David Hanscom

10 Things you should Know and Do before you are 40

david — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:10:38 +0000

As I approach my 40th Birthday I started thinking about the things that were important to me. While it was difficult to do, I was able to pick out a Top 10 Things to Know and Do before 40. These are all simple and practical steps and truthfully can be applicable to any age. Here we go:

1. Know Yourself – When I say “Know Yourself” I am referring to your strengths and weaknesses. We all have them and just like fingerprints that vary for each one of us. Knowing your strengths will help yo to know where to focus your efforts and opportunities to excel. It will help you achieve your goals and attain personal satisfaction. On the other hand, knowing your weaknesses can be equally if not more beneficial. When you know your weakness and even more important, willing to admit your weaknesses, you have a foundation for growth. You can create a list of areas to spend as much time getting better at as you do on the things that come natural. You can also evaluate if the weakness is something you should avoid and allow others to accomplish.

2. Settle Your Family Life – This is mostly for the married couples but truthfully can exist with parents, children or any other relatives. Recognize issues that may exist, things that are lingering and unaddressed. It is important to get them out in the open and “handled”. One thing we are not promised in life is time and once someone is gone the opportunity to set things right goes as well, yet the guilt of not doing so can last forever. Relationships, especially marriages, require constant work and nurturing.

3. Determine Your Priorities – It is said that every seven years we change as people and everything from out tastes, likes & dislikes, ambitions and priorities. It is vital to keep track of your priorities, write them down and occasionally review them for any changes, additions or subtractions. This will help you keep focused on what is important and worth giving your time to.

4. Develop Your Philosophy – How do you define your life? What is your vision for your future? It is critical to know what you believe in, what/who you are willing to die for and what things in your life are optional. Alexander Hamilton said, “Those who stand for nothing fall for anything”.

5. Get Physically Fit – As we get older and absorbed in our careers, goals, lives, etc. one of the areas we often overlook is our health. This has become a VITAL area for me over the past few years and a journey that in a short time has taught me more about myself than anything before it. Remember, don’t give up your “health” in an effort to gain “wealth”. A strong body leads to a strong mind which leads to a strong future.

6. Learn Your Trade – Always be a student of your trade. The day you think you cannot learn anything else about your trade is the day you need to get out of it. To be most successful at your trade; learn, earn and return. the biggest key is to remember to give back more than you receive.

7. Pay The Price – Success cannot be accomplished without sacrifice. You have heard it all, “Nothing in life is easy” “Anything worth having is worth working for” These and similar statements are profound and should not be taken lightly. Your “ah hah” moment with this one is when you realize and are willing to accept that you may sacrifice and not see success but trust that those who follow will reap the success of your sacrifice. Some would call it a characteristic of leadership.

8. Develop Solid Relationships – In the day and age of social media the word “friend” has a whole new meaning. Solid relationships are important because life’s greatest experiences involve people. I have had some of the best times of my life and created unforgettable memories with the guys I have developed solid relationships with, a brotherhood if you will. Take a moment and review your social media “friends”. How many do you have a solid relationship with?

9. Prepare For The Future – By nature we always want the biggest and best. This is very prevalent in the Event Industry. Often we are judged by the equipment we carry, the amount of lights we have, how many songs in our library, etc. While these things are vital to our craft, in the grand scheme of life how important are they? Consider living life in such a way that you have options later on when you have played that last song. Consider purchasing the “second best” and saving the difference for retirement.

10. Find Purpose In You Life – True success comes from knowing and executing your purpose in life. Never stop growing to your maximum potential and continue sewing seeds, even if only others down the line benefit from them.

The first Quarter of 2012 has already come to an end and no matter if you are 40, 20 or 60 do a self evaluation of these 10 things and see where you stand with them. You may find that you need to work on some and also be right where you need to be with others.

Remember…You’re either Green and Growing or Ripe and Rotting!!!

The “Science” and “Art” of Communication Part 1

david — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 13:19:03 +0000

The “Science” and “Art” of Communication

Think of a bottle of wine. Sometimes you can have good wine in a bad bottle. You look at the bottle and it is not that impressive but it tastes wonderful. Sometimes you have a bottle that looks terrific but the wine inside is not so good. The goal in effective communication should be to have both substance and style.

Science is built on practices, rules and procedures while art is more of an inherent creative process. The best communicators will learn to combine the two. They will take the best of each and create an effective outcome. Science without art can make communication seem sterile while art without science can make communication very chaotic. Your goal should be to combine creativity with discipline to create the most favorable outcome.

Let’s look at some examples…

The perfect “right down the middle” would be the late Steve Jobs. People would hang on his every word. That was because he would always couple the good science of technology and products and talk about them in an informative, factual way with his own passion and enthusiasm about the design and end user effectiveness.

A good example of the Science right but the art wrong would be the prototypical college professor that goes on and on, for example the character that Ben Stein played in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. A great example of someone who disseminates the information and then strives for involvement, “Anyone, anyone, anyone?” This individual has the information down but has diminished the impact because of poor delivery and lack of creativity.

A good example of getting the Art right but the science wrong, are those who tend to be very passionate. You find yourself connecting with their enthusiasm but in the find yourself asking, “What was that all about?” You knew they felt strongly about something, you are just not sure what about.

So what is “Winning Communication”?

George Bernard Shaw said, “The problem with communication is the illusion it has been accomplished.” The potential for bad communication is of great. Especially in the fast paced word of the Internet, mobile devices and busy lives we lead. I remember some years ago my son, as we walked into a restaurant, read a sign on a chalkboard the read “Fish – All You Can Eat”. He looked at me and said, “Oh No! All you can eat is fish???” This is a perfect example of how, even just subtlety, misinterpreting communication one can come to the wrong conclusion.

Therefore, “Winning Communication” can be defined as being heard and understood. For “Winning Communication” to take place your message needs to not only be heard (or read) but the intended effect of that communication also needs to be achieved.

Keep in mind communication is in fact “response you get”. How effective you are communicating is more about what is “heard” than what is “said”. Often times we find ourselves saying, “But this is what I said” but if the person who responded didn’t “get it” then the responsibility of poor communication falls onto the person who said it.

Stay tuned for Part Two when I will share some of the wrong ways to avoid when communicating and the “C”s of communication.

The 5 Steps to More Efficient Learning

david — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:32:50 +0000

The 5 Steps to More Efficient Learning

1. Repetition – read/watch the material until you gain:

2. Familiarity – when you become familiar with the subject matter, you will gain:

3. Confidence – once you’ve achieved confidence, you are prepared to take the appropriate:

4. Action – and action, my friends, yields:

5. Results -measure your results so that you may improve them, and then repeat the process!

When we learn more, we can DO more, accomplish more. Apply these simple steps and watch your business soar to new heights.

Exercise

david — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 05:59:08 +0000

Exercise is one of the best tools to help combat depression. Leading an active, physical lifestyle will help you to alleviate stress and increase your endorphin levels. The next time you feel sad, instead of wallowing in your depression, or engaging in negative activities like drinking alcohol or overeating, try going for a nice long walk or bike ride, and you will be amazed at how much better you feel.

Overstreet / Seitz Wedding

admin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 19:29:33 +0000

I had a great time with Chad and Ashley at their St. Augustine River House wedding. The weather was a bit gloomy in
the beginning but it turned out to be a beautiful evening. The guests were a blast to hang out with and had the dance floor rocking! Smiley Face Photo Booth was there doing their thing and the guests LOVED IT! The photos were hilarious with all the unique props that only Smiley Face provides. Thank you for an awesome event Chad and Ashley! – David Hanscom

Generate Customer Referrals: How To

admin — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 21:56:29 +0000

In any business a large portion of sales will come from referrals; in the wedding business they are many times responsible for more than half of total sales. When you get a client/customer through a referral they are already motivated to buy from you which by default, should make your sale much easier.

Alexandra Levit writes about the importance in creating a system for gaining referrals in her blog review of John Jantsch’s book, The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself. John book suggests making referrals an automatic habit for your customers by equipping them with tools that allow them to introduce you and your products and services in logical ways.

Examples include:

Personalized referral cards that credit your customer with sending a lead
Gift certificates with tangible value that a customer can simply hand out
Trial offers and free evaluations only available through customer referrals
Customer-exclusive “bring a friend” events
Personalized web pages that customers can use to educate prospects

How do you facilitate customer referrals to your organization?

Rapp / Salmon Wedding

admin — Sat, 28 May 2011 19:12:35 +0000

Jacob and Whitney’s wedding was held at the Jacksonville Golf & Country Club. Another beautiful day for an outdoor ceremony followed by a reception full of fun, laughs and lots of dancing. They selected Red, Black and White as their theme colors which was pretty cool since it reminded of the good old Chicago Bulls days! Kelly’s Bloom Room did an awesome job with the flowers as always. Thank you Jacob and Whitney for a great wedding!

Pierson / Gordon Wedding

admin — Sat, 28 May 2011 18:49:55 +0000

Getting caught up on some reviews today.

We had a great time with Josh and Emily for their beautiful wedding at Crosswater Hall at Nocatee. The ceremony was on the lawn out back and the weather could not be better!!! After dinner, we kicked it up and the dance floor was jumping all night long. Hector joined me to DJ while I was out on the floor keeping the group rocking. As always, a great time!

Gleeson / Rhodes Wedding

admin — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 15:55:16 +0000

I enjoyed another great event last night! Tanya and Jake were married on what might have been the most beautiful day of the week at Palm Valley Gardens. Immediately following the ceremony the photographer took a group photo which was something I have never seen done that way before but it seemed to work out really well and the guests were fired up right away! The reception was on the back patio next to a large, beautiful pond. I truly believe Tanya achieved her goal, a quaint southern style wedding. We had a blast when the dancing started and everyone was on the floor from the flower girls to the grandparents. Cheryl and the staff from Forever Sacred Events did an amazing job coordinating everything and helping keep things on track! Check out Tanya’s dancing shoes in the video!

Weintz / Williams Wedding

admin — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 06:47:48 +0000

Another successful night at the Casa Monica Hotel! It was almost like deja vu working with the staff of Kris Graham Photography except we were outside by the pool this time in Sultan’s Pavilion . It was a beautiful night, weather was a little cold but beautiful out! It did not take long for Christopher and Lisa’s family & friends to get going. We had a great time under the stars tonight in St. Augustine and the wedding cake was one of the coolest I have ever seen, a scale model of the University of Oklahoma Football Stadium. VERY Cool! Congratulations Christopher and Lisa!!! Thank you for letting me be a part of your special day!