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Tag: connection

Conversations that matter, organizing, and impresarios: A dinner event in March

Everyone knows bringing people together in meaningful ways has value. But what does that mean? And how do you build environments that get people to be authentic and real?

Questions I hear:

  • How do you move beyond “What do you do?” at networking events?
  • How important is a guest list, really?
  • Does the environment matter?
  • Can you prevent people from dishing out business cards like candy on Halloween?
  • Is it possible to focus discussion and achieve set goals without appearing forced or insincere?

The answers to these questions are gold and will save you mega dollars on event planners, facilitators and consultants — while increasing YOUR worth to your network and clients.

We are all looking for tribes, searching for people who can help us. There is real value in those able to make these connections. You don’t have to wait or hire someone. You can make this your passion, too.

I’m organizing a special event for impresarios (and for those who might not yet know they are one).

This private gathering will be held in one of my favorite NYC spots, a hidden room home to one of my very first dinners where I [nervously] invited friends and colleagues from different industries to share warm food and life wisdom.

I’ve timed the event so those attending Seth’s workshop can finish up before traveling downtown to hatch ideas with others looking to make waves. And have a tasty meal, too. We will be talking about how to organize, host, and prepare for some of the challenges you might encounter as you plan events of your own. You may even meet the right person to help make your project happen.

Attendance is limited (15-20 people), and dinner is provided. Early ($180) and regular ($275) invites will be extended. Applications for early invitations can be found here.

Bonus: In addition to our evening together, you will be able to opt into a private online community where you can meet others who have dined at our table over the years.

Have questions? Contact Michelle.

United by insecurity

No matter where your office is located, the ceiling can fall down. You don’t know when, but one day it will. There is even a possibility a car drives through your living room tonight while you’re sleeping.
We’ve done a great job fooling ourselves into believing we have it all figured out. We’ve worked hard to create predictable outcomes, studying to become masters of our environment. Data is plugged into spreadsheets, and dollars are spent on analyzing trends. Months are mapped out in advance. Calendars are scheduled to the minute. The year becomes a series of data points and action plans.
A soft mirage of familiarity has blanketed our world, producing a certain emotional numbness. We pick and choose what we want to feel. We pad ourselves from life with cars, TV shows, deadlines, large houses filled with things. The moment loneliness or vulnerability hits, we reach for our cell phones.
The irony is in all of this control and safety-making, we crave surprise and excitement. The tales of unpredictability are the ones we tell our friends. We sign up for marathons and Tough Mudders to feel something, to show the scrapes on our knees bearing witness of our participation. “Look at me, I’m living life!”
The moment you witness these tendencies is the moment you come alive. When you no longer cling to guarantees and you live in the challenge of each moment with nothing to hide.
This isn’t recklessness, it’s awareness. Some call it “mindful living,” the ability to observe what is happening as it happens. It’s not a need to know all of the answers but rather being in tune with the textures of your experience. It’s seeing the present for what it is, not what you wish for or as a result of what happened yesterday.
I often hear this question: “What’s next?”
I believe my flexibility in providing this answer has made my life what it is.
How wonderful it is to not know the answer.

#$*!% = QUIT

Quitting has become a dirty word, associated with failure and weakness.

Anyone who has experienced any measure of success knows that quitting is par for the course. A few dinners have opened with folks talking about their failures. Really talented, accomplished individuals getting honest about places they screwed up, projects that were complete disasters, even relationships that weren’t right.

I’m not sure quitting and failing is something that needs to be hidden. Your story could be the inspiration someone else needs.

If you want to read more on quitting (what to quit, how to quit, resources to help) check out The courage to quit on Medium.

Are you developing a marketing strategy or being real?

I wrote my first post on Medium this week. Before clicking “Publish,” I was surprisingly nervous. I think because this writing is very personal, an experience that is dear to my heart and involves people I love. I almost didn’t post it.

I had no idea it would impact and resonate with so many people. I’m talking just under 10k views in less than one week.

We spend so much time trying to come up with the right strategy, the right product, company, tagline or press relationship in order to reach many people. Maybe instead we should focus on being real…and simply living.

The last few months of my life have shown me that if you follow your heart and live authentically in the world, you’ll end up right where you need to be.

A New Year is a great time to start.

Give more, receive more

When we are stingy with our resources, or operate from a “scarcity mentality,” we block our own potential (and that of those around us). Giving to others creates an energy exchange that can propel you towards success and deeper layers of living.
The holiday season is a perfect time to test this generosity theory. Conduct an experiment and observe the ways in which you benefit by giving:

  • Find an organization that could benefit from your volunteer work
  • Buy coffee for the next person in line
  • Encourage an entrepreneur in a developing country
  • Clean out your closet and donate lightly worn clothes to a nearby shelter
  • Bake goodies and bring them to a neighbor
  • Support local farmers by giving the gift of a CSA box
  • Plug the parking meter of the car next to you
  • Invite a small group of friends to join you for dinner

Within your network, there are individuals who will benefit from meeting each other. We have tools and devices at our fingertips to connect and unite layers of talents. But there’s also the good-ol-fashioned telephone…
Generosity doesn’t need to be restricted to the holidays, but it’s a great time to start.
 

10 questions to ask at a dinner party (instead of “What do you do?”)

You’ve invited twelve of your closest friends over to your place for dinner — except no one knows anyone else, and they’re all from different parts of your life: work, parenting group, school, bowling club, gym class.

You’ve hired a chef and set the table. Now…how do you get people to talk?

“What do you do?” is an easy question. Overused, expected.

Here are 10 other questions you can ask, straight off the tables of Project Exponential dinners:

  1. Grand Central Station has room for a new restaurant in the basement. What should we recommend?
  2. The Embassy has asked us to suggest a week-long itinerary for a group of influential foreigners who want to visit America. No one speaks the same language. Where should we take them? What should we do?
  3. We’ve been commissioned to orchestrate vending machines that will be placed in high-traffic tourist areas like Times Square, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Sea World. What’s inside?
  4. The U.S. Department of Education wants us to design a course that will become part of all high school curricula. What do we teach?
  5. How do you encourage risk-taking and entrepreneurial thinking among a team that is afraid to break the rules?
  6. We’ve been given access to a 3D printer and can print ONE THING to be distributed worldwide. What is the thing?
  7. If we were to write one book that everyone here [at your dinner party] could contribute to, what would it be?
  8. The mayor wants us to develop a ride-sharing program that encourages interaction among residents and visitors. Ideas?
  9. Apple wants us to throw their next company party. Is there a theme? Who do we invite?
  10. What one problem do you presently wish you could solve?

If you’d like, you can write questions on cards and pass them around the table. If you’re feeling really ambitious, separate your guests into teams beforehand and group individuals with complementary skills. Let me know what happens.