I finally made it to a Rise Lunch today. I had a great time and learned a thing or two in the process. If you are a small biz owner in the STL, you should check it out sometime.

 

The event is hosted by Rise to the Top founder David Siteman Garland. He is a witty and inspirational character, definitely the friend of small business owners and entrepreneurs.

 

 

The first speaker was Sam Silverstein, author of No More Excuses. Sam focused on a few key ways to take responsibility and be accountable to your own values. 

 

I liked this quote:

"If you delegate responsibility, also delegate authority. Otherwise you are micromanaging and you might as well do it yourself."

 

I have tried to say the same things in other ways, but this is a great succint way to get the point across.

 

Sam has 5 key points about acountability:

1. Do the 'right things' consistently

2. Manage your space

3. Manage the process

4. Establish the right expectations

5. Contribute to your relationships

 

If that piques your curiosity, check out his site for more details or pick up the book.

 

 

We were then treated to a panel discussion on social media with Erin Steinbruegge, Chris Reimer and David Siteman Garland.

 

Here are some choice nuggets:

 

"SEO is not a standalone thing, it should be integrated into your whole marketing plan. Your site should meet the needs of your visitors, and then you can focus on the SEO." Erin Steinbruegge

 

"Follow the 2+1 rule for social media. Focus on 2 sites that are important to you, like Twitter and Facebook, and spend most of your energy there. Follow that up by giving away free content on a regular basis." David Siteman Garland

 

"Buy my t-shirts." Chris Reimer 

 

Also by Chris: "Everyone knows the family in the Tide commercial is not real. By the same token, not all brands use social media personally, but use professionals to talk about their product for them."

 

Verdict: Very cool atmosphere, nice lunch, cool peeps and good info.

 

See you at the next Rise Lunch.

 

*All quotes are from my notes/memory

 

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