Over the past two months, my business has begun to gain momentum. We are really experiencing a breakthrough both mentally & with our results. A huge part of that breakthrough has come from focusing on what really matters. Being in the business of dealing with people and empowering them, in the past I have spent to much time trying to convince people of ideas and pushing them toward them. Our shift has come from slowing down, connecting better and really listening to what people want to achieve and truly connecting on it. In the past my focus was on the short term and getting stuff done quickly. Now I have been shown that slowing down and putting energy into really building Karina and myself personally……the rest comes as a result! Man what a ride we are on!
Two weeks ago, the marketing company I work with brought out US Pollster and market research guru Dr Frank Luntz. Luntz is very well known across the US Political scene. Sir David Frost has called Luntz the “The Nostradamus of pollsters.” Time Magazine has named him one of “50 of America’s most promising leaders aged 40 and under” and he has been called the “hottest pollster” in America by the Boston Globe. Frank was named one of the four “Top Research Minds” by Business Week and was a winner of the coveted Washington Post “Crystal Ball” award for being the most accurate pundit. In 2007, Barack Obama said, “When Frank Luntz invites you to talk to his focus group, you talk to his focus group.”
Lucky for me, I got invited to speak to Frank Luntz’s focus group. It was honestly, one of the most confronting, self image enhancing and mind blowing experiences of my life. For 3hrs we sat and had Frank engage us and challenge us on better connecting with Gen Y and connecting in general. He talked to us about words and language which works and what doesn’t. Imagine (one of the words we all should use more) if you could learn to connect with your prospects, clients and audience more just by realising that it is not what you say but what people hear. That was the core message. After this 3hr session we had a break and came back to find ourselves (30 of us) in a back room looking at a screen of 33 GEN Y siting in the next room. They all had dials in their hands so they could rate the upcoming speakers. This came across the screen as a worm (same as the politicians use) which started at 50% and went below or above depending if you connected or not. I was first up with my friend Linda and we were both packing it! (Aussie for nervous). 33 unfamiliar Gen Y looking at us and Frank utters “explain to these people why they should attend your business event in 1 minute”. We both did it and while we spoke, the other 28 in the back room watched “the worm” go up and down depending on what words we said. Amazing. They then gave us unbias raw feedback ie” “He talked about himself too much” or “he was selling to much”. We then watched this with another 10 of our collegues and some got gutted and some praised. Either way, we found better ways to say things and learned that language changes every 2-5 years.
Julia Gillard used the term “Moving Forward” over and over. This is because it was tested and it connected. Obama used “Yes We Can”. Kevin Rudd “working familes”. They learned words like that from the Frank Luntz’s of the world.
Being able to spend a day with him and be tested in front of those people LIVE….was an experience I will never forget.
About 2 years ago, a friend of mine from San Diego,Novalena put me onto this organisation – The Invisible Children.
What they have been doing is phenomenal. It is the true power of a movement. Social Media has connected us so much that we can now pull off something of this scale.
Its funny how when something like this happens there are always critics. People are freaking out about how IE administer their funds and that the end result of getting the US to assist the Ugandan’s to find Kony is only empowering the Government there who are already accused of war crimes.
During the next month there will be those who believe, those who don’t believe and then there will be those who act.
The higher purpose in this call to action is to create a global impact so big, that ANYONE who thinks about committing social injustice, will think twice. Wow, what an effect that will have GLOBALLY.
Let’s Act. Let’s be part of something. Anyone can be a keyboard warrior and poke criticism. Step out. Step up.
1 month ago, 180 of our crew from TeamMak Youth Camp stormed the beach at Burleigh on the Gold Coast and busted out in a fresstyle dance to “Good Feeling” by Flo Rida. 1 girl named Rommi Driscoll started the dance and others followed suit. Not long after we had 100, then 200, then 300 and then it seemed like the whole beach joined and around 500 people were coming from all directions.
We had the music pumping from a Chevy Silverado truck we strategically parked in the car park over night as the Billabong Beach pro was on and we knew parking was scarce. We had a tarp over 2 huge speakers and a generator. Once the music dropped, the fun began. Check it out.
In two weeks time, I am going to realize one of my life’s dreams. Becoming a published author. About 1.5 years ago I signed on to be part of “Defining Moments” book project. 12 Authors from all over America and Australia are contributing their stories of courage and overcoming some of life’s challenges. The project which is similar to the worldwide best seller “Chicken Soup for the Soul” by Jack Canfield & Mark Victor Hansen, will focus in on individuals who have overcome issues such as relationships, drug and alcohol addictions and many many other topics.
In recent weeks we have seen Best Selling Author and world renowned speaker, Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup series) sign on to write the forward and also now have Sharon Lechter co-author of New York Times Best Seller Rich Dad Poor Dad has decided to contribute to it. This has been a very excited journey and more news to come once we are published and on top of the NY Times Best Seller List….. someone has to say it right?
