• Do you celebrate the people in your life?

    Posted on September 27th, 2011 by and currently 3 commenting.

    I’m in Arizona. Taking few days to relax between two conferences/speaking gigs:

    WOMMA’s Talkable Brands in Chicago and the Health Nation Launch in Scottsdale.

    I’m staying with a friend’s cousin who has a house in Scottsdale. She is ABSOLUTELY delightful. The kind of person who has photos of her friends and family all over her home. Who leaves notes for a house guest she just met like the one in the photo above.

    She makes me want to be a better person.

    Last night we went to dinner at one of her favorite restaurants, FnB. Just a simple little place with great food and wine and fascinating conversation While we were all talking and sharing life stories, she (Lori) said the most amazing thing.

    “ People should be celebrated. Not tolerated.”

    Don’t you love that?

    Part of my work at Brains on FIre is to determine fit between the work we do igniting communities and our clients-to-be. Some of that is easy, like do they have the funds.

    But there is piece of it that is completely magical to me. I think about it a lot and we talk about it a Brains on Fire often.

    At our Fire Session Scott Stratten said something to the effect of this:

    If you don’t like people you have no business on social media.

    I think the same can be said for igniting a community of advocates around your brand or cause. It you don’t truly celebrate people, (people like your customers and advocates) it will not work. We have walked away from new business because you could feel it. That genuine love and admiration and awe for their customers and advocates was just missing.

    The Fire Sessions are an intense and amazing time for me personally.The event is chock full of people celebrating people. I honestly got a bit teary eyed at times this year as I felt that in my heart.

    So my question for you today. Do you celebrate the people in your lives? Or do you simply tolerate them? Do you have what it takes to lift up a community?

    P.S. Here is one more remarkable thing about the evening. When the bill came there was $30 “Guest Goodwill discount”. How cool is that? I thought that was a brilliant way for a restaurant to celebrate and recognize one of their best customers.

  • Lianne Lewis

    Hi Robbin,

    I have just put down the Brains on Fire book and thought I’d have a little look around your blog for some additional pearls. Anyway, your post of yesterday deserved a comment by way of thank you for the insight and the wealth within the blog.  I love what you do, and you are all very good at it.

    I  live by the credo of “Give More, Get More”. Sometimes it doesn’t work out and I get scorched, but I persist with the “Give More” because even when I don’t “Get More” from other people, I feel good. And feeling Good is More. But often I do “Get More”. More Love, and that’s what we all want.

    Here’s the thing. That’s the connection between Lori and the Restraunt Goodwill Discount. Lori, Gives More instinctually, she made a decision a long time ago to operate at a higher level than what is expected in urban life today. To be delightful. To be genuine.  

    Now, I bet that FnB doesn’t dish out those discounts to many people, even the ones who are just as regular. Lori Got More because she Gives More – every time. Lori probably Gives More to the point that she is genuinely surprised when she Gets More.

    And you’re right – that is worth celebrating and remarking on. You go girl!

  • Lori Howard

    Hey Robbin! Your blog was heartwarming..and the pic of my signature sticky note (no brand identified!) made me smile. I live by those little fabulous communication devices!! :) What a blessing it was to have you and my cousin enter my world, my home, (my dog!!) for a few days. The pleasure is shared for sure! Passion is an infectious thing—it’s a ‘disease’ that I choose to never lose for sure! I cannot wait to read your book. Now, I will be a part of the Brains On Fire community and read your blog more often. I celebrate YOU!!

  • http://digitalmarketingdegreeprogram.wordpress.com/ Jacob

    Robin,

    Great blogging! Very well written and lot of fun to read!

    You should check out my blog too we seem to blog about the same things!

    http://digitalmarketingdegreeprogram.wordpress.com/