How to Tell A Who-Do From a Guru, Part 3: We are the Ones We've Been Waiting For

These days, you couldn’t swing a LOLCAT anywhere on the internet without banging kitty right into someone pitching themselves as a “guru” of something or other. I’ve become especially aware of this as a new business owner, because people call me to pitch this-and-that, and probably some of the other.

Some examples:

• I had a nice lady from a major search engine optimization (SEO) company explain their service and promise to get me to page 1 on Google and entrench my brand, for only $9000 a year.
• I signed up for a coaching client management and referral website (for a small monthly fee) that promised to get me new clients and improved SEO rankings. Before they had even sent me a referral, they sent out a message to all their members saying they’d want 20% of a client’s fees for a year for referring someone. I wrote them a pointed-yet-polite you-can-kiss-my-ass comment. I didn’t cancel the service yet, because I am showing up better in search, but honestly, I know I can design a better client management system using Moodle, a blind web designer, and maybe some monkeys. And Moodle is free and easy to install.
• I’m constantly getting messages from coach training programs, companies that sell skill assessments of various kinds, web designers, social media consultants, etc., etc. and on and on…

In a couple of earlier posts, I explored what it means to be a guru, versus a “who-do” (i.e., someone who does what they are passionate about, for the sake of doing it, rather than someone who is revered for having some secret source of knowledge, or who promote themselves as such.)

So if you’ve been reading along, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that I think these people are full of shit, and that I’m not really interested in working with them for the long haul. At least not on their terms. If the cost of doing business is negligible and I am willing to pay for benefits that I actually receive, then fine, I’ll put up with some of the annoying BS. At least until I find something better.)

Who have I found to help move my sites and my business forward? Who do I trust to guide me? Where do I take my questions and concerns? How am I learning to be a better businessman, and a better coach?

You.

I learned it by watching you! And talking to you. Or exchanging e-mails. Or subscribing to your blogs. From the co-creative procress. From finding, and interacting with, communities that share my interests and passions.

My involvement in several communities has shown me the way forward, because I have connected with people who are interested in not just the content, but in the communities  I serve.

• When I got mired down, I found guest bloggers and radio show co-hosts and guests from the Student Affairs Chat community on Twitter.
• When I needed fresh perspectives or to stretch myself to understand new and different things, I’ve done guest posts and had guest posters. I’ve  tried to plug in to the community and connect around professional issues.
• When I needed to understand the needs and desires of job seekers, I joined discussions on Twitter, Linked In and Brazen Careerist, and even gave some free coaching (online and over the phone) to some people  met in these places.
• When I needed to understand more about business and marketing (and selling), I joined the Third Tribe, a great membership group dedicated to helping people connect with their audience in authentic ways, instead of being annoying. In this group, I get to interact with interesting people like Chris Brogan, Brian Clark, Darren Rowse, Sonia Simone, Chris Garrett, and other top thinkers in social media, business and blogging. That was the selling point for me. What I didn’t expect was all the incredible people in the forums and how affirming it would be just to be there, read about their issues, peek over their shoulders (so to speak) as a community helps them dissect their issues, understand them, and suggestions to get them unstuck and help them move forward. And even though I am a coach, I didn’t expect to be helpful to anyone, but I’ve been surprised a few times already by how easy it is to help others…not by being smarter than anyone (I wouldn’t dare) but by being encouraging and helpful, a decent listener and a helping hand. The power of joining such a group is incredible, and I gladly signed up to be an affiliate. If you are interested in learning more about how to join the Third Tribe, let’s connect. You can always click on the banner ad on HigherEdCareerCoach, but I’d want to talk with you first so you coud really make an informed choice. For me, it’s the best money I have spent on my business development so far.

The lesson here is the same one I learned long ago in a reading from the Elders of the Hopi Nation. I used to read it at the beginning of staff training, to emphasize the power of working together toward community. To summarize the quote:

“The time of the lone wolf is over. Gather yourselves!
Banish the word struggle from your attitude and your vocabulary.
All that we do now must be done in a sacred manner and in celebration.
We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”