40 Under 40 Event in Springfield

by Don Harkey

The red carpet was out last night in front of the historic Gillioz Theatre in downtown Springfield last night for the Springfield Business Journal's 10th Annual "40 Under 40" Event. The theme this year was Oscar night and they did not disappoint!

As my wife and I entered the theatre, we were stopped and interviewed by Kevin Howard from the Alice 95.5 "Kevin and Liz" show as though we were celebrities. Of course, I won't let it go to my head and I will remember all of the little people who helped me get to where I am in my life... (dramatic sigh...)

We then entered the Tonic Ultralounge for drinks and food. The stuffed mushrooms were awesome! The place was packed, and somewhat surreal for us since we have been more used to walking around inflatables and kiddie tables and haven't exactly been fixture in the Springfield night life. We ate and chatted it up with some friends including my good friend Randy Mayes and his lovely wife.

Then we all filed into the theatre for the presentation, which was hosted by Kevin and Liz. It was very cool to hear about all of the work being done in the community. The winners got a bag of "SWAG" which included an iPod, candy, mugs, pens, and a subscription to SBJ. Pretty cool!

After the presentation, my wife and I bailed out early to take advantage of our rare time alone. We went out to Sinatra's coffee for a quiet drink and some great conversation. I must say that I enjoyed the time with her more than anything else during the night!

All in all, a great event! Thanks to the staff at SBJ for pulling out all the stops (except for Patrick, who threw some tape at me... my wife found that tape later as we got home wadded up in her purse).

Quality Relationships = Success

by Don Harkey

Have you ever noticed that successful people often seem to "know everybody"? At a first glance, you might think that its just because people know who they are. However, if you spend some time with successful business people, you will find out that they not only have lots of contacts, the contacts they have are high quality and interactive. In other words, its not just the quantity of relationships that is key, it is the quality.

A key to business is developing relationships and a key to relationships is that they are a 2 way street. Randy Mayes' talks about a "Relational Progressive Model" (RPM)in terms of developing any relationship (applied here to businesses). These steps include:

1) Connection - Both parties meet and recognize the potential for value in knowing each other.

2) Communication - People begin to converse, share ideas, and get to know each other.

3) Cooperative Action - Both parties now see real value in each other and begin to partner, often in a very simple way (ex: give each other a referral).

4) Commendation - "Potential" value becomes "real" value through the experiences of the cooperative action. In other words, both sides are seeing the other person live their value.

5) Commitment - A relationship based on trust has been developed.

Very successful people know that valuable business (and personal) relationships occur only when all 5 steps are taken. It is easy to collect business cards from different network events, and MOST people who network live in steps 1 and 2. The REAL relationships occur in steps 3-5. Believe me... one REAL relationship is worth a thousand business cards!

Just some advice for people "on the move"!

You're On the Move

by Don Harkey
Galt Consulting

You're active. You're driven. You are always on the move. This is your blog.

This is a blog written by active people for active people. On the "Move Blog", you will meet people from the Springfield, Missouri area who are working hard and playing hard. You'll hear about balancing family, work, and play. You'll hear about how what drives really active people. You'll hear about challenges, but most of all, you'll hear about energy.

Once our contributors are lined up and ready to go (and they are always ready to go), come back and see us "on The Move"!