Tamela Rich's Blog, page 13

Charlotte’s “Luna Rising,” Here I come with “Mindful Minimalism”

I’m looking forward to facilitating a thoughtful conversation about the “stuff” we think we “need” to lead meaningful lives.

Luna Rising is an annual gathering for women and girls aged six and older at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte.  Participants will feed their creative spirits, minds and bodies through a potpourri of workshops including dancing, drumming, reflecting, and thinking.

My session will be somewhere between the “reflecting” and “thinking” categories. Here’s the pitch.

Mindful Minimalism: If you can’t pack it on a motorcycle, you can probably live without it.

The “need for stuff” drives all kinds of life decisions, no matter which phase of life we find ourselves in.  After I unpack my motorcycle’s duffle with the group, and participants see how little I carry for six weeks on the road, we will discuss how our needs for stuff, status and a host of other things drive us all to make educational, job, career and family choices in support  of those needs.

The group will reflect on how the choices we’ve made so far in life are feeding our souls and communities, and we’ll explore ways to support each other as we strive for more vital lives.

“Mindful Minimalism” is one of my favorite keynote presentations, and is a wonderful workshop.  I look forward to being a fellow learner in this conversation with the girls and women at Luna Rising.

Thinking, reflecting, dancing and drumming take place Saturday, January 26, 2013 at 9:30am. Here’s a map if you’re interested in joining us (sorry, no boys allowed).

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Write Your Book, Even if You Flunked English Class

I’ve been ghostwriting articles, newsletters and books for financial and business professionals since 2008. When I ran across this cartoon,  it resonated because many of my clients have laughingly said that their former English teachers would know their work had been ghostwritten. Never fear; I keep secrets.

If you believe you can’t write your book because you had lackluster grades in English class, I devised a series of workshops with you in mind.  ”Kickstart Your Business Book” will play to your depth as a business professional, not try to remake you as a writer. Read on! (or download this). 

Kickstart Your Business Book

“Kickstart Your Business Book” is a hybrid of mastermind group and hands-on workshops in Charlotte, NC led by yours truly. Working with five other business professionals, you will finish the course with:

Defined business goals for your book.
An Ideal Reader Profile and set of Reader Objectives.
Key Messages, Themes and a “Voice” for your book.
A “Goldilocks Chapter”) of your book, which is a template/sample chapter.
A detailed table of contents with which to begin writing the book by yourself or in collaboration with a professional writer.
A primer on copyright concerns.
Sufficient information necessary to:

Decide whether to seek a publisher or to publish independently.
Choose your book’s format and distribution channel(s).
Begin developing a marketing strategy for your book that could begin before the book is finished.
How to hire a team of professionals to help you finish your book.

Click here for a PDF of the details. 

The Fine Print

Limited to six participants, and one has already paid in full, leaving five seats. Overflow will form a new group.

$950 tuition as follows:

At least $500 to confirm your seat. Since there are only six participants in this mastermind group, don’t delay. Overflow will form a new group.
Tuition must be paid inn full by 1/14/13.

All workshops will take place at SPARK Publications office in Mathews, NC from 9-12am. The feedback sessions on 2/19/13 will be scheduled individually and will also be held at SPARK’s office.

No rain checks on missed sessions. I’m available for 1:1 sessions at $95/hour. 

To reserve your seat, send me your contact information along with a check for $950 to: Minerva Holdings, Inc.  PO Box 44325, Charlotte, NC 28215

Or pay with PayPal: 

The “Live Full Throttle Companion Guide” is READY!

The Three Fates form the basis of the additional exercises in The Full Throttle Companion Guide

 

A year ago Live Full Throttle: Life Lessons From Friends Who Faced Cancer made its debut and has since won two national book awards.  When you said “It’s too pretty to write in” I decided to write a Companion Guide to the book and publish it in black and white  – that should  remove any obstacle to working through the exercises that follow each chapter.

You can keep reading or just hop over to Amazon and buy the guide. It’s only $5 for 60 pages of exercises and journaling space.

What’s in the Companion Guide?

Yes, all the exercises from Live Full Throttle are there in the Companion Guide, in addition to a set of “capstone exercises” that occurred to me over the year I’ve been touring with the book. See the photo at the top of this page? Those are the three Fates, mythological beings whom ancient cultures believed could decide when we’d be born, how long we’d live, and how and when we’d meet our deaths. The capstone exercises are inspired by The Fates.

Nearly all ancient cultures have a version of the three mythological Fates who spin, measure and cut each life’s thread. They are usually portrayed as weavers and we unknowingly refer to them when we say “it was bound to happen.”

The concept of a “fairy godmother” is  related to The Fates, since after all, if your time is already measured, your godmother hovers over you to make sure it cannot be cut short.

Please tell me how the Companion Guide affects your road to a better life. I enjoy hearing from you.

My Gift to You for 2013: Life Lessons from the Road

I’ve been fortunate to crisscross the United State and parts of Canada on my motorcycle three times. I enjoyed sharing stories from the road with my newsletter subscribers, who often tell me about this story or that one when we meet in person. This one is a perennial favorite:

Pulling into the Kansas gas station, I saw a man walking through the parking lot carrying a couple of plastic shopping bags. I assumed he was a local, and asked if he could recommend a restaurant. He came alongside my bike and said that he, too, was passing through. As a fellow traveler, I always ask about the journey, and was shocked to learn that the man was walking all the way from his brother’s wedding in Washington state back to his home in Massachusetts.

“I wanted to see America before I go completely blind,” he said. 

He told me he had macular degeneration, an eye disease that eventually causes blindness. He made his living as a fry cook in a seafood restaurant and quit his job for a few months so that he could fly to Washington for the wedding and walk back home.

Averaging 30 miles a day, he must have saved a nice nest egg for the odyssey. I asked him about his equipment, expecting to learn something about high-tech gear that might help me out on a future trip, and was surprised to learn that he was wearing it: collared shirt, chino pants, and $15 slip-on shoes he’d bought at Wal-Mart.

And that’s when I realized I did learn something, but not about hi-tech gear. He taught me that I should wring the joy out of the life I’m given (circumstances be damned) and that I can always travel (and live) with less. How can you live a little lighter today? 

Here’s the free gift

To kick off a thoughtful 2013, I’m offering a FREE three-month subscription to “Lessons From The Road.”

Every midnight, from January 1 until March 31, you’ll get a little slice of life from the highways and byways of my travels, like the one above. If you prefer listening to reading, there will be a link at the bottom, where you can hear me tell the story.

I hope you’ll enjoy your subscription and forward on those you think will give a friend a much-needed lift. It’s nice to share.

Click here to claim your free subscription. You’ll see me in your inbox beginning January 1, 2013.

 

It’s time to “Kickstart Your Business Book”

Isn’t it time to take action and become a published author? I’m not talking to novelists and poets, I’m talking to business professionals who need “the ultimate business card.” The book you write is just that, the ultimate business card. It’s time to get that book off your wish list and into the hands of clients and prospects.

Forget what your high school English teacher said about your writing skills

Charles R. Schwab is dyslexic, yet he rose to the top of his profession AND wrote several books. You can hire a financial ghostwriter like me to make you sound like an English Major, but before we that can happen, you’ve got some work to do.

Kickstart Your Business Book

“Kickstart Your Business Book” is a hybrid of mastermind group and hands-on workshops in Charlotte, NC led by yours truly. Working with five other business professionals, you will finish the course with:

Defined business goals for your book.
An Ideal Reader Profile and set of Reader Objectives.
Key Messages, Themes and a “Voice” for the book.
A “Goldilocks Chapter”) of the book, which is a template/sample chapter.
A detailed table of contents with which to begin writing the book by yourself or in collaboration with a professional writer.
A primer on copyright concerns.
Sufficient information necessary to:

Decide whether to seek a publisher or to publish independently.
Choose your book’s format and distribution channel(s).
Begin developing a marketing strategy for your book that could begin before the book is finished.
How to hire a team of professionals to help you finish your book.

This series of workshops is NOT a “writing class” designed to make you into something you are not. Most business authors engage a team of experts (including a ghostwriter) to bring their books to fruition; this course will equip you to captain that team and keep it focused on YOUR vision, voice and table of contents. 

However, you will become a better communicator as a byproduct of this course. What you learn about using Key Messages and an authentic Voice to convey messages that meet your Ideal Reader’s Objectives will serve you throughout your career.

Your Path to Published Author

1/22/13: Business, Audience, Voice

Setting your BUSINESS goals for the book.
Developing the Ideal Reader Profile.
What will your Ideal Reader be equipped to do after reading your book? These are Reader Objectives.
Finding the right Voice for your book that will resonate with your Ideal Reader. This goes beyond what you learned in eighth grade about whether to write in first- or third-person.

1/29/13:  Key Messages, Themes and Table Of Contents

Group feedback on 2/2 homework (Business goals, Reader Profile, Objectives and Voice).
Define Key Messages and practice how to infuse them throughout the book.


Using Key Messages to develop Themes and a preliminary Table Of Contents (TOC).

2/5/13 Goldilocks Chapter

Group feedback on 2/9 homework (Key Messages, Themes and TOC).
Defining and writing your Goldilocks Chapter.
Copyright concerns.

2/19/12: One-on-one feedback sessions on your Goldilocks Chapter

On Tuesday 2/19, instead of a regular group meeting, each author will spend 60 minutes with me reviewing my feedback and suggestions and mapping the next version. Authors will submit their Goldilocks Chapters to me by Thursday, 2/12.

2/26/13: Go, Go, Go! 

Revising and fleshing out TOC using key messages, themes and the revised Goldilocks Chapter.
Software and other tools to consider using for your book project.
What to place in body of the chapter versus sidebars and appendices.
45-minute primer on choosing the best book format, design and distribution channel(s) to meet your business goals, guided by SPARK PUblications.
Generating pre-book buzz through: blogging, newsletters, social media, speaking engagements, podcasting, white papers/e-guides, etc. “It’s your content…reuse and recycle it!”

The Fine Print

Limited to six participants, and one has already paid in full, leaving five seats. Overflow will form a new group.

$950 tuition as follows:

At least $500 to confirm your seat. Since there are only six participants in this mastermind group, don’t delay. Overflow will form a new group.
Tuition must be paid inn full by 1/14/13.

All workshops will take place at SPARK Publications office in Mathews, NC from 9-12am. The feedback sessions on 2/19/13 will be scheduled individually and will also be held at SPARK’s office.

No rain checks on missed sessions. I’m available for 1:1 sessions at $95/hour. 

To reserve your seat, send me your contact information along with a check for $950 to: Minerva Holdings, Inc.  PO Box 44325, Charlotte, NC 28215

Or pay with PayPal: 

Live Full Throttle Wins TWO, count ‘em TWO National Book Awards!

Announcing Keynotes for Business, Professional and Community Groups

If you’re in charge of hiring the right keynote speaker or workshop facilitator, your task is more art than science, which makes it tricky. Whether your organization wants to be inspired, challenged or entertained, I have plenty of material for keynotes, workshops, luncheons, and after-dinner speeches.

Let’s see if what I have to offer is a fit.

Here are three keynote presentations easily customized for your professional, business or community group. These other keynote talks that are inspired by my work as a cancer advocate might also resonate with your needs.

1. Explore the wobbles, switchbacks, detours and blind corners of life

This is the most flexible topic in my lineup; customized for luncheons, dinners, keynotes and workshops.

I enjoy exploring with groups the peaks and valleys of life (personal and professional) from a long-distance motorcyclist’s vantage point.

Teams getting together to review results or chart a new direction will frame the wobbles, detours and blind corners of the past while mapping a series of switchbacks to the top.
Groups concerned with personal growth will glean takeaways for how to better lean in or out as they navigate through detours, blind corners and switchbacks.
Organizations kicking off a new initiative will accept that wobbles, detours and blind corners are an inevitable part of the journey and that there is no straight path to the pinnacle — only switchbacks.

2. Mindful minimalism

Designed as a 60-minute interactive experience, this keynote presentation is easily condensed for a luncheon or dinner talk.

Every time I pack my duffel for a road trip,  I’m grateful to have so little to carry and keep track of, and that’s a big change from the person I was for most of my life. You may not want to pare down as much as I do, but I bet you, your co-workers, and your family have at times yearned to lead a simpler, more meaningful life. Let’s talk about that.

I relish working with a group that asks members to bring something to the talk (for donation) that someone else can use — or get more use out of — than the donor. This might be a garment, a book, a piece of kitchenware or an automobile, I don’t care. At the end of the talk, the group drops these items off at a local charity, and new spirit is infused in all.

3. Let me entertain you

Perfect or a luncheon or dinner talk at a venue with screens large enough to afford everyone a great view.

Prefer just to be dazzled by gorgeous photography and a tour of the US and Canada? I can do that too, and throw in an occasional stranded traveler tale to boot.

Customized for each group
Luncheons begin at 20 minutes and continue through Q&A.

For planning purposes, keynote experiences begin at 60 minutes.

Workshops begin at 60 minutes.


Speaker fees

Engagements outside Charlotte, North Carolina will include transportation, per diem and a one-day minimum fee of $1000.

Workshops, by their nature, require a great deal of customization after consulting with the organizers, therefore fees are difficult to estimate here. That said, $3750 is a starting point plus expenses.

Occasionally I can speak to a community group like Rotary, Lions, Altrusa, and cancer support groups at no charge when I’m in the area for other (paid) business. Let’s see if our schedules align; I’d love to make it happen.

Contact me to discuss your specific needs.

Workshop: Is 2013 the Year of YOUR Book?

I field nearly 100 inquiries a year about writing a book. People want to know predictable things, like whether they’re ready, how much it costs to self publish, how to market the book and how to get started.

I can speak from my experience, but here’s your chance to hear from a panel of experts on the subject, including Fabi Preslar, whose firm, SPARK Publications designed my award-winning book, Live Full Throttle.  

 Join me at this workshop

The Year of YOUR Book is a real world conversation about professionally custom-publishing your book. SPARK Publications will share the basic steps and processes toward becoming a self-published author.

This 90-minute session, held in Charlotte, NC, will include an interactive panel discussion with successful self-publishers (including yours truly) who will share their experiences with you and answer your questions. After the formal presentation, we’ll sign books and mix-and-mingle.

We’ll address these and other questions and concerns:

What are the steps and costs involved in custom-publishing your own book?
Fears of publishing a book on your own, without a “publishing house.”
How to make a custom-published book succeed.
Confusion with the differences between P.O.D (online) publishing, digital printing, traditional publishing  and eBooks, (and choosing what’s best for you).
Using a book as a business builder: best practices.
How a book will help you land more and better speaking and media opportunities.
Choosing between hiring a ghostwriter, writing coach, editor, copy editor, proofreader… and determining which one your book needs.
Design, production, distribution, marketing, promotions, PR – how do you get your book “out there?”

 Get answers to these questions and more during this 90-minute presentation. Cost is just $65 per person, plus the chance to win an autographed book from one of the panelists. I am not being compensated for participating, in case you’re wondering.

REGISTER HERE, NOW 

Meet the panelists

Chuck Inglefield: Author of the National award-winning book: Holy Cow, You’re Retiring! and President of Inglefield Retirement Solutions.

Tamela Rich: Author and recipient of two National publishing awards for Live Full Throttle: Life Lessons from Friends Who Faced Cancer. Tamela is also a financial ghostwriter.

Peg Robarchek: Ghostwriter, professional book editor, writing coach, and novelist.

Lou Solomon: Authentic Communication Coach, Founder of Interact and Author of Say Something Real.

 Host: Fabi Preslar, President of SPARK Publications and author of On Heaven’s Couch, My Journey with a Masterful Mentor (Excellence in Publishing award recipient).

REGISTER HERE, NOW 

Announcing Keynote Speeches and Workshops for Healthcare Events

Need a speaker or panelist for your next conference, workshop or consortium? I offer a refreshing layperson’s perspective that’s rooted in my experience and uses the stories in my book, Live Full Throttle: Life Lessons From Friends Who Faced Cancer.

Here are three standard presentations, all of which can be tailored to the size and psychographics of the group.

1. The Accidental Breast Cancer Advocate 

This talk is the ideal length for a luncheon or to close a conference (20-30 minutes).

In 2010 I joined a group of American and Canadian women motorcyclists who decorated their bikes in pink swag and raised money for breast cancer, because I was looking for a good cause. Little did I know that driving a pink-decorated motorcycle would encourage those touched by cancer to share their experiences as I stopped for fuel, food and scenery, changing my life forever. I share the story of Dusty, illustrating the healing power of joy.

2. Eight Lessons From Friends Who Faced Cancer 

This keynote presentation or workshop requires at least 90 minutes.

Taken from Live Full Throttle: Life Lessons From Friends Who Faced Cancer, I share the book’s eight stories, and as I do, engage the audience in applying the lessons to their own lives and professions:

The Healing Power of Joy
Gratitude Eases Pain
Laughter Lightens Tragedy
You’re Terminal Too, Embrace It
When to Fight, When to Flow
Art Restores
Relationships are Fluid
Channel Sorrow Into Service

The topics of this keynote are idea for groups whose members want to stay emotionally connected to their clients without feeling overwhelmed and tapped out for their other relationships. Workshops are always highly customized. Here’s a quote from a client:

One of (my staff) told me she was emotionally wiped out after the meeting and had to step back and look at how she was treating her spouse—not too good she said.  I think that is very positive and one of the results I was hoping for… Another is going over the relationship chapter with their husband.

3. Cancer and the Kindness of Strangers 

This keynote address can run from 45-60 minutes.

I tell the story behind a motorcycle movement known as “Conga for the Cure” and some of my more poignant experiences as I’ve traveled 35 states and four Canadian provinces with a pink bra strapped across the windshield of her motorcycle. I will include between two or three of the stories Live Full Throttle, selected to resonate with the psychographics of the group.

Speaker fees

Engagements outside Charlotte, North Carolina will include transportation, per diem and a one-day minimum fee of $1000.

Workshops, by their nature, require a great deal of customization after consulting with the organizers, therefore fees are difficult to estimate here. That said, $3750 is a starting point plus expenses.

Occasionally I can speak to a community group like Rotary, Lions, Altrusa, and cancer support groups at no charge when I’m in the area for other (paid) business. Let’s see if our schedules align; I’d love to make it happen.

Contact me to discuss your specific needs.

Why I’m Leaving Facebook

Do you find yourself growing weary of Facebook? Weary of the ever-changing privacy landscape?

Yeah, me too.

I’ve never hung out my shingle as a social media expert, but I am a member of Charlotte’s Social Media Club so that I can rub shoulders with those who are. Like a frog crossing a big pond on a series of lily pads, I’ve jumped from one social media platform to the next as my needs have evolved and the limitations of platforms have become intolerable. I thought Facebook was a long-termer, but now I find there’s a fresher pony coming through town.

Here’s where I’ve been and where I’m headed. If you’re a skimmer, the subheads will help you find what you’re looking for.

My history with social media through 35 dog years

LinkedIn. Although social media hasn’t been around for too long in the scheme of things, I began riding the LinkedIn wave on November 21, 2007. Looking back, I was a social media evangelist of sort, spending an inordinate amount of time explaining what LinkedIn was and why my friends and business associates should join this thing called my “network.” Five short years ago (35 in dog years), many people who knew me well still declined my invitation. “I don’t need it,” they usually said. I’m still there, visiting as needed for my own work or when someone asks for my help. It’s for business networking. Period.

Twitter. Ah, Twitter. The original Twitter was addictive. It was my portal to an uncensored universe.  In addition to meeting some great new friends who became friends in real life, I actually landed a few clients there, since I was around to chat about market-moving events with financial and business professionals (my clientele). I was reluctant to join Facebook, but as Twitter began to get spammy, I decided to give it a try. You can still find my Twitter account, but the only thing that appears there is “robo shares” from my posts elsewhere.

Facebook. I heeded great advice from friends who were ahead of me on Facebook. They said to publish a PAGE for content I wanted the world to see without my permission. Having a PAGE meant I could wish friends a happy birthday over on my personal account while sparing everyone else that kind of small talk. I use my PAGE to talk about my work, travels and advocacy.

That worked.

Until it didn’t.

Gains and losses on Facebook

Since I’ve already given away the punchline in the title — you know I’m leaving– I want to evaluate my experience on that platform so you know how I’ve thought my decision through. Maybe something I say will resonate. In sum, Facebook has been a mixed bag for me. I’ll list the wins first, then the losses.

Facebook Win:  Reconnecting

Facebook has been a boon to reconnecting with friends from high school, college and with long-lost relatives. It really has. But there’s a tremendous downside, and that’s my lack of time to sift through all the junk in the way of the updates I really care about. More about that in the “losses” column below.

Facebook Win:  Meeting and strengthening

This book would not have been written without Facebook

Facebook been a wonderful way to meet people and  strengthen relationships.

I’m eternally grateful to Facebook for introducing me to the group of Canadian and American women motorcyclists in the group Conga for the Cause, which led to my book, Live Full Throttle. My involvement with that community changed my life for the better.

But is Facebook the only way to meet new people and solidify existing relationships? Not at all.

I can hear you screaming “But Tamela, everyone’s already on Facebook and it’s too cumbersome to move!”

I’ll get to that point.

 

Facebook Loss: Hacker culture

This article on “tricks” Facebook uses to mine and sell our personal information, combined with friends’ experiences with Facebook hacks, make my blood boil. Here are five of the “tricks” in brief:

The Single Button Trick
The Tiny Gray Font Trick
 The Tiny Hidden Info Symbol Trick
The Action Line Trick
The Friendly Talk Trick

I believe businesses, like people, have DNA. Facebook’s DNA is hacker culture. End rant.

Facebook Loss: Meaningful content

The most ancient self-help advice I know of came from the Oracle at Delphi: Know Thyself.  One thing I know about myself is that I like substantive content. Here’s what isn’t working for me on Facebook.

Two words: GAME REQUESTS.
Baby out with the bathwater. Facebook doesn’t give me a way to block messages without blocking messengers. Election years are tough on me since I’m nonpartisan and a peacemaker at heart. Some people in my stream are more strident and prolific in sharing their political views than others, but my stream of updates is tilting toxic these d[image error]ays.
No control over my content. Election years aside, there’s a whole lot of fluff and not a lot of fiber in the update stream. Facebook gives me no way to dial up the frequency of posts from nonprofits I support and to dial down the frequency from people who post their daily horoscope. (Hint of things to come as you read further: there’s a service that does that!)
Clogged arteries. The more people I “friend” the more cluttered my stream becomes. Many’s the time I’ve accepted a friend request from someone I don’t really know who shares a mutual friendship with someone I do know. These “friends” have, in one way or another, given me the impression that I might enjoy seeing them in my stream. Sometimes these people are batshit crazy, in which case I have no problem “unfriending” them, but as often as not they are nice people with a penchant for sharing fluff. Fluff by the truckload. As a result, if I really want to know what’s going on with someone, I end up visiting their timeline because I can’t find them in my stream. Yes, I post fluff sometimes, but some people post fluff all the time.

Facebook Loss: Getting my message out

Did you know that only about 10% of your friends and family see your  Facebook posts? If you have a PAGE, as I do, you can remedy that by paying Facebook to show a post more widely. That’s fair, after all, since there are no free lunches and Facebook has bills to pay. But what do I get for my promoted post expenditures?

Fewer than 100 people have signed up for my newsletter directly from Facebook.
Maybe ten have bought my books directly from a Facebook ad or promotion.
No one has hired me to speak or write their book directly from my Facebook presence.

That’s not to say relationships that began or were fostered on Facebook didn’t lead to list subscribers, book buyers or clients, but I can’t measure the unknown.

Facebook takes the liberty of filtering my stream (see above), but I want a service that I can control.

G+ to the rescue: it’s a control thing

I’ve been itching to get more active on G+ but lacked the time to ramp up before my summer road trip. This week I’ve been doing just that, starting with reading Guy Kawasaki’s nitty-gritty how-to book called “What the Plus!: Google+ for the Rest of Us.”

Here’s why I’m making the move:

On Google Plus anyone in the world can follow me (unless I block them for being a stalker or nutjob). I don’t have to approve who follows me, but I have complete control over who sees what I share. This means I don’t have to maintain two “presences” as I do with Facebook (my personal stream and my PAGE).
If I share an update with the G+ circle called “family,” for instance, only those eighteen people will ever see it. I can have a circle with just my spouse or a circle of millions of people I’ve never met.
I can lock ANY post so it can’t be shared. It’s all within my control.
I can share posts with “the public” which means even people who aren’t on G+ can see some of my posts, and that’s frankly good for business. Search for the term “financial ghostwriter” and you’ll see me. Search G+ with those same terms and I’m at the top  (or search for me by name) where  you’ll get a sense of the person you might consider hiring to write your next book or white paper.
If I want to share something with you, and you are not on G+, I can email the update if I have your address. Wow, the power of integrating Gmail with G+.
I can control the amount of content in my stream from my various circles. For example, I can dial up my circle of friends in Charlotte when I’m gone all summer on my motorcycle, and I can dial them down when I return.

Before you point me to the statements I made about privacy with Facebook I’ll point you to the statements I made about DNA. Google has made its mis-steps and has breached some privacy walls, but at the end of the day I trust Google more than Facebook. Google’s DNA is with two PhD candidates who hired an experienced management team to run the shop from the outset. ‘Nuff said.

You’re screaming, “But nobody’s over there!” and I say, oh yes, plenty of folks are there. And remember, if only 10% of my posts are getting through Facebook’s filters anyway, I don’t have to meet a ton of G+ users to make up for the volume.

You say it’s cumbersome to move? I dunno, I imported my email databases, a simple task, and got a bunch of folks already on G+. But you’re right, I can’t import my Facebook lists. I accept that.

You say, “I’m not joining one more social network?”  I ask, “Would you consider joining my  list so we can stay in touch?”

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Facebook in my future = my rear view mirror

Here’s how I plan to operate on Facebook through the end of 2012.

First, I’m giving my personal information a colonic. I can’t keep up with Facebook’s hacker culture habit of making changes without advance notice, and I’m not going to try to keep up with news alerts on the matter.

Just as I’ve kept my other “legacy” social media accounts (see the 35 dog years section), I won’t close my Facebook account. I’ll “robo post” there and check in on my stream once a week or so. If you ping me, I’ll eventually get to it. By January 1, 2013 Facebook will be in my rear view mirror, which means I might check in once a month.

However, if you REALLY want to get or stay in touch, you can do so on G+ or through the return address on my email newsletter.

Oh, you say you’re not a subscriber? That’s easily fixed!

Subscribe to our mailing list

 

Why G+ will win

For those who think I’m jumping on a sinking ship, here’s what Kawasaki says* about Google’s inevitable success with G+. (Kawasaki said Apple would dominate technology back when it was almost bankrupt in the 1980′s, for what that’s worth.)

Google has a track record. Google has delivered better mousetraps when most people didn’t think better mousetraps were necessary…
Google is dead serious about this business. Insiders tell me Google+ is one of the top priorities of Google. It’s not an experiment or project buried within another business unit…
Google has infinite money and talent. Infinite money and talent doesn’t mean an organization is infallible..(b)ut infinite money and talent doesn’t guarantee you’ll fail either. Google is assaulting two big companies on their established turfs, so money and talent are necessary in this battle.
Google owns the river. Google owns one of the biggest rivers of Internet traffic (search), and it can divert people to Google+ anytime it wants. For example, when Google put an arrow on its search page pointing to the button to click to join Google+, hundreds of thousands of people joined.
Google owns the playing field. Google can do more than merely tilt the playing field, because it owns the playing field. For example, Google integrated Google+ into search results, and Samsung phones and tablets come with the Google+ application pre-installed. Google bought Motorola’s phone business, so we can assume similar integration will happen with Motorola phones and tablets too. Gmail account holders automatically have a Google+ account. In the future, Chrome, Google’s browser which recently passed Firefox in popularity, will incorporate Google+ also.

*Page(s): 25-27 What the Plus! Google+ for the Rest of Us by Guy Kawasaki