What’s in It for Them?: 9 Genius Networking Principles to Get What You Want by Helping Others Get What They Want

How You Are Infinitely Valuable in Networking & Business As A Giver
I love, love, love this book. I read it the first day it came out in one day, and then returned to read it a second time and take eleven pages of notes.I paid $24.29 to get into the mind and mindset of the creator of Genius Network which is one of the most sought-after masterminds for successful entrepreneurs that has a vetting process and a $25,000 starting price tag. Even very successful people get nervous and excited at the idea of speaking at Genius Network events. I remember a well-known female entrepreneurial friend, who managed to create seeming financial freedom in just ten years after starting her online business, talking about how nervous she was to do her fifteen-minute talk. She was nervous because Joe Polish seems to repeatedly get some of the most well-respected entrepreneurs and change-makers in a room together. The brain trust is impressive. As is the structure that they set up at Genius Network to share resources.I was super curious about what I could learn and model now.The book is not only really helpful in terms of understanding human behavior and using win-win principles to create your vision, but it is also really well structured and an easy, enjoyable read.It starts with a hero’s-journey style beginning with a story from the author’s childhood and the loss of his mother at age four. As a mother myself and someone who feels deeply, the book felt like a love letter to his mother. Throughout the book, we get peaks into highs and lows and struggles that come from wanting to alleviate suffering for himself and others that came from this initial human moment. It is both tender and touching to see how love and reducing suffering became a theme in the author’s life.There are too many highlights to try to share to properly do the book justice. Just do yourself a favor and buy it so that you can take action on the tips in it.I will share with you some of my favorites.First of all, the 9 genius networking principles he describes on the book cover each have a chapter of its own that goes more in-depth into each principle.Here they are:The 9 Genius Networking Principles (to Get What You Want by Helping Others Get What They Want) are:1. How Are They Suffering and How Can I Help?2. Invest Time, Attention, Money, Effort, and Energy in Relationships3. Be the Person They Always Answer the Phone For4. Be Useful, Grateful, and Valuable5. Treat Others as They Love to Be Treated6.Avoid Formalities and Be Fun and Memorable (Not Boring)7.Appreciate People8. Give Value on the Spot9.Get as Close to In-Person as You CanMy favorite highlights so are:A quick way to spot a “taker” versus a giver is that you will notice that they aren’t as grateful as givers.Let that one sink in for a minute. It took me years to realize that not everyone has the same good intentions. You will be hard-pressed to find a taker who is consistently grateful.Now, even those of us that have better intentions most of the time to find the highest and best for everyone won’t be grateful all the time. Still, put that frame next to relationships that you have found HALF like the author writes, or hard, annoying, lame, and frustrating (and maybe even downright hurtful and harmful). I bet you can’t find a considerably grateful person in the bunch.Value doesn’t have a lot to do with being useful and grateful. As the author writes “value is more about self-worth and self-image than the other two principles are.”As the author writes: “value can start from the same place as gratitude. It can begin with being caring and conscientious about what other people want; the difference, however, is that rather than giving them what they want, a valuable person embodies the essence of whatever those wants are.”This is still one that I am contemplating. It has been one of my life goals to be the essence of love. During the first half of my life, I spent a lot of time overgiving. While that is beautiful, it’s not necessarily valuable. It is such a beautiful (repeating) lesson that the more we give to ourselves equally and love ourselves equally, the more valuable we become to the outer world.I am still contemplating the self-image suggestion, because self-image is so often constructed from external validation. We often see ourselves as others see us. These can be dangerous waters to swim in. I think that the go-around to creating value through self-image is creating an image of self that is a full, artistic expression of who we want to be in the world.Sean Stephenson must have been a great example of creating value through self-image. At just three feet tall, he created a persona and congruent self-image of a giant and brought value everywhere he went with that mindset.We really can get ahead and achieve our dreams (no matter when we start) by just being ourselves when we have a giving, appreciative mindset. If we put our lenses on really understanding others and their suffering, we can both create an impact and make it ELF, as the author says, or easy, lucrative, and fun. I think we all need a little more fun after these past few years.I recommend the book. It is packed full of ideas and action steps. It feels like a modern “Win Friends and Influence People.” I hope you use it to win, move a little bit out of any suffering you have, and create the connections, projects, dreams, business, or better tomorrow that you desire. The world needs your gifts and your heart as a giver. <3

Great book to glean from
This is by far a really great read and everyone should read and learn from this book!!!!

This is not a book! It is a User Manual for Living Your Best Life
I bought Joe’s book and thought I’d just read it in my spare time over the next couple of weeks. That didn’t work. I couldn’t put the book down. I had to buy the audio version so I could listen to it in my car and at the gym. This is a thoughtful and very common-sense manual for those who want to live their best life rather than just a good life.This is not a self-help book. Not even close. It’s really about helping the other guy, and about only surrounding yourself with those who are givers rather than takers. As I’ve read (and listened) to this book, there were so many “ah ha” moments that I just had to slow down and digest what I was reading. One of the best and most effective things about this book is the stories that Joe tells. It’s fine to just describe an idea with words. But Joe has so many stories to share that make the wisdom in his book memorable.People forget about half of what they read in an hour. Within 24 hours, they’ve lost 70%. Within a week, they barely remember anything.But people remember stories. They remember situations that are described and conversations that are recounted. Because of the way Joe presents the lessons he has learned throughout his life, it’s easy to understand and remember the concepts Joe is revealing.What’s In It for Them? is a very unique book. It’s different. It’s a manual. After reading this for the first time, I have a greater sense of self-awareness. I know how to place value in myself and those around me.And most importantly, I truly “get” how critical it is to walk into a room and wonder how you can help someone else rather than what someone else can do for you. When you give and you surround yourself with similarly generous people, you get more than you bargained for.I’m grateful to have found this book. It is a gift.Also, it’s just f-ing interesting! It is a very cool read.Get the book. (You can thank me later).–Fitz

Amazing book. Loved it.Some of it you’ll read and think, this is blindingly obvious, but why aren’t I doing this already!For me it brought home the absolute importance of consciously paying attention and cultivating those important relationships whether personal or professional. It will pay massive dividends for you AND those around you.For example, what if you consciously made it a daily habit to give value (no matter how small) to people in your network every day for the next 5 years? The author asserts that your life and what you could do would be completely transformed. Give value first. I completely get it, and it’s changed how I treat others and what I do to try and help them.Give this book a read!

Imagine you’re standing at the edge of the infinite, staring into the void, shining like a sun. Joe Polish’s eyes shine that light like no one I have ever seen. What’s in that for you? That shine translates to this book.What’s In It For Them is illuminating, warming, and igniting. And I am grateful. If you could use some more warmth in your life, if you want to see more opportunities, if you want to stop leaving your potential in the dark, then buy this book right now. You can thank Joe later.