Erin Albert’s Blog

I was reading this post on the evolution of the “calling card”, which honestly came before the business card. Also, I had the pleasure of meeting an art curator this week who complemented me on my business calling card design (and I really don’t consider myself “arty”…at all…but I’ll take the complement)!  This interest all came about from a friend of mine’s post on Facebook, about using personal email addresses on a business card.   If you can get to the post, you’ll see that I disagree with him, and the more I think about it, the more I think we should go back to the calling card over the business card from now on.

Here’s why: the calling card, although originally plain, was a card about THE PERSON.  A business card, while it has one’s title and contact info at the company on it, is just about THE COMPANY.  When you learn about another person, you usually first get introduced to them through a business lens if you’re networking on a hard core basis…but when you get to know someone, the beautiful thing about getting to know others is their OTHER passions BEYOND their business or company.  That’s where real connections and common interests happen.  Because you are interacting with the PERSON, not just the BUSINESS, that’s why I think personal touches on a calling card way surpass a business card.  Besides, I as a business owner don’t work with BUSINESSES, I work with PEOPLE.

I’ve ranted about this before, but I have a lot of jobs and interests.  Rather than compartmentalize all of them into 4 different business cards and carry around 4 separate identities, why not just face the music, carry one card, and be 100% you?  You can put your preferred contact info on it, AND most IMPORTANT of all - you can talk about ALL your passions - not just WORK!

Furthermore, in this economy, people are now holding down more than one day job.  Maybe that friend of yours who sells Mary Kay also takes pictures?  What if your web designer also is a physical trainer?  What if your lawyer is also a PR guru?  What if you professor teaching X is also a student of Y?  What if one of your professional service peeps is also going to school part time to enhance their careers in a different direction? Do you think that added bonus feature might get them more work, clients, and students?  YES! There shall remain more and more questions if we just compartmentalize ourselves into one day job and leave it at that on the card, and what a travesty to have all that unrevealed identity, as we all seek to connect with others in meaningful ways.

We are multi-faceted, wonderfully complex creatures with more than one calling or passion.  Why not show all that off on a true calling card, and give the person you’re meeting with a little more about you than just a business?

Let’s consider going back to the individualized calling card with all our passions listed and our personal contact info, rather than just showing one dimension with a day job. We are far, far more interesting than that!  As Will Wright says, “…I’ve always been fascinated with the idea that complexity can come out of such simplicity.”

Right on, Will!