NAILBA Perspectives - September/October 2014 - (Page 44)

reading ahead A Brighter Future Don't miss Seth Godin's keynote at NAILBA 33! What have you recently read that inspired you to look differently at the way you're doing business? NAILBA welcomes your recommendations for books or blogs that you find helpful in shaping the way you do business. Contact Rachel Marineau, CMP, NAILBA's Manager of Meetings and Education, at 703.383.3069 or rmarineau@nailba.org and share your reading list. The Icarus Deception Seth Godin According to Greek mythology, Icarus was given wings by his father in an attempt to escape from Crete and told not to ﬂy too close to the sun. But he did and it cost him his life. However he was also warned not to ﬂy too low because the water would damage his wings. In his most recent book, The Icarus Deception, Seth Godin argues that today's workforce has become too safe and boring- ﬂying too low and close to the surface. We have become risk averse. It is time to spread our wings again and set our sights higher. Seth proffers that we've gotten too comfortable in our industrialist box and are too scared to think and act outside of it. We've become rather passive. It takes a great deal of prodding to get us to warm up to the fact that having different or fresh ideas about a subject are worth the risk of failure. And Seth will be the ﬁrst to tell you he has had many a failure in his time. But those are the things that make us stronger and inspire us to create better, stronger ideas. Recently, he launched The Icarus Deception via Kickstarter. Seth challenged his backers to stand up against the traditional model and show that a book could gain momentum in today's connection economy, through help via the internet. Backers were given several different bonuses that could not be found elsewhere; The Icarus Deception reached its goal in under three hours. We have been fooled into thinking that we need to follow society's model of doing things the way they've always been done. That's what we know, it's what is secure. But this no longer works. The world now demands more connection. So 44 perspectives SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2014 regardless of what profession you're in, turn your work into "art." Art connects and people want connection. Seth encourages us to become artists, "Work, think and create like an artist. Anyone can do it, but you must use courage, resilience and your own unique talents, to get to the hard work of being an "artist" in your chosen profession. You won't be very good when you get started, but start nonetheless. The only answer to failure and disappointment is to KEEP WORKING and MAKE BETTER ART." It doesn't matter what you're creating. What matters is your passion and attitude; your business title and profession matter not. Artistry comes from the heart and applies to anything you set your mind to. It could be in retail, wholesale engineering, accounting, ﬁnance, or risk management. What makes a true artist is passion for action, rather than success. Using your passion to create and take the next step down a new path and not waiting for reassurance or praise. Challenge yourself to strip your main drive for more customers and more money and instead focus on the passion to deliver: How can I serve my clients better? How can I create the best possible experience? What kind of art can I create through my job? One of the keys to making art is to make personal human connections, not just online, but personal, face to face interactions. If entrepreneurship, writing, and speaking are art forms, then Seth is a true master. He has written over 14 books, given numerous TED Talks, written countless posts for his world famous blog, and never ceases thinking and creating various projects on the internet. There is much to learn from Seth Godin and NAILBA is delighted to welcome him to the stage to present the keynote at Friday's Closing General Session at NAILBA 33. What bold new insights will YOU walk away with and inject into your agency upon your return?

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NAILBA Perspectives - September/October 2014

NAILBA Perspectives - September/October 2014
Contents
Chairman’s Corner
CEO Insights
Servicing Orphan Policy Holders: The BGA’s Role
NAILBA 33 Preview
Life Happens
Future of the Independent Marketing Organization
NAILBA Charitable Foundation
Member Profiles
Agency Successor Networking Group
Agency Resources
A Path Forward: Part 1 of 2
Reading Ahead
Calendar of Events
Index of Advertisers

NAILBA Perspectives - September/October 2014