Quincy Jones

I read Q:  The Autobiography of Quincy Jones a while back. Tweet

Quincy has had an amazing life.  Most people know him as the producer of Michael Jackson’s, Thriller, but Q has worked with hundreds of famous people, including Frank Sinatra, Lesley Gore, Ray Charles, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Miles Davis.

Originally a music arranger, Quincy met a lot of musicians before he turned 21-years-old.  By most accounts, Quincy took care of his relationships and one friendship led to another and so on, resulting in a lifetime of fruitful collaborations.

You only have to meet someone once

The French have a delightful way of saying “goodbye.”  They say, “à la prochaine,” which means, until the next time.

I like this way of signing off because it downplays “goodbye” and emphasizes the next hello.

With Alex Mandossian in Los Angeles

For years, I’ve said “goodbye” to friends, retail clerks, and even strangers I meet by saying, “See you next time.”

Call me crazy, but I feel that once I meet someone, I never have to meet them again.

Once I begin a relationship with you, for example, we never have to start over again; we can merely pick up where we left off.

My friend, Alex Mandossian, one of the smartest Internet marketers in the land, likes to sign off with the phrase, “I hope our paths cross again.”  It’s the same concept.

People are your greatest resource

When asked to speak to students at commencements and other keynote events, I advise youngsters to meet people as fast as they can.  That way they can begin relationships that will serve them for decades.

Do this online, as well.  The average social media user has between 120 and 150 Facebook friends.  Increase that number for better-than-average return from your online networking.

This same principle can be applied in business when it comes to communicating, marketing, and even blogging.  Just try to connect in meaningful ways.  Give continuous value to people.

And like Quincy, meet people as fast as you can.

-Michael Angelo Caruso, Royal Oak, Michigan