I was invitied to a National Press Club lunch (thanks Matt, Advocatus Group), to hear Danica Patrick speak. Her topic centered around her history as an Indy Car driver and the now transition to NASCAR.

In the introduction by NPC President Theresa Werner, Werner shared a few interesting facts: a) The first woman to lead an Indianapolis 500; b) the first woman to win an IndyCar series race, and c) the best finish for a woman in an Indianapolis 500 at third place. What I found interesting was how much emphasis everyone was placing on gender--her being a woman--and not how accomplished of a driver she was.

Because...

Danica's message was all about being a great driver first, and oh by the way, I am a woman. She did say that being a woman did indeed accelerate her success and perhaps even was a contributor in her early days because of the media coverage.

Here are a few of her quotes that I thought interesting and insightful.
- “I always wanted to be the first me, not the next somebody else”

- "Let's face it, if someone is different and unique, it's a story"

- "My goal is not to be the best girl. It is to be the best driver"

- When she answered a question about how she selects sponsors, she responded, "Does the brand fit?"

- "It's a whole package deal. So I am going to use the package. I am going to use it for all that I can and all that I am"

 

The NPC provided a nice smile-inducing desert of racing car cookies inscribed with Danica's number 10.

LinkedIn grows by leaps and bounds. Yesterday I was curious about the total number of members and noticed 135,000,000. Today I visited and saw, 150,000,000 (see below picture). 

I keep informal and approximate statistics that show over three million new members per month. How's that for growth?

- 2011 August: 120,000,000

- 2011 November:  135,000,000

- 2011 February: 150,000,000

I am honored to be speaking at the local MIT Enterprise Forum® here in the Washington, DC area. Thank you to my good friend Oz from InnoEngineer for setting this event up.

Here is all of the information...

Get Funded - Design and Deliver the Perfect Investor Pitch [Open Workshop Event]
It is imperative to have a clear and concise message that gets prospective investors to say, "Let’s talk!"…especially in today's economy. In this interactive, hands-on workshop, you will learn how to create a powerful, clear message that wows prospective investors. Apply five proven steps taught internationally, to design and deliver the perfect investor pitch. Receive concrete suggestions on your presentation based on individual and partner exercises. Join us as we show you how to transform your ideas into action.

 

Date: Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Time: 6:30pm - 9:00pm

Location: Startup Lab, Johns Hopkins University, DC Campus, 1717 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Lower Level, Room 7

Parking:  Central Parking, 1800 Mass. Ave. NW. If you click http://washingtondc.centralparking.com/Washington-DC-1800-Massachusetts-Aven ue-NW-Parking.html you can get a coupon that reduces the cost to $6 after 5:00 PM. Nearest Metro stop is Dupont Circle. 

Okay, this is a big pet peeve of mine. The "mandate" that I must email someone before calling, otherwise I'm interrupting someone. Unless someone has expressly asked me to always email first, I'll use my judgment. If it's important, do you really think someone wants to wait to hear the news and be able to respond in a timely manner? Of course not.

I had to share this email from someone, who shall remain anonymous. This is what he sent this morning...

"In a meeting yesterday, it was agreed that Steve was the best person to answer the question. Since he was in another department, we would have to ask him the question afterward. I suggested to save time, we visit Steve in his office and just ask him the question. In unision, two people spoke up and said something like,  'Oh no, you can't do that. You have to email first to setup a time.'" So anonymous writes to me, (gritting my teeth) "Someone pleeasee remind me what is the point of an office again?"

Folks, an office by its very nature is designed to be collaborative. Along the same lines of importance, use your judgment. Let the "Steve" know if it is a quick question or an indepth one. And then let "Steve" indicate if he/she is available. 

On Friday, my two-year old daughter started her first class on "cutting." To reinforce her schooling, my wife and I typically purchase additional books and supplies for at home.

I went to our local Barnes & Noble and purchase the "My First Book of Cutting" book (see below). 

With my receipt, I was provided the personalization "receipt." You'll notice five suggestions all complementary to the book selection I just made.

Brilliant.