The more successful you become, the more torpedoes will be shot at you.

But love is the best comeback.

And if you’re willing to be unfair with your heart, it’s amazing what you can accomplish.

Here’s how you can use it:

To those who try to steal your joy, be happy anyway.
To those who try to edit your truth, be yourself anyway.
To those who try to thwart your voice, be heard anyway.
To those who try to crush your spirit, be buoyant anyway.
To those who try to change your spots, be original anyway.
To those who try to silence your courage, be risky anyway.
To those who try to merchandise your soul, be true anyway.
To those who try to erase your name, be remembered anyway.
To those who try to justify your success, be awesome anyway.
To those who try to hypnotize your vision, be focused anyway.
To those who try to lower your average, be exceptional anyway.
To those who try to improve your dreams, be committed anyway
To those who try to belittle your ambitions, be dedicated anyway.
To those who try to vandalize your constitution, be heartstrong anyway.

THAT’S THE RULE: Head up, heart higher.

They’ll never see it coming.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How do you respond to those who would?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “9 Things Every Writer Needs to Do Every Day,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2011-2012!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

You don’t need advertisements.

You need acts that create emotional connections.

Simple, inclusive, accessible, relevant and human encounters that change the momentary experience of engaging with your brand.

Whether you have a website, corporation, charity, membership organization or spiritual community, consider incorporating these ten acts into your branding efforts:1. Create an act of forgiveness in a moment of imperfection. Next time someone steps on your toe, bumps into your table or accidentally runs into you, try this: As soon as they start apologizing furiously like they’ve just committed a mortal sin, look them straight in the eye, smile and say, “I forgive you.”

I do this every day of my life and it never fails to change the energy of the encounter. Especially in our hypersensitive, litigious, eggshell walking culture where people freak out at every minor inconvenience, the world desperately needs moments like this. Is forgiveness something your brand expresses or just implies?

2. Create an act of refuge in a moment of chaos. People are busy. Crazybusy. But if you can give them a home, a safe haven, a sanctuary of peace and harbor of relaxation – even if only for a moment during their hectic day – they will thank you will their attention, their trust and their money.

Think about your local coffee shop. Whether it’s a big chain or a mom and pop operation, this is their moment of choice. And it’s more addictive than the caffeine in the coffee or the sugar in the scones. How are you helping customers redefine their version of home?

3. Create an act of relief in a moment of pressure. Collection plates make people nervous. Especially first timers. And that’s a challenge for any congregation: How do you approach the donation process in a way that’s non-threatening, non-alienating, but still profitable?

I’m reminded of the time I went to church with my friend Marcie. When the ushers came around with the big gold bowls, the pastor said something that stuck in my head: “If this is your first time, we invite you not to participate financially.” There was a noticeable exhale in the room. How are you making the solicitation process more relaxing?

4. Create an act of spirit in a moment of struggle. The first time I took hot yoga, I thought I was going to pass out. When I finally couldn’t take it anymore, I plopped down on the mat, grabbed my water and sat in a puddle of sweat like dead weight.

But instead of embarrassing me in front of the class, my instructor gently remarked, “Thank you for listening to your body.” I felt better immediately. Her response was gracious, complimentary and respectful. And she responded to my struggle without judgment, evaluation or criticism. Are you frustrated and judgmental or fascinated and thankful?

5. Create an act of humanity in a moment of technology. Face to face is making a comeback. Any time you can touch people’s skin, look them straight in the eye and talk to them with your mouth, you win. The question is: How much of your brand is done by hand? That’s what customers crave.

That’s what customers come back for. Spontaneous moments of authentic human interaction. Instead of outsourcing the human function, do more in person. Do more by hand. People will notice. How do you interact with people in a way that no other brand can touch?

6. Create an act of devotion in a moment of disloyalty. My company makes brandtags, or corporate identity collages. Here’s how they work: First, I distill my client’s mission down to its essence. Next, customized, limited edition art pieces are hand-carved on wood, signed, numbered and framed.

Then, clients give brandtags as gifts to their longtime partners. And as a result, the artifacts deepen the roots of their relationship. They erase the memory of any gift that came before. How are you making your partners ultra aware of you commitment to them?

7. Create an act of artistry in a moment of apathy. When you go out of your way to make the mundane memorable, you convert rare into remarkable. And that’s when you create a significant emotional event that tugs people by the heart.

I’m reminded of my favorite coffee shop, The Mud House. Every time you order a latté, the owner will turn your foam into a work of art. From famous portraits to pretty flowers to inspirational messages, there isn’t a cup of coffee in that store that isn’t photographed. What’s your unique way of rewarding customers for engaging with your brand?

8. Create an act of play in a moment of vulnerability. My photographer is amazing. Not just because of his technical prowess, but also because he has a great eye for authenticity. And when I asked Bill how he draws that out, here’s what he suggested: “Make the subject laugh, and you’ll never fail to get their real smile.”

That’s the best part about doing photo shoots with him: We just tell jokes the whole time. It’s refreshingly playful. And the final prints always come out beautifully. When is the feeling of formality preventing your customers from being their true self?

9. Create an act of recognition in a moment of anonymity. I’ve taken yoga classes all over the world. And one of the challenges of being a first time student is, you don’t just feel vulnerable – you feel invisible. Especially in large classes. But over the years I’ve visited studios that mitigated this fear.

In Los Angeles, they write your name on a dry erase board that says, “Welcome New Students!” In Sydney, they give a round of applause at the end of class for all the first timers. And in Tokyo, they offer personalized, handwritten thank-you notes to new people on their way out the door. How do you make your people feel seen?

10. Create an act of education in a moment of insecurity. The more your customers learn, the more profit you earn. The more your customers know, the more your business grows. And the more your customers understand, the more powerful your brand.

Like my client, Sendouts. They don’t just provide software for the recruiting industry – they provide brainware. By combining digital publishing platforms, annual user conferences and a dozen other teaching moments, their customers are some of the smartest in the industry. Are you offering better job performance or better life performance?

REMEMBER: Good brands are bought – great brands are joined.

If you want people to buy your brand, create advertisements.

But if you want people to join your brand, create acts of emotional connection.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Do you really need another phone book ad?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “11 Ways to Out Market Your Competitors,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2011-2012!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

Humans want freedom.

Freedom to think.
Freedom to speak.
Freedom to just be.

It’s a natural motivator of engagement.

THE PROBLEM IS: Everybody’s got a red pen.

And the ones who use them to edit people are making this world a painful place to live.

Here’s a collection of ideas to help you stop editing people:1. Give people permission to be remarkable. When I first told my parents that I wanted to wear a nametag everyday for the rest of my life, they responded with a four-letter word: Cool.

Not exactly the four-letter word you would expect, but that’s just the kind people they are: They’re fundamentally affirmative. They say yes to it all. And unless you’re doing something dangerous or disrespectful, they never ask you to edit yourself. Cool.

If you want people to brag about you the way I brag about my parents, try this: Instead of superimposing your prefabricated definition of who they should be, endow them with the dignity of self-expression. Let them inject their personality into everything they do. And respond to them with foundation of affirmation.

You’ll find that by enabling regular expressions of eccentricity and individuality, people will become more of themselves when they’re around you. And all you’ll have to do is sit back and watch the show.

Life is more than how people experience you – it’s how people experience themselves in relation to you. Have you removed all restrictions of individual expression?

2. Fixing is for plumbers. Editing isn’t limited to writing. It’s much bigger than that. Technically, to edit is to correct the core of something. And I don’t know about you, but any time someone attempts to do that to me, my heart goes batty.

Like the time I went on a date with an actual editor. Huge mistake. She constantly corrected everything I did, said and believed. She was like a giant red pen, but with boobs.

Here’s the reality: People don’t want to be fixed. They want to be heard. They want to been seen. And they want to express themselves fully and freely. Next time you feel the creeping urge to correct the core of someone, staple your tongue to the roof of your mouth.

Instead of trying to improve people, stand on the edge of yourself and salute them. Then, attend to whatever surfaces with deep democracy. And listen as loudly as you can. By engaging with this posture, you make it easy for people to show up as the best, highest version of themselves.

Remember: If they can’t express themselves, they suffocate. Whom are you trying to lock inside your editing booth?

3. Provide a safe haven for self-definition. During a recent newspaper interview, the reporter asked me where I received my creative foundation. I told him about Gifted and Talented Education, the extra curricular program where I spent six crucial years of my childhood.

It was awesome: We learned how to think, when to think, and most importantly, why to think. Plus we got pulled out of math class. Sweet.

But here’s the best part: Our instructor, Mrs. Ray, gave us an irrevocable license to create. Rules, schmules. For two hours a week, we had a permanent permission slip to be whatever and whomever we wanted, with zero consequences. And irregardlessliable of how crazy our ideas were, she greenlighted everything. Even when we made up our own words, like the one in the previous sentence.

We need more Mrs. Rays. Because she understood the value of letting people see through their own eyes. She created a sacred place of refuge where the eccentric kids always felt at home. And she promised that we could come to that home without any interference in expressing our own individuality. Especially during math class. Stupid long division. Who was the first person that let you live by your own definitions?

4. Let people stay loyal to themselves. I don’t drink. Ever. It’s not a religious thing; it’s not an addiction thing – just a personal preference. I don’t like alcohol, I hate being out of control of my body and I can’t handle hangovers.

Plus, I’m high on life. And occasionally paint thinner.

Anyway, what’s fascinating is how difficult it is for some people to wrap their heads around this choice. I’m reminded of another girl I dated who was so colossally insecure, that she once refused to order dinner until I had a drink with her. Swear to god.

But instead of making a scene, I decided to make a point: When my beer arrived, I chugged the entire pint, set it down on the table and walked out of the restaurant. And I never spoke to her again.

Lesson learned: The only thing worse than people trying to define who you are, is when they work overtime to make you believe their definition. Stop pressuring people into your idealized version of what a normal person should be – you’re jailing their truth.

Let them wear their own face, not the mask that makes you feel better about your own ugliness. Are you relentlessly requiring people to adjust who they are to accommodate your selfish insecurities?

REMEMBER: It’s hard to create value when you don’t have a voice.

On the other hand, when you show people that their voice is welcome, they will sing their hearts out for you.

Maybe it’s time to put down the red pen.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Who are you editing?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “11 Things to Stop Wasting Your Time On,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2011-2012!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

I was never any good at math.

But I do remember the difference between a statistic and a factor:

Statistics are anonymous integers; factors are influential amplifiers. Statistics are players of the game; factors are permanent imprints on the game. Statistics are expired pieces of the past; factors are essential elements of the future.

Which one describes you?

Today we’re going to explore a collection of ideas to help you be a factor.1. Telling the story isn’t enough. Storytelling is a pull strategy, but only if you understand the larger picture. In the book The Story Factor, Annette Simmons says it best, “You are a story to everyone you meet; but don’t just tell it, demonstrate it.”

The secret is, you have to do so both online and off. Otherwise you’re just winking in the dark.

One way I help my clients extend the influence of their story into the marketplace is by creating customized identity collages, or Brandtags. These limited edition artifacts memorialize their story in striking way that invites the customers, employees and partners to join the brand – not just buy it.

What’s more, the brandtags are given as unique, memorable and spreadable gifts that create an emotional connection that deepens over time. That way, once the art piece is hung, it functions as a social object. And this combination of marketing, art and leadership immediately increases the level of organic, human and authentic conversations about the brand.

Remember: Your story can’t be a factor if nobody retells it. What artifact are you using to make yours hang on the wall forever?

2. Unmute yourself. If you don’t have a voice, you can’t create value. Period. Here’s a collection of ways to amplify it. First, learn think on paper. Spend time each day puking, clarifying and classifying your thoughts. You don’t have to be good – you just have to be willing. And all you need is a blank page and an open mind.

Second, think of yourself as a translator. Forget about finding information, focus on interpretation. Because if you can translate better than anyone, your voice will be heard.

Third, occupy multiple outlets. Use digital tools to give your voice widening access. At the same time, focus less on the tools you’re using to get the word out and more on the word you’re trying to get out.

Fourth, place yourself in opposition to conventional wisdom. If there’s an opinion you’re afraid to have, share it anyway. After all, the voice without venturesomeness is never heard. And if you keep saying, “I can’t say this,” you’re never going to say anything worth repeating.

Lastly, get people to follow your thinking, not just your profile. Create a listening platform that enables an ongoing conversation to engage the people who matter most.

Remember: Volume is the vehicle of being heard. Be prodigious or be ignored. What did you publish this week?

3. Envision the end frame. Walt Disney saw everything as a cartoon. And with every new project he started, he’d always ask the question, “What’s the end frame?” This enabled him to envision the future, which inspired him to execute the present.

If you want to inject the same magic into your own endeavors, here’s my suggestion: Don’t waste your time making another bloated list of unachievable goals and a strategic plans that have no relationship with reality. Instead, ask questions that take you back to the future.

Try a few from my master list:

*If everybody did exactly what you said, what would the world look like?
*What would real fulfillment look like if you were truly living your life purpose?
*If a miracle occurred overnight, and you woke up tomorrow morning with all of your dreams realized, what would be the first thing you would notice?

These questions help you imagine what you need to become in order for your vision to manifest. And they inspire you to paint a compelling, detailed picture of the desired future – then make meaningful strides toward it. Sure beats trying to map out your entire career on a flip chart.

Remember: It’s easier to get out of bed when you have a horizon to point to. What’s your end frame?

4. Usefulness trumps innovation. Creating something that nobody’s ever seen before makes you fresh. But creating something that simplifies people’s lives makes you a factor. In the words of software entrepreneur Jason Fried, “If all you bring to the marketplace is cool, your product will never last. Useful, on the other hand, never wears off.”

The secret is to make sure that usefulness has a palpable presence in your work. Consider asking yourself these questions:

*Are you solving a problem that nobody cares about?
*Are you making something useful, or just making something?
*If your brand vanished tomorrow, how many people would experience withdrawal symptoms?
*Are you giving people what they need, or superimposing onto people what you think they should want?

If all else fails, just ask people. They’ll tell you exactly how you can become more useful to them. And all you have to do is listen.

Remember: If your work doesn’t solve a real problem for the world, you’re just doing something cool. Have you hit your quota of usefulness this month?

5. Find work that represents human courage. Not everyone is brave enough to go after what they want. They’re afraid of failing, or, worse yet, afraid of succeeding. So they never stick themselves out there. They never push their chips to the middle of the table.

And at the end of their lives, they have nothing to show for themselves but a dusty ghost of a departed dream.

If you truly want to be a factor, try this: Use fear as a compass. That’s what I do. Whatever scares me the most, whatever invites highest level and self-doubt, I do that. Because I know it’s the work that matters. I know it’s the work that belongs to me. And I know I’m guaranteed to dip into the deepest parts of my heart.

The point is: You can’t live your life on the balcony. Eventually you have to get your ass on the dance floor, let the music own you and spin yourself like a crazy person. Otherwise you’ll melt into the multitude with the rest of the statistic.

Err or the side of heart. People will notice. Are you willing to keep taking risks until it hurts or works?

REMEMBER: Statistics make headlines; but factors make history.

Decide which one you want to be remembered as.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you a statistic or a factor?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “11 Ways to Out Market Your Competitors,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2011-2012!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

In Bob Dylan’s bestselling book, Chronicles, he spends a lot of time talking about performing, captivating audiences and playing concerts around the globe for millions of screaming fans.

Here’s my favorite passage:

“I don’t do it for the money, I do it because I was summoned set the record straight.”

That’s how he owned the room.

By giving people more than just a vague glimmer.
By plunging straight into the heart of unimagined territory.
By helping people see what lies beyond the mystery curtain.

Here’s how to make it work for you:1. Understand room equity. This is a term I coined a few years ago when I wrote The Approachable Leader. And it hinges upon two key questions: When you walk into a room, how does it change? When you walk out of a room, how does it change?

That’s the thing: Owning the room isn’t about being larger than life – it’s about making the room larger by injecting it with life.

It’s not about controlling people – it’s about acting like the audience is your people. It’s not about being the most important person in the room – it about embodying the most important idea in the room. And it’s not about waiting for people to respond to your very presence – it’s about enlarging people so much that they wonder who was responsible.

That’s the first challenge: To think about your current level of room equity. Because whatever change occurs to the room is a tangible representation of how your character, reputation and personality have been experienced by the people around you. Remember: It’s not just how people experience you – it’s how they experience themselves in relation to you. What is the temperature of your presence?

2. The show started a year ago. If you’re waiting until your performance starts, it’s already too late. That’s the big misconception about room ownership: It commences long before you walk in the door. It’s not about leveraging power phrases, employing strategic hand gestures or yakking out a steady stream of rhetorical devices.

It’s about living your life in a way that creates an honorable, attractive and intriguing reputation that’s waiting for you when you walk in the door. And it’s about engaging your fans in a conversation that’s honest, prompt and personal so they’re waiting with baited breath when you walk on stage.

That way, all you have to do is smile, set yourself on fire and let people watch you burn.

Remember: If you just started preparing for it the night before the performance, you’ve lost your audience long before you walked in the door. Are people waiting with baited breath to hear your very first words?

3. Charts are recorded, but experiences are remembered. Because Bob Dylan started performing in the mid to late fifties, most of his early influences were jazz and blues greats like Miles Davis. And according to the book, Miles never actually made any hit records. But according to Dylan, his legendary performances brought people back, with their friends and with their money.

If you want to do the same, consider these suggestions: First, show people a side of themselves they didn’t know was there. They’ll believe in possibilities they wouldn’t have allowed before. Second, sustain visual, verbal and interactional diversity. When you perform, make sure people are participating – not just staring.

Third, stop treating your audience like children. Come at people like they don’t have a brain and they’ll come at you like they don’t have a wallet. Fourth, surrender control. Crowd source your performance. All the audience to become co-creators of the experience.

Remember: As technology accelerates, and as people become more isolated from each other, there is a growing craving for live experience. Be someone who delivers that, and the room will be yours. Are you trying to be number one or trying to be the only one?

4. Capture heartshare. As a professional speaker, I’ve certainly fallen victim to the fantasy that I’m changing people’s lives. And maybe I am. But sometimes all your audience just wants is to be validated. To feel like they’re not alone. And to know that they’re not the only people who feel a certain way.

If you can bring that kind of sanity into a world of madness – your voice will never drop out of sight.

Here’s my suggestion: Instead of telling pointless, meandering stories; start positioning yourself as the mirror in which people can see a clearer picture of themselves. It makes it easy for your audience to transplant themselves into your message.

Plus, it increases the memorability of your delivery. After all: Being memorable has less to do with you, and more to do with how people experience themselves in relation to you.

The point is: If your message can simply remind people that they’re not the only ones cluelessly staggering through this world, you won’t have to change people’s lives – because they do it for themselves. All you had to do was give them the tap. Are you leaving your audience begging for more or begging for mercy?

5. Tactical is rarely timeless. If you want your performance to be wholly engrossing, give people ideas that will be relevant in fifty years. That’s the stuff of real flesh and blood. Otherwise you’re just dispensing tactics. And if people can get those online – for free – what do they need you for?

Consider these ideas: First, avoid getting caught in the seductive undertow of trendy inconsequentialities. Strategies are nice, but eventually they will reach the end of their product lifecycle. Which means you’ll have to start over. Second, design matters. Always. No matter what you do, how you do it, why you do it, and whom you do it for, beauty makes you timeless. Make friends with it.

Third, speak with a transcending tongue. Go straight to the heart of the human experience. And allow the theme behind what you do to speak louder than the era in which you do it. Finally, peel away the superficiality of your message. Instead of firing off a bunch of depthless trivialities, coat your voice in blood. Personal becomes universal, and universal lasts forever.

Look: There’s nothing more frightening than the prospect of irrelevancy. It’s always worth investing extra time in making your message more timeless. What are you doing to keep from fading away?

6. Dare to live by a different script. Never let people forget that you have your own way of seeing things. That’s why you got into art in the first place: As a mechanism for defining the way you think about the world. And if you want to share it with the people who matter most, remember the advice of hockey legend Tony Twist, “Don’t be afraid of hitting people too hard.”

You have to look the world straight in the eye, be blazingly honest and let your artistic spirit fill the room like a smoke machine. Because if all you do is mutter through locked teeth, your work won’t stand a chance of meaning anything. If all you do is conveniently ride the coattails of someone else’s truth, your voice will remain stale and colorless.

I’ve seen performances that made me want to drive my car over a cliff. But I’m thankful every time it happens, because it reminds me of what it truly takes to own the room: Authentic stylistic identity.

Vowing to follow your own heart’s love. Keeping your word with yourself, no matter what happens. And knowing that when you sing the true song of your soul, you speak in a language that people can’t misunderstand. Are you addicted to permission or indifferent to approval?

REMEMBER: Owning the room has less to do with you, and more to do with how people are better off from listening to you.

Practice that, and, as Bob Dylan sang, “You ain’t going nowhere.”

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Do you own the room?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “11 Things to Stop Wasting Your Time On,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2011-2012!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

You can’t mute your way to success.

If you want get ahead, you’ve got to get heard.

THE QUESTION IS: How do you have a voice when you’ve barely had any experience?

Well, you could always lie. Or be the ass-kissing, apple-polishing, precocious youngster everybody in the office secretly loathes.

But if you want to become well known (and known well) in your company, you might try a few of these suggestions for getting heard:1. Be strategically dumb. They’ll never admit it, but all organizations need energetic, curious people who can come in and ask dumb questions they stopped asking long ago. People who can courageously step back from the corporate canvas and say, “Wait a minute. Does anyone else smell that?”

That’s how you rock the boat without sinking the ship. And if you want to create stunned silence at your next meeting, try a few of these: “Why are we doing this again?” “According to whom?” and “What evidence do we have to support that?”

That’s precisely the advantage of being young: Because people don’t expect much out of you, you can usually get away with asking dumb questions. What do you have to lose? They think you’re dumb anyway. May as well prove them right so they can prove themselves wrong.

After all, if you can make but a few people pause, you win. And so do they. Sometimes it takes a person who knows nothing to change everything. How are you marketing your stupidity?

2. Convince people you can contribute right away. When dealing with skeptical coworkers who doubt your ability, you have to dress your truth in story. That’s the smartest way to make a point and the quickest way to have your voice heard, without involving automatic weapons. As Annette Simmons wrote in The Story Factor, “Storytelling is a pull strategy. It doesn’t tell people who you are, it demonstrates it.”

Your challenge is to tell a story that offers evidence of what people doubt. A story that makes people proud to take the first step with you. For example, if your narrative illustrates specific ways you’ve helped other companies move through problems in the past, people will be more likely to listen to your suggestions.

My suggestion: Keep a victory log. Compile a list of the strongest contributions you’ve made to other organizations in the past. Next, document the urgent, pervasive, relevant and expensive problems you solved. Lastly, practice telling these stories in a compelling, emotional way that demonstrates your ability to contribute. They won’t be able to resist you.

Remember: The earlier you add value, the longer you stick around. What stories are you known for?

3. Instead of ignoring the elephant, try riding it. Hair dye and plastic surgery notwithstanding, age isn’t something you can hide. Face it: You’re young and everybody knows it. The good new is, you can beat people to the punch by speaking directly to the age issue before it gets raised. That way you eclipse misgivings before they escalate into barriers.

For example, when I first started my career as a speaker, I would open my presentations with a quotation from the wise philosopher, Indiana Jones: “It’s not the years – it’s the mileage.”

After a nice chuckle, I’d proceed to share images of my own professional mile markers: Books I published, clients I worked for and results I enabled. And sure enough, people uncrossed their arms and paid attention. And that’s the secret: Before you convince people of your value, you have to understand and neutralize their resistance to that value.

Otherwise your listenability will plummet. How will you disarm the immediate preoccupation of people twice your age?

4. Accumulate acts of value. First, turn yourself into a futurist. Stay abreast of what’s on the horizon. Then, share those trends in a cool way with the people who matter. And be sure to attach why you think it’s meaningful for their world. By doing so regularly, without the expectation of reciprocity, people will view you as a resource – not a rascal.

Second, seek out opportunities to speak publicly about what you love. Both inside and outside the company. By allowing passion to fuel your voice and practicality to fuel your content, your message will become impossible to ignore.

Third, convert your online platform to an ongoing source of education. Instead of blogging and tweeting about your breakfast, ask disturbing questions that catapult people’s thinking. Share lessons learned from mistakes made. By practicing freedom of thought – not just freedom of speech – you position yourself as someone who cares for people and shares with people.

Ultimately, these consistent acts of delivering value will add up. And you’ll create enough good in the marketplace where people will begin got seek you out. Remember: Value is the engine of voice. Are you delivering random acts of kindness or regular acts of value?

REMEMBER: It’s not enough to be listened to.

If you want to get ahead, you’ve got to get heard.

Deploy your voice today.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you being listened to or being heard?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “11 Things to Stop Wasting Your Time On,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Publisher, Artist, Mentor
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2011-2012!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

You’ve chosen an uncertain path.
You’ve adopted an inconvenient lifestyle.
You’ve embarked upon an unconventional journey.
You’ve felt the voice inside you growing more urgent.
You’ve committed yourself enough so you can’t turn back.

IN SHORT: You’ve decided to play for keeps.

This is the critical crossroads – the emotional turning point – in the life of every young artist.

I’ve been there myself, and here’s a list of suggestions to help you along the way:(Read part one here, part two here, part three here, part four here, part five here and part six here.

1. Bring yourself into risk territory. In the book Wisdom, Robert Redford cautions, “Once you begin thinking about security, you begin to erode yourself as an artist and stop being able to take the risks you need to take.”

That’s the challenge: You have to be willing to step across the lines of safety and to accept the surprises of the outcome. Otherwise your work remains stale and uninspired. Nothing but a series of boring reproductions doomed to disappoint.

Personally, I find that it’s helpful to create a filter. A ritual that audits the level of risk in your creative endeavors. Two questions you might ask are: “What do I risk in releasing this work?” and “Who will this piss off?”

By doing so, you bring risk to the frontline of your artistic awareness. And the work you execute speaks with a daring voice that’s impossible to ignore. Your challenge is to customize your own practice. Whatever it takes to sustain your status as an agent of chaos.

Remember: Art without risk, isn’t. Do you dare your genius to walk the unknown path?

2. Ask for the sale. Artists aren’t typically the best salespeople. Most experience physical pain when they’re forced to assign monetary value to their intellectual and creative property.

But, as Jason Friend wrote in a recent article, “Never be afraid to put a price on something. If you pour your heart into something and make it great, sell it – for real money. Even if there are free options, even if the market is flooded with free, people will pay for things they love.”

The cool part is, charging for something makes you want to make it better, says Fried. Which means your product is going to improve by virtue of people paying for it. Which means over time, they’re going to pay more for it.

Here’s my suggestion: Never apologize for your pricing.

You deserve to be compensated commensurate with your value. State your feel confidently and shut up. Because he who speaks next, loses. You just have to believe that people love to pay for what they love – your work. Are you asking them to open their wallets?

3. Commitment trumps discipline. Here’s the biggest misconception about me: I’m not really that disciplined – I’m just obsessively focused on what’s really important. Turns out, when you actively cultivate the purpose driven nature of your work, discipline becomes a non-thought.

That’s how commitment works: It deletes distraction. It makes you wake up early. It turns habits into non-negotiables. And when you’re committed, you drop everything and get to work. Every day.

That’s the reality about being an artist: The work is always an outgrowth of who you are. Your deepest values. Your personal constitution. And if there isn’t a shade of significance in the work, it will never get done.

Remember: Discipline derives from the wellspring of why. If you truly want to play for keeps, you have to play every day. And the game has to be meaningful to you. Otherwise, you lose. What will your commitments enable you to do?

4. It’s not about doing more – it’s about doing different. If you’re stuck seeing your life from the same angle, not only will your art suffer – your soul will suffer too. And until you explore the possibility of living differently in some way, both will continue to do so.

The bad news is: I don’t have a collection simplistic tactics for temporarily boosting creativity like taking different route to work or wearing mismatched socks.

What I’m suggesting is dramatic personal displacement. Bringing yourself to a place that’s so uncomfortable, you have no choice but to be creative in every area of your life.

After all: You didn’t come here to do what has already been done. It’s time to accept the risks of committing to a new path and take your chance in the struggle. In the book Life Change Artists, Fred Mandell sums it up well:

“We overestimate the magnitude of risk we take in changing our lives, and underestimate our personal ability to successfully navigate such a change.”

Look: There’s always another door to open, and there’s always an adventure attached to it. You just have to jump. And you have to believe that you’ll be fine. When was the last time you stepped back from the canvas of your life and flipped your routine on its ass?

5. Finishing is for beginners. Real art never finishes. And even though your head will make sure your heart never gets that memo, you’ve got to press on anyway. Even if nobody notices the work you’re putting out. I learned this lesson from Robert Henri, who said:

“All any man can hope to do is to add his fragment to the whole. No man can be final, but he can record his progress.”

That’s the secret to longevity in the art world: Hunkering down with your work – every single day – and accepting that not everything you make will feel like a masterpiece. Instead, get good at starting. Stay focused on contributing to your ongoing body of work, not just a single song.

After all: Good artists are masters of promiscuity – not perfection. Their legacy is the result of volume – not accuracy. And if you can wake to the canvas of a fresh day with such purity of intent, you will win. Are you closing the book or showing the world that there are still more pages possible?

6. The greatest gift you can give is your experience. Art is the fundamental expression of who you are. It’s the autobiography of your deepest thoughts and unique collection of universal human emotions you bring to the table. As Tolstoy advised, “Write only with your pen dipped in your own blood.”

For that reason, my definition of art making has always been: “Slice open a vein and bleed your truth all over the page.” That’s where your best work is born. The good news is: It has less to do with skill and talent and more do with will and honesty.

The bad new is: It’s a risk, it hurts and it’s going to take all of you. But it’s absolutely worth it. If you want to play for keeps, go there. Commit to self-disclosure. Ask penetrating questions with your work. And make some risky art.

Remember: The more personal and intimate you are willing to be, the more universal your work become. Where are you willing to take people with you work?

REMEMBER: When you’re ready to play for keeps, your work will never be the same.

Make the decision today.

Show the world that your art isn’t just another expensive hobby.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Have you committed with both feet yet?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “14 Things You Don’t Have to Do Anymore,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

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

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2011-2012!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

Sometimes, it sucks being the youngest guy in room.

And by “sometimes,” I mean, “Every excruciating hour of your workday.”

Think about it:

Nobody takes you seriously. The world refuses to listen to your voice. And the people you work with are twice your age, have three times your knowledge and four times your experience.

What’s a kid to do?

Instead of going postal on your entire office with a semi-automatic machine gun (which isn’t as effective as it sounds) here’s part two (part one here) of strategies, practices and practical advice on making a name for yourself as a young professional:1. Crystallize your timeline of credibility. If people aren’t sure whether or not to trust you, they’ll ask one question: “What measurable success has this person achieved?” And if you don’t have an answer – on paper – you will be ignored.

Try this: Document your achievements. All of them. Because if you don’t write them down, they never happened. Ever. What’s more: Keeping a paper trail of past victories – no matter how inconsequential they might seem – reinforces that you’re an employee who produces results.

That’s evidence of promotability, baby. And you’ve got to showcase that value. Otherwise you’re just winking in the dark.

Remember: You don’t need to screw the boss in the supply closet to move up. Consistency is enough to qualify you. Like I always say, “When you’ve written twelve books, people stop asking how old you are.” How will you send a credible signal?

2. Actively champion your own growth. When I first showed up at my professional association, I was the youngest person in the room. By fifteen years, minimum. But instead of slapping down my application for membership, my mentor suggested I take another approach: Show up, hang out, ask questions and shut up.

So I did. And it turns out, that was a much smarter investment of my time, money and energy. What’s more, veteran members appreciated it. They didn’t mind me eavesdropped on their thinking. And after a few years of doing that consistently, I became a board member, then later the chapter president.

Cool lesson: You don’t have to join to be a member. Never underestimate the advanceability of showing up, shutting up and listening louder than anybody in the room.

The only caveat is: You have to let people like you. Because if you put box around yourself and rob people of the chance to know the real you, it won’t matter how awesome you are. How are you counteracting generational stereotypes?

3. Victory trumps winning. Wayne Gretsky holds the world record for most goals scored. That’s an example of a win – because it makes him look good. Interestingly, Gretzky also holds the record for the most assists. That’s an example of a victory – because it makes his teammates look good. See the difference?

That’s what young professional need to remember: Making a name for yourself means helping others do the same. It’s about being a stand for other people’s greatness. Creating an atmosphere where they can shine.

My suggestion: Step back from center stage. Stop trying to be the life of the party and start bringing other people to life at the party. After all, it’s not who you know – it’s whose life is better because they know you. And that doesn’t mean stop winning; it means help others achieve victory just as often. You will become a voice worth listening to. How do people experience themselves in a relation to you?

REMEMBER: Just because you’re young doesn’t mean you’re useless.

As the youngest person in your office, you have an opportunity to bring new blood, fresh perspective and youthful energy to the workplace.

Be patient. Be proactive. Be pointed. And be a problem solver.

And maybe you won’t even need that semi-automatic machine gun after all.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How are you leveraging your youth?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “14 Things You Don’t Have to Do Anymore,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

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

Never the same speech twice.

Now booking for 2011-2012!

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!