I always tend to go back to a famous Jim Rohn quote. You know the one.
You are the average of the 5 people you hang around with the most
In the online world, we often associate that with surrounding ourselves with the people we want to be around.
The successful ones. The businessman (or woman). The creator or doer.
Those are great people to be around. They’re going to help propel your success.
What We Forget
While we’re trying to slide into the IN crowd, we forget something. We can easily let our sense of right or wrong slip away.
Or maybe it was never there to begin with.
Years ago, I remember attending a webinar for someone I highly admired. I was stoked to see him succeed.
Then I began to watch the webinar. And I was surprised by the co-presenter.
He seemed to be the exact opposite of the person I was there to see.
He was rude. He was brash. He was vulgar.
My opinion was changed by this presentation. I began to see him in a different light.
Right or wrong, I judged him by the person he brought on as a partner.
We can forget this as we’re chasing fame.
We forget that people watch us and judge us based on our business associates. Even if it’s only a one-time deal.
Know Who You’re Doing Business With
After this experience, I began to reevaluate who I was trying to partner with.
I knew I had to be more careful in my dealings with others. It’s how others would see me.
We have to know who we’re doing business with. We also have to know how partnering with another business person may make us look.
When looking for partnerships now, I want to find other leaders who:
Have a similar moral standard
Watch their language
Are willing to own up to mistakes (and allow me to own up to mine)
These aren’t the only values I want in a business partner but they are a base.
This allows me to find people who are trustworthy and honest. I’m also able to feel safe introducing them to my audience.
If you’re looking to grow your audience, do it with integrity. Work with those who have integrity and fit with your brand.
Don’t chase the next BIG thing. Chase the next RIGHT thing.
Question: Do you pay attention to who you’re working with? Why or why not? Let’s discuss this in the comment section below.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.