Twitter has boxed us in. Facebook is even worse. And don’t even get me started on Pinterest or LinkedIn.
What am I talking about here? Well I love social media as much as the next person (actually probably more than the next person) but as I grow in this industry and overall professional development, I find that I have very much become a product of my social network. The articles I read mainly relate back to social media, content marketing or brand management online. It’s not my fault of course, because my Facebook and Twitter networks have become an extension of who I am and who I believe to be thought leaders in this space. I get blogs emailed to me daily about digital marketing and LinkedIn’s Pulse custom selects articles based on my needs and varying interests.
Now that you understand how social media feeds have essentially whittled us down to becoming well-read in only things we care about , you will see that there is a much larger need to combat this. I’m not saying to go tomorrow and pick up a book on finance for dummies, but there’s a real educational opportunity in reading an article or watching a talk on something that doesn’t directly tie back into helping you do your job better. How do I know? Because I’m the product of it – and many successful people preach about the power of stepping outside your comfort zone when it comes to books, magazines and newspapers. Here’s an inside view of what successful people read to start their days, for further confirmation.
So why am I telling you this? Because we are launching a new initiative here at Agency Entourage and the takeaways are very powerful. Once a month, we will be gathering for a lunchtime roundtable discussion to watch a TED Talk. TED stands for technology entertainment and design. Many of these talks focus on personal rather than professional development. Some of the world’s most brilliant minds have given TED talks on everything from the power of body language, to building creative confidence, to happiness in relation to the workplace.
We will be watching, discussing and documenting our talks to share with you, our readers. We believe that stepping out of your comfort zone and delving into other areas of education can pay off in spades. I challenge you, too, to pick up an article, book or magazine that you might otherwise have glossed over and see what you can learn from the experience.
If you or someone you know could use the talents and expertise of Agency Entourage, then share this article! We are passionate digital marketers in downtown Dallas with a knack for helping you drive success in your business. We look forward to hearing from you! Give us a call at 214-414-3035.
