#NetwalkTO Group Introduction 13 July 2014

 

This Sunday we’ve got a small private group going on a netwalk at the Toronto Distillery District! 

As promised here is a very quick group introduction for you so you can do your homework on each other before you show up.

THE GOLDEN

As you may know, I created a networking MVP award that I give out every year. It’s a totally selfish exercise in me calling out the excellent people in my life who I feel are the most helpful to me and most proactive networkers I know. You’re going to meet THREE of them! Clare McDowall owner of Socially Good a digital marketing firm (and ballroom dancing enthusiast!). And two awesome fundraising leaders Ann Rosenfield and visiting from Regina Saskatchewan Christina Attard who are two of the most life giving positive people you’re ever going to meet.

THE BUSINESS OWNERS

These are three amazing leaders in my life with amazing businesses that are of value to my network and are part of re-writing what it means to be awesome in this economy. Kate Hodgson a professional storytelling coach who teaches business owners how to tell their stories, host of the 9 to 5 narrative in Toronto. Karen Shinn is one of the original Downsizing Diva’s, an innovative business that helps Canadians not just move but make life transitions as part of a move. David Kravinchuk is helping Canadian charities fundraise better coast to coast as head of the Fundraising Pharmacy.

THE FASCINATING FUNDRAISERS

I know 5,000 fundraisers. I’m so happy these 5 are joining us, I have so much to say about them but for now, here’s the link to their profiles. Kavita Dogra, Cynthia Foo, Cameron Becker, Idalette Martins, Roma Prudente.

THE INTERWEB CELEBRITY

Recently I’ve been thinking, ‘when does this guy sleep!’ which you know if I’m thinking that means someone is super active. Joallore Alon, better known as ClickFlickca online is active as a disruptor and marketer all over Toronto. He’s built a solid following and many business owners I know cite him as a leader and teacher. 

THE NEW FACES

I should make a bigger deal about Brad Bass being a Nobel Peace Prize laureate but he excites me most because I met him at a Science Expo teaching scientists how to network! A science networking enthusiast!!!!  Christine Bowden is a Career Services leader at a Canadian College.

THE STRONG SILENT TYPES

We have about five people who I don’t know at all or who are more private folks and you’ll meet them in person on Sunday. More fresh faces for the network of course.

OUR TOUR HOST!

Audrey Ooi is the amazing business owner of Tasty Tours, a fellow UofT alumni she is our host for the Distillery Farmers Market tour we’ll be going on! She’s also part of the Endeavour Volunteer Network a consulting group that helps the Canadian Nonprofit community!

So! As you can read, last year was a ton of fun. Come on time please, 9am sharp and you know where we’re meeting – bring business cards!!

Dress is casual, it’s going to be sunny and warm.

For those of you Tweeting, our hashtag is #NetwalkTO

See you soon!

Paul

The Lego Movie: Questions our Modern World Brick by Brick

You remember Lego

It is often called “the toy of the 20th century”. But in the 21st century even the makers of Lego knew that even though they were more profitable than ever, the very core of their business was under attack.

 

So they made a movie.

Blah blah blockbuster hit – kids movies do that. But I’m in this place now (child rearing years). Where I have to watch movies 10,000 times with my kids until I despise even the thought of a movie ( Disney’s Frozen anyone?! ) and the Lego movie is different.

On the surface it’s a great kids movie, stacked to the ceiling with blockbuster voices like Morgan Freeman, Elizabeth Banks, Liam Neeson, Will Arnett, Will Ferrell, Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Billy Dee Williams, rising star Chris Pratt and many more.

But the story is a phenomenal comment on modern life, the motivation of work, the cause of a career, a question of creativity and the danger of business for the sake of business.

Take the villain for example, his name is “President Business” and his henchmen are the “micro-managers”. Anti-capitalist? Not so fast. A good deal of the plot deals with creative masters of the universe who are brilliant but can’t work together and can’t set or achieve any goals.

Even the theme song “Everything is Awesome” which was nominated for several prestigious awards is an ironic reminder that we are often brainwashed to believe life has to always be “great”. The movie literally begins with all the characters going through life using “the instructions to fit in, have everybody like you and always be happy” which include how to prepare for the day ( I especially love the dig “drink ridiculously expensive coffee” ).

The movie ends up with a commentary on how we have let business get away with stifling creativity, and creativity get away with stifling inspiration – one gets the feeling the makers of Lego hope it helps the parents who purchase their product let children return to the free-play of 20 years ago instead of the ‘guided’ play that rules today’s childhood.

Thoughtful, brilliant, subversive, creative, insightful. Kids or not, I encourage you to watch it.

Sure some in the marketing world found it a brilliant anti-ad-movie, and even The Economist picked up on it’s unique value – but I hope it is for you a joyous questioning moment in why we work and how we work.

As the villain loves to say “it’s not personal, it’s just business”.

Would love your comments after you see it!

Here’s a preview below ( and click here for an interesting behind the scenes site ). Enjoy!

 

       Paul Nazareth

 

Masterclass moment in business networking: Gratitude

I often describe networking as my oxygen.

It’s how I breathe, I do it daily and naturally as part of living.

It’s not in my DNA, it’s a decades-long learned skill.

After dozens of books, hundreds of sessions given and thousands of networking meetings later – it often returns back to one team and one book.

Work the Pond.

This book has been at the top of my list for a decade. It can be read by anyone, business people, students, anyone who is trying to learn how to connect with people to build relationships.

Years ago I reached out to the Shepa team, Judy and Gayle responded and we’ve kept in touch ever since. Sure I promote their book every chance I get and mention it in my many presentations and articles but that’s because it’s the best. I have no expectation of recognition or return from them.

Wonderfully, Gayle and Judy keep in touch and have even mentioned me kindly in their weekly networking tip ( which I highly recommend you subscribe to, click here ) – but their gratitude was raised to a new level recently.

It was a random afternoon at work, a phone call: ‘you have a package at the front desk’ which I wasn’t expecting. Upon opening I found this:

What’s up with Olives you say?

See, every once in a while I share with my network in conversation or social media things that fascinate me. Sometimes in frustration I can’t satisfy my curiosity about things like men’s style, pop culture and … the history of olives! For years I searched and have never seen a book or information about the history of this hyper-popular part of food culture.

Here’s where the networking learning comes in.

Listening, actively will give you insight into how to master gratitude. There are so many people we are grateful to but it is in the unexpected moments where we can surprise, delight and be of value that we make an impression that will last. Gratitude is a hidden business tool too often forgotten.

This is a business lesson, this is a life lesson.

It’s why their book is a best seller the world over for more than ten years. 

One of SO many lessons this team teaches me. 

Am I saying thanks for saying thanks? Yes, but I’m also applauding the teachers for walking their talk.

You rock Shepa team!

Paul

Cadillac #CTSDrive Klout Perk Review

People know me as a social business enthusiast.

So I’ve used the social influence platform Klout to keep track of the digital reach of myself and my network for a few years. Recently they have launched Klout perks, a way to engage users and of course create social influence about products those users love.

Speaking of love.

I have always loved the aesthetics of cars, not so much the power but the practical creature comforts and use of a vehicle. Cup holders make or break a car. And the Cadillac CTS is a car I’ve had my eye on for years.

Imagine my surprise and delight when one day Klout reaches out offering me the chance to drive the brand new 3rd generation CTS for a weekend. When I share with people the return on time invested in social media I focus on business and career benefits. I try not to share the fun and unique stuff to keep expectations realistic.

But I won’t lie, I was excited.

I have considered the CTS to be the pinnacle of North American business vehicles. You can keep your refined European lines, when this car arrived I knew aggression could fit into a Hugo Boss suit. It’s name is was CTS.

The car showed up at my office ( nice touch Klout team ) and it was a long Friday knowing that this beast was waiting in the bowels of the Bay St. garage waiting for me. I had set up a drive for a few friends in the car after work and to honour that grill that means pure testosterone to me – we hit a steakhouse for some rare meat and then, oggle the car.

I’m a family guy with a family car but I never miss the Auto Show in Toronto so I’ve kept up with what’s out there. And this car lives on the cutting edge of technology, power and drivability. Sure there’s horsepower to spare but it was the amazing features that blew me away. The Audi A3 that won ‘world car of the year’ supposedly for it’s tech and has a haptic steering wheel. Big deal, the CTS has a haptic drivers seat! The seat vibrates when there is a car in your blind spot, or when you’re backing out of a spot both which is helpful and could save your life. Same thing goes for lane change warnings, awesome.

The head’s up display projected into the windshield was connected to the GPS. Sure the Bose sound system was amazing but it was things like the seat cooling system, intelligent tech connection to your phone and automated everything that made the interior more like a cockpit than a car.

You’ve heard about the parking assist on many new cars, the CTS actually helps you hunt for a parking spot and then parks for you. I think we parked maybe 25 times, every single person screamed the first time. Even the luxury car owners were freaked out by the technical advance in this feature.

That weekend was both Mothers Day and my little boy’s birthday so I have to say a big thanks to Cadillac Canada and Klout for giving me a chance to spoil both of them. But it was me who was spoiled the most. Getting a chance to drive it for a few days showed me the difference in daily driving – my morning drive was transformed. Gone were all the bumps and bothers. I’ve been in BMW’s, Mercedes Benz’s and I love Audi’s but this is a stark reminder that the North American car is back.

         With a vengeance.

My favourite part of the weekend was taking a couple business peers and buddies who owned BMW’s, Audi’s and Mercedes out for a drive. There was some grumbling – ‘I was specifically told Cadillac’s don’t have this, don’t do this’ said one. My own family has owned only North American cars and even my own father admitted he wouldn’t have thought about a Cadillac until he saw how affordable something of this level would be. If you are in the market for a luxury vehicle, you owe it to yourself to just check it out. The tech, the drivability, the usability is incredible.

It even survived a trip to Costco.

Thanks again Cadillac Canada and Klout, I know many of the #CTSdrive folks valued the drive too.

As a social business enthusiast I LOVED that you threw the hashtag on the back of the car! People asked me about it all over town especially where I work on Bay St.. It gave me the opportunity to actually talk about the difference between social media and digital business.

Besides the usual commercials and promotion, I leave you with this great review of the car which I totally agree with. What a weekend.

PocketStyle : It’s not business, it’s just personal

So the time has come to share.

Let me clear up front, I’m sharing this with you because you’re part of my network and NOT because I want you to buy something. Frankly, it’s because you dear network that this all started in the first place.

It’s no secret, I love pocket squares.

But I’m often asked, WHY?!

Underlying it all, it comes down to three things:

1. I’d like to bring back the idea of a civil gentleman
2. In a suit since 19, I am tired of “the uniform” look
3. As a networking enthusiast, this is about walking my talk. Being well groomed says you care about details

But there was three barriers to raising my style game:

1. Working on a nonprofit/fundraising salary means I can’t shop at C-Suite retailers (who I respect and adore; Harry Rosen, Brooks Brothers are the Titans of men’s style and new players like GotStyle and events like the Gentlman’s Expo are rewriting Canadian style for men)  but the average price is $30 and some as high as $150!
2. Canadians aren’t really into pocket squares, there isn’t a lot of affordable selection in Canada
3. I didn’t have the confidence

In the past several years Tom and his son at Tom’s Place in Kensington Market have helped me dress better on a budget. They took the time to teach me so much about dressing well. Tom Jr. has even come out to speak at my networking events about dressing for success - I’m eternally grateful to both Toms!

I’ve also discovered some retailers who sell cheaper squares so I go on an annual road trip once a year to buy all my work clothes.

But – my own network was pushing me to do something entrepreneurial that focused on my personal passion and not my work in philanthropy.

I’ve been mentoring and helping several young men in my network to raise their style game for career and confidence. But they too can’t afford the $30, $60 and $100+ price on what is ( let’s be honest here ) a napkin with no table.

So as Seth Godin, a personal business hero says. If you care about art that no one else is making, ship it. Not really for profit, but for the sake of making something you’re passionate about a reality.

Right at this time having another baby my wonderful wife took some time off (to have said baby ) MADE me a square for our anniversary. After some number crunching I realized we could pick out the designs make them at a cost that would be affordable and cover our costs. I know, many peers of mine have given me a lecture about not making big profit but I’ve been blessed with one of the coolest jobs in Canada working with people I respect and admire. This is something that is 90% my wife’s and I’m just the conduit for.

We’ve been quietly selling them in Toronto thanks to the fine folks at LEN4ALL in the trendy Danforth East area. Stop in any time to browse and pick up other cool locally made stuff!

But it’s time for me to share. Especially with Father’s Day coming up!

So if you’re interested in knowing more:

• Here are the designs we have in stock
• Here is our page on how to fold them and style tips
• Our online purchasing page (we’re still getting the hang of Etsy)
• Follow us on Twitter

For my personal network I’m discounting our usual 2 for $29, 3 for $39 and 5 for $59 price and will meet you in person to drop them off. Feel free to drop me a line. I’ll also be hosting a pop-up shop really soon too!

In the end what I really want to do is thank you dear network.

For constantly pushing me, inspiring me, pulling me towards my dreams.

    With great gratitude,

                      Paul

Networking at CAGP 2014 in Vancouver

You’ve invested time and your organization has invested in you to come to this conference – why not make the most of it?

Here are three unofficial ways to add a little more learning ( and fun ) to this year’s conference experience!

1) Tuesday night (April 8) dinner! Each year a lot of delegates fly in the night before the conference starts. Why wander the streets with a newspaper? Join us for a no-RSVP no-pressure networking dinner! Dress is casual, we’ll meet in the lobby between 6pm and 6:30pm around the concierge. Bring a spouse, bring a friend. Vancouver fundraisers who aren’t attending the conference please come out too! Let’s warm those brains up and start talking shop.

2) 15 minutes of social strategy education! 4:30pm at the registration desk on Wednesday April 9 I’m giving a quick session on how to get started and do more using social media for yourself and your charity or business. I’ll be giving out free resources and there will be prizes!

3) Take a hike eh? If you haven’t heard about my new love of “netwalking” or “networking while walking” it’s fantastic. Fresh air, gets the brain and conversation going. Co-hosted by local fundraiser ( and internet celebrity curator of the cathartic blog “fundraiser grrl” ) Rory Green! We’ll gather in the lobby at 2:30pm on Friday April 11 and be back for the ‘official’ social event ( which you must go to this year, it’s going to be valuable big-time )

If you use Twitter, we are using #CAGP2014 and have a conference Twitter Team! Find me in the delegate list and email if you have any questions.

  See you in Vancouver!

   Paul Nazareth

CAGP 2014 Twitter Team

Who couldn’t be excited that we’re gathering together for the 21st time as a professional community! It’s coming up soon and we hope delegates, sponsors, speakers can join us on the world’s most powerful dialogue and learning platform – Twitter!

Today, there are a lot of benefits to using Twitter at conferences and a lot of ways it can be used to add value to both attendees and sponsors.

So please join myself and the team in tweeting up and around #CAGP2014 ( the official hashtag – click here to learn what a hashtag is )

Not on Twitter? Here are some quick tips but consider this your chance to sign up, learn with your peers. This is our biggest twitter team ever!! Remember if you see us tweeting at sessions, say hi!!

• Follow the main CAGP account: @CAGP_ACPDP
• Leah Eustace @LeahEustace
• Paola Coronado Hass @PaolaCoronadoH
• Peggy Killeen @PeggyKilleen
• Jill Nelson @Nelson_Jill
• Charles O’Neil @CharlesONeil1
• Ryan Fraser @RyanCFP
• Janice Correa @JLBCorrea
• Sherry Booth @Sherry_Booth
• Genane St. Rose @GenaneStR
• Holly Wagg @HollyWagg
• Amanda Stacey @EstatesLaw
• Trina Owens @TrinaOwensSK
• Lisa MacDonald @lisalmacdonald ( editor of @GPinCanada )
• Calvin Fong
• Preeti Gill @Preeti_Things
• Stacey Charles @stacey_charles
• Marcella Zanella @MarcellaZanella
• And Me! Paul Nazareth @UinvitedU

Also! For the first time, many of our exhibitors and sponsors are Tweeting so follow the hashtag to say thanks for making the conference possible and to ask questions to learn from their experience in the sector.

Be sure to follow and engage the speakers too! < Click here for list

Want to learn more? I’ll be hosting a free 15 min social-media crash course Thursday, 4:30pm at the reception desk for any interested delegates of the conference. Free resources, information and there will be prizes too!

Start learning the lingo here and here’s a superbasic video to get you started!  See you “IRL” in Vancouver!

Paul Nazareth