The bad news is that many of you will not recognize that title as the slogan of the old Radio Corporation of America. Some of you are now picturing RCA’s old mascot, Nipper, tilting his head listening to a phonograph. The good news is that, if you’re recognizing neither the title nor the Nipper imagery, this just means that I’m finally starting to skew to a younger audience. And now this month’s column:
Not a day goes by now that I don’t hear from someone asking, “So… how’s the new gig going?” By that, they’re actually inquiring how well my consultancy is doing. To the public, I certainly seem busy. Busy is one thing… successful is another.
In one form or another, I’ve been consulting to (and for) promotional industry participants for many years. I guess that’s what comes with being opinionated. I might not have realized that I was consulting at the time… it might have merely been me shooting off my mouth. Ask me a question, get a dissertation. How much time do we have?
Mike Schenker Consulting has actually been “a thing” for several years, as I’ve worked with a few small businesses who were either looking to enter the promotional industry or gain a larger footprint. All that, while otherwise gainfully employed or pretending to be. It’s only since mid-2016 that I’ve devoted myself full time to this endeavor. It’s really been an interesting experience finding my true voice.
One of the best parts? No boss. Clients, yes, but no boss. I get to choose with whom I work. The Trophy Wife may think otherwise, but I am the boss of me. If you knew how many voices there are in my head at any given time, you’d appreciate that this is no small task.
At any given moment I might have several projects going on (perhaps even one for each of those aforementioned voices). It’s all about the time management – priorities are not always based on who’s screaming the loudest.
This arrangement has allowed me to continue my writing (which still doesn’t mean I’ll get this column in on time. I’m all about maintaining tradition). At the same time, I’ve been able to secure more speaking opportunities both within and outside of the promotional products industry, as well as work on some new educational courses I’ll be offering in 2017.
One of my favorite things to do is playing Love Connection. Stealing directly from my own website (www.MikeSchenker.com), I describe myself as an “Opportunity Liaison” and add “Isn’t it important to be a connector in life as well as business? Through my broad professional network I connect individuals seeking opportunities and companies seeking talent.” If it’s on the internet, it must be true.
What good are my 30-plus years’ worth of connections if I can’t put them to good use, and help friends and associates better their careers and companies? All I do is make the connections: it’s up to the individuals to make this work.
And the same holds true for the companies with whom I consult. I have lead several of these horses to water… that doesn’t mean that they’re going to drink. And if they do drink, it doesn’t mean that they’re take the time to drink the entire contents of what I’ve poured. And again… I get to walk away.
I collect quotes. Not formally, although I have saved one or two fortune cookie messages over the years (“You would make an excellent critic.” Really?) One of my all time favorites is from Robert Townsend, whom I’d assumed was the actor of that name. Nope, this Robert Townsend is, of all things, a business consultant. His quote has resonated with me for years… little did I know that it would someday be relevant to me. He wrote, “Consultants are people who borrow your watch and tell you what time it is, and then walk off with the watch.” It’s my goal to have a drawer full of watches.
Mike Schenker, MAS, is a promotional industry veteran and member of the Specialty Advertising Association of Greater New York (SAAGNY) Hall of Fame. He can be reached at mike@mikeschenker.com.