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 a while. 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 — Jenn Wilkov keeps an eye on the charitable opportunities. Thanks to our events committee we have social events.
So this isn’t just a business machine — though one million in passed business per month 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 create content and present it in front of the group. If you want to do an Education moment, let me know and I’ll help you. And if it’s not an education moment but it is public speaking you wish to improve upon, or there are pitches you need to deliver and find that challenging, go talk to Ben Pelteson and he’ll *really* help you. Conrad builds amazing websites. But he also knows the ins and outs of Elevate — from tag lines, to commercial structure — and his PhD sessions are really supportive. Andrew Kahner is a financial rock star. But he also knows how to network with precision. And the list goes on.
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.
