Posted By Donna Fisher on August 26, 2009

My segment of the upcoming Women Who Rock Event is on “The Real Deal about Being Your Own Boss” so I’ve been thinking back to my 20 years of being my own boss and the years prior to that when I worked in the corporate world.

Right out of college I worked for Beech Mountain ski resort (accounting), then Exxon (accounting). I remember that I left there because I wanted something more people oriented. . . and where I would have more freedom and could make more money!

So I went in to sales with McDonnell Douglas and loved the opportunity and made more money, met more people and had more freedom. And then, after several years, a similar urge came up again . . . wanting something more people oriented.

This time I went into the non-profit arena and worked as Director of Volunteers and then Executive Director of the Center for Attitudinal Healing. The center provides emotional support for families with children with a catastrophic or life-threatening illness. This definitely satisfied that desire to have a job that was very people oriented.

And it was there that I learned how to network – because in the non-profit arena you have to ask for everything, you have to be resourceful and then I saw the value of the relationships that developed as a result of the networking.

It was also while I was there that I found my love of speaking and training. Part of my job was to facilitate the volunteer training where we mainly taught listening skills, emotional healing and attitude enhancement. And part of my job as executive director was to go out and speak to groups about our programs and the support that we provided to these special families.

And then several years later, I started my own business speaking and leading personal development programs for women. My business evolved as I focused on teaching communication skills, business development skills and relationship marketing skills under the umbrella of “networking” and started working with corporations nationwide.

I now see that all the jobs I’ve had helped me get to where I am today (isn’t that always the case!) And now I see that I’ve actually always been “my own boss”. Yes, I worked for other people and yet I chose jobs that satisfied some “urge” that I felt or desire that I had.

During those early years when I was changing jobs approximately every 4 or 5 years, I do remember thinking that I should “settle down” and stay with a job for the long term (my parents both worked for one corporation basically their whole adult life). But my “internal boss” told me otherwise.

So whether you “work for someone” or “work for yourself” find your “internal boss”, follow your “internal boss” and be a good boss to yourself!

P.S. This is my 20th year anniversary of my speaking/training business – all because I followed “my path” one step at a time!

Category: Being True, Networking, Women Who Rock | No Comments »
Tags: being your own boss, career, donna fisher, entrepreneur, money, Networking, possibilities, Women Who Rock

Posted By Donna Fisher on April 9, 2009

My friend Rob Longenecker emailed me a link to a video encouraging me to take a few minutes- out of my busy day – to take a look. With a slew of emails to go through, I almost deleted it, but decided instead to take a quick peak. And then I was mesmerized and inspired.

What I saw was a group of girls performing synchronized jump roping in a packed gymnasium. The audience was cheering continuously, as the girls performed one awesome feat after another. They jumped individually, in pairs, and groups. They jumped while kicking, skipping, on their knees, on their backs, while doing flips and cartwheels and all beautifully in sync with the music.

As I watched with wonder and great appreciation, I thought of, not only the amount of devotion and practice that it has taken for them to perform so flawlessly, but also of the trust, camaraderie and teamwork required.

Trust:

Just one misstep by one person could have a major domino effect. They have to trust that every single girl is going to stay in rhythm and do her part. They count on each other to practice diligently, to be mentally and physically prepared, and to be committed to the team’s vision and goals.

Camaraderie:

The root word of camaraderie is comrade which means someone who shares a similar interest or activity, a companion. Camaraderie is the fellowship, connectedness and joy of participating together. This group definitely conveys this sense of joy and connection.

Practice:

Probably all of you who are reading this can jump rope. It’s not that hard. Unless you are jumping for 6 minutes straight, to music, while doing routines that involve precise coordination with other people. The willingness to devote time and energy to a skill and accomplishment generates pride and confidence in oneself and the team.

Teamwork:

One person jumping rope and doing fancy tricks can be impressive. When you have 20+ girls performing routines together part of what’s so awesome is what it takes for them to be such a connected team

Yet probably it’s not about jumping rope for you. So what is it about – for YOU?

How can you use this example to improve your team’s performance?

• What kind of trust is required for your team to run smoothly?
• What would create a greater sense of trust amongst your team?
• Whatever your profession is, have you practiced “your craft”, “your skill” continuously?
• What is “the thing” that, with practice, can make you a more valuable team member?
• What is “the thing” that “with practice” would take your team to a higher performance level?
• What can your team do to feel more connected and having a greater sense of camaraderie?
• How well do your team members coordinate their activities with one another so that they work together effectively?
• Does your team have a clear picture of the overall vision/accomplishment and is everyone on board?
• Does everyone on your team know exactly what “their part” is that is a crucial part of the whole team’s accomplishment?

Category: Innovation, Making a Difference | No Comments »
Tags: accomplishment, camaraderie, teamwork, trust

Posted By Donna Fisher on April 8, 2009

Everyone has a vast and powerful network. And yet without action, your network is like a field of grain that never gets harvested. Your network consists of a wealth of information, ideas and contacts that can be of tremendous value to yourself and others.  To harvest your network requires taking appropriate action to access the information and pass it along to the right people in a timely and professional manner. 

Action steps for effective networking include:

· Introducing people to one another. Introducing people to one another is like planting the seed. You take the initiative to connect two people together and they have the potential to grow the connection into new possibilities.

· Making requests. Ask for information, names, ideas, support, encouragement, recommendations and so on.  

· Sending notes. Sending cards, letters, and emails help you stay in touch with people and keep the networking links open.  It is also a way of nurturing the “seed” that you have planted so that the relationship can grow into more networking opportunities.

· Attending community, professional and networking events. Step up and show up.  Be engaged in what’s going on in your community and industry.

· Exchanging business cards. Have the exchange of business cards be a natural part of the conversation.

· Giving information, contacts and referrals.  Be proactive and look for ways to give and share the information that you have with others.  

· Placing profiles on online social networking site. Choose where you want to network online and set up your profiles so that it is easy for people to connect with you.

· Responding to people’s requests. Listen to what people are saying and pay attention when they make a request so that you can tap into your network of resources to help them make a powerful connection.

Nurture your network with offers, introductions, requests, and thank you notes and you will start to see your network grow and blossom into new opportunities for yourself and others.

Category: Networking | No Comments »
Tags: business cards, Networking, networking events, profiles, social networking

Posted By Donna Fisher on April 7, 2009

It’s easy to go out and meet a lot of people and call that “networking”. And yet networking is about a whole lot more than just meeting people.  Networking is about connecting with people.  

The connection makes the difference.  You can meet a lot of people but if you have not connected then there’s a good chance they won’t remember you, follow up with you, or think of you when they meet someone who’s a perfect prospect for you.

Focus on connecting:

1. Give people your full attention.  Listening is a key to connecting.  And listening is about giving others your full attention, being present with them in the moment and truly hearing what they have to say (rather than partially listening while thinking about what you are going to say). 

2.  Be sincerely interested and curious about people.  Develop a child-like curiosity that makes you want to hear what people have to say and learn more about who they are and what they’re up to in life.  Be on a search to find something interesting and inspiring about everyone that you meet.

3.  Create a sense of relatedness.  Listen for commonalities, for similar interests, traits, challenges, and experiences.  There is always something that we have in common with the people we are meeting because we happen to be at the same place at the same time.  

4.  Engage with people.  Engaged is defined as, “To involve oneself, to participate, to hold the attention of, to interlock”.  Engaging is the act of connecting by participating. 

5.  Acknowledge the presence of the people you meet by making eye contact, giving a firm, friendly hand shake, calling them by name and doing your best to relate to them as a valuable, contributing fellow human being.

Once you connect with people, you open the door to opportunities, possibilities and valuable relationships.  Yes, it’s easy to meet a lot of people. And it can become “just as easy” to connect with people.  For although meeting a lot of people may or may not make a difference, connecting with people is always self-empowering and more likely to make a difference in everyone’s lives.

Category: Communication, Consciousness, Making a Difference, Networking | No Comments »
Tags: acknowledgement, connecting, engaging, listening, Making a Difference, Networking

Posted By Donna Fisher on March 18, 2009

If you’ve been in sales for a while, you know what it’s like to try to figure out how to get past the administrative assistant to get to the decision maker.  At least that’s what it used to be like.  There were all kinds of techniques on how to “get past the gatekeeper” to get a chance to “make your pitch”.  But that was before the rise of online social networking.

I really hadn’t given this any thought until I recently attended a Web 2.0 workshop at NSA Houston and one of the presenters, Mike Svat, commented on how “the day of the gatekeeper is over”. 

It was one of those “duh” moments for me – so obvious – and yet I hadn’t even thought about it in that way.   But clearly – over the years – it’s become more and more difficult to catch anybody via the phone and more and more easy to connect with everyone online!

Thanks to the Internet and social networking, the gatekeeper has been surpassed by links and clicks and tweets and videos.  Online networking has opened up communication lines and created opportunities for visibility and accessibility for everyone. 

This has created a whole new world of possibilities as people are getting “found” on twitter, YouTube, myspace, LinkedIn, Facebook and a multitude of other sites.  Rather than needing to get past the gatekeeper, you now have the opportunity to get in front of thousands at a time.  And you never know when you might “go viral” and get in front of hundreds of thousands or – more importantly – that one person who can open the door to a whole new world of opportunities for you!

So long gatekeeper, hello world!

Please post your story about how you’ve been “found” on the Internet by someone you could have never reached otherwise?

Category: Networking | 4 Comments »
Tags: facebook, internet, social networking, twitter

Posted By Donna Fisher on February 27, 2009

I share my office with my cats.  June usually sleeps on the desk curled up by the keyboard. And Hailey sleeps close by on the chair or stool or in her bed. Occasionally they will get up, stretch, reposition, but it’s usually a great working relationship.

And then there was yesterday.

I had a one-hour telephone interview that was being taped. I made sure that my headset was charged up, that I had a bottle of water on hand – I was ready. Everything was great. The interview was going well – great questions, great energy.

And then I hear June meow. She’s not sleeping quietly on my desk. She’s in the middle of the room looking at me with those big eyes. I reach over to pet her and attempt to shoo her out of the area.

Everything is fine for a little bit and then she’s back even louder. Afraid that she’s going to belt out another soulful meow, I reach over to pet her before she meows again. Before I know it I’m down on the floor, petting June in an attempt to keep her quiet – all the while – talking about the 6 key principles for networking success.

As I crawl around the office floor petting June, I talk about how the Power of Speaking up and the Power of Asking are critical skills to learn for effective networking. (Just in case you’re thinking, “Why doesn’t she just get June out of the room and close the door?” There is no door – the space is “loft-like” and although there are big open doorways, there’s no door! There’s just plenty of floor space for crawling around.)

At some point – for some reason – June eventually, peacefully goes off to the other side of the room and curls up to take a nap. And I continue on with the call talking about the Power of Praise and Appreciation and the Power of Giving.

And boy was I appreciative that June had calmed down and had not interrupted the recording. And then in thinking about the scenario afterwards (Wish someone had been videoing it, it could have been a “Funniest Home Video” winner!) I thought about how grateful I was that I could tend to June AND continue delivering the networking information.

It was a reminder of how important it is to really know your material. Thank goodness I didn’t need to look at any notes to answer the interviewer’s questions. Thanks goodness I have researched and taught this topic for so long that I can talk about it “in my sleep” (or while crawling on the floor with my cat).

What about you?

What are the topics that you can “talk about in your sleep”?

What are the topics in which you are developing an expertise?

In what arenas are you truly able to say that you “really know your material”?

Category: Being True | No Comments »
Tags: cats, expertise, interview, Networking

Posted By Donna Fisher on December 11, 2008

Have you ever noticed how you tend to feel drained around some people and energized around others? Energy may not be tangible, but it sure is powerful. And even though you can’t see it, often times you can certainly feel it!

I am fortunate to be connected with some women who are good at creating, sharing and generating energy. Although we all have different personalities, different expertise, and different styles of presentation, we all benefit from the energy connection that we create by joining together.

And, as you might be able to imagine from the promotional piece that we created, we have a lot of fun too! There is something very powerful about women coming together to connect, create and contribute to one another.

Here are some tips for surrounding yourself with great ENERGY:

• Pay attention to the times when you start to feel uplifted, lighter, and energized.

• Notice who the people are that contribute to you being “energized”.

• See if you can start to identify what it is about them that creates this uplifting experience – their behaviors, their words, their attitude.

• How would define their “energy”?

• How can you learn from them and be an “energy transformer” for others?

• Be aware that everything is energy and energy can always shift and become heavier or lighter.

• Find ways to bring energy into your interactions that is positive and productive.

Category: Women Who Rock | No Comments »
Tags: energized

Posted By Donna Fisher on September 9, 2008

Why are we so critical of each other?

At the end of a heart wrenching show, Oprah said “Why are mother’s, in particular, so critical of other mothers when everyone’s just trying to do the best they can? We should network and use the network to empower ourselves and lift each other up instead of the opposite.”

Oh, so true. Networking is such an opportunity to create a powerful support system for good. As humans we have a natural basic need to connect, to feel a sense of belonging, to have a safe place to be ourselves, a place to contribute and to be part of something bigger than ourselves.

It has always been powerful for women to get together – especially women who are willing to connect and contribute to each other. The whole concept of networking is to have a “net” of support – a “safety net” that we can safely fall into when we need support, relief, and/or comfort.

So often people think of networking strictly as a business building technique. And yet the true spirit of networking is about people creating a community of support – emotional, physical, financial, and spiritual support! As was indicated in Oprah’s show, this is not just a good idea, it is a life enhancing and life saving idea!

Think about the possibility that we are here on this planet together to be of support to one another – to encourage and empower. What would it take to quiet our judgmental minds and empathize with each other’s pain and challenges?

Category: Networking | No Comments »
Tags: Networking