Never Eat Alone

Welcome, dear readers!

I am back from a glorious milestone birthday celebration in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, and ready to blog again. I love vacations (who doesn't?) for many reasons, not the least of which is the opportunity to catch up on some reading.

My latest favorite was recommended to me by a very successful entrepreneur in the real estate and travel industries: Never Eat Alone, and other secrets to success, one relationship at a time by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz. It focuses on the best ways to build a social network, and the personal and professional benefits of doing so.

Here are a few of my favorite questions to ask yourself as you determine what it is you want most out of life:

• Have you ever ... thought seriously about what you truly love?
• What you're good at?
• What you want to accomplish in life?
• What do you really want?
• What are the obstacles that are stopping you?

Most people accept what they "should" be doing rather than taking the time to figure out what they want to be doing. The things that people really want in life typically distill to these three: making money, finding love, or changing the world.

Ferrazzi's database of contacts includes lists of relatives, friends of relatives, spouse's relatives and contacts, current and past colleagues, members of professional and social organizations, customers, parents of children's friends, neighbors, school friends, professional service providers, Facebook and other online contacts. He is a big fan of using Linked In to search the networks of entire industries. Every profile includes a map of that person's network that can be sorted by company, region and so on.

It is compelling story-telling that propels us to action, based on emotions more so than facts. Truly successful people focus on what they can do to help other people. Ferrazzi argues that you have to become relentlessly focused on what you do that adds value. You can't do meaningful work that makes a difference unless you're devoted to learning, growing, and stretching your skills.

What do you want people to think when they see your name? Ferrazzi advocates writing down your own personal positioning statement that identifies your uniqueness and puts that uniqueness to work. Stand out!

For example: Wendy Ceccherelli is a creative and savvy real estate entrepreneur who uses her deep knowledge of the Seattle housing market to make wise investments for herself and her clients, understanding personal, financial and emotional needs in any real estate transaction.

Happy Investing!