Mind Adventure: Atomic Action in Action – It’s Happening!
(01.20.12)

I love the idea of real meetings of the minds. In just a quick series of back-and-forth emails with a business partner at this end yesterday, we both discovered a whole new ecosystem which could (scratch that) WILL rise up out of this current adventure.

John Falchetto: How to Get Clear About Your Goals
(01.23.12)

Here’s my Big 3 for 2012:

1. Penmanshift.com > Complete beta testing, complete with user feedback on program quality and pricing by the end of April. (Note: 7 beta testers signed up and ready to launch on 6 Feb!) Why? Because this baby seems the quickest way to self-employment which will enable me to devote more time to the rest of my business ecosystem development efforts.

Conversation Agent: The Truth About B2B Social Media Adoption
(01.24.12)

Why would anyone want to read this stuff?
How will the stuff we write help them?
How will we know we’ve helped them?
How will our helping them impact our bottom line?
How do we tie social activity to increased revenue or reduced costs?

If we can’t put our finger on why we’re doing something, why are we even bothering to do it?

Craig McBreen: Can We Discuss Personal Branding & the Power of Authenticity?
(01.24.12)

There is a segment of the population which knows me as “Captain Halfass.” They know me as getting way too drunk in Ohio parking lots, almost getting tazed by Houston PD, and “eyeballing” piston ring end gaps in an otherwise $3,000 high compression engine build.

Want to see more TWICs posts? Thank you for inspiring me this week. Keep going fast with class, pressing on regardless, and doing it yourself (or doing what you can).

In the glovebox:

• TWICs XXI
• TWICs XX
• TWICs, XIX

I'd appreciate hearing what you think about TWICs XXII

Originally a comment over on John Falchetto’s site, these thoughts evolved into something more.

“The person who says it is impossible should not interrupt the person who is doing it.” I think that’s an old Chinese proverb, but it doesn’t matter – it’s so true – and it goes well with another one; “I’d rather regret something I did than something I was afraid to do.” And let’s add another one I picked up from a sales book read long ago, “Do what you fear most and you control fear.”

They say it’s impossible.
They say business exists to make a profit. I say business should exist to make a difference. Profit is the result of making a difference. They say you need to build an audience and monetize with advertising. I say ads suck. Nobody likes ads. We’ll monetize without ads thankyouverymuch. We’ll make a difference.

They say it can’t be done.
Penmanshift isn’t quite finished. I mean, it’s pretty much complete; it’s just not perfect yet. There’s a lot riding on this one. Will our beta testers tell us we kept the promises we made up front? Will they tell us it’s something they could see themselves paying for? Will we be able to polish and market it to actual, paying customers?

They say you can’t have your cake & eat it, too.
Will our day jobs get in the way of delivering the level of service we want this program known for delivering? Will this get in the way of Gearbox? How am I going to keep all these plates spinning into the foreseeable future? Terrifying… but getting done anyway.

They can jog on.
It’s hard stepping away from the warmth of the campfire and the comfort of familiar stories told ’round it over hot cocoa and s’mores, but adventure lies in the dark woods beyond. And adventure is the stuff of new stories. We have the tools we need to succeed and I will not be alone in this next adventure. So long as I believe we will be successful and I am willing to do whatever it takes to deliver on our promises, we will succeed.

Going beyond.
Too many of us are bound by golden handcuffs, locked into ideas we don’t believe in beyond the comfort of predictable income. I’d rather scrape by doing something I love with a limited number of believers than stick with the status quo because it’s more “comfortable.” We travel light, our senses on high alert, ready, willing, and able to take on whatever lies ahead.

Are you striking out into those dark woods alone? I’d love to hear how you’re dealing with the anxiety on your end. 

In the glovebox:

• Gimme a Reason
• Update: Evolution of a Blog
• Truly Visionary Goal-Setting

I'd appreciate hearing what you think about In Search of Adventure

This Week In Comments (TWICs): Why Twitter vs. G+ matters, multi-author blogging 101, sucky business blogs, and signature content.

The week of January 13 – 19 2012.

Geoff Livingston: Why You Should Care About Twitter vs. Google+
(01.17.12)

I’m still very much on the fence about this. I can see Twitter’s point, but I can see Google’s too. It also seems a good way to drive more meaningful, strategic connections on g+ and other social networks. Curate a strong personal network, reap big rewards when you search.

FBBB: Multi-Author Blogging 101
(01.17.12)

For all the added complexities of running a multi-author site, the one really big perk is how we can all share the load together. When my partners get twisted IRL and I have to dust off my one-man-band hat, it’s obvious just how much work we get done as a team.

FBBB: Your Business Blog Sucks, Part I
(01.19.12)

There’s a special space in the digital world where upper management basically gives us permission to set things in motion they ultimately will not be able to control – to start revolutions – but we’ve got to get people to care. Nobody cares about things they don’t even know exist.

Neiman Journalism Lab: The Newsonomics of Signature Content
(01.19.12)

Signature content. Sounds like a charge to specialize; do one thing and do it better than anyone else. What a novel idea, ya know? Instead of trying to be all things to all people, delivering an overall compromise, signature content stands on its own two feet; strong, meaningful, valuable.

Want to see more TWICs posts?

Thank you for inspiring me this week. Keep going fast with class, pressing on regardless, and doing it yourself (or doing what you can).

In the glovebox:

• TWICs XX
• TWICs, XIX
• TWICs, XII

I'd appreciate hearing what you think about TWICs XXI

This Week In Comments (TWICs): 2012 – The results of conversation, resisting the commoditization of what, why our businesses exist.

The week of January 6 – 12, 2012.

Brave New Org: Interlocutor – The Word of 2012
(01.09.12)

More and more, we need to participate – in the conversation, in what happens as a result of the conversation. What I think is particularly interesting is how the state of culture when social media began to take root influences its development.

Confused of Calcutta: Know-How & Know-Why vs. Know-What
(01.09.12)

The only cricket stats of any concern to me is how many set up camp outside my window on nights I cannot sleep, but the revelation of how ‘gamification’ *should* work, paired with the relationships between why, how & what are worth all the confusing mathsport discussion necessary to bring the topic to light.

Conversation Agent: Why Does Your Business Exist?
(01.12.12)

We might have felt burned when we got excited about something we thought would be all about us (remarkable), only to misfire in reflecting the REAL us to the rest of the world, but it’s important we not let the opportunity to help write the next chapters pass us by.

“I owe you a ten second car.”

Want to see more TWICs posts?

Thank you for inspiring me this week. Keep going fast with class, pressing on regardless, and doing it yourself (or doing what you can).

In the glovebox:

• TWICs XXI
• TWICs, XIX
• TWICs, XII

I'd appreciate hearing what you think about TWICs XX

This Week In Comments (TWICs): Social business vs. bullshit, trust at the heart of innovation, & highlighting others.

The week of December 31, 2011 – January 5, 2012.

Geoff Livingston: Social Business or Social Bullshit
(01.03.12)

As more and more people come online and demand their voices be heard, I think we’ll see truly social businesses put societal impact above everything else to deliver meaningful benefit. Business will exist to make a difference.

Innovation Leadership Network: Innovation is Impossible
(01.05.12)

Trust is at the heart of every innovation. Somewhere, someone had to trust everything would be okay if the experiment failed. Discovery requires risk.

Craig McBreen: I Need Some Advice, Now!
(01.05.12)

Highlighting Others?
Do it. Doesn’t matter how you do it – just do it. You will discover your own style in short order. This has been at the center of my life for 2+ years, now, and it’s proving itself my life’s work.

Want to see more TWICs posts?

Thank you for inspiring me this week. Keep going fast with class, pressing on regardless, and doing it yourself (or doing what you can).

In the glovebox:

• TWICs, XII
• TWICs XXI
• TWICs XX

I'd appreciate hearing what you think about TWICs, XIX