Letter from the Editor

Life and Times of JWN

Make Yourself Known As aforementioned in previous issues of the "Life and Times of JWN," I have a sincere desire to travel the world and motivational speak about my variety of interests, philosophies, and best practices. I am pleased to inform you this week that I booked my first speaking engagement. On October 9, 2007, I will be the Keynote Speaker at the Future Business Leaders of America District Conference held at my Alma Mater, Windsor Central High School. Thanks to my friend Mary Jo Wardell, business teacher at Windsor, advisor to Windsor's FBLA Chapter, and coordinator of the event, I have been given a great opportunity. At the event I will open the conference with my thoughts and later lead a workshop on leadership for high school students from all over Central New York. I am thrilled about the opportunity. This leads to my thoughts on a topic I toil over quite a bit: How do you get yourself known? I have read extensively on this topic and some of my favorite advice and inspiration for action, which I will share with you today, comes from Jeffrey Gitomer, a traveling speaker, salesman, and author, whose books take up quite a bit of space on my bookshelf. He taught me that it's not about who you know, but who knows you. In order to make yourself known you need to put yourself in front of as many people as possible. Just getting there is one step, but Making a POWERFUL Impact, is the next step. (Click here for my article on that subject). Being seen as an expert on a subject is quintessential to maximizing your time in the "limelight." A few ways to get in front of people: 1) Write an article for a publication, no matter how big or small it is. This will make you known amongst your peers as an expert on whatever you write about. If you don't know who to write for, create your own publication for your friends, family, and associates. That's what Ben and I did! 2) Speak at an organized event, again, no matter how big or small it is. Public speaking is one of the most feared activities, but also the most productive in terms of personal marketing. Get out of your comfort zone and go after it! 3) GET INVOLVED! When you take the chance to get involved with an organization focused on something your passionate about, you immediately move your level of "who knows you" higher. KEY HINT: Don't just show up to meetings, take on a leadership role and put yourself in front of the organization. 4) Join Team VIP! Send us an article on someone who inspires you or something you are passionate about. We would be happy to feature it in a future publication. The key is to put yourself in front of people, no matter the capacity, because when you are in the front, people want to meet you. It is much easier to make a meaningful connection with somebody when you first inspire them to connect with you. Learning, understanding, and implementing these principles has already paid great dividends for me and will continue to well into the future. I am happy to share them with you, so they may affect your life in a positive way. Just living the dream, ~JWN