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6 Thoughts On Engagement

March 16, 2015Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

The leaders who get the most out of their people are the leaders who care most about their people.  – Simon Sinek

Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.

I got an awesome question from an awesome human on the Passion Squared Facebook page and it inspired this post. Thanks so much Nate for inspiring me to share my thoughts on the topic of engagement.*

In working with my clients, whether it’s my one on one clients or my awesome A School group, this is often a topic of discussion. And as one who has developed and lead teams as well as grown communities on social platforms, I am passionate about this topic as well.

Why? Because I believe many of us have challenges when it comes to engagement of people, teams or even social platforms and we know we can do better.

First, lets define engage:

Engage (verb aka action word)
to get and keep (someone’s attention, interest, etc.)

Now how in the heck do we do that? Get and keep someone’s attention and interest?

Listen
Ahhhhh, the old listening trick, works every time if we actually do it. And I mean really listen. Not with the intent to respond, but to show me, through your actions, that you are really listening and I am really being heard.

Be Honest
Having loving, courageous conversations are tough for many. But without them, we cannot nurture and grow ourselves or expect to nurture, grow and engage others.

Understand Me
As the great Stephen Covey taught us in 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, “Seek first to understand.”

Be Human
Authenticity is the old, new and future black. If you want me to be engaged, than I want you to be real. I can see right through your “status quo” verbiage.

Show Up
Trust is possibly one of the most important elements of an engaged team or community. And trust is bread through promises kept. We must never get so “busy” in the mundane day to day that we forget an important part of leadership: showing up and being fully present.

Care
Like really really care. I know, we all say we care. But humans can tell if that is true or not. From our words, actions, promises kept, all of it. Just like Simon Sinek shares in the opening quote.

Choosing to lead a team, a community or a company is an awesome responsibility that takes a huge, selfless commitment. And it’s not for everybody.

If you are feeling challenged by your team, your community or your social platforms and not feeling they are engaged, take a look at this list, and in the mirror.

Lastly, two of my go to people on leadership are Simon Sinek and Marcus Buckingham. My go to humans on engagement are Brian Solis and Gary Vaynerchuk. All of these awesome, passionate and smart humans have tons of content online from books, to talks to blogs and more. I highly recommend them.

Love + Awesomeness-

Nina

*Edited blog post, originally published 3/16/15

Can You Hear Me?

December 8, 2014Nina KovnerGROW, MY TRUTH

“The art of conversation is the art of hearing as well as of being heard.”

William Hazlitt

 

Bed In via Wikipedia

(image via Wikipedia)

Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.

The fifth Chakra, known as the throat Chakra, is associated with speaking and expression.

Now you might be thinking, what the hell is Nina doing talking Chakras? Good question. Not even close to my expertise. Stay with me…

On Saturday, I was in an intense session with a massage therapist who is working with my Chiropractor to figure out why my neck, shoulder and upper back are in so much pain. In fact, I have not really slept in two weeks. Yes I have disc issues, but they are easily treated with through my Chiro, Energy Healer, Therapist and Pilates.

During the session, my awesome massage therapist Peter said… “Something is up with your fifth Chakra.” You are struggling with being heard, or speaking your truth. I’m like, me? Seriously?

And then it hit me, not only have I been struggling with some situations in relation to expression, but my heart has also been so heavy witnessing the injustices of the world, and in particular the intense negativity on social platforms. And I have not spoken up enough about how I feel. As the great Martin Luther King so brilliantly said… “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

What was so interesting about this session, is the evening before, I was awakened at 12:30AM, to passionate protesters marching down my street, for the 5 or 6th time in the last two weeks. I went to the window, and began to weep. The weeping quickly turned to straight up balling me eyes out.

Now it’s beginning to all make sense. My heart is aching for words I have left unsaid, but even more, for the fact that these beautiful and passionate young people, are up at 12:30AM, marching in solidarity, chanting what sadly have become recent trending hashtags #handsupdontshoot and #icantbreathe. I was both sad and inspired. Needless to say, it moved me beyond words.

It also happened to be World Aids Day on December 1st, which brought up a lot of emotion for me, as I thought about marching in protest on Washington DC with ACT UP in the late 80’s, early 90’s. And we were angry. Our chant was “Silence equals death.” A life changing time indeed. And almost a bit eerie that the messages are not all that different. Being seen and heard. Wow.

As humans, we all have a core need to be seen and feel heard. And when we are not, we begin to crumble. This can be expressed with anger, resentment, physical alignments or simply withdrawing from society. If protesters felt seen and heard would things be different? My heart thinks so.

We can take this same thought, and apply it to businesses, as business is life. Do we feel seen and heard? Does our team really feel seen and heard? Do our clients really feel seen and heard?

I can tell you from experience, team members and clients leave our businesses because the answer is no.

So now I have some intense work to do on getting to the bottom of my pain, and maybe you do too.

Love + Awesomeness-
Nina

The Wake Up Call

October 6, 2014Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

The Universe is not short on wake up calls. We are just quick to hit the snooze button.   -Brene Brown

 

Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening.

Many of us have had them. Some of us don’t know we have. And some of us just hit the snooze button when they happen.

Wake up calls happen all the time, in business and in life. The opportunity for us is to listen for them and to them, if we want to create an awesome biz + life.

Wake Up Call #1
A few team members are asking for raises all within a few days of each other. To me, that is a sign of something deeper. Meaning, it’s time to connect with those team members to see where they are in their career and life. Something is behind the desire for a raise. What is it?

 Wake Up Call #2
A slew of social posts about a particular company seem to be gaining momentum and people are just not happy. Will that be a wake up call, or is that company not even listening?

Wake Up Call #3
People begin not showing up to meetings, or come in late to work. Do we build resentment or decide to dig deeper into why that is.

Wake Up Call #4
Sales begin to slowly drop, less new clients are coming in, and staff is leaving. Do we see that as a wake up call or do we hit the snooze button and blame the month, season, weather or staff member.

Wake Up Call #5
A series of not so awesome YELP reviews are posted about a business. All saying similar things. The front desk staff is not nice, nobody answers the phone, the bathrooms are dirty. A wake up call? You bet. But only if the business is listening.

Wake Up Call #6
A feeling of stress and overwhelm continue to fill our bodies. Is this a wake up call? You bet it is. It’s time to look at our lives and begin to create space to breathe and get to the source of the stress and overwhelm so it can be fixed.

Awareness is the key in listening for wake up calls. It is so much easier to hit the snooze button versus dealing with issues, problems or wake up calls. It takes a ton of courage to listen for them and deal with them. And until we do, be prepared for that alarm to keep ringing.

Do you have any wake up calls you have ignored only to have them come back bigger and louder? I would love to hear your thoughts. I’m listening.

(shared with LOVE from Nina)

The Owner

March 31, 2014Nina KovnerGROW

Small business isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s for the brave, the patient and the persistent. It’s for the overcomer.  -Unknown

Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening. Enjoy.

Not everyone is meant to be a small business owner. And that is OK. There are leaders and followers, owners and team members. We each play a very important role in the world, no matter where we sit in it. After decades of working with and for owners, and now being one, I have learned a ton about what it takes to be an owner.

The owner arrives earlier.

The owner stays later.

The owner serves.

The owner leads.

The owner creates leaders.

The owner seeks.

The owner struggles.

The owner shines.

The owner is grateful.

The owner creates.

The owner gathers.

The owner connects.

The owner is consistent.

The owner is compassionate.

The owner communicates.

The owner coaches.

The owner gets coached.

The owner engages.

The owner empowers.

The owner listens.

The owner is honest.

The owner invests.

The owner fails.

The owner succeeds.

The owner learns.

The owner responds.

The owner commits.

The owner sources.

The owner solves.

The owner sacrifices.

The owner is passionate.

The owner perseveres.

The owner has boundaries.

The owner knows when to say yes.

The owner knows when to say no.

The owner laughs.

The owner loves.

The owner cries.

The owner cares.

The owner is brave.

The owner has courage.

Not everyone is meant to be an owner.

Are you?

(shared with love from Nina)

The Letter C

March 17, 2014Nina KovnerENGAGE, GROW

It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives. It’s what we do consistently.  -Anthony Robbins

 

Here is the audio version of this post. Thank you so much for listening. Enjoy!

So what does it take to create awesome? Over the last couple years, and really, over my entire career I have studied many businesses, including my own. I am one for keeping things real, and simple. While there are several ways to create awesome and people are doing it every day, it is the following traits and actions that I see which are some of the most important, and conveniently enough, they all begin with the letter C, so I call this the Creating Awesome Recipe.

Confidence

Believing your awesome and learning to love yourself and believe in you. This is absolutely the biggest roadblock to awesomeness in the professional beauty + wellness industries in my experience. You can have all the education and motivation in the world, BUT, if you do not feel deserving of success and happiness, another class or workshop will not help you. Truth.

Courage

Turning your fears into creative fuel. Learning to say YES, and more importantly, NO! It’s a decision. It’s a choice. Make it.

Clarity

Discovering your awesome and finding your purpose, promise and passion for yourself and your business. When you have clarity, those around you will too. If you want people to buy into your vision, seek clarity first, and then share it.

Consistency

Living your awesome and creating systems, processes and plans for growing your business, consistently.  This holds true in business and in life.

Commitment

Are you prepared to make it happen, even on the days you don’t feel like it? Enough said.

Connections

Sharing your awesomeness by engaging and marketing online and off to grow yourself, your team and your business.  Creating deep connections with the world around you brings so much more meaning to owning and leading a business.

Communication

George Bernard Shaw once said,” The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”  Truer words have never been spoken. Communicate with your team, clients and community. They will be grateful, and you will be a much happier owner, leader and awesomeness creator.

So there you have it. Pick one, work on it, then move to the next. Rome was not built in a day… and neither are our businesses or lives.

(shared with LOVE from Nina)