TekBank

The Secret to Getting What You Want? 𝗔𝗦𝗞 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝘁. Seriously, that's it. - The life hack everyone’s been after. - The magic formula they seek. - The secret they searched for. But most people don’t ask for what they want. 𝗪𝗵𝘆? Maybe they think they don't deserve it? Fear of rejection? I don’t know, but what’s the worst that could happen? Someone says “no”? I promise, the office won't form a flash mob to point and laugh at you. There’s no “No” parade with confetti and a marching band. In fact, more often than not, when you ask for something you really want the answer is "yes." Whether it's more - responsibility at work - a raise - or even time off. You name it, you can ask for it. Because here’s the thing if you don’t ask, you don’t get. It’s like standing in front of an open door and waiting for someone to shove you through it—ain't gonna happen. And if you do get hit with a "no"? Well, that’s not the end of the story. You can always follow up with “Cool, what can I do to make this a ‘yes’?” You’re not only showing initiative but you’re also getting a roadmap to what you need to do next. So, what’s it gonna be? Are you going to sit back, keep hoping, and avoid asking? Or are you going to go after what you want like a hungry lion on a mission? Ask. Today. What’s stopping you?

The Secret to Getting What You Want? 𝗔𝗦𝗞 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝘁. Seriously, that's it. - The life hack everyone’s been after. - The magic formula they seek. - The secret they searched for. But most people don’t ask for what they want. 𝗪𝗵𝘆? Maybe they think they don't deserve it? Fear of rejection? I don’t know, but what’s the worst that could happen? Someone says “no”? I promise, the office won't form a flash mob to point and laugh at you. There’s no “No” parade with confetti and a marching band. In fact, more often than not, when you ask for something you really want the answer is "yes." Whether it's more - responsibility at work - a raise - or even time off. You name it, you can ask for it. Because here’s the thing if you don’t ask, you don’t get. It’s like standing in front of an open door and waiting for someone to shove you through it—ain't gonna happen. And if you do get hit with a "no"? Well, that’s not the end of the story. You can always follow up with “Cool, what can I do to make this a ‘yes’?” You’re not only showing initiative but you’re also getting a roadmap to what you need to do next. So, what’s it gonna be? Are you going to sit back, keep hoping, and avoid asking? Or are you going to go after what you want like a hungry lion on a mission? Ask. Today. What’s stopping you?

Work to make your brand a verb. I mean, who hasn’t said, “Just Google it” or “I’ll Uber over”? Let’s rewind the tape a bit. Remember when we used to say “Xerox this” instead of “photocopy this”? Xerox turned their brand into an everyday action. It was the original OG of brand verbification before Google and Uber waltzed in and made it look easy. But let’s not forget, Xerox didn’t just get lucky. They created something that became essential, irreplaceable. They made themselves the standard. Fast forward to today. Google and Uber? They’ve nailed it. Google has practically become our brain’s backup hard drive and Uber has made hitching a ride as simple as tapping a screen. But, you don’t become a verb by just slapping your logo on a product and calling it a day. Nope. You’ve got to be: - Unique - Memorable - Useful But hold your horses, you can’t force it. Ever tried forcing a nickname? It’s like trying to make “𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘤𝘩” happen it’s not going to happen. (Sorry, Gretchen.) You’ve got to let it grow naturally like a beard in the winter. Repetition and organic growth are your best friends. The more people use your brand the closer you inch to verb status. What’s your favorite brand verb?

𝗗𝗲𝗺𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹. A lesson in saturation You know what I’m talking about. That phrase you keep hearing everywhere "Demure and Mindful." Yep, coined by TikToker Jools Lebron, it's the hot new thing everyone is throwing around like a frisbee at the beach on a summer day. And here I am, adding to the noise by talking about it. But hey, someone’s gotta say it. In marketing, it’s like the law of the jungle the survival of the trendiest. Everyone sees a shiny new trend and wants to ride that bandwagon until the wheels fall off. At first, I was chuckling at how "demure" was being used in all sorts of contexts. It felt like everyone suddenly got a dictionary for their birthday. But then, it wasn’t so funny anymore. It was everywhere. - TikTok - YouTube - LinkedIn - Even on the radio. I couldn’t escape the words "𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘧𝘶𝘭" if I tried. This is what saturation looks like, folks. It’s like when you skip the entire fireworks show and go straight for the grand finale. Boom! Flash! And then... darkness. The trend shines bright for a hot second and then it’s gone, leaving us all waiting for the next big thing to jump on, burn out, and forget about. And the cycle? It’s getting faster. So, here’s my plea to the marketers out there 𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲! The message behind "Demure and Mindful" is solid. Don’t smother it just because you’ve got FOMO. Sometimes, it’s okay to let the bandwagon pass by without jumping on. What do you think? Are we burning out trends too quickly or is this just the nature of the beast?

My grandma said this would happen when I got older. Teenage me didn't believe but here we are. Me wanting to stay in, watch my college team's first game of the season and have a quiet evening with my wife. Though, I am certain, at some point, she and I will share a quiet cocktail before sneaking off to bed for some well deserved sleep. I would normally call my grandma a fortuneteller able to see the future with her crystal ashtray because she wasn't fancy enough to have a crystal ball and she was of the generation that smoked everywhere one could. But, nope, grandma, didn't have any special powers. Grandma had years of lived experience. 𝘐𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭, 𝘬𝘪𝘥 She would say. And for her and for me, she has been 100% spot on. How do you treat your weekends?

Organizational management and strategic partnerships aren't just buzzwords, they're an art form. And last week at the #AIMST Conference in Pittsburgh Allison Kenny didn't just participate she put on a masterclass. Seriously, it was like watching Picasso paint while the rest us were using crayons. But instead of a brush, she had spreadsheets and instead of a canvas, she had a room full of potential business partners. Allison was leading the charge. She had already made sure we all researched every company and attendee before we even stepped foot in Pittsburgh. She ensured we knew who to talk to, what to say and exactly how to get the ball rolling on strategic partnerships. She turned the conference into her own personal chessboard, moving pieces with the finesse of a grandmaster. But it didn't stop there. Oh no, Allison is now taking the reins on follow-up and scheduling meetings with everyone we met at AIMST. She’s making sure every lead feels like they’re the only lead, keeping those relationships warm and ready to ignite. Because each relationship is that important. It’s like watching a coach during a game she's keeping everyone on track ensuring that nothing falls through the cracks. If organization was an Olympic sport, Allison would have more gold medals than Michael Phelps. Now, I’ve got to ask. How organized are you on a scale of 1 to Allison Kenny? And more importantly, how organized is your company? Are you running like a well-oiled machine or could you use an Allison in your life to keep things humming? Contact me to find out how TekBank and Allison Kenny can help organize your business and improve your processes.

Another networking post on LinkedIn? YES!!! But it's from another angle you don't expect. And I’m not talking about shaking hands and passing out business cards like a robot. 𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹, 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. The kind that make people remember you long after the conference badges come off. Case in point. When TekBank rolled into Pittsburgh we had mild expectations but we blew those out of the steal city water all thanks to networking. You see, no one there knew who we were. Until we unleashed our secret weapon Louis Buonincontri. Lou’s the Michael Jordan of networking. While the rest of us were making our rounds Lou was out there like a social hurricane making sure everyone knew who he was and more importantly who TekBank was. By the time we left, not only did they know us but we had solid leads in our pockets and a reputation that preceded us. 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵. Companies rarely knock on your door out of the blue. You’ve got to go to them, be relatable and make it about them. 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱-𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆. Just have a genuine conversation. Talk about: - what they do - what you do best - and let the mutual interest grow naturally It’s like planting seeds and with the right care those seeds will grow into strong business relationships and even friendships. The moral of the story? Don't wait for opportunities to knock. Kick down the door. - Be curious - Be genuine And for Pete's sake - Stop selling and start listening You see, at TekBank, we don’t just want to know what you do we want to know what makes your company tick and how we can help you succeed. From SCADA operations to SOPs that's “Standard Operating Procedures” for those of you playing at home. We’re all in. We’ve got solutions in document management, IT maintenance, and more. So tell me, what’s your company’s story? And Lou, if you're reading this, if there was a hall of fame for networking, you'd be the commissioner of the place.

What a fantastic time we at TekBank had at the TWST Events AIMST conference in Pittsburgh! - The energy - the innovation - the connections we made were top-notch. We had the pleasure of meeting some truly amazing people and companies, and we cannot say enough good things about our hosts Robert Schaudt and Ken Wolfrath If you’re in the 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗔 industry and looking for the - latest insights - cutting-edge technology - and best practices We at TekBank highly recommend this conference. It’s an invaluable experience for anyone serious about staying ahead in the field. A big thank you to TWST Events for putting together such a wonderful conference. We’re already looking forward to the next one! #SCADA #Innovation #Technology #TekBank #AIMST #Networking #BestPractices

Remember how 𝗠𝗿. 𝗥𝗼𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 made you feel? - Safe - Understood - A little bit better about the world Yeah, let's talk about what that gentle cardigan-wearing dude can teach us about marketing. You might wonder, what does a soft-spoken guy with a puppet collection know about the cutthroat world of marketing? But 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁. Mr. Rogers didn’t need - flashy ads - buzzwords - or clickbait headlines 𝗛𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 - authenticity - kindness - and a deep understanding of his audience Three things we could all use in our marketing strategies. First off, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁 with your audience like Mr. Rogers connected with kids. He didn’t just speak to kids he spoke with them. He understood their fears, hopes, and dreams and he addressed them with empathy. Your brand should do the same. Next, 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘆 your message. Remember that magical moment when Mr. Rogers would take you on a tour of his neighborhood? He showed you the everyday ordinary and made it extraordinary. Mr. Rogers took complex emotions and made them simple and relatable. Finally, 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲. Mr. Rogers cared deeply about his audience. It wasn’t about likes or shares for him. It was about making a difference in someone’s life. If you care about your audience-really care—they’ll feel it. And that, my friends, is the magic in any successful marketing strategy. Because at the end of the day, marketing isn’t just about selling it’s about making people feel something. What lessons from Mr. Rogers do you believe we could all use in our work?

Asking for Help is a Superpower. It's amazing how a simple ask can change the trajectory of your life. Steve Jobs, when he was 12 years old called the Co-Founder of Hewlett-Packard explaining he wanted to build a frequency counter. He asked if Mr. Hewlett had any spare parts he could use. He did receive those spare parts and his boldness also landed him a job working in an assembly line at Hewlett-Packard that same summer. The lesson? 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗮𝘀𝗸, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲. Now, I'm not telling you begin to cold calling CEOs and start asking for stuff. You have to have a need for help. Remember it's an ask for help not an ask for things. Your goal is to push your dream forward not get coupons for BOGO pizza. Though, if you're in college BOGO pizza doesn't sound too shabby. Anyway, this is a subject I am very passionate about. Talking to people and asking them to help me advance my dream. Have you ever asked someone to help you advance your dream? If so, how did it go? If not, what do you feel is holding you back?