The Person to See

Some Life Lessons

Written by Regina Brett

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

36. Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

45. The best is yet to come.

46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

48. If you don't ask, you don't get.

49. Yield.

50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Even The Giants Work On Their Brands

My client Jennifer Taylor of Arroyo Holdings just finished Warren Buffet's recent biography Snowball.  Jennifer so enjoyed the book she dashed off a little note to Mr. Buffet telling him how much she enjoyed it.  To her surprise and delight Warren Buffet dashed off a note himself thanking Jennifer for her words of kindness.

Here's a copy of the note.  Download WBNote

Not bad!  What other titans of industry would have taken the time to do the same?

Every Owner In Every Company Should Worry About Every Employees Personal Brand

I can't tell you how many times I hear from people "Personal Branding is not really important to me because I am not in sales."

This morning I went to rent a truck from Public Storage.  The Company's posted hours for Sunday are  10am-2pm.  I along with several other folks arrived ten to fifteen minutes early.  At varying times we each peered into the window to see if anyone was there.

I can't say I was surprised to find a gal sitting behind a desk just hanging out waiting for 10am to come.  If we want to be sticklers for time she open the doors five minutes late.  But who is counting.

When we went in the gal was equally uninterested in our needs.  It was quite obvious she wasn't interested in serving customers.  Instead she was just logging the hours necessary to collect a paycheck.

What do you think, would working on your receptionist's, clerk's or other non-sales related person's personal brands help?

Little Deeds With Great Love

Mother Theresa was once asked...

"How could someone like you-small in stature (4' 11"), average intelligence, average public speaking skills, never had a cellphone, palm pilot, fax machine or hosted a single fund raising event-change the face of charity around the world?"

To which Mother Theresa responded, "Everyday I remind my girls, it is not great deeds as much as it is little deeds done with great love over and over again."

Somewhere along the line I learned from someone (probably my Dad or Mom) that everyone is important so let them know how much you appreciate them.  To this end whenever we do a presentation for a company we always make sure we express our appreciation to the person who coordinated the event.  It's usually someone's executive assistant.  The real unsung hero.

Our signature mitzvah is simply some flowers.  I cannot tell you how much positive feedback we get.  One person recently wrote us saying, "The best I ever got from any speaker was an email thank you."

A Touch Of Class

My client Ray Bayat of NetCo Investments really knows how to make the people who help him feel special.

Ray's in the business of buying and repositioning shopping centers.  The lifeblood of his business are the brokers who show him potential deals.  When a deal hits, everyone makes out including the broker who receives a handsome commission.

Ray still finds a way to go the extra mile to let the brokers know how much he appreciates them.  After the deal is done he always sends a Tiffany & Co cardholder to the broker.  It's his signature gesture.

The feedback he receives is tremendous.  One broker from Texas told Ray that "When that blue box arrived everyone crowded around to see what it was."

See, it's not that hard.  All it takes is some thought and a dose of caring about others. 

SOME DRESSING TIPS FOR THE LADIES

Just a little P.R. from one of our very own Rainmaker's!

Jonathan Fitzgarrald who is the Director of Marketing for Greenberg Glusker, a Century City law firm  Jonathan was quoted in a Wall Street Journal article on professional dressing for women. 

Click here to read

The Best Personal brands Are Unflappable

I have a client who is working on his temper.  You see, losing your temper is bad for your brand for three reasons:

• It makes you look out of control
• It is a waste of valuable energy
• Most of the time it is destructive to those around you

So here's what I told him to do.  Pick someone who you admire who you think is unflappable in the face of pressure, conflict and frustration.  Try to model that person as much as possible.  If you stick with it you may find yourself making more progress than you thought very quickly.

People I look to are Peter O'Malley, former owner of the Dodgers, James Baker III, former Secretary of State and Colin Powell.  Who do you admire?

The Priceless Value of the Golden Rule

I am pleased to report that so far this year we have continued to have much success despite all the doom and gloom in the marketplace.  I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we invest in people not transactions.  Even if things should take a turn for the worst I don't expect the same disaster some have experienced.

One of the biggest mistakes I witness in the business community is the how poorly many business people treat others calling on them for business.  It amazes me how many people complain about how disrespectfully they are treated by their prospects and than turn around and treat their own prospects exactly the same way.  It happens with me and my own clients all the time.

Prospects will come to me and tell me about how they'd like it to be with people they are calling on and then I see them do exactly the same thing to people calling on them (sometimes me included and they don't even realize it!)

Every successful person I've ever done business with has told me the same thing, "You reap what you sow."  If you want to be treated like class than treat others the same way.

Personal branding has less to do with products and services and more to do with relationships and people.

The Priceless Value of the Golden Rule

I am pleased to report that so far this year we have continued to have much success despite all the doom and gloom in the marketplace.  I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we invest in people not transactions.  Even if things should take a turn for the worst I don't expect the same disaster some have experienced.

One of the biggest mistakes I witness in the business community is the how poorly many business people treat others calling on them for business.  It amazes me how many people complain about how disrespectfully they are treated by their prospects and than turn around and treat their own prospects exactly the same way.  It happens with me and my own clients all the time.

Prospects will come to me and tell me about how they'd like it to be with people they are calling on and then I see them do exactly the same thing to people calling on them (sometimes me included and they don't even realize it!)

Every successful person I've ever done business with has told me the same thing, "You reap what you sow."  If you want to be treated like class than treat others the same way.

Personal branding has less to do with products and services and more to do with relationships and people.

A Breath Of Fresh Air Amidst The Dirty Game Of Politics

A client of mine recently gave me Write It When I'm Gone: Remarkable Off The Record Conversations With Gerald R. Ford.  I highly recommend it to anyone who wants an inside glimpse of how to conduct yourself as a gentleman no matter the circumstances.

Write It When I'm Gone is a wonderful study of personal brand management in action. President Ford never lost perspective on manners, honesty and most importantly who he was even as he rose from a fairly modest Congressman to the highest office in the land.