Joyful Jubilant Learning

Rapid Fire Learning with Seth Godin

Last week, I had the chance to speak with Seth Godin about his new book Meatball Sundae.  If you didn't read the interview when we posted it, check it out now!

In addition to the cogent advice, Seth shared 5 things he has learnt so far in 2008:

1. Things are good, don't wait.

2. Helping others first isn't a platitude, it's a valid strategy.

3. The web doesn't care about you, not one bit.

4. It still comes down to who you really are, and what you do when you think no one is watching.

5. Everything is easy when the wind is at your back.

What have YOU learnt so far this year ?  Let us know in the comments!

Benjamin Bach is a speaker, writer and wealth building Real Estate agent in Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario Canada - home of the Blackberry.

You can find his blog at http://www.Kitchener-Waterloo-Real-Estate-Investments.com

 

5 minutes with Seth Godin

Welcome to 2008's first installment of the JJL Interview Series.  Today I have the privilege of speaking with one of my favourite bloggers and authors, Seth Godin.  Seth just released his newest book Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing Out of Sync.

 

Benjamin Bach: What is a Meatball Sundae?

Seth Godin: A meatball sundae is the unfortunate result of mixing two good ideas.

The meatballs are the foundation, the things we need (and sometimes want). These are the commodities that so many businesses are built on.

The sundae toppings (hot fudge and the like) are the New Marketing, the social networks, Google, blogs and fancy stuff that make people all excited.

The challenge most organizations face: they try to mix them. They attempt to slap new marketing onto old and end up with nothing but a failed website.

BB: What if I'm making a delicious ice cream sundae - can I have too many toppings on that ?

SG: The New Marketing demands that you go where people are... not that you hope that they come to you. At the same time, though, you need focus.

So yes, it's easy to get distracted.

BB: What is a Purple Cow ?

SG: A purple cow is something worth talking about, something remarkable.

If you can't make something worth talking about, then don't expect your message will spread.

BB: I recently heard you say "The more people you reach the more likely it is that you're reaching the wrong people."   Can you explain that ?

SG: What a great riff! I hope I actually said it.

BB: You did, during your podcast with Phil Gerbyshak.

SG: As you get closer and closer to the masses, you're getting farther and farther away from the people who actually care about you, who will actually talk about you.

BB: WOW, that's powerful - I'm glad I wrote it down when I listened to the podcast!  Seth, why do I need to build a permission asset ?

SG: That's the only thing you can build online. The privilege of sending anticipated, personal and relevant messages to the people who want to get them. Not a jingle, not a stupid ad, but messages people actually look forward to and respond to.

BB: Thanks so much Seth!        

Benjamin Bach is a speaker, writer and wealth building Real Estate agent in Kitchener Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

You can find his blog at http://www.Kitchener-Waterloo-Real-Estate-Investments.com

His Ice Cream Sundae stands out amongst the Real Estate Meatball Masses - and Benjamin just added Video as the cherry on top.  What is on YOUR sundae this year ?

 

Welcome to 2008's first installment of the JJL Interview Series.  Today I have the privilege of speaking with one of my favourite bloggers and authors, Seth Godin.  Seth just released his newest book Meatball Sundae: Is Your Marketing Out of Sync.

 

Rapid Fire Learning - Five for December

 

"How did it get so late so soon?
Its night before its afternoon.
December is here before its June.
My goodness how the time has flewn.
How did it get so late so soon?"

- Dr. Seuss

It's December already ? This year is almost in the books, and this morning I'm reflecting on some things I've learnt this month that will help me grow and exceed even more goals in 2008.

1  Your next million dollar idea might be in the next twenty dollar book

Pretty good deal, eh? This lesson was first taught to me by the great Jim Rohn when I spent a few days learning with him in Texas this year.  This month, the lesson has really been hit home.

I'm almost done Dan and Chip Heath's phenomenal book Made to Stick , and I'm finding ideas and strategies to implement, completely overhauling the workshops, videoblogging and writing I do to make my ideas stickier and easier to remember. 

Instead of spending years testing marketing research, I can read a book where the authors have studied and collaborated with some of the greatest marketing minds... and I can buy all this wisdom for $20.

2008 Resolution: Read and listen to 2 books a week

2  If you think you know it all, you don't.

This is something I know, and I try to live, but we all need a reminder sometimes.  Luckily, it wasn't my actions serving as the reminder of how a swelling ego can cause you to stray.   

This week there was a bit of a shoving match in the RE.net (thats the cool kid's term for the online real estate community), when one A-list RE.net blogger decided to declare that another A-list RE.net blogger's instructional real estate videoblog  was "wrong, badly wrong, madly wrong, irredeemably wrong" and proceeded to preach to all about the 'correct' way to blog.   

Shockingly this 'do as I say not as I do' criticism was not well received, and the blogger who couldn't keep his preaching to himself is now being mocked as a self proclaimed saviour all over the RE.net, losing respect post by post.

2008 Resolution:  I can learn from every one and every situation - I don't ever know it all.

3  Videoblogging is fun and easy

Last week I put my first videoblog up.  I also put together a short instructional clip on holding seminars and workshops, and a video review of Bob Burg and John David Mann's new book The Go Giver.

It's easy to put a videoblog together.  I borrowed a camcorder from a colleague, put it on the tripod, and started talking.  Then I transfered the file to my computer, added a caption or two in Movie Maker, and uploaded it to youtube.  No advanced knowledge required. 

Now I have my own Youtube channel, just like the Queen.

2008 Resolution: Videoblog every week.

4  TV is bad for me

File this one under 'blindingly obvious.'

I don't watch a lot of TV.  Sarah and I have never had cable, and our TV is only used to watch the occasional DVD (and maybe some of the upcoming Winter Olympics...).  We don't even have bunny ears plugged in try to pick up a few channels.

At the other end of the spectrum, my parents have a fancy shmancy PVR system that records TV shows so you can watch them commercial free, at your convenience. 

Since I've been at my parents house this week, I find myself watching hours and hours of property flipping shows, shows about people looking at flats and castles in England, shows about how to decorate a small kitchen to maximize space....  the list, sadly, goes on.  Moral of this story - if I have TV, I'll watch it.

  2008 Resolution: Watch less, read more.

5  Charitable donations are more useful than martini strainers

It's no secret that I'm a bit mystified by the whole tradition of giving tons of presents at Christmas.  I'm Jewish, so I never grew up celebrating Christmas;  my partner Sarah is Anglican, so for the last several years we've spent Christmas with her family. 

Every year, dozens of presents are exchanged around the tree. Inevitably, everyone gets 1 really big nice present (Ipod, leather briefcase, few hundred bucks at Ikea etc), and a bunch of smaller presents.  In the past, I've received an electronic dolphin soap dispenser, a crystal martini strainer (I don't drink Martinis), a steel espresso cup (we don't have an espresso machine), a flashless digital camera weighing in at 0.3 megapixels, etc.  The list, sadly, goes on.

Sarah and I have decided to lead by example this year, and give charitable donations to people instead of materialistic presents.  Rather than spending a few hundred bucks on 'stuff' (see list above) we made cash donations to our local Humane Society and a small village in Honduras where Sarah's sister spent a few months teaching last summer.

When Sarah gave her sister the card with the picture of the village and a note about the donation, she started crying. It was the best present anyone got this Christmas.

I hope next year instead of the miscellaneous stuff, a donation can be made in my honour.  I know it would mean a lot more to me.

2008 Resolution: Give more.  Be generous when you can, and when you cannot.

--

What did you learn this month?  What about in 2007 ? 

Share with us by leaving a comment!

Benjamin Bach is a speaker, writer and wealth building Real Estate agent in Kitchener Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

He loved 2007 and can't wait until 2008.  Are YOU this excited about what you can accomplish next year ?

You can find his blog at http://www.Kitchener-Waterloo-Real-Estate-Investments.com

 

JJLN presents a video review of The Go Giver

As you all know, the Joyful Jubilant Learning Network's theme for December is Learning to Give and Receive.  In that spirit, I bring to you a video review (Yes, Bach on Books has gone video) of a book that is all about giving and receiving (and in that order too).

 

Bob Burg and John David Mann's new book The Go-Giver is an excellent lesson in how to give more value to everyone in your life. 

Buy it today for yourself - or better yet, give it as a gift to someone who you want to succeed in 2008.

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Related posts:

Love is the Killer App by Tim Sanders - Another JJLN book review.  Tim teaches readers how to be a Lovecat - one who shares Bizlove.

How to Generate Endless Referrals - I spoke with Bob Burg at Phil Gerbyshak's blog about how to increase referrals in your business

Bob Burg's advice for young entrepreneurs - From an interview I did with Bob last year for Young Wealth Weekly, which appeared at my blog.

Benjamin Bach is a speaker, writer and wealth building Real Estate agent in Kitchener Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. 

He wakes up every morning excited to fulfil his purpose of building wealth and contributing value for his friends, family and clients.  Recently, he has woken up excited to videoblog with his new DV camcorder.

Benjamin would love to hear from you - please write him at Benjamin AT BenjaminBach DOT com.

You can find his blog at http://www.Kitchener-Waterloo-Real-Estate-Investments.com

Networking: All about giving

Last night Tim Sanders eloquently (and maybe inadvertently) addressed our December theme of Learning to Give and Learning to Receive at his blog:   

Networking [...] is a relationship builder and should be looked at as a gift that you give others with no expectations of being repaid -- not a way of getting ahead.

To  network, then, the key is to be of equal or greater social value than your networking subject.

I'm heading off to a meeting at my local Chamber of Commerce, and I'm wondering what gifts I can give someone at the meeting.  Maybe an idea or word of encouragement that comes at the right time ?  Maybe an introduction to a friend or colleague that can be of service. 

Tonight I have a Millionaire Real Estate Investors workshop - my goal is to give everyone the gift of education regarding financial freedom. 

If I stand in front of the crowd and think about having to give a one and a half hour speech, I could get nervous - and then I wouldn't perform at my best.  If I stand up there excited to contribute to these people, to be able to share a message which I know they need to hear, I will be at my best, and I'll be my best for them.

If you started spontaneously giving gifts to people - contributing significant value to their lives without expecting anything in return - what would 2008 be like? Pretty amazing I bet.

Professor Ben asks:

What gifts can you give today ?

Networking = Learning + Sharing

I had a profound revelation a few days ago while Josh Hinds was interviewing me for his excellent site.  He asked me what I felt 'networking' meant, and why I felt it was important.  I answered

Networking for me is all about meeting people and seeing if I can be valuable to them. Maybe I know someone who they should meet, maybe I read a book which can help their business - however I can help, I'm glad to do so. 

Part of my enduring purpose is 'to give freely,' and I really try to live up to that when I'm in a 'networking' setting.

After I wrote that, I realized something.  For me, networking means I have someone to talk to about everything I'm learning - and maybe what I'm learning can help them.  Learning + Sharing = Networking

Without life long learning, I have nothing to share to new people I meet!

Have you made Learning & Helping the foundation of your relationship building?  If not, today is a great day to start!

Benjamin Bach is a speaker, writer and wealth building Real Estate agent in Kitchener Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.  He wakes up every morning excited to fulfil his purpose of building wealth and contributing value for his friends, family and clients.

Benjamin would love to hear from you - please write him at Benjamin AT benjaminbach DOT com.

You can find his blog at http://www.kitchener-waterloo-real-estate-investments.com/

Why I learn

"Don't wish to be challenged less; wish to learn more" - Benjamin Bach

I learn to attract success
I learn to be better, every day
I learn to communicate more effectively with everyone I meet
I learn to develop my philosophy
I learn to enjoy all that life has to offer
I keep learning to feed my curiosity
I learn to give my knowledge generously
I learn to help
I learn to invite opportunity into my life
I learn to jump ahead instead of stand still
I learn to keep improving
I joyfully jubilantly learn to live life large

I learn to never stop trying
I learn to open my eyes to the greatness within every situation
I learn to put people first
I learn to question everything
I learn to recognize the art in life
I learn to seek mentors
I learn to teach
I learn to understand myself
I learn to view everyone as a person
I learn to work within when I'm working without
I learn; you never know which idea will change a life

I learn to make a difference

Why do you learn ?

Benjamin Bach is the Wealth Building Guy.  Check out Benjamin's blog at http://www.kitchener-waterloo-real-estate-investments.com/  for more

A Remarkable Interview with Kevin Eikenberry

This morning it is my great pleasure to share with you a conversation I just had with Kevin Eikenberry, author of the newly released Remarkable Leadership. I first discovered Kevin's writing in 2006, and since then I have voraciously devoured all he has written on leadership, and helping people reach their full potential. 

I know you will love this edition of Jubilant Learners Speak Up!

Benjamin Bach: Kevin, what is remarkable leadership?

Kevin Eikenberry: Remarkable leadership is the result of the actions of remarkable leaders.  While my book talks about 13 competencies that, at a high level, remarkable leaders exhibit, that is too much detail to answer your question. In short, a remarkable leader is someone who is continually working to become more effective - continually learning and improving. 

Remarkable Leaders also recognize that remarkable leadership is not about the technical skills of forecasting, budgeting and technical knowledge of the work, but really about how they engender trust, build relationships, develop others, communicate more effectively—all of those other skills that we really think of when we think of great leaders that we've worked with in the past.

That’s a remarkable leader – a continual learner who focuses on the work of a leader and not just the
technical aspects of the work.

BB: A common myth I hear repeated alot is '...but I'm not in a leadership position.'  How can people lead if they aren't a "leader" by title?

KE: I believe we can all lead through our actions.  We lead through behaviors consistent with our values.  We lead by

being accountable. We lead when we serve Customers with care and respect.  We lead when we listen.  We lead when we make a difference. 

All of us can do these, and 100 other things I could have listed – it doesn’t require a title on the wall of our cubicle or on our business card. We are all in leadership positions if we choose to be.

BB: What role does learning play in leadership?

KE: I believe it is the foundational skill of the any effective leader. All leaders want their teams to be continually learning and growing. The best way to encourage that in others is to model it ourselves.  Nothing can be more powerful.  Beyond that though, on a personal level, leadership is a complex business and if we hope to be effective at mastering even some of those complexities we must continually be on a conscious path of learning how to be more effective both for ourselves and those we lead.

BB: What teachers, speakers and writers have most influenced you?

KE: This could be a long list!  The answer I gave someone at an event last week relating to books was this:  The Bible, The Greatest Miracle in the World by Og Mandino and See You at the Top by Zig Ziglar.  I could of course add many more to that list, but after further review, I don’t think I’d change that top three. The list of teachers would certainly include my parents, my wife Lori and children Parker and Kelsey, and many of our clients over the years.  I also was influenced by a few wonderful teachers at both the high school and college level. 

In retrospect the thing I learned from them and from some of the leaders I worked for in industry was that they modeled service.  Remarkable leaders serve others.

BB: How can I become remarkable?

KE: I believe there are five things that anyone must do to accelerate their personal progress towards remarkable:

Believe – you must believe that you have the capacity to be remarkable (you do!)

Recognize and remind – you must recognize the unique strengths that you bring to the world and continually remind yourself.  When you believe and recognize you have  a chance to do the next step …

Actualize through action.  You must take action; action to learn, to try and to use.  Without the input of energy into action, no growth, progress or results can occur.

Gratitude – being Remarkable isn’t about ego – quite the opposite. Highly self-actualized people – further down their path towards Remarkable – realize their abilities and are grateful for them. When you truly believe and recognize your potential how could you be anything but grateful?

Serve – remarkable people use their gifts, talents and wisdom to serve others.

That is a snapshot Benjamin.  For more detail, here is a link to an 11 minute piece on this topic I gave to a group in late August : http://tinyurl.com/2nv44e

BB: What would the world look like if we were all Remarkable Leaders ?

KE: The world would be a better place.  People would be using the skills they have been given, they would be continually learning and the results we would actualize would be, well, remarkable.  Remarkable leaders make a difference in the world, when everyone is doing that… the world will be an even more amazing place than it is today.

BB:  Thanks so much Kevin, this was remarkable !  For more on Kevin, please visit his great website, www.kevineikenberry.com. 

Benjamin Bach helps people retire rich through smart real estate investments. He lives in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada with his family and is dedicated to lifelong learning.  He was recently honoured with the Gold Award for Favorite Realtor in town, and credits this to all that he has learnt from leaders like Kevin, Phil Gerbyshak, and Rosa Say - just to name a few.  You can subscribe to Benjamin's ezine here - FREE to JJLN readers!

You can find out more about Benjamin at his blog at http://www.benjaminbach.com and reach him by email @ benjamin(AT)benjaminbach. com - he loves to hear from his readers!

Live from New York, It's JJLN

Live on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 114 from 8 AM until 9 AM (Eastern time) on Monday July 16th Benjamin Bach, Greg Balanko-Dickson, Phil Gerbyshak, EM Sky and Steve Sherlock will join host Karen Salmansohn on the the Be Happy, Dammit! show for what is sure to be a fast and furious 60 minutes of conversation.

Can't catch it live? Don't worry, check out the Be Happy Dammit archives, especially this great show with Keith Ferrazzi, and soon, you'll see the JJLN show there too!

We'll be talking about all things learning, and no doubt learn a thing or two from Karen! Hope you can hear us soon!

Facebook: Friend or Foe?

Everyone seems to be on Facebook these days.  I've been on the 'book since 2004.  Phil and Liz joined in last few months. Scott just got hooked up yesterday.  Rosa is online, but sorta offline. 

Is Facebook something that you can leverage to help you spread value and bizlove to even more people, or is it  just the next fad, like twitter or the latest web 4.0 mashup?  Friend or foe?

Some people have a misconception that facebook is a ginormous time waster, or that it's a purely social tool.  Like most misconceptions, there is some truth to both of these; for many people, facebook is nothing more than a social tool that wastes their time.  For a select careless/thoughtless few it can be quite detrimental - there are lewd photos of a colleague of mine up on one group, for example.

For those of us who don't do things like the masses, facebook offers a great opportunity to leverage our knowledge, reinforce our personal brand, and to build and strengthen relationships with friends, clients and prospects.  How can we do this?

I've been on facebook since my last year at the University of Toronto.  At that time, it was a great way to see what my friends were up to - where were people headed on Thursday?  Was the game still on at the DKE house ?  For many, this is still all they use facebook for.

Since I've started my business, my profile has evolved quite a bit. Just like me, it's very focused on growth, learning, and sharing what I know with others.

It now contains, among other things, over 60 books I am reading, have read or want to read; video clips of speakers like Jim Rohn and Les Brown; recent blog posts from my site www.benjaminbach.com; events I am attending and organizing; information on my business and investment portfolio; pictures from trips Sarah and I have been on - the list goes on and on. 

Facebook offers people who haven't seen me in literally over a decade (not so long for some people, but for someone my age, that's forever!) an easy chance to catch up on what I've been doing and contact me. Subsequently, I can do the same thing.  I've gotten back in touch with people I haven't seen I years and rediscovered friendships that I thought had long passed. 

Clearly it's a powerful social tool, but you want to know how to produce $$ from the 'book!  As I said earlier today to someone who sent me a message, if you provide something of value, people will seek you out. 

I use facebook to share what I know and learn with others, and because of that I position myself as an expert on wealth building and success principles.  I have a group that people can join and get answers to common questions about real estate investment, a group about starting a career in real estate, and a group dedicated to reading and learning. 

Facebook is a  powerful resource for me to share my message with more people, and the more people I share my message with, the more profit the marketplace rewards me with.

Just like a blog, facebook is a platform from which you can provide value.  If you've built a business model where you are rewarded for value (and you should, since profits are better than wages), this will result in increased revenue to your business. 

In the last two months, people on my facebook friends list have accounted for at least $19,000 in revenue to my real estate business. 

Check me out on facebook! If you have any questions about using facebook to generate revenue, add me as a friend and send me a message telling me you saw this post. 

Benjamin Bach helps people build their wealth through smart real estate investments.  He also gives workshops where participants grow through leadership training, and he does 1 on 1 life coaching for a select group of individuals.  You can find his blog at http://www.kitchener-waterloo-real-estate-investments.com/  and reach him by email @ benjamin AT benjaminbach DOT com.