The Nametag Manifesto was chosen as one of SlideShare’s Top Presentations of The Day! 
It’s currently showcased on their homepage, but you can also view the slide show below for eternity.
Great way to start the weekend. In the email I received, they explained that it was chosen from the thousands of presentations uploaded to SlideShare everyday from across the world. Awesome!
You can download The Nametag Manifesto, in full, for free, right now, here. You can download The Nametag Manifesto as a high resolution infographic here.
Either way, share www.nametagmanifesto.com with someone you love. It makes people friendlier.
Here’s the slide show itself: The Nametag Manifesto
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your manifesto?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “7 Ways to Out Leverage Your Competition,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!
* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]
My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.
Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?
Meet Scott’s client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!

[ View the infographic! ]

“Everyone should wear nametags, all the time, everywhere, forever.”
That’s my thesis, philosophy, dangerous idea and theory of the universe.
My name is Scott, and I’ve been wearing a nametag for past four thousand days.
And after traveling to hundreds of cities, a dozen countries, four continents, meeting tens of thousands of people, constant experimentation and observation, building a enterprise and writing a dozen books in the process, I believe, with all my heart, that the societal implications of wearing nametags could change everything.
This is my manifesto: 

14. The End of Mass Formality If everybody wears nametags, personal is the new professional.
Instead of allowing the feeling of formality to keep us from communicating fully and freely, now we can address each other personally. As people.
Not as objects, integers, trophies, machines, categories, dollar signs, commodities, abstract entities, means to an end, bloodless statistical entities or impersonal facets of production. People.
We talk friendly. We talk how people talk. We ante up the emotional temperature instead of sacrificing interpersonal value on the altar of professionalism. Nametags make this moment, right now, a more humane, pleasant passing of time. And it helps us forget about the fact that eventually, we are all going to die.
If everybody wears nametags, no more impersonalness, no more outdated formalities and no more robotic communication.
# # #
You can read The Nametag Manifesto, in full, for free, right now, here. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your manifesto?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “7 Ways to Out Leverage Your Competition,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!
* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]
My job is to help companies make their mission more than a statement, using limited edition social artifacts.
Want to download your free workbook for The Brandtag Strategic Planning Crusade?
Meet Scott’s client from Nestle Purina at www.brandtag.org!

[ View the infographic! ]

“Everyone should wear nametags, all the time, everywhere, forever.”
That’s my thesis, philosophy, dangerous idea and theory of the universe.
My name is Scott, and I’ve been wearing a nametag for past four thousand days.
And after traveling to hundreds of cities, a dozen countries, four continents, meeting tens of thousands of people, constant experimentation and observation, building a enterprise and writing a dozen books in the process, I believe, with all my heart, that the societal implications of wearing nametags could change everything.
This is my manifesto. 

You can download The Nametag Manifesto, in full, for free, right now, here. 
You can download The Nametag Manifesto as a high resolution infographic here. 

Or, click on a chapter below and start reading.

Either way, share www.nametagmanifesto.com with someone you love.

It makes people friendlier.

Chapter 1 — The End of Strangers
Chapter 2 — The End of Exclusion
Chapter 3 — The End of Anonymity
Chapter 4 — The End of Commoditization
Chapter 5 — The End of Social Conflict
Chapter 6 — The End of Dishonesty
Chapter 7 — The End of Hesitation
Chapter 8 — The End of Disengagement
Chapter 9 — The End of Incivility
Chapter 10 — The End of Cultural Barriers
Chapter 11 — The End of Disconnectedness
Chapter 12 — The End of Selfishness
Chapter 13 — The End of Neglect
Chapter 14 — The End of Mass Formality
Chapter 15 — The End of Hierarchy
Chapter 16 — The End of Entitlement
Chapter 17 — The End of Insecurity
Chapter 18 — The End of Discrimination

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What’s your manifesto?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “10 Ways to Help Your Customers Know You,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!
* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]

Never the same speech twice. Customized for your audience. Impossible to walk away uninspired.

Now booking for 2012-2013.

Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

There’s nothing more painful than knowing you have to break someone’s heart.
Whether it’s the end of a relationship, the termination of an employee, the delivery of a verdict, the cutting of a player, the dismissing of a volunteer, the rejection of a candidate, the reporting of a diagnosis or the conveyance of bad news, at some point in life, we all have to put on a pair of heartbreaker’s shoes.
I’ve done it a few times before. Both right and wrong, both coldly and compassionately, both personally and professionally. And I learned that I could insure myself from the devastating guilt and self-torture that accompanies the process of severance if I asked (and kept asking) one question:
How will I need to feel when this is done to still be okay with myself?
That’s the filter. That’s what I need to answer before delivering the death stroke.
Otherwise it will be very hard to sleep that night.
Years ago, I reached a point in a relationship where I knew I had to end it. I couldn’t take it any longer. My stomach was tied in knots, and I knew that if I waited another day, terrible things would happen. Plus the dog was seriously onto me.
And in the eleventh hour, I remember sitting in my car, clutching the wheel like a life preserver, refusing to go upstairs and end my broken relationship. At that point, no matter what I said, it would break her heart. No matter what I said, she would hate me for it. And there was nothing I could do to change that.
But I also knew that I could live with myself if I communicated in a way that was kind, honest and clear. Those were my parameters. Kind, honest and clear. Do that, and you’re not an asshole.
Ten minutes later, I dragged myself out of the garage, walked upstairs, took a few deep breaths and dropped the biggest bomb of my life. I told her it was over.
Then she vomited for twenty minutes.
It was the lowest moment of my life. Sitting on the floor of the bathroom, rubbing her shoulder, pretending to cry, wondering how long I was supposed to fake it until she took the dog and walked out the door. Horrible, horrible.
But there was nothing left to say. The bomb had dropped, the bell had rung and the relationship was dead.
As soon as her car was out of sight, I immediately called my best friend and said, “I need you to tell me that I’m not an asshole.”
You’re not, he said.
I thanked him, hung up and passed out.
Slept like a log that night. Ten straight hours. No dreams.
And when I woke up, part of me wondered if I should have felt more devastated, more disturbed, busy counting dots on the ceiling, tossing and turning until the sun came up.
But then I remembered the promise I made to myself: Kind, honest and clear. That’s how I needed to feel when this was done to still be okay with myself. And I did. I made the right decision.
The point is, the only person you’re truly with forever is yourself. And if you can’t go to sleep feeling content with that person, you’re in trouble.
If you have to break someone’s heart, ask yourself how you need to feel when it’s over to still be okay with yourself.

LET ME ASK YA THIS… Whose heart do you need to break?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… Ask yourself, “How will I need to feel when this is done to still be okay with myself?” and then go do it.
* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]
Yes, I do more than just wear a nametag all day. My enterprise is actually quite robust. I add value to my clients in several cool ways.
Explore the myriad ways you, your people and your organization can leverage my talents.

LET ME ASK YA THIS… What are you the answer to?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “62 Types of Questions and Why They Work,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]

Never the same speech twice. Customized for your audience. Impossible to walk away uninspired.

Now booking for 2012-2013.

Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

Any excuse to not create is dangerous.
I’m not ready. I can’t find the time. I don’t know what I’m doing. I have nothing to say. I’m not good enough yet. I don’t have the right tools. I’m afraid of revealing too much. I’m scared my parents will see it. I’m sure my ex will hear about it. I know my friends will laugh at it.

Even if every one of those things is true, they’re still not good enough reasons not to create. Especially since it’s impossible to fail at self-expression. When we tell our story, we’re always successful, even if we’re not successful.
I recently got email from a reader whose concern wasn’t about finding the time, but losing the time. She was afraid to create because it would take time away from work, family and other life obligations.
Who says we can’t do both? Why all the compartmentalization? Seems to me, there’s time for it all. Even if we only create in small spurts, that still counts.
Because no matter how good we are, no matter how successful we get, there will always be another excuse not to create. There will always be a chorus of voices trying to bury our music, trying to keep us from becoming what we are.
LET ME ASK YA THIS… What have you avoided creating this week?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “12 Secrets of Supremely Successful Writers,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]
Do you need an expert who tells you what to do, or a mentor who lets you tell yourself what to do?

“After investing in your mentoring program, I’ve become centered on who I am and what I have to offer. Now, I am attracting clients I want to work with. Life is great and I just wanted to thank you from the bottom of my heart.” —-Melanie Jatsek, Diet Busters
Rent Scott’s Brain today for 2 hours, 30 days or 3 months!

[ Buy prints to inspire your office! ] I had no intention of turning my personality disorder into a career.
Consider my resume:

“Obsessive compulsive anal retentive control freak attention whore who over-thinks everything and has zero patience, no social filter, limited work experience and no organizational skills who can’t follow simple directions, can’t share, doesn’t work well with others and has serious identity issues.”

Get that man a corner office.

But that’s what happens when you hire yourself. You have no choice but to leverage your limitations. You play the ball where it lies and make the most of what you’ve got. Otherwise you go out of business.

This approach has served me well. By creatively channeling my liabilities, by making good use of everything that I am, I’ve made money, made a difference and made a name for myself, while having a lot of fun in the process. Everything I got made fun of for, I now get paid for.

I wonder what the world would look like if more people embraced the entirety of their personalities, not just their strengths.
Perhaps our obsessions could become societally useful.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What personality disorders could you leverage?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “11 Ways to Out Market Your Competitors,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]

Never the same speech twice. Customized for your audience. Impossible to walk away uninspired.

Now booking for 2012-2013.

Watch clips of The Nametag Guy in action here!

There’s never been an easier time to consume.
We have more choices, more ways to obtain those choices and more devices with which to enjoy those choices. Plus, throw in the power of free, and those numbers multiply exponentially.
On the other hand, there’s never been a better time to create.
We have few barriers to entry, fewer restrictions on what we can publish and fewer limitations on how and where we can share it. We can give away every book we’ve ever written, for free, no strings. Plus, throw in the power of permission, and those numbers shrink exponentially.
Lately, I’ve grown bored with consumption. I’ve read enough books, seen enough shows and inhaled enough ideas to last me for a lifetime.
Which doesn’t mean I plan to stop, just switch gears.
Now, I’d rather write a book than read one. Now, I’d rather publish a podcast than listen to public radio. Now, I’d rather have the mic in my hand than a drink in my lap.
And I couldn’t be happier.
Life is short. Consumption can wait. For now, I’d rather go out into world and seek adventure beyond my limited imagination.
LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What did you write today?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “17 Behaviors to Avoid for Effective Listening,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!

* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]

How boring is your company’s online training?

For dozens of free video learning modules on sales, frontline service, entrepreneurship and marketing, spend a few minutes or a few hours growing your brain and growing your wallet.

Tune in to www.nametagTV.com!

Feedback has become a fetish.
Businesses plead with customers to keep their seven-inch receipt, go to their website, fill out a short survey and enter their name for the chance to win free drinks, gift cards and other cash prizes, all for the low price of their email addresses, which will most likely be spammed with future offers of the same ilk and potentially vulnerable to online privacy violations from hackers.
Meanwhile, customers don’t feel special, don’t feel heard and don’t feel part of a community. They just feel like statistics. 
And don’t get me wrong, I’m all for building a listening platform. But surely there are other, better, cheaper ways to gauge customer sentiment than wasting paper.

My friend Janelle is the social media director for a large grocery chain. When her customers have feedback to share, they don’t use surveys – they use cell phones. Whatever question, comment, complaint or suggestion is on their mind, they publish it online. Instantly. For all the world to see. And no trees have to die.
No wonder her company was ranked in Forbes magazine as one of the best in the nation.
The thing is, people have always had opinions, but now they’re delivered to our face. Right now. From all around the world. For free. Forever. Whether we like or not. And if you’re trying to decide which technology to invest millions of dollars is, just so you can relentlessly tug customers on the sleeves and trick them into liking you, think again.
Asking what survey to use is the wrong question.
The real question is, where are people are already giving their opinions – whether you’re asking for them or not – and how can you convert that into a smarter conversation?

LET ME ASK YA THIS… Are you making feedback a fetish?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “194 Books in Scott’s Success Library,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!
* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]
Yes, I do more than just wear a nametag all day. My enterprise is actually quite robust. I add value to my clients in several cool ways.
Explore the myriad ways you, your people and your organization can leverage my talents.

The hard part about working alone is the lack of accountability.
With the exception of our clients, there’s nobody to say when we’re toast. Nobody to hold our feet to the fire. Nobody to care if we don’t execute. Nobody to yell if we stroll in to work at eleven. 

Nobody to bust our chops when sales decline. Nobody to give feedback on a poor performance. Nobody to offer encouragement in a time of struggle.
Nobody. It’s just us.
This causes two problems. First, there’s the issue of productivity. With nobody but us to answer to, it’s easy to get distracted, hard to stay motivated, easier to procrastinate and tempting to rationalize our way out of feeling guilty for poor work ethic.
But the deeper problem, the one we hate to confront, is that working without accountability makes us feel like we lack direction and purpose. It trains us to selfishly do whatever is most convenient to get what we want, without taking others into consideration, without keeping our eye on the bigger picture.
Fortunately for us freelancers, there’s no shortage of coworking spaces, peer networks, trade associations, artist collectives, mastermind groups and online programs to mitigate accountability issues.
Still, it’s hard.
Sometimes hiring yourself can feel like winking in the dark.
And with nobody to hold our feet to the fire, it’s not always easy to get warm.
LET ME ASK YA THIS… What’s your biggest accountability struggle?
LET ME SUGGEST THIS… For the list called, “38 Ways to Make Customers Gasp,” send an email to me, and you win the list for free!
* * * * Scott Ginsberg That Guy with the Nametag Writing, Publishing, Performing, Consulting [email protected]
What happens when you wear a nametag all day, every day, for 4000+ days?
Strangers make fun of you, mostly.
Check out Scott’s comic strip, Adventures in Nametagging!