In Business, Hugs Matter. Seriously.

I love to hug.  Really, I do.  I’m pretty good at it too- at least my daughters seem to think so.   I thought I was up there in “hugger ranking” until last week when I met a special guy named Martin Rubin.

I met Marty at an event where I was invited to speak.  I was there to speak about social media to the good folks at the New Jersey Bank Marketing Association.  My good friend Scott Agnoli, VP of Marketing with Investors Bank had invited me, and requested that I help educate the people in the audience, but I was the one who walked away with the biggest lesson.  Let me explain:

When I arrived at the venue, Scott greeted me.  He, along with a few other people had congregated around the entrance to the conference room.  One person among Scott’s colleagues stood out among the rest.  His name is Marty Rubin.  Scott introduced me to Marty and in the same breathe let me know that Marty was in the midst of recovering from heart surgery.  I was shocked. He looked great, and seemed to be pulsating from an energy source certainly greater than mine.  Marty and I immediately hit it off while he regaled me with the story of his heart attack, and his recovery. But that’s not what struck me, or inspired me to write this post today. What really struck me was that almost all of the people in the room had two things in common:

1. They were Marty’s client

2. They greeted Marty with a hug

Now when I say that they greeted Marty with a hug, I don’t mean the one armed “bro-hug,” no, not even close. I mean the type of hug that starts across the room with a booming “Maaaaartty, how arrrrrrrrrrre yoooooooooooy”? and ends in a warm lingering, rocking back and forth hug.  Wow.

Marty inspired me, and I hope he inspires you too.  Not just because Marty was doling out hugs last week – but because he was giving and recieving hugs from his clients.  Too often in life we’re guarded. We conduct business with the passion of a rock. We separate ourselves, our true selves from our work. I believe this is a mistake, and witnessing Marty and his clients interact last week has proven it to me.  One look around the room last week and you can tell he’s adored by those that do business with him.  I was inspired.

I know that I’m guilty of not allowing myself to fully allow my personality shine through in my business dealings, but Marty obviously works from a different place. He’s following his DNA.  I’m sure Marty is a savvy business man (his family business has been around for 80 years), but there is something else going on here.  Surely he’s been able to keep his family business running through a horrible economic swoon, but you can tell just by seeing his interaction with his clients – scratch that – his friends that Marty knows how to live life well.

I hope today you approach your work week with a little more heart, a little more passion, a little more love.  I know that I’m going to think about every interaction I have and wonder to myself – would they give me a hug like the hugs that Marty received?

Marty Rubin has proved to me that the good guys DO win in business. So have a great Monday, and an even better work week, and remember – you get excited about Friday if you have a job, but you get excited about Monday if you’re following your passion.  Happy Monday everyone.  Thank you to Marty Rubin.