In the Presence of Greatness
Sit Up & Pay Attention
How often does one get the opportunity to be in front of greatness like Michael Bloomberg? Not often. I’ll venture to guess. So when I had my opportunity, I sat up, listened, even leaned forward, feverishly taking notes.
Our first featured speaker at the 2022 Goldman Sachs 10KSB Summit in Baltimore was none other than Bloomberg himself who ran for the Democratic Presidential Nomination in 2020. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what this man has done in his 80 years on Earth. No he did not win the self-funded (BTW, $935-million investment) endeavor, however none of us win them all, do we?
Whether you agree with someone’s stance on things, people are famous for a reason. If they are accomplishing things you’d like to create into your existence, not only should you pay attention, but you should share the good news. I’d like to share with you the highlights of what I learned from Bloomberg. These are things I can apply to my personal life as well as my business endeavors whether I am taking your headshot in Dallas or a Photography by Misty associate photographer is taking great care of your Plano-based team.
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“Your willingness to bet on yourself isn’t crazy,” started off the man, who could have easily retired at 35 years old. Now if I could just get others (an administrative assistant to bet on me, too, Michael. Desperately seeking help (if you can’t tell) for someone to manage our photographers from corporate-event photography in Dallas to Team Headshots in Frisco, Allen, McKinney . . . you get the idea.
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“I never do should’ve, could’ve, would’ve.”
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“Hardwork and good luck are the secrets to success,” he said in the Baltimore Gaylord ballroom to a crowd of 2,000-plus.
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Bloomberg, who philanthropic endeavors aid others in 941 cities in 173 countries, continued, “Put yourself in the shoes of the person across the counter from you. What do they want?” I often wonder what business owners are, more importantly not, thinking especially in recession-filled times. It seems like small businesses deliver more bad client services than good, especially during hard times. Here today and gone tomorrow is that dream-filled cafe which delivers a wilted salad.
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He also gave an example of small businesses and governmental entities thinking boldly.
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Though we don’t give much thought about the dynamics of Times Square in NYC, where Bloomberg served three consecutive mayoral terms, it is a prime example of this collaboration. Memorial Day 2009, then Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that Times Square would become a pedestrian plaza. And oh-what a playground it has become. I know I really appreciated the opportunity to take my daughter’s portraits in the middle of Broadway without the worry of being Taxied-over.
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And imagine this: Bloomberg suggested business owners/managers pick up the phone, calling to see if their clients are happy. Yes, an actual phone call still holds a lot of value.
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And finally, the early bird gets the worm (not B’s exact verbiage). Yes sometimes the oldest philosophies withstand the test of time. Bloomberg suggests whether you’re “working” from home, headed into the office or, in our case, asked to set up for team headshots before the sun’s debut, start your work day at 7am.
Praise to you Bloomberg for rocking the stage to offer your hard-earned wisdom to thousands of small business owners. And thank you to the Goldman Sachs’ team for your continued philanthropic 10KSB endeavors.
And if you need professional photography services, we’d be honored to serve you.
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