Bob Takes the ALS Ice Bucket Challengestring(38) "Bob Takes the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge"

September 4, 2014
, , Bob, Giving, Uncategorized, Video Blog 1

Just last week, I took the ice bucket challenge which has gone viral in social media and is sweeping the U.S. by storm.  After I posted my video, several people e-mailed in asking if my sidekick Bob (check out photos of Bob here) was going to take the challenge so I asked him if he was willing and it turns out he was happy to comply. 😉

The purpose of the ice bucket challenge is to raise awareness and raise research funds for the neurodegenerative disease Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) which is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.  While the ALS Association’s rules for the challenge require either getting a bucket of ice water dumped on your head or making a donation, many people appear to be doing both and that’s what both Bob and I did.

As the rules for the ice bucket challenge state that you must nominate three additional people, Bob has nominated his friends Waldo (of “Where’s Waldo?” fame), the Elf on the Shelf, and Big Bird.  Bob says he’s looking forward to seeing their ice bucket challenge videos and that although the rules state that they can always simply donate $100 to help ALSA research for a cure for ALS if they don’t want to dump ice water on their head, he’s hoping that they’ll choose to do both.

So far, the ALSA has raised over $42 million through the ice bucket challenge and Bob and I are proud to be a part of that.  If you’d like to donate, you can do that by hitting the easy-to-find “donate” button on their website.

If you have taken the ice bucket challenge, or if you have or know someone with ALS, we’d really like to hear about your experience.  Please share your thoughts in the comment forum below so, together, we can help raise awareness.

Sometimes You’ve Just ‘Gotta Do What You’ve Gotta Do’string(77) "Sometimes You’ve Just ‘Gotta Do What You’ve Gotta Do’"

September 19, 2013
, , , , , , Bob, Credibility, Ivan Misner, Self Development 5

I really believe that sometimes you’ve just ‘gotta do what you’ve gotta do’ in order to stay true to what you know is right.  Last week I happened to tell three of my staff members a personal story about a time back during my days of teaching college that they really responded to.  All three of them urged me to tell the story on one of my video blog posts because it focuses on something we all struggle with from time to time . . . doing the right thing when it’s not so easy to do.

In business and in life, we’re all faced with dilemmas once in a while where it seems like the only option is to abandon doing what we know is the right thing because we feel (or are made to feel) like we don’t have a choice.  However, there’s always a choice; even though sometimes doing the right thing involves making yourself uncomfortable and being willing to put yourself in a position you don’t want to be in, it’s still the right thing and that’s important to remember because we each have to live with our own decisions.

Watch the video to hear about a predicament I found myself in where my higher ups were trying to force me to break my word and go back on a commitment I’d made.  I was in a very uncomfortable situation and it put me in a position where my job was on the line if I didn’t do what I felt was wrong.  I’m glad to say, however, that to this day, I have no regrets in how I handled it and I hope that sharing this story causes others to really think about the importance of doing the right thing even when it could mean losing something that means a lot to you or something that you really need.

If you have a story of your own about how you stood up and did the right thing for the sake of doing the right thing even though it was really hard for you, I’d really love to hear it.  Please share your story in the comment forum below and, as with some of my other more recent video blogs, this one also features my good friend Bob.  If you know where Bob is hiding in this video, be one of the first ten people to share your story and to also add  a note after your story correctly pinpointing where you see Bob and I’ll send you a surprise gift that will help build your networking skills.  (Note: To ensure you receive your gift, please e-mail your name and complete mailing address to Lransom@bni.com with the subject line “Bob.”)  I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

What to Do Before You Start Networkingstring(38) "What to Do Before You Start Networking"

September 12, 2013
, , , Bob, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Video Blog 8

I met a businesswoman some time ago who approached me and asked if she could have a few minutes of my time to pick my brain because she was really having a hard time building her network.  I think the information I shared with her will likely be useful to many BusinessNetworking.com blog readers as well so today I’d like to share this video with you where I talk about what to do before you start networking.

Whether you think you’ve got your networking tactics pretty well nailed down or not, I’m willing to bet you’ll learn a thing or two from this video so take a few minutes to watch it and then ask yourself these questions:

1. Why are you in business?

– What do you love to do?
– How does your business serve others?

2. What do you sell?

– What are the benefits of your products/services?

3. Who are your customers?

– What niche do you prefer to work with?

4. What are your core competencies?

– What do you do best?

5. How well do you compete?

– How do you stand out from your competition?

Also, here’s the link to the video I made last year with Eddie Esposito of the Referral Institute: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vgnZuAjFGO8 and, as I mention in this video, I would love to hear your additional ideas and creative tactics for teaching people how to refer you so please share your thoughts in the comment forum below.  And, by the way, this is one of the special videos where Bob is playing his famous hide-and-seek game so for the first ten people who add to their comment where Bob makes his cameo appearance (and get the answer right) during the video, I’ll send them a surprise gift which will help them boost their networking knowledge!  (Note: To ensure you receive your gift, please e-mail your name and complete mailing address to Lransom@bni.com with the subject line “Bob.”)  I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

How to Invest Your Time & Money for the Highest Returnstring(59) "How to Invest Your Time & Money for the Highest Return"

August 29, 2013
, , , , , Business, Educational Resources, Entrepreneurial Enterprise, ROI, Self Development, Strategic Planning, Strategy, Success, Video Blog 14

In this video, I talk about how to invest time and money into your business in the way that will ultimately pay the highest return–education.

Many businesses fail within their first three years of existence because they only pay lip service to education yet aren’t willing to invest the time, effort, and money into learning about how to continually grow and develop in order to achieve the business goals and the vision they outlined for themselves at the start.

The fact is, people who immerse and engage in a culture of learning are much, much more successful than those who don’t. Watch the video now to learn about an action you can take this week that will help you measure whether or not you’re investing enough of your time and money into what will truly help your business earn more and achieve more. 

BobGrowthGraphI’m quite interested in hearing your thoughts on this video, your comments about what you currently do in order to invest in educating yourself to build your business, and also your results from carrying out the action item I explain at the end of the video.  Please leave your feedback regarding any or all of these things in the comment forum below, and for the first ten people who add to their comment where Bob makes his cameo appearance (and get the answer right) during the video, I’ll send them a surprise gift that will most definitely help them invest in their networking education!  (Note: To ensure you receive your gift, please e-mail your name and complete mailing address to erin@bni.com with the subject line “Bob.”)  I’m looking forward to hearing from you!

Want Visibility, Credibility, & Profitability? First You Need One Thing . . . Relationshipsstring(96) "Want Visibility, Credibility, & Profitability? First You Need One Thing . . . Relationships"

August 22, 2013
, , , Building Relationships, Connections, Credibility, Giving, Ivan Misner, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Online Networking, Profitability, Relationships, Self Development, Success, VCP Process, Video Blog, Visibility 17

I’ve mentioned the VCP Process® time and time again throughout the years on this blog site because we simply can’t achieve success at networking without strategically building visibility, earning credibility, and then ultimately gaining profitability.  The key to all three of these things, however, is found in one thing . . . relationships.

In this short video, my good friend Lisa Nichols and I explain how building quality relationships is the single most powerful thing you can do to position yourself for success and fulfillment in every area of your life.  As Lisa puts it, when you nurture your relationships with good intention, people will innately want to give back to you.  Lisa talks about how she has built her entire business through investing in quality relationships (as have I) and because of this, her business has grown by double digits each and every year.

Lisa and I are a perfect example of how building quality relationships with others can enrich your life and your business in amazing ways.  Over the years since we first met at a TLC Conference, we have developed a deep respect for one another and an irreplaceable friendship through our mutual dedication to helping each other in any way we can.

Watch the video now and think about how you might take specific actions in the coming weeks to invest in building quality relationships with those around you . . . who would you most like to approach and ask, “How can I help you? . . . Is there something I might be able to do for you in order to help you meet your goals?”

I would love to hear your feedback on this video or how you are going to take action in the near future toward nurturing your new and existing relationships.  Please leave your ideas and thoughts in the comment forum below–AND . . . I’ll send a surprise gift to the first ten people who add to their comment the correct answer as to where another of my good friends (Bob) is hiding in this video.  He may not be so easy to spot this time but I promise he’s there just begging to be noticed!  (NOTE: To ensure you receive your gift, you’ll need to send your full name and mailing address to Erin@bni.com after you leave your comment in the comment forum below).  Thanks in advance for your input and participation!

Bob2

Also, Bob says he really recommends that you click here (www.MotivatingTheMasses.com) to read more about Lisa and the inspiring work she does on a daily basis. 

 

How To Avoid Embarrassment When You Can’t Remember Someone’s Namestring(77) "How To Avoid Embarrassment When You Can’t Remember Someone’s Name"

August 15, 2013
, , , , , Conversation, Introducing Yourself, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Video Blog 41

If you’ve ever been approached by someone and drawn a complete blank trying to remember their name, or even where you know them from, you know how awkward and embarrassing that situation can be.

In this video, I share a story from one of my blog readers which describes a scenario of this very nature and I answer his question of what I would have done if I were in the same sticky situation.

As part of my answer, I explain what has worked for me in the past at times when I’ve been caught in uncomfortable situations similar to the one the blog reader found himself in and I offer two specific actions you can take to handle situations like these with diplomacy in order to avoid embarrassment.

After watching the video, I’d love for you to let me know what you think of my approach and, even better, I’d love to hear your additional ideas and suggestions for handling these kinds of potentially embarrassing situations.  As an added incentive, for the first 10 people who leave a comment with feedback on what I discuss in the video and/or share their own ideas on the topic AND ALSO correctly pinpoint where Bob is hiding (mention where Bob is hiding along with your comment), I’ll mail you a prize that will help enhance your networking efforts (to ensure you receive your prize, you’ll need to send your full name and mailing address to Erin@bni.com after you leave your comment in the comment forum below).  Thanks in advance for your input and participation!

Bob

Meet Bob, a World Traveler & Networking V.I.P.string(51) "Meet Bob, a World Traveler & Networking V.I.P."

August 8, 2013
, , , Building Relationships, Connections, Global Business, Ivan Misner, Networking, Networking Prep, Networking Tactics, Relationships, Travel, Video Blog 9

Fourteen years ago, I met Bob.  Bob has since then traveled to every part of the world I’ve been to and met thousands of people in the process as my right-hand wing-man and networking partner extraordinaire.

I wrote a blog some time ago telling Bob’s story because he’s a very important person in the way that he can teach us all a thing or two about staying connected.  This video is Bob’s first video blog appearance on BusinessNetworking.com and I’m excited to say that it certainly won’t be his last video blog appearance.  Watch the video now to find out more about Bob and why you’ll definitely be seeing a lot more of him.

Also, be sure to read the full story about Bob by CLICKING HERE.  Once you read his story you’ll have a much better understanding why he’s such a popular and well-loved networker and you’ll appreciate him a lot more when he makes his upcoming video cameos.

After watching the video and reading Bob’s story, I’d love to hear your comments on what you think about Bob or your stories about different ways (whether they’re similar to Bob or not) that you stay connected when you’re traveling both near and far.  Thanks in advance for your input!