What is Value?

What is Value? I started talking using the word “value” a few years back. I’d sprinkle it into conversations with clients and potential clients but never really did understand the meaning nor significance of the word.

After selling our company, Todobebe, last year I found myself at a cross roads of sorts. Did I want to stay in the same industry? Did I want to pursue other interests and if so, how would I make a living?

The word value came back into my vocabulary one afternoon in December while meeting with a potential client (Mediavest) in NYC. I’d flown up for what they believed would be a “job” for me but as I went through meeting after meeting (taking notes and asking more questions) I realized that what they needed was someone to come in and assess the situation and see how best to provide value in turning things around.

After this first meeting, I wrote up my notes along with a mind map of the issues and potential areas where I could provide value. I told them that rather than hire me full time that we should date before we got married and they could test me out to see if I really could provide value to the organization and situation.

My two-month gig, (which required me to relocate to NYC in the dead of winter from Miami no less), turned into six months of wonderful work with a great group of people and a wonderful client, Walmart. I worked hard to provide value and leveraged my skill across operations, media, and marketing and just plain people skills to pitch in and take on whatever project or task was necessary. And, I was grateful for the work and equally grateful that I felt valued by the team I worked with and the executives that hired me.

This past weekend many of you saw my post about the volunteer organization NYCares.org and my Sunday of volunteer work feeding 1400 homeless, low income, mentally ill and otherwise marginalized men and women.

As I’ve continued using the word value, I realized that I needed to reach beyond just my work life and extend the word into my personal life as well. I needed to provide value to people who didn’t know me, couldn’t buy my services but were nonetheless equally grateful for the value of a hot meal, a smile, a touch on their shoulder and yes even some LOL moments.

Providing value to me isn’t just a word anymore and it’s not just how I work or what I strive to bring to my clients – it’s now something that I think consciously about daily and try to ensure that I leverage it to its full potential. And, along the way if I am very lucky I may even reach my full potential too.