A few weeks ago, I went to Vegas for the Blogworld Expo. The keynote was delivered brilliantly by Chris Brogan (see dude in picture to your right). Dave Thomas, my new friend and really funny/smart guy took some pretty good notes. The one sentence (plea?) that jumped out at me the most was the following Brogan gem:
Please don’t write a blog post about me tomorrow, write about somebody who needs the attention.
This is one those things that has stuck with me for a few weeks now. I can’t get it out of my head. Why? Well, that is what this blog is all about (see the tagline, “It’s all about people.”). Also, Chris makes a great point. We need to focus on the people that need the attention. Those that don’t get enough. Those that are making a difference, but don’t get the recognition.
I Hear You, Chris
So here is the deal. Chris Brogan is a solid guy. By solid I mean a hard-working overnight success (who also happens to be a super-nice, super-caring, super-giving individual). Dammit. I said this post was not going to be about Chris. I’m taking your advice, Chris, and writing about someone else.
College Foundation, Inc (CFI)
I recently graduated from Kenan-Flagler Business School with my MBA (P=MBA). Somehow, along the way, I accumulated some debt. Who would have guessed? Enter College Foundation, Inc. They helped loan me $65k+. At the time I called it “my education”; now I call it “a big pile of cash I owe every month for 10 years.” Loans can be confusing, so I called the 800-number on a recent letter I received.
CFI Woman
After 2 rings, one of the nicest women on the planet answered the phone. I am kicking myself for not being able to recall her name. Here’s why. This woman – let’s call her Casandra – spend 24 minutes on the phone with me. Some details about the call:
- When she picked up the phone, she asked how she could help. Being me, I joked that I’d love it if she could pay off my debt. Her reply, “Honey. If I could do that, I wouldn’t be working 2 jobs!”
- She didn’t have all of the answers, but politely put me on hold to find out what she didn’t know.
- She had a personality. As stated above, we joked. She laughed. We joked some more.
We ended our call with her asking me the standard, “Is there anything else I can help you with?” My reply: “Please keep being as awesome as you are.” Reflecting on what I said to her, I hope she knew what I meant. I hope she knew that I was sincere. I hope she knew that she made my day – a complete stranger.
Thanks (Casandra). I know that we’ve never met, but when we do, I’ll bear hug you.
Photo credit C.C. Chapman
DJ Waldow
@djwaldow
