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Bill Taylor's "Practically Radical" Book Signing Launch Party

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Back on January 5th, 2011, I attended Bill Taylor's book signing Launch Party honoring the release of his new book "Practically Radical: Not-So-Crazy Ways to Transform Your Company, Shake Up Your Industry, and Challenge Yourself." It was hosted by Fast Company and TBWA. Attending this event was a perfect example of networking. Over all it was a great intimate event with some of New York's most interesting thought leaders and game changers and I ended up making some random connections and amazing events spun off of them.

My dear friend Meredith Goodwin, Lighting Design Manager at Nulux invited me to this event and we ended up met some new and old friends. Here she is meeting Jean-Luc Mege and Brandon Williams, Senior Vice President at TD Bank, who she introduces me to.

Jean-Luc Mege is a very well established photographer here from France making a new name for himself in NYC, no doubt it won't take long.

Who would think that I would get to meet I get to meet the heads of my bank TD Bank at a book signing? Brandon Williams and Joseph Paradise, VP, Retail Market Manager of TD Bank not pictured here quickly put me in touch with my local branch manager Sheldon Berg, who within weeks came to my office to meet me. Little known facts- TD Bank is open on Fridays from 7:30am till Midnight. And they are the only banks with police officers stationed there. I do love how convenient they are, and for an entrepreneur business owner those extended hours really help me manage my time.

This is the serendipity of networking. Randomly introducing myself to new interesting game changers at the party I met Peter Clayton founder of Total Picture Radio and Jobs In Pods. Within a few seconds we realized our circles overlapped as we're both about promoting careers and leadership. The best unexpected thing that came out of this was Peter Clayton's invitation to interview me for his podcast interview for Total Picture Radio which we recorded a month later (you'll get to read and hear about in my subsequent blog).

I was lucky to have my copy of the book signed by Bill Taylor and in honor of the event, I had a blast standing up on the "Practically Radical" Soapbox together with Meredith declaring my "Practically Radical" New Year's Resolution. I declared my resolve to transform Yeh IDeology, shake up the industry, and challenge myself in 2011.

Over all we had a great time catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. Here's Kofi Aidoo on my team with our industry friend JooYoung Oh, and our friend Ayse Birsel was there as well.

Networking can deliver some great serendipitous results but it won't happen unless you get out there. I always find too that it's a lot more fun if you go with friends and collaborate helping each other meet people.

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A Network of Friends

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This December, while teaching my Careers Strategy students about networking as an adjunct professor at Parsons New School, I asked them, “What Makes Work Fun?” In my lecture, I told them that most people view networking as a business task and a necessary evil. But in reality, if you approach and treat people properly, your business world can become your world of friends as well. It’s a simple matter of taking the time to recognize the people with whom you work as unique and important individuals. It’s human nature to choose people you know and trust, and in fact research shows that people do this when hiring, choosing vendors, partners, services etc…. So in business, networking is essential. But beyond that when you make it a point to get to know those with whom you interact, you can transform your business world as well and work becomes fun when those with whom you work become your friends.

As I reflect on 2010, I realize how over time I have found great friends in the clients and candidates we know, regardless of whether we're working together or not. On the client side, I have such an appreciation for all the people with whom I engage in companies, from the HR and hiring managers, to the secretaries, bookkeepers, and assistants. As a business owner, I value the vendors and people with whom we work to keep our business running: our web and branding consultant, our tech guru, our bookkeeper and accountant, to name a few.

Finances are not my forte, but finding an accountant and bookkeeper I trust unequivocally AND enjoy working with has made handling these tasks practically enjoyable. When you find great people appropriately skilled for your business needs, whose values and work styles resonate with your own, work becomes almost effortless and enjoyable.

People want to matter, but the world at large feels so impersonal. People don't expect to be recognized or acknowledged as individuals. I make it a point to notice people as much as I can when I interact with them, no matter how brief or incidental our time together may seem. I greet my bus driver, dry cleaner attendant, deli cashier, mail carrier, and bank teller by name if possible, and inquire about their day, and I don't forget the people who support the people with whom I work, including my doctor's secretary and my client's assistant. I love the startled looks and smiles I get when people realize I really see them. It's a great feeling to make someone’s day by acknowledging them unexpectedly, and it can make my day.

When you respect and acknowledge people, they become more than just acquaintances. They truly become your network of friends, which improves your quality of life and makes the world and your experience in it more enjoyable

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Dr. Woody Blog- Career Resolution

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I just came across Dr. Woody's blog giving some great advice on "New Year, New Attitude: 10 Career Resolutions YOU Need to Make in 2011". He offers us some excellent suggestions on new proactive ways to look at your future. I actually do practice many of these points in my life in some manner but I love how he's put these points together in a pithy and organized manner and there are new ones I've not considered before. Tips I do 1: Look in the Mirror- I always reflect on what I bring to the world and how to keep improving, 3: Face Three Negatives- I always try to reflect on my mistakes to try to understand my habits better and hope to never repeat them, 4: ah the books and there are so many great books out there. One fun book I'm reading is "Maotai, Mooncakes and Monks" about an expat American in China. 5: Join One Group- Just joined Service Design Network for the first time last year and I'm going to be attending IxDA's conference in Boulder CO this Feb. The most passionate and self driven individuals in any industry often are found at industry groups. 7: Make 12 New Friends- I love finding like minded people who are just as passionate about life and learning. The best friendships are the ones where you teach each other. 8: Take One Risk- last year was a doozy with lots of risk taking, but it was all good for growth and progression of YehID and myself. Change is good. 9: 9: Set Lofty Goals- We’re doing what we can to field all of the needs of our clients but we could be even better at it and one day we’ll find a way to be able to help match more talent to culture 10 times more nimbly while never losing the attention to detail and the quality of our services & matches. 10: Make a YOU Plan: Got it. And reading this blog I'll now revise and enhance mine.

New Tips I'm Going to Try 2: Reminisce on Five Positives. I love this one and I've never tried this. To up my game I'll reflect on the things I've achieved and think about how much they mean to me and how I might even better my approach next time.

6: There are so many things to keep track of. Will definitely look at all of mine and YehID's social profiles and see if anything needs to be revised to reflect me and YehID in 2011.

Dr Woody's blog really does such a great job of defining the topic of Career Resolution that I just ordered his book "The YOU Plan: A 5-Step Guide to Taking Charge of Your Career in the New Economy" and will recommend it for my students I'll be teaching in Careers Strategy next semester at Parsons New School.

If you catch this in time Dr. Woody's going to appear on LIVE! w/ Regis & Kelly tomorrow morning to talk about Career Do's and Don't's for 2011!!! Check local listing.

Like Dr. Woody says "Career success starts with YOU! Take charge! Get out of the hot seat! Make it happen!"

Tell us your thoughts on Dr. Woody's 10 Tips, and take a look at our previous blog entry on 2011 New Year's Career Resolutions while you're at it!

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What is your 2011 New Year's Career Resolution?

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How many times have you found that if you have one thing to do one day, you get nothing much done, but if you have 10 things to do in a day, you get half and maybe most of the tasks done? Goal setting is an essential part of progress, being productive, and successful. It helps keep us from milling about aimlessly and helps us direct our energy towards a singular goal. So why don’t most of us do this for our careers as well? Maybe because the timeline feels so long until that next career move or career evolution. Oftentimes once someone is in a job, they focus their energies towards doing their job and hopefully doing it well.

But you can’t forget the bigger picture, which is your career. People come to us at all stages in their careers. Some are young graduates ready to strike out in an industry for the first time, some are mid- to senior-level talent at a mid-point in their career path, transitioning to their next job, and some are very seasoned professionals at the pinnacle of their career path who wonder about their next career step.

No matter when we meet people in their career, we often meet them at a juncture where they don’t know what career direction they should be going in next. Most don’t have a clue and haven’t thought about it. Some individuals who come to us though, have been planning out their future and keeping an eye on the horizon, knowing what they want to reach for next. Those who do are often the individuals who reach their goals and evolve their careers at a much faster pace. Chances are they are enjoying their jobs more and consider their careers to be fun.

You can let fate take you where it will, but you may not like where you end up. Or you can choose a direction to follow. I find it’s much more exciting to choose a direction and follow your passion. Life is so much more fun when you gain some sort of intrinsic gratification from your work, because then the work isn’t work. It’s something you love to do, and chances are that you’re being creative about it.

So wherever you are in your career path and life, remember to stop and look at the bigger picture. Set a calendar reminder from once to four times a year or even more, where you look at the horizon and think about where you want to be in 5 years, 10 years and 20 years. What skills or knowledge do you think you’ll need to get there? What would you like to start working on next? No matter how big or small the goals are, writing down your goals helps you plot out your dream career future.

We would love to hear from you about what your career resolution might be. Let’s start that dialogue and hear your thoughts about your career path.

What is your career Resolution for 2011?

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Company Holiday Party at SPiN

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We’ve been so busy this year with so many projects on our plates that we almost forgot to plan our company holiday event. In the past we’ve gone to dinner, but we wanted to have a great company party and to do something different this year.

Last year the ping pong bar/club SPiN opened up on 23rd Street off of Park Avenue. Ending a romp around town during an ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair) event in May ’09, we ended up at SPiN. My dear friend Arthur Young-Spivey, the man about town who led us there, pointed out one of the club’s owners, Susan Sarandon, as she was showing Demi Moore & Ashton Kutcher around the bleachers to a dark corner lounge chair. That proved to be one of my best celebrity sightings ever!! As savvy New Yorkers, we satisfied our furtive glances, then turned our attention back to the two dapper pros whipping balls back and forth across the premier table.

We couldn’t get a table to play that night because the reservations have to be made way in advance but I knew we had to come back and try it. So this year after mulling over bowling, ice skating or billiards, we booked us a table at SPiN.

Just about everyone has played ping pong at some point in their life. Some contest their expertise, some challenge others, and some down play it.. Got to watch out for those. haha Either way, we were having a blast whacking those orange balls around. The best thing about this company holiday event is that there are so many great people who have helped us make Yeh IDeology what it is today. We were able to invite quite a few friends to the table (pun intended) and celebrate.

A little decadent detail about this club was that we never had to pick up any of the balls we were letting loose. Roaming the club were special attendants with nets on sticks who deftly scooped up all the ping pong balls. It was a good thing too because we played singles, doubles, and sometimes we were just trying to shoot as many balls at each other as fast as we could. We laughed so hard our cheeks ached.

One game I’ve always wanted us to try is Round Robin ping pong. There were seven of us, each with a paddle, rotating around the ping pong table. As one person hit the ball, the next person would step up to hit the ball. It got to a point where we were dizzy from circling the table, skipping sideways. There are ways to make the game more challenging, like sharing only two paddles between everyone and reducing the numbers down to two as people miss their shots, but this was about letting everyone have fun and we had a blast.

We noshed on delicious food from the restaurant Ducks in the back of the club. The sliders were delicious and the vanilla popcorn addictive and not at all as saccharine sweet as you’d expect. They had a great selection of beers, wine and cocktails too. What you don’t realize is what a workout you get from ping pong. Definitely have those waters ready.

All in all a fun company holiday party. Can’t wait to figure out what we do for next year.

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Office photoshoot with photographer Andrew Steinman

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There are so many things to do for our new website and corporate identity launch. One new thing that I didn't expect would turn out to be such an incredibly fun assignment was a photo shoot. When Mel Lim, our brand identity visionary, told me she needed shots of our office, I thought “Sure, we'll take a digital camera and just shoot away for a couple of hours one morning.” I realize now that our team is talented in many ways, but we're not skilled at being models and being the photographer at the same time. Let's just say that when Mel saw our homemade shots, she suggested in the kindest way that we do this the right way. We had a good laugh. After much deliberation, I turned to my friend Andrew Steinman, whose key strength, besides being a phenomenal photographer, is making ordinary people feel at ease in front of the camera, to the point of having fun.

This morning we had a blast. While Andrew and his crew got set up, we noshed on coffee and bagels. There is something to learning how to be comfortable in front of the camera. Most of us are shy, and while we want to look great, we’re a bit awkward. Andrew quickly diverted our attention, lightened the mood, and put everyone at ease. Soon we were all laughing, joking, and teasing one another.

We all work so hard, Our work is sensitive and we’re all dedicated to the success of this business. Having a photo shoot was a fun morale booster and a great change of pace. It turned into an excellent company event where everyone relaxed and socialized.

Being a consummate perfectionist, Andrew took tons of great shots. While you’ll get to see many of the shots throughout our website, there will be many you won’t see. As a side company perk, my team will be able to take some great shots home to enjoy and remember the event and the day. Out of what I thought was just going to be a side project for our brand repositioning, evolved an invaluable and fun company experience.

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Productive Procrastination

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I think I've perfected Productive Procrastination, or am certainly crafting my methodology for it. Everyone's pushing to learn and grow and we all have our own Achilles heels, those tasks that we most hate to do, that hold us back and signify our next level of personal growth and development. Call it personal mental block, plain old disdain for the task, or it's in our Myers and Briggs that our unique set of genes are just not programmed for it. There are some tasks that are best given to someone else to do, whether you pay or barter with others to do them. But then there are some tasks I know I just have to do myself. Perhaps I know that only I can deliver the quality that I expect or maybe I just need to know that I can master the assignment. Blog writing is my my current biggest mental block. What will you think of what I write, and how well will I express myself? Will I be eloquent and insightful enough or too pedestrian and redundant? I know I have so many ideas and concepts that would be valuable to share with you, but I have such a mental block with it. Is it because I want it so much? I've heard before if you fear something, it's because you want it so dearly. If anyone can find that quote for me, I'd love it.

So I've been torturing Mel Lim, my amazing website designer, and I hand in task after task, but not the blog. I have too many thoughts and topics in my head. Really, there are bazillions of them. I know that once I master this, I'll be so relieved and will probably relish blogging. For the moment, I wish to surpass this mental block, learn to blog, and to love it.

Yes I know I can pay someone to write the blogs for me, just as we do with other types of content. But this is something I care about dearly and I want to share things with you directly. That said, I will admit that there is an angel sitting on my shoulder overlooking this project I've set for myself, and I thank her dearly.

So I "Productively Procrastinate". Being (and I consider myself still) a young entrepreneur, there are numerous tasks and projects that need my attention. Most of these tasks are relatively important and impact all different aspects of building a budding young company. But there are a few key top tasks I'm avoiding, possibly because I can't wrap my head around them just yet (or at least in one sitting), or I’m not mentally ready to tackle them., or I’m not into doing them right now. Maybe I’m a bit of a perfectionist, because there are things I feel utterly compelled to do myself.

I also believe in doing things right. No matter how inundated I am, most tasks I feel are not worth doing unless they are worth doing right. I say this because too many times I've found myself spending exponentially more time to rework something done wrong.

And so I fill my days with all of the tasks I need to do. Where I avoid one task, I work on another that I have to do and may also dread doing. But I at least address the task I dread less than the task I dread the most. And I get a lot of work done. I make progress and feel better about myself and my day. The mountains of "to do"s diminish.

Early on I found that if I avoided a task I dreaded by doing absolutely nothing, I would end up feeling sorry for myself. As I found random tasks I needed to do and could be productive while avoiding the one task that plagued me most, I felt better about my day. Heck, I was accomplishing something.

Sometimes if I had a complicated project to avoid, I would focus on a menial task and get it done in record time while mulling over my approach to the complicated project. The opposite was also true.

You know the adage that if you have one thing to do all day, you get nothing done. But if you have 50 things to do, you get 25 things done. I completely understand it now, and it's true. I keep a list of various tasks I have to do, and I plow through one after another while avoiding something else. Some tasks demand heavy thinking, some require creative insight, and some involve number crunching. Then there are menial tasks that just simply take time.

Don't get me wrong. I also believe in those moments when it's healthy to do nothing and you need to take a break and unplug. I can't wait for that moment to come. But for now, I just don't have that luxury. There are times when everything converges at once and nothing can wait. Like right now at the end of the year. These overwhelming moments call for Productive Procrastination.

As mountains of tasks pile up, I feel like a samurai, wielding my attention, slaying task upon task. And the list of "to do"'s gradually dwindles. As I take a breather and look back, I'm impressed that I've accomplished so much in what feels like such a short amount of time. I take a moment to relish the zen moment, to breath and relax and do nothing but reflect. I may even start planning a reward moment to look forward to. And then I place my fingers on my keyboard and slay some more tasks, like this one – my first blog entry, where I’m writing to you.