Here are some things from the past week I’ve come across and felt were worth sharing. As always, feel free to leave a comment on the blog or on social media if you’d like to add to the discussion. And if you like what’s in here, please use one or more of those buttons at the bottom of the post to share with friends.
What I’ve learned:
- I’m continuing to re-read “Dig Your Well Before You’re Thirsty,” by Harvey Mackay. It’s my favorite book on networking and is full of great advice. One thing that got my attention this week was the chapter about how the President of the United States is one of the top networkers in the world. Getting elected President requires connecting with varying groups of people from different backgrounds scattered across the country. It also involves working with different people within congress, different agencies, and foreign leaders. Regardless of whether you agree with their positions, each President had some interesting techniques for keeping in touch with people. George H. W. Bush was famous for handwritten notes. Bill Clinton had two people in his administration that he knew since kindergarten. Lyndon Johnson worked his way up to become President of the Little Congress when he was a congressional aide.
- I enjoyed Andy Frisella’s Real AF podcast on Manifesting Dreams into Reality with David Meltzer & Carlos Reyes. First, a warning that they use some strong language during the podcast, but there’s also some good information about success and hard work that’s covered. David is one of the top entrepreneurs in Sports Management who came from a modest background. Carlos’ story was fascinating as he was born in Mexico and came to the US illegally twice before finding a path to citizenship and is now very successful in real estate. Both men prove that you don’t need to be born into money to be successful.
What I’ve written:
- I didn’t create any blog posts this week. Instead, I did a redesign of this site which took up a huge chunk of time. Even though a tool like WordPress makes it super simple to update your site, some things still take a lot of effort. Please take a moment to look at the old site on the Internet archive and compare it to the new homepage – I’d love to hear which version you prefer in the comments below. I’m still transforming this site into a personal & professional development portal, so keep checking back for the latest updates.
- I’m excited about publishing the paperback edition of my novel in September. I’ve learned so much going through this process and have multiple “lessons learned” that I’ll be applying to my sequel. So keep an eye on my writer’s blog if you’re an aspiring writer.
Cool / Interesting / Retro Stuff:
- I’m in the market for a new truck so I’ve been doing a lot of research on full-sized pickups. I’ve found these two videos about towing to be very helpful in figuring out what you can tow and how much weight you can tow. They are a must-watch for ensuring that you don’t exceed the maximum payload or towing capacity.
Quote(s) of the week:
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts.” – Winston S. Churchill
Joke of the week:
I’m so bored that I just memorized six pages of the dictionary.
I learned next to nothing.
I’ll be publishing this list each week on my blog, Facebook, LinkedIn and via my email list. Please share this with anyone who might find this helpful. You can also click one of the buttons below to share on your favorite social media service.
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James Feudo owns the Boston Web Design Agency JVF Solutions and loves blogging about personal development and communication in his spare time.