Reminder: Sayings are called "sayings," cause they are usually true. So, you've heard this one...right? "When the student is ready, the teacher appears."
The same week that I committed to creating, producing and publishing a "TV Show" (as a Facebook community) for interviews called: "The Better Series," I received an email from Scott Goodson. (FULL DISCLOSURE: We exchanged books...I love doing this with other authors.)
I "just" finished reading it today, and I absolutely HAVE to share some of the things I learned from this great book. I'm scoring it a 5 as much for how well it's put together AND for the fact that I know that reading this book has changed my thinking. If you're facing an opportunity in the foreseeable future where you see change coming your way, Get This Book! I have 6 pages of notes in my journal, as well as a few pages marked up in the book. (FYI: the pages that JUMPED out to me were: 15, 18, 22, 33, 48, 56, 75, 77, 86, 90, 115, 125, 159, 190, 224.)
Can I share an example of how my thinking has changed? Ok, start here: Think about what the company you work with "does" for the community. (And, if you work for yourself, think about what YOU do for the community.) I define "the community" as the people I connect with in the day-to-day of my busy-ness. Ok, now that you have that, flip it around and ask: "What is the community worried about?"
This "flip" of focus has given me a solid idea on what I can do to change one of the marketing programs we're just about to launch on three continents!
Before you go, here are THREE reasons I recommend this book:
1. The case studies are FASCINATING. What Scott has done to share with us the actual, tactical, ground-level-and-up thinking and acting that went behind the movement-making that he was a part of is genius. Just reading the case studies has made me look at newspapers, movie advertisements, keynote speeches...almost everything a little bit differently. It's great to see what other people have done.
2. Talk about checklists... As I was reading, I started a list of what I can do to increase MY OWN company's engagement (our staff, our vendors, our clients...) in our purpose. As you read Uprising, keep a pen and notebook nearby, then...put into action what you do write down.
3. The "game changer" of the book came to me at page 125 (of the hardback version). There is a diagram (ok, he calls it a figure) titled, "Find the Truth in Your Brand." Then, Scott shares some fundamental questions that I'm making it a mission to answer. Here are two of them:
+ In what ways does your company actually affect people's lives?
+ What does the company believe in?
Finally, let me leave you with the part that got me wanting to read this in the first place; it was the last line of the Acknowledgments: "Here's to all the passionate souls out there who are sparking movements big and small and making a difference in the world."
That's YOU!
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