Everybody is somebody’s somebody.

It all depends on what we see when we see people.

When we sit down on a bus next to a complete stranger, we
have a choice. We can take the easy way out, crack open a book, put in our ear
buds and disappear into ourselves.

Or we can say hello. We can notice people. We can create an
act of connection in a moment of silence.

It doesn’t work every
time, but we have a lot of times.

What’s neat is, once we have a chance encounter with a
stranger that changes everything, we start to see strangers differently. Our
posture changes. What we see when we see people isn’t what it used to be.

And that’s when the real fun begins.

Not because we see somebody as a mark, but because we view
every interaction as a chance to change somebody’s world.

Maybe theirs, maybe ours, or maybe both.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

How many people did you go out of your way to ignore last week?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “19 Telltale Signs of the Perfect Job,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2012-2013!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

I was flying to Denver when it happened.

I was preparing my notes for a speech called, The Entrepreneur’s Dilemma. The focus of the presentation was how loneliness was an inevitable landmark of the entrepreneurial landscape, and how to manage it. A topic near and dear to my heart.

The guy next to me couldn’t help but notice my screen. After about twenty minutes of sneaking glances, he finally asked, “So, Scott, are you writing a book?”

Headphones still in, I said yes.

Next, he asked about the topic of the book. And I said something vague like “communication.” Being on a roll with my work, I didn’t want to give an answer that garnered too many follow up questions.

Couldn’t this guy see that I was busy trying to write about loneliness?

I went back to my work.

About thirty seconds later, he asked another question. Then another. And another. Apparently he had never met an author before and was curious about the publishing process.

Seriously. This guy really needs to leave me alone. How am I supposed to finish writing this piece about how lonely I am if –

Oh. Right.

Standing on a whale, fishing for minnows.

Smacked in the face with a healthy dose of irony. I wised up, unplugged and started talking to him.

Nice guy, actually. He was an entrepreneur himself.

And I asked him, “What takes you out to Denver?”

“My father’s funeral.”

Oh.

And I thought I was lonely.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

How many people did you go out of your way to ignore last week?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “12 Ways to Out Service Your Competitors,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2012-2013!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

We’ll never run out of reasons not to do something.

Our capacity to rationalize our way out of anything will always be available. Human beings, more than any other species, have an infinite ability to procrastinate their way to inaction. We can put things off like bumblebees can fly.

Eventually, though, we have to decide.

To move our dreams out of dream form, we have to figure out what’s important to us, honestly admit what we’re really afraid of, calculate what we’re willing to lose and then go, go, go make something happen.

Otherwise it will never happen. The resistance will win. And we’ll reluctantly join the ranks of the wannabes, gonnabes and nevergonnabes, reminiscing about dreams we once had, but never did anything about.

The exciting part is, no matter how many excuses, no matter how many reasons we have not to do something, all we need is one really good reason to say yes.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What do you need to decide?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “12 Ways to Out Service Your Competitors,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2012-2013!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

I recently chatted with woman who ran a mom and pop garden center.

When we got on the topic of word of mouth, Ellen bragged about how her customers rarely told people about her plants.

I was confused. Anonymity didn’t seem like something to be proud of.

Until she told me what one of her customers told her.

“I love your flowers, so please don’t send me your catalogs. I don’t want my neighbors to know where I buy them.”

Yes, it’s a selfish thing to request. And yes, it’s a frustrating marketing dilemma for any business to manage. But this level of loyalty, this echelon of exclusivity, might contain huge leverage potential.

Sometimes buzz that goes the wrong way, goes a long way.

Because if a business is willing to stay small, willing to focus all of its energy on a single, narrow, high-end micro audience – who buys enough to keep the lights on – maybe it doesn’t matter if not everybody’s talking about us.

Maybe all we need is a small handful of people who love us to help our brand last forever.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

Who’s afraid to tell people about you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS… 

For the list called, “50 Questions Every Entrepreneur Should Ask,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting

[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2012-2013!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!