JOHN DEAN SPEAKS ABOUT WATERGATE AT PALMS SPRINGS ROTARY FUNDRAISER

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to go this event. It was an intimate group of 50 people who had gathered for lunch to meet John Dean. Since I knew no one when I walked into the room, I used my own networking skills that I teach. Found a woman standing all alone, extended my hand, said my name, and said, “What great thing happened to you recently”? She was beaming and said, “Well I work two jobs, and I found out I didn’t have to work this morning so I decided I wanted to come. I’m so grateful they let me come in with no reservation.”

Before the actual lunch started, I had met two more Rotarians and a woman who is a member of the Palm Springs Women’s Club. She immediately invited me to attend when she learned I was new in town.

John Dean began his lecture by saying I have decided I am going to tell you “why” I decided to update Blind Ambition. As my readers know, I am a big proponent of telling people “why” so I found myself smiling even before he began.

He went on to explain that the real reason was because of a lawsuit he was involved with for the last nine years. A person had written a book about him, John Dean, as the central figure. He learned that the book contains outlandish untruths about him and his wife. Through developing his case, he used subpoenas to obtain never before released papers and tapes about Watergate that helped him fill in the missing links. Thus, the book includes many of his new findings.

I couldn’t help being impressed with his candor, which sometimes you could hear the deep emotions in his voice. His willingness to share information about life in Washington DC was very much appreciated. While he now lives in Los Angeles, it was apparent; he is richly connected with the events going on in Washington, D.C.

It was one of the “richest speeches” I have heard in a long time. As I drove home, I thought to myself, about how right Tony Robbins is when he says, “Be sure to get yourself out of your industry and learn about others so that your creativity can be stretched".

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION TIP:

Let your friends know what kind of events you would like to attend. You cannot possibly find them all yourself. A friend found an obscure mention in the newspaper about John Dean delivering this talk and she told me about this event—I would have missed it.