society as a whole.
What I came up with are four ways to help your business find direction and purpose in helping others, whether it be in your local area or in the global community.
What does it mean to have an entrepreneurial spirit, and how do you know if you have it?
For me, I knew (or at least in hindsight, I would come to know) that I was an entrepreneur at the age of 13. It wasn’t even a word that I knew or even understood at the time, but I had an instinct for business. There was something inside me that understood how to take a 5 cent piece of candy and turn a profit–that is, until I got caught selling candy at school.
An entrepreneur has a vision, sees an opportunity then has the commitment to follow through. Do you have what it takes?
This is the fifth and final video in the “Ivanism” Garage to Global series, hosted by Entrepreneur.com. In this series, I expand on common phrases I’ve used throughout my 31 years of referral-based networking.
When you’re at a networking event, do you eagerly bounce around the room, chatting with various people and passing out business cards? Do you tend to seek deep connections by only talking to a few people for longer periods? Everyone has their own way of making connections and networking, and it helps to understand just where you fall in the lineup.
Knowing your networking behavioral style will help you capitalize on your skills–and maybe even identify some flaws to improve upon. Take a look at the video below to find out YOUR style and maybe the next time you’re at an event, you’ll be able to better position yourself for greater success.
This is the fourth video in the “Ivanism” Garage to Global series, hosted by Entrepreneur.com. In this series, I expand on well-known phrases I’ve used throughout my career.
Success is the uncommon application of common knowledge.
It’s common knowledge within the business company that success in business comes from having passion, systems, goals and vision, social capital and leverage. So if we all have the same idea of what it takes to be successful, why aren’t we all?
Give me three minutes, and I’ll give you the answer.
“Are You Spread Too Thin?” is the third video in the “Ivanism” Garage to Global series, hosted by Entrepreneur.com. In this series, I expand on classic phrases I’ve used over the years.
Do six things a thousand times and NOT a thousand things six times!
But what does that really mean?
Focus on key priorities and making them perfect (or close to it) before moving on to other projects or tasks.
Making your business the best at a few services, not simply OK at several.
Wait, I can’t give it all away! Watch the video below to get the full scope of the idea.
This is the second video in the “Ivanism” Garage to Global series, hosted by Entrepreneur.com. I expand on common phrases I’ve used over the years and explain how they can apply to your business and referral networking style.
Are you flame or wax happy?
That sounds like a bizarre question–but it’s not.
When you’re working in your wax and when you’re working in your flame are two very different things, and can affect you in different ways. If you’re flame happy, you’re excited, motivated and ready to pursue your ambitions. But what happens when are wax happy, and simply complacent with working on things that you aren’t passionate about?
The video below talks about this idea and ways you can make sure you’re always flame happy.
The following video is part of my new “Ivanism” Garage to Global series, hosted by Entrepreneur.com, where I expand on catch phrases I have used frequently over the years.
I know, it’s a strange concept: “Ignorance on fire is better than knowledge on ice.”
Most people read that statement and think, someone who’s excited but ignorant can do more harm than good.
I’m here to tell you that the opposite of your intuition is true. That’s right–and you’ll see why below.
On Thursday, I was swept off to a land far, far away.
OK, not that far away. But TV has to be dramatic, doesn’t it?
Even though I was close to home, I visited the homes of millions by appearing as a guest on MSNBC’s Your Business, with host JJ Ramberg. I was featured as an expert on referral networking (imagine that!) and spoke about how it can positively affect small businesses. The entire experience was easier than I expected and JJ was well-prepared and professional–and I’m sure glad she was, because it really helped ease my nerves.
And of course, I couldn’t get out the door without using referral networking. The producer asked if I could refer her to other BNI experts to be featured guests! (Who knows–maybe it could be YOU!)
Check out the clip below and tell me what you think.
Where is your cell phone right now? For many of you, you’re reading this blog post on it. For those who aren’t, it’s probably in arm’s reach.
We are always connected to our jobs, our families, our outside lives. All thanks to that little ringing device we carry in our pockets and bags. This state of hyperconnectivity leaves us often dividing our focus, and rarely are we 100 percent paying attention to any given thing.
Check out this week’s video blog by clicking on the graphic below, or clicking here, to hear what I have to say about this rising phenomenon.
I have been doing video blogs for quite a few years now and a while back it occurred to me that some of the videos I’ve previously posted focus on timeless topics that deserve to be revisited and not buried way back in the video blog archive. For this reason, I decided to occasionally feature a “classic” video blog from my blog archive and today I am sharing the fourth one–”Networking Faux Pas: Not Following Up”
In this video, I talk about the faux pas which I see happen most out of all the faux pas which can possibly occur in the world of networking. It also happens to be the faux pas which frustrates me the most (Seriously–it drives me crazy!)–it’s when you give a networking partner a referral and they drop the ball and don’t follow up on it.
Remember, if you aren’t following up when your referral partners call you and/or aren’t following up on the referrals you’re given, you’re not just losing business . . . you’re also losing your credibility and that’s something which is extremely difficult to earn back. So, for those of us in parts of the world who are currently starting a brand new year, why not make a vow right now to make following up our number one networking priority this year? I guarantee it will pay off in big ways.
Have you had an experience where you gave a referral to someone and they didn’t follow up on it? If so, will you continue to give that person referrals? Or, have you dropped the ball on following up on a referral before? If the answer is yes, did you learn a lesson from it? Please share your experiences in the comment forum below. Thanks!
