POWER THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: Building Virtual Community, Part 1

Power Thought of the Week with Patricia Parham, Ph.D.

Selecting Compatibles

“Water seeks its own level” applies also to virtual network communities. The people drawn to your network and those to whom you are drawn, share an energetic frequency and intensity. This similarity permeates the core of your beings and is reflected in beliefs and values, some of which pertain to powerful networking. While seeking diversity in your networking community, also pay attention to what attracts you.


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POWER THOUGHT OF THE WEEK: Building Virtual Community, Part 1

TNNW BULLETIN, MAY, 2009, WEEK 1

Major Developments, Forward Motion, Events and Actionable Items: TNNW - We ARE Networking

May 1st, 2009

Bulletin # 14

"PUTTING THE BULL BACK INTO BULLETIN"

*We are a unique organization that offers our Subscribers and Members: 1) fabulous information, insight and intelligence in our Newsletter and through our continuous RSS and Email Feeds, 2) an unparalleled suite of services and products for making you personally and professionally successful, and 3) an actual interpersonal community where Human Beings work together in cooperation and synergy to achieve exponential returns.

THE NATIONAL NETWORKER is more than talk about networking and media -- we are about connections, team-bulding, personal introductions, constructive interactivity and RELATIONSHIPS.
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1. ALL-NEW BUTTONS AND APPLICATIONS (FULLY-FEATURED AND COLORFUL) FOR YOU TO PLAY WITH.

If you look at the bottom of any of our wonderful (but then, I'm biased) articles, you will notice a whole set of new applications to save, bookmark re-publish, broadcast, email, comment about, rate, follow, subscribe to or promote any of our authors, any of their articles, or the whole Newsletter. Look for the buttons and use them. Experiment. Be adventurous, in the spirit of the pioneers of old.

The best part... you can use some of these nifty little buttons to get free widgets, gadgets and other stuff for your own blog, website or newsletter, and to aggressively and efficiently promote yourself, your brand and your products across all of the social media while you are talking about TNNW! Nobody offers anything quite like this. Here's a hint:





Re-Tweet This ArticleEmail this • Sphere: Related Content • Save to del.icio.us • Add to del.icio.us • Digg This! • Discuss on Newsvine • Stumble It! • Add to Mixx! • Email the author • 2 Comments • Technorati Links • Share on Facebook • outside.in: geotag this story

2. MAJOR PRICE INCREASE SCHEDULED

Effective June 15th, the NATIONAL NETWORKER Newsletter, which is currently available to Subscribers at no cost, will be forced (because of tremendous economic pressure, late-night telephone calls from credit card companies, and ever-persistent whining from our parents, who feel that we are getting to that age where we should be "on our own") to raise its subscription price by 50%. Do the math - times are tough. In fact, math is tough.

3. SITES TO SEE -- NOW

There are several super sites (in the vast web of THE NATIONAL NETWORKER) which you should definitely look at and favoritize. We'll admit...we are still under construction, and are making constant improvements to the navigation "friendliness" of all of our sites -- and yes, we have a truckload of them -- more than 22 of 'em and growing. The trick is going to be centralizing the navigation right on the website. This should be in place very soon -- we are internally beta testing right now. We're just like Microsoft, except we do our beta-testing prior to releasing our product to the public.

For a complete sitemap and index of all of our sites, simply click on http://tnnwindex.blogspot.com/, and FAVORITIZE. {yes, yes...it sounds like a window cleaner} Keep this handy - when you're on any page, look for the INDEX TO TNNW SITES button to return to the Index at any time. Here are a few sites to visit right now (Put down that X-Box and get back to Networking!); they are just a sampling:

MEET OUR ADVERTISERS AND AFFILIATES

We have some fabulous services, affiliate programs and business development tools on this page. Take a look at what our advertisers and affiliates are offering (often at a significant discount to our Subscribers and Members) and click away. We do not give any space to any product or program which we have not examined for quality. Do some serious shopping. If you are interested in beling listed here, just navigate you way to our ADVERTISING AND AFFILIATE SERVICES Site. Hint: You'll have to use the index to find it.

Please pay special attention to my new ad (which is particularly direct and offensive) for DOUGLAS CASTLE - STRATEGIC PLANNING AND CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT on this page. If you want to comment about it, criticize it, or just take advantage of the opportunity to abuse me, please either post your comments right to the bottom of this bulletin, to my current article, or to my email address which is douglas.castle@yahoo.com . Please avoid profanity. For the really mean ones, you may email them to my alternate email address, which is Whodoyouthinkyouaredouglas.castle@yahoo.com .

Expect CHAPTER TRACKER (Jay Rowland's ingenious organizational tracking product which can actually be customized to accommodate the exacting needs of your multi-chapter community, club, franchise or other social or business format) and WILL BANTER (J.D. Gershbein's cartoon creation, and a possible candidate for TNNW's Board Of Directors) to be making appearances on this page and throughout issues of THE NATIONAL NETWORKER (TNNW) Newsletter very shortly.

Years after Homer Simpson is gone and forgotten, the frenetic, caffeinated and frighteningly sociable WILL BANTER will be a legend and role model to every networker on this planet. Oh brother. THE HANDSHAKE CLUB, Will's cyberspace networking organization, replete with such other cartoon characters as Ms. Brandy Share is evolving (even as I write this!) into a show of its very own.

Cartoons often mirror life -- occasionally with just a bit of exaggeration. We also know (those of us who are reading this) that many folks would rather read a comic strip or watch a cartoon than laboriously scroll through an e-mail, a blog, a website or even (heaven forbid) page through a.....a....a book! Will Banter might just be able to provide you and your company with enough traction to 1) differentiate your message from your competitors', and 2) get your point across with lightning speed -- unlike reading a specifications manual, or any of the academic articles that I published in college or graduate school.

Jay Goldberg will also be making an appearance...he is a producer and packager of "WALK-ON ADS." These are those neat little tricks where you click onto a website or blogsite (to research or buy something), and a real live person walks right onto the site

SPECIAL TNNW PACKAGES FOR PRESS RELEASES, PUBLICITY AND PR

You cannot afford NOT to use the indisputable power of the press release (just ask ANY of our TNNW clients, or Featured Author and expert Rita Wilhelm). The cost is miniscule in proportion to the potential audience. It adds to your credibility, SEO, branding, potential client population and makes you instantly more visible and more popular. TNNW offers multiple press release packages at the best prices in the industry - plus, we will help in every aspect of drafting, editing, tracking and following up with your releases. A PROFESSIONALLY WRITTEN and PROPERLY DISTRIBUTED PRESS RELEASE IS THE WORLD'S MOST POTENT MARKETING TOOL. Bottom line: Do ALL of your press releases, and set up your press release campaigns through TNNW. Let us help you exponentialize and monetize your profession, business, brand, product or service.

TNNW BUZZWORKS

We have just released the TNNW BUZZWORKS page. Look at it very, very carefully. Here's the idea: If you write or reference THE NATIONAL NETWORKER in any article, blog or social media (Digg, Twitter, Facebook...), point it out to us, and we will give you (and/or your organization, service or product) a BIGGER BUZZ IN RETURN! Keep buzzing us, and we'll buzz you as you have never been buzzed before -- to hundreds of thousands of readers. Get buzzin', cousin.

TNNW SERVICES FOR MEMBERS

Explore (bring a lunch, binoculars and a pith helmet) our services. You will not find better services, at better value anywhere. You might want to become a Member...

4. CHRISTINE, ELAINE and ANN

We have three fabulously gifted Featured Authors, and we would insist (gently, of course) that you visit their blogs. These blogs are not only fascinating, but they were evidently prepared by a brilliant blogmaster -- some uncelebrated (and probably undercompensated - sigh -) Shakespeare of Javascript.

Christine Sotmary's blog about her widely-acclaimed book can be found at http://christinesotmary.blogspot.com/ .

Elaine Ingis, the Founder of SrMeetUp! has a blog for her BabyBoomer membership community at http://srmeetup.blogspot.com/. Her website can be found at http://www.srmeetup.com/. You might want to become one of her advertisers, writers, or Members. She is a dynamo.

Ann Barczay Sloan's blog can be found at http://annbarczaysloan.blogspot.com/ . She engaged TNNW to assist her in getting some artists and photographers to contribute (for some publicity and potential royalties) for her forthcoming book. Within two four days, we have received more than 100 email submissions. Investor interest is growing as well. We will be off to the publishers soon. Ann's book is going to be a sensation -- if you don't own a piece now (the investment particpation is tiny), you will live with eternal regret.

5. OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

TNNW expects to announce the filling of several newly-created positions within these next three weeks [cue drumroll...]:

Newsletter Editor; Calendar Coordinator; Webmaster, and Director Of Membership Services.

Should you have an interest in being considered for any of the above positions, or should you wish to be a part of a team of assistants to work in any one of the above areas, please contact Adam J. Kovitz directly at adam@TheNationalNetworker.com. In the event that you are not interested, Adam requests that you do not contact him at adam@TheNationalNetworker.com.

6. REMINDER

You're missing out. To get the full benefit of THE NATIONAL NETWORKER and all that we have to offer, you MUST subscribe to either the RSS FEED or the EMAIL feed. Please do it now in order to keep your free subscription! Click on:

or on

It's really quite simple. If you actually do it, you'll find out that this is indeed true.

7. AN OBSERVATION

* NETWORKING IS A TOOL TO CREATE RELATIONSHIPS, AND NOT AN END IN ITSELF. BUSINESS HAPPENS BECAUSE OF RELATIONSHIPS. BOTTOM LINE...IT ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO THE PERSONAL INTERACTION BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE.

What? You'd like to see this pointed out in an article written by Douglas Castle (who, unlike Adam J. Kovitz, CEO, Editor-In-Chief, and Founder, does not need to see his name gratuitously mentioned)? Well then; why not?

Dear Readers:

Yesterday, in three separate discussions with three different colleagues, the same topic came up. I would hazard a guess that this particular topic is going to come up more frequently in conversations on a regular basis.

The crux of these discussions can be distilled into a single question and a few observations:


"What are we actually doing, and where are we actually heading with all of this "Networking" stuff?"

"It seems as if the noise level is increasing, yet I'm hearing less and less; It seems as if I am being bombarded with messages and requests, but I can't seem to focus on any single one of them; I thought that this e-media and social media networking technology was going to make my life easier -- now I literally spend hours and hours every single day just doing 'techno-chores'...reading emails, deleting spam, responding to emails, posting on a whole bunch of groups, jumping from Facebook to Linked In to Twitter, text-messaging, iPhoning, shooting out rapid-fire messages that are becoming more and more like apologies - 'I've been too busy to talk with you or meet with you. I'm booked.'


I have a rapidly growing number of contacts to keep up with, yet I know less and less about each of them personally. I don't "know them" at all; I send them emails and get autoresponder "out of office" messages back; the tiny percentage of those that I've actually spoken with on the phone with is shrinking; the even tinier percentage of those I've met is shrinking even more quickly.


The most pathetic thing is that I still do most of my business with a small number of personal, time-tested associates. They feel like friends to me. Despite all of this technology, people are getting ruder, more impersonal. What a paradox! It seems as if I'm suffocating and falling behind. It seems as if nobody has any compassion or humor left. It seems that people have lost the joy in the art of conversation.

I am on a treadmill, surrounded by strangers. I am working harder and accomplishing less. With all of this networking, it seems that I don't have time to actually close any business. I feel increasingly friendless...increasingly lost.

Please help me. I'm drowning in buzzwords, keywords, adwords and a sensorial bombardment that is destroying the quality of my life. I can't even hear my own thoughts. I can't get a grip on my own feelings. It's as if I were living in a constant state of crisis. I don't know any of my neighbors. I'm forgetting about common courtesies, like asking about people's kids, or their health.

Could we go out to the diner? Maybe we can talk about our families, or music or art, or even philosophy? Please?
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My friend, Adam J. Kovitz, hinted at this some time ago when he started discussing his notion of Relationship Capital. He believes, as I do, that people are beginning to crave real interpersonal bonding; real spiritual communion; real trust and meaningful friendship; deeper communication and cooperation; more of a celebration of individuality, of quirkiness, of the differences that make us special and interesting to know. WE NEED TO BRING SOME HUMANITY BACK INTO NETWORKING, OR NO BUSINESS IS GOING TO HAPPEN!

I have a few goals to share with you -- and I dedicate this to all of my family members and precious friends (whom I've been 'just too busy' to call), to every Subscriber, Member, Sponsor, Author and Advertiser in THE NATIONAL NETWORKER (TNNW), to all of my blog readers, followers, mentors, teachers, comrades-in-arms, comrades-in-chains and, of course, ukelele players:

1. I am going to become a person again.

2. I am going to take breaks from work now and again in order to enjoy this world and this life.

3. I am re-dedicating myself to doing everything in my power, and within my ability, to make sure that THE NATIONAL NETWORKER stays HUMAN, and PERSONAL...that we make every single effort to be a community of friends, business associates and individuals -- each special. We have to listen and to help instead of simply talking and promoting.

I have discovered a secret: In these times, business success is dependent not only upon competence and mutual needs -- it is, more than ever, dependent upon our being good friends, and having good friends.

Faithfully, and extending my hand in friendship, I am

Douglas Castle
P.S. Listen to this! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptlW99wWBWY&feature=related

THE NATIONAL NETWORKER (TNNW):
PRESS OUR BUTTONS & CLICK OUR LINKS...









And now, ladies and gentlemen, enjoy the articles. Thank you for being with us, and for being a part of us.

Yours,

ADAM J. KOVITZ and Douglas Castle

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TNNW BULLETIN, MAY, 2009, WEEK 1

HEADLINE: A Tale of Two Economies

by Adam J. Kovitz

CEO, Founder & Publisher

Adam's section is brought to you by Salesconx.com

“Too many people are thinking of security instead of opportunity. They seem more afraid of life than death.”

- James F. Byrnes (1879 – 1972)

The following is inspired by a Lego-building session with my youngest son, Daniel and numerous conversations with my blood-brother-in-arms, Douglas Castle…

It was the best of times, although many refused to see it as such and considered it the worst of times. Nonetheless, none could deny it was time for a change.

It started out as a noble experiment…a means to prove that people could build a thriving community of riches through a mercantile system and in such a way that would promote equality and freedom but turned into a system of inequality and enslavement.

In its humble beginnings, people, needing to survive together against common threats such as the elements, wild beasts and other adversarial communities used barter and trade of currencies to exchange goods and services.

Some exchanged cattle and other livestock. Others exchanged tools and weapons. Yet others exchanged cowrie shells, rocks, hunks of metal and even chocolate.

Eventually one community developed the trinket, an item that was made from local materials as a viable means of exchange. Trinkets started appearing in other communities as well…they came in different shapes and were made of different materials. And while, at times, trinkets were not always practical for larger purchases, over time, trinkets became the main basis of community economics.

Those who seemed to exchange their trinkets well enough had more, while others who were more disadvantaged through various series of bad choices did not. Those with more trinkets became respected and venerable and held onto power, while those who didn’t became the servants, slaves or even “untouchables”. People who didn’t have as much over time and grew discontent had the following choices:

1. Organize a militant revolt and either seize power and control or die trying
2. Move to another community to start all over again, fresh
3. Find inventive ways to change the trinket system for the better through intellectual and/or political means
4. Learn to accept that which (they felt) they couldn’t change and fade into obscurity
5. Ignore it and hope that the situation will improve.

With the advent of more successful localized trinket-based economies, growth began within once-smaller communities and they began to experience new pleasures while developing new challenges.

One such challenge was the growing need for raw materials to make more trinkets often led to some communities being trampled under and forgotten; cultures and knowledge lost forever. Other communities were absorbed, increasing manpower to find more raw materials to feed the growing hunger for more trinkets. When two growing communities vied for the same materials skirmishes and battles would break out in which lives were lost. Nonetheless, “civilized” communities spread their “civilization” to other communities and this was called “progress”.

Sometimes, as communities began to overlap more, citizens began to realize and develop an appreciation for other cultures such that healthy trade of trinkets was established. Other times, when one community began to overly-covet another’s trinkets (which might even have been made with better, shinier materials), skirmishes and battles would develop into full-scale wars. Progress continued.

In time, communities grew into countries. Some of these countries were content at their level of trinket-production and chose to trade sparingly with other countries. Other, more ambitious countries chose to continue to grow, and when they could no longer do so, wage war with other countries to get their wealth. Still others did so through economic and diplomatic means, realizing that somehow they could all get a long if they worked together in building each others’ mutual economies into a larger ecosystem.

And still yet, other countries decided that trinkets were like a drug that led to nothing but war and suffering while draining all natural resources to the point of eventual extinction. These countries decided to find other means of exchange and either went back to the “old” ways or decided to base their economy upon one thing that can never be taken away…who they knew and what they knew. They developed their own economic system based upon merit.

Other trinket-based countries with trinket-based economies saw this and laughed. After all, one cannot touch, smell or see merit they way one could a trinket. Trinkets were real and because they were real, they could be measured and studied. In fact, several citizens developed new ways of measuring trinkets, determining trinket-value of goods and services and even predicting the “flow” and “growth” of trinkets.

The eight most predominant trinket-based countries began to encourage other smaller trinket-based countries to join in with them and develop mutually-dependent trinket-based economies together, while completely ignoring the non-trinket-based countries. After all, what good are those countries, if they had no trinkets? Besides, trinkets were much easier to deal with than all that messy emotional stuff that is used to determine merit.

For a while things were going really well for all trinket-based countries. Their political systems began to revolve around trinkets, enterprises began to revolve around trinkets, it seemed that just about everything revolved trinkets. People in power found ways to amass more trinkets through their schemes while the servants, slaves and untouchables did their bidding. Whether rich or poor, there was one thing that all wanted: more trinkets. Why? Because trinkets meant more power, more freedom and still more trinkets. Emotions and feelings were shunned as being non-trinket like and those with less of them, were rewarded with even more trinkets. Those who broke down and showed emotions were labeled as “weak” or even “crazy” and made to work with the rest of the servants, slaves and untouchables.

Those in power in the trinket-based countries began to experience new challenges as they consolidated even more power. They faced limited supplies of raw materials which meant limiting the amount of trinkets that could be produced. Various enterprises and their leaders began to panic as their growth was beginning to level off and stagnate. Some especially ambitious and industrious citizens came up with the idea to create imaginary trinkets, which were just as good as real trinkets and would be accepted by any respectable trinket-based business, even if they had to create new laws to make it so.

In the meantime, the non-trinket-based countries (there seemed so few of them now, especially since some of them were lured away by the other trinket-based countries to develop their own trinket-based economies) viewed the other trinket-based economies, studied their cultures and were shocked by their findings after talking with several of their citizens, ranging from prominence down to servitude. The researchers found the following similarities despite the level of financial wealth:

1. Worry over losing what trinkets they had
2. Concern that they didn’t have enough trinkets to pay for things like their childrens’ educations, retirement, etc.
3. Higher incidences of medical issues within the subjects and their family histories
4. The admission to breaking rules to gain more trinkets, whether real or imaginary
5. The values of integrity and honor were only valued on the surface, while shrewdness and incompetency were rewarded more, especially the more one was in power.

While not at all significant to the trinket-based countries, the non-trinket-based countries took to heart all they learned from the research and redoubled their efforts to build sustainability into their models. While their merit-based economy might not have been perfect, it would appear as if it were, at least, more sustainable. Their citizens worked together and honored integrity, honesty and personal and professional development. Because of this, there were no levels of stratification of its citizenry. There was fear to some degree, but certainly not as prominent. In fact, they had no fear of invasion from the trinket-based countries because they did not see anything of value to conquer!

Then one day they heard from a few of the poorer citizens of the trinket-based countries. They sought political asylum! When asked why, they said that their economies are crumbling one by one as leading political figures became involved in scandals concerning certain large enterprises. People were beginning to recognize that their trinkets had no value, especially the imaginary ones. There was no way of finding jobs, paying for their housing and they were physically and emotionally exhausted. Several heads of vast enterprises even committed suicide in anticipation of being discovered for fraud or out of losing their vast trinket fortunes.

Those less wealthy citizens were in even worse shape as they were deep in debt and owed more trinkets than they could pay back, and while this was true of many of the larger enterprises that enjoyed so many years of trinket-building, they did not have the backing of the government to give them more trinkets despite their plight. To compound matters, laws were passed to make it impossible to escape their debt and were charged even more trinkets because they didn’t have any. Over the years, the numbers of those with more trinkets began to rapidly dwindle while those with less increased dramatically. The situation had become insufferable and intolerable.

It was the best of times, although many refused to see it as such and considered it the worst of times. Nonetheless, none could deny it was time for a change.

The leaders of the non-trinket-based countries refused to grant the requested asylum as their merit-based economy was extremely delicate. The introduction and immigration of such people to their shores would upset their sustainability models. Nonetheless, they felt it their responsibility to help their fellow human beings by offering them the following options:

1. Organize a militant revolt and either seize power and control or die trying
2. Move to another community to start all over again, fresh
3. Find inventive ways to change the trinket system for the better through intellectual and/or political means
4. Learn to accept that which (they felt) they couldn’t change and fade into obscurity
5. Ignore it and hope that the situation will improve.

As the world had become a much smaller place due to technological advances in communications and transportation and as entrance into the non-trinket-based countries was not permitted, #2 was not an option. Upon further consideration, they realized that #4 and #5 were basically the same. Therefore their choices were:

1. Organize a militant revolt and either seize power and control or die trying
2. Find inventive ways to change the trinket system for the better through intellectual and/or political means
3. Ignore it, accept it, hope the situation will improve and fade into obscurity.

The people made their choice.

What would YOU chose?

What have YOU ALREADY CHOSEN?

Adam J. Kovitz is the CEO, Founder & Publisher of The National Networker (TNNW).

Follow Adam on Twitter!

The Emergence of the Relationship Economy

Relationship Capital is the cornerstone of the Relationship Economy, which RNIA defines as “a measurement assigned to individual and organizational entities based on the relationship interactions between them, and the interactions they have internally.” I am proud to have contributed discussion of the Ten Laws of Relationships Capital to the upcoming book The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, now out as an eBook and in hardcopy. With a forward written by Doc Searls (of Cluetrain Manifesto fame), it is being considered a “must read” for anyone responsible for the strategic direction of their business. If you would like to purchase your own copy of The Emergence of the Relationship Economy, please click here.

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Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER (TNNW). All rights reserved.

To subscribe for your free TNNW Newsletter, go to http://www.thenationalnetworker.com/ For the complete National Networker (TNNW) Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free continuous RSS feed (available either by traditional RSS or by direct email), go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com/

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HEADLINE: A Tale of Two Economies

LASTING IMPRESSIONS: Michael Jantzen

Lasting Impressions with Sian Lindemann

Michael Jantzen - Environmentally Friendly Art and Architectural Design

“Michael Jantzen is an internationally known artist and designer whose work has been featured in hundreds of articles in books, magazines, and newspapers from around the world. His work has also been presented on various TV and radio programs, and in many galleries. Some of his designs have been exhibited at the National Building Museum, the Canadian Center for Architecture, and at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.”

About The Artist

“Michael “Jantzen” was born in Centralia, Illinois and grew up on a summer resort near Carlyle Illinois where his early experimentations with structure design led him to S.I.U.E. (Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville) and their Dean’s List Program.
After graduating with a Bachelors of Arts degree, Michael went on to receive his Masters of Arts degree from Washington University in St. Louis Missouri.
Michael moved to the Los Angeles area in 1990 to continue his leading edge experimental work in the crossover fields of art and architecture.”
www.michaeljantzen.com

I am “awe – struck.” Sian Lindemann

Earth Day 2009

I’ve just completed participation in a four month immersion and Social Media campaign that allowed for a new view on planet “earth.” Garnering a greater awareness of people, projects, and campaigns, from around the world, that are extremely innovative, and have been constructed in that we might diminish our “impact” and footprint on planet earth, I am now introduced to the works of Michael Jantzen, and am, simply put, astounded, by the work of this highly innovative designer.

Introduced to Michael, via colleague, DR Rawson, CEO of C4 World Wide Finance, I am pleased to be able to share the collections of this spectacular and “cutting edge” artist and designer. It is essential before you read another word, to “go” to his website, give yourself an hour of time, and review the content that is there.

www.michaeljantzen.com

My personal favorites are the “M” house, which is capable of being assembled, placed, and is “mobile.”

The other is the “Malibu Video Beach House.”

LOCATE ANY PERSON, ANYWHERE - EXPERTLY AND QUICKLY

START YOUR SEARCH BY CLICKING ON THE BUTTON BELOW --

This is my favorite, over all, and am seriously thinking, not only do I want to LIVE here, but I would wish to construct duplicate models in the first of many locations, to house “New World Galleries.” I’ve been dreaming about “digital” and virtually connected galleries for many, many years, and this is not only the perfect venue, but fulfills the design specs that I have been dreaming about in my head…Extremely clean lines, and extremely innovative presentation for digital visual imagery….

As I write today’s article, I can barely keep myself focused long enough to contain my excitement. Its one of those AHA moments, that are rare, yet profound, and where one knows that one’s life is about to change, dramatically.

It is primary to understanding this artist brings to the arts and to the world of architecture, a revolution in design. His works are simply “out of this world,” functional and contemporary.

I readily understand clearly why he has been featured in the venues like MOMA, and others.

The name, Frank Lloyd Wright, is known to all of us and I have not been aware of significant innovation in design for single family homes, since the acceptance and ongoing recognition of FLW, as a significant innovator.

Michael Jantzen is the new wave in innovative, artistic, energy – efficient, green building for the private and public sector, unsurpassed in 30 years of review, and research.

www.michaeljantzen.com

Please give yourself the time to review this man’s work. I believe, that his work, and 30 years of development, is a collection, whose time has come.


Sian Lindemann, May 2009
www.siandesign.com
www.siandesign.blogspot.com
Executive Director, Sian Design
Monument, Colorado, USA

Certified Personal “Life Coach”

Founder, The National Living Arts Foundation
Founder, Clear Solutions For The Blue Planet

“ Art Speak” International








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Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER (TNNW). All rights reserved.

To subscribe for your free TNNW Newsletter, go to http://www.thenationalnetworker.com/ For the complete National Networker (TNNW) Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free continuous RSS feed (available either by traditional RSS or by direct email), go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com/

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LASTING IMPRESSIONS: Michael Jantzen

U.S. NORTHWEST: Connecting Around Montana

by Lori Richardson

U.S., Northwest Bureau Chief
(Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Washington, Oregon)

It is interesting, as NW Bureau Chief for TNNW, to spend time learning about how people are collaborating in different states here in the NW and beyond. My region to cover includes the states of WA, OR, ID, MT, and WY. (PS, if you have a story about local "master networkers" or upcoming networking events in these states, please drop me a note about it) In the past I have reported on Alaska as well. Here is a sampling of what is happening in various cities and towns around Montana right now:

Prospera Business Network helps business builders in Bozeman, under the direction of President Jeff Burgard and a board consisting of local business owners. Their annual membership luncheon is Thursday, May 7th. They have just received $750,000 for economic stimulus and have created a loan fund.

The 2009 Innovation in Business Conference happens in Helena on May 18-21. Scott Lillie is the kickoff keynote speaker.

I have reported before on the fantastic MATR newsletter - it keeps everyone up on what is happening around the state.

The Montana Economic Developers Conference on "Providing Leadership in a Challenging Economy" will be held at the Fairmont Hotsprings Resort in Fairmont, MT on June 11th and 12th.

The Alternative Energy Resources Organization lists all the Farmers Markets around the state - a great place to meet up with like-minded, buy-local and healthy eating folks.

I'll be writing next month about sustainability organizations in the NW - don't forget to send me a link to anything going on relationg to helping people connect in the West and the NW.

Follow me on Twitter @scoremoresales

Lori Richardson is a master connector who works as a "Sales Detective" - helping business owners and sales leaders solve marketing and sales issues. She is a long time TNNW bureau chief and wants to hear from you about what is going on in the NW. Visit Lori's website at www.scoremoresales.com

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U.S. NORTHWEST: Connecting Around Montana

THE STRESS OF SUCCESS: Checking In With Yourself - What Is Success?

The Stress of Success with Sifu Cinda Hocking, LMSW

As you build your business, it is vital to take regular breaks at least monthly to reconnect with your business mission and objectives, re-evaluate them to see if they still hold true, and ask yourself if your business continues to contribute to your overall life purpose and goals.

Conventional wisdom tells us that the first few years of a business demand extra sacrifice, and that you will need to be almost entirely focused on it for it to succeed. Of course, hard work and dedication are needed to move your business forward, however it is equally important to take time periodically to remember the reason you have been building your business. Is it to create more income, more time at home or with family, to cultivate your creativity or passion, or to do something that you feel is important? Is the way you are working and the what you are doing still serving your purpose and goals?

You will be far less fulfilled by business success and far more shaken by business failures if the other important parts of your life, such as family/relationships, physical activity, and spiritual practice, are being put on hold or ignored. While you are busy building your business, all these other facets of life don't go away and still need your attention. This is not to say you should try to be everything to everybody – that is an impossible, ill-advised and overwhelming goal - but rather that you need to check in with yourself that these vital facets of your life are being attended to so they can continue to grow and thrive.

You could have a great business and family problems because you are never at home, or a great business and poor health because you don’t get enough sleep, exercise or good nutrition, and you could have a great business and a feeling of burn-out or emptiness anyway because you've allowed no time for your spiritual practice.

To avoid these common problems, keep checking in with yourself to see if you really are still on your chosen path. If you are, is it working for you, or not? If not, did you stray and need to get back on your path, or do you need to actually change your path?

This simple tool can help keep you on your purpose and goals and prevent you from falling prey to many of the usual challenges to a balanced life that come from building a new business.

Cinda Hocking, LMSW

Lifestyle and Wellness Counselor

Ann Arbor, MI

cindahocking.blogspot.com

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To subscribe for your free TNNW Newsletter, go to www.TheNationalNetworker.com. For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free continuous RSS feed (available either by traditional RSS or by direct email), go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com.

You are also invited to click our buttons:




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THE STRESS OF SUCCESS: Checking In With Yourself - What Is Success?

TNNW BULLETIN AND ARTICLES, APRIL, 2009, WEEK 4

Major Developments, Forward Motion, Events and Actionable Items: TNNW - We ARE Networking

April 27, 2009

Bulletin # 13

"PUTTING THE 'BULL' BACK INTO BULLETIN"

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SITES TO SEE -- NOW

There are several super sites (in the vast web of THE NATIONAL NETWORKER) which you should definitely look at and favoritize. We'll admit...we are still under construction, and are making constant improvements to the navigation "friendliness" of all of our sites -- and yes, we have a truckload of them -- more than 20 of 'em and growing. The trick is going to be centralizing the navigation right on the website. This should be in place very soon -- we are internally beta testing right now. We're just like Microsoft, except we do our beta-testing prior to releasing our product to the public.

For a complete sitemap and index of all of our sites, simply click on http://tnnwindex.blogspot.com/, and FAVORITIZE. {yes, yes...it sounds like a window cleaner} Keep this handy - when you're on any page, look for the INDEX TO TNNW SITES button to return to the Index at any time. Here are a few sites to visit right now (Put down that X-Box and get back to Networking!); they are just a sampling:

MEET OUR ADVERTISERS AND AFFILIATES

We have some fabulous services, affiliate programs and business development tools on this page. Take a look at what our advertisers and affiliates are offering (often at a significant discount to our Subscribers and Members) and click away. We do not give any space to any product or program which we have not examined for quality. Do some serious shopping. If you are interested in beling listed here, just navigate you way to our ADVERTISING AND AFFILIATE SERVICES Site. Hint: You'll have to use the index to find it.

Please pay special attention to my new ad (which is particularly direct and offensive) for DOUGLAS CASTLE - STRATEGIC PLANNING on this page. If you want to comment about it, criticize it, or just take advantage of the opportunity to abuse me, please either post your comments right to the bottom of this bulletin, to my current article, or to my email address which is douglas.castle@yahoo.com . Please avoid profanity. For the really mean ones, you may email them to my alternate email address, which is Whodoyouthinkyouaredouglas.castle@yahoo.com .

Expect CHAPTER TRACKER (Jay Rowland's ingenious organizational tracking product) and WILL BANTER (J.D. Gershbein's cartoon creation, and a possible candidate for TNNW's Board Of Directions) to be making appearances on this page very shortly. Years after Homer Simpson is gone and forgotten, the frenetic, caffeinated WILL BANTER will be a legend and role model to every networker on this planet. Oh brother.

SPECIAL TNNW PACKAGES FOR PRESS RELEASES, PUBLICITY AND PR

You cannot afford NOT to use the indisputable power of the press release (just ask ANY of our TNNW clients, or Featured Author and expert Rita Wilhelm). The cost is miniscule in proportion to the potential audience. It adds to your credibility, SEO, branding, potential client population and makes you instantly more visible and more popular. TNNW offers multiple press release packages at the best prices in the industry - plus, we will help in every aspect of drafting, editing, tracking and following up with your releases. A PROFESSIONALLY WRITTEN and PROPERLY DISTRIBUTED PRESS RELEASE IS THE WORLD'S MOST POTENT MARKETING TOOL. Bottom line: Do ALL of your press releases, and set up your press release campaigns through TNNW. Let us help you exponentialize and monetize your profession, business, brand, product or service.

TNNW BUZZWORKS

We have just released the TNNW BUZZWORKS page. Look at it very, very carefully. Here's the idea: If you write or reference THE NATIONAL NETWORKER in any article, blog or social media (Digg, Twitter, Facebook...), point it out to us, and we will give you (and/or your organization, service or product) a BIGGER BUZZ IN RETURN! Keep buzzing us, and we'll buzz you as you have never been buzzed before -- to hundreds of thousands of readers. Get buzzin', cousin.

TNNW SERVICES FOR MEMBERS

Explore (bring a lunch, binoculars and a pith helmet) our services. You will not find better services, at better value anywhere. You might want to become a Member...

CHRISTINE, ELAINE and ANN

We have three fabulously gifted Featured Authors, and we would insist (gently, of course) that you visit their blogs. These blogs are not only fascinating, but they were evidently prepared by a brilliant blogmaster -- some uncelebrated (and probably undercompensated - sigh -) Shakespeare of Javascript.

Christine Sotmary's blog about her widely-acclaimed book can be found at http://christinesotmary.blogspot.com/ .

Elaine Ingis, the Founder of SrMeetUp! has a blog for her BabyBoomer membership community at http://srmeetup.blogspot.com/. Her website can be found at http://www.srmeetup.com/. You might want to become one of her advertisers, writers, or Members. She is a dynamo.

Ann Barczay Sloan's blog can be found at http://annbarczaysloan.blogspot.com/ . She engaged TNNW to assist her in getting some artists and photographers to contribute (for some publicity and potential royalties) for her forthcoming book. Within two four days, we have received more than 100 email submissions. Investor interest is growing as well. We will be off to the publishers soon!

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

TNNW expects to announce the filling of several newly-created positions within these next four weeks [cue drumroll]:

Newsletter Editor; Calendar Coordinator; Webmaster, and Director Of Membership Services.

REMINDER

You're missing out. To get the full benefit of THE NATIONAL NETWORKER and all that we have to offer, you MUST subscribe to either the RSS FEED or the EMAIL feed. Please do it now in order to keep your free subscription! Click on:

or on



and make us all happy.

And now, enjoy our articles.

Adam J. Kovitz and Douglas Castle

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Posted to THE NATIONAL NETWORKER. All rights reserved.
####
To subscribe for your free TNNW Newsletter, go to http://www.thenationalnetworker.com/ For the complete National Networker Relationship Capital Toolkit and a free continuous RSS feed (available either by traditional RSS or by direct email), go to: http://thenationalnetworkerweblog.blogspot.com/

You are also invited to click our buttons:




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TNNW BULLETIN AND ARTICLES, APRIL, 2009, WEEK 4