A lot of people don’t really know what they do. Or at least don’t know how to say what they do. Many, when asked, state their job or their title.

For example, when you ask a Lawyer what they do (obviously before you know that they’re a lawyer), they will tell you that they are a Lawyer. But does that tell you what they do? Do they sue people, do they defend? Do they write contracts? Do they mediate divorces? What really does a Lawyer do? Other than charge lots of money :-)

Or what about a CEO of a company… what do they really do?

I came across an interesting quote from Barbra Streisand (the famous Singer/Actress) that got me thinking:

“You have got to discover you, what you do, and trust it.”

So I gave this some deep thought and realized something about myself… I figured out what I do. Not just what I do, but what I love to do!

“I build companies”.

Thats right… I have learned to sum up what I do in 3 succinct words. And now, I’m trusting it, going with my gut, and getting involved in a number of startups. And, I’m having the time of my life!

No particular type of company per se, but I tend to gravitate more towards companies that are involved with technology, particulary as it relates to using technology to solve business problems. I’m also very involved in the food/restaurant business, travel, television/film, and anything entrepreneurish.

So the next time somebody asks you what you do, make sure you tell them what you do… not your job title or profession.

Do you know what you do?

One of my pet peeves is a bad experience. It could be bad food, bad service, a pushy salesperson, etc. Today I went to a restaurant that just didn’t have a good vibe when I walked in. I was already there so I decided I’d just go ahead and stick it out.

The server was in his very early twenties and you could tell he wasn’t really a ’server’. He was probably the owner’s son: one of those kids that reluctantly works in the family business so he can justify his expensive college tuition.

The kid was a little timid, I almost felt that he was too scared to ask me for my order. When he finally mustered up the courage, I told him what I wanted and off he went. About 10 mins later he showed up at my table, food in hand, and quickly ‘dropped’ it off and split the scene.

After I finished eating (BTW, nobody came by to check on me, or my food - but I digress), a ‘bus-boy’ type person came by and picked up my dish (without asking me if I was done) and whisked everything away.

A few minutes later, as I was getting ready to place my order for a nice sweet dessert, my ’server’ came by and dropped off the check. What? Could that be? What about dessert? A coffee?

So I asked the little man, “aren’t you going to ask me if I want dessert?”. Not only is that classic restaurant upselling strategy, its what hospitality is all about. I must’ve shocked him, as if people in this San Francisco restaurant don’t normally order dessert.

He went on to tell me that they only had one, maybe 2 different dishes. He really did a bad job in ’selling’ me so I decided I’d just pay my bill and get the heck out. If a bad experience is one pet peeve, putting up with it is another.

Now I really wanted something sweet. The idea of not being able to have it was getting to me. So I walked right in to the restaurant next door and placed my order.

I wonder if I would’ve been better off just staying at the first place :-)

One of the masters of sales and relationship building is the late Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Inc., the cosmetics powerhouse.

She built a successful business that stands stronger and prouder each year with an average growth of about 28% per annum. So what can we learn from this wonderful businesswoman?

First off, take a moment to consider one of her famous quotes:

“I have learned to imagine an invisible sign around each person’s neck that says, ‘Make me feel important!”.

To me, this is a powerful message… if I think about all of my relationships, whether they be business or personal (although the line is pretty blurry), the strongest ones are either where somebody has made me feel important, or vice versa.

My business is all about relationships… maintaining existing ones and building new ones. In fact, I’d even go as far as saying that I’m in the relationship business. I know that without the strength of my relationships, my businesses would not be as strong as they are.

Of course I’m not suggesting that my relationships are perfect… nobody can really make that claim. But I do know that I work as hard as I can to maintain and strengthen them. I know I can do better, and I see the benefits almost immediately when I focus on any one. But that’s just it… its a constant job, one that needs love and attention all the time.

So what are you doing to build and strengthen your relationships? Who are you making feel important? Has anybody ever made you feel important? Think about the last time you were made to feel important, how nice that felt, and exactly what the other person did. Now, think about how you can turn that around and try that today. Let me know what you think. Good luck.

To learn more about Mary Kay, check out what the American National Business Hall of Fame has to say about her.