1. Don’t just decide to ‘become’ THEE expert on (x). Instead, figure out what you are inherently the expert ON; then tell everyone about it!

2. Find a way to lead with your person FIRST.

3. Flourishing isn’t the same thing as growing.

4. Getting a tattoo of something on your body makes you subconsciously more committed to that something.

5. Getting out of the house and into the world is crucial component to supporting, enriching, inspiring and informing your art.

6. Gorillas are surprisingly approachable when wearing nametags.

7. Grow up, but don’t grow old.

8. Handwritten, stick-on nametags are more human, personable, approachable and pure.

9. How you design, write and wear your nametag says a LOT about who you are as a person.

10. If a 65 year-old woman emails you to tell you that by reading your blog, you have helped her alleviate years of constipation, you’re doing a good job.

11. If a stranger ‘swears’ to you that he’s going to start wearing a nametag too, pull a blank one out of your wallet, grab a Sharpie and ask him what name he wants written on the nametag. Go on; call his bluff. It’s fun.

12. If a really attractive woman you’ve never met before walks right up to you in the middle of a bar and rips the nametag off your shirt without saying a word and then walks away … she either thinks you’re cute, is a total bitch, or both.

13. If a really attractive woman you’ve never met before walks right up to you in the middle of a bar and rips the nametag off your shirt without saying a word and then walks away … that’s (probably) not the kind of girl you want to go out with.

14. If a really attractive woman you’ve never met before walks right up to you in the middle of a bar and rips the nametag off your shirt without saying a word and then walks away … take another nametag out of your wallet, stick it on and smile. She’ll go CRAZY because you will have completely stripped away her power over you.

15. If everyone wore nametags, here’s what would happen: people would be nicer and more accountable to each other; they’d litter a lot less, give to the homeless more, commit fewer crimes, stop cutting in lines, start fewer fights, be more honest, deliver better service, tip better and, generally, feel closer to each other. (Not that I think everyone should wear nametags. I’m just saying.)

16. If people (still) forget your name – despite the fact that you WEAR A NAMETAG 24-7 – don’t get impatient, smart-assy or rude with them. Just smile. Because the moment they finalize realize how incredibly mindless and unobservant they were, it’s REALLY funny.

17. If Seinfeld did an episode about it, it’s probably a good idea.

18. If you go to your class reunion and run into that really cute, snobby girl named Claire who wouldn’t give you the time of day during college because you were some dork who wore a nametag all the time, be sure to tell her you were featured on 20/20 the night before for … WEARING A NAMETAG.

19. If you have a nightmare in which you kill someone, then get spotted by an overnight clerk at the 7-11 who saw your mug shot on CNN and noticed you were still wearing your nametag, it’s best to just do what the police say.

20. Wait a while to speak in the conversation. Eventually, people will want to know what you’re thinking.

21. If you’re a guy and you wear a nametag all the time, complete strangers – men AND women – WILL touch your chest without permission. This could be considered a good thing or a bad thing, depending on the stranger.

22. If your friend won’t let you wear a nametag as a groomsmen in his wedding, he’s not your friend.

23. If your nurses, doctors and anesthesiologists are wearing nametags on their scrubs before, during and after your colonoscopy, you know you’re at a good hospital.

24. If your yoga teacher doesn’t understand how in the world you plan to wear a nametag during class, don’t say anything. Just wait for her to see your tattoo during class. Freaking hysterical. Probably just to me, though.

25. It’s always good to carry a few extra nametags in your wallet, especially if you find yourself sitting next to three children under the age 13 at a wedding in the middle of Mexico where nobody speaks English.

26. Label yourself before others get the chance to do it for you.

27. Leave a legacy by LIVING a legacy.

28. Never wear a nametag into a bar whose ONLY outdoor signage is ‘BAR.’

29. Never wear a nametag into a club that has the words Cheetah, Rhino, Playboy, Diamond, Cabaret or Diamond Cabaret in its name. You will be sorry.

30. Never wear a nametag to a black tie wedding if you plan on accidentally showing up three hours late wearing a brown and pink suit.

31. No matter how many books you read on the subject, you WILL still forget someone’s name three seconds after meeting him.

32. Notice the difference between the OLD you and the BECOMING you.

33. Once you identify your message, be patient as you learn how to embody it.

34. Once you’ve been practicing some behavior every day, for years and years, you often lose site of the obvious patterns, life lessons and personal evolutions that behavior has brought about in yours and other people’s lives. So, whenever possible, listen CLOSELY to the feedback and observations people give you about yourself. They might recognize something that you CAN’T because it’s been too long and you’re in too deep.

35. People can steal your identity, but they can never steal your truth.

36. The deeper you commit to something, the more likely you are to become SO wrapped up and so obsessed with idea of BEING (and APPEARING) committed … that your desire actually becomes bigger than that which you are committed to.

37. Some people may misread small gestures of self-disclosure as invitations to tell you WAY too much about their lives.

38. Don’t allow psychological and social pressure to prevent you from making mistakes.

39. Constantly remind people of your commitment … BUT … let go of the need to do so for sole the purpose of strengthening your own position.

40. Do NOT dishonor your Truth for the fear of appearing inconsistent.

41. The best way to get that black and blue nametag gunk stain out of your workout shirt is to buy a new shirt.

42. There are no little things.

43. There’s a difference between LOSING your anonymity and FORGOING your anonymity.

44. Wearing a nametag during kickball games increases inter-team camaraderie.

45. Wearing a nametag out at a bar is more likely to get your FRIEND a date than to get YOU a date. Or maybe that’s just me since I’m not a closer.

46. Wearing a nametag WILL cause you to receive better service from waitresses, bartenders, and, occasionally, blackjack dealers.

47. When someone gets defensive or frustrated with you and make comments like, ‘You’re wrong!’ or ‘You’re friggin’ crazy!’ respond calmly and patiently by asking, ‘Am I? Or does my behavior just NOT support your identity?’

48. When wearing a nametag on a sports jersey, never cover up the team logo. Adjust your horizontal and vertical placement accordingly. And you call yourself a Cardinals fan…

49. When writing out your nametag, stick with your first name only. It removes the possibility of stereotyping, pigeonholing and silent dialoguing by people who observe you wearing it. Besides: nobody cares, needs to know (or will even remember) what your last name, company name or job title is. If they really want to know, they’ll ask for your card.

50. You can tell a lot about a person by HOW and WHERE she wears her nametag.

51. Best Cities to Wear Nametags: Dallas, Geneva, Memphis, Nashville, Charlotte, Phoenix, Portland, Toronto, Albuquerque, Sioux Falls and pretty much anywhere in Latin America.

52. Worst Cities to Wear Nametags: Boston, Vegas, New York and East St. Louis.

53. Your hand doesn’t always have to shoot up first when it’s time for questions.

54. Your stalkers are rarely your type.

55. If your entire career is based off of something you once saw in a trashcan, you’re a pretty lucky dude.

56. I’d rather have a small number of SUPER friends than a large number of SUPERFICIAL friends.

57. ‘Different,’ makes YOU stand out. ‘Unique’ draws OTHER PEOPLE in.

1. Practice your questioning from a better place. Are you only listening in order to confirm what you already think?

2. Be assertive, not aggressive. If you asked the ten people you work with most frequently which style you personified, what would their answer be?

3. Recognize disagreements as opportunities. How many new opportunities did you overlook yesterday because you were blinded by defensiveness?

4. Respond positively to all reports. What’s the positive learning experience in this failure?

5. Share what you’re thinking and feeling. What is causing you to be easily misunderstood?

6. Communicate before you have to. How could you communicate with this person despite your lack of need to do so?

7. Boost your communication self-awareness. When you meet people, is your first thought about what they think of you or how you can make them more comfortable?

8. Choose to attend differently to people. And what is the hidden treasure inside this person that maybe others don’t see?

9. Learn to be open to people you don’t approve of. What is preventing you from, or making it hard for you to be open TO this person?

10. Expand your openness to learning from others. What would happen to your storehouse of wisdom if you allowed everyone you came in contact with to mentor you?

11. Allow people to experience that they can change your mind. Which of your ideas are guarded by arrogance?

12. Give people permission to comfortably, confidently and consistently BE their true selves. How different would your organization feel if the people who worked there stopped bullshitting each other realized that it’s OK to be vulnerable?

13. Be someone others can be vulnerable and dumm in front of. How are you leveraging your vulnerabilities to gain people’s trust?

14. Make it easy for others to be playful around you. When does the feeling of formality keep you from communicating playfully?

15. Be empathetic to communication apprehension. What type of person would you have to become to make even the shyest people willing to open up around you?

16. Be sensitive to others’ experience. What values of this person have you violated, and how is that resulting in them shutting down communication?

17. Give others space to be who they are. What would happen to your career if you (also) became known as the best listener in your organization?

18. Meet and touch people where they are. How is it possible that this person could think or behave in this way, and under what circumstances would it make perfect sense to do so?

19. Show people that their feelings are legitimate. What needs to be developed in YOU to better handle your judgment of others?

20. Do not despise the day of small beginnings. What, specifically, could you say today to water somebody’s success seeds?

21. Make sure people like themselves when they are with you. How do most people feel when they’re around you?

22. Create an environment where people can see the solutions in themselves. Are you willing to monopolize the listening?

23. Open your receptors to the other person’s subtleties. What is this person communicating but not saying?

24. Don’t allow your emotions to arouse your personal antagonism. What is preventing you from listening to and fully connecting with this person?

25. Honestly assess what you’re prematurely discarding. At what point during a conversation do you usually start tuning people out?

26. Learn to listen over your own ego. Have you lost track of this conversation because of the inner conversation you’re having with your ego?

1. Are you spending time increasing your talent or increasing your character?
2. Can you write this action in your calendar so you’ll KNOW you have a place for it?
3. Do you have the courage to take full responsibility for everything you think, feel and do, without blaming yourself?
4. Do you realize you’re the ONLY person who values your time?
5. Do you respond to interview questions with memorable or mundane answers?
6. Do you see people straightforwardly, or through the distorted images you’ve created?
7. Have you identified and valued your TRUE expertise and inventoried your negotiable personal assets?
8. How are you maximizing the conditions that lead to success?
9. How are you sharpening your rut-fighting skills?
10. How are you strengthening your foundation of personal credibility?
11. How are you using blogging to get hired faster?
12. How can you arrange your day so you become unstoppable?
13. How can you create a comprehensive laboratory for internalizing good fundamentals, releasing tension and cultivated energetic awareness?
14. How can you use tiny pockets of time to improve your pace and results?
15. How could you become more and more psychologically impregnable?
16. How did you add value to yourself today?
17. How do you avoid being perceived as one-dimensional?
18. How do you leave your mark wherever you go?
19. How does the market perceieve you to be more valuable?
20. How is watching television landing you a job?
21. How long will it take the market to recognize your trustworthiness and efficiency and then reward you with new business?
22. How many convenient tasks are you doing that delude you into thinking that you’re actually accomplishing something?
23. How many convenient tasks are you doing that delude you into thinking that you’re actually accomplishing something?
24. How many of your demands could be reduced if you put some energy into prioritizing, organizing and streamlining the routines that now fritter away your attention?
25. How many people did you give your business cards to today?
26. How many people do you plan to meet on your journey today who can improve your life?
27. How much faster would you get hired if you woke up one hour earlier every day?
28. How would you life be different if you were perceived as an expert in your field?
29. How would you like your ideal calendar to look in 5 years?
30. Is what you’re doing RIGHT NOW consistent with your #1 goal?
31. Is what you’re doing right now leading to getting hired?
32. Is what you’re doing right now the best use of your time?
33. What are the top three activities that fill your time to feel as though you’ve been productive?
34. What are you (not) doing that makes NO sense at all?
35. What are you recognized as being the best at?
36. What are you the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world of?
37. What behaviors are preventing you from making progress towards becoming the best version of yourself?
38. What consumes your time that isn’t making you any money?
39. What contains the energy needed to catapult you out of this rut?
40. What did you do today that you should do less of tomorrow?
41. What dumb, non-value added things are you doing each day?
42. What is the one thing you could do NOW that will have the most impact on your success in the upcoming year?
43. What makes the way you perceive the world unique?
44. What three highly valuable activities did you accomplish today?
45. Who do you have to become to land the job that you want?

1. Approachability wins business. We live in a culture of sales resistance. Consumers are skeptical and require confidence before deciding to buy. They’ve been advertised to, marketed to, duped, fooled, conned, scammed, sold and screwed over too many times. Approachability establishes comfort, creates connections and builds trust. So: Return emails right away. Call back the same hour. Make communication a relaxing experience. Ask unexpected, penetrating questions. Cultivate your creativity and passion and embed that into the pavement, and people will want to sit in your radius. Remember: If they can’t come UP to you; how will they ever get BEHIND you?

2. Be That Guy. We live in a hyperspeed, A.D.D. culture. Clients need to know they’re getting YOU. The world demands specialists and people need shortcuts. And that’s exactly what personal brands are. Ask yourself: Whom are you known TO? What are you known AS? What are you known FOR? What are you known for KNOWING? Remember: Anonymity is bankruptcy. It’s not who you know, it’s who knows YOU. You need to create a monthly plan for making people more aware of you. Create a reputation that accurately describes you, often precedes you and humbly serves you when you’re not there.

3. Be The Origin, not The Echo. There are no cover bands in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Similarly, in business: The more imitable you are, the less valuable you are. So: Be un-competable. Be un-confusable. Be un-disputable. Be un-stealable. Be The Only. The secret is: Don’t be different; be unique. ‘Different’ is something you do intentionally; unique is something you are inherently. Being ‘different’ is for amateurs. Extract and magnify your uniqueness.

4. Create Points of Dissonance (POD). Curiosity is a natural motivator of human engagement. So, there’s a certain dissonance when people observe an unexpected or unexplained behavior. And THAT dissonance in increases the probability of an encounter. Because people just HAVE to ask. They just GOTTA to know. So, it’s about stimulating curiosity, breaking patterns and attracting interest. The goal is to create a fulcrum point from which the conversation can advance. Because before someone gets to the ‘Aha!’ about what you do and who you are, they have to be captivated by the ‘Huh?’ This permission is a valuable asset because people’s time and attention are being vied for by an infinite amount of forces. Ultimately, it’s about leveraging remarkability to trigger an emotional engagement.

5. Don’t be stopped by not knowing how. Focus (first) on the WHAT, and the HOW will eventually appear. Here’s why: The ‘WHAT’ can be defined right away; the ‘WHAT’ can lead to immediate action; and the ‘WHAT’ can lay groundwork for the ‘HOW’ to materialize. Here’s how: Dare to do it badly. Which might mean making an idiot of yourself. Spending time paying your dues. Which might mean fighting your attitude of instant gratification. Seeking progress, not perfection. Which might mean asking for feedback to find out where you suck. Remember: Ideas are free; execution is priceless.

6. Fans, not customers. More Fans = Less Selling. You need fans; and you need to give them megaphones. Fans are people who will do your marketing for you, encourage and support everything you do, and most importantly, tell all their friends to become fans of yours too. The secret is three words: Build a following. Don’t be selfish with your knowledge. Post on your blog everyday, because writing is the basis of all wealth. Practice Fanagement 101 by asking for people’s email so they become part of your permission asset, then constantly delivering a value message.

7. Get a cool company name. If your company name contains words like ‘Solutions,’ ‘Associates’ and ‘Communications,’ you send the following messages to the world: (1) You’re lazy, (2) you’re amateur, (3) You’re unoriginal and (4) You’re uncreative. You don’t want a generic company name. Generic names = generic products. And generic products = generic value. And generic value = generic service. And generic service = generic business And generic businesses … rarely stay in business. If people don’t react in SOME way when they see the name of your company, change your name.

8. Make the mundane memorable. If you consistently do this through all of your touchpoints, or brand moments, here’s what happens: (1) Customers start talking. (2) Employees have more fun. (3) The brand lives and breathes in a new way. (4) Uniqueness shine through. (5) Loyalty increases. The secret is: Nobody notices normal. Positioning yourself as ‘normal’ is like asking customers to find a need in a stack of needles! Remember: Those who get noticed get remembered; and those who get remembered get business.

9. Networking works. Here’s how to do it successfully. In ONE word: Fun. In TWO words: Be prepared. In THREE words: Ask better questions. It FOUR words: Any time, any place. In FIVE words: Incorporate passion into the conversation. In SIX words: Develop and maintain mutually valuable relationships. In SEVEN words: Articulate what you do quickly and memorably. In EIGHT words: Listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen, listen and listen. In NINE words: Encourage people to approach you by being The Observed. In TEN words: Right place in right time means being in many places. Remember: ‘Luck’ is an acronym for ‘Working Your Ass Off.’ If you want to be in the right place at the right time, you need to be in a lot of places. Then, find out where the rock created the ripple and go throw more rocks.

10. People buy people first. Find a way to lead with your person and follow with your profession. Values before vocation. Individuality before industry. Personality before position. Ultimately, every interaction you have with somebody either adds to or subtracts from the positive perception of your brand. Remember: People don’t buy from, trust or have loyalty to COMPANIES, but rather, people.

11. Shtick must be supported by substance. The word shtick is defined as ‘A characteristic attribute, talent, gimmick or trait that is helpful in securing recognition or attention.’ But shtick is not enough. Shtick needs substance. Shtick doesn’t sustain you. Shtick only sells temporarily. Sure, shtick is catchy and cool and clever and fun and different. But in business, that will only carry you so far. Sure, shtick might get you in the door. But in marketing, that doesn’t guarantee you’ll stay in the room. Only VALUE and SUBSTANCE can do that. In business, you CAN’T be all sugar. Customers want value. Customers want substance. Customers want to take a few licks and then discover your Tootsie center.

1. Shed your armor. A real warrior is vulnerable. A real warrior is naked. A real warrior forgoes self-protection and plunges into the depths of dangerousness because he KNOWS that when you expect nothing, failure is impossible. He KNOWS that vigorous growth only occurs in those moments when you feel totally destroyed.

In The Tao De Ching, Lao Tzu uses the metaphor of water to represent this warrior-like strength: ‘Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: What is soft is strong.’

What are you yielding to? Have you reclaimed your right to be vulnerable? And how much longer do you want to deprive yourself of breaking out in order to protect others from who you really are?

2. Disclose your vulnerabilities. You’re not perfect. You’re not infallible. You don’t know everything. So, instead trying to convince everyone you meet that you’re invincible, lead with weakness. Surrender to your imperfections. Hell, even The Death Star had a weak spot.

Remember: Vulnerable is approachable. Vulnerable is human. Vulnerable is relatable. Vulnerable is powerful. Have you reclaimed your right to be vulnerable? How are you revealing that vulnerability to others?

3. Dare to be dumm. Three simple words: ‘I don’t know.’ Say it more. It cuts down on the pressure to know everything. Plus, pretending like you DO know when you don’t cracks your foundation, your integrity. It’s a falsehood in your personality, and most people can smell it.

Being vulnerable, however, means being secure enough to be who you are, even if who you are is wrong. What’s more, in a sea of gargantuan professional egos, your vulnerability will stand out as a refreshing change. Are you willing to admit your ignorance? Are you someone others can feel dumm in front of?

4. Comfort zones are highly overrated. Wearing a nametag everyday doesn’t just encourage people to say hello to me. It also invites people to stare at me, make fun of me, point at me, spatially violate me, yell at me, curse at me, share overly personal information with me, attempt to sell drugs to me, start fights with me – on one occasion, make out out with me in the middle of a crowded bar – and on a few occasions, stalk me. Now, I didn’t provoke any of these reactions in any way, other than that fact that I was wearing a nametag.

So, while I’m not suggesting you do the same, I WILL say that I’ve experienced tremendous growth in my personal and professional life by intentionally inviting uncomfortable situations. How did you make yourself uncomfortable yesterday? How much time do you spend in your zone of discomfort?

5. Stop being right. Enough arguing. Enough proving your point. Enough asserting your opinion. Enough rationalizing everything someone says into (yet another) statement you disagree with. Stop being right. It’s annoying. It’s unapproachable. It’s antithetical to effective listening. Show me a person who always has to be right and I’ll show you a person who’s afraid to be vulnerable.

This used to be a spot of weakness in my own career as a professional speaker because, technically, my clients pay me to provide answers. And my audience members sort of expect me to be right. Which, if you’ve ever attended one of my programs, is only the case about 34% of the time!

So, I’ve learned to let it go. And I hope you can do the same in your own world. How would you treat people if you weren’t trying so hard to prove them wrong? What insecurity is being disguised by your relentless need to be right?

6. Admit to ignorance. There’s nothing wrong with BEING ignorant, only STAYING ignorant. After all, ignorant simply means, ‘not knowing.’ So, consider these Phrases That Payses to demonstrate your vulnerability: ‘I don’t know what that means,’ ‘I never thought of it that way!’ ‘I’ve never heard that before…’ and ‘Wait, you just lost me.’

When was the last time you admitted to not knowing something? How could admitting to your ignorance make you more approachable?

7. Just sit quiet. Your hand doesn’t have to shoot up first. Next time you attend a meeting or sit on a panel, play a game called ‘Let See How Long I Can Go Without Contributing.’ This will force you to listen FIRST and hear everyone else out before stating your position.

Yes, it takes self-control; but you never know – you may hear something that adds to, modifies or changes your opinion. Are you monopolizing the listening or the talking? How do YOU feel when engaging with a conversational narcissist?

8. Be confidently uncertain. It keeps curiosity burning. It sparks innovation and initiative. It helps you stay open to multiple options and solutions. What’s more, your willingness to be open-minded gives others more room to be creative and self-starting.

Suggestion: When people ask you questions, don’t reach for ready-made replies. It’s OK to pause. It’s OK to think. If not, you become a victim of your own mindset. Instead, seek AN answer; not THEE answer.

Remember: Exactitude is dangerous. People who ‘just know’ are annoying. And the only wrong answer is the one you’re not willing to listen to. How many right answers are you willing to accept? How many of the decisions you make each day have absolutely correct answers?

9. Take Bikram Yoga. I’ve been practicing for a little over a year now. It’s been an enlightening journey in many ways, one of which is the constant confrontation with absolute vulnerability.

For those who’ve never taken a class, allow me to summarize the practice: The room is 105 degrees. The class is 90 minutes. You’re basically naked. You sweat constantly, but you can’t wipe. You have to stare at yourself in the mirror the whole time. And you’re two feet away from a bunch of half-naked, sweaty strangers on all sides.

Oh, and did I mention that your body is contorted into positions that would make Andrew Dice Clay blush? Now THAT’S great practice being vulnerable. Find out if there’s a studio close to you. It’ll change your life forever. Or, you’ll totally hate it and never come back. Which is cool too. Do you have the courage to take a Bikram Yoga class? What would you have to lose if you did? An extra five pounds?

10. Grow bigger ears. People don’t listen for a number of reasons, one of which is the fear of being changed. They’re afraid they might hear things they don’t want to hear. Or, they’re afraid that they might actually come to see something differently, and maybe even (GASP!) change their mind. That’s why I love wearing a nametag everyday. The people I meet – who just start talking to me out of nowhere – provide me with endless opportunities to practice listening. Even if they appear to be wackos.

Here’s my suggestion: Set a weekly goal to listen – all the way through – to conversations that make you uncomfortable. Whether it’s an employee sharing her non-traditional political or religious views, or a coworker expressing an opinion that you totally disagree with. Just try it. All the way through. You’ll be fine. And you never know what you might learn. Why are you listening? What, specifically, are you doing to keep yourself open minded? And are you aware of your personal biases that block effective listening?

11. Be a human being. Yes, that’s actually one of my suggestions. It shouldn’t have to be, but it is. After all, human beings are naturally vulnerable creatures. So, your challenge is to fully integrate your humanity into your profession. That means values before vocation. Individuality before industry. Personality before profession.

For example, I do coaching and consulting, but I never call it that because those two words are so saturated in the professional services market that they’ve lost their meaning. Instead, I humanized my position as a Thought Leader by introducing a service called Rent Scott’s Brain. You can get more human than that! Are you a droid? Are you leading with your profession or your person? And what unnecessary title is preventing people from getting to know the REAL you?

12. Disclose your vulnerability. ‘Actually, I’m terrified.’ Try saying some variation of that phrase more often. You’ll find that the willingness to admit that you’re scared, exposed and even in some cases, helpless, instantly humanizes you.

And the cool part is, when you have the courage and candor to integrate that openness into your daily conversations, two things happen: (1) you grant people permission to disclose their own vulnerabilities, and (2) they will respond to, and have more respect for you. What terrifies you? Who would feel more at ease if you shared that you were scared?

13. Practice radical honesty. Look. People are tired of being lied to. Period. Just try being honest. Like, abnormally honest. Be microscopically truthful. Choose truth over consistency. People will notice. Honest is so rare it’s almost become remarkable.

For now, ask yourself: How are you branding your honesty? How much money are you losing by not being abnormally honest with your customers?

14. Welcome, address and honor feedback. Years ago when I worked in Guest Services at Ritz-Carlton, our GM would hold regular Listening Meetings. No agenda. No structure. No nothing. Anything goes. And he would just stand at the front of the auditorium in front of hundreds of employees and answer their questions.

Now, I’m not talking about a pre-approved list of questions his assistant filtered before the meeting. Whatever people wanted. Wow. How are you creating a Question-Friendly Environment? Do you have a suggestion box or a question box?

15. Publicly celebrate mistakes. Doing so makes other people – especially your employees – more likely to open up to you with their ideas, thoughts and concerns. Why? Because you’ve PROVEN to them that you support failure. See, it is only when you’re willing to surrender to your own vulnerability that people trust you more.

And the cool part is, the more you practice this, the less judgmental YOU become in the future when they share THEIR vulnerabilities. How are you leveraging your vulnerabilities to gain people’s trust?

16. Acknowledge your slips. You’re not perfect. Nobody is. And the people who come off as too perfect and too disciplined and ‘too’ anything are either annoying or lying. Even after 3,000+ days, I sometimes walk halfway down the street before realizing I forgot to stick on my nametag. Woops!

So, the difference between vulnerable people and everybody else is that when YOU screw up, you admit it. And your honesty not only doubles your learning, it make you more human, more relatable and more approachable.

And sure, discipline is essential. But part of being disciplined is developing the ability to know when NOT to be disciplined. As legendary songwriter Tom Waits says in the movie Coffee & Cigarettes, ‘Now that I’ve quit, I can have one.’ Hmm. Interesting theory. Do you listen to the way you speak to yourself when you make mistakes? What would I have to learn about this mistake to make it no longer a mistake?

17. Self-disclose weaknesses. Look, incompleteness and imperfection are part of life. The secret is learning to be honest about your inadequacies. Because when you do this, it increases your credibility. That’s what’s great about Bikram Yoga. You spend 90 minutes confronting yourself. Literally.

Nothing but the mirror’s reflection of your imperfect self: moles, scars, stretch marks and all. It’s terrifying and difficult for many, but great practice with non-judgmental acceptance for all.

The cool part is, the more often you practice being honest with YOURSELF about yourself – yoga or no yoga – the more often you can do so with others. The challenge, of course, is first being courageous enough to look squarely at your own screw-ups, imperfection and vulnerabilities. What’s your system for practicing constant self-confrontation? When was the last time you sat uninterrupted and quiet with just your thoughts?

18. Embrace your inner beginner. Bikram Choudhury, founder of the aforementioned yoga practice, is known for his mantra: ‘Never too late, never too old, never too bad to or sick to do this yoga and start from scratch again.’ So, whether you practice yoga or not, your challenge is to release the grip of your ego and get back to basics.

A simple suggestion for doing so is to regularly read ‘For Dummies’ books. They’re fantastic. I’ve probably read a few dozen volumes of that series, ranging from Consulting for Dummies to Buddhism for Dummies to Sex For Dummies. And what’s interesting is how many people I meet who tell me they wouldn’t be caught DEAD reading any of those books.

Why? Because they think that makes them dumb. When in fact, the opposite is true. People who read those books aren’t dummies – they’re smarties. How are you embracing your inner beginner? How many ‘For Dummies’ books have you read? Are you willing to start from scratch again?

19. Admit your truths. The earlier, the better. Especially if you’re giving a presentation. Doing so builds a foundation of credibility and trust, disarms the immediate preoccupations of your audience. Plus, admitting your truths subconsciously grants other people permission to feel comfortable in their truths too.

For that reason, I always begin my speeches with some variation of the disclaimer, ‘I am not going to stand up here and pretend to be one of you.’ How could I? I’m a writer. A speaker. An entrepreneur. I’m a guy who wears a nametag 24-7! And 95% of the time, my audiences will appreciate that kind of upfront honesty.

See, when we are willing to admit our truth, THAT is when real connection, real listening and real engagement occurs. When we can stop bullshitting each other, lift the veils and simply BE our imperfect selves without judgment, without appraisal and without worry. Are you read to open the door to your truth? Are you willing to risk living your truth?

20. Let the world be your editor. Consider everything you write and publish as a ‘work in progress.’ Always open for discussion and up for debate. After all, Van Gough once said, ‘No great work of art is ever finished.’ That’s that way I’ve always written, and found the results to be worthwhile.

Dave Gray, creator of ‘The Unbook,’ is even starting a movement around this idea. He suggests we ‘Expand the diameter of our inner circle, inviting more people to engage in the early phases of creation.’ Gray explains, ‘The unbook accelerates the process, making the piece far more adaptive to change. The author can involve readers earlier and respond to criticism faster.’ Hmm. Another interesting theory. What if you saw everything you created as unfinished? How would the quality of your work improve if you allowed others to make deposits into your creative bank account?

21. Engage in unpredictable situations. Show me a person who hates surprises and I’ll show you a person who’s afraid to be vulnerable. Instead, I encourage you to leave familiar territory and cherish uncertain ground. To break the veil and blaze new trails. Once again, this is another benefit of wearing a nametag everyday. I have no idea who I might meet or what crazy adventures may ensue. It’s kind of exciting!

Here are three suggestions: (1) The Urbanspoon app on the iPhone is a good way to practice this on a small scale. (2) You could consider attending one concert, play or event each month that you would never normally seek out. (3) Pull a Yes Man and pick a totally random city at the airport to vacation to. Talk about unpredictable! Remember: Certainty is boring and compliance is dangerous. How predictable was your yesterday? Are you allowing your fear of spontaneity to block your vulnerability?

22. Be more yielding. Accept what is. Be open to whatever emerges. Learn to trust what is happening. Don’t fight where you are. Don’t struggle against the moment. And stop wasting energy protesting. Stop resisting and start loving. Stop trying so hard and let things happen, as they need to.

First example: Our current economy sucks. Fine. Stop whining and start welcoming the challenge. Instead of crying, ‘Why me?’ start wondering, ‘What’s next?’ Second example: Business sucks. Fine. Stop lamenting and start leveraging. Brainstorm a list ways to use the current crisis as an outreach opportunity. How many futile battles are you fighting? How are you sharpening your rut-fighting skills? And what three actions could you execute TODAY to stir the pot?

23. Four words: I need your help. This is one of the most powerful phrases in any language. And it works because it’s open, honest, admits vulnerability and appeals to another human being’s inherent helpful nature. So, here’s my challenge to you:

o Commit to using this phrase at least three times a day, every day, for the next three months. (It helps to do this exercise with a partner.)
o Keep a journal of every time you say it.
o Then, hold each other accountable by revisiting your entries and experiences once a week.

When three months is up, celebrate with sushi. I guarantee you will double your vulnerability, triple your humility and quadruple your income. (OK, you won’t quadruple your income. But at least it’ll be great practice with being vulnerable.) How many people did you ask for help today? Do you know a universe of people you can reach out to?

24. Vulnerability isn’t surrender. An important final distinction. Vulnerability is about openness. It’s about the ability to let yourself be seen as you are, possibly even exposed in uncomfortable situations, and being cool with that. Over the past nine years I’ve struggled with this, as wearing a nametag 24-7 completely eliminates my anonymity whatsoever.

But the cool part is: The nametag paints me into a good corner. It’s forces me to stay true to who I am, all the time, regardless of the situation.

And what I’ve (finally) figured out is the following process: The more vulnerable you are, the more open you are. The more open you are, the less you have to hide. The less you have to hide, the more relaxed you become. And the more relaxed you become, the more effectively you can communicate with others. Cool. With whom do you need to be more open? When does the feeling of formality keep you from communicating clearly and freely?

OK! It’s summary time. Here are the twenty-four practices for turning vulnerability into profitability:

1. Shed your armor.
2. Disclose your vulnerabilities.
3. Dare to be dumm.
4. Comfort zones are highly overrated.
5. Stop being right.
6. Admit to ignorance.
7. Just sit quiet.
8. Be confidently uncertain.
9. Take Bikram Yoga.
10. Grow bigger ears.
11. Be a human being.
12. Disclose your vulnerability.
13. Practice radical honesty.
14. Welcome, address and honor feedback.
15. Publicly celebrate mistakes.
16. Acknowledge your slips.
17. Self-disclose weaknesses.
18. Embrace your inner beginner.
19. Admit your truths.
20. Let the world be your editor.
21. Engage in unpredictable situations.
22. Be more yielding.
23. Four words: I need your help.
24. Vulnerability isn’t surrender.

Good luck!