It’s clear to me — now more than ever — that the secret to happiness is not in what we have, but in how we feel about what we have. More about that in a minute.
For some reason the word “sustainability” has been floating around in my mind for about a week. When it comes to life, business, relationships, all of it, we don’t want the quick hit, at least not only that. It’s fun maybe, it feels good. But not unlike a fire made out of newspaper and gasoline, it looks pretty and burns bright — but only for about a minute. And then it’s back to just glowing embers. It lacks staying power.
What we really want is something that lasts — love that lasts, money, relationships (with friends, family, and clients), growth, and so on. That lasts.
We have needs. And we want to be fed.
In Elevate that looks like a few things. Referrals for sure. Closed business, definitely. And I’m proud to call attention to some of the added bonuses — thanks to Jenn Wilkov, we’ve got a charitable arm of this chapter. Thanks to our events committee we have social events.
So this isn’t just a business machine — though 10 million sure is sweet. It’s a community.
And, my assertion is that we’re missing out on something. There are resources in this room that aren’t being fully tapped.
Look around. Think about the talent, creativity, experience, skill sets. Do we pass referrals and support directly with our businesses? Of course we do. It’s our meat and potatoes. But what about solution based input in other areas.
People have reached out to me and acknowledged my ability to stand in front of the group and articulate ideas. So perhaps it’s public speaking you wish to improve upon. You have pitches to deliver or a need to present and find it challenging for whatever reason? Go talk to Ben Pelteson. Conrad builds amazing websites. He also knows the ins and outs of NYC — from tag lines, to commercial structure. Andrew Kahner is a financial rock star. He also knows how to network with precision.
There are so many incredible resources here. Take a look around. Who do you admire and why? Go acknowledge them, and ask if they’d be willing to chat about their skills, awareness, experience. It’s another great reason to schedule a 1:1, to get some value for yourself, and to then shine the spotlight on that person.
So back to my initial point. I stand here in front of you grateful. And to be fair, in this case it’s because of both what I have *and* how I feel about it.
In this room, right now, we are surrounded by talent on a variety of levels. There are so many spices in this wonderful soup.
I hope you’re hungry.
