Are you a Linchpin?

Okay – I’m going to assume that anyone who clicks through to this is familiar with Seth Godin’s book titled Linchpin.  On June 14^th there will be meetups all over the world for those who consider themselves Linchpins.

In this new world of building one’s own brand we all understand the power of networking.  The events taking place on June 14^th are a great example of connecting with like-minded people whose skills likely compliment your own.

There are now 772 Linchpin meetup locations registered.  We’ll be hosting one of those here at The Sanctuary in Franklin, TN.  If you are in this area and consider yourself a Linchpin, feel free to join us.  Wherever you happen to live, check out the Linchpin meetup near you.  All Linchpin Meetups worldwide

Don’t miss out on a free opportunity to grow your network – and your business.

Gimme that job!

Ever wonder why some people get the cool jobs – even if you have better experience and credentials?  Here’s an example of a guy using creativity to snag a great opportunities. 

HeadBlade President Todd Greene was looking for someone that could handle social media for the company.  He said he was looking for someone like himself, someone who was passionate about the product.  He posted the job on Craigslist and got tons of resumes. But one stood out above them all, by far. Eric Romer was himself a “headblader,” and had been using the product and even blogging about it on his own. Within a day of the Craigslist entry going public, Eric put up the following web page:  HireMeHeadBlade. Now that’s a creative way to get the attention of an employer!

Want to guess who, out of the hundreds of correctly submitted resumes got the job?  Yeah – it worked.  Eric now has a new site up:  HeadBladeHiredMe  where he’s continuing to tell the story.

So what are you doing to stand out from the crowd?  I’m hearing of people sending resumes wrapped around an ear of corn, on a business card DVD, delivered with a dozen roses, or by standing in the boss’ parking spot at 6:40 AM.  Now is the time to be creative – pull out all the stops and let potential employers know why you are someone they won’t want to miss. 

Thanks to 48Days.net member Brian O’Keefe for alerting me to this story.

This is a “Recession?”

So the Super Bowl is this Sunday. A recent survey indicates that spending related to the big event could reach an all-time high of $10 billion. Consumers plan to buy nearly 4 million new television sets. And then the 158 million viewers will spend an average of $59.90 on related merchandise, including furniture, food and “beverages.”

And this doesn’t even begin to account for the money spent by the advertisers to have a shot at these 158 million TV watchers. Fox is charging a new record $2.7 million for one 30-second slot in Super Bowl XLII. 65 of those babies add up to more than $175 million in advertising revenue. Incidentally, I just did the math and that appears to be $90,000 a second. Apparently Budweiser, Pepsi, General Motors, Kraft, GoDaddy and Audi are convinced we are easily persuaded.

Doesn’t a “recession” imply that times are tough – that no one can afford anything new, not even new shoes, let alone TVs, lavish parties, booze and new cars? I think the real deal is the “recession” is an elusive term that impacts interest rates and general trends. Most of us have an incredible number of opportunities right in front of us. Thankfully, your chances for success are not determined by what happens in the White House, but by what happens in YOUR house.