The PB&J Strategy Book

My first paper in my writing class freshman year at Syracuse University went well.  The 2^nd paper, not so much.  D+. In the top right was a stick figure drawing of a dead person.  The caption said, “ Oh my, how the mighty have fallen. Me after reading this”!  Worse, when I went back to my dorm one of my friends was laughing and telling others a story. When I asked what was so funny, she told me about how the Professor in her writing class wrote about this awful paper and the dead stick figure. I slumped away and was the now the poster child of what not to do.

So, it should come as a surprise that I wrote a book! All kidding aside, my Professor challenged me and I worked hard to become a better writer. Books these days are easier to write although not so easy. You have to write it, find an editor, interior designer (the one who puts the inside together), cover designer, photographer for the cover, voice actors, public relations, website, permissions, file for LLC, trademarks, and on and on.  CBS had me on this week to talk about it. You can watch here.

HOW A SANDWICH CAN CHANGE THE WORLD. THE AMAZING SUCCESS OF THE PB&J STRATEGY was inspired by our organization and how we (our entire community) came together to help us make and deliver 25,000 sandwiches (450 calorie meals) to victims of Hurricane Ian.  Time was of the essence, and we had to have a sense of urgency to get things done.  The process of Giving brought people back into our office and got them involved in doing something positive together. For some it tackled loneliness, isolation, and reawakened their personal and work life. It was one of the most personal and gratifying experiences of my life. There was a surprising offshoot from PB&J though – it was also wildly affecting our business in a positive way.

The PB&J Strategy can and should be duplicated, that is why I wrote about it in a business book.  PB&J’s are a weird tie-in for a business book but once you understand the principles of it, it makes perfect sense. It tells the story of how local & authentic “scheduled giving” can affect you and your work life for rapid growth. We had developed a blueprint on how a company can get involved, and provided (a) a step-by-step guide of how to implement any type of scheduled giving and (b) how to use the PB&J Strategy to revitalize and power your business life.

Benefits at work included added creativity, communication, collaboration, organization, implementation, mood elevation, problem solving, and also indirectly in sales. For Echo, we are utilizing the PB&J Strategy to accomplish a list of 59 “to do’s” that are now happening at a fervent pace – thanks to this experience!

There are 30 short chapters and 10 sets of exercises with 72 “to-do deliverables”.  I wanted this to not be a throwaway “walk on coals type” motivational piece that a reader forgets in a few days. Rather, it’s a thought-provoking and positive implementation tool to help you change your business and your world.

Check out the website PBJ Strategy.com. And you can order your copy now from Amazon.  If you stop over at our office in Palm Beach Gardens or our NEW Downtown Stuart location  (one of our 59 to do’s), I’ll sign a copy with a purple or gold sharpie – your choice.  I promise not to draw any stick figures of you!

*A portion of the net proceeds from the sale of each book will be donated to the Gladiolus Food Pantry, Inc., Fort Myers, Florida, a not for profit 503 [C] [3] charity.

Jeff Lichtenstein, originally from Chicago, got his start in the home furnishings textile business where he traveled over 35 weeks a year selling fabrics. After the family business was sold, Jeff moved to Florida and became a real estate agent. Today he is the owner and broker of Echo Fine Properties, a luxury residential brokerage voted best brokerage of the year. Jeff manages a non-traditional model of real estate that mimics a traditional business model. Echo has 80 agents, an average of one million dollars per transaction and over 500 million in annual sales. Between traveling for work and annual family trips to national parks with his wife and 2 now adult children, Jeff has visited 49 states. He is also one of the few Chicago White Sox fans you’ll ever meet.  Some publications he has been quoted in.

Feel free to ask him a question directly at [email protected] including a complementary  valuation of your home.