#SocialSecretary

The Power of the Business Card

Speaking of business cards ( I realize we were not actually speaking on them but had to break you into the conversation currently underway in my head). Do we still love them or no? What is the consensus on this particular day; or more so what does the court of public opinion have to say?  

A little Google trip led me to believe that yes, as of today we still do love a business card or two but will probably end up losing them and just googling their number anyway. Am I right? Because honestly if you met someone that strikes your fancy enough, chances are you'll remember their name and be able to find them on the good old world wide web. I think anyone, given the intense enough desire to find another person or company, can usually be pretty successful in their search. Unless of course, said person is in the witness protection program.

​These days you can find anyone online. Although, it might not really be them....but that is a different story.

Nonetheless, I still love cards myself; mainly because they are on pretty paper with pretty colors of course. Says the lady that loves office supplies.  
It kind of makes me wish, as my love of old office equipment ensues, that we could still employ a rolodex or two. Do you know those old relics? I have found them over the years at yard sales and have many times tried to justify bringing one home but alas, the internet won that battle a long time ago. (Although they seem to be great for storing recipes!) We just don't need them and the most cards I've collected are maybe 25 personally and maybe 150 at a tradeshow for work. Those 150 were always carefully transported back to the office by the most responsible hungover tradeshow attendees to the office. There they were carefully imported (typed) into an excel sheet labeled something like "TradeshowYaDaYaDa2010".xls. This was the new bible for making those sales.

Ah, yes the Rolodex. Used before Google to stash like 5,879 business cards that never ended up being filed alphabetically and so it was a bit of a goose hunt. 

Unless of course, you had a REALLY GREAT SECRETARY. Then of course they were in perfect order and your boss never missed a beat or a meeting because of it. And he never really knew what disorganization was or who on earth ran things like magic, just that things were seamless. Unless of course he did know and in that case, you had a REALLY GREAT BOSS.

I don't miss those days (endlessly hunting through paper for things we find so easily online now) but I did love thumbing through so many different cards, all unique to their lovely owners. It's almost like you can feel how hopeful some were, new companies - new people - new contacts. It's almost like you could see the ink still drying. The pride of having a new card; the hope of a new enterprise. 

Then of course the old fuddy duddy cards. The super old(er) and successful folks used the most boring of white papers with the flattest and least descriptive of fonts to announce their name, title, and hopefully, a way to contact them. Many of those don't even want to be found anymore. Well in all actuality they don't NEED to be found; their success is already made and talking to them was like getting into a club or talking to their secretary for the rest of your life. 

Honestly, having run so many offices myself; supporting bosses in all shapes, colors, and temperaments; it was those old successful ones that are always the most annoying to get on the horn. Not always, but mostly. It becomes a game of tag between one secretary and another until we become friends out of necessity and respect. We would then secretly devise a plan; unknown to both bosses, to how exactly we will get them at the same place at the same time. Why? We get sick of phone tag too.  Secretaries have WAY too much to do for that. 

The new business owners? The hungry ones? Two categories really. They either answer on the first ring or return the call almost immediately or you hear from them way too many days later; signaling someone either disorganized or at the very least; in need of a great secretary. One that keeps the ship sailing in the right direction from behind the scenes.

In my quick search on the power of the business card, Google led me to this gem of an article in The Atlantic.....the business cards that built the Atomic Bomb?. Notice, the perfect care of them all, there are no torn edges or scribbles on them, they are under lock and key I would guess, and kept out of most prying eyes. The cards were cared for with the same level of respect as the people they came from were. 

Akin to you holding tight to your social account passwords, rolodexes were frequently just as much guarded with lock and key. I kind of love that, don't you?  
I can hear at least 3 tech guys I know get quite annoyed with me as I say, they were much safer than the internet too. It doesn't seem to matter what password manager you try; don't all of them get broken into? Doesn't all of our data end up being breached? If not a bug, it's a breach, and if not a breach then someone on the dark web can get what they want in secret anyway; leaving no privacy that seems real anymore. 

Not cynical over here or anything, just a bit realistic as I wax poetic about business cards of all things and the seemingly safer days of paper files.

The business cards that built the Atomic Bomb. Photo Credit: The Atlantic

​

And then there is the card I happened upon the other day.  A lovely artist lady I met and as we talked, she handed this handcrafted and one of a kind card to me. Quite simple, beautiful, vibrant and a wonderful way to showcase her talents.  She may not be building an atom bomb but she can paint and create art; and doesn't that say something. 

As it turns out, she handmade all of her business cards.

It's a great idea really; showing off your talent AND ensuring the chances of your card being thrown out slim to none....at least for a long time. Why? No one, not even grumpy butts that seem to grumble about everything, find it easy to throw away art. Most will hang on to it.

​Artists can really stand out with this method and hopefully bring in some long overdue cash money from their skill; that which evades many.  I would highly recommend it as a way to stand out and dole out cards in a more imaginative and cheaper fashion.

Photo Credit: The Uptown Secretary

I really was just going on about all of this because I designed my business card today. As I sat and played around with some ideas and set a timer as to not go off track, I started thinking of all the cards I have had over the years and all the ones I've seen.  The permanent feel of a new title/card and then later on in life; how transitory it all really is.  

I'm happy with how mine turned out and after putting it away for a while, made some changes and decided to stick with it.  It's just a silly business card anyway isn't it? 

Sometimes. But other times; it means that one big break; that one great connection; that one magical step where everything changes.  

Business cards are all about the power of connection aren't they after all? 

They also can travel around without our knowledge; unable to be tracked or reported on or connected.  They are just so sneaky.  

Social media has gotten us so trained to see such great heights as "1 MILLION" subscribers, or 20,000 LinkedIn connections; all powerfully successful things to be admired of course!

Still, it doesn't take away from the magic of having your business card fall into the right hands does it?  

​Here's to new business ventures for all who try. To those that strive  for something better; and to build from scratch. To being scared and hopeful at the same time and moving forward with courage anyway. To listen to yourself, and avoid the naysayers. To learning, listening to the wise ones, and then doing what you were going to do anyway. This time, with more wisdom than you had before. 

Also, in the event of a total bust; remember, it's not a failure. No, seriously. It's just a way to learn. Chances are the next one would be a smashing success. If you take what you learn and simply try again.  

There is always another business card that can be printed. Another idea that will meet it's mark. This time right on target. Like a missile that has your name printed on it.

Of course it does. Because this time you built the damn missile yourself, got the stencils out, and painted your name on it with permanent marker.  When it hits your bullseye smack dab in the middle; it was like failure was never even an option. 

Lastly, there is always a better you to step back onto the red carpet, as you arrive into this game we call life again. 

I guess the tightrope of it all is, you have to learn when to take the L and what attitude you're gonna have regarding it all. Both of which are completely within our control right? Absolutely. 

The last part of this particular tightrope is to not let anyone tell you otherwise.

​This is perhaps the most difficult of terrains you'll ever walk on.

This is the stage of the race where you're within inches of the finish line and someone sneaks right in to push you off the rope, or you let yourself be pushed, or you jump.  Your vision turns blurry, your prize begins playing hide and go seek, your mind softens.  

I would suggest some really good earplugs.

In the most dire of circumstances, I would suggest going it alone.

Achieve what it is you have deemed you are here to achieve.  

Only you get to decide that. 

Love, 
The Uptown Secretary

"There is always a better you to step back onto the red carpet, as you arrive into this game we call life once again"

References: 
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/01/the-business-cards-that-made-the-bomb/424278/ 

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