Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.
It seems simple enough. Yet, the lack of it seems to be an epidemic, and it can also be a competitive advantage. What am I speaking of? Caring.
Here are some ways to show we care…
1. Show up for ourselves, our family, team + community
2. Respond
To phone calls
To texts
To emails
To social shout outs
3. Be on time (and end on time)
4. Respect others time
5. Do what we say we are going to do
6. Be honest
7. Make eye contact
8. Be authentic
9. Keep our promises
10. Own our mistakes
Many of us are guilty of using the “busy” excuse. And that is exactly what it is, an excuse. We choose where to put our time and energy. If it matters, we will not be too busy.
I wonder what would happen if we were honest and instead of saying “OMG, I am so sorry, I got too busy”, we said, “You know what, you and your issue, or our meeting, or that phone call, or that email was just not very important to me.” Would we be more accountable to each other if we were forced to be honest? Something to think about.
If you find yourself saying I just can’t keep up with all my emails, Facebook messages, etc. than maybe you need to look at your systems, processes and resources. If you want to create an awesome business, caring (not saying you care, but showing you care) is one of the best ways to create an awesome business.
In the world of time management, is it time that manages us or us who manage time? Who decides what we say yes to and what we say no to?
Life happens, things come up, oversights happen, but when it becomes the norm, and not the exception, it’s a problem. If you want to build trust, relationships, and a business, it’s time to admit there’s a problem and make a decision to change it.
“I always wondered why somebody doesn’t do something about that. Then I realized I was somebody.”
Lily Tomlin
Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.
There are a few times in our lives where we meet someone who touches our soul so deeply. This happened to me when I met Eden Sassoon, and shortly after, Eden introduced me to The Thirst Project. When the Universe speaks, I have learned to listen, and there is no doubt in my mind the Universe brought Eden and I together. That, and Instagram, and our dear friend Winn Claybaugh.
I am not one to jump on bandwagons, so to speak, and I know there are a gazillion humans in need, but Eden and The Thirst Project spoke to my heart so I decided to join my heart and hands with them along with some other awesome humans such as Kaz Amor, Tony Beckerman, Marylle Koken, Anthony Cress, Carrie Balion-McDonald, Erin Short, and Amy Gammon.
“As an industry, we use a lot of water. As an industry, it’s time to give some of it back.”
Eden Sassoon
A few things that I love about The Thirst Project and why I think you may want to love & support them too…
1. It is one of the most practical efforts to solve a world issue; access to clean, safe drinking water. They build freshwater wells in counties of need. I know for me, I have always taken fresh water for granted. Not anymore.
2. It is lead by some of the most passionate young humans I have ever met. I mean, Seth Maxwell, Founder & CEO of The Thirst Project, was only 19 years old when we was moved to action, only 6 short years ago. I had the honor of meeting Seth, along with Lucas Romick, Ops Manager of The Thirst Project, who is ONLY 20 years old!!! These guys are making shit happen, and are wise beyond their years.
3. It is empowered by our youth. This maybe is what inspired me the most. So many people complain about our youth. About laziness, entitlement, you know, you have heard it before. I am one that feels the absolute opposite. Young people today give me hope.
I am inspired daily by the passion and belief that they do not have to accept the status quo. Their rebel with a cause attitude makes my heart smile. And The Thirst Project is fed through these passionate young souls, in middle schools, high schools and colleges around the country. My motto is do not hate that which you do not understand. Take a moment to understand how powerful our youth is. As a business leader, it’s your responsibility to.
What Passion Squared Is Doing…
1. Sharing The Thirst Project story through this blog, The Weekly Dose of Awesome newsletter, Facebook and Instagram.
2. Hosting a live Facebook chat with Eden and Seth on August 7th (time TBD), so you can connect with them, ask questions and learn more about The Thirst Project.
3. Getting my clients involved.
4. Donating $1 from each book (printed, audio book, ebook) I sell on my website.
What You Can Do If You Feel Inspired…
1. Visit The Thirst Project to learn more.
3. Donate $1 and ask your friends, family and co-workers to do the same.
4. Spread the word.
It is such an honor & I am so grateful to join with Eden and her amazing team, Seth, Lucas and The Thirst Project to solve a simple yet devastating issue. Click here to join us!
Love + Awesomeness-
Nina
Photo credits: The Thirst Project, Salon Today, Eden Sassoon, Google
Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.
So let me set the scene. It’s a Tuesday morning. I am just returning home from my early morning Pilates class. I see cops. A crew of them, in the lobby of my building.
Nothing seems strange, so I go about my morning. Walk the dogs, make myself another Americano, and catch up on Facebook and Instagram.
Having just hired Ashely, my newest awesomeness creator, she was to meet me at the Passion Squared Loft at 9am. I get a text at 8:50 (love people who are on time, and by on time I mean early) saying “I am here, but the cops just escorted me out of the lobby.” OMG I said, I will be right down. Thinking we can grab a quick ice tea at Coffee Bean (yes, I am cheating on Starbucks cause I am obsessed with Coffee Bean’s ice and their straws match my hair color). But to my surprise, as I walked out to get her, I saw cops, and my street being closed down. The cop said, “you can go to Coffee Bean, but you will not be able to come back.” So we headed back upstairs and got to work.
This is when things got nuts. We heard siren after siren, and started looking out the window of my 9th floor loft. Still having NO idea WTF was happening in my building.
So what did we do? What everyone does today, we took to Twitter. And Instagram. And sure enough, we found out exactly what was happening. There was an alleged felony fugitive on the 5th floor. A resident. Who may or may not have been armed. Who was served with a warrant and refused to surrender. So for 8 hours, we waited, with the SWAT team, Bomb Squad, LAPD and LAFD. It was a real life standoff. Like on TV. IN MY BUILDING!
But that is not the point of this blog. The point is where we went for information. How much we relied on the social web, and not news stations (online or off), no, they knew pretty much noting.
It was Twitter, and Instagram, connecting with both official and unofficial tweets and Instagrams. It was about finding and sharing experiences using hashtags such as #DTLA and #LAPD. That’s how it works now. We have access to 24/7 LIVE information, as it happens, thanks to the social web.
So what does that mean for your business? A few things. You can continue to have a “standoff” with the social + digital web. Choosing not to engage on YELP because there are crazy’s on there, or choosing not to engage with an online booking platform like Schedulicity because of fear of losing control of your schedule (which you don’t BTW), or choosing not to find time to Instagram, or Facebook for your business. You can choose to not do any of those things, just as long as you know, each day you wait is a day closer to becoming an irrelevant, un-discoverable business.
Johnny_snips is booked a month out, he’s young and just getting started. AndrewDoesHair delivers a ton of awesome education and launched an awesome product ADH Dry. Larisadoll is passionate about sharing her beautiful, creative colors and can’t take a new client until August 2015. These are just three of several examples of incredibly talented & focused hairdressers who are passionate about building community and engaging on Instagram. They create a ton of value. They care.
The world has changed. Business has changed. The choice you need to make is if you will change too. The choice, as always, is yours.
PS: A BIG shout out of thanks to the LAPD and LAFD, they were amazing. The suspect surrendered peacefully and all is well in the world. And to my new awesomeness creator at Passion Squared, Ashley, thank you for being so amazing on your first day. You rock!
Here is the audio of this post. Thank you so much for listening.
After recording the Masters Series interview with Winn Claybaugh, a question he asked has been heavy on my mind. The question was “Who did I write my book for?” In between all the laughs, and tears of that interview, it really made me think.
While that would seem like such a simple question, it made me think about why I felt compelled to write the book in the first place, and what I was hoping the book would be in the hearts and minds of those who read it.
The message I was trying to communication was that the world wants us to live our purpose. And to me, that means following our heart. By writing down my journey and sharing it, it helped me get more honest and clear about what it takes to live an authentic life.
But the simplicity of that is what many times gets people confused. It is not an easy path to take; it’s actually the most difficult. Because in following our heart, we live on the edges of the society, we seek meaningful relationships and projects, we care deeply, and almost so much it hurts at times. We are seen many times as crazy, which you know, we are. We get comfortable with being uncomfortable. We embrace uncertainly. We are driven by our passions.
However, that does not mean that we are not thinking. We are thinking, actually more in many cases than those who choose to walk through life following someone else’s heart. We are strategic. We crystal clear in what feels awesome and what does not.
So why did I write my book? To challenge the seekers like myself, to open up a dialogue about living our purpose, to push those on the edge, and to share the experience and tools of my journey, in hopes of helping others live an awesomely authentic life.
Following our hearts is simple, but it requires we bring our brains with us, and that my friends, is the most awesome combination of all.
Love + Awesomeness-
Nina
PS: A big shout out of thanks to my friend Winn for the opportunity to share my story. And to all who have invested in my book and are on the path to authentic awesomeness, thank you, I am so grateful for you.
Click here to hear my interview with Winn Claybaugh. To purchase my book, in either ebook, audio book or a printed and signed copy, click here.
