Big ideas seem to be everywhere, business to personal, the ideas are plentiful. How many people do you know talking about their dream job, or that book or movie script they want to write, or that product they’ve been thinking about making or that business they’ve been working on?

I’m no different. I’m a wellspring of ideas and I’m constantly receiving ideas from clients, friends, peers, and colleagues. I have journals, folders, hard drive space, blog posts, whiteboards, and sticky notes full of ideas. Thinking Big is not a problem for me. I suspect you feel the same way,

It seems the Thinking Big is easy, maybe too easy.

In fact, we are well trained in this production of ideas. From early childhood request to use our imaginations through school and work life where we are required to brainstorm with peers. To further our comfort with ideas we interpret ideas as both intellectual and inspirational often spawn from the world around us, past experiences, in the moment circumstances and seemingly without effort while listening to music or watching TV or simply being ‘zoned out’. We simply can not escape our ideas, they are a part of us. And as my colleague, Kneale has recently posted http://onemann.blogspot.com/2011/04/big-ideas-big-plans-big-business.html it’s a scary thing to have all these big ideas and the fear of failure weighs heavy on us.

The dark side of big ideas is fear.

It seems that thinking big has an ugly side, an often unspoken side, a dark side. With every good idea, immediately coupled with it is the dark side of that big idea, the big fear. A fear of failure, a fear of being seen incompetent, a fear of being evaluated or criticized by friends, spouse, and coworkers. Wow, what baggage.

No wonder we keep talking about our ideas and not acting on them. So long as they stay ideas, you and everyone else can treasure them, you can continue to declare yourself a genius, and you can rest comfortably knowing there really is no pressure to deliver the idea – to do the idea, to take action.

Many of us know what we are afraid of and how to deal with it, However, many great ideas never get acted on because we do not acknowledge the fear that comes from those ideas. What’s worse, is the answer to these fears is quite simple. Give yourself permission to fail and take action. Don’t feed the dark side of your big ideas.

Go, make your ideas happen. Take action and see your big ideas become a reality.

The power of positive thinking – you’ve heard that before, right? What about the power of positive interaction?

Now more than ever we can create and share in conversations in ways that were never possible before the internet. But what do you bring to the conversation? Is it really a contribution? Is it meaningful? Is it positive? Consider the Theory of the Dipper and the Bucket for a moment.

The Theory of the Dipper and the Bucket

Each of us has an invisible bucket. It is constantly emptied or filled, depending on what others say or do to us. When our bucket is full, we feel great. When it’s empty, we feel awful.

Each of us also has an invisible dipper. When we use that dipper to fill other people’s buckets — by saying or doing things to increase their positive emotions — we also fill our own bucket. But when we use that dipper to dip from others’ buckets — by saying or doing things that decrease their positive emotions — we diminish ourselves.

Like the cup that runneth over, a full bucket gives us a positive outlook and renewed energy. Every drop in that bucket makes us stronger and more optimistic.

But an empty bucket poisons our outlook, saps our energy, and undermines our will. That’s why every time someone dips from our bucket, it hurts us.

So we face a choice every moment of every day: We can fill one another’s buckets, or we can dip from them. It’s an important choice — one that profoundly influences our relationships, productivity, health, and happiness.

As conversations become easier to start with tools like Facebook and Twitter consider too, how easy it is to add to or take from someone’s bucket and how that impacts your personal and emotional self (not to mention your personal brand).

The Theory of the Dipper and the Bucket is the foundation for the book “How Full Is Your Bucket”. I’ve mentioned this book in earlier posts and highly recommend it. Put the power of positive interaction in action immediately.

You can purchase this book by following my affiliate link here:

While at SOBcon in Chicago, I was talking about project management with the folks at my mastermind table and I went on a quick riff about how I essentially project manage all my projects from book publishing to website launches and marketing plans to business plans and nearly everything in-between.

The discussion was quick, but it’s a great topic to elaborate on.

This article is about project management and includes:

1. A video on what I believe makes a great project manager
2. A basic outline of what a project manager does
3. A few resources to really dig deep and learn about project management processes

This article is based on the past 15 years of launching websites, books, newspapers, magazines, and managing video and photography shoots as well as the management of advertising campaigns among other things link events, business plans, marketing plans.

NOTE: I am not a “Project Manager” by title.  I consider myself to be a Champion for the project and if you are trying to turn ideas or projects into a reality, you should be a Champion too.

This (almost) short video opens up on some of my fundamental ideas on Project Management and sets the tone well for the rest of this article. Watch it to learn about my thoughts on Human Capital.

What Makes a Great Project Manager from Justin McCullough on Vimeo.

In the video, that was not a direct quote from Seth Godin. In Linchpin, Purple Cow, Free Prize Inside (affiliate links) and his blog he talks about championing projects and shipping and I guess I just wanted to name drop

10 Things Great Project Managers Do:

1 – Champions the project.
This includes accepting the responsibility of success or failure of the project from the very beginning. Accept the responsibility right off the bat because you’ll be the first one blamed for it if there are problems or failure, so may as well own it from the start so its easier for you to deal with.

2 – Facilitates communication and becomes the info hub.
You will always be the center of the communication for all internal and external constituents.  Use good judgment and common sense in your communication, maintain a “can do” attitude and always be the first to check in or follow up.  Always be the keeper of current information and share it freely. It helps people understand what you are about and if you offer to help, not just criticize or enforce objectives, you’ll be a friend and ally to the project.

3 – Defines, interprets and shares expectations. Often.
Even the best and most talented minds can be paralyzed if they are unclear on expectations.  This includes responsibilities, process, timeline, tasks, deliverables, budget and PAYMENT for services.  Some of the biggest issues I’ve ever had with experts on a project have stemmed from their incorrect assumptions on when they would get paid or the intent of the project all because I trusted “they were the expert and would know what was expected”.  Appreciate the expertise, but honor the client and the project by clarifying the details and setting expectations.  Those connected to the project will appreciate you for it and know that you run a tight operation that sets the project on the path of success. We all want expectations, so give them.

4 – Asks questions and is not a no-it-all.
Great project managers don’t know the in’s and out’s of every job required to complete the project, but they do know the people involved know their job.  Great project managers ask the right “why” and “how” questions often in order to uncover real issues, real deliverables, real expectations etc.  The why and how aren’t asked so you can learn to do their job, they are asked so you can learn how they see themselves fitting their jobs into the project on time and on budget.  This is a key part of understanding the work to be done as well as the expectations or challenges of the people involved in the project.

5 – Knows the steps, what’s next, and where things are going.
To successfully champion any project you must always be aware of the deliverables, milestones, tasks and pinch-points or bottlenecks in the project.  While you might think “everyone” understands how important the project (the client, the budget etc) is, none of them will be married to the entire project end-to-end like you are, so always know who’s doing what, when, where, why, how and then what’s next.  When in doubt, remember that you are the map and if you don’t know what’s next it’s likely to cause a pinch-point that will cost time and money. Be the map and know what’s next.

6 – Inspects what is expected.
Plotting dates, budgets, milestones and tasks are essential.  Large projects will have many items – enough to warrant project management software, but regardless of size, the tools you use, great project managers inspect what they expect.  The tighter the project is on time and budget, the closer you have to be with your follow-up (inspection).  See, follow-up is a nice way to say it, so follow-up often.

7 – Eternally represents the solution not the problem.
The best project managers internalize the issues and problems and determine next steps and solutions to the problems. As a champion of the project it’s your place to find the solution proactively and keep the project moving forward.  It’s nice when it happens, but never assume someone else will jump in with a solution to bail you out. Again, you are the champion of the project so it is you who represents the solution so always represent that solution so the project can be completed.

8 – Owns the bad news, shares the good news.
Great project managers take the punches and share the successes.  That’s just the way it works so don’t throw your vendors, partners and employees under the bus to save face.  Always own the bad news personally and share what you are doing to fix it. And by all means, celebrate every victory, every win, everything good with the ones who did it – never take the credit for yourself.

9 – Cares.
Great project managers care about the client, the people involved, the project and it’s success.  If you care, it will be obvious.  If you don’t care, it will be obvious too.  When you care it’s much easier to get results.

10 – Knows how to ship.
You must be results oriented and the best project managers help things get unstuck and ship. Everything ships including the final project. Ship on time (or early) on budget (or under budget) and you’ll have a winning project and a remarkably important role in your organization, your ideas, and your success. Focus on shipping and you’ll do great.

Learn More About Project Management and the Process.

I personally try not to use project management software and I have never received formal training in project management which means there are a lot more skilled project managers (as in skilled in the craft, the software, and the formal process) than I am.

However, I have launched about 200 websites, several newspapers and magazines, several books and many many many advertising initiatives that have all gone well without project management software or certification as a project manager. I think you can too.  This is one area where a desire to succeed and learn means you don’t need to be certified in order to be great at it.

In my experience, most clients don’t care how you deliver on their goals and objectives. They only care that you meet and exceed their goals and objectives. In my opinion that’s all that matters too.  My hope is that this article will help you understand the core aspects required to champion a project and become a great project manager.

If you want to dig deeper into the formal processes of project management, here’s some good content to sink your teeth into.

• 11 Things Every New Project Manager Should Know
• 20 Things Every Project Manager Should Know and Do
• Wikipedia definition of Project Management
• Project Management 101
• Top 10 Qualities of a Project Manager
• The SCRUM Process
• The Stage-Gate Model
• The Waterfall Model

My personal methods are something of a mashup between the Agile Method and 37 Signals approach mixed with SCRUM and Stage-Gate processes.  These techniques have been folded in over the last 8 years or so, but prior to that I was literally just learning as I went and still delivering so don’t get tied up on ingesting all this at once.

Good luck on your project management efforts and don’t hesitate to share your experiences or ask for help.

One of my business boundary pushing colleagues, Jason Kellie, recently brought up a few thoughts on “books” and “reading” on his blog.

Jason wants to know a few things:

You can see Jason’s answers to those three points on his blog Idea2Opportunity.com.

Jason and I tweet to each other daily, swap emails weekly, and skype occasionally. I respect Jason for his entrepreneurial ways and his willingness to act on his thoughts. He is business savvy, has a record of success, and fearless when it comes to exploring new territory. He also started an awesome CD / DVD company called DittoBite where you can print short-run or just one disk for about $1 and I think that business fits well with the growth in consumer production where “everyone” is now a producer. Jason is also a Linchpin and one of the earliest members of The Linchpin Way community.

Jason, here are your answers…

As I’ve mentioned in other blog posts, I believe in reading books. I’m a big reader and shared my 2009 book list as well as my first load of books to read for this year.

Why I read books:

Inspiration

I read books with an open mind so it’s easy to be inspired when the information is let in freely. For me, books inspire me to create, experiment, contemplate, and go somewhere I may not have gone before. Books like Linchpin inspire me to act.

Personal Growth

I want to grow personally and books allow me to learn the truest lessons of the author. Think about that. A book is typically the cream that rises to the top in the author’s mind and you get it just by reading what may have taken them years to ascertain. Talk about short cuts to personal development.

Mentoring

As a mentor, it’s my responsibility to learn, stretch and grow so I can take information and teach others. No new information, no new teaching. Every book I read becomes useful to a future lesson I have not yet shared. Books like Marketing 2.0 inspire me to teach social media for business where as books like All Marketers are Liars inspire me to grow the potential of every marketer and business owner.

Leadership

The only way to see around corners and through walls is to have unexpected insight that most do not have. As a leader, the books I read coupled with my own real life experience allow me to see around corners, develop a broader worldview, and see trends, cycles and patterns that others don’t see because they don’t have the incoming data points to connect. Books like the Long Tail and Tipping Point allow me to better define the “why” behind the “what” and because I know to look for it – I see it when others don’t.

Attention

Yep, I said it. I read books for attention… Well I mean, I read books for the nuggets that are repeatable, easy to share and interesting. I read books for the story-telling value, the ability for me to have unexpected connections to conversations and ideas with other people. No-one likes a no-it-all, but everyone loves a good story (and the story-teller). Books keep me full of good stories to tell.

My reading process:

I have several books I am reading at a given time. As few as three and as many as six. I have my “clutch” book, the one I’m committed to reading the fastest. Then I have my “in progress” books that I want to read, but don’t have a mental timeline in mind. Then I have my “fluff” book that is my time away book (I treat this book like TV time – its entertainment). Then I have my “travel” book which is an audio book in my truck and instead of talk radio or music, I listen to an audio book – even if I’ve heard it already.

I read my clutch book about 20 – 30 minutes daily. I typically read from my in progress books about 5 – 10 minutes daily. I read my fluff book when the moment feels right which is usually a few times a week for about 20 minutes. My travel book is the duration of my road trip so usually at least 30 minutes.

Right now, I am reading 6 books as described above. Also, not that it matters, but I always read two pages at least and when I stop, I always stop on the left page at the first noticeable break or paragraph end so I know where to pick up later. Yes, I am a dork.

Justin’s Top 5 Books

This is tricky and it’s possible if you asked me at a later date I may not select the same books. I have intentionally not included spiritual books that are indeed on my top list.

1. The Richest Man in Babylon by George S Clason – Ground Zero for understanding personal finances.
2. The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino – We are all salesmen and this book is paramount for integrity based selling.
3. How Full is your Bucket by Tom Rath and Donald O Clifton – Truly understand why and how positive interaction will change your life and those around you (it’s a lifestyle).
4. Linchpin by Seth Godin – Own your life and live it fully. Your art is a gift, do the work that matters, don’t be a cog in the system.
5. Purple Cow by Seth Godin – Success follows things that are remarkable. Be remarkable.

What are your Top 5 Books? Tell me below and don’t forget to tell Jason on his blog.

Marketing 2.0 by Bernie Borges

A book review and 9 responses from Bernie Borges on  “Marketing 2.0″ – Bridging the gap between seller and buyer through social media marketing.

Before diving into the interview, first a bit about Bernie Borges and why I think Marketing 2.0 is a great book for any business interested in online growth.

Bernie’s twitter profile reads:  “Author of Marketing 2.0, Social Media Evangelist, Inbound Marketing Agency CEO, Blogger, Podcaster, Speaker, and Entrepreneur”.

From what I can tell, Bernie is not a geek, gearhead, computer nerd, or software engineer, he is a regular business guy working with regular businesses to produce irregular results online.  The sort of results most businesses think are impossible to repeat in their situation. What these business don’t understand is that they can achieve the same success if only they shift to a Marketing 2.0 mindset.

So, if you are a business struggling to embrace the social web, struggling to understand what web 2.0 is all about and how inbound marketing can work for you, then Marketing 2.0 is probably the only book you need to read to get started.

Where as most books educate on specific elements, terms and definitions, Bernie’s book also provides context, logical reasons and actionable information to truly embrace the concepts in your real world situation.  You will have many “ah ha” moments as you see the “why” that is often hidden behind the “what” you may already be familiar with.

In my opinion as a marketer and player in this space, I feel this book is the first book a business should purchase to build their web integrated marketing foundation.  Starting here, with a Marketing 2.0 mindset, will allow all other things to fall into place.  It is exactly this reason that I decided to write this post and interview Bernie.

So, on to the interview.

1) You describe much more than social media in this book.  Why did you take such a holistic approach to marketing?

I originally had another title for the book that pertained to social media. I realized as I was writing the book that it was about marketing as a new mindset. The book is broader than social media, though I focus on explaining how to use social media in a 2.0 marketing mindset.

2) Why are companies struggling to embrace the Marketing 2.0 mindset?

Because they don’t view marketing 2.0 as a mindset. Many marketers still have a 1.0 mindset applied to the new tools on the social web. Without the mindset they won’t get good results.

3) I enjoyed Mike Volpe’s contribution to the Foreward of Marketing 2.0.  As the front runner for Hubspot, what types of people do you think he recommends this book to and why?

Mike wrote a terrific foreword for which I’m very grateful. He recommends the book to social media newbies.

4) You have a whole chapter dedicated to Personal Branding. I found it to be deeply relevant for a person’s ‘personal branding’. I also thought it was just as applicable to companies that are attempting to be more personal with their branding.  How has Marketing 2.0 changed branding for individuals and companies?

Those who understand the rationale for personal branding realize that it’s all about humans marketing to humans in human ways. The corporate cloak is dead. Brands and people who work for brands need to be human. Personal branding is about the convergence of “me” as “me” and as a worker in a company. I’m not two different people. The brand I represent can be represented by me and by the brand in very human ways.

5) I triple underlined a passage in your book talking about how we are trained in business to protect (horde) our information, experiences and content and that your advice was to just let the content go.  What would you suggest as a starting point for companies who resist this fundamental shift in thinking and messaging?

It’s hard for some companies to adopt the mindset which calls for letting your content go. My advice is to study what others are doing in their industry. Experiment with content flow and see what happens. It can start gradually and expand over time. I wouldn’t expect overnight results.

6) You have a nice collection of real-life case studies of “regular” businesses putting Marketing 2.0 in action.  Do you have a recent case study you wish you could have included in the book?

Homemaker’s Magazine in Toronto has recently become very active on the web by sharing their content and building terrific relationships. They are building an online community that transcends to their print product.

http://www.homemakers.com/

7) What do you think professional marketers who have already adopted the social web will take away from your book?

Hopefully, they can pick up suggestions about how to convince any skeptics in their company to become a marketing 2.0 company. I also have a chapter on staffing which can be useful to experienced marketers as well as closing the loop between marketing and sales.

You describe traditional media as interruptive media.  If you plug your website, twitter, or facebook on a television or radio spot – is that good or bad or just more of the same “old school” thinking?

That’s not old school. You’re inviting people to connect with you on the web. If you don’t engage with people properly, that would be “old school.” But if you truly engage people with good content, you listen, you invite them to participate in your community, it’s great to promote these channels in any marketing materials you produce.

9) With only 140 characters for a call to action, why would someone read Marketing 2.0 today?

Adopt a marketing 2.0 mindset. Think like a publisher. Build relationships. Earn trust. Enjoy the sales benefits.

Buy the book, Marketing 2.0 on Amazon

Visit Bernie’s website or see Bernie on twitter.

April 12 1892 – April 13, 1973
Henry Darger, an artist, a recluse, and now a mystery. At the age of 81, Henry died in 1973, four years before I was born. Yet, today I am inspired by his story and must share it with you.

Henry Darger: Lived in Chicago, dressed daily in a hand-mended army coat, held a lifelong career mostly as a janitor with only three known photos to capture his likeness. By day a menial worker, a recluse, and dedicated Catholic with daily attendance to mass, but by night an artist, a story teller, author and conversationalist only to himself.

Henry authored an epic journey filling more than 15,000 pages, wrote his autobiography exceeding 5,000 pages, logged thousands of hand written notes, and painted nearly 300 water color paintings and countless sketches and drawings. A prolific expression of art and passion.

In 1909 he began the writing and illustrating of his 15,000+ page epic. No teachings, art lessons, or mentors. He started his own way. Clipped from magazines and newspapers as source material and used these images in future works. In his own ways, these clippings were used and reused as overlays, collages, tracings and inspiration to create the pictures in his head that reflected his vast and complex fictional world.

Henry read every paper published, the morning edition and the evening edition, all he could find as source material. He used butcher paper as his canvas and glued sheets together sometimes 12 feet long – often painted on both sides.

For his epic he wrote his own lyrics to Calvary songs, kept notes on the fictitious cost of the war he was chronicling and included character notes, plot points, and many other notes for his work of passion. He was meticulous and experimental in his approach. But he was also not limited to just the one story in his mind. Along with his autobiography, a short story about a twister, he committed 10 years to journaling Chicago’s weather several times daily specifically discounting and admonishing the local weatherman and his inaccuracies.

It is reported that Henry slept in a chair only a few hours a night, never in a bed. No television, not evenings out, nothing other than his reclusive expression of art and passion. In isolation his work was really never known until after his death. His work never enjoyed by others, his passion never conveyed one-on-one, his gift virtually hidden for his entire life of 81 years.

With almost 300 paintings, more than 30,000 pages of written works, a single typed manuscript of “In the Realms of The Unreal” spanning 15,145 pages, Henry left us with an epic journey that ends with both a glorious victory and fateful defeat – truly two different endings to the saga. Why? We will never know.

Henry Darger died on April 13, 1973 at 81 years old – only 1 day after his birthday.

Henry is now acclaimed as one of the most famous figures in “outsider art” and his paintings have sold for more than $80,000.

Henry lives inside us – each one of us.

We all have a story like Henry’s waiting to be told. Perhaps you are already telling it in solitude or perhaps you are storing up, withholding it because you are waiting for the right time. Learn from Henry, what you need to know, you already possess – the rest you will learn as you go, but go you must. Let your art go.

81 years is too long to wait to see what you have to share with us. Start today and celebrate it tomorrow – with friends.  A great group of friends are coming together to share their talents and gifts and would love to have you at The Linchpin Way.

Examples of Twitter #fail happen every day, and I just lived through one. In fact, I didn’t just live through it, I demonstrated twitter #fail myself and now I see how it can happen even if it’s unintentional.  Don’t let this happen to you.

Quick Back Story - I had just gone through a great effort to prepare a one hour presentation over social media.  I spent a lot of time on this over the weekend and gave the presentation Monday January 11^th.  Several people who wanted to come but couldn’t make it asked me to video it.  So I did.  After the presentation I got a great deal of feedback on it’s value from many of the business leaders.  My bucket was full – overflowing actually from all the positive feedback.  I must be on to something meaningful here.  (Side note, For pro marketers and internet evangelists, this is probably just the “regular” stuff, but for many who are on the sidelines watching the internet speed past their business storefronts, this was really insightful stuff.)

With fresh recommendations and praise and the knowledge that I touched many, I set on a self imposed mission to share this good content.

My priority: Get the message out and the content in the hands that needed it most via the power of the social web (exactly what I just presented on).

I just knew this was a eureka opportunity and all I had to do was empower others to put this in the hands of those who needed it.

Naturally the side benefit, I thought, would be increasing my value, starting a meaningful discussion on the topics in the presentation and maybe, just maybe picking up a few followers and friends along the way.  And hey, I thought, I’m not selling anything here, just giving away content – this is the perfect message and the perfect reason to leverage the social web.
Or so I thought.

What I did next, was classic fail (and I didn’t even see it happening).

So, with my blinders on and seeing the world through rose colored glasses, off I went into the twittersphere.

I picked a few friends and invited them to get involved.

@leader4hire - First Tweet (innocent enough)

Then… A few others

@leader4hire Second Tweet (ok, why not)

Then… I remembered a few others and invited them too

@leader4hire Third Tweet (hmm, this feels kinda weird)

Then… I thought, hey, this is showing in my stream and I probably look insincere – I should probably announce that I’m not trying to bend twitter to my will and spam away for attention. I know, it would be best for me to say something like that.

@leader4hire Fourth Tweet (see look, I'm not a bad guy)

And then back to the business at hand, another tweet or two…

@leader4hire 5th Tweet (and maybe one or two more...)

Oh yeah, and these guys too

@leader4hire 6th Tweet (a plot shifting and pivitol moment coming up)

Then… In response to my tweet moments before, someone I respect and enjoy said:

@unmarketing First Tweet (pithy... and... right?)

Uhh *gulp* What?  I’m THAT guy now? Not me… Not me. Never. Why didn’t I see this coming?

@leader4hire 7th Tweet (humbled)

… but but.. Not what I meant

@unmarketing Second Tweet (Back to the basics, remember those?)

Well, but here’s what I was thinking (actually just wanting redemption at this point)

@leader4hire 8th post (doesnt matter now)

Engagement over. Then self loathing, despair and frustration set in there after and go into a ponderous state.

@leader4hire 9th Tweet (humbled and a bit wiser)

Then the light bulb.

I’ve learned something here.  Something very important through a real experience that really was filled with good intentions.  I need to share this story, and show how it happens and how to avoid it.  Thus this blog post was born – as shameful to me as it may seem, it’s a valuable lesson.

I hope my loss is your gain.

5 Tips to Avoid Twitter Fail:

1 – Only single out a few people that you really want feedback from with your @reply message.

As I looked back through my tweets, I had 3 maybe 4  people I absolutely needed/wanted feedback from.  For the others, my motivation was different (maybe it’s useful to them, they probably know somebody that needs it, this guy will probably think I’m smart, I want this persons attention and this is a good way to get it). #Fail happened here.  Don’t do this.

2 – Do not confusion your goal.

If you want honest feedback ask for feedback from ONLY the person (people) you honestly want it from.  If you want to share, openly share it with just one tweet.  The people who care will see it.  If you want to use it for self promotion, consider this and don’t do what I did (unless you don’t care about your image).  Use the tool for good reasons and get good results.  Start combining goals and using the tool for questionable reasons and get bad results… And remember, on twitter it’s not you that makes it questionable it’s what your viewers see that define it as questionable (not authentic, not sincere, etc).

3 – Share you content over time and over discussion like a meal with friends.

My link and to the presentation and video didn’t need to be shared in massive quantities all at once.  The truth of the matter is that I only had a few people I was discussing this presentation with and sharing it with them was expected.  For others, I should have started a dialog and when it made sense, suggested the content for the right reasons – for them, not for me.

4 – Match what is valuable to you to what will be perceived as valuable to them.

This is the classic advertising snafu – assume everyone is interested and if they aren’t, interrupt them until they notice.  I know better.  The truth is, Scott called me out because this video probably means very little to him AND I hadn’t been talking to him about this presentation. In fact, my only engagement with him has been me complimenting his progress on his book which he cordially replies back to let me know he sees me. However that does not yet mean that he “gets me”. In fact, Scott is not even following me (I didn’t realize that until writing this).  To him, (I presume) we aren’t yet friends and all I was doing was leveraging the network to get his attention.  And in hindsight, that’s exactly what I was doing – I just didn’t realize it because it only takes a second to write @unmarketing in my next tweet.  My thought process – (use goober voice) “hey I like Scott, he replies back to me. I’ll include him in this next tweet. Weeeee”.  Just because it only takes a second doesn’t mean you should do it.

5 – When it feels like you shifted from honest intentions to “seizing the moment” that should be a red flag.

This happened after my 2^nd or 3^rd tweet, which is what prompted me to make the promise that I wasn’t spamming.  I should have seen this as a sign, but didn’t.  Don’t make this mistake. You may not have someone like Scott who sees it quickly, checks your profile, and calls it like they see it.  I was lucky and hopefully before too much damage was done.

Bonus Tip

Be open minded and considerate of your twitter fellows (and their feedback). Good stuff is everywhere and it’s up to you to see it and acknowledge it – regardless of the shape, package, or presentation of it.

The Bottom Line for Me

I got a real life lesson on twitter etiquette and I’m better for it (I think).

I hope I haven’t lost traction with any of my twitter people along the way.  Good intentions or not, lesson learned. Special thanks to Scott.  Not sure how others would have taken it, but for me it was a needed wake up call.  Thanks.

So now, tweet this so I don’t have too

What’s your title?  What’s your skill?  Is it one or two things, or maybe three things?  If so, you’re in trouble over the next 10 years.

The days of being a “plumber” or an “artist” are gone.  No more and never again will a person be able to be just one thing and be successful.  Now and moving forward, you must be multiversatile – capable of many things across many fields competently.

You already see it in the local business owner who is the accountant, the salesman, the customer service rep, the help desk, and the human resources department.  But it’s not just for business owners anymore.  Now it’s the regular guys.  The $10/hr guys.

The guys who will get ahead will be the ones who learn to express their ideas in a blog, an audio clip or a video – even if they are not “writers” or “camera men”.  The guys who will win are the ones who learn to setup a website, a hosting account, and a wireless network – even if they are not “programmers” or “network engineers”.  The guys who will have more accounts, more sales and better reputations will be the guys using facebook, twitter, along with teleseminars and local conferences – even if they are not “social media consultants”.

As we go forward, titles are pointless. If you want to win, you must be bigger than any job title and be able to demonstrate the ability to cross a wide spectrum of skills that were never before required.  The good news is if you do it now, you’ll still be with the pack or maybe even ahead of the pack – for a little while.

What are you doing to blow up your job title and explode with success?

Here’s 7 things you can do:

1. Pick a friend in the company (or at another company) and cross train with them
2. Learn twitter, facebook, blogging, or any other current technology
3. Even if it’s not your job, pick a project, make it your own, and run with it.
4. Learn more about leadership, sales, and/or marketing – you can’t go wrong with these skills!
5. Get out – go to seminars, conference, workshops, and events.
6. Become an expert on your business (not your job specialty)
7. Become the in-house trainer on topics / skills.

// Edit // See Bernie Bay’s thoughts on the future of business and predictions on the next decade.

So, two blog post got me thinking about the books I’ve read this year.  One from Annie Sorenson which I misstated the books I’ve read and another from Lauren Leto where I ribbed her for not having any business books on her list.

Anyway, I am often asked “how I know what I know” and while I’d like to take credit for having a huge brain, vast intelligence and an uncanny ability to see the world in a way no one else does, I simply can’t tell that lie.  The truth is, a lot of what I know and the insights I have is because of what I choose to read.  I then apply these insights into my world view and cement them in real life examples of my own – making them my own, but most of what I know is seeded from great books.  I typically read 3 or 4 books at one time.  That seems to keep me the most interested and also allows me to cover several topics at one time.

I’ve found that books on business, self improvement, sales and just about anything else are truly the cliff notes to success. All you have to do is invest some of your time and attention and a few bucks and you can learn what took someone else countless hours of personal experience and research to create.  Reading books is so much smarter, faster, and more insightful than college classes.  Of course, it’s worthless if you don’t apply what you read or learn and it doesn’t matter if you are reading books that only serve an entertainment purpose.

I think I’ve covered all the books from this year.  The following is my list of books from 2009.

1. Referral of a Lifetime by Tim Templeton. (read this twice this year)
2. Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki with Sharon Lechter (second year in a row to read this book)
3. The Microsoft Edge by Julie Bick
4. Tribes by Seth Godin (very quick book – read twice this year)
5. Innovation by Tom Gorman
6. Multipreneuring by Tom Gorman
7. How Full is Your Bucket by Tom Rath and Donald O Clifton ( I read this at least once a year).
8. The Big Red Fez by Seth Godin
9. Write the Perfect Book Proposal by Jeff Herman and Deborah Levine Herman
10. All Marketers are Liars by Seth Godin
11. Free Publicity by Jeff Criley
12. The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott
13. Unleashing the Idea Virus by Seth Godin
14. Positioning by Al Ries and Jack Trout
15. Made to Stick by Chip Heath and Dan Heath
16. Buzzmarketing by Mark Hughes
17. Permission Marketing by Seth Godin
18. Word of Mouth Marketing by Andy Sernovitz
19. The New Influeners by Paul Gillin
20. No B.S. Direct Marketing by Dan Kennedy
21. What Would Google Do by Jeff Jarvis (have this on audio – 2 times this year).
22. The Google Story by David Vise
23. Purple Cow by Seth Godin (have this on audio – 5 times this year).
24. Small is the New Big by Seth Godin (have this on audio – 3 times this year).
25. Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell (have this on audio – 2 times this year).
26. The Long Tail by Chris Anderson
27. How to Build a Complete Sales Person by Bryan Dodge (have this on audio – 3 times this year).
28. Influence. The Psychology of Persuasion by Robert Cialdini
29. Yes! 50 Scientifically Proven ways to be Persuasive by Goldstein, Martin and Cialdini
30. 91 Mistakes Smart Sales People Make by Tim Conner
31. The 25 Sales Habits of Highly Succesful Sales People by Stephan Shiffman
32. Cold Calling Techniques by Stephen Shiffman
33. How to Become a Marketing Superstar by Jeffrey J Fox.
34. Magic Bullets by Michael Kessee and Ankesh Kothari
35. The Dip by Seth Godin
36. What Matters Now by Seth Godin and friends (free ebook)
37. Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen
38. The Shack by William P Young

Liesure reading:

1. NEXT by Michael Chrichton
2. Ghost Radio by leopoldo Gout
3. Busting Vegas by Ben Mezrich
4. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
5. The Prince of Frogtown by Rick Bragg
6. No Survivors by Tom Cain
7. Ghost Medicine by Andrew Smith
8. The Boxer and the Spy by Robert B Parker

So what are you reading?  Do you agree that books are better than college?  What do you recommend I read in 2010?

When I was a child everyone approved.

I’ve been thinking a lot about my childhood and how my parents and friends parents seemed to encourage me to keep dreaming and using my imagination.  I suppose it’s “what you do” when you are an adult listening to a kid.  I was always the kid and pre-teen who was mowing yards, selling lemonade, and bartering for money.  I was identified as a business minded youngster with imagination and talent with the gift for gab.

From about 10 years old to about 19 years old I heard this line from friends and family: “your so ____ (smart, talented, advanced, wise, etc) for your age”.  I heard it so much that I often wondered when I was going to finally be “as smart, talented, wise, etc as my age”.  Turns out, for me it was about 28 years old.  I still get the ‘wise beyond years’ comments, but otherwise I guess I’ve finally aged enough to match my ideas. I’m 32 now.

The shift.

Reflecting on my life, I spotted a shift where I went from being encouraged to dream to being discouraged by the majority of people around me.

It happened when I fell out of line, out of the status quo, and demonstrated my independence.  I was 20 years old and quit my management job at Gateway Computers to start my own web company. Suddenly, everyone around me wasn’t so sure about my entrepreneurial dreams.  Why? Because I was actually acting on it, not just talking about it.  At 20 years old, this is where I crossed over to the other side no longer a man with potential and promise, but a spectacle for others to watch silently hoping I would fail and continually surprised that I wasn’t.

I didn’t know it at the time, but it’s obvious now, almost no one wants you to live your dream.

Now everyone disapproves.

Unlike my child self, as an adult, any time I ask someone else what they think about my idea, everyone, even the people I trust, love, or respect are quick to tell me how it’s not a good idea.  How frustrating and disappointing this is.

The truth and what you can do about it.

If you have a dream you want to make a reality.  An idea you want to act on.  A goal you want to execute.  Do it.

Don’t ask what your family and friends think because they can’t and won’t ever be able to embrace your idea – it’s not their idea, it’s not their passion, it’s not their life, and it’s not safe to them.  That’s why you don’t need their input or permission to live your dream.

If this scares you, it should.  It means you have to act for yourself and you have be willing to go your own direction regardless of what anyone else thinks.  It also means there may not be a safety net below you or a shoulder to cry on.  If you dream it, you believe it, then own it and do it.  Know that others will judge, discourage, and speak against you because its not their idea, it’s not their passion, it’s not their life, and it’s not safe to them.

A few tips to emerge victorious with your dream.

• Don’t give up just because it’s tough
• Don’t be afraid to change directions to reach your goals
• Cut free from the anchors that hold you back
• Surround yourself with people you can learn from (as it relates to your dream).
• Put people with experience and passion in places you lack experience and passion.
• Be persistent. If you hit a wall, go under, around, through, or connect with someone who has the ability to move the wall.
• Be open minded.
• Seek out answers and don’t kid yourself to think you have all of them all the time.
• Keep moving. Action equals results.
• Measure (track, review etc) what you want to achieve or improve.
• Don’t keep yourself a secret. Tell others what you want and eventually you’ll find someone who can help.
• For as much as you want, be willing to give twice as much to get it.
• “No” is not forever. Keep asking.
• The experience of failure means more than easy successes so fail often and keep trying.
• Appreciate what you do have. It could be worse.
• Be willing to share.
• Invest in yourself (books, experiences, seminars, whatever it takes).

I’m still dreaming and you can too.

Knowing all this makes it so much easier to dream as an adult.Now, I don’t expect others to embrace my dreams or my ideas and I’m better for it.  It also means I don’t fault the ones I love or respect because I understand the fact that it’s just to hard for them to consider my dreams or encourage them.

Keep dreaming and stop looking for permission. Go ahead and step out of line, do something counter the status quo and I’ll see you on the other side.

I originally drafted this with the title of “What do you stand for? Chris Brogan and Seth Godin Know”, but then I realized that might not be a good headline so I changed it before posting – who knows if either were good to begin with….

Back story and foundation for this post:

In a recent article from Chris Brogan, he shared his frustration with Timberland regarding a pair of boots he saw advertised on TV on Thanksgiving day, but couldn’t find locally in any brick-and-mortar stores. His story sufficiently details a negative experience with shoe representatives at various stores in his area with conclusive thoughts on why brick-and-mortar stores are failing and how that leads consumers to make online purchases when they would have done it at a local store. While I did not see his first version of the blog post, it was apparently very negative and he was prompted by a reader to reconsider his narrative (and for good reason too according to his followup post entitled “With Great Power”).

Any how, the original, but revised post: What Timerbland Taught Me About Retail says:

I changed this post around 100% after a conversation with Pat Phelan. He was upset at my handling of the post, and I think I can see his point. More about that in a subsequent post.

Now you should know that Chris Brogan is a prolific writer, consultant, and book author who blogs frequently about his thoughts on what it takes to be successful in today’s world, how to run a great blog and all things social media. Chris happens to be the #1 blogger in the country according to AdAge and all this from a “normal” guy sharing his thoughts on his own blog. His online success stems from his experience, authority and expertise + transparency + consistency around thought leadership. The word ‘trust’ fits in there somewhere too since he can be trusted for what he says and is coauthor of a new bestselling book, Trust Agents.

Why does Chris Brogan or this Story Matter?

I respect what Chris has to say and what got my attention is how he reconsidered his own thoughts and opinions about his experience after hearing others chime in. Not just personally, but as it related to his brand and his blog and seemingly how he viewed himself and how others view him. This shows that leaders really are learners too. As he learned more about this experience, he revised his views and then went on to share his new view post haste. Remarkable to see such transparency in a leader.

Stand up and Stand Out

This brings up two key thoughts. What do you stand for and how relationships are built online.

Continuing with Chris as my real world example (hope you don’t mind Chris), I’ll just keep working through this scenario to reveal how important it is to stand for something and how relationships are built online.

What do you stand for?

People are quite familiar with this question, but it can often be hard to extract or define because we tend to stand for things based on situations and we typically stand for things based on core beliefs. I can’t claim to know exactly what Chris Brogan stands for, but I’m guessing it’s based on trust, leadership and transparency.

According to Seth Godin, another thought leader and online trail blazer has a better way to illustrate this concept and shares it well in his Authenticity post from a few months ago:

Authenticity, for me, is doing what you promise, not “being who you are”… because if you’re inconsistent, you’re going to get caught.

Yep, that’s a good way to be recognized for what you stand for, how/what you are. So, in the quest to stand for something, start by being authentic, which Chris does in his blogs and video posts.

This gives way to how being authentic is at the core of building relationships online (and in life). Mainly because people want to trust and if you can be trusted you’ll win and keep them. Again, Seth Godin chimes in:

People and brands and organizations that stand for something benefit as a result. Standing for something helps you build trust…”

How do you build online relationships?

Being authentic is a key factor. That authenticity leads to trust which is at the foundation of all relationships. In another blog post regarding Seth Godin, Small Biz Bee shares another insight from Seth:

Seth says we should be asking ourselves “Are their people out there I’d go out of my way for, and would they go out of their way for me?” That’s what you should be tracking.

And how do you get there? By going out of your way for them, and earning the privilege of one day having that connection be worthwhile.

While that may seem obvious, we can not all go out of our way for everyone all the time. That’s what leads me back to Chris Brogan. In his post, “With Great Power”, he actually brings you into his thoughts and experiences and the consequences of his actions with the earlier Timberland post. By sharing his new findings, he creates more trust in all of us who follow and read his blog. This new level of insight on how Chris thinks and sees this allows us to buy in a little more. Its this buy in that makes us connect to Chris even though he may not know us. In business terms, we are increasing our loyalty to his brand – just because he consistently can be trusted.

For me, this leads me closer to him, I make a note to read him daily instead of ever few days, I revise my mental note of “maybe” buying his book, to “I will buy his book”. This is social media at it’s finest. Chris like Seth sells himself, his thoughts, his ideas, his passions and I buy into them, one blog at a time until ultimately, the trust, the relationship, and the message is solidified into action. That’s how you build a relationship online.

What this means to you:

If you are considering how you build relationships, what you stand for, and how to use social media in your life, start with authenticity and trust, act consistently and don’t stop learning or sharing. Also, take Lucy Beer’s advice on social media because she’s right, when it comes to a life online and social media, it is about self expression, being personal, and growing as an individual.

Are you trust worthy? Do you stand for something? How are you growing as an individual?

The mind is the most powerful computer in the world, but it’s vulnerable and hackable. If you are feeling overwhelmed or having problems “shutting off”, change the way you are thinking about things. Try running a personal defrag on your biological hard drive and separate your cluttered mind into black and white sectors – free up your mind for good.

The things on your mind are like the people in a crowded room, you can’t really think with all that noise, but you try. While you may feel like you have many things on your mind, most of it can be grouped into these 2 categories: Fear and Confidence.

The Looming Buzz of Fear:
Things that you fear will gnaw at you like a fly flitting around your food or a mosquito in your ear. These fear clouds tend to hover over you, raining on your actions, ideas, and goals often producing a double negative impact by locking up your mind and also interfering with the things you have confidence in. Your fear factory includes these things:

• New ideas or concepts you don’t understand but want too
• Problems (work, personal, intellectual) that you don’t know how to solve
• Statements you want to say but are unsure or wish you said, or regret saying
• Something you did or didn’t do that you regret

The Funhouse of Confidence:
Things you are confident in tend to be more like a pinball game in your mind often beeping, bumping, and bouncing around in constant action only limited by your time, energy and circumstances. It’s your confidence in these things that keeps your mind playing with them, juggling them until you can deal with them. These things are labeled as “easy” or “fun” items but often flood your mind and chew up brainwidth until you act on them. Your cockpit of confidence includes these things:

• Tasks and to-do items of all shapes and sizes and priority
• Problems (work, personal, intellectual) you have a solution for
• Ideas you want to develop
• Statements you want to say or will say in the future
• Good intentions

Once you know that crowded room in your mind is really just full of fear clouds and pinballs of confidence then you’ll see that crowded room take shape to something manageable – very manageable.

Now that you have them in black and white, or rather categorized as fear of confidence, get them out! Process the demons, write the tasks, schedule the activities, move the ideas to goals and goals to task items and take action on the good intentions and things you want to say or already said.—- just start doing it – don’t think about it, get it in motion from inside of you to outside of you… This purge will free up your mind and make you more productive and more focused. I call it “buffering” once you move the simple stuff out – on paper, in a note, in an email, whatever, your brain no longer has to buffer it. Your mind can just let it go, trusting the note or activity of getting it out will be enough and it will move on to other things.

In short, brain dump on paper or the white board, or whatever is best for you as often as possible. That stuff, the stuff you are juggling, really doesn’t need to be stuck inside your head chewing up your brainwidth.

Take action – do it today and feel better and be better.