Just GO.

How much time do you spend getting ready to get ready?

ANSWER: Too much.

Just GO.

Just start. Just buy it. Just register the website. Just start writing. Just start blogging. Just start Tweeting. Just write your idea down.

Just GO.

Just dive in. Just do something. Just eat it. Just make some art. Just make a move. Just say hi. Just start asking people. Just start the story. Just begin the book. Just buy the sonovabitch.

Just GO.

Those are two of the best words of advice I’ve ever been given. As a writer, as an entrepreneur and as a human. Just go.

What about you? What excuses are preventing you from getting started?

Here are five examples for putting this philosophy into practice…

1. Don’t be stopped by not knowing how. HOW is overrated. HOW is for MBA’s. HOW is a dream destroyer. For now, focus all your energy and attention on the WHAT. The HOW will eventually show up. WHAT dictates HOW. WHAT is all you need for now. Are you willing to plunge forward planless?

2. Launch and learn. This is the new model. Especially online. No longer is it, “Create, Edit, Launch,” but rather, “Create, Launch, Edit.” Ready, fire and aim. That’s exactly what I did (and continue to do) with NametagTV. What factors are holding you back from going live TODAY?

3. Document as you develop. Learn while you DO. Make records of lessons. Ask yourself questions like: What did I (just) learn from this experience? What happened to me during this experience? What fundamental principles might be at work here? Learn to objectively step out of what you’re doing and look at yourself and the situation from a different plane of consciousness. Make it a self-feeding, self-repeating cycle. How many instruction manuals have YOU written?

4. Start small grow slow. That means patience. That means working hard, long and smart. That means not making any money for a while. That means divorcing your ego and NOT hosting some huge launch party. That means being a secret for a while, then showing up on people’s radars and then becoming an overnight success five years later. How patient are you willing to be?

5. Write a Puke List. The moment you get a new idea, the first thing you need to do is regurgitate every single thought in your head ABOUT that idea onto sheet of paper. No stopping. No evaluating. No appraising. No judging. Just write. List until you’ve got nothing left to list. Empty your mind. Puking leads to clarifying, clarifying leads to understanding, understanding leads to wisdom, and wisdom leads to WALLET. Your wallet, that is. A big ol’ fat one. What did you write today?

REMEMBER: Just go.

Post those two words on a sticky note right now.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What do you have to do to make soaring unpreventable?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “65 Things I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me When I Started My Company,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.
Always about sticking yourself out there.

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

Who wants to sit in your radius?

As a professional speaker, I love watching other speakers do their thing.

Especially the really, really good ones.

EXAMPLE: A few months ago I delivered the keynote address at a recruiting conference. After four standing ovations and three encores (I kid, I kid) I had some time to kill before my flight back to St. Louis. Now, this doesn’t happen to me that often, so I was pretty stoked. I ended up attending a breakout session hosted by my friend Jeff.

Why?

Well, Jeff IS one of the really, really good ones. So, I went to his session not because I wanted to learn or to take notes or get my next million-dollar idea. But rather because Jeff – this cool, successful, wealthy, happy, balanced, healthy, vastly experienced, brilliant man – is someone you just want to be in the radius of. (Can you tell I have a bit of a man-crush on him?)

Certain people, special people, don’t really have to say or do that much….

They just have to BE. And with that simple state of being, that existence, they influence you. They change you. They inspire you and teach you.

What about you? Who wants to sit in YOUR radius?

Here’s a list of 23 practices, behaviors and actions you can start implementing TODAY to increase the number of people who want to sit in your radius.

While you’re reading this list, I’d also like you to be thinking about (1) whose radius YOU want to sit in, (2) why you want to sit there, and (3) how you can emulate those traits in your own daily life.

1. Affirm people earlier. Lay a foundation of affirmation. In conversations. In sales calls. In meetings. In relationships. Ensure that people feel important, valued and validated. How are you laying a foundation of affirmation?

2. Allow people’s feelings Never under any circumstances say, “You don’t really feel that way.” People are entitled to feel however they want. You job is to dance in the moment. To respond to their present experience. When was the last time someone cried in front of you?

3. Awaken people’s curiosity. You do this by being curious yourself. By asking killer questions. By finding absolutely everything absurdly interesting. And when you’re passionate about questioning and discovering and exploring, it’s contagious. How many times a day do you say, “Huh … Now THAT’s interesting…”?

4. Bring people joy. If you concentrate on doing this at least three times a day, your life won’t just BE swell; it will swell with happiness and purpose. And so will the lives of the people you touch. Try playing the “Let’s See How Many People I Can Make Smile Today” game. How many people did you look in the eye and say thank you to yesterday?

5. Capture people’s imagination. Don’t give advice; tell stories. Don’t puke your boring company history; travel back in time with customers. Don’t give lectures; paint pictures. Einstein was right: Imagination is more important than knowledge. Are you boring people? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

6. Change people’s metaphors. When you change their metaphors, you change their language. When you change their language, you change their thinking. When you change their thinking, you rock their world. Whose thinking are you reframing?

7. Cheer people on. The more cheerleaders people have, the easier it is for them to win. For example: Ever seen The Packers play a home game at Lambeau Field in December? Insane. Even if the opposing team wins, you KNOW their players were scared shitless the whole time. Are you that supportive of YOUR people?

8. Exhaust people’s limits. Try pushing them a little harder. And a little harder. And a little harder. Don’t kill ‘em, but challenge people to create new edges for themselves. As my yoga instructor says, “Stretch their bodies and minds and souls to a point where they’re not in pain; but where pain is definitely possible.” Whom are YOU stretching?

9. Get people involved. Which is pretty easy to do, once you know what they’re passionate about. All you have to do is embed their passion into the pavement that leads the way. Then they’ll arrive quicker, healthier, happier and with more ownership because THEY created the path. Whose passion are you excavating?

10. Give people permission. To share. To open up. To be themselves. To ask questions. To fail. To be wrong. To be ignorant (not stupid, but ignorant.) To make mistakes. To kick ass. To succeed. To win. What are you giving people permission to do?

11. Hear people out. Another fun one is the “Let’s See How Long I Can Go Without Speaking” game. It’s fun, challenging, healthy and usually results in the other person making creative breakthroughs. How quickly do you interrupt people?

12. Ignore people’s titles. President? CFO? Receptionist? Janitor? Who the hell cares. The only label people should ever be called by is their name. Because they’re a human being. That’s it. Titles alienate people. Titles are overrated. Next time someone asks you something like, “So then, are you a Buddhist?” reply with, “Nope, I’m a human!” What unnecessary title is preventing people from getting to know the REAL you?

13. Keep people moving. No movement, no money. No movement, no progress. Period. You’ve got to get crackin.’ Even if it’s not much. Infinitesimal as the movement may seem, something is better than nothing. Saddle up, partner! What happened the last you’re your team stopped moving?

14. Lead people’s thinking. Be the spark; then shut up and get out of the way. Ask a few key questions; then trust people to tap their inner resources. More than likely, they’ll drum up their own solutions that are more accurate, more richly supported, more precise and more THEIRS than whatever you could have come up with. Are you an idea midwife?

15. Make people better. No, wait. I’m wrong. What I meant to say was, “The only person you can make better is yourself.” However, in so doing, perhaps your growth and increasing awesomeness will inspire others. Perhaps your minor improvements will remind them that they can do the same. Whose personal development are you inspiring?

16. Number people’s feelings. Ask them, “On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate your (X).” Sure, it sounds a bit clinical. But it’s the best way to gauge their status, get a clear reading, then figure out where to go from there. How are you objectifying people intangibles?

17. Release people’s genius. Constantly create situations that make it easy for proplr to shine. Steer the conversation into the direction of their passion and expertise, step back and watch them glow. Like playing a game of Cranium. You just smile and clap and ask them to do it again. Hooray! Bravo! Encore! Uno Mas! Are you enabling people to do what they do best?

18. Remember people’s answers. Paraphrasing is overrated. Telling people, “So, what I’m hearing you say is…” has a tendency to sound a bit contrived, almost as if you were trying REALLY hard to look like a good listener. Which, of course, means you weren’t actually listening.

SUGGESTION: Next time you’re listening to a customer or employee or family member, trying repeating their EXACT words back to them. Take notes too. I promise you: This practice will show prove that you were truly listening. How are demonstrating the size of your ears?

19. Study people’s minds. Their thought patterns. Their questions. Their reasonings. Their rationalizations. Their brain workings. Ask yourself: “I wonder what caused him to do that?” and “Hmm … what pattern of thinking is she operating from?” This will help you understand them better AND motivate your own melon. Whose brain are you dissecting?

20. Tell people why. Never assume anyone knows your reasoning for doing anything. So, don’t DEFEND yourself; explain yourself. Make your motivations and intentions crystal clear. When you tell people why, they’re more likely to (1) believe you, (2) understand you, and (3) respond TO you. Are you constantly making people aware of your Why?

21. Train people’s eyes. Ever tried to show someone how to stare at a Magic Eye poster? You probably said something like, “Just relax your eyes, soften your gaze and don’t look at anything particular.” The same process goes for life. When you’re with someone, explain your thinking process out loud as you observe. Let them hear how you process your visuals. Explain your inner monologue. Let them hear how you ask yourself questions. Whose eyes are YOU training?

22. Understand people better. It starts with maintaining an attitude of curiosity. That means exploration, not accusation; fascination, not frustration. Becoming insanely interested in why people do and say what they do and say. Then, it continues with patient listening. That means questioning. That means pausing. That means listening (and hearing) people’s language patterns and conversational tendencies. Finally, it means clarifying. Asking people if what you’ve interpreted is what they meant to communicate. Why are you listening?

23. Unlock people’s brilliance. First, you’ve got to trust that people inherently possess brilliance, buried deep beneath the surface. Second, you’ve got to be willing to divorce your ego, ask more questions, grow bigger ears and shut up quicker. Third, you’ve got to let THEM figure it out – that is, let THEM say it, know it, do it, BE it – by their own merit.

Finally, you’ve got to constantly reinforce people’s brilliance by reminding them what a Smokin’ Hot Piece of Brain Candy they really are. These four keys, when practiced regularly, will unlock the door to people’s brilliance. How can you make this person look and feel smarter?

REMEMBER: You can choose to influence people through (1) what you believe, (2) what you say, (3) what you do, or, best of all, (4) who you are.

The choice is yours.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Who wants to sit in your radius?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “14 Strategies to become the BEST Listener You Know,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

Nobody talking about your business?

Bummer. Perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!

19 Things Successful People Need to BECOME

When I started writing books in 2002, I decided that they wouldn’t be categorized as “How-To” books.

But rather: “How-To BECOME” books.

I think “becoming” is cool. Plain and simple. Especially the last three letters of the word: -ING

-ING represents a lifelong process.
-ING represents continuous improvement.
-ING represents growth and change and maturity.

It’s like my mentor, Bill Jenkins, used to tell us when we were kids: “You are in the process of becoming what you will someday become.”

What about you? What are you BECOMING?

I’ve been asking myself that question for several years now, and I’ve discovered that it doesn’t warrant just ONE answer. Each of us is becoming a lot of different things. So, today I’d like to share my (unfinished) list with you. I say unfinished because since becoming IS a process, I imagine my list will change over time. And so will yours…

NOTE: While you’re reading, think about your own life – your own process of becoming – and consider what items might be on YOUR list.

19 Things Successful People Need to Become

1. Become a Questionnaire. Be known for your questions. Be known for your attitude of curiosity. Be known as a thinker. Are your questions changing people?

2. Become an Apprentice. Think Skywalker. Think Yoda. Find some old dude who’s achieved great success in your field. Buy him lunch once a month, ask questions, shut up and take notes. Who’s your Jedi Master?

3. Become an Asker. The smartest, wealthiest and successful-est people in the world know how to ask. They ask for help. They ask for clarification. They ask for coaching. They ask for the sale. They ask for the sake of asking. They ask for themselves. They ask for others. What are you afraid to ask for?

4. Become an Explorer. When I was growing up, one of our favorite movies was called Explorers, staring Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix. Coolest movie ever. The film was about these nerdy teenagers who built a spaceship from junkyard parts and an Apple II, then traveled around the universe. Add it to your Netflix cue TODAY. Anyway, I don’t really have a point here. I just think exploring is cool and fun and, most importantly, important. What did you discover this week?

5. Become emotionally naked. Stick yourself – your truth – out there. Just try it. See how people respond. Odds are, they’ll appreciate your radical honesty and reciprocate. And if they don’t, fine. Screw ‘em. Don’t assume they have good taste. What part of your truth are you hiding?

6. Become idea prone. Don’t just read a bunch of books on creativity. Actually practice it. Do it. BE it. See how many ideas you can come up with per day for a week. There might be a lot of crap, but certainly a few diamonds will surface. Besides, the best way to have an awesome idea is to have a lot of not-so-awesome ideas. How many ideas did you come up with last week?

7. Become immensely successful. The cool part is, you accomplish this NOT by striving to become successful; but by intentional dedication to truth, service, purpose, passion, validation, and of course, being the BEST. What type of success are you trying to achieve?

8. Become incredibly selfish. Not all the time. But give yourself permission to spoil yourself. To do something just for you. To be completely self-serving, self-absorbed, self-centered and self-involved. As long as you do it with awareness and in moderation, it’s all good. Are you spoiling yourself enough?

9. Become less anonymous. Stop being a secret. Stop winking in the dark. Anonymity is bankruptcy. Get busy getting visible. Get noticed, get remembered and GET business. Who knows you?

10. Become less rigid. Flexibility is attractive. Become known as someone who goes with the flow. Someone who’s willing to say, “Whatever…” Where are you too stiff?

11. Become marginally extroverted. Even if you’re introverted. Even if you’re shy. Even if you hate parties. You’ve GOT to stick yourself out there, at least a little. And if you’re having trouble figuring out what to say, that’s easy. Just get on the topic of passion. It changes everything. How many people did you go out of your way to ignore last week?

12. Become more yielding. Don’t try, allow. Don’t fight, welcome. Stop resisting what IS, and just let it be. Whatever IT is. As it says in The Tao De Ching, “Any over determined action produces its exact opposite.” So, think of yourself as a rock in a stream, letting the water wash over you. You’ll be fine. What are you resisting?

13. Become radically loving. Jesus and Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. did this. And their actions sent a powerful message that resonated forever, notwithstanding the fact that they were all murdered. So, sure, radically loving people is unexpected and scary and abnormal. But MAN does it make people wake up and notice you. Who hates you that you love in return?

14. Become so effortless. That people can’t even tell you’re doing what you’re doing. That you make it look easy. Like you’ve been doing this all your life. All you need to do is practice, practice, practice. What can you do without thinking?

15. Become spontaneously cooperative. “Agree with thy adversary quickly,” as it says in the Gospel of Matthew. Great advice. Kind of reminds me of a book called Aikido for Life, in which the author writes, “Unified intention can accept and redirect the most awesome brute strength … Conflict must be viewed in terms of the importance you consciously assign to it … There is an inordinate premium placed on a quick response.” Sweet. How quickly are you cooperating?

16. Become the shaper. Of your moments. Of your days. Of your life. Of your BEING. And, of other people’s thoughts. Of other people’s lives. Of other people’s BEING. Whom are you molding?

17. Become totally empty. Of thoughts, expectations, evaluations, appraisals and judgments. Now, obviously, this is a pretty tough practice to master. It takes a lifetime. But, even in the smallest moments, if you can learn to empty yourself – to “take out the trash” as Zen masters suggest – you will be able to move swiftly and brilliantly from a peaceful center. What mental clutter is blocking your progress?

18. Become unconditionally constructive. That doesn’t mean being a know-it-all, having an answer for everything or morphing into a Bottomless Solution Dispenser. It means collaborations, critiques and suggestions; not groundless criticism. Whom are you building up?

19. Become your beliefs. Stop thinking things. Stop believing things. Stop talking about things. Wisdom comes from DOING. That means action and trying and experimenting and experiencing and, often times, failing. That’s how you become your beliefs. And nobody can argue with those results. What are you talking shit about but not doing shit about?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are you becoming?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “65 Things I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me When I First Started My Company,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

New website go live this week?

Tune in to The Entrepreneur Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on spreading the word!

13 Practices to Parlay Passion into Profit

“When passion is involved, the rules change.”

That sentence is NOT a scientifically proven fact.
That sentence is NOT a Wikipedia entry.
That sentence is NOT a statistic.

Good.

I don’t believe in statistics. Statistics prove NOTHING. Statistics are fabricated pieces of bullshite that people manipulate to make themselves look better.

I believe in EXPERIENCE … because it is founded upon TRUTH.

And truth is currency.

When passion is involved, the rules change.

That’s what’s been on my mind a lot lately: Passion.

So, I wanted to share a few ideas on the topic of passion.

In no particular order, here’s a list called 13 Ways to Parlay Passion into Profit:

1. Channel your passion. Into your job. Into your family. Into your life. Into everything. Think of yourself as a conduit. A catalyst. Find a way to embed passion into the pavement that leads the way to wherever you’re going. You’ll arrive there faster, better, with more fun and by your own design. Where are you channeling YOUR passion?

2. Convert your passions. Into a job, a cause, a mission, a movement or a purpose that gets you out of bed thirty minutes before your alarm goes off. Transform that which lights your heart and soul on fire and leverage it in the service of others, of the world, and of God. What gets you so excited that you can’t WAIT to get out of bed in the morning?

3. Express unqualified passion. You don’t need a degree. You don’t need a certification. You need to have love and longing and LIGHTNING in your heart. Because the world cannot resist a man on a mission. And there is nothing more attractive, more approachable and more beautiful than a person exploding with passion. What comes OOZING out of you that inspires others?

4. Have secondary passions. It’s OK to have more than one passion. Maybe one is your job, one is your solace and one is your service to your community. It doesn’t matter. Have as many passions as you want. It doesn’t matter WHAT you’re passionate about; it only matter THAT your passionate about something. What three things do you HAVE to do every day?

5. Have sweeping passion. Don’t be afraid to say, “My passion is PEOPLE,” or “My passion is helping others,” or “My passion is humor.” Cool. It doesn’t have to be something specific. Make it broad. Make it bold. Make it huge. Allow sub-passions to formulate on their own. What generalities get YOUR blood flowing?

6. Let passion prioritize. Passion makes decision making easier. Use it as your barometer, your compass, your map and your walking stick. Let passion lead the way. Organize your life around your passions. Ask yourself what your top three passions are. Then ask yourself what your top three activities during your week are. See if they’re aligned. If not, no worries. That just means it’s time to re-prioritize. How are YOU using your passion in your decision making process?

7. Make passion palpable. So obvious that you don’t even need to tell people what you passion is. So unarguable that it’s assumed you’re completed obsessed and driven by it. There’s no question in people’s mind about what flavor of Kool-Aid you’ve been chugging all day. What is it about you that you can’t help but NOT do?

8. Mobilize your passion. Use it in the service of others. Give it wheels and legs. Think of it as the coal powering the locomotive of your life. Stop watching TV. (Except for this channel.) Get off your ass and get off to the races, whatever races are needed to move closer to the validation of your existence. What is it about you that you can’t help but not BE?

9. Passion creates fire. In your heart. In your eyes. In your body. In your soul. What’s more, the fire created by passion is SO contagious, it unflinchingly burns and chars and smokes everything it its path – yet in a good way. The type of fire you never want to douse. The type of fire you gladly watch with joy as the light and heat soaks your being. What types of flames are YOU emitting?

10. Practice with passion. How you play is how you practice. Period. Not just for sports, but also for any action you’re preparing for. Whether you’re in a hotel room in Columbus the night before a HUGE speech; sitting in your rental care in the parking lot of a BIG customer, ready to close that sale; or whether you’re sitting in the bathroom stall going over your vows before you tie the knot … practice with passion. It’ll make your final performance a cakewalk. How are you inserting passion into YOUR preparation process?

11. Reawaken your passion. Maybe it was overshadowed, blocked or buried somewhere along the way. Maybe your inner choir of vicious voices – comprised of parents, teachers, religious leaders and siblings – put your passion to bed. Fine. Get over it. Wake that sumbich up and announce to the world, “Guess who’s back…!” Whom are YOU ready to make look like an idiot?

12. Remain passionate despite. Despite the haters. Despite constant failure. Despite having no idea what hell you’re doing. Despite ANYTHING. Suck it up. Keep the flame of passion burning voraciously for as long as you’re still breathing. Do that, and the spirit of your passion will remain alive forever, even when you’re six feet under. What will YOU be buried with?

13. Suffering breeds passion. From great suffering comes great awakening. So, next time you go through something really terrible, really big or really ugly, remember that the suffering you’re experiencing is the gateway to something awesome, something enlightening. You may not know it at the time, and it may take a few months or even years until you realize it, but never forget that beautiful flowers can still grow in a pile of manure. What is this atrocity teaching YOU?

When passion is involved, the rules change.

That’s what my experience (not Wikipedia) has taught me.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How are you parlaying passion into profit?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “6 Ways to Out Position Your Competition,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

Want to make money off of your passion?

Tune in to The Entrepreneur Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on spreading the word!

What are you a student of?

So, I took a day off last week to relax, recoup and reenergize.

At about 10:30 AM, I walked up to the patio tables at my favorite Starbucks. The air had a fall crispiness that made me smile. It was sunny and smelled like leaves.

I had a few books with me, along with my Pilot V5 Precise, the greatest writing pen I’ve ever used.

I sat down with my Orange Spice tea next to two guys and a dog.

The dog’s name was Oscar. He was a Boxer/Great Dane mix.

One of the guys looked over to me, noticed my books and asked, “So, Scott, are you a student?”

“Yep,” I said.

“Really? What school do you go to?”

“School…?”

“Yeah. You know, Wash U, UMSL, SLU?”

“Oh. Yeah, I don’t go to school.”

“But you said you were a student, right?”

“Right.”

He looked confused.

“I guess I didn’t realize you had to attend school to be a student,” I said.

He smiled.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are you a student of?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “23 Ways to Learn a LOT at a Really Young Age,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

Who’s telling their friends about YOU?

Tune in to The Marketing Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on spreading the word!

13 Random Thoughts on Passion I Couldn’t Hold in Any Longer

“When passion is involved, the rules change.”

That sentence is NOT a scientifically proven fact.
That sentence is NOT a Wikipedia entry.
That sentence is NOT a statistic.

Good.

I don’t believe in statistics. Statistics prove NOTHING. Statistics are fabricated pieces of bullshite that people manipulate to make themselves look better.

I believe in EXPERIENCE … because it is founded upon TRUTH.

And truth is currency.

“When passion is involved, the rules change.”

That’s what’s been on my mind a lot lately: Passion. So, I wanted to share 13 ideas on the topic of passion. In no particular order, with no particular agenda:

8. Mobilize your passion. Use it in the service of others. Give it wheels and legs. Think of it as the coal powering the locomotive of your life. Stop watching TV. Get off your ass and get off to the races, whatever races are needed to move closer to the validation of your existence. What is it about you that you can’t help but not BE?

9. Passion creates fire. In your heart. In your eyes. In your body. In your soul. What’s more, the fire created by passion is SO contagious, it unflinchingly burns and chars and smokes everything it its path – yet in a good way. The type of fire you never want to douse. The type of fire you gladly watch with joy as the light and heat soaks your being. What types of flames are YOU emitting?

When passion is involved, the rules change.

That’s what my experience has taught me.

Stick yourself (and your passion) out there. TODAY.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Does your calendar reflect your passion?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “”86 Passion-Finding Questions to Discover What You Love,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

Hire Scott to speak at your next company meeting and he will show his nametag tattoo on stage! No extra charge.

Book The Nametag Guy here.

There’s 500 people here – AND THEY’RE ALL WEARING NAMETAGS!

The other day I was in a room surrounded by 500 people, all wearing nametags.

This was both weird and awesome at the same time.

It was weird because I’m not used to OTHER people wearing nametags.

Almost like that scene in Being John Malkovitch when he goes inside his own head, only to be surrounded by dozens of his clones speaking the words, “MalkovitchMalkovitchMalkovitch!”

It was awesome because, for once, I was on the other side of the tag. For once I actually know everyone else’s name. Hooray!

After my workshop was over, one of the women from the audience came up to chat.

“Must be weird seeing everyone ELSE wearing nametags, huh Scott?”
“Yeah, for real,” I said. “But it’s sort of weird and cool at the same time.”

“So then, I gotta ask,” she said, “When everybody wears nametags, do you feel like you’re no longer unique?”

I thought about that for a sec.

“Actually, not at all. As you learned today, there’s nothing unique about wearing a nametag. That might be different, but it’s not unique. See, when I’m surrounded by 500 people wearing nametags, I’m unique because I’m the ONLY person in the room – not who’s WEARING a nametag – but who made a CAREER out of wearing a nametag.”

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you unique or just different?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “16 Questions to Uncover Your Natural-Born Expertise,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.
Always about approachability.

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

But I’ve already seen that movie like, ten times!

Shawshank Redemption is one of the greatest movies ever.

That’s not an opinion, that’s a fact. It’s #72 on The American Film Institute’s list of Top 100 Movies of All Time.

SO THE QUESTION IS: What makes that movie so great?

Yes, the script is brilliant.
After all, it WAS based on a Stephen King short story.

Duh, the cinematography was unreal.
Of course – Sam Mendes directed it.

Sure, the acting is phenomenal.
Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. Can’t beat ‘em.

And of course, the story is incredible.
Remember at the end when the warden finds the tunnel behind the poster of Rita Hayworth and the rock hammer in Andy Dufregne’s bible? Classic!

But there’s another characteristic of that movie that makes it the best.

You can watch Shawshank a hundred times, and still take away something totally different EVERY time.

Ironically, people often complain:

But I’ve already read that book…
But I’ve already seen that movie…
But I’ve already heard that speaker before…

And there is SOME truth to that gripe. I can understand how people wouldn’t want to expose themselves to certain things multiple times; for fear that those things would become repetitive and predictable.
BUT THE REAL THE QUESTION IS: What if it’s not the movie – but rather, YOU – who changed?

Sure, every time you watch Shawshank, the move is going to be the same.

But YOU’RE not.

You can’t step into the same river twice.

AND HERE’S THE SCARY PART: Next time you’re considering NOT reading a book you’ve already read before; NOT watching a movie you’ve already seen before; or NOT listening to a speaker you’ve already heard before, ask yourself this question…

What if your customers said that about YOU?

Nah, we’ve already bought from Dave before. Let’s find a different salesperson this year.

Yikes.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Why are your customers coming BACK to you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “13 Reasons Your Competitors Are Getting More Attention than You,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.
Always about approachability.

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

Three Words of Advice: Ideas

(To read past posts in this series, check this out!)

Become idea prone.
By organizing your inner and outer landscapes.

Create idea-friendly time.
Where anything goes and nothing is judged.

Create self-evident ideas.
Because if they don’t “get it” right away, they never will

Express ideas visually.
It’s easier to infect others with your passion that way.

Hone multiple ideas.
Because there’s never ONE answer.

Ideas create money.
How many ideas did YOU come up with this week?

Just capture ideas.
Because if you don’t write it down, it never happened.

Make Idea Goals.
They’re just as important as your tangible goals.

Need crazy ideas.
To live, work and BE effectively and completely.

Present graspable ideas.
Because you’ve only got a few seconds.

Save bad ideas.
Because you never know when they’ll come in handy.

Sidestep idea grindhouses.
It’s not fair to your inner child.

Synthesize ideas constantly.
Because they’re all connected.

Transplant your ideas.
To multiple domains and dimensions.

Welcome wild ideas.
They’re healthy for the creative soul.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How many ideas did you have today?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “49 Ways to become an Idea Powerhouse,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

Is your frontline IN line?

Tune in to The Frontline Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on delivering unforgettable service!

10 Questions that Changed My Business Forever

There is nothing more powerful than a question.

A question can ENABLE learning.
A question can PREDICT the future.
A question can EXPLODE people’s brains.
A question can CRACK open a new world.
A question can ENLIST your creativity.
A question can SEND you off to the races.
A question can CUT deeply, yet playfully.
A question can VISUALIZE ideal conditions.
A question can EMPOWER others to turn inward.
A question can FORCE you to confront yourself.
A question can FUNCTION as that little nudge, push, tipping point or last straw you needed.

In my experience as a writer, speaker, coach and entrepreneur, the most important moments in my career have revolved around asking myself specific, profound questions.

Questions that shifted my paradigm.
Questions that changed my business model.
Questions that doubled and tripled my annual income.

Here are the Top Ten Questions That Changed My Business Forever:

1. What did you write today? Not just because I’m a writer, but also because writing is the basis of all wealth.

2. Is everything you know written down somewhere? My customized Content Management System was built on this question. Because if you don’t write it down, it never happened.

3. Is what you’re doing RIGHT NOW consistent with your #1 goal? This question kept me focused more than anything. I wrote it on a sticky note and kept it in a visible location on my desk. Made me a LOT of money.

4. Now that I have this, what else does this make possible? The ultimate leverage question. Helps you kill two stones with one bird in any situation.

5. If everybody did exactly what you said, what would the world look like? My mentor shared this question with me as a foundation for creating my own Personal Philosophy, my own Theory of the Universe. Kept me focused and congruent in all my endeavors.

6. What is your #1 income producing activity? It’s simple: once you figure out this answer to this question, you just go and DO that activity. All day. Everything else is a waste of time, money and energy.

7. What personal skills have I not tapped into yet to build my business and/or add value to my customers? Helps you add more value to yourself and others. Taps into that which is natural and beautiful and true and exploits it in the service of your purpose.

8. What’s next? Like a shark, if you don’t swim, you die. Gotta keep moving. Always thinking about what else is to come.

9. Am I making a living or growing my business? Provides a powerful understanding of your long-term goals. Focuses on equity and wealth, not income.

10. How can I change the rules so I can win at my own game? This is about becoming a category of one. Eliminating the competition by not having one. Blocking a punch by not being there.

REMEMBER: Because it’s not about the answer but what the answer POINTS to.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What questions changed your business forever?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “22 Questions to Sidestep Entrepreneurial Atrophy,” send an email to me, and I’ll send an email to me?

Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

* * * *

Never the same speech twice.
Always about approachability.

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

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Just GO.

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What are you a student of?

13 Random Thoughts on Passion I Couldn’t Hold in Any Longer

There’s 500 people here – AND THEY’RE ALL WEARING NAMETAGS!

But I’ve already seen that movie like, ten times!

Three Words of Advice: Ideas

10 Questions that Changed My Business Forever