Fwd: Tip 83 - It's never too early to start connecting

Connecting is one of the great things I have learned about being an entrepreneur lately.

This kid started his second company at 14.  We could learn some from him.

Eric

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Keith Ferrazzi

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Tip 83 - It's never too early to start connecting
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Ben Casnocha is a young fan of Never Eat Alone and, it turns out, a pretty impressive connector in his own right.

 

Ben started his second company at age 14, and it has been very successful, largely due to his people skills, which are way beyond his years.

 

Here, read a couple short bits from this 19-year-old's new book. Then I have some questions for you.

 

MY START-UP LIFE
What a (very) young CEO learned on his journey through Silicon Valley
By Ben Casnocha
http://www.mystartuplife.com

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Most successful people I know didn't get to the top just by outperforming their peers, they also out-connected their peers...

 

To become respected in a community you have to add value, and one way to do this is to be different. Being smart is not enough. Smart is like vanilla ice cream...

 

Your personal brand must - must! - be distinctive. A few months ago I was at a business breakfast with about 35 high-powered entrepreneurs and angel investors. We started off the meeting by going around the room with brief introductions. To spice it up, the leader of the breakfast said we had to say our name and our passions. I couldn't believe how many people said their passions were wine and their family! What a missed opportunity. There's nothing wrong if wine and family are your two passions, but if everyone else is saying that, then say something different...
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It's so great how Ben is already approaching relationships and thinking about building a strong, distinctive personal brand. I think there are plenty of simple things that all young people can do to follow the "build it before you need it" rule. It's never too early to start.

 

Now, questions for you:

 

What are some basic things you wish you had started doing as a teenager to really boost your career and your life?

 

What advice do you give to young people you know?

 

Share your thoughts on my blog at
http://nevereatalone.typepad.com/blog/2007/08/tip-of-the-week.html#comments

 

Best,
Keith

http://keithferrazzi.com

Ferrazzi Greenlight, 8581 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 482, Los Angeles, CA 90069, USA

To unsubscribe or change subscriber options visit: http://www.aweber.com/z/r/?zMycDMwMtMxs7Gwc7AwM

--
Sincerely,
Eric Standlee
713.690.8877 x205



"Posture is hard to get when your taught,
but when around those with it is easily caught."


"Prospered not to increase my standard of living,
but to increase my standard of giving."











"Many, many people avoid Giant Slaying.  
Worse - they don't even  know certain Giants exist.  
Those who are not accomplishing  much in life don't have to worry about Giants."
Tim Darnell
http://marketplace-ministry.info

--
Sincerely,
Eric Standlee
713.690.8877 x205



"Posture is hard to get when your taught,
but when around those with it is easily caught."


"Prospered not to increase my standard of living,
but to increase my standard of giving."











"Many, many people avoid Giant Slaying.  
Worse - they don't even  know certain Giants exist.  
Those who are not accomplishing  much in life don't have to worry about Giants."
Tim Darnell
http://marketplace-ministry.info