Zuckerberg has a secret, and I think I have discovered it!

Zuckerberg is a household name throughout most of the world. Millions of people use FACEBOOK and know that Mark Zuckerberg is the founder. 

And his sister, Randi Zuckerberg is also known as the one who took it to the next level.

I got to connect to her (both on and off stage), and asked her about how she builds connection and trust, both as a parent and as a succesful business person.

She shared her tips for creating this success, but the real secret is how she makes people feel when they speak to her.

Here are the top 5 things Randi Zuckerberg uses as a succesful parent and business person

1. Being gracious and grateful is the key to connecting to people

Randi Zuckerberg is the master at the art of connecting. I had first seen her give a speech in Los Angeles (USA) in 2013. She got a standing ovation and had the audience of over 1500 people totally caught up in her words.
And although her family name is basically a world wide household name, the most frequent words from her mouth are those of gratitude.
In fact, after my opening sentence in my interview with her when I congratulated her on her amazing talk in 2013, she said, “Thank you so much.. that means so much to me”.

My takeaway:  Being grateful and thankful with such grace is a choice and defines who you are. It has nothing to do with fame or wealth.

2. Wobbly knees and being nervous means you are putting yourself out there

Randi talks about how she pushes her own limits. She says it’s a great thing to feel the wobbly knees and still gtake action. If you are not feeling uncomfortable, then it may mean you are not putting yourself out there enough!
My takeaway: Being uncomfortable because of your nerves means you are testing your limits. And when you feel this way and still take action, then growth happens and new opportunities open up.

3. Being famous and incredibly successful in business can still mean you are just an amateur parent

One of my questions to Randi was how important it was to build connection and trust in the role of parenting. And I loved that she honestly and openly admitted to being a proffesional technologist AND an amateur parent. Part of being succesful in any area s being honest with yourself about where your strengths are, and where you may still be struggling.

My takeaway: In my experience of working with succesful business people, there is NO correlation that being succesful in business means they are succesful in parenting.

4. Being authentic on the journey builds instant connection with the people around you

Randi says that when you honestly share how you are feeling, people can instantly relate and connect to this. This is authenticity. And the best way to get to being autentic, is being honest about where you have been inauthentic.

The moment you own-up to being inauthentic, that puts you right back into BEING authentic. And this is like a magic tool that connects you to people around you.

My takeaway: Her words reinforce my personal view that our chidlren are not looking for us to be the perfect parent, but to be the authentic parent. If you are the perfect parent, this puts so much pressure on your children to now be perfect and live up to that ideal. It may actually backfire and create a greater divide and break the connection you are really looking for.

5. No matter how famous you are, people remember you for your humility

After the interview with Randi, I heard many people just recall how humble and down to earth she was. They didn't speak about the wisdom she shared, nor the amazement of her stories. The most talked about thing was her being so relatable and approachable.

I have heard the same thing about people share stories about their parents. The most memroble times with our parents are not those where they were wise and right, but those where they were connected and authentic. Randi Zuckerberg is the master at connecting and making people feel great.

My takeaway: Being grateful is a magic tool for building connection and succes. It is a 'muscle' you can exercise and make stronger. If your actions follow your thinking, and your thinking follows your feelings... it makes sense to practice the art of BEING grateful.