Life and business need to intersect in order for both to be successful. While success is something that is defined individually, I’m finding that some of the key elements for thriving in business are also key elements for thriving in life.
Completing AWAI’s 21-Day Challenge with Ilise Benun was definitely worthwhile. Ilise was very generous in sharing her time and knowledge and I benefited immensely from her generosity. She also invited three others – Melanie Deardorff, Ann Handley, and Danielle Hughes – in three separate sessions to share their insights. Their encouragement and enthusiasm were wonderful and the marketing tools they shared invaluable.
One of the assignments in the 21-Day Challenge was to share my top three takeaways from these special sessions. While there are many more than that, here are three “GEMs” that I am grateful for:
G – Generosity
E – Encouragement and Enthusiasm
M – Marketing tools
GENEROSITY
All four ladies took time out of their busy schedules to share what they have learned to help others. They chose to share their experiences – with smiles and authenticity. All of them emphasized to always give value to others first. Their thoughtful generosity is at the top of the list.
GEM #1: Generosity is essential in building a business and in living a life.
ENCOURAGEMENT AND ENTHUSIASM
Danielle told us, “People care more about who we are and what we do second.” She encouraged us to write on the topics that mattered to us in order to find our own voice – figure out what excites us the most and write about that. The more authentic we can be, the more the “right people” will come to us and the “wrong people” will not. Her laughter, honesty, and enthusiasm were contagious.
Ann shared ways to grow: establish our own foundation, find our own voice, and build our own brand. I could see the self-confidence in her – but it was not arrogant or pushy, it was with humility and kindness.
Melanie’s enthusiasm and genuineness were so encouraging. She empowered me to continue to believe in what I am choosing to do, as she graciously shared helpful ideas and suggestions.
GEM #2: Encouragement and enthusiasm are definite keys to success and both need to be shared with others.
MARKETING TOOLS
Since the 21-Day Challenge focused on LinkedIn, the marketing tools shared related to that, but I found that there were elements that could help in everyday living as well. For example, Ilise made the observation that curiosity and generosity are important marketing tools. I would say that those attributes are important in life as well.
Melanie encouraged the strategy of making LinkedIn an everyday focus: Post on it consistently and interact with others on their posts. She also gave this piece of advice which I think is excellent: Never talk down to the reader – don’t make the reader struggle with what they are reading.
Ann gave the great idea of creating a personal brand in three words. She asked these questions: How do you define your own personal brand and project it so you’re attracting people to you? What are the best adjectives that would describe your attributes and values?
Danielle shared an essential business foundation element: Know who your audience is, know who you are going to connect with, and know what is going to make you excited to do the work.
GEM #3: Marketing tools for business also apply to marketing tools in life.
Throughout the whole course, Ilise encouraged, empowered, and created opportunities to learn and excel. She, along with Melanie, Ann, and Danielle, helped show where life and business do intersect and how to bring both into harmony.