It All Starts At Why

"It's not what you do, its why you do it." - Simon Sinek

At first view, the quote might might sound like something I scraped from a motivational poster.

You know the kind.

The san-serifed words would sit at the bottom of an image of child reaching for a book or a crew shell gliding through the water. The glossy posters wrap lunchrooms throughout the country.

However, after you watch this TEDx talk by Simon Sinek (embedded below), the quote carries much more meaning. While the video is worth its 18min run-time, Sinek's comments boil down to this:

1. People are driven at very basics levels of thought by values
2. People flock to organizations that espouse their values and beliefs
3. Organizations that uphold a value that moves people, can succeed

Or even shorter, It's not what a person or organization does, its why they do it that matters.

From building software to running a political campaign (think "Change"), values are what inspire people, not the "stuff" of life. While many times we start by talking about "what" we do, it might better serve us to start with "why".

To put my money where my mouth is, let me take a look at my LinkedIn profile (feel free to add me to your network).

Instead of saying:

"I am endurance runner, digital marketer and blogger. I want to inspire people to build businesses, live healthier lives and help others."

Maybe I should switch it around (and add a little value-ness) so it reads:

"I want to inspire people to test their limits. I hope to encourage others to build businesses, live healthier lives and help others. I help do this by blogging, running and working in marketing,"

[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4ZoJKF_VuA"]

Life Goals: Inspired by the ICanHasCheezburger Guy

Back in April, I had the pleasure of attending TEDx Seattle, a great conference that included artists, researchers and scientists sharing stories about how technology and culture intersect. (If you don't already, you should subscribe to the TED podcast.)

One of my favorite speakers from the event was Ben Huh, owner of the IcanHasCheezburger Network, and associated with everything #lol, #cat and #fail. Ben shared a touching story in his presentation "19 Thinks that I Owe Myself to Accomplish". Filled with emotion, Ben talked about his first failed business and he came to build his current blog empire--all the while accomplishing life goals.

Ben had a total of 19 goals on his list. Some he had accomplished (learn to ride a motorcycle) and some he had yet to (give away a million dollars). The goals were grouped under categories: Have Fun, Help Yourself, and Help the World.

Ben's speech was so inspirational, I decided to make my own list of goals, complete with groupings.

So without further adieu, here is what I came up with.

In no particular order, this is what I want to achieve in my life.

Find My Limit

• Learn how to kickbox
• Ride a motorcycle to Alaska
• Run 100 miles without stopping
• Travel around the world
• Win an athletic competition
• Earn an award

Build a Base

• Become an expert at something
• Find the perfect woman
• Sell a company for a profit
• Raise a child
• Own a house

Help Others

• Teach at a college
• Become a blogger
• Write a book
• Teach my child how to ride a bike
• Become a public speaker
• Pay for my child's college education

So, that's what I have at the moment. There will probably be a few drafts of this.

Career Advice for a Recent Grad

A few weeks ago I met up with Emma, a recent graduate from the University of Washington. Filled with passion, this young professional was smart, but unfortunately she was starting her career in a tough economy, and entering a fiercely-competitive job market. This was my advice to her.

1. Look, Listen & Learn You have awesome ideas, no doubt, but you are also young and can use this "excuse" as a tool to soak up decades of knowledge from your coworkers and parent's friends. So, just try not to be the new freaking guy and interject too often (I know this from personal experience). Instead, listen to the ideas being presented around you, try to find ways where you can contribute meaningfully, then deliver on your promises.
2. Work with Your Strengths You may not have a decade of work experience, hundreds of connections in your field or a lengthy resume to support you in your job search. However, that doesn't mean you don't have a competitive edge on other professionals in the market. After four years of college, you know how to live cheaply. This means you can take a lower-paying position that a professional who is supporting a family might not be able to. Also, you probably can move around and travel easier than others in your field. Make an inventory of your skills. You might be surprised by what you  come up with.
3. Seek Out Opportunities to Network You probably didn't discuss this much in school, but networking is probably the single most important activity you can do to support your career. This includes getting to know your coworkers, colleagues in your field and other professionals out in the world. Seek out projects at work or in your volunteer life that expose you to a wide variety of people. You never know what will come of it --an exciting project, new job or maybe even a marriage.
4. Brand Yourself "So, what do you do..." is something you might hear a lot in your life. And while the monikers "Doctor" or "Engineer" conjure up specific images of a profession, "write stuff and manage clients" is much more nebulous. Try to identify the root of your skills and work (for a simple narrative), and offer this to the next person who asks. "I am an online marketer for enterprise software." A wise man once told me "No one hires a generalist." So true!

So these were a few of the tips that I offered Emma. I know she goes far!

Stories Matter

Yesterday I had the pleasure of speaking on a panel at the Putting the Pieces Together: Building Effective Partnerships for Children, Youth & Families conference, an event organized by SOAR, a coalition of organizations in King County, Washington that support children (see Panel Discussion below). The panel offered tips on how non-profits can use social media to advance their work. I highlighted how Ning.com and Facebook are effective tools for marketing an organization and connecting with parents, and offered examples of how I've used them at Foundation for Early Learning.

But that's not really what this post is about. Really, I want to share what happened AFTER my panel discussion.

The Power of Stories

After my session was up, I thanked the moderator and headed over to participate in a conference session as an attendee. After scanned the open sessions, the title "Effective School-Community Collaboration" piqued my interest. I headed for room 202.

This panel discussion included partners from a the Seattle Shakespeare Theater and Seattle Public Schools. Within just a few minutes, the presenters told a story of John, an eighth-grader in the special education program. He never spoke up in class, and was particularly shy around other students his age.

Despite this, John enrolled in the after-school Shakespeare collaboration between the theater and Seattle Public Schools. He was even brave enough to take on a role that required him to charge across the stage with a short staff (weapon) and announce the attaching group of actors in a production of Henry V.

By simply showing a photo of this boy, and sharing this quick story, the panelists were able to highlight the effectiveness of their partnership (theater helped John discovered his voice). A fairly complex idea, all communicated with just a few words and a photo. Wow.

What's my take-away from this session?

Include stories in as many places as you can. They deliver messages extremely well, and make your work come alive.