Technology and the Power of Influence

I want to share with you one of my favourite ways to use technology. I get really excited by technology when it acts as a platform for learning – learning about inspirational people, influential ideas and new trends feeds my soul as a business owner and a human being.

I had the opportunity today to spend just 17 minutes using technology (via an MP4 video) and learning from and about a woman who’s inspiration stretches well past the 17 minutes I spent watching her presentation to the TED conference this year. Her approach, enthusiasm and passion will influence me for many months (and possibly years to come).

Today I learnt (or re-learnt)-

• that passion can sell most things (including environmental justice)
• that a story makes people interested enough to listen to the facts
• that it is “easier to ask for forgiveness than ask for approval”
• respecting people and their time is critically important – do it even if it means you have to talk quickly
• being different is a good thing
• not taking things for granted and not taking no for an answer means that you might just get something done
• having a dream than you can hang on to is important
• showing deep emotions, even tears, doesn’t make a presentation less professional
• be authentic!
• reading a presentation doesn’t mean it has to be boring
• powerpoint is done best when it is used to illustrate and inspire, not just inform
• you can change a lot of things and a lot of people in just 17 minutes

The woman that I learnt this from today is Majora Carter – she is the founder of Sustainable South Bronx, an organization dedicated to holistic community development, sponsoring projects that create jobs, protect the environment and bring beautiful green space to the inner city. She spoke alongside many influential presenters at this year’s TED conference and received a prolonged standing ovation. (If you get to watch her presentation you will know why).

I wish Majora had a blog – she has so much to talk about and has such a charismatic presence. She would be on the top of my FeedDemon feed list. Anyone reading this who has some influence with Majora please encourage her to start blogging. It would be in all our interests if she did so.

Thanks to TED for making this presentation available online so people in all corners of the globe can learn more from these inspirational speakers.

Thanks to Guy Kawasaki for bringing TED and Majora to my attention.

You can watch the 17 minute video here or download it from the TEDtalks site.

This is a great example of the power of technology and its ability to bring people and ideas together, even when they are a world apart.

Before you pay for another book

One of the powerful aspects of the internet and its various technologies is the way in which it has supported the sharing of information; and with so much of it being free I wonder sometimes why we would need to pay for some information ever again.

I have just stumbled across another opportunity to access some of the literary classics for free for the next few days via the World eBook Fair.

This event is brought to you by the oldest and largest free eBook source on the Internet, Project Gutenberg, with the assistance of the World eBook Library, the providers of the largest collection, and a number of other eBook efforts around the world. The World eBook Library normally charges $8.95 per year for online access, and allows unlimited personal downloading. During The World eBook Fair all these books are available free of charge through a gateway at http://www.gutenberg.org and http://WorldeBookFair.com

So if you have managed to get a few spare moments and are at a loose end with things for your reading list ;o) then you can stock up for nothing for the next few days.

If how ever you don’t want to be constrained to just a few more days of free e-books make sure your visit Project Gutenberg - they are providing free ebooks all day every day.

Windows Users – Have you done your updates recently?

In case you needed some encouragement to ensure you have the latest security updates and patches …

Two new pieces of computer code that could spawn attacks on Microsoft Windows
PCs have been released onto the Internet, security companies have warned. (from ZDNet Australia)

Don’t search for a domain name unless you intend on buying it.

This startling headline was the advice from Andy Wibbels this morning.

Larry Seltzer at eWeek has an ongoing investigation about people that
search the WHOIS domain database for a domain for their business and
then come back later on and the domain has been registered by another
party – on the same day that they searched for it.

In a conversation with a client of mine around midday the same thing happened.  She had done a search on the domain – just to see if it was available – and today when we went in to do the registration it had been taken.

Thanks for the heads up Andy!

Success – How Hard is it Really?

If you paid attention to some of the internet marketing "gurus",  success online is about building a list, having a long, one-page sales letter site, and a free "special report" (or the like) to get people’s name on your list.  They make is sound so simple that hundreds or thousands of people sign up for their information product, teleconference or workshop to learn how to make money online easily, effortlessly, even passively.

But is online success passive?  Is it simple?  Is it easy?

If fact is any success easy?

Not really!  Actually let’s cut to the chase – it’s a plain and simple NO!

No matter your field there is very rarely an "overnight success".  You have an idea, you work your plan, and you put in the hard slog – sometimes for a long time.

Dustin Staiger, from Casual Fridays, put success into 3 simple (yet very hard) steps recently -

Step 1: Be remarkable.

Step 2: Be visible.

Step 3: Be sustainable.

Straightforward, yes!  Easy, definitely not! 

In fact Dustin’s 3 steps are the most straightforward I have seen in a long time and convey what it takes to have a successful business (or be successful in anything in fact – this might even work for finding your life partner).

I would add a 4th step to Dustin’s 3-step plan though … Be Real.

A passing thought just occured to me – imagine if these 3 (or 4 steps) formed the basis for your business plan.  Just 3 main category headings with strategies and actions to achieve each one.  That might even make a business plan more interesting to write and implement.

So what are you doing to be successful?  What do you need to do more of?

Friday Fun (Part 2) – A to Z of Leah Maclean

I saw this meme for the first time when Phil Gerbyshak at Make It Great did it at the end of June.  Following on from my mission to create conversations and speak authentically I thought it would be a good Friday Fun task.  Let me know if you decide to continue this meme or if this sparks anymore questions for you.

Accent:  Definitely Australian but there’s no hint of the drawling Australian stri-i-i-i-ne.

Booze:  Good Australian red wine – preferably a Shiraz or Melot

Chore I hate:  Cleaning the bathroom

Dogs/cats:  2 dogs – both maltese shitzu cross terriers – 1 called Bundy and 1 called Bear

Essential Electronics:   My laptop and my stereo (I love music)

Favorite Perfume/Cologne:  Poison  (Christian Dior)

Gold/silver:   Either

Hometown:  Sydney, Australia

Insomnia:   Generally I am a very good sleeper but there are times, especially when there is a lot going on, when I wake around 3am and the head is automatically and instantly on.

Job Title: Freelancer, technologist, advisor, designer, problem-solver, researcher, help desk, business owner

Kids: 2 step-adults (they’re not kids anymore at 20 & 18) We have been part of each others lives for 11 years now

Living Arrangements: Live with my husband (2nd one) Ian, 2 kids (oops adults), and 2 dogs in the suburb that Ian grew up in.  I never thought I would be quite this image of domestic cliss.

Most admired trait:  Others would say the depth and breadth of my caring.  I most admire my ability to "get" people AND technology.

Number of music CDs: I haven’t counted them recently but there is a lot (Ian would say too many).  The collection grew by 5 this week with the latest additions.

Overnight hospital stays:   Too many (appendix, abcessed apendiz wound, dislocated jaw, compressed C5 vertabra, dislocated knee, 4 DVTs in leg)

Phobias:  Snakes and heights

Quotes:  “To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children…to leave the world a better place…to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

Religion:  I put Jedi on the last census.  I am spiritual but have no connection to an organised religion.

Siblings:  A younger sister (we are connected by blood but it ends there)

Time I Usually Wake Up:  6am – out of bed by 6.45

Unusual Talent:  I was once told by a policeman that I "ride (motorbike) really well for a girl".  He meant it as a compliment but I could have worded it a little better.

Worst Habit:  I don’t tolerate fools very well

X-Rays: Too many (see hospital visits above plus wrists, knees, teeth, etc)

Yummy Foods I Make: Family and friends say everything that I cook – in particular risotto (any type), lasagne, cheesecake, Death by Chocolate

Zodiac Signs: Dragon (Wood), Capricorn

Phew!  All done!  And what about you? 

Have a great weekend!

Friday Fun (Part 1) – Basil’s Coming to My Place

I know this post will run another groove into the well-worn rut of IT-geeks and their very dry sense of humour BUT …. I am a lover all things Python (Monty that is) and John Cleese.

This is why I was particularly excited when I found that my online friend, Ben Yoskovitz had a new project, Where in the World is Basil?  In Ben’s words -

Have you ever had a donkey stay at your house? No? Well now’s your
lucky chance. Basil the Donkey  is
going on a grand adventure, hoping to travel the world. And he wants to
visit you!  When Basil visits he brings another Basil with him…Basil Fawlty (played
by John Cleese) in the hysterical 70’s sitcom Fawlty Towers.

Does that makes sense?  If not then go and read the rest of Ben’s What is This post.

I’ve just signed up and will be the first international (non-North American) destination for Basil and Basil.  This is a great honour but I don’t want to be the only place in the Antipodes that Basil visits, so I am on a drive to sign up other Australian and New Zealand destinations for Basil to vist.

If you have ever wanted to revisit those 12 classic episodes of Fawlty Towers (and at the same time get some exposure/link love for your website/blog) then here is your chance.

Drop Basil’s minder/manager/employer, Ben Yoskovitz, an email to byosko@gmail.com and say that Leah sent you.

“How Can I Create Good Looking Diagrams?”

This is one of the questions that I am asked on a semi-regular basis.   As business owners there are many times that we need to include a professional looking diagram in a proposal, training material, brochure or other document, but just what to use to create it can be a confusing question.

Some of you may be aware of Visio, a Microsoft application that allows you to create flowcharts, organisational diagrams and the like.  But it falls into the category of "another piece of software to buy".

But I have come across a solution to the challenge of "I want to create a professional diagram but I don’t want to have to fork out the money for more software".

Gliffy is a free diagramming tool that works entirely in your browser and it handles the majority of actions that you would be looking for in a diagramming application (who uses 100% of the features of any software anyway?).

With Gliffy you can create flow charts, floor plans, network diagrams, org charts or just about any other simple diagram or chart you can imagine.

Apart from being loads of fun to use (eg. where did that last 2 hours go?), as an online application it also provides you with the opportunity for collaboration.

Its features are easy to use and the navigation is straight-foward – so in terms of small business friendly it gets a big tick.

Even if you only have to do the occasional diagram it is worth signing up – particularly seeing that it is priced just right for small business users – free!

Not quite sure how you would use a diagramming tool?  Have a look at a couple of these examples. (click on the thumbnail image to see a larger view).

The Best Use for a Mouse-Mat

With the evoluation of the humble computer mouse its close relative the mouse-mat has started to become less necessary.

So if you mouse-mat has been relegated to the same pile as your 386 computer and dot-matrix printer (or you have an never ending supply of promotional mats from suppliers) you may not want to throw it on the tip just yet.

Thanks to the guys at Tricks of the Trade I stumbled across one of the best low-tech uses of tech add-ons ever found.

Don’t throw out that old mouse pad. Clean it off and keep it in the kitchen –
you can use it as a jar opener for that occasional stubborn lid.

What a great idea!

A Little Help for My Friends – Part 3

Peter Aldin, director (cheif Riddler) at Great Circle Coaching is one of the people who I hold in high regard when it comes to the art of communication.  He is a specialist in helping people get a handle on communication and leadership (not just leading others but also leading self and leading in your home).

Too often we can screw-up our relationships, our careers and, for those of us who ar self-employed, our business through poor communication skills.

As business owners we have made sure that we have the skills to deliver the product or service that our clients need, we manage our money, our sales, have marketing plans and sometimes have even made plans for an exit strategy.  But yet we place so little consideration on the communication skills necessary to carry all this out.

And one of the areas that I find business owners have the most trouble in communicating are boundaries.  I don’t know whether they are too scared to communicate openly and honestly about the boundaries they have as an individual and as business, or whether it is comething else getting in the way.

In any case, if you could use some one-on-one time to brush up on setting and communicating boundaries and want to get Pete Aldin’s help at an unbelievable rate (we have to talk about the rates Pete) then check out the annoucement he recently made about a six-session package for just AUD$360.  It’s a steal!

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