Stories and Examples of Everyday Connectivity

“I spent the day in a neighboring town finishing up the selection of materials for my bathroom remodel and doing a little shopping. At each place I stopped I found myself striking up conversation with at least one person. The elder lady, in the shoe department at first thought I…

I grab these books to remind, refresh and keep teaching myself their valuable lessons. They came with me this week to a workshop, where I quoted, referenced, encouraged and actually gave one forward. They’ve all got Connecting lessons and value, something to teach us in connecting, regardless of the titles.…

The L’s of Human Connection are Listening and Language. I’d give a HELLYEA to what Julian Treasure teaches: listening is a gift of love. To respect and be patient and truly l i s t e n to someone is magic. To be genuinely listened to is equally magic. Really…

Hmmm… I was thinking…. wonder what BNE GRL means? I was making my way into a donut shop and walked by a car parked with these letters on a vanity plate. Since it was a small shop and I noticed the driver getting out just ahead of me, waiting right…

How we speak to one another has everything to do with how we connect. For example, if someone gives you a compliment and they use ‘and’ in the sentence, they’re more likely a connector. If they use ‘but’ they’re likely not a connector. Connectors look for and use bridges. And…

The email was patiently waiting for me. I was encouraged to see the sender’s name, someone I’d recently met at a growth-focused workshop I’d led, so I opened it with eager anticipation. “GREAT!”, was my reaction upon reading it. The sender was inquiring about coaching. After a short back and…

I’m going to plant an ear-worm in your head right now. Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’ That’s right. That song. The one so many people the world over know and can belt out at the top of their lungs. With meaning and feeling. Why is that song so powerful? I’d posit…

[recent conversation with a real-life colleague, scene = me walking into an office where said colleague “X” was working] Me: Hi X! X: Hi! [insert some familiar casual and enjoyable chit-chat] Me: Are you still working at your other job too? X: Yes. Me: How many hours at both places…

Connection is all about communication. Verbal, non-verbal and body. Listening is a critical part of language. So ask yourself right now: Have I learned how to listen? Have I ever taken a class, read a book, showed up to learn from a teacher, teaching about how to listen? This article…

The teacher informed us we’d be giving a speech on a topic of our choice. Wide open. Hmmm… I wondered, what would I choose to talk about? This was my sophomore year in college and, well, I could have talked about literally anything. For some reason I chose t-shirts. The…

Imagine a time….   Imagine a time when you met someone new. Imagine that person has been in your life for a long time now – and image what it’d be like to not be connected with that person. How does that make you feel? What would you say the…

One thing I do regularly is connect two people. Here are the usual scenarios: 1. A person sharing a goal or desire with me wants to meet someone who/is __________; I know someone who is possibly that person, so I introduce them. 2. In listening to various conversations, my radar…

If you’ve ever wondered how to start a conversation and are simply unsure how to begin, here’s a classic tactic for you to use. Come up with 3 topics you enjoy discussing and learning about. Take those topics and come up with open-ended questions within those topics to ask other…

A D has it figured out: “I really like your content on connecting authentically… I’ve been in sales for years, and always a top-performer.  The thing is, I think I am one the least “aggressive” sales people ever – it’s always been about “inviting” people to come along, not pushing. …

Connecting is quite simple – a video message of your fine self, sharing your thanks to someone for being in your life, for being supportive, for the last gig, high-five, contract, hug – whatever.

Poor service won’t save great food. And great food can’t save poor service. Why? Serving requires full attention to the task at hand. There’s a big disconnect when the person serving isn’t providing the best of what they can provide – starting with individual attention first. If you’ve ever dined…

“I want to declare email bankruptcy!” My friend C shared this statement with me in a phone conversation recently. And it got me thinking, after I stopped chuckling. What are the ways you communicate? Communication is connection. So choosing the forms and avenues for communication you want to use –…

At the 2019 Art of Connecting Summit, I invited guests to submit concerns, questions and challenges along with things they’d like to learn in advance. Several people did and I’ll share some of the questions here on the blog.   This isn’t so much a question as an observation. As…

High Vibe. What does that mean to you? High energy? High frequency? Crazy? Calm? Vision? Whatever it is, be clear that your vibe is yours. And whatever vibe is yours is how you connect. It hit me as I was prepping for a live event: high vibe isn’t necessarily high…

How many of us get fire-hosed with emails from an opt-in? You know the drill – you opt-in, by choice, and then… you get flooded with emails. Daily, many times a day, toooooo many. Whatever it is, it’s too much for you & not what you signed up for. For…

One thing I love to host is live events. One element of live events I’ve long noticed and wondered about is where people sit & why. At the Art of Connecting Summit recently (a signature live event for us), it hit me: people sit where they want to based on…