blogbrevity's posterous

social media musings in 140 words or less {& a bit of inspiration}

Network Weaving Begins with Mindfulness: Part 2 with June Holley #ideachat

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Pictured above is one part of the Network Weaver Checklist from the new "Network Weaver Handbook" by June Holley. 

What are the most important skills for network weaving? Holley says it starts with being mindful, deep listening and asking good questions.

I think the most important skill for a network weaver is simply to be present with other people. What that means is that people are really listening to each other, they are asking questions that bring intelligence out of a person, and they are thinking about who they can connect that new person to, so that this new twosome--I call them "twosies"--can begin doing something fresh and creative together.

Asking questions is so important. 

You need to ask questions that get people to recognize that they care about things deeply, and really identify their own strengths and challenges. It's often by identifying the challenges that they can really connect with another person who is complimentary.

Questions provoke people to think in new ways. We don't really realize how small our worlds are, how much we're leaving out, and how vast the world is out there full of different ways of looking at things. It's by really connecting with those differences that we're going to make the breakthroughs that we need. 

Connecting is not just introducing two people. 

You have to really think carefully about the different energies, do they use different kinds of language, are their backgrounds different? Especially, as we work globally, this becomes something that people need to pay attention to ... it's not personal, but more cultural. 

What does it mean when a network weaver closes a triangle? 

Closing triangles is so wonderfully simple, and yet so powerful. 

What it means is that you are connected to two people who don't know each other, and then, you connect them. Of course, they need to be two people who have something in common. Then those two individuals can then interact without your presence. 

There are many ways to close a triangle. The most important thing is that you check up to make sure that the triangle, in fact, has been closed. And if not, why or why not.

Network weavers need to notice nuance. 

Network weavers are always having to notice what's going on, and make sense of what is going on. 

Who is being left out? Who will provide a really great perspective on what we're doing and make it work more effectively? Is there enough diversity in the network? 

Also, are there quality connections? Are our relationships deep enough? Have we taken the time to know each other, so that we have realistic trust. A network weaver helps us develop these types of relationships, so we can take risks with each other.

In this new world, relationships are going to be more rewarding, more precious, and more valuable to us. 

I love Holley's energy and generosity. She sets a standard for network weaving and authenticity, and wants us all to harness our own network weaver to create a better world.

June Holley will also be our guest for #ideachat, this Saturday, April 14th at 9 am ET. 

Ask your questions about network weaving as June Holley joins #ideachat, April 14th. #Ideachat connects people from all over the world. Check the world clock to see what time #ideachat is in your part of the world and join in! 

Just log in to http://tweetchat.com, sign in with Twitter and enter "ideachat" as the room. You never know what connections you'll make!

 

Making Ideas Infectious: Knowledge Exchange from the Edge and Across Disciplines

Bringing people who have different types of knowledge together is the only way we are going to tackle some of the big problems.

We need to involve individuals from different knowledge backgrounds and we need to exchange knowledge between them so that we can learn from each other. 

More and more, the evidence is that innovation comes from looking from the outside and intersecting disciplines. 

Also, listen to this great interview from NPR with Jonah Lehrer regarding his new book, "Imagine." Lehrer describes how Steve Jobs purposefully merged all the disciplines at Pixar's offices, and positioned only two available bathrooms in a central area, so people would have to collide on a daily basis. The results were fruitful discussions on work ideas and solutions. "Everyone has a great bathroom story," he says.

HOW TO Take an Idea from Concept to Execution | "Dream" Team for Startups #ideachat 3/10

 

The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty yes to your adventure. ~ Joseph Campbell

#Ideachat "Dream" Team: Investor, Founder and Engineer

For Saturday, March 10th, I've put together a "dream" team for #ideachat to help you follow your bliss and build your dream. Find out how to take an idea from concept to execution and build a startup. Ask questions from a super smart panel all who are entrepreneurs and want to help you: an investor, a founder and an engineer. Learn from their experience and shape yours. It's time to become the hero of your journey.

#IDEACHAT March 10 "Ideas + Startups: Building Your Dream"

The Investor: Whitney Johnson 

Dare Dream Do: Remarkable Things Happen When You Dare to Dream

The Founder:  Francis Pedraza 

Live Your Dream

The Engineer: Kevin Sakhuja 

Build it!

Some questions we may be considering:

  • How do you overcome your fears and disrupt yourself?
  • How do you take an idea from concept to execution?
  • What qualities must an entrepreneur have?
  • What makes an idea attractive to an investor?
  • What are the keys to pitching an idea?

#Ideachat attracts participants from all over the world every Second Saturday of the month at 9 am EST. To find out what time #ideachat will be in your part of the world on March 10, 2012, see the World Clock here.

Participate by logging in to Tweetchat at http://tweetchat.com/room/ideachat. Then, also sign in with Twitter. Tweetchat will automatically add the #ideachat hashtag to your tweets.

Join us!  What are you waiting for? 

“Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors for you where
there were only walls.” ~ Joseph Campbell

 

How to Create a Super-Sexy Pitch Deck and Build Your Dream Startup

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Ask your questions about designing a pitch deck and building a startup when a founder, investor and engineer join #ideachat, March 10th, on Twitter for "Ideas + Startups: Building Your Dream".

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In the beginning, it’s always tough. In the beginning, only the bravest souls will stand beside you. 

Many believe an idea does not have value until executed. You have an idea. So where do you start?

Startup founders I have interviewed tell me that the most important step is finding the right co-founder, the yin to your yang to make an irresistible whole. To get others on board and actually build your idea, you will need a plan and a pitch--for potential employees, investors, and customers.

What I Learned About Business Plans and Co-founders

My first experience writing a business plan years ago resulted in a beautiful well-thought-out document accompanied by a thorough review from one of the top accounting firms. Although hesitant to put my ideas down so cohesively, my partner convinced me that it was a necessary evil of raising investment.

Fears were validated when a well-funded competitor saw our prospectus, stole the idea, was able to launch four months earlier, and immediately netted the quarter-million dollars forecast for the first quarter.

I pivoted, and a bank took a chance on us with a $500,000 loan. An ability to foresee trends and continously disrupt my concept resulted in a ten-year business. But my partner was long gone after the first year, and I paid off the bank loan. So getting that right co-founder cannot be overemphasized!

Disrupting the Business Plan with a New Canvas

Today, the lean startup method advocates getting a minimal viable product to market first, getting feedback and then iterating until you find validation of your business model.

A good place to start is Alex Osterwalder's Business Model Generation Canvas, book and app, that I have written about before. The canvas can help entrepreneurs answer, in just one page, all the important questions including cost and revenue structures. 

"Super-sexy" Pitch Decks Replace Business Plans 

Although there are stories of startups getting funding from an idea on a napkin, for most startups, the pitch deck is now the vehicle to sell an idea. In fact, the jQuery powered online pitch deck is becoming de rigueur in the tech world. An example is this "super-sexy" pitch deck for Everest App.

In preparing your deck, keep in mind these seven points from Dave McClure of 500 Startups:
1) customer 2) problem/desire 3) product/solution 4) distribution 5) monetization 6) competition 7) team. 

Remember, a beautiful pitch deck will still not sell a product or service that nobody wants.

Dare Dream Do! Whitney Johnson joins #ideachat: "Ideas + Startups: Building Your Dream"

Daredreamdo

I am not sure I have a dream.
I am not sure how to do my dream.
I am not sure it is okay for me to dream.

These are the fears Whitney Johnson sees that keep people from living their dreams. 

Whitney is co-founder of Clayton Christensen's investment firm, Rose Park Advisors, and has recently penned, "Dare Dream Do" with a mission to help and encourage others to overcome these fears. She joins #ideachat on March 10th.

"Throw down your pom-poms and get in the game"

Whitney says we need to continuously "disrupt ourselves", explore possibilities, and gain the confidence to think big. In her talk at BIF-7, she shared her personal experience of going from an office admin to a 7-figure investment banker, and then, risked it all to become an entrepreneur. She also has four lessons for entrepreneurs:

1.  If it feels scary and lonely, you are probably on the right track.
2.  When you are disrupting yourself, be assured that you have no idea what will come next.
3.  Throw out the performance metrics you have always relied on. "Become your own Billy Beane and find the metrics that measure you."
4.  Your odds of success will improve when you pursue a disruptive course.

With her new book, "Dare Dream Do: Remarkable Things Happen When You Dare to Dream," Whitney hopes to start a movement inspiring others, especially women, to follow and execute their dreams. 

How do you begin?

Whitney advice is to just start, "Take a step in the direction of your fear. Once you see your dream, break your fear into small enough pieces so that you can walk toward it."

"We need to make ourselves the hero of our own story."  ~ Whitney Johnson

Can Silicon Valley Startup Culture Be Replicated? Kevin Sakhuja Hackd.it

It's a completely different culture in the Valley. ~ Kevin Sakhuja

Ever since the release of the Social Network, startup fever has swept 20-somethings hoping to become the next Mark Zuckerberg. Although some are heading West to find their fortune and change the world, others are starting hubs in cities outside of Silicon Valley. 

In Silicon Valley, there are a lot of people who are very passionate about starting with an idea and building it. [The mindset of startup culture is] I am going to build it!"  

Can Silicon Valley startup culture be replicated? What about in Jacksonville, Florida?

Kevin Sakhuja, @kevbook, is one such entrepreneur who hopes to bring the passion and execution for building things he experienced in Silicon Valley to Jacksonville, Florida. 

"I want to build that ecosystem in Jacksonville where people collaborate, people share ideas, experiences."

A challenge in smaller urban environments is that people do not typically reach outside their comfort zone to people who are unlike them or whom they do not know. In order to innovate, you need to be open to new ideas and new people, and collaborate across knowledge domains. 

Starters and Finishers

Kevin wants to attract techies and non-techies alike to hackathons in Jacksonville taking place at the CoWorkJax space in Downtown Jacksonville. 

Join #ideachat, on Saturday, March 10th at 9 am ET, as we discuss "Ideas and Startups." Follow my curation on Startup Culture on Scoop.it.

Creativity + Learning: Wonder, Question, Play #Ideachat Feb. 11th

Are we reawakening in education, in business, in society, and even, government, to the essential relationship between creativity and learning? On Saturday, February 11th at 9 am EST, innovative educators Pam Moran, @pammoran, and Ira Socol, @irasocol, will host #ideachat and look at the relationship between learning and creativity--not just for children and schools, but for adults and organizations, too.

When toddlers play, we marvel as those ancestral gifts come alive. Then, we watch as the contagious creativity of childhood fades away in most children as they march towards adulthood. Why did we choose to disconnect “to play” from “to create” from “to learn?” ~ Pam Moran

Pam Moran shares her ideas on "Creativity and Learning" in her framing post, "Born to Create, Driven to Learn?"

This tendency of my mind to wander uncontrollably, which has driven teachers, and many others, crazy over the course of my life, is, to me, a representation of liberated learning, and the power of using creativity to enable students to explore and learn in “natural” rather than linear ways.

In the real world, creativity and learning represent the work of design thinkers to generate that which is  “new and different.” ~ Ira Socol

Ira Socol shares his ideas for "Creativity and Learning," and some questions to think about before #ideachat, this Saturday:

1. In what ways do you play as you create and learn? 
2. What can we learn from designers, makers, builders, composers, creators to inform our understanding of learning and creativity - formally, and informally?
3. How do we begin to liberate the imagination in order to liberate learning? in the classroom? in our work spaces?
4. What does a classroom or work space that liberates learning look like?

Join us and share your ideas on "Creativity and Learning" at #ideachat, Saturday, February 11th at 9 am EST. Log in to http://tweetchat.com/room/ideachat and sign in with Twitter.

A Place for Space / A Space to Create :: #ideachat Jan. 14 Post 2

 

This is the second of two framing posts for the January 14th #ideachat on Twitter where we explore creative “work” spaces and other sacred places for creativity. Join us! (9 am ET)

 

How does "space" affect your creativity? 


What elements of a space -- size, light, sound, colors, physical artifacts -- create your perfect aesthetic for creating? What environment suits you for coming up with good ideas? 

 

A space that inspires one person may completely inhibit another. Clutter vs. clean. Music vs. quiet. Bold colors vs. subdued tones. Moving vs. being still.

 

Your usual space may also be temporarily abandoned for a sacred place where you can “think different.” If you work alone, you may crave a place to work with others.

 

A space to create

 

I asked some friends -- entrepreneurs, artists and innovators -- to share their creative “work” spaces. All are working in highly innovative fields. Many are polymaths, combining an artistic side with an entrepreneurial side. Here is what they shared.

 

David Hood @davidahood Photo 2 

 

“I tend to travel and co-work a lot. I find Hub Melbourne a great place to inspire.”

 

Drew Marshall @DrewCM Photo 3

 

“The driver’s seat of my VW Jetta. I leave voicemails for myself with ideas for follow up.”

 

Lee Tracy @fiddlehead Photos 4 + 5

 

“I love spaces that have history in the beginnings of urban craft and early factories. My first studio was a boiler room and there were archways where horse drawn carriages came through with the loads. In my new studio, again late 19th century, the loading dock moved things made by people's hands, time, and minds. I am drawn to historic factory buildings because I can easily sense the activity of the workers and respect it.”

 

Jose Baldalaia, @jabaldaia Photo 6

 

“I built this water tank, and it is one of the places I feel gooood!  The tank wall has become my favorite chair to imagine the world, first the closest, the garden and the vegetable garden, and after, the farthest, the outside world. It is there, near the water, that I frequently embrace the future!”

 

Tac Anderson, @tacanderson Photo 7 + 8

 

“The most important element for my creativity is my "stuff." Notebooks, books, legos, post-its. The physical things I can go to when my brain needs to stretch. I also often go for a walk or switch tasks.”

 

Deb Scofield, @dscofield Photo 9 

 

“My dock at my house in Maine. The tides.”

 

Sandy Maxey @sandymaxey Photo 10

 

“Epiphany Road. The trees know my name. Never lost here.”

 

Michelle James @CreatvEmergence

 

“My home office filled with all of my paintings (abstract) and other energizing things. Important elements are creative stimulation (energy) and aesthetics (for flow). I also need some blank, zen space for rest and possiblity. All three keep me creating.”

 

Adriana Mullen @adrianamullen Photo 11

 

"Natural light."

 

Lily Penelope @lilypenelope Photo 12  ©lilypenelope

 

“The flâneur. Resting. In the city. Admiring. The city. A new understanding.”


Photo No. 1 is also ©lilypenelope excerpted from her blog Free Form. She shares the sense of the space she feels about the art/architecture exhibition at the Biennale by Argentinian artist Tomas Saraceno, "Galaxies Forming along Filaments, like Droplets along the Strand of a Spider's Web".

 

"This is what I want from art/architecture. The ability to be part of it. The chance to be part of its meaning. To be one additional detail that can add value to it. Art that is speaking to us. And we, consciously or not, interact with it. With our feeling, with our imagination, with our secret thought! 

There was a moment, inside the exhibition space, that a strong feeling of being catapulted inside a virtual space crossed my mind. It felt as if those lines where just in your imagination. Yet, the same feeling, crossed my mind even when I downloaded the images. Looking at them on my PC, felt like a montage, reality vs. virtual. Inserting people in a virtual space to give depth to it. To make it alive. But, in fact, we, the visitors, made this possible. We made it alive."

 

 

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A Shell for Creativity :: #ideachat on Creative "Work" Spaces Post No. 1

At the January 14th #ideachat, on Twitter at 9 am ET, we will discuss the significance of “space” in the creative process. I asked friends -- entrepreneurs, artists, innovators -- to share their creative “work” space or a “sacred” space that contributes to their creativity. This is the first of two posts.

Please enjoy this personal portrait of the creative space of artist and entrepreneur Michelle Rummel, @shellartistree on Twitter. Here Shell shares her thoughts and feelings regarding her work space and studio. [Don't miss the gallery of photos at the bottom of the post!]

 

I consider my studio space my haven…a special place that is all mine, where I can be in solitude or not, surrounded by my art, music and an abundance of inspiration.  It is here where I am most at peace. It’s not that it is the most visually beautiful space and in fact, it is not the studio I dream of someday creating... (someday) but it is quiet, bright and warm and allows me the freedom to paint, to create, to work, to think, to sing and dance (yes, sometimes, I do ;) ...to honor my creative self, to simply be...sometimes an artist, sometimes just shell.
 
In the morning, the space is flooded with sunlight that pours through my windows. I love this time of day as I paint best when blessed with natural light. In the afternoon, the front end of my studio which features an open gallery space for my art, sees the sun. Sometimes, I nap on the couch among the afternoon shadows.      
 
Music, with me always and essential for my creative moments…A steady beat often inspires but sometimes I just want quieter melodies. I let my mood set the tone.  
 
I am surrounded by beautiful objects and thoughtful words that kind, special souls (My lovely family and dear friends, here and across the ocean) send my way…seashells, poetry, a beloved orchid, handwritten notes, photographs, drawings, paintings, books… Sentimental, these things speak to me and bring me much joy. The Muse is always close at hand and for that, I am grateful. All who are dear to me and who bring beauty closer to my life are represented here in this feel good space. The energy is palpable, the moment I walk through the door.
 
What most don’t realize is that not only do I paint here, but I also run a very busy fine art licensing business, so I wear several hats and I toggle between using the right/left sides of my brain. It’s often a challenge, but I enjoy the diversity of projects and tasks that each new day brings.  A few days a week, I am joined by my design and administrative team who work with me to ensure that our various design/licensing projects stay on track. At 900 square feet, the studio accommodates all of us graciously.
 
Friends visit often and I greatly enjoy the company and the conversation. I welcome every opportunity to share my art and feel fortunate every single day to be able to do what I love.    

Beautiful, thank you, Shell, for sharing such an intimate view. I can't wait to visit!

What is important to you in your creative "work" space? Or is there another "sacred" space that is a regular source of inspiration and creativity? Join us Saturday, January 14th at 9 am on Twitter. Log in at http://tweetchat.com/room/ideachat. 

 

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HOW TO: Get a Twitter Chat Transcript via @Storify: #ideachat

Many people want to know: What is the best way to get a transcript of a Twitter Chat on Twitter? 

If you are in healthcare, you are lucky because the Healthcare Hashtag Project provides an invaluable and free service for healthcare Twitter Chat transcripts. (Read more about the Healthcare Hashtag Project.)

TweetReports is a good paid option, and has generously offered transcripts free to Twitter Chat moderators on occasion (including me.) Large analytics firms have incorporated archiving into their monitoring services, but can be cost-prohibitive for small businesses, solopreneurs or Tweet Chat hosts. Some people use hashtracking, but it requires an invite and is not open to everyone.

So what is a Twitter Chat host to do?

If you host a Twitter Chat, you know "moderating can be like herding cats" as @practicalwisdom says. Making sense of those conversations is just as tricky. A transcript may include everything with that chat's hashtag for the designated time--including retweets and possible spam.

Solution, enter Storify: "Storify helps its users tell stories by curating social media."

Storify is a great way to curate a Twitter Chat. Storify lets you display the content and "context" of a conversation on Twitter and link to other sources like pictures for a beautiful curated display. An advantage, and perfect for curators, is that you can pick and choose the tweets that best tell the story. You don't have to include retweets and @mentions that distract from the ideas. You can also rearrange the ideas to make sense because a chat on Twitter is not linear. Folks may add a response to an earlier question later in the conversation.

One caveat is you need to search and finish hand curating the conversation within 24 hours of the chat or you cannot access the tweets. 

A nice feature is you can publicize the "story" with a tweet directly from Storify to those whose tweets are included. However, I would be very selective with this as you don't want to spam your followers/participants. Other curation services have lost their value for this very reason!

I will do a bigger feature on Storify as a featured tool in my new project I am launching at CurationZen.com. (I had some trouble editing on Storify as the scroll bar for the story section would lock while the search scroll bar on the right would function fine. I hope to have answers regarding this problem when I launch CurationZen.)

Also, I think this is a great idea: 
@JonMwords Oh, how I yearn for a @Storify with a touch interface.

In the meantime, here is the "curated" transcript for the December 10th #ideachat. Enjoy the story and let me know what you think!

<script src=""></script><noscript><a href="" target="_blank">View the story "#ideachat: On \"The Good Habit of Being Creative\"" on Storify</a>]</noscript>