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| They’re Just Not That Into You Posted: 28 Jun 2012 08:00 AM PDT
Have you ever been asked for professional advice by a family member, only to stand in bewilderment when they go right ahead and do the exact opposite? There's a reason, but it's not what you might think. Your family of course loves you and will stand behind you. Your family will encourage you (and more). However, most won't see you in the same light as the experts they believe have the answers. They may nod in agreement with you, even say that your advice was brilliant, but in actuality they probably tuned you out unknowingly. Why? It's because through their eyes, you are their peer, and if they don't know the answers instinctively, they'll believe that you don't either — regardless of your accomplishments. Years ago, this was explained to me by a friend using the best example I’d ever heard. He was the CFO responsible for the accounting of a major corporation generating tens of millions of dollars annually. He said: "Your family are the first ones to think you're a schmuck!" At first I was aghast, but as he described his reasoning, I found myself in total agreement — and things in my own life became easier, because I now knew it wasn't just me. It happens to everyone, everywhere, worldwide, because more or less it's the human condition. My friend's wife decided she was going to open a business. At the kitchen table they were discussing details. The scope and scale of the business was in line with running a lemonade stand. Her concern: Would they be able to afford an accountant for the start-up? Remember, he's the CFO of a multimillion-dollar enterprise — but to her, he's just her husband. I'll bet many of you can relate to this with your own experiences. Don't assume for a moment that some of the finest doctors or lawyers on the planet weren't trumped by a second opinion, when family were involved; that’s just the way it is. Currently I'm closing in on my third decade of matrimony. My wife is supportive, we’ve been through thick and thin, and she’s my most trusted ally. She's witnessed my triumphs and accolades from a front row seat. Yet even though she's fully aware that I'm a Master Meat Cutter, been a liaison to the USDA, was one of the first to formulate compliance programs for a meat company based on programs instituted by NASA (that's HACCP) — and ran the #2 largest private meat company in New England — when we’re at the supermarket she'll ask: "Are you sure you want to buy that? Maybe we should ask the kid behind the counter if it's going to be tough." I just say, "Sure. After all, they're the experts." Image credit: amy.gizienski |
| Posted: 28 Jun 2012 05:00 AM PDT How does gender balance affect the way your business uses social media? …or does it? Image credit: Visual.ly |
| Posted: 28 Jun 2012 02:00 AM PDT
Recently, I had the delightful experience of traveling to Disneyland with my husband and three kids. It was like stepping into an alternate reality, one where the stresses and anxieties of the week before simply dissolved and the child in me emerged. I was mesmerized by every intricate detail that was so carefully attended to by the multitude of people that make Disneyland what it is – from the enchanting castles and belly dropping rides to the perfectly manicured gardens and the warm smiles and tireless energy of every cast member. And then it hit me that everything I was experiencing – all of the wonder, delight and magic of this place – as well as all that is associated with it – the movies, cartoons, storybooks and associated media – ALL OF THIS began with a single thought in the mind of a man who took action to make it real. I don't know a lot about Walt Disney, but I imagine he was gripped by an idea – a dream that captured his heart and burst inside of him until he was compelled to gather the people and resources to make it happen. This guy had a vision that couldn't help but be embraced by others. It spoke to their hearts and their spirits and allowed them to be a part of something that does the same for everyone who encounters it. Disneyland is the "happiest place on earth" because it brings out the best in everyone who experiences it. It unleashes the magic each of us carries somewhere deep within us, and the most traditional of fairy tales are about that very subject. Even the performers on the various stages throughout the park sing refrains about looking within to find our heroes. What an amazing creation! We all get inspirations from time to time, and the more we act on them the more we seem to receive them. Ideas are a dime a dozen. When was the last time you got one that gave you goose bumps? And what did you do to take it to the next level of creation? Were you overwhelmed, thinking it was too big, or unrealistic to actually achieve? Perhaps it is too big for one person. But what if you were able to create a vision like Walt Disney did, that resonated in the very core of people who would gladly partner with you to make it real? You have something inside of you that is waiting to be unleashed into the world. The very act of doing it will rock your world, and that of others as well. Maybe it isn't a multimillion dollar theme park, or a screenplay, or an organization. But whatever it is will carry the unique essence of you – who you are – and the compilation of everything each of your individual experiences has prepared you for. And if you bring it forward with the intention of making the world a better place, you will. Who are you to deny that you are meant for greatness? Image credit: peasap |
Although the headline suggests something along the lines of dating, this is also what most entrepreneurs experience with either friends or family, and the value of your opinion or advice. Just because you might be a recognized expert with awards and accolades, to most of your immediate family or friends, you’re just you.
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