Tim Bursch

Last year (wow 2009 went by fast) I picked three words based on Chris Brogan’s idea, but did not put them out there. This year I want to be more public with my goals and direction. So, here are at least three words that I want to be intentional about in 2010:

follow-through, practice, stand

Follow-through

I love ideas. Especially new ones. I am going to work on following though with some existing projects and a few new ones. I might need your help. Watch for more on accountability and protection.

Practice

A book that impacted me in 2009 was The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It is about working through resistance in the creative process. This takes practice and action. I will be practicing a lot more writing and delivering ideas about the intersection of social media and social impact.

Stand

I really like to listen to people. Sometimes that can mean holding back when I probably need to say more. This year I want to stand. Especially for overlooked people and issues.

What are you going to be intentional about this year? How can I help?

(follow up post on the way about specific goals)

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People are talking about social business. It’s not a new concept but a maybe a way back to relationships over just transactions.

Because of the global village and instant feedback, we now know more about what the neighbors are doing. We can see if someone across the street and across the world are taking care of their customers. Technology brings us close. All this has me thinking about business the village way.

In a village, I imagine the baker talked to the butcher about her weekly highs and lows. The merchant walked over and gave instant feedback to the craftsman on a product that wasn’t working. And all the village businesses worked together when someone important showed up or someone threw a party. Collaboration? Co-working? Project management? We’ve been practicing social business for centuries.

I will be writing more about this concept soon. Do you want to live in this village?

Image credit: Miss Claeson

Tags: village.

Hope your week went well! Mine flew by and now it’s almost Thanksgiving in the US.

Yesterday Jason Markow and I gathered with others on Twitter to talk about moving our ideas forward. We like to call ourselves Twittrepreneurs. It was a good conversation about going from an idea to a project, collaboration, putting your ideas out there, and finding a brain trust or mastermind (more on that next week for sure).
If you could not join us, here are some highlights:

Jason started us out:

jmarkow: Let the chat begin! First Question to entrepreneurs: When does an “idea” turn into a “project”?

Had some great thoughts about committing resources (time, money, passion)

jprisant: Answer: When you actually do something with it and ideally commit resources / work to it.

sambrightstar: @jmarkow I think time is a resource that counts here, definitely.

The conversation turned to sharing ideas as a way to take action.

We agreed that sharing an idea, usually with some trusted people, helps clarify and refine.

Good points and resources shared:

sambrightstar: @jprisant exactly - passion + commitment, so no-one else is likely to commit so much energy 2 my ideas if they steal them

UpbeatNow: . @timbursch Tim, please take a look on this blog post I wrote long ago about stealing ideas http://bit.ly/3HCkCx

ryancarlson09: @UpbeatNow You’re right on…ultimately many can have the idea(s) and it comes down to who can execute.

We wrapped up the chat wondering about a Digital Mastermind or Brain-trust and how entrepreneurs can help each other more using Twitter or another medium. We will be talking more about this next time. Be sure to join us. Share your questions, ideas, feedback.

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Is everyone included in social media and digital community? That’s a question I have been wondering about lately.

Are we including people on the margins or seeking connections with those who are different than us? My gut feeling is that we have a ways to go bridging the digital divide.

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Tags: social entrepreneur.

Have you thought about starting your own business? Or a side gig?

If yes then I bet you’ve asked yourself a lot of questions like . . .

Is there a market?

and possibly you’ve come up with enough good reasons to take the plunge.

What if you added this question to the list:
What could you integrate into your business that would make a positive social impact?

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We have access to more words than ever before. We can also find ideas near and far with one click. Ideas are great. Right?

An idea on paper or on the web is just that, an idea. Maybe not so great all by itself.

Have any ideas you want to say out loud?
Mine: What if I started giving away ideas that I cannot act on instead of storing them in a notebook?

Image credit: allyaubry

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I recently had the priveledge of interviewing Rajesh Setty, author of Upbeat, for his virtual book tour:

1. Why did you decide to do write this book?

Tim, first of all, thank you for this opportunity to discuss the topics surrounding my new book.

The book was originally written a few years ago when I was building a startup during the previous recession. It was not easy but it was a great learning experience. It was like being on a giant roller coaster ride. i wrote this book during that journey.  However, by the time I finished writing the book, that recession was over so I packed the book and tucked it away. A couple of years later, we all witnessed (and are still going through) another recession. I unpacked the book and revised a few things to get that published now.

Just like in many other areas, timing is important - so I had to wait for the right time to ensure that the message is relevant.

2. Who will this book benefit?

This is a book for anyone and everyone who are either affected or have a chance of getting affected negatively by all the negative news that is flooding all sorts of media and personal communication. Media and (most of the) people love to talk about stuff that we have no control of. Sometimes we forget the opportunity cost of engaging in those fruitless conversations. By wasting our time in those conversations, we end up having less time to pursue what we can do and eventually achieving less than what we can achieve - finally making this a self-fulfilling prophecy - meaning be a victim and add to the negativity that’s already abundant.

3. What areas does this book cover?

There are two parts of the book. The first part is a narrative making the case for the need to be Upbeat and the second part is a workbook with some tips and tactics to stay upbeat.

The first part has five sections

1. The Trap: Why and How did we end up in this trap?

2. The Discipline: What discipline is needed to get out of this trap?

3. The Network: How can we become stronger because of our network and how can our network become stronger because of us.

4. The Strategy: How can we put together a plan of action to break free.

5. The Action: What actions can we take Now?

The second part is a workbook that will cover the same five sections but is comprised of practical tips on how to make the most of what you read in the first section.

4. Why is this book relevant now?

The book is relevant mainly because of what’s happening in the world today. We are exposed to more negative news than ever in the recent history - companies closing down, scandals, scams, bankruptcy filings, poor economic indicators - you can actually pick your own poison.

It is easy to get sucked into this mess by spending endless hours thinking about things that you have absolutely no control of and having no time to engage in things that you have control of.

This book provides a few gentle reminders and nudge you to focus your time, energy and conversations on things where you have some control and influence on.

The book, I think, is timely now but what is covered in the book should apply very well even in good times.

5. What is your favorite tip for building connections with people?

If I have to pick only one tip related to networking, it would be to “be an opportunity for those in your network.” It really costs less than what you think to be an opportunity to someone and it is fun!

Case in point Tim - you took the time to participate in this blog tour and for me that’s an opportunity that you have created and I am thankful for that.

For those of you who are reading this - think about the people in your network. How can you be an opportunity to one or more of them this week? How can you be an opportunity for one or more of them today?

Thank you Rajesh for sharing your insights. Check out his new book, Upbeat for concise ideas on how to thrive right now.

You can follow Rajesh on Twitter @UpbeatNow.

Tags: attitude, recession, thrive.

I like being involved in sports with my kids. I get to spend time with them and help a group of kids learn some good life stuff.

So, what’s the deal with team sponsors? My experience has been that they make a donation to the League, get their name on the uniforms, and then take a picture with the team at the end of the season. End of story. So, have you ever visited Jimmy’s Barber Shop because you saw the name on the back of a jersey? Me neither. So what’s the point of sponsors then?

If I was a sponsor:
- I would write out the mandatory check and get my name on their stuff.
- I would ask to meet the coaches and ask what they need help with.
- I’d show up. Be at some practices and games.
- I’d buy a big water jug for the team. Kids always forget water bottles. Why not help with the basics?
- Bring treats for the kids and parents one night.
- Ask permission to take pictures or hire a photographer for the team. Make a slide show for them.
- Help throw the end-of-season party at your business. Make it memorable.
- Give out valuable coupons at the end of the season.

Yes this would cost some money and time. And the audience is only 12-15 families. But then they tell their friends. Someone emails the coupon to a friend. You get the point.

What if this happened with more sponsorships? I think a small business could sponsor a few teams a year but why not start with just one, spend less than the last ad you used that didn’t work, AND become a new fan or create a new one. Now, why am I not doing this? Good question.

What would you add?

Image Credit: Photo2217

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