The Ripple Affect

Have you ever had a seemingly small interaction that simply left an impact on you? A few weeks ago, at the United Club in the San Francisco airport, I ran into the chef who creates the recipes for the club’s food.

Despite being in a hurry, I took a moment to share with him how much I liked their new breakfast spread of cold-soaked oatmeal with fresh fruit and other healthier alternatives.

His face lit up, and we had this wonderful connection over a shared love of cold-soaked oatmeal. Then he shared his favorite cold oatmeal recipes (if I wanted to try them at home) and how he likes to vary them up each week depending upon the produce he gets.

In that brief moment, we both felt seen, heard, and appreciated connecting about cold-soaked oats. 🙂

How many times can you do that in a day (And how many times can you say “cold-soaked oats” in an email ;-)?

How would your business or life change if you took a minute a day to notice someone and strike up a conversation?

Would you do anything different in your business or life if you knew deep down that everyone just wants to be seen, heard, and feel like they matter?

No, it’s not something they would ever say to you.

Yet, you never know how a smile, kind gesture, or a quick chat with a stranger can impact you both.

My experience with the Chef at the United Club reminded me of a valuable lesson from my most amazing Coach and dear friend (who left this earth too soon), Rob Berkley: “Leave every person you encounter a little better than you found them.”

So whenever I’m eating out, at the grocery store, or traveling, I connect with people, ask them questions, smile, and see them.

Traveling can be grueling and incredibly frustrating lately. All the more reason to notice how you can leave someone a little bit better than when you found them.

I also did this when I was boarding the plane. The flight attendant has this really cool pin, and I noticed and told them so. They couldn’t help but smile and thank me. And it’s genuine. It’s not put on. He had a cool LGBTQ pin. 🙂

Since I’ve been doing this, it’s a habit now, always looking for how I can uplift and make my little world and people in it a better place.

You just never know how these authentic moments of human connection can ripple outward and make the world a little better place.

As an entrepreneur and marketer, you have a unique opportunity to infuse your business with this same spirit of genuine connection.

Here are a few ways to inspire authentic, engaging marketing:

Embrace Your Story: Just as a simple breakfast recipe can spark a connection, your brand’s story, when shared genuinely, can resonate deeply with your audience. Share your business journey, challenges, and wins. It’s your uniqueness that will connect and draw your dream clients or customers closer.
Listen with Empathy: Behind every comment, like, or share is a person seeking to be heard. Engage actively with your audience. Listen more than you speak. Understanding their desires and pain points not only enriches your message—it also fosters a community built on trust and empathy.
Celebrate the Little Things: A compliment to a flight attendant about their unique pin transformed my day as much as theirs. In your marketing, it’s the small, thoughtful gestures that count. Whether it’s personalized thank-you notes or surprise bonuses, show your appreciation in ways that matter.
Be Consistently Authentic: My experience has taught me that authenticity isn’t a one-off act; it’s a habit. Let your true self be seen through every post, email, or conversation. When your authenticity shines through by sharing your triumphs, challenges, and frustrations, you are building trust and true connection.
Offer Transformative Experiences: Just as my conversation with the chef offered me some cool new ideas for breakfast, your products or services should promise a transformation. Highlight how you can make a difference in their lives, offering more than just a product, course, or service—you’re offering a path to guide them with whatever they’re struggling with in their business or their life. Speak to their deepest desires.

Incorporating these strategies into your marketing and messaging can help you build deeper connections with your dream clients or customers.

And ultimately leads to a more loyal customer base and a stronger business.

In the end, it’s not the grand gestures but the authentic moments that leave a lasting imprint.

Update:

Only one more week of March. Spring is popping up everywhere in Northern CA. The rain has stopped for more than 5 days. The sun is out, and everything is starting to bloom.

Next week Alice and I are taking off for 2 weeks to explore the UK – London and Scotland. Very much looking forward to having some fun new experiences.

There will be an eNewsletter next week on March 28. I will send out a reprise of one of my more popular eNewsletters on Thursday, April 4. I look forward to sharing my adventures and some pics in the eNewsletter on Thursday, April 11.

Also, I will be posting and sharing on Instagram and Facebook while I’m away. So be sure to follow me to keep up on our adventures. 🙂

Paragraph I’m Pondering:

‘When you’re thinking of how to make your business bigger, it’s tempting to try to think all the big thoughts and come up with world-changing massive action plans. But please know that it’s often the tiny details that really thrill people enough to make them tell all their friends about you. ~ Derek Sivers, Founder of CD Baby.

Powerful Affirmations to Inspire:

“I now release my masterpiece to my higher self, knowing that she will make any necessary adjustments to improve the picture so that I may receive all the good the universe has for me now. Since I am assured that my desires will be fulfilled according to the love and wisdom of my super mind, my heart overflows with love and gratitude. The feeling of thankfulness pulsates throughout my entire being, and I am filled and thrilled with the joy of life. And it is so!” ~ Shannon McC

Weekly Earworm:

“We had joy, we had fun, we had seasons in the sun…” by Terry Jacks. Yep, the sun’s out… 🙂

Book Review:
Story Driven: You don’t need to compete when you know who you are by Bernadette Jiwa

I LOVE this book! It’s about when you are doing work that matters, digging deeper, connecting to your own personal stories, and sharing them with your dream clients or customers is critical. This is authentic, genuine, and value-driven marketing.

Cool Stuff:

The Industry Hiring the Most People By Country
Hugging is Healthy & Relieves Stress
I Love Apples – and I’m loving this apple ranking tool – Whenever I make an Apple pie, it’s always good to have a variety of sweet, not too mushy, and tart apples in the mix. This tool helps.

AI Info & Resources:

Prompts to get ChatGPT to sound human
How AI can liberate your creativity
Interesting AI tool that will create your presentations – hmmm
Cool AI complimentary newsletter if you want to stay up-to-date with the latest in AI

Weekly Photos:

Emma’s the highlight this week. She’s a funny dog. I think she knows we’re leaving next week. We got some couch time, and she just can’t help but give me a nice sloppy kiss.
Beautiful sunrise this week, captured it on my morning walk which is my time to connect with nature and ground myself for the day.
My crazy messy desk with all the essentials, my lists, books, coffee, and Emma’s favorite lap position.
Then we have Emma, who loves all our comfy Eddie Bauer puffy blankets.
My ever-growing collection of heart rocks. Kind of crazy, right?! I just keep finding them. Not all of them make it home, though. Some need to stay out there for others to find. 🙂