Redefining the "board meeting"

On Friday night, I sat at Panera Bread, writing a Sassy blog article about excuses. Not taking them anymore, that is. From myself or anyone else. The premise of the article was that if something is important to you, then just make it happen - no more excuses.

Then, I rediscovered my poor, long lost, abandoned Blogger account. April 30th to January 18th. That is just neglectful in the way of the blogger. I could list the reasons I did not write sooner, but why? Just get on with it and write something interesting. Here goes:

I am officially re-defining the board meeting. To make them less stuffy and formal and more fun. Monthly isn't often enough to get much needed business advice, so I am doing it every week. On Fridays. Friday is my board meeting day.

From now until late spring, my board meetings are going to be "EMERY board meetings", held at the nail salon, at 2pm. (Post your email in the comments field if you're ever in the RI area, and I'll send you the address and phone number.) And, I'm not paying for this out of my personal funds, because it is a business meeting. As I wrote on Friday, if the guys can expense a trip to the freaking Super Bowl, I can expense a pedicure. And a gel coat. Every week.

Since I posted this, I had no less than 5 friends email me, asking to get together for lunch or coffee, to ask me for business advice. I told them all to join me at the board meeting. I know I will be there, and I asked the nail techs last week if they would mind if I brought some friends. They just opened, and are looking for new customers, and so they agreed with smiles on their faces. (Like, who is this crazy red-head anyway?)

My favorite bistro is in the same plaza, so it is very likely, that I will have lunch there, hit the salon, then head back for Happy Hour. And I won't be alone. This accomplishes a few goals for me:

1) Staying focused - I make my own schedule, so it is tempting to look at my free lunches and pencil in friends who are not paying customers, because I like them and want to help. Now, Monday through Thursday, are days I need to stay focused. Friday is for friends.

2) Networking - I like to hang out with people who are motivated, curious, creative, and not afraid to take care of themselves. If you can't say yes to a networking emery board meeting, I don't want to take the time to have lunch with you. BTW, I have asked one of my guy friends to meet me at my hair dresser (more than once), because it was the only free hour and a half I had in a busy schedule. It was in his hometown, and we had a blast.

3) Ask others for advice - I don't know everything or everyone (don't tell my husband), so I like to ask other people what they think, and who they know. This builds regularity in that practice.

4) Pretty nails - hey, it is on my "Bucket List" to have fabulous nails. Why wait?

Now, in the summer, when school is out, I may continue this practice, or shift our Friday afternoons to the beach, for a SURF board meeting. My attorney and I have talked about doing this for 2 summers now - never have. You don't need to surf, either. Just grab a board, and come hang out on the waves and chat. (REAL surfers do not talk to each other at the beach I go to, so this is one way to tell that I'm not a real surfer yet.)

I am completely serious. When I was in the corporate realm, my most effective meetings were at the bar, after work. It's where people bond, let their hair down, get to know each other, more than just niceties. Keith Ferrazi wrote "Never Eat Alone", a great book on networking. I have a signed copy. I may ask him to write a sequel, "Never Get Your Nails Done Alone". Not as catchy, but it's my new mantra.