Today I spent the better part of my time sitting in the Syndey Laurence Theatre in the Performing Arts Center in Anchorage. I was excited about the prospects of hearing new ideas and taking myself to another level of understanding. I was attending the first ever Tedx Anchorage event.
If you aren't familiar with Ted, it's a concept to take note of, especially if you consider yourself to be intelligent, enjoy thought-provoking material, and embrace curiosity. If you don't own (or admit to owning) any of these traits, Ted is probably not for you, but I would encourage you to take a peek anyway.
I admit when the concept of Ted was first introduced to me, I thought it would be a place where the quacks of the world come together to talk about quacky things. You know, things that sound like they could be something great, until you realize that the material is what you realized years ago, and mostly relate to common sense principles. I guess it's always good to reevaluate those principles, ones that make up the very fabric of your being, but that's the thing. I guess I assume that since this cognitive understanding is a part of the fabric of me, then why do I need to listen to someone preach about it? I don't. (Though I see the value of the message and I've also seen the impact they have on opening people's eyes and minds to experience life in just another sphere.)
Ted isn't like that. In fact, Ted could very well leave you in the dust if you aren't paying attention, and if your mind and your body aren't already subscribing to these very principles. Am I being vague? Perhaps principles could be replaced with enlightenment. It just sounds a bit pretentious, but I think it probably best describes what I am trying to convey. So if you desire or subscribe to being enlightened (and if you aren't above it), Ted will take you there in ways you wouldn't expect.
TED is a small nonprofit devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. It started out (in 1984) as a conference bringing together people from three worlds: Technology, Entertainment, Design. Since then its scope has become ever broader. Along with the annual TED Conference in Long Beach, California, and the TEDGlobal conference in Oxford UK, TED includes the award-winning TEDTalks video site, the Open Translation Program, the new TEDx community program, this year's TEDIndia Conference and the annual TED Prize.
“Rats off to ya! Wonderful!” that’s what I texted my friend, Jessica Duncan, as I left the Discovery Theatre tonight after the 52nd Anchorage Chamber Gold Pan Awards, an event she helped coordinate as staff of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce. The phrase is from a ridiculous animated sitcom called Tom Goes to the Mayor, and it's a joke we have to prop each other. Anyway, I was at the debut of the re-polished and rejuvenated business community award ceremony, and it was fabulous.
A chamber of commerce does many things. They wear many community hats, and have many community faces. That doesn’t mean they are fake- not that anyone thinks they are, but because the membership is involved. A very large part of the Anchorage Chamber membership is involved, which was so apparent tonight by the class of people in the room, and the level of commitment and dedication and volunteerism they all shared.
I guess I underestimated what this event was going to be like. I dismissed it because the time had changed from Saturday night at 7pm to Thursday after work at 5pm, and the event was not a “formal dinner” as it had been in the last 50 years. The beginning was a cocktail reception at 5pm with the ceremony starting promptly at 6. I mean promptly. There was no sneaking in late, or crouching in the background. You have Jessica Moreno to thank for that. As I understand it, she was the mastermind of this evening’s beautiful ceremony, which lasted exactly one hour. Painless and entertaining, it was an awards ceremony of none other I have attended. Afterwards, guests were treated to hors d'vours and the group again networked with each other.
Megan Baldino was the MC. She was able to bump her Alaska Club work-out for the fun-loving business community, before she reported the evening news. I didn’t see any cameras there, but I thought she added a creditability and relevancy, and tradition to the night. I think many people bumped their work-out schedules for an early evening out, and the crowd looked great.
The script was elegantly written and thought out, and two podiums were placed at each end of the stage with a brightly lit burnt-orange background. The program moved smoothly along from speaker to winner to photo to speaker. The categories were delivered straight to the point and the recipients stood up in the crowd as a bio of their works and dedication was read.
Sammi Glascott welcomed the audience, nervous and contained. She's the new president of the chamber of commerce, and she looked extremely proud to have a dedicated and caring staff , the foundation this membership, who are truly amazing.
I realized tonight the genius of our chamber of commerce were the people behind the scenes of the event. The people who greet you with a smile and a warm hug or handshake. The people who play politico best, who represent 1300 diverse business interests, who aren't afraid to change what they started, and who embrace their membership. They work their asses off for the membership. For someone to be in their club.
I wonder if it stopped being cool to be part of a membership. Did it stop being fun to be around people who held similar interests and desires? I wondered why the backlash of being a part of something that legitimizes and enhances a business community, and I realized it has everything to do with the organization. It's a circular relationship- one that feeds off each other. The health of the membership is determined by the efforts of the staff and to some extent, the board. And the health of the staff and to some extend the board, is fueled by the active participation of members. The organization is only as good as the membership, which tonight left no doubt in my mind is a high class of dedicated, experienced, determined and engaged business people.
For years, I've been going to the Make it Monday forums. It was the one of the first things I did when I moved to Alaska in 2003. The chamber was my introduction to Anchorage through these lunch meetings where we prayed and said the pledge of allegiance, and had lunch with bankers and politicians, and salespeople. And it was always a nice occasion. I sat in the back and made friends with old men and they liked to tell me how the chamber of commerce "used to be" and how they "just don't know about that man on the stage." They were (and still are) dutiful and supportive.
I quickly became aware of an after hours event called Business After Hours where I got out of work early to come plan a party for business owners, board members, and salespeople where wine and beer was served free of charge and the food was catered. I stood at the front desk and greeted every person that walked in and I observed the relationships between them.
I also began to notice that this BAH crowd, was mostly not the MIMF crowd. Actually, I may not have noticed that until tonight.
Then, I discovered that I could be on a committee!!! So I signed up for things like the Citywide Cleanup, the Ambassadors, and the membership committee where I met newer people and had my first direct contact with an active board member.
Then I decided I should work there as their Membership Director. Then I decided I shouldn't.
After all this time, the chamber of commerce and I have had a love affair. Our Anchorage City Chamber is a four star rated chamber. That means it is recognized as one of the leading chambers of commerce in the United States. Even more than that, it serves as the gold standard of professionalism in business and community spirit for the entire state of Alaska.
Change being inevitable, is still very difficult. Changing a 50 year tradition of the business community takes patience, savvy, vision and guts, and this chamber of commerce did it perfectly. I know they would say it is because of the membership that this was able to come true, and to an extend they are correct. The people and membership makes this organization rich, but the staff of the Anchorage Chamber, every one of them, is an outstanding individual.
I like this event because it highlights the people in the community who do care about their impact, and they have made it a piece of their business model. I wonder if people are always nominated based on their popularity, or of their monetary support throughout the year, or because of some friendship somewhere. My conclusion is: probably. And that's okay, because those are characteristics that a business and a person must embody to be awarded a Gold Pan Award. Those suckers are huge! It's a big deal and it should be treated as such. In the end, the people who stand out are the people who care, for whatever reason it may be, they care. The level of care in this community and from the chamber of commerce membership is outstanding. Tonight, it was apparent, as all the leaders of the crowds, the BAH crowd, the MIMF crowd, The BOD crowd, the Ambassador Crowd, the Staff crowd, and all the other crowds which represent the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce, that our business community is political, active, fun, and thriving.
There is a time in every person's life when they find their voice. They hear themselves and like it or not, they understand the solid truths that make up their core being.
It's an interesting process, this finding of voice. It's something that during a busy day, surrounded by smart, vibrant people with bright ideas and influence can get swept into their thoughts. It's easy for one to listen to the news and read the paper and contemplate what the words actually mean, and what the story is actually about. It takes time and thought to find the voice, the one, unique, vibration of sound.
But that's not the end of it.
There hopefully isn't an end.
Because once a person finds their voice. Once they can sit alone, in silence, without distractions and without influences, and open their hearts, they hear their own voice. Small at first, like a weakness in the dark, far away.
Like a small child at the end of a muddy tunnel, scared and cold, but alive and thankful. The child walks toward you, and as he becomes more familiar with the sounds of the distant drips, the damp smell of vegetative waste rotting beneath his feet, he becomes aware and comfortable with the environment. Once he walks into the light, you see it is but a small man with a deep, strong voice, filled with character.
It makes sense, then, when the darkness melts away, that what's left behind is a stronger image of self, and a stronger will of desire to find the voice to make a difference.
This is a film with Robin Williams as Dr. Malcolm Sayer, and Leonard Lowe (Robert DeNiro) a thirty-something male who has lived his life since age 11 as a catatonic patient in a chronic hospital. The only person left in his life is his aging mother, who visits him everyday to comb his hair, put him to bed, read to him.
Dr. Sayer, with a background in botanical research is hired out of desperation by the hospital to deal with the chronic psychological patients. Being used to being alone, and mostly removed from humans in his personal life, Sayer finds himself connecting "atypical" symptoms among the most removed patients. After relating the disease to Parkinson's, he finds a drug that helps pull each individual out of their numbed minds and back into the world of the living.
Dr. Sayer: You'd think at a certain point all these atypical somethings would amount to a typical something.
There are several fascinating occurrences throughout the movie of the will and drive to help humankind. After he finds the medicine a cure to Leonard (DeNiro), he asks donors of the hospital to help fund the costs of the cure to the other handful of patients to the tune of $12,000 a month. Eventually, each of these patients are brought back to life where they can walk and shower by themselves. The viewer watches each of the patients remember who they were and who they are in a world they no longer recognize.
Lucy: "I can't imagine being older than 22. I've no experience at it. I know it's not 1926. I just need it to be."
Anthony: [cheerfully] How's it going? Frank: How's it going? Anthony: Yeah, how do you feel? Frank: Well, my parents are dead. My wife is in an institution. My son has disappeared out west somewhere. [pause] Frank: I feel old and I feel swindled, that's how I feel.
Margaret: Miriam, there's no easy way to tell you this, so - your husband - he was granted a divorce from you in 1952. Miriam: Oh, thank God!
At the climax of Leonard's recovery, he calls the doctor in the middle of the night, pleading that he needs to talk to him. Sayer rushes to the hospital to find a clear headed, exhilarated Leonard.
To paraphrase, he communicates to Sayer that people are missing the point to life- taking for granted the simpliest things, like human touch. He's baffled by the lackluster approach to life he's seeing people adopt, just to get through the day. He notices this is the failing of humans, and he dedicates his illness and his life to making people understand.
Of course not everything is what it seems. Before long, the medicine begins to wear off, and Leonard continues to fight for his freedom of life, loosing in the end.
Dr. Sayer: His gaze is from the passing of bars so exhausted, that it doesn't hold a thing anymore. For him, it's as if there were thousands of bars and behind the thousands of bars no world. The sure stride of lithe, powerful steps, that around the smallest of circles turns, is like a dance of pure energy about a center, in which a great will stands numbed. Only occasionally, without a sound, do the covers of the eyes slide open-. An image rushes in, goes through the tensed silence of the frame- only to vanish, forever, in the heart.
The story takes you through an emotional rollercoaster of sadness, humor, triumph, perseverance and determination, and leaves you fulfilled and inspired about life.
Dr. Sayer: What we do know is that, as the chemical window closed, another awakening took place; that the human spirit is more powerful than any drug - and THAT is what needs to be nourished: with work, play, friendship, family. THESE are the things that matter. This is what we'd forgotten - the simplest thing.
Among the hard work, determination, insecurities, passion, deliverance, and success lies the strings that keep us connected to each other and to this life. It's here in the thread where we find the inspiration to keep going, keep trying. As healthy, active, thinking men and women, we have the capacity to grab ahold of this life (or metaphorically let go) and say WHOO HOO!
posted for Business Alaska on LinkedIn, June 24, 2009
When was the last time you called one of your clients just to say hi? I admit, I am not the best at this process, but recently, I have noticed more than ever just how important a "touch" is.
My clients are constantly being rang by people from all different backgrounds selling them all sorts of stuff. Media calls are the WORST, so when I am able to help someone with my stations, I gotta stay above the rest. That means picking up the phone and just saying hi.
It's important to feel important, and the most important people in our business is our customers or clients.
If you feel funny or don't know what to talk about, here is an easy acronym to remember: FORD
F- Family- Everyone likes to boast about their kids' new talent, or their hubby's new job. Make notes with names of family members so you can ask them about the new changes in their life next time. Remember to ask about their pets!
O- Opportunities- What opportunities have been presented to your clients since you last spoke? Try to stay away from hard business, though sometimes this is a good place to uncover what your competition is doing (but only if the customer brings it up.) Remember this is a "touch" call, not a sales call. You can set that up at the end of the conversation!
R- Realizations- Has your client had any "ah-ha!" moments with their business or personally recently? How exciting to share with someone your "ah-ha" moments! Try to relate with their discovery by sharing something about you, too.
D- Dreams- What do your clients dream of? A paradise vacation? A new car? A weekend without the kids? This is an opportunity for you to use your personal network to help your clients' dreams come true. Introduce them to your travel agent, or send them an article you read on the latest car models, or suggest your favorite hotel or restaurant for a night out.
Be genuine. Take notes. Listen. Your clients will appreciate your special touch.
