donald trump

Give with no Intention of Receiving

I was listening to a podcast featuring Chris Brogan yesterday that coincided perfectly with the Donald Trump story regarding the idea of giving to charity. It seems like the stars aligned this week because the company I work for is also pushing content related to “Giving with an Agenda,” and why that can be harmful.

Anyways, Chris Brogan said something on this podcast that really resonated with me. He was discussing ways in which we can effectively create relationships online through Twitter, our blogs, and anything else. He mentioned how we are used to be bombarded by sales, which everything ultimately comes down to. It seems like every conversation we have online or in life boils down to, “What can this person do for me?”

Brogan pointed out a simple truth. When you give with no intention of receiving, that is, you give without an agenda, people respond. Relationships and intimacy are formed between two entities. Giving without expecting a return may not always be easy to display, but when someone is convinced that you are genuinely trying to help them, they are much more likely to trust you.

I’ve experienced this myself just by writing this blog. I make no money from this and expect nothing in return from the people who gain value from reading this. That is why this blog has gained a following. It’s not because I’m some genius writer (although you’re definitely allowed to think that) because I make mistakes all the time. The point is that you will find much more success in branding something when your mission is trust, and real trust has to be earned.

Jon

Why Donald Trump’s Challenge to Obama Probably Won’t Work

I say “probably” because hey, anything can happen right? That said, the odds that this will actually change anyone’s mind or perception of Obama is rather slim.

Here’s the context. For days, Donald Trump has been hinting at a big “announcement” he would make today (Wednesday). Many speculated on uncovered divorce papers while some even argued he was revisiting Obama’s birth certificate. Turns out, the notorious Trump is offering $5 million to the charity of Obama’s choice if, and only if, he releases his respective college transcripts, including his passport.

This request comes from the notion that the president is hiding a shameful record of low grades during his time at Columbia University. Here’s the thing though: Obama has already admitted that his grades were mediocre during his time there in his book, “The Audacity of Hope.”

Of course, this raises the valid question of why his records are sealed in the first place. Even if he had poor grades, that would change few minds about reelecting him since this happened decades ago. As some have pointed out, however, poor grades mean that Obama could never have gotten into Harvard Law School or kept up scholarships that would have to pay for his education since he did not come from a wealthy background. So, what exactly could the president be hiding?

The real point, however, is that this would change nothing. Obama will never release his college records at the request of a private citizen. That would be political suicide unless he has a sterling record, which is highly unlikely given that he sealed them and because of the points above. Obama will play this off as “political football” and let his constituents attack Trump for him as his advocates. That is the obvious strategy that will inevitably make this issue fizzle out. Some more people will hate Trump. Some more people will distrust Obama. That’s about it.

That is, however, unless something completely unpredictable happens between now and October 31st, which I am all for.

Jon