F.I.A.T.M. HAS THE "IT" FACTOR

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What is it? You know, the thing. It is typically indescribable. Sometimes you can't put your finger on it. However, if it is missing you miss it. Well, before I share what it is I'll share with you how F.I.A.T.M. exhibits it. If you have ever had the pleasure of speaking with F.I.A.T.M. founder, Kuba Brown you've just experienced it! If you've ever sat in on a recap of recent activities from COO, David Layne you just had a hefty dose of it! If you've ever eavesdropped on an exchange discussing the fundamentals of growth and impact by Advisory Board President, Yundra Thomas you've just run smack in the middle of it! The it factor is known by many things: charisma, personality, joie de vivre and energy.  There is nothing run-of-the-mill when it comes to the it factor. It's been known to open doors that were closed, curried favor, materialized fanciful dreams and much more. Each time I've had the honor and priviledge of speaking, sitting in on or running smack in the middle of a F.I.A.T.M. event, planning session or even breaking bread I have been touched by it's it factor. You see, F.I.A.T.M. is a living and breathing organism. It is predicated upon an intense desire to make a positive impact one family at a time. Not one to rest on laurels, F.I.A.T.M. is committed to increasing it's it factorness (I just made that up)! Whether you are presently helping us officially or as your schedule permits, interested in furthering our cause, supporting us on a consistent basis financially or simply our loudest cheerleader we invite you to up your own it factorness so that we can collaboratively make a greater impact. Keep in mind; what brought us here, won't take us there.  Here are 6 suggestions to help us increase our it factorness. I'd love to hear from you on any that aren't on the list that you'd suggest. Also, let me know which one or two resonate most with you?
1) Empathy. That is walking a mile in someone elses shoes. The inner critic minimizes the importance of this point. I encourage you to silence your inner critic because it makes you more relatable. 2) Good listening skills. Undoubtedly, you've heard the axiom, "You have one mouth and two ears for a reason". True. I like to take it a step further and listen to what is not being said. Sometimes that is more important than what is being shared and is a surefire way to confirm you're providing active listening. 3) Eye contact. Good eye contact sets the stage for seeing someone. It can mean you see what they are saying, you see their point of view, you see inside their soul (mind, will and emotions). A bonus is if you give good eye contact and your cell phone is either out of reach or out of sight. 4) Enthusiasm. You can say excitement. Remember no thing happens until someone gets excited. Enthusiasm actually means God-breathed. 5) Self Confidence. This is tricky because many are other people confidence versus confident in themselves. Self confidence is a muscle that grows each time you keep your word to yourself. 6) Skillful Speaking. Communication is everything. Effective communication or speaking is message given and message received. Ambiguity has no place in skillful speaking. Be clear. Succinct. Concise. Okay. I went way over today in sharing with you about how F.I.A.T.M. has the it factor. If you are interested in helping us further our messaging, feel comfortable reaching out to me at: [email protected]. I'd love to get into a conversation with you and brainstorm. Feel comfortable sharing in the comment section any anecdotal instances that you experienced the it factor of F.I.A.T.M..
Until next week,
Jacqui:~)

Byline: Jacqui Dobens enjoys listening to live music, still needs a shot of liquid courage for karaoke because she feels rusty and secretly yearns to go hiking up the Himalyas.