I re-learned three things this weekend:
- Listen to your heart
- Your core values drive personal branding
- Deep relationships with a small number of people trumps networking in numbers
I was honored to be a part of a small group of extraordinary people at CerebrateSV http://bit.ly/bCQhtH. Over the last three days, on a mountaintop south of Silicon Valley, we talked about ourselves, our ideas and our passions. The experience as one attendee put it was “magical.”
All the participants were hand-picked as much for their accomplishments as for their authenticity of spirit. The gathering worked so well because we learned to trust one another in a short amount of time.
Rajesh Setty (http://twitter.com/UpbeatNow), the co-organizer with his beautiful wife Kavitha, is a man of incredible love for humanity. We followed his lead to open our hearts and minds to new people and new possibilities. I went into the CerebrateSV event with no preconceived notions. Only that Rajesh said that I would not regret it.
I am amazed at what has transpired over 48 hours. I have new friends who I know I will be connected to for life. I have new business partners who will collaborate with me on projects that could not happen without their help. I have speaking and consulting opportunities that would not have come my way otherwise. But, all this came without expectation on my part or theirs. That is the beauty of the Cerebrate concept. Put a small number of people in a setting conducive to sharing and collaboration….and see what happens.
Just listen to your heart. Follow your core values and let your brand flow from the inside out. Deepen your relationships with shared experiences. Let’s all CEREBRATE!
(Photos above from Darius Miranda; photos below from Raj Setty)