Good post from John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing on a new approach to “bucket lists”:

Instead of focusing on the places you want to go, focus on the people you want to meet.

Exercise: create a list of 25 people in the business world that you really want to meet.

Your list can include corporate executives and founders of successful retail businesses outside of jewelry. It will probably also include experts and gurus of national renown. There will probably be some jewelry designers, and maybe even gemologists, gem-cutters, diamantaires, plus leaders of industry groups or associations. Be sure your list includes some jewelry retailers whose stories you admire — the self-made successes, the bold marketers, the creative merchandisers, the customer-service geniuses. You might also want to include a few businesspeople in your community — people whose style you admire, people who can help you connect socially, people who you can possibly cooperate with in terms of business.

Don’t fuss too much. Your list will evolve over time. Once your list is complete, challenge yourself to “check off” at least a few people every year. Possible places you can meet bucket-list targets: jewelry industry trade shows, general retail trade shows, local business events, speeches at your local university.

If you’re confident you’ll have the opportunity to meet someone on your list, have question or two ready. Who knows? You might form a new business relationship. Or you might just learn the wisdom of the ages.

In the meantime, for those on your list who you admire most, but don’t think you’ll be able to meet any time soon, take the opportunity to learn more about them. Read their books or biographies (if available). Watch their video interviews. Keep an eye out for speaking engagements or opportunities to meet. In essence, act like a stalker … well, with the exception of hanging out in their driveway at night and sending letters containing locks of your hair. But you get the point.

What you’re really doing, of course, is finding new role models. And the purpose of role models is simple: to inspire.

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