The entrepreneur's secret weapon has nothing to do with planning or working hard and everything to do with being in the moment and playing. It's the art of improvisation.

A year ago, I interviewed Patricia Ryan Madson, author of Improv Wisdom, for this blog. She's a wisdom entrepreneur intent on bringing the wisdom of improv to help people in their every day lives. Little did I know that I would come back to her book a year later, spurred on by the insight that improv could help me as an entrepreneur.

The story starts about a month ago. Burned out from my recent start-up, My Alumni Link, business was no longer fun. The joy had been squeezed out of this project, in direct correlation to the tightness of my grip on controlling the results.  "Must have X number of registrants for my webinar series."  "Series must be flawlessly executed, from reminder emails for participants to the VOIP technology used to listen to the webinars to visually enticing slides." And on and on it went.

With the encouragement of a friend, I signed up for an improv workshop, one that I had been pining over since I tried to take it three years ago, got sick, and had to cancel. Since then, my Gremlin had kept my creative muse shuttered, believing that there was never a good time to spend an evening and a day, just playing, with others. And especially not during the the weekend before the start of my webinar series. 

That weekend, I found my mojo again. I was like a traveler in the desert who found water, and had forgotten how water was essential to life. I laughed. I cried.  I made quirky sounds and moved my body in odd ways, with a quickness that felt foreign but exhilarating. I was asked to show and embrace intense emotion--joy, frustration, anger, compassion--as a way to expand my emotional range when improvising. It was ten times more than I usually express in my daily life. It felt good to clean off the emotional barnacles that had built up over months and leave with a fresh coat of paint. I tapped into my imagination, the things I couldn't see but which I had to feel my way through. I signed up for another class the following weekend.

More importantly, when I got back in the office, I was calm and refreshed.  I didn't have the need to do, but rather to enjoy what I was doing or not do it. I learned to say "Yes, and" to whatever was showing up.  Improv got me back in the flow of the Universe, instead of trying to control or resist it. Now, I'm the raft riding the river, instead of the rock in the middle, being worn down over time.

Why is this so important as an entrepreneur? Because entrepreneurship is a journey down the river. There will be ups and downs and all kinds of surprises. No matter how well you prepare, things will not go as planned. You think you've got it figured out and here comes another rapid, swirling around you. It threatens to take you into the undertow, unless you stay alert to conditions of the moment, and know how to pop out and get back into the flow of the river. Photo by Rob and Jules

There's a passage from Patricia's book, Improv Wisdom, that I've underlined and marked with a bright pink Post-It note. Here it is:

"A good improviser is someone who is awake, not entirely self-focused, and moved by a desire to do something useful and give something back and who acts upon this impulse."  

Let this be a guidepost for entrepreneurs everywhere. Give yourself the gift of improv and if not that, learn the lessons of improv with Patricia's book, Improv Wisdom.

In this new decade, someone needs to write a book called "Living at the Speed of Digital Change."  Photo by jpctalbot

It was just a little over two years ago that I started this blog, with one of the main themes being how technology is an enabler for turning an idea into a movement. I've been noticing how the standards are changing as technology advances. Here are a few examples:

• Instantaneous movements. Simon Young first introduced me to "flash mobs," where a group of strangers coordinated, through technology, an in-person gathering to make a point, promote a cause, or stand behind a common purpose (if nothing else, to give bystanders something to talk about for the rest of the day.) While quick to coalesce, these mini-movements were small and temporal. Now, with the power of social media and a compelling enough cause, national or even global movements can happen overnight. A few weeks ago, on National Public Radio's All Things Considered, they discussed how a movement to help Haiti sprung up quickly, with the help of social media. Using the text message, 90999, to donate $10 at a time, tens of millions of dollars were collected from cell phone users in a matter of a few days. Photo by The U.S. Army

NPR contrasts that to the tsunami relief efforts in 2004, when social media  platforms like Twitter and Facebook didn't exist. It took a lot longer to mobilize the hearts and minds (and wallets) around a cause.

Wisdom entrepreneurs: Is your story and cause compelling enough for others to pass on through social media, and create a movement?

• Social media is getting more use than email. A quote from the Economist magazine, citing Nielsen, a market research firm: "...since February 2009, [people] have been spending more time on social-networking sites than on email, and the lead is getting bigger."  To reinforce this idea even further, I recently re-read a NYT article titled, "Brave New World of Digital Intimacy" published in September 2008. The article explores the challenge of being on Twitter and following several hundred people. Now, less than two years later, this challenge seems rather quaint. The number of users on Twitter has exploded, as well as the many ways to use Twitter. Following thousands isn't uncommon for an average "twit" and avid users can follow tens of thousands.Social media has become part of the mainstream, rather than a new fad associated with the digerati. Photo by 7son75

Wisdom entrepreneurs: Meet your kindred spirits where they are. Don't rely on them to come to your site or to read your emails.

• The next frontier is mobile. I don't text. I don't have a smart phone. I'm an immigrant when it comes to mobile. And yet it makes sense that it would become one of the most powerful tools to emerge, as everything that we expect on a desktop moves to wherever we happen to be. I don't have to be at my desk to participate. I can be anywhere, doing anything. Photo by Michael(mx5tx)

Wisdom entrepreneurs:  Kindred spirits are even more accessible than you thought, if you factor in mobile.

• Think interactive, streaming data, not one-dimensional static pages. Michael Zeisser, Senior VP of Liberty Media, in a two-part interview for w3w3 Talk Radio, discusses how the Internet has evolved, from static pages to streaming data. The bar has been raised. Our expectation now is that something new is continually being presented, the new version of the ticker tape. Think Twitter or Facebook News Feeds.  In addition, I'm noticing how the best sites are using video to give that high touch, interactive feel. (Yes, it's a nod for me to do more of that as well. So far, I've dabbled in online video but have yet to make it a habit....)

Wisdom entrepreneurs: Start using online video as part of your communications toolkit. Get used to short bursts of communications (140 characters will do just fine...) to supplement a monthly newsletter or a weekly blog post.

This list makes me think I need to get crackin'. It also makes me wonder what tools we'll have two years down the road that we can't even imagine today.

What trends are you seeing in the changing landscape and how do you take advantage of them to turn your idea into a movement?

 As a new fan of Brains on Fire and their terrific blog, I experienced how BOF taps into the human desire to belong to something bigger than oneself. I received a thank you in snail mail for recommending them on Twitter ("1st company I'd contact if I ever needed job: Brains on Fire, helping organizations build movements. Check it out.") The thank you consisted of what looked like a business card with simply a url and a code. Going to the url (youareoneofus.com--brilliant!) brings up a visual of a "treasure chest" and a request to put in the code. Once the code is input, the visitor hears an unlocking of the chest, sees a visual of gold coins in the chest, and enters into "Brains on Fire Underground." Eventually, this leads to a series of pages where I pick out a gift for myself.

The story doesn't end there. I pick out a t-shirt, with a BOF-designed logo, "Fascinate, Inspire, Reward, Engage." (FIRE, get it?) Several days later, a cardboard box arrives with my free t-shirt inside. What catches my eye is not the t-shirt, but the box. On the inside of the cardboard, employees of BOF had signed it with a nickname or their initials or a mantra. It was as if to say, "You matter enough for us to personalize the package." What a remarkable example of how to create a "true fan" and that sense of belonging.

In this third and final part of my interview with Spike, you'll learn why effective movements have a barrier for entry, how to empower your kindred spirits, and the beauty of the words, "I am a <blank>."  A wonderful quote from Spike that sums up the BOF philosophy:

In other words, focus on the kindred spirits who will own the movement.

This final portion of our interview is less than 8 minutes long. My thanks to Spike for taking the time to share his wisdom and for the entire BOF crew for being so clear about who they are and what they stand for. It's compelling.

In addition to the Tequila Shots book, you'll want to check out BOF's manifesto, Lessons Learned in Igniting Word of Mouth Movements. It's chock full of insights on creating a movement, word of mouth or otherwise.

To contact Spike: spike [at] brainsonfire.com or find him on Twitter (@brainsonfire), LinkedIn, and Facebook.

"People ache for the human connection."

--Spike Jones, Chief Firestarter, Brains on Fire

In Part 2 of my three-part interview with Spike Jones from Brains on Fire, we cover lots of ground, from what it takes to have a strong culture to how movements live both offline and online to how building a community is an organic process. We also touch on having fun, saving the day and being profitable. Photo by brainsonfireflicker.

Two of my key take-aways as a wisdom entrepreneur:

• A traditional entrepreneur can get caught up in the goal of making money, to the detriment of growing the business. Likewise, a wisdom entrepreneur can be so enamored with their cause that engaging and empowering kindred spirits can suffer, to the detriment of building a movement. Spike reminds me that focusing on "the other" is where it's at. Whoever is in your community, find ways to tap into their passion and co-create with them.

• Defining your brand (part of the Crystallizing phase in A Bigger Voice) and staying true to it is important, whether you are a traditional entrepreneur or a wisdom entrepreneur. Fun is part of the Brains on Fire brand and you can see it throughout their work. I especially like how it comes out in how they welcome viewers to their site.

Enjoy Part 2, which is approximately 12 minutes long.

In Part 3, Spike reveals more lessons learned on building movements, including one that I found to be completely counter-intuitive. Stay tuned.

Brains on Fire is a brand identity and marketing company that drew my attention with these words on their home page: "Brains on Fire helps organizations build movements." 

When was the last time you heard a for-profit company talk about building a movement? Love it. That led to a more poking around on their site, a tweet about the company, followed by a series of email exchanges between myself and Spike Jones, BOF's Chief Firestarter.

I discovered a company that not only understands the nature of communities and movements, but also knows how to create remarkable relationships with fans/kindred spirits. Nurturing your evangelists or "1000 true fans" is not something I've spent much time talking about on this blog. It's one of the reasons I got so interested in Brains on Fire. 

"Be famous for the people who love you and for the way you love them."

--Greg Cordell, Principal at Brains on Fire

It's notable that Spike found me. I tweeted about the company and then he initiated a conversation. He later asked for a snail mail address to send a thank you for the tweet. This was not just over the top. It was remarkable. And it further intrigued me. Who are these guys anyway?

I asked Spike if he'd like to be interviewed for this blog and he graciously said yes. I'll talk more about my experience with Brains on Fire, as a new fan, at the end of this three-part blog interview.

For now, enjoy Part 1, where Spike talks about Brains on Fire as a company, and what they believe in as a collective organization. Part 1 is approximately 13 minutes long.  Photo of Spike Jones by Olivier Blanchard.

Stay tuned for Part 2, when Spike talks about the importance of offline gatherings to build connections and the use of online means to provide a reason for meeting face-to-face.

1. Twitter has honed my writing skills. I have to quickly get to the essence of what I want to express, in 140 characters or less. It focuses my thinking, so as to not waste a single character.
2. Number of followers doesn't mean a whole lot. As Twitter has matured, so have all kinds of apps to support users, including ones that game the system and add on followers at a voracious rate. It used to be (way back in 2008), it was impressive to have 10,000 followers. Not so much anymore. It still pays to look for quality over quantity. I think others are yearning for this as well. I once tweeted how I like getting followers the old-fashioned way, organically, one at a time. I immediately got several replies, heartily agreeing. In fact, I sometimes miss the smaller community feel when my followers numbered less than a 100. I felt I could get to know each one over time.
3. Twitter has gotten "junkier."  During this last year, Twitter exploded in terms of an active user base, from less than 20 million in January 2009 to over 90 milliion by November 2009.   Like any tool, as it becomes popular, the opportunity for abuse and misuse increases. Was there spam when the Internet was limited to  research scientists in government agencies (DARPA)? I don't think so. I've seen an increase in being followed by tweeps who I have nothing in common with--vocation, values, or virtues. The infomercial component of the Twitter population has expanded rapidly.  
4. Twitter helps me connect with interesting people. No need to throw the baby out with the bath water. Just today, I discovered someone following me who was in my high school graduating class. I remember her as a thespian and now she does "idea mapping" for companies and organizations. Cool stuff. Earlier this month, because of something I tweeted, I connected with the "chief firestarter" for a branding identity company (Brains on Fire) This led to an interview for this blog, which will be posted in January. And last spring, I connected to @WalterAkana, who has become an ally/collaborator in my work with the Networking Naturally Program. I could point to a dozen more examples. None of this would have happened without Twitter.
5. Twitter helps me discover new, well-written blogs, with great information. Two blogs I discovered in the last week when bloggers followed me on Twitter--one for entrepreneurs and one for those who love to learn from other's mistakes --had excellent posts that not only got me thinking in a new direction, but also nodding my head, "Yes, yes, yes!"
6. Twitter has been an outlet for frustrations on what's happening in Washington, DC. I keep all of my blogs pretty much free of my political views.  Twitter has become my vehicle for expressing the day-to-day hope, discouragement, and sometimes, anger over what's happening economically and politically in the world. This tweet from September 2009 says it all: "i didn't used 2 follow politics until it seemed 2 really matter. it matters now."
7. Twitter has brought me business. It's not why I tweet (which puts me in the minority), but if it happens, all the better. Which leads me to the next point on why I tweet.
8. I tweet (and write) to have a better life. Twitter time is more in spurts these days, nothing for a week and then several tweets in a row. It's my way of engaging with the rest of the world, to talk about ideas that matter, to share fears, hopes and concerns, to connect with kindred spirits, to see what's on the minds of the larger collective. While there is a cost to being on Twitter in terms of separating the wheat from the chaff, I also view it from the strictest definition of Twitter: micro-blogging. Blogging has always meant creative expression, whether in a post like this one or in 140 characters.
9. You can take a break from Twitter and come back, without missing a beat. I have a friend who is off Twitter for long stretches of time and then becomes active again, not because he doesn't "get it" but because Twitter fatigue sets in.  I've experienced this myself.  It's sort of like missing the New Year's Eve party (speaking of parties....), but knowing that you'll see the same crowd at Fourth of July.  The party never stops and it's up to you to decide when you need a rest.
10. Twitter is a powerful tool, if you know how to use it. A couple of months ago, I tweeted my frustration about a technical problem I was having and within minutes, someone had messaged me with a solution. For other ways to use Twitter, check out this post, 14 Cool Things People Do With Twitter. Like I tweeted this morning, the post is a "testament 2 human creativity."  
    

My thanks to Laurel Bailey, for prompting me to write this post. Laurel asked about my Twitter experience and then suggested a blog post about the topic.What are your observations on Twitter, after using it for awhile?

One of the tools for building community is networking--creating mutually beneficial relationships that can support your cause. This can be in the form of creating strategic alliances (e.g., an expert on X, Y, and Z has a large audience that would appreciate your platform on A and B), creating a personal board of directors, or connecting to kindred spirits. When you are "networking naturally," you more easily enroll others in helping you reach your goals, with less effort.

So if you need a refresher or a confidence-booster (especially as the networking season gets into full swing with holiday gatherings), consider investing a few hours and bucks to make the process not only more enjoyable, but more effective. With one client, better networking helped her to connect with two speakers at a conference, resulting in an invitation to be considered for a national task force, and a lead to have her work used in a government program in Puerto Rico.

If you are someone who dismisses networking as schmoozing (a common misperception), this program is definitely for you. But don't just take my word for it. Read what others have to say:

Many people have told me how much they like the ideas presented with A Bigger Voice. My theory is that once individuals achieve a level of competence in their careers, gotten that promotion, created a reputation and earned a decent salary, they look for meaning. So it's no wonder that the idea of applying their professional skills to achieve social good is appealing. 

Quite honestly, it's one thing to like the idea of being a wisdom entrepreneur. It's another to start on the path. And the first step can often be the hardest one to take. If that sounds like you, keep reading. This post is about inspiring you to take the first step by seeing those who are further down the road.

Here are a few wisdom entrepreneurs that I know who are actively applying their professional skills and experience to do good and do well in the world:

www.Topplers.org.

Wisdom Entrepreneur: Herb Morreale, the founder of Topplers, is a serial entrepreneur and a techie with a strategic bent.  His wisdom comes from a combination of hitting mid-life and all of the questions about meaning that comes with it and having built companies with a rigorous business mind (e.g., points of leverage, metrics.)

Wisdom: Great things can be achieved with small, purposeful actions. Topplers' tagline is "Setting Big Things in Motion."

Question for the Community: What's possible when the pay-it-forward concept becomes both goal-oriented and trackable?  Can a collection of strangers achieve stunning results, just by "doing their part?" 

Find out more: Join the Topplers Facebook page. 

www.WorkingMinds.org

Wisdom Entrepreneur: Dr. Sally-Spencer Thomas, the Executive Director of the Carson J. Spencer Foundation, is a trained clinical psychologist and an expert on suicide prevention and workplace violence prevention. Her wisdom comes from the convergence of her academic interests with the real-life experience of having her brother commit suicide, a successful entrepreneur who was described by the Rocky Mountain News as "a bright star that burned out too quickly."

Wisdom: Most people who complete suicides are of working age. Therefore, workplaces can be a vehicle for education and support, to prevent suicides. Carson J. Spencer Foundation's tagline is "Sustaining a Passion for Life."

Question for the Community: What do you do with employees who are no longer productive due to mental health issues? 

Find out more: Denver-area breakfast seminar, Promoting Resiliency and Preventing Distress at Work, from 7-8:30 am on November 10, 2009.

www.microfranchisesolutions.com

Wisdom Entrepreneur: Grant Hunter, founder of Microfranchise Solutions, LLC, has been a corporate trainer as well as a franchise broker. His experience with both showed that the quality of the training and support is a critical success factor for any franchise owner. He also saw how the franchise model could help individuals who lacked the "entrepreneurial instinct" to become successful business owners.

Wisdom: Micro-franchises in the developing world hold the key to eradicating poverty and ensuring sustainable livelihoods for millions at the base of the economic pyramid.

Question for the Community: What are all the ways the franchise model can be used in developing countries to help lift people out of poverty?

Find out more: Grant's LinkedIn profile

www.money-masters.org

Wisdom Entrepreneur: Lisa Dworkin, founder of Money Masters Foundation, has been a successful futures trader as well as a passionate teacher of grades K-12 and adults. In her work with adults, she saw how the basics of personal finance were not known by many otherwise competent working professionals.  As a school teacher for a wide age range, she found the ideal age to target learning about financial literacy.

Wisdom: The best time to teach financial literacy is during the middle school years, when kids can see the impact of their financial decisions and before bad decisions create situations that are hard to recover from.

Question for the Community: How can financial literacy be taught in a way that  invites in and engages middle-schoolers?

Find out more: Lisa's LinkedIn profile

www.hautenet.org

Wisdom Entrepreneur: Ben Hafele, founder of Haute, spent time in the Peace Corps in Guinea, a developing country in Africa, before doing graduate work at London School of Economics and becoming a forecast analyst at Caterpillar. He saw in Guinea the type of poverty that doesn't just leave people hungry, but ends up literally killing them. And with his business background, he could see how entrepreneurship could lift entire communities out of poverty.

Wisdom: Not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur. Focus on those individuals who were already choosing to be entrepreneurs in developing countries and give them basic business training (e.g., accounting) to help them be more successful.

Question for the Community: What does it mean to believe in the African entrepreneur?

Find out more: Peoria-area newspaper article about Hafele and Haute. 

So, if you are still on the sidelines, thinking this wisdom entrepreneur thing is a good idea, I challenge you to contact any of the above role models. Ask them for advice on getting started. They'll all tell you that it hasn't been easy and that there are times of discouragement (maybe even yesterday.) But you'll also hear what it's like to get a little closer every day to "doing good and doing well."

For a better understanding of developmental networks, listen to this interview I did with one of the authors of the article, Dawn Chandler. The interview was originally posted on site for an online networking group that I run. (You'll hear me make references to principles of "networking naturally.")

While A Bigger Voice focuses on networking as a way to build your community, I hadn't realized the importance of networking for my own personal development until this last year. Networking has allowed me to find mentors to fill gaps that I have as an entrepreneur--e.g., finance, marketing, experience in starting up a company that required more than just me to run it. This past summer, as I was deep into the formation of My Alumni Link as a business, I was tapping into at least half a dozen mentors on different topics. We were meeting on a regular basis, on specific areas of expertise pertinent to that mentor and what I needed as an entrepreneur. Photo by Biology Big Brother.

One of the best ideas of developmental networks is that the sharing is mutual. I have something to give to my mentor as much as he/she has to give to me. I think of this as co-creating (one of those coaching terms that comes in handy to describe collaboration in a new way.)

Whether you are a traditional entrepreneur or a "wisdom entrepreneneur," having a personal board of directors helps. Who is on your personal board of directors? Start networking to find your board if you don't already have one.

And if networking is not your sweet spot, check out my Networking Naturally Program, which starts on Oct 27. Registration closes on Oct 25.

--Saul Kaplan

I came across Kaplan's blog post, "Stories Can Change The World," when he followed me on Twitter. (BTW--One of the best reasons to tweet is to expand your network of ideas and people.) The post is a wonderful reminder of how story, in pure form, is one of the most powerful ways that we can connect to each other and transfer wisdom. So simple, yet so profound. 

I left a comment and included this story of my own:

"Many years ago, I was working in telecom, and had transitioned from an engineering role to an organization development role. One of my tasks was to re-shape the new employee orientation. I decided to hold a monthly gathering where I invited a VP, a first line manager, and technical guru to tell their stories, to share the wisdom they had gained from a unique career path. They each had 15 minutes, followed by Q+A. We sat in a circle and I had lit candles in the middle. I called it our “corporate campfire.”

One VP in particular had trouble deciding what to say. I suggested that he think about what he would say to his grandchildren, on the eve of his retirement. It worked.

Employees would tell me afterward how they had more hope, knowing that people they admire had struggled and gotten through similar challenges. I was also struck by how this monthly forum impacted the speakers. One VP wrote me to say that he enjoyed the chance to speak from the hip/heart, without the usual PowerPoint. Another one talked about juggling child custody schedules with business travel. I doubt he had ever told his business colleagues of such challenges.

Knowing how to tell a good story is a rare skill in the business world. When you find someone who can do this well and in the appropriate context, they are often seen as an effective leader."

P.S. Check out the Innovation Story Studio on Kaplan's site, Business Innovation Factory. The videos are a real treasure and are reminiscent of TED videos (which is no wonder since Kaplan makes references to being guided by the founder of TED, Richard Saul Wurman.)

No, I haven't backtracked on the concept of A Bigger Voice, which is about developing a better way to turn an idea into a sustainable movement. But what I've been thinking about lately is that movements can be created based on faulty ideas, ego-driven leaders, and misinformed assumptions. It's useful to look for these red flags up front.

A few tips:

• Is the idea from the wisdom entrepreneur borne of experience--an insight to a problem that he/she has felt the pain of? Or is it political correctness that drives the cause?

• Is the idea a new twist to an age-old problem? Or is it rhetoric that can be identified as motherhood and apple pie?

• Is the wisdom entrepreneur humble enough to listen to other points of view, or is he/she driven by being right?
  

  

• Is the wisdom entrepreneur well-read and educated on the cause at hand to have validated the soundness of her idea? Or has emotion taken over any chance of looking at pertinent facts and figures?

Photo by joguldi

General Info:
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
5 pm - 8 pm

Denver Athletic Club
1325 Glenarm, Denver, Colorado
$39 members;  $49 guests 

.

Throughout these interviews, I've been delighted with the rich stories that both Chris and Tim have told. It's a wonderful example of wisdom entrepreneurs using story-telling in a powerful way.  In Part 4, you won't be disappointed. The Wendels tell probably their most powerful story at the end of this interview. Photo of and by Tim Wendel

This last installment is under 17 minutes long.

My thanks again to Chris and Tim for being a part of the A Bigger Voice community. We learn by hearing each other's stories. The Wendels have given us stories that will stick with us for a long time.

Provide your comments below. Chris and Tim particularly want your ideas on where to go with their community-building efforts. Let's continue the conversation, both here and on the Wendels' blog, Buffalo Nation. 

Contact info:

Chris Wendel: www.twitter.com/ckwendel

Tim Wendel, www.timwendel.com

You can find the book, "Buffalo, Home of the Braves" at SunBear Press.

But before we get to that part, the Wendels talk about an unexpected turn of events that increases their blog traffic from under 50 hits a day to over 1000 hits a day, literally overnight. It doesn't hurt for wisdom entrepreneurs to get a lucky break every once in awhile. Enjoy Part 3 of the interview, which is just under 19 minutes long.

This story just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?

In our last installment, the Wendels talk about the nature of community--how it plays into a new era in business as well as how it encourages us to go deeper into the topic at hand. Ultimately, communities force us to examine what we know, believe, and feel.

The audio is 11 minutes long. Enjoy!

If you aren't convinced after Tim's story that community should come before monetizing, nothing will convince you!

In Part 3 of our interview, I talk to Chris and Tim about the unexpected death of one of the best known players from the Braves, just after the publication of their book, and how that became an opportunity to serve and engage a larger community.

I caught up with two wisdom entrepreneurs from our pilot last year, author Tim Wendel and small business consultant, Chris Wendel. The Wendel brothers, as they were affectionately known throughout the pilot, worked with A Bigger Voice in the summer of 2008. At that time, the writing of their book, Buffalo, Home of the Braves, was largely complete (Tim's job as the author.) Chris was in the throes of adding in the visual component (read: tracking down photos from 35 years ago) and handling all the other stuff that goes into producing a book.  The Wendels also had a complementary blog with a small following of hard-core Braves fans.

In this first installment of a four-part interview, I talk with the Wendels about finding their community, and the surprises along the way. Don't miss the last few minutes where Chris tells some remarkable stories about their community members.

The audio is 12 minutes long.

In Part 2 of our interview, we talk about the vibe of community and how in-person and online community-building come together.

More information on the Wendels and links to their blog and book:

Chris Wendel works with both aspiring and established entrepreneurs through his work with the Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center. His work utilizes the imagination, desired outcomes, and problem solving skills of his clients. To hone his own entrepreneurial skills, Chris founded SunBear Press, a publishing company that specializes in niche market books. SunBear Press recently released “Buffalo, Home of the Braves”, a story that chronicles the meteoric rise of a National Basketball Association franchise that played in Buffalo, New York in the 1970’s.

Tim Wendel is the author of seven books, including "Red Rain: A Novel" and "Buffalo, Home of the Braves." His writing has appeared in Esquire, The New York Times, GQ and USA Today, where he is on the op-ed page's board of contributors. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University, he teaches nonfiction and fiction writing there. More of his stories can be found at www.timwendel.com.

Blog, Buffalo Nation

The book, "Buffalo, Home of the Braves"

• Skimping on "dream" time. This is a big one for me. As someone who likes to get things done, I can rush through the phase of dreaming about what I want, envisioning how things could look differently. I settle for a "rough sketch" of the future or worse yet, a small dream, and move on to tactics and implementation. Stay in the dreaming phase as long as you can stand it. Revel in possibilities and what ifs. Give your imagination a work out. Photo by MysticMoon14

• Relying on observation instead of action. Finding great examples to inspire and model after are great. But eventually, you have to figure out the solution to your specific situation by moving into action. Success is created experientially, not theoretically. I once had a coaching instructor say to me, "Carol, you can't just be an observer of life. You have to be a participant."  Be a participant. Try stuff out and see what happens.

• Action that's not grounded in essence. I can get caught up in the doing, without being grounded in the essence or core of why I'm doing something. This is otherwise known as "being busy." If you find yourself frenetic, with no feeling of progress, go back to the core of your message, the essence of your idea.  Essence relates more to feeling than thinking. Once you have the feeling, then bring in purpose. Align essence with purpose with action. If you have trouble aligning those three, reassess the need for action.Photo by jurvetson

• Losing the essence altogether. I have to admit that this is probably where I've been for the last few weeks. While focused on building a new business related to my Networking Naturally Program, I lost sight of the essence of A Bigger Voice. I forgot about the magic that comes with building a community, how the seed of an idea can blossom into something larger than a single individual, how communities can produce unexpected and stunning results.  It wasn't until I caught up with a couple of our pilot clients from last year, and heard how the concepts of A Bigger Voice have been put into practice, that I got excited about working on ABV again. In the next few weeks, I'll post portions of my interview with the Wendel brothers, Chris and Tim.

You may be wondering, "How does this relate to the three phases of A Bigger Voice?"

We can know the recipe but still be reluctant to cook. We can follow the steps but not know what it is we are preparing. We can lack the anticipation and excitement of imagining what the dish will taste and look like when it's done. We can forget that we are hungry, more hungry than we know. The three phases of A Bigger Voice--Crystallize, Build Community, and Sustain--provide the recipe. Just like a cook sees the recipe as the start, so should the wisdom entrepreneur see A Bigger Voice--as a roadmap for a long and wonderful journey.

Which trap have you been falling into lately? 

Photo by erix!

Whether you are a wisdom entrepreneur or a traditional entrepreneur, here are a few lessons to keep in mind:

1. It's a marathon, not a sprint. I forget and want everything in the next  release of the product. I forget and think that I have full control of the Universe. I forget and feel driven by deadlines instead of common sense. Photo by epimetheus.
2. Be scrappy. Make every dollar count on the expense side, independent of how many dollars are coming in. Look for value. See what you can get for free before deciding to spend money.
3. Build to what's good enough. Don't over engineer. This is related to number 2. The perfect solution may not be noticeably different from the good enough solution in the eyes of the customer (or the community member). 
4. Put one foot in front of another. It's easy to get overwhelmed if I think everything that needs to be done to launch a business (or a community.) Juggling sales, marketing, business process work, and product development can drive you nuts. But if I only look at what needs to be done today, and tomorrow, and this week, it's manageable. 
5. Networking requires patience and rewards me with magical results. I've done my share of networking recently to find allies, collaborators, and customers for My Alumni Link. Things don't always move as fast as I would like, and that's okay. I've been blessed with incredible support from my network, especially when I ask for what I need. 
6. Create plans and goals but don't be attached to the outcome. I figured this one out in time to rescue my sanity. This is where the task master in me can go off the deep end. ("No you cannot go for a bike ride! You have more emails to send!" Ughh....)
7. Focus on creativity. I used to think money fueled growth.  But I found out it's the power of the mind to create something from nothing, to meet a user need, that results in growth. Photo by Bohman.
8. Understand your break even point. Know what Plan B is. Without that, I ended up chasing imaginary goals and numbers. Urgent or not? Necessary or not? I had no idea.
9. Take a warm lead. Always. This relates to number 5. One person leads you to another to another. If you can get introduced, even if it takes going through two or three people along the way, it's worth it.
10. Work on yourself. Taking care of your mind, body, and spirit is just as important as working on your business or your cause. Time to rest and rejuvenate is just as important as time to focus and get down to work.

I love being an entrepreneur. I used to think it was all about creative freedom. What I'm experiencing is the joy of the learning curve, the delight of meeting new people, and the magic of how the pieces come together, when I least expect it.

Tomorrow, I journey to Houston to give a talk on "Finding Your Voice" at the Juvenile Arthritis annual conference. More learning, new connections and seeing the pieces fit together. Fun!

Photo by alicepopkorn-busy

A bonus: Our very own Simon Young is quoted from one of his blog postings here, for the article.

One part of the article specifically quotes a Twitter user as saying that the search feature on Twitter is more useful than Google--because the information is not only findable but updated in real time with real users. Users that you may then want to connect with and folllow. Think about it. People looking for specific information-- whether it's the details of a court case or where to meet for to show support for the Iranian people or tips on managing a chronic disease--can now find not only the information they want, but the source of the information, someone who is likely to be a kindred spirit. That's what we have today, at the flick of a few fingers on a keyboard. Amazing isn't it?

Photo by NOIZE Photography