|
|
| About Keith Ferrazzi |
| Widely hailed as one of the world’s most “connected” people, Keith Ferrazzi is the author of Never Eat Alone, the international bestselling book about building relationships for success. Ferrazzi is also an acclaimed speaker and CEO of Ferrazzi Greenlight, a consulting and professional development firm that helps organizations drive growth through relationships. Earlier in his career, he was chief marketing officer at Deloitte Consulting and the youngest to be tapped for partner in the firm's history. Then, upon joining Starwood Hotels and Resorts, Ferrazzi was the youngest CMO in the Fortune 500. He also served as CEO of YaYa Media before founding Ferrazzi Greenlight. |
Recent Article:
Lessons from the Green
- For more on Keith Ferrazzi visit www.ferrazzigreenlight.com
Want to know how to make it to the top of your game? It's easy, if you throw out many of the things you've been taught over and over. Throw out all that John Wayne rugged-individualism. Throw out that prideful "I don't want anything I don't earn myself" B.S. (I've been told I can't say bulls**t in here). The biggest lesson we need to internalize is you cannot get there alone.
And, it doesn't matter where there is for you: VP sales at the start-up you are working for, president of that company you toil away in while someone else makes all the bucks, or, great entrepreneur, launching the world-changing dream you've had for years. We depend on others for all of our successes.
John Wayne looked great on screen, but he couldn't have done it without a crew of hundreds. Remember, we all have our own crew, our partners, employers, employees, emotional supporters, friends, prospects … the list goes on.
I started at the bottom, growing up in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, carrying the golf bags of the local rich and famous as a caddy at the Latrobe Country Club. I soon discovered their secret. There really was an old boys' and girls' network. The network helped wealthy kids get the great internships, helped friends get interviews for prime jobs, and lent money to start businesses.
The transactions from that golf course went on and on. Some caddies saw this and were content as voyeurs, watching from the outside.
Not me.
For me, the path to success was as clear as reading that uphill break left on the third hole when the pin placement was at the back of the green. I started taking mental notes and have zealously been building close personal relationships ever since. Starting as the son of a steel-worker and cleaning lady, I became the youngest chief marketing officer of a Fortune 500 company in my early 30s. Those long-memorized notes have since led me to the boardrooms of many more Fortune 500 companies, and to the CEO-ship of a successful start-up.
With this column, I will not intend to try to convince you that networking is valuable. If you took the time to get to this Resource Center, you know it's valuable, and you also know that you can be better.
TOGETHER, WE'LL MAKE YOU BETTER!
Start by knowing that a broad web of genuine intimate connections with people will be the most valuable thing you can create for your career, your company and, indeed, your entire life. We will begin by revealing specific principles I've come to know as truths in building these deep intimate connections, truths that lead to sales, career growth, and, yes, intimacy. Then, once we are all thinking alike with the same principles, we'll explore the most important techniques -- methods that are helpful for building your community of cheerleaders and active supporters, an essential part of it all.
To some, "Networking" has become a dirty word - and rightfully so. It conjures up rooms of unemployed job-hunters desperately and frantically searching for a quick way in to a position. Or, it's smarmy salespeople collecting business cards that they toss away when the quick buck doesn't appear as quickly as hoped. Together, we will do something very different with the word Networking. We will define it as forming genuine relationships and building genuine community -- a community of relationships that helps everyone's well-being and success.
With this column, you will learn how to form and then maintain and nurture these meaningful relationships. Stay tuned for column one, which is also principle number one, "Never Keep Score." Column two will pick up with "Creating Your Own Nepotism for Career Growth (Even When You're a Poor Kid Like Me)."
This is going to be a journey that I'm so damned (darned, they want me to say) excited to take with you!
Lessons from the Green - To learn more about this author, visit Keith Ferrazzi's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
No article feedback found. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. |
|
More Keith Ferrazzi
|
 | ||
 |
||
 |
||
 |
||
 | ||
 |
| Have you written articles that would be of value to entrepreneurs? Become an expert on our site by publishing them! Expose yourself to a wide audience, drive more traffic to your website and get more sales! Click Here for details. |
 |
 |
| Modeling the Masters: Learn the true secrets behind Walt Disney's business success factors & grow your company! Video produced by Phanta Media |
|
|
 |
"Learn straight from Evan how you can Make a Full Time Income (And More) from a Website"
Click Here To Learn More |
|
|
|
|
Get advice & tips from famous business owners, new articles by entrepreneur experts, my latest website updates, & special sneak peaks at what's to come!
|
|
 |
 Referral Networking Solution How To Work Explode Expo Results Memorandum Template 2 Manners, Positivity, Heroics |
|
 | ||
 |
Top 50 Blogs For Startups
Top Blogs To Watch In 2008 | |
 |
Top 50 Niche Blogs 2009
Top 50 Niche Blogs 2009 | |
| ||
 | ||||
| ||||
|
| ||||
| ||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||
|
Email us your ideas on how to make our website more valuable! Thank you Sharon from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for your suggestions to make the newsletter look like the website and profile younger entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez and Sean Combs!
|
|
|
