Don’t be afraid to stand out from the crowd. To reach for more and to aim at making an impact in the lives of others. Be in a “Connective State of Mind” wherever you go and always be primed to socialize. I love spreading joy to those around me, with a smile, because making an impact on people and contributing to the betterment of their experience is a fantastic feeling.
I’m always talking to people and making new friends wherever I am. I could be at a restaurant, on an airplane, in an office building, at an event, or in transit; it doesn’t matter. Where others shy away, I thrive because putting a smile on at least a single face (if not more) is worth it. Bring joy with you, wherever you go. Express joy often and elicit joy in others.
You’ll not only be remembered for your personality but for the way you made people feel. So meet people, where you find them or as they show up and be open to connecting deeply with them, as you share in the emotions or feeling of the moment. Be a sponge that absorbs and dispels negativity, and an antenna that projects, broadcasts, and communicates positivity. Networking isn’t about working a room or getting what you need from a connection, it’s about deep organic and authentic relationships built on trust, mutual positivity, love, respect, consistency, dependability, and growth.
The answer to where the Sudsies Smile came from is a simple one. When I graduated college and was able to get my first credit card (on my own) I remember signing the credit card receipt with a smile because I was so happy. I was just so elated with that feeling of putting a smiley face on the bottom of the receipt. The attendant was like “You can’t do that. You need to sign your name. Let me see your receipt!” Nowadays, with technology, you don’t even need to sign a paper receipt because if they can scan your credit card, it’s considered authentic. So, the point is that: the power of the smile was created by accident.
I know I’m going back in time but how you start something and how things make you feel, that’s why you may continue doing it because, for me, it just made me feel good. I just always felt that the power of connecting people was with a smile. So, a silly signing of a credit card receipt just transformed into being a part of everything that I do, and it just translated into the way we do business at Sudsies. In the end, it’s not that it’s major external iconography but more so that it’s for internal messaging to our teams to learn about the smile. That we build great energy and great attitude; it’s a way to market to our own teams in-house that how you do something is how you relate to people, and it just became a part of the company culture. “It’s a fantastic example of how even a momentary expression of joy can become a driving engine or durable device for culture within a company,” Jerry Delince, Chief Marketing Officer, continues. “The joy continues to power everything at Sudsies.”
The feeling of joy echoes because its relatable, people understand it, and for me, the smile, it just became a part of my DNA. At this point, 20+ years later, this image or device of a smile is beyond even just being a device at this point because it’s part of the DNA of my brand and my company. From me to the team to Sudsies as a whole, the Smile and the joy it elicits and represents, permeates everything. It puts energy into everything we do and while we’re working together, sacrificing so much, and working so hard, especially the leadership team, it just reinforces our endeavors and turns what we do every day into more than just a job. The smile is the end goal because what we do is more than just work.
As a very social person and quick connector, I love people, love making friends everywhere I go, and because I’m authentic, people relate to me. Even if sometimes it can be a little crazy, people can still connect to it. For example, I recently wore a pair of smiley glasses to the airport and despite my wife and daughter voicing their dismay at the loudness of it all, the stewardess loved them to the point of exclaiming, “I love those glasses!” Still wearing them despite my families’ protest as we sat down, compliments abound from everyone walking by in the aisle that they thought they were great. They were flip-up glasses, so I was flipping them up and smiling at everybody. You know, I was really leaning into it, and throughout the flight everyone was saying something about them.
At the end of the flight, I gave the glasses to the stewardess and said, “I hope this makes you smile and pass the smile on!” There’s tremendous meaning behind a smile. Don’t be afraid to be memorable, to stand out from the crowd, to make an impact, and to let a smile cut through the static that can often be the negativity or cynicism found in a 21st century world. Never forget the value found in the human element, joy, and connecting with people. Smile deeply and often. “Jason is adept at making durable connections with people,” Jerry elaborates. “Not just quick connections but durable deep connections that lead to either a lasting impression or a lasting relationship. The depth of the quick connection is important.”
People do business with people that they trust, and people trust people that have some sense of commonality, and commonality can be very superficial. For me, I find that commonality wherever I go, with whoever I become friends with, but I look for and find the positive in every relationship (which can be built upon) because that’s what creates the trust to continue to build that relationship. Inherently superficial, commonality needs to be genuine, real, authentic, and transformed into the best version of itself. When you figure that out, that’s when the connection and relationship matter. That’s when it’s real and long lasting, for the right reasons. Everything is a relationship and I really do take everything as a relationship.
A relationship though is more than just quick connecting (which can be the spark for how it starts) but not what, at the end of the day, maintains it or helps it to thrive and grow long term. Yes, the smile is a way of life, and it helps you to create the energy in a room. That’s its power, but sometimes people can be stand-offish or not understand such an expressive energy. So, at first, although it can be jarring to some people who are closed off, for those that break through and come around to understanding it, they end up loving it and wanting more. Usually, people always want to be around energy. When that energy is real and authentic, eventually familiarity with it leads to an understanding of it. People are magnetic and I love coming away with new friends no matter the place. Especially when people realize that my energy is genuine and positive, the momentum just builds from there. Joy fuels growth so expand your social circle, socialize more often, smile big and bright, and make a positive impact on peoples’ lives.
3 ways to socialize and spread joy to those around you:
- Be the positive one. Being the positive one could mean that you look towards solutions instead of obstacles or excuses. It could mean that you notice the silver lining that ultimately leads to success, or that you unite a team with the hope necessary to achieve a goal. Being positive is being resilient and it takes courage to think the best no matter the circumstances. People remember when you uplift them and they remember when you listen to them with a positive intent, so get out there, spread some joy, and improve some lives. Alternatively, you could always identify some other people that share your state of mind and make new friends.
- Acknowledge greatness when you see it. Champion not only your team’s success but the successes of the individuals you meet. People appreciate the recognition and acknowledging that their impact is seen, appreciated, and worth all the sacrifices along the way helps to embed positivity into their endeavors and instill evermore momentum into their journey. Generous and gracious personalities are positive elements in the growth of joy that help us fly even higher.
- Socializing becomes easier the more that you do it. Standing out from a crowd or socializing may be difficult at first. A lot of people shy away from it or are closed off to making a scene but if you stick with it long enough then you start to notice that those that appreciate the open authenticity gravitate towards you and before you know it, the whole energy of the room is changed for the better.
