The Origins of Six Degrees of Separation and the power of social media for business

Yesterday I spoke to a terrific group of people about developing a social media strategy and programme. The event was organised by that super networker Sean Grobbelaar. I spent quite a lot of time talking about innovation and the importance of connecting with tribes as you plan your social media campaign. The concept of tribes and finding super connectors is not new. We all feel closer together because of the power of the web and indeed more so than ever with the advent of new social media platforms that bring us together often with networks and friends that we may even have lost contact with at some point in our lives. So when we casually say 'gosh isn't the world a small place and it only takes six degrees of separation before I meet someone we mutually know' what does that really mean?

In the late 1960's well before the advent of the internet, psychologist Stanley Milgram conducted an experiment to find an answer to what is know as the small world problem. The problem is this: how are we humans connected? Do we all belong to separate worlds, operating simultaneously but autonomously, so that the links between any two people, anywhere in the world, are few and distant? Or, are we all bound up together in a grand interlocking web?

What Milgram was asking has a great deal of relevance to the success or failure of some social media programmes, that being how does an idea or trend or piece of news - travel through the population?

Milgram's idea to test this question was a chain letter. He got the names of 160 people who lived in Omaha, Nebraska, and mailed each of them a packet. In the packet was a name of a stockbroker who lived in Sharon, Massachusetts. Each person was instructed to write his or her name on the packet and send it onto a friend or acquaintance who he or her thought would get the packet closer to the stockbroker. If you lived in Omaha and had a cousin outside of Boston, for example, you might send it to him, on the grounds that - even if your cousin did not himself know the stockbroker - he would be a lot more likely to be able to get to the stockbroker in two or three or fours steps.

The idea was when the packet finally arrived at the stockbroker's house, Milgram could look at the list of all those who hands it went through to get there and establish how closely connected someone chosen at random from one part of the country was to another person in another part of the country.

Milgram found that most of the letter's reached the stockbroker in five or six steps. This experiment is where we get the concept of six degrees of separation.

This phrase is so familiar to most of us today that we lose sight of how surprising Milgram's findings were. Most of us don't have particular broad and diverse groups of friends.

When Miilgram analyze his experiment to determine how did the packet get to Sharon in just five steps, the answer was not all degrees are equal. He found that many of the chains from Omaha to Sharon followed the same asymmetrical pattern. Twenty four letters reached the stockbroker at his home in Sharon, and of those sixteen were given to him by the same person, a clothing merchant Milgram calls Mr Jacobs. The balance of the letters came to the stockbroker at his office, and of those the majority came through two other men, whom Milgram calls Mr Brown and Mr Jones.

In all, half of the responses that came back to the stockbroker were delivered to him by these same three people.

Think about it. Dozens of people, chosen at random from a large Midwestern city, send out letters independently. Some go to college acquaintances. Some send their letters to relatives. Some send letters to old workmates and so on. Yet in the end when all those chains were completed, half of those letters ended up in the hands of Jacobs,Jones and Brown.

Six degrees of separation doesn't mean that everyone is linked to everyone else in just six steps. It means that a very small number of people are linked to everyone else in a few steps, and the rest of us are linked to the world through those special people.

These people who we rely on heavily are 'connectors', people with a special gift for bringing the world together. We'll talk more about the traits of these special people in a later post, that too is a fascinating insight.

However I wanted to share the relevance of this experiment dating back to the 1960's and the rise today of the phenomena known as social media. Imagine if you could and can tap into these special connectors to communicate the benefits of your product or service with passion and with meaning for their lives. Who will they tell, I wonder...


This in itself is a strong argument for networking on linkeIN, facebook, twitter and so on. Have you observed these special people on social networking sites and met them in the real work perhaps? I'd be interested in your thoughts and observations. One person who comes to mind is Iggy Pintado. He has written an excellent book on what he calls the Connection Generation. He says 'Connection Generation reveals how individuals, groups and networks have progressed beyond their intent to communicate - but to a tangible connection between people, information, experiences and ideas. Due to the advent of internet and mobile technology, this dynamic transcends traditional thinking about societal generations. It proposes that anyone who had access to a computer or mobile device since 1995 - regardless of age - is part of the Connection Generation'. Personally I think what he is showing, albeit in a technology driven society, is how true Milgram's basic experiment was, that the power of social networks offers enormous opportunities to grow our businesses in ways many of us do not tap into.

Stay out of social networking and you may miss one of the greatest business opportunities you have to reach new customers and in some cases turn them into powerful evangelists for your product or service. Of course six degrees of separation also means the reverse is true, a lousy experience and your tribe may tell their friends and so on...

Focus on a great customer experience whatever social media platforms you use: service, customer satisfaction, innovation and brand essence, delivering on the promise remain paramount. A great social media example of doing it well is Zappos, the shoe company. You can read their case study for more information.

For further reading on Six Degrees of Separation, I highly recommend reading The International Bestseller - The Tipping Point, How Little things can make a big difference by Malcolm Gladwell.

Ensure your brand essence shines with your social media strategy

Every enterprise has its own unique personality. When it comes to social strategies, this personality shines through loud and clear. Just as we learn to identify and embrace our individual personalities, we must also recognize that no two organizations are exactly alike. Which stands to reason, then, that enterprise social media is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. When it comes to social strategy, there is no universal formula or magic bullet when it comes to driving ROI.

I find this to be a major source of contention with the brands I consult. They've read an article or they've consulted with an "expert," and they've learned all about what they should be doing. But winning internal executive support proves to be daunting, and attempts to sell the concept typically end at a brick wall. Is this because executives just don't get it? To the contrary, it's because in most cases, they're trying to turn the enterprise into something it's not.

To be successful, a brand's social strategies must complement its personality -- not compete against it. The most successful social media initiatives occur when the strategy is aligned with the core values and personality of the brand itself. We don't ask a wallflower to be the life of the party, nor do we expect a social butterfly to thrive without wings. Whether your enterprise is the thrill-seeker or the strong and silent type, this article is intended to provide both the inspiration and the tools needed to start driving value through your social strategies, in ways that are genuine, realistic, and attainable.

Discover your brand's social personality, along with the keys to unlocking the potential within.

You flitter, you flutter. You are drawn to those with the power to increase your popularity. Taking pride in being on the cutting edge, you were probably one of the early adopters of company blogs and Twitter. You like to be where the action is, darting from one trendy application to the next. On the surface, you've created an impressive following and have successfully led your organization through unchartered territories. But when the conversation turns to ROI, your attention is quickly diverted to a new tactic.

The risks:
Every marketer understands the thrill of winning the attention of customers. But a strategist needs to understand what comes next. "One million fans on Facebook" is only important to your business if you can effectively leverage those connections to drive to a conclusion based on your goals as a business.

Consumer networks are constantly changing and highly dependent upon numerous uncontrollable variables. Social butterflies have a tendency to gravitate toward the buzz-of-the-day without considering the ramifications of "here today, gone tomorrow." Banking enterprise strategy on shaky ground, or superficially scratching the surface of what should be a deep strategy, does not promote the sustainability needed for longer-term success. Without focus and dedication, you can end up disappointing your networks, and will likely fail to receive executive support for future campaigns due to your inability to garner and prove results.

The opportunity:
With a widespread social media presence, you have breadth. But do you have depth? Consumer activity is taking place on consumer networks such as Twitter and Facebook, and it is essential to position your brand where the interaction is happening. Your curiosity and open-mindedness ensure your ability to remain on the cutting edge of consumer engagement strategies, usually out in front of your competition.

Anchoring your social media initiatives in an enterprise-wide strategy will help you strengthen your connections and add depth to your campaigns. Consider ways that bridge your vast social interests with your enterprise. Open authentication, for example, can inspire your fans and followers to leverage existing credentials they may already have from Facebook or Twitter to join your own branded online community.

As trendy consumer networks come and go, your brand presence will remain.
You will gain some serious momentum when you can keep those 1 million Facebook fans engaged from one campaign to the next. And when you've shown the rest of the enterprise how it, too, can capitalize -- providing sales with new leads, or identifying customer concerns and proactively handing them over to customer service while the account can still be saved -- you will be the enterprise's rising star.

Every CEO must build his own personal brand – what are you doing to manage yours?

In the past few years personal branding has been discussed exhaustively throughout the Net. The difference between today and over ten years ago when it was first mentioned by Tom Peters, is the rise of social technologies that have made branding not only more personal, but within reach.

From the corporate brand (BMW), to the product brand (BMW M3 Coupe) and down to the personal brand (car salesman), branding is a critical component to a customer’s purchasing decision. These days, customer complaints and opinions are online and viewable through a simple search, on either Google or through social networks. There is no hiding anymore and transparency and authenticity are the only means to survive and thrive in this new digital kingdom.

Many people think that personal branding is just for celebrities such as Paris Hilton or Britney Spears, yet each and every one of us is a brand. Personal branding, by definition, is the process by which we market ourselves to others. As a brand, we can leverage the same strategies that make these celebrities or corporate brands appeal to others. We can build brand equity just like them.

We can also have just as much presence as most startups and mid-size companies and products. Social media tools have leveled the playing ground and have enabled us to reach incredible heights, at the cost of our time. Today, I want to share the personal branding process, so you can start to think about what face you want to show to the world and how you want to position yourself for success!

These same tools albeit with a bit more detail are the tactical ways I work with CEO's to hone and develop their own brands. If you are a senior business manager you must consider how you as a brand are marketed. It is not enough just to set up a twitter handle for example and start tweeting - what will be your core message and so on.
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1. Discover your brand
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The single biggest mistake people make is that they either brand themselves just for the sake of doing it or that they fail to invest time in learning about what’s in their best interests. The key to success, and this isn’t revolutionary, is to be compensated based on your passion. In order to find your passion, you need a lot of time to think, some luck and you need to do some research online to figure out what’s out there. (I also run discovering your passion pulse in work/life seminar which help individuals find their true passion)

Brand discovery is about figuring out what you want to do for the rest of your life, setting goals, writing down a mission, vision and personal brand statement (what you do and who you serve), as well as creating a development plan. Have you ever been called intelligent or humorous by your peers or coworkers? That description is part of your brand, especially if you feel those attributed pertain to you. To know if you’ve discovered your brand, you need to make this equation equal:
Your self-impression = How people perceive you

Before you enter the next step in the personal branding process, you’ll want to select a niche, whereby you can be the master of your domain. For example, Joel Comm has mastered the Google Adsense niche and brands himself using his name, and Brian Solis owns the social media PR niche with his PR 2.0 blog (under his name). When I say domain, I mean an area where there aren’t many competitors and literally, your online domain name. Once you sort this all out, now it’s time to create your brand.
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2. Create your brand
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Now that you know what you want to do and have claimed a niche, at least in your mind, it’s time to get it on paper and online. The sum of all the marketing material you should develop for your brand is called a Personal Branding Toolkit. This kit consists of the following elements that you can use to highlight your brand and allow people to easily view what you’re about:

1. Business card: It doesn’t matter if you’re a university student, CEO, or a consultant, everyone should have their own business card. The card should contain your picture, your personal brand statement (such as Keynote speaker), as well as your *preferred* contact information and corporate logo if necessary.

You can create your own business card and share it through your mobile phone using mydropcard.com or rmbrme.com. On the web, BusinessCard2.com is a great social network for creating and distributing your person business card.

2. Resume/cover letter/references document: These are typical documents that you need for applying for jobs and when you go on interviews (something over 2 million job seekers will be doing as we speak). Be sure to prioritize each document with information custom to the target position. Take your resume online and add social features to it to make the ultimate social media resume, promoting your personal brand to the world and making it shareable.

3. Portfolio: Whether you use a CD, web or print portfolio, it’s a great way to showcase the work you’ve done in the past, which can convince someone of your ability to accomplish the same results for the future. Figdig.com and carbonmade.com are social networks for people who want to show off their creative skills to the world.

4. Blog/website: You need to own yourname.com or a website that aligns with your name in some fashion. Depending on who you are, how much time you have on your hands and if you can accept criticism, you should either start a blog or stick with a static homepage. Those who blog will have a stronger asset than those who don’t because blogs rank higher in search engines and lend more to your expertise and interest areas over time.

5. LinkedIn profile: A LinkedIn profile is a combination of a resume, cover letter, references document and a moving and living database of your network. Use it to create your own personal advertising, to search for jobs or meet new people.

6. Facebook profile: Over 160 million people have profiles, but almost none of them have branded themselves properly using this medium. Be sure to include a Facebook picture of just you, without any obscene gestures or unnecessary wine glasses in your hand. Also, input your work experience and fill out your profile, while turning on the privacy options that disable the ability for people to tag you in pictures and videos (allowing people to see the ones tagged of you).

7. Twitter profile: Your Twitter profile should have an avatar that is carved out of your Facebook picture and used in your LinkedIn profile. You need to use a distinct background, fill out your profile and include a link to either your blog or LinkedIn profile. Twitterbacks.com, has templates you can use to sculpt your very own Twitter background (Photoshop skills not included). Twitbacks.com is another solution that also lets you promote your Twitter profile.

8. Video resume: A video resume is a short video of you talking about why you are the best for a specific job opportunity. You get about a minute or so to communicate your brand and are able to send the link, once you upload it to YouTube, to hiring managers.

9. Wardrobe: Your personal style is tangible and is extremely important for standing out from the crowd. Select clothing that best represents you because it will be viewable through your pictures/avatars online, as well as when you meet people in reality.

10. Email address: Don’t overlook your email address as not being a significant part of your toolkit. Most people use email over all social networks and when you connect with someone on a social network, you are notified via email, so get used to it. Your email address poses a great opportunity for your brand. I recommend using gmail because of the acceptance of Google and since GTalk allows you to form tighter relationships with others. For your address, use “firstname.lastname@gmail.com.”
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What’s next?
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After you spend the time on these parts of your personal branding toolkit, it’s time to showcase it to the world, especially your target audience. Don’t be fooled by the myth that if you build it, they will come. Unless you’re the luckiest person on earth, you’ll have to actually communicate everything you’ve created to others.
In the next post, I will discuss how you can take the personal branding toolkit you’ve developed and communicate it to your audience. I’ll give you tips on how to market your personal brand to become known in your niche. Then, I’ll finish by explaining how you should monitor and update your brand over your lifetime.

Growing your business through the power of social marketing - Linked In

When I train corporates in how to integrate and indeed use social media we often spend some time on LinkedIn. Why? So many people use it as static environment and forget the key - it's social, it's professional, it's about building your business network!

So if want to benefit from LinkedIn? Stop treating it as a dumping ground for your CV, blogs and business card!

Your web site may be sitting there waiting for visitors to come along but not so for LinkedIn because it has 60 million users who regularly visit. The best thing is that you don’t even have to pay to reach these 60 million people. You just need to figure out a way to attract their attention.

The paradox with online networking is that it is difficult to put into practice the usual nine influencing tactics of; reasoning, inspiring, inquiring, make them feel good, strike a deal, swapping favours, using silent allies, authority and force. There are three reasons why this is the case.

Firstly, most people joining LinkedIn are focused on themselves and use a discussion or comment as a disguise to leave their ‘online’ business card. Secondly, most people tend to fallback on reasoning to get their point across and a discussion then ends up as a verbal arm-wrestling contest. Thirdly, they underestimate the time, effort, and skill required to engage in a fluid and dynamic conversation.

To get benefits from online business networking, you need to invest time and energy to build your reputation. It is your reputation that influences and attracts people. People want insight instead of Inmails. The more insights you share, the more people will see you as an expert. The more valuable you become in your network, the more people will be attracted to you and so your reputation grows. Over time, people starts to look to you to make connections with other people. In short, you become more than your CV, you become an invaluable asset in your network. In benefiting others, you become the benefit of online business networking.

Ten Tips to Add Passion and Purpose to your work

Situation

You may have found yourself needing a little help in bringing the passion back into your work.You might be ready for a little inspiration to get you through the rest of year, a core focus if you like. You might need an incentive to remember why you work so hard making all of those deadlines.

Response

We all need some inspiration at times to bring back the passion and purpose of our jobs. Here are sure-fire steps that you can use any time of the year to raise your spirits and lighten your load.

1. No daring – no growth.

If you become bored easily, it could be that you have not been challenging yourself. Follow your heart and select a project that ignites your passion and purpose but also scares you a little bit; this will be a project that you will grow into and that will stretch you a bit. Be willing to be uncomfortable enough to go just a bit beyond what you think you can do. You’ll be thrilled at your success.

2. Don’t be afraid of what’s different or unknown to you.

If you find yourself in a rut or without passion, you may not be trying new things. Something as inconsequential as ordering a new dish at a favorite restaurant will give your life a spark. Try a new product, visit a strange place, or befriend someone who is far from your age, occupation, or religion. At work, take a fellow employee to lunch that you’ve never met. Strike up a conversation with a client you don’t know very well. Try a new method of working, or attend a new conference.

3. Let other people play.

Are you tired of doing a particular task? Delegate your tired task to an employee who would love to learn the new skill. Now you will have another person who is cross-trained on that task and can pitch in to relieve you any time.

4. Look at things from a fresh perspective.

You will always gain a new idea or point of view when you can put yourself in your customer’s or employee’s (or someone else’s) shoes. Think about what the situation is like for them. In a customer service setting, this tip is probably one of the best things you can do to improve service. It will allow you to solve a problem in a more creative way.

For example, right now I am having a problem with the hardware on my laptop. The laptop is unusable. The customer support technician thinks that the memory chip is bad. He could have just sent me a new memory board. But he is going the extra mile: rather than just sending a new memory card, the technician has ordered several parts, just in case there is another or different problem, which will save me potentially several days of downtime and several service trips. By putting himself in my shoes and solving the problem the way he would have liked it solved for himself, the technician has gone the extra mile.

5. Praise generously.

Find something awesome about every person you meet, and tell them about it. Warm up your praises by practicing on the coffee shop barista and dry cleaners attendant in the morning. When you get to work, be ready to compliment your employees, your boss, and your peers. Give gratitude to the waiter at lunch time, and continue the day by sharing a kind word with your customers, even the ones who might not be your favorites. You’ll not only light up your day; you’ll light up everyone around you. The passion will be flowing.

6. Be flexible and take things in stride.

When situations feel difficult, it can feel overwhelming at the time. To diffuse the tension, think of how you will feel a week later. Is it really that important in the grand scheme of your life? When a crisis comes my way, my friends know I will always say, “As long as no one has died, it’s not too bad of a problem.” Everyone smiles or laughs, and we’re on our way back to passion and having fun in the workplace.

7. Self-confidence matters.

Dress the part. Act the part. Look the part. Feel the part. You’ll feel better for it.

8. Power up your perseverance.

Some things in life just take more determination than you ever thought possible. If you’re doing 50 situps without the result you want, it may just mean you need to do 75 or 100. When I come to this realization, I steel myself and say, “OK I can do this.” And I do.

9. Manage your emotions.

You choose to be happy or sad every minute of every day; you’re in charge. You can choose to spend the rest of your life grumpy or ecstatic; it’s up to you and the attitude you create for yourself. We’ve learned from scientists just in the past few years that our brains, and therefore our personality traits, are changeable. Even if you are a “negative” person, you can turn that trait around to neutral or positive if you work hard enough.

Create and manage your emotions in the way that they work best for you. For me, I choose to laugh a lot, even in the face of adversity.

10. Say what’s on your mind.

Upsets can occur as often when something isn’t said as when it is said. Don’t let an issue simmer below the surface and create a bad feeling that lingers. Clear the air by being brave enough to have the tough conversation. It might be the conversation between you and your boss on why someone else got promoted before you did. Perhaps it’s the conversation between you and your teenager about a boundary that was violated. Or it could be some old stuff between you and your partner that you need to let go of.

If there is something you need to get off of your mind that has been simmering below the surface and crushing you passion, then take a deep breath, say it, and get the passion flowing again.

Try these ten tips one at a time – perhaps one a week -- in your workplace or your life, and see if your purpose and passion return with a renewed delight.

Discovering your passion pulse in work/life

Here is an extract from my recent keynote that many have asked for a copy.
If I were to ask you what your passion is, could you name it? If you are like many people I talk to, you would answer, "I'm not sure." So many of us are so busy juggling our day-to-day responsibilities that we have become strangers to our passion. We may get small glimpses, little moments of enjoyment and inspiration, but rarely do we benefit from continual or prolonged periods of passion. Our lives simply do not reflect what's in our hearts.

So What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

A friend of mine was having a discussion with her three-year-old son about things like action figures and preschool friends, when suddenly the topic changed. He asked, "Mummy, what do you want to be when you grow up?"

She had not considered this question in many years, but it was every bit as relevant now as it was when she was a child. Even though she was a successful attorney, she knew she had not become what she truly wanted to be. She answered, "I don't know, sweetie. What do you want to be?"

"I want to be a policeman," he replied. "You could be an astronaut. Abby wants to be an astronaut. You could be one with her." Touched, she realized that although it was a little late for her to join the space program, she could be many other things. Not just in a career, but in life. She found herself wondering what really excited her about life. If she could be anything, if there were no limitations or obstacles, what would she be? A simple question from her son inspired her to reflect more intently than any professional seminar or coaching session ever had.

Few people could answer this question any differently than my friend did. Even if they are proud of what they have accomplished--even if they enjoy what they do--they cannot say that they truly have become who they wanted to be. Given the opportunity, they might make some changes; they know they can do more, be better, or be happier. But they don't know how. To begin to build the lives they want, they need to embrace their passion. And to do that, they must first discover it.

Four Ways to Discover Your Passion

Discovery by epiphany--This occurs when you have one pivotal, life-changing experience that creates a sudden and intense awareness of an underlying passion. The experience is unexpected, and its effect is powerful. In a single, clear moment, the mystery surrounding the heart is revealed, and you are left with a distinct impression of who you must be. This moment of discovery does not necessarily result from a major event. It can come while on a quiet walk, reading a book, or performing daily chores. Whatever its context, it is an unmistakable wake-up call from your heart.

Discovery through change--Major life changes, such as birth or death, marriage or divorce, losing a job or taking a new one, and illness or recovery, can alter your view on life and cause you to examine the way you live it. As you react, you may learn things about yourself you never knew. This includes discovering your passion. Those living with disease or injury might discover a passion for helping others to overcome the same challenges. New parents might learn they are passionate about teaching or nurturing others.

Discovery through intuition--Discovering your passion is a product of intuition. You must sense your passion in order to identify it. You have intuition, but may not recognize its cues. Some of you might be born with such strong intuition that, from a very early age, you know your passion and are confident in it. With fearlessness and conviction you embrace it fully and follow the course it dictates. Something about your nature allows your passion to flow unabated. Once it is unleashed, it is so powerful that you cannot ignore it.

Discovery through experience--Most of you uncover your passion gradually as a result of day-to-day experiences. You get glimpses of it--courtesy of your intuition--but may not understand its significance or heed its influence. The messages are there, and they may be from your heart, but they are subtle. Unless you pay attention to them, you are likely to dispel them. They are neither earth shattering or life changing. The challenge is learning to listen to and interpret the signals of your heart and translate them into action.

Steps to Discovery
Take a step back--In order to listen to your heart, shut out the day-to-day noise, stress, and confusion, and seek perspective on your life. This may require only a quiet walk in the woods or a night in front of the fire; however, if you feel you cannot escape so easily, you may need to retreat completely. This could mean flying halfway around the globe or loading a tent into the back of the car and spending a few days in the mountains. Sit down, breathe deeply, and try to relax. Then answer these questions: Where am I today? Where do I want to be tomorrow? What do I want to do with my life?

Look to the past, present, and future for clues to your passion--Search for clues to uncover your passion. Remember your childhood and any activities that excited or intrigued you. You may have abandoned them only because you thought it was practical, not because you lost your passion for them. Then examine the present. Consider the things you look forward to from day to day--the aspects of your work you enjoy or the activities or thoughts in your life you really love. Finally, look to the future. Make a list of the things you dream of, and take time to think about what they mean to you now. Once you have done this, look for connections between the ideas that have emerged.

Step back in--Once you return from your step back--whether it took you to another country or just another room--uncover your passion as you go about your normal routine. Examine your surroundings--the things you fill your home with, the ways you fill your time, the people you like--for insights into yourself. Schedule time with friends, family members, and colleagues to discuss you, and just you. Ask them to name your strengths and weaknesses, or your talents and abilities as they see them. Do this not because they know you better than you know yourself, but because they see your passion from another perspective.

Begin to experiment--If you still cannot identify your passion, it is time to act. Seek out new experiences, people, and activities. Take a class at a local college, apply for a part-time job, join a neighborhood athletic team, help a friend with work, attend lectures and meetings, or try a new hobby. Look for the fresh in the stale, the new in the old. If you think a bolder move is necessary, step out of your comfort zone and take some risks. If you usually stand on the sidelines as an observer, jump in as a participant. The point is to break down the barriers that might be preventing you from finding the things you enjoy.

Try taste tests--If you do not feel quite so daring, there are safer ways to experiment with passion: taste tests. Begin to let passion into your life on your own terms. Find ways to test your suspicions. Discovery will be more gradual than if you make more drastic changes, but you should begin to sense the things that move you.

Take perspective breaks--As you engage in the process of discovery, continue to take perspective breaks. Do things that offer you varying views of your life. Reading can expose you to new ideas and new frames of reference. Travelling requires you to ponder what is meaningful at home and in the new places you see. Watching plays and movies, attending festivals and celebrations, or taking solitary walks or extended bike rides cause you to see the world and your life in new ways.

Passion versus desire, where do you sit in achieving your life purpose?

Finding your passion is about more than just fulfilling your cravings or desires. There is a difference between passion and desire. Passion that comes from your natural tendencies, or what can be called “purpose,” is not dependent on your circumstances. You can tell the difference between the two because of how you feel when you do the activity. Doing activities inline with your passion that comes from purpose will make you feel energized, alive and make you want to continue the activity even more. You can lose track of time, become obsessed and maybe even have to give yourself time limits on how much you engage in the activity. You are like an addict.

On the other hand, doing activities that fulfill desires that are circumstantial can make you feel satisfied and content. The more you do the activity, the more satisfied you become and less interested in continuing the activity. One example of this is the love of babies or small children. Someone whose passion is to be around them might want to run a daycare center or be school teacher, whereas, someone who wants to be a parent will feel that deep desire fulfilled by birth or adoption.

Your true passion is like a soul-mate activity. It is the thing that makes you feel alive when you do it. Recognizing your passion that comes from purpose, or your natural tendencies, can often happen if you think about what you would want to do if you had all of your needs and desires met. If you had all of the money in the world, finished traveling and had all of your wishes and desires fulfilled, what would you want to do with your time?

Some people say they have a dream or passion about something at which they are not very good. Just look at the American Idol tryouts. Everyone thinks they are the best. But they often have not taken any time to learn or train to be the best. They have a desire but not a real passion. People who find their true passion often want to be good at what they love. Wanting to learn more and putting forth the effort to do so is a natural part of pursuing your passion.

This is why passion is such a crucial part of success. It is like a natural river of drive and energy you can ride toward your goal of success. One way to ride that river is to find a way to be successful with the passion itself. If you love to paint, learn to be the best you can be and find a way to make money painting. You would have a better chance of finding success than if you love painting and you become a waiter. Another way to ride that river is to find a way for success in one area to allow you to engage in your passion. If you love to travel, but cannot find a way to make money from it, find another way to make money and then use it to travel. Either way, finding your passion is the best and strongest motivation to find success. Any successful person you meet can tell you in a heartbeat what their passion is and how that helped them find success. Find your passion, and let your passion drive you to success.

This year's presentations and workshops

As promised below is the subject list of presentations that I will offer this year. Please email if you would like further details kathie_melocco@hotmail.com

Current international travel agenda available upon request.

* Sex, Money and Happiness -surviving in tough economic times. Inspirational and lots of humour.

* Discovering your passion pulse in work/life - how to get from where you are to where you want to be

* Growing your business through the power of social marketing - workshop only

*Transformational Marketing - how to move beyond nuts n bolts technician skills to powerful organizational transformation that delivers dollars and industry leadership. Lots of case studies including one that delivered a 700% return on investment!

*The Bikini Budget - everyone is doing it. Workshop only

*Goddess Power - using feminine intuition and values to create powerful change even in touch economic times

*Modern Miracles - inspirational keynote sharing stories of courage, hope and challenge sometimes against all odds with remarkable human achievement.

* Kathie's story - personal story of the power of connection, authenticity and the human spirit

* So you want to get publicity? - In 2010 you have to go social and viral. Hands on nuts n bolt workshops.

The Nature of Happiness - Managing Workplace stress and depression

One of the keynotes I deliver is a series of personal stories of journeys to happiness for the workplace. This keynote is inspirational and helps to destigmatise workplace stress and in its worst form depression. In fact there is a lot workplaces can do to improve the workplace environment for their staff simply by adding a touch of nature to the office. Experts often encourage people to simply get grounded in nature to manage stress, things like going for a walk, enjoying a beautiful landscape and so on.

Here are some facts about workplace stress and depression:

You can help by:

Building Positive awareness around Depression and encourage your employees to be resilient to workplace stress. Awareness helps to:
#increase knowledge
# decrease stigma
# improves attitudes
# increases confidence to assist someone to seek help.


FACTS

More than one million people in Australia experience depression, anxiety or related alcohol and drug problems

Depression is currently the leading cause of non-fatal disability in Australia, but only 3 per cent of the population identifies it as a major health problem

Each year, undiagnosed depression in the workplace costs $4.3 billion in lost productivity and this excludes Workcover/insurance claims, part-time or casual employees, retrenchment, recruitment and training problems each year.

On average, every full-time employee with untreated depression costs an organisation $9,665 per year

Each employee with depression will, on average, take three to four days off work per month which is equivalent to over six million days lost each year in Australia

In addition to absenteeism, depression accounts for more than 12 million days of reduced productivity each year.

Sixty-two per cent (62%) of people with depression don't get help for it

Research shows that implementation of early diagnosis and intervention programs can result in a five-fold return on investment as a result of increased employee productivity

Workplace stress is a significant risk factor for developing depression
Source - Beyond Blue
http://www.beyondblue.org.au/index.aspx?link_id=4.1028

Discovering your passion pulse in work and life

This week I coached one of my favourite clients. For the purpose of privacy let’s call her Claire. She operates a very successful SME with a focus on food but her life is overtaken by ‘To Do Lists’, deadlines, not enough sleep and living for tomorrow. So to try and get Claire out of all the detail that is consuming her life at present we went right back to basics. Identifying what her passion pulse was and, not surprisingly it was spending more time with family, not more work, that would ultimately just create more work rather than profit and freedom.Working with Claire I was able to share the story of Les Schirato from Australia’s No 1 pure coffee company Vittoria Coffee. Les is Managing Director of a hugely successful, privately owned family company, now in its third generation of family members. He joined the company as a young man and had a vision and passion for his product - coffee. To him it was special, like a precious gem. It was a luxury item and should not be just disregarded. Les' dream and determined passion was to bring to mainstream Australia espresso Italian style coffee. It was a big ask as Australia at that time was a nation of tea drinkers. Multiculturalism certainly wasn't in full swing.

When everyone doubted Les he simply put those doubts to better use and set about making coffee a category in supermarkets, by placing his precious brand in the big barrels’ of the fruit and veggie sections, not the shelves as no one would give him space.

Today Vittoria Coffee is an icon, an Australian success story and a super brand. When I first started working with Les in the late nineties he was on another mission, this time to teach people the difference between the Arabica Coffee Bean and the inferior Robusta Bean. Les was dismayed that some cafes and restaurants chose inferior products and he wanted consumers to know the difference. Often I would be with him at a cafe and he would walk behind the espresso machine and ‘show’ the barista how to make coffee using his product. My point is this: Les Schirato loves his product, his vision was huge and he could see along the way the roadmap of exactly what he wanted and had to achieve. He was determined that nothing would get in his way. Yes there were set backs, but that didn’t falter his passion and love of his product. He knew it was good and he was proud of it. It shows to anyone who meets him. Les surrounded himself with people who had a similar passion for his product although I would go so far as to say Les’ passion is and was contagious.

Just like Les Schirato’s story the same must be said of your product whatever it might be. Who said you had to be traditional with how you market your product. Dream big, much bigger than your industry or competition has ever dared to consider and find the single thing that could transform your business and possibly even give birth to a new industry. In Les’ case it was the birth of cafe culture in Australia. There are some that may say others contributed to this, true, but it was this man’s drive that eventually allowed others to benefit from his vision. So while you ponder what is your own passion pulse just observe next time you are at one of Australia’s finer dining establishments and take note of whose coffee is served, I bet you will be drinking Vittoria and it will probably be out of a ‘branded’ Vittoria Coffee cup, now that is vision!