This is a great Video with some incredible concepts. Below I share with you my PERSONAL Social Media inspired journey. The concepts are: “We are all human beings, we should give each other hope to live. If you cant give food, give mental nutrition. We all have 5.5 liters of blood, we are all human beings. We are all the same. What is life about? Giving – start giving.”
I wish I could give as much as this guy. In late 2008, I had discovered Twitter and its ability to grow business and share inspiration with others. I took some inspirational ideas from what I saw on Twitter and expanded it as large as I could. It became evident to me very quickly that in this most desparate recession, one that I had predicted on my bank consulting blog in 2006-2007, years earlier, that people needed uplifting now more than ever before. Few greater gifts with unending residuals can you give someone than the gift of possibilities and hope.
For 20 years as a CEO over my companies I’d written the newsletters to employees and clients, turns out blogging and uplifting others had always come 2nd nature to me, before they even called it blogging. I’d always counseled employees, business people and my business friends told me I should start a consulting business over a decade before I even got the time to do it. I didnt become something for Social Media, turns out Social Media had BECOME ME. Let me repeat that: “I didnt become something for Social Media, turns out Social Media had become Me.” Successful CEO’s, salespeople and leaders have always “engaged,” Social Media just provided a more expansive technology by which to do it with. Every successful company I’d created was built on a marketing concept as close to Social Media as we could get without the technology we could only dream about at the time.
My concept was to create an inspiring blog sharing what I’d learned over decades of being a serial entrepreneur. To give people ideas, tools and hope within our darkest recession. I choose to share freely stuff that I had spent a business fortune learning the hard painful old fashioned way. I asked myself, when I was starting out, what would I have wanted to know. What were the secrets I’d found. What mistakes would I have paid millions to avoid. What were my “trick ponies” of success. When hundreds of thousands of dollars where lost in profits on markets or mistakes how did I keep my head about me as an entrepreneur for others to learn. On my blog in over several hundred posts the info is richly shared…if the ignorant will watch past the first 2 minutes and actually learn….
What did I find in those office hallways of solitude pacing about my business’ as investments earned and lost sped through my head. Do you know what its like to worry about the payroll and way of life of hundreds of employees and your decisions and how they effect them? How many blogs do you read of CEO’s who have signed almost a half and inch of hundreds of checks every 2 weeks? Do you know what its like to lose or gain a couple hundred thousand in a few hours in your business portfolio and not lose it in your entrepreneurial head. Do you know how to keep it straight when you make more than the leader of the free world twice your age or that what you make monthly comes in, in an hour of day trading? My blog is worth millions for what I’ve shared if you use the information wisely. “Knowledge is only power to the extent that it is used. ” Tony Robbins. Along with that and the inspiring quote stream as a compliment because entrepreneurs need the feeding of positive thoughts and ideals. I grew up poor and self educated – positive ideals ares ALL I started with…
Sadly, I’m still often attacked by jealous self loathing sycophants projecting their self hatred and ill-will on me. Always by people who call themselves Social Media Experts, yet dont see the irony in being “anti-social” by attacking me. They lack the business maturity of building strategic alliances with me. Theres even little hate gangs who sit and loathe over me yet they always Tweet that they watch to learn from what I’ll do next. The ignorant mock me without truly learning my personal interests. I’ve had thousands of employees, I’ve learned all you can ever do is your best and not worry about what ugliness people have inside them.
Over the last 2 years I’ve been on an incredible journey of my accumulated business acumen of speaking, teaching and learning. Reaching a worldwide audience of clients is incredible. With Skype technology, to be able to communicate on video, face to face with clients has been a journey unparalleled in my old world long distance telemarketing days. Whether my firms clients have been in Canada, the UK, South America, New Zealand, South Africa or Australia, it has been an extraordinary dynamic venture on 5+ Continents.
In addition to over 1000 comments I’ve collected of people thanking me. I’ve had people tell me that ‘today was their darkest day and they thought of ending it all’ and somehow a random quote or influence I put out, turned on the positive change light. I’ve had people tell me they have been out of work for 2 years and my Twitter stream has kept them mentally afloat. I’ve had people tell me that my published work has made all the difference in improving the quality of their lives. I’ve had people tell me that my influence changed their paradigm in life and turned their life a better way. I’ve had other Social Media people who’ve been wise enough to build strategic relationships with me grow and become successful heeding my advice. I’ve had people tell me they check in everyday so I can put a smile on their face that they wake up to. For this influence, I could never be more proud.
Its all these comments and people telling me that I have made a difference in their lives, that have helped keep me giving. Many times when I get ‘hated on’ and I wonder…then someone will write me, thanking my encouragement and it makes all the difference to Them. Those are the people I keep reaching and sharing for. You’re job is to give to those people FOR those people. Giving is what I enjoy most about Social Media and with its technology I’ve evidenced touching and changing peoples lives.
In the early days of our old brick and mortar business’, we donated to the child abuse wards of local hospitals to help them keep physically abused children away from their abusive parents and the APSCA has been my main charity for years. I’m honored and blessed that I can share in more ways than a simple dollar can give because hope and vision has no limits. To the end that it can effectively change others lives and the lives they share, I wish there was more I could give and my efforts are towards that goal in the blog you now read. I will always try to Shine On. We’ll always try to deliver this daily on THIS BLOG.
If you remember anything in my journey as Chris Voss I hope you will ALWAYS REMEMBER MY MESSAGE: We’re all Human’s Being. Give. Touch a life outside your circle. Effectively INSPIRE the world. Reach out. GIVE. Shine On…as Humans Being….
Chris Voss
Whether we ever do business together or not, Chris, you’ll always be my friend. You inappropriate, foul-mouthed, freaky, big-hearted genius! 🙂 xxx
Most people don’t have the courage to stand in their truth,like you and the chef, when receiving criticism or especially when you know in advance what you’re doing or saying may not be accepted by others. I saw the chef on CNN Heroes and was deeply moved by him and the other honorees.
Chris, Thank you for posting the Video, so unbelievable. I read your complete article. It was very touching. Thank you for what you do and I wish you continued strenght to keep doing it.
It has been my experience that if you do not have critics, you are not trying hard enough. One of the nicest and most honest guys I have ever known, Zig Ziglar, had critics. You know his motto, “You will get what you want in life if you help others get what they want.” (Forgive me Zig if the quote is not exact) I have always known him to be straight forward, kind and honest. Yet people had the audacity to make negative claims against him: fraud, swindler, etc. I thought, “If Zig can be criticized, anyone can.”
This is when I formulated my belief that, “If you do not have any critics, you are not trying hard enough.” I have studied many public figures. And the positive ones, the ones who initiate change (for the better) and inspire others to do great things, all have critics. But their supporters and fans far out number them. From my observation of you, Chris Voss, your supporters, your fans and your friends (true ones) out number the critics by such a magnitude that the ratio is not worth posting. Critics generally have a strong conviction about something or an emptiness in their life that they try to fill by inflicting misery upon others (they can’t be happy so neither should others). I view either as good. The former means you are willing to put yourself out there and stand for something (not simply congregate in the middle). The latter means that you are making so much positive change that it makes these depressed critics feel the need to derail you. And regardless, if you can positively affect one life by what you are doing, then I believe your efforts are a success. From the comments, seems you have obtained success time and again.
I have also noticed that the world, at large, speaks ill of the rich. As you pointed out, you give to charity and have for years. The gentleman in the video creates a new definition and benchmark for charity. Money does not change people. It only magnifies what is already there (you can quote me on that). As such, Chris Voss, I hope that your endeavors produce you millions in monetary riches. For, I know, the more you make the more you give. The more you give of yourself, the better the world becomes. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Chase for Sharing that, honored to have you as a friend.
Dropping Keys
The small man
Builds cages for everyone
He Knows.
While the sage, Who has to duck his head
When the moon is low,
Keeps dropping keys all night long
For the
Beautiful
Rowdy
Prisoners.
~Hafiz
This is a favorite poem of mine. We are often reminded of how the sage, at once responsible for shedding light and giving hope, is most often criticized and labeled CRAZY…
In the end I want to be known as someone who did not fear possibility but rather looked forward to it with the excitement of a child. Thank you for this post. I see that we are from completely different worlds but at heart, we are the same!
One♥
Man if you only knew how truly inspiring you are. Chris anytime someone puts you down – it can happen, goodness knows, it does, please just think of good ‘ol’ bald Dana and know he’s asking God to continue to just bless your socks off- BECAUSE- YOU Chris are “da man!” Been followin’ you for a while now and I know you are a true leader, a true gentlemen, and by God, you know what you’re talkin’ ’bout! -Dana
Ooh yeah…about the “suck-o-fanatics” (sychophants) – if they had a creative gene they’d waste it. 😉 Luv ya bro…keep shining on as a humans being!
Chase love everything you said – EXCEPT- take a minor exception to the bit about the rich- the truly wealthy are usually far more loved than hated? The false wealthy, that is those who have acquired their wealth by leaving the tombstones of their supposedly lesser foes behind them; are usually, rightfully, despised as the pirate souled sorry representatives of humans being that they are. Just a thought…-Dana
Lynn – way to say it with soul, couldn’t agree with you more! – Dana
Hey Rebecca – there is just enough of Chris to love, but not quite enough to go round…;-) Your comment is so soulful just had to chime in…love to you! – Dana
The honor is mine.
Dana – Thank you for your response. I didn’t, however, actually say that “the rich- the truly wealthy are usually far more loved than hated.” I stated that, “I have also noticed that the world, at large, speaks ill of the rich.”
To be clear, my personal opinion is that the monetarily wealthy are generally (as a group) more monetarily generous than the middle class and the poor. In many circles the “rich” are disliked. But I believe it to be a misappropriation of feeling. Many of those who dislike the rich do so out of envy.
I am a firm believer (have stated it for more than a decade) that money does not change people. It only magnifies what is already there.
I concur with your assessment of the people who received their financial wealth in ill-gotten ways. This ranges from executive corporate America all the way to drug dealers. I believe in healthy competition, our economy requires it. But engaging in espionage, theft and worse crimes to acquire financial wealth is and should be despised by all and revered by none.
If your life can only be measured by your wealth and possession, you are of all men most miserable. When you leave, what will you be remembered for. Let the voice of the people you impacted positively speak for you now and after you’ve gone. Have a pleasant week ahead.