Ignore the ego

I write weekly about the strategies, habits, and tactics around cultivating the connections that matter to you.

When someone receives an invite to my regular dinner series, they may notice that something is missing.

Other people.

Within seconds of seeing a name, we can easily learn everything one would want to know. Their biggest professional wins, the number of people that follow them across every social platform, and how much their kids loved the pool at the Four Seasons in Cabo.

You instantly conjure up a ranking of how much they’re “crushing it” - and then, per our nature, how that compares to our own reflection of ourselves at that moment.

We then head into that dinner, phone call, cage fight, or meeting with a mirage, having already made the decision between condescension and groveling.

And you know what we miss out on?

The person.

I’ve had enough incredible experiences where, for a brief glimpse in time, the ego stays on the sidelines. It turns out the person with the failing startup is deep in writing a book on philosophy. The lawyer volunteers his time playing guitar at an assisted living facility. The executive is an incredible pumpkin carver.

This is why when I host dinners, I make the intentional decision to hide the invitees and make no “professional” introductions until the next morning.

So do this

My invitation for you is the next person you talk to today, pretend you just had your mind wiped by that flashy thing in Men In Black. Even if you have a specific agenda to get to, for a brief few minutes, connect with the person.

I guarantee you will stand out more than their next networking call.

If you found this valuable, have you snagged my course on cultivating your network?

I’ve spent the past 12 years helping people like you grow their businesses and careers by cultivating the relationships that matter. I took everything I’ve learned and practiced, and put it in a professionally produced online course.

You can grab it for free right now. ➡