Meals With A Mission

Wednesday January 22^nd, 2014 – Niles, IL

   The best and most fail safe investment I think anyone can make is establishing and maintaining contacts. Knowing the right people can be an incredible advantage in life, and I believe anybody can do it if they make up their mind to accomplish it. It does take effort, but so does everything.  

   I have been around the block more than a few times, and have crossed paths with an extensive collection of nothing less than amazing people along the way. I’ve met a few leakers as well, but so does everybody. There are all types of monkeys in this human zoo, and it’s up to us to choose with which ones we will associate. Building mutually beneficial relationships is a lifetime effort.

   Unfortunately, time happens to be a rigidly limited commodity for us all and dilutes the entire process. As life goes on, the more connections we make lowers the odds of maintaining a regular personal contact schedule with everyone. There just aren’t enough lunches to go around for all.

   I remember reading an article many years ago about how successful people use mainly lunches but also breakfasts and dinners for the purpose of maintaining contacts whenever possible. There is a plan going in, but it doesn’t have to be greedy or one sided. It can and should be a win/win.

   I wouldn’t be able to find that article if I tried, but I’m going to work on applying that concept as much as possible. It makes a lot of sense, and it’s excellent business. Everyone has their own schedules and different people are available at different times, but lunch is the best opportunity.

  Everybody eats lunch, and it’s in the middle of the day and usually short. A lot of business can be done in a short amount of time, even if it’s just catching up with what’s been going on in each other’s lives. The belly to belly personal contact is much more lasting than a phone call or email.

   I’m consciously working on ramping up my lunch schedule, and today I met up with my friend Steve Olsher aka “America’s Reinvention Expert”. Steve is an entrepreneur, and has made some remarkable leaps in a very short time. I always enjoy hanging out with him, because he lives and breathes what he’s doing. He’s definitely all in, and that’s the kind of energy I want to be around.

   When I met Steve he was doing a “Reinvention Workshop” in Chicago a couple of blocks from Zanies where I was teaching a comedy class. I sat in on his workshop and it was not only fun but interesting as well. We have stayed in contact, and in just a few years his presence has exploded.

   He is now the successfully published author of three tremendous books “The Journey To You”, “Internet Prophets” and “What Is Your What?”, and holds seminars around the country featuring the absolute top of the top names in the speaking field from Larry Winget to the late Jay Conrad Levinson to many more. Steve has put himself in a league with the best. www.steveolsher.com.

   I have nothing but respect for Steve, and I like him personally too. He’s out there slugging just like me, and he doesn’t claim to know everything. It’s a journey and an adventure, and that’s the kind of person I never get tired of being around. I’m not 100% sure how we can help each other, but we have a similar mindset and that’s good enough for me. He offered a lot of insight on what I’m looking to do, and I appreciated it all. It was well worth the trip, and lunch was delicious too.

Steve Olsher is an entrepreneur and published author of three tremendous books. He's also a friend I greatly respect. www.steveolsher.com.