This post is a bit of a diversion from my “life story” series, but I just had to express my excitement about finally “getting” social media. Like everyone, I can be stubborn and get stuck in my “old ways.”
I should begin by saying that I’ve pretty-much avoided social media to this point. Sure, I’ve had a Facebook account for years. But I was jaded. At times, even nasty. I still believe that friends should meet face to face (since most of our friends are spread out all over the world, this means my wife and I get to travel a lot).
But now I’ve rebooted my career (again) and am spending most of my time learning from and collaborating with others, rather than being a consultant working solely for the benefit of one client at a time.
Since I’m in this new phase of life and growing a new business, I’ve reverted back to “startup mode.” For me, that means one thing:
Find the people who have the most experience and learn from them.
I started doing this when I was a teenager and building my first career… as a magician. I would go to all of the magic conventions I could afford, just to sit at the feet of the masters. A quarter-century later, I’m fortunate to call most of them friends. In fact, they comprise a decent portion of our annual travel itinerary.
What I just realized (again, I can be dense), is that social media provides the opportunity for us to connect with, and learn from, the masters… without the cost of airplane tickets, hotel rooms and conference fees.
Of course, as when I was young, my hope is that I will get to meet with these people face-to-face in the coming years. But, for now, I’m more than happy to follow, like, share and comment on the thoughts and ideas of those who have put in the hard work and are graciously sharing their wisdom with us.
If you want to see who I’m following, check my profiles:
