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Life is full of superlatives. You know, those exaggerated descriptions or ways of referring to somebody or something, usually in an admiring way.

Think about it. There is the greatest birthday present you ever had. There is the finest chocolate cheesecake in the world. And there is funniest joke you ever heard. This list could probably go on and on with items that were the biggest, brightest, highest, yummiest, coziest, fuzziest, loveliest or cleverest.

And while this list could probably continue describing the highest quality or degree of most any aspect of your life, here is one you probably never considered: Who is the most valuable person in your network – your networking MVP?

Just as you might anoint a particular player as being paramount to the team’s success, someone in your network has that same distinction – Most Valuable.

No two people are alike. As such, everyone in your network brings a unique set of talents, temperaments and convictions to the world.

Given that, not all of your networking contacts are the same. Some people in your network are simply outstanding. While others, well, not so much. And the vast majority are somewhere in between.

There is no question that your network consists of contacts that are good, ones that are bad and those that lie in between. Thus, for sure someone is the very best…your networking MVP.

In the book The Champion, my LinkedWorking co-author Frank Agin and Jim Ballard make the simply assertion that we are all looking to network with that one person to singularly put on their shoulders our hopes, dreams and aspirations … and in so doing carry us to greater heights. In short, we all want a Champion in our lives.

In a very unique way then, Agin and Ballard illustrate that we do have such a person in our lives (the most valuable person in our network) and finding that person will lead you to great things.  However, curiously enough they advocate that the best way to find your Champion is not by looking for him or her.

The Champion is a quick read (covering less than 100 pages and selling for less than $10 on Amazon). Most importantly, it has a powerful message…the best way to find your Champion is to stop looking and to…

Have you been looking for a way to step up your game by finding your own champion contact?  The answer may surprise you as you discover the secrets of The Champion for yourself.  Here’s to finding the Most Valuable Person in your network.

How “Zen” is your social media marketing strategy?

If you aren’t getting the results you are looking for, you may be going about your strategy all wrong.

Sometimes, all we need is a shift in our mindset to take our results from zero to hero.  As an athlete, I realized that I would never be as big, fast, or strong as some of the others, but I knew if my mindset was in top shape then I could compete with some of the top athletes in the world.

This is true with social media marketing as well.

You don’t have to have a huge brand or a lot of resources to spend on social media marketing.  All you need is to know how to use the tools the right way, leverage what’s available to you for free online, and get your mindset in the right place.

The Zen of Social Media Marketing by Shama Kabani is a book that shares with your the tools you need to get your mind right using social media.  Check out my thoughts in the video below, and make sure to grab a copy if you want to be more Zen-like online.

Also, be sure to say hi to Shama on Twitter, as she has a lot of great things to share on a daily basis.

There are a number of questions people have about using LinkedIn.

What are yours?

LinkedIn is a valuable resource for most people, but many still consider it the “ugly stepchild” compared to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other social networking sites.

Why? Because they don’t understand how to best use it to achieve their business goals.

Lets make this post a place to ask your questions and get them answered.  Post your biggest questions on how to use LinkedIn below, and I’ll respond there or create a detailed video response for those that need more explanation.

And please chime in and give your own answer to questions becasue I would love to hear your point of view.